When we’re on the right path in our lives, we eventually reach a point of comfort — the place where our nerves are no longer set on edge by the day to day grind.  In my own career I’ve paid my dues, weathering many sleepless nights due to pre-shoot jitters and surviving my share moments where I barely escape disaster while on the job.  By constantly practicing my craft – I believe I’m finally seeing my skills as an artist peak – though through much of my career I couldn’t  see my own abilities through a vast fog of self-doubt.  I believed the hallmark of individuality and mastery of craft — style — eluded me.  It’s something I thought I couldn’t have, yet suddenly I see my individual understanding of the people and environments I interact with emerging and taking shape in my work.  This understanding shows itself in a form you could call style.

I owe this breakthrough to what didn’t go right – we are told creativity is born from necessity.  Failed equipment and determination make you find another way to get the job done.  Get out of several difficult situations unscathed and confidence in your work manifests.  I’ve found even when I’m too sick to write my own name I can pull it together long enough to get my job done.  That’s why I know I’m in the right field.  Still, the universe is a whimsical place. After every moment we’re afforded to bask in security an unexpected surprise waits around the corner.  An unwelcome creative impetus shoved from me from my comfort zone not so long ago.

No one is immune from “things just not going right,” and a recent bridal session is a prime example.  I won’t go into details, but things weren’t happening the way they were supposed to –– luckily it was no one’s fault.  The bride was impressively calm.  She’s a kindergarten teacher, there’s no doubt she’s earned her high tolerance for gracefully excepting untimely complications through experience.  Wedding complications can bring down the most optimistic of people, but she didn’t crack.  This is a person who should be rewarded with more than her money’s worth in great images – so few can hold their up head when important things go awry.

We came precariously close to this becoming the one shoot in my career where I didn’t get an image that gave my client something worthy of their individuality.  I admit I was worried. But, among the files the above image stood out.  It’s now a favorite of mine. There is an intensity and wise knowing in her eyes and it’s coupled with softness and understanding that’s becoming on a bride.  Her eyes seem to say  “I am not this hair style, nor this extravagant dress or fine jewelery.  I am more than that.”  A wedding is not a fancy party, it’s a deep commitment.  When I get to work with people who radiate a deep and real understanding of the journey they’re beginning through marriage, I feel extremely fortunate.  This bride is one of those.

My husband Nick.

A digital negative is a file format that allows a photographer to capture the maximum amount of information their camera model can take in about the scene or subject being photographed.  Much like a film negative a digital negative can be processed and tweaked in many different ways.  The file contains much more information than a jpeg, the most common form a digital image is stored in.  This allows a photographer additional artistic freedom outside of the point of capture. She or he can choose to make an image from a digital negative as true as possible to the scene they witnessed or to manipulate it artistically.

Here are some visual examples:

Self portrait

Example from a clients session.

Why knowing the difference is important:

In many of my packages I’ve chosen to include a flash drive of negatives.  For each session I select a number of images that will receive the full treatment and title them artist picks.  The number of fully edited images varies for different types of sessions but is usually about 25 for portrait sessions and at least 100 for a wedding. All of the other images included on a flash drive will have had few changes made and those changes are limited to things like color correction and density adjustments if necessary. They will be in a jpeg file format unless requested otherwise.

Because image editing is subjective in nature I give each client a chance a to pick a few more in addition to the images I select as favorites for retouching if requested.  I want you to be happy and have the best possible version of your favorite image, not my favorite from your session or wedding. Still, I do have to cap off retouching at some point.  Image editing and photographic printing are true artisan fields that require significant training, much skill, pricey software and a very fast computer.

I average from 500 to 2,000 images per wedding depending on the amount of time they last.  If I made all of the images perfect it would take an enormous amount of time.  Expert retouching varies in length from 15 minutes to eight hours for an extremely complex image. If I perfected a wedding with 2,000 images they will probably have a Disney Land on the moon before I finish!

Why photographic printing is a fine art:

I truly believe that universities put photography in with the arts instead of the sciences because of the post-processing involved in making an image.  Science may rule the camera, but creativity truly comes into play in the print.  I realize that many people want to make their own prints and for this reason I let my clients have their files with a limited copy right release, however, I still ask you to consider purchasing a few prints, especially enlargements, through me.

Yep, they’re going to cost more than Wallgreens.  That’s because I print on the highest quality paper with the best photographic printers and my computer is calibrated to match each printer’s output, ensuring the color is as it should be.  Can Walgreens do that?

If anyone would rather have more of their digital files retouched, I would be happy to at $25 per hour with the average image taking about 15 to 30 minutes.  Any prints or other photographic products, such as albums, include retouching for free unless they are purchased as proofs.

Finally, about the limited copyright release:

All digital files come with a copyright release for personal use. This means that Roz Todaro Photography maintains ownership of the files.  You can still print them for personal use or display them digitally online at places such as Facebook, but they may not be sold.  If you would like to submit them to a magazine or blog … yay!  Contact me and I will submit them on your behalf.

Also, you are not supposed to share them with your aunt, cousin or grandma, but I realize that many people will choose not to see this and do it anyway. Please at least be kind to me and direct your family to this post so they will know that your photographer knows how to make a proper print. I want to be proud of my work, even when it’s hanging on your grandma’s wall!

Even though I was stubborn and didn’t except enough help, my wedding was exactly what I wanted.  The one area where I made off extremely well was my dress.  I’ve never been able to see myself in a princess style gown with a full skirt, but my biggest problem was I just couldn’t bring myself to go into David’s Bridal.  As weird of a confession as it may be for a wedding photographer, I guess I have a bridal shop phobia.  I have no explanation, it’s just how I am.  I shopped online.  David’s Internet offerings came in puffy skirt and extra puffy skirt last year.  Other places with online shopping were mostly department stores that carry designer dresses with price tags that would have  left me with no money to pay for the ceremony.  So, against the advice of every person I respect, I wrote down all big dress designers I love and plugged them into an eBay search.  About for pages in to a Vera Wang search, I saw my dress.  Simple andelegant Vera style in a wedding dress size six, the right size.  It had never been worn and still had the tags on.  I got it, my perfect designer dress at a fraction of the cost.

If you’re very careful, eBay or a consignment shop can be a godsend for your budget.  Many of us can’t afford to be extravagant, even on the most important day of our lives. With some searching and luck we can fool even ourselves.  Another friend of mine found her perfect dress at a second-hand shop.  While some are afraid of a second-hand wedding dress, it hasn’t had any ill effect on either of our marriages.  I’m even willing to bet that not going into debt for our wedding has saved us from a lot of money squabbles with our spouses.   When it comes to getting what you want at a price you can afford, it’s worth it to keep you options open.

If you do eBay your dress, here are a few things to be careful of.  Not long after my dress came in the mail I read a newspaper article on fraud and eBay.  There some awlful people out there who write losing bidders pretending to be the seller of the item the bidder wanted.  In the e-mail they say the winner could not pay for the item so it is now up for grabs to the second-highest bidder.  Since they never had the item in the first place, they just take your money and run.  This can be devastating, especially for someone wanting a big ticket item like a wedding dress. Don’t let a few rotten eggs keep you from getting your dress, if that’s where you find it.  I have no regrets from buying my dress on eBay, and I think if other people are cautious, they can be equally satisfied.  Just make sure that the e-mail address from anyone claiming to have the item you want is the same as the one listed on the item’s seller page and you should be safe.  For me it worked out better than settling for a dress I really wasn’t comfortable in.

Here is a picture of me in my Ebay wedding dress by Kear Photography.

Thumbelina

Margarite

For information on how to adopt a pet from the Ellis County SPCA click this link.

Even for seasoned pros, it’s hard to keep up with all the gizmos that come on a modern DSLR.   Though I’ve been working as a photographer for over ten years, there are many features that where invented after my last university photography lesson.  My first Nikon camera was manual focus but now I’m not even sure they make those?  One would think that with auto focus it’s going to get easier to take great pictures.  Nope, this isn’t always the case. Which of your camera auto focus settings do you need to use when?

When a new feature comes out, one of my favorite ways to stay up to speed is by watching D Town, it’s an online show on Nikon cameras and lenses.  They also cover products that complement Nikon gear and it’s free to watch!  For me, watching a person point out new features is so much better than reading my camera manual.   Even if this your first DSLR, don’t worry, the show is made for newbies.  The only problem you’ll have is trying not to run out and buy all the gear they discuss … which you will be drooling over!  If you’re a Canon user, I’m sure there is something similar out there somewhere on the web.  You might try Kelby Training, it requires a monthly subscription but they offer a a wide array of  subjects for photographers, plus entire classes on too many different camera models to name here.

If you’re just wondering what the heck a DSLR or an SLR is, here’s a link to Wikipedia on the subject.