Demirelli On Fire

Comrades,

Let me introduce you to Emmett Demirelli. An aspiring soccer player he is notorious for being as ferocious as a badger on the pitch (Soccer Field). We had the chance to do some quick shots for his senior portfolio before he departs for Oregon State and we made it all happen because of three simple things. 1. We were quick and to the point 2. Although we did a few traditional shots, we avoided trying to make Emmett into something he isn’t 3. We were both willing and spared ourselves the senseless chatter I am often guilty of. I will honestly say that for a quick 30 minute session these are some of the coolest and most fitting shots I have pulled off to date. No need to make you think we were all touchy feely, like typical guys it was all about getting down to business and so we could head home just in time for dinner. Oh and in case your wondering where the light is coming just use your imagination cause that is what true photography is all about.

Hats off to photographers who don't mooch equipment,

Lance

Dan & Bea

Comrades of Spring,

Well last Saturday I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding for Dan & Bea and from the friendliness of the weather to the flow of the day I could not have been happier with how it turned out. I am still shaking off the cobwebs from just getting into this years wedding season but all in all, I was feeling up to snuff. For once in my life I was actually up early enough to have the days first shoot all set up and ready over on 9th Street and the guys did a fabulous job playing the role. Using multiple speed lights and some wireless trippers, I was able to give them the look of a born-again rock star waiting to take the world by storm. Of course, all the planning in the world doesn’t eliminate Mr. Murphy! Just as we started one of the cables that fed the lights failed thus delayed my flow. But, despite the setback we made it work sans crappy cable! There is nothing I hate more than having to make my subjects wait on me to replace or repair faulty equipment but with electronics, comes malfunctions!

Bea looked fabulous and was a great little traffic cop while I bustled people in and out for some bridal pictures. I just love it when brides help me get the herd together because after all, I really don’t know any of the people invited thus they often are reluctant to play ball when it comes picture time. I have mounds of pictures to work through but hope to have their wedding portfolio posted in the next couple weeks. Mucho thanks to both Dan and Bea’s families for the fun and the nice dinner at the end of the night.

Wedding Food for all My Friends,

Lance

Angela & Loren

Comrades,

Had a great time with Loren and Angela last week shooting at none other than Katherine Alberton Park. Though I prefer this location in the Fall much more, it no less gave us an excellent backdrop to break in the photo taking of this soon to be married couple. You always know you have a great set of clients when they can shout out more Bear Grylls lines than you! Congrats to the both of them and I am primed and ready to shoot their wedding in June.

Lance

Engaged

Comrades,

Been hanging out with some cool couples of late getting them all ready for the big day with the pictures that will end up in the invitations. Will and Laetitia were last week’s victims of my neurotic ways and we blasted through a quick set under a warm sky. Later in the week came Nate & Megan and using downtown as a backdrop, we made some music over the course of an hour. I always find myself wondering how many different ways can two people embrace? Whatever that number is I am sure it is greatly reduced once a couple knows they have a camera pointed at them. Engagements while important are not the top of the mountain for any couple who works with me. Rather, they are the chance for me to gauge what works and what doesn’t in terms of pictures so that come wedding day, all stars are aligned. Besides, there is nothing cooler than glitz and showmanship a wedding offers any photographer willing to lose themselves in a Zen state of creativity.

May 4th marks the commercial shoot for Roaring Springs and the new slide that is set to open for this season. I love working with them for two reasons. One, it is a free for all type photo shoot and I often see the results of the shoot on billboards all over town. I will be setting up some serious lighting action for these shots provided all goes as planned. Now let’s see if I can keep myself from getting electrocuted in the process.

Cupids for all my friends,

Lance

Outreach for Photographers

Comrades,

Things have been pretty hectic of late and that is just the way I like it. Lots of engagements and more previews to come so stay tuned. Been enjoying the nice weather and with summer just a stone throw away I anticipate lots of new material.

For any of you photographers out there looking to jump start a photography business or simply need to restructure the debt caused by business related operations have no fear, I have been asked to host a webinar for the Professional Photographers of America on May 18th at 2pm. Go to http://www.ppa.com/ for more details or simply email me at Foster688@msn.com. The subject matter I will be covering includes how to utilize the Small Business Administration’s loan programs and services (some of which are free I might add). The great thing about the program is that it is conducive to both start up operations and those who are already established and wish to reorganize their current business related debt. The SBA provisions that have been placed into the stimulus act do have a shelf life of less than a year so please, if you are thinking that this may be a good fit for your operation, I strongly encourage you to attend. I am flattered that I am able to do this for an organization that knows nothing but the on going concerns of America’s professional photographer population. Hail Hail and I will see you there shutter slugs.

Bank Notes For All My Friends,

Lance

Delayed but Delivered

Comrades,

Sorry it has taken me so long to post a couple of pics from the last two engagement sessions. What is a man to do when he is on vacation, work? Well, I guess they were right when they said there is “No sleep for the weary” but still, enjoying some time off is vital to ones sanity given that wedding season is about to push me in the stamina department. The first session was with Jenna and Tyler and I soon learned that shade is still at a premium around here. We must have had a good 12 o’clock fireball sitting right over us making the shoot difficult at times. Unfortunately, the trees are still feeling their way in terms of sprouting a leaf or two thus, shade was nill. Despite my admissions for making false assumptions about the timing of nature’s shade coverings, we made some great images together and ended up with a nice set.

The following day it was off to McCall to meet up with Stacy and Darrin for a session in downtown McCall, Idaho. Like the previous day, the sun was giving us fits but we had plenty of places to hide from the unflattering glare via the downtown structures. Counting my lucky stars for the science of physics as it pertains to light and objects, I had a great time getting some rockstar shots of these two love birds. The good news is that come summer when I head back for their wedding, I will have them an entire day thus will be able to take advantage of the lighting conditions as they calm down during the evening hours of the summer months and to be honest, I enjoy that aspect of every wedding. To me it is a natural insurance policy of sorts.

All this talk of harsh sunlight has left me wondering how I have for the most part been able to avoid it up until last weekend. Lets just say that taking nature for granted is sure to come back to bite you in your favorite lens! Research, research, and more research of not only the surroundings one plans to shoot in, but also the study of overcoming such conditions is the only way we can make music in less than desirable conditions. This means we don’t settle if at all possible nor does it mean we lay out in the wide open and admit defeat. Light modifiers are everywhere we only need to look and evaluate. I was emailed a link from a pal last week that demonstrated what not to do in the harsh light that is our sun. Without going into to details, I will only say that I am super glad I am not the one who was forced to deliver the pictures that I saw and can only imagine how and why these shots I speak of were even attempted.

More stuff to come soon including some wild shots that my son took in Vale, Oregon over Easter not to mention some wild landscape shots I enjoyed taking using a 10mm lens that makes the clouds look pretty damn ominous let me tell ya :)

Easter Cold Ones for all My Friends,

Lance

As Seen on T.V.

Comrades,

You always know you have had a bad day when you roll your SUV into the Payette River. I was heading up to McCall for some engagement pictures and I noticed the top of a vehicle rearing it’s cold, tired, and saturated head from the water. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through the driver’s head (Other than water) when he realized he was right in the middle of the raging rapids. Also, given that the water is a balmy fifty degrees, I would think that this would be one of those times where pissing your pants never felt so good!

Hopefully within the next week I will have some more engagement pics up from the last two sessions. Maybe I am rusty but with warmer weather comes clearer skies which equals, HARSH SUNLIGHT. With no sprouting on the trees just yet I am finding that shade is at a premium. If you do many outside portrait sessions you know exactly what I mean and it simply sucks.

Great Car Insurance for All My Friends,

Lance