As you may or may not know, I specialize in children’s photography, which by no means I only photograph children. I photograph all types of portraits, including families. It’s always great to see the chemistry between family members & can make for really cool & interesting images. Mainly I prefer candid photography, but many times the family may want everything posed & controlled, so I accommodate them. The point is to make them happy & produce beautiful images. Below are a few families I had fun photographing. There are many more, but I didn’t want to bombard you with them all!
Family Photography
March 8th, 2010
Extra-Ordinary Shoot
February 28th, 2010Today I had a photo session with a rap group named Blackfire. They have a mix tape/CD coming out in March called “Extra-Ordinary” & they needed images for it. Normally I shoot children, couples, maternity & the like, so this was a bit out of my comfort zone. Then I started thinking…what they want is what my other clients want, portraits. Albeit their portraits may not be the typical ones, but so what, that’s part of the challenge. No matter what I shoot, my client has to be satisfied with the output.
At any rate, the session went great, aside from the cold wind that was blowing & making all of us tear up. We had a great time because they were open to trying different things to make the shot more interesting. They even had a few ideas of their own. In case you’re wondering, they perform positive, laid-back rap; nothing violent or offensive, which is what I really liked about them.
All I can say is that I felt privileged for them to select me out of all of the photographers in Atlanta to shoot the cover for their first release. And since their music & attitude are positive, I’m sure they will go far. Below are a few of the images we took today.
Winter Photograpy
February 22nd, 2010First off, winter is not my favorite time of year because I hate being cold. For me, it’s hard to take my time & be creative when I’m shivering. Plus, it’s difficult to keep the camera still if I’m shivering as well. Anyway, it snowed this February & I was determined to go out & get a few shots; fortunately for me it wasn’t that cold the day after the actual snow fell. So I ventured out with my family & below are some of the images I took. I hope you enjoy them.
Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14th, 2010Valentine’s Day. What do you think about when someone mentions Valentine’s Day? How does it make you feel? Do you think, “oh no, I have to get him/her something!” ? Or is it more like “another day to show him/her how much I love them.”? Maybe you feel dread, or is it excitement? Depending on your situation & whether or not you’re into commercialized “holidays”, there can be a myriad of answers.
By the way, is Valentine’s Day really a holiday? If it’s any type of holiday it’s a greeting card holiday, which is a holiday in name only. You still have to go to work (unless it’s on a Saturday/Sunday & you don’t normally work on Saturday/Sunday.) I think the sentiment is good, but many people feel pressured into doing something special for that special someone. Personally, I think that if you treat your significant other special throughout the year, then Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be such a big deal. Considering the hectic lives of everyone nowadays & the bad economy, there doesn’t leave much room for that type of behavior. Here’s a thought, even if you don’t have much money, or a job for that matter, you can still do something special whenever you feel like it without it being Valentine’s Day.
You’re probably asking “what is she talking about?” In my humble opinion, if you really love someone & are in love with them, then it won’t be hard to think of something. In fact, many people may do these things throughout the year & not realize it. Let’s say your significant other is tired one day & you do something for them like give the a massage, rub their feet. Maybe it’s their household chore to do the dishes, but you do it for them. It may not be flashy, but it is sweet, thoughtful & special. It’s not the deed or gift that you give, it’s where the idea for the deed or gift originated. Now isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is about? By the way, you can still buy a really nice card. People still enjoy those too.
Candid Children’s Photography
February 7th, 2010As you may have found out from my website, I am a portrait photographer. Not just a portrait photographer, but one who specializes in children’s photography. I’m not one for posing children, especially young children (1-3 yrs old), but sometimes that’s what’s parents want. There are some really nice shots of children posed, but I really like candids because they show more of the child’s personality. Besides, trying to pose really young children can be a bit daunting.
One of the tricks to getting a good candid shot of your child is to get down on their level. Yes, you can get nice shots standing above them, but they have to be framed well to really work. Whenever you stand over your subject, you make them look innocent. Not totally necessary when photographing kids, but it’s a thought.
Another trick is to watch your kids doing something they enjoy or that is interesting to them. Sometimes you can get the best shots when your kids aren’t even looking at you. If you want them to look at you, focus your camera & then call their name. Depending on how old they are, they may mug for the camera if you call their name & then focus. Also, close-ups are always endearing when done right. Just to clarify, zooming up a child’s nose is not cute.
Do you have kids that are just naturals in front of the camera? If so, take advantage of it! Some children just love to be in front of a camera & can be very creative. I’ve had shoots where the child(ren) would go from pose, to pose, to pose & all I had to do was stand there & shoot. It was so much fun (I’m all about fun) & it gave me quite a laugh. Children are fun to begin with, but when you pull out a camera, that’s when the real fun begins!
What makes a good photographer?
January 31st, 2010Many people have their own ideas what makes a good photographer. Some people say their technical skills behind the camera make them a good photographer. Some people say if they have “the eye”. Others may say if they have the passion for it. I say it’s all of these things, but mostly I think it’s the passion.
Yes, you do need technical knowledge & having “the eye” (another way of saying knowing how to compose an image in a very interesting, flattering or beautiful way), but without passion, it doesn’t seem to have much meaning. I have yet to meet a photographer who doesn’t have a passion for it. Some photographers get burned out, but end up coming back to photography with a renewed passion after shooting something that stirs them.
Technical knowledge, lighting, composition & even how to use your camera can be taught, but passion is something you experience after picking up the camera & making your first image. It’s something you feel every time you get a chance to shoot or even think about what you’re going to shoot next. I feel it anytime I think about shooting, while I’m shooting or when I talk about shooting. Photography….I just love it!
Other things I like to shoot
January 24th, 2010Ok, I guess if you didn’t know I was a photographer, you’d think that I was maybe a hunter. Well, I don’t like killing animals for “sport”, so that definitely isn’t the case. I only shoot things with my camera. For the most part, I shoot portraits of people, but every once in a while I like to shoot other subjects as well. Nature photography is a love of mine, as are landscapes. This type of photography is mainly for my pleasure, but I enjoy sharing it with others as well.
Last August I had my first & only art exhibit at the Brown Art Gallery in the Swilley Library of Mercer University. It was a great experience & I enjoyed having all of the guests viewing my art work & leaving comments. Not sure when I’ll have another exhibit somewhere, but I’ll try to keep you posted on that. Currently I have some pieces for sale at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/ayesha-lakes.html. There is a link to the site on my main website as well for those that are interested. Basically I just love photography. I always have & I’m sure I always will. As long as I can continue shooting, I will continue to share. I’ve included a few images, to hopefully whet your appetite to view more. If you have the time, tell me what you think.
Precious – Not the movie
January 18th, 2010What can be more precious than a newborn baby? I can’t think of anything. Perhaps I’m biased being a mother, but even so. Babies are naturally beautiful, inside & out. They love unconditionally. They are completely innocent. They are a blank slate, waiting to learn. I love photographing babies & children because they are always themselves. They don’t care whether or not they look cute or are posing the right way. They are simply the same no matter who’s watching. Well, about a week ago I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a 23-day old baby girl. If you have been keeping up with my blog, she is the daughter of the beautiful couple I created maternity images with in December. (Who says pregnancy can’t be sexy?)
We had a good time during the session. Optimally, she should have been sleep during the entire session, but when do babies ever do what you want them to? She was tired & kept fighting sleep, hence I have images with her yawning. There were periods when she was sleep, but that didn’t last nearly long enough. At any rate, we were able to get some really special images that I’d like to share with you now.
Anticipation
January 10th, 2010What would life be like without the anticipation of something new? Everyday I anticipate new clients, new shoots, new gear, more wonderful days with my family. I mean, what would keep you going if you had nothing to look forward to? With that said, I can totally understand why some people who seem to have everything are not happy. They have nothing to anticipate. Nothing to look forward to because everything they’ve ever wanted is in their possession. Or maybe it’s everything they ever thought they wanted. I think the things that are really worth while & priceless, aren’t things at all. Sure I’d be happy with a new camera & extra gear, but nothing makes me happier than watching my son grow, learn & mature everyday.
I said all of that to say this…anticipation is a part of life. It helps us move forward. Sometimes it can hold us back as well. The anticipation of repercussions from past misdeeds. The anticipation of losing a sick loved one. The anticipation of your worst fear. Anticipation goes both ways, as do many parts of life. We must embrace it & move forward. Fight through the negative anticipation to get to the positive. As I like to say, happiness is not a requirement, it is a choice.