I Heart HDR

For the past several months, I have been drooling (yes, almost literally) over photos from different photographers who process their photos with HDR (High Dynamic Range). This means they take, not one, but 3-5 shots of a scene at different exposures and use HDR software to combine the images. This allows you to be able to expose your photo correctly for both the highlights in the image (such as the sky) and the shadows (such as a building or any object in the foreground).

My obsession continued and I just began an HDR Photography class at Columbus State last week. So far, I'm LOVING it!! I got my first practice on real HDR Photography today. I downloaded a trial of some software that I'm thinking of purchasing. What do ya think?? Now I'm not saying my photos are drool-worthy... YET. But if I'm liking the results already on Day 1, I think I might be able to get there. If you want to see where I aspire to be, check out my idol: Stuck in Customs. (Trey's got a better travel budget than me, too.)

Just to show you the difference (and I NEVER show original photos out of the camera, but I will just this once), here's the original image taken at a train trestle near my house in Delaware. On a bright, sunny day like today, it's hard to get a bright image of the tracks and still be able to see the beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds.


So, work a little HDR magic, and voila! Pretty surreal looking!


Next, I went down to Blue Limestone Park to see the "haunted" tunnel under the train trestle (we have a lot of trains here). The tunnel is so dark and the light at the end is so bright. I had to do some Spiderman-like moves to get this photo so I didn't fall into the creek. I couldn't see into the tunnel unless I wanted to stand in 2 feet of water, so I found a ledge, propped up my camera and blindly shot into the tunnel. This was my first attempt... not too bad. I love how the grafitti and textures of the walls stand out.


Finally, back to the original trestle. I decided to try some black and white HDR. Here is the outcome.


I'm thinking of all the awesome possibilities HDR holds for my future clients. I'm picturing beautifully capturing the interior of a romantically lit church or reception hall, or a wide angle shot of a couple with the bright blue sky and fluffy clouds overhead. Here's another photographer/inspiration who knows a thing or two about lighting and exposure: Jessica Strickland. Scroll down to see her pictures of the interior of the reception hall. I don't know if she does HDR, but WOW!!! Inspired yet?

Can't wait to try this out on a shoot!

The other night I had the opportunity again to shoot at a Blue Jackets hockey game against Nashville. It was quite the intense game and it was very physical. I could only stay for the first two periods because my back and neck got so sore from constantly jerking back away from the glass when a player would slam into it!! Yikes!

One thing I think I've learned about hockey is that there seems to be NO rules! Pushing, body checking, fighting, offsides, high sticking - all okay by these refs' terms! Can't wait to get back to some classic portraiture this weekend. :)

Nevertheless, I got some cool action shots:

#14 - Torres was one of the heroes of the game. Here he's taking a shot on goal.


I really like the perspective in this shot. It seems I had one of the best seats in the house!


I love that only one of the players in this image knows where the puck is - mid air.


Another shot on goal...


Fan favorite Nash.


The action pile-up.


The Nashville goalie ready to go!


Nashville's first goal of the game.

Hope you enjoy! It's probably my last game of the season.

I'm looking forward to a busy weekend of photography! Enjoy yourselves!

New for '09 - Proof Albums!

I'm ready to unveil the next new product for 2009 at Harrington Photography. With all portrait packages, clients will now be able to view their best photos as prints before even ordering! I'm excited about this new presentation method, because I feel that the portraits look SO great in print, this will give my clients a way of seeing what their final product will look like.

And, I have to say... I just got my first proof album in the mail yesterday, and the only word that comes to mind is "ADORABLE!" The little 4"x6" album is just so cute, if it had cheeks, I would pinch them! :) The proof album would make a great pocket-sized keepsake if clients would like to purchase it along with their package. That means you would get to keep copies of ALL your gorgeous images!


Each image has the file name printed on the back for easy ordering. But, at the same time it's pretty inconspicuous, so it won't distract from the album. Each photo has a classic white border and black background to provide an elegant, yet simple, frame on each page.


Each album is spiral bound with a frosted cover and solid backing. Love, love, LOVE it! (But haven't I been saying that about all the new things for 2009?)


I am looking forward to combining the proof album and slide show to give clients a one-of-a-kind experience with Harrington Photography!

On Assignment...

I was back on assignment for the local newspaper this week. I was sent to shoot the Blue Jackets Hockey game against the Blackhawks. Hockey has never really been my "sport." It is just so fast-paced and hard-hitting. Ick! I'd rather shoot a wedding! Much more romantic!

Anyway, here are some of my better attempts at being a sports photographer. Thanks Justin for inviting me along again!

But first... the reason why the sport makes me so nervous:

A little too close to the action. This is why I do not shoot through the photog holes. You can see how scratched up the plexiglass is. That's the mess I shoot all my photos through - for protection!!


A few action shots...




And some great saves by the goalies...




Nash had a big goal last night. This was the reaction on his face as the puck was going in the goal. He was standing RIGHT in front of me. Then, his teammates' celebration.



Another crazy play of the game...


And what fan doesn't love a good hockey fight?? I guess I was the only one cringing during this! I love their expressions... one looks a little scared.

Exciting New Things!

This post is dedicated to the fun and exciting new things at Harrington Photography. First up...

Harrington Photography has re-designed its website. Check out all the new changes and great features at:

http://www.harringtonphotos.net/

I've been working super hard on the new site since the beginning of 2009. I want to thank my wonderful husband, Adam, for all his work on my starter site that he built from scratch last year to help get the business rolling. It served a great purpose and I appreciate that, but now it was time for an upgrade because we are moving on to bigger and better things!

Next up...

New address labels and brand labels are here. Now any packaging you receive from Harrington Photography will have its own brand label on it! I'm excited to be rolling those out. Can't wait to use my first one!



And finally...

Press printed albums are here. These albums are a unique, creative way to display your wedding day or personal memories captured by Harrington Photography. Each album is uniquely designed for YOU!

The albums are created with quality construction and heavy semi-gloss paper bound into hinged pages so your album lays flat, beautifully displaying your photos. The durable album covers are available in fabric, leather, and photo designs. Dust jackets and foil stamping are also available on covers.

The press printed albums are available in the following sizes: 5"x5", 5"x7", 8"x8", 8.5"x11", and 10"x10".

Pictured below is the 10"x10" press printed album in dark red leather.

Love. It. A. Lot.




And now, onto the next project...

Sophie's Baptism

I'm sure glad spring is setting in... the warm weather means more photo sessions on the way, sunshine on my skin, and warmth in my bones. We finally had a *warm* weekend, and what a wonderful way to celebrate the baptism of little Miss Sophie. She's grown up so much in the last few months...

Here are a few of my favorites from the ceremony. The church was nearly filled, so I had to spy with my zoom lens from way in the back. :)

Sophie is getting blessed with holy water/oil by the priest.


I love this look between mommy Beth and her aunt Barb.


Sophie with her god-parents. She looks like she's saying, "Get me the heck outta here!!"


The after party.... isn't she just the cutest!? I love her little blue eyes and long eye lashes.


I had to throw this shot in... my husband holding a baby and playing with a purse. I love how she's nuzzled up to him. She found him quite entertaining and cuddly... which he is. :)


And, finally, my favorite... cute as a button!


Congrats to Beth, Chris, and Sophie! Stay tuned... more exciting things to come this week!!!

Wedding Album Design

As mentioned, my most recent bride and groom - Shayla and Rahman - have ordered a gorgeous 10"x10" press printed story book of their wedding day. I'm having a lot of fun designing it - it's a nice change of pace in Photoshop. Here is a sneak peek at what I've been working on:









I didn't realize how much math I'd have to do to make all the pictures fit in the collages. :) I can't wait to see it printed! (In my opinion, these are so much cooler than the traditional photo albums. It helps put the whole story together.) I will definitely take photos of the album to share on the blog. I hope you two like the album so far!

Where in the World Have We Been??

Hello everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Mine was perfect - made me fall in love with my husband all over again. :) Love is definitely in the air with lots of friends getting engaged, married, and having babies. It's a great time to book a session with Harrington Photography and take advantage of our great new packages for 2009!!

It's been quiet in January for me (mainly because of the cold weather), but that's been great for me to get things together for 2009. Business looks to be picking up in February and March, and I am very excited for what the summer holds. So, I've taken time to re-vamp my blog header... you like? And I've been working on re-designing my ENTIRE website. It's a looonnnggg process... My goal launch date is Mar. 15. There - I said it - now I have a deadline to hold myself to. You can even expect a surprise song or two, written and performed by that wonderful husband of mine!

Here's a sneak peek into the new site... shhh... it's a surprise!

The Splash (entry) page.


One of the many proof pages, featuring adorable Kia in this set.


I'm looking forward to getting that up and running. I've also been busy filing tax returns, ordering new albums, designing layouts, and organizing 2008 documents. Just wanted to keep everyone in the loop to let you know I'm still around. And, I'm anticipating (and hoping) that 2009 will be even bigger than my launch year of 2008.

P.S. Look for some sneak previews of a wedding album I'm designing in the next few days.

Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!

I am super excited for this post! I have two purposes in writing: First and foremost, to thank everyone who has supported me in my first year of business. I appreciate all that my clients, friends, family, and hubby have done to help me get my business off the ground in the first year. THANK YOU so much! I have met so many great people, friends, instructors, and mentors along the way. I am so grateful for all I've learned from everyone. But, I still have so much more ahead of me! To think, it all started with my birthday gift from Adam last January - a little website called Harrington Photos built from the ground up, with lots of love...

Secondly, I want to let you know a little bit about where I'm headed in 2009. My first new investment/change for the year is to present all my clients with slide shows of their images, set to music. As I've said before, I love to tell stories through photography, and that's what I plan to do for each and every client. So, I'm super excited to give a sneak preview of the slideshow (that clients have the opportunity to purchase on DVD) and I have combined that with a 2008 Thank You Tribute to all my previous clients. I am so awed and humbled watching this slideshow and remembering all that I was able to accomplish this year. Wow! Go me! :)

Turn your volume up... turn my John Mayer music off, and enjoy the show!


So, what did you think? I'm so excited about putting my first official slideshow together for a client this weekend. It's going to be beautiful!

In other news, I recently started a group/page/store (whatever they call it!) on Facebook. Click here to check out the Harrington Photography page and become a fan if you're not one already! Facebook is so much fun! I haven't gotten into the MySpace, Twitter, or Flickr thing yet, but maybe some day! It's a lot to keep up with.

And in final news, just around the bend I will be re-vamping my blog and website, too. They are both in need of a new look for the new year. I've been working on a new blog banner, but I just need to get caught up on all my photo editing and I'll be ready to unveil it soon. My goal is by Feb. 1. I'm really looking forward to all that's to come this year! I hope you enjoy it all!

Shayla and Rahman: Part II

I am just love, love, LOVE-ing these photos. The New Year's Eve wedding was so romantic, intimate, and PERFECT! I love the colors, flowers, decorations, lighting... everything was so nicely coordinated! I know Shayla and Rahman are getting back from their exotic honeymoon here soon, so I wanted to get these posted for them to return to. The rest of the photos are almost done!! I've been working hard all week! Enjoy!

Rahman's GQ Cover Shot (thanks to his Dad's studio lighting)


Shayla should be a model... she knows how to work it!




I love the lighting in this shot from the ceremony.




I really like this angle. We'll call it a happy accident.






I love the random posing for large wedding parties... it just works for me!




Favorite!!