Erika

Erika is new to modeling but was willing to pose for me in a variety of setups at my studio. She brought some items of her own wardrobe, as well as utilizing several pieces from my boudoir case. We also raided my prop box and played with some of the hats and other outfits I keep at my studio.

I have found that the best way to help someone get comfortable in front of the camera is to give them directions, but not commands. Erika was great at taking direction and after a short time she was falling into some great natural poses without the need for me to tell her what to do. Especially as she started playing it up for the camera.

Narrowing a full session of images into a handful of favorites is a challenge in itself, but here are a few of my picks from Erika's time at the studio...


Click here for the full set on Eden's Edge Studio

Amber's Outdoor Senior Photo Session

Holding a photo session in the park is a wonderful option for your photo session. I do something that most photographers would never dream of, I bring my lights with me on location! I move the lights away from the camera so you are not blinded by the flash every time I take a photo. Then I turn you away from the sun or bring you into the shade and set my lights around you to get beautiful lighting without super bright backgrounds or accidental-silhouettes.

Amber was a junior this year and is getting her senior portraits done before her final year in high school. She brought a change of clothes and her flute to get a variety of images for her senior year and wanted her photos to be shot outdoors. We set up in a park near my studio, on the lawn, next to trees, and by this little creek that cuts through the park. I used two small lights on stands that I moved around Amber, depending on her position with the sun. I did this so we wouldn't have really dark shadows on her face while trying to keep the sun behind her.

I love the results of this photo session because it could literally be anywhere in America. You would never guess how close to a street we were or that there was a large playground 100 feet away from us. It could be on a farm, in the mountains, near the plains, or even a park in a big city. I kept the angles very protected to keep some anonymity to the location. I know where it is and how we got the shot, but I want you to see a beautiful portrait.

Below are more of my favorites from our session:

Gina

Sometimes you go into a photo session with an idea for what will work, and then you have to abandon that setup and rework your whole plan. That was the case here with Gina. I had a specific lighting setup ready for her when she arrived for her photo session, and after taking a few test shots, I realized that it was not a good match for her. I started by removing one light, and then repositioning the others until we got the shots you see here. Rather than take more photos that did not look as good as they could, I stopped and changed what was not working for us. It was a lesson that not everyone can be lit the same way. I realized that if the studio setup doesn't work one way, there are countless other possibilities for beautiful light.

Learn Photography One on One

Have you ever wondered what settings you should use on your camera but don't know who to ask? And when should you use a tripod or a flash? I am now offering one-on-one time to teach you techniques, composition, exposure, and whatever else you've been missing in your photography. Discounts are available for multiple lessons or group workshops.

Book a time with me using the links below and I will help you improve your photography after your very first lesson.

After Surgery - This Is Me

Side View Extension - Self Portrait / X-ray of my neck after two cervical fusion surgeries

In January of 2011 I underwent surgery to repair two herniated discs in my neck, and unfortunately that fusion did not heal properly. A second surgery was necessary to help stabilize my vertebrae and was far more invasive than the first. The first surgery was anterior (through my throat) to remove the damaged discs and place spacers between the bones and screw a metal plate into each of three vertebrae. You can clearly see this plate in the photo above. The second surgery was posterior, through the muscles in my back and left me with a sizable scar running down my spine. The doctor took a bone graft from my hip to use in stabilizing my spine and then attached rods and screws down either side.

The photos and X-rays were taken three months after my second surgery. The day after I had X-rays taken, I took several self portraits at my studio standing in the same poses. I just recently received the scans of my X-rays from the hospital and used them to create a composite overlaying the two as near as possible to the actual placement. I did the same after my first surgery, which I have included at the bottom of this post. But first, here are a few other angles from my most recent surgery: