Indigo Skye Photography

We Added A Few More Spots!

The "Mommy's Little Secret" limited edition session has been such a hit that we have made a few more sessions available. So for those of you that have procrastinated and thought it was too late, now is your chance to call and book your session. Just think of what your husband will say when you give him these beautiful portraits for "HIS EYES ONLY" on Father's Day.

All sessions are on Friday May 16th, and start with you coming in and having your hair styled by a professional stylist and then your makeup applied by a fabulous makeup artist. All the while you are relaxing with a cup of gourmet coffee or even a glass of wine. Then the fun starts! You will have a 45 minute "intimate" session to capture your beauty in a way you have never had captured before. Here is the kicker, what you chose to wear, or not to wear, is totally up to you and what you are comfortable with.

I know what you are thinking, you are sitting there saying to yourself "No way! Not with this body. Maybe if I was 20 pounds lighter." Or maybe your saying "but I photograph so horribly"? But I am here to tell you that ALL women are beautiful and ALL women can be sexy!

This great Limited Edition Session that includes your hair styling, your makeup, the 45 minute session AND a 5x7 Folio with two 5x7 portraits of your choice (that you will then have to give to your husband on Father's Day) is only $100!

Because of the VERY LIMITED number of sessions available, session fees are due at the time of booking. CALL US TODAY! 801-1131

Week Five - Tips For Better Photos

This is the third week about Photographic Composition. In my opinion, composition is one of the most important things that will make your photos stand out. It can often be something that is easily overlooked because we are in a hurry to capture that moment. That is why it is important to practice these tips ahead of time, so that they will become second nature and you won't have to think about them. So, here we go...

1) Leading Lines Use natural lines in your surrounding to help lead the viewer's eye to the subject. Select a camera angle where the natural lines of the scene lead the viewer's eyes into the picture and toward your main center of interest. You can find such a line in a road, a fence, even a shadow. Diagonal lines are dynamic; curved lines are flowing and graceful. You can often find the right line by moving around and choosing a different angle.

In this image, notice how the curve of the sidewalk draws your eyes towards the subjects in the portrait.

2) Move Your Subject Out of the Center. The placement of your subject in the frame denotes its relevance to the context. The center of the frame is the weakest place -- it's static and dull. The more you move the subject away from the center, the more importance you give to the subject; so juggle until you get the right balance. One of the most popular 'rules' in photography is the Rule Of Thirds. This is how it works: Imaginary lines are drawn both horizontally and vertically, dividing the image into thirds. You place the important elements of your photograph where these lines intersect. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable the viewer to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot - using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.
Here is a portrait that is a great example of the rule of thirds. Even though she is technically in the center of the portrait, I have angled the camera to make it more interesting and to help put the focal point, which is her face, into one of the intersecting thirds.

Here is an example of the imaginary lines used in the rule of thirds. See how it divides the portrait up into nine even pieces. Your subject should be near, if not in, one of the places where these lines intersect. In this portrait, not only does her body cross through the intersecting lines, but her face is almost in an intersecting point as well.

3) Framing No, I am not referring to the frames we but to put our photos in, I am referring to the natural frames in nature that we can use to frame our subjects in. Framing is the tactic of using natural surroundings to add more meaning to your subject. Doing this can help to add more meaning to the subject by surrounding the subject or by simply pointing in the direction of the main subject. It can be anything a window, a doorway, a mirror, a group of trees or bushes. You get the picture. Just be careful that you don't accidently focus on what's framing your subject, make sure that your camera is focused on the main subject.

Notice how the window in the background frames her and works well with making her the point of focus for this portrait?

Now that I am through taking care of business, I thought I would share a few sneak peaks from some recent sessions.

Here is a frequent flier of mine, little Rachel. She is getting so BIG! And doesn't she have the sweetest smile?

Meet Kelli & Martin. These guys came in recently and we walked arounf downtown Greer for some fun and funky couples portraits. Martin, I hope it wasn't too painful for you.

Then there were the Rutland's. Angela and her two beautiful and spunky daughters Emma and Ellie came in for a portrait session. Sshhh! Don't tell anyone because it was a surprise for Father's Day!

There Are Only A Few Spots Left!

For those of you interested, there are just a few spots left for the "Mommy's Little Secret" Limited Edition portrait session taking place on Friday May 16th.  Just think, you can finally get your husband that extra special Father's Day gift and have a great time for yourself while doing them!

"Mommy's Little Secret" is a time of pampering and portraits to show women how we can "BRING SEXY BACK"! Your session will start with you coming in and having your hair styled by a professional stylist and then your makeup applied by a fabulous makeup artist. All the while you are relaxing with a cup of gourmet coffee or even a glass of wine. Then the fun starts! You will have a 45 minute "intimate" session to capture your beauty in a way you have never had captured before.

This great Limited Edition Session that includes your hair styling, your makeup, the 45 minute session AND a 5x7 Folio with two 5x7 portraits of your choice (that you will then have to give to your husband on Father's Day) is only $100!

Because of this limited number of sessions you will be required to pay for your session when you call to book. You can pay with CC or you can come in to the studio and pay in person. 

Call now to book your session - 801-1131.

Mommy's Little Secret

Even though Mother's Day hasn't come yet, it is already time to start thinking about Father's Day. Are you always at a loss to find that extra special Father's Day gift to show the man who holds your heart just how much you love him? Well, look no farther. Indigo Skye Photography has come up with that perfect gift. And I assure you that it is guaranteed to blow him away!

On Friday May 16th, we are offering a very special Limited Edition Session called "Mommy's Little Secret". This Limited Edition Session might be designed for you to give the love of your life that special gift, but in reality it is all for YOU. That is right, this is a time of pampering and portraits to show women how we can "BRING SEXY BACK"! Have I got your attention yet? Good, let me tell you all about "Mommy's Little Secret".

Your session will start with you coming in and having your hair styled by a professional stylist and then your makeup applied by a fabulous makeup artist. All the while you are relaxing with a cup of gourmet coffee or even a glass of wine. Then the fun starts! You will have a 45 minute "intimate" session to capture your beauty in a way you have never had captured before. Now, what you chose to wear, or not to wear, is totally up to you and what you are comfortable with. But might I suggest something fun and sexy for your man?

I know what you are thinking, you are sitting there saying to yourself "No way! Not with this body. Maybe if I was 20 pounds lighter." Or maybe your saying "but I photograph so horribly"? But I am here to tell you that ALL women are beautiful and ALL women can be sexy! Don't worry I don't expect you to order a wall portrait to display in your home for everyone to see. But these portraits will be so beautiful, like a piece of art you see in a museam, that you just might want to hang one on your bedroom wall.

So now you are thinking that all of this must cost a fortune, right? But you are wrong! This great Limited Edition Session that includes your hair styling, your makeup, the 45 minute session AND a 5x7 Folio with two 5x7 portraits of your choice (that you will then have to give to your husband on Father's Day) is only $100!

As always, your portraits will be professionally and artistically enhanced to be a beautiful piece of art.

There are a VERY LIMITED number of session available, so don't wait because they will book up quickly. Because of this limited number of sessions you will be required to pay for your session when you call to book. You can pay with CC or you can come in to the studio and pay in person.

How about a few samples of what your session portraits can look like as well as a few testimonies as to the experience these ladies had with their "Intimates" session?

"I was so nervous, I was literally shaking! I didn't really know what to expect. But Michelle put me at ease very quickly. And my hair and makeup looked fabulous. By the time I left, I was feeling absolutely gorgeous and sexy! It was a blast and I would do it again in a heartbeat."
Linda C. - 42

"I had a wonderful experience with a well respected and professional photographer. I felt extremely comfortable with Michelle and came away feeling very beautiful."
Laure A. - 28

"This was so much fun. When I told my friends and showed them my portraits they were all jealous."
Sarah B. - 27

Okay, so pick up the phone right now and book your session before they are all taken! Give us a call at 801-1131. If we don't answer it is because we are in the middle of a portrait session, so please leave us your name and a phone number that we can reach you at and we will call you back shortly. (Messages will be returned in the order they are taken in.)

Have a beautiful day and a great weekend!

Week Four - Tips For Better Photos

How many of you are actually reading these Photo Tips? How many are learning anything from these tips? I would love to hear back from some of you to let me know if these tips are helping to improve your photography. So who wants to be the first to share any recent pictures they have taken since reading these tips. Email me your photos and I will post them on the blog with the weekly photo tips.

Last week I promised that we would work on different aspects of photographic compisition. Last week we started with three good but easy ones. This week's tips are also easy, but often overlooked or never thought of in the first place by most people.

Here we go, here are your next three compisition tips:

1) Zoom In. Fill your frame with the subject of your photo. We all love to photograph the wonderful things we see in life. You know what I am talking about, those beautiful beach or mountain scenes when on vacation, or those sweet moments when your child (or grandchild) is doing something cute and unexpected. The natural inclination is to photograph the entire scene or person as we see it, because we a re afraid that we will lose something if we don't. If you take a more long-distance view of the scene, you may lose the obvious visual interest in the surroundings. Zooming in close to your subject, especially when photographing a person, will make your photo more personal and you will find the beauty in the details. When you take a photograph, decide what your subject is. The person or the beach is not good enough. You need to go deeper and look to the details of the person or beach. The emotion on the face of the person or the way the light reflects off of the shells on the beach -- something that activates your senses, that you can touch, feel, smell, or taste. This process is the most overlooked step in photography. Although it may be tempting to simply snap your photos and rush on, I encourage you to take time to visually explore the subject and see what appeals to you. Ask yourself: 'What is the purpose of this photograph?' and 'What is the reaction I want a person who sees it to have?'

In the two photos beach photos below, see how zooming in can make a difference. The first one is nice but the second one make you feel more of the scene. You can almost smell the salt water and hear the waves breaking against the pier and the seagulls that would be flying around waiting for a chance to snag a meal from an unsuspecting fisherman.

In this photo, the details in her eyes and her cute little teeth would have been lost if I hadn't zoomed in. So it is perfectly acceptable to crop off the top of the head if zooming in for a closer shot like this.

2) Don't amputate your subject. Beware that you don't cut off arms and legs at a wierd place, such as around any joints. It is better if you crop them off between the joints, so instead of cutting them off at the knees or elbows - try cropping them off at the thighs or upper arms.

3) Verticle Vs. Horizontal. Changing your camera orientation came make a world of difference in your photos. Whether to shoot your photograph horizontally or vertically is among the most basic decisions that you face in composing any photograph. Because cameras are rectangular and are more comfortable to hold horizontally, that's how most people shoot their pictures. Turning the camera on end makes handling a bit awkward, but the effort can add power and visual variety to your pictures. Many subjects cry out to be framed in a particular way. As a rule, tall subjects (like trees or people) stand more comfortably in a vertical frame (but this isn't always the case). Framing a scene vertically forces the eye to scan the photograph from bottom to top where horizontally forces the eye to scan it from side to side. For many subjects, either format will work; choosing the best framing is then largely a matter of instinct. If deciding which format looks best becomes difficult, photograph it both ways and decide later; it's often easier to grasp the full impact from a print than it is when you're looking through the viewfinder.

The portraits below are shown in both portrait (verticle) modes and landscape (horizontal) modes. They are all great shots, but each presentation of the image offers a different feel or emotion to the portrait.

I have given you guys a few more things to think about for taking better photos. I was serious when I said that I would love to hear back from you guys to let me know if these tips are helping you. And if you want to share your photos with others just email me a copy and I will showcase them here on the blog. Have Fun!!

Week Three - Tip For Better Photos

I hope everyone is learning something from these weekly tips. I know that the last two week's tips were kind of boring, but they really are a necessary evil in taking better photos. For the next few weeks I will cover different aspects of photographic compisition. These range from the really obvious (but often over looked) tip to something that that takes a little more thought to remember.

Here we go, here are you first three compisition tips:

1) Change Your Vantage Point

One of the most effective ways to make your images more interesting to the eye is to change the angle that you’re shooting from. This is one place that you get to be darning. Take your photo from an unusual angle. Get down on the ground and look up, get on a chair and look down, etc. The point is, instead of doing the obvious, look at your subject from all sorts of views and find one that stands out. Change your position to emphasize or exaggerate how big or small your subject is. Crouch down and shoot up at someone and that person towers over you. Shoot down on your pet and it seems so comically small. You can also move your camera right or left only a few feet to change the composition dramatically.

This is a photo that my son Ian took.  This is a great example of taking a photo at a really unusual angle.  By getting down on the ground and looking up at the tulips, he has totally changed the way these flowers normally look.  They now look like giant flowers.  Also by chosing this angle, he has given these tulips a very beautiful background vs. the normal backgrouds of other flowers and grass.

2) Hold your camera at the subject's eye level.

This one is really important when photographing children and animals. There is always an exception to the rule, but generally speaking it looks better when you get down on their level with them.

3) Watch out for what is in the background.

Before taking that perfect shot, check to be sure there are no distracing clutter or objects sticking out of your subjects head (trees, plants, poles, ect.). A plain background or one that has been blurred to become very soft is much less distracting and will put more emphasis on the subject. You can see a great example of this in the two images below. Although the first portrait is very nice, there are the distracting trees in the background sticking out of the little guys head. In the second portrait, just by moving over a little bit I was able to make a HUGE differrence in the outcome by getting rid of the background distraction.

So now it is your time to try. Let's see what you can do. Shall I make a game of it? The first person to email me their photos (to post on the Blog as inspiration to others) using these three tips, as well as the tips from the last two weeks, will win a FREE MEMBERSHIP into our Club Indigo portrait program. This is a $250 value, with a life time of great discounts and even a few free sessions.

Good Luck and Happy Shooting!

Open House Tonight!

Just a quick reminder that we are having our Open House tonight. You are all invited, and your family, friends and children are welcome to come as well.

There will be some FABULOUS give a ways from us as well as a few from some of the wonderful business in downtown Greer.

Here is a list of what we will be giving away tonight:

*a free studio session (a $125 value)

*the "Alex" from our Indigo Collection ($660 value)

*a free membership to our Club Indigo (a $250 value)

*a 16x20 Framed Wall Portrait

*a 20x24 Gallery Wrap Wall Portrait

Also to celebrate today's Open House, we are offering our memberships into the Club Indigo Program for $200. That is a $50 savings, and it is only for today! For those of you that are unable to come celebrate with us tonight can take advantage of this special offer until 5pm tonight. Just give us a CALL to join.

I won't have time to check emails today, so if anyone needs directions or has any questions, you can reach us at the studio at 801-1131 or on my cell at 275-7979.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone tonight!

Tips For Better Photos: Week Two

First a little reminder, our Open House is this Friday and I hope that you can drop in and see us and the new studio. There will be some delicious hors d'oeuvres and wine, not to mention some fantastic give a ways! You won't want to miss out, so plan to stop by.

Okay, now on to the nitty gritty. So how many of you got your manuals out and read them? I doubt very many of you really did this, but I am telling you, this is one of the quickest and easieast ways to improve your photo skills. I realize that it is not on Opraha's Book Club list, but I promise it is well worth the effort.

Okay, so enough preaching. Time for Tip Number 2: How to Decide the Best Settings For Image Quality? There are many factors that can effect your image quality, but I am just going to talk about only one of them: Image Resolution. Nearly all digital cameras these days offer the user a choice in Resolution settings. For example the Canon PowerShot S5 has settings ranging from 640x480 pixels (smallest) to 3264x2448 pixels (largest), with many options in between.

So which do you want to pick? Well that will depend upon what you want to do with the photos, as well as how much in-camera and computer storage you have, not to mention the question of how important is image quality to you. Basically, the higher the resolution you choose, the better the image quality your photos will have and the more room it will take up in your camera's and computer's memory. Higher resolution also means you can print larger images with it as well as have the ability to crop an existing photo down smaller. Keep in mind that the more megapixels that your camera has, the more room it will require for storage space when using a larger resolution setting. Now if you are only wanting to take a few snapshots from your vacation and only want them in 4x6 size so that you can put them in your album, then you don't need a higher resolution. In this case, choosing a lower resolution will allow yo uto get more images on your digital media. But if you are planning a little family portrait in hopes of printing a nice 8x10 to give to Grandma for Mother's Day, then you will want to chose your camera's largest resolution setting.

Here are a few side by side examples of High and Low Resolution Images. When viewed full frame side by side, you can see the slight difference between the two. But when they are croppped in close, you can really see the difference.

So, now what do you do? Get out your manuals (for those of you that didn't already do it) and READ IT!!! Then take so photos in the various resolution settings, put them on your computer and see how different they will look. Especially if you are zooming and cropping in on them.

Tips For Better Photos : Week 1

Some of you may remember when I started these last year. There are several new subscribers to the Blog that have expressed interest in me resuming them again. So I thought that the best place to start would be back at the beginning. So here we go....

Week 1: Tips For Better Photos

Most everyone has a camera. And nearly everyone with a camera really enjoys taking photos. But let's face it, most of the images that are taken never come out the way we thought they would. There are few things that can be done to assure you that your photos will have a better than average chance of not ending up in the trash or being deleated from your computer.

Tip #1) This is a really easy one. Get intimate with your camera. Seriously, get to know your camera. Where are all the buttons? What do all of these buttons do? Find out what bells and whistles your camera has. You bought this camera for a reason, whether it was for the ease of a point and shoot or one with more manual features to allow you to be more creative. The best way to get to know your camera is to read your camera's manual! You will never know what your camera's is truely cabaple of if you don't read the manual. (well I guess you could, but it would be with alot of trial and error and alot of time) Don't get me wrong, you don't have to read the manual in order to just point and shoot. But you will never know how to use all the unique features that your camera has. Reading the manual will not only help you to enjoy using your camera more, it will also enable you to take better photos. When using a point and shoot camera, I have found that the automatic settings are not always the best choice. There are so many things that can confuse your camera's automatic settings and end up affecting your photos. Things such as backlighting, a subject that is moving and the different types of lighting that you may be in and don't even realize it because our eyes will automatically adjust accordingly to such lighting.

Now that you have at least glanced through you camera's manual, get your camera out and take some photos to see how your camera behaves in different situations. Take photos of something close up and then something far away. Take photos inside in low lighting (with and without a flash) and then outside in the sunshine as well as in the shade (again with and without a flash). Speaking of flashes, one of the first things you should know about your camera is how to turn your flash on AND off. Alot of cameras will automatically control the flash for you, but you may not need to use it at that time. This comes back to the fact that automatic settings may not always be the right or best choice! Now I hope that when you take these trial photos, you will try out at least some of the fancy bells and whistles that your camera came with. This is the time to learn how to use these settings. That way when you go to take the real important photos of the memories that you are trying to capture, you will be more familiar with both what your camera can do and what you can do with your camera. Have fun!

Don't forget to come back for next week for How To Take Better Photos~Tip #2: deciding the best Image Resolution to use for your photos. And if anyone has any questions or ideas of what they would like to learn that will help you take better photos, feel free to email me or comment back to this blog.

Also, I have had a few people email me to let me know that they are interested in a photo workshop. This would be an in person workshop to take place here in my studio and then later going around town to try out what you learn. I need some more people to be interested in this in order for me to do the workshop. So if you are interested or know someone that is or would be, please email me or comment back to the blog to let me know so that I can set up the date and time.

And last but not least... remember that next Friday, April 18th is our Open House here at the studio and you are all invited! There will be some fantastic Give Aways that you won't want to miss out on. So plan on coming by between 5 and 9, friends, family and kids are welcome as well.

Save The Date!

I hope to see all of you at our Open House. Some of the great prizes we are giving away are a Club Indigo Membership, a wall portrait and a portrait collection valued at over $600! If you have any questions or need directions just give us a call.