Well, Tip Thursday is coming to an end, sort of. It’s been a nice little series and I may revive it every once and a while. However, I am not going to post it regularly. If you have any suggestions for future Tip Thursdays, let me know!

This tip is not going to focus on photography. It’s going to focus on this quote:
The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything. -Theodore Roosevelt

What have you NOT done because you were afraid? Have you NOT chased your dreams? Have you NOT asked for that raise? Have you NOT applied for that job? Is fear getting in your way of making this life really mean something?

Whew, that’s a lot of questions! You obviously do not have to answer them, but the point is to get you thinking. When I started this journey, I was scared to death. Literally. Even though, in my heart I knew this is what I wanted. I felt so nervous and unsure. I still do sometimes. The point is, I am doing what I love. I know I am going to make mistakes. And I know I have made some already! In anything you do, you are going to face obstacles and make mistakes. So, why not try something you really want to do? If the fear of failing or making a mistake is holding you back, it really shouldn’t. You never know what could happen unless you take that chance.

So, what are you waiting for? Do something exciting with your life!

Okay, I know what some might be thinking, “Quit with the encouraging words! I wanna see photos!” And you are in luck! Here are a few photos of my best friend Tiffany’s engagement ring I snapped the other day. Enjoy!

Favorite for sure!

One last quote, “Failure is an event, never a person.” -William Brown
Bethany Ann

What? It is Thursday already?! Where has this week went? I don’t know but at least it’s Tip Thursday!

This week’s Tip Thursday is about the different types of sessions you can book, besides the basic ones: senior, couple, bridal, family and kids. I want to talk a little bit more about the not so basic session: Trash The Dress, Day After, Maternity and a session I’m going to call “Will You Marry Me”. Well, the last one is pretty self-explanatory so I’ll start with it.

I really want to do a “Will You Marry Me” session. Guys, if you are planning to propose what better way to do it than to have a photographer hiding somewhere to capture “The Moment” and the moments after? I have seen photos from these sessions and they are so sweet, romantic, and thoughtful! The photos will always show the happiness, love and excitement of those first few moments of being engaged. After she (hopefully) says yes, I would photograph you and your wife-to-be. Instant engagement photos! So, if any guys reading this plan on asking that important question and like this idea, send me an e-mail! I would really LOVE the opportunity to do this.

A TTD (Trash The Dress) session does not necessarily mean trash it… completely. But, this is not for the weak-hearted. This is like your bridals but to another level. You would never purposefully put your dress in danger for your bridals, but for a TTD session you can if you want. This happens after the wedding and honeymoon. You can have a TTD session by yourself or with your husband. You can get as messy as you want. Either a little or a lot. It’s totally up to you! That’s the fun of it! I am currently trying to convince my sister to Trash her Dress. She’s been married over a year and the dress hasn’t been worn since. I’m just itching to take some TTD photos.

If you are not looking for your dress to get dirty at all, there’s always a Day After session. For this session the bride and groom dress up in their wedding day attire for more pictures. The Day After session doesn’t have to be the exact day after the wedding either. It can be a week, a month, or a year after! If you want to get dressed up and want photos, this is the session for you!

And that brings us to the Maternity photo shoots. This session is self-explanatory also so I’ll keep this short. If you are pregnant and want to remember the experience through photos, let me know. I would enjoy giving you this gift before the REAL gift arrives. ; )

That’s it, folks! If you have any more questions or would like to book a session e-mail me at bethanyannphotography@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you!

One last thing, here’s a Trash The Dress video that I like by StillMotion. I posted another one on my FaceBook fan page a few days ago that I also like, so be sure to check that one out as well!

Julia + Phil Trash the Dress from stillmotion on Vimeo.

Bethany

Edit: I apologize that the text is still weirded out! :/ Note to self: must fix soon!

Happy Thursday! Well, technically it’s a cloudy, rainy Thursday here. And that makes me kind of sad because I had to reschedule a Senior Session with Diana. This is the second time too. :/ Hopefully the third time will be the charm!

Anyway, it is Thursday and that means it’s Tip Thursday! This week’s tip involves when to schedule your session. For light purposes, I suggest early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is near the horizon. Around summer, late afternoon can be anywhere from 4:30 to 7:00. One reason is I back light my models as much as possible to reduce squinty eyes. Another is the late afternoon light through the lens enhances the photograph without having to use a flash. Here are two example images where I used back lighting to enhance the images. I love these two of Tiffany and Michael.

Here, the soft light behind them casts a yellow, almost orange glow on Tiffany and Michael, as well as the greenery behind them. And, no squinty eyes in this photo for sure!

I’m a fan of Lens Flare, so I love love love this image.

What day of the week should you schedule a session? Monday through Friday works best for me. But, I am not opposed to Saturday or Sunday sessions if need be. Just let me know what works for you.

I hope this short Tip Thursday post helped! I have more editing to finish from Kim & Kasey’s Engagement Session. I hope everyone has a great rest of the day!

Bethany Ann

Welcome to the second installment of Tip Thursday – What to Wear! For this post I wanted to address how you dress for a photo shoot. This is all based on my opinion and knowledge of what looks good in photos and what doesn’t; however, I don’t want to discourage you from wearing something that you absolutely LOVE. I’m sure we can make it work. I just wanted to give a few tips for those who are less sure of what outfits to wear.

The most important tip is to wear something comfortable. I want my models to be relaxed and natural, so one of the best ways to reflect that is through clothing. Also, if you have shoes that hurt your feet but want to wear them for the photo shoot, bring them! Just make sure to bring a pair of shoes or flip flops to walk in.

Another tip is to bring more than one outfit if you want. I encourage this because you will have a variety of images to decide from. You can also bring more than one pair of shoes and different accessories. If you have children, let them bring a favorite toy or two. I suggest bringing a maximum of four outfits and not to go overboard with ‘stuff’. My main focus will be you – my model. Remember, the more outfits you have, the less photo time you will have. The session usually lasts 1 to 2 hours at the most.

The last tip for the day is that solid colors work best. Yes, busy/crazy/bright patterns are exciting, but it can be distracting in the photos. Bright solid pieces are always fun to work with, like Ashley’s hot pink dress below. I love the contrast of the green cornfield and the pink dress. In addition, everyone in the photo does not have to “match” perfectly. For the Harris/Cannon family, I loved how everyone “matched” in their own way. And they didn’t even plan it! The whites and blues of their outfits really worked.

I hope these tips helped!

Here’s another teaser picture from Ashley & Justin’s photo shoot. I love it and it makes me sing “Dancing in the Street” in my head. : )

Their full post is coming soon! Until then, Happy Thursday!

New blog series: Tip Thursdays! I will be posting tips on photo shoots, what to wear, what to bring, what to expect, etc. Welcome to the first installment, Tips for the Fellas!

Ladies, I’ve come up with a few tips for the fellas in your life that aren’t as enthusiastic as you are about taking photos. Show this to your man-friends before they engage in a photo shoot and it will (hopefully) be much easier.

1. I do not bite, hit, throw objects, or spit. (Because, well, ladies don’t spit.) So, the session will be virtually painless. However, as a creative, artistic, and energetic photographer, I will probably suggest poses that might cause slight discomfort. Just remember this: if it feels stupid, it looks great! (I learned that phrase in dance class years ago. It really comes in handy now.)

2. The more you cooperate the quicker the session will end. Guys, admit it: chances are this was NOT your idea. You would much rather be at home watching the game, or mowing the lawn, or something manly like that. But since your lady-friend really, really wants these photos and has already booked the session, humor her for one or two hours. Then you will be free to go about your manly existence doing manly activities.

3. Suggest individual photos of you and your lady-friend. This will give her a chance to be the superstar you know she is. And when it is your turn, you can have as many or as little individual photos as you want. (I shoot a minimum of 5 individual portraits. I want to make sure you aren’t closing your eyes, or the wind isn’t blowing your hair in your face, or a bird isn’t in the picture, or something else as totally random as that.)

4. After viewing the photos, you will love them. You will. You want to know why? Because you braved the evil camera and survived the traumatic experience. I mean, I “shot” you. It can’t get more traumatic than that, right? And if that isn’t reason enough to love the photos, you have another reason to love them: your lady-friend is in them! And if she can’t make you smile then who can?

Tip for the ladies: If none of these amazing, witty, and sarcastic tips work on your fella, bribe them with ice-cream, cookies, and/or pizza. That should definitely work. ; )

Hope this helps all those in photo-crisis!

**Disclaimer: Bethany Ann Photography wrote this for comical reasons. She really just thought it would make her clients laugh. : )

**Additional Non-Comical Information: Comments are now working! However, the text is kind of weird right now. Fixing that soon. Sorry for any inconvenience.