Facebook Updates

I updated my Facebook page with new galleries set up in albums:
 
 Portraiture- Couples, Children, Groups

 Portraits- Men and Women

Candid Portraiture

West Coast Amusements portraits are chronologically listed going backward in time...all the images of the previous decade are simply photos of what exists in my real world albums and are there for reference (and memories)...I will only scan negatives for people who want to buy prints.  WCA Album.

Postcards of Merritt showcase postcards I've created.

Some recent portrait work...

by Heidi Koehler

I have to say that as a photographer who prefers to work with natural light Merritt is rather ideal for the abundance of good weather. While sometimes it can be overly bright this is usually pretty easy to overcome by working on the north side or using shade.

Occasionally cloud cover intervenes which is quite desirable as it gives a soft natural light that is very flattering. Occasionally I will use a bounce to reflect more light back. It's important to me that all the features that make a person's face unique are visually accounted for in a pleasing way. This means taking shots- and ultimately selecting the final ones- that enhance the best features and minimize the...less pleasing ones.

Commission for School Achievement Poster

Family Portrait

I saw a so-called professional portrait not so long ago that lit the (quite beautiful) subject in such a way that the chin was completely absent. (Yes, that's a link- the chin is very important!) The face flowed right into the neck! It's a fact many people have a double chin or one that is not so well defined and it blew me away that the photographer did not notice this. At the opposite end of this is the very well defined jaw and slender neck...the aim in such a case would be to downplay these things by choice of a shooting angles...like avoiding three quarter views.

Commission for local artist

Overall I like to get a slightly soft look to portraits- that razor sharp look that many photographers strive for has a tendency to really enhance the perceived flaws in a person's face and also enhances irrelevant details. Of course there is always software to cover up those blemishes but that usually cost extra if the photographer offers it...

Couple Portrait

I mention this because recently I saw a series of professional school portraits that were excessively sharp- I was actually a little revolted at being able to see skin pores as well as the usual pimples and stray hairs in with such detail. That brings up a little tip I have for people looking to hire a portrait photographer...at the very least have a pocket mirror and packet of tissues or a kerchief with you at the shoot; this is to blot skin that is really shiny. I don't usually charge extra to minimize skin shine or zits but there is only so much I will do before it becomes a separate service. (It also doesn't hurt to bring a comb.)

Art Photography

Size, Colour, Clariy

Art work is someone else's actual creation and depicting it isn't quite so cut and dried. A recent assignment for an artist who uses colour very intensely caused me to consider quite heavily just how these images would print out and while there are some issues that will always come up when taking the photo to print certain problems can be avoided for the client if the photographer keeps in mind a few points:

Preliminary photo.

Edited Photo

When using natural lighting it's best to work with even, diffused lighting. In bright sunshine I will find a shaded area with a lot of ambient light and with overcast skies I will attempt to take the photo in the brightest possible light and expose the image with the bright colours in mind...this was the case as the artist had an exhibition to quickly prepare for and we couldn't do much about the weather.

It's very helpful if the client can mount the canvass in as vertical a position as possible and preferably without glass. Fortunately Shirley's husband was able to assist in keeping the large canvasses upright. It's important to have things as straight and level as possible because the camera has a tendency to mess with the corners of an art work at the best of times.

Besides getting the frame filled with a clear, colourful and detailed representation of the art my final goal as a photographer is to have the photograph 'print ready' from just about any photo lab without any cropping or fussing with image ratios.