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Lizzy & Kyle — Madison Engagement Shoot

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Lizzy, Kyle and I (my friend Paul was there for a while too, to shoot video) went to the capitol to shoot their engagement session.   Though a bit hazy it was a nice day.   The video and pictures below shows what the shoot was like.   If you have a high speed connection to the internet be sure to click on the HD icon for a better image of the video. 

James Studio Photography

I love doing this shot.  I get lots of natural laughter and smiles.  I teased Lizzy about whether she was strong enough to lift Kyle.  She completed the task.  Enough said. 

LizzyKyle Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

Tree hugger

 I love the tulips in the foreground and the capitol in the background. 

 LizzyKyle 2 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

This shot was taken on the top floor of the Monona Terrace.  A wedding reception had started so we were competing for space.

 LizzyKyle 4 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

This was taken just outside of the Monona Terrace.  There was a nice section of shade which I like for my subjects so their eyes are open and not squinting. 

LizzyKyle 7 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

This is one of my favorite images in natural color too.  This aqua gray look makes the image stand out from the rest, though.

LizzyKyle 8 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

I love Lizzy’s smile in this shot.

LizzyKyle 9 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

Lizzy and Kyle are completely natural.  Not. 

LizzyKyle 10 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

I love the look and natural feel to this image.

LizzyKyle 11 Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

Are you dating?
Lizzy & Kyle Madison Engagement Shoot

Filed Under: Blog, Engagement, Engagement Session Video, Videos Tagged With: , , , ,

Facebook Fan Page Game

January 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I am a vendor at the Wedding Planner and Guide Bridal Show which is going on January 15 & 16, 2011.  James Studio is offering two $100 gift cards from the store of the winners choice or a 3D art piece (worth $400) for those contracting with us.  The photos from Saturday’s shoot are edited and are up at the Facebook James Studio (Local Business) fan page.  Below are a few samples.  To vote on your favorites go to Facebook and search for James Studio (Local Business).  Once there look for the photos from the Bridal Show.  Go to comment for each picture and give your thumbs up to vote for that picture.  Be sure and tag the photos and comment too. 

Brides Pics 81 Facebook Fan Page Game

Brides Pics 32 Facebook Fan Page Game

Brides Pics 26 Facebook Fan Page Game

Brides Pics 28 Facebook Fan Page Game

Brides Pics 25 Facebook Fan Page Game

Brides Pics 181 Facebook Fan Page Game

Filed Under: Blog, New Photos, Portraits Tagged With: , ,

Studio & UW-Madison Arboretum

October 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Saturday, October 3, 2010 I had a photography session with Katie Thompto.  Katie is currently a student at UW Stout, but her family lives here in Madison.  

The following are some of my favorite shots from the day.   In fact, this first image is a great shot of her face, eyes, and her peaceful countenance. 

Katie 1 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

Doesn’t she have a beautiful smile?  I think it really shines in this pose. 

Katie 2 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

She is a sweet young lady who enjoys being photographed.  She had taken some modeling classes, so she knew just what to do with her arms by keeping them away from her body.  Keeping the arms away from the body reveals more of a woman’s shape and is generally a more pleasing look. 

Katie 3 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

I like the subject in the prone position.  I think it is flattering.  It provides an interesting shallow-depth-of-field look.  In this picture the face is in focus while the legs and feet are out of focus. 

Katie 4 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

Katie is leaning against the barn-wood wall that is in the studio.   The barn wood is all natural and provides a variety of interesting looks for my subjects.

Katie 5 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

Next we went to the UW-Madison Arboretum.  There are many beautiful spots in the Arboretum; this one is extra special and is complete with several ducks that have temporarily made it their home. 

Katie 6 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

In this photo you can see that the ducks were really cooperating quite nicely–they decided to visit us on our side of the pond. 

Katie 7 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

I thought Katie would look great among the weeds, so we journeyed to another part of the Arboretum for some shots just after sundown.  Notice the rosy sky in the background.  Now if you are wondering if Katie really had to walk out into the the weeds, she did not.  There is a path for people to walk on so no damage is done to the foliage.  But the natural look is still very good. 

Katie 8 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

Here is another look.  I really like this image a lot except for one thing.  It looks like Katie’s hips are shifted toward the camera, which is to her best advantage.  The subject’s weight should be on the back leg and the hips shifted away from the camera to help show her slender shape. 

Katie 9 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

Katie was a great sport, as she was willing to do lots of jumps for me.  She really enjoyed this part, but I think part of her enjoyment came from the fact that it helped to warm her up when it was getting quite chilly.  In another picture I could clearly see goosebumps on her arms!

  Jump 1 Studio & UW Madison Arboretum

Filed Under: HS Seniors, New Photos, Portraits, Singles Tagged With: , , , ,

Family Portraits

August 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Rebekah and her children came in to the studio for family portraits on July 22, 2010.   The youngest child was a live wire at times and at other times super cute and cooperative.  With a little help from the studio toys and some patience, I got some nice photographs.  Rebekah wanted the look to be casual.  Below is a sample of our time together. 

There was some Photoshop manipulation to get this picture to work.  Can you tell which person was radically changed and how?  Go to the bottom of this post to see the answer.

Sherman Family 6 Family Portraits

The studio cow made his debut in this photo. 

Sherman Family 3 Family Portraits

Now when you have a kid acting this cute, you’ve just got to show it off. 

Sherman Family 2 Family Portraits

Her gentle expression nicely matches her personality.

Sherman Family 4 Family Portraits

This was taken in the studio, though it may not look like it.  I wanted the look to be like a regular home rather than a studio with a backdrop.  We have many nice backgrounds, but this time I wanted to show a natural look and the family was game for the idea.  

Sherman Family 1 Family Portraits

The family has quite a bit of history in countries outside the United States.   The boy’s hat illustrates their continental flair. 

Sherman Family 5 Family Portraits

In the top picture of this post, the original picture of  the girl in blue was unflattering, so it was replaced with another picture.  It is not a simple cut a paste but with Photoshop it looks pretty seemless.

Filed Under: Blog, Family Portraits, Kids Photography, New Photos, Portraits Tagged With: , , , , , ,