This afternoon’s East Bay lifestyle photography session was of an extended family and their canine babies! The doggies, Maddie and Jordon, were incredibly well-behaved and even dressed up for the shoot!
Maddie and Jordon
Doggie Details
Oh, The Games We Play
Gordon, Stacy, Ryan and their parents broke out old school games, like Scrabble and Jenga!
A Wink
As I was shooting a family portrait of Gordon and Stacy, Maddie gave me a knowing look and a wink. 
Yesterday’s East Bay lifestyle family photography session was of the S Family who had a fun-filled morning in the East Bay. Even though it was ccccccold, we were thankful it finally stopped raining!
Ooh, Mint…
Oh wait… Pfft! Pffft! Blek!
Nope, it’s not mint. But it sure was pretty. [Note: No photographers were harmed during the shooting of this plant.]
Playing with the Girls
I was playing a game with Ella (10) and Jamie (7) while their parents watched.
The girls were having so much fun that I had to shoot this in a fun way!
I composed the image, so that the girls were like bookends to the parents, and I focused on the parents. I had my aperture wide open (in this case, f/2.8), so I would blur out the girls who were close to me — REALLY close — in order to accentuate how they were the ones in motion and with playful expressions. The contrast is fun-fun-fun!
Dueling
How else would one use an umbrella?!!
Lounging
I found a circle-shaped eyelet in the curtain, so of course I shot through it. I’m wild like that. Heh heh.
Shhhh… It’s a Secret!
Have your parents ever told you it’s not good to tell secrets? Well, what if it’s to an elephant?
There were so many great shots from yesterday’s session. Since it was also my birthday, I decided to only blog about the really funny ones!
Oh, here’s another one…
Our Attempt at an “Awkward Family Portrait”
That one tickles my ribs!
Thanks, Jackie and Phil, for a great session! Your girls were wonderful and I had so much fun. Your full gallery will be ready later this week!
~Annie
So today, I got my paws on the highly anticipated, largely discussed, revolutionary new product: Lytro. This Light Field camera was released earlier this month and retails for $399 (8 GB) and $499 (16 GB).
Since there are tons of information about the technology behind the Lytro and techie product reviews, I won’t go into that stuff. Instead, I wanted to give more of a friend’s perspective and answer questions, such as: How did I like it? Was it fun to use? How easy was it to upload? Will I buy one?
Let’s start with some images!
To get an idea of image quality, I took shots with both the Lytro and a DSLR.
(Caveat: I wanted the review to be based on first impressions, so I only played with the camera for a couple hours today. Thus, my photos are not very exciting, but I wanted to give you some examples!)
Lytro vs a DSLR
Below are some shots I took of my girls this morning.
Let’s start with shots taken with the Lytro camera. These are “Living Pictures”, so you can use your mouse and touch different parts of the photo to focus. Go ahead, touch something!
Here are the same series of shots, but taken with a Nikon D7000.
This set of images tells me 2 things: 1) Lytro shots are more fun than a DSLR because the photos are interactive. 2) Image quality of the Lytro photos are TERRIBLE! Yikes.
So I started in the brightest area of my house. What if I took photos in a different location, one that is not as bright, which is more likely the case in everyday life?
Since Lytro cameras are basically point-and-shoot cameras because they don’t allow much user-control AND it does not have a built-in flash, how it performs in low light is something I want to know. Let’s see.
Did you click on the Lego guy? Cool, right?
Okay, now, shots taken with a DSLR…
What this tells me: 1) Since I was able to change settings on my DSLR to compensate for the low light in the room, I was able to get good exposure. A DSLR will always take better images than a Lytro. 2) Considering the fact I can’t change the settings on a Lytro and there is no flash, the Lytro images are not that bad. The camera’s shutter was surprisingly fast and the images are clear, as long as you’re okay with the graininess.
Lytro’s Strength
What makes the Lytro camera fun to use is it creates images that you can change focal points after you’ve taken the shot. Literally, everyone who sees a Lytro image can have an experience with it.
However, you really only benefit from this by taking photos that have various levels of depth. Below are a couple examples of this.
Click on the leaves in the foreground (below left photo)….and the tree in the background (below right photo).
There is no argument here. With “Living Pictures”, Lytro has the ability to make these otherwise boring shots interesting!
Alright, I’ve seen enough Lytro images. I’ve also uploaded, shared, and played around with the Lytro for a couple hours. I’m ready for my review of this product. Fasten your seatbelts, kids! 
**MY REVIEW OF THE LYTRO**
HOORAH! (The Good Stuff)
* Fun Factor = 9 (out of 10)
* Design = 10+!
The look and feel of this camera are SICK! Though I’ve been reading about this product since last October, my expectations were still blown out of the water once I laid eyes on it myself. All the controls are flush with the camera. For example, the menu is a touch screen, similar to an iPhone and iPad. And to zoom (yes, you can zoom in/out, but not much), you just slide your finger across the top of the rubber ridged area. Wow.
The sleek white packaging reminds me of Apple. Very nice.
It’s easy to hold, feather-light, and feels good in my hands! For size comparison, I put my iPhone next to it.
BOO! HISS! (The Negatives)
* The compactness is great for portability, but the size of the screen is so small that I can’t really see what I’m shooting!
I know some may consider this as one of Lytro’s benefits because you don’t need to see what you’re shooting if you focus afterwards. To me, that’s just shooting blindly. Unless I’m super duper close to my subject, I can only see what’s in my frame and can’t see any details. I wouldn’t be able to tell if my subject is smiling or frowning, blinking or has his eyes open. Um…does anyone else see a problem with this?!!
* Editing control = Boooo!!!
After years of shooting with an SLR and DSLR, having close to ZERO control in how my shots will turn out is torture! Even when I take photos with my iPhone, there are numerous free apps that allow me to edit my photo after I’ve taken it. With a Lytro, I can control only a couple things, from what I can tell: cropping (though I don’t know how and where I’d do this) and shooting in Creative Mode, which only allows me to choose the focal ranges before I take the shot. Even for amateur photogs, I think having this level of editing control is a bad thing.
* Image quality = 3.
This one is the biggest disappointment for me. It doesn’t matter how fun the camera is to use if it doesn’t take great photos… or even decent ones (see comparison photos above)! End of story.
* I don’t know how to categorize this. Let’s call it Everything-you-do-between-pressing-the-shutter-and-interacting-with-the-image (like the ones I posted above) = 3.
I found this process to be quite a hassle. Here’s an example. *deep breath* Okay, let’s say I took a photo of my friend and want to email it to her. Here’s what I have to do…
First I have to find the USB cable. Since there is no memory card for the Lytro, like other digital cameras, I need to use a USB cable to connect the camera to my computer. The connection will trigger the automatic uploading of these images into the Lytro software. (The automatic part is nice.) This software step is a pain if you use multiple computers because the images are software-dependent (ie, you can’t share/upload/play with them without the software). I must also note that the image uploading process moves at a snail’s pace — OMG! Each photo is a huge data file, so uploading 12 or so images took me about 20 minutes. (It felt longer!)
After my images have uploaded, I can add notes and categorize the images into folders. (That part is pretty cool.) Then — yep, there’s more — I need to send the images to Lytro’s website where it hosts the photos. That is where I would view the photos, post them on Facebook or get the HTML code to embed into a blog. I cannot email a Lytro image to my friend. <Insert “WA-WAAAH” gameshow sound here!>
That leads me to…
* Ease of sharing = 4.
The Lytro software gives you 4 ways to share: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or copy the HTML code. Though there are 4 share options, you have to go through such a lengthy process to get to that point. So unless I need my photos to be interactive, I would much rather take a photo with my iPhone and then email, post, tweet or text it all within 30 seconds!
* It is a niche product.
Though it seems to be marketed towards mainstream consumers, I can’t think of when I’d need to have interactive images with variable focal points. I could only come up with a couple photographic instances where it would be better to shoot with a Lytro and not one of my other cameras (DSLR, point-and-shoot and iPhone).
* Versatility/Flexibility = 0.
It ONLY shoots this way, so I’d always need to bring another camera with me because I don’t want all my photos to be “living” (and in poor quality).
* Limited printing abilities = n/a.
I read on one of the Lytro forums that you can save it as a JPG, so you can print it. Without following all the online forums and watching all the instructive videos, I have no idea how to do this. Moreover, I don’t know if that even matters because the image quality is so poor that I wouldn’t want a print of it. Shots taken with a Lytro camera are only cool in the “Living Picture” format.
SUMMARY
Do I like Lytro? YESSIREEBOB. I think Lytro is a very cool gadget. I think Light Field technology changes the way we experience photos.
Am I going to buy a Lytro? NO. What it boils down to is poor image quality and limited use ability. It is fun to play with, but that’s about it. Once the novelty wears off, I wouldn’t use it much. I’d rather put $400 towards a new lens for my DSLR.
With that said, I think Lytro is a product to watch because it will keep evolving and improving. The technology is definitely a game-changer in the photography industry. It just hasn’t changed for me personally.
If you want to learn more, I encourage you to search the web. I know my review is highly opinionated! Here is an article I recently read that was informative.
If you have a Lytro camera, feel free to share your experiences on this blogsite or my Facebook wall!
As part of a PayPal project where they will feature some of their small business customers, I got to meet Dave and Darrell, the co-founders of UserTesting.com today.
UserTesting.com provides a web-based service, rather than physical products, so shooting Darrell, one of the co-founders, posed an interesting challenge.
My task was to get a headshot in landscape orientation, but I wanted more than that. I wanted to capture the essence of the business as I did with SheetMusicPlus last month.
Inside the Office
Action Board
Outside the Office
In these images, you get a sense that it is a small business, which is important for this project, and you get a sense for their business.
Wahooo!
I don’t consider myself “wise” by any means, but the one thing I am certain of is the importance of defining “success” based on happiness, which is internal — rather than external factors, like the size of my office, what car I drive and how much money I have.
This learning did not come easily as it took the passing of my father, a major career change, and lots of self-searching to discover.
Why am I thinking about this on an early Monday morning?
While I sipped my caramel mocha, I couldn’t help but smile as I watched my little Ava playing next to me. (She turned 2 yesterday!)
Then I got an email from a client that read:
I just wanted to say I can’t stop looking (and smiling) at the gallery, the photos are just amazing :) Thanks so much for the happiness!!
I love what I do everyday. Being with my family. Shooting on weekends. Editing photos, working with clients, blogging. And when I hear how happy my artwork makes my clients, I feel so fulfilled!
I hope to teach my monkeys to define their own success and to be brave enough to go for it!
Have a great Monday, my friends. I hope this 4-image series from one of my recent client galleries will help start off your week with a chuckle!
Sometimes I download apps on my iPhone or iPad for my kids, and I end up playing them! Now if my kids were teenagers, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but they are young kids, so it’s a little embarrassing. Surely this has happened to you, right?!!
Anyhow, my almost-7 and 4 year old kids and I all play Pocket Potions. We have our own potion store and “visit” each other’s store and leave gifts. It’s surprisingly entertaining and I even bring my former Category Management experience to my potion store in terms of choosing how to merchandise and which products to sell to optimize sales and traffic. Geeky, I know.
Whoops, sorry for digressing.
The one part of this game that even my 4 year old understands is that gems are special. When we get a gem, we are grateful and excited… and sometimes even high-five each other. Heh heh.
My San Francisco lifestyle family photography session yesterday was a gem!
Like most new clients, I met the K family for the first time at their photoshoot. We were joking and laughing with each other within minutes, like old friends. Tatiana even knew what I was saying before I even said anything. Baby Rafaela enjoyed the photoshoot. We shot at a park and their home, and captured a variety of activities, looks and moods.
Lifestyle photography is much more than getting the right exposure and knowing how to frame a shot. It’s also about how to make your subjects relaxed and trust you, so they can be themselves, be tender or romantic or silly.
Dare to Pick Up Beatrice the Banana Slug
Hi Beatrice! I bet Allen misses you.
Comfort
It was apparent that Baby Rafaela found comfort in touching mommy’s hair. It was so sweet.
Sharing Snacks
PSYCH!!!
Front and Back
This is Tatiana, the gorgeous momma whom I was shooting…
This is what was going on behind me…
At Home
We spent the second half of the shoot at the K family’s home. Here are a couple that I love…
Rafaela and I were playing while Daddy Allen was watching on the couch. I shot mostly Rafaela as she laughed so hard that drool poured out of her mouth!
I also captured a couple shots of Allen who lit up every time his baby laughed. Just precious.
This weekend’s lifestyle family photography session was in one of San Francisco’s well-known parks.
Over the Hills and Through the Woods
Woodsy parks provide an abundance of textures, streaming sunlight, and coverage from direct sun when we need it.
It’s Never Too Late
My sweet clients, Lean and Phil, said they regret never having an engagement session. Boo.
Well, it’s never too late to have Couple’s Photos, even with baby #2 on the way!
Preparation
Just as I would capture the time when a woman transforms into a bride, I also love capturing moments a family prepares their kids for a photoshoot!
I find all the parental activities of wiping, combing, picking (hee hee) and fixing utterly sweet.
The Unexpected Smiles
It is always nice to have a photo of your child looking straight into the camera with a smile on her face. The subject is centered. The exposure and lighting is perfect.
Perhaps these photos are a little too canned or the smile is present, but not actually expressive, because the photos that tug at my heartstrings are usually not these kinds of shots.
They are the shots where the child is laughing so hard that she squeezed her eyes closed or held her hand over her mouth that makes me laugh out loud! It’s the photo of a baby who just finished crying and still has fresh tears on her cheek that makes me shed tears.
Peekaboo!
I love how Lean really pops (not that kind of “pop”) in her red dress because the sun is pointing straight at her, like a spotlight, while her daughter Felicity is in the tree’s shadow. I couldn’t have planned the light better even if this was in a studio!
What makes this one of my favorite shots from the session is Lean’s body language, movement of her hair and dress, and her expression. Mooah! I love images that tell a story.
My photography article on light was published today in Tamron’s March 2012 newsletter!
To read the full article, you can go directly to Tamron’s newsletter here.
Here is a taste of the article:
Thanks, Tamron, for providing the lenses for these photos. They were sharp and fun to use.
The 200-500mm zoom is a monster lens, and I can’t wait to use it when I visit Africa one day!
It must be late because I am exhausted and can’t think of a clever title for this post. Oh wait, it’s only 9:00pm!
Well, today was a good day because I got to see Kai, Maya and Nina (and their parents). It has been 6 months, and I’ve missed them!
Quiet Observation
I arrived half an hour early to the shoot, so I walked around to check out the new location and watched this airplane, and many others, land.
It was nice to have this quiet time. Once the F family arrived, I didn’t notice the airplanes anymore… at least not the ones in the sky.
Riding a Clown Car
Making Faces
Making Paper Airplanes
Heave-Ho!
It was fun to watch Alex carry his daughters, who aren’t so small anymore, over his shoulders!
See you in the Fall, F Family! I can’t wait!
xo,
annie
This morning’s San Francisco Bay Area newborn photography session was of baby Mica who gave her parents a little surprise: arriving 2 weeks early!
Since Mommy is a Geologist, it only makes sense that her name, Mica, is a mineral that sparkles! How poetic and pretty.
Little Miss Mica
Look how alert Miss Mica is at only 6 days old!
All the Details
Capturing newborn details includes those teeny tiny feet, the wee little face, the itty bitty bum…. and even the dried umbilical cord stump.
Though it may look unattractive to some people, the cord is a beautiful detail because it marks the newness of the baby as the cord is only there for a short time.
Checking Out Her Baby Sister
One of the fun aspects of newborn photography is capturing images of the parents with their baby, but also the reactions and interactions with the baby’s siblings. In some cases, the siblings are furry ones.
Below is Luna checking out her baby sister.
Sniffing each other…
Family Time
Family time includes wet furry kisses, of course.
Family time also includes lounging on the couch. (The black Lab feet you see on the right is Billie’s, Mica’s other older sister.)
The Kiss
First off, let me just say it. You know you’re thinking it! Kristin is model-gorgeous and yes, she gave birth not even a week ago! Okay, let us move on…
This is one of my favorite shots from today’s session.
Just from the image, you can tell that Mommy’s kiss was gentle and heartfelt. You can also tell that Daddy Jimmy was holding Mica. What is the cherry on top of the sundae here is that Mica is looking directly at him! It’s such a precious moment.
Congratulations, Kristin, Jimmy, Billie and Luna!
Baby Mica is an amazing little person and a great addition to your loving family. I am so honored to be one of the first people to meet her and the first to photograph her!
xo,
annie
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