a Wedding - a Reunion

There's something very special about a union of two people. Commitment to, and promise of love makes the event truly unforgettable. I was honored to have witnessed the marriage of Jill and Mark. The two were undeniably in love and the evidence was in front of my lens each time I framed them in a photo. Smiles never left their faces, their arms never stopped embracing, and the kisses went on and on. In the midst of all this not only their dreams of being together came true, but also the dreams of their five year old son, as he watched mommy and daddy exchange their sacred vows. The ceremony went on as the three of them held on to each other, heads bowed in prayer....hearts full of love.

Photo Tip: Stay in the moment and experience your subject's emotional state if you can, in order to anticipate the "awww moments" . Allow yourself to be touched by the moment....it's okay!

Sweetness, tender love, and a brand new angel is born

We react to the events of each day as they unfold and sometimes during the course of life we are surprised by the emotions that arise as we encounter certain people or situations. Often we don't think too much about it, but once in a while the feelings are so undeniably strong that we take notice.

As I hold my newly born nephew in my arms, the warmth of his body takes me into a world beyond where my body resides. My head droops lower in order to be as close to his breath as possible. His peaceful slumber is calming and quiets my mind....and that's when emotions take hold and rise up deep from my gut...and my heart beats faster as tears find their way out on my cheeks.

Surprised by this deep emotional reaction I turn away so not everyone can see the private personal moment I am having with this angel. But after a while it's impossible to hide. I can't really explain it but when it was time to take a few photos of him it was apparent to me that those photos will reflect my tender feelings towards him.

I am so moved by this little baby...."Mason"

Photo Tip: Take photos of what moves you......it's always a sure bet you will get an amazing photo

Beauty and the light

I can't say enough about light. The quality of it gives your photographs the emotional value that they each possess. The direction of it, the temperature, the amount, ...every aspect of it can affect your photo in a different way. I am learning that by manipulating the light I can give my photographs more feeling. The pure sunlight can give the photo a playful feel, the cloudy overcast skies can make the photo moody and sometime mysterious, the warm light of the sunset gives photos a romantic glow...and on and on. These few photos were taken in the middle of the day, but with some control of the light I was able to get the perfect tone and highlights....of course it didn't hurt that she was beautiful.

Photo Tip: Control the light by using diffusers like standing some one next to a window with sheer curtains if there is a lot of sunlight pouring inside. Or reflectors, like having a person hold a white poster board underneath their chin for fill light.

Holiday Promotion

Limited Offer for the Holiday Season All Sessions during the months of October, November, and December of 2009 will benefit from a 50% discounted rate on the Session Fee.


Special Holiday Package $175.00

Includes the following:
* A one hour session with the photographer for up to 4 people. The session will mainly focus on group configurations for the purposes of Holiday gifts and cards. Additional people will be $25.00 each.
* One enlargement of the photo of your choice up to an 8X12
* 5 digital neagatives of poses captured during this session for your unlimited use.
* Location will be decided upon booking.


Special Family Package $295.00

Includes the following:
* A two hour session with the photographer for up to 10 people. The session will mainly focus on getting a family portrait with the extended family members. Additional people will be $25.00 each.
* 3 enlargements of the family portrait up to an 11X14
*(optional) purchase of 10 digital negatives of other poses captured during this session for your unlimited use is $50.00
*The location will be decided upon booking.

Best in Show

They announced the winners of the Texas Photo Festival 2009 - and guess who was the winner of the "Best in Show" Category? Yours truly! Here's my winning photo. The set was of an old antique clothing store with lots of old time hats and shawls. The kids were Smithville's residences and were being models for a day. "Derek" is the boy in the photo, and he was had a very intense gaze and was able to be confident enough to look straight in to the lens. The girls had lots of beautiful big hats and boas and shawls to decorate themselves with, but the boys only had the hat and black jacket and the cigar! The character of this young man is all in his eyes. I loved to photograph him.

"Little Hawk" a Cherokee

It was true. I had not ever personally met an American Indian before. As I told him that I shook his hand and he was happy to tell me a little bit more about himself. He was adopted by his parents. They were not from the same tribe. He was a Cherokee.
"I am the black sheep of the family you know". He pointed out all of his tattoos that covered both forearms.
He also told me how proudly he served in the Marines as a Gunnery Sergeant for 22 years. He had patches of honor all over his leather vest. He pointed them all to me. He said he wants to go back to serve but they won't take him since he's 57.
Why are you named Little Hawk, I asked. "Because I fly high and protect the young", he said very quickly. "I am the elder, the kids respect me". As he stood by the table where he laid all of the skulls and bones he sold, I took a few photographs.



Photo Tip: People and their stories are inspiring. I wouldn't have been able to take "Little Hawk's" photo effectively if I hadn't listened to his story first. That's why in order to capture the essence of your subject in a photograph you need to get to know them. Case and pointe : Moms and Dads take some of the best photos of their kids, simply because they know them the most.

Kids. Little, medium, and big

After all that I photograph, I still come back to the subject of children. They possess a freshness and innocence that begs you to document its rarity. All body parts are brand new and shiny. Free smiles all around and when tears come, they are as pure as rain water. It amazes me always, how we are touched by children every time we are in contact with them . Photographing children can tell so many stories. With no preconceived notions, they make the best subjects. No wonder some of the most powerful photographs of all times are of children.

Photo Tip:

In taking photographs, try to capture the emotion rather than just the aesthetics. It comes with practice. You can sense a moment before it happens sometimes. You can have your camera ready and capture a few shots before and after just to make sure you get that one special one. In other words, shoot in burst.

Austin - Home Sweet Home

I love this town. It has character. It becomes more obvious every time I am away from this interesting city. I feel comfortable here. I feel good here. I am becoming even more aware of its beauty as I take more and more photographs around town. People like to be photographed with iconic scenes of their hometown. There are so many here. I find them one by one. Some of them are commonly seen in photos, like the 360 bridge or the Capital building...and some of them are rarely seen in any photos like the one I have here of my boys in front of the Gingerman. They are all parts of Austin and they all provoke different thoughts and memories for each person.

Photo Tip: Get a new perspective on an old subject. Create a twist to an otherwise ordinary scene. You can do this a lot of times with changing your position as compared to your subject. For example get really low or even put the camera on the ground and shoot what you see. Photograph a building from a different angle than most people view it. You might find your way more interesting.

Oceans, Mountains, and Fun

It's been a long time since the last post. The summer has kept me busy. Photography has been good and family life has been full of adventure. Our travels took us to Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. It allowed me to try my hand at some serious landscape photography. Sometimes it seemed I got so overwhelemed by the beauty of it all that I couldn't pick a good scene to photograph. In those times I had to take a deep breath and focus....and then just follow my insticts as a photographer. Light is everything. It makes or breaks a photograph. It gives it life. So with that in mind I have a few photos of our trip that I will share with you.

Photo Tip: The hour before Sunset is the "golden hour". That is when you should photograph outside. In our great state of Texas most of the day is brightly lit. So keep in mind the quality of light. One thing you can do to fill in the shadows on a face in a bright day is to use your on camera "fill in" flash. It will give your subject's face a little less contrast and more of the eyes can be seen.

The Colors of Summer

Summer in Austin, Texas is known for its unbearable heat. Yet we still find reasons to leave our air conditioned homes. The colors of summer are just as hot as the temperatures. Intense greens, intense browns, and if there is a flower that survives, it usually has a pretty intense color.

Photo Tip:

In the bright sun, try avoiding the mid day hours for photography, the light is unflattering and shadows are very strong. But if you find yourself outside in those hours make the best of it. Since you have plenty of available light try to capture people, animals, or other moving objects in action. With plenty of available light you can get away with a very high shutter speed and very low ISO which allows you to freeze the action. A cannonballing kid off the side of the pool or a water bird about to strike at the fish in the lake.

4th Fest

So it was the 4th of July and more than anything else it was a time for kids to have fun. Here is Kian at four and three quarters. That's what he would say if you asked him how old you are! This photo gives you a quick rundown of his favorite things...he's a candy loving, hotwheels glasses wearing, soccer playing, photo taking proud resident of the WellsBranch community.


Photo Tip:
Try to compose as best as you can before you press the shutter release button. Composing afterwards by cropping is not ideal. But don't hesitate to crop to get a stronger photo if need be. What this basically means is that if you are photographing in a hurry and not thinking about your composition, you could get a mediocre photo instead of a really good one!

Black Bird

I was trying to see the beauty in this very common creature. We have a million of them in Austin. They can be annoying, messy, and sometimes even aggressive if they want your french fries!
As it turns out they can be quite graceful.


Photo Tip :
It's possible to take a photo of the most unlikely subject and make it work. The best photographs are not always made from the most beautiful subjects. Common subjects are most accessible.
In this case a silhouette of a black bird seems to work as a strong photograph.
To get a silhouette make sure the subject is backlit.

Fathers

He's my Dad:

Dad, can you teach me to walk? Teach me to talk? Dad can you put batteries in my talking doll? Dad can you take me to school? Can you show me the way? Dad can you mend my broken heart? Dad can you Keep us safe ? Dad can you teach me not to be afraid of anything just like you? Can you teach me how to not take myself seriously? Dad can you teach me to fix things? Can you teach me to be selfless? Dad can you teach me how to sacrifice my life for my children and never ask anything in return? Dad can you love my kids and care for them any time we ask? Dad will you do anything for me no matter how old I am? The answer to all of these questions are a resounding YES ... it's just understood. We never have to wonder. It's never spoken but he's not ever more than a few moments away if you need him. He will stay up all night and hold my newborn's oxygen mask ...all night... without a minute of sleep ... he's 72 but he has the energy of a 22 year old man. Never afraid of any hard work or pain. He's amazing. He's my dad. We love you dad .

He's my husband:


"I knew you'd be a good mom", he said. The truth is that I didn't even know that myself back then. His intuition was seeing far in to the future. A future we would build together. He is the angel that came into my life just when I needed him. He works hard, he plays hard. He provides and protects. He reads to our kids, he runs around with them untill they are all tired and sweaty. He teaches them about our world. He gets tired but he won't even take a five mintue break. He's worried but he never lets on. He tickles and chases and hides and draws, kicks, swims, hikes, bikes, and camps. He hugs and cuddles and kisses and is not afraid to show his love. He takes care of them when they're sick. He takes care of me when I'm sick. He would do anything for us. He is true to his word. He is exciting, he knows a lot, he's smart and can fix anything, he's my rock, he is my friend, he's my love, he's their daddy, he is their hero, he's my husband.
We love you Chris.

Photo Tip:

Photos of loved ones are a precious treasure. Take them often and chronicle the lives of the ones you love. Black and white can be achieved with most any photo-editing software and camrera out there now and it gives your project a photojournalistic feel.

A New Life

So beautiful to photograph a newborn. I so appreciate the parents that allow me to come in to their homes after only a few days of having a baby. The gentle cradle of mom's arms, the sweet daddy kisses and sometimes the gentle or not so gentle pats of a sibling. It's all so exciting and amazing to observe...and photograph. Hope these memories I caught in still photos last you a lifetime.

Photo Tip from Shadi:
Hands are a powerful symbol in any image. Little hands, big hands, newborn hands, old hands, hands playing an instrument, hands painting with a brush, hands sweeping the hair off of a lover's face...pay attention to the hands. Include them in the photograph. They tell stories.

Capturing the summer fun

Hello from shadi and a k s photography - Summer is well on it's way and and with schools out kids are free to play and have fun. It's a great time to catch them in action. Call for available session times for your next outdoors activity. It can be a great time to capture your family in action and completely candid and still get photos to treasure for generations to come.

Photography Tip from Shadi :

A little tilt goes a long way

Try to tilt your camera a just a little as you are taking a photo. You might just be surprised at the results. Don't go too far or the viewer will get the feeling your subject is falling out of the photo!

Just enough to tell more of the story and get across your point of view.

The Fundraiser Dinner

The Fundraiser - It was a wonderful cause and lots of wonderful people and I am glad I was a part of it. I hope you all come and look at your photos. Just go to the client section and put in the password that I provided you. So wonderful to meet all of you and looking forward to connecting with you soon.

Shadi

Introducing "a k s photography"

Welcome to my blog where I will share what's new at "a k s photography". Share photography tips with any one that's interested, and maybe a photograph or two will find their way in this blog. The content will be driven by my clients' needs.

Thank you for joining me. Until next time.

Here Shadi's 1st tip: When you think you've gotten close enough to your subject, take another step forward.