James Studio is introducing a holiday portrait special for $39. Watch the video below and then click HERE to learn more.
Carl & Kathy Seeger Family
November 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It was a full house with the Seeger family in the studio. The family includes two really cute adopted girls from India. The girls were adopted separately and come from different families. Our family supports the Gospel for Asia ministry (which primarily works in India), so we have special fondness for the people of India. I hope to visit there some day.
With five children of a variety of ages made it a challenge to get everyone to look and smile at the same time but we got it done. I have a variety of toys that I utilize. One of which is a plastic chicken which makes a great howling noise. It can be perfect for getting kids to turn their heads and give an interesting expression. I didn’t get to pull off the surprise because the boys starting playing with it before I had a chance to use it properly. Maybe next time.
Studio Photography of 5-year-old child Dylan
August 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I am on the video team at my church. A few weeks ago I was shooting with Chris during the morning worship service. It was still very early, so Chris had his son, Dylan, with him. As we were chatting, we talked about updates to my new studio on University Avenue and portrait photography of kids. A few days later Chris made arrangements to have Dylan come in with his mom, Kelly, for studio portraits. The following are some of my favorites from our session.
Dylan is showing off some of his Kung Fu moves. This could come in real handy as a Yankees Fan.
In every session I try to get unique poses and looks that I have not done before. As in the image above, it is great when people show their personality and some spontaneity. Even so, I always get the traditional poses too. Here is one with mom.
Dylan is a bright kid. He has bright eyes and lots of personality. I think the photograph below reveals some of his spunk.
One of my favorite backgrounds is made of barn wood. The multi-toned wood provides an interesting character to the photograph.
I like this up close look at Dylan while his legs and feet are fading in the background.
I have a variety of stuffed animals in the studio. I also have a rubber chicken. As I was holding the chicken, I asked Dylan to mimic what he guessed the sound of the chicken would make. I had him do it a couple of times and then I squeezed the chicken. It does not crow or go, “Bawk, bawk”. No; it howls! This was hilarious to Dylan, which resulted in the following shot.
Back to showing some classic boy personality. Here is Dylan doing the splits.
Kids
December 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The people I love to shoot more than any other, kids. They have those bright eyes, soft skin, cute freckles and little noses. OK, kids are beautiful. But they are squirrely and unpredictable too and that is half the fun. One moment you feel you have them where you want them then before you know it they are off doing something else, looking away and are somehow distracted.
Did I mention that kids are difficult to photograph. Some kids are perfect angels in front of the camera. They give you that “cheese” smile that looks like a “cheese” smile. Those are easy. The ones I am after are those elusive shots that are in the midst of action. The child is into something and has unforgettable expression and body language.
It takes time to capture the awesome photographs. Its like waiting for the eagle to leave its nest. When it happens and you get the shot it brings the greatest satisfaction. I want the child to feel comfortable with me as much as possible. So I will play a game with them, chat with them and create a bit of relationship. With younger children I have a few other tricks. I use a long feather and a rubber chicken. I also have a monkey that is sure to grab their attention.
Some of best kid pictures are when they are reacting to or enjoying their parents. The interaction between them is precious. When pictures of children reveal insight into the relationship they have with their parents it is a treasure. It is rare and worth more than jewels.
As a portrait photographer in Madison Wisconsin I like to include all the family members if I can. The following are two of my family members, my daughter Sarah and our dog Annie. I thought you might like to meet them. Be sure to view the video.
This video was completely shot with my Canon 5D Mark II. It includes both video and stills. It gives an example of what can be done creatively with a high quality camera and excellent lenses.
The following was one of those photographs that I consider to be really special. It is of my daughter Sarah and was taken in the fall of 2008. Across from our church was this grassy field with huge boulders and trees in the background. My wife was skeptical that this would be a good place for pictures of a 10 year old girl in a pretty dress. It is true the overall scene had a grunge look that one might more likely find in Senior portraits. But as we moved around I was able to capture several pictures that will be with us throughout our lives. This is one of them.
I love to take natural looking photographs of children and their families. If you like what you see, give me a call so we can talk about your family. You can reach me at (608) 233-5556.
Jim
