Christine Richmond Photography

Cool Cat/ Gainesville Child Photographer

2011-04-10T17:59:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I have been a bad blogger though. Life's been busy...the camera has been in a corner for most of the year...it's slowly coming out. When I saw Quin pick up his accordion this morning and strike up the perfect pose, I knew I had to grab a few shots of him with it. So this afternoon we took a quick ten minutes out of our lazy Sunday afternoon to have some fun out on the street. There weren't many passersby, so the music was just for me, but I think he had fun anyways. Here are a few of my favorites.

Don't Be Afraid of the Sun. / Gainesville Professional Photographer

2011-01-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

I've been on a bit of a hiatus lately. Mostly due to the fact that the mirror in my camera broke, so I had a month without anything to shoot with, but also because I just wanted the break. It's been a great first year in business and I've enjoyed every minute of my sessions, but this is the perfect time to reflect on where I want to go from here and what I want the business to become. It's also the perfect time for some creative inspiration, and there was no better place for me to get that than with the fabulous Shannon Sewell. I find it pretty funny that I didn't discover her until we had moved here (she's from Portland). Not only did I get a fun day of shooting with her, but I also finally had the chance to meet some other fabulous ladies in the area who are all wonderful photographers themselves. I think one of the biggest things I learned from the day was that even if it's 3 in the afternoon on a bright, sunny Florida day, you can still get some nice shots. Normally I would have been worried about finding shade, breaking out the reflector, and saying "oh my, I can't have a highlight on their face". But Shannon wasn't the least bit phased. So out we walked in the sand and the surf with three adorable models. I can't wait to see what we all came up with from this shoot. Here are a few of my favorites...

Little Miss K!/ Gainesville and Central Florida Baby Photography

2010-12-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad I got to meet this sweet little girl. The last time I "saw" her she was still in her mom's belly, and now here she is, a smiley, happy cutie pie. I'm so glad this isn't the last time I'll see her because let me tell you, she has a dream closet full of cute girlie hats and clothes that I can't wait to use again. She has a pretty handsome brother too, doesn't she?

Newborn models wanted!/ Gainesville Newborn Photographer

2010-11-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

Attention all pregnant ladies about to pop...do you want gorgeous images of your new baby? I'm offering free sessions (prints at regular prices) to a select few newborn models. If you or anyone you know are due between now and Feb. 1st in the Gainesville area, please drop me a line. Babies must have their sessions between 3-14 days old and sessions must be between now and January 31st.

Before and After/ Gainesville Florida Photographer

2010-11-13T16:16:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I have a few minutes to myself I love to play around with images from sessions that didn't make the cut. I typically go through the images from a session three times before narrowing down my choices of what will go in a gallery. It often leaves a lot of "OK" images behind, ones that I might use in an album or storyboard. But sometimes I'll leave one behind just because I know it will need a lot of processing to make it good. Maybe it was underexposed, or there was something distracting in the background. Here's an example of an image that was far from being right straight out of the camera. It was the very first shot of this session, so a test shot really, and ended up pretty underexposed. It was still sharp though, and he's such a cute little guy that I decided to see if I could bring it back to life. Here's the result...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So there you go. Not every picture you take will be great straight out of the camera. Sometimes they just need a little boost to make them pop!

Get Minted!/ Ocala Family and Newborn Photographer

2010-11-03T20:28:00.001-04:00

After seeing what they had to offer, I couldn't pass up a chance to be an affiliate photographer for Minted.com. I'm happy to announce that now all of my clients will have an additional option for ordering beautiful press printed holiday cards, birth announcement, and birthday invitations. So how does it work? Just go to my storefront and choose from a huge number of custom designed cards. Once you've made your selection and have placed your order, I'll upload your photo for you and their design professionals will make sure your cards look perfect. I'll still be offering my regular custom designed cards, but this gives you so many more designs to choose from at an economical price. Of course, if your interested, please contact me for prices and more details along with suggestions of which images to use. You'll see that I've suggested a few designs, but there are so many good ones it's hard to choose!

Boo!/ Gainesville Family and Child Photography

2010-11-01T12:16:00.001-04:00

There are many times when I debate whether or not to bring my camera with me for an event or special day. Often the iphone just ends up in my pocket because I'd rather be experiencing the moment than have my eye behind the camera, at least when it comes to my own family. But, this time I decided to bring it along since Halloween makes for some excellent photo opportunities. Here are a few crazy characters to put a smile on your face.

Fall Special/ Gainesville Family and Baby Photographer

2010-10-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

This is the perfect time of year for a session. The weather is blissful, the bugs aren't too bad, and the sun is shining every day. In honor of fall, the upcoming holiday season, and this glorious weather, I'll be offering sessions for 50% off the regular price for the rest of October and November! There's no better gift than pictures.

Wall Displays/ Gainesville Family & Newborn Photographer

2010-10-07T20:09:00.000-04:00

Not sure what to do with your pictures? Have trouble figuring out what will look best above the fireplace or couch? It's always tough to narrow down your choice of pictures, especially if you're not sure exactly what size to get or how to arrange them. Luckily, I now have a great new tool to assist you in those tough decisions. Either during an in-person proofing session, or through your online gallery, I can show you a variety of options including canvases and framed prints in multiple sizes and combinations. That way you'll be able to see what your images will look like on your wall before you order. You'll also be able to see just how great that 24 x 30 canvas will look compared to an 11 x 14. Here's just a sampling of ideas. And of course there are great discounts on wall packages!!

Product Spotlight: Proofbooks/ Gainesville Family and Child Photographer

2010-10-02T09:39:00.001-04:00

I'm in total love with these new and improved proof books. Not only can they come in multiple sizes with rounded corners, but the front and back are custom designed (by me!) hard covers. These are such a great way to share the images from your session with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. And with the holidays coming up, it's a thoughtful, easy gift idea.

Holiday Card Time!/ Gainesville Family and Child Photographer

2010-09-28T13:04:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's almost that time of year again? "What!?", you say, "it's not even October." I know, I know. But in the world of photography, NOW is the time to be thinking about holiday cards. Whether you need to book a session to get that great image, or whether you are one of my fabulous clients who would like to order cards with an image from a previous session, the time is here. I have many great cards to choose from, everything from modern to traditional. Here's just a sampling of some of the cards I'm offering for 2010. Each card also has a back image and can be customized to your liking. November 25th is the deadline for ordering cards, so book now if you need a session!

Gang of Four/ Gainesville Family and Senior Photography

2010-09-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

Carol was the lucky winner of the last session give away a few months ago and thankfully the timing was just right to get a session in with her and her family before their youngest heads up north for college. Despite the heat and blazing sun (still getting used to that!), we managed to have a good time in downtown Gainesville on a quiet Sunday morning. I hope you like your sneak peek and thanks for being such good sports!

CRP is moving!/ Gainesville Florida Family Photographer

2010-07-29T00:49:00.000-04:00

That's right, you heard it here first (well, some of you may have heard it already)...Christine Richmond Photography is packin' the wagon again and headed back to the sunshine state (photo shoots in January...what?). It's sad and happy at the same time. I'm am so grateful to all of the wonderful families I've worked with here that have allowed me to capture their special moments, and there is much I will miss about Portland including its endless locations. But don't fret, I plan to venture back to the great Northwest and offer a weekend of sessions every so often, so keep your eyes out. And for you Florida folks, check in with me starting in September to book your sessions. In the meantime, it's off to the Emerald Isle for a well deserved vacation followed by the chaos of moving 3,000 miles across the country with a three year old, dog, and cat in tow!

Victoria's Growing Up!/ Gainesville Florida Baby Photographer

2010-07-29T00:41:00.000-04:00

I can't believe she's already three months old, and how is it possible that she's even cuter than when she was a newborn? The dark eyes and button nose are too adorable. It was so fun seeing her smile and hearing her "talk". It's been such a privilege to work with you guys, I'm really honored that you welcomed me into your home to capture such wonderful moments. Enjoy your sneak peek!

Fabulous Four/ Gainesville Florida Family Photography

2010-07-29T00:31:00.000-04:00

What an amazingly cool idea to have family pictures taken on your anniversary at the place where you got married. I think everyone should do that at least once. And of course this is an amazingly cool family that I've been honored to know here in Portland. We had a lovely evening at Bridal Veil Lakes and guess what?...NO mosquitoes. We couldn't believe it. Hope you all enjoy your pictures, and Jessi, will you please be my styling consultant, I'd kill for half of your style!

Amy + Jeremy/ Portland Oregon Portraits

2010-07-20T16:06:00.000-04:00

Last fall Amy and I decided to do a session swap, and being a fabulous photographer, she did some wonderful family pictures for us. It was finally my turn to return the favor and do a session for her and her husband. We had a blast downtown and if it weren't for the setting sun, I could've kept going for a few more hours. It was a different experience for me, having complete creative control and not worrying about whether a newborn was going to be sleepy, or a two year old would be shy...I have to say I loved it. Hmmm, maybe I'll have to rethink not doing weddings?

Amy swears she never modeled, but I kind of don't believe her...she definitely knows what to do both behind and in front of a camera!

Cutest, Littlest Hero!/ Portland Family Photography

2010-07-18T00:54:00.000-04:00

Oh my, was this little guy cute. He was full of smiles and completely on the go. Luckily the rest of the family was fully up to the task of getting those big grins out of him and keeping him wrangled. He had a great time walking the vineyards and checking out the plants. I don't know how I've gotten so lucky with the weather, but it was almost perfect (OK, maybe a little chilly) this morning for our shoot. I hope you guys had fun and enjoy your sneak peek!

Hip Portland Family/ Portland Family Photographer

2010-07-15T11:49:00.001-04:00

Come on, don't these guys look great? Cowboy boots=LOVE. Besides the swarms of mosquitos that they had to fend off while trying to look oh so awesome, we had a fun walk around the hood. As I said in the last post, I love just taking a walk around where people live and borrowing neighbors' lawns, trees, and garage doors. Luckily Portland is full of cool neighborhoods with endless possibilities. Thanks guys for sticking with it when you wanted to run full speed towards a can of deet (or citronella I'm guessing). :) Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Raife/ Portland Family Photographer

2010-07-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love doing sessions that are just walks around the neighborhood, or in the family backyard. I really think it captures that place in time for the family and years from now, hopefully they'll cherish having nice pictures of where they lived. Laurelhurst is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Portland, so it was an extra pleasure to be able to shoot there this morning. Raife, you are a doll, thanks so much for being such a good guy and falling for my silly jokes and games. I think you were on to me by the end, but you still pulled it off. Thanks guys for a lovely morning!

Toddler Time/ Portland Child Photography

2010-06-28T18:51:00.000-04:00

I think the greatest side benefit of this job is getting to see old friends and meet their new families. While I've known these guys for a long time, it's been years since I've seen them, and this was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting their new addition, Hayden. What a happy little guy! It was a glorious summer day in Michigan and luckily we found just enough shade to work with at the Children's Garden. I'm so glad the stars aligned to allow me to photograph your beautiful family. I had a great time catching up with you and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Ready to Pop!/ Portland Maternity Pictures

2010-06-27T23:24:00.000-04:00

Talk about cutting it close. This gorgeous mama was truly ready to pop when we met up at the Children's Garden at Michigan State University on Friday (lovely trip back to my home state by the way). I was fully expecting a call that week saying "never mind, she's in labor", but luckily, little girl was nice and snug as a bug in there and let us get some beautiful belly shots of her mom and family. Susi is a "more like a sister" cousin of one of my dearest friends, who decided to surprise her with a photo session. What a great gift! Susi, you have an amazingly adorable family and I hope you had a smooth day today meeting your new little girl. It was a pleasure to meet you guys, I just wish I was around to do your newborn pictures!

Portrait Parties!/ Gainesville Children's Photographer

2010-06-12T23:47:00.001-04:00

Introducing portrait parties, a fun idea for playgroups! So how does it work? Just invite 4-5 of your child's friends to your home or a nearby park and have a fun play date while I do mini-sessions with the little ones. Each child will get 15-20 minutes to strut their stuff in front of the camera (or rather, have me chase them around acting silly), and afterwards, your pictures will be posted in a private online gallery. So what does it cost? That's the best part, there's no session fee, and even better, the host will receive a $50 print credit! Parents simply order any prints they want from the gallery. And to make it even more fun, any brave moms or dads can get a complimentary low-resolution profile picture for use on Facebook or other social networking sites. How fun is that!? And wait, there's one more offer...any families who book a full session that day will get $50 off their session fee. Interested? Give me a call or send me an email to set up your party today!

All About Me Books/ North Central Florida Child Photographer

2010-06-08T13:57:00.000-04:00

If you're anything like me, you're constantly thinking that you should be writing down more about you child, documenting those funny things they say or do, or taking more pictures. Before you know it, the memories fade and you can't remember when they took their first step or what their first word was. Well, here's a great solution. Check out these new "All About Me" books that you can order from your session. They're a great way to have your photos and memories all in one place. Customizable for each year, they can include any information you want! Here's an example of a book of my own little guy. So book your session today!

Peyton!/ Portland Child Photographer

2010-05-27T13:06:00.000-04:00

He loves Thomas the Train. His lashes are a mile long. And his smile will melt your heart. This little guy is why I love this job! You would never know by his sweet face that this Littlest Hero faces challenges every day. It was such a pleasure meeting you all and spending a beautiful, rain free evening at one of my favorite places. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

New Packages!/ Gainesville Family Photographer

2010-05-14T20:47:00.000-04:00

I've thought about it. I've debated it. I decided against it. And then I decided to do it. So for those of you who may need a little more guidance with what to purchase, or just for those that want to save big, I'm now offering four packages for you to choose from. Of course, you can always build your own package as always, but now you have another option. Feel free to email me for package options and pricing. Senior portrait packages are coming too! Here's an example of a family portrait package:

The Irivington (Save $355)

1 20x24 gallery-wrapped canvas

1 10x10 coffee table book

1 10x20 storyboard

2 11x14 wall portraits

6 8x10 gift prints

10 5x7 gift prints

1 set of 3 accordion mini albums

Little Miss Alex/ Gainesville Child Photography

2010-05-05T15:04:00.000-04:00

Easiest. Session. Ever. Seriously, my young friend Alex made my job way too easy by being an exemplary model. I didn't have to pull out a single trick or silly joke! It must have been my lucky day because an hour before our session it was raining, thundering, hailing, and windy, as it was an hour after our session too. We had one glorious hour of dry weather and pretty nice light for 4 o'clock in Florida. Alex's dad, and good friend, John and I had been wanting to get some pictures for a while and luckily this time it worked out. I think we got some good ones, what do you think?

Old Friends, Good Times/ Gainesville Florida Family Pictures

2010-05-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

There are some friends that never seem to change. With some people it doesn't matter how much time has passed, it feels like old times again instantly when you meet. Casity is one of those friends for me. We hadn't seen each other in 18 years, and hadn't even heard from each other until fairly recently on Facebook (where else?), but I clearly remember the first time we met. Latin class, freshman year, Lake Mary High School. If it wasn't for Casity who knows if I would have ever discovered Chinese food (Epcot, yum, except for the one not so good meal I had that day, but I won't spoil your appetites with that story) or mushrooms (that was some good veggie pizza). Anyways, I was thrilled when she asked me to do family pictures for them the next time I was in Florida. And when she said she liked old buildings I knew just the place. We had a great time roaming around Micanopy, especially since the town pretty much shuts down at 5 o'clock so we had the whole place to ourselves. Casity looked exactly the same except for her 6 months pregnant belly and the husband and 4 year old she had in tow. Nathan was such a trooper, as was husband Christian. Thanks guys, I had a blast, and YES, you must come to Portland!

Victoria/ Portland Oregon Newborn Photographer

2010-05-02T15:13:00.000-04:00

Victoria is destined to be in pictures. I swear she must have known when our maternity session was scheduled because she decided to come into this world a few weeks early so she could skip that and make a real appearance! While I'm sorry we never got belly pictures, I'm glad we got these. She's a complete doll, what a sweet and adorable baby. I can't wait to watch her grow over her first year! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Location, Location, Location/ Portland Children's Portraits

2010-04-26T08:22:00.001-04:00

Q and I are having a great time being back in Florida seeing old friends, and of course taking pictures. One of the reasons I love doing sessions here is that there are new locations to find, and my family and good friends know that I love location hunting. But sometimes you just may not feel like hopping in your car or getting on the Max to find a new spot. Sometimes the best spots are right in front of you. Sometimes the greatest challenge is not in finding that great grove or beautiful field, but in finding what's right at your fingertips. Sometimes the best locations are at your front door, or down the street. I know I could think of a few dozen great spots along our daily dog walk just in my neighborhood, and I bet you could find some too, within a few blocks of your house. So, put on your "location goggles" as I call them, and the next time you're out taking a stroll, look around you and start framing the pictures in your mind. Look for textures, walls, stairs, lines, splashes of color, garage doors...you get the idea. Q and I have been talking about taking pictures down our street for months. Every day we walk past not one, not two, but half a dozen cool old trucks within 3 blocks of our house. So finally, on a beautiful Sunday evening last week, we went and took our truck walk. I was ready to be done after the first two or three spots, but Q wanted to keep on going, and stop at every neighbor's front steps on the way home! So here are some shots from our street, hope you enjoy them. And a challenge to all of you budding photographers out there, take a walk on your street and see what you can find!

Mother's Day and Father's Day Special!/ Gainesville Child Photographer

2010-04-13T11:49:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day and Father's day are right around the corner. There's no better gift than portraits of you and your child, or a gift certificate to give to your partner for that special day. There's still plenty of time to get a gift certificate for Mom, or to schedule a session and surprise Dad with beautiful portraits. Buy or book by the end of April and receive a free set of 3 accordion albums with your order!

Big Brother/ Portland Oregon Child Photographer

2010-04-01T21:16:00.000-04:00

He enjoys playing on the beach and long rides on his scooter. He loves trains and sunny mornings in the park. And, much to his dismay some days, he's a big brother! You'll probably recognize his little bro Raphael from a recent session. Well today Joshua got a turn in front of the camera and he was more than happy to oblige my requests to play "red light, green light" and "hug your brother". Of course I got a few more of Raphael along the way. All in all we had a great time this morning at one of my favorite spots near Portland and there was a timely break in the rain too!

And the winner is.../ Gainesville Family Photography

2010-04-01T18:24:00.001-04:00

Drum roll please...the winner of the free portrait session contest is Carol Keily! Congratulations Carol, I'll see you in a few weeks.

Free Session Contest!/ Portland Child Photography

2010-03-25T23:29:00.000-04:00

That's right, I'm giving away a free session to one lucky family (free session only, prints available for purchase)! So how do you enter? Just send the email below to 5 of your friends with the contest information and cc me on your email (info@christinerichmondphotography.com). The session is good for anyone in the Portland area for up to one year, or for anyone in the Gainesville, FL area between April 21-28th. Enter now, the drawing will be held in one week on April 1st, 2010. Even if you don't want a session yourself, your friends can enter too!

Just send this email, and don't forget to cc me:

Christine Richmond Photography is giving away a free portrait session ($125 value)! To enter just forward this email to 5 friends and cc "info@christinerichmondphotography.com" by 12:00 pm PST on April 1st, 2010. The session is good for up to 4 people in the Portland, OR area for up to one year. Or, if you're in the Gainesville, FL area you can schedule a session between April 21-28th. The contest is for a free session only, prints are available for purchase with no obligation to buy. See the website at http://www.christinerichmondphotography.com for details and pricing.

Good luck and I'll post the winner on the evening of April 1st!

Giving Back/ Portland Child Photographer

2010-03-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

I wanted to mention three wonderful organizations that I'm part of that allow photographers to give a little back to the community and people going through difficult times in their lives. There are quite a few organizations out there, but I think these three are particularly important. If you know of anyone who could benefit, please pass on this information or send them my way.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is an amazing organization that provides private, beautiful portrait session for families whose babies have been born still, or will never leave the hospital. The work that photographers and volunteers do is beyond priceless and is near and dear to my heart. For families dealing with the grief and pain of losing a child, photographs can be an important part of the healing process, providing them a way to honor, cherish, and share the spirit of their babies. Portland is lucky in that it has a great network of hospitals and photographers who support the program, but there is always the need for more help. Even if you're not a photographer there are still ways to help including opportunities to volunteer as assistants (hint, hint).

The Littlest Heroes Project provides free photo sessions to children with serious illnesses or life altering disabilities. When families are dealing with the challenges of handling a difficult diagnosis, photographs are often understandably not at the top of their list of priorities. But when the battle is over, photographs are an important reminder of the journey each family has faced. I'm really looking forward to doing these "day in the life" type of session that capture the everyday moments that are so easily forgotten.

Think Pink Photography is a network of photographers who have come together to celebrate life and support the cause of fighting women and men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Photographers provide complimentary portrait sessions to individuals and families before, during, or after treatment.

All of these organizations provide an incredible service to families and the community. Please help spread the word, and they can always use donations.

Sea Foam and Sand Angels/ Portland Lifestyle Photography

2010-03-17T11:30:00.000-04:00

I've been a bad blogger as of late. I wish I could say it's because I've been busy with sessions, but the real reason is I just haven't been in the mood to write. Or, if I have, there's been a 3 year old begging to play hide and seek or Candyland and he wins out every time. So, while there are no new sessions to post right now, I thought I'd share some personal pictures. I've been to many beaches in the world, and have many fond memories of camping out on the sands of Zanzibar, and waking up to the sound of rolling waves on Koh Samui. But take away the exotic factor and I'd have to say my favorite beach of anywhere is Cannon Beach right here in Oregon. Having grown up in Florida, I never was very fond of swimming in salt water or coming home with blistering sunburns. I was always much more excited about being there during a Florida thunderstorm, or in the winter when it was colder, which is why the beaches here in the Northwest are perfect. It's almost never warm enough to actually swim and the storms are amazing. In fact, the night we were there this past weekend the pounding hail and driving winds made for a restless night. Nevertheless, the storm let up on Saturday and Q and his friends headed back down to the sand to do some important digging and sea foam collecting. While the perfectionist in me sometimes craves that perfectly composted, perfectly exposed shot, the artist in me loves days like this when I can just step back and capture the action however it plays out. The sun may be too bright, the shadows too contrasty, or I may have forgotten to change some settings, but the imperfections sometimes make the pictures more real.

Look at their excitement and joy in the littlest things...running from the waves, collecting sea foam, making sand angels, kicking up mud. They don't mind getting sand in their boots, or mud in their hair. They giggle at the sea gulls' calls, and jump up and down at finding sea shells. Seeing the beach through a child's eyes is humbling...inspiring...enlightening. When Q grows up I hope he'll be able to see the many beautiful beaches of the world, but I also hope the he will always consider the beaches of his childhood special and never forget the joy of collecting sea foam, or making angels in the sand.

Spring has Sprung!/ Portland Oregon Family Photography

2010-03-08T00:13:00.000-05:00

Cherry blossoms, daffodils, and tulips...oh my! Portland is blooming and what a great time of year to get beautiful family pictures taken. For the months of March and April all family sessions will be $25 off and include a free 8 x 10, so book while the bulbs are beautiful. Christine Richmond Photography will also be "on the road again" and will be offering a limited number of sessions in North and Central Florida at the end of April. Please contact me if you're interested.

Cutie Pie Raphael/ Portland Baby Photography

2010-02-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

I can't believe this guy is going to be one in a month, it seems like he was just in his mommy's belly! Little (well, actually not so little) Raphael is just about the sweetest baby I've ever known. He's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy who tags along with the big kids and keeps right up with them. And isn't he photogenic too? Enjoy your preview!

Hot Mama!/ Portland Oregon Maternity Photographer

2010-02-17T18:00:00.001-05:00

Ah, finally, I can drive past this spot without having this picture in my head. Every time I pass this place, which I still have yet to visit when they're open, I imagine a glowing pregnant woman standing out front...happy. So, when I realized my fabulous friend was about to pop, I knew she'd be perfect for the part. Thank you Adrienne for indulging my imagination and helping me create some beautiful images of a beautiful mama. Some clouds hung around just long enough for us to get a few frames. I can't wait to meet that little girl of yours!!!

This is pretty much the exact shot I had in my head, and what fun it is to be able to finally get to a point in this picture taking journey to be able to create it. I kind of wish her belly were showing, but it's great nonetheless.

The sun was starting to show it's face here, but I still love her expression!

...and when the sun showed up for good, we walked around the corner to this fabulous wall I spotted the other day when scoping things out. Isn't her vintage coat the best?

I swear I didn't even notice this heart on the sidewalk until I started processing the pictures, but it was a pleasant surprise!

Oh, her shoes, I loved her shoes. I wish I was cool enough to pull off shoes like this!

New Referral Program!/ Portland Oregon Family Photography

2010-02-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

Well it's about time I posted about my new referral program. We all know word of mouth is the best advertising, so why not give away some goodies for you wonderful people who pass my name or card along? Whether you're a past client or are just planning for a session later this year, you can earn free prints for referring your friends! Just make sure they mention your name when booking their session and you'll receive a free 8 x 10 from your next session. Refer two friends and you'll get a free 11 x 14, refer three and you'll get your entire session fee waived. Now's the time to start thinking about some beautiful spring pictures with tulips and cherry blossoms!!!

Tweet Tweet!/ Portland Child Photography

2010-01-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

OK, so I've resisted long enough. I still don't quite get it, but I've jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and tweeted for the FIRST, yes first, time today. So now anyone who loves their Twitter can follow me for news on monthly specials, updates, and whatever else people tweet about. Just look for CRichmondPhoto and go ahead, tweet it to your friends with the little button down there. :)

Cousins, cousins, and more cousins/ Portland Family Photography

2010-01-14T19:34:00.000-05:00

After days of processing, I finally have a few minutes to catch up on posts! For my Facebook Fans, you've already seen these, but I wanted to share them anyway. One of my favorite things to do is scout for new locations and since I wasn't doing this when we lived in Gainesville, I had to rack my brain for some good spots to take the kids and have some fun. These shots were from three different sessions that I did with Q and my beautiful niece and nephew. I've never had the chance to do a shoot with my nephew and I was pleasantly surprised that apparently he's a professional model in his spare time and I never knew it! And not only that, he's also trained to be a photographer's assistant at just 5 years old. Who knew?! He had great ideas for where to go and what to do, plus he knew just what to do with a reflector without me even asking. What a guy. And of course miss Livy Jane is destined to be in pictures herself. With the red hair and freckles she can make almost any picture beautiful just by being in it. Even Q took a hiatus from his modeling strike when his cousins were involved. That's not to say that there wasn't any bribing involved here, they are 3, 4, and 5 years old after all. Anyway, here are the results to enjoy. A big thanks to my wonderful sister who was my masterful assistant, becoming one with the reflector. Not only did she drag her kids out for me when it was freezing outside, but she let me go through all of their closets to do some styling, AND she made the cute green hat and adorable checkered jacket that Livy's modeling. She amazes me with her talent!

I just love this picture. What you don't see is the stick that she was holding up to her lips, perhaps trying to smell it. She was a "puppy" for the entire shoot, so I guess that's only natural. She looks so peaceful though. Thanks to Lou for letting us come out to the prairie to get these sunset shots!

And here's Liam being the ultimate model. Frame after frame, he's staring down the camera while the other two are being goofballs. I love those shots though, so this was perfect. I'm pretty sure Livy was a puppy here too.

This was the last shot of the day. I believe nerds were involved in getting this one. :)

If you could design a set just for family photographers I'm pretty sure it would look just like Micanopy. The textures, colors, and details were endless. We only scraped the surface here.

Here are the green hat and jacket my sis made. Aren't they great? And the shoes make the outfit.

Livy and the moon. I loved this series of shots. She was so happy to be twirled around and look at the moon.

Booking for February!/ Portland Family Photographer

2010-01-14T16:21:00.000-05:00

Spring is just around the corner (I hope!), the holidays are over, and Portland is sure to have a glimpse of sun in February. So get the family dressed and let's pick a day to get some fabulous pictures. All February sessions will receive a free 8 x 10 if booked by Jan.31!

It's All about Maddy!/ Portland Oregon Newborn Photography

2010-01-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

After almost a month in Florida, Q and I finally made our way back to Portland and of course the first thing I did was upload the loads of pictures I took while we were there. First and foremost is this beautiful doll, little miss Maddy. I'm so glad her wonderful parents invited me into their home to capture some of their first days with their daughter. Maddy was about 5 weeks old here, but she still had all of the wonderful wrinkles and fuzz of a newborn. I still remember when this couple first met and I can't believe how fast the time has gone...here they are with an adorable baby! They are such a beautiful family I'm having a really hard time narrowing the field of pictures, but here's a preview for you. Thanks guys for being so patient waiting for these!

Looking for Seniors!/ Portland Senior Pictures

2010-01-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Christine Richmond Photography is now looking for senior representatives in the Portland, Oregon area for the new High School Senior Rep program. I'll accept up to two high school students from each area high school from the class of 2011. Each representative will get a free, fun, 2-3 hour session, plus you'll earn lots of free goodies for each referral including free prints and products. So, if you know of any outgoing, fashionable seniors in the area, pass the word. Just contact me at richmond.christine@gmail.com for more details!

Composition/ Portland Family Pictures

2009-12-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

So we've talked about light and focus, now it's time to look at composition. I really think all three need to be there in order to have a picture that doesn't look like a snapshot. Here are some quick tips, followed by some examples, that will help you take a different look at the composition of your pictures.

-Rule of Thirds. If you've ever done any reading about taking better pictures or graphic design in general, you've probably heard of the "Rule of Thirds". This is probably the most fundamental "rule" out there. In a nutshell it says to think of your picture as being divided into 9 equal parts (see below). Then, try to place the main focus of your picture onto those lines, or the intersection of those lines. So, when photographing a person, their body should roughly be placed on one of the vertical lines with their eyes at an intersection. Now, do you have to follow this exactly? Of course not, but it is a good way to avoid having your subject fall in the middle of the frame which is usually less appealing to the eye. You can see in the picture below that her eyes don't exactly fall on the intersection of the two lines, but her lips do, and her eyes are fairly close, still taking advantage of the rule.

-Don't ALWAYS follow the rule of thirds. It's a great guideline, but sometimes centering can make for a more dramatic picture. When I choose to center a subject, it's typically because there is some sort of symmetry surrounding them, or their "pose" is symmetrical. Take a look at the picture below. The subject (cute little Livy) is facing the camera squarely and her hands and feet are more or less symmetrical, so having her in the center of the frame works.

-Pay attention to your background. Whenever I look for a location I'm usually looking for backgrounds. Whatever is behind your subject is your canvas. The more that's on it, the less focus will be on the person in your picture. This doesn't mean you need to shoot in front of grey walls, but try to avoid major distractions in the background. This also means avoiding telephone polls coming out of heads! Take a look at the picture below. The door is a great background with interesting lines and texture, but had I been paying attention, I would have moved the family so that the vertical metal pieces were not right behind the dad's head. It just throws the whole picture a bit off balance since it essentially divides the picture down the middle.

-Change your perspective. I'm always surprised at how sore I am after a two hour session. But there's a good reason for it. If you watch most professional photographers, at least those that shoot children, you'll see them on the ground or kneeling a LOT. You'll never see me show up for a session in good clothes because I always know whatever I'm wearing will get filthy from laying on the muddy grass or kneeling on wet pavement. Hopefully I'll have some "behind the scenes" videos posted soon, but in the meantime just take my word for it-get on the ground when you take pictures of your kids! It really will make a difference in giving your pictures that little extra polish. Look closely at the picture below and you'll see the my camera (and I) was surely on the ground...the OOF (out of focus) grass in the foreground is a dead giveaway.

-Have your subject moving "into" the frame. Most of you probably know this one already too. If you have a picture of a person looking off in a particular direction, it's usually more visually appealing to have them looking into the rest of the picture rather than looking out of it. Doesn't the top picture look a little better than the bottom one?

-Don't cut off limbs at the joint. Sometimes you can't avoid cropping a leg, hand, or arm out of a picture, and sometimes it even makes a picture better, but try to avoid cropping right at a joint-it just looks off.

-Have some style! I'm not a fashionista, in fact I have pretty poor fashion sense, but I do love a little style in pictures. If you ever book a session with me, you'll hear my speech about what to wear. Personally I love pictures that are timeless, which means I usually like to leave Sponge Bob shirts in the drawer and opt for bright colors, bold stripes, or just a pretty sundress. Urban shoots usually scream "bright" to me, while shoots in a vineyard, orchard, or field are often best in paler shades. Wherever you are, just think about what your subject is wearing and whether or not it will distract from the picture. It certainly doesn't mean they have to wear "jeans and a solid shirt." Experiment with textures, layers, and the favorite of almost every photographer...hats!

-Don't be afraid to crop. While cropping in camera is usually best (less pixels thrown away), I often find myself cropping in post-processng to get the right composition. This also will give you a little more room should you ever want to get a gallery wrapped canvas or other product that needs a little space around the edges. You can see in the picture below that what came straight out of the camera isn't the most appealing composition. The boy (cutie pie Gavin) is centered while the rest of the picture is quite asymmetrical. No problem with a little cropping though. The final picture on the bottom follows the rule of thirds pretty well and is a lot more appealing.

So there you are, hopefully these tips will help the next time you decide to take your camera out!

Stay Focused!/ Portland Oregon Baby Photography

2009-12-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

This is probably my favorite topic out of all of them. Mainly because I'm addicted to bokeh and sharp eyes, but also because it's something that with a little practice you'll see a huge improvement on pretty quickly. You'll find tons of articles out there on all aspects of focus and depth of field, so I won't go into too much detail on the technicalities of it all. Rather, I'll share with you some tips that will hopefully improve your portraits. If you're not too familiar with the mechanics of depth of field, the relationship between aperture/ISO/shutter speed, or with your camera's capabilities and settings, try reading up on them first before reading on.

-Focus on the eyes. If your subject's eyes are sharp, the whole picture is likely to appear "in focus" even if it's not. In fact, for close ups, the nose, lips, and other features are very often well out of the focus plane if you're using a wide aperture. And I don't mean focus between the eyes on the bridge of the nose. Choose one eye (the one closest to you) and put your focus point on the iris. At large apertures even an inch can be the difference between sharp eyes and soft eyes. Put your finger on the bridge of your nose and then move it to your eye and you'll see what I mean...they're not on the same plane. But beware, if your subject is at all angled, the eye furthest from you will be out of focus at large apertures.
-For full body shots, try a longer focal length (85-200mm is good) so you can use a wider aperture and keep your subject in focus.
-Try different methods for choosing your focus point to see which you prefer.
There are multiple options when it comes to focusing and which one you choose really depends on your personal preference and what type of pictures you're taking. Personally, when it comes to fast-moving kids, I tend to stick with the "center point/recompose" method (if you didn't even know that you COULD choose your focus points, pretty please read your manual).
-Don't let your camera choose your focus points! Why have your camera guess what you want to focus on when you KNOW what you want to focus on. Letting your camera choose is a sure-fire way to get a lot of soft pictures.
-Know what works with your focus method and what you might need to do differently. For instance, with most cameras you'll have to take the extra step of locking in your exposure before recomposing your shot if you are spot metering. Don't do it and your exposures will all be off since as you recompose the shot, your camera will remeter.
-Try toggling your focus points. If like me you usually use your center point, but your images aren't as sharp as you'd like, try toggling your focus point and positioning your subject so that you don't have to recomose the shot. Some people have better luck getting sharp pictures with this method, but it takes some practice to get quick at it. It's especially wise to toggle when taking portrait oriented pictures since the center point is usally a far distance from your subject's eyes.
-Experiment with your camera's AF modes and back button focusing. Most dslr's have multiple modes to choose from, some that focus on just what you tell it to, and others that will "follow" your subject if they're moving to keep them in focus. I haven't had much luck with the latter (AI-Servo), so I stick with One Shot AF mode. Some people also love back button focusing which lets you take the AF function away from the shutter button. Google it, you'll find ample instructions.
-Look large. If you're only used to looking at your photographs on a small monitor, try looking at a 100% view to see if things are really as sharp as they appear. Sometimes a picture will look great at a small size like what's on your monitor, but blown up all of the imperfections start to jump out at you. Now, don't get too obsessed with this, the eyes on a full body shot will never appear as sharp as those on a close up, but that's OK, it's just a matter of how many pixels you're working with.

I think part of learning how to focus is also learning what you want out of focus. In fact, most people just want to know how to get a blurry background. I'm not going to get into explaining DOF, there are already many articles online that can do that, but I will give a few more pointers.
-Use a larger aperture if you're working with just one subject since it decreases the depth of field. Just remember to focus wisely (i.e. on the eyes) as there's little room for error.
-Invest in lenses. Lenses make a lot more difference in the quality of your pictures than your camera body does. The most expensive lenses are usually the ones that allow for the widest apertures. If your lens only goes down to f4 you aren't going to get the same results as a lens that goes down to 1.8 or lower. If you're looking for a cheap lens to experiement with for portraits, try a 50mm 1.8, it can be had for under $100! Prime lenses (ones with one focal length) are also known for being sharper and faster than zoom lenses.
-If you're photographing a family or muliple subjects, use a depth of field calculator (google it, there are many) to determine your best aperture for keeping everyone in focus. I'll often take one shot at the largest aperture I think I can get away with, and one at a "safe", smaller aperture.
-Use a longer focal length so that you can stand back and zoom in on your subject or the group. This will help with keeping a blurry background and allows for a larger aperture.
-Keep your subjects on the same plane, or close to it, to allow for a larger aperture. If you have parents sitting behing kids you'll need a much smaller aperture to keep them all in focus, which means your background will be a little sharper too.
-For really nice bokeh, look for the trees! Trees or tall bushes with light coming through them often make for the best bokeh. If you just have sky, or a plain background, you won't notice much.
-Don't get discouraged! If you start experimenting with different methods of focusing, and with using larger apertures, you'll probably have a lot of out of focus shots at first. It takes some practice. Keep at it, find what works best for you, and you WILL start to see improvement. You'd be surprised at how many shots most pros take and how many end up out of focus, especially with moving kids!

Now that you've gotten a few pointers, here are some examples to take a look at:

In this first example, I love the picture, but if you were able to see it bigger, you'd see that the focus is off. Now, you might be saying, eh, looks OK to me, but scroll down a bit and see the close up of her eyes. On screen, it might not appear too bad, but blown up on a wall canvas it would be a lot more obvious.
Looking back at my settings (ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/80s), this was likely just a case of shooting with too slow of a shutter speed along with a little hand shake. A blow up of the whole picture shows that her entire body is out of focus, rather than just her eyes. If her eyes had been out of focus, but her nose had been tack sharp, I'd blame it on a missed focus point. To correct it, I could have opened up the aperture to 2.0 or even 1.8 to increase the shutter speed, or I could have bumped the ISO up to 800 which may have led to the picture being a little noisy, but again, a faster shutter speed.

Here's an example that's a little tougher to see at this size, but you might be able to still tell the difference between this picture and the one below it. While I love the composition, colors, and light in this photo, it's probably not one I would show to a client in a proofing gallery. Why? The eyes. At this size or smaller, it doesn't look too bad, but if I wanted to blow this up to anything larger than a 5 x 7 the eyes would be obviously soft, or out of focus. This was shot wide open at 1.8 which leaves little room for error when it comes to your focus point. One inch to the left or right can mean that the bridge of the nose is in perfect focus while the eyes are not.

Now take a look at this photo and you'll see that his eyes are tack sharp. They may actually appear to be TOO sharp when you view them on screen because of the file size. This was taken with the 85mm at f/2.0, so still a very large aperture with little room for error. But this time, my hand must have been a little steadier, the focus point was right on, and I had a fast shutter speed.

Here you can really see the advantage of shooting with a large aperture when doing full body portraits. The background in this photo, taken at f/1.8 just melts behind him into a blurry tunnel of trees rather than being distracting. You can see how the subject is clearly the focus if the picture, almost popping out in 3D. Not everyone likes the look, much of it is personal preference and artistic choice, but personally I love it. It took a lot of practice to get it right, especially at 50mm as in this shot, but when you get it, it's worth it. And by all means, don't get discouraged if half of your shots, or more, aren't sharp when you try shooting at large apertures. Camera shake, subject movement, low shutter speed, etc. can all make it really tough to get every, or even the majority of shots sharp.

This shot, while not the best in composition, is a good example of bokeh. You can see how everything behind his is creamy, and where the light meets the trees there are nice circles of color. This is where more expensive lenses can really make a difference. This was taken with the 50mm 1.8 which, while a great cheap lens for most purposes, isn't known for having the best bokeh. When viewed closely, the circles are actually pentagons due to it's 5 blades. Nevertheless, I like it!

This is an example of how choosing your aperture while shooting groups or families can really make a difference. This was taken at f/4.5 which is clearly not a small enough aperture to keep the whole family in focus, but that's what I was aiming for. Sometimes having a few members slightly out of focus can add interest to the picture, especially when it's a more candid shot like this. In this case there also simply wasn't enough light to allow for a small enough aperture at this angle to have everyone sharp. The shutter speed would have gone down to around 1/30 which is just too slow.

Next time...composition!

Portraits Deconstructed / Portland Kids Photography

2009-12-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

So what makes a portrait appealing to the eye? There are a lot of factors of course, from the location you're shooting at to the person you're taking the picture of, but when it really comes down to it there are just a few key factors that play into whether a picture makes you say "Wow" or "Eh". Over the next few weeks I'll take each of these key factors and explain it, show a few examples, and hopefully help you learn how to improve your own photography. I'll preface it all with the fact that I'm far from an expert. Everything I've learned has come through trial and error or reading books and tutorials. But that's the great part of learning photography...there are so many good resources out there that almost anyone can do their own research and practice, practice, practice, until you start to notice a difference in what you see coming out of your camera. And you WILL notice a difference.

If I had to narrow it down to three things, I'd say Light, Focus, and Composition are the main factors in getting a good shot. Sure, these are the basics, you already know what they are, but maybe seeing some examples and getting some tips will help you along the way.

For me, understanding lighting has been the hardest one of the three. I'm still learning to really see light and learn to manipulate it, and I suspect it will take a few more years before I feel really comfortable with all aspects of it. Since most of you reading this probably don't have an interest in setting up studio lights or investing in strobes, I'll stick to talking about natural light which is what I use for nearly all of my shots. Natural light has a lot of advantages, mainly that it's FREE, it's beautiful when used right, and it's readily available (except in dreary Northwest winters). So how should you use it to your advantage? Well, here are some tips I've learned along the way...

When it comes to portraits, the focus should always be on the person (or persons), and usually the focus of the person will be the face. When it comes to lighting and faces, you should aim for two things. The first and most important is to avoid harsh shadows. Sure, mid-day sun means you won't have to worry about having to bump up your ISO to have enough light, but it also means you'll be dealing with light that's coming from above, which creates raccoon eyes, nose shadows, and probably a few "hot spots", or over exposed spots too. To avoid this, the easiest thing to do is pick a better time of day. You may have heard of the "golden hour"? This is most photographers' favorite time of day to shoot, an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. At these times the sun is low enough in the sky to have more even light allowing for just about any location to work. It's a great time to play around with backlighting (sun positioned behind your subject) and sun flare, but even with your subject facing the sun, the results can be beautiful.

So what do you do if you can't keep the toddler up until 9pm in the summer to get those golden hour shots? There are a few options. If you have the luxury of waiting for an overcast day clouds are perfect for creating a giant soft box in the sky. You can still get some shadows if you're not positioned right, but they're usually minor and often easily fixable in post-processing. Or, if you can choose your location, pick one that has open, even shade. This allows you to get nice, even lighting and avoid distracting shadows. Whatever you do, avoid dappled shade like the plague! Having "hot spots" and shade on the same face is pretty tough to fix. Yet another option is to find something for your subject to stand under, like a garage door, a tree, a carport, etc. This allows light to fall in evenly from the front, but it blocks the harshest rays coming in from above. If all else fails and you find yourself in a situation where you have to take a picture in mid-day sun with no shade to be had, try to be creative. Have your little girl hold a cute parasol, or hold a scarf above her head. The last time I had to do this it was with a group of 6 kids on the beach at 10am. I knew that if I shot out in the open they'd all be squinting and I'd have horrible shadows to deal with, so I just brought along a king sized white sheet and had a little help creating a make-shift cabana. Sure, it's not as pretty as a shot taken at sunset would have been, but sometimes you can't choose! A final option is to fill in shadows using a reflector or flash. Flash is a whole other topic, but you can make a simple reflector out of white poster board, foam, or a piece of cardboard wrapped in tin foil. Angled toward the dark side of the face it can do a lot to even the light.

The second thing to think about when it comes to lighting and faces is catchlights. Catchlights are the reflections that you see on a subjects pupil when the light falls just right. You certainly don't need catchlights to have a nice picture, but if you can get them, it will make for a much better shot, especially for close-ups. Even just a little can bring life into your subject's eyes. Finding the right angles takes just a little practice, but after a while you'll get the hang of finding the right spots in no time. Having your subject in front of a large window, having them look up at you, having them angle their face a little towards the sky (45 degrees), or having them on the edge of open shade can all help get gorgeous catchlights in the eyes. So the next time you're staring adoringly at your little one or significant other, pay attention to their eyes. Where and at what time of day do you notice catchlights in their eyes (warning: this can become an obsession!)? Is there a particular spot in your house that has a big window or sliding glass door that would be perfect? While you're at it, start noticing shadows on their face too. You don't need a camera in hand to practice photography. It helps, but as you'll see in the next few weeks, there are a lot of ways to have your "photographer's goggles" on no matter where you are.

I could go on about lighting for a few hundred pages. Obviously there are a lot more factors that come into play than what I've mentioned here. But for the sake of helping you take better pictures of your baby, toddler, girlfriend, or whomever, this is a good place to start and here are some examples to go with it.

This shot was taken in late afternoon, a few hours before sunset, so while it wasn't the worst time of day, I still had to watch how he was positioned to avoid direct sun. Here the sun was behind him slightly to the right. You can see part of the back of his head is over exposed, but in this case it doesn't distract from the overall picture and even adds to it in my opinion. Now imagine he had been facing directly into that same sun. There would have been a lot more shadow to contend with, not to mention that he'd be squinting. You can also see that there are some catchlights in his eyes, in this case I think they were coming from the light behind the building he was facing.

Here again I was shooting in early evening in the height of summer, so not quite the golden hour. Because there wasn't a cloud in the sky, we looked for a lot of open shade at this location. In this case, he wasn't on the edge of the shade, so I had him look up at the camera to get some catchlights from the sky, and to avoid raccoon eyes.

And finally, this shot was taken on another bright and sunny day around 10 am. As in the previous picture, I had her look up at me a bit while sitting under an open roofed area that provided even shade, but still allowed for nice catchlights.

I hope you've enjoyed the tips...coming next time...FOCUS!

From RAW to wow!/ Portland Children's Photographer

2009-12-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when things are slow and the three year old has absolutely no interest in having his picture taken, I'll go back and reprocess old photos to see how I can apply new techniques or just give a picture a different look. As much as I love being out there and taking the actual pictures, I look forward to processing them just as much. It's funny, I think a lot of people think that a photographer's job pretty much ends when they put the lens cap back on, but really, the hour or two at the session taking pictures is by far the quickest part. After that comes the hours of editing, processing, tweaking, and fine tuning. Sure, you hope that your images come straight out of the camera looking great, without needing much work. But in reality, if you shoot RAW, every single image needs adjustments since the camera doesn't do the work for you like it would if you shot jpegs. Whether it's just a quick contrast boost and some sharpening, or something more involved, RAW images have to be given life. And because I love to see before and after examples, here are a few of my own. These are urban shots taken a while ago that I wanted to revisit, and as you can see, I went for a vivid, high key look here. If these were shots of a sweet little girl in a dress, in a field of flowers, I obviously wouldn't process them this way. That's the beauty of it, you can do just a little, or go a little over the top!

Here's an example of a shot straight out of the camera (top), processed (middle), and a little more processed (bottom). You may be able to see that on the bottom shot I've upped the exposure a bit more and sharpened the steel to give it some more texture.

I've processed this picture a few different times, and a softer look, or black and white version work well too, but yesterday it was screaming for something bold, so I did a high key version of it. You can see I've upped the saturation in the steel shutter and brick, while just doing a typical boost on him. Add a little contrast and some sharpening, and voila', you have a vivid picture. Ok, so it's not quite that easy, it takes practice, but that's what makes it fun!

Here you can see just how dull some images look straight out of the camera. This image was a bit underexposed from the start and was lacking the urban edginess I wanted it to have. So, like the ones above, I gave it some life. This is a little more high key than I could have gone, but I wanted something a little more dramatic. You can see I adjusted the exposure to brighten it up, boosted the saturation to add color, and put a touch of 'grittiness' in the background.

This is an example where not a whole lot needed to be done with the original image. The exposure was pretty good from the start, it just needed a little "pop" with a boost in contrast, a little sharpening, and a curves adjustment. The finished image reflects the beautiful golden light that was there at the time.

So, if you have an SLR, play around some time with shooting RAW and see what you can do. The best part is, you always have the original image, untouched, to work with if you ever want to go back months later (like I always do) and rework it. And I know Google's pretty much the only thing reading this blog, but if you like these kind of posts, leave a comment, let me know, and I'm happy to keep doing them!

Newborn Special/ Portland Newborn Photographer

2009-11-23T18:30:00.000-05:00

There's no better time to take pictures inside than winter in Portland, and no better subject than newborns. For the months of December and January all newborn bookings will receive a FREE set of mini accordion books, perfect for sharing your baby's pictures with friends and family. If you know anyone who's expecting, spread the word!

New Holiday Cards are Here/ Portland Child Photographer

2009-11-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Time's running out for placing holiday card orders! I have over three dozen cards to choose from this year and each can be customized for your family. There are many styles and sizes to choose from. Prices start at $65 for 25 4 x 5.5 flat cards with envelopes. Don't forget, if you haven't had a session this year, I do offer mini-sessions if you need that one special picture for your cards! Please email me if you're interested in ordering or would like a complete price list. But hurry, time's running out!

Studio Fun!/ Portland Family Photography

2009-11-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

With winter rains upon us here in Portland I've really been wanting to find an nice warm studio to use for those dreary days when the drizzle doesn't seem to stop. Luckily this great space is available and today I gave it a try for the first time. I had so much fun with this oh so photogenic family, thanks for being my guinea pigs in a new space! Here's your sneak peek, I hope you enjoy it!

Winter Wardrobe Ideas!/ Portland Family Photography

2009-11-09T17:13:00.000-05:00

Almost everyone asks what to wear when they schedule a session because of course you want to look your best in pictures. And truth be told, pictures that have been "styled", at least a little bit, always tend to look better in the end. One of my suggestions is to think layers and textures, especially for kids. Leave the suit coats and fussy dresses at home, and just let them be kids (good lookin' kids that is)! Don't be afraid to use bold colors, stripes, polka dots, hoodies, and my personal favorite, hats. Winter is the perfect time to try the layered look and stay warm at the same time. When it comes to coordinating family pictures, try to be coordinated instead of being "matched". Having everyone in jeans and a white button down shirt might be your thing, but in the end, it doesn't show your personality and can be just plain boring. Try to first choose a level of formality (dressy, casual, etc.), and then choose a color family (jewel tones, earth tones, etc.). From there, play around with different colors and textures to create a look that's coordinated. Jeans look great in pictures, so maybe have everyone in jeans and different colored shirts in the same color family. Or, perhaps you choose one color as a common theme that plays a part in everyone's outfit (a yellow hat for baby, yellow tights for little girl, yellow shirt for mom, yellow scarf for dad...you get the idea). Solids are always a safe bet too, but maybe mix it up a bit and have everyone but mom in solids. Here are a few ideas to get you started (these are from Boden and Gymboree but some other great places are Hanna Anderrson, Gap, JCrew, or better yet, check out all of the local resale shops around town like Milagros, Mamas and Papas, Bella Stella, Sweet Pea's, and many more)...

CRP on the road again/Portland Children's Photography

2009-11-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

With winter rains upon us here in Portland, I'm looking forward to a hiatus in the sunshine state again this holiday season. I'm currently booking a limited number of sessions in Orlando and Gainesville during December and early January. Please email me if you're interested.

New Products are Coming! / Portland Family Photography

2009-11-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

With a new year on the horizon, I'm busy getting new product samples and putting together a product guide for 2010. In addition to the adorable accordion books that I've been offering, I'll be adding a brag book to the lineup, perfect for seniors or anyone wanting a lower cost option that showcases all of the images from their session. Gorgeous photo boxes that house 20 mounted 5 x 7's will also be offered, along with a display easel, as an option for those that don't have a lot of wall space, or just want a special way to display their pictures. And don't forget the November special, 10% off all gallery wrapped canvases. I know I love mine!

November Special! / Portland Family Photography

2009-10-27T16:59:00.000-04:00

Now booking for November! Book your session and receive 10% off all gallery wrapped canvases. Don't forget, this is the perfect time for those holiday portraits. Whether it's for your annual holiday card or for beautiful gifts to give to friends and family, custom portraiture is the perfect choice. Keep an eye out for new products coming soon!

Sweet Livy Jane/ Portland Child Photography

2009-10-19T00:33:00.000-04:00

What a total ham! The minute she saw the camera little Livy broke out the model act, enough to make me blow the first dozen shots because of laughter. She was completely into it and obliged my silly requests with a smile (or grimace, or funny face, or ...)! Here's a few of my favorite shots. Isn't the red hair just great?

Gavin the Adorable/ Portland Child Photographer

2009-10-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

I hadn't seen this little guy since he was barely crawling, so it was really nice to watch him explore as a "big boy" 2 year old. There were worms to be caught and squirrels to be chased...he did it all despite the blasting heat. Thanks to his mom and grandma for bringing him all the way up to Gainesville for a session. It was so great to see you guys. I'm having trouble uploading images at the moment, but I managed to get two preview pics up- more to come!

CRP in Florida!/ Portland Family Photographer

2009-10-17T21:08:00.001-04:00

We were on the road in Florida recently and had a busy week of music, lectures, and seeing old friends...and of course I also managed to sneak in a few sessions. Here's a great group of cousins who don't get together nearly as often as I wish they could. With some helping hands, I managed to get some cute shots on a bright, cloudless morning on the beach. Not an ideal place or time for taking great pictures, especially during a heat wave, but with our make-shift cabana these guys didn't sweat it. Aren't they a cute bunch?

Portland Photography Workshop

2009-10-03T18:12:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending an all day workshop right here in Portland last week called "Taking your photo business to the next level". It was put on by a great local photographer whom I admire, Craig Mitchelldyer. The morning was full of business tips, from SEO strategies to social networking and marketing, while the afternoon was filled with technique ideas from some really excellent photographers. The day ended with a live demo by David Bergman photographing a local Portland band, Intervision. The demo was a great introduction to lighting techniques that I've yet to play around with, but hope to soon. It's amazing what you can do with a few strobes in a conference room! Check out David's blog to see the final images, and the slideshow below to see a snapshot of the day. All in all it was simply excellent--good speakers, great networking, fantastic tips, and best of all it was free! Thanks for putting it on Craig.

Christine Richmond Photography now on iphone! / Portland Children's Photography

2009-09-28T20:25:00.000-04:00

I love my iphone and if you love it as much as I do, you know how annoying it is to go to a website only to be denied because it can't play flash. Well, problem solved...CRP now has a mobile site that you can easily view on your iphone. Check it out!

CRP now offering mini-sessions!

2009-09-23T16:58:00.000-04:00

If you're ever in need of that one special photo for a holiday card, professional head shot, or invitation, here's a deal for you. Christine Richmond Photography is now offering mini-sessions which include:

Up to 30 minute session at a location of your choice
5 digital proofs in online gallery to select from
1 high resolution digital negative with full printing rights
Cost: $100 for everything! Custom designed greeting cards are also available for purchase with mini-sessions.

October is coming!/ Portland Family Photography

2009-09-22T15:06:00.000-04:00

October is right around the corner and what a great time to take pictures in Portland! Whether it's at the pumpkin patch or a leaf pile in your backyard, now's the time to get those great fall pictures for your family, or just the kids. Now's also the time to think ahead for the holidays. Custom portraits make a great gift and will look wonderful on the cards you send to friends and loved ones. All October sessions will receive a free 8 x 10 of your choice, so book now!

The North Family/ Portland Family Photographer

2009-09-20T21:10:00.001-04:00

What a lovely morning to walk around the Pearl District with the Norths. The sun was shining, a fall chill was in the air, and the strawberry shakes were flowing! I always love shooting downtown, there are so many textures and backgrounds to choose from. With two little ones we had to go with the flow, but sometimes the pictures end up coming out better when you're trying to make the kids laugh. Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to capture you in pictures. I hope you enjoy your preview, there are more to come!

Julie, Craig, and Caden/ Portland Family Photography

2009-09-08T18:05:00.000-04:00

After a rainy weekend, what a treat to head over to wine country on a gorgeous evening to photograph Julie, Craig, and Caden. Youngberg Hill Vineyards provided a beautiful backdrop, not to mention they have yummy wine! While the sun was fierce I think we managed to come away with some really sweet shots. Enjoy your preview guys!

Baby's First Year Special! Portland Child Photography

2009-09-01T20:04:00.000-04:00

I think it's a great idea to offer a package that will help document that crazy first year. Sometimes I tell my husband that I barely remember our sons' first year, probably due to extreme sleep deprivation, and I always wish we had more pictures to remember it by. This package includes 4 sessions for $250 (prints sold separately), typically consisting of maternity, newborn, 6 month, and 12 month sessions. If you prefer to mix it up a bit that's fine too. Each session will include a free 8 x 10 print, and after the last session you can opt for a First Year Album that brings together the whole first year!

September Special! Portland Family and Child Photography

2009-08-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

Don't miss out on the September special. Book your September session now and receive 15% off all large prints or products (11 x 14 or larger)!

A little serendipity...

2009-08-20T19:13:00.001-04:00

With nothing on the calendar to do this morning, my son and I headed out to scout an orchard south of Portland to see if maybe it'd be a good spot to have sessions. After realizing that the "orchard" was little more than a bunch of baby pear trees and hardly photogenic, we meandered back to town. On the way, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sign for Jenkins Estate, a 68 acre estate surrounded by beautiful gardens near Beaverton. Somehow in all of my interenet searching for locations around Portland, I never came across this one. I'm sure a lot of you Oregoneans may know about it, but if not, it's worth the short drive to see it. Luckily I had brought the camera with me and Quin was up for an impromtu session. These are some of my favorites...

There was a big beautiful house with a huge porch on the front. Unfortunately it wasn't open this morning, but Q took a look anyway. This was taken with the 50mm at 400, 1.8, 1/800 . I've been working on shooting wide open since I love doing it, but man it take some practice to get things sharp. I could have easily gotten away with 200 ISO but alas, I forgot to change my settings after coming out of the shade.

This was at ISO 200, 2.5, 1/200

The heart was already on the window, a perfect photo opp.
50mm, ISO 200, 2.5 1/80

Location Special!

2009-08-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

So I've been hunting around for different locations in and around town, especially looking for a nice orchard or vineyard to use. I finally found one that I can't wait to try out, so here's a deal for the first family or couple who wants it...Youngberg Hill Vineyards in McMinnville has graciously agreed to let me shoot there and it looks like it would make a perfect setting for a sunset shoot- engagement or family photos anyone? If you or someone you know would like to try it out with me, I'm offering a free session (prints will be regular price)! This is a great chance to get some pictures in a beautiful setting, enjoy some wine, and heck, even stay for the night! Keep in mind it's a bit of a drive (a little over an hour from Portland), but I think it will be worth it. Pass the word if you know any vinophiles out there.

Self-Portraits are hard!

2009-08-17T18:19:00.000-04:00

So after two years of not having a family picture taken, I decided to try my hand at taking some family self-portraits. After striking out on my hunt for a wireless remote that I wouldn't have to buy from China on ebay, I had to resort to using the timer which, while not hard, is certainly inconvenient. Needless to say, when I normally would have taken a few hundred shots at a family shoot, I left with maybe a dozen of all of us. Luckily my two year old is well schooled by now in the art of being a model for me, so he dutifully stared down the camera like a pro. Promises of a tootsie pop helped at the first location, but you'll notice there are no pictures of us by the river, which was location #2. The allure of rocks and water were just to much for him!

What a cutie! Portland Child Photography

2009-08-17T18:03:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I had the chance to do a session with an absolutely adorable 5 month old baby girl. I must say this is a really fun age to shoot and I always look forward to it. They are typically full of smiles and giggles, but not being mobile yet, they have to stay put and can't wiggle away from you! The house was perfect for inside shots-decent light, clean spaces. I just hope I didn't drool on the danish modern furniture too much. This was my first shoot with the new camera and I must say I'm in love with it. I may start to get some arm muscles after using it so much, it's really heavy compared to my other one, but definitely worth the weight. Here are some of my faves.

Welcome to the blogoshpere!

2009-08-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

So I finally decided to do it and here it is, the first blog post. Hopefully in upcoming months this will not only be a place for sneek peaks of sessions, but also a chronicle of a growing business with all of its ups and downs. So sit back, relax, and get ready for some fun pics!