May 2012
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April 2012
3 posts
All things new...
Today feels like a fabulous day for some change!
First, I have a new design theme for my blog. Loving the clean layout as well as the simplicity. Very fresh and light. Perfect for spring. And perfect for highlighting images from shoots.
Second, I have some new kit in my photography studio. Just received delivery of some wind machines (yes, that is plural!), as well as some fabulous new infinity...
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Photographic print sizing: part 2 - wall print...
This is part 2 of a 3-part blog about print sizing. I find myself more and more making large wall prints for my clients, and this guide is really great for helping them think through what the sizes will really mean when they hang a portrait on the wall. Part 1: standard image sizes and ratios (click to see previous post) Part 2: wall print size guide (i.e. how large will something look on a...
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March 2012
3 posts
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February 2012
4 posts
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Baby Photography Tip #4: How to take a great...
When I take portraits of a newborn, a pregnant mother, a toddler, my pictures are about that person. Add another person to the mix, and the pictures become portraits of their relationship with each other. Created well, they capture golden moments that families cherish. But pinpointing that moment isn’t always easy – especially when several small children are involved – and I thought I’d write a...
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studiodeidre asked: Travel photography question - you're on a trip and your lens cap disappears into the sands of the Sahara or the snows of the Swiss Alps. There's no camera store around for countries (or kilometers). How do you protect your lens until you can get a replacement? And do you carry extras just in case?
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Photographic print sizing: part 1 - image ratios
When my clients are choosing their favourite photos to print, I find myself walking through the relative sizes and ratios of images, and helping them think about how certain crops or images would look on their walls. There is a lot of thinking that goes into these decisions, because it’s a surprisingly complex topic. So, I thought I’d write a bit about it. Well, actually, a few...
January 2012
6 posts
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Baby Photography Tip #3: Low light
This question has come up a couple of ways lately, probably because it’s the dark of winter and so many times we’re taking photographs with low light. Or perhaps it’s because people got new gadgets, like flashes, for Christmas and they’re trying to figure out how and when to use them!
In any case, I’ll explain a few things about low light and describe the settings I chose for this image of...
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It's a new year, so time for a new website .... or...
We’re back in the full swing of things here at Studio Deidre, and we’ve got a great new portfolio online, including many of the images taken during our crazy busy autumn.
Check it out: www.studiodeidre.com
I am loving some of these images. I just had a few made into huge wall prints for a client, and they looked amazing! I can’t wait to see some snapshots of these hung on...
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“If a photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate,...”
– Eve Arnold, photojournalist who died today, 3 months shy of her 100th birthday. 1912-2012
December 2011
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Photographers' tricks in the 1800s: metal clamps... →
Wow. Ever wondered how they managed to get those serious posed photographs in the olden days? The ones where you don’t smile, have to be really still, and potentially have to endure pain from holding the pose so long…? The answer: metal clamps to hold their heads and opiates to keep them pain-free! Oh how times have changed!
Click on post title or here to see full article on BBC...
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Time Out listing: Photography Galleries in London →
It’s hard to find many good photography galleries in London. Apparently in Continental Europe, it’s way more common, but here in the UK, photography still struggles to be a fine art form. Since it’s tough to know how to collect it and ascribe value to it, it’s less understood than other parts of the art world.
As I mentioned in a post the Sunday before last,...
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Baby Photography Tip #2: Storing your photos
As promised, in completely random order, my second topic, based on questions from clients, is around storing photos. That might not seem like a photography tip, per se, but it’s an important thing to think about.
So many of my clients have fabulous cameras at home and are either using those to get daily snaps of their children or using their phones. Images are piling up — great...
November 2011
12 posts
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Nanoblur wrinkle reducer: Photoshop in a tube?
I like to take very natural photographs of people, without too much fancy work in Photoshop. But I will use Photoshop to soften blemishes, fine lines, and the under-eye area, especially when I’m dealing with new mums. I usually begin by reducing the lines dramatically and then adding them back in to a level that looks nice and natural. As I do this, watching the years fall away, I...
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Photography at V&A and Natural History Museum
Just got back from the museums now. They’re so close that I don’t know why I don’t pop in more often. But today I had a particular reason to go: there were photography exhibitions at both.
First, I went to the V&A — curious to see the photographs that they are now sharing from their massive collection. They’ve just opened a permanent Photographs Gallery,...
10 Photography Quotes that You Should Know →
Love some of these quotes. Good things to remember when I pick up my camera … or when I need to do so.
Students to give Google free photos for Google... →
It’s all in the fine print. Why is it we want artists to give us their work for free?
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Baby Photography Tip #1: White balance and colour...
I get asked about colour tone in images a lot – why do images taken at home sometimes have less than pleasing colour tones or different tones from image to image? The answer is all about colour temperature and a feature called white balance. What is it and why does it matter? All sources of light emit different light, when you examine its physical properties. Some have much shorter wavelengths...
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Baby photography tips: coming soon
I get asked all the time when I’m doing a shoot for some tips or answers about my clients’ cameras and home photographs. So I thought instead of just explaining something once to them, I’d add a blog post every time a new topic comes up. These won’t necessarily form a comprehensive whole or have any intended order … they’ll just reflect questions that have randomly come up! I’m going to title...
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Gorgeous night sky photography ... with aurora and...
Check out these photographs, taken by a photographer in Norway!
http://tinyurl.com/73zt4y2
Many of you know that I’m not just a baby photographer … I have a love of travel photography too, and I particularly love to travel around the world chasing solar eclipses.
But I rarely do any astronomical photography other than eclipses because it’s difficult and you need some more...
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Studio Deidre now offers maternity shoots!
A maternity shoot is a fabulous way to recognise and celebrate a woman’s transition into motherhood. Pregnant women are absolutely stunning, even if they might not feel it every day, and a professional photo session acknowledging the body changes and the incredible act of carrying a life is a positive and affirming experience. We capture the emotion of the experience as well as the changing...
tumblrbot asked: ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?
“One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at...”
– Henry Miller
October 2011
3 posts
A few spots left for holiday cards ... book now!
Hallowe’en is almost gone. That leaves Guy Fawkes as the last thing before it’s officially Christmas season. There are still a few spots left for holiday cards, but book now. Shoots need to happen by 21 November and cards need to be ordered by 28 November. Don’t leave it too late! Happy holidays!
September 2011
2 posts
Why can't we shoot newborns with their eyes open?
Another question I get asked all the time!
I often feel bad when a parent asks this, as I really want to be able to achieve the shots they imagine in their heads. Unfortunately, there’s a very good reason we shoot newborns with their eyes closed. In fact, there are several:
First, newborns don’t see very well and their eyes don’t easily focus on anything. So when we look at them as we hold...
Thinking about bespoke photo cards this holiday...
Now’s the time…
Well it certainly feels like Autumn here in London, and as hard as it is to believe, the holiday season is just around the corner. It’s time to start making gift lists and booking flights. And while it’s definitely too soon for holiday decorations (thankfully), it’s never too soon to start thinking about personalised holiday cards.
In fact,...
August 2011
5 posts
Tate Debate: Is photography more expressive than... →
Interesting Tate debate about photography. I’m not sure any art form can be deemed more or less expressive than others, but the video, quotes and comments are interesting …
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a...”
– Unknown
Why shoot newborns in the first two weeks?
I get asked this question a lot, so I thought it was worth explaining in a bit more detail. The best time to do a newborn session is really between days 6 and 12. Here’s why:
By day 5/6, they’re more accustomed to the world and parents are feeling a bit more settled. Everyone’s ready to venture out for a shoot.
In those early days, they sleep most of the time, which is what...
