My old Multiblitz MiniStudio 3-light kit

Over the past three years this little photography business has been growing!  Two years ago I bought a humble 3-light Multiblitz MiniStudio lighting kit to use for studio portraits, head shots, and even event photography.  One year ago I started doing larger events that required me to rent an additional light or two in order to light groups of up to 25 people.  Six months ago one of my trusty 3 lights inexplicably quit working, at which point I had to make a decision… Is it worth renting two lights every time I do an event?  What do I really need in a light kit?

So I slipped into comparison shopping and learned how fiercely loyal people are to the lights they use!  Alien Bees all the way!  White Lightning!  I went on Amazon and searched for photography lights.  I saw complete kits (backdrop and all) for under $200.  I went to Pro Photo Supply and was shown a sweet Elinchrom kit with remote adjustments that was about $1200.  My head was spinning.

Lighting Kit Comparison Spreadsheet 2011

So I did what any rational photographer would do in this situation… I made a spreadsheet.  Have you ever done this?  I do this all the time and often drive myself completely batty but at least by the end of it I’ve tricked myself into thinking that I know what I’m doing.  This spreadsheet had columns for brand, model, power per light, guide number (even though I still barely know what that means), trigger type, accessories included, stand height, refresh rate… I even had a column for whether the unit beeps when it’s fully recharged.  I was not kidding around!

In the end this is what I concluded… Overall, you get what you pay for.  In my opinion, the Paul C Buff lines (alien bees and white lightning) are good lights but are overpriced for what they are.  I was biased towards them in the beginning because so many people recommended them.  But I discovered that they have a misleading model number system that is easy to mistake for light power, and I had to call them up to get the real wattage ratings.  They had great customer service but when it came down to it I decided that they are cute and fashionable but not the best value after all for most applications.  Bummer.

I waded through many other “cheap” lighting kits from Interfit, Flashpoint, Westcott, Impact, and RPS.  I hemmed and hawed about price, quality, weight, refresh rate…  But with all the creds laid out in a spreadsheet it became easy to weed out the cheap sets.  Turns out, they’re cheap for a reason.  Inevitably they had unusably short stands, long refresh rates, and accessories that weren’t worth anything.  So when it came down to it I came all the way back around to that Elinchrom 400Ws D-Lite IT Kit.

Photography is the art of creatively capturing light as it exists at one moment in time.  With that in mind, light is not something I’m willing to skimp on.

The last step in my journey to  better light was completed today.  I sold my original Multiblitz kit to a young guy who just finished photography school.  It was a little sad watching it walk out the door.  Despite the broken pieces, heavy flash units, short power cables, and crazy big hard case that I grew to dread moving, that kit and I had some good times together and I will miss it.  I’m glad it’s going to a new home where it will get some use.  In the meantime, I’m über glad to have my excellent new Elinchrom lights to take out on upcoming gigs!

Everyone knows that Serravision Photography is the best place to go to get beautiful, natural, authentic portraits in Portland, Oregon.  But I bet you didn’t know that I’ve got a fully-automated professional photo booth setup available for all your fun event needs!

When you hire me for an event photo booth, your guests are allowed unlimited trips through the booth and I can even provide on-site printing.

Do something this year for your child’s birthday party to take it up a notch.  A photo booth is a great way to let kids creatively express their growing personalities in a safe and controlled environment!   Of course I will be there to operate the booth and help with posing and props.

What else could this amazingly cool item be used for… Graduation Parties?  Check!  Weddings?  Check!   Church events?  Sure!  Summer BBQs?  Yep, I’ll do that too.  This booth is so much fun you’ll want to throw a party just as an excuse to have us over to play.

Multiple backgrounds are available to choose from, and all the fun props are included in the price.  Event bookings start at $495 for 2 hours.  Call today to book yours.  503-810-9984

My favorite little boy of the day, the humble tiger

Remember, if you attended this event you’re eligible for a free photo session between now and April 1, 2012.  I hope to see you again soon!

I thank all the great kids and families I met at this event for their patience and optimism. I met a lot of great people and so many lovely, adorable families.  Here are just a couple of the great shots I took, each in 1 minute or less!  What a day!

A few of the many families I photographed at Adoption Day 2011

Baby pictures with first birthday cup cake

This little guy is just so handsom, I can hardly stand it. I couldn’t ask for a better photo subject.

Capturing In Photographs All 6-Month-Old Wyatt's New Tricks!

Wyatt is a big boy, but he’s still managed to learn how to sit up quite steadily at only 6 months old.  He’s also discovered his toes (which is one of my all-time favorite baby stages!) and loves to play peek-a-boo and laugh with his older sister.  I love the variety of shots we got and the whole time he was such a champ!  I think he secretly loves getting his photograph taken, even if to him it’s just a fun time when everyone pays really close attention to him.  He is so naturally photogenic, and makes my job ridiculously easy.  Can’t wait to see you in 3 months, Wyatt!

You're never too old for family portraits

Boy, was I glad that I made the time!  This family was so remarkable.  Their optimism and carefree attitudes made it easy for me to capture the family both in more traditional and more authentic photos.  They ended up with a set of unique portraits that will help them remember this holiday season for years to come.

Maternity sessions are a prime example.  It’s easy to go with the basic which is black.  Simple black is great, because the eye automatically files it as a basic color that doesn’t grab attention.  Therefore the attention is put on your face, your hands, your eyes, skin tone… for traditional mamas who want to show some belly but want to keep it basic and classy my first suggestion is usually a black tank top or shawl and either dark jeans or black pants.  But there are more than one way to look at this!  What if you want to show your personality?  You could go with the same idea but choose a bright color, like pink or orange.  Dark jeans still look great with this, or you can go all out like my client here did.  It lends a light, happy mood to the photos and shooting outdoor took it to the next level.  If you want to go more modest and not show the belly you can choose clothes that drape nicely and enhance your shape.  All of these are right because they show who each woman is while still allowing them to show off their beautiful maternal shape.

Wardrobe ideas for maternity sessions

Children’s portraits offer an incredible range of possibilities!  The same basic rules apply when it comes to colors.  White is often chosen instead of black for children as a basic color that doesn’t distract from the child.  One thing to keep in mind is that children learn early on to express themselves through wardrobe.  It’s my opinion that the most important thing about dressing a child for a session is making sure the clothing doesn’t distract them and allowing them to express who they are, even if it involves bright purple ruffles!  As you can see, from more traditional to fun to casual, these kids all look adorable and most importantly they look authentic.  When you have multiple kids in the shot you can allow as much or as little independence as you want.  Although it’s cute and appropriate for many occasions, they absolutely don’t have to be wearing jeans and white shirts.  The example below allowed each child their own unique style while sticking to a basic color pallet that allowed them all to look related in the shot.  The major things to avoid are clothes that distract or don’t fit well and subtle patterns like plaid and small stripes, as they sometimes confuse the camera and turn out as the focus of the picture.

Examples of children's outfits for portrait sessions

Babies look better the less clothing they have on.  This is something that is not immediately obvious, since there are so many cute baby outfits on the market!  But the truth is, babies change so quickly that they rarely fit their clothes perfectly, and until they are walking their little bodies tend to get hidden by bulky or misaligned outfits.  This is especially true for babies who are not yet sitting up on their own.  As a result, I usually suggest that parents come prepared for some naked or “just diaper” shots as well as bringing one or two favorite outfits.  If grandma sewed a dress for your daughter, or you have a dress that used to be yours, it’s absolutely fine to do a couple photographs in that.  If your son has a little baseball had from dad’s favorite team, bring it!  Christening gown?  Sure!  But in addition to these novelty and nostalgia shots it’s always a good idea to have a fresh onesie, diaper or diaper cover and capture photographs of your baby in his or her full glory!

Babies are cutest without clothes

Teens and Senior Portraits are fabulously flexible.  Above all others, teens need the freedom to express themselves through their clothes.  Luckily, the prime purpose of a teen or senior portrait is to capture the unique qualities of an individual as they grow into the person they want to become.  Unlike babies, clothes accent teens bodies and personas.  Striped arm warmers say something very different than a button-up dress shirt.  I’ve yet to have a teen show up in something that I had a hard time photographing.  I encourage teens to choose a couple options and include something very bold or “Them” as well as something that’s more neutral.  I still caution against small patterns, but love bold colors, stripes, and accessories for these shoots as well as formal and casual looks.

Examples of the range of outfits that work for senior portraits

I hope this gives you some ideas for your session!  Just remember, the most important thing is to feel good in what you are wearing, because wearing something that feels inauthentic results in photos where you look like you feel inauthentic… and what’s the point of a portrait other than to capture you or your child as you are!

I don’t know about you, but I remember my school dance pictures and I am almost embarrassed to think about them.  With my background in portrait photography and posing I figured I could help these students look their best so they would be proud to look back on their high school years.  What do you think?  I think these kids look pretty sharp!

a little high school dance photography