Thanks!

After she had fun with her cake we put her pretty dress on again and got a more formal portrait. Isn’t she just Precious?!!?

Staff Sergeant Beale’s Return Home

Killed in action the week before, the body of Staff Sergeant First Class John C. Beale was returned to Falcon Field in Peachtree City , Georgia , just south of Atlanta , on June 11, 2009 . The Henry County Police Department escorted the procession to the funeral home in McDonough , Georgia . A simple notice in local papers indicated the road route to be taken and the approximate time.

Nowadays one can be led to believe that America no longer respects honor and no longer honors sacrifice outside the military. Be it known that there are many places in this land where people still recognize the courage and impact of total self-sacrifice. Georgia remains one of those graceful places. The link below is a short travelogue of that day’s remarkable and painful journey. But only watch this if you wish to have some of your faith in people restored.

Click this link: http://blip.tv/play/AYGJ5h6YgmE

Marsha & Bernie also chose a great service for the music at their reception! Audio Excitement did a great job keeping the dance floor packed, and everyone had a great time!

I also received an Honorable Mention for this portrait of Leah:

For every portrait folder returned to me, in good condition, that can be re-used you will receive a $1.00 Green Credit on your account.  Portrait delivery boxes that are returned to me, in good condition for re-use will earn you a $1.50 Green Credit on your account.

What do you do with those folders and boxes anyway?  Let’s make them work again for all of us!

This helps both of us.  It keeps my costs down, thus saving you money in fee increases and also reduces the cost of your next portrait order.

With all deals there have to be a few rules:

1)  You are not allowed to collect folders from others to use at Jackie Boyd Photography.  All of my folders and boxes are marked with my logo.  I will accept only my folders and boxes for credit.

2)  Your folders/boxes must be returned to me within 4 weeks of print delivery.

3)  Your folder/box credit will be good for 18 months from the date you return them to me.

Lets take Going Green a step further.  I am also Going Green with proofing.  If you choose online proofing over printed proofs I will discount your portrait session $10.00.  You must tell me you want Green Proofing when you schedule your session or on the day of your session to receive the Green Session discount.

If you have any questions about my Green discounts feel free to ask!

And this is Mason…..

I just can’t help but smile every time I look at these!!

How can you not smile when you see Leah’s smile?!?

Portrait photographers of the past, before the 35mm and digital age came about, shot with large and medium format cameras.  Medium format cameras shoot 120 or 220 film. The size of the negative for these is 645, 6×6 or 6×7.  A 645 negative is 6cm x 4.5cm which is very close to the 8×10 format.  The 6×6 negative size is square so it can easily be cropped for a vertical or horizontal 6 x 4.5.  The 6×7 negative size is also very close to the 8 x 10 format.  So, what you shoot with the medium format cameras is very close to the ideal crop for great looking images.

With the 35mm camera came 4 x 6 proofs, and prints.  With digital cameras the proof, and print size, depends on the camera.  Many point and shoot digital cameras actually have a 3.5 x 5 native print size.  Digital SLR’s the professioanl photographers use have a 4 x 6 native print size.  So, while for many years the professional portrait was delivered in a format very close to a 4 x 5, now many proofs are delivered as a 4 x 6.

The problem with a 4 x 6 proof is how it crops for enlargements.  A 4 x 6 proof, if left full size is actually an 8 x 12, not an 8 x 10.  A 4 x 5 proof has the same crop ratio as an 8 x 10. So, if you are shooting at 4 x 6 and shooting “tight” you loose alot of the images when a final 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 print is made.  And, in my opinion the final image is not as strong when you loose that part of the image.  And, when you shoot loose with 4 x 6 proofs, the proofs do not show the best image – you have to imagine how the final image will look as an 8 x 10, 5 x 7 or larger print.

I prefer to deliver proofs to my clients showing the final image. So, I shoot my images for the 4 x 5 crop.  I use a crop screen in my camera.  This crop screen has a line on each side that tells me where the 4 x 5 image is.  Anything within those lines will be my image.  Anything outside of those lines will be discarded in the proof and final image.  So, what I shoot I get.  My proof image will be my final image. There is no guessing what my final image will look like.   I know it when I shoot it.

If you want to shoot a more professional format give the crop screen I use a try. I use the ProCrop.  Give it a try!

Examples:

This is a 4×6 – no crop – as shot with my camera:

This is the same image as I shoot and process to a 4 x 5; this is also how an enlargement will look – 5 x 7, 8 x 10, etc:

Another example of a wedding portrait – 4 x 6 – no crop as shot with my camera:

Again, this is the same image as I shoot and process to a 4 x 5; this is also how an enlargement will look – 5 x 7, 8 x 10, etc:

I think you would agree the 4 x 5 images are stronger images than the 4 x 6 images.