Brewster in Bloom

Brewster in Bloom

As I drove along Route 6A, these daffodils caught my attention. At first I photographed the daffodils closeup without their surroundings. I photographed them from the front, and the side but still did not have the image I was looking for. Then I added a few shots of the daffodils as they framed the church that was on the same side of the street as the flowers. The sun was behind me and it was casting very contrasty shadows on the church. I knew the final image was going to have too much contrast so I stopped, and looked around for a different point of view.

It wasn't until I turned around that I found the image that really showed off the beauty of the daffodils....backlit, with the sun adding a 3 dimensional look. Since I had to contend with the pavement running right through the center of my photograph, I decided to crouch low and have the daffodils camoflouge the road. The barn with the bikes was not staged!

A little luck and a little being in the right place at the right time.

Enjoy,
marcia

Tulips at Orleans Town Hall

Signs of Spring with beautiful Tulips at Orleans Town Hall!

The Netherlands produces 60% of the worlds commercially grown flowers including the famous Dutch Tulip. As beautiful as the tulips are to see in the gardens, notice the difference when the image is cropped tight. Don't have a macro or long lens? Thats ok, be a human zoom.....get closer to your subject and see your image in a whole new light.

Have u BU'd today?
Cheers,
marcia

NEIPP at Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster

This past week over 300 photographers gathered at Ocean Edge Resort for NEIPP (New England Institute of Professional Photography). (NEIPP is an annual event, www.ppane.com for more info.) I had the opportunity to sit in with a few of the instructors as I was volunteering with the models this year. This photo of Samantha was taken at Rock Harbor for her senior photo in 2006. We had a great time making the photos and not only does it show in Sam's expressions, but we also have the great memories from the portrait session we shared. This photo was not the one she chose to use in her Yearbook, but as a parent I love this image of her as she twirls her hair.... it captures a look I have seen her whole life and evokes so many wonderful memories! I have always felt that the final image from a portrait session is a blending of the subject and the imagemaker. .....All professional photographers are not the same!

As a professional photographer I have seen so many changes as we have transitioned from film to digital. Regardless of the end result, the physical process of having a professional photographer capture an event such as a wedding or a family portrait has remained a constant. A professional photographer still has to have professional skills, the technical ability, the business sense and the passion to separate them from an amateur photographer. So does the end justify the means? These days if all else fails during the actual session it is possible to do some damage control in Photoshop and quite possibly provide a 'decent' image. In my opinion a professional photographer is a professional not only because they can repeatedly create and produce professional images, but because they have the skills to provide a professional experience from start to finish.

I remember at the end of each beach portrait session or wedding I photographed back in the 'film' days, my customers would often comment on what a great 'job' I did that day, however at that point they had not seen a single image from their session. I had accomplished what I set out to do during the actual event and that was to provide an enjoyable experience while creating the images. To lose this mindset just because we have digital tools today that can influence the final outcome is to lose what makes us professionals. The final image is very important and still must be of the highest quality, but the journey to create the images including the feelings, the emotion and the passion must still be a top priority of the professional photographic process today.

The journey is the gift,
marcia

"Nauset Outer Beach is not just a destination, it's a lifestyle."
MJD 03/30/08

Have You BU'd Today?

And this is my other reason for Backing Up (BU) my photos.
Jeffrey at Captains Golf Course preparing for the 2007 Division 2 State Tournament.

Have you BU'd Today?
Cheers, Marcia

Nauset High School Grad

Sam receiving her diploma from NRHS Principal, Mr. Conrad, June 2007.

This is just ONE of my reasons for backing up my digital files. I back up my files to an external hard drive which works with a PC or a MAC. On the PC, I often use the Maxtor One Touch Backup System with Retrospect Software. However, remember that an external hard drive is still a computer hard drive, it can crash and it can get viruses like your computer. For double insurance, I also back up my photos online, http://www.capecodsoul.com/workshops.htm for safe keeping in the event of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina and the California Fires.

CRASHED

All the King's horses and all the King's men, couldn't put these bottles back together again.

The question is not, IF your computer will crash, The question is WHEN?

The Answer:
BACKUP

BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP!
Today

Marcia

Chatham Beach Portrait

The white dresses in this portrait help give the image a timeless look. Capturing the sisters as they walk towards the Chatham Bridge tells a story about their relationship. This image was the families favorite from the portrait session and was later made into a wall portrait. This image won the Front Page Photo Contest for the Professional Photographers of Cape Cod (www.ppocc.org) in 2004.

The photo below, was made into a Holiday Greeting Card to share with family and friends.

Before moving on to the 'How To' part of photography, taking the time to write down and really understand your 'WHY' will help define your purpose and goal of making a photograph. Having vision of what your photograph will look like before you actually push the shutter and why you are making this photograph will help guide you to your desired outcome.

Below is an excerpt from Bill Toth, a successful entrepreneur from Houston:

"BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND"
"You've just been asked to put together a jigsaw puzzle. Having done many such puzzles, you're excited to get started. You pour out all 1,000 pieces, spreading them out across a large table. You then pick up the lid of the box and look at what you're putting together. But there's no picture! It's blank! How will you ever be able to finish the puzzle without knowing what it looks like, you wonder? If you only had a one-second glimpse of what it's supposed to be. That's all you need one picture of the finished product. What a difference it would make! Without the vision of the finished product, putting together the puzzle will take a really long time....

• A great way to focus your "WHY" is to ask yourself, how achieving any particular goal will benefit others."

Warm Wishes on Cape Cod

Warm Wishes!
One rainy cool summer afternoon, we decided to head to the Sandwich Boardwalk. On a sunny warm summer day at high tide this spot would be standing room only to jump from the boardwalk. Yes, it was a little cool and we all got wet...even those of us who didn't jump, and we all remember the FUN that we had that day.
This image was later reprinted as our famous Duggan Holiday Card 2000, with the sentiment 'Warm Wishes!' This photo won the 'Youth Theme award' at Professional Photographers of Massachusetts (PPAM), 2001 Convention, and was my first Loan Print from PPA (Prof Photographers of America).

When the famous mural artist Robert Wyland, www.wyland.com, was recently asked, How do you create murals?
He replied, (paraphrase)

"The question is not, How? The question is, Why?"

As long as you have access to the internet you can research and solve almost any 'how to' question. The answers are only a few clicks away. So how come we don't know how to do everything? Because it's your WHY that motivates you.

If you want to have more control to produce a desired outcome when making pictures you must first ask yourself 'Why'?

• What is my purpose?
• What is my goal?
• What is the message?
  
• Who is it for?
• Why I am creating this photograph?

Once the 'WHY' is established the 'HOW TO' will fall into place.

Cheers,
Marcia

Welcome to CapeCodSoul

Life is not all about the final destination, it's about the journey. The journey is what you make it....

A few nights ago the lottery was up to $275 million. I bought my tickets and visualized what I would do with the winnings. How would I change my life? Would I change my life? What would be my 'perfect day' if I won the megabucks? If you could make enough money to walk away and be done....what would that mean to you? Lottery winner or not, my visualizations always include my photographic journey.

Photography is the visual means to blend the art and soul of the subject with the creator.

This blog is intended to open our eyes and provide tips and tricks for the 'how to' of photography, and to open our minds to the 'Why' behind each click.

Welcome to the journey. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
Marcia