Editorial Blog Spot #4

I am thankful & I love that many of these testimonials were from a variety of session types.  xoxo

Dawn at Star Portraits is amazing.  I had a photo shoot with her for my yoga studio business and website, and she not only spent the day with me making sure each pose and picture was perfect, but she did it with a smile and a sense of fun and excitement, that you rarely get from the other photographers.  She loves what she does and it shows in her attitude and personality.  She made me completely comfortable, and really made me feel beautiful, so I was uninhibited when posing for her.  All of my pictures came out great, and I got so much for what I spent.  I will absolutely use Star Portraits' services again!  ~ Lisa Fleming / One Tree Yoga & Awaken Yoga Studio

Thankfully Vintage

Thanks to my infamous migraines I missed my Friday blog post.  But was going thru some old photos & posted this one on my Facebook page & wrote much too long of a caption & realized I accidentally wrote a blog entry; so here it is!

Back in the days of film photography... This picture is crazy special to me for a multiple of reasons. 1) I adore the people in this capture, 2)It's kinda vintage photography with the film. You didn't have the option of going into photoshop & fixing things. 3) Ben & I were still living in our 1st place in Willoughby. This was taken in the parking lot of our apartment! 4)I've mentioned a few times in the past how others saw in me what I hadn't realized myself till after I had babies of my own. That I LOVE photography. My sister, my husband & 1 of my oldest friends Joanie were 3 key people to this discovery. Joanie asked me to do these pictures for her & I really didn't think anything of it. I was just doing something for her & that cutie baby! I wish I could go back to that mind set though!! I hadn't a care or worry about what I was doing. I wasn't 2nd guessing myself or freaking out my brain with miscellaneous worries. I just picked up my camera & started shooting. I need to find that new balance & I can feel myself there in this capture. Thank you SO much Joanie, Tree, & Ben for being those special sparks for me. ♥ I can never love what I do more then when I remember those who lit the flame...including my baby loves too. ♥

Editorial Blog Spot #3

I am surely blessed to know such beautiful & eloquent people!  Thank you!!

I have been there from the start... I was the first "unofficial" client for Star Portraits. At the time it was just a love and desire to take great photos. I get excited every time I log onto the Star Portraits website and see my wedding flowers part of the first photos that are scrolling on the main site page. Dawn took our first family photos after our oldest daughter was born. Our daughter was just 3 months old at the time and Dawn used rose petals in some of the shots. 8 years later she used the same petals for my daughter's communion photo session. The petals may have remained the same, but the difference was Dawn had become a seasoned photographer and crafted herself into a true artist. 

Easy to work with is an understatement. She would rather the shoot develop as it goes instead of making everything posed and unreal. She will adapt to your needs or lend her artistic ideas when direction is needed. I like that she only uses natural light as that captures the honesty of the moment and holds it in time.

I am looking forward to her continued growth and our next photo shoot!  ~ Joan Walters

Where To Print??

     Yay!  I'm on a roll remembering to do my Friday blogs!  Unfortunately my website is STILL down.  I'm suppose to wait 36 hours for the company to contact me before I try to contact them again.  : (  Boo!!  I pray this is fixed soon!!  In the meantime you can still view the blog from my links on here...
     1 of 2 things I started to touch on a bit last year was, "Where to print??"  I wouldn't feel complete if I didn't share that there is a difference in any print lab you choose.  Thankfully one of my photog friends, Annie from Paint the Moon has done the research for me & I shares her findings above.  You can click on it to see it larger.  I know also that Walgreens & Walmart also had an auto boost in their prints.  They assume Mr. & Mrs. Doe took a pic off their cell or something & so they were boosting the colors automatically for you.  Most photographers do this already & then when you receive your Wal-mart/green pics they are over saturated.   Annie suggested calling ahead if you have done an online order ( that's what I always do.  Quick & SO easy! ).  Call & ask them to turn the auto boost off.  I tried this with both labs numerous times immediately after having submitted my orders & both places always said it was too late.  But I have noticed with Walgreens the last few times that my pictures were no longer over saturated.  Perhaps enough people followed Paint the Moons advice & so they no longer auto boost.  And of course you can always support local print shops.  The city of Mentor has Dodds Camera & Van's Photo.  If you choose them please be sure to tell them that you were referred by moi!  Have a great weekend!  I hope this was another helpful blog!!  {{{ HuGs! }}}