Alex and Cyndie

It was a wonderful experience making images of my friends Alex and Cyndie Frye.  It was a beautiful day surrounded by family, friends, fun and food….  Congratulations you two and best wishes.  I hope you enjoy the memories I've captured here for you.
Alex and Cyndie Album preview

Erika and John engaged

Erika and John-78, originally uploaded by joel9778.

I had a wonderful engagement session in down town Grand Rapids. Probably some of my favorite work to date. Erika and John did a fantastic job and were easy to pose...they look pretty good too! This photo is an example of using the environment to your advantage. The script on the walls was already there. Lighting consists of 3 speed-lights, One main in a beauty dish above and two more on the sides as rim lighting. It makes them 'pop' just enough and some spill light hits the words on the wall...all to great effect I'd say. See their slideshow here.  Enjoy.

Helmets aren't just for babies

Helmets aren't just for babies, originally uploaded by joel9778.

Sometimes we need to stretch ourselves. Baby shoots are new to me and I never quite understand the "cute and cuddly' aspect. So a racing helmet was in order! He still looks cute and cuddly....oh well, we try.

Strobist info: SB900 camera left fired via Nikon CLS through an umbrella. minor tweaks in lightroom and CS2.

Evening light

Evening light, originally uploaded by joel9778.

Out for a sunset family shoot yesterday. No matter how many pictures you take, it's usually near the end of the shoot where things start to dial in really well. After all the kids are gone and mom and dad are left, peace reigns and great pictures are there for the taking....

Strobist: SB900 Camera left in a 51" umbrella, 1/4 power. Slight LR3 tweaks.

Family Portrait on the Lake

Family Portrait on the Lake, originally uploaded by joel9778.

It was a cool night on the lake this past weekend as we towed and rowed the swim platform into place. My assistant (and lovely wife) held the SB900 and umbrella on a stand just out of view on camera right. I had an SB800 on a stand, bare, camera left for a little rim lighting. The overall effect is to get the folks on the platform to 'pop' just a little.

It certainly is interesting how all the lighting notes and camera settings get lost along the wayside when the picture itself grabs your attention. I've had numerous comments and observations made by all kinds of people, who appreciate a little different thinking when it comes to the family picture.

The funny thing is I didn't pose them for this shot. They were all milling about as the platform floated closer to the dock. I saw them all standing in a bit of a set-up and waited for the platform to rotate around and present them in an evenly distributed pattern. There you are. Click.

Melia Senior Shoot

.Melia Senior Shoot, originally uploaded by joel9778.
I'm a bit new to the senior picture shoot - this being my second - but Melia was a joy to work with and warmed right up to the ideas and attitudes I suggested.  Here we went for a bit of old glamour to try a little something more than the typical piano shot.  I think we pulled it off. 
Shooting indoors with a DIY beauty dish-gelled- overhead w/ an SB800.  SB600 gelled from the rear for a hair/rim light.