And baby makes me a brother.......
“ A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams.” – Unknown
Monday memories......
One year ago today. My how they grow........
Its always always so wonderful to be invited into someones home to capture some of the first images of a new baby. They grow so fast and its easy to forget they were once this precious.
How to get great family photos in Winter?
I used my stairs for this shot. There is a large window right next to them so all the light is natural.
Its cold! Even here in the Sunshine State we started out at 2 degrees this morning. Most people want to wait until the weather is warm to have their family photos taken outside. Although I totally understand that sentiment (I am a big fan of the right light, outdoor images and sunshine), there are many ways a great photographer can produce wonderful photos in winter.
In the comfort of a cosy heated room and without the use of a conventional studio you can produce lovely images. These were taken inside my home, which I happily use as my studio too. A window with natural light, a blank wall, a nice blanket or some curtains/blinds can all be used as a backdrop for your photos. This can be easily achieved in your own home too.
Alternatively, the light is gorgeous on a winters day. It generally produces a softer look to your photos, less squinting to contend with and the cold air can lend a rosiness to the cheeks. So if you are determined to have photos outside, pick a cute beanie, a warm coat and a willing photographer. You might get something like these.
Contact me here if you'd like to discuss winter photo options, or anything photo-ish in general.
The best reason..........
Almost everyone I know has said "I really need to get some family photos done.....but" at some point. I am guilty of putting off myself, although there really is no reason I should.
We often think, "I'll just wait until Jill's teeth grow back", only to have Johns teeth fall out too, or "I'll wait until I've lost 3 more kilos" and then we discover we're expecting another baby. The time will never be right. It is always the perfect time NOW. You and your family will never be this way again. Everyone and every family is constantly changing.
A little over two years ago, I had a dear friend take my family photos and in between getting the girls hair done and negotiating the use of the bathroom in the morning, we forgot to bring the dog. (Ooops!) Two months later, we lost him swiftly to an unexpected eye disease. I look at those beautiful photos and can't help but be reminded of what was missing - our fur baby.
A few weeks ago I took these photos of my 'little' brothers family. When he asked to bring their beloved 15 year old dog, Charlie, I said "Of course". We knew she was old and we knew she was not long for this world but the family photo needed her in it. Losing a family pet always sucks! Sadly, Charlie had to be put down last week :(
Im so glad she joined us on the beach. RIP Charlie Dog xx
Fine Art Prints vs Standard Photo Paper
I often get asked the difference between a standard Professional Photo Print and a Fine Art print.
Here are my thoughts....
My position on the products I sell, is that if you are framing it for your wall, always print on Fine Art Papers. If you are printing in bulk, for general use or a box of photos in your cupboard, normal photo paper is perfectly acceptable.
You should ALWAYS get images professionally printed. This is not meant to be a sales pitch, but why would you pay a pro Photographer to take your images and then print them on sub-standard kiosk printers? The difference in the end product is significant and I am happy to show you examples to prove it.
The choice of Fine Art vs Photo Papers comes down to personal taste. Fine Art prints can be very matte, low sheen and some people prefer the high contrast, glossy look of standard photo prints.
The following images attempt to show you the difference.
Photo print (left) vs Fine Art Print (right)
The first image is taken in consistent light with no reflection so you can see the photo print on the left and the fine art print on the right. Both look great. Colours are excellent and would be beautiful in the right frame. The Photo print has quite deep blacks and contrast and the Fine Art print is more subdued and smooth.
Photo print (left) vs Fine Art Print (right)
However, if you shift the angle (as above) somewhat to see a reflection of the light, you will see that the fine art print on the right changes very little but the photo print has a shine and is quite reflective. This is how the papers are designed and both are beautiful but if you plan to display your images behind glass in a frame, the fine art print will also reduce the glare significantly.
It is hard to appreciate the difference on a web page but I have plenty of examples to show my clients before they make their choices.
The following are some properties of each paper type to help you make your decision.
Fine Art
- Usually 100% Cotton rag but content can vary depending on brand and purpose.
- Acid Free, fine art paper is normally much thicker and is made from archival cotton rag. This results in a product that will last 75-100 years.
- Probably best defined as Matte paper but can come in many textures
- Galleries and Museums usually prefer fine art paper prints
- Require printing by professionals or specific fine art printers as the ink used are different and usually have a greater range of colours and blacks
- Fingerprints aren’t as visible but they may scratch easily and fine art prints should be framed as soon as possible to protect them.
Photo Papers
- Generally for high quality papers, photo papers are resin coated and fine art papers aren’t.
- Photos printed on very white glossy photo papers usually fade quicker due to the chemicals used in production (OBA’s if you are interested)
- Glossy and lustre/pearl papers have deeper and darker blacks and produce higher contrast, more saturated prints than matte paper but can be very shiny
- Coated papers are very smooth, shiny and results in a reflective surface. The end result of the photo often looks vibrant in color, crisp and sharp.
- Finger prints are more visible but will not scratch as easily as Fine Art