Sunday, October 28, 2007

The Leaves are Falling




I just love outdoor photos and there is no better time than now for them! This family introduced me to yet another beautiful park. It had everything - water, trees, leaves, ducks... This little guy is a Tiger's fan and his favorite player is Carlos Guillen. Look at how cute he is! I love his jacket. Enjoy your sneak peak.
Jamie

Friday, October 26, 2007

Lab recomendations

I have used Mpix.com in the past and I have always been pleased with the results. Their prints do resist fading for 100+ years. They are fast and easy to use. I have had a few printing issues in the past, but they were taken care of promptly and politely. Their metallic paper is fantastic. It looks beautiful in person. Sign up for an account and try them out!

Be sure you own the copy rights or print rights to the images you are having printed. Basically if you took the photo it is ok for you to print. If a family or friend took the photo you need permission and the same with professional portraits. I know wedding photographers who give their clients a CD of all of the images along with a print right release.

mpix.com

Jamie
586-855-6549

PS I just wanted to clairify, this is not the lab I use for my professional fine portrait art prints. I use a lab that is geared towards professional photographers, my monitor is calbrated to, can print larger items and has more of the varitey that I need. Just an FYI!

Graceful Moves Dance


Graceful Moves is a new huge beautiful dance studio. They were only missing one thing, some art work for the walls! I was happy to donate my fine art images and I just love this wall grouping. The official open house will be Sunday October 28 from 1pm-6pm. The studio is located on the southeast corner of 25 Mile and Shelby Road in the Rainbow Plaza. For more information call 248-608-2828.

If you are located in the Metro Detroit area and need art work for your space, please call Jamie Fodale Photography at 586-855-6549.

The perfect "pose"




Well, if I have photographed you, you know I do not "pose" you. I will say something like oh this is a good spot kneel down, but I'm not going to place your hand here or tilt your head this way. That's the beauty of photojournalism style portraiture. It's real life.
This is Morgan. I've photographed her several times before and one of my all time favorite photos of her is very much like the last image here. She did this all on her own, but I ran with it and look at the results. Stunning! She looks comfortable and she has a natural smile, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

The Fall Feel






Lots of people have been saying we are not going to have a very colorful fall, but I have to disagree! Our fall colors are beautiful this year! You might have to look around a little harder, but believe me they are there. This is such a sweet family and Troy was oh so serious. I managed to get a few smiling photos, but I just loved the serious ones too. Thanks for taking a peak.
Jamie

Monday, October 22, 2007

Lesson 2 - Blurry photos, Camera Settings and Printing!

Well it's time for a new lesson! The biggest complaint from amature photographers is blurry pictures. There are a few reasons blurry photos happen. Without getting into too much detail, but giving you the correct information, I will try to help. As I'm explaining this I will also be talking about different functions on your camera.

First reason for blurry photos can be a fast child. If your little one won't sit still to have their picture taken, try using the setting with a running man on it. This setting is usually used for sporting events and also to stop action.

Reason #2 for blurry photos is something called shutter lag. Lots of cameras, especially digital have a feature called auto focus. This means you do not need to worry about adjust your lens to make sure your focus is correct, your camera will do it for you. Great, right? Well of course it is. The problem happens when you press the shutter button (the button that takes the picture) all the way down at once, your camera is doing a lot of automatic things at one time. It checks the over all exposure, the shutter speed, the ISO, the focal length, the aperture and then the focus. To avoid this, depress the shutter button 1/2 way. Your focus point should turn a different color (some cameras from blue to red). By doing this the camera will set everything up and lock in your focus point. Keep the button depressed 1/2 way and when the time is right press the button down the rest of the way.

Reason #3 for blurry photos can be the lighting is too dark. Sometimes this happens in a gym at a basketball game or even inside your own home. Open your drapes or turn on an extra light or you can always use your flash.

It may not be a fun task, but read your camera manual! It holds tons of information and I bet there are functions on your camera you don't even know you have. It is a helpful source of information. I keep mine in my camera bag at all times. You never know when you might just need it.

While you are catching up on your reading do not skip the section on the different settings that are available. Most people leave their camera in full automatic every time they shoot. Take you kids for a walk and try out different settings. See what the settings do to your images. You might just like it better and it gives you more control over a particular situation. ex. blurry photo because of fast kiddos (remember to try the running man setting). You can always move your dial right back if you don't like it! *One tip I will give you while trying different settings is to check your results often and do not try this at an important event. Try it out on an everyday ocasion. You don't want to miss a once in a lifetime moment.

One last thing I wanted to bring up professional photo lab vs. 1 hour printing. Printing in your home with your computer ink jet or the small photo printers and also with the one hour printing has it's benefits I love instant gratification just as much as the next person, but there are also some major draw backs as well. Not all, but lots of the one hour places use printers and inks that will only last for 20 years. They will discolor. I'm sure you have old photos from the 70's and early 80's that are completely orange. 20 years might seem like a long time and it is if these photos are things you will be giving away or something you are not intending on putting in an album or keepsake box. If these are the images of your children, you want them to have photos when they become adults. You do not want their baby albums filled with orange images or even worse. No one know exactly what will happen to these images only that they will not last.

Getting your photos printed at a professional photo lab will ensure your photos to last 100+ years. You may be thinking pro labs come with high dollar price tag... Not necessarily true! You just might have to wait an extra day or two to get your images, but the price will be the same or even less in some cases. Isn't it worth your child's childhood memories? I will check out some pro labs that you can use and you can see for yourself. I will post a link in just a few days.

If there is a topic you would like covered or if you have specific questions, please leave a comment and I'll be sure to answer them. Also click the word lesson at the bottom to see previous topics. Take care and I hope this was helpful!
Jamie Fodale
586-855-6549

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Beautiful Family





Look at those lashes! He couldn't be any cuter and this family couldn't be any more beautiful. I think I might have found a new favorite place to take photos. It was a gorgeous location and very peaceful. Thanks for looking.
Enjoy,
Jamie

Baptism







My cousin's children were welcomed into the church today. Lots of family from New York made the trip for the big event. It was very nice to see everyone! Here are just a few images from today.
Jamie

Friday, October 19, 2007

Special Offer

Call and schedule your custom portrait session before November 1, 2007 and receive 1/2 off your session fee. That's a savings of $50.00. Call now 586-855-6549 and ask for Jamie.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

3 cool dudes!






I spent this weekend with 3 of the coolest dudes in town. We went to the cider mill and played, ate donuts, drank cider and just enjoyed each other. (Reminder to self - do not wear sweaters to play in hay!) Vinny actually dressed himself. He loves this out fit, the sweater, the hat and the shades. Anthony was a good sport and even cooperated in letting me take some pictures. It was a very fun weekend. Thanks for looking.
Jamie

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Morgan






I just love photographing her! She is so beautiful, complex, hard to catch and I always have stunning results! All of this at the age of 4! WOW, her mom and dad sure do have their hands full when she's a teenager. Thanks for taking a peak.
Jamie

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Sleepy boy


I couldn't believe it when I saw it! Vinny played so hard he fell asleep standing up! Poor little guy. They never want to admit it when they are tiered.

Happy Birthday



To Amanda and Mom!

Friday, October 12, 2007

The Detroit River Walk




A fun family session at the Detroit River Walk. It was the first time I had ever been there. You could sit back and enjoy the view, spend time with family and friends or just let the kids play.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Do you have what it takes?





Seniors, did you go to Homecoming? Had a great time? Having fun in your last year of high school? So much fun, you haven't had time for your senior pictures? You better get moving! If you are looking for hot new fun ideas for your senior photos and are interested in becoming a Senior Model for Jamie Fodale Photography, call now 586-855-6549! The Senior model program is only going to be offered for '08 Seniors until December 15. Call to to discuss what YOU want your Senior photos to look like!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Details






Here are some more images from Jason and Trina's wedding. It was such a gorgeous day and everything about the wedding was beautiful. Thanks for taking a peak.
Jamie

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Perfect Day for a Wedding









Today was a gorgeous day for a wedding. It was such an intimate beautiful setting. The festivities were laid back and relaxed. Everyone was enjoying the day. Here are a few photos from Jason and Trina's wedding. Congratulations!
Jamie