Category: Tips and Tricks

Water Oak Studio > Tips and Tricks

The Black and White Truth

Posted on by woadmin

Luna-1

In 2016, I’m offering black and white conversions on selected files. I am super excited about this, but I’d bet you’re sitting there saying, “So what? My phone can do that. My computer can do that. The internet can do that.” And you’re not wrong… exactly.

 

The cool thing about these photos is that you can do the conversion in several ways and get totally different looks from each method. This allows your photographer to create a really striking image that is going to outshine the default B&W (sometimes called desaturate) setting on your favorite program.

 

Let’s take a look at just a few options, using a lovely photo of my cat, Luna. Above, you see the original color version of the photo. Here’s what happens if I convert with a blue filter, which makes all blues in the photo light:

Blue-1

 

Okay, cool. But now look when the same photo uses a red filter. Notice how details in the white fur are harder to see, and her eyes appear brighter:

Red-1

Here’s an interactive slider, so you can go between the two versions to see the differences better. (Blue on the left, red on the right)

 

On top of those types of conversions, there are stylistic options, too. Here’s one with a slight brown cast, which makes it a bit softer to the eye:

Chocolate-1

 

Another one brings out a ton of detail in her face and fur, as well as making the blanket she’s laying on appear busier. There’s also a vignette on this photo, which slightly darkens the edges. A totally different look from the others:

Detail-1

 

And here’s one that’s even darker, which gives it and entirely different mood.

another-1

 

Kind of neat, huh?

 

The black and white conversions I’m offering for my 2016 clients will be a mixture of the above types (and many more!). Each image has a different emotion and color content, which helps determine the best conversion type to use. This will result in some lovely, original images that have a timeless look. Some of my favorite photos in my own house are large black and white prints!

 

And of course, if there are specific images you want to have as black and whites from your session, all you have to do is ask!

Regarding Toddlers

Posted on by woadmin

Nute-32There’s something really wrong with the current state of family photography. Somewhere along the way, we’ve put all this importance on the first year of a child’s life. Newborn sessions, 3-6-9-12 month packages, milestone sessions for sitting up or walking, cake smashes… It’s all wonderful stuff, sure, but as soon as our kids hit one, we put the brakes on the photos.

 

I get it. Kids grow and change a lot in the first year, and the development is (in theory) slower than later years. But I disagree with this philosophy. Toddlers are some of the most interesting subjects to shoot!

 

A lot of my clients say they aren’t getting 18-month or 2 year photos done because their kids “can’t sit still,” or “get into everything,” or “don’t listen to my instructions to sit on this ledge and place their heads delicately on their hands like a pageant princess,” which is all very true, certainly. Toddlers are a different beast altogether, and expecting a perfectly posed portrait session is asking for a ton of stress and a likely disaster. Toddlers move, and in my opinion, the most successful sessions are ones where we (myself and my parent clients) embrace that independence and spirit.

 

I often liken children’s photography to a safari: my job is to watch the kids, interact with them, and wait for the photographic opportunities to present themselves. In doing so, I am rewarded with vibrance, excitement, and movement in the subjects and images. Toddlerhood is when your child is really beginning to become a little person, and who wouldn’t want to capture that?