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    • Brandy JaggersBrandy Jaggers

    Photographing a Photographer: Session Share

    October 31, 2010 | Posted by Brandy Jaggers

    It’s always a bit nerve-racking to prepare for a session, but never so much as when photographing another photographer.  I had the immense pleasure of meeting up with a fellow photographer and doing a little session for her with her children.  Jennifer Erickson is a fabulous photographer from Rushton, LA that drove up to North Mississippi to visit friends, family, and exchange photo sessions with me!  I was so honored that she agreed to do a little swapping with me and am thrilled to show off some of the shots we got.  I am beyond excited about the session she provided me and my family as well.  As nervous as I was beforehand, I quickly realized that I had nothing to worry about and had a blast with her and her adorable kids just being themselves!  We’ve even decided to make this a yearly ritual and I can’t wait until we do it again next year.

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    Happy Fridays: Pumpkin Carving!

    October 29, 2010 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    In the spirit of Halloween, this week’s Happy Friday post is going to give you 5 great tips for pumpkin carving. If you’ve never done it before it may be tricky at first, but you’ll catch on fast. I have carved a pumpkin every Halloween since I was seven and you better believe I still make mistakes as well :)

    1) Choose the right pumpkin!

    You always want to make sure you get a pumpkin with a wide or tall enough face to work with. If you get a pumpkin that is too narrow, or too squat, you won’t be able to carve much. Also make sure the it looks healthy…no brown spots or mold! Lastly, look for a pumpkin with a good stem! You have to remove the top when you clean out the inside or insert the candle and having a stem to grab will make your life easier.

    2) Use a kit or stencils!

    The pumpkin carving kits sold in stores are cheap and will save you from ruining your own silverware (I bought mine at Kroger for $4!). It comes with really handy tools and thinner knives for easy carving. Most kits also include a book of patterns to choose from, however, you can also create your own like I did! Once a pattern is chosen tape your design onto the front of your pumpkin. I recommend taping at the top and bottom and letting the sides flare out. Then using the provided tools, trace your design by puncturing little holes along all of the lines. If you don’t buy a kit you can achieve the same tracing technique with a pencil or pen.

    3) Make sure you cut a big enough opening to clean!

    Now that you have your pattern traced, it is time to remove the top of the pumpkin. I have found the easiest way is to first lightly trace an octagonal like shape around the stem with one of the smaller knives. Make sure the shape is centered and large enough to be able to get in and clean out the inside. A mistake a lot of people make is making the opening much too small and then having to redo it once they start cleaning. When cleaning I like to use a big metal spoon (wooden will also work fine) because it makes the process go faster. Make sure to remove all seeds as well. If you want you can save the seeds and serve them as a delicious treat later!

    4) Carve slowly and carefully!

    So like I said even I make mistakes and this year I was a little over ambitious with my design and had to scale it back once I realized the extra swirls were much to thin. This will happen and don’t worry! Keep your central design intact and you will be fine! Carve slowly and make sure to go over certain sections more then once to make the lines sharper. Also carving at an inward angle helps to make sure enough light will get through to fully illuminate your work.

    5) Proudly show it off!

    Now that you’re done find a nice flat area outside to set your pumpkin on. I like to use tea light candles so that you don’t get wax all over the inside, but any candle will do. Now step back and admire your creation!

    Hope everyone learned a new tip or two…have a safe Halloween! Happy Friday!

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    The Adorama Twitter Halloween Photo Contest!

    October 27, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    Between now and Wednesday, November 3rd at midnight, Tweet a photo to @adorama of you and/or your family’s Halloween costumes or your Halloween party.

    How to enter and rules:

    1.    Must follow @adorama on Twitter.
    2.    Tweet must include “@adorama” and hashtag “#adocontest”.
    3.    Attach your photo with any of the twitter photo sharing apps via your phone or computer or any device.
    4.    Include in your tweet a title for the photo and which camera or device the photo was taken.

    Prizes (3 winners):
    •    1 winner will receive a Flip HD Video camera.
    •    2 winners will receive a Fuji Instax 210 camera.

    The winner will be chosen via drawing by Adorama and contacted via DM and posted on Twitter and Facebook page on Monday Nov 8th.

    Enjoy your Halloween celebration and start snapping and tweeting, we look forward seeing your photos.

    Helene ButtonHelene Button

    Session share….A girl and a horse

    October 25, 2010 | Posted by Helene Button

    Sometimes, when all the elements come together, it’s a beautiful thing!

    Inspiration: These were taken at a retreat I attended recently in LA.  As a professional photographer, I am constantly striving to push my creative boundaries and technique.  One of the best things about doing workshops is meeting and learning from other photographers you admire. This is so important in an industry where you have no direct colleagues.  My inspiration comes from that challenge to push myself to see things in a new creative light.

    Favorite element: The “golden hour” just before sunset.  I love using back lighting to illuminate my subject’s innocence and softness.

    Biggest challenge: The horse!  As wonderful as it was to have a gorgeous white horse out in a beautiful field, they are tricky to work with.  We had to have a horse wrangler there at all times, just in case.

    Final words from photographer: It is so vital to constantly push creative boundaries when it comes to custom photography sessions.   Everything has been done before.  Finding a photographer with a unique vision and perspective is key in getting great images.

    Erin ZahradkaErin Zahradka

    Gone Vegan: Trading in Pills for Plants!

    October 25, 2010 | Posted by Erin Zahradka

    I’m not that old, but for some reason, I have had arthritis for several years.  Whether it was the after-effect of car accident, or just genetics, it has been very unpleasant at times.  Mostly, I have had chronic neck pain for several years… & have relied on pain medicine or the last attempt to alleviate my neck pain- was resorting to epidurals (yes, like the kind you get during childbirth, only the anesthesia travels upward instead of down for this particular treatment.)

    Recently, however, I met another mom.  She has four kids, and looks like a million bucks.  She looks rested, pain free, and her skin glows.

    I asked her what her secret is.  She said she’s Vegan.  I brushed off a Vegan cookbook I have had for over a year now, and dove in.

    I haven’t looked back.  Whether you choose to go Vegan for the animals’ sake, or like me – because of health reasons (even though I’m loving nurturing my inner-animal lover that I seem to have lost over the years!), it’s pure bliss.  And the food?

    The food is amazing.  Seriously.  Not only am I loving cooking again, but my energy levels are genuinely high, my joints haven’t ached, my dreams are more enjoyable and funnier, I have more energy for my kids, and I feel spontaneous bouts of gratitude… just like the book predicted I would.  No more pills, not even over-the-counter.  I’m a believer… and if you try some of the below food, you will be too.  Seitan Burgers, Tofu Scramble, Tempeh, Quinoa, & Potato Leek Soup are just a few of my recent favorites.  For more information on the Vegan lifestyle, visit www.thekindlife.com just to name one of the great many sites.



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