New Year...:)

2011 is coming to an end! Enjoy the weekend, and be safe.

2012 will be a lot of fun for JMAC Portraits. Book soon, and if you refer anyone...weddings, senior portraits, kids and family, newborns...you get your free session like always! Keep those referrals coming, I love them!

I already have one wedding booked! And one more potential in the works. If you or anyone you know got engaged over the Holiday, have them email me asap! (And mention your name...) You will get a free session, and they will get complimentary engagement portraits with their booking!

What is your resolution this year? (Hopefully it is to get family photos done every 3 months...:)

Help get the word out, and will be back soon with new tips for the new year!!!

Changes...Changes...Changes!!!

All the changes of JMAC are chugging along at a nice pace!


I am so excited to announce a new addition!
Kelly Lombardo will be acting as Sales Manager and Consultant for JMAC! She will be booking and scheduling all Senior Portrat Sessions, as well as coordinating orders, and accompanying me on wedding shoots! (Yes, JMAC now offers two trained photographers at your wedding...)


Now on to something else cool...CUSTOM DESIGN. Yes, we now offer custom design services. And printing services. We make it easy to get great portraits, awesome design services, and custom invitation/announcements in your hands in a 2 week time frame. JMAC is accepting paypal, credit card, and checks, and opened up an Etsy storefront to make template selection easy. You don't have to be a portrait client to use our design service, and don't even have to order prints, you can just purchase the design, or get the design and a box of invitations, or just the invitations...its very flexible, customize-able, and not to mention easy and fast. When you have a second check out the website updates, etsy store, and find us on pinterest. Lots of fun things! :)


2012 should be a busy, and fun year!!! I cant wait!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/JMACPORTRAITS

www.jmacportraits.com

Custom Design Sample: 

Tips for Twinkle Lights!

Yes, this blog is a little bit late. But not too late, since most have just started to decorate for the holidays!


There is still time to book a session with JMAC to get your holiday photos done in time for presents, cards, and calendars...so email me today! :) 


Today's tips are all about the tricky shooting when twinkle lights are involved. I love glitter, sparkles and twinkle lights. I would keep them up all year if I could...so I usually take plenty of photos of the lights, the tree, and the kids around the tree. If you have ever attempted a photo infront of the tree, when it is dark out, and the lights are sparkleing you may have had the following things go wrong...1. The flash fires making the whole photo blown out and the lights dull. 2. You switch the flash off and then notice tons of noise in the photo 3. You turn the flash off and everything is blurry, and what is not blurry is dark.


Here are some tips, and tricks of what to expect and how to make those holiday tree photos work! 


1. NO FLASH, NO FLASH, and finally, NO FLASH. I love natural light in portraits, I avoid flashes, fill flashes and artificial light whenever I can. A flash ruins a tree photo. Take a look at this photo: you can barley see the lights, or the decorations because of the flash:

2. Get a tripod. Even a cheap one...it does not have to be expensive to work! :) When the flash is off, a tripod allows you to keep the camera steady and avoid operator error reducing blur. To capture the beauty of the lights and tree we will need to increase our shutter speed to slower than 1/60, which is usually where I draw the line at feeling comfortable holding the camera steady by myself. Here is an example of why you need a tripod...look at the before and after:

Before:

After with tripod:

3. Play with the shutter speed...find one that gives you the look and feel you want in the photo. If you have a shutter speed that is too long it will look too bright and lose the feel of a tree lit up at night, if it is too short it will seem dim. Most digital cameras have an option to control the exposure time in the menu, they do not have to be a dslr.

Long shutter speed:

4. If there are kids in your shot, you may have to use a flash. Telling a toddler to stay SUPER still for 2.5 seconds sometimes does not work. If you are using a fill flash or a regular flash bringing the model a little bit away from the twinkle lights so the flash does not wash out the lights as much works well. 

5. Finally ... CLOSE UPS OF THE LIGHTS ARE BEAUTIFUL! Try some shots that do not include the whole tree or lights, focus on a favorite ornament or color.

Happy Holidays! Take lots of photos!

Christmas Pets!

Another week of photography shoots has past! This week brought something very cool, my first "Pet" Shoot, indoors, with my portable studio!


We had an interesting time, everything ranging from scared puppies, to hissing Siamese cats were all a part of the shoot! I love animals, and knew that treats and patience would be a must for this shoot. (I also had to use creativity in the shots instead of expectations and work with what we got!) 


Here are some behind the scenes photos as well as some of the finished results:

Ashley did not want to stay far away from us....the studio scared her at first.

 I thought it would be cute to have the kitty sitting with the doggie...they did not agree

Treats were a must...

Patience also another must, this kitty was not in the holiday spirit! :)

 All in all the shots ended up adorable! Treats, patience, and a go with it approach gave some awesome results!

Holiday Mini Sessions and Tips!

Yes! It is time for Holiday Mini Sessions at JMAC. The next few weeks may feel early in the season, but it allows enough time for Holiday Cards to be printed and mailed! 


I have already started booking sessions (even a mini session that will include 2 cats and a dog, so don't forget pets are welcome as well, after all they are a part of the family!)


I always love outdoor photos, but offering the indoor studio this year makes for some great portraits for the Mini Sessions as well!


Time for some Holiday Portrait Tips!


When thinking about ideas for your portraits keep in mind...


1. Sometimes less is more...having too many props may take focus away from the person and feel busy, sometimes just focus on one prop and you may find the simpler the better.

2. Be aware of the color in the shot, and use it to your advantage. Zooming in on certain props or items to use them for their color can make a very festive photo.

3. Try a close up on the face, while still including part of the props. Sometimes this will add interest, keep the festive feel, and give you that "wow" shot you are looking to hang on the wall.

4. Sometimes the candid shots are the best...take a few extra shots of exploring moments, these are the real moments we sometimes miss when taking Holiday pictures.

5. Experiment with frames and clip art, this season is all about fun, so adding silly fun elements is ok here!

So...book your Mini Holiday Session now! There is only a few weeks left to get everything ready... :) And don't forget to have fun taking pictures the next few months! Next week's tips blog..."Low Lighting Solutions for the Holidays ~ how to make your Twinkle lights sparkle." :) 

Announcements

Alright, here are a list of announcements as promised!

A lot has changed with JMAC Portraits over the past year. What started as an idea, and part-time hobby type business has grown into what I am focusing on full time! The past few weeks I have been making updates and changes to my website, as well as creating a FB page for JMAC instead of a traditional profile. (This change is why I have been asking for friends to "like" the new page, the old one had a lot of friends and followers and now that it is a page I had to start from scratch...)

I have updated my pricing, check the "contact jmac" tab on the website to see the full list of what I am offering and price breakdowns. I will be KEEPING the referral program! I love referrals so keep them coming to get a free "mini" session!

Also some exciting news...Jan 29th at the Aladdin Shrine Center will be my first Bridal Expo...so if you are a bride, know a bride, or will be one soon stop by and see me! I will be running special event pricing, as well as a raffle (the winner will receive their wedding photography package FREE). 

My holiday special is running...so make sure to book your mini session to get ready for Christmas/Holiday Cards!!!

And finally...its getting cold outside...and this year JMAC offers indoor studio-style portraits! This is a great option for newborns, and I have plenty of props to bring along to your session!

Enjoy the last few days of beautiful fall weather...today was 65 out. :) 

A few Halloween Photo Tips...

The Halloween festivities have started here! For my son Jack, this is by far his favirote holiday. He plans his costume all year long, decorates for Halloween starting in August, and dresses up about every day the week before. I wanted to make sure to get some good photos of his costume...and this year he is a "Ghost Pirate"...dun dun dun... he picked it out all himself, making his pirate daddy so proud! Keep reading to find some tips for taking photos of your little monsters this year...

Tip 1: Try a new angle... shooting children from below always adds a cool look and feel to the photo. Many pictures of our kids are from the top (because we are taller than them) so switching the usual angle makes for a great change!

Tip 2: Halloween looks better in sepia...try out some cool effects. If you don't have photoshop google "free photo editing software" and choose from a number of free downloads that have simple effects such as black and white, or sepia changes. It adds a nice feel to 

some spooky photos...

Tip 3: Take candid shots this Halloween of your little one playing in their costume or trick or treating...they do not always have to be looking at the camera and smiling to get an interesting portrait, capturing candid moments make great scrapbook additions!

Tip 4: Make sure the background is clear of extraneous material. Even though the neighbors children are cute as well, wait for a moment that the background is "empty" so the portrait can focus on your child. Also make sure no trees or furniture are directly behind anyone's head...

Tip 5: Last but not least...HAVE FUN, this is an awesome holiday! Take shots of trick or treat, candy, cookie making, and dressing up. The entire holiday has tons of portrait opportunities!

Fall is beautiful...

Good morning! This may be one of the last red, orange, and sunny weekends of 2011. Get outside and take in the beautiful sights of fall. I took this photos this morning walking with Jack (while dressed in his "Pirate/zombie/ghost" costume). 

OFFICIAL BLOG

Welcome to JMAC Portraits official blog!

This is where you will find latest news and events relating to JMAC as well as weekly tips and tricks to make your everyday photography look professional!

Check back soon...as I update my website (gather images and optimize them for web viewing) and finalize everything I will be posting! There is a lot of events and news to be discussed soon with JMAC...! :)