When sorting your photos give it some time before the throw away too many images
Woke up this morning with very cold temperatures outside. Cold and windy with just a little snow is not good for much around here.
After cleaning out the horse stalls and balancing my checkbook I went exploring pictures that I took last year. It seems like when I look at photographs that I took some time ago, there are always a couple that look better than they did when I first saw them. In fact I found that it is important for me when gleaning through my images that I not throw away too many images. In the past I would end up trashing some of these incubating images before they “grew on me” so to speak.
Now I throw away images with focus issues, images that are clearly under par, but I keep many more images than I used to. Now when I go back, there are many images that mature over time.
I thought I would share a couple.
This is an image that I took at a FEO shoot. FEO in Dayton is a support group for photographers willing to share and grow. There are FEO groups that meet all over the country as a result of Dane Sander’s book Fast Track Photographer. The initials stand for FOR EACH OTHER and locally, most of the members are wedding and some portrait photographers. They meet on the second Tuesday of each month to go over selected topics together. This particular meeting was a photo shoot with models at my home near Germantown, Ohio. The thing that I like about FEO is that the other photographers challenge me and keep me fresh. One of the things that I experimented with at this meeting was back lit portraits like this one. If I had an assistant with me I might have used a reflector to bring a little more of that warm light back onto the subjects.
This is just a quick snap shot of Sarah Wheeler at a Starbucks when I delivered an 11×14 stretched canvas print to her. Sarah is now at school at Wright State University and we were able to meet up at Starbucks so I could give this to her. Sarah is still very active in horse sports at Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon, Ohio. If you would like to see more from Sarah Wheeler’s session go to this link: http://www.photosbypdemott.com/2009/09/sarah-wheelers-senior-portraits-at-dancing-horse-farm/
Follow-up from Sarah Wheeler 1/19/2011. My question: Hey girl, what does your mom think of the canvas print?
I’m still working on trying to find the time to start a podcast about equine photographers. I’ve been thinking about audio clips and video clips as part of my other web site as well. My other web site is about growing your business in Dayton, Ohio. Actually the posts there can help any business except for the parts about the coupon magazine that I work for. I post a lot of facebook tips, internet tips, and other tips that are important to businesses in general. That web site is Grow Your Business in Dayton – http://www.gybindayton.com
Hopefully you got something from this post. I think that I am in a cold winter funk which makes it difficult to come up with more interesting material.
Peter DeMott • peter@photosbypdemott.com • 937-478-6222 • http://www.photosbypdemott.com • http://gybindayton.com •
Lydia’s Song; the loss of a horse and a story of love, accomplishments and companionship
It started with a troubling post on facebook
Some time ago Jennifer posted a troubling note on her facebook profile. Her prized and loved competitive partner for many years was very ill and as a result had foundered. She was working with specialists to try to save the horse, but she expressed great concern that she might have to put Lydia down. Severe foundering causes the bones in the feet to push through the bottom of the hoof (that is my understanding), but Jennifer did not know how severe the situation was yet. She expressed great fear and many responded with concern and words of encouragement on her profile page.
I knew Jennifer from shooting several horse shows at her farm called Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon, Ohio. I called her the next day and suggested that I would come to her farm and do a portrait session at no charge. We would bring the horse into the soft grass and take portraits of Jennifer with her cherished competitive partner. She agreed, and we set a time. When I arrived Jennifer almost canceled the session. It was just too difficult for her, but with encouragement from me and Lenny, her husband, we pressed forward to do the session. The situation was very touching and tears ran down my face from time to time. On our way home from the session, Patty and I talked about taking some more portraits of her with her horses.
The first half of this book are the portraits from that session. Within two weeks Jennifer had to have the horse put down. As a way of coping, Jennifer chronicled Lydia’s life from when they first met through all the dressage competitions she participated in and then through the very last day when she took Lydia to their grave site where she had to leave her with the vet after some final moments together. The second half of this book tells that entire story and shares many things that were posted by other onto Jennifer’s wall to offer condolences and encouragement.
As a photographer, many times people express that they wish they had photographs of those they were close to (whether animal or human). This is frequently something that is expressed to photographers after nothing can be done about it any more. In this case, because Jennifer was willing to share her situation on facebook, I was able to respond and with encouragement together we created beautiful images that she will cherish for the rest of her life.
Costume dressage horse show at Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon Ohio – perfect for October
Need some ideas for horse constumes? Here are a couple from the October costume dressage horse show at Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon, Ohio.
The following was so adorable. A tiny little pony dresses as a tiny little pony being attached by a polar bear in the coldest parts of the world. Blood streaming down the neck of the pony where the bear had bitten it. A very scary thought, so well done it’s cute.
How about a rider being eaten by a shark?
Another small pony becomes a rain deer with santa walking along side and ridden by an elf.
Now, for a more advanced rider. Horse as a “Money Pit”. I can relate to that sometimes.
If you participated and want to purchase photos from the costume dressage show at Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon Ohio, just click on this link:
Session books can be special keepsakes for seniors and others
I spent the evening preparing a book to be sent off for printing. It has a hard cover with a portrait wrapped onto the front cover. Inside there can be 20-40 pages of pictures from the session.
My first sample book is of my client Jennifer Truett and her horse Lydia that she lost earlier this year. On Facebook she had posted about her prize show horse and companion and that she may have to put her down due to a severe founder from getting sick. She would know within the next two weeks if the horse could survive or not. I had gotten to know Jennifer while taken pictures at a couple of horse shows at the Dancing Horse Farm which her and her husband, Lenny, own and operate in Lebanon.
I called by phone her the next day and said that I wanted to come out that weekend to do a portrait session (No charge for this one as I wanting to give her the session). Weeks earlier we had done a session under saddle and conformation with some other horses. We were supposed to do portraits of Lydia at that same time only she was at the equine hospital at the time and very ill. It was the aftermath of that illness that caused the severe founder. So I called her and we selected a time and I explained that we could do the session in their soft grass. It would be portraits of Jen with Lydia and anything else she wanted to do.
When I arrived Jennifer told me how difficult this might be as she was not sure she could keep her composure. Jen had to wipe away tears several times during the session and Patty (my wife assisting) and I also got choked up. At one point Jennifer, she told me later, said that she had almost called to cancel the session because she was so upset, but we proceeded and had a very lovely session not knowing if the news in the following weeks would be good or bad. Lydia’s last day was only a week away as it turned out.
Jennifer, Lenny and Lydia photo session (click here)
I sent a link to the proofs within a day or so. Many tears later. This was still before Jennifer found out there was no hope and Lydia had to be put down.
Jennifer made a long post on facebook about that last day explaining that it was the most difficult thing she had ever done in her entire life. Jennifer made it a very special day for Lydia with a bath, flowers braided into Lydia’s mane and other special moments photographing the entire process. They had many special moments together before walking to where Lydia would be put down at the remoted farm graveyard down a tree lined path.
This is the cover and back cover. On each page within the book I placed a word to try describe her horse and her relationship with her horse. Beauty, Affection, Memories, Honor, Grace, Laughter, Passion, Pride, Partnership, Whimsy and others.
Jen brought her horse out very carefully and slowly. She was so sweet with Lydia and it was very touching to watch and photograph.
I sent the computer files showing the insides of the book and this cover to Jennifer to review and so that she could request to perhaps add some additional pages with additional words. Then I will send it to the book company so that can put it together and print it and ship it back to me. I will finalize pricing for this type of book once I see the finished product. This particular book is 13″x 11″ so it will be rather spectacular in my estimation.
(Update) Jennifer loved the pages of the book and we decided that we would be adding some photographs from shows in the book along with the narrative and pictures from Lydia’s last day on this earth. In addition we will be adding many letters of condolence which poured in after Jennifer made the facebook post about Lydia’s last day.
They are available in 7″ x 7″ , 8″ x 10″, 10″ x 8″, 13″x 11″ and 12″ x 12″.
Tell me what you think.
Sarah Wheeler’s Senior Portraits at Dancing Horse Farm
It was fun to create portraits of Sarah with her horse for her senior portraits at Dancing Horse Farm near Lebanon, Ohio (only about a half hour from where I am based in Germantown, Ohio near Dayton, Ohio). Her mom and her little sister helped some with getting ears up. When shooting horses sometimes the most difficult thing is to get the horses attention. In this case, I think that Sarah’s arms were very tired from pulling his head up out of the beautiful green grass. I’ve done several sessions at Dancing Horse Farm including portraits like these as well as action photography of horses under saddle doing dressage. Here are some pictures of Sarah with her horse, but the last two portraits are her little sister who had been jumping around behind me to get the attention of the horse. I was able to sneak the shots before she could turn away. I think they are very cute. Sarah is in love with her horse and it shows in how she looks at him and leans into him for some of the portraits. I think everyone had a wonderful time and I think they are having a very difficult time not buying everything they see. Should I just show 20 images and make it easier for my clients to choose? I think not. I will just continue to make them work hard selecting their favorites.
Hey, are you taking pictures of ME? I was able to take several candid portraits before she turned away. How cute is this? To see more portraits from Sarah Wheeler’s senior portrait sessions go to Sarah Wheeler. As a senior portrait photographer and an equine photographer I truely enjoy bringing both of those areas into one portrait. For truely unique senior portraits, wouldn’t you love to have your senior portraits with your cherished riding companion?
Peter DeMott Photography 937-478-6222