The lovely work of Laureen Carruthers Photography in Canada
On a Facebook group that I belong to, this morning one of the photographers shared an image. My response was wow, that is fantastic. Then in the copy by the image she explained that in Canada they call senior portraits “Grad portraits”. I thought that was interesting and since I share here quite a bit about senior pics and senior portraits, I thought maybe it’s time that I share some more from other places that also do them.
Here is the image that caught my attention. I have added © LaureenCarruthersphotography.com to each of the images that I am going to share because there was nothing on the images and I in no way want anyone to think that I took these. Also, if people PIN the images or grab them in some other way, Laureen is well identified as the author of the images.
After I talked with Laureen briefly on Facebook she was fine with me sharing some of the images from her blog as well. What I found was a diversity of talent and creativity. One of the things that I like most about her images is the authenticity of expression in the people in the portraits, but she also shared images from vacations, from baby sessions, and even a rodeo. One image of two boys with a garter snake is just outstanding and I am sure that many photographers that see this will think, “I’d already be gone!” when they see this, but Laureen has several boys so I am sure that she has seen about every kink of critter that is out there.
If you want to visit here website and blog you can click on the link here, or I will also link up each of the photographs so that if you click on them they will go straight to her website. All I can say now is ENJOY! Laureen Carruthers Photography
Her Facebook page can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laureen-Carruthers-Photography She tells me that she has not been keeping up with her blog, but I’ll bet she’s staying current with her sessions and shoots on Facebook.
Centerville Elk’s Ben Herlihy senior portrait session
Had a great time photographing Ben Herlihy on Sunday evening this week. Ben is a serious athlete playing baseball in Centerville. He has a great golden retriever which we included in some of the images.
At the end of the session I invited mom, Kris Herlihy, to sit down for a minute for one last image for the session. Here are the images that became their sneak peek for their online proofing album.
Here is that last portrait that I mentioned. It’s amazing how fast kids grow up. This time together in the park and these senior portraits will become precious memories for a lifetime.
Pins from Peter DeMott Photography
It was actually pretty fun to explore the various PINs from this website onto Pinterest. Pinterest is a pin board for photography. Although it does provide a link to my site and a citation under the photograph as to where the photo came from, I am also glad that I have chosen to put my copyright, name and web site on every portrait that I put on the web.
Here is a portion of the page and link so you can see: PINS for photosbypdemott
It is also fun to see the different pages that the photographs are pinned to:
and more..
When I click on one of my photographs that has been PINNED, it shows the image like this:
There are sometimes comments under the photographs like this one, “Great ideas found here” and my web site is hot-linked above the image. In addition you can tweet the image of drop it into Facebook or perhaps embed in on your blog or web site. I am assuming that the hot link remains when the images are embedded this way. It also shows the first person to PIN the image and also if the image has been re-pinned 2 times (or however many times people have re-pinned it under various categories).
Since the pins point back to this website, and since I have my name a web site on every portrait that I post here, I guess that I can count it as free advertising.
Not everything is peachy keen though. I see some pins that have copyright information chopped off or which reference “uploaded by user” even when it is clear the user who created that particular board is not the person who actually created the image. By downloading and then uploading the image instead of pinning the image, the reference website is effectively removed. If copyright information is also removed there is then no way to track the photograph to the original source. As I looked at the Pinterest terms of service, this is both copyright infringement and Pinterest abuse and it can be reported. If someone is reported doing this more than a time or two, they can be banned from the site or removed.
I think I will have to try Pinterest soon. Are YOU a member of Pinterest? Are you enjoying creating some pin boards? Have you seen people abusing the terms of service on Pinterest? What is your take on this new sharing utility?
Spring is almost hear and so is on location senior portrait season and equine portrait season
Ohio in late February and in March
This is the most frustrating time of year for location photographers and for horse owners. I’m hoping to make things different for me with the addition of my country barn studio in coming months, but that won’t change things for my equine portrait clients here in Ohio.
So what is the frustration with on location senior portrait photography and equine photography in Ohio in February and March?
All through the winter in Ohio we have had rain and very little snow this season. Everything is gray and dreary and nobody really wants to be outside. When it snows a lot, there is enough photogenic things outside to motivate me to bundle up and go outside. You will find some great posts about taking pictures in snow on this website, but this year we have had mostly rain, rain, and more rain and the snow has not been here in quantities that would be worth of my effort to photograph.
Then next season before things start greening up is the MUD season in Ohio. Horses are caked with mud and still have their furry winter coats. Just cleaning a horse to ride them can be a monumental task, let alone trying to get them ready to take pictures. We have to wait for their winter coats to shed so that nice summer, shiny, beautiful coat of fur shows before the equine photography (on location portraits at your barn or stable) begins.
I hope that there are many people anticipating the green grass and foliage that can make for great on location photography sessions. If you own a horse and you want beautiful pictures just call me as soon as their winter coat is gone. Don’t wait for summer. Sometimes people wait and finally call me after everything is starting to burn out. The grass is not as green. Finding good places for the portraits becomes more challenging (I can do it, but it can be more challenging).
Here is an example of a portrait taken later in the season. No pretty grass to be found here, but we were able to find a good backdrop on the porch of one of the stables.
I’m looking forward hearing from you soon as the weather changes here in Ohio.
Peter DeMott Photography • peter@photosbypdemott.com • 937-478-6222
Melissa’s senior portraits from her mom’s perspective
I was pleasantly surprised by a lovely testimonial this evening on one of galleries of a senior portrait session.
Here is Melissa gallery from our session together (Melissa, her mom, my assistant and me) at Cox Arboretum near the Dayton Mall. Melissa’s Gallery Click here
Melissa is a lovely young lady and was delightful to photograph. She has been posting about her plans for the future on her Facebook wall. College will be here in no time at all for sure.
Peter DeMott • Peter DeMott Photography • Greater Dayton area • peter@photosbypdemott.com • 937-478-6222
Megan’s senior portraits created a dilemma for her and her mom Lori
After having several conversations with Megan’s mom, Lori, Megan and Lori were finally able to placed their order for her senior portraits taken this fall. Their order is arriving within the next couple of days and they are very excited to see everything and get their canvas image framed and hung.
Megan chose several different images for wallets to give friends.
Here is the image they chose to make into a canvas print. It was fun to have a Megan in her prom dress with her beautiful horse.
It was fun talking with Megan’s mom about the portraits because she and Megan were having such a difficult time narrowing down their order. I said, of course, that they can order everything if the wanted. But, they didn’t take my advice and order lots of prints of every portrait. That was their dilemma, how to narrow their order.
Here is a link to her gallery. Megan’s Senior Portrait Gallery
Seems like spring will be here soon. If you have a horse and it is time for your senior portraits, remember that many photographers don’t know much about photographing horses. Since I do senior portraits and I am an equine photographer here in the Dayton, Ohio area, I can give you the best of both worlds.
Peter DeMott • Peter DeMott Photography • Located in Germantown, Ohio near Dayton • 937-478-6222 • peter@photosbypdemott.com
Melissa had great fun at her senior portrait session in Dayton
I had done her older sisters senior portraits and Pegge called to say it was time for the younger daughter to have her senior pics made as well. My wife Patty and Melissa’s mom helped with the session carrying clothing and holding reflectors as we walked through the park looking for the ideal spots for Melissa’s portraits.
It was great fun and Melissa took instructions very well. She said after the session that it was great fun. As I was shooting, from time to time, I would give Pegge and my wife a sneak peek or two on the back of the camera. “Oh my gosh!” was usually the words that I heard as we progressed.
Melissa is a senior at Archbiship Alter High School. Her mom says she is a free spirit girl. She wants to go to a college of nursing and eventually become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She has applied at the Air Force ROTC and hope to get a scholarship for school. Her dream right now is to retire early and be a nurse in a 3rd world country. She is excited about getting married to the right person, but she wants to have some time in her career and save money so that when she does have children, she will be able to stay at home and raise them before going back to work.
Melissa would love to go to college in Colorado.
Melissa has been a very active high school student and before. She competed in gymnastics for 7 years. She runs track and has run cross-country as well. Have you seen Melissa climb before…she loves climbing walls, and she climbs lots of trees for fun. She also devours books and just loves to read, but she does not like smelly old books. She likes to buy new books to read.
She has been on 3 Mission Trips and loves being a part of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Youth Group. She is a leader too, being selected to be a leader on the Kairos religious retreat for her peers.
Melissa has worked at Miamisburg Parks and Recreation since she was 14 and has been a life guard for the past three years at the Sycamore Trails Aquatic Center. She also teaches swimming lessons and life guards at West Carrollton YMCA as well.
At one point, Pegge said she wanted a picture of her with her daughter similar to the one I had taken with her older daughter.
Fall portraits with color for seniors and families and children
Gone are the days of 95 degree heat with 90 humidity here in the Dayton area. Suddenly the crops and the trees are showing us that fall is here with small bursts of color. Because of the heavy rains over the last two weeks, the grass is all greened up again too. Good grief, I had to mow my grass twice already even though its cool outside.
Time for fall portraits with horses
If you have a horse and you want fall portraits, act now before they start getting their heavy winter fur. Actually, I’ve seen many great portraits with horses and their human companions when they have their winter coats. Cool evenings make for some more interesting clothing choices like sweaters and scarfs and hats. Perfect weather for something different for senior portraits as well with furry hooded coats, scarfs, and long-sleeved sweaters.
Time for family group portraits
Cool evenings make for some good family group portraits. However, the days are shorter so scheduled times are more limited.
Like the slogan of a major manufacture of athletic shoes
I was just talking to a woman today about having some portraits done. She has seen my work and knows she will love her portraits, but she dreads having her picture taken. My job is going to be to get her to relax and enjoy herself so that I can capture, not the stiff and fearful person, but the wonderful outgoing person that I know her to be. She even was considering canceling her session, but with some gentle prodding, and the “JUST DO IT” attitude she is going forward with the session.
So many families have very few portraits of themselves in relaxing outdoor environments and enjoying each other. Is it time for you to “JUST DO IT!” ? Time moves so fast in families and in no time you kids are going to be going off to college and starting their own families.
Peter DeMott Photography • peter@photosbypdemott.com • 937-478-6222
Let’s do the red prom dress with your horse! Wow Megan, that looks fantastic!
Sunday afternoon senior portrait session near Columbus, Ohio
I had Megan bring a couple of dresses, a casual outfit and a riding outfit to the senior portrait session. As we started the session, she said, let’s do the dresses first so that the horse does not get me messy for the portraits in the dress. But, I suggested that we do the horse with the red prom dress. I’m sure Megan was not thinking that she would be in a dress with her horse, but her eyes lit up and she said, “really?”. I said, “yes, are you okay with that?” and off she went to get dressed and get the horse. You tell me what you think. Did it work out?
Megan is both an equestrian athlete and a soccer player and is very active with both. Megan is a student at Upper Arlington High School in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington. It is where I graduated from in 1975. If you like my portrait style and want a portrait session in the Columbus area, please feel free to contact me using the contact/share menu item above or the email or phone number at the bottom line of this post. I would love to have comments at the end of this post by friends of Megan DeMott (all comments are reviewed before they post). Just click on the comment button and leave you input and comments for all to see.
You can also “LIKE” Peter DeMott Photography on Facebook. I will be posting a link via email to Megan with the rest of the images from this session. With her permission, I will then post that on the Facebook images that I have already posted onto Facebook. By the way, if you are a friend of Megan, you are welcome to download her sneak peek images to your Facebook page (but please do not print them out #1, they are copyrighted #2 they will not look very good because they are screen resolution only. I appreciate your cooperation on this).
Her mom was there and helped me some with holding a reflector. Her grandmother was also along for the ride. They were both excited about the little sneak peaks that I gave them while I was shooting. Megan is lovely and she has a great smile.
Peter DeMott • Peter DeMott Photography • 937-478-6222 • peter@photosbypdemott.com
Equine retail supply company buys photos with unique feel and style from Peter DeMott Photography
Capturing the emotion of the moment
When I do portrait sessions or take pictures of people with their horses I do my best to capture the emotion of the moment. If I can capture JOY or LOVE or COMPANIONSHIP in that photograph I consider that a win for everyone involved.
This week I sold images from a senior portrait session (with permission of the young lady who wants to become a model) to a large retail equine supply company to be used in consumer promotions in late 2011 and early 2012. Another image that was purchased was from a session that I did with Patty and her horses (Patty is my wife and we have 3 beautiful arabs). But, in both cases it was not just the image, but the emotion expressed in the image that caught the eye of the business.
I’m looking forward to sharing the images and where they will be published once I have samples from the promotion. That will be fun to show you.
In the mean time, fall portrait time is now. For seniors and for seniors with horses, this is a great time for those cozy outdoor portraits in sweaters, scarfs, jeans, etc. For the horses, there are fewer flies and everything has greened back up in pastures and farms again with all this rain in mid September in our area.
For seniors wanting to consider modeling, having a good mix of styles of images for your portfolio is important. As you can see from my news above, my style and photography capture attention and show personality a little differently than the glamour and glitz that some photographers are known for. I hope you will consider me in the coming days and months as you consider where you will have your horse and rider portraits made or your senior portraits. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about your portrait session.
Peter DeMott • Peter DeMott Photography • Seniors, families, equine, and children • Greater Dayton area and the region • peter@photosbypdemott.com • 937-478-6222