My first roll of film. Shot less purposefully because I couldn’t wait to see how they would turn out. Film is not for the impatient.
Film: Portra 400
Rated: 200
Lab: Walgreens local
And just because I couldn’t resist converting this one to black and white:
Tuesdays have been my favorite during the past year. I’ve been inspired and have learned something new from each and every person I’ve featured on my 20 on Tuesdays. It has been my way of giving back to those individuals that have helped me along in my journey in photography as well as passing the inspiration on to all who have come across my little blog. I’m honored to have been able to feature Wedding photographers, lifestyle photographers, newborn photographers, food photographers, pet photographers, child photographers, sports photographers, and even my favorite weekly photography show. Thank you to everyone who so graciously answered my questions and provided beautiful images for us all to enjoy. I know the questions took time to contemplate and to answer and the images to cull and organize and send. So thank you.
I’ve been contemplating this feature over the last few months and have come to some decisions about the direction my business as well as my blog will be going. As much as I’ve enjoyed 20 on Tuesdays, they do take me quite a few hours to put together each time and I seem to be running out of hours in the day these past few months. I have decided that today’s feature will be the final 20 on Tuesday for me. You can read interviews from amazing individuals in the photography industry on other blogs, including Bloom, and I look forward to our upcoming features.
It’s because I’ve loved meeting and being inspired by other photographers through this avenue that I’ve decided to launch a new journey beginning in September. You will continue to see fellow photographers but in a more personal and meaningful way. I’m SO excited about this project and about my first feature that I almost want to a announce it today! ….. Almost……. Stay tuned here and on Facebook in September for my first post.
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Film is making a comeback. I’m sure you already know that. I started with film years ago. I never fell in love with film. When digital appeared I fell in love with digital and that’s where I’ve been for the last five years. When I began following film photographers this past year I was intrigued. I was curious. I was interested. But I didn’t fall in love.
Until this session was posted by Abbie McFarland in the Bloom Forum. And finally I fell in love. And I bought a film camera soon after. And am now intrigued, curious, interested, and in LOVE with film when it’s done well. And that’s the part that I’m working at. Shooting film well. It’s my newest passion. Abbie shoots film phenomenally well! That’s why I thought it fitting that I feature Abbie today as my final 20 on Tuesday post. Because she is the one that inspired me to fall in love with film. And isn’t that what these interviews started as? Inspiration.
All the way from DFW, Texas, meet Abbie!
Hi, Abbie!
Tell us a little about Abbie McFarland
When and how did your photography journey begin?
I know you recently switched from digital to film. Tell us how you made that decision.
What has changed since the switch?
Do clients know the difference between digital and film? Do they seek you out specifically because you shoot film?
What’s in your camera bag?
Talk to us about film. What are your favorite types of film and why?
How did you learn film? Books, workshops, classes?
Talk about the difference in post processing with film vs. digital.
seriously, I haven’t been doing a darn thing to my film images, other than a very occasional s-curve or color balance. It’s liberating to not sit at the computer for hours on end.
What does your ideal session look like?
If time and money were no object, what project would you love to tackle?
What quote best represents you right now?
Like so many other photographers that I know, my journey into photography began with a desire to capture my family in a real and beautiful way. I wanted more than my, then, run-of-the-mill snapshots. I longed for pictures of my kids that were worthy of the coveted space above the fireplace. I wanted my house to be plastered with the connections between my children and my husband and I. And I wanted to be able to provide those images myself.
So I delved into the art of photography with both feet, as well as both my arms, my neck, my entire body. I took workshops, I spent hours poring over books at Barnes and Noble, I read online forums wee into the night. I pointed that camera at my kids until all I could get from them was a big fat hand telling me they had had enough.
And then I started my business. And it took off. And I was busy. So busy. Taking pictures of families, and seniors, and babies, and kids. Other peoples’ kids. Lots of pictures of other peoples’ kids. My clients’ walls are filled with beautiful pictures of their families and their kids.
And my walls are still empty.
That vision that jump started my journey into photography is still a vision. It has yet to be fulfilled. Like so many of my fellow photographers, my vision is still there, waiting for me to take the time to make it a reality. . Too often we are so busy working for clients that we miss capturing our own families as life passes by.
So I’ve decided that now is that time.
I’ve been lucky to have met so many incredibly talented and wonderful photographers during this journey who share the same desire to capture their own families in a real and beautiful way. I’m teaming up with eleven of these women on a very personal and meaningful project called, “What ________ Looks Like.”
Our goal is to capture our own families in a real and beautiful way. Some people call it “lifestyle”, some call it “real life”, some call it “unposed”. No matter what you call it, our desire is to snatch the moments that represent the relationships, the dynamics, the reality, the beauty, the truth, and the life of our families and record them here on our blogs as well as in print at the end of the project.
Each month we will each choose to fill in the blank with our word of choice. Some of us may choose to use the same word all year and some may choose to change it up each month. We will each link to the next photographer until our circle is complete.
We hope this project inspires you to take more pictures of your own families so that those moments that make your family unique will never be lost or forgotten.
This month I decided to do my best to capture the morning of the first day of school 2011. A typical, run-of-the-mill, ordinary school morning is hectic as can be. Add to that, first day of a new school year complete with school jitters, the anxiety of a new elementary school for my two littlest, and me hauling my camera all over the house, and I’m shocked that I was able to capture what I did of our morning craziness. But it’s all real and honest and us. Four kids, a mom, a dad, and a camera.
Enjoy.
Now head on over to see what Jennifer Nguyen | Snails and Pigtails Photography | Temecula, CA Photographer posted this month!
This year I’ve teamed up with 19 fabulously talented photographers in a project called Fifty-Two Fridays. Each week we have a theme and our challenge is to post an image that best represents that theme. We are more than half-way through the year and I continue to be inspired and pushed creatively by my fellow photographers.
This week’s theme:
According to Ken Rockwell, Bokeh describes the appearance, or “feel,” of out-of-focus areas. Bokeh is not how far something is out-of-focus, bokeh is the character of whatever blur is there.
I rented two lenses this week for my Rock-the-dress session I did with Kelli and Mark. I’ve had both the Nikon 85mm 1.4 and the Nikon 14-24mm 2.5 in my hot little hands for the past few days. I’m not sure I’ll be able to send them back tomorrow! Since I had them this week I thought it would be fun to use the 85 to capture some beautiful bokeh. Doesn’t Murphy’s Law state that whenever you try to do something, it never works out and when you aren’t trying, that’s when it happens? Well, that’s kind of what happened to me this week. While I wanted to shoot someone close up with the background far away to create creamy bokeh, my youngest was wielding his light saber so dramatically that I used up all that was left of the golden hour, shooting his imaginary battle with The Sith Lord. And while this isn’t exactly what I had in mind, I did manage to get some house and tree bokeh in these.
Now head on over to my sweet friend Jolie Starrett – Dallas Photographer to see her bokeh goodness this week!
Are you ready for fall yet?
I know. I know. It’s only August and if you’re anything like me, it’s shocking to already see Halloween costumes lining the aisles of Target. But believe it or not, it’s not too early to start planning your holiday pictures! The leaves will be changing before you know it.
I’ve had several inquiries for fall family sessions requesting just a handful of images for cards, so I decided to hold holiday mini sessions this year. Mini sessions are a great way to experience custom photography, and an easy way to update the family photo for holiday cards & gifts!
There are only 12 spots available, so if you’re interested, contact me soon!
*Due to time constraints, mini-sessions are not available for newborn sessions or groups larger then 6. For groups larger than 6, please book back to back sessions.
*To hold your spot for either date email wendy@wendyvonsosen.com.
*The mini-session fee of $250 | $350 is required to hold your spot.
*Sessions will be booked in order of payment received.
*Each mini session will be presented with a gallery of 10 images to choose from.
*The CD of all images from your session will be available at a special rate.
*All prices are subject to California Sales Tax.
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