by Judy | Apr 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
Earth Day is a special day in my family. On Earth Day we used to celebrate with a special meal finished with a cake and candles. We are not kooky tree-huggers (not that tree-hugging is kooky by any means). As it turns out, April 22, designated as Earth Day in 1970, is also my father’s birthday. I have always thought that having his birthday designated as Earth Day was especially apropos for Beeb, as he was affectionately known, because he, along with my mother, had a quiet gentle way of teaching us that our natural world is one to be appreciated, admired and protected.
Beeb taught me how to be a bird-watcher. He showed me how to make our yard an environment that is welcoming to birds and wild life, and he taught me to enjoy the seashore without damaging the fragile eco-system it supports.
As an adult I can fully appreciate what I learned at Beeb’s knee, and I now understand how he marveled at the simple beauty of our natural world. From the sparrows at the feeder to the bluefish on the end of his fishing pole to the deer grazing in our flower garden, Beeb understood how they all had a role to play in this terrarium we know as planet Earth. To him, the opportunity to observe, and sometimes participate in, the activities of the wildlife surrounding us was a gift from God. A gift, he would remind us, that we must cherish so it will be here for the next generations to enjoy.
Taking care of a special gift is not a once a year endeavor. It is an everyday task, privilege even, to make sure that our human activities do not unnecessarily harm our natural resources. At Vivid Visions Photo-Graphics we take this privilege seriously, and are pleased to be certified as Premier level members of Greener Photography.
As a Greener Photography member, we seek every opportunity to conserve our natural resources while we undertake the just as important business of preserving our clients’ special memories. And you know what? It’s easy and it feels good.
I hope you, dear reader, will take a few moments today to think about how you can leave the world a better place. Then tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, please do just one thing to lessen your impact on this planet. Celebrate Earth Day every day.
Beeb would be so grateful.
by Judy | Apr 17, 2010 | Uncategorized, Weddings
Dear Brides and Grooms,
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it many more times. The one wedding expense you should not cheap out on is your photographer. And now a survey by online photo lab Shutterfly has the results to prove my point:
“ Should’ve spent less on the dress; more on the memories. Of survey respondents married within 12 months prior to the survey, 28 percent felt they didn’t spend enough money on the honeymoon; 22 percent felt the same about the photographer. 19 percent of the same sample reported spending too much on the bridal gown and food.”
Your wedding day is one that you have carefully planned, with every detail carefully considered. Perhaps it is even the day you have dreamed of since you were old enough to dream. Why would you put the job of capturing those memories into the hands of an inexperienced amateur? Would you go to a butcher to have a cavity filled? Or to a seamstress for heart surgery?
With the dawn of digital photography, everyone who can afford an SLR thinks that wedding photography is an easy way to make some extra cash, but I assure you, of all the photography specialties, capturing weddings on film is one of the most difficult to master. We are capturing a once in a lifetime event while keeping track of exposure, depth of field, and a myriad of other factors. Our photos must come out right the first time, because with weddings, there are no “do-overs” (we hope!)
So maybe your Uncle Bob has a beautiful Nikon kit, and he has many gorgeous images of his vacation in Tuscany hanging on his wall, but those are not wedding photos. As the saying goes walk a mile in the wedding photographer’s shoes before you take on this very important task. It is a big job, and entails quite a bit more than it seems.
When you have spent the better part of a year or more planning everything from the color scheme to the flowers to the menu and seating arrangement, you want to make sure the images captured that day preserve the details and evoke the emotion of this day of days.
Skip the sushi bar and hire an experienced photographer. You won’t regret it.
by Judy | Mar 7, 2010 | Uncategorized, Weddings
Weddings are such a happy, emotional occasion in the life of the Bride and Groom and their families. There are so many traditions that are manifesting in so many different ways. We have the standard traditions-Daddy walking his little girl down the aisle is one that comes to mind, but we also have traditions that are unique to the families now being joined.
Since wedding photography provides the physical, visual record of the day, it is a great way to preserve the traditions that your families have developed. However, it is important for the photographer to know that something has a special meaning, so it can be captured on film. One family I worked with took special care to tell me about how the wedding album in each generation had finished with a photo of the matchbook, with the bride’s and groom’s first names followed by “a perfect match!” Of course once we knew about it, we made sure we captured the matchbooks in a couple of different set-ups so the new couple’s album would finish with that too.
Does your family have special traditions? Share them here with us, but also remember to tell your photographer!
by Judy | Feb 24, 2010 | Uncategorized, Weddings
Kermit the frog aside, these days going green is becoming easier and easier. Back when Kermit sang his song, being green really wasn’t easy, thankfully those days are behind us. More and more products and services in all industries are using earth-friendly processes, which is definitely a good thing.
In fact we at Vivid Visions Photo think it’s great thing. This isn’t a debate about global warming, but reminder that conservation of our resources, environmental and financial are the smart and right thing to do. As a photographer, I want to see the beautiful vistas of seascapes, landscapes and wildlife remain as the backdrop for my photos. And conserving our natural resources is the way to do it.
There is a TV personality who likes to say “Just One Thing” when referring to the difference we can make as we figure out how to minimize the negative impacts of human activity on our natural environment.
Vivid Visions, we have done a few things, such as using recycled content materials for our products and supplies, and recycling our used materials. In fact, we have positioned ourselves as leaders in this effort to green the way we conduct business, and we are very proud to be certified members of Greener Photography, and the Green Bride Guide. For details, look for the badges in our sidebar.
So as you plan your wedding or your next family portrait sitting, I hope you will consider taking a walk on the greener side with us. You’ll see how easy it is to be green.
by Judy | Jan 11, 2010 | Uncategorized
Did Santa bring you a digital camera that you are finding tough to use? Digital photography can be intimidating to the uninitiated, but really, it’s just a camera! There are a few tips and tricks make using it a bit easier, but it really does work just like a film camera once it is set properly.
And what are those settings? So glad you asked:
- ISO at 400
- If possible, don’t use “auto, “ use “P” if available.
- Set White Balance (WB) to auto or AWB
- Set image quality, sometime referred to as resolution, to the highest, or best, setting available.
If this list is Greek to you, or you would like to learn more about digital photography, The Cameras, Computers and Cyberspace courses still have some openings for private and and (small) group lessons. In January and February 2010, we are offering a 2 for 1 special—bring a friend and pay the single student price.
Call or email now to reserve your preferred time before the prime dates are filled! Just click the contact link in the menu bar.
by Judy | Jan 6, 2010 | Personal, Uncategorized
The magic of photography is in an image’s ability to virtually transport the viewer to the time and place when it was first captured, and the exceptional photos are those that also allow the viewer to glimpse into the soul of the subject. I started on my photography journey at a young age—with my sister’s Polaroid, and every time I snapped the shutter I was trying to capture the essence of the subject of my image so it would become a keepsake of that moment frozen in time. I wanted to be able to look at my favorite photos later and remember as vividly as possible the captured scene.
As a professional photographer, I know that a photograph that takes the viewer back in time will evoke the emotions of the day it was captured, and allow for hopefully a pleasant stroll down memory lane. But as I recently was reviewing my own archive of images, I was taken by surprise at just how much of an impact such photos can have. And it reinforced for me just how important it is to preserve in photographs not only the milestones in life, but the little things that make up the fabric of that life too.
I’d like to share some snapshots of scenes that make up the fabric of our life here at the Viv Pix home. Our favorite images are of our dear pets. Some have gone to wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge, and others are now senior citizens who don’t have the strength to frolic like they used to. But these shots certainly make me smile as they take me back to a time when they did.
Little Spook up a tree–she loved to climb anything–trees, ladders–often ending up on the roof calling for rescue.
And Hogan, still a swimmer, will go anywhere to retrieve a stick, especially if he has to swim for it. In his prime, he would leave quite a wake!
And as badly a Boris wanted to steal the stick from Hogan, the last thing he wanted to do was actually swim! Wading was ok, but absolutely no swimming! That’s why we gave him the nickname “Coast Guard.”
I’d like to emphasize that although these are not the best for captures for many technical reasons, they are among my favorites. Yes there is a time to call upon the pros to capture images of life’s milestones, no matter how humble, and you will be very glad you hired a photographer for those moments. But don’t allow yourself to miss these little moments so fleeting, but as time goes by, so precious too.
