Photography Self-Challenge

Anyone who knows me will probably tell you I’m passionate about photography. Anytime there is an event worth remembering, I’ll probably be found with my camera in hand. I’m often begging people to let me take their picture. Everyday, I peruse tons of blogs to learn new techniques, poses and tips. Yup, I’m obsessed.

While I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve done photography, there is still something I’ve yet to do — shoot completely in manual mode. I dabbled with it in my photography class this past year, but hadn’t learned it well enough to be confident with it. I’ve been shooting in shutter- or aperture-priority modes for ages now. I’ve wanted to go manual for quite some time, but never quite found the right opportunity to practice it; I’ve been too afraid to do it one an actual photo shoot. But this past Sunday at our church picnic, I challened myself to shoot completely manual. There was no pressure, so I could play around with it and not worry about not capturing certain shots. And I have to say, I love it! You have so much more control over how your images turn out. Not sure I’ll ever go back now! (All of these images are straight out of the camera; no Photoshopping at all)

Here are some pictures of my hubby Tyler at the picnic this past Sunday. Isn’t he cute?

Tyler

 

Tyler shooting skeet

 

Tyler cooling off by the fan

Here are a couple pictures of Elana that I captured that day, too.

Elana on the trampoline

I love the way the sunlight looks in this one, as well as how the fast shutter speed captured the little grains of sand. The lower the ISO, the better color saturation you get in your pictures (thank you, Me Ra Koh!). The faster your shutter speed, the more it freezes the motion.

Elana in the sandbox

Here’s another one that I like because of the splattering of the egg. I made it a little bigger so you could see the goop…

Yolky mess

You can see more of this fun picnic on my church’s blog.

So what challenge are you really wanting to take on but are too afraid to try? I’d encourage you to get out there and try, try and try again. The worst you could do is fail, but every failure is a learning experience. Which means, really, you actually succeed!

 

Causey Family: Sneak Peek

Last weekend, I went with the Causey family to the Newburgh Lock and Dam to take some fun family photos. It was a hot, hot evening, but we got a lot of really fun shots. Because I wanted to snap a few more group photos of the three, they took me up on my begging to go to downtown Newburgh after church on Sunday to grab a few more. I’m so glad that they were okay with it, because we got one of my very favorite shots. Amy says the image below pretty much sums up her life with two kids. I think a lot of parents can relate.

Without further ado, meet the Causeys: Alyssa, Amy and Grant. Thanks so much, you guys, for putting up with me and having so much fun in front of my camera. You guys are awesome!

Causey family photo shoot by Nicole Neff Photography

(Image straight out of camera, no photoshopping)

 

Having a wedding in 2008? Still need a photographer?

Then you’re in luck! Since I’m dying to do a wedding — and SOON — I’m lowering my price to $550 to two lucky couples who will walk down the aisle to say “I do” before the year 2009. That’s half off my lowest package! Here’s what you get:

• Photography by me, unlimited hours
• Images professionally edited
• A CD of the best color-corrected images (at least 200) with a copyright release
• Highlights from your big day featured on my blog
• Online proofing if you would like to order high-quality photos from me

If you’re interested, go to my web site, fill out the contact page and mention this deal in the comments section. And don’t forget to tell all of your friends and family who may want to take advantage of this awesome opportunity!

 

Fun Ringtone for Photographers

Hey, photogs! I just downloaded a really fun ringtone from Sprint. It’s Swizz Beats’ “Take a Picture.” I’d heard this song months ago and just recvently remembered it. I’ve been wanting a new ringtone for a couple of weeks, and this one is perfect for where I’m at in my life right now. I have my photography business on the mind 24/7, it seems.

I think your ringtone can say a lot about you. I’m usually surprised by what ringtone a person chooses…sometimes it can be pretty humorous!

What is your ringtone, and what does it say about you?

And because I always try to include a picture in my posts, here’s a picture I took last week. I loved all of the hay bales in this field. I couldn’t pass it up!

Baled Hay

 

Lost Orders

If any of you tried to order something from my web site, there was a glitch and I would not have received notification of it. I discovered this yesterday when I placed a fake order to test the system and did not receive an email confirming the order. It is up and running smoothly now, so you should be good to go. I apologize for the problem, but thank you for your patience!

And don’t forget that if you want to order any of my artwork, simply type the word “public” in the proofing area to see what images are available. Have a Happy 4th of July!

 

Happy Birthday, Lola!

Today is our dog Lola’s 3rd birthday! I know, I know, you’re shaking your head thinking I’m nuts to celebrate my dog’s birthday. Maybe you’re right. But Lola is family to me. She’s always happy to see me and loves unconditionally. She’s the lap dog I’ve always wanted, but still playful enough to have fun with.

After work yesterday, I stopped at Give a Dog a Bone in Evansville and bought Lola a doggy birthday cake. Last year, I forgot her birthday until the 4th, so I made sure to get her birthday treat early this time. This thing is about as big as she is, so we only gave her a little of it this morning. She also had her birthday banana (she literally goes nuts over bananas…even say the word and she starts spinning in circles because she’s so excited). Tonight we might even take her on a little car ride so she can stick her head out the window as we’re driving…she loves that, too.

She also got a bath last night so she could look her best for her big birthday. She looks so funny all wet – all 7 pounds of her – but I still love her like crazy. Especially when she does that head tilt thing.

 

That Announcement is Coming Soon…

I know it was like two weeks ago when I said I had an announcement, and I promise it’s coming soon. Things are taking a little longer than I thought they would, but I AM making progress, so that is good. And believe me, it’s BIG news. At least in my mind it is. I can’t wait to share!

I’m so glad it’s the weekend. It’s too bad it’s going to be busy. After traveling last weekend to visit family up north, I came home pretty exhausted. This week feels like I’ve been running non-stop and my body is craving sleep. I should be in bed right now, but I have to post a blog. It’s just my style.

Last weekend in addition to taking my cousin’s picture, I also got the opportunity to go to my niece’s baptism/dedication. She’s getting big so fast, well for her anyway…she’s a tiny girl! Here are some pretty cute pictures of the little sweetheart:

Here she is with her daddy, Adam, who is a Methodist minister:

The district superintendent came to baptize her:

This is mommy, Kyla, holding Elizabeth. I love how this picture turned out. I shot at a really small aperture so everything except Elizabeth’s face is blurred:

This next picture makes my heart SO happy. This is Grandma Helen holding Elizabeth. I love the look on her face; it just seems like such a peaceful moment.

And finally, Tyler and I were outside waiting for everyone to go to lunch when I decided to play off the reflection in his glasses. Love it!

In other news, I finally started running again yesterday. It had been a month since I’d done any running at all (before we left for Hawaii) because I had cut my foot on a rock in the ocean in Hawaii and then I had my wisdom teeth removed. One month off really makes you feel out of shape! I’ve done 4 miles each of the past 2 days, so we’ll see how long it takes to build up my endurance again.

 

Free Photo Shoots!

That’s right — I’m offering FREE photo shoots! These can be family, senior, engagement, fashion, business, baby, pet, maternity or any other kind of picture you can imagine (well, almost anyway)! That’s a $200 value for absolutely nothing but the pure joy of spending some time with yours truly!

I have some pretty fun shoot sites in mind, but if there is a place near and dear to your heart, you are more than welcome to let me know. Once I’m done with the pictures, I’ll send them off to be edited and then upload them to my proofing section where you can order however many pictures you would like!* You can even give friends and family members the password to your online proofing site so they can order prints, too. Couldn’t be simpler! If interested, leave me a comment and I’ll get in contact with you so we can set up the shoot.

I did a photoshoot this weekend for my cousin Rebecca and had an absolute blast. These were “just because” pictures since her mom never likes the quality of school pictures. Rebecca and I had a great time laughing, and we even had our own Talladega Nights moments. We found ourselves saying several times “I don’t know what to do with my hands” and then bursting into laughter. Rebecca will be a senior this year, and I look forward to doing her senior pictures. She’s a natural! (These images are straight out of the camera…no editing whatsoever)

 

 

*NOTE: I am no longer offering free photo shoots. However, you can check out my web site www.nicoleneffphotography.com for my current portrait session price.

 

A New Photographer to Stalk

Do I really need another? My husband will tell you no. He tells me I may have an addiction to reading about photography. He may be correct, too.

But Andy Biggs is so deserving of being followed. His work is A.MA.ZING. I found out about him through Shoot the Blog’s interview with him. Go to his blog and Shoot the Blog’s interview and prepare to be amazed.

His work would look amazing in my safari-themed living room. And really, the prices aren’t too bad, but by the time I’m able to afford one, he’ll be famous and the prices will be much higher.

 

Some Big News…But Not Just Yet

I have some big and exciting news to share with you all veeeeeeeery soon. There are some details to be worked out before I share, but I’m expecting to deliver the news in the next couple of weeks. So check back often…until then, here’s a clue!

Could it really be so obvious? Surely not, right? Bring on the guesses, except for those of you who are in on the secret!