THE ADVICE -

If I could give new photographers one piece of advice it would be....

Well, I am going to tell you, but first a little context.

I remember six years ago when I was teaching myself photography.  I practiced every single day with my camera.  When I got home from work, I would wander around the backyard taking photos of every random thing imaginable.  I would bug my family members to death about letting me practice by taking pictures of them. (My poor nieces and nephews!) When I wasn't taking pictures, my head was buried in my Kindle, reading every photography book I could get my hands on.  I would spend an hour or better editing one single photo until I thought it was perfect.  I was constantly learning new tricks and techniques.  It was such an exciting time for me!  Everything was finally starting to "click" for me and it felt amazing that I knew how to use my camera and knew how to use the editing tools available to me.

But I'm the type of person who, for lack of a better term, will beat a dead horse. For example, when I find a song that I like I will download it and listen to it on repeat until I am sick of it.  It's my one and only jam for a few days, then I'm done with it forever.  When I make a good joke, I will make it over & over again until it's not funny anymore (ask my husband about this one.)  I have a tendency to overdo things. And that's exactly what I did when it came to editing.

And that's where my advice comes in....

Don't overdo it.  Specifically, don't overdo it when it comes to editing your photos. Don't over-edit your photos, like I did. 

You see, I was SO excited that I knew how to use the tools that I overdid it.  I knew how to make colors "pop" and boy did I pop them.  The result was oversaturated images.  I knew how to sharpen details, like eyes, and I over-sharpened them.  The result was noticeably over-edited eyes and other details.  Looking back, it looks so unnatural.  I cringe looking back on my earlier images.  I was so excited that I knew how to use all of the editing tools, that I was overusing them. 

I knew how I could use them, but I didn't know how I should use them.

So to all the new photographers out there, 

I can give you plenty of tips and mistakes to avoid, but my biggest piece of advice is to edit in moderation.  Your future photographer self will thank you in a few years.

And here's just another little bit about editing that I'll give you (no extra charge) - in the beginning your editing may feel like it consists of fixing issues & fixing the lighting in your photos, but as you get better & better with your camera, you should begin to get your images right in-camera.  That is - your photo doesn't need "fixing."  Your photos will already look good and it's already a great base image to work with.  Then, your editing will be about enhancing an already beautiful image instead of fixing and doctoring an image until it's merely acceptable.  This takes time and lots of practice, but you'll get there if you keep trying!

THE ANNOUCEMENT -

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting my second group mentoring day on Saturday, January 13th! If me from six years ago sounds anything like you and you want to improve your skills, this class is for you!  This is for new photographers who have a DSLR camera but aren't using it to it's full potential.  We will cover all of the basics, including taking your camera off of the "auto" setting and shooting in manual mode.  We will have an informal classroom time in my living room, breakfast provided, where we will discuss the basics of photography in easy to understand terms, have a Q&A time, followed by hands-on shooting time with a model where you will practice what you learned, and finish with an introduction to editing in Lightroom.  If you are looking to start a photography business or simply want to take better pictures of your family... this class is for you!  Spots are limited, so please be sure to reserve your spot soon if interested!  Please see the link below for more information on this event and pricing info.

THE COUPON -

Register for this event before 12/29/17 and receive $50 off the registration fee!

For information or to register, please click the link below!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO OR TO REGISTER!