Local shutterbug mixes skill with passion in his photography

This past January, I was featured in the Daily Times in Farmington, NM.
The following is the article as it appeared in the paper:

Local shutterbug mixes skill with passion in his photography

Photography is for some, a profession, and for others, a hobby. For Farmington photographer Adam Telford, it's both. Telford became interested in photography in 1997, during his senior year in high school. He served on the yearbook staff where he was responsible for taking most of the photos that were to be included.

"It was the first time I went out of my way to take photos," Telford said in an interview Tuesday, "rather than just snapshots."

Telford's affinity for the medium came naturally, though he continued to improve his abilities by taking classes. During his first semester of college at San Juan College, he took a black and white photography class taught by Jim Burgess. "I became so intrigued by the process, that I continued to take advanced courses taught by him and learn new techniques in the darkroom," he said. "Over the last two years, I have continued to learn more about the use of flash in photography through online tutorials and photo sharing websites."

Telford said he has a number of small, portable flash units that can be used for photo sessions, both in the studio or out on location, that he has become comfortable using through these online learning sessions.

Local Paper Recommends Natural Images by Adam

The Talon, a local paper in Aztec, NM, has featured my business in the Area's Best Business Review in the July edition:

Preserving memories in your life with distinctive portraiture is the specialty of NATURAL IMAGES BY ADAM, located at 302 East Main Street, Downtown Farmington, inside Artifacts Gallery. You can contact them by phone: (505) 716-0719, email: thecameraguy@hotmail.com or browse their portfolios at NATURAL IMAGES BY ADAM on Facebook.
 
"What I do is I bring light-stands and small flash units to set up an outdoor studio. And the best part is its all portable, so I'm not limited to one location. I can create beautiful images in my studio, a local park, or even in your living room. This style of lighting is beautiful and it adds depth with a 3D quality to the images. This is not something you can get from the big-box stores, they have one lighting setup for everyone. I believe every subject requires their own lighting and I offer unique, personalized attention for every session."
 
The editors of this 2012 Area’s Best Business Review suggest that if you have a special event coming up, make an appointment to visit NATURAL IMAGES BY ADAM. Their excellence in this field makes them your best choice when it comes to photography.

If you haven't picked up a copy of the Talon, you can find it online. http://www.aztecnews.com/

Thank you for taking the time to view and appreciate my photography.

For more about me and my photography click here

Has your photographer left you seeing spots?

I have heard complaints about other photographers blinding their subjects with on-camera flash. Shooting an entire session this way can adversely effect the resulting images. If you are already seeing spots from the flash, your expression changes and you start to anticipate the next flash and flinch before each photo is taken.

That is where I come in:  I move my lights away from the camera so you may not even notice when they do flash. I have received compliments for this technique and how much nicer it is not to be blinded every time I take a photo.  Shooting outdoors is even better using this technique. It adds a 3-D quality to the photos giving a depth you can't get with natural light alone. It also helps to balance the background light with your portrait, instead of having an over-exposed background in your portrait, or an unintentional silhouette with a properly exposed background. I use my portable lighting equipment to give you beautifully balanced outdoor portraits like the images below:

You can keep every image from your photo session!

How would you like to have a relaxed 2-hour photo session in your own home with a photographer who customizes the lighting to suit your individual needs? From me, you will receive a full digital copy of the entire session with selected images edited at no additional cost. A typical session will produce between 150 - 200 images, including all the silly expressions and quirky poses that define your personality. You don't have to choose which ones to keep, they're all included.

The big box stores offer a great price on portrait photography. Unfortunately what you get is a rushed 15 minute photo session, a huge package of a single pose that you may or may not like, with a single lighting setup that doesn't change for anyone. And if you want the rest of the photos they shot, its really gonna cost you. ::UPDATE:: Since writing this post, it seems that most of the big-box stores have closed their portrait studios. I have found that most small studios are still intent on up-selling prints and digital services to make more money from  you. I continue to offer one price for your photo session with the full digital copy included in that cost.

How many photos below would you want to hang on your wall? But how many show the character and personality of this boy? During my sessions, I encourage silliness and goofing off between the formal, smiling portraits. There is no extra cost to snapping these in-between expressions, and they tell such a great story.

So what if you want to take your photos outside or at a special location? The session cost is the same, only a small travel fee will be applied for locations outside the Farmington city limits. And I bring my studio lights with me to that location. You still get customized lighting, you still get a 2-hour session time, and you still get to keep all the images from the photo session. Travel time is not deducted from your session's shooting time.

Thank you for taking the time to view and appreciate my photography.

For more about me and my photography click here

Cherry Brandi - A Burlesque Beauty

I recently had the good fortune to photograph a beautiful young woman who recently moved here from Chicago. She had been a burlesque dancer, and wanted to get new images for her portfolio and website. We spent two hours shooting, allowing her wardrobe changes and different lighting setups. At the conclusion of our session, we had nearly 700 images to choose from. It was quite a challenge to narrow it down from that, but I scaled it back to 250, and then again to 135. She was able to choose 24 from that set and will use those for her website. She also maintains a profile on Model Mayhem, her model number is 729493.

Track Your Pregnancy with a Maternity Photo Series

I am following this beautiful young woman through her pregnancy with a maternity progression series. We were able to start with her at 9 weeks, and we will have follow-up sessions monthly through her pregnancy. Documenting her pregnancy will give her a beautiful series of images that will remind her of this amazing time in her life, when everything is changing so fast, and its hard to remember how much you have grown. 

Location shooting does NOT mean bad results

I recently photographed a self help group during their meeting in a small office. The space I used was 8 feet square with 9 foot ceilings, and fluorescent lighting. I had fifteen minutes to set up a backdrop and my lights before the ladies started arriving. Each of these women sat for their portraits for five minutes or less. I was able to achieve a quality result that looks nothing like the office where they were photographed. You'd never know the circumstances of the session just by looking at the photos.

Theater Make-up

I volunteered to photograph some of our local college's theater classes to get new content for their web page. I used a section of black curtain backstage and my lights to create an impromptu studio space. I spent time with each of the students and matched lighting colors and placement to compliment their make-up.

More photos after the jump:

Making the outdoors into a studio

A family member commented to me that she could not believe that this photo was taken outside. She was looking for the seam in the backdrop to prove to herself that it was taken in a studio with a stone wall prop for the family to sit on.

This is an outdoor family portrait, taken with studio lighting on location.
No photoshop tricks required, just photo skills.

More Fall Portraits

The Beck Family was the lucky winner of my door prize at the expo event at McGee Park last month. They won a free session and one pose package. Their choice of shooting location was Berg Park in Farmington, New Mexico. I brought two lights and modifiers outside for this session and also made use of the autumn sun as an additional light source for this session.

Fall Colors and Family Portraits

You don't have to be traditional with your locations or your poses. Fall is a great time to have a photo session outdoors using the colors of nature to enhance the background of your portrait. By bringing two lights with me on this photo shoot, I was able to keep the blue sky from going completely white with over-exposure. Shooting in the shade keeps eyes open wider and reduces squinting. It also allows me to brighten the portraits to near the same exposure as the sun-lit background.