Fall Photos at the Tracks - Part I

I spotted these nearby railroad tracks a while back and thought they would make for great photos.  I love how the trees arch over the tracks and the sunshine peeks out in the distance.  I only wish they weren't currently in use - That train's horn is LOUD!!!

And I knew this sweet child would be the ultimate model the first time I laid eyes on her.  She did not disappoint, although she was definitely not as into the shoot as I was!  Her momma did a good job of coaxing smiles out of her and, truth be told, I love a photograph of a child who's not smiling.  Somehow, to me, the innocence, trust, and wisdom of a child are more beautifully expressed that way.

 

 

We did an outfit change for the second half of the shoot and moved over to nearby Hidden Cove Park.  I'll post some of the "fairy" shots in Part II - stay tuned!

| Decatur | Atlanta | Georgia | Child & Family | Lifestyle | Photographer |

Newborn Baby Love: Times Two!

What an opportunity to photograph newborn twins!  I was so happy their parents allowed me into their home at such a wild, wondrous time to photograph the new babies.  They were so gorgeous!   I could have sat and watched them for hours.  And I of course had to hold one (every chance I got) to help momma out, since there were two of them.

So the story goes that you should photograph newborns in the first ten days of life, to maximize their sleepiness and ability to be manipulated into adorable poses.  But these little ones were three weeks old and very cooperative, once both finally fell asleep at the same time.
 
First we did some shots that were perfect for b&w...

And with their gorgeous skin tones, I had to do some in color too...

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

| Cindy Jackey | Newborn Photographer | Decatur Atlanta | GA |

Fur Babies

I haven't had the opportunity to do much pet photography, but when a chance encounter happened with the most adorable little Miss Chika - a Pug, Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier mix - I knew I had to grab my camera out of the car and shoot off a few frames.  This little girl was the impeccable model.  So poised.  So delightful. Striking a pose at every turn.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was like she was saying, "Look at me. I'm a super model."   If all pets are as easy to shoot as she was (and I'm quite sure they're not!) I'm in! Bring on the pet shoots!

 

And this last one has to be my favorite.......

 

 

There are so many possible captions for it:

 

1. So dogs really blink during photo shoots like people do!?!

2. I think I'll take a little cat nap while you fiddle with that big black box you are holding.

3. I'm on my break - I can't be bothered right now.

4. This is what it would look like If dogs could purr.

 

Etc, etc, etc!

 

 

 

 

 

| Cindy Jackey Pet Photography | Decatur | Atlanta | GA

Sun Drenched Photography

'Golden Hour'. 'Godbeams'.

These are words to make a photographer drool.  Well, they make me drool anyways!  I recently made it outside to do an early evening portrait shoot that captured the moodiness and warmth of the setting sun. 

 

Hidden Cove = Hidden Jewel.

I discovered a jewel of a spot for outdoor photo shoots.  Hidden Cove Park in Decatur, GA.  It is a little known naturalistic park tucked away in a residential neighborhood in the NW corner of Decatur.  With grassy fields and long sight lines, it’s to die for in the early evening.  If you visit, you’ll most likely have the place to yourself.  Here are a few of the shots I got. 

My Fav.
 

Another pretty one.

 

      This one was taken just five minutes later. 

 The sun had set below the trees. Still pretty, but not the same! 

So, how is it done?

Technical Info (How-To).

Let me begin by saying, you cannot get this look with your camera on auto.  Or with a pre-set such as 'landscape' or 'portrait'.  This is a manual shot.  So use this chance to take your camera off auto and play with it.  The secret to success is: spot meter your subject and shoot directly towards the sun with your subject standing between you and the sun.  Play around with positioning.  Take some shots with the sun in the photo blaring right at you.  Look at the lovely flare it produces. That’s the fun of digital photography – instant feedback and a delete button.

Traditionally, the golden hour, which produces the wonderful light we are trying to capture, occurs one hour before sunset.  For your shoot, you'll want a clear day with the sun very low in the sky but still visible.  Here in the Atlanta area, we have all of these gorgeous old-growth trees to consider.  That means back your session time up to two and a half hours before the expected sunset, as the sun will set below the trees long before it sets below the horizon.   I took the first two shots above at about 5:45 PM, then the sun set below the trees.  The actual sunset time was more like 8:00 PM.  Here are links to two cool sunset calculators that will help you plan your shoot.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/events/weddings/planning/sunset

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/USA/

Notice that this golden hour light does tend to read rather flat.  The sunlight acts like a mist filling the air and knocking the colors and definition down a few notches.  So, bathed in sun = low contrast and you may need to bump up the contrast and saturation in post-processing.   I also found that the focus becomes softer in this type of light.

Well my dearies, you now know the basics of sun drenched photography, so get out there and try it (and don’t wait as long as I did!)

 

Cindy Jackey | Decatur | GA | Photography