Not a creature was stirring...not even a mouse....

As a food photographer, I rarely get the time to take pictures of the actual food prepping/styling part of my job, so I thought I would pull the camera off of the tripod and bring it into the kitchen for a bit this afternoon. This time of year is traditionally candy-making time for me. I have been making chocolate covered Christmas goodies for several years now....and somehow it's just not Christmas around our house until both the peanut butter & coconut balls have been dipped in chocolate and the little chocolate mice have been assembled. It's just a little tradition around here. I hope you and your families are enjoying this wonderful time of year carrying on whatever traditions you might have...whether they take place in the kitchen or elsewhere....here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Cuteness

I know this is a random post, but I couldn't resist sharing this cuteness. A co-worker of mine just got a new puppy and I had a chance to snap a few shots of this little darling. Anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE animal lover! Any excuse I have to play with (or especially photograph) animals, I jump on it! Hopefully, this will add a smile to someone's day today...:)

Outdoor Studio

At Cat's Eye Photography, we love outdoor portraits taken in natural light with beautiful natural surroundings. Over the past few years, we've slowly been working on growing an outdoor studio. It's still in its beginning stages, but we have a good start! The outdoor setting works great for kids of all ages because they have lots of room to run around and explore. I prefer to schedule outdoor sessions in the early morning hours or late evening when the light is a beautiful golden color and the shadows are long. Come on out and visit and experience a truly relaxing atmosphere. If you would like to book an outdoor summer portrait session, contact us today!

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring is almost here! It has been a beautiful week here in Carolina and I couldn't help but notice many of the wonderful signs of Spring coming to life around us. Here are a few shots of Spring emerging from its deep winter sleep....

Shooting With Natural Light

Sorry...I know it's been a long time since I last posted! My shooting schedule has been crazy lately and today is the first day I've had in a while to sit down, breathe and get reorganized. To let in a bit of fresh air to the blog I thought focusing on natural light as a topic would be appropriate and somewhat refreshing.

I absolutely adore shooting in natural light...I always have. It represents what the good Lord has given us to work with without even thinking about plugging into an electrical outlet. It's amazing what simple, natural lighting can do to transform an image. No matter what the subject is, God-given sunshine can turn something ordinary into extraordinary.

If you're wondering how to go about shooting in natural light, here are a few tips:

1. If shooting indoors, try to

choose a window or doorway that gets soft, indirect light. In my studio I have a northeast-facing window that gets wonderful morning light. If you're stuck with harsh light coming through your windows, improvise by covering windows with soft white fabric or sheers to create a more diffused light.

2. Using a tripod is a must...especially when working indoors with natural light. If you want to create a wonderful soft light/shallow depth of field in your photos you will want to use a slower shutter speed and a wide aperture. You want to avoid camera shake, so use a tripod.

3. Natural light is wonderful for accentuating the textures of an object or even a person's facial features. Work on positioning your subject next to a window where the light skims across the surface you are focused on.

4. When shooting outdoors be sure to choose "open shade" spots, such as under a tree or the shady side of a building. You don't want to be in too dark of a spot, but you also don't want to have harsh sunlight causing your subject to squint or develop under eye shadows.

5. Carry along a small reflector to use indoors and outdoors when working with natural light. If you don't have a professional reflector, you can improvise by using a piece of white foam board from your local craft store.

With the snow finally melting away and Springtime right around the corner, the sunshine is beginning to make it's presence known a bit more often, so now is the perfect time to practice working with natural light!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!

Go to www.catseyephotography.net for more examples of Natural Lighting. E-mail questions to courtney@catseyephotography.net.