New Blog!

Thanks for visiting my blog! We have a new blog set up over at www.tiltshiftstudiosblog.com that hosts our current work, this blog is our original blog and hosts work prior to 2010. So take a look around here and if you want to see some newer stuff click over to the new blog.

Senior Portraits: Lauren

A while back I shot Lauren's senior portraits and the images are fabulous! We went out to Lake Brownwood because Lauren is the oudoorsy type and loves the water. She brought along her boyfriend and her super cute ferret Bruce. Bruce had a great time prowling through the grass and posing for photos.













And the Slideshow:

Family Portrait: The Perkins

Back in the fall I did a family portrait session for the Perkins and their beautiful little boy Remy. We found some great locations around Brownwood to really bring the warm colors of fall into the images. The reds, oranges, and golden browns will compliment their deco when they hang their portraits in their home!











And the Slideshow:

Wedding: Megan + Spencer

It was freakishly cold yet sunny day March when Megan and Spencer said forever. They had the ceremony at The Star of Texas Bed and Breakfast and it was beautiful. Megan and Spencer are both in the army, I've shot military weddings before but this one was a first - the first time I've ever seen a couple light a unity cigar, first time seen a cut with a k-bar knife, and the first time I've heard the minister say "you may now kiss your superior officer."

Megan and Spencer's wedding had some very unique details thanks to their vendors - Davis Floral, Taste of Heaven Bakery, and Star of Texas Bed and Breakfast, and their wonderful friends and family. We wish you all the happiness in the world!



















And the Slideshow:

Engagement Session: Stephanie + Bradley

I had the pleasure of photographing Stephanie and Bradley's engagement portraits over 4th of July weekend. We did the portraits at Stephanie's family's place Rancho Del Orso outside of Comanche. The sky was threatening rain the whole time, but it waited until after we were done to let loose and we rolled with it. The upside of stormy weather is it gives you such dramatic skies.

Thanks to an amazing location, an awesome couple, and an array of photogenic animals we got some really cool shots - enjoy!











And the Slideshow:

Take A Learning Vacation This Summer!

Learning Vacation – Nature Photo Shoot
Kim Hurt – Photographer, instructor
Debbie Morelock – Certified Texas Master Naturalist
August 19 & 20, 2010
Star of Texas Bed & Breakfast, Brownwood, TX
Limited space, register early
(325) 649-9300
www.earlychamber.com

What a great way to spend a few days of vacation or just a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of your city.
Just load your camera, pack your suitcase (we have your packing list), and you are on your way to making great memories.
Open to all skill levels – I can show you how to get the best photos with your current camera. There is something for everyone- beginner or experienced hobbyist! If you really like to take photos, you will really like this beautiful and off the beaten path, close to nature spot we have chosen for you.
Please reserve early because this Bed and Breakfast stays booked year around - plus the great weather and scenic views.
Is there a photo or video contest coming up soon that you were thinking about entering? No one could even get close to the great shots you will take in this ‘learning vacation’!
Complete the information, include payment and mail to us. We will send you the packing list and the map. Register for staying at the award winner 2009-2010 Star of Texas B & B at www.star-of-texas.com
Be sure to acknowledge you’ll be taking the ‘learning vacation’ so you can get the special price.
Our learning vacation –Nature photo shoot class will be $175.
Begin at 3:00 pm – August 19th - Ending 5:00 pm August 20th.
There will be two professionals instructing this class both in the arbor and out on the walking trail. Plus staying overnight on August 19 at the B & B will be $139 for two. This includes fresh, cooked breakfast the morning of August 20. A brown bag lunch will be furnished on the grounds August 20 and you will enjoy your evening meal on your own.
Register BY August 13, 2010
Early Chamber of Commerce (325) 649-9300 or (877)643-7243
Email: ecoc@earlytx.com or wanda@earlytx.com
We will rush your packet to you next day. You will be glad you did.

Boudoir Session: Miss R*

*Real names are never used to protect our sexy clients from the prying eyes of Google

So here are some images from Miss R's recent boudoir shoot. Like most of our clients Miss R's images were commissioned as a gift for her husband. Miss R chose to do her entire shoot in our studio - so we got to find out just how many sets we could make in one room! Miss R brought a ton of great outfits to the shoot - it was the first time I've used motorcycle gear and steel toed boots in a boudoir shoot.


















And The Slideshow:

How To Take Pictures Of Fireworks

Well the 4th of July is coming up quick so I thought I would post my top ten tips for shooting fireworks along with a few of my images from last year's show in Comanche.



1. Use a Tripod

The most important tip is to secure your camera to something that will ensure it doesn’t move during the taking of your shots. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod.



2. Use a Remote Release

One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well and its very very hit and miss.



3. Plan How To Frame Your Shot

One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you’ll be photographing goes off – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right.


Scope out the location early – Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into – you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).

Watch your Horizons - One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in it’s framing. This is especially important if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (ie a cityscape). As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up.

Vertical or Horizontal? – There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better – particularly as there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length of if you’re wanting to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot.

Remember your framing – I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.



4. Change Up Your Focal Length

One of the hardest parts of photographing fireworks is having your camera trained on the right part of the sky at the right time. This is especially difficult if you’re shooting with a longer focal length and are trying to take more tightly cropped shots. I generally shoot at a wider focal length than a tight one but during a show will try a few tighter shots (I usually use a zoom lens to give me this option) to see if I can get lucky with them. They enable you to really fill the frame with great color.



5. Use A Small Aperture

A common question around photographing fireworks displays is what aperture to use. Many people think you need a fast lens to get them but in reality it’s quite the opposite as the light that the fireworks emit is quite bright. I find that apertures in the mid to small range tend to work reasonably well and would usually shoot somewhere between f/8 to f/16.



6. Use A Slow Shutter Speed

Probably more important to get right than aperture is shutter speed. Fireworks move and as a result the best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. This is a mode that allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds).

You can also experiment with set shutter speeds to see what impact it will have but I find that unless you’re holding the shutter open for very long exposures that the bulb technique works pretty well.

Don’t keep your shutter open too long. The temptation is to think that because it’s dark that you can leave it open as long as you like. The problem with this is that fireworks are bright and it doesn’t take too much to over expose them, especially if your shutter is open for multiple bursts in the one area of the sky. By all means experiment with multiple burst shots – but most people end up finding that the simpler one burst shots can be best.



7. Shoot With Your Lowest ISO

Shooting at a low ISO is preferable to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Stick to ISO 100 and you should be fine.



8. Turn off Your Flash

Shooting with a flash will have no impact upon your shots except to trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. Keep in mind that your camera’s flash will only have a reach of a few meters and in the case of fireworks even if they were this close a flash wouldn’t really have anything to light except for some smoke which would distract from the real action.



9. Shoot In Manual Mode

I find I get the best results when shooting in manual exposure and manual focus modes. Auto focusing in low light can be very difficult for many cameras and you’ll end up missing a lot of shots. Once your focusing is set you’ll find you don’t really need to change it during the fireworks display – especially if you’re using a small aperture which increases depth of field. Keep in mind that changing focal lengths will mean you need to need to adjust your focusing on most lenses.



10. Experiment and Track Results

Throughout the fireworks display periodically check your results. I generally take a few shots at the start and check to see that they are OK before shooting any more. Don’t check after every shot once you’ve got things set up (or you’ll miss the action) but do monitor yours shots occasionally to ensure you’re not taking a completely bad batch.

Also experiment with taking shots that include a wider perspective, silhouettes and people around you watching the display. Having your camera pointed at the sky can get you some wonderful shots but sometimes if you look for different perspectives you can get a few shots that are a little less cliche and just as spectacular. Most of the best shots that I’ve seen in the researching of this article have included some other element than the fireworks themselves – whether it be people, buildings, landmarks or wider cityscape perspectives.

Good Luck and Happy 4th!

Senior Portraits: Michael

Here is part two of our best friends senior portrait session. Michael and Cameron have been friends for years so we shot their senior portraits together. Everything is more fun when you bring your friends along, plus now when they go off to college they'll have some great pictures to remember their best friend by.

We went all around downtown Brownwood and out to the lake to get some great backgrounds. Michael plays football for Brownwood Highschool so we worked that into his session by using his letter jacket. Plus water guns always make great props especially when you use them to shoot your friend.















And the Slideshow: