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WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW

Children’s Flower Calendars are big right now at Artistry Photography. The Holidays are behind us and even though I am sure we have many more weeks of cold weather, I for one am looking forward to spring, a new refreshing beginning, and FLOWERS. Don’t you just love flowers?

Your Calendar will be custom designed with your little one’s pictures, a different one for each month, starting with the month you choose, so you will have a full year of usage. Call me for your appointment and let’s get it started.  The only thing sweeter than the fragrance of God’s beautiful flowers is the sweetness of your little ones smiles.

Below are examples of Baby Abbi’s Photo Session.

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Changes

As you will notice, my website is undergoing some changes. I will be updating it everyday. Please be patient with me and check back to see the new and exciting changes that I am making. Thank you, Sueann

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Photo Restoration

Restoration

FLOOD DAMAGE BEFORE RESTORATION

AFTER RESTORATION

Many of us have been very blessed with pictures that have been handed down to us, priceless heirlooms, of the people we love or the times we remember as children.  Often these pictures have been tossed into boxes, or dresser drawers and not stored properly.  The old photo albums with the sticky glued pages are a photo’s greatest enemy.  Often

pictures have been displayed on walls in the direct sunlight and have faded and cracked with time.

The photo that I have used as an example on the left was in a flood and suffered extensive damage.  It was an original painting that had the painted surface pulled off and the entire picture was molded.  I took the picture and scanned it into the computer,repaired it and had it printed on canvas with a painted brush texture.  Restoring the photo in this fashion not only saved my client a great deal of money, but also gave her back her precious memories in a new picture that will last for many more lifetimes.
Many of my clients are opting to have me restore and print their family heirlooms into a Hard Back Book that can be ordered for each child in the family.  It can be personalized with family history.

What a wonderful gift to pass down to future generations so that the family heritage will not be forgotten with the passing of years.  Please email me with any questions that you have.  I will

be glad to give you a personal price quote based on your individual photography needs.

All you need is a CD of your photos.  I will be glad to restore each one individually for framing or print them in a beautiful book, customized just for you.

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Showcase Photo-03 April 2011

YOU CAN DO IT!

I was driving one day out in the country in Arkansas, on my way to my friend’s  house.  Of course, you never leave home without your full photography gear…or you shouldn’t anyway!   If you should do it once, you will learn not to do it again, because for sure that will be the day that you see the most awesome shot.  It may be a flock of turkey, a beautiful eagle, or a massive hawk, keeping his eye out for dinner.  Now on this day, it was a herd of deer, feeding in the field, close to the road.  I immediately pulled my car to the side of the road, grabbed my canon and starting firing shots, completely forgetting that my friend was waiting on me.  That is one of the disadvantages of having a photographer for a friend.  We are always late. To keep from being late…I would, in fact, have to drive down the road with my eyes closed, and how safe would that be?? If my eyes are open, I will always see something to take a picture of.  But what makes that picture different from all of the other pictures that are out there? Pictures that, though beautiful, are Photoshopped to the point of not having one touch of the photographer’s talent, or skill, left in them?
I watched this herd of deer, seeing every deer gracefully jump over the fence, one at a time. The entire time, this little one was pacing back and forth, trying to find a way to get over a fence, that no doubt looked hopeless.  Finally, after every deer had gone over the fence, the little one made the leap.  What makes this picture different is the ANGLE that I shot the picture.   All the other deer, I shot from the side angle, as you will often see.  This one I shot straight on and tilted up.  In doing this, I was able to capture how much effort it took for this young deer to make the jump.  He even had to twist his body slightly to keep from catching the top barbwire.  If I would have shot this from the side as I did the other ones, I would never have captured the feeling of what was happening at the time.  He was terrified, but determined.  Sound a little like our lives sometimes??
When you are out there shooting, don’t be afraid to try something different.  Experiment…always.  If it’s a shot you feel you can’t afford to miss, fire a quick traditional one, then EXPERIMENT!!  So many photographers today are relying on their computers to make their pictures look stunning, and with all the software out there, you truly can do that…but really what makes your picture different??  Feeling?  Focus?  Artistic flare?   Train your eye to see something different when you are shooting.  I often say when showing my pictures,  “This is a photographer’s picture.”   I simply mean, someone who is truly into photography and not computer graphics design, no matter how weird that picture may be, they will appreciate it for its originality.  So what is your next picture going to look like??  I bet it will be truly AWESOME!
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Showcase Photo – 22 Jan 2011

Click Here to Purchase this Photo in the Birds and Fowl Category

I have, over the last few years, searched out every bald eagle that I can find.  Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get a chance to get this shot.  Look at his expression.  He is so intense, searching out what he wants.  No doubt, he is determined, as his eyes express to us.   I love the Bald Eagle for so many reasons.  They are totally loyal to each other as mates and mate for life.  When the mother is setting on the nest, the daddy will fly in to take her place so she can have a break.  When you watch her, you will know that the mate is flying in long before you see him.  She will slowly lift her head and turn her eyes in his direction, in anticipation.

I love the intensity in the eyes, such boldness and determination.   There is so much power and strength in their large wings.   I feel that I can learn so much from the eagle.  I can learn determination, patience, and the ability to watch for an opportunity.  When the opportunity arises, I can be ready.  I can have the strength to take it.

I shot this picture from my car window, about eight miles from my home.  Of course, I killed my engine to get a good shot.  The slightest vibration of your engine, can ruin a shot like this one.   He was sitting in the top of a tree.  The wind was blowing through his feathers.  The sun was bright and I had to make sure I was focusing on the eagle, not letting the camera lens do the focusing for me.  Many times, you will get a picture back that you felt was a perfect shot, only to find that your main subject was too dark to see, but the sky was beautiful.  You made the mistake of letting the camera focus for you and it picked up what was the brightest, or even sometimes, what was closer to the camera.  Always take the time to slow down and focus on the subject that you are wanting to capture.  I know this may be hard when there is a majestic Bald Eagle sitting there is a tree just waiting for you to capture it.  At anytime, it could fly away…but remember if your shot is dark or blurry, what have you really captured to share with others?  Isn’t that what it’s really about…sharing with others?

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Showcase Photo – 17 Jan 2011

Click Here to Purchase in the Waterfalls Category

Thank you to everyone who has purchased my Nature and Wildlife Photography. Many of you have asked how you can see more of it. I have lots and lots of new great stuff under my PHOTO ART FOR SALE category.  Be sure to check it out.  I have lowered some of my prices to help out in these rough times.  There is absolutely no reason why your home or office shouldn’t be decorated with beautiful sunrises, sunsets, peaceful lakes and streams, or rushing waterfalls.

I shot this picture with a slow shutter speed so I could capture the misty effect. This is at Lost Valley, in Ponca, Arkansas after a huge rain in the fall. This waterfall is a triple falls.  I used my wide angle lens to be able to get the height.

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Check out our other business…Music

As some of you know, we have two businesses. Check out our website www.jonesrecordingstudio.com

 

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Marty Stuart – Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions – Release

Marty Stuart
Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions
Release date: August 24, 2010

(Nashville, Tenn.–May 11, 2010) GRAMMY-winner and American music icon Marty Stuart is set to release a traditional country album GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS on August 24, 2010. With his 14th studio album, Stuart steadily continues to lead the charge in preserving the roots, culture and history of traditional country music.

Check out Marty’s Website

“What inspires me now, is traditional country music,” says Stuart. “It’s the music I most cherish, the culture in which I was raised. It’s the bedrock upon which the empire of country music is built, the empowering force that provides this genre with lasting credibility. It’s beyond trends and it’s timeless. With all that being said, I found traditional country music to be on the verge of extinction. It’s too precious to let slip away. I wanted to attempt to write a new chapter.” Continue reading

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Spring is in the Air…Go Capture A Waterfall

I woke up this morning and I was so excited to see the beautiful sunshine coming through my windows. It looked like it would be nice and warm outside….and amazingly enough, when I stepped out the door onto my front porch, I was not disappointed. It is an absolutely amazing day. The birds are singing, and there is no wind. Spring!!! Ahhh! I love it.

From a photographer’s prospective, this is the perfect time to take a hike to those waterfalls that you have been wanting to see and practice your skills at capturing the beauty. It is not too hot to hike, there are no ticks or chiggers to deal with and even though you may not have the benefit of the green leaves for background, you also will not have to try to shoot that half hidden waterfall through the leaves.

When you look at your waterfall, you will want to be able to capture it in different ways. You will want to capture the fast running down flow with the little water drops and sprays and also the slow misty look that is so beautiful. To do this, the novice will need a little help with that. To capture that fast moving down pour in it’s most natural state, you will need to set your camera to manual setting. The key is to keep your shutter speed set fairly high in the 400 range to stop the movement of the water. The challenge is to stop the water movement while keeping enough light to have a good picture. The faster your shutter speed the less time the light will have to get through your lens. If you have a 2.8 aperture lens, that’s awesome. Take advantage of it. If not, try to set your aperture to the lowest setting you can, adjusting your shutter speed and your aperture until you get a setting that will produce the results you are looking for. Remember, the lower the aperture, the more light you will have. I very rarely shot with anything above 5.6, which is normal range of most of your average lenses. one thing you will have to watch and be careful of, is keeping the shot looking natural with no underexposure or over exposure. You do not want your picture to be too dark, or have blue tones.

On the other hand to slow the flow of the waterfall down and accomplish that dewy, misty, etheral look, you will want to slow your exposure. Remember when you do this you will have light coming into your lens for a longer amount of time. You will have to come to that balance between the shutter speed and the aperture to have the final results that you want. It is not enough to just adjust those settings until the line is in the center of your range.

Try a few sittings, starting at a 200 shutter speed and working down to your lower numbers, adjusting your aperture as you go. Focus on the same shot each time, so you can see the difference in each shot. Everything affects this, from the sunshine, to the shadows, to the time of day. Don’t foget to use a tripod. The slower the shutter speed, the more time you will have to make that small movement of the hand that will blur the picture. There is nothing worse than getting home, after a long day of shooting, only to find that when you load that stunning picture that you thought you captured into the computer, you find it is out of focus and blurry from a slight move of the hand because you got excited and thought you were good enough to shoot without a tripod. USE A TRIPOD.

Okay enough about the tripod. Now go out with blessings and have a wonderful day in the woods. Don’t forget safety. Make sure you take someone with you or at least make sure you tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

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