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As the horrible news of Prince’s passing starts to sink in I have decided I need to write about it. This has nothing to do with our business, and yet it absolutely has plenty to do with our business. It absolutely has plenty to do with everything as people who know me are aware. Prince was my favorite solo artist of all time from the time I was 11 when my older brother introduced me to such classics as Dirty Mind and Controversy.

Rules be damned, we have had Prince playing in the studio often and loudly, and we have always done it out of love – to evangelize his art, the gift of music he has always given us. To make it clear to everyone that even though his newer music wasn’t everywhere you went like it was back in the day, that it was still vital and incredible and that everyone should be listening to it. True song craft with real instruments and virtuoso performances on every album. Look at this tweet we got today….

Prince

Prince has had a huge impact on our lives. Music to me is like air – I can’t survive without it, and Prince was some of the purest air you could find.

Some of My Memories of Prince….

Does everybody remember how mind-blowingly amazing the song Controversy was? I mean we all know it’s a great song, but if you’re old enough to remember when it came out then you remember how it changed the game. At least that’s how I remember it – there had never really been a song like it before – with that percussive “OOH” on the two of every measure. A hypnotic jam like I had never heard and I’m not sure there has been one like it since. “People call me rude, I wish we all were nude…”

Of all the amazing slow jam ballads Prince recorded – and it’s a massive list, the two best are both on the self-titled second album. It’s Gonna Be Lonely and When We’re Dancing Close And Slow are my jams. Say what you want about Adore, Do Me Baby, International Lover, The Beautiful Ones etc. etc. etc. – I’m sticking to those two and they can take me right back to my bedroom on Glouster Circle when my bed was in the corner of the room and my record player was right at the head of my bed before I got my newer furniture. I would lay in bed and listen to those jams thinking about the day I would meet the perfect girl (I did by the way).

I remember when my brother Jeff called me on February 27th, 1983 from Ann Arbor – I was 12 – and asked me if I wanted to go see Prince at Crisler Arena…. He drove home to Farmington Hills to get me and we sat 5TH ROW CENTER on the main floor for the 1999 tour with The Time and Vanity 6 opening. You’re pretty impressionable when you’re 12, and let’s just say that night was a surreal experience. I’ll never forget it and I am so lucky to have been there.

Prince

If all we had were Prince’s B-Sides we’d be in pretty good shape by the way… The man accomplished more with B-Sides than most do with their proper releases. I mean are you kidding me? Erotic City, 17 Days, Irresistible Bitch…. That elastic bass line and sunny vibe of 17 Days takes me back to summer vacations in Virginia Beach. Oh and in addition to the B-Sides by the way “Sinead here’s a #1 song for you, and Bangles here’s a #2 song for you – it would have been a #1 but I took that spot for my own at the time – sorry…”

Ahhh… Purple Rain….. and the “When Doves Cry” video! What can you say… I had the band photo from When Doves Cry as a poster on the wall of my room.

What about the “extended” concert special footage MTV showed that one time from the Purple Rain tour? Pretty sure I have that on a VCR tape somewhere.

Even just the mystery and mythology surrounding the man… it rubbed off on anyone associated with him. Even when Dez Dickerson made his appearance on stage in Purple Rain it was a big deal… like WHOA – it’s Dez!!!

That Around The World In A Day cover – I remember the day I picked up that album at the Record Outlet on Orchard Lake Rd.

Does anyone not think of Prince when it snows in April? Just asking… Parade was released right when I took a trip to visit my brother Dan at law school in D.C. – I can picture driving into D.C. from the airport listening to it.

I remember the first time I heard Sign O’ The Times on the radio, and my buddy Jon and I a few years later singing all the words to “Forever In My Life” at the top of our lungs in college…

Vanoy Hill told me he had a bootleg vinyl copy of The Black Album in high school…. he never produced said copy and I was NOT happy… worst tease ever. Was anyone on the hunt for that like I was?

As a side note if this is going on too long I’m sorry but it is what it is. I need to do this.

My best Prince bootleg is a cassette of a live show from the Europe tour of 1989 – the guy at the record store in the strip plaza next to our mall where our studio is now made the copy of it for me. I can’t for the life of me remember what the name of that store was. I have it ripped to my iTunes now – it was the Lovesexy tour. A fantastic recording including a medley he played by himself at the piano of When 2 R In Love > Venus De Milo > Starfish & Coffee > Raspberry Beret > Condition of the Heart > Strange Relationship > When 2 R In Love. Just gold….

Playing a few tracks from Graffiti Bridge for my Aunt Jeannie (RIP) in my bedroom…

Jamming Diamonds & Pearls around Ann Arbor my senior year when I was delivering burgers and Chinese Food… including the CD single of Gett Off with all the different remixes… That hologram cover!!!

Living back home in Farmington Hills with my parents after college and driving around town listening to the “Symbol” album…

The album “Come” came out when I lived in Cleveland. Listening to it while I was falling in love with Ally long distance…

Back home in Michigan with The Gold Experience – for some reason have a memory of listening to P Control in my Isuzu Rodeo driving into Birmingham on Maple Road….

Listening to Emancipation driving out to Ally’s parents boat in the summer and jamming it in Atlanta when I was down there for training for one of my hellish corporate jobs – oh the irony.

The list goes on and on…. this has been therapeutic.

Our son Tony picking up on the groove of “S&M Groove” from the Slaughterhouse album and loving it when he was probably about 6 (oy vey haha). Jamming Chelsea Rogers from the Planet Earth album every time one of our favorite all time seniors Chelsea Cage comes to the studio…

Here are 25 of my top Prince songs off the cuff:

17 Days
Dirty Mind
1999
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
Push It Up
Lady Cab Driver
Erotic City
The Beautiful Ones
When Doves Cry
Forever In My Life
The Human Body
Controversy
Sexuality
Sign O The Times
Northside
When We’re Dancing Close And Slow
It’s Gonna Be Lonely
Automatic
Mad Sex
Black Sweat
Adore
Eye Like Funky Music
New World
Hot Thing
Joint 2 Joint

I was not prepared for this. It didn’t register when I saw it come across my twitter feed. Way too many artists have been lost in the last year. They have all hurt but I’m not gonna lie, this one I’m having a much harder time with. I wish I could have told the guy how much I admired his talent, his passion, his gift – how much he meant to me. I hope he knows.

Prince – thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will never be forgotten. I Wish U Heaven.

Prince

Don’t sleep ’til the sunrise, listen 2 the falling rain
Don’t worry ’bout tomorrow, don’t worry ’bout your pain
Don’t cry unless you’re happy, don’t smile unless you’re blue
Never let that lonely monster take control of U

Be glad that U r free
Free 2 change your mind
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime
Be glad that U r free
There’s many a man who’s not
Be glad 4 what U had baby, what you’ve got
Be glad 4 what you’ve got

5 Fun Tips On What To Wear For A Family Photo Shoot

February 29, 2016

What to wear for a family portrait session is obviously an important topic. What do you recommend? Do we need to match? Can we wear jeans? These are the questions we get from our clients all the time for family portrait sessions, and they are very important questions!

What to wear….

Whenever we meet with a family (or the family member in charge) to discuss the game plan for their upcoming session we usually spend a decent amount of time discussing clothing. Many people have anxiety over this, and while it’s certainly important to look your best when you invest the time and money to get professional portraits, there is no need to stress! Here are 5 fun and practical tips and ideas that may help…

Consider Casual. If you are comfortable you will feel comfortable and therefore you will look comfortable. There is nothing wrong with jeans and t-shirts, polos, or simple blouses. A family that appears to be relaxed and naturally enjoying being together makes for really nice portraits. Keep in mind that formal portraits can be beautiful as well, just know that it’s not a rule that professional portraits = formal portraits. Sometimes the decor of the room or rooms you plan to decorate can help you with this as well.
Coordinate Loosely. You don’t have to match exactly. You can put the boys in a blue and the girls in a pink just as an example, with everyone wearing similar style shirts. Everyone can wear different style shirts of the same color as well – white shirts are fine. Coordinate by color or style – just look like you are in the same group and belong together.
Avoid crazy patterns. No Hawaiian shirts for example. Just use common sense – you want the focus of the photos to be on the people and not on a pattern or a slogan like “I’m With Stupid” on a shirt.
Try a theme. We had a family do a Detroit sports theme with different jerseys of the 4 major pro teams – the Tigers, Lions, Pistons, and Red Wings. It was really fun! You can do it with your favorite college / alma mater too. We had a family where the dad and son had maize and blue Michigan sweatshirts and the mom and daughter had pink ones on and it was really cute. I used to think it was silly when I would see a U of M sweatshirt in pink in a store, but from a fashion standpoint it worked for the shoot! Anything that your family shares together can serve as inspiration.
Be true to yourself and your family. Certainly you can look to professional photographers for advice because they have plenty of experience with this, and they can make suggestions that work with different backdrops and settings. Always ask to see examples! Also remember however that you are the customer and you know your family best. Be careful of a photographer who won’t listen to you and insists on doing it his or her way. This is your session after all…

Always remember to have fun and savor the moment. You deserve credit for wanting to celebrate your family with a professional portrait session and you should enjoy it! Feel free to add to the discussion – what have been some of your favorite choices for wardrobe? What say you on the subject of what to wear?

Doug’s Dubious Debut in Sales

February 24, 2016

I’ve been in sales of some sort for a long time. Almost 25 years actually. I took a long and winding road to get to Frameable Faces Photography where I’ve spent the last seven years with Ally and this is by far the most fun “job” I’ve ever had. It doesn’t feel like work at all most of the time. For years working in a corporate environment I always dreamed of the day when my clients would actually come to me and be happy to do business with me. No cold calling, no massive RFPs, no representing a shabby product that I barely believed in, no politics and stupid bosses who couldn’t even keep their time zones straight or were having affairs with the incompetent staff responsible for supporting my accounts (true story), no territory issues…. the list goes on and on.

Okay Doug – calm down – it’s over. That was way in the past. You’re good now.

The fact is as much as I hated that environment for many years I was able to navigate it and I was pretty “successful” for a long time. I sat in “high level” meetings with CEOs of Fortune 50 companies, and “low level” meetings with cashiers at dry cleaner shops, and everything in between. I closed big deals, trained, hired, and fired people. Yeah – I was a real “big deal”. Yuck. When I joined Ally I took the good I learned, left behind the bad I wanted no part of, and I’ve used it all to build a community here at our studio. It’s our own and I love it. I love marketing our business. I love social media. I LOVE live streaming on Periscope. Fulfilled and alive, I feel like a “big deal” again – for the right reasons.

Dubious Debut

But it didn’t start that way. No one steps into the business world fully polished and accomplished the very first time.

Dubious Debut

My first sales job was over the summer in Ann Arbor while I was still in college at The University of Michigan selling latex medical gloves to medical practices. My dad spent decades in sales so he got me all set up – took me to TJ Maxx (!) and bought me a couple of short sleeve dress shirts and a couple ties, got me some business cards printed up, gave me a few sales tips and turned me loose. I meticulously made up three boxes of samples for small, medium, and large gloves with each glove in a baggie with a color coded sticker on each bag. My first stop (and first sales call ever) was at a Veterinarian’s office near the corner of Packard and Platt. They were pleasant and I left them a couple samples and was told I could call to follow up. I left and went to my next stop feeling proud of myself. When I got to the next stop I noticed I didn’t have any of my samples. Annoyed I turned around and went back to the vet’s office to grab them. They claimed they hadn’t seen them. I knew that was impossible since it was my only stop and I was convinced they kept them for themselves (I was still young). Man was I mad. I pulled away steaming and trying to figure out what to do about it when I pulled up to the intersection.

Keep in mind that back in those days the car I was driving (a brown Pontiac Phoenix inherited from my Grandpa Louie may he rest in peace) had this thing under the door handle called a key hole that you actually had to put your car key into and turn to unlock your car. So it became clear that with my briefcase in one hand and the samples in the other I obviously put the samples on top of the car as I fished around for my keys when I initially left the vet’s office. I found this out because when I pulled up to the intersection of Packard and Platt it was completely covered with latex gloves……

A dubious debut indeed. Everyone has to start somewhere.

6 Secrets About Senior Pictures The Government Is Hiding

June 3, 2014

The government knows PLENTY about high school senior pictures – trust me. Do not think for a second that they would ever let these secrets get out if they could plug all the leaks. At great risk to my well being I am going to share these secrets with you because, well, I think they are important darn it. So here are 6 secrets about senior pictures the government is hiding:

Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

1. Senior pictures could stop North Korea. If you saw this recently you know the story goes that Kim Jong Un is making all men in North Korea get his style of haircut. Our seniors are all about individual expression and being themselves. Someone told me that they heard someone tell someone else that a friend said… our government is planning to unleash a bunch of our senior pictures on the North Korean population to incite an overthrow of Kim Jong Un when the people of North Korea realize how nice it looks to express yourself with any style of hair you like.

2. Senior pictures are fun. Okay this is a BIG one. I’m going to guess that being a senator for example is not nearly as fun as taking senior pictures. The government has tons of sealed files on just how fun senior pictures are and they do NOT want you to know. Maybe the government is just jealous.

3. Aliens love senior pictures. That is the real story behind Hangar 18. Aliens came to Earth to pass out wallets.

4. Senior pictures make Presidents. Sure this doesn’t always fit the narrative of character-shaping events they want you to focus on like George Washington chopping down a cherry tree (okay maybe that’s a bad example since there were no cameras during George Washington’s time nor were there “high schools”) or Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War – but there are plenty of sealed documents that prove it was how most of our leaders felt about their awesome senior pictures that set them on the path to the White House.

5. The government spied on Soviet on-location senior photo sessions during the Cold War. Decades before senior photos became really popular in the U.S.A. some Soviet photographers were going out on location with high school seniors. Apparently much like everything else during that time we viewed this as a communist threat, because, well, it was the Soviets. The whole thing was short lived since the Soviets scuttled the on location program anyway, presumably because the pictures were boring. The photographers were hired by the Soviet communist regime and were not allowed to be very creative.

6. The government tried to limit outfit changes during senior sessions. This was just one of those silly “government getting too big” things. The bill was defeated when it was revealed that term limits have nothing to do with outfit limits and that freedom of expression does apply to clothing.

I know that exposing these secrets can put me at great risk but I felt it was my duty to help my fellow Americans. Hopefully the government won’t get mad and do anythi

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Frameable Faces Photography

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Frameable Faces Photography is a small biz retail mom & pop shop of Doug&Ally Cohen located in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States Of America!

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Ally & Doug can be reached at the studio at tel:248-790-7317 or emailed at mailto:info@frameablefaces.com

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Being “Frameable” is an attitude, a community, a way of life – a life you would want to celebrate and display on your walls for all to see! Tell us… ARE YOU FRAMEABLE?

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5 Reasons You Are Not Photogenic

May 17, 2014

Photogenic

Photogenic is defined as “suitable for being photographed: likely to photograph well”. It seems about half of the people who come to Frameable Faces warn us that we are going to have a tough time with their session because they are NOT photogenic. Usually we just tell them we can’t help because we just don’t want the burden of trying to make such bad looking people look good. It’s probably hopeless right? WRONG!!!!!!!

Ally did NOT take this photo. I repeat – Ally did NOT take this photo… haha

Some people will go on and explain to us that “No – I’m serious. I don’t photograph well at all. I just don’t”. If you are one of those people then in all seriousness there are likely some legitimate reasons you feel this way. Here are 5 reasons you are not photogenic:

5 Reasons You Are Not Photogenic

You are not pleased with the way you currently look. Maybe you aren’t in the best shape of your life, or for whatever reason you aren’t thrilled with the way you look at the moment. Hey no one is perfect, but you are the best and most unique version of you! I wrote about this recently here. Embrace and love yourself! It’s okay! If you indeed have not been taking good care of yourself then make that change and start now! Meanwhile this is not the only reason you are “not photogenic”.
You aren’t naturally comfortable in front of the camera. Some people on a moment’s notice can just light up when someone is going to snap a photo. They take more pictures, they practice more, they are prepared. You are already convinced that you are not photogenic so you aren’t confident about being in a picture and you are not comfortable. That does not mean there cannot be an environment created with proper planning where you will be comfortable. There absolutely can be.
You are being photographed by non-photographers. This can impact a photo in a number of ways. The person taking the photo may not have an eye for it and/or you may not connect with them. Those two factors are really important for making a good photo – it doesn’t matter if it’s a ten thousand dollar camera without those two things.
You typically are not lit (or posed) properly. This is a continuation of the last point. There is so much more than just knowing how to work a camera to produce a good photo. Lighting (and posing for that matter) is a huge factor. For example when we first opened the studio a photographer friend asked us why we had our main soft box set up on the side of our studio opposite our window. He said that our main box was competing with the light coming in from the center court of the mall and impacting our lighting set up negatively. He was right. It wasn’t a difference I would have noticed but Ally sure noticed it after we made the change. This is just one example of many factors that contribute to the composition of a photo that all combine to make you look better. Real pros go to seminars and work with their peers – constantly honing their craft to improve all of their skills all the time.
You typically are not prepared to look your absolute best when a random photo is snapped. Maybe because of your line of work, your daily schedule or your hectic life in general you don’t have your best clothes on and your hair looking its best at all times. If you are female your makeup also might not be done when someone says “C’mon! Let me just get a quick picture!”

In short, not everyone is always at their perfect weight walking around 100% totally ready for their close up at a moment’s notice in perfect lighting with their favorite outfit on and hair perfectly styled to be taken by a random family member or friend with an iPhone who doesn’t know how to use the camera on it.

Here is the shamelessly self-serving part of this article – as you have probably figured out, these 5 reasons you are “not photogenic” can largely be addressed by going to a real professional whom you connect with. I don’t just say this as an ad for Frameable Faces. I mean it in general. It applies to any professional who knows what they are doing. Just don’t be hard on yourself if you haven’t always been pleased with how you look in photos. It is not necessarily your fault!

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Check out our podcast!

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Frameable Faces Photography
**********************************************
Frameable Faces Photography is a small biz retail mom & pop shop of Doug&Ally Cohen located in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States Of America!
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Ally & Doug can be reached at the studio at tel:248-790-7317 or emailed at mailto:info@frameablefaces.com
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Tune in to the Doug&Ally Morning Show T-F between 8:30 – 11 EST UTC-4 on Periscope or Twitter along with many other live broadcasts on their channel, and find them at the following:
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Being “Frameable” is an attitude, a community, a way of life – a life you would want to celebrate and display on your walls for all to see! Tell us… ARE YOU FRAMEABLE?
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Join the Frameable Faces Community – sign up for our email newsletter for the best of the week in the Frameable Faces World! Click here!

Fox 2 Detroit Stops By For A Story On A Special Little Boy!

January 31, 2014

We have photographed quite a few children with special needs, and we have always found that special needs children make for very special photo sessions. When Kam Carman from Fox 2 Detroit contacted us to do a story about photographing special needs children we arranged for a perfect little child for the story. Conner is the cutest, most outgoing and lovable little boy you could ever meet. Fox 2 Detroit feature on photographing children with special needs

We approached this like any other session – we started with a consultation to meet Conner and his parents so we could get to know him ahead of the photo shoot and so he could get comfortable with us. We fell in love with this kid right away. Conner has cerebral palsy and speaks with a stutter but he certainly doesn’t let what most of us would consider challenges like those hold him back. He’s a very engaging and fun 5 year old, and his little sister got into the act as well! Sibling Portrait Child Portrait

As for the day of the shoot, it was very exciting. We had been mentioned on “Kam’s Corner” once before in a feature on the Orchard Mall so we’ve gotten to know her a little and we are big fans of “The Nine” morning show on Fox 2 Detroit. Kam arrived with her videographer and they captured some footage of Ally photographing Conner which was really neat. Conner was excited – he told his friends all about how he was going to be on TV and he got to leave school a little early. When he arrived he practically knocked Ally over running to her and giving her a huge hug! Conner had a blast and he especially loved pushing the button to flash the lights which you can see in the feature. Then Kam interviewed Conner’s mom and Ally to wrap it up. Click HERE to watch the feature from the broadcast!

So fun! Here is a little behind-the-scenes vine of Ally’s interview:

Ally being interviewed by @KamCarmanFOX2! Scheduled to air 1/31 in the 10AM HOUR! https://t.co/d5xZyoDPkU

— Frameable Faces (@FrameableFaces) January 22, 2014

Lastly, let’s get back to Conner – here are a couple other yummy photos of this awesome dude… Enjoy! Fox 2 Detroit feature on photographing kids with special needs Child Portrait

Doug’s Top 10 Songs About Photography

October 24, 2013

Is there really such a thing as an original idea? Plug that question into Google and it seems that most would say no. The idea to write this post just popped into my head – to write list of top 10 songs about photography. So I jotted down a couple off the top of my head and then went through my iTunes to come up with my list. Then I did a little research and it turns out there have been plenty of articles written on this topic. Heck there’s even a Wikipedia entry on songs about photography! That’s okay, I can still put my own spin on it, and Wikipedia actually missed two of my picks – one of which is a glaring omission to me and another much more obscure…

Music Fanaticism

Yes I’m a music fanatic and you might even say a music snob… I started collecting records when I was 5, memorizing all the lyrics I could and having KISS concerts in my basement with my friend Chris. I played the cello in my high school orchestra, was the guy who made all the mix tapes for all my friends in high school, and now I sing in a rock band. I used to read through the All Music Guide books all the time and now I just hang out on their website. Music and photography have a lot in common since they both can elicit very personal and emotional responses and connect us to our past in extremely powerful ways. With this being the case it’s a wonder that there aren’t more songs about pictures and photography in general, but there are several great ones and here are 10 of my favorites:

The Top 10 Songs About Photography

Photograph – Def Leppard – 1983

Those opening three chords are unmistakable – just enough time to crank the volume up for the drums right? He wants the girl (Marilyn Monroe?) but all he’s got is a photograph…

Photographs & Memories – Jim Croce – 1972

Such a poignant song that Jim Croce wrote not long before his untimely death where he sings about how he cannot believe a loved one is lost as he looks through photographs and thinks about the times they spent together.

Camera – R.E.M. – 1984

A beautiful song which is said to be about the band’s friend Carol Levy who died in a car accident. From piecing it together it seems Michael Stipe has made reference to this (?) as the point where he got clean from drug addiction. “If I’m to be your camera then who will be your face?”

Pictures Of You – The Cure – 1990

Robert Smith’s song about finding his wallet in the remains of a fire at his home with pictures of his wife Mary in it. He even used one of the photos as the cover of the single. A beautiful dreamy Cure song from an otherwise dreary, murky and fantastic Cure album.

Pictures Of Home – Deep Purple – 1972

Okay not about photography per se, but a classic with the word “pictures” in the title… A song about being in a strange cold place and yearning for home – images and “pictures” in our mind can comfort us from time to time to be sure.

Pictures On My Wall – Echo & The Bunnymen – 1979

This song has the distinction of being the very first Echo & The Bunnymen single and I love it. An eerie sounding and foreboding tale but we’re not quite sure why… “The pictures on my wall are about to swing and fall”.

Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) – A Flock Of Seagulls – 1982

Unlike Joe Elliot of Def Leppard the lead Seagull sounds like he’d be okay with just a photograph – he wouldn’t spend his life just wishing if he had a photograph to remind him. More or less a three-hit-wonder (I apologize to any diehards because I’m the first to admit I hate when one of my favorites are slapped with a tag like that), you have to love these guys as a classic slice of MTV 80’s nostalgia.

Kamera – Wilco – 2001 (released 2002)

This sounds like a confessional from Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy who seems to not be feeling too good about himself. It seems like he needs a camera as opposed to a mirror to look at himself and remind him of the lies he’s been hiding and the echoes in his heart. It’s a great song that the band recorded and released two different unique studio versions of and both are worth checking out.

Take A Picture – Filter – 1999

Sometimes you just need to take a photo otherwise no one will believe or remember what happened later right? This song is one of those lush anthemic sounding songs that swirls and lifts you up even if you’re not sure why… and why shouldn’t a song about a guy getting naked and causing a scene on an airplane lift you up…..right?

The Camera Eye – Rush – 1981

The last song Rush recorded over 10 minutes long, it’s a two part song that attempts to contrast and highlight New York City and London respectively. The title apparently refers to sections in the U.S.A. Trilogy written by John Dos Passos. “The Camera Eye” sections are written in an autobiographical stream of consciousness style. I suppose taking pictures can be just that – your stream of consciousness as you interpret the world through your lens.

Here are the links to the songs / albums in order on Amazon – where digital downloads were available I provided that option otherwise the CD is linked. I can vouch for each entire album being amazing by the way (with the exception of Flock of Seaguls – I never owned an entire Flock of Seaguls album).

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; 
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; &amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;

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Frameable Faces Photography

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Frameable Faces Photography is a small biz retail mom & pop shop of Doug&Ally Cohen located in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States Of America!

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Ally & Doug can be reached at the studio at tel:248-790-7317 or emailed at mailto:info@frameablefaces.com

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Being “Frameable” is an attitude, a community, a way of life – a life you would want to celebrate and display on your walls for all to see! Tell us… ARE YOU FRAMEABLE?

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How To Become a Photographer

May 4, 2013

So how do you answer the question of how to become a photographer? Let’s start by saying that you obviously cannot become a photographer from a blog post. However I’ve gathered a few resources that combined together will give you a good guide for getting started whether you are just interested in photography as a hobby or if you want to become a real pro. It’s certainly not the last thing you should read to become a photographer or a complete guide, but this post along with the links provided will be a good first thing to read.

How To Become A Photographer

Inspiration

Find out what inspires you and pursue it. With photography there are plenty of ways to discover this. One way is to simply take pictures. LOTS of pictures. Odds are you have a camera – even for now if it’s just the camera on your phone. Take pictures every day and find out what moves you. Another is to look at pictures. This link is to the inspiration category at the Photo Argus – these posts of images are designed to inspire and there is some wonderful content here. Here is the inspiration category at PetaPixel. You should also read and follow these five steps by Scott Bourne, one of our go-to experts in the field – and find other articles like these. Think in these terms and follow your dream!

Equipment

Keep in mind it’s not the camera that makes great photos – the photographer does. But having said that, once again here is a fantastic article by Scott Bourne on what you should think about in considering a new camera. As for where to buy one, just check out a local camera store and buy local where possible! If you are in New York City you should visit B & H which is the Taj Mahal of camera stores – the place is incredible and downright inspiring just being there. They also provide fantastic help over the phone AND they provide free shipping on equipment. Once you’ve invested in a camera take the time to learn your way around your camera. As you gain experience make sure you are taking the time to learn technique, lighting, post processing and the tools that go with all of it.

Business

If you want to be a pro you MUST learn the photography business. Photography can obviously be rewarding even if you are just doing it for fun. But if you want it to be your career then you need to really understand what makes it profitable, what makes it sustainable, what makes it rewarding, what makes it special. Go to conventions, sign up for seminars, read books, hire an accountant. Take the time to connect with other photographers, hone in on your specialty, find your niche and become the very best at it. Learn how to use social media as a brand. Learn how not to use social media as a brand. This list goes on and on – there is so much to it. It takes years to perfect your craft, learn the business and build a real studio but it can be done – after all, we are doing it…. and notice I didn’t say we did it – it’s an ongoing process – we are still learning every day.

If you are a photographer what advice would you give to someone starting out? If you are starting out, share with us why you want to be a photographer – what inspired you?

9 Things To Tell Your Kids About Photography

March 22, 2013