Focusing on families

My new focus is on family portraits, although I'll still take on the occasional wedding or other freelance assignment. To refresh my portfolio, I'm offering a promotional price to at least five families.

When I say "family," I am referring to any individual or group of people (but not too many at one time) who feel like and call themselves a family. And those families must also be:

• Fun
• Willing to be photographed
• Able to follow easy directions
• Flexible
• Smell good*

*Just kidding, although that would be nice

Besides offering traditionally posed and composed images, I am looking for families who are willing to try something new. What that is will depend on you to a degree!

Here's what a family portrait session includes:

• A limited-time, killer promotional fee
• Over-the-phone or e-mail consultation before a session
• Up to two hours of photography time during session
• Traditional photos of you and your family in ugly sweaters**
• Action-packed, fun-filled images of you and your family
• Individual photos of each family member
• One complimentary group print up to 16x20
• Ability to order additional images and gift products via an online gallery of processed images
• Stunning images that will capture the essence of your family at this particular moment in time
• A signed contract that explains your rights and mine (such as using your likeness in my marketing efforts)
• Photos to brag about and show all your friends and other family members

** Or the attire of your choice; we can talk about clothing beforehand.

Contact me today if you are interested, those five slots will go fast: todd@toddovermanphoto.com. We're finally getting cooler weather, which makes for better on-location experiences!

Refocusing

My photography skills were honed with the unexpected and varied assignments a newspaper photojournalist typically comes across. From photographing a group of award-winning students to documenting the scenes of just-happened car wrecks, to shooting a high school softball game to looking for a good angle to see flames shooting out of a house … being ready for everything made me think that I wanted to focus my own photography business on everything.

But that’s not the case.

I have been privileged to be part of some incredible weddings, as a primary photographer, second photographer and also an assistant. I’ve met some great couples to photograph engagement sessions, and have captured teens caught between childhood and adulthood for their senior portraits.

Now that I have a full-time job, one during which I have the chance to take a lot of journalistic-style photographs, it’s time to narrow down what I want to do in my own time. What is that? Family portraits! To me, they are an important record of a family captured at a particular moment in time. Anytime a family is together is important, because that time is so fleeting. When I say “family portraits,” this includes individual shots of each member – especially the children. There is no more incredible way to realize the passage of time than comparing a child NOW to what he or she used to look like in a portrait.

Those portraits can be traditionally posed, or can depict a favorite family activity. Biking in the park? Hiking in the woods? Wakeboarding at a nearby lake? Camping? Shopping? Cooking at home? Whatever it is, my more than 10 years of professional experience – being ready for anything – will help me figure out the best way to capture something special.

My style is pretty straightforward. To me, a technically perfect photo of a person is good enough and I don’t need to embellish it with too much computer work.

So for now, I’m not actively pursuing weddings, engagement sessions, senior portraits, maternity/infants or event coverage. It’s all about family, whichever form that family takes.

Let’s work together on an image that your family will treasure for generations! Contact me at todd@toddovermanphoto.com.

Reflections

These self-portrait shots are not quite what I was going for, but at least shows part of the progression between concept and execution. The reflective marble is sitting on my desk, and the camera is on my right on a tripod. There is a flash on the camera pointed up to bounce light off the ceiling, and another flash unit triggered off-camera to add a highlight on the marble. A macro lens is zoomed in to the little object, showing my distorted reflection. Or at least it will when I refine my technique!

Digital cameras make it easier than ever to snap photos of yourself. Rembrandt was a rare bird among painters because of his regular dedication to painting self-portraits ... imagine how much longer he spent on his own images vs. how fast we can use a cell phone to snap and post our likenesses online. Besides Rembrandt's artistry, a major difference is that only time will tell if the 1's and 0's of our digital existence will endure as long as the master artist's own self-portraits.

I'm pretty sure this mess I just posted won't be hanging in a museum at any point in time!

Melanie-Class of 2010

On Friday, I met Melanie and her dad in the Fort Worth Stockyards for a fun senior portrait session. We had a breeze to contend with, and the afternoon sun made western-facing shots a little tricky, but we made it happen. Above are just a few samples from a ton of great images from the session (click on each image for a slightly larger view). I didn't check her driver's license photo, but I have a feeling it's hard to take a bad picture of Melanie!

Schedule your own portrait session today – children, family, high school senior, engagement – to take advantage of our much nicer weather! Shout out to todd@toddovermanphoto.com.

Mom Mom and Little Z

This is a shot I grabbed last Saturday of my mom and my youngest son. We were watching my oldest son's next-to-last basketball game. Because it was so dark, I was pushing my camera to suck in as much light as possible. That caused "noise," or the digital graininess that happens when a digital sensor is pushed to extremes. I desaturated the color a little to help hide some of that noise. I'd like to set up a few shots like this, where I've got more control of the lighting.

Meet Peanut

This is Peanut, a co-worker's dog who was adopted from an animal shelter. I took some photos today for a project and needed an illustration. He was a good sport, even though he was a little chilly. Reminds me of the chihuahua I used to have, except that Bear wasn't nearly as sweet.

The Help Portrait

The first time I heard about the Help Portrait, I was skeptical that offering a free portrait to someone who can't afford one would really help them. But reflecting on the fact that I've seen when photos can mean the world, I've humbly changed my mind. What possession do people historically grab first when they are forced to leave their homes? Often it's the family photo album. When a loved one passes, photographs take us back to the joyful times we spent with them. Photos provide a link to a past we've never known, too, as I can see that I could have inherited my freckled face from a great-grandfather.

The process is simple:
1. Find someone in need
2. Take their portrait
3. Print their portrait
4. And deliver them.

The first step is where I'd like your help. The official event is on Dec. 12, and I'd like to take the portrait on or near that date. If you know of anyone in need who would cherish a portrait of themselves or their family, you may nominate them by sending an e-mail to me at todd (at) toddovermanphoto.com. Please include their name, their city of residence and reason why you think they would benefit from a portrait. If chosen, I will need help in contacting your nominee to do the portrait and deliver the final image. When you nominate someone, you are qualified for a half-price professional photo session* from me (a savings of $125!) that must be used by the end of this year.

I will take nominations until Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Please help me help someone in need for the holidays! It's also a great time for you to update your own family portrait at a special price!

*This is a full-blown photo session, but does not include print credits or other promotional offers. Other restrictions may apply!

The Buddy System

Want professional family portraits for the holidays? To give as gifts? To incorporate into custom Christmas cards? To mark the end of another special year? Want to save some money? Have I got the plan for you!

The Buddy System allows you to invite up to two friends and their families for a mini portrait session, to split the session fee among you. The session can take place at the location of your choice, include one of your homes. Each family will be photographed individually, but can also be combined for other photos if desired. The combined session may not last as long as an individual family session, but the result is the same: beautiful images of your family and each of its members, preserved for the ages. Experience them every day with lab-quality prints and gift products. Share them with others.

Buddy System-Two Families
• Family and individual family member portraits on location.
• Password-protected online gallery for proofing and ordering of products.
• CD of low-resolution images for sharing on Web sites.
• Session cost: $125 per family. Splitting the cost is twice as nice!

Buddy System-Three Families
• Family and individual family member portraits on location.
• Password-protected online gallery for proofing and ordering of products.
• CD of low-resolution images for sharing on Web sites.
• Session cost: $100 per family. Save $150 per family on the individual family session fee!

Buddy System-Family Reunion
• Group shot of all family members when they are all related.
• Family and individual family member portraits on location.
• Password-protected online gallery for proofing and ordering of products.
• CD of low-resolution images for sharing on Web sites.
• Session cost: $100 per family (four-family minimum). Get together!

Standard Family Session
• Family and individual family member portraits on location.
• Password-protected online gallery for proofing and ordering of products.
• CD of low-resolution images for sharing on Web sites.
• $50 credit toward prints and products.
• Included 25 holiday cards featuring images of your family.
• Session cost: $250. Isn't it time for a custom family portrait?

Contact me today, as Christmas will be here before you know it: todd@toddovermanphoto.com.

Portraits: Capturing the whole family

This is Max, our beloved Border collie, who is the best dog in the world.*

Pets fill a special place in our lives that nobody or no other thing can. So when it comes time to create lasting family portraits, don't forget the special family members who make every day special! Pets are also good subjects for Christmas cards – unfailingly photogenic even on bad hair days.

With paid portrait sessions now until Nov. 30, receive 25 Christmas cards as part of your fulfillment package. Now, what are you waiting for?

*Nothing against your pet, but Max rocks!

An enduring family portait

This family photo has survived untold decades, although it is starting to show some wear (and has a rip on the right). I'd like to tell you that it is my great-great grandpappy Jebidiah Overman, his wife Hannah Patience Sampson-Overman, and their son Willy James Overman. But the fact is, I have no idea who these people were!

The image was in a beautifully appointed frame when I first saw it, and that's what caught my eye as I drove past. Someone was throwing the framed photo away. Me, being an unashamed Curb Shopper, swooped in to rescue the frame. The photo was a pleasant bonus. I forgot I had the photo – since removed from its safe haven in the frame – until I rediscovered it recently. The image is inked over in several places (note the man's strange hands and the gloves drawn over the woman's hands), surely an early Photoshop user in the making. There were no telltale incriptions to firmly date or place the image or name its subjects. I plan to do some research into at least the type of image and when the aforementioned embellishments were common.

With today's modern printing processes and inks, the hope is that family portraits will be enjoyed for generations. That was probably the case with the antique portrait, although I'm guessing the lack of sentimentality from its previous owners was more because it was an antique-store find rather than a treasured family heirloom. The point being, all those digital photos of your family you're taking now? Print some of them! Stick them in an album. Make them into a photo book! Have your favorites printed large and frame them, enjoying them on your wall. Out of sight out of mind ... we forget about photos we've taken, but also hard drives crash. CDs scratch. Photos can so easily be lost forever. All we have to do is take a cue from the past and see that printing is a lasting way to preserve photos that also lets us enjoy them.

Better yet, why not take the time to have a professional family portrait made this summer? Whether you want a traditional photograph more akin to the one pictured above (without those whack lace gloves) or something that shows your family's unique personalities in a favorite setting, give me a call! There will be no time exactly like now. Preserve the moment now, pass down that portrait through generations and, maybe someday, it will show up on the curb for someone else to enjoy.

Celebrating parenthood

Being a parent can be one of the most difficult – and yet most rewarding – jobs we are ever given. Difficult because kids will be kids. Rewarding because it lets us help shape the next generation, can at the same time it's something that is so much fun if we stop and smell the roses once in a while!

This past Sunday, I had the chance to photograph a mother-son swimming party at a local recreation center. What a blast! Was a great chance for moms and their sons to just be themselves and have fun. What I enjoyed the most was seeing how so many of them interacted with each other. Obviously, there can be a special bond between mother and boy-child. A former neighbor of ours, a mother to two boys and a girl, told my wife once, "Little boys just love their mommas." And it's so true.

A bonus with being a daddy is that they'll want to hang out with me more after they are potty-trained. Me and my boys will go fishing, camping, stomping around the woods and otherwise declaring our manhood. I have to set the example of loving and respecting the most important woman in their life (and mine): their mother. Then they'll get to a point where I'm no longer cool. But they'll still love their momma!

The above photos are just a few from the swim party. For those with pools or access to a similar facility (or a lake), let me say such locations make a fantastic portrait site. The lighting is a little tricky (and I wish I had a circular polarizer to cut some of the in-water reflections), but when the shots were good they rocked. Give me a call if you want to hang with your family poolside and have a pro document the waterbound fun!

The perfect time for family portraits!

Now is a great time to have professional family portraits created (not that there's a bad time). While many of us are busy with summer activities, there's often a good time to slow down long enough to come together for a fun morning or afternoon.

Just think:
• The kids are out of school/home from college/visiting your house with their kids.
• Summer means the chance to wear relaxed, casual clothing. Portraits with sweaters is so un-Texan!
• Morning or evening sessions take some of the bite out of the mid-day heat, and it's the times of day when there is beautiful sunlight for portraits outdoors.
• Without holiday-specific decor in your home, it's a great time for portraits indoors (any time of day).
• Why not make Summer 2009 a summer to remember? Kids grow up so fast!
• Hello! Family reunions! It's a great time to get a group shot of everybody there, but it's also a great time to document individual groups as well.
• There are a lot of creative ways to have a portrait made depicting something the family enjoys doing ... time out in the family boat? Playing soccer/softball/baseball/volleyball? Having a picnic at a favorite park? Chilling in the family room? Water-balloon fight anyone?

Then there are awesome ways to enjoy and show off your photos, from artistic wall groupings to a portable "smile book" to show your friends and co-workers.

So what are you waiting for? Schedule a creative family portrait session today. Call me at 817-675-1143 or e-mail todd@toddovermanphoto.com.

The anatomy of a self-portrait

With blogs and Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter continuing to grow in numbers and popularity, it's obvious that taking a decent photograph of ourselves is hard! Too often we're turning to Web cams built-in or hooked up to our computers. Or, worse yet, we're using the dreaded stretched-arm cell-phone camera method. Just say no to blurry, underexposed images! Put your best face forward, particularly if business clients or potential employers will see it (the subject matter you post is another issue for someone else to discuss).

Here are a few tips to consider:

• Light: make sure there is enough light on your face, but not so much that you squint.
• Background: pay attention to weird things growing out of your head. Keep the background uncluttered and simple. Dark is even better so that your face is the emphasis.
• Dress in something simple and that doesn't wrinkle or bunch up in the wrong places.
• Do something fun or that shows an interest or aspect of your personality.
• If this is a self-portrait, place your camera on a sturdy surface and use the "self-timer" function, which will give you some time to get into place after you press the shutter release.
• Take several photos. With a digital camera, you can review the results. Check the focus, lighting, wardrobe, your expression, etc.
• Take the photo in high resolution (sometimes called "fine") so that when you reduce it for posting to the Web it won't get grainy and pixelated upon shrinking.
• Get the camera close. When uploaded to the Web, the image is going to be small. It gets even smaller for sites that turn your mug shot into a thumbnail.
• Sometimes "posing" doesn't work. In that case, have a photo taken or take one of yourself not looking directly into the camera. That can be more natural.
• If the self-portrait thing doesn't work, have a friend take a picture for you using these guidelines.

The above photo is one I took of myself for my personal Facebook page. The pic I use on my business page is also a self-portrait. For this one, I mounted my camera on a tripod with an accessory flash mounted to the camera. A second flash with a diffuser was placed on the laptop's keyboard and triggered by the first flash, illumniating my face and exaggerating the glow of the computer's screen. I used the self-timer, which gave me 10 seconds after pressing the shutter button to get into place. After about a dozen images, I got one that I thought was good enough to use. One issue was tilting my head down far enough so that the flash didn't reflect into my glasses. Using Photoshop, I brightened the Apple logo just a bit; even though I turned the laptop on, the glow was slightly underexposed.

Besides high-quality prints and Smile Books, my clients have the option to purchase a disc of Web-ready images for use on their personal Web pages. That's another way to end up with a professional-looking photo ... hire a professional photographer!

Father's Day portraits

David, a fellow photographer, contacted me this week about wanting portraits taken with his four sons (and grandson). He recommended a great location he had used before with clients, and we met there Sunday evening. It was hot, but with great subjects and great light, it's no wonder the photos turned out well. This is just a sampling of some of them.

I'll definitely use that location in the future. It would be great for engagements and bridals, too.