A Whole Month's Worth. {Jacksonville NC, Engagement + Wedding Photographer}

For and entire month now, (and a couple of days) I haven't had a SINGLE soda. I am SUPER proud of myself. I have caught myself ordering a soda and had to stop myself because I was just so used to drinking it... even now i have to stop myself and tell myself to slow down and order a water. 

Now that January has come to a close, I wanted to share some AWESOME things that happened just this month alone and even write out my goals for the month of February. 

January was spent shooting PORTFOLIO BUILDS! I recommend this to any photographer during the "SLOW MONTHS" of your year to continue your creativity when no one is really asking for photos. Normally, my slow months are in the winter months of the new year. So I always for the month of January offer discounted sessions at an affordable price. I wanted to gain a bigger broader clientele. 

I also took the time during January to really think about why I am a photographer and what my style is. I really enjoy shooting all genres of photography but have a passion for weddings and engagements. (couples too) So I have narrowed my specialization to strictly families, seniors, couples/engagements and weddings.

Here is a photograph from each of my favorite couples session this month:

I have been working DILIGENTLY this past month to really stay true to who I am as an artist!

I have also been able to meet some AWESOME young ladies in the photography industry and have made some great friends this month that do nothing but encourage me and build me up! after a rough 2012 with some crazy things that had happened, I am so glad to be at ease and at rest with people who only push me to DO BETTER. 

So as February makes its debut, I would like to make some more goals for my health and for HNP:

This month will be for ORGANIZATION!!  I will be UPDATING contracts and getting my binder filled with my business info and forms FILED and ready for the rest of the year! As for my health, along with giving up soda, I will now be going back to the gym OR running 2 times a week.  I will need a workout partner so if you are in the Jacksonville area and is looking to getting fit, lets work out together. 

If you know me well enough, you know I LOVE THRIFTING and you won't believe what i found today for a whole total of 6 dollars!

Still don't know what this is?  Here is a better look!

That is right! I snagged up a super fish-eye lens! :) 

I am just over the moon excited that I found such a great deal on this too. I have been messing with it since I bought it this morning and I will be using this in future sessions.

I look forward to getting to know all the new fans following the blog and the Facebook page.  If you haven't already, go on over to the top right hand side of this page and SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL! This way, you never will have to search if I have posted something new. I will notify you. 

Happy Monday friends. Enjoy the rest of your week. 

Haley 

Everyday People. {Jacksonville NC Senior Portraits + Wedding Photographer}

Welcome to another installment of "Everyday People."

Today I will be showing how I edit a photograph.  

Some say my way is incorrect, but honestly if I am happy with my out come, I am doing something right. 

Lets get started.

one UPLOAD your original photo in your editing software and adjust the levels and exposure to your liking.

original image:

Adjusted exposure and levels:

NEXT...

You are going to sharpen your image.

Duplicate your layer 2 times.

go to your blur filters and select Gaussian blur.

After this you are going to change the layer mode to GRAIN EXTRACT (this is what it will look like.)

Then merge your layer down. The next layer you are going to set to SOFT LIGHT.

I then, change to layer opacity to about 60-70 percent. 

I merge this layer down completely and duplicate the remaining layer.  After this, I grab my heal tool and find the BRIGHTEST and MOST CLEAR portion of the photo. (here you can see it is the highlights on the top part of her cheek bone.) I use the heal tool all over her face and smooth out any kind of beauty marks that will not be there in 2 weeks. (any freckles and scars will be there after two weeks so they stay... unless requested to remove.)

I will then lower the layer opacity to about 40 percent.

Merge the layers and duplicate the remaining layer.

Next I focus on eyes.  I will erase all but the eyeballs on the top layer so that when I change the layer mode it won't effect the ENTIRE photo. 

(here the background is white bc jpg will not allow a transparent background)

I then Will Burn the shadows on the pupil and the RING around they eye and dodge the highlights on the color of the eye. So that it looks like this.

Change the layer mode to SOFT LIGHT.

Set the layer opacity to about 30 percent

Merge the layers. 

Duplicate the remaining layer and open up your curves.

On the value raise your highlights and lower your shadows. (this adds contrast and it will be adjusted)

You want to change your layer mode to SOFT LIGHT.

NEXT Set layer opacity to about 15-20 percent so that your photo looks similar to this:

Merge the layer.  Duplicate the remaining layer and open up your levels. you are going to darken your shadows on the top two left sliders to the right and brighten those shadows by sliding the left bottom to the right. this is what it will look like.

Then set your layer opacity to about 60-70 percent.

Merge your layer. ADD A NEW LAYER.

and fill it with a cream color. (Mine is a little more on the yellow cream side)

Set your layer mode to DARKEN ONLY! (this color will ONLY show in the highlights of the photo.)

This looks pretty drastic... So lets bring down the layer opacity to about 25 percent.

Merge your layers and you are ALL DONE! 

So you started with THIS:

And this is your FINISHED product:

Happy MONDAY FRIENDS! 

Everyday People. {Jacksonville, NC Senior Portraits + Wedding Photographer}

I wanted to start a NEW segment that will happen once a week here on the blog. I have entitled it "Everyday People."  If you have a better title for this segment than please feel free to leave suggestions BELOW!

I wanted to show a before and after of some sessions. All of my models are everyday average Joe's. I do not hire pros. NOR do I use actions or presets. (I have about 3 pretests that I have made on my own to save on editing time such as an exposure boost and contrast cruncher, but nothing with any artistic flare.  

Today I wanted to start out with something easy. 

A simple photograph in my black and white. 

I first started out with the original image in RAW.

After that i desaturated the image and boosted the contrast and lowered the shadows.

From there I added a dark grey layer and adjusted the layers and here is your finished product:

Happy Early Saturday friends.