Today I had a plan. I wanted to edit through 20 pictures from four different clients and finish 153 cheerleader photographs to post to get to the MASH wrestling cheerleaders within a week of photographing them. I still have 20 more to go through for two different clients before bed-time, but I not only finished the cheer photos, I edited through over 100 of another client and in those i found this picture... I felt like this was a reward for my hard work today. Thanks Sara! SayerMotter Photography by Richard Sayer
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Click on photo above to view all your cheerleading photos from picture day.
The idea of picture day, to me, is a chance to take some pictures that will end up on photo albums, on refrigerators, in frames on top of grandma's TV set or mantle and nowadays--on facebook. So I don't just want to snap one pose and be done. This is the digital age, we don't worry about the film budget or having to carry x amount of film and process hundreds of dollars worth of negatives and proofs. We can have some fun and try some things. This group of cheers was pretty small, only 14 or 15 girls so we had time to play with posing inside, outside, in small groups and one big group. We also tried to take some fun shots with wrestler headgear on. I don't know how many of these pictures will end up on grandma's TV, but they did make for a pretty fun afternoon of picture taking. Probably the best compliment I got was at the end one cheerleader thanked me for taking the pictures and then added 'and for being fun!' Despite getting really really cold, especially my trigger finger, it was fun. SayerMotter Photographs by Richard Sayer During a recent portfolio shoot, Christian brought her little sister along as moral support and so she wouldn't be alone with a photographer who is a stranger(a very good idea and one I encourage because nobody can be too careful!) So when I have someone in the studio who isn't having their picture taken, I try to find someway to have them be a part of the experience so they're not totally bored. I've photographed models with their mother, their boyfriends and their (how do the kids say it?) BFF's. These sister portraits were just fun to do at the end of the session just to keep the experience for model and chaperone light and relaxed. And they produced a couple pictures that helped me understand that posing isn't just about turn this way or that way--that the best poses are sometimes just the ones you fall into when you just hang out. SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer.
Portraits and fashion--where do they mix together? When a subject is a smoker and they want their portrait done, there is truth in having them smoke. When the subject is young and fashionable with a flare for modeling, that too become somewhat truthful and a look for a portrait. The objective last night was this. "I want these to be sexy,' BreAnn told me. So we went for mood and interaction between the couple. We had some fun with playing roles and seeing how different gestures and styles worked. This one shows a disconnect between the two, but it also shows, I think, quite a bit of their personalities. We took a bunch of pictures with different styles and lighting and I'll post more of these after the holidays. These photo shoots are fun because they aren't your typical portrait shoot, and yet thats what it really is--trying to find that true portrait somewhere in the mix of having some fun shooting and posing and, of course, laughing. SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer
When I was first learning about photography(yes I can remember back that far) I would try everything I heard, read or was told about. One thing was using long exposures and movement within the time the camera shutter was open. With a zoom lens I learned if you zoomed during the exposure on a tripod that you can create this sort of tunneling of light, sort of the star trek going into Warp speed look. If done well you can keep the sceen in the picture too--that is if the scene is bright enough. My experimentation Wednesday didn't get the results I'd hoped for. One I didn't have a tripod and two, the Living Christmas Tree just didn't have the light needed to see the people. But it was still a neat affect, just not for the newspaper. The photo below was a slightly less lengthy exposure but I moved the camera swiftly during the 8th or 15th second exposure and I used my flash to create the motion, but hold enough detail and sharpness in the subjects on the dance floor. It too wasn't really a picture for the paper, but it could've been had it been the best one from the event. It is fun to remember old lessons and even apply them now and then in my daily work. Meadville Tribune photographs by Richard Sayer.
To break up the cold I went looking for a summer photo to post today. This is from a photo shoot this summer of Shaude and Mo for Shaude's portfolio. It was warm and we could walk(not trudge) and we probably were thinking it was too warm, but right now I'd take that in a heartbeat. Even though I like cooler, this does wear on ya! Right now the sun would feel good on my aching snow shoveling muscles! SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer
I admit it--I put my jacket on to photograph the cheerleaders in the snow. They are tougher than me. I was going to have them do snow angels but after they sort of conked heads getting into position it became more of a messy snow pile laugh-fest that I just tried to get a nice different senior picture for them. Today I'll begin the process of creating a Memory Mate that is unique for the cheers and go through the several different styles of pictures that I snapped yesterday afternoon at MASH. I wasn't too sure how these would turn out given the blowing snow and frigid temperatures making noses red and teeth chatter as well as hair blown across faces and and and, but we did some inside, some outside, some fun and some a little more serious. I don't think anyone will have a memory mate that looks the same---and thats what they wanted--and---if anyone knows me---knows---thats what I want as well. And now I'm working on other ideas to get ready for basketball cheer pictures so that they'll be different as well. And yes--I've got some ideas! SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer. More outtakes to come
One of my favorite things about the holiday season has always been Christmas cards. I love sending and receiving them. The cards above are samples that I made for the Moyer family. I photographed the Moyer children yesterday afternoon. It was approximately 25 degrees outside and a very snowy, Sunday. I was super impressed with how well the kids were behaved. We were outdoors for about an hour and my fingers and toes were numb. So I knew the little ones were probably freezing as well. But, they never skipped a beat and we made some really fun photos!
Photos and Cards By: Harmony Motter You never know quite when some interesting action will happen. I sw these two battling for control of the ball and I had one frame before this one with both players with at least one hand on the ball. I actually thought that would be my picture. But as they seperated and the Wittenberg player gained control I thought it was more of a story teller because Wittenberg was winning pretty easily. At the time I thought, ok I have at least that I hope I get something better. What I didn't realize I had until I got back to the office and put the pictures up on the computer was the Allegheny player grabbing onto the shorts of the Wittenberg player. That gave it a secondary or third element that put it above the rest of the pictures. Its stuff like that that us photographers get excited about, even when its not a great shot, it has an interest beyond just a straight one element shot. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer.
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