This place is a zoo!

Today I helped chaperone my son's kindergarten class during a field trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. It was a blast, but I'm blasted! My assignment, other than taking photos to document the trip (mostly of the kids, including mine above), I was also in charge of three boys (one being my son). Nobody said there would be so much running involved!


This jaguar doesn't look anything like the ones parked at the mall!


One of the gorillas posed for photos, but then he demanded loose change and Cheetos.


The zebra was more interested in a lunch of lawn than onlookers.


The lion cubs seemed to be among the favorite exhibits (besides the penguins and white tiger).


I also got a few shots of the cubs with their mama, but she looked pretty tired. She asked that I not post photos of her on the Internet because she figured the folks at TMZ would start hassling her. The price of fame these days!

If you get a chance, a trip to the FW Zoo is definitely worth it, especially now that the weather isn't as hot. Wear comfortable shoes, take a bottle of water or two per person (it's available from vending machines but – ca-ching! – it's pricey). If you want to get good photos of the wildlife, I recommend a telephoto lens in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 mm, because many of the exhibits are far away. If you are more concerned with shots of any pint-sized wildlife you take with you, as I was, a regular or wide-angle lens would work just fine, too.

Brrrrrrrrr!

I got to work at my part-time consulting job this morning to find steam rising off the pond. Grabbed my camera (it helps to have it with me) and took a few shots to capture the moment. It reminded me that:

1. Shooting directly into the sun takes some care.
2. Human eyes, even for those of us who need glasses, can capture much more than a digital sensor.
3. The digital sensor on one of my sensors needs a bath, big time!*

Bring on the cold weather! Or not. It's supposed to warm up close to 80 degrees both days this weekend. That's actually good, because I've got a photo session on Sunday afternoon that will go much easier with pleasant temperatures.

*Digital camera sensors can be dust magnets. With a digital SLR, swapping lenses in unsavory places can cause a buildup of dust, hair and wingdings that show up in your photos when you shoot at a small aperture (larger number) against a light, untextured surface, such as the sky. In the photo above, I used Photoshop to clone out most of the dust bunnies.

Give the gift of photography

Do you have a friend who is expecting a baby soon, but feel uninspired by the mom's gift registry? Give them something you can't buy in a store ... professional photography of their new arrival after he or she is born. It's easy as ABC!

A. Choose a ready-made or custom frame (the frame pictured was bought at Wal-Mart).
B. Contact me at todd@toddovermanphoto.com or 817-675-1143 to purchase a gift certificate.
C. I'll design a gift certificate with images from my collection to fit the frame and place them inside. You wrap it and present it to the mom-to-be.

Other ways to give the personal gift of professional photography:
• Christmas
• Birthdays
• Wedding gifts
• Special occasions
• Anniversaries

Get the picture? Not everyone takes the time to have professional photos taken of themselves. If they do, it is often at a discount studio where customers are numbers rather than names. Hiring an independent professional is the ultimate in custom imaging and art.

Purchase the gift of photography from me by Dec. 31, 2008, and I'll take 20 percent off the regular session price of your gift, as well as offering you 20 percent off a professional session. This is for a limited time only! See www.toddovermanphoto.com for details on my services.

Go team!

Photographed some middle school cheerleaders for a fellow photog last week. It was a real blast. I took a few group shots, then four poses of each of the 17 members of the squad. For one of poses, I asked them if they wanted to do anything fun or crazy. A few did jumps. Some turned out, others didn't. But it was fun anyway, and some of the girls and their parents will be able to choose an additional pose among the more traditional ones.

Just a couple snapshots

We usually have a camera on hand at the house, just in case there's a "Kodak moment" we want to shoot in a hurry (side note: I guess I should call them "Canon digital SLR moments" because that's what I use). These are just two from a series of about five keepers from eight or so shots. This is an example of what I call "filling in the gaps" between professional portrait sessions.

The images from this impromptu session at home show my boys being themselves, relaxed and having a good time. For clients, this is the kind of emotion I try to capture, especially of children, because it shows the essence of who they are. While studio shots definitely have their place, I think images like these are the ones treasured over time, when the kids are all grown up.

Harvesting some fun

It's amazing how an almost-2-year-old can have so much fun on a pile of pumpkins.


We went to the Pumpkin Express pumpkin patch north of us in Argyle this past weekend. It's open every day through Nov. 2, according to the Web site. Included in the admission cost ($5 per person) is a free miniature train ride, little pumpkins and suckers for the kids, and free use of little red wagons to haul kids or your pumpkin picks (the orange gourds are $15 each).


My oldest son liked the train ride a lot, but I think kids of a certain age are just drawn to the inflatable play toys. This one was an obstacle course that he must have climbed through at least 20 times.



Here, he's taking a break from romping around ... at least for a few seconds.

Filling in the gaps

When it comes to documenting special times with photographs, I'm a strong believer in hiring a professional. This is especially when it comes to weddings, special parties or important milestones (like a kid turning 5). Not only have a pro take quality images, but provide quality prints that, taken care of, can last a lifetime.

The beauty of the digital age is that there are easy-to-use, low-cost digital cameras that consumers can purchase to "fill in the gaps" between professional portraits. To be clear, even the cost of near pro-level cameras puts them within reach of advanced amateurs. But a camera is only a tool. It is the expertise and experience behind the camera that matters most. Filling in those gaps is important, because those are the times you're on vacation and relaxed with your family. Or the baby is eating a bowl of Cheerios, or taking a bath. Or the occasion doesn't call for a professional photographer but is still worth documenting.

To that end, here are a few tips to make those "fill in the gap" images better.

• Get closer to your subjects. Don't rely on your camera's "zoom" function to fill the frame, just take four steps closer yourself. You'll be amazed at the difference it can make.

• When outdoors, don't place faces in direct sunlight. Shade is best for even lighting when you can find it.

• When indoors, try to shoot in a bright environment. If you can't, use the camera's built-in flash but, unlike my first tip, stand back so you don't "wash out" the faces with the bright light.

• Consider that professional photographers know light is the most important factor in whether a photo will work or not. Amateurs believe they can simply shoot in any environment and the photos will be great (this is not the case). Pros adapt to lighting conditions and supplement when necessary. So find good light you can work with. The human eye is more sensitive to light than digital camera sensors or film, so find really great light to get really good photos.

• Don't always shoot posed photos. Often, the best emotional and impact comes from letting people do what they want to do and capturing it. These "candid" shots can become some of your all-time favorites because they show people being themselves.

• As mentioned before, cameras and equipment are merely tools to capture images. If you really want to improve your photographs, seek out knowledge and then pick the camera that's best for you. There is a wealth of good (and bad) information on the Internet. Consider the sources, take notes, practice, practice, practice and have fun!

Happy shooting!

Big impact from little portraits

The photos above are of my two sons taken in our back yard and of my youngest son's feet. To make sure we would enjoy the images, we put them on the windowsill over the kitchen sink. It's hard not to smile when we see them. Below is a double-frame holding two photos of my sons at my office (which is sparse but getting there). These are examples of how small photos can provide a huge impact on their own and shows you don't need a 16x20 print to stun. The frames on the windowsill are 5x5.


If you are the parent of awesome, beautiful children, you are faced with a dilemma, which is: "How come they are so much better-looking than I am?" If you photograph them regularly, your challenge becomes, "What on earth do I do with all these photos of my awesome, adorable kids?"

In the digital age, what often happens is they are downloaded from a camera onto a computer. That's where they stay. The industrious among us might burn them to a bunch of CDs. We might print out a few of our favorites, but by golly good luck finding them in the great Pile Of Stuff on the end of the kitchen counter.

Before digital photography, we'd have our film developed and printed and either stick the envelopes full of photos into an old shoebox or put them in an album. Ones we were most proud of might make the refrigerator, maybe a frame, maybe get mailed to grandma.

There's a happy medium between the two. If the photos are important, they should not be kept on a computer hard drive or on CDs (or DVDs), because technology is prone to fail and discs are bound to get scratched. Quality prints framed and kept in a cool, dry and place where the sun doesn't shine can last a lifetime or longer.

This takes some time (but isn't it worth it?), but I suggest this approach:

• After taking photos, especially of a trip or special event, download the photos after a few days. Look at each image and delete the ones that aren't spectacular or don't mean anything to you. With what you have left, determine your course: create a photo book using a retail store or online site that will become a sharable, printed keepsake.

• Alternately, print the individual photos and put them together in a small album (scrapbookers can go crazy here if they like).

• If you have a handful of photos you like, pick the best two or three and have them printed and framed. Put them in a spot where you see them. Smile often! We often opt for frames of the same style or different styles of the same color to add some impact. Our favorite color is matte black because it sets itself apart from all rainbow of colors we have in every room of our house.

• Back up your photos on a disc or two. Never trust discs to keep your photos forever, plus you'll never see them again. If a disc is lost, scratched or broken, your photos are gone forever.

The temporary nature of digital files on CD and DVD are why I try to discourage my clients from relying on them to keep their images. Even with the gold-plated discs, should the disc stand the test of time future technology may render it unreadable. Instead, I offer a disc of low-resolution images that provides an easy way for them to e-mail images to friends or post on their personal Web sites. Full-resolution digital files are also available for an extra charge.

You can learn a lot from a dummy

I took some photos from the ground yesterday of firefighters and paramedics using a water tower in Keller for high-level rescue training. The personnel were from a regional coalition of departments that shares training costs, knowledge, gear and manpower in the event of real large-scale emergencies. The exercises involved a mannequin as the injured victim, who was stuck inside the water tower's bowl (which is not currently full of water).

Here comes the dummy!



After the victim was lowered, firefighters on the ground went over the method used to secure the mannequin.


Climbing up the tower, which is about 125 feet off the ground, was enough to wear the firefighters out. Really, watching them climb up and down the ladders were nearly as fatiguing. One of the fire chiefs kept prodding me to go on top of the bowl, but I don't know if he was kidding or not. I decided to stay on terra firma this time around.