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Elaine Mueller Tweedy
           (570) 575-1705

Brown

8/31/2018

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The color brown happens to be one of my favorites.  There was a point in my life where almost every piece of clothing I owned was either brown, or had brown in it.  Something about this earth tone really attracts my eye.

This week's blog circle theme is "brown," which can be interpreted in a vast number of ways.

After the green of summer, we are coming up on browner landscapes as autumn approaches.  I have been using more earthy backgrounds in the studio as well.

Here is what I have come up with this week for brown.
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Our little Luke in a reflective mood in a brown toned portrait.  His coloring lends itself well to the browns around him. He is not a huge fan of the camera, but every once in a while, I can catch him being quiet.  Think big, expressive movements wrapped up in a little dog, and that's Luke.  So I was lucky to get this photo.
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I think mostly white colored dogs show up well on earthy tones.  I added a texture to the background of this photo.  Burton does have one brown eye and one blue eye, so you are not seeing things.  He is typically cooperative for photos.
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Even kitties show up well with a brownish treatment.  The brown flecks in Barney's coat are highlighted much more in this toned setting than they are on a white background.

There are many different options for earthy tones in the studio, and soon nature will follow with her own palette.  I also sometimes use digital backgrounds in earthy tones, like the one below. 
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For more on the brown theme and to see what's going on in the circle, start your trip with Darlene of Pant the Town Photography serving MA and NH.  I'm happy to be back in the circle and hope to continue now through the end of the year!  Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
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Event Photography: Loads of Candid Fun

8/21/2018

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Many people do not realize that beyond the studio portrait work, I also photograph events.  Whether public or private, I have the most fun when large groups of people gather.
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Several weeks ago I published a blog on a Native American event I attended and photographed.  While hard to believe, I don't just attend animal-related events, although I specialize in pet portraits.

Most of my event work revolves around good candids and "relaxed" posing situations.  I want to capture people doing what they love to do and having fun, so you won't see stuffy poses or staged photography work in my results.
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I was happy to photograph a private event for Penelec recently.  Their Family Safety Awareness Night had so many fun things to do and try.  Employee family members were invited to learn more about how things work as part of the job at a utility company.  The bucket rides were an especially enjoyable feature of the night.
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Followed by the dancing mascot! And Mannings ice cream truck!
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The Penelec linemen and women are some of the hardest working folks in our region.  We have all experienced lines down and power outages, and these crews are often out there in the worst weather bringing back all things vital.
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And, they sure know how to put on a grand event!

Of course it's all fun and games until someone has to be carried home...because they are way too tired to walk!
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The most enjoyable part for me, as a photographer, is meeting the people behind the images.  I want to be sure to cover your event in a way that showcases all of the fantastic things you have worked hard on, and all of the people involved!

If you are interested in finding out more about event coverage, and what it includes, head over to the contact page and fill out an on line form, or simply give me a call at 570-575-1705.  I will be covering more events of the season as they arrive, so check back here for additional event photos!
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Wide Open

8/10/2018

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When I got my first lens, a 50mm 1.8, I was very excited.  I thought it would be the be-all-end-all of lenses, giving me a great bokeh, and shallow depth of field to really hone in on a single-focus subject. The 50mm will do all of that, but not without practice and a steady hand.

Shooting photos "wide open" means setting your aperture to the widest point.  This is a good setting if you do want to focus on a piece or portion of your subject, and have the rest of the photo be a dreamy, soft blur.
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Lilah's nose and smile are featured in the photo above.  (I should have used an image like this for the "nose" blog!) I used that same 50mm 1.8 that I purchased as my first lens six years ago in making this photo this past week..

But let's take this a little further. 

When shooting wide open you have to remember that it is your proximity to the subject that will dictate your depth of field (how much of your image is in focus).  So using the ever reluctant Harry, below are a series of photos taken at different distances from Harry.
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About a foot away you can see that I focused on the eye closest to me and that eye, and a very small area around it, are in focus. This photo was taken outside during the day. The fact that Harry stood still for a millisecond is remarkable.
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Back in the house, later in the evening, I am now about two and a half feet away from Harry, focusing on his head.  You can see much more of him in focus, and a nice, creamy background.
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In this final photo, I have backed up to almost four feet away from Harry.  A large part of his body is now in focus, as is some of the surrounding area of the kitchen island near him, but much of the background is still soft. 

There are many creative things you can do by photographing with a wide open aperture (in this case at 1.8 for my 50mm 1.8 lens).  It's often suggested that you use a tripod to keep the camera extremely steady when shooting at the widest aperture level, because the slightest movement can cause problems. I did not take the time to set up a tripod, so my images are not "tack" sharp, but for the purposes of illustration in today's blog, they work.

Let's see what others did this week with wide open lenses.  The blog circle is waiting.  Start with Susannah Maynard and Pet Love Photography, serving Greater Cincinnati, the San Francisco Bay Area, and destinations nationwide. I hope your weekend is grand!

3 Comments

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    "Elaine made working with my somewhat hyper dog look easy.  I can't believe the beautiful photos that came from his session!"
                                ~Tanya & Max

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