Self Portrait Project Day 2. The Tulle Experiment.

I decided to play high fashion dress up today. Correction; I decided to create the illusion of high fashion dress up. 

I wore the same outfit I had on all day, I just added darker lip color and wrapped tulle around my head.

Below you will find today's "before" snapshot. I call it a snapshot because there was no professional thought. It was simply a light test and a quick shot to show where I'm working tonight. I'm sitting on my bed with the window behind me, and my camera is set up on a stack of totes because I left my tripod in the car and didn't feel like walking downstairs to get it. :-)  Mini lesson: don't be afraid to improvise!

OK...before...

Not very impressive, is it? LOL

As you can see, my bed is unmade and there is only about 2.5 feet between me and the wall. Small space. 


Looking at this quick test shot, I noticed that the curtains were gaping open, so I did close them before doing the next series of shots, and I shifted my position a little bit to camera right to center myself in front of the window. I also moved the camera accordingly. Other than that, I made no changes to lighting, location or clothing.

Next I put on a bunch of lip color. I really put it on thick because I wanted strong lip presence for this photo shoot. Otherwise, it was the same make up I wore all day.

Next I wrapped myself up in tulle, starting with my pony tail to make it stand straight up on my  head. Then I wound it around my face, neck, and shoulders.

The first few shots were unusable because I had the tulle too thickly wrapped around the bottom portion of my face and it was so dark, it looked like part of my face had fallen off. That made me laugh, but it wasn't the intended effect so I started again. I re-wrapped the tulle and got a better result.

Here is the finished image...

As you can see, the final image is striking. 

I used Photoshop to crop this image, as well as intensifying my eye color and lip color. I also brightened my face, and softened the edges of the image.

What do you think? Do you like it?
I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Tech info:

Canon EOS 60D
ISO 100
Fstop: 22
1/250/second

Lens: Canon EFS 18-55 Image Stabilizer
Focal length: 18mm

Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EXII
ETTL
Zoom 24mm
Power 1/1
Tilt: straight up, bouncing light off the (9 ft. white) ceiling as well as soft light from the front of the flash.
Flash modifier: Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce

Self Portrait Project Day 1 Facial Analysis

I have decided to do a project featuring me as the model. Why? Because I'm not perfect. No, really. Hear me out.

Many different kinds of people appear in front of my camera. Most people are not the so-called perfect model-types. In fact, I haven't met a perfect-model-bodied person yet, even though I have photographed a lot of models so far in my photography career.

How do models look so perfect? It's a combination of things.

Good make-up, good styling, good posing,knowing their angles, and good lighting/photography. Even after all of that, I still do skin retouching and sometimes even body slimming on models. 

I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Good retouching should make the subject look more awake, more vibrant. Sure, I can make your skin as smooth and porcelain-like as you want, but in most cases, that isn't preferable because it does not look natural.

 My job is to help you look like the best version of yourself. I typically remove blemishes, minimize wrinkles, and soften fine lines. I might brighten the eyes and skin when needed, and reduce the appearance of under eye circles. I like to keep a person's moles and freckles in their pictures unless they specifically ask me to remove them in retouching. I slightly slim down certain areas, and might remove stray hairs if I feel they draw too much attention.

As a portrait professional, one of my duties before we even begin the portrait session is to do a facial analysis. As I'm checking and adjusting the lights, and as we talk, even as I'm giving you direction on how to do your first pose, I am looking at your face. 

Don't worry, I'm not making a list of your flaws in my head. What I am doing is watching how the light dances across the planes of your face. I'm looking to see if your jaw line is stronger on one side of your face than the other. (Tom Hanks has famously commented about his strong side vs. his weak side.)  I'm looking at how your eyes are shaped and how your hairline looks from different angles. I'm looking at your chin, your eyebrows, everything.  I'm looking for your best angles, and making decisions about how I will pose you because no two people are exactly alike, and I want to give you a customized portrait experience.

Do I use similar poses for different people? Sure, but every pose is fine-tuned to suit that individual. Slighting turning the head, adjusting an elbow, pointing the toes, it all makes a difference.

So, what is this facial analysis?

Let's take a look at my face as our example.

I put on some make-up and took a few pictures with my pro camera, selfie-style, holding the camera a little bit above my head, using on camera flash. Tech info will be at the bottom of this post for those who are interested in that.

In picture #1 you see a straight-on shot.

The good: My double chin isn't showing and my right eye and lips look pretty good.

The not-so-good: You can tell that my eyes are two different shapes, and that the left one is not only smaller, but also more heavily hooded. My left eyebrow sits lower than my right one too. The bags under my eyes are fairly well pronounced too. All-in-all, not my best angle.

In picture #2 we see an image of my weaker side. 

The good: My left eye looks a lot better.

The not-so-good: My right eye looks crossed. I'm not too fond of that look. My cheek is a few millimeters wider on the left than on my right. Lighting the wider side makes my face look fatter than it is, and I really don't need any help in that department!

Because of my weaker jaw line on the left, my double chin looks kind of saggy, which it probably is, that's what double chins generally do, but I don't want that accentuated if I can help it.

Also, this isn't the best angle for my hairstyle, in my opinion. I don't like the way it makes my forehead look.

Now, let's look at my best angle.

The good: My right eye looks great, my left eye is more shadowed so the shape difference isn't as noticeable. 

My hair is partially obscuring my wider cheek and weaker jaw line, so I have a nice shape there.  My double chin is mostly in shadow so it isn't as prominent, and if I wanted to, I could minimize it in Photoshop without too much difficulty.

I like the way my lips look, and my stronger jaw line gives good definition to the right side of my face. 

Everything is coming together to show off my heart-shaped face, my preferred hairstyle, and my blue eyes.

The not-so-good:

My left eye still looks smaller, but that is mitigated by the other improvements already listed.

I still have a double chin of course, but again, the appearance of it is reduced by proper lighting and angle.

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

So what do you think?

Do you agree with my analysis?



Tech info for images in this post:

Canon EOS 60D
ISO 100
Fstop: 22
1/250/second

Lens: Canon EFS 18-55 Image Stabilizer
Focal length: 18mm

Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EXII
ETTL
Zoom 24mm
Power 1/1
Tilt 90°
Flash modifier: Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce

The Aurora Borealis Was a No-Show But I Had a Great Time Anyway

A couple of weeks ago I set out to photograph the Aurora Borealis. It is rarely seen here in Oregon and I was excited at the prospect of capturing it "on film" so to speak, especially since I've never seen it in person.

I drove across the river to Goldendale, Washington and set up my gear in the midst of a wind farm. I wanted to show the hillside, the midnight sky, and the geometric shapes of the windmills with the aurora flashing across the sky. 

It was a good plan.

Unfortunately the aurora didn't happen as predicted.

I waited for several hours hoping for it to show up, but ended up photographing the area and myself, just for fun.  I might be able to use some of the windmill images for stock photography sales.  

Anyway, here are some examples of what I captured that night, including some pictures of me being silly for self portraits. Hey, a photographer has to shoot, even if the subject matter isn't exactly what was planned. LOL

Tech details for the windmill image: 

Camera: Canon 60D

Lens: Tamron 28-300 zoom

F4 @ 8 seconds

ISO: 2000

Auto White Balance

Edited in Photoshop to enhance contrast and brighten the sky.

Sea Star at Bandon, Oregon

I went to the beach today. It is lovely to spend time visiting my family, and to have the opportunity to get away to the beach to think, to dream, to create images for fun.

I purchased this preserved sea star in a little gift shop downtown, with the express purpose of creating some different kinds of images using the star.

He is a bit sandy because I created the sand/water/waves images first. Oh well, live and learn, right? :-)


Here is the techie info for those of you who want to know the specifics:

Camera: Canon 60D
Lens: Canon Zoom 18-55MM
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO: 160
Shutter Speed: 1/250
Aperture: F22
Flash: built-in

You are welcome to share this image as long as you leave my copyright mark on it, and provide a link-back to this blog. Thank you.

My Etsy Shop: ArtisanFinery

I have opened an Etsy shop called ArtisanFinery. 

It combines my photography print sales with my other creative endeavors; jewelry making, painting, mixed-media art, unique articles of clothing and accessories.

Currently I have a few images listed with various sizes available. More will be uploaded as time goes on.

I still need to photograph some jewelry to get it listed, and prepare more images as well. In the meantime, I am busy creating interesting art works and continuing to photograph this beautiful state of Oregon.

Check my Etsy store fairly often to find unique artisan treasures.

Cheers!
Stephanie

Playing with Macro Filters

After the lawn was watered tonight, I noticed a patch of extra shiny grass. As I examined it further, I saw that thousands of tiny water droplets were clinging there.

I rushed into the house and grabbed my Canon 60D with 50mm 1.4 lens and added two filters: Vivitar 4x and Vivitar 10X.

Here are the results:

This is how the yard looked, which captured my imagination.

Water droplets above and on the grass.

Water droplets on the tip of a piece of grass/weed.

Girls' Softball: Cherry City Crush vs. Hood River Heat 4.26.13 Images are available for purchase

Follow the link to my online proofing website to purchase prints or digital downloads.

It was an exciting game!

Online Proofing

NEW: Create albums of your favorite images, share on social media!

My favorite image of the night. This girl is strong and precise. It was a joy to watch her pitch. I like this shot because you can see her strength and concentration.

A Bit Behind but Catching Up!

Hi guys,
I haven't kept up with my 365 Challenge because I've been buried under work. I'm catching up and just about to restart It's A Beautiful Life.

In the meantime, let's take a peek at what I've been working on.

This was going to be my Day 2 post...the basket that my mom put together as a front porch decoration for Thanksgiving. Unbelievably, she still had a pretty pink rose in her garden. She put in some rose hips, greenery, and twigs to make it beautiful.

Zig Ziglar passed away this week after suffering a stroke last year. He spent his life encouraging others to be better, kinder, more thoughtful people.

My favorite Zig quote is, "You can get everything you want by helping other people get what they want."

He was a salesman who excelled in his field and taught others how to do well at it too, not by deception and high pressure tactics, but by being a good listener, NOT selling if the product wasn't right for the client, and being an honest man. He considered relationships to be more important than the sale.

When you are going about your day, are you putting others first? Is the sale more important than the person in front of you? Something to think about, isn't it?

Check out Zig's website if you'd like to know more.
Zig Ziglar's website.

Another SK Stone Photograph published. This time, in The Dalles Chronicle

The Fort Dalles Floozies presented a gift basket to  lucky raffle winner Rosemary Ross, at the first annual Return to the River festival held in October, in The Dalles, Oregon. Proceeds from the raffle ticket sales were donated to the local food bank.

I, of course, was there to capture some fun shots. I'll upload the Fort Dalles Floozies image that was in the paper below.

I plan to upload more images soon. Stay tuned.

Pictured, from left: Linda Beiter, Sandy Bisset, Mary Davis, Rosemary Ross, Sharon Hull and Pam Martin.

My Very First 365 Project; It's a Beautiful Life, Day 1

Hello again, everyone. It's been a few months since I posted anything, and I'm not very happy about that. I want this blog to be a place where we can stay in touch, view images and discuss them, keep up with photography news, and of course, talk about all things related to SK Stone Photography.

I want to let you guys know about a couple of things before I start in with my 365 project.

1st: My move to The Dalles is complete. I loved Portland, but it was time to move on, so I'm back home in TD and loving it!

2nd: I just joined The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Here's my info on their website: SK Stone Photography on The Dalles Area Chamber Website.

I've already attended several Chamber events and taken photographs, so if you're looking for copies of the images, check here on my Proofing Website. Simply look up your event by the event name and date.

Portrait clients can also see their images on the proofing website. However, a password is required. Passwords are distributed by email to clients when their images are uploaded and ready to view.

One of these days I'd love to have my actual website, proofing, and blog all under one domain, but for now, this is how it works. :-)

Now, let's talk about It's a Beautiful Life. This is my very first 365 project. I've been kicking some ideas around in my head of what I'd like to do for my first year-long project, and I kept coming back to gratefulness. I decided that I wanted to share my life with you guys in a way that shows you just how grateful I am for each blessing in my life, and hopefully, to help you recognize the things that you are grateful for as well.

Times are tough right now for so many people, and I've heard a lot of negative things, especially around our recent Presidential election. I think it's time we focus on the good things, celebrate the victories big and small, and most importantly, let our loved ones know that we appreciate the things they do to enrich our lives, and express our gratitude for things we might otherwise take for granted.

I'd love it if you would comment on my images as we move forward with this project together. Tell me your stories, and share your images too!

So here we go: Day 1 of It's a Beautiful Life

It's the night before Thanksgiving 2012, and my mom is getting ready to bake some delicious pies. Pumpkin, and Cherry. Not from store-bought ingredients, but from fresh  pumpkin and cherries that she picked and canned herself.

I have so many memories stemming back to my early childhood that involve my mom gardening and growing, picking, washing, pitting, peeling, blanching, slicing, seasoning, and canning her own fruits and vegetables. (Her home made cinnamon applesauce is out of this world!) Whatever she didn't grow herself was often supplied by other family members' gardens and ranches.

My Grandpa H. (my mom's dad) kept a small farm on his property where he raised chickens, rabbits, pigs, and corn, and a few other veggies as well. I loved going there to play with the baby chicks and bunnies. The pigs were kinda scary to me as a little kid because they would shove me with their noses and there were quite a few times I nearly fell in the pig pen. Luckily mom was always close by to rescue me.

My Uncle Richard raised cattle on his farm, and other relatives had fruit orchards and vegetable gardens.

It was no secret to me, or my brother and sister where our food came from. We're not the kind of kids who grew up with the illusion that "meat" was just another food. We knew that it came from a living being and we learned to be grateful for what we had and the work it took to get it from farm to table, especially since we often "helped" pick veggies and sort good fruit from bad, and we also worked on butchering day with the chickens. That's another story in itself. I'll have to save it for another time.

Anyway, looking back at my Day 1 photograph now, I'm sure you can see why I am grateful for my mom and all of the work she has done over the years to help us stay healthy and eating well.

I love you Mom, thank you!

Twilight Silhouettes, just for fun

I went out for a walk a few evenings ago, and took my little Canon PowerShot A590 with me. It was a gift from my family about a year ago and I have really enjoyed having it! It's perfect for those times when I might want to take snapshots and don't want to lug around my big pro camera.

Some might say that it's the subject that makes a good photograph. While I can agree with that statement on a certain level, I also have to say that it's the light that makes the photo. Think about how certain subjects appear in different lighting.

That's what this set of images is about...seeing common things; a gate, a fence, leaves, branches, in the twilight. I hope you enjoy...

George Zimbel | Multimedia > A Freelance Photographer vs The New York Times

George Zimbel | Multimedia > A Freelance Photographer vs The New York Times:

'via Blog this'

I'm sure, after you read this article, you will be as outraged as I am. The New York Times management should be ashamed of their actions. Instead, they admit no wrong-doing and instead, defend their illegal actions.

Mr. Zimbel, a freelance photographer, had to fight the Times' legal counsel to retain ownership of an image that is clearly his.

Artists, we need to remember that when we sell our images for 'one time use' a follow-up is necessary to make it clear that the image belongs to us, and not to those who bought usage rights.

In this information age, the image ownership waters become murkier and murkier as copyrighted images are passed around and republished, often without the owners' consent. Think about social networking sites, image and art sharing sites, online magazines, slide shows, Google images, and more. Once an image is 'out there' it is practically impossible to get it back, so we need to make sure that we register our art with the copyright office, provide legal, binding contracts for those we do business with, keep tabs on where our images are used, and make sure we take every precaution possible to avoid losing our images to public domain.

Did you know that you can put your copyright information into the Exif data in a digital image? Some cameras allow you to set up copyright information in the camera so every time you click the shutter your images automatically have your copyright embedded in the data, and you don't have to do anything afterward to adjust the Exif data. If in-camera copyright isn't available you will need to do it after capture, and that works too, albeit much more slowly when it is necessary to adjust each image individually.

www.plagerismtoday.com has a great list of things you can do and tools to use in protecting your images including managing Exif data and watermarking images you plan to upload to the internet.

One caveat for Exif data...some websites like Flickr and Facebook strip the Exif data when images are uploaded to their sites, so watermarking your images might be your only protection in those cases, unless you've already registered your images with the U.S. Copyright office. Still, taking that extra step to watermark your images before uploading them to the internet could save you lots of time (money!) and legal hassles later.

I know, it's so much to think about; and if you're running a business like I am, it's difficult to find time for everything that needs to be done in addition to creating the beautiful art/photography that I started the business for in the first place. BUT, once you've added Copyright Exif data and watermarking to your workflow for uploaded images, it's not that difficult.

I also use a websizing step to make online copies harder to use because the quality isn't as good as full sized images. Prints from websized digital files will look grainy and somewhat blurry from the reduction in file size, encouraging people who really want the excellent quality images I'm known for, to purchase prints or full sized files from me directly.

It's how I earn a living, and how I preserve my reputation as a high-quality photographer.

I make no excuses and feel no shame about protecting my rights, and neither should you.

10 Things Every Photographer or Creative Person Must Learn | Chase Jarvis Blog

10 Things Every Photographer or Creative Person Must Learn | Chase Jarvis Blog:

'via Blog this'

I especially love #10. Basically it says, "If you are a creative professional, then you will create. Don't wait forever to start. Don't freeze with fear of the what-ifs....create your art and share it with the world. Do it NOW!"

Eastman Kodak Mulls Bankruptcy - NYTimes.com

Eastman Kodak Mulls Bankruptcy - NYTimes.com:

'via Blog this'

Back in the day when I was a film-camera photographer, I only used Kodak film. I knew, not only from being behind the camera, but also from my days working in photo labs, that Kodak film could be trusted. They had the best skin tone, the best color rendition in natural scenes, and were the easiest to color correct in the machines if the chemistry was a bit off that day. Kodak film was reliable, consistent, and ubiquitous. If I feared running out of film at a wedding reception, I could stop by virtually any store and pick up extra rolls of Kodak film on my way from the wedding to the reception venue.

Now it looks as if Kodak is about to fall on hard times. They have retained a bankruptcy specialist lawyer, and have been struggling to reinvent themselves in a digital market.

Thinking back to the time when I made the switch from film to digital, I realize that I have not purchased even ONE Kodak brand item since the switch. I abandoned an old and reliable friend, but at the time it seemed like nothing.

With Kodak in danger of going out of business I feel a little sad, a little guilty, but at the end of the day, isn't it THEIR responsibility as a company to keep up with change?

Now I'm thinking in terms of my own photography business.

How am I keeping up with the changes in the photography industry today?

Am I meeting my customers' needs?

Do I need to wake up and shake up my methods before I am left behind?

Valid questions for sure.

Are you asking yourself the same things about your own business?

Perhaps you should be.

Photographers and other artists: What inspires you?

So many different things inspire me. I love looking at fashion, accessories, sketches, paintings, sculpture, vintage items, the various elements in nature; I am always drawn to water, especially the ocean.

Of course I love looking at other photographers' work too.

I'm not looking to copy anyone's ideas or style. I am attempting to understand their ideas and figuring out if I 'get' the message they are sending.

Good photography makes you feel something. Anger, sadness, outrage, passion, happiness, desire, greed...the whole gamut of human emotion. If you don't feel anything it could be because the photographer didn't know what he or she was trying to say.

Some photographs are made to sell things. Nothing wrong with that. BUT if you don't want to buy what they are selling, it may not be that the item is boring, it could be due to bad photography. Have you ever seen a line of accessories in a magazine spread and nothing appeals to you? You think, "ugh I hate that look." But then you go to the mall and see the same kind of accessories at your favorite store and suddenly you can imagine yourself wearing that huge cuff bracelet, or the asymmetrical necklace that looked really stupid in the magazine. What happened? Well, the photography didn't do what it should have. It didn't sell the items properly.

Photography is super important whether your project is a fashion line, accessories, automotive, industrial, real estate, acting, music, or family portraits. What is the message that you're trying to send?

Do your photographs say what your clients are trying to express?
If not, why not?

Try studying all kinds of photographs and art. Look for fresh inspiration and try to understand the message in everything you see.If you can hone your artistic eye to see what each photograph or other item is saying, you will be well on your way to speaking through your own images.

Pre-Holiday Special, Save $ on gift prints, HURRY!

 

 

Pre-Holiday special: 30 min photo session and 

50 4x6 gift prints 

(all same pose) 

for $175.00 

 

 

 

 (Regular price Photo session $55, and 50 4x6 $375 = $430. That's a savings of $255.)
 

Call me, 541-980-9532 or email skstonephoto@gmail.com 

Spaces are limited so don't goof off...HURRY!

Indoor, outdoor, with or without props, we are happy to accommodate your photographic needs. 

Free retakes if you're not happy with your first session. 

Give us a try, you'll be glad you did!

Offer expires Nov 7th, 2011>

The Deborah Evind Leadership Program and Portland Community College

I am honored and so proud to have been a part of this photographic and video project.Video here

I was asked to participate in photographing each alumna for the inagural Gala fundraiser for the Deborah Evind Scholarship Program.

In the video, whenever you see the flash pop, that's me taking photos of the ladies holding signs with messages about how being involved with the Women's Resource Center changed their lives.   :)

I'm even one of the interviewees (b&w dotty shirt).

Most important, though, is the work that Deborah Evind did when she created the WRC at PCC, and the programs she began while running the center. Through her vision and her hard work, she has changed the lives of thousands of women and their families by helping women to stay and succeed in school.

On a personal note, having sat and talked with Deborah about my hopes and dreams for the future, and getting real about what it would take to get there, I began to realize that I was fully capable of handling college and that I deserved to be there. My involvement with the WRC gave me the incredible opportunity to participate in the 2009 production of The Vagina Monologues, and to be the photographer for several seasons after that.

I met many talented, intelligent, beautiful women and made friends at the Center that I never would have met otherwise. Talia, Ellie, Angelica, Angela, Eva, Tanya, Oscar, Peter, and so many more. <3

Thank you Deborah. We will remember you fondly and vow to carry on your important work.

Photography quotes

"Your photography is a record of your living, for anyone who really sees." ~Paul Strand

“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make aportrait of who they are.” ~ Paul Caponigro

“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” ~ Edward Steichen

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." ~Ansel Adams

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars."~ Og Mandino

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