Photo Tips

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Photo Tips :: Take Better Photos in a Few Easy Steps

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Photo Tips :: Take Better Photos in a Few Easy Steps

I'm getting ready to do my first digital photography tutorial for a group of super cool neighborhood moms who want to learn how to take better photos with their DSLRs and iPhones. It's a fantastic group of people, there will be wine, plus my colleague and friend, Tracy Peterson, will be co-hosting this with me! Trifecta of a good night, right?

As a result, I prepared a short 2-page quick start to help you all start taking better pictures straight off your DSLR [iPhone tips coming soon]. From a high level, I cover shutter speed, aperture, ISO, gear and how I got specific shots.

Download the digital photography quick start >>

My top tips on digital photography:

  1. Practice, practice practice. Take a photo, look at it, try the exact same shot but at different settings. Observe what differences you see if you modify any of those settings.
  2. Never shoot in program mode [see the guide for why not!]
  3. Don't get bogged down by equipment and megapixels. You don't really need 30 megapixels unless you want to put your photo on a billboard. If you still want them, awesome, but don't let anyone sway your purchase based on this alone. 
  4. Back up your files and print those images! 
  5. Have fun! It's one of the best hobbies to pick up and learn at your own pace.

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Married :: Nicole + Randy [The Silver Fox, Streator, IL]

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Married :: Nicole + Randy [The Silver Fox, Streator, IL]

I met Nicole and Randy through one of my colleagues, Tim Hara [he does great work too!] and met another Illinois State University alum! The teacher and graphic designer tied the knot at Streator's AMAZING The Silver Fox venue. It was a hot, HOT summer day and thankfully The Silver Fox is such an amazing space that we could do all the photos indoors and not melt outside.

Congrats Nicole and Randy! Thanks for being so awesome and having me capture this best day ever.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE WEDDING DAY?

Randy: Relaxing during the reception!

Nicole: Turning and seeing everyone we loved surrounding us during our ceremony. :)

YOUR WEDDING DETAILING WAS AWESOME! WHAT INSPIRED THE GATSBY-ESQUE LOOK? 

Our venue! The venue was already so beautiful and unique, and we didn't want to take away from that. 

WOULD YOU HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY?

Maybe brought an extra fan. ;)

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLES ABOUT CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER?

Find someone who fits the "look" of your wedding. We loved your indoor shots, and really felt that you could capture the beauty of our venue. Also finding someone who you can really trust, and is willing to take the time to get to know you as a couple.

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The Wedding Guide: Advice for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

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The Wedding Guide: Advice for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Congratulations! What an exciting time in your life. This guide is designed to help you navigate wedding photography from engagement sessions to what to expect the day of to creating your most perfect wedding album.

If you’ve made it this far to find this guide, it means you are on your way to exploring photographers to capture this life milestone.

I firmly believe that wedding photography isn’t just having the pro gear and the ability to capture an image. I believe it’s a visual narrative. Of the big moments and the little in-between moments. When you see your images, you see a visual storyboard from beginning to end. Where images can standalone, but are powerful as part of a bigger story. 

Your story.

You’ll remember the biggest moments of the day. I will help you relive all the details.

xo, Pam

Download the wedding guide >>

 

Photo Tips: Lighting Temperature

LIghting is a huge component of photography. Duh. But i'm specifically talking about the temperature of lighting.​ 

Huh?​

Our eyes adjust automatically to see true whites in all lighting because our brain does all the work for us. But our cameras can't differentiate on their own. Setting the white balance is the process of removing color casts so that the white you see in person, is rendered white in the actual image.

Photo Tips: Launched

​You bought your first digital SLR camera, now what?

So maybe you don't have dreams of becoming a professional photographer, but you have a desire to become a better 'general photographer'. There are basic technical tips you can begin to implement right away that will dramatically ​better the images you are capturing.

Photo Tips is place where, in short, I'll write about some very basic tips you can use to start creating better images. Don't worry, I'll keep the technical lingo to a minimum and really explain concepts in a tactical way. I happen to shoot with a Nikon, but for the purposes of this blog, it doesn't really matter what brand you use.