Well  … Hello there Winter!  You’re finally here, and I  am So glad to see you again. This means that time has slowed… days are short… fuzzy slippers are a daily requirement.  Did I forget to add in coffee? This is the time of year that I finally have time to introduce myself and my High School Seniors to my blog.  First out of the gate,  Brooke!

I love Brooke, she is a free-spirited girl, with the most gorgeous eyes! She is funny, quick to smile, adventurous at heart. Her photo session was one of the easiest ones of the summer. She’s a natural in front of the camera. All of these things make a perfect photo right?  Well,  no …. not quite. There are so many things that go into creating a wonderful photo. The venue and client are a Huge part ….the skills of the photographer probably weigh in there as important also.

Off Camera Lighting changed my game. I have studied for years and years.. but until I learned to direct the light in the way that I wanted it to go, my photos always lacked that something that I wanted them to have. Adding light, even during the brightest part of the day is a must for photography. Natural Light photographers out there will all groan at those words. By adding light, and it doesn’t have to be artificial light…  you direct the light onto your subject and bring out their best features.  If you are a struggling photographer, there are many things you can do and places to go to learn about lighting. I am a huge fan of http://neilvn.com/tangents/. If you haven’t found Neil’s blog yet, you need to!  Also check out his books.  They have made the biggest difference in my work. We take what we learn and convert it to our style. My style is still very natural… I diffuse the light so that it wraps around the subject like a blanket. I Backlight… I add hair light.. I reflect light. Playing with Light is probably my favorite hobby. Strobe or Speedlight?  my answer is Either both.. or do what works. Learn to Rim light.. Learn where your catch lights should be. May the Light be with you…:)

So enough chatter, Oh wait… I was supposed to introduce myself. Hi, I’m Connie. I have a great love of the water, dogs, coffee, and flip flops. I love to sail…almost as much as I love my camera.   So . Finally…… say Hi to Brooke. Isn’t she beautiful?