When I came across a cool antique phone and fan, I couldn’t help but think up a photo shoot for them! They screamed for the noir style. In the shoot, I used elements of noir, without being too dramatic. That being said, this sample image did end up being pretty noir-looking in post-processing! You can see this one and more (and some technical specs for each one) in the video below.

VIPs, log in to see a gallery of images, plus a video where I talk about all of the details of the shoot – from styling to more technical specifications!

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How did I spend my time this week, you ask…

I answered a viewer question in a Question of the Day video – about getting a blurry background in a portrait.

I went to a farm and picked peaches! I posted some pics on Facebook.

I couldn’t resist sneaking in one more of my LEGO Star Wars photos too.

The final part of SnapChick Bikini 2013 is up! This shoot went up in four parts. Videos for everyone and links to all of the parts, plus the shoot that inspired this round of bikini madness, are in Part 4.

I reviewed Piestewa Peak, here in Phoenix, AZ. I talked about a few of the trails and showed you lots of pictures!

I posted a SnapChick Rewind to a year ago. I loved this rock and roll themed shoot!

Apple held a big conference and I made a video on my reactions here. You know I’m a fan of Apple products so I always get excited when one of these conferences comes around.

Some firmware updates were announced this week. Several months ago, I showed you how to check if your camera has a firmware update, and I also posted a video on how to update your Nikon DSLR’s firmware. This week, I posted a video on how to update your Canon DSLR’s firmware.

Of course I posted a bunch of pics on Facebook, like this photo of a B2 that I took in 2003 and a photo of Mischief that I snapped while she was lounging on my backdrop!

What am I going to do next week?

I’m doing a photo shoot tonight where I’m hoping to use some props that I’ve been holding onto. I asked you for questions so I could make another big anything-goes Q&A video – I’ll be answering all of them in a video this weekend. Of course, I’m headed out for some hiking – I might even try to catch sunrise somewhere!

If you want to keep up with me, Facebook is the best place – find me here!

And I talk about all that in a video here…

SnapChick Bikini 2013 is drawing to a close, with a video for everyone, a video for VIPs, plus photos for all! Check out this comparison – SnapChick of the Present is on the right, SnapChick of the 3-Years-Ago Past is on the left.

I talk about the shoot in this video…

You can see the rest of SnapChick Bikini 2013 here…
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
And you can find the video that was the inspiration for this shoot here.

VIPs, log in to see your giant gallery of images and a detailed video with behind-the-scenes information about the shoot!

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I went a little more blonde (you can see it in the video below)! Oh, and I posted a bunch of stuff…

Parts 2 & 3 of SnapChick Bikini 2013 went up this week!

First Sunday was this week as well. I posted a gallery on Facebook and I also posted a video where I talked about the photos I took while hiking.

Questions about obtaining focus are not uncommon in my inbox. I answered one of them in a Question of the Day video.

I posted a video where I talk about my new-found focus on the image, rather than the process, where I also showed you some photos from Black Soul Photo. I talked about them from the perspective of someone who knew nothing of how the images were created, or even the purpose of the images.

A video that I forgot to mention in the video version of this recap is where I got stalked by museum guards! I talk about other stuff in the video too… like why we can’t take all the photos we like at all museums.

One of the funnest things I did this week was take some LEGO Star Wars portraits, which I posted on my Facebook page – you can see them here and here. I talk about how I took them in the video version of this recap below.

What else did I share with you this week? Some landscapes, food, my new bikinis… I also posted a SnapChick Rewind to 1 year ago.

If you want to keep up with the latest SnapChick happenings, you can find my Facebook page here.

What’s on tap for next week?

Part 4, the last of SnapChick Bikini 2013! It will have photos and videos for everyone. I’m also working on a couple more Question of the Day videos and a review of Kendrick Peak!

And, if you’d prefer to watch your recap…

See the article I talked about in the video here.

See more from Black Soul Photo here.

Today’s photos all took place in front of mirrors. I continued with the grunged-up look though. VIPs, log in to see your gallery of images. Plus, be on the lookout for the final Bikini 2013 post this weekend, with TONS of photos and videos for all!

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On the first Sunday of every month I invite everyone to focus on photo composition, rather than specs. The exercise is this: get out your camera (maybe even one that you don’t use very often), set it to the most basic size and quality settings, monochrome if you can, and have the camera make decisions for you by putting it in program or auto mode. This month, I took shots with my Nikon 1 V1 during a hike! I talk about each photo in the video below and you can see the rest of the photos in a Facebook post here.

Part 2 of SnapChick Bikini 2013 takes place in front of a bright window. I started with the shirt and quickly went to full bikini! Then, in post processing, I went for a grittier look. Here’s a sample…

Technical Specifications:
D800 + 85mm f/1.8
Aperture- f/2.8
Shutter Speed- 1/125
ISO- 900

VIPs, log in to see the full Part 2 gallery of images!

 
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This week, I…

I showed you how I can control my entire studio setup – strobes, speedlights AND camera – with the Satechi Smart Trigger.

One word… Bikini. Yes, I did. I got SnapChick Bikini 2013 started off with a sampling of photos from the shoot!

DEATHMATCH! I posted a DEATHMATCH between the Nikon D800 and the Nikon D600. Which one came on top? You’ll have to watch to find out!

I posted a VLOG while I was getting ready to go swim at the gym. I hadn’t been in my gym bag in months!

I posted more landscapes on my Facebook page.

I also posted a rewind from 2 years ago!

You can find my Facebook page here.

What’s up for week the week ahead? Certainly more pool time!

First Sunday is this weekend! Learn about it here.

I’ll also be posting more from SnapChick Bikini 2013!

And for those viewers who want to hear about all this from me in a poolside video…

I did it! I put on the same bikini, 3 years later, along with some other wardrobe choices. There is still plenty of work to be done – there are a TON of pictures – but I wanted to share some quick edits from yesterday’s “3 years later” bikini shoot! First, browse the images from 2010, then check these images out. I’ll have more samples for everyone so check back soon. VIPs, log in to see 9 of the shots, with many more to come. Also, once everything is edited, I’ll be taking you behind the scenes to discuss every aspect of the photo shoot.

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It’s been H-O-T here in Phoenix, AZ so I spend much time as possible in my pool!

On Sunday morning I went to a local sporting event – a triathlon – to shoot for fun! I posted a VLOG, where I talked about this cool dude that I saw and I also posted a photo galleryon Facebook of some of the other pics I took while I was wandering around. Another exciting thing I did was get my second tattoo removal treatment. You can see my VLOG about it here.

I added videos to a post from last week – Experiments in the Forest. I was experimenting with different action shot techniques!

I received a new gadget – the Satechi Smart Trigger! It’s a wireless DSLR trigger that you use with your mobile device. I posted my review of the trigger but I’m still playing with it and I’ll be posting another video, where I actually use it in the studio.

Philosophy was still on my mind this week and I posted two more videos on this topic – the first one was called “SnapChick on the Image Versus the Process, Part 2”, and the third one was called “SnapChick Sticks It to the Critics, Part 3”. If you missed Part 1 from last week, it was called “Life, the Universe, and the Digital Age, Part 1”.

I gave you a video preview of my next photo shoot. It’s a new take on a shoot I did three years ago. I’ll be posting the new shoot and videos soon!

I’ve posted all sorts of photos on my Facebook page… From a SnapChick Rewind from two years ago – my Noir and Lace shoot – to a bunch of newly-scanned old photos. If you haven’t found me on Facebook, here’s a link.

And for those of you that prefer to watch your recap…