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Announcing Spring Special dates for 2013

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SPRING SPECIAL…going on my 9th year!
March 3-March 9, 2013
Families, Newborns, Kids, Pets & Individuals: Everyone Welcome!
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$60 sitting fee PLUS 50% off print prices
(if ordered by the April 7 deadline).
Special does not include digital files.

Please call to book your 15 min. appointment.
Feel free to send this link to your friends. I will be raffling off a wall print to those who send me referrals.

415.454.2102
www.creativeportraiture.com
www.partywithstephanie.com
48 Bolinas Rd. Fairfax, CA 94930

Holiday Cards…It’s Not Too Late!

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Have you had a past photo session and you would like to make a holiday card?
It is not too late!

Still want a portrait sitting and hope to make a New Years Card?
Guess what…..it is still not too late.

I’m offering “Flat” cards for as low as $1.75 each, two-sided, includes envelopes and made on recycled paper. Holiday Cards, Christmas Cards Hannukah Cards New Years Cards

To view samples go to http://creativeportraiture.com/proofs/carddesign

Want to really blow your friends minds this year? Ask about our most popular “Tri-folds”. Folds like an accordion and custom designed for you by Stephanie. Open up the card and it has six sides…..filled with photos.

Contact the studio for more details or to see samples. 415.454.2102

Sweet Summer-Time Portraits

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With the long summer days upon us, dusk is the perfect time for an evening portrait in beautiful West Marin…. Just think, you will be ready for the holidays with your yearly family portraiture already shot. You can even get an early start on holiday cards!

Sign up for this special portrait session and receive an 11×14 print as a gift. The regular value of this location sitting and print is $500, but for the entire month of August, the price is reduced to $350.

Please call or email me to book your appointment.

Stephanie
stephanie@creativerpotraiture.com

FAIRFAX FESTIVAL PORTRAIT QUICKIES

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Fairfax Festival Special
CREATIVE PORTRAITURE
Portrait Mini Sessions
SATURDAY ONLY!
$5
Prints from the festival session will be available for 50% off their regular price for the entire month of June.
NO OBLIGATION TO BUY!
Saturday June 9
12:15-2:00

right after the parade
48 Bolinas Rd
(next to Rainbow Fabrics)
454.2102

www.creativeportraiture.com

a walk in someone else’s shoes…

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Earlier this month, I went to a Los Angeles workshop to beef up my headshots skills!  I learned SO much and had just an incredible time (www.peterhurley.com).  Not only did I learn a million new techniques, but I feel completely re inspired!.

One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop was that I had to stand in the shoes of a model.  Each participant had to have their headshot taken by instructor/photographer Peter Hurley .  I was so nervous….I completely freaked out in front of his camera.

I cant say enough about the experience of being a photographer who is camera shy and feeling what my clients go through on the other end of the lens.   I was not an exemplary client.  Sweating, twitching, giggling…. I was a total mess.

Round 1: my photo shoot! I proceed to stand in front of his camera and ignore all his instruction.  I cant stand still.  I look away constantly.  I’m completely embarr

assed.  If I were the photographer, there is a great likelihood I would be rolling my eyes (at least in my head).  In seconds, after viewing the images,  I determine my had is freakishly large and my eyes are small and beady.   I think that I must immediately  go on a diet.  After a firm lecture by Peter, I get to try again.  He tells me to follow his directions.  He tells me to stop freaking out.  Round 2….I still wiggle and twitch, but I think I am following direction better.  I try to trust him, through I still felt like a train wreck.  What am I freaking out about?????

I had no idea this could be so traumatic.

Now I really “get” how intense it can be to have your photo taken, particularly if you are not a professional model or actor.   I really do!   But why is it so hard? I know I am not a super-model, but after looking at these photos nearly three weeks later, I really REALLY like them.  Why couldn’t I love these photos back then?

Obviously I can mention a cliche like  we all need to love ourselves more, or point out that we never see ourselves how others see us.  But my summation as a portrait photographer who works with models, who may or may not have their photo taken regularly, is that self image can be very fragile.   I think we all can take ourselves too seriously, and  once trust is there, we can then work together to make a great image as a team.  Also, once the initial shock of seeing ourselves is over, than we can “take in” the beauty of our own image.  This was a completely eye-opening experience.

 

 

 

TGIF

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It has been a heck of a week! I am so glad it is Friday.

Luna guitar Teja BellTuesday and Wednesday was the official day that we were to find out if we were going to be offered Burning Man Tickets through their dreaded lottery system. I neurotically hit the refresh button over and over, waiting for my letter of acceptance. I pathetically spent two days doing this.  With my attention span, I don’t think I have ever concentrated on anything for two day.  At least not the things that would make a difference.  the email never came. At least not the one i was looking for.

I know your thinking there are so many more important things in life that one could spend entire days worrying about…for example war, the economy, global warming.! And I would tell you your right! But that did not stop me from spending the last few days going through the many phases of loss. I fought with a friend, I cried many, many tears, I felt anger at the 1% (don’t know why I went there), I even upset my son by my depressive mood.  Literally felt like someone took away an appendage and then slapped me in the face.  None of my friends got tickets either.

 

After several days, I had to get it together and get back to work.

So today I had a photo session but  I was concerned that I might not be able to focus on my work (get it…focus??). I was working with guitarist Teja Bell, someone I have worked with quite a bit in the past.   Steve Wolf, singer, songwriter and friend (he is also the featured musician on my website) was also there.  I would have to get through the shoot without breaking down.

I felt awkward  after a few days off.  I just started shooting without any intention.  It felt really good to be doing something productive. As usual, Steve is really funny and twists words in such a clever way.  I was starting to feel better.  Steve is hilarious once he gets going.

Rapid fire…..Im finally on a roll.  I actually feel like I have some vision and some good ideas.  Relief…..compulsive laughter.

CRUNCH!

I stepped on Teja’s glasses. I broke them in half.  I literally felt the break shoot up my entire body. I ruined them.  I was mortified.  I tried taping them. DESTROYED!

Unfortunately after days of stress, I could not stop laughing!  Laughing away the bad feelings.  I  felt so much better. 

Thank God Teja is SO nice.  And we got some nice pics too.

   

 

How a horse pushed me…..

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DSC_3785Every morning, I drive through San Geronimo Valley, into Fairfax, an eight mile stretch of  picturesque mountains and meadows.   It looks different every single day, and the beauty never fails to blow my mind.   I know others see this beauty too, because I see photographers with their tripods and painters with their easels, pulled over, documenting this site.  Unfortunately, as a studio photographer, I rarely have a camera with me,  so many photo opportunities missed.  I cant tell you how many times I  see riders on their horses, walking the trails of Roy’s Redwoods, with the sun hitting just right and I think, “I wish I had my camera!”  I say it over and over.

When I got the call to photograph Kathy and her 5 year old horse, I went through a series of emotions.  At first I thought, “I cant, I dont know enough about horses to make decent images.”  Then I argued that the light will create too many obstacles.

Location photography is very different than studio photography and I think as a photographer, I have become lazy and unconfident.

“I should refer Kathy to a real equine photographer,” I told Vicki.

Clearly I was intimidated, but I reluctantly took the job.

I drove up to the dirt path, parked and stood there, not knowing my way around a stable.  I was feeling really nervous, however when I found Kathy, she was so excited and positive, my concerns went away.

First thing, she gave me a hug and introduced me to her beautiful horse Sereno.  She really loves this horse, “he is my soul truly,” and really wanted to capture this feeling in photos. I really wanted to make this happen.  Gulp….

I had been taught to always look for the shade for best results, which is where we began our session, but as the shoot continued, I began feeling more experiemental.  We shot silouettes by shooting directly into the sun, beautiful side light. giving a slight sunlight flair, even the `forbidden’ direct sunlight.

I walked away with more than 800 images.  I’m so glad I took on this session.  So here are  some of my new favorite images from this last year. Thank you so much Kathy for helping me grow as a photographer and for letting me share these images.

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