Having a Comfortable Senior Session with The Camera’s Eye

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No matter where we are or what you wear, I want you to be comfortable during your senior photos with The Camera’s Eye. That’s why it’s important for YOU to bring a little bit of home with you! Think siblings…best friends…pets! And then cue the gorgeous natural smiles:

Keep in mind – we don’t want your pet (or other ‘significant other’) to dominate your session with The Camera’s Eye. Think about only having your pet for part of the session and having someone there to take him or her home while we focus on you!

Same goes for human companions- it’s super distracting for both of us if your sister or bestie is taking cell phone pictures while we’re trying to knock out YOUR professional session. It also slows us down – we move around a LOT and we need to optimize your time behind the camera, and make it all about you! I do love meeting the people in your life, and I LOVE seeing them add just that right amount of bubble and shine to your portraits!

School is starting up, but it’s not too late to schedule a senior session with me – contact me today!

Owego Free Academy Prom 2016

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I am so thrilled to have been the official photographer for the Owego Free Academy prom this year! It took place on Saturday May 21st at Pumpelly House in Owego, so The Camera’s Eye had options for beautiful shots both inside and outside! Read to the end to find out how you can see all OFA prom photos by The Camera’s Eye – but first, a little bit about the planning and set up!

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The theme was Enchanted Forest, which came off beautifully (even though it was raining all day!) Local fave Tioga Gardens provided the wave petunias and ferns. My neighbor Fuddy Duddy’s provided the lighted trees, which they actually sell in the store, believe it or not!

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OFA prom is no small endeavor….it’s an all-day event! Kids could stop at a number of locations for photos, including the grounds of the Pumpelly House.

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I was hired by the 2016 OFA class advisor to shoot outside from 3 to 6, and then indoors for the remainder of the evening. One of the best parts to see was a teacher announcing students at the large red front doors, sharing special recollections about each student. After going through our indoor setup, the couples traipsed through the beautiful gardens out back.

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After taking photos, the kids took limos and party buses to restaurants, going as far away as the Bartow House in Nichols, the Boat House in Ithaca and the Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen.

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The prom ends at 2 in the morning, after which the kids head over to the high school for an all night post-prom party with an awesome prizes and entertainment. This party is the result of a ton of work on the part of OFA parents, and it shows! Kids received gift certificates, played everything from glow-in-the-dark golf to casino games, and entered their prize tickets to win dash cams, iPads, GPS units, and more! Then of course there was a full breakfast at 5 am.

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Can’t forget a photo of myself and my awesome junior helper, who wrangled umbrellas and helped everything run smoothly!

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Take a look at ALL photos from last weekend at our client proofing page, using the password ofaprom.

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A big thank you to the OFA senior class for letting me capture your prom night!

What’s a Selection Session Like at The Camera’s Eye?

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Contrary to popular myth, only a small part of a professional photographer’s time is spent shooting. Another crucial part of my work at The Camera’s Eye is the selection session, where I sit down with you to figure out what you need and want with your finished photos.

This is the point where you’ve looked through your online gallery about, oh, 100 times. You have some definite faves and some maybes. You’ve flipped through our brochure but you want to touch on some actual products, and you’re not sure about sizes for your wall. So: book a selection session! Just share a list of your faves and maybes in advance and when you arrive, we’ll run through a new slideshow of just those images and help you narrow down the LOVES.

In a selection session at The Camera’s Eye, you can see your images in a much clearer format than if you were hunched over and scrolling through them on a computer screen.  Anya’s session provides a GREAT example. Photo 1 and Photo 2 are roughly the same, with different body language.

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But what you can’t necessarily see at your computer, unless I point it out to you right now, are the droplets of water on her face, which are CRUCIAL for a swimming photo! (See ’em below?)

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In addition to getting this new level of detail, you can pick the brain of a professional photographer 🙂 It’s like having your own personal secretary walk you through your retouched images! I can – if you want – help you build your package of images and gifts for your family.  I take notes on everything, down to “Grandma Jean wants an 11×14.” Or if you have it under control, just share with me what you’d like to order and I’ll take your direction.

The original sunflower shot. We found a small patch that had the right idea...

What’s retouching? Well, here’s the original sunflower shot. We found a small patch that had the right idea…

Keep in mind, if you’re not sure what you want, I’m here to guide you! Show me your wall space through images on your phone, or just give me the dimensions of the area that you’re trying to fill. Pictures are especially helpful, since I can see how to match your existing style when it comes to frames, canvases, and even which photos to display. To be honest, I’m so close to some of my clients that I can ask, “Are you referring to that area just past the entryway, on your left by the turn in the stairs?”

...but we needed a few more flowers in there, to kick it up a notch...

…but I needed to add a few more flowers in there, to kick it up a notch…

Notice that this is a “selection” session, NOT a “sales” session. Many people think that sitting down with the photographer means being directed to buy more. Trust me, my only goal in the selection session at The Camera’s Eye is to get you the photos you want and need printed and ready for display!

...and finally, the completely retouched and finished product!

…and finally, the completely retouched and finished product!