Um, Okay…

Today I saw the head of a dead cow. Sorry, I didn’t prepare you for that. Here comes some more: I also saw a dead turtle and dog. Oh, and about five randomly scattered watermelons. “Damn, Elaine. Were you in some kind of dumpster?” Why, no. I was on the shores of Key Biscayne. I still have the hebegebes.

This afternoon I was on Key Biscayne for a family portrait session that came out great despite the animals of the dead variety (needless to say, we moved beaches before the kids showed up.) This session was very much a learning experience for me. Not only was it my first big family (six in all) but it was my first shoot during sunset.

[Side Note: I was thinking how I want this blog to not only be a place for all the random stuff that floats around in my brain, but also a place where I can document the trials and tribulations of starting a photography business. This might later bite me in the arse, but I'm all about honesty, as I've said time and time again. At the very least, it might make for some interesting reading.]

Sunsets around the water can be tricky. I never understood just how tricky until I was actually in the act of taking pictures. It’s hard to make out your subject’s faces without losing the sky or the water behind them. I took a few shots with flash, even though I hate flash. It helped keep the sky without making the subject too dark. This is something that I have to play around with because I like the look and feel of sunset pictures. It’s all about trial and error. So long as my peeps are patient, I’ll get the shot.

Mike was with me today and, God love him, he served more as a babysitter than a second shooter. But he did take one of my favorite shots of the day (he keeps doing that!):

This is what I mean when I talk about sunset pictures. Having them as only vignettes is a cool effect but you can’t do that for all the pictures. My goal is to get the swing of this. I want to become an all-star!

Here are a couple of pictures of me in action:

We saw this awesome Mini Cooper and I had to take pictures of it. I want this car, even if it means I might get crushed by trucks on the highway!

I asked on my twitter if it’s normal to still get nervous before a shoot. I totally still do. I get nervous because I so want to make sure that I take the best pictures possible; that I show the people in the pictures in a way that you can really ”see” them. Sometimes I’m plagued by self doubt, wondering if I’m going to make in this business, but then I take pictures like this one and I think that I just might.

Love, e