Indigo Skye Photography

Free Sessions Next Week!

A few post back, my "Better Half" blogged that he would be offering some free sessions in the near future Well, the time is here.  Dominique is working on coral pink colored seamless paper and is looking for a few models to try out some new techniques.  He will be accepting calls starting today for anyone interested in these sessions.  The sessions will be 30 minutes in length and there is no cost for you, nor is there any obligation to purchase the portraits.  However if you like them and wish to purchase the portraits they are available at the normal prices.  

Spaces are limited, there are 4 sessions available on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Call to schedule your free session today!  864-801-1131. 

I have to apologize, there won't be any tips for better photos posted this week.  It has been a very busy week and with me taking half the day off today to go to the parade and Ceilidh I just don't have time.  But come back next week, I am going to talk about ACTION and the different ways to photograph it.

One further announcement to make before I head out of hear.  If you haven't noticed yet, there is a new list on the left column titled "Monthly Special".  This is where you can find coupons for our monthly specials.  Just click on the list and then click on the small thumbnail photo to bring up the coupon.  This months coupon is for 50% OFF ANY WALL PORTRAIT.  So if you have been wanting that great portrait to hang on your wall, no is the time to take advantage of it.  And here is the extra bonus, even if you haven't had a session yet but you know that you are planning to have on this year, you can pre-pay for your wall portrait now at 50% OFF by using the coupon and have it for when yo are ready to order.  Now how cool is that?!  

Have a great weekend and stay cool in the sweltering heat that we are supposed to be getting.

Great Scot!

It is that time of year again!  The Greenville Scottish Games are back and I for one will be out there enjoying the sites and sounds this weekend.  The festivities start off Friday evening with the GREAT SCOT! PARADE in downtown Greenville.  I love watching the Clans come marching down Main Street dressed in all their different tartans.  And the pipe bands, there is nothing like the sound of the haunting bagpipes and drums playing, it just calls to my soul and brings goose bumps to my skin.  Then there are all the men in kilts!  Love men in kilts!!  (and yes it's a KILT!  If you wear anything under it then it is a skirt!!)  

After the parade you can find me at the Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-lee) enjoying the sounds of the Albannach who is starting off their American tour dates here in Greenville , SC.  Albannach is not just another Scottish 'Pipes & Drums' band, they bring a new and exciting form of music with them all the way from Scotland.  With a championship winning piper, an extremely talented main drummer, bass drummers and bodhran musicians, Albannach offers you a brand new approach to percussion and Celtic music. With a style of music that is exciting, energetic and enchanting, they promise to leave you begging for more. For a look at Albannach's performance from last years Ceilidh, click on this link and watch the video.

Saturday is the official game day, held at Furman University, with lots of fun and exciting things to do for the entire family.  Clans from all over the country are represented at the Games.   Stop by the Clan tents to visit with them and perhaps find your own clan connection. Each clan has associated with it a number of other family names, called “septs,” which will be displayed at each clan tent.  My Clan connection is Clan Donald, through my greatgrand mother Marie Gill.  Gill is one of the many "septs" of Clan Donald.   Be sure to get there in time for the Massed Pipe Bands as they come out marching together, playing Scotland the Brave.  It is something that is bound to touch your soul even if you have no Scottish heritage to speak of.  

There will be Heavy Athletics competitions, Highland Dancing competitions, the First Annual Border Collie Invitational Trials, Pipe Band Championships, as well as Solo Piper & Drummers competitions.  You will also find Celtic Mythology tales, Scottish Country Dancing, Harpists and Fiddlers, Long Bow and Axe Thrower demonstrators, and several bands including Albannach and Hunting McLeod.  And let's not forget Wee Sotland where all the lads and lassies can go and have fun being a Scots for the day!

I hope to see some of you at the parade and games.  If you see me out and about, stop me and say hi.

Welcome Baby Corley

And what a beautiful baby girl she is!  Congratulations to Heather and Matt, Corley's proud parents.  Heather and Matt brought Corley Ann in to see me for her very first portrait session.  

I will be seeing Corley and her parents several more times in the near future since they have enrolled in or Bellies Babies plan.  For more information on the Bellies & Babies plan and how you can join, contact us for more information.

DON'T FORGET, today at 1pm is our OFFICIAL OPEN HOUSE sponsored by the Greer Chamber of Commerce.  Be sure to stop by between 1pm and 3pm today for your free one hour studio session gift certificate.  Just mention this Blog to get yours.

Week Seven - Tips For Better Photos

Wow, I can't believe that the summer is right around the corner.  I hope that you all are learning a lot from these weekly tips, and better yet I hope that you are able to use what you have learned and put it into practice during your vacations this summer.  Just a heads up, at the end of summer I will running a contest on the Blog for those of you that are willing to enter your summer photos showing the tips you learned.  There will be several prizes to win for those that enter.  So get out there and start snapping away!

So this week I am going to focus on two common problems that can ruin your photos and what you can do to prevent them.  

Problem #1 - RED EYES: We all hate to see them, those demonic red eyes peering at you from that sweet little face of your blue eyed cutie pie!  Yep, the dreaded red eye!  So what causes those horrible red eyes?  Well Red Eye is actually a result of the light reflecting back from the retinas in our eyes.  It happens more commonly in low lighting situations where our pupils are dilated (enlarged and wide open) so there is more light entering into the eyes.  The more light entering into the eyes means the more light that will reflect off of the retinas.  It is also more common when using an on camera flash that is directly over the lens (point and shoot cameras) as opposed to a flash that is mounted on a camera bracket and held up higher that your camera.  So how can you prevent Red Eyes from happening?  Here are a few tips to help... 

1) use an flash bracket to mount an external flash on and get the flash up off your camera.  

2) if at all possible, make more light available in the photo.  For instance, if you are in a room turn on more lights.  This will cause the pupils to constrict (shrink and become smaller) therefore letting in less light to reflect off of the retinas.  

3) use your on camera "red eye reduction" setting to help prevent this from happening. The red eye reduction setting will send out a series of pre-flashes to constrict the pupils just before the photo is taken. Beware though, this doesn't work real well with quickly moving subjects, such as small children and animals.  Because they have usually moved out of the frame by the time your camera takes the actual photo! 

4) you can also move farther back from the subject.  By doing this you are reducing the amount of light that enters their pupils.  

5) one final trick is to have then look slightly up or down, this way any light reflected off the retinas won't bounce right back into the camera.

Problem #2 - BLURRED IMAGES: Don't you just hate it when you have taken that great photo and then got home and look at it only to realize that it was out of focus!  Now I am not referring to those photos where the wrong thing was in focus in the image, but the ones that have this overall softness to them that seems like nothing was in focus.  This SOFTNESS is normally caused by "Camera Shake". Camera Shake happens when the shutter speed is too slow and the act of pressing the shutter release button causes a slight movement of the camera.  So what do you do to fix this?  You have a few options, depending on what camera settings you have.

1) place your camera on a tripod and use a shutter release cable or camera timer to take the photo. 

2) if you have the ability, increase your camera's shutter speed.  Unless you are using a tripod and release cable or timer, you are naturally going to get blur for any shutter speed less that 125.  Some people are naturally more jittery than others, you know who you are...all you mega caffeine addicts, these people may even experience camera shake at a shutter speed of 125!

3) if you are using a zoom lens, the rule of thumb is to be at a shutter speed of at least equal to the focal length.  So let's say that your focal length when zooming in is 500, then you will need a shutter speed of at least 500 as well because your camera is less stable when zooming in like this.

4) increase your camera's ISO.  By increasing the ISO you are increasing how fast your camera reacts to light.  Just remember that an ISO over 200 on most digital cameras, not the high end digital SLRs, will result in a poorer quality of photo with a more pixelated image in the long run.

As always, I hope that you find these tips helpful.  I would love to do a weekly questions and answers with you guys.  If anyone has any questions or just need clarifications to some of the tips already posted, just email me and I will address each and everyone.  Who wants to go first?

Onto other things now...
This coming Monday, June 2nd from 1pm until 3pm, is our official Ribbon Cutting with the Greer Chamber of Commerce.  Yes, we have already had our Open House but we couldn't coordinate these two events together and we really wanted to do a Ribbon Cutting as well.  I realize that it isn't a great time of day and most of you will be at work, but as a THANK YOU for coming out we will be giving away a FREE one hour studio session to anyone who drops in for the ceremony and mentions this Blog.

Introductions From The Better Half

Hi everyone, I'm Dominique, Michelle's husband and the other half of Indigo Skye Photography.  Some of you may know me already and others don't.  Like Michelle I am also a photographer, but in the past have focused mainly on location portraits.  I am now in the process of learning the studio side of the business.  In the near future I will be trying new things in the studio and building up my portfolio.  During this time I will be offering a handful of FREE 30 minute sessions. Each one of these free sessions will be for a set look or backgrounds that I am currently working on.  In order to get your free session you will have to watch the blog often and reply back or call in during the time frame given.  As a thank you for helping me, I will give a free 8X10 of your choice from the portrait session.  There is no obligation to buy anything else, however if you like the portraits you can purchase any others at the regular prices. 

Week Six - Tips For Better Photos

Wow! What a hectic week last week was. I am sorry that I didn't have time to post the sixth installment of weekly photo tips. But I am back and ready with the next tip! 

This week I am going to go over White Balance with you guys. HUH? Yep, White Balance. It is one of those buttons or dials on your camera that you were suppose to read about from lesson one. Oh Yeah, I remember now...Tip #1~Read Your Manual!!! Well, now I am going to talk about one of those things that you were supposed to have read about way back when. But don't worry, if you didn't read about it then, you can read about it now. 

So what is White Balance? It's like this, different light sources produce different color temperatures, and your camera's White Balance controls will help your camera to adjust or compensate for these temperatures so that they don't cause any unwanted Color Cast to your photo. Color Cast is the measure of the hue that is emitted by a each source of light. Most cameras have several different pre-settings for you to use to adjust the White Balance in accordance to the type of lighting condition you are shooting in. For example, most will have a pre-set for sunlight, shade, tungsten light and fluorescent lights as well as one for Automatic White Balance. And if you are lucky, your camera will also have one for Custom White Balance. Basically, these settings should make anything white in the photo come out white and not grey, yellow, pink or blue. 

For the most part your camera's Automatic White Balance setting will work fairly well. HOWEVER, just like everything else you have recently learned about your camera, automatic settings are not always correct, nor are they always the best setting to use! For example, if you are taking a photo in an area with mixed light sources, then your camera will become very confused and the outcome will be a really weird color cast to your photos. How would you be in mixed light sources, you ask? Well, if you ever use a flash you are adding a second light source to the current light source you are already in. Or if you are taking a photo inside near a window with sunlight coming in and there is a light on in the room - well that would also be mixed lighting conditions that can lead to those pesky weird color cast. 

So how do you correct those unwanted color cast? You change your camera's White Balance to match the condition you are in. In theory, this is supposed to work. But I can tell you from experience, with the exception of Automatic White Balance (AWB) I have found that the pre-sets my camera has, doesn't do a hill of beans for color casts. So my advice to you is to go out and practice in all kinds of lighting conditions, even mixed lighting conditions, and in each one take a photo using each of your camera's pre-sets to see what the outcome is. This is the only way you are going to learn how YOUR camera behaves in each type of light. I think that I have said this before, all camera brands behave a little differently in different lighting conditions. Some are a little bit more on the blue side when dealing with whites, and others are a little more on the magenta side. If you are one who pays attention to details, you will have already noticed what I am referring to in your own photos. 

Red Teddy and I went around today to take some photos in order to give you guys several examples on how the different pre-sets can act in different lighting conditions. 

These first examples were taken in filtered / reflected sunlight (bright sun - but under an overhang with sun reflecting from buildings and sidewalk).

 

These next examples were taken in the shade.

  

These examples were taken in full sun.

 

And these last set of examples were taken inside with a small amount of sunlight coming in the window and a table lamp on.

  

In all of the example sets, you can see how each type of lighting changes the colors in the photos. This is Color Cast. And you can you can also see how each setting differers in each type of lighting. Sometimes there is a strong blue color (like with the tungsten pre-set) other times there is a very subtle blue cast that you may or may not notice. Then there are times when the colors look more yellow or more red. The one thing you can see is that while the camera's Automatic White Balance does a fair job, it doesn't always work well. About the only consistant way to get a near perfect (if not perfect) white balance is by doing a Custom White Balance, which you can see I have done in each senario. Most cameras have this feature as well. 

So how do you Custom White Balance? Each camera is different in how to do this. You need to READ YOUR MANUAL in order to figure out how to do this for your camera. But in a nutshell, you will turn on your custom white balance setting and take a close up photo of something solid white in the lighting condition you are currently in, then save it as a custom setting. So every time you change lighting situations, you need to reset your custome white balance. If anyone has any questions on any of these tips, feel free to contact me. 

Hava a great day. And happy shooting!

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 accidentally 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 around 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!