like the song goes "young at heart."

Fairytales can come true
It can happen to you
When you're young at heart

For it's hard,
You will find,
To be narrow of mind
When you're young at heart

You can go to extremes
With impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams
Fall apart at the seams

And life get's more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart
Or on its way

Don't you know
That it's worth
Every treausure on earth
To be young at heart
For as which
As you are
It's much better by far to be young at heart

And if you should survive till 105
Look at all you'll derive
Out of being alive
And here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you'll derive
Out of being alive
And here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart - Frank Sinatra

Project: Window with girl

Recently saw a photograph created by Photographer Frank Doorhof of a woman sitting behind an old window that he found in a dumpster.  With just a simple light off frame he was able to create a stunning image.  I thought the image was so neat that I wanted to see what I could do myself, after sending out a Facebook post asking for old windows, Laura a friend of mine said she had a few windows I could borrow.  The model is Eva Wilcox and she couldn't be more perfect.  This was a fun, creative project and it has inspired so many other window with... 

There's always that one model

There's always that one model... 

That one model who freaking rocks a photo shoot.  Meet Jess, a friend who I have Photographed throughout the years.  Although she is not a professional model she always gives 110% and in my book that is true professionalism.  We decided to play dress up with some of the Goodwill clothing that I have recently purchased (per my cousin Edie's recommendation, I am considering creating a coffee table book with all of the models only wearing clothing from Goodwill.)  and we came up with some really fun fashions.  Jess is such a good sport as the photo shoot lasted 3 hours and she stayed fresh and positive the entire time.    Here's some of the images from that evening.  (Please click on images to scroll through gallery)

Red dress with girl

Recently purchased the ExpoDisc 77mm which allows you to set white balance quickly and easily.  I learned about the expoDisc from Lindsay Adler's Skin 101:  Lighting, Retouching and Understanding Skin via CreativeLive.  (Side note this tutorial is packed full of information and live tutorials. Highly recommend)  I have purchased other equipment and accessories recommended by Lindsay and was excited to try the ExpoDisc.  I was not disappointed.  

It does exactly what it says, easily allows the photographer to set white balance.  Process is easy and quick.  Just put the disc onto your lens (need to have a filter attached to your lens) and stand next to your model and point camera at the main light source, take a picture and it gives you a white balance image to set an in camera custom wb.  

Tested it today, and I love it.    My friend and model Madi Roberts is always willing to help out and I decided to put her fair skin in a red dress i purchased at the local Goodwill $4.00.  

Straight out of the camera the images are spot on perfect color.  It made the photo shoot flawless and FUN!  

Kuddos to ExpoDisc, this is a WINNER!  Please click image to scroll through gallery. 

Canon 5d mark ii WARNING!

  My title says it all.  I recently rented a Canon 5d Mark ii so that I could finally see how my lenses would work on a full frame camera.  Currently I own a 60d which is not a full frame and around 40% of the image is cropped out.    All I can say is as soon as I took the first image I was hooked.  The image quality is tac sharp in focus and DETAIL.  I found the camera body to fit really good in my hand.  The menu and controls were very easy to learn and understand.   It was SO GREAT to be able to take full body shots because of the full frame.  I took as many photos as I could those 4 days and yes as soon as I had to return it I was on the hunt for my very own.    For me, this is my next camera.  Thus the warning, do not rent or borrow a Canon 5d mark ii unless you are ready to purchase because you will be miserable until you do!  

First image I took with the Canon 5d mark ii.  No special lighting, only an octagon box.  Settings shutter 160  F8  ISO 100

just because she is stunning

I have been wanting to have the opportunity to take Victoria's photo for quite some time.  She has this quintessential beauty that is highlighted with her signature red lipstick.  I don't think she knew what to make of my enthusiasm for her beauty, but she was a great sport and the photo shoot went flawless.  I am very pleased with the results.   (Please click on images to scroll through gallery.)

love it when it works

Recently I had the privilege of shooting a 38th Wedding Anniversary.  Johnny who is another Photographer and Debbie are a fabulous YOUTHFUL couple!  They are very active in Yoga and Body Pump classes.   Arriving  very well dressed and ready with a  workable, playful and great attitude this striking couple made the photo shoot and my day!  (please click on images to scroll through gallery)

Comments

Gina, I really like your work. You have a great sense of creativity, humor and art in you photographs. - Gail Wilcox

Confidence = Choice

 I have many more miles to travel on this Photography road and I will always be learning, trying new things.  In these attempts I may fail, but I will also learn.    Usually after a photo session I am exhausted and feel beaten up, so I don't do this for my ego.

  I do Photography because during and after a photo scene I love how the girls react to seeing themselves in a new way.  

 I see their confidence build.  And yes, confidence is sexy, but it is fundamentally more important to have real confidence along with attributes such as intelligence, creative, nurturing, hard working and grace.  Confidence is the catalyst for career choices, marriage choices, Lifestyle choices, even the choice of where you will live in the world.  It is a powerful statement when a woman with tears in her eyes says to me "I never knew I could look like this!"  I usually respond with, I knew it all along.  

Project Houndstooth,  Model Jessica Stark

Project Houndstooth Model Jessica Stark

Project Houndstooth  Model Jessica Stark

If You Like Poetry...

Last week was a fun, interesting, problem solving on the spot adventure when I agreed to take the head shots for a local college play cast of 10.  A sign up sheet was distributed and all the time slots filled in for a 2 day/5 each day head shot marathon.  I figured 30 minutes each sitting,  but allowed an hour time slot in case there was a magical moment to capture.  

Theatre folks are wonderfully funny and emotive and brilliant, and apparently they like to travel together, in groups.  They arrived in pairs or in a group of three and hung out while they each took their turns on the photography stage.  

Remember these are college age theatre folks, most dressed in jeans and dark colored t-shirts, which worked great for the type of head shots needed.  There were some "how to groom" oneself discussions and I did a lot of theatrics of my own with tips of deep breathing to focus, buzzing my lips as an example of how to soften and relax the mouth, getting into the different poses myself so they would feel comfortable and using the very limited theatre vocabulary I knew to connect.

I learned so much those 2 days, about Photography, about myself and how it takes a village to raise a theatre.  Brava! 

JD Meyer, Eva Wilcox and Cord Courtney  3 of the 10 cast members of the play Mankind.  

There's always that one friend!

Took this evening, my last frame before it got dark. I am STOKED! I have always wanted to capture an image of birds on a wire with a bird sitting opposite of the rest.

LOVE humor in an image

Model Madi Roberts helped me break in my new lighting and lens today. She is incredibly FUN and can laugh at herself. LOVE that about her!

Bubble Gum!

Model Madi Roberts helped me learn my new Alien Bees 800 lighting and my new Sigma 85mm lens. The camera loves Madi.  She is incredibly photogenic.

The Camera LOVES her!

Model Madi Roberts was generous in helping me play with my new Alien Bee 800 lighting and new Sigma 85mm lens. This image is straight out of the camera Canon 60D.

first 5000 hours

Portrait using my new Alien Bees 800 strobe lights and my new Sigma 85 1.4 lens.

60d is one HOT MESS!

Haven't taken many fotos with my Canon 60d the past few weeks.   Instead, I have been researching Nikon 7100 and trying to find a way to fund it.  I called Canon regarding my concerns of my 6 month NEW 60d and was not impressed with the response. Each time I think I may have found a solution to either keeping my 60d and investing into a much nicer lens or embrace the Nikon 7100 and its very expensive lenses a fresh, more confusing problem will arise sending me back to the drawing board. The current thought is to keep the 60d and purchase a Sigma 85mm 1.4 lens - primarily for Portrait work.   I had worked my way to being comfortable in this decision until further research showed that the Sigma 85 mm 1.4 is designed for FULL frame cameras and my 60d has a smaller sensor.  It can mount on a 60d, but it will set the frame to 136mm which for my small 200 square foot studio I just don't think will give me enough space to take in the whole picture.

So, the journey continues.  Do I "dump" my Canon 60d and its inconsistent focus, no sync port, but has a great battery life?  Or, do I run into the arms of Nikon 7100 super sharp focus, high contrast, but so expensive I will have to sell a kidney to fund it?

Why Are you laying on the bathroom floor taking a foto of me?

Haven't been taking many photos the past few weeks. So, took this with my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 of my sweet cat Bodhi.

Make Like Green...