Silver Eye Photography

Art Prints

2011-09-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Art prints can finally be purchased at http://www.abbyelliottphoto.com

Check out all the great stuff!

Some new stuff

2011-06-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Fire & Training Photos

2011-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Family Photos

2011-04-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

I had a great local family over this weekend for a shoot in the new studio. It was a great opportunity to use the space for the first time and I'm pleased with the results. Though studio photography is something I do less than casual outdoor work, I am very happy to have an area that is finally ready to rock on some great studio work.

Here are a handful of my favorites from the shoot.

New Studio is Open

2011-04-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I have posted. So much going on!

I have a new studio and it was just finished up today! It's ready to roll for shoots starting this weekend. The studio is a combo natural light/studio light space so there are tons of options for images!

One of the coolest new features of the studio is a chalkboard wall background. Your kids can write their names, draw pictures, basically customize their background for their photos! Great for couples photography as well.

The studio will be open by appointment for the time being, but give us a call if you want to stop by and check it out or schedule a shoot. In the mean time, here are a few images from test shoots done in the studio, including some of the chalkboard wall.

Don't forget, we are running a special for the month of April: 50% off studio shoots!
Call to book today: 630-651-0254 or email us through our website at www.silvereye-photo.com

A Day In The Life...

2011-02-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of the Mom-tographer is not easy, boring, or without some sort of drama. That being said, the term 'rewarding' does not begin to cover it. I'm blessed with 4 amazing kids, a husband who works some long hours, a beautiful and very old home full of history (albeit too small for 6 of us and only MOSTLY renovated), a dog I love to love and a cat I love to hate. I run my own business, I just finished a novel, and I secretly control the United Nations from my dirt floor cellar. Ok, that last bit might be a slight fabrication.

The question was recently posed to me, how do I do it all. So I thought, maybe it's time to show the world what a day in the life of a mom-tographer is really like.

A Day in the Life of a Mom-tographer

I took my camera for a spin in my world. Most days, it doesn't leave my side but 99% of the photos I shoot never make it to my site, my blog, well...my facebook...gets bombarded but even that doesn't get even half of what I shoot. Could I make a blog post about being a stay at home mom who runs a photo business something interesting? Lets see!

I drag my ass out of bed around 7:30. I know. It doesn't sound that rough, but consider this: I try to get time with my husband in the evening, this puts me to bed around 11 most nights. I sleep approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours at a time IF I'M LUCKY because my beautiful, wonderful, son whom I love...does not sleep well or even close to through the night. I get up, wake the kids, and hunt down my dear friend "extra strong brew" and my Canon mug...because I'm a photo geek.

Once the sand is cleared from my eyes, I grab my camera. Despite the lack of hurricane chasing and traveling in my life these past few years; I still embrace my documentary training. My camera is within arms reach 90% of the day. My household might not be thrilling to everyone, but documenting my life with my family is important to me and provides me with constant challenges as an artist.

Set the camera down and get breakfast started! It's amazing what color and light inside the walls of your home can do to create interesting images from things you see every day. That's the basis of my 365 project this year which you can find at http://www.abbyelliottphoto.com/ under the tag "365-2011".

I have 4 kids. As of now, they're all under the age of 10. Spills...are a regular occurrence. I can't even tell you how excited it was to have a spill this day! Thanks for adding to the project my girls!

There's little time to sit when you're a mom. Time to get lunches made and packed for the school age kids!

Check the clock, time to get moving. It's 8:20am, time to get coats/boots/bags you name it. Time for school!

After the ladies of the house are dropped off at the school, the Moose and I return. 1st things 1st, I get to check email while the little man empties the cabinets to construct towers of pots pans and drying racks in my kitchen. My family always comes first but sometimes that means that my business stuff comes before play time, Mama's gotta make money to keep buying new toys and taking everyone fun places!

Email checked, a quick round through Facebook, the blog, and Twitter and I'm off to the races with getting the chores done.

I like to imagine myself climbing snow-covered mountains capturing spectacular images...but the closest thing to snow-covered mountains here are the drifts currently melting outside and the laundry detergent (as seen below).

With 4 kids, a husband in a pseudo-construction industry, a 100 lb dog and a 25 lb cat...there isn't a day that goes by without me running the vacuum around the house.

With the 1st round of chores under my belt, I get to sit down with my baby boy and spend some time playing. In our house, if you're on the floor, you risk getting puppy kisses. Don't worry, she only LOOKS like she's tasting him.

This day, it snowed but was far too cold for little man to play in it. Instead, I brought the snow to him

Lunchtime always brings messes. So much for that floor I cleaned a couple hours ago! Keep in mind, I've been shooting all day, random things...playing baby...the dog's huge nose...anything and everything.

Oh, did I mention, if things don't get spilled...they often will be spit...yeah...the life of a mom...

I do dishes constantly all day long, either by machine or by hand. I HATE having a stack of dishes in the sink, dirty or clean stacks of clothes, filthy floors...you won't find that here. I keep things ship shape.

Back to the computer to return emails, write articles, posts, and check in on my social networks. This is usually play chef time for Moose. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over my own pots and pans on the floor.

Every mom's favorite time of the day...bath time!! I love it in the kitchen because it serves multiple purposes, clean the baby, the cabinets, the counter and the floor all at once!

Off to my in home studio to get some photography work done. Thankfully we have toys galore in this room to keep the Moose busy. He usually ends up on the backdrop having his picture taken at some point.

Did I just give the baby a bath? Yes I did, so what better time for a diaper explosion that this??!

Back to the laundry room...as long as I've been taken away from my photo work, I might as well change loads.

By 1pm (if I haven't done a crock pot meal...which for the record, are the mother's savior) I get dinner going.

Inevitably, while starting dinner, the dog and baby use the dog door as a play thing. My kitchen is chaos.

Sweet sweet nap time! This is my time to bust my hump and get my work stuff done. Editing photos, shooting photos, networking, finishing posts that were started earlier in the day, and if I am lucky...time to blog on my oh so neglected writing page. All work and no play makes mom a dull girl.

You didn't think nap time would be that easy did you? OH NO! This is also my 2 1/2 hours of the day when I cram working out and showering into the mix. There's no gym for me. All I need is my videos and bag.

If I take too long in the shower, I find an unhappy camper who's woken up to no mommy running to him at the sound of his rustling in his crib. This makes the mom in me sad, which means serious baby snuggle time.

Luckily, he's easy to make happy again.

Time to get the girls from school

This also means time to refuel because the morning's 3 cups of coffee have worn off. My current choice is Sundrop-twice the caffeine of Mt. Dew...yeah. Twice.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I walk the OCD line very carefully. I keep a clean house. I try to be organized. This means, you walk in the door from school...you hand sanitize.

Homework. My least favorite time of the day. Let me just tell you, the 1st time I had to sit down as an adult and attempt 1st grade math homework, almost reduced me to tears. I went to art school for a reason.

After homework, it's time to pick up rooms. No one wants to do it, but the rewards are art projects :)

Daddy makes his way home before dinner and the semi-chaotic house goes to full on wild screams of joy.

Dinner time! One of the only times of the day that I get to sit down for more than 10 minutes straight.

Also a time of day that I get to have a helper...and I'm very thankful for that (and him).

Dessert is always sweetest if you get to decorate it yourself!

I usually kick the family out to go watch some TV together and I whip out a last round of dishes real quickly.

Bedtime for little ones. Hugs, kisses and a story for my girlies. Snuggles with my baby boy.

I get about 2 hours to chill after kids are in bed. This time entails winding down, planning my next day, planning meals and grocery lists, planning writing projects and photo projects, talking to my husband and vegging with some Discovery Channel. Then it's off to bed time for parents, snuggles with my big boy (Photo from our wedding, thanks Kim!)

It's 11pm-ish.

On an average day I spend about 16 hours running non-stop.
On an average day I photograph 200-300 photos for personal reasons...this is in addition to an average 100-200 shot for business.
I am fueled by caffeine, love for my family, and passion for my photography be it a paying job, a doc job, or shooting around my house.
Neither of my jobs (mom and photographer) are easy jobs and sometimes one, or both, can be thankless but it's what I love to do and I do it well. Tomorrow, we start again.

Love

2011-02-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Love comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. Here are my favorite of my images inspired by the emotion we celebrate today, Valentine's Day.

New!! Family Documentary

2011-02-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

We are now offering a special new shoot called a Family Documentary.
More info to come Feb 11, 2011.

The Grace of God is found...

2011-01-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

Jim Denham ( http://twitter.com/#!/jdenham ) made me a bit sentimental and reminiscent of my riding days today when he posted this great image: http://bit.ly/eZZdG4

There is a connection between man and horse that unless you have been witness to, you can not fathom. The equine is an amazing creature. Powerful, incredibly strong, strong-willed, but loyal to a fault. A spirit that no matter how 'tamed' will never truly be broken and God help the man who does break a horse's spirit because it is a sad and terrible thing to do to an animal of such intelligence and pride. Those who have honestly known a horse in the sense of understanding who and how and why; realize that they are something beyond our control despite our best attempts to bridle them.

It has been said that: The grace of God is found between the saddle and the ground.

If you've been suspended in that dust biting limbo, you understand. If you haven't; keep riding and you will soon come to understand it.

They say shoot what you love and love what you shoot. I grew up with love for the horse, love for riding, love for the work and the pain and the challenge of equestrian sports. So what do I do. I shoot it. With a love and passion.

I flipped through some images and dug these bad boys up in honor of my love of the ropes and the reigns, the guns and the flames...

The grace of God is found....

Baby Bits

2011-01-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

I post baby images all the time. Despite my best attempts to avoid becoming just another portrait photographer with a studio in a short year I seem to have become the baby photographer...can't imagine why...I'd like to think its because I think out of the box. Babies are amazing little creatures and like all other forms of photography, are photographed in the same poses, in the same light, in the same old way faaaaaaaaar too often. I'm sick of the same old same old and so are the clients. There's a time and place for everyday baby shots like these:

I'll admit it, I hold those types of pics of my little man close to my heart. But there's so much more to photography that being the portrait photographer on every corner. If you read my blog, you know that I think big in a small way. Small like tiny toes, fingers, hands, ears, and big like big chunky rolls of baby fat. If you're a parent you love every inch of your babe so why not photograph in a way that shows it!?

Here are some of my favorite baby photos that are out of the box, or basket...but that are strong images that will make a mommy's heart go pitter-pat:

Faces are a wonderful thing, portraits have their place.

Photographers must remember to keep creativity flowing and capture a moment that goes beyond every day shots.

1st Shot @ HDR

2011-01-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

I took a swing in the dark today at this HDR thing.

I'll be the 1st to admit that the lighting today was less than ideal for shooting anything other than portraits...overcast, hazy, major snow glare...such is life.

I literally watched a minute and a half long video about HDR last night, glanced over a website that was recommended to me but I didn't have time to really read, and took off sans children today to shoot a few things around town in the hopes of getting at least a presentable shot from my 1st attempt at becoming an HDR photographer. Whether they're presentable or not...is up for discussion, but I'm a firm believer that you never learn anything by keeping your work to yourself. Obviously, I'm using the free version of Photomatrix until I decide if this HDR thing is for me or not...then I'll upgrade as necessary.

So without further adieu I give you a handful of shot from my day of freezing cold and naturally diffused photo fun:

The Party Barn

Stools

Bo-dacious

Hay ~ Grunge

Lunch @ Rositas

Party Barn ~ Grunge

Twine

The Road: Part 2

2011-01-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

When I returned from Mississippi after my first Post-Katrina trip down there, I think I was a bit shell shocked myself. I found that I had no tolerance for the bullshit of life. My boyfriend got the boot, my horrid life-sucking full time job got the boot, and I found myself drawn back to the gulf coast. I returned 6 months after Katrina's landfall to photograph the area again. This time I found no blockades, no restricted areas, and no people...

View from behind the military blockade...minus the blockade (6 months post Katrina)

The lack of humans, traffic, and even wildlife was stunning. The major roads had been cleaned but side streets were still often blocked with down trees and rubble. The power had been mostly restored. But the entire Mississippi coast was like a ghost town. This trip I photographed from bridge to bridge...because frankly, the bridges were gone. From Pass Christian, a town I fell deeply in love with, to Biloxi; I covered the highway, the back alleys, the neighborhoods and the down town areas over and over for days. With my favorite photo buddy (my mom) by my side, we wove my little SUV in and out of gridded cities, around piles of debris, and at times, over downed trees and power lines.

Everywhere we went, the roads were empty...the shells of homes or empty slabs were empty...the stores were closed...there was only one restaurant open in Gulfport, Los Tres Amigos which served heavenly amazing margaritas after long days of shooting amongst the remaining piles of rubble.

This time, I saw the residential areas. I saw the homes torn to bits, the guts of people's lives spilled across the landscape like litter, and on rare occasion I met someone struggling to piece things back together.

"Red" Jordan left homeless by Katrina.

In Pass Christian, a once very diverse community boasting incredible historic ocean front mansions as well as low income cookie cutter housing; we found damage beyond anything that words can describe. The far west section of "The Pass", as locals call it, sits lower than most of the rest of the coast. Homes were literally picked up off their slabs and moved, or completely obliterated by the storm surge

A man who stayed behind was found alive in this Pass Christian home on 9/7, 9 days after Katrina hit, inspired such hope by rescue workers that the words "REAL LIVE MAN HERE" accompany the search and rescue symbols.

I think a piece of my heart literally broke off when I came across the two homes seen above and below. The home above reminded me so much of where I grew up. A grand place, but apparently tastefully done in it's day. The personal effects that had been carefully dug out of the debris and placed along the patio resembled the items in my own home. As a child, I loved unicorns and seeing this one dirty, abandoned and lost made my heart ache for the child whose home and precious things had been taken from them. The Christmas tree was the same one that had graced my Grandmother's kitchen for as long as I could remember. This was all far too real. I would find out later that the items set carefully out as though on display, were items that had washed onto this property from other homes. Items that this property owner hoped would be found if displayed for neighbors to see. 2 years later, the unicorn still remained in this same place. About half of the items had been picked up and taken back to loving arms, the rest were cleared off the patio in 2009.

Among the slabs where homes once stood, there are an array of spray painted messages.

Some are hopeful, some are heartbreaking, but none touched me like this one did. Looking at all the empty spaces where buildings once stood it was easy to forget that someone lived there. This property was a stark reminder.

The Tivoli Hotel. Site of the most deaths in one place. Corner knocked out when a casino barge, washed out of its mooring by the storm surge, slammed into the building.

The night we came into town for this second trip, it was late. Previously, I had stayed in Jackson but now that a handful of casinos were open again, we were staying in Biloxi...little did we know, LITERALLY at the end of the road. As we drove along the unlit HWY 90, I kept saying to my mom that I was sure the water was "right there" next to her side of the car, but it was so dark that we couldn't see anything. We couldn't see anything, that is, until a shadow even darker than the night sky came looming up from the darkness. I saw it first. All I could say was, "What...the...F***...is THAT?!??!"

It was huge. It was pitch black. It was a SHIP! I could have sworn we could spit on it from our car, it was that close to the road. Was the water REALLY right there? I was sure there was beach along here. The following morning, after realizing that our hotel sat right at the edge of the collapsed Biloxi~Ocean Springs bridge, we headed back to find the ship. It was the formerly grand Treasure Bay Casino. Somewhat less dramatic than expected but still quite a sight to see; like other casinos, busted away from its mooring and washed ashore. Sadly (for me at least) it was being guarded like Ft. Knox, and the second I pulled up to photograph it, I was chased away. Ships washed ashore are nothing new to the coast. The SS Camille, a boat washed ashore in the 1969 monster hurricane that kicked the gulf coast in the teeth, had been turned into a gift shop. The beating it took from Katrina closed its doors forever and it went the way of most destroyed ships shortly after this image was taken.

Beach Blvd. Pass Christian, MS.

St. Charles Place Apartments. Site of another large loss of life. Gulfport, MS

Father Ryan Historic Property

Search & Rescue symbols indicating the property was not searched due to gas leak.

20th & Beach Blvd. Cleaned up.

Shell of the First Baptist Church of Gulfport, still standing vacant and empty 6 months post-Katrina.

The empty streets were a constant reminder that life had yet to return to this area. I remember flying up and down Beach Blvd with NO idea of what the speed limit was because replacing the missing signs had not been a priority to the communities. Police passed me time and time again but I was never pulled over for driving much faster than the speed limits posted on that highway today. I was the U-turn queen, whipping back around to get a photo of something that caught my eye. I can't tell you how my mom laughed, then grabbed the grip handles in the car, then hit the imaginary brakes on the passenger side over and over during that trip!

Biloxi~Ocean Springs bridge. Out of use and destroyed 6 months post-Katrina.

My tree. Still standing tall. A sign of growth and rebirth on the Mississippi Gulf Coast 6 months post-Katrina.

Biloxi~Ocean Springs bridge.

Despite the destruction, the lack of assistance that the Mississippi coastal communities received, or all but completely being ignored by the main stream media who was focused on New Orleans; the people of the MS coast remained positive, patriotic, and thankful to those who came to their aid. The true spirit of the south.

Old Bath Water

2011-01-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Road to Today

2011-01-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

After a long morning of doctor visits, ct scans, and allergist meetings (which by the way, are the worst of the 3...whoever invented the scratch test should be kicked) I found myself driving home and thinking fondly of how I got myself into this mess.

On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina roared into the Mississippi Gulf Coast with furry and storm surge like no other storm since the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Storm surge of over 30 foot in some areas was more temptation than I could handle. I loaded my Element full of water, canned food, and medical supplies and headed for the coast. I had no idea what I would find, how far I would get, or what I would do when I got there but that was part of the appeal. When I hit Gulfport, MS I was told that I could go no further. Go no further? Are you joking? Number one, I could SEE the ocean!! I couldn't stop a mile away from it! #2, I knew whatever was on the other side of that military blockade was worth seeing.

So in typical Abby fashion, I simply turned right. I drove until I found a crossing that wasn't manned by camo sporting muscle bound men with guns (although in hindsight, perhaps I should have specifically LOOKED for a muscle bound man with a gun) and once I found my way through the blockade I took it. Less than 72 hours had passed since Katrina had ripped this area to shreds. Out of respect for those still trying to perform rescue work, I kept myself out of the residential areas and headed for downtown Gulfport and what I saw next would change my view of life forever.

Jones Park/Harbor parking area

Beach Blvd @ shipping yards

I don't do HDR. I don't take hours to set up a shot. I don't do cityscapes or sunsets over mountain ridges. What I do, is document. Put something in front of me and I will capture the down and dirty of it. I wasn't shooting with a 5D Mark II or a fancy digital, I had a Canon A2 and a handful of whatever film was in my bag when I decided to leave on a whim the morning before I shot these images. The hours that followed crossing the military barricade are a blur. My mind saw things fast and captured images without putting thought into it and before I knew it the sun was setting and the curfew signs which stated both "martial law" and "right to exercise force" flashed in my head.

I sent a short 6 hours photographing in a 4 block x 10 block area, much of which time was spent attempting to navigate the debris blocked roads and avoid Homeland Security and other officials who might have booted me out...or worse.

"Debris" left my receding storm surge

Jones Park

It was amongst the rubble, the dirt, the sewage and spewed innards of every fridge, freezer, cabinet and building south of the tracks where photo sense overcame common sense and the thought of wearing a mask or better yet a respirator like many of the relief workers...did NOT cross my busy little mind.

Instead I went hurriedly about trying to freeze frame the guts of this natural disaster without concern for my own health...a total mistake but one that would not stop me from doing it all over again.

When I made the corner off 13th onto 30th and began running parallel to the beach, I caught my first view of the beach. It took my breath away. I had never seen this area prior to Katrina so I had no frame of reference for what it had been previously. What I did know was that I had seen war photos with less destruction in them.

Looking back from behind the military blockade

To the left and right, buildings stood gutted 2 and 3 floors high from water that washed in and churned at a stunning 200+ mph. There was not a single structure that I saw that was not ravaged by these waters, yet this small palm had stood strong against the forces of nature and the debris washed around it.

"My" tree at 24th and Beach Blvd. Image taken 9/3/05

At the intersection of Hwy 49 and Beach Blvd I met an officer. He stood shell shocked, staring out at the beach and Jones Park area. I walked up next to him and we both stood silent for a long time. Without looking away from the water he said, "I've served in Iraq. I've served in Afghanistan. I've seen cities blown to bits...but I've never seen anything like this before in my life." I couldn't even find words to respond to him (and if you know me, you know I ALWAYS have something to say). The scene laid out before me literally took my breath away. I felt sick. These were the skeletons of structures made of brick and stone and metal and concrete. How could anyone who stayed behind have survived something like this?

Shell-Shocked police officer surveying damage

24th & Beach Blvd

When it comes to mother nature, nothing is sacred. This wheelchair washed up near the remains of the First Baptist church.

I would love to be able to go back and shoot this image again. My photography as come so far and I know exactly how I would change the shot. Sometimes you have to accept an image for what it is, a split second documenting a time and place. In this instance, showing the destruction of the area...and where my photo skills were 6 years ago!

The advances with the digital age have brought about sharper cleaner images. At some point, I need to have these negatives scanned at a higher resolution than they were the first time around.

The remains of mangled tractor trailers.

The power of water can bend steel and throw huge objects around like children's toys. Trailers from the shipping yards at the port were tossed around a huge area, smashed into houses, mangled beyond recognition, and peeled open like bananas.

This trailer to the left actually had tires torn from the rims as it was tossed about before coming to rest back on it's wheels.

Of all that I remember about that day, it is the smell and the sound that stand out the most. Words can not describe the smell of rotten food, sewage, chemicals and death that filled the air so thick that it made you gag even with your face covered. I had to throw out my clothes because nothing could get the smell out of them. My car smelled like death for almost a year.

When it came to sound, it was the lack of noise that was shocking. Aside from the drum-like beat of occasional helicopter blades...there was no sound. At one point on the beach, a flock of seagulls (no, not the band) stood silently looking out over the water. Seagulls...silent. I didn't know that was possible. And let me tell you, that was an really creepy feeling. They just stared at the water like they knew what secrets it hid, what horrors had washed out into it, and what dreams it has destroyed.

A child's video, now turned to debris, washed up near the Copa Casino

The Copa Casino barge washed almost a quarter mile inland from where it had been moored. It spilled it's contents across the shipping yards before landing atop a smaller sailing vessel. Inside the busted out former grand entrance, stood this statue of Neptune. It made me smirk, how he sat atop this beached monster of a casino overlooking the destruction his ocean had caused.

Statue inside the entrance of the Copa Casino.

Downed power lines, North Gulfport

From every experience comes knowledge and understanding. Walking through the devastation of this epic disaster made me realize how quickly all that we know can be torn out from under us; and how the things and structures that we build up around us to make us feel safe and secure, can be crumbled with ease. I thought about my own life and the risks I take as a photographer, as bodies of the deceased were being placed into refridgerated trucks. I walked away from this experience with my own stupidity trailing behind me, which brings me back to today. As I sat in the office at the ENT, waiting to hear if the bacterial infection I picked up somewhere around these piles of debris and which subsequently trashed my sinuses...would be sending me off to the surgery center or not; I couldn't help but think to myself that given the chance...I would do it all again. Maybe with a respirator...definitely with a mask. But this is what photographers live for. The chance to capture that image that will make other's eyes wide with wonder, amazement and understanding. This sign said it best. I could read it, and undoubtedly, I have.

Evening Post

2011-01-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a project (A Day in the Life of...) and these are a few images from today that likely will not make the cut. I wanted to share them and the great lighting. Moose was peeking out the dog door and the thick plastic of the door combined with the sunlight bouncing off the snow outside made a fantastic diffuser. Sometimes you just can't top mother nature!

7x5 and the 365

2011-01-23T16:47:00.001-08:00

I am honored to be one of the projects featured by 7x5 magazine.
Check out the link and learn more about 365 projects!

http://www.sevenbyfive.net/photos/10-awesome-365-projects/

Sisters 3

2011-01-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

It's cold outside, so what do you do? Toss up a backdrop and shoot some photos!
I had an absolute blast with my kids today, photographing them being goofballs and doing a test run for a shoot I have coming up next month. These are two of my favorites from today.

In need of warmth

2011-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

With the temp about to dip below zero, I was in need of some warmth this evening. I dug around and found some images from last summer that have me itching to photograph this spring and longing for hot summer days.

Resources

2011-01-13T12:27:00.001-08:00

Check out my newly added Resources page. I will add charts, graphs, samples and more to this page as reference material to help you through my tutorials!

Find the Resource page HERE.

1-8-11

2011-01-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

The wonder and curiosity of a child never ceases to amaze me. My son is absolutely fascinated by this stained glass window in our home. Today he was determined to get the blind lifted up so he could touch the rippled glass and lead. I love this image, especially the slight halo around his head and face from the sun and his fingers spread out (plus it makes the mom in me pitter pat my heart just a bit).

"Sometimes the questions are more important than the answers."

~Nancy Willard

Rows

2011-01-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm just longing for the warmth and lush feeling of summer...but right now I would love to see these fields surrounding my house full of tall plants! This image is from my current project "Born & Bred American".

Valentine's Photo Shoots

2011-01-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. In it's honor, this week I will post some of my favorite love and lust inspired images.

Samantha

Give the gift of you to your Valentine. Call for information about photo shoots.

"315"

2011-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

This image was taken in Bay St. Louis, three years after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to the entire Gulf Coast of Mississippi. The remains of the home's structure on this property weas reduced to standing pipes and a foundation; yet somehow, this pergola archway survived.

Crossing

2011-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

This image is one of my favorites from my current documentary project: Born & Bred American, which chronicles the life of those living in the dying tiny rural towns and struggling agricultural communities of the Midwest.

The photograph was taken in the town of Lee in North-Central Illinois, just south of the famous agricultural area of DeKalb County. Lee, IL is a town of under 500 people and only 125 homes. Lee county recently voted in favor of a wind farm hoping to bring some revenue and jobs to the area.

Lock and Key

2011-01-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

As a source of inspiration I have started photographing random simple objects around my house. I try to look for natural lighting that falls on objects in an aesthetically pleasing way.

These keys caught my attention both because of the sheen of the light on them, and because I love the scroll on the paper under them. It's not a complex image but it seems sort of calming to me.

The Best of 2010

2011-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

As 2011 gets into full swing I have taken a glance back at the last year of my photography and where it has taken my business. I am honored to have worked with so many amazing people over the last year.

A look back:
2010 brought incredible growth to my business. I was introduced to some amazing marketing techniques by Lindsay Adler in her book The Linked Photographer, which I highly recommend to anyone looking to increase exposure for their business.
I expanded my repertoire to include photographing children and babies which has very quickly become one of my favorite subjects. Capturing those moments in time which can never be repeated has always been my goal and children provide a unique opportunity to do this.

Here is a glance back at the images that I love most from this year.

Babies & Kiddos

***

Portraits

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The Brides

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Commercial

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Documentary

***

CMSA Events

***

Misc Images/Photo Walks/Etc

Thank you to all of our clients and friends for your support throughout 2010! I look forward to the new year and all that it has to offer!

-Abby Elliott

Meaningful 365

2010-12-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I have been on again and off again with 365 projects in the past (and even one that I'm working on now). It's hard to find meaning in a project that quite frankly, seems forced at times. That was, until the birth of my son. I heard it over and over again, "it goes by so fast" ... "they're big before you know it" ... "cherish every second". So I decided that maybe I could gain momentum and keep it on a 365 project if it was based on my baby boy. Man, was I right!

He turned 1 year old yesterday.

The thing about 365 projects is that the most popular reasons to do one are to gain exposure for your photography or to use the project as a way to grow as a photographer. But photographing every day in the 1st year of your child's life brings a whole new meaning to a project of this sort. Not only was I utilizing my degree and training in documentary photography, not only was I committing to photograph every day for a year...I was capturing the moments of my child's life...something that I can't ever go back and re-shoot. You see, Moose is my only biological child, and will remain so. I have 3 step daughters who I adore, but being a ready made family of 5, my husband and I chose to only add one more child to the mix. I truly believe that only added to the importance of this project for me.

At the close of the 1st year of his life, I have officially shot 25,533 photographs of my son. I know. You don't have to say it...but crazy as that sounds...the incredible detail of the tiny little moments of fascination, learning, curiosity, joy, sadness, growth, pride, and love that I have captured in these images will be cherished by me like no other photographs ever could. I am continuing this project through his 2nd year...perhaps even beyond that.

The catch to a 365 project that has sentimental meaning, is that sometimes catching the moment isn't always a pretty picture. Sometimes you are sick and tired and haven't slept and want to poke yourself in the eye which only makes your camera the furthest thing from your mind...and then that child grabs a toy and holds it up to you with a huge smile on his face like he's so proud of himself he could burst...and your camera is nowhere to be found. Sometimes the image is blurry but its the moment...sometimes it's a picture taken with a cell phone, or just an image with flat out bad lighting bad composition and nothing photographically spectacular about it...but it's an undefinable and invaluable single moment in your child's life. THIS is the hardest part for me as a photographer AND a mom. Not pushing myself to pick up my camera every day...not trying to be creative every day...accepting that some images that are the most meaningful to the project-which is HIS LIFE in photographs...are not good photographs. So without further adieu, I give you:

~ The Daily Moose ~

Most of the images were not originally cropped to squares, but in the interest of creating a large image as one, some editing had to be done. No, I don't like them all square...yes the original files exist and are what I used in both the project online (which I regret to inform you, is at least at this point, private to friends and family...but I'm working on getting it up publicly) as well as in the book which I am having printed. 368 images to be exact. One from the morning he was born-prior to birth, and one from that evening immediately after he was born via emergency c-section...and to make it an even year, one from his birthday yesterday...which makes 367...but then the image was uneven on the bottom row so I added one for good measure.

In the battle of mom vs photographer, there were times that mom won; but not a single image fails to capture his personality and spirit and THAT is something we as photographers should all strive to do in our work.

Happy Birthday once more to my baby boy and greatest photo inspiration ever.

~ Mama

Want to see the images bigger? Check out my flickr (link to the right).

So you want your own studio.....

2010-12-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

How to: DIY Home Pseudo-Studio

Setting up a studio the professional way can break the bank. Is it really necessary? If you're going to open a business and do studio work, absolutely. But if you're a mom who wants to take your own photos of your kids, then there are ways around it.

So what do you need to set up space for yourself to shoot "Studio Quality" images?

It's easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Yes, you CAN watch eBay, watch the sales, pick up a backdrop stand and lights and umbrellas and backdrops and seamless paper and props etc or you can choose to do it in a way that doesn't break the bank, at least until you know what type of equipment you want. There are so many choices with hot lights and strobes and slaves etc etc etc that my suggestion is, find a studio photog to learn the ropes from first (or spend some time with a sales rep at a photo supply co that knows their shit and can show you how things work) so you know what you want before you spend a small fortune.

So what do you do in the mean time if you want to get great studio shots? Here's my guidelines for a home based pseudo-studio:

For starters, you need a few things for a studio set up:
1. Space
2. Backgrounds of some sort
3. Ideally-decent flooring (this is not necessary depending on how you crop your images)
4. Lighting

I hear hearts dropping already. It's not as hard as it sounds! Lets take it one thing at a time.

1. You need SPACE. That doesn't mean you have to set an entire room aside for shooting! Obviously WHAT you hope to shoot will dictate how large the space needs to be, but lets assume that most moms starting out who have fairly standard camera are shooting with a 28-55mm kit lens; you can be as close to your subject as 3' and when photographing kids and babies you don't need anymore space than 4' wide.

Try to choose a space close to a window (preferably southern exposure)-that helps with your lighting issue which we will touch on in a bit. When I am not photographing at my studio, I have a corner area set up in my son's nursery that I use. I reserve this space for my close friends who don't feel like driving to my studio or for pics of my own children because it's not a good place to bring paying clients to; however, the images are just as good as images from my studio location.

This is the corner of my son's room that I use most often. There is a large window with southern exposure and a wall that has a great paint job which can be used as a background sometimes. The floor isn't ideal.

2. Backgrounds sound very intimidating. There are muslins, papers, velvets, and more. Prices range from $30 for seamless papers to hundreds for specialty backdrops. OOOOOOOOOOOR...you can hit your local fabric store and pick up yards of different types and textures of fabrics and do it yourself!

Every one of the backdrops pictured above is a fabric purchased at Joann's.

When purchasing fabrics for backdrops think of things that will not be too distracting. The above blue anti-pill fleece was an excellent purchase. It was been used and washed more times than I can count and only cost me $8 for 3 yards when it was on sale...BUT because it has a busy pattern, it has to be used carefully in images with no other distracting elements. Two of my favorite photos using that background are these:

The possibilities with fabrics are endless. Velvet is much cheaper at a fabric store, you have faux furs...faux leathers. I HIGHLY recommend those photographing children and babies look into the fleece fabrics, they're durable, washable, cheap, and come in TONS of colors and patterns.

If this isn't in your budget, pick up a can of paint and a roller and make your wall whatever color you wish it to be. If you have photoshop, I would recommend sticking with white...there are tons of programs out there now that allow you to digitally add a backdrop in, white and 'green screen' backgrounds in images make this easiest. I myself am just starting to play around with these programs, so I will reserve recommendations on those for a later time.

You can even get creative and pick up other items to use as backdrops. One of my favorites is a grass beach mat that I picked up for $0.50 (that's right FIFTY CENTS) at the end of summer on clearance at the dollar store!

Still out of your budget? Dig through your house...even something as simple as a beach towel can be all you need for a cute photo background!

Ok I have my backdrops, now what? There are 2 easy ways to use them:

1. Screw a 2x4 board into your wall (a single screw at each end will suffice and it's easy to spackle the holes in later). Then A, use these:

to fasten your backdrop up for each shoot ... or B, buy 2 curved hooks like this:

and some shower curtain hooks:

and clip your backdrops to the shower curtain hooks, and toss the hooks over the wall hooks and VOILA!

So you have space set aside and some 'backdrops' purchased...now what?

3. Flooring. If you don't plan to drape your backdrop or crop the floor out as seen in the above images, then you need to take into account your floor. The easiest fix for ugly flooring or flooring not becoming of photos is this: go to Lowes/Home Depot/Menards...pick up ONE box of laminate wood flooring in a neutral color. Sometimes you can even buy individual boards instead of a whole box. A box of the cheap Tarkett brand stuff will run you about $18. It snaps together and is beautiful not only as a floor for full length images but also as a backdrop for images if you want to get creative:

Space...check! Backgrounds...check! Floor &/or backgrounds that drape...check! Last but most important of all, lighting! *GASP!* It's not as scary as it sounds! "But there are slaves and hot lights and..."
And, and, and...forget about ALL of that! Yeah, having studio lighting will allow you to manipulate shadows and high lights and throw extra light on backgrounds...you can use colored lights...but wait! You can do all that (not to the same extent but somewhat) without lights. Get this...not a single one of the above images was shot with ANY studio lights, flashes, or strobes. They're all shot in a natural light setting.
What is a natural light studio setting? It's exactly what it sounds like!

A natural light studio (which is all the rage right now: with clients because the images are beautiful and with photogs because its CHEAP overhead!) is essentially a photo studio that utilizes NO artificial lighting. Some photogs use a combination of natural and artificial, but to be a true "Natural light studio" there must be no lights other than that of our one and only sunshine.

So how does this work? Simple. Remember that southern exposure window I talked about? Depending on the time of day, you will either get bright direct sunlight:

or soft bounced light (the direct light will be hitting the other side of the room from the wall you shoot on, or higher up in the room than your photo area):

How do you get some light on the side of the face that the window isn't on (or on the background for added punch)? Reflectors, baby!
I have this one:

Which will run you between $50 and $80 depending on where you get it...but you don't even need that! Ever heard of white poster board? It's totally reflective and works GREAT! This photo, was shot with plain white 10 cent poster board as a reflector::

How did I do it? The sun was coming in a window that was on the wall behind him and off to the left a little bit. It was shining off to the left. I took the poster board, stuck it in the direct light, and put it at approximately a 45 degree angle to his face, moved it around a little until it was perfect, and shot!

Skeptical if any or all of this really works? Every single photo in this post with the exception of the color image on the blue background and the last image above, were shot in my son's bedroom, using Joann fabric or dollar store backgrounds, natural light, and most likely a hammer and nail directly into the wall type of fastener for my backdrops. The shot of the baby on the blue backdrop in color, was photographed at my studio location but not actually IN the studio, it was in a sitting room upstairs and was shot with indirect natural light and no reflector. The last image above was in my kitchen (as you can see, we were eating carrots at the time).

It REALLY IS as simple as all this. Some of these images have been edited in Photoshop because I believe that most images require a little tweak here and there, some of them have not. Keep posted for tutorials on tweaking your images in Photoshop to get the most out of them! As always if you have questions or comments, please feel free to post on here or email me at aephotose@gmail.com

Want to see more samples of natural light studio photography? Check out my the "Tags" at the bottom of the page and click on "Natural Light Studio".

New Photographers & Web Faux Pas

2010-11-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

When you're a new photographer, presenting your images is key. Without a large following of clients to refer you for jobs, showing your work is the only way to get new customers. Today's social media outlets present great new opportunities for photographers to help them eliminate basic website faux pas.

OVERKILL

Can you hear me saying "DUN DUN DUN!!!!!" Because, I totally did that out loud after typing overkill! One of the biggest problems new photographers face when it comes to presenting their work on the web is Overkill. Overkill with images, repetition, and clutter.

Overkill: Images

There is a fine line between not showing enough work and being so excited about your images that you show too much. When dealing with your website it is best to stick to only your best images and limit them quite considerably. Lindsay Adler; fashion photographer and social media guru, states in her book "The Linked Photographer's Guide" that when choosing images for your website, you should stick to 25 images or less for each specialty. If you do weddings, baby photography, and family portraits you should have no more than 25 images for each section if your galleries are separated out...and no more than 25 images total if they are presented together.

Why? Quite frankly, people will loose interest after looking at so many images. Hit them with only your VERY best images right up front. Wow them, and leave them wanting more. This is where today's social media comes into play. You have more great images? No problem! Forums such as Facebook, Flickr, and blogs give you the opportunity to show off images that don't make the cut on your main website.

Overkill: Repetition

We're all guilty of it! We all have that one model who makes photographs shine, that one wedding that topped them all, that one baby (cough-my son-cough) who is so adorable in photographs that you just want to use every image you have of them...but that's a mistake. If you show 50 photographs and 30 of them are of one child, no matter how great those images are, it makes you look like you have a limited client base. You want to show diversity in your work. You want people to see that your kids are not the only kids you've ever photographed.

What do you do if you're new and don't have a large base of models or jobs to show? Limit your images down further. No one says you HAVE to post 25 images of weddings. If you have photographed 10 weddings and want to show only one from each, that's fine as long as the images are top notch. The best way to grow your portfolio is to work work work. Offer time for prints for models/kids/families etc. Give people a reason to help you build your portfolio.

I recently was referred to a photographer who works about 20 miles from my own studio. She has a basic art degree, has worked for another photographer as an assistant for some time, and recently opened her own studio. When I went to her website, among other distracting elements (which I will touch on in a bit) I was bombarded with images of 2 children walking along a path. While the kids were dressed to the nines and the images were cute...after looking at 10 images all obviously shot at the same session, I began to wonder if she did work that is not on prairie paths. Make sure you show a variety of images that give clients a realistic view of the types of work you do. If you specialize in outdoor portraiture, try to show a variety of locations and seasons in your images.

Overkill: Clutter

I can not stress this enough: GET RID OF CLUTTER!

What are you trying to show? Your photography skills! So why would you surround your photographs with frames and gadgets and widgets and information that distracts from them? Look at the 2 sites below:

This first site has been blurred out to protect my competition from embarrassment. I'm kidding. I've known the photographer of the top site for years and years and prior to my days owning my own company, I actually was the lab of choice for that photography business.

The site has a frame, a large number of tabs (so many that they run off the right side of the screen), another frame of a different color, multiple images some color and some partially color and partially black and white. 2 images are set on top of what appears to be the main image and then as if that is not enough for your eyes and brain to take in at once, the right side of the screen is loaded with text; which honestly, I never even went so far as to look at. There is too much information on one page. All of the stacking and piling things into one small webpage takes away from the actual image.

I was just as guilty of having too much going on with my website for years. This second site is my current website. Simple. Clean. And what do you notice when you go to it? THE PHOTOGRAPH! That is, after all, what I want people to see. Choose a main page image that pops, that attracts attention and makes your viewer say "OH WOW!"

Keep your tabs to a minimum. If at all possible, find a website format that allows you to place some of your tabs within another page so they are less distracting. When you visit my site www.silvereye-photo.com you click services which brings you to this page:

Once on this page, you can see that there is an additional set of tabs that allows you to choose what type of work you want to look at: Wedding, Children, Portraits, or Commercial. I want clients to know that these are the types of photography that I offer, but I don't want to beat them over the head with too much information the second they hit my site.

We all run promotions! Reserve that information for your blog. If people are interested in your work, they will delve deeper into the links you provide for them. Your blog and Flickr sites provide you ample opportunity to give them additional information about yourself and your work, while leaving only the most important 'must have' information on your main website. When you establish your contact page of your website, give your clients easy access to all of those other social media sites:

Here are some other examples of fantastic and simple sites:

Simplify the look and feel of your site, publish only your absolute best and most necessary info and images on there and direct people who are interested in seeing more to your other social media sites. OK! OK! No overkill...what's next?

QUALITY OF WORK

I don't care if you've been shooting for a day or 60 years, there is never an excuse to publish subpar work. Your clients will know the caliber of your photography instantly by the quality of work that they see on your website. If you are a photographer who takes the time and care with each image to hand edit it and make sure that it is a piece of art that you feel good placing your name on...then do not put images on your website that are unedited and unfinished.

The same photographer that had the large number of photographs from one session also broke my cardinal rule #2. Some of the images were underexposed, others overexposed. Some of the images were taken from too far away and almost looked like snap shots. It is obvious in a very quick view of her work, that her forte is in studio lit photography. This could be remedied so easily though! Taking a few minutes to edit your images, touch up the white balance/contrast/curves...whatever tweaks your photo needs; makes all the difference in the level of professionalism you show your potential clients. In the old days of darkrooms and chemicals, Ansel wouldn't have printed an image for a gallery showing without making sure that each spot that needed dodging had been dodged and each spot that needed burning had been burned to perfection. If you do not want to put that type of care into the images that you present, then you should ask yourself if photography is truly your calling. It is a safe to make the assumption that your clients want the very BEST you have to offer, not just the work you feel like doing that day. So don't show them anything but the best.

Don't give them this image:

Give them this image:

If editing is something you do not do, that is something your clients should understand before they hire you; and the images you put on your website should reflect your style-AKA: don't put up edited perfect images if that's not what you're going to give your client.

PROFESSIONALISM

This category is up for discussion on many of the photography forums I belong to and post at. The topics of:

-Music

-Fonts & Appearance

-Pricing Presentation

are hot topics that surprisingly, carry quite a bit of hostility with them at times.

Music

This is my blog, so I will give you my opinion. If I am going out looking for an amazing seamstress for my wedding, I don't want to walk into her shop and be bombarded by elevator music that makes me gag. Likewise, music is a distraction to your photographic images on your website. If I click your page, and spend the first 30 seconds I'm there trying to find the "music on/off" button...I have likely missed seeing some images, or have already lost some interest in being on your page. Again, this is something that could possibly fit better on a blog, myspace, or other type of site.

Bottom line...it's not about you...it's about your clients. If you don't want to distract them, keep the cutesy music off your site.

Fonts & Appearance

...for my 3 year old's birthday party invitations. If I'm interested in hiring you as entertainment or to make pink cupcakes, that font has got my attention. If I'm hiring you to photograph my new line of handbags for Fashion Week in Paris...that font has probably already lost me as a client. As my husband would say: Keep is simple, stupid. Flourishes, scrolls, flashing gadgets...they're great if you want to attract attention to those things but again, they distract from your photographs.

What it all boils down to is this:

Photographers now-a-days, are a dime a dozen. Potential clients will likely sift through 5-12 websites before they begin calling photographers who's work interests them. If your website doesn't pop...if you're website shows unprofessional work...if you're website is hard to navigate...if you're bubbly font or bubblegum music make them feel like they're headed for Barbie-land...or if your images get lost in the hullabaloo of other things on your page; you likely will not be on their list of people to call.

If you want to get work, you have to stand out from the crowd or have something amazing to offer.

Give them your best work. Make it easy for them to contact you. Show them something worth looking at, and lead them to other sites so IF THEY CHOOSE, they can view more images. If what you show them is worth looking at and is the style they are interested in...they will check out your other social media sites. Don't be afraid you aren't giving them enough. Clients are smart, they can contact you with questions if they have them.

Simplicity

Basic info

Amazing images

That's the way to do it right. Better to draw them in and start a dialog than to chase them away before they ever get a chance to learn about your work.

As always, feel free to contact me! aephotose@gmail.com

Turning Point Labradors

2010-11-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

I got a call from the owner of Turning Point Labradors a few weeks back.

With a short break in breeding and show season she wanted to get some updated photos for her website.

We met in a dog friendly forest preserve outside of DeKalb, IL and had a great time in the perfect weather and gorgeous setting.

Glory & Elliott

To be perfectly honest, the dog industry has it's own standard for photography and this job was a tiny bit intimidating; but the dogs cooperated beautifully and the images are great!

You can find Turning Point Labradors on Facebook at this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Metamora-IL/Turning-Point-Labradors/247008608736?ref=ts

You won't find a kinder breeder or more well cared for dogs anywhere! If you're looking for a Lab, give Jan a call!

Beautiful Fall Family Photos

2010-11-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

Early morning in the chilly air on the 1st of November I had the opportunity to photograph a family whose wedding a photographed years ago. I love return clients and I have known Kristin since we were kids (I actually used to babysit her! Way to make me feel old!)

Though it was a bit rough at the start, her 2 boys were fantastic and let their personalities shine through. Her family is gorgeous and I am very honored to have had the chance to capture their family for them.

A few for fun

2010-10-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

My little man is not a fan of his Halloween costumes. He has 2 that fit him and both make him angry (apparently he should have been The Hulk!)

Anyway, while fighting me on his puppy costume, I snapped these adorable shots.

Misc Work

2010-10-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of miscellaneous work lately; ad stuff, fine art, a few personal projects...and I have produced some images that I love and tips on how to achieve similar results with your photographs.

Keys: This was for my 365 Project: 365 Around The House.

This was a naturally lit image. My window was off to the left hand side. This was late afternoon. The light was not direct, but reflected off a silver reflector. In Photoshop, I darkened the image overall but that was the only editing done to this photograph. This image was shot on a moderate aperture setting: 5.6.

Keys - 365 project

Rope: This image was taken mid-evening. The lighting was also natural. The rope was backlit by direct sun light. In Photoshop I increased the contrast slightly and adjusted the color balance because the backlighting caused the white to take on a magenta cast. This image was shot on a low aperture setting to achieve the "Bokeh" look (known to old timer's like me as short depth of field): 2.8.

Horse lead - Horseback Riding Informational Brochure

Garden ornament: This image was shot at sunset. Aperture setting was 2.8 and as you can see the sunset reflected lots of pinks and yellows. I chose an angle that created a lens flare because I thought it would enhance this image.

Gardening Store

I was my own model for this image. Always challenging but fun! This image is for a blogger. This was shot on automatic and lit with a single light source almost directly from the front. The image was edited in Photoshop with increased contrast and vibrance.

Blogger Banner

Moose: This image was photographed with natural lighting. The window was behind me and to the right, approximately 6 feet in front of the baby. In Photoshop I lightened the image slightly, and made the eyes pop but dodging them a little bit.

Personal Project

This image was photographed next to a stained glass window. The window created shadows across the baby's hand. This image was not edited in Photoshop.

Personal Project

Blocks: This image was photographed with natural light coming from a source behind the blocks and to the right. The image was lightened in Photoshop and the vibrance was increased.

Resale Toy Store

This image was photographed with natural light coming directly from behind and to the right and bounce light from the left off a white reflector. This image was majorly edited in Photoshop. The background was burned and darkened, the contrast was increased on the hand and block and it was generally a PIA...which is ok because I love it (especially because it's my son's hand).

OBGYN Office

Candy: This image was photographed at aperture 2.8 with a single lighting source above and slightly behind the candy. It was photographed on a white background and in Photoshop the vibrance, saturation, and contrast were increased.

Personal Project

This image was photographed at 5.6 aperture and with only the window as lighting. This image was not edited.

Personal Project

Fire 1: This image was photographed on automatic/sport setting.

Born & Bred American - Field Fire Chasing

Fire 2: This image was also photographed on automatic setting. In Photoshop the color vibrance was increased.

Born & Bred American - Field Fire Chasing

Boots: This image was photographed with natural lighting from a window approximately 10 foot to the right of the objects. A second layer was made of this image in Photoshop and turned black and white, then the baby shoes were erased from the second image allowing the color to come back through.

Boot Company Ad Sample

Charlie: This image was taken with reflected light and is unedited. Aperture rating was 2.8 and I was extremely close to a very patient model (within 6 inches).

Animal Shelter Donation Flier

Pineapple: This image was taken using a single light source to the left of the object. The image's color saturation and vibrance were both increased in Photoshop. It's a silly image but I love the colors. This image was photographed on aperture setting 5.6.

Restaurant Website Image

Bell: This image was taken in natural lighting coming from a very old window back and to the left of the object. The image was not edited except for color correction. This image was shot with an aperture rating of 2.8.

Born & Bred American

Mirror: This image was photographed using aperture rating 5.6 and was taken under florescent overhead lighting.

Commissioned Fine Art Image

Bottle Tree: This image was taken late afternoon during the summer, outside, with natural lighting. Vibrance was increased on this image. Aperture rating was 5.6.

Gardening

Sometimes capturing a great image is as easy as setting your aperture and shutter speed appropriately, or knowing how to edit the image after it's taken. Happy shooting!

Family Photos with the Flinks

2010-10-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph this weekend with a really great family. They embrace the country lifestyle and the mother is an avid horsewoman and shooter.

It was early morning on a beautiful but harshly sunny day, but we made the most of the lighting and were able to pull out some really great shots of her family as well as some great photos of her and her horse. Here are some of my favorites.

365 Project

2010-10-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a 365 project since Dec 8 of last year. It is 365 days of photographs of my son, starting the day he was born going through his 1st birthday.

As we hit his 10 month birthday today (yeah I celebrate month bdays with him!) I have begun a new 365 project, one that I will be sharing with the interwebs.

My new project is "365 Around the House". A look at things that I walk past and see every day, but who's simple beauty I take for granted. This will be challenging. I'm not 100% sure there are 365 photo worthy things around my house, but I am going to give it a shot (moving soon should help!).

Please feel free to visit the project page for more information and extra images. I will periodically post some of the images on this site but the project page itself can be found at the address below:

http://www.abbyelliott365.com/

Sea

2010-09-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

I recently shot some images of some shells, an old glass buoy, and a few other items for a commissioned job.

Some of the images have been described as haunting by one of my fans on Facebook.

These are a few of my favorite images from that shoot:

More recent shoots

2010-09-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph 2 other gorgeous little ones recently who's great faces and wonderful expressions I would like to share.

First was this little man. So cute there aren't even words. His mom and I met through a parenting website and I was more than happy to capture her little guy at 6 weeks old.

Admittedly, I instantly had hair envy. My Moose is nearing 10 months and finally starting to get hair coming in, and this little guy already had a ton of it!

Those big brown puppy eyes were enough to melt my heart!

And the faces he made!...Oh my goodness! He was so comfortable in front of the camera and so interested in what I was doing, he was a real joy to photograph!

An absolutely beautiful baby boy who I am honored to have photographed.

I love the high contrast of the above image.

Next we had a sweet little girl who's nearing 2 years old. Let me tell you...2 year olds are a handful to shoot!
She did not have time to be bothered with me. No stopping, no time to stand still, and certainly no smiles on command.

She had such a great smile and was into everything in my yard that I couldn't help but say forget the posed and capture her character.

Amazing how a stick, an old tire, a lawn ornament and some mud can keep a child of this age preoccupied for over an hour!

That's right. I said mud. A little girl, in a pink dress, in the mud. It doesn't get much better than that!

Recent photo shoots

2010-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

I have done a number of shoots in the last month and a half while my blog was down. In the interest of getting caught up, I will probably double them up on here for the next few posts.

I will start off with these 3 beautiful ladies...yes I said 3. Twins and their older sister.

We met at the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL and had a fantastic, albeit sweltering hot photoshoot. In the last week of August we had temps in the 90s and this day was no different. We met at 10am and the bright late morning light was perfect with all of the shade of the gardens.

The ponds were a great background and the Japanese buildings were beautiful.

Kids are kids and they were distracted but we captured beautiful images of the girls exploring the world around them.

Another recent shoot was with a sweet little 1 week old baby who is fighting with hip dysplasia.

He was so sweet though, you would have thought his little body brace didn't bother him at all.

This was the first time he had ever been laid belly down and he didn't seem to mind it at all.

"Though I'm sleeping soundly, I can sense that someone is photographing me right now"

Even the best sports get tired of photos eventually.

Baby boys love their mamas!

Just as a bonus here is a photograph I took, in natural lighting, in my dining room when my son decided he HAD to play in mom's basket.

Ride 'Em!

2010-09-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Northern Illinois Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association invited me out to their 2 day event to photograph them in action. And yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Cowboys riding horses at all out gallops while shooting things. Awesome!

I arrived about an hour before the show started. This was a great opportunity to photograph people tacking up their horses and getting ready to ride.

I quickly found that photographing the "things" was a must.

CMSA (Mounted shooting) is a really fast paced sport. Riders have to guide their horses around a certain set of obstacles while shooting at targets and maintaining control of their mounts. Now, I can ride...and I can shoot...but I'm fairly certain that any combination of the 2 would result in a gross display of unsafe fire arms handling and possibly a trip to the emergency room! These riders were phenomenal! Comfortable on their horses, excellent aim, and they had a blast putting on a show!

It wasn't all fun all the time, but even when a horse got a little headstrong, the riders were all smiles.

At an event like this, you can't forget that it's not just about the action or the stuff...its about the way of life, the connections, and the people.

The above rider/shooter is Northern Illinois University's basketball coach! You never know who you're going to meet or what their 9-5 job will be.

The days of the cowboy aren't completely behind us. These people love their horses and love their way of life. It may be the middle of Illinois, but it sure felt like the wild west to this photographer!

Catching up

2010-09-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out the problem I've been having for a month with uploads and wouldn't it figure...it involved money. Turns out that even though Blogger is free...Picassa (their image hosting linked to blogger) is not once you hit a certain number of uploads...ahhhhhhhhh! You guessed it, I hit that number!

So reluctantly I have now paid my dues and upgraded my Picassa account and I'm good to go again on the photos. SO, without further adieu, I give you my latest projects...in one MASSIVE blog! Just kidding...but expect a few blog heavy days!

Blogger

2010-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

So blogger is giving me hell! They're having some server issues with images and guess what...yay for being a photographer...I'm a magnet for any internet issues involving images!

I have "Mess the Dress" photos, new family session photos, unconventional baby photos, and 2 Hurricane Katrina posts all waiting patiently for Google to resolve the problems with their server.

Please bare with me! I promise to have new posts up soon!

Why Bridal Portraits?

2010-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

For starters, I have been so busy lately that I have been neglecting my poor photography blog. This weekend seemed like a non-stop flow of photo shoots, and needless to say-there are hours of editing ahead of me!

Friday was a large family get together event, Saturday I went from a family photo shoot straight to babies, to bridal portraits and ended the day with a couples session. Today I have my own photo shoot, my son turned 8 months old yesterday so I have monthly photos to take of him and another handful of sessions booked for this week. I am very excited to be possibly photographing a "mess the dress" wedding dress destruction session this weekend, crossing my fingers that schedules mesh for that one!

Now! Down to business!

My bridal portrait session this weekend was fantastic. My bride was beautiful and the weather could not have been better. Thank God for my assistant (and her bottle of Off), without her forethought we would have been eaten alive by mosquitoes. The images we captured seem like the perfect chance to talk about bridal portraits.

What is this new Bridal Portrait fad?

The "Bridal Portrait" as a stand alone photo shoot, is an old tradition which has recently been gaining popularity again. Top wedding photographers around the globe are encouraging their clients to schedule a separate shoot for the bride a few weeks or days prior to the wedding. Wedding days are so packed full of events that it is hard to dedicate enough time to photos of the bride without the guests being neglected. The solution? Easy! If you do a dry run of your hair and make-up, why not turn it into a full day event and do photographs that day also?

Photographing bridal portraits on a day separate from the wedding also gives you unlimited options for locations. If your wedding is in the suburbs but you would love photographs taken downtown, there is no way you could accomplish this without shooting on a separate day. These images were taken at Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva, IL.

What should you expect to pay? This is almost an impossible question to answer. There are so many variables when it comes to photography pricing. Most wedding photographers offer bridal portraits as a part of a package or separately. You can expect to pay anywhere between 8% and 30% of your total photography costs to bridal portraits depending on who you hire. Most wedding photographers will lump this cost into your package, but there are also portrait photographers who specialize in this. If you have hired a documentary style wedding photographer, you may want a portrait photographer to do these photographs for you. Be prepared to pay more for your bridal portraits if you are not having them included in your wedding photography package. Some portrait photographers charge upwards of $650 for bridal portraits.

At my studio, wedding photography packages start at $1100.00 and with bridal portraits included, in your package you can expect and additional $150.00 for a total of $1250.00.
Unlike many other studios, as the package price goes up, the portrait portion of that does not. However, if you booked ONLY a bridal portrait session with me and are not having your wedding photographs done by my studio, you should expect to pay $225.00.

Bridal portraits are really all about you. You should be comfortable with the location chosen for them, the time of year and day, and have a good idea of what type of images you like. Cayton Photography in Colorado Springs, CO has a large online gallery of bridal portraits. One of my very favorites is an image of a bride in a field with a steer. I LOVE that image! But I would never suggest that an urban bride go to a field of steers to have her bridal portraits done. Make sure your images reflect who you are.

I say it all the time, Google-Google-Google! The internet is a wealth of information! Get online and Google "bridal portraits". Look through the images and mark the ones you love, and share them with your photographer. We're not psychics and quite often we do not know our clients well on a personal level. The more we know about you, and about what type of photos you like, the happier you will be with the images we capture of you. Sites like Flickr are also a great place to look for images you like. Don't be afraid to tell your photographer what you want. Your photographer is working for you.

For more bridal portraits, check out my website: www.silvereye-photo.com

Howling Hounds

2010-08-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of photographing this past weekend for Howling Hounds, an organic farm in Compton, IL.
It served dual purposes for me; a photography job for the family who owns the farm, and a chance to work on one of my current documentary projects: Born & Bred American.

Though we started early, it got very hot very fast. My shoot was a combo of photos of them for their family album and their business website, and images of their farm & critters for their business use.
These are some of my favorite from the day:

Carrots & Kolhrabi

Organic Tomatoes

Tucker (I adore Tucker...so much so that I think my next dog will be a Hound!)

On the property there is an old school house. The school house originally was located about a mile away at the church (you will see in a later photo) but when the church was taken over by a new congregation, they decided not to keep the school house. The old owner of the Howling Hound's property paid to have the school house relocated to his homestead to save it from destruction.

School House Door

School House Light

Inside the School House

School House Bell

Sometimes I'm like a cat. I'm always drawn in by shiny and colorful things and this gazing ball was too much to resist.

Gazing Ball

Fallen Feather

Web

Tomorrow's Pick...Tomatoes

Butterfly

Dew drop on Cabbage

"Ah the joys of chemical free farming...sometimes you just have to let the bad bugs have it so they will leave everything else alone." ~Nicole (Howling Hounds Owner)

Sunkissed

Cabbage

Future Greenhouse

So as it turns out, Turkeys go through puberty. At that point in their lives is when they begin go "Gobble" in the sense that we know, as non-farmers, know it. During this change they also have a tendency to fluff their feathers like a mohawk to show off. Who knew? I sure didn't! Great photo shoot and lesson in nature!

Pubescent Turkey :)

If you follow my Twitter, my Facebook, my Myspace, my Website, my Blog, my Linked in, or my life in general you know that bunnies and puppies are the LAST thing anyone would expect me to shoot. This new baby movement is walking the line of my comfort zone...but bunnies??! Well natural disasters aside, these bunnies were just screaming "Photograph us!" Too cute to pass up, I had to do it! Don't be lured in though-they're being raised for their meat!

Baby New Zealand White Rabbits

Tucker gets a closer look

And finally the wonderful family that welcomed me to its home, and who runs this beautiful farm:

If you make the trip from Chicago west...along the corn and quiet dirt roads, make sure to stop in at Howling Hounds Farm and pick up some organic produce and home grown meat products! They're amazing people, a pleasure to work with and an honor to know. Real 'salt of the earth'...my kind of people!

Thanks again to Nicole and her family for having me out!

View from Howling Hounds looking East.

Father~Son moment

2010-07-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sometime there are images that capture a simple but beautiful bond between a parent and child. While photographing a bonfire event this evening, I took this image of a father & son. I adore it's simplicity.

A few just for fun

2010-07-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while getting ready to go to lunch with my mom, I spotted some really cool looking leaves in my dog's pen. In typical Abby fashion, I grabbed my camera because I can't pass up the opportunity to take a cool photo. These are just a few shots that I took.

5 Part Series ~ Project: Mississippi

2010-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Courage & Katrina and Project Mississippi
Though Hurricane Katrina descimated the Mississippi Gulf Coast almost 5 years go, much rebuilding still remains unfinished, or even unstarted. Many families are still not living on their homestead properties. Many family owned businesses have not been able to return.

The Gulf Coast of Mississippi will forever be scarred by Katrina, but the resilience of the people of Mississippi and the help of volunteers and benefactors has created a stepping stone for the much anticipated comeback of this area.

Strong people who refuse to be beaten are building back homes and fighting insurance companies who refuse to pay out! Long time coastal residents stand along side new neighbors and help eachother rebuild one brick at a time, one emptied lot at a time, one clean slab at a time.

It has been said by many in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties, that they are forgotten. That the world doesn't know how much work still needs to be done. That everyone is so focussed on New Orleans that most don't even know the plight of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The people who have said that, are right. News media coverage in these counties has paled in comparison with that of New Orleans. Very simply-people who are not there can not understand what it is like, because they have not seen it. When many news organizations were rushing to New Orleans in the first days after Katrina hit, I delivered a truck load of supplies to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and began documenting an area that was far too ignored by popular media.

Courage & Katrina covers the first year after Hurricane Katrina made land fall from September '05-September '06. Coverage begins on September 3, 2005 only days after Katrina laid waste to the thriving towns of Biloxi, Gulfport, Longbeach, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, Waveland and more.

The second book in the series of 3, is in production now. This second book covers from September '06 through September '08 throughout the same devistated region. Book 3 will cover through the 5 year anniversary of Katrina's landfall, this coming August 28th.

This blog is the 1st in a series of 5 that will show chronologically, the destruction caused by the worst natural disaster to hit the United States in recorded history; and rebuilding and rebirth since August 29th, 2005.

September 3, 2005 ~ Jones Park ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ First Baptist Church ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ Debris, Damaged Buildings, Military Helicopter over the port ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ Mangled remains of tractor trailers ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ Debris near shipping yard ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ View from behind the military blockade ~ 13th Street Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ Destroyed tractor trailer ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ Jones Park & the port ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ 20th & Beach Blvd ~ Gulfport, MS

September 3, 2005 ~ Shell shocked Officer surveys damage at Jones Park/Marine Life Oceanarium ~ Gulfport, MS
"I served in Iraq. I served in Afghanistan. I've never seen anything like this in my life" ~ Unnamed Officer

September 3, 2005 ~ Chair left as debris by retreating storm surge, paw prints of homeless pet ~ Gulfport, MS

The people of Mississippi still need our help to rebuild their towns and their lives. Please help show them they are not forgotten. Share this link and the links to come in the next 4 weeks. Spread the word and donate to the Hurricane Katrina foundations.

Part 2: Getting Great Water Park Photos

2010-07-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

I posted a couple weeks ago with ideas on getting great water park photos. While the summer is winding down, there are still lots of opportunities to capture great images of your children at play!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...Kid's Bums are CUTE. We love them. Admit it!
Chubby little cheeks, wrinkly little legs, and saggy butt swimsuits are a huge part of childhood. Don't be scared to capture it! Will your kids hate you someday for taking pictures of their backsides? Eh, who knows, but the memories are probably worth it!

Keep it tasteful though. For your kids' sake!

Freezing action is always great. Sometimes it's hard to know if you want to keep a photograph color or make it black and white. If you're putting images together in a collage style, try using both!

Think about the answer to this question: What means summer to you?

To me it's sand, the smell of sunscreen, water, heat, and fun with friends. BBQs, bonfires, you name it!

Sand can be a great photograph. Everyone knows kids love to get covered in it!

Last but not least, again and again, take the picture that's not expected. Crop it in tight, kick up the contrast and you will be happy with what you get!

This last image is a bonus. It was taken by my mother, Kathi Garton. It's me and my Moose and I LOVE it!

Just goes to show faces don't have to be in focus or even all the way in the frame to get a beautiful image. Thanks, Mom! I love this photo!