Another busy few weeks! I've been on more shoots than I can list here in a reasonable space without a fear of running on at the keyboard, but I'll list some highlights to keep the constant readers informed.

At left are members of the Fitzsimons family, who recently gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Linda and Ed, shown flanking just some of their children and grandchildren. We set up a small production on their home's front lawn for the shot, which caused a few cars to slow down and at least one neighbor to ask me what on Earth was going on with the 5' lights we were setting up (sorry for the spectacle!).

We had 23 people in one set of shots, as well as smaller groups as shown, to document the occasion for one and all. Really, I can't say enough nice things about everyone there - thanks so much for the smiles, the cooperation, and the patience. Most of all, though, a big well wish and congrats to Ed and Linda!

At left is Emma, one of the sweetest black labrador retrievers I've ever met. Emma's family met me at a sunny (and warm - boy, I'll bet that fur coat on Emma was a little much that day) waterside location for the shoot, which offered a few different settings and looks to the shots. Emma was very cooperative, and did a great job of holding still while we made her portraits.

Black dogs are always a bit of a challenge to photograph, as any camera set to "automatic" wants to expose for an average of approximately 18% gray, assuming there's something actually IN the scene that offers that tone. Black labs rather offset the reading, and need to be compensated for manually. Bringing an additional light source as we did helped, too, and the results were great.

A fun and talented actress by the name of Allison Kelly was also a subject for my lenses these past few days, as she came in for a full workup of headshots to expand her portfolio. We ran the gamut of looks and moods, expressing a wide range of Allison's abilities for casting agents.

In this shot, we added a little motion and fun to the image when using a fan to keep her hair moving, and chose b&w as an output for the 8x10 prints - a traditional approach, but one that agents like to see - especially with that smile, Allison!

However, we also spent some time on the waterfront (fighting off swarms of gants - the recent rains really must have had something to do with that) and at a local park to add some "lifestyle" images to her portoflio, and too we snuck in some fashion-oriented looks to let her potential employers know that she'd be great for a variety of roles.

Before Allison came in, I mentioned that we had some great reds here at the studio, and that if she had any outfits in a similar hue she should bring them along. We added some gold reflectors to a ring flash, keeping a healthy glow on her skin, and the resutls are seen at left.