Images, Stories, and Notes from Behind the Lens
Posted by Christine On September 5, 2014
Baby Betsy slept soundly and looked oh so cute during her photo shoot at her grandmother’s house! After spending a pleasant late morning in the sunny guest bedroom, things got a little wilder as her brothers and cousins posed for a group shot. Congratulations David and Susanna!
Posted by Christine On July 24, 2014
It’s great to photograph a growing family, especially when you connect with a client every year or so to reconnect, share news and have some fun. Stella booked a maternity session nearly three years ago when she was pregnant with her oldest child Teddy. (And did some amazing yoga poses at nearly 9 months pregnant!) The following summer, we did a mother and son session when Teddy turned one. And now Teddy is about to become a big brother! Congrats on baby 2.0 Stella, and best wishes to Lee and Teddy too. I’m not going to spill the beans on the baby’s name just yet…
Posted by Christine On October 28, 2013
Shooting events at night can be pretty challenging, and frequently I see students shy away from using flash to properly illuminate their subjects. Sometimes, the effect can be fun, such as when you get a graphically interesting silhouette. More frequently, shooting with high ISOs, slow shutter speeds and no flash can result in pretty low technical quality and disappointing imagery.
Next time you are faced with shooting a night event and you want to capture people shots, do NOT leave your flash at home or try to rely on your pop up flash!
Try something similar to what I did here at my daughter’s birthday party. First, get your camera settings straight to properly expose for ambient light (in this shot, that means the candles and the string of lights in the background.) In this case, it means I set my camera at ISO 2000, f5.6 and 1/15 second. But wait, isn’t 1/15 pretty slow for a handheld camera? Won’t you get motion blur or camera shake? Well, perhaps a little bit, but since I am using my external flash as the main light source here, that won’t likely be a problem because the speedlight will “freeze” the action. As many of you know, I am a huge proponent of bouncing flash in order to soften its effects and create a more flattering, professional looking light. But you may also have noticed that there is nothing from which to bounce the flash off of here. Enter the Gary Fong Lightsphere.
With this little gadget, which kind of looks like a Chinese soup takeout cup, I place it on top of my flash head (which is pointing straight up, BTW, and then I fire away. It softens and diffuses the light, still rendering a nice professional look. So break out your flash! You’ll likely be pleased with the results of your next night “people” shoot!
Posted by Christine On September 16, 2013
Congratulations to the Birmingham Barons for winning the 2013 Southern League Championship Series against defending champions the Mobile BayBears in game 5 of the 5 game series! Below are a few highlights from game 5:
These images show that despite being the bread and butter of sports photography, action images aren’t the only ways to visually tell a story. Reaction (celebration and dejection) shots are also pretty powerful. As are active portraits of key players such as this shot of Birmingham Barons 2nd baseman and series MVP Michah Johnson as he rounds the bases after hitting an out of park homer.
Go Barons!
Posted by Christine On August 30, 2013
A sample from the headshot session in Hoover, Alabama with GSI, Inc. –both traditional headshots and personality shots; fun stuff!
Posted by Christine On October 27, 2012
I regularly teach photojournalism classes where students propose to shoot night sporting events. And I happen to shoot a fair amount of night sporting events as well. Here are some tips to think about if you want to take your night sport shots to the next level:
1) Go as a photographer, not as a spectator. As fun as it sounds to shoot sports photography (and it is), your photography will suffer if you go as both a fan and a photographer. Focus on the photography. Leave your kids, spouse, friends in the stands.
2) Stay out of the stands. As obvious as this might sound, you’d be surprised at the number of students who attempt to get good shots from the stands. Get access to the field. Before the game. If you are shooting youth sports, this isn’t usually a problem. High school sports might be a different story. Contact the school for questions about getting a field pass.
3) Bring an external flash. Plan to use it. Load it with fresh batteries and bring backup batteries. Set it on full power in TTL (automatic) mode. If you can, get it off camera with a flash bracket. Or take it off camera with a synch cord (my method) and clamp it to your monopod. Taking flash off camera can help you avoid the dreaded “red-eye.” Read More
Posted by Christine On October 19, 2012
Four Chinese cardiologists who are training at Princeton Baptist Medical Center received custom tailored physicians coats commemorating their training at the hospital during a reception and fitting at Shaia’s in Homewood. After a bit of socializing, the physicians tried on their coats for the first time. Here are some images Christine captured from the after-hours fitting and festivities.
Posted by Christine On August 1, 2012
What can be better than a day at the farm, or the beach, or the mountains? Relaxing in the beauty of nature brings out the best in most of us and can set an ideal situation for a natural, relaxed, and beautiful photo shoot. And to top it off, the images captured represent the part of life we cherish the most: good times with friends and family. Thanks to Elizabeth Lasseter for the invite to the farm and to Ashley Dulaney for the great energy and music. The company and the blueberries were the best!
Posted by Christine On February 28, 2012
It’s always fun to get to revisit a person you’ve met and photographed before. It was my pleasure and honor to photograph Birmingham Southern College president General Charles Krulak nine months into his presidency. It had been nearly a year since I photographed him as his appointment was announced. This shoot, for The Chronicle of Higher Education story about how Birmingham Southern College is faring since Krulak began his duties, was a blend of candid shots and portraiture. General Krulak is a “people” person. He is upbeat and friendly to everyone he meets; deftly maneuvering through a crowd, yet genuine and immensely likable. He is very hands on, and has hit the ground running on campus, greeting prospective and current students with enthusiasm. He attends every school sporting event, lives in student housing and doesn’t take a salary for his work. Astounding and inspiring. Here are a few images from the couple of hours we spent together. Thanks to BSC’s Bill Wagnon and The Chronicle’s Erica Lusk for their support on this project!
Posted by Christine On February 2, 2012
Environmental portraits show a bit about a person’s life, personality and looks. I had the honor to photograph attorney Deanna Forbush at her home in Auburn, Alabama for a brochure being produced by her alma matter Westminster College in Salt Lake City. Despite spending just under an hour together, we came up with a couple of different looks. I was so glad that she told me that the art in her home office was done by a Utah native. Thought it added just a little bit of visual information about her ties to her home state, despite the fact she is now living in the deep south.
