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Made me feel really good about myself
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Rebecca,
I looked at the photos briefly yesterday and loved them. Thank you so much for the wonderful job that you did - the pictures made me feel really good about myself.
I would recommend you to anyone.
Rita
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Tips & Tricks
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We’re all in this together – let me know if you have a tip or trick that you think I should share!
There are many fairly simple things you can do to get better portraits.
Getting sharper shots.
There are several issues involved with traveling with a digital camera, mostly to do with image storage and batteries.
Many people like to print their own photos, a good solution if you need a photo in a hurry. But it's actually more cost effective, and often you get better quality, by having them printed elsewhere.
There are many things to consider in buying a digital camera. Follow these suggestions to become clear about your needs, and to understand better what camera will have you happily snapping away.
We all love the Google search engine for its elegant, efficient functionality. Well, their FREE image editing software, Picasa is just as wonderful. Picasa makes it easy to manage the digital photographer’s basic image management tasks: importing, organizing, editing and sharing.
You need lots of pixels to get good prints, but need many fewer pixels (and a correspondingly low file size) for viewing and sharing images electronically. How to resolve this conflict?
How do I transfer my pictures from my camera to my computer? How do I attach a picture to an email? I have 4 copies of all of my pictures! I can’t find my pictures! These are the problems I hear about again and again, and the solutions always boil down to file management.
One of the main reasons to use a digital camera is the ability to share the images with others by attaching them to emails. This comes with its challenges however.
Here's an outline of the ideas to get more meaningful, creative holiday memories
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Wow! You are beautiful!
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I really enjoyed our time and wanted to thank you for your patience with me. I also wanted to tell you that I sent my picture to several guys and got incredible responses. One guy that "looks" promising responded with " WOW, you are beautiful!" I have a coffee date tomorrow with another guy.
Update 10 -07:
Due to your pictures I met the love of my life and we were married on June 14th! I met him right after posting onto Craig's list. I was bombarded with responses and had 5 dates in 4 days and was going to stop because it was overwhelming. He was my last date. :) Thanks for being a part of my finding my life partner.
Judy Wilkins |
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Thoroughly Captured the Mood and Guests
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I purchased Rebecca's photographic services for my friend Marla's 47th birthday. Rebecca is not only skilled with the camera and the software to make everyone look their best, but she has a wonderful way of moving throughout a crowd and getting great candid or posed shots without disrupting the action. She sensed the mood of the party and captured it beautifully, enhancing the experience for everyone, even the camera shy! Jeanne Bennett
From the Birthday Girl: My friend Jeanne hired Rebecca to shoot a casual party with all my girlfriends at Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade store in the Pearl. It would never have occurred to me to get photos of this event. Luckily it occurred to Jeanne. Rebecca got a marvelous mix of candid and posed shots which accurately and thoroughly capture the mood and guests. I will treasure these photos forever. Thank you to both Jeanne and Rebecca. Marla Koch |
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About Pixelegacy by Rebecca Forbes
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 I am passionate about a lot of things. People. Technology. Being of service. Laughing a lot. Photography. Empowering others to do what they want. Bringing out the best in others. Having fun. Learning. Leaving a legacy.
Hence, Pixelegacy - a merging of all of these passions that enables me to bring a joy to my work – a joy that shows in the results, and the relationships I’m thrilled to have built with hundreds of clients over the years. I’d love to create a wonderful portrait or project for you, or show you how to do it yourself. Just give me a call.
Thanks for checking me out, I hope to hear from you.
Rebecca
A few frequently asked questionsWhat forms of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, checks and major credit cards.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule my appointment?
Please let me know at least 24 hours before your scheduled time.
What about gift certificates?
Yes! Great idea. Available for specific services, or for a dollar amount.
If I sign up for your newsletter, will you use my email address for anything else, or give it to anyone else?
No. Never. | |
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Baby ~ Kid ~ Teen ~ Pet Portraits
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I love kids and pets. I’m the one at family reunions and parties walking around holding other people's babies on my hip, talking with 4 year olds about dinosaurs, or scritching some dog's ears.
I get great joy from capturing the perfect shot of a baby’s yawn, sneeze, or toes. Please let me come and play with your little one. Or your not so little one (I still speak fluent Teen…). Or your Maltese. Or all of them together!
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How it works:
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Before the shoot, I give you some pointers about what your child should wear, how to get them in the mood for the shoot, etc.
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I show up at your place (or another mutually agreeable location in the Greater Portland area) with Betsy (my magical Canon EOS 30D Digital SLR), and my trusty laptop.
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We talk about what we’re trying to accomplish, get your youngster(s) relaxed and ready to go (if they’re little ones, we’ll go for the magical post-nap-post-feeding time).
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We’ll spend about an hour taking about 50 - 75 shots. After the shooting is done, we’ll go through what we’ve taken, and get down to 20 – 30 that you think have potential.
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I’ll go back to my cave and work with the good shots – do some minor editing, cropping, retouching, changing to black/white, etc.
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I’ll upload the images to Printroom, a top quality photo printing service. You (and your friends and family!) be able to order top quality prints from there if you please. | |
All for $149.
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Better Portraits
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There are many fairly simple things you can do to get better portraits.
Zoom all the way in on a 3x - 5x optical zoom (about midway on 8x - 10x), hold the camera vertically, and move to where your subject fills the viewfinder or LCD screen.
Ask your subject to look just slightly away from the camera's lens.
If taking a child's portrait, kneel down to their level.
This may not seem to make sense to you, but if you are outdoors, use the flash to fill in the shadows. To turn on the Fill-in flash, look for the symbol next to the button on your camera that looks like a lightening bolt and press it until you see the symbol on your LCD screen that represents the flash being on. Your camera will automatically compensate by setting the correct exposure if you are in an automatic mode. If you don't believe me, try taking the same shot with and without the Fill-in flash - you'll be surprised!
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Buying a Digital Camera
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There are many things to consider in buying a digital camera. Follow these suggestions to become clear about your needs, and to understand better what camera will have you happily snapping away.
First of all, really think about, and make a list of your personal needs and preferences regarding this camera before you shop. This list will drive decisions about camera size, resolution and features.
Some things to consider:
- Would you want to carry the camera in your pocket? Or would you rather have something bigger with controls that are easier to find and use?
- Will you be using it outdoors? Need something waterproof?
- How’s your eyesight? A larger monitor on the back may be important for you, and/or maybe a control on the viewfinder that adjusts for eyesight.
- Do you like to read manuals? Are you an advanced user? Or would a point and shoot be best for you?
- Only taking pictures of items to sell on e-bay, put on a website or send via email (no printing)? You’ll only need a low mega pixel model.
- Want large scale prints? You’ll need high resolution.
- Already have an SLR? The lenses you have may fit a digital SLR.
- Do you like a monitor that swivels so you can hold the camera over your head for shots?
- Will more than one person be using this camera? What is the lowest level of competency?
- Do you have media from another camera that you’ll want to use in this camera?
- Do you want to be able to take short movies? With sound?
After making your needs and preferences list, make a commitment to how much money you can spend on the camera considering the ‘Total Cost of Ownership’. What ‘extras’ will you need to buy as part of the original purchase, and what will be the costs down the road?
In addition to the camera, at the very least you need to factor in additional cost ($75 - $150) for a backup rechargeable battery, and media card(s) (the cards that come with the camera only hold a few shots).
Things that may or may not be optional for you include:
a) Camera bag
b) Accessory lenses (required for a digital SLR)
c) Tripod for stabilization
d) Computer upgrades such as memory, operating systems, CD burner to manage your digital image files
Be cautious with ‘Package Deals’ – it’s not a good deal if the price of the pieces add up to more than the actual sum of the parts, or, if you really don’t need all the things that come with the package!
Watch for older models that could meet your needs that may have dropped in price with the release of a newer model.
A few other things to consider:
- Optical vs. Digital Zoom - pay attention to OPTICAL zoom only – DIGITAL zoom is a manipulation of the picture by the camera software that likely will not give you as sharp an image as you’d like.
- How much zoom? If primarily shooting friends and family – 2x or 3x whould be plenty. Just be sure to get up close. If you want to shoot outdoor scenery, architectural elements etc – go for 5x+, and for wildlife/sporting events, consider 7x+ in addition to a high megapixel count that will enable you to crop and still get good prints.
- Battery – It’s really nice if the camera can use standard size batteries (AA), in which case you can throw in regular batteries in a pinch (special ‘Ultra’ types really do work better). Lithium batteries last the longest, but NiMH are also good.
- Resolution – More is usually better (unless you are only shooting for the web). Prints require a minimum of 200 pixels per inch to get a decent print – in context, you can get a great 16” X 20” from a 6 megapixel image. However, remember that if you crop a 6 megapixel image, you no longer have that many pixels (because you cut them off)… This is why the best combination is a high megapixel count, as well as a good zoom distance.
- Features you may want – movies with sound, panorama, manual control over shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, preset modes to help in difficult lighting situations, macro mode for close ups, burst mode (rapidly takes a series of shots), acceptance of specialty lenses and external flash units, microphone that enables you to record notes about your images as you take them which stay with the image.
- Shutter lag – there can be a delay while the camera focuses and adjusts for lighting. You will get what you pay for here – less expensive cameras as a general rule have longer lag.
- Ease of use vs. advanced features – Simple point and shoots take great shots, but consider a more feature rich camera if you like the control of a more sophisticated camera or want to ‘grow’ in your photography.
- Size – Small cameras are terrific for slipping into your pocket and having with you wherever you go, and small cameras don’t necessarily mean underpowered! Do consider however, that the features may be more difficult to find and use, and they can easily be dropped. The obvious trade off on a larger camera is that it’s, well, larger. And heavier.
- Zoom in capability on playback – this is a nice feature that enables you to look closely at the images you have taken to make sure you have gotten a sharp image, and that everyone’s eyes are open!
Comparative Shopping Search Engines
Looking for the absolute best prices for digital cameras or digital camera accessories? Search many online vendors at once by using a comparative shopping search engine which will give you prices from several vendors.
Be sure to consider:
- Shipping price – some actually have free shipping
- Does the vendor list the item "in stock" (you may still want to check the vendor's website just in case)
- Does the vendor charge sales tax
- A "rating" of the vendor by the shopping engine's users - whether or not they deliver as promised
Remember that listed prices may not reflect the actual prices on each vendor's website (they may be higher OR lower). Be sure to read other peoples' opinions and be careful when purchasing items from a vendor you have never heard of before. Plus, be careful with prices that seem too low to believe - some vendors may aggressively try to sell "package deals" that may or not be a good deal for you.
Here is a list of just a few comparative shopping search engines, provided for informational purposes only:
Camera Reviews
These sites do a great job with giving you all the specs about a camera, a professional’s opinion about it, and usually a picture of the camera.
My final word of advice is, after your purchase, DO NOT look at ads or shop anymore for whatever you bought! Doubtless, in no time, you find it cheaper somewhere!
If you still feel a need for more guidance, feel free to give me a call – I love to talk about cameras, would be happy to go shopping with you! Call 503.789.0968 or email rebecca@pixelegacy.com.
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Contact Info
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Pixelegacy by Rebecca Forbes
Portland Oregon
503.789.0968
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