A Little Variety Never Hurt...

I'm a bad blogger... a bad, bad blogger... I need to receive 5 lashes from the cat o' nine tails for blog negligence! But, hey, I'm back!

Various shots from the Leisure Centre Sessions

So, what has kept me so busy? Daily family life, for the most part... but, a few fun wee photography projects have also contributed. I second shot at a wedding, for the first time in a couple of years. (I have already progressed a stack since the last wedding I shot, but I found that I still have so much to learn.)

My biggest recent project, though, was a great opportunity to put almost everything I have ever learned into practice... and that was when I was called in to shoot some promotional images for  local City-run leisure facilities. 

Those were, quite possibly, the most fun I have had shooting in a while - based on the sheer range of things I was asked to shoot; from trainer head shots to figure skaters in action, senior social activities to pre- school playtimes... quite the variety!!! Of course, each activity was in a different area, with different lighting and very different movement... so each had to treated very differently in both the creative approach and the technicalities.

The only problem with a shoot like that? So many different scenarios meant a lot more equipment in tow! I need a rolling bag... or a burly man servant!! (Ah... yes... more to add to my wish list... will it ever stop?!)

Cool Photo Blog Spotlight - The Little People Project

Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the coolest... and I found one online that I just had to share... because it is soooo cool! Whilst procrastinating on the web, sorry, researching on the web, I found a really awesome blog entitled The Little People Project.

It is the brainchild of London-based "Slinkachu" (Yeh, he is staying anonymous to the masses... but we do know he is a scorpio... not sure what relevance that is.. I digress!) and he simply puts tiny, railway model people into cool poses or scenes on the street, photographs them and then leaves them there!

Described as both a "street art installation project and a photography project", it has been amusing and bemusing passers-by (well, the ones that actually show awareness of their surroundings!) since 2006.

Love it!

Lightroom 4 is Here...Again... Officially... and in its Full Perfected Glory!

News has just hit the web - Lightroom 4 has been officially released and is now available for download. (Retail version available from March 6 or 7, depending on supplier.) WOO HOO!

Even better still, Adobe have slapped a fantastically affordable price tag of just $149 (US) until March 31, 2012. I really hope that isn't a glitch, but it does seem logical when LR3 was on sale for half price for the last couple of weeks.

I'm now off to do my happy dance... :-)

UPDATE: Thanks to the guys at Scott Kelby and the guys at Kelby Training, who just confirmed on their live webcast, that the price is actually not a limited time offer - it is the new price!! DOUBLE WOO HOO and high five to Adobe!

Newborn Sessions - My Top 5 Tips

Last week, I had my first newborn session in...er...hmmm... 3 years (wow! that long?!) and I had forgot how much fun they could be. Mind you, it does help when you have a cute, happy, cooperative subject! (With an awesome, cooperative parent in tow!)

So, from my recent refresher course and past experience, what scraps of advice would I offer a would-be newborn photographer? Good question... my tips would be:

1. Take your time. Babies (and new Moms!) don't want to be rushed -they are still finding their place and routine in the world. Be prepared to wait and take things slow. I like a 2 hour window.

2. Pick the best window of opportunity. I find 7-10 days old, to be the best for newborn shots. You get the best chance, at this stage, of a nice blend between sleepy baby and awake baby during your session.

3. Warmth is key! A toasty baby is a happy baby. I keep an extra heater near baby (unless I am using my continuous lighting kit - then heating comes from the lights instead!), and have a hairdryer on standby to warm up any props or cooler surfaces (like my leather ottoman). Warm hands also help!

4. Plan your props. This is where you can make your signature mark, so plan ahead well. I like to keep it simple (I'm not a fan of dressing up babies like dolls - I prefer to keep them as the blank canvas that they are), and ask parents to maybe bring something of significance to them (like a favourite stuffed animal or hobby item). My other favourite prop is my sound machine - I have it set to play a heartbeat noise and hide it behind my backdrop or just out of frame. It's a great baby soother!

5. Prepare for serious editing! You may be the best photographer in the world, with amazing SOOC (straight out of camera) results, but I have not met a newborn yet with perfect skin... and yet, newborn photos show them that way! Newborns tend to suffer with all sorts of dermatological conditions, such as newborn acne and cradle cap. So, I find the post processing requires a fair bit of healing brushes and skin tone adjustments.

So...yeh... that was fun... I now have to find more babies to photograph! (And NO, I am not having any more of my own! My family can forget that one! ;-)

I've been published!

Very VERY excited - I have just had 3 of my photos published in a magazine! Yay me! I am now an "Internationally Published Photographer"! (Did I mention I was excited?!) The photos, all taken on the beaches of West Vancouver, are featured in the latest edition of 72 & Rising - a fantastic aquatic-based magazine which covers all things water-related...

My images (right), as featured in 72 & Rising!

The magazine aims to bridge the gap between the marine science community and us regular land-lubbers. It pretty much covers every aspect of water-related life that you could be interested in -  conservation, science, art, photography, water activities, travel, adventure and even cooking(!) - but does it whilst secretly educating you. Since we are so reliant on (yet so abusive to) our planet's unique covering of H20, I see absolutely nothing wrong with that!