I recently had a close family member say to me “This is such a cute picture! It’s too bad his head is cut off here at the top. I bet his mother would’ve ordered it if you hadn’t cut his head off.” When I gave my answer, “I meant to do that”, she questioned why?

Sometimes, the focus isn’t supposed to be on the cute outfit a child is wearing. Or the fact that that sweet little girl is off center…It just makes the image much more interesting. When I photograph a session, I want the final images to “call” to the parents, grandparents and the person who’s seeing them. So sometimes, I’ll crop a little closer in on the head. And I even do it on purpose!!

As I went on to explain further, I remembered an article that was written by another photographer in Baltimore. So, here it is. It perfectly describes me, and most professional photographers.

I Meant To Do That

Make no mistake, my work is unique! I have a style of my own and it is somewhat uncoventional. My clients are usually looking for something fresh, stylish and more contemporary than what many “traditional” photographers offer.

That being said, there are some things you may notice when looking at my work that is different from what you might be accustomed to…

“Tight Crops” – This means super close close-ups where often the face fills most of the frame of the image. These images are about the eyes, and often the top of the head is not included in the image. I meant to do that!

“Not-So-Smiley”- So many of us have been brought up to believe that a smile is a requirement to make a great photo. So not true! I love a pensive look as much as a big grin. I meant to do that!

“Let’s Be Negative” – Negative space is when the subject is placed off to the side of an image and the rest of the image is empty—this is done for artistic impact. I meant to do that!

“The Light in the Eyes” The hallmark of good portrait photography is good lighting, and the hallmark of good lighting is something called a “catchlight,” – a reflection of light in the eyes. I love big catchlights! I purposely position my lights for the best and largest catchlights, especially for close-ups. Flip through any parenting or glamour magazine and look at the eyes—what do you see? Big bright catchlights! A lack of catchlights leaves the eyes looking flat, dull and lifeless. I meant to do that!

There you have it. I couldn’t have written this better myself. This little article perfectly describes everything I think, and do, when it comes to my photo sessions.

So, my dear, sweet, loving family member who said that the image would’ve been better had I not “chopped” that sweet little boys head off…His mama loved it! (Yay!!!)

And, guess what else??? I meant to do that!!! 🙂

Until next time,
Ally

When I first met K with her mom a few months ago, I was hoping that she’d book a session with me. I was beyond excited when R called and booked for this past weekend!

K’s mom was a little bit worried that K wouldn’t cooperate for her session and that we’d be hard pressed to get some decent images. Well, we got way more than a few!! Just about every image that we captured is better than the next!!! Her session was amazing and we had such a great time! I loved that we had to keep bribing her with Smarties and that she kept begging “Please, mama, PLEEEASE!!!” She had me cracking up the whole time!

And then we went on location to a friends house with an absolutely stunning yard. Wow!!! Those images aren’t quite edited yet, but WHEW…Are they gorgeous!!! We even got some super adorable shots with K’s big sister M. Like I said earlier, each image is prettier than the last.

Thanks so much K, M and R (and Daddy, too!). I had such a great day with you!!!

Until next time,
Ally

This time when I was working with “S”, we got some amazing shots!!! She looked gorgeous and even though we couldn’t get into Cranbrook, we were still able to find some beautiful spots to work. That was an adventure in and of itself!

I’m so pleased with the results of this session and I think that S and her parents will feel the same. She’d just returned from camp and was raring to go!! I wish I could look and feel like this great after a night out! 🙂

So, it’s back to editing! These are just a few of my favorites from the day. I think she’s so pretty and I can’t wait to finish editing the rest!

Until next time,

Ally

“S” is back!!! I had the best time working with her! She’s simply stunning and such a sweetheart, too! S is one of my ambassadors and I’m so glad that she is! I think we missed a couple of shots, so I’m going to have to have her back for the ones that we missed based on the time that we had! And I think that my senior sessions are going to go from 2 hours to 3 hours. So we can get everything that we need!

So make sure to check back for more from “S.” I LOVE working with her!!!

Until next time,
Ally

I’m on a quest. My quest is to find some new cool props. I have some suggestions for firemen’s gear, chef’s hat with a wooden spoon and whisk, red wagon, any sort of sports hats – be it baseball, football – sporting good paraphrenalia, etc. Also a cute idea from a past client was some old “Clark Kent” type glasses with the Wall Street Journal.

So, hit me up! What do YOU think are some cute prop ideas?

Thanks for your opinions!
Until next time,
Ally

I’ve gotten a ton of requests to post more from Princess M’s session on Monday. I just finished editing her session and there are a bunch of really great ones. I’m only going to post a few more here on the blog…the rest are on my Frameable Faces facebook group page. Go check it out!

M wasn’t very smiley during her session since she was super tired from all of her modeling. She’s a very beautiful baby and again, I had a great time working with her, her great mommy and her super sweet grandma!

I’m off to finish editing “I’s” first birthday session and I’ll post more from his later on.

Thanks for checking in!

Until next time,
Ally

Today I got to work with a friend of mine that I’ve known since I was about 11 years old. She’s in town with her new baby from Texas for our 20 year high school reunion. Yesterday, I got to meet Miss “M” for the first time and I was awed at how pretty she was and how much of a blessing this little sweetheart is.

I shouldn’t be surprised at little M’s beauty – I thought her mommy was the prettiest girl in school (and I’m not just saying that!!!). Her mom is as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside and little Miss is going to be just the same way.

M came in today with her grandma, too. It’s always so much fun to be around grandma E! Such a blast…the three of us were cracking up for almost the entire session!

When I finish editing the rest of M’s images, I’ll post back. It’s almost midnight and I’m totally capitalizing on the fact the my own kids are away at camp, so I’m still working! But enough is enough for one night, so I’ll leave you with this one image. I happen to think it’s studio worthy. M is smiling her big bright smile…that in and of itself should make it great. But if you look closely, you’ll notice what I initially thought was her Mommy’s earring. It’s not!!! I love when these precious little moments get caught!

Until next time,
Ally

Princess H came into the studio today for the first time. I’ve known her forever – even before she was born – and I photographed her mom’s maternity session. She’s simply beautiful! We had the best time today, even though Miss H decided not to sleep at all! But we did manage to get her to sleep for about 10 minutes so we could catch a couple cute ones of her!

She’ll be back when she’s 6 months old so you’ll be able to watch her grow up with me. If you join my Facebook group, you’ll be able to see the rest of her session as soon as they’re all edited.

Until next time,
Ally

P.S. The first image totally shows how DONE H was at the end. Notice how she’s shakin’ her little fist at me! LOVE that!

So, I’ve been thinking that it’d be kind of interesting to share some of what I’ve learned throughout the years about photography. Here’s one of the most important bits, I think.

Take a look at any magazine. Check out the cover model. Of course that person looks beautiful and all, but check out the eyes. What do you notice? In every single photograph the person has some sort of white light in the eyes. Sometimes, they’re square. Sometimes circular. They can even be shaped like an octagon. The point is, they’re always there. Those catch lights make the model look alive. If a model is lacking those catchlights, the eyes look “dead.” Not exactly a look most people are going for, unless of course they’re photographing in the morgue for forensic photography or something.

The other type of catch lights are called “Pin” lights. Those are found in images that use a pop up flash or the flash on the smaller digital cameras that most everyone has. Those pin lights aren’t bad…just different. Pin lights almost always show up in the center of the pupil as alittle orange dot. Most true professional photographers know how to use the flash correctly to avoid the pin lights, which in my opinion, look amateurish.

A professional photographer will have catchlights in the model’s eyes (from studio lights) at either the 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock position (or somewhat close to that). If that photographer is shooting outdoors, the catchlights will have much different shapes or may not even have a true “shape” at all. Just some really nice light in the eyes.

That’s one thing I”m always striving for and one thing I’ve learned to look for. Nice, good catch lights. So whether you choose to work with me or anyone else, be on the look out for cool catch lights. In my opnion, it’s one of the differences between a professional and an amateur.

Until next time,
Ally

Meet A. We had THE best time working together. He just “got it” and was completely comfortable in front of the camera. I don’t think we had any bad shots! Makes for a very difficult time editing, ya know?

A definitely came with some locations in mind, too. So now I have even more awesome locations to select from! Woo hoo! A was a major trooper and didn’t even seem to mind getting rained on and scratched up while getting to a pretty cool brick wall! LOVE that!!

With his amazing sense of style and his ease in front of the camera, I’m going to have to stop blogging about him and get back to editing! This was a session that was jam packed with style and personality!

Be on the look out for some more on my Facebook group page!

Until next time,
Ally