stephanie elizabeth photography

A Wedding

2010-07-20T14:36:00.002-04:00

I had the honor of doing the photography for my very good friend's wedding. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

it's hard

2010-06-05T22:44:00.002-04:00

to create things when you feel defeated. but, here are a few from this Christmas. I haven't abandoned photography completely.

What (Not) To Do With Your Camera

2009-10-25T23:45:00.008-04:00

Christmas-time means a slew of shiny new cameras in the hands of consumers everywhere. At this point in the year, the end of October, I had hoped a lot of those budding shutterbugs would have gotten a firmer grasp on how to handle their new weapons... but alas, I'm still seeing some basic mistakes in technique that people make that is stopping them from getting the most out of their cameras.

1) The camera is not a dirty dishrag. You don't need to hold it arms length away from you. This is not a middle school dance with your camera as your date. I had someone once come to me complaining that they just couldn't get the same sharp images with their point and shot that I was getting with my DSLR. I had them take a few photos so I could see how they went about it, and I found they were holding the camera way out in front of them. Now part of this I think is because of the design of a lot of new digital cameras that have live LCD viwers on the back instead of optical view finders (i.e. looking through an actual hole in the camera like you had to before digital came along). But I would highly, HIGHLY suggest to hold tight onto the camera. Place your feet shoulders width apart and hug the camera as tight to your chest as you can to take as steady a shot as you can. Another option to increase stability are mini tripods - Gorilla Pods are one brand I know of that are for use with light weight P&S camera's, the idea behind them being that the legs can wrap around surfaces like fences or trees to open up more photo possibility without needing a full size tripod.
Other variations I see on this are people standing holding the camera with just one hand... use both to be more stable.

^{For the record I have not used one of these, but I would NOT recommend using it with anything heavier than a point and shoot.}

2) Forgo flash, embrace natural light. Today I went to a beautiful park, Fort Williams, and saw a young woman with an entry level DSLR taking photos of the lovely beach scene in front of us. Nothing wrong with that... till I noticed that her on-camera flash was popped up and firing. There are some instances where flash is inevitable, but don't waste your batteries using the flash on landscapes. You should also turn it off if you are in a large auditorium and far away from the stage, because the light simply won't travel far enough to illuminate what you want; in fact the flash firing can trick your camera into using a FASTER shutter speed which in turn may make your image darker than you wanted. You'll also find your photos to be more pleasing to the eye when they are using ambient (natural/available) light versus the camera's flash.

3) Auto Mode. If you have a DSLR there is zero excuse to shoot in auto mode unless you are shooting something like sports and you haven't had a lot of experience and NEED to nail the shots. But if you can control your shutter speed, aperture and ISO - do it. This might be the biggest issue I see with photographers images... a simple lack of control. I was intimidated for a long time with the controls of my camera till I really forced myself to learn them, and now I can't imagine shooting in Auto Mode. camerapedia.org is a great resource for information on cameras, including explanations of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. I would be unable to shoot the majority of images that I now shoot if I were still using Auto settings.

^{Photograph from CLF on flickr creative commons}

4) Distracting your viewer with large watermarks or borders. There are some photos that look great with a border and some watermarks that are artistic and lovely. But I see so many photos overtaken with giant, thick black borders that just aren't necessary and really detract from the image as a whole. In a real life situation I love seeing photos with matted borders, but online where images are already getting squished small enough to fit my screen comfortably, I don't want to see them made even smaller because a border is taking up 1/3 of the area.

But really if there is one thing to do, get off auto mode. You'll be amazed at the results!

Next up I'm hoping to do a side-by-side comparison of aperture settings to better demonstrate what the heck they are. I figure I yell enough about setting everything manually I might as well explain the settings a bit more ;)

Macro Flowers & Plants

2009-10-23T00:03:00.007-04:00

I've taken the past several months "off" from taking photos of people. I was getting burned out at the end of last spring and it just wasn't fun. So I took the summer to relax and just shoot whenever I felt like it and focus more on landscapes/nature versus people (because trees don't flake out and flowers don't get tired of waiting around for the right light ;)

I've felt a lot of growth in my work, especially in that I can really control what I want the final output to be right from the start. At the beginning of 2008 I can remember telling my boyfriend (now fiance) Dylan how frustrated I was that I would see beautiful things but couldn't quite capture them properly with my camera. Every time I clicked the shutter it was a bit of a crap-shoot as to what would come out, and everything was always taken using auto settings. But I realized this past week that I've jumped that hurdle without even knowing.

And beyond just learning the technical aspects like how to set my aperature to a larger number to get more in focus, or a smaller number to get less in focus, I've developed a style of my own.

hint: if you can't tell, I go for shallow depths of field using small f/stops (usually 1.8) for my nature work, and I'm starting to explore long exposure landscapes.

I've slowed down a lot taking photos - I no longer see things and go nuts clicking the shutter. I look at a subject, and think about the light - where is the sun, are their clouds, how bright is it - and what's around, behind and in front of it.

I've gone from knowing shit about composition to learning the rules and now finding myself using them and at times intentionally bending them. No longer am I terrified at the thought of large areas of "blank" space in my photos.

When I started out I really didn't think I'd reach the point I'm at, and I didn't think I'd find this entire genre so interesting and so fulfilling.

I'm really proud of the body of work I'm putting together, and I hope everyone viewing my photos enjoys them as well!

More photos + prints available at natureofmaine.com

South Portland High School Marching Band

2009-10-20T18:30:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay, but here are the photos I took at the Biddeford show a few weeks ago.

If you yank any and use them on facebook PLEASE link back to this blog. Thanks! :)

Lately in my photographs I've been trying to use the foreground more to add interest, information or a nice frame to the subject.

I'm also working on not cropping out hands or feet, which is difficult when the subject is moving around and you can't direct, but I've found it's not impossible as long as I stay aware of the edges of my frame.

My professor has hounded us a lot about not getting stuck at eye level taking photos, so this is my effort to tilt my camera more ;)

I got a few crowd shots, but to be honest - the crowd sucked! There's even a photo from the last entry with a trumpet player in the actual stands playing right into people's faces and they still look super serious about the whole thing.

Fin!

My plan for the next blog is to show some new color work and a few things I've learned about nature photography. Comments are always welcome! :)

Photojournalism: Marching Band Show

2009-10-15T21:59:00.009-04:00

These photos were taken at the Biddeford marching band competition. I was there primarily to see the South Portland Red Riots marching band, but I wasn't able to scan those negatives in on time to post this tonight and I wanted to share at least something. I hope to post again this weekend or next week with those photos and a few other stragglers that didn't get scanned tonight.

It was a great show!

Technical info: these were all shot with my Pentax ZX-M then scanned into a computer using a badass film scanner my school owns. I shot with a mixture of 400, 1600 and 3200 speed films. The 3200 came out surprisingly clean since the shop I bought it from warned me the grain would be "the size of gravel". I must caution though that the development time for that film was a staggering TWENTY MINUTES. Ugh. Never again!!!

I saw this man with his big ol' 300mm Canon lens and just had to get a snap. He looks like the quintessential sports photographer, right down to the backwards ball cap :D

This judge sat down in front of me creating the perfect shot - look at that poor kids face!

I spotted this guy when he was in the stands across the gym from me trying to get photos (all the performers were facing away from him, so he eventually moved over pretty close to me and blocked a few shots, leading me to snap a few of him ;)

long exposure photography

2009-09-21T18:27:00.004-04:00

The vast majority of the time I am shooting hand held and so try to keep a shutter speed of at least 1/125 to prevent blurring from camera shake. I recently have come into possession of a loaner Manfrotto tripod from my school that's enough of a beast to wield my Canon 5D on, and am excited to share my first dive into long exposures since, well, I don't know how long!

The above is a photo of Megunticook Lake in Camden, ME. It was taken after sunset when there was still a little bit of light left coming over the horizon. Settings: 30/1, f/22, ISO 50

I used my 28-135mm lens to take this photo for two reasons - I wanted the widest possible focal length, and 28mm is the lowest of all my lenses. I also wanted to be able to use my circular polarizing filter in order to properly expose both the sky and the lake as well as allowing me to slow the shutter as much as possible since the polarizing cuts down on the amount of light getting through to the camera's sensor.

I went out last night to try some more photos along the lines of that one, however it was a bust - none of the came out remotely as interesting. I've got my hopes up for next time though, and plenty of ideas for locations to shoot, so stay tuned for more!

newest black and white film

2009-09-07T22:09:00.004-04:00

hiatus... done?

2009-08-31T13:46:00.002-04:00

I haven't really picked up my camera this summer, I need to do some soul searching and try some new stuff. I'm finally feeling ready to start capturing the world again, so here's a few photos from last April (the real proper last time I photographed anything). Neither have been "HDR"d, I do own Photomatix but I think I prefer using a polarizing filter, good work in camera, and then dodging and burning by hand after when needed.

Photographers, watch this

2009-05-29T00:27:00.001-04:00

Top 3 Mistakes in Self-Portraits

2009-05-14T23:43:00.008-04:00

In the age of picture phones and cheap digital cameras, spontaneous self-portraits have absolutely saturated the internet. Here are the top three mistakes I've seen permeated in 99.999999999999% of these photos. Why three? Because it's as f**king awkward as I would feel if any model actually made these faces to my camera.

The Trout

Somewhere along the lines these girls must have figured out that sucking in your cheeks can make your face look thinner, and that a coy pout can be really cute. But then they all snorted coke and decided that THIS face is what they would all default to when anyone pulls out a camera. This trout pout visage is particularly common on facebook, where hordes of underage-drinkin' girlies can be found half-naked holding onto to a beer and making this face like their lives depend on it.

The "MEH"

This expression seems to be a direct response to the Trout, originally seen sported on the faces hip scenester girls everywhere the 'meh' has traveled into mainstream social networks as standard sober face for girls everywhere. A picture says a 1000 words, and this face says "me and my striped shirt are way more hip and ironic than you are."

The Ghost

The ghost is a result of holding the camera 2 inches away from your face so the flash will wash out your features and no one will see your pimples. It also has the effect of making you look like a huge fan of pancake make-up, noseless, and very phobic of the sun.

So now that hopefully a few of you reading this have been shamed, go clean out your facebook and myspace of these abominations, and start practicing your smile. Seriously.

thanks to saynothingstock, missimoinsane-stock and itsreality-stock on deviantart for releasing these photos for use.

5th Annual WMPG fashion show

2009-04-27T16:15:00.004-04:00

Photos from backstage at the 5th Annual WMPG Fashion Show held this past Saturday April 25th

Jackie Newell and Savannah Daras wearing dresses from Diana Duane's Golden Apple line

Emily Carrington wearing a black dress from Diana Duane's Golden Apple line

Show coordinator Paul Drinan talks to the models backstage before the show begins

Debbie holds a rose before she walks the runway wearing a dress by Maria Antoinetta Couture

From the front: Emily Carrington, Savannah Daras, Jackie Newell and Samantha Anaman

Jennifer Mills fixes Emily Carrington's hair before walking the runway

Tara, wearing an ensemble by Fidel

google questions

2009-04-18T19:59:00.002-04:00

I've been using google analytics to track my blogs stats - see how many hits it gets, how long people stay, what they view, things like that. One of my favorite features is that I can see what searches on google lead people to my blog. One thing I've noticed is that people often type a question into google trying to learn something about photography, but some of those questions aren't fully answered on my blog so I wanted to take a little time to answer them!

First search: "bland colors on photography websites upload" (related searches that have come up are "making photos look good for web" and "uploaded facebook photos look pixelated")

When uploading to the general web - your personal website, photobucket, deviantART, flickr or other websites that are specifically for showing photos or art, make sure you are saving in sRGB color space and high quality jpg before uploading. You can locate the color profile options in Photoshop by going to Edit > Choose Color Profile and selecting sRGB from the drop down menu. What will help as well is being sure to properly resize your photos before uploading them, that way the web service doesn't have to do it for you.
For facebook be sure to follow those steps, however no matter what you do facebook and myspace both tend to chew up photos.

Second query: "is talent6 a safe website?"

I discussed talent6.com briefly in this post. After my brief experience with them and reading other anecdotal evidence against them I would say to stay away from their website.

Third: "myspace modeling scams that request pictures"

I'm going to start by saying that not a lot of places use myspace to find models. There are enough agencies and other networking sites devoted to photography and modeling that myspace is very far down on the list of places to use. I was once contacted by an "ad agency" saying that wanted to offer me a job modeling bikinis for a client who was putting together a catalog, but the catch was that I had to send them two nude photos so they could see my physique. SCAM.
If you are looking into a career in modeling, don't bother looking for jobs on myspace. Use One Model Place, Model Mayhem, or go see a local agency.

#4: "portfolio sizes"

Covered here in this entry :)

Hopefully the next person who is googling for answers will find these helpful! And if you've got questions, please feel free to email me at stephanie.elizabeth.m AT gmail DOT com and I'll try my best to answer them or send you to someplace that can :)

keep your equipment safe!

2009-04-15T16:08:00.004-04:00

It is heartbreaking to hear stories of people's equipment getting lost, stolen, or broken. A lot of times people don't give thought to what precautions to take till after it's too late and something bad has happened. So what can you do to help prevent mishaps to your gear?

1) Write down serial numbers in a safe place as soon as you get a piece of equipment. In the event that your gear gets stolen, the police will most likely need a serial number. If you get your gear insured they will also need your serial numbers and possibly a picture of the item.

2) Insurance! I'm guilty of not doing this one simply because it's daunting in complexity and expense. But there is a chance that home owners insurance might cover you. Call your insurance agency to check.

3) Be quiet, be discreet. My camera bag is plain and black, no big logos. If my camera is not around my neck and in my hands it is in my bag which is always on my shoulder if I'm out. I don't make a big show about the camera and I'll soon be replacing the neck strap with something plain that does not have the Canon logo, and considering covering the other logos with black gaffers tape. NEVER set your camera or bag down anywhere, it only takes one moment for someone to grab them and run off.

Be aware of your surroundings, take some steps for caution, and best of luck! =)

boston in film

2009-04-10T00:47:00.001-04:00

big cows and big blogs

2009-04-03T14:00:00.003-04:00

My blog is now wider and more image friendly! :) Thanks to Brian Khang over at his blog - http://briankhang.blogspot.com/search/label/Bigger%20Blog%20Images - for sharing that trick with everyone.

And now some cute little hamburgers-to-be!

Keeping Technologically Sane: After the Shoot

2009-04-01T23:41:00.004-04:00

When I first started taking photographs, I would just dump the photos onto my computer (an old dell desktop at the time), delete any that I didn't like, and edit the other using ms paint. no joke. I could actually take out blemishes using copy/paste in ms paint.

Years later I've finally come up with a work flow that keeps me sane and a saving/backing up system that keeps my work safe. Right now I'm going to go over how I keep my photos organized so I can easily find them.

First step - open up Lightroom and download my photos to my computer using their "import" function. I have it set up so that when I download my memory card to my laptop, it's saving not just on my laptops hard drive but also backing up simultaneously on my external hard drive (a Free Agent 250gb drive). I used to just dump everything into folders and not really organize... BIG mistake. Now I have it set up into trees. For example, if I'm looking for a photo that I shot a guy named ben back in January to email to someone, I open:

Photography > Fashion > 2009 1.8 Ben > watermarked and webready

and there they are! My photos are organized by type (Nature, Art Portraits, Commercial, Events, Fashion, Glamour and Nudes, and Headshots) then further broken down by the date along with the subject name or a brief descriptor. Inside each of those is a folder for RAW files, a folder for photoshop files, another for high resolution jpegs and a final one for webready images. I keep the original numbers attached to all the files so that they are easily referenced. So if for instance I upload the photo of Ben to dA, and someone makes a suggestion on ways to improve the retouching, I can easily consult the webready folder to figure out the file number. Then, knowing that it's file xyz2 I can go to my photoshop folder and look for file xyz2 to edit. This has saved me SO many headaches you can't even imagine!

What's great about Adobe Lightroom though is that it gives me even more power over how I file my images. When I import from my memory card to Lightroom I have the option to assign every photo a set of keywords. I have roughly 3000 photos cataloged on Lightroom, and a good chunk of those have keywords tagging them.
This means that if I decide I want to show someone all the concerts I've ever shot, I can type in "concerts" into the search field and every photo tagged with that word will appear.

I generally tag my photos with the date, name of the model, place it was shot (inside/outside, studio, location, a town or city name and sometimes the state if I feel like it, though that's not really necessary), and descriptors (female, blonde, blue eyes, tall, fair skin, black dress, high heels) and some words to pinpoint what kind of shoot it was - fashion, event, headshot, etc.

I also make sure to back up my work as I go. Every time I'm done with a project I back up the photos and other files onto my external drive.

Overall I've found that taking a few extra minutes to organize your photos and back them up in multiple places as you bring them onto your computer can save a lot of time and hassle later on, and I highly recommend everyone to come up with some system to keep track of their own - feel free to borrow mine :)

Tip o' the Day! Making Photos Look Good Online

2009-03-23T12:25:00.004-04:00

There are some places online where photos are pretty much doomed, most of those places being social networking sites. Myspace will resize photos, and facebook is even worse - photos that looked fine on your computer will appear desaturated, pixelated, and just generally crappy once they're uploaded to a facebook gallery.

The most annoying thing though is when sites that are SUPPOSED to be for showing photos, seem to mess them up as well. To keep your photos looking great, make sure you are resizing them properly, using a moderate amount of sharpening if needed, and converting them to the correct color profile.

In Photoshop when you resize an image (Image > Image Size or ctrl+alt+I on a pc) you will be presented with a dialogue box. At the bottom of the box you'll see a small drop down menu with several options; most of the time this is set to "Bicubic Smoother (Best for Enlargements)" but since we aren't enlarging we want to choose a different setting. Click the menu and choose "Bicubic Sharper (Best for Reductions)".

When making an image smaller, it tends to get softer and lose it's crispness, so this helps preserve some of that.

Even using Bicubic Sharper you may still need to sharpen your image more. Duplicate the image, and on the top layer use Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen or Unsharp Mask. I prefer Smart Sharpen most of the time because to me, Unsharp mask just brings out black edges too much and I don't like the look; you might like Unsharp mask the best, it's really personal preference or what your client wants.
After you apply your filter, you can adjust the opacity of your top layer to achieve the amount of sharpness you want. You can also use masks on the top layer to control which areas get sharpened (when I retouch portraits, I mask out the sharpness on skin, so that just the eyes and hair gets sharpened).

Now you're ready to convert to the correct color profile for the web. Go to Edit > Convert to Profile and choose sRGB as your destination space. This will keep your colors retained on your image, so that they won't get all wacky once you upload them.

Now you're ready to save as a high quality .jpg and upload to the web!

Tip: Portfolios Sizes

2009-03-20T20:59:00.006-04:00

A lot of photographers and models only ever share photos digitally, online, through websites or email. But for those looking to create an actual hard copy portfolio you may find yourselves wondering what size your photos should be printed at.

When preparing files for printing you should size them to a resolution of 300dpi - you should also make sure you save to the right color profile for the lab that is doing your printing. The place I get prints from, exposuremanager.com, asks for jpg files in SRGB colorspace.

For performers (actors, actresses) the standard size is an 8x10 inch print in portrait orientation.

For models, 9x12 - show up to a casting with an 8x10 book and you'll look a bit silly!

And for photographers, it is 11x14 - a hefty book, but it's meant to be big so that the client can see all the details in your photos.

For photographers, these sizes all mean you need to crop your images down - so try to plan for that while shooting and give yourself room so you don't cut off a forehead.

Tip of the Day: Concerts

2009-03-15T12:15:00.009-04:00

Since my boyfriend Dylan regularly puts on shows here at USM I find myself a lot of times tagging along with my camera. I went from never shooting concerts to feeling pretty confident doing so, so I wanted to share a small tip I've learned from the past year.

Don't forget about the audience! I've gotten some really nice shots from turning around and ignoring the band for a few minutes to get some shots of the crowd. Whether it's people at the show interacting with each other or catching another photographer mid-shot, you can get some really nice photos if you switch your area of focus for awhile.

retake!

2009-03-14T01:30:00.004-04:00

Sometimes when I learn a new post-processing technique I like to go back to previous works and redo them.

emily
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1047156

Basically if you ever are converting to black and white - PLEASE don't just hit "desaturate"! It may look fine but it most likely can be made better by using the channel mixer or making a few layers with different contrasts. The image above was converted to black and white by making a low contrast layer on top of a high contrast layer and changing the blending modes and opacity till I reached what I wanted. Experimentation is key :)

Taking my pentax and a few rolls of film to Boston tomorrow :D Can't wait to share the results!

2009-03-08T11:47:00.002-04:00

Emily
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1047156

catching up on photos!

2009-02-25T23:34:00.004-05:00

Sarah

Jennifer

talent6.com

2009-02-21T18:25:00.003-05:00

I've recently become aware that my website, http://www.selizabethphoto.com is linked on talent6.com
After doing some digging I found out they have ripped my casting calls on craigslist onto their website without my knowledge or consent.

Please do not register or pay talent6.com for their casting services, they are a fraudulent website.

Have a good evening and safe browsing everyone!

photos from dec/jan shoot

2009-02-08T15:31:00.005-05:00

I had a shoot with Hilary sometime back in December or January, she was a good sport and tromped around Camden in the cold :P Not sure if I ever posted the photos so here are a few favs... (blogger compressed them and chewed them up, see higher quality versions at my website http://www.selizabethphoto.com)

wanted: model, MUA, hair stylist

2009-02-05T14:26:00.004-05:00

February 13th - Female Model, MUA, Hairstylist

I am looking for a female model, a make-up artist and/or hair stylist for an indoor shoot in studio on February 13th. The studio is located in Gorham, ME on the University of Southern Maine's campus.

Time: afternoon, would like to start around 12. Shoot will last around 2 hours depending on outfit changes and MUA/stylist.

Theme: Looking to do images with tasteful clothing; jeans, nice tops, heels, etc. Examples:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic_ … id=8868531
http://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic_ … id=8868645
http://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic_ … d=10348666
http://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic_ … id=5112853

Models: Please include link to current photos or portfolio and let me know if you can do your own hair and make-up in case a MUA cannot be booked.

MUA: Please include past experience and a link to photos or a portfolio.

special rate for USM students

2009-01-30T15:42:00.003-05:00

Attention all USM Actors, Actresses, Musicians, and all other Performers looking to update their head shots for the spring!

I am offering a starting rate for USM students of $50 for a one hour studio sitting on the Gorham Campus.
This rate includes all retouching and a CD of all your favorite images from the shoot for your use on the web.
Photos are available in color, black & white, sepia, and any other color tones at no extra charge.
Professional quality prints are available at low prices.

Need something more? We can create a special package to suit your needs and make sure you get what you want.

Contact me today for more information or to book a sitting! To see more of my work visit me at http://www.selizabethphoto.com

A simple check-list to get you on your way to shooting models.

2009-01-29T23:28:00.003-05:00

1. Practice with your camera on other things till you know it back to front.

2. Look at tons of photographs and figure out what you like and what you'd like to make. Talk to photographers whose work you admire, read tutorials, be a sponge and absorb as much as you can.

3. Find a simple model release - even if you're shooting your best friend in the whole world you'll need one and it can save you a lot of heartache in the end if you both agree IN WRITING as to what can be done with the photos. Be sure to show this release to your model before the shoot.

4. Shoot outdoors with a friend. Natural outdoor lighting is great to work in if you hit the golden hours (two hours before and right after sunrise, and two hours before sunset right up till sunset - or some approximation of those times, it depends on where you live, the time of year, and the weather).

5. Look up tutorials on how to retouch portraits, and try a bunch out to find a method that works best for you.

6. Develop a logical work flow and filing system, and always back-up your photos in two places.

7. Be timely about getting photographs back to your models. Nothing sucks more than collaborating on a project only to never get photos back. It's a bad habit to get into, and eventually it can ruin your reputation and make models not want to work with you.

8. Repeat steps 1-7 several times. My first seven shoots, which took place over the course of nearly a year, (not including all the times I took self-portraits) were of friends in a no-pressure situation. Four of them took place outside or indoors near windows to use natural light. Practice with friends till you feel good giving direction, experiment indoors with various lighting, and eventually you'll find your skill level, knowledge, and confidence photographing people will increase.

And don't forget the most important step of all... have fun! :)

new photos

2009-01-22T13:24:00.009-05:00

I think I'm posting a bit out of order... I don't think I ever posted all the photos from my shoot with Hilary. These are from this past weekend in Biddeford.
I'll post Hilary's in the next entry!

model: Katie
http://www.modelmayhem.com/790397

model: Ben
http://www.portcitymodels.com/model_portfolio_benjamin.html

Ten Commandments of Photography Websites

2009-01-08T15:23:00.007-05:00

I encourage every photographer trying to market themselves to get their own web page. It's a great way to let prospective clients see your portfolio online without the distractions of advertisements and other people's work. It's also a good step towards "branding" yourself - for instance I've chosen to be known as "Stephanie Elizabeth" with my photography, so when I am online I am either that name or selizabeth, hence my website selizabethphoto.com. It's short, sweet, to the point, and most of all easy to remember and spell.

As much as a website can help you though, if done wrong it can hurt you just as much. Here are a few tips to keep you from straying into the path of cheesy, slow, annoying websites.

1) KISS - keep it simple, stupid. I could have had my website be stephanieelizabethphotography.com but that is FAR too long for a web page name. I get tired of typing it halfway through. So keep your domain name short and easy to remember.

2) Music. If you set music to play on your web page you may as well send your clients to your Myspace to see if they'd like to book you. Music on web pages makes them slow and is annoying and distracting. The focus should be on your photos, not your musical taste. If you absolutely MUST have music on your page, do not make it play automatically. Opting in is always better than opting out.

3) Advertisements. I saw someone with advertisements on their website because they were too cheap to pay $5/month for Godaddy hosting, so they went with the free hosting that has advertisements. It looked cheap, tacky, and I didn't bother looking at any of their work.

4) Flash, animation, scripts, and other frills. There are lots of options out there for adding pretty bells and whistles to your page, but going back to #1, simple is best. Having a lot of animations means longer loads times, and for someone who is on a slow machine or connection they probably just won't bother. Again, the focus should be on your work, not what cool scripts you were able to find online.

5) Organization. When someone visits my page they go immediately to the "home" page and from there can go to any gallery they wish, along with my about me and copyright sections. I do not have any "nested" galleries - that is to say that when you click the Fashion and Glamor gallery, you'll be immediately brought to a gallery to view photos, not another screen to subdivide more. Try to categorize your work into a few broader groupings instead of tons of smaller nested galleries. The fewer clicks and loads a person has to go through the better chance they'll see and enjoy your work.

more website tips after the jump

6) Appropriate content. Be aware of what audience you are catering to and choose photos to showcase accordingly. I do a wide range of photography from nature to artistic nudes, however soon I plan on looking into school event, senior portrait, and wedding photography. To present myself the best I can I'll be replacing the "personal" gallery with my nudes with an "events" gallery instead. Domains are so cheap that you can always create another one to separate different types of artwork.

7) Text. Any worded areas of the site should be checked for grammar, spelling and punctuation. txt spk or tYpInG lYkE dIs is just flat out stupid and makes you look like a 5th grader. I also prefer to take a neutral tone when writing my bio (which you should include to let people know more about you); instead of saying "stephanie elizabeth is the best upcoming fashion and nature photographer in new england" my bio is more along the lines of "Stephanie is an up and coming photographer working out of the Southern and Mid-Coast Maine areas. She works in nature, fashion, and portraiture photography." It is positive while still staying modest and factual.

8) Optimize your photos. I upload my photos at a height of 440px saved as high quality jpegs. The size of your photos depends on how large they need to be to be effective, while keeping in mind how much space they take up on the page and how long they'll need to load. My galleries are small and are running on horizontal tables right now, but since they are growing I am now converting to flash galleries made in Adobe Lightroom 2.

9) Consistency. Pick a color scheme and style and stick with it throughout the entire website. The galleries should all be the same in coloring and how they work, so that viewers don't get confused trying to figure out a new gallery each time they look at a different section.

10) Viewable. Choosing limegreen text on top of a white background sucks. Try not to use absolute whites or absolute blacks over large areas. This tends to hurt eyes and can look bland and boring. My website is white but not a pure white - if you check out the color it's actually #f1f1f1 instead of a pure #ffffff. It makes the black/gray text stand out well without being overly harsh.

Hopefully the tips above can save your website from a crummy demise and help you build a great online portfolio. If you have any questions about anything on my site (the coding, why something is the way it is) feel free to comment here or email me.

scam watch

2009-01-02T19:26:00.005-05:00

Since putting myself out there as a photographer and as a model I've been running into increasing numbers of scams and just general shady people. There's one in particular that I want to bring to light, so I'm writing this in hopes that in the future when people google search the "company" this entry will come up.

A month or so ago someone I know tipped me off to a listing on craigs list looking for fashion photographers in the portland area. I responded saying I was interested, and heard back from someone with the email @fpi4models.com telling me they liked my work and asking if I would be availbe that tuesday or wednesday. I emailed back say I should be, just need to know the location and time of the shoot. I googled the company "fpi4models" (fashion photography international 4 models) and got one hit back from a model wondering if they were for real, as well as their website.
So I went on their website... they're "efolio" is full of work that I'm quite sure is stolen. It's poorly laid out, the copyright notices on the images are partially cut-off, they have no contact info. To top it off the address at the bottom of the website says they're based in New York, but when I did a whois.net look-up for their domain it's registered to someone in North Carolina. WTF?

whois.net domain information for http://www.fpi4models.com

domain:                          fpi4models.com
created:                         26-Aug-2008
last-changed:                    26-Aug-2008
registration-expiration:         26-Aug-2009

nserver:                         ns57.1and1.com 74.208.2.9
nserver:                         ns58.1and1.com 74.208.3.8

status:                          CLIENT-TRANSFER-PROHIBITED

registrant-firstname:            Clifton
registrant-lastname:             Roberts
registrant-organization:         Fashion Photography International
registrant-street1:              534 William Hooper Cir
registrant-pcode:                27278
registrant-state:                NC
registrant-city:                 Hillsborough
registrant-ccode:                US
registrant-phone:                +1.9192593935
registrant-email:                cliftonleeroberts@gmail.com

Basically this what I think happens. They find hotographers to "hire"... then they put out castings for models. The models reply to the castings and are told "we like your look but you need a better portfolio, here is a list of photographers to contact. Get a quote from them and we'll pay for half"
So the models are given a list of photographers to contact. Model pays anywhere from $100 to $1300 to "build their portfolio". Now, fpi4models is paying half this bill, but I think in reality they're just having that money funneled back into their pocket through the photographers that they rope into this. Then the model ends up with a shitty portfolio, and never hears from this place again.

I never heard back from them, but just tonight got an email from marilynwunder@fashionphotosinc.com about some FABULOUS new way to make money with your photos. I googled fashionphotosinc.com and to my complete unsuprise their website http://www.fashionphotosinc.com/ has the same content as fpi4models.com

whois.net domain information for http://www.fashionphotosinc.com

Domain Name.......... fashionphotosinc.com
Creation Date........ 2008-12-18
Registration Date.... 2008-12-18
Expiry Date.......... 2009-12-18
Organisation Name.... Lycos, Inc.
Organisation Address. 2421 Clay St SPC 23
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Sacramento
Organisation Address. 95815
Organisation Address. CA
Organisation Address. UNITED STATES

Admin Name........... Clifton Roberts
Admin Address........ 2421 Clay St SPC 23
Admin Address........
Admin Address........ Sacramento
Admin Address........ 95815
Admin Address........ CA
Admin Address........ UNITED STATES
Admin Email.......... clifton.roberts@musicvideomodel.net
Admin Phone.......... 347-767-3302
Admin Fax............ +1.7814667060

You'll notice that both websites are owned by a man named Clifton Roberts. He also appears to be connected to musicvideomodel.net, a website which also produces hits on google of models wondering if it's a scam agency. Whois look-up of that website shows it's registered by someone named Murvin Headen, but is also located out of North Carolina.

So, if you're contacted by any of these agencies or see them listing castings, my advice would be to stay away! From the shadiness of this whole mess I'd say it's not worth your time.

Winter Birds

2008-12-25T15:58:00.008-05:00

Buying Used Gear on Craiglist

2008-12-24T00:53:00.002-05:00

In the past months I've discovered the wondrous cess-pool that is Craigslist. I've seen scammy postings, advertisements by hookers, and cheap-ass wannabe photographers promising to shoot your 8 hour wedding for just $50 and provide incredible images at the end.

However! There are some gems to be had on Craiglist if you can just avoid the herpes.

I've managed to get the following in the three months from good old CL:

Canon 5D, less than a year old in like-new condition w/ two batteries and a charger: $1500
75-300mm Series III USM Canon Lens: $75
Backdrop support system that is higher than all ceilings I have encountered thus far + 10x20ft black muslin: $100

By my estimates I have saved roughly $1k from buying used equipment. $1000! So how can you get in on this money saving action?

1) Check early, check often. I try to cruise by the listings on CL at least once a day. I got the great deal on the lens because I saw the ad for it and immediately contact the person, and set up a meeting to buy it that afternoon.

2) Do your homework and don't be afraid to haggle. If they're selling used equipment and you know you can get a better deal somewhere, see if you can haggle the price down. The worst they'll say is no, and you might just find a way better deal elsewhere (just make sure to check resellerratings.com before buying from online stores!)

Another big issue is making sure you don't get scammed. My first purchase via Craigslist was spending $1500 on a used 5D body from a complete stranger out of state. I was nervous, but I took precautions to keep myself safe.

-Always ask why they are selling the equipment, and in some cases ask for photos of it. They should be able to give a good answer, and if they can't -beware-. If they can't give you a solid believable answer then it could be stolen equipment, which if traced to you could land you in some hot water. The 5D was being sold because the woman liked film better and just didn't use it enough. The lens was being sold because the person was simplifying their gear. The backdrop was being sold due to the owner moving cross-country and no t needing to take it with him.

-Buy locally, and sell locally. Nigerian email scams anyone? Variations of that happen on CL as well. I posted some equipment for sale and had someone contact me who apparently was in Texas, but needed the equipment shipped to Africa... but it had to be soon since the person was about to leave for London. Uhhh yeah, right! Buying locally also means that you can keep shipping costs to a minimum or just meet in person.

-Use paypal for large transactions! It will keep you safe; you won't be robbed while carrying it around, it won't get lost in the mail, and the seller won't get your personal information. And if the whole deal suddenly takes a turn for the worst you can dispute the transaction as fraud and get your money back.

-For smaller transactions in person, I pay cash. I also prefer to get paid in cash unless I know the person or can track them down easily. Paying someone in a check could result in stolen identify and fraud, and getting paid with a check could end up with you at the bank finding out that it's bounced and you've just been scammed out of your gear for free!

-If you're meeting in person, bring a friend along. It might sound distrusting or cynical, but you owe it to yourself to look out for you. I bring along my boyfriend Dylan, he's got a big scary beard to scare away creeps. Also meet in a public place; I've met at a hospital and a dunkin donuts to do transactions and both were fine. Just be sure that the place you go won't get mad if you're hanging around without buying food or doing business there.

With some careful scouting and common sense you can some great deals on used equipment. Just make sure to keep yourself safe, and if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

A Working Studio For Less $$$

2008-12-21T20:25:00.006-05:00

So you've been taking photos outdoors or near windows to make use of natural available light. But now you're wanting to explore other kinds of portraits with backdrops and controllable lighting - after all, it's not always sunny or nice out!

The problem is that, like most photography equipment, back drops, stands, and lights are very expensive, and can take up a lot of space. If you're like me with only a dorm room to work in most of the time, space is a luxury.

These two factors combined are enough to make a person just give up entirely, but wait! There are a few great ways to make your own studio gear on a budget.

Lighting is a doozy - it's expensive and it takes up a lot of room. A "standard" softbox can run you anywhere from $60 to over $150. I've seen them range to $200 all the way up to over $5k!
Then you need a good power source, and a place to store it when you aren't using it. All in all for a student or anyone without a dedicated studio space, having full on pro lighting equipment can be a huge headache and just not a workable idea.

The wonderful thing is that you can still get great lighting that is much lighter, portable, and best of all CHEAP! Same for backdrops.

The above was taken using just one small clip desk light placed behind the subject, , the kind that you might find at wal*mart. There was also normal light from the ceiling fixture lighting the subjects front. When you shoot using normal indoor lights you generally will need to tweak things in photoshop to get rid of the orange tone that the lights give off.

This photo was taken using just two clip lights from walmart that cost $6 each. I used energy saving lightbulbs in them - they last for a long time, don't heat up, and give off a pretty clean (non-orange) light compared to normal bulbs. I clipped them to a chair and a bureau to position them and had them plugged into normal outlets. The background is a blank off-white wall.

That photo was taken using one clip light, and a white blanket as a background (photoshop was used to make the background smoother). Blankets and thick or doubled up sheets can be good background if you have no blank walls, but if they wrinkle they can look very tacky, so be careful and iron them beforehand if at all possible.

For more powerful lights you can get floodlights from a hardware store, and set them far back from the subject or hang something in front (not on or over, always be careful of fire hazards) of it to diffuse it. The good thing about floodlights is that you can get them for cheaper than 'real' lights, and they can take a bit more of a beating if you have to move them around a lot or store them. You can also use white pieces of foam core board or silver baking sheets as reflectors to bounce light onto your subject.

With back drops I would suggest trying to get a real back drop if you can... it will be a lot easier to take full length photos, as regular sheets won't be long enough. I found a used backdrop with a 10x20 foot black piece of muslin on craigslist for $100 - to put this in perspective, the cloth alone can retail for about $75, and the support system can sell for $200. I've also bought my camera for hundreds less than I would have normally paid, as well as a telephoto lens that I didn't think I could ever get. Craigslist is a great place to get cheap equipment if you know how to look for deals, what questions to ask, and how to avoid being scammed or taken advantage of. Next time I'll go over ways to get the most out of craigslist to expand your collection of camera gear.

Taking Better Self-portraits

2008-12-06T15:47:00.008-05:00

Photography is an expensive hobby. A good camera can run in the thousands of dollars, and pro equipment for a studio racks up cost very quickly. I've run into people who think they can't ever take a good photo because they just can't afford it, so in this entry I'm going to give some tips and tricks for taking better pictures with the camera you have. I've also included some of my earliest photos that were taken with a small samsung point and shoot.

Attack of the myspace photos! (or: why aren't my photos getting attention?)

You need a photo for your [insert social network site here] or decide that you just want to take some self-portaits. You grab your digital camera and start snapping. You upload all 500 photos you take, and are rather upset that no one comments on them or pays attention. Why is this happening?

We all know what a myspace photo is - someone grabs their camera or cell phone and starts snapping away at a 45 degree angle to their head. This is not good photography. You can argue all you want but I am here to tell you that those photos are a dime a dozen and generally suck. If you are trying to take a good quality self-portrait and actually express something about yourself other than the fact that you can rotate your shoulders and raise your arms above your head, you have to move beyond them.
Variations of this include pictures taken above your head to let everyone see down your shirt. Don't be a slut, no one wants to buy the cow when they can get the milk for free. There are ways to be sexy in photographs without being cheap and trashy.

Other common mistakes are:
-Close ups of a body part (generally eyes) that turn out blurry. What is the point of sharing these? If you have beautiful eyes, turn on the macro function of your camera, stand next to a light source, and have someone else take the photo.

-Shots very close to your face with the flash on. Yes, this will wash out (over expose) your face and make your skin look flawless, but it also erases your nose and most of your features. If you feel self conscious about your face then get creative and find ways to cover it, or take this is a great way to work on your self-esteem and acceptance of your body (which is what you should be working on in the first place).

-The trout.
Pushing your lips out, pouting, and sucking in your cheeks. This doesn't extenuate your lips or make your face look slimmer... it makes you look like you've eaten a lemon and it's not attractive in the slightest. Try a gentle close mouthed smile for a classic and attractive portrait. Practice in the mirror, and you'll get it down.
You can also use the mirror to see what angles flatter your features (not the 45 degree above the head angle) and use this knowledge to your advantage. A good full body pose is to stand with your hips point slightly to the left or right of the camera and twisting your torso at the waist to face the camera more head on. It generally takes weight off your tummy and minimizes any extra jiggle you might have.

-Mirror picture with flash
Using a mirror isn't always a bad way to take a self portrait, you can get some very interested effects with them. However - TURN YOUR FLASH OFF. What would have been an otherwise good photo can be ruined by a huge white splotch over your face from the flash firing. If the room is dark, turn on lights, use a lamp nearby, and open shades to let natural light in (bonus: natural light makes your skin look better).

-Abusing photoshop
Photoshop is a very powerful tool, and a lot of fun to play with. That being said, don't go crazy with filters. They can turn a perfectly fine portrait into something that looks very unskilled and juvenile. Polarizing filter and sharpening are two drugs of choice I've seen people overusing.

-Sensory overload.
I generally upload one picture per day or one picture every two days to deviantART
Uploading two or more photos, let alone twenty, is a great way to make people ignore you. Uploading just one or two give people time to look at them and appreciate them instead of being bombarded with image after image. And restricting yourself to just a few also makes you more critical of your photos so you only chose the very best ones to share.

I hope this has shed some light on ways to improve your photos! Next time I'll talk about ways to DIY your own studio equipment to take great photos without spending lots of cash.

need a helping hand

2008-12-04T23:40:00.002-05:00

I've entered a contest on brickfish, it's a photography contest with the theme of "beautiful places in the world". I have to two photos entered. The winners are decided based on rank which is a combination of votes and "viralness" - meaning how far and wide you can spread your entries.
So I am asking, as my friends, to help me with this. Click the two links below to see my two entries:

http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=729799_41281455

http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=729779_52434746

You don't sign up for anything, you don't give your email, your name, nothing. You just click the vote button. You can vote once every 8 hours. It takes maybe half a minute to do, and you would be helping me so much - $1000 is a lot for a college student. If I win it that's $1000 less off my bills that I need to worry about, $1000 less in loans I take out.

I also ask that you post the links wherever you can, to try to reach as many people as possible. Those of you that know me know I am extremely serious about my photography and it would be amazing (and my first time) to win something from it.

<333 thank you!

Model wanted for shoot, spring semester

2008-11-25T00:21:00.004-05:00

I'm am going to begin casting for a shoot that will take place on a weekend in February or March (it's dependent on the availability of the location, which I have not confirmed yet. I want to cast someone and then work with their schedule to find a good time).

Theme/Concept: Mixing dance (ballet) with fashion. The wardrobe will be a semi-formal dress, most likely black, that I will provide unless you have something you prefer that will work for the shoot.
I am looking for someone who has a dance background and knows how to safely work in ballet pointe shoes and can provide their own.**
Flexibility, strength, stamina, and patience will be needed for this very active shoot.

Location: University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus

MUA will be provided, and possibly hair stylist as well.

Compensation:
Non-USM Students: I will provide print-ready digital negs and web-ready versions of the final images in exchange for your time. A meal on campus will be provided if you wish, and depending on how far away you come from I can cover a portion of the gas cost or have a few images printed in 8x11 for your portfolio.

USM Students: Digital files for you to print at your leisure as well as ready to upload versions for the web. Possibly a few 8x11 prints.

Please message me with any questions or to let me know you're interested.

** If you have experience with other forms of dance other than ballet let me know, I might not be able to use you for this particular project but I have a few other ideas cooking that could use your skills.

9th Annual USM Royal Majesty Drag Competition and Show

2008-11-22T09:40:00.014-05:00

Competitors and performers who I have taken photos of: please feel free to use them, but link back to me at http://selizabeth.deviantart.com
Thanks!

The lovely hostess, Crystal Ball

one of the non-competing queens putting on their act while a woman interprets for the deaf

Bunny Wonderland, a prominent Portland drag queen judging the event, does a number that included sound clips from the original Willy Wonka mashed up with Britney Spears

The Competitors

Sound techs actually played the wrong song for this competitor, but he was given a chance to perform again to the correct one.

The winning Queen performing as a naughty nurse with a non-competing partner (not shown)

Winning Kings, the Dynamic Dicktaphones, perform their number.

Non-competing "Kings of the Hill" perform YMCA as the Village People while the judges deliberated.

The winners doing a victory walk down the runway.

Competitors and performers who I have taken photos of: please feel free to use them, but link back to me at http://selizabeth.deviantart.com
Thanks!

Published & New Camera

2008-11-18T14:19:00.005-05:00

Look familiar? Yup, that's my photo, published for the first time! Click it for a full view. And as you might notice Dylan wrote the article it accompanies.

After some hurdles and roadblocks, my new camera, the Canon 5D, is in my possession and working beautifully. I can already see the improvement from the D40. It'll take me a little while to get a handle on this beast of a camera because it is quite larger than the D40 and set up very differently (just about reversed in some ways). But with Thanksgiving break coming up I'll have time to spend with it and the manual and you should start seeing a steady stream of photos coming through. If you're going to the drag show (which you absolutely should - this Friday November 21st, 8-11pm , more info on facebook) then you'll see me flitting about with it.

To get an idea of the 5D's power and capabilities, check out these photos which were all taken with it.

Here's what I've snapped so far today -

Nothing terribly impressive because my head still feels half dead from being sick, but I'm excited. In the bottom one you can see my reflection in the bottom left corner :P

I'll be organizing shoots after thanksgiving break, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to model.

Coffee House

2008-11-13T21:50:00.004-05:00

Just got back from the coffee house in burnham lounge... it was a smaller turnout than expected but still a fun time. Dylan will be running an article in the free press covering it in more detail and (hopefully) featuring some of my photos. Here are my personal favorites from the evening:

performers, please feel free to use the photos of yourselves, but a link back to here or my deviantART page under the photos would be great.

paypal woes

2008-11-13T12:54:00.002-05:00

I've been verified by paypal, but now I have to wait for my echeck to clear because I didn't realize the difference between drawing directly from a bank account versus a debit card T_T

Although verifying was supposed to take 3-5 days and it took just a few hours. So hopefully the check will clear fast so the camera can be sent to me!

I'm on myspace now, woo http://www.myspace.com/selizabethphotography
we should be friends :P

I'm building my team right now... I have someone to assist me with holding reflectors and keeping track of equipment, and I also have a MUA (make-up artist). What I need is someone who is good, REALLY good, at doing hair (as in, I can show you a photo of a style and you could replicate it to a good degree), and then of course the issue of finding a good place to supply nice clothes. I've been checking out goodwill since you can find some gems there, but I think I'll have to hit some consignment boutiques since they tend to have higher quality more stylish clothes on the cheap. But if anyone fancies themself as a designer or stylist I'd more than welcome you to help out with shoots :)

The reason I'm putting together a team is because I've started reaching out more into the Portland modeling community to find models, and I've got a reply back from a serious model who wants to do a shoot at some point. You can find her on myspace @ http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=49318653
I also contacted a modeling agency who said that they aren't currently hiring photographers but to check back in four months. So basically four months to create a kickass portfolio... it can be done!

BREAKING NEWS: MY CAMERA IS BEING SHIPPED TOMORROW AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

And I was going to post photos but now I need to run to class...
xoxo
stephanie

sun and lighting

2008-11-11T17:49:00.004-05:00

Those will probably be the last photos I take with my current camera... hopefully I'll be getting the 5D soon!

Also thinking of advertising cheap head shots in the theater building here on campus... I had a look at the photographers advertising and they all seemed a bit steep, plus not on campus. I figure someone on campus who's charging a fraction of the cost might be a welcome change. If anyone has had their head shots done let me know how much you paid if you don't mind.

my brain is dead... blah.

An Evening with the Cambiata

2008-11-09T14:07:00.010-05:00

If you missed the show last at the student center then you missed a great concert. The USM student body seems to be rather notorious for just not giving a fuck about what's going on on campus... whether it be because everyone is partying in the dorms or just oblivious that things actually happen here (a recent poll in the Free Press showed that a large percentage of students wished more concerts happen on campus, seemingly unaware that we usually have one every one or two weeks!).
Last night was a very big exception though, with a crowd of around 80 flocking to the Brooks Student Center to see The Cambiata. I saw them last spring at Space Gallery and was a little put off by the loudness, but last night the music seemed more controlled, more mature, and overall much more enjoyable.

The Cambiata performing at USM, Fall 2008

The Student Center isn't the most technologically advanced, super trendy venue, however the band overcame any issues with the tiny stage and gave a really great performance. For someone who doesn't really listen to that kind of music I even found myself getting into it and enjoying their sound.

the stage at the student center is thin and long, forcing the band to spread out in a line

I do hope that someday USM has a better concert set-up than we currently have. The small stage, limited equipment, and sub-par lighting make it very hard to put on the amazing shows that other colleges pull off. However the crowd last night didn't seem to mind at all.

three students seated facing the right side of the stage

I did notice that the 'no mans land' effect was in strong force that night, leaving a large area empty. In the future chairs will probably be set up directly in front of the stage to help solve this problem.

concert-goers formed a ring around the stage with an empty half circle space between them and the performers

Despite the empty area everyone still had a great time, listening to the music and having fun. Hopefully this is a trend that can keep going in the future!

friend The Cambiata on myspace

Upcoming USM Events:
November
Thursday 11/13 - Disco Night [Brooks Student Center, 9pm]
Saturday 11/15 - The Dark Knight [Brooks Student Center, 8pm]
Thursday 11/20 - Coffee House [Burnham Lounge, 7pm]

December
Thursday 12/4 - Husky Film Fest (deadline for entries is November 20th, Film Fest will start 12/4 @ 9pm)
Thursday 12/11 - Stress Relief Night [Brooks Student Center, 9pm]

FMI on the Gorham Events Board or Thirsty Thursday events, email daniella.nevells[nospam]@maine.edu

need a good camera? I'm selling mine!

2008-11-08T14:07:00.015-05:00

If you are reading this from facebook and cannot see any pictures, please go to the blog (http://selizabethphotography.blogspot.com) and read the original post where they actually show up. Thanks! :)

Yup, that's right. I'm selling all my equipment. I want to upgrade to a professional level camera and I've found one that's the right fit and price for me, but part of being able to afford it means selling my D40 and the things I've gotten for it. Below is a list of what I'm selling, I've also included photos beneath the items to show what you can achieve with it - click them to see larger versions. I'm going to take photos of the equipment as well when I get a moment or you can just look them up on google to see what they look like.

I'm selling:
the D40 body This is a camera body - no lens, and it needs a lens to take photos. I wouldn't recommend just buying the body unless you already have lenses!

The D40 is a great, lightweight, entry level Digital SLR. It's my first DSLR and I was able to jump from a point and shoot up to it without problems. It has the standard scene modes that compact digitals have but also allows you to grow into manual modes and focusing as you are ready. It is VERY hard to take bad photos with this camera, it just works. The manual is very clear and helpful and there are numerous resources online on how to get the most out of this great little camera. Comes with the neck strap, manual, battery, and charger.

Photo examples: see my deviantART page. Every photo on there was taken with my D40.

18-55mm AF-S Nikkor lens This is an autofocus lens, the standard kit lens that comes with the D40. If you want you can also turn auto-focus off to focus manually. Works well for most general photography from spontaneous photos to portraits. It comes with a front cap.

55-200mm AF-S Nikkor DX Lens Autofocus telephoto lens. Like the 18-55mm you can also use manual focus with this if you want. Great for wildlife as you can see below, and I've also used it for marching band competitions where I'm stuck far away in the stands. It comes with a bayonet hood, front lens cap, rear lens cap, and pouch.

50mm AF Nikkor Only focuses manually with the D40, but is a great lens for low light situations and to learn manual focus with. I also use it with the extension tubes to take macro shots. I use it for concerts and close up work. Comes with front and rear caps.

Kenko Extension Tube Set DG This is a set of 12mm, 20mm, and 36mm rings. They can be stacked in any order or combination between the body of the camera and the lens. They are useful for close up photos. When using them you CAN NOT autofocus. As you can see below I use these for macro and close up. Comes with front and rear caps and the box it came in for easy storage.

UV Glass Filter by Tiffen This is a simple glass filter that screws on the front of any of the lenses I am selling. It filters out UV light to reduce some glare and it also protects your lens from being scratched accidently. It really is a must have, because if you scratch a lens you'll spend a fortune replacing it. Scratch one of these guys and you can plunk down a few bucks and get a new one.

Camera Bag It's a simple light weight bag with an adjustable long shoulder strap and a shorter handle. It fits the camera with either the 18-55mm or the 50mm lens on, and you can store the other small lens in a pocket. With the telephoto lens on you can't fit any others in. It's also got some small pockets on the outside that can fit things like a glasses case, wallet, or keys.

Tripod and two mounting shoes (they go on the bottom of the camera and attach to the tripod) that I'll probably be selling as well. The new camera is most likely too heavy for this. The tripod is light weight (very easy to carry around) but holds the D40 just fine, just be careful leaving it alone with the telephoto lens on, I haven't tried that and it's possible it could tip over if it's in harsh conditions or on unstable ground. The tripod has worked fabulously for what I've used it for - night shots, self portraits, and macro work. Includes tripod, two mounting shoes, and a bag with shoulder strap.

If you were to go out and replicate my system - the camera, lenses, accessories (including tripod and bag) you could end up paying around $1000. These are all used, so I won't be asking for 1k, but I've taken extremely good care of this equipment and it is all like new, plus you save shipping and handling from getting it from me - and you can play with it before you buy it. Moreover since I've used all the equipment I know it works and how it works, so I'm rather good tech support for it as opposed to chasing around googling and learning things the hard way (like I've done!).

I'm hoping to sell this for no less than $800, but hopefully closer to $900. I cannot give a 100% promise to anyone to be the one who buys the camera because with the way the world is you never know what will happen with prices of technology or financial emergencies that happen. I also do not plan on selling it for a couple of months, I'm waiting for a new model of camera to come out and make the camera I'm looking at drop it's price, so you have a little while to think and gather up your pennies. I'm hoping to sell everything all together as a kit, but if you just want one piece or just a few let me know and I'll see if it's realistic to do.

If you have any questions at all about any of the equipment, want to know more details or explanations about them, more example pictures, or want to put in a bid for it send me a note on facebook or email me at stephanie.elizabeth.m[nospam]@gmail.com

weekend update and some camera education

2008-11-06T20:54:00.006-05:00

Ah, well, it's only Thursday, but it's the weekend for most of us at USM.

I've been getting assigned tons of projects but still hope to keep up doing shoots. I'm trying to get out with my camera at least once a week.

I had a conversation with someone a few weeks ago who didn't think digital photography was an art... they thought that the camera just did everything for you. I think their only experience with digital photography had been with point and shoot cameras that DO do everything for you though, so I want to explain the differences between my camera and point and shoot cameras for those who are still uninformed.

My camera is the Nikon D40, a DSLR (Digital Single Reflex Camera). It's in the category of a "prosumer" camera. That means that it's a step above a point and shot (I'll call it a P&S from now on), but not a professional camera. There's one (maybe two) more levels above the D40 before you hit professional level cameras that cost thousands and thousands of dollars (check out my dream camera, the D3, which starts at a mere $5,000).

"mischief"

model: Katie

My camera has a number of preset modes, some that are common among point and shoots and a few that are more specific: Night, Macro, Sports, Children, Landscape, Portrait, No Flash, and Auto. But it also has four others - M, A, S, and P. Without getting into too many details they stand for Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Program. For the sake of your brain I won't get into the specifics of what they all do, but I shoot in manual.

Shooting manual gives you the greatest control over what the camera does and how it takes photos. In a P&S camera you set the mode and that's it... the camera has preset things it does to best handle the situation. In my camera, I have control of the sensitivity to light, the amount of light let in, and how fast the shutter moves, just to name the three biggest factors. There is an almost endless possibility of combination's I could have with all these different settings! It also requires a lot of thought - if I'm shooting a concert I need to let as much light in as possible because of the darkness of the venue. I turn the camera's sensitivity to light up, and open the aperture to let in as much light as possible. In low light situations you also generally need to use a slower shutter speed, but for a concert you have to find the balance between slow enough to let enough light in but fast enough to catch the action. Too fast and you'll end up with a black photo. Two slow and it will be all blurs.

"little black dress"
model: Katie

In every day situations (like the photo shown above), you have to find the balance between letting enough light in to see the shadows - like on her face- but not "blowing out" (over exposing) the areas that have the most light - her arms. It becomes a juggling act between light sensitivity, amount of light, and shutter speed.

So when comparing digital to film, the mechanics are essentially the same... there are key differences in that you use a menu for a digital camera and things are computerized, however it requires just as much knowledge for GOOD digital photography as it does film.
Artistically there is no difference. There are some things you can achieve with film, such as a nice looking grain, that are very hard to duplicate with digital. However with concept, planning, and execution, there is no difference between what I do as an artist and what someone with a film camera does. It's just different mediums.

I also want to point out that it's not the camera, but the person behind it that makes the photo. I have seen photographers with cameras that are hundreds (sometimes thousands) more expensive than mine that produce uninteresting, bland, bad quality shots. I have also seen people with my same model camera produce photos that I can only dream of.

Too long blog post? No one cares about how cameras work as long as they keep seeing pretty pictures? :P

I'm out!

fall fashion, Obama

2008-11-05T01:25:00.005-05:00

First, Obama.
I am a liberal, I largely support Democrats, and I have been rooting for and voted for Barack Obama in the presidential election. As you know by now unless you live under a rock, is that he is now Presidential Elect Obama, not just Senator or Candidate.

I am hoping that in the coming months and years we as a country and as a human race on earth will come together to create better lives for ourselves. I am hoping that the gut reactions of those who did not support Obama will subside, and that instead of the childishness I am seeing in some people I will instead see a willingness to work together.

Congratulations everyone, We Did It!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, "fall fashion"

^{Fall Fashion
model: Katie P}
^{photographer: Stephanie Elizabeth}

One of four photos from the shoot. More will be coming along. It was fabulous to wander around the inside and out of the building and shoot. I'm going to try to do more shoots more often. I have a few people lined up so I'm hoping I can pull things together!

<3 goodnight

USM at night + go vote!

2008-11-04T09:48:00.006-05:00

I went out last night with my camera and tripod and did some night photography... got a lot of stupid comments from passersby but also got a few gems.

Above is the front of robie-andrews, it's a long exposure with a car driving by - you can see the streak of light on the road. It has not been edited beyond toning down a little red and resizing it.

Behind robie-andrews looking at the art department. The longer exposures cause the lights to look like that.

This is probably my favorite from the night... this is behind robie-andrews facing Corthell with all the street lamps glowing. I would really suggest clicking it to view the whole photo larger.

I also got pictures of a plane moving across the sky, some of the stars, and experimented with shooting the intersection down the street with all the cars going by. I think it'll take me a little more time to refine the technique I use for those.

ELECTION DAY TODAY - GO VOTE IF YOU HAVEN'T!

2 new and inspiration

2008-11-02T20:07:00.002-05:00

^{"Grit" - model: leslie}

^{SPHS Red Riot marching band @ the 2008 Finals (gold medal winners!)}

I haven't had a lot of time to take new photos... "Grit" is from last year, and the marching band one is from this past weekend, one of the very few times I've been able to get out my camera lately. I miss it!

So since I have nothing particularly interesting of my own to show, and nothing particularly interesting to say, I want to show some photographs that inspire me to work harder at photography and never stop trying to improve myself. You can also look at them as an example of the kinds of photos I want to take.
All the photos have the artists name underneath, and clicking either the photos or the name will take you to the photo on deviantART where you can see it in a larger view and also see more work by the photographer.
All the images are copyrighted to their respective owners.

by princess-of-dream
~~~~

by DearestGrudge
~~~~

by aydan-kerimli
~~~~
And anything at all by Zhang Jingna, who manages to make me happy, sad, jealous, and inspired all at once.

So if you want to make beautiful art like that, please, let's work together and making something wonderful.

b&w photos, casting call

2008-10-29T22:40:00.003-04:00

I'm putting out a firmer casting call than just "I want models"
I'm looking for girls who have:
Normal to slim figures (if you look like a skeleton or are too big to be a plus size model this excludes you... basically I just want girls who look good and are confident).
Hair that is at least shoulder length. Longer is preferred. Any hair type is fine, curly or straight or in between.
It would be helpful if you had simple clothing to wear for the shoot, nothing with logos. Plain solid colored shirts that are not low cut, jeans, and some nice shoes (something other than sneakers and *no uggs*), heels or styled boots would be great.

If you wear size small shirt or size 7 shoe I have things you can borrow. Otherwise we'll work with your wardrobe.

The shoot is for me to practice styling, lighting, directing a model, and running a shoot. I have a standard pain-free release form that we sign so that we both feel comfortable and know what we are getting out of the shoot. You can see examples of my work here.

I am also always looking for people to do make-up or hair. The more people involved the merrier!

If you're interesting in helping in anyway shoot me a message here or email me at stephanie.elizabeth.m AT gmail DOT com

*New works*

portfolio

2008-10-26T22:09:00.002-04:00

I'm submitting my portfolio tomorrow to be accepted into the art major of my current school. I stuck three photos in there along with my drawings and designs:

^{(full view on my deviantART)}

It's the first time I've seen my photos in print and at the risk of sounding like a self-centered douchebag, they look wonderful. Right now they're all matted and in plastic sleeves to be protected, and they look so much better than I could have ever hoped.

Yesterday I took some photos of the SPHS marching band at the competition in Old Orchard... and every single photo is grainy and full of noise from the high ISO I had to use. Poo. I saved a handful of them, but hopefully next weekend will be sunnier so I can re-do. I saw two pro photogs there, and one of them had a lovely big full frame camera... *jealous*

And now I'm very tired and need to stop vegetating in front of my laptop and start getting ready to sleep soon.

^{Shoots with models soon! :D Please please drop me a line if you want to model. No experience necessary, just enough bravery to be in front of the camera and plenty of energy :)}

<3<3
stephanie

studio, softbox & nudes

2008-10-23T16:55:00.007-04:00

There are nudes at the bottom of this post. You can't see any naughty bits, but just be forewarned.

I'm exhausted.
Group sculpture was due today in Design, which was stressful but now it's done... unfortunately professor assigned us a carving project next.
Too much work.
Carving, portfolio needs to be done Monday, I'm supposed go to a comedy night tonight, a play tomorrow night, a marching band competition on saturday, then dance rehearsal on sunday. I have too much to do.

On a happy note I found out I can use the photography studio that's downstairs in my building. They have white and black backdrops and softboxes :O
My only irk is that they have huge tables that are RIGHT in the way of where I'd want to stand... seriously, they must just assume people use that room for waist and up portraits or headshots. I want to do full length! >:[ Someday I'll have my own studio...

Here is some recent work I've done using my make shift studio set up.

xoxo
Stephanie

concert photography

2008-10-21T18:24:00.010-04:00

Concert photography isn't really my forte... I don't plan on being a photojournalist, I just like more control over my shots. However I do on occasion bring my camera out to concerts just for fun and a little practice in a new area. I got a few nice shots this past Saturday at a show that Tony Smokes and the Lady Killers put on. They got cut from a battle of the bands thing they were supposed to do that night (horrible company was putting it on, doesn't know how to do business or properly run things), so they put together an impromptu concert at my college. Here are some photos:

Don't forget to check me out on deviantART

xoxo
Stephanie

introduction - new blog

2008-10-21T00:16:00.004-04:00

Well, as of yet I don't have any readers, but that makes sense since this is a new blog.

So, my name is Stephanie. Online I go by Stephanie Elizabeth, or selizabeth (among some other handles, but those don't matter). I am 19, in college, and am pursuing a career as a fashion photographer. I write in my journal on deviantART but I wanted something a little separated from there to document my artistic "journey". You can find me there at selizabeth.deviantart.com (big surprise, huh?)

Now that I've done my little intro, it's time for bed.

xoxo
Stephanie