Women Supporting Women

I have been super busy with head shot sessions over the past few weeks.  The wonderful women and entrepreneurs in the head shots below are just a few of the amazing people I have photographed.  Lisa, Joanne, Beverly, Michelle and Christine are all members of Network Now, a premier business support and networking organization for women.  Each session was unique based on the individual personalities of the women being photographed, but all were equally as fun.

Most people who come to me for head shots say, “I don’t like to have my picture taken”, or “I hate to have my picture taken.”  These women were not exceptions to this and each was a bit nervous about being photographed.  The good news is that my sessions are always relaxed.  We talk and I get to know them and learn about their businesses and families all while helping them relax and just enjoy their moment in the spotlight.  I really make it painless and pleasant for each and every one of  my clients.   And the best part is, I feel like I’ve not only made a business connection, but a friend at the end of each session.

A statement that each one of the women featured in this blog post made during their session was  “as women we need to stick together and support each other”.  I couldn’t agree more and am happy to be able to share their beautiful smiles and links to their respective businesses.

To learn more about my clients and their businesses be sure to check out their websites by clicking on the links below.   You just might find something you’ve been needing or looking for.

Lisa, Executive Director Nerium International

Joanne, Owner and Pastry Chef at The Lucky Cupcake

Michelle, Founder and Educational Counselor of Forward College Counseling

Beverly, Owner and Pastry Chef at Sweetah’s – a gluten-free bakery

Christine, Principal/Agency Manager at The Bailey Insurance Group

 

Sunset Glow

A Beetle and a Dragonfly

ss 1/125 f 7.1 ISO 400

ss 1/200 f 7.1 ISO 400

 

To view an image of the dragonfly in black and white please visit Monochromia.

Independence Day ~

“Those who won our independence… valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty.”

~ Louis D. Brandeis

I took the liberty to play in Photoshop this morning and create a unique, vintage American Flag to post for Independence Day.  I cropped and rotated the flag and added a layer of texture using Adobe Paper Texture Pro.  Opacity was adjusted on the layer level.

For comparison, I included the original below.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Last Season’s Left Overs

“Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart.” ~ Thomas Fuller

To view this photograph in black and white, please visit Monochromia.

The Gown

“The sun shines,

When I’m with you,

Your smile makes me want to dance.

Tonight, I’ll put on my favorite gown,

Place a diamond comb in my hair,

Dazzle you with my beauty,

And sway in your arms,

Until the morning light appears.”

copyright Robyn Graham

This photograph is the side of a Daffodil turned upside down. As I was photographing Daffodils from my garden I played with them to find unique angles to shoot.  This reminded me of a woman’s ball gown.  The first line of the poem is one of the meanings of the Daffodil in The Language of Flowers.  The poem, was an inspiration from the Daffodils outside my window dancing in the afternoon sun.

Life is so busy right now.  I once again have to apologize for my inactivity in the world of blogging.  I cherish all of my followers and I appreciate those who stop by, browse through my blog, like my work, and leave comments.  Please forgive me for not always returning that kind gesture.  With three children, each in multiple activities, I find myself having a bit too much to juggle and very little time to browse blog posts and admire the work of my virtual friends.

With work I have been busy with product shoots, head shots, first communion portraits, senior portraits and more. I hope to blog about a couple of the unique projects in the near future.  I have also been doing some behind the scenes work for future “big” projects with my photography….keep your fingers crossed for me!  Hopefully they will come to fruition in the next 12 to 18 months.

Flowers and News

“Dazzled by your Charm”

“Study of a Tulip I”

I am excited to announce that both photographs above were selected for the Philadelphia Sketch Club Annual Juried Flower Exhibit. If you live in the Philadelphia area, I encourage to stop by the exhibit – so many beautiful paintings, photographs, sketches and more.

Please note, today is Thursday, which means I posted on Monochromia today.  If you enjoy street photography and faces, be sure and check out my post.

Wild Child

“She’s a wild child
Got a rebel soul with a whole lot of gypsy wild style
She can’t be tied down but for a while
I’ll be falling free and so alive
Might break my heart but God she drives me wild child” ~ Kenny Chesney ~ “Wild Child”

Tulip II

SS 1/60 f 4.5 ISO 640 Natural light

“Art makes better humans, art is necessary in understanding the world and art makes people happy.  Undeniably, art is not optional.” – Nathan Sawaya

Signs of Spring

Signs of Spring

SS 1/60 f 5.6 ISO 400

Post processing: a slight curves adjustment in Photoshop CC.

Signs of Spring was shot in diffused light in between rain showers; – April showers bring May flowers -. I used a shallow depth of field to achieve a more abstract composition. I made the shadowed areas less in focus to give a more quizzical appearance of the flower.

Can you guess what the rain drops fell on? I’ll give you a hint – they are some of the first signs of Spring on the North East Coast and provide much-needed color to dull, early Spring landscapes.

To see this image in black and white visit Monochromia, a black and white photo blog I proudly, yet humbly, contribute to every Thursday.

I’d love to hear which you prefer – the monochromatic image or the color image.