H A W A I I A N P I X

A Guide to Sunset Sessions

2012-01-27T11:05:00.000-10:00

One of our most popular times to schedule a couple's portrait session is at sunset. There is no denying that there is something very romantic about two people in love getting their picture taken against a beautiful Hawaiian sunset.

Recently, we had a sunset session at Kawailoa Beach on the North Shore with two Alaska love birds - Cassie and Keith.

I thought their session would be perfect to explain how a sunset session with Hawaiianpix typically works.

When you call us and request a sunset session, Micole keeps two things in mind - location and time. Some locations on the island (ie. the east side of Oahu) do not work for that "sunset glow and reflection" that most couples desire in their photographs. Lately, our most popular locations for couple sunset portraits has been Kawailoa Beach on the North Shore and Ala Moana Beach Park on Hawaii's south shore.

Timing is crucial. Thankfully, in our book system we have a sunset set calendar. Micole will look at the day requested, and she will schedule your session to start one hour before the recorded sunset time.

We do this so you get regular sunlight in the beginning of your session......

About half way into your session, you start to get a golden glow in your photos from the setting sun...

Finally, the setting sun's "glow" turns into a full on sunset. Typically by this time the couple is feeling a little bit more comfortable in front of the camera, and you can really see the passion between them!

If you are interested in scheduling a romantic session against a beautiful Hawaiian sunset, call Micole at 808-387-0869 (Tuesday-Friday, 9am - 1pm)

Zumba Fundraiser for a Hawaii Photographer

2012-01-20T10:04:00.000-10:00

Hawaiianpix Photography is trying to spread the word about a Zumba fundraiser taking place on January 22, 2012 to raise money for the medical bills acquired by Hawaii photographer friend, Marcia Campbell. Marcia was seriously injured during a recent hit-and-run bicycle accident. It is a true tragedy that this had to happen to such a talented photographer. We hope that you read the story below from her personal blog, and become inspired to help out in any way possible. More information can be found at http://marciacampbell.com/blog/?p=1121.

Mahalo,

Jerry

On December 9, Marcia had a bicycle accident while biking to her dance class in Kaimuki as usual. When she came to her senses she was lying down on the sidewalk and her bike was leaning against the wall. Marcia still does not remember what happened, but being the tough Marcia that she is she called her good friend, who was on speed dial, to come and get her. When Sofia arrived and saw the state in which Marcia was in she called the ambulance right away. Marcia was taken to Queens Hospital Emergency. She was found with multiple fractures, to face, head, back, and hands and had to be hospitalized for an extent of time. After about 6 days she went through surgery to repair the facial fractures. Due to the nature of the surgery she will be on a liquid diet for 6 weeks. At the time of the accident Marcia was not covered by health insurance. You can just imagine the impact on her physical and financial life.

Today Marcia is at home recovering from her injuries, even though, her recovery has been outstanding, she will be unable to work for a couple of months.

Since the accident happened many friends came together to help Marcia while she was at the hospital. They gave their time and took shifts in order to help taking care of her. They changed their daily routine in order to ensure Marcia’s wellbeing! They are still helping in many ways. It is a flow of friends who come every day to assist her and we are very thankful to All of you: Angels!

Marcia, as most of you know, is an exceptional professional photographer specialized in weddings and portraits. She has several booked weddings, to photograph, but unfortunately some were cancelled.

Story from http://marciacampbell.com/blog/?p=1121

Valentine's Day Promotion

2012-01-19T12:45:00.001-10:00

MAKE THEIR HEART SOAR!

This Valentine's Day, give them something they will truly love...

You!

For a limited time, Hawaiianpix is offering discount codes for any online print order. Simply apply these codes to your shopping cart when checking out.

Need your gallery published back online? Simply email Lyndsi at labtech@hawaiianpix.com and let her know. The offer expires 1/31/12 to ensure print delivery by Valentine's Day.

We Are Back and Our Calendar is Filling Up Fast!

2012-01-13T10:48:00.001-10:00

As most of you know, we took two weeks off during the holidays for our annual holiday break. This was our first week back in the office and

boy have we been busy!

One of the reasons we have been so busy is from the release of the Hawaiianpix Groupon last weekend. You can't buy the Groupon anymore, but here is a look at what we were offering -

We had an amazing response and even had the Groupon extended for an additional day!

This week we received a high volume of phone calls and emails. People from all over the world are scheduling their appointments and our calendar is filling up fast.

Are you interested in scheduling a Groupon appointment?

Call Micole as soon as possible to schedule your appointment. Even if you don't need your pictures taken for a few months, it is good to book early! Can you believe that we are already getting requests for appointments all the way into April?

Micole is in the office to schedule appointments Tuesday-Friday 9am-1pm (HST).

If you call during the business hours and it goes straight to voice mail we are on the other line. Just leave a message and we will call you as soon as we get a chance. We have answered every email that we received with either a call or email reply. If for some reason you still haven't heard from us, try us again.

We would love to get you scheduled!

Give us a call at 808-387-0869

January Groupon Special

2012-01-08T06:59:00.000-10:00

Hawaiianpix

Groupon Offer 2012

Who can benefit from this offer? Friends, Family members, Visitors to the Hawaii, High School Seniors, Couples who are getting married, or Business owners who want to give a gift to a great client.

We are especially looking for anyone who hasn't updated their Facebook profile page this year, or is using that high school or baby picture as their profile pic. Maybe you know someone who still has a 1970's hair do in thier family photo that is faded and hanging on their wall. HOOK EM' UP.

This offer will end on Monday January 9th, 2012 and is a limited offer we can only do so many of these things you know. Get Yours & refer a friend today time is running out.

Holiday Office Closure

2011-12-21T11:53:00.000-10:00

Hawaiianpix's office will be closed from December 23rd - January 9th for our annual holiday break.

We are all taking a break to spend time with our friends and family and enjoy the holidays.

Any pre-scheduled events will take place like normal. Jerry and Wes will still be attending any photography sessions already on the calendar.

To tie you over, we thought you would enjoy a little holiday humor from all of us at Hawaiianpix Photography.

Click here to view all of us as dancing elves.

In case you can't watch the video, here are a few screen shots of what you missed.

First, you see the whole Hawaiianpix crew...

Of course, there is some dancing...

And some singing...

Even some paper art?

Lastly, you can't help but laugh at Jerry's mad guitar skills...

and Connie's saxophone skills (which she actually plays in real life)....

Jerry makes the best elf! Micole is the whitest elf of all. Lyndsi has mad dance skills. Wes is perfect in lederhosen.What do you think?

Thank you for a remarkable year! We will see you all in 2012.

U Family - Winning!

2011-12-20T11:52:00.001-10:00

The votes have been counted, the winner has been notified....

we can finally announce the winner of the

Hawaiianpix Facebook Challenge!!!

With an overwhelming response (over 50 votes for their photograph!),

the winner is.... drum roll please .....

The U Family!!

The U Family has won a $100 Hawaiianpix Gift Certificate good for any of our services including - print orders, future portrait sessions and photography eduction.

We asked the U Family to send us a picture with their hard earned prize and we love what they sent back to us!

We love that they also got in the holiday spirit. They are such a fun family!

We also have to give a shout out to the S Family who were originally holding the lead, but ended up coming into a close second place. Good job S Family!

Thank you to everybody that participated in our first ever Hawaiianpix Facebook Challenge. We had such a great response that we hope to do the challenge again in the future.

Patrick and Beth - The Perfect Sunset

2011-12-15T11:27:00.000-10:00

A few weeks ago we had the privilege of taking photographs of Patrick and Beth at Kawailoa Beach on the North Shore. The session went amazingly well! You would never guess that the couples weren't professional models; they were extremely comfortable in front of the camera. You can see the love between them and even their playful side.

It started off as a cloudy, overcast day but as the sun started to set we soon realized it was going to be a perfect North Shore sunset.

If you would like to schedule a sunset session please call Micole at 808-387-0869 or email her at micole@hawaiianpix.com

Lightroom Workshop with Hawaiianpix

2011-12-15T10:28:00.001-10:00

Holiday Special for a Hawaiianpix Workshop!

Regular Price - $120

Purchase before December 25th

for just $99!!

Overview of our Lightroom Workshop -

This is a beginning class in Lightroom for Photographers. Learn the basicsof the program, including the initial setup, importing & exporting files, creating user presets, the tools pallet, brush tool, image resizing, color anddensity corrections and creating specialty images. Students will learn basic Photographic workflowtechniques as well as use of 3rd party plugins and working with print,gallery and other specialized tools within the program. Course includes a full day of instruction and video DVD's of lessons covered. Class is limited to just 10 Students Register early to insure availability.

For more information on the Lightroom Workshop visit our website at

http://www.hawaiianpix.com/p-44-lightroom-for-beginning-photographers-021812.aspx

OR get a better look at our holiday promotion

Click here

Questions?? Call or email Micole today -

808-397-0869

micole@hawaiianpix.com

Rain, Rain Go Away

2011-12-14T10:40:00.001-10:00

For most parts of the United States, the winter months bring freezing temperatures and snow. For Hawaii, our winter consist of rainier days and higher surf. During these months one of the most frequently asked questions from our clients is -

What if it rains the day of our photography session?

Well, unfortunately of the many talents Jerry possesses, stopping the rain is not one of them. We often check the weather in the morning to see what the forecast holds. If it looks like there is no way that we will be able to shoot, we will give the clients a call and reschedule their appointment.

However, anybody that lives in Hawaii knows that it can be raining heavily in the morning and have bright blue skies by the afternoon. Or they know that it can be crummy weather on one part of the island and another part has perfect weather.

So when we get asked the infamous rain question, we usually tell people they have a few options -

1. If it is raining at the beginning of the shoot we can always wait it out for a few minutes to see if the rain will stop. Sometimes it only rains a few minutes in Hawaii and then it stops.

2. We can reschedule based on both party's availability.

3. We can go a head a take the pictures in the rain.

For some reason, not a lot of people pick option 3. However, we have found that taking the pictures in the rain doesn't have to be all that bad.

A few weeks ago we had a session with the B Family. It was a very rainy day, but rescheduling was not an option for the B Family. The husband was home on a two week deployment R&R, and was heading back in the next few days. Time was limited, so the B Family decided to take their pictures in the rain (luckily, there were a lot of trees to hide under).

Despite the rainy weather, we think they turned out great!!

A big thank you to the B Family for being such good sports!

Top Contenders for the $100 Hawaiianpix Gift Certificate

2011-12-02T10:45:00.001-10:00

The Hawaiianpix Facebook challenge continues, and we are impressed by all your comments and likes on your favorite Hawaiianpix Facebook photo!!

Just a refresher on how this challenge works. First you will need to "like" the Hawaiianpix Facebook page. Once you have liked the page, search through all of our galleries and give us feedback on your favorite Hawaiianpix photograph. The subject in the photograph with the most feedback (includes likes and comments) will win a $100 Hawaiianpix Gift Certificate to be used on any of our services (print orders, photography and education). Share the photograph with friends and family to get the most feedback!!

The contest ends December 5th which means you only have a few more days to vote!

Check out our top contenders as of Friday. Currently, their photographs have the most comments or likes...but who knows anything could change in the next few days! Head over to our Facebook page to place your vote - http://www.facebook.com/HawaiianpixPhotography

Top contenders -

(in no particular order)

L Family

S Family -

U Family -

Christian and Elizabeth -

Brittany and Jason -

We just added a few more photographs from some of our more recent sessions. They may be entered late in the game but they still have a chance! Here are some of the newest additions -

L Family -

B Family -

T Family -

Once again, the link to the Hawaiianpix Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/HawaiianpixPhotography. The winner will be announced the following week.

Win a $100 Hawaiianpix Gift Certificate

2011-11-29T11:42:00.001-10:00

You may have received a very exciting promotion in your mailbox last week.

If you have a photograph featured in one of the Hawaiianpix Facebook Albums you have the chance to win a $100 Hawaiianpix gift certificate!

How can you win the gift certificate? It is easy! Simply let all your friends and family know about Hawaiianpix Photography's Facebook page. Have them go to your photograph in the gallery and like or comment on the image. The photograph with the most feedback by December 5th will win a $100 Hawaiianpix gift certificate to use on any of our services!!

What are you waiting for?! Go see if you have a chance to win!

Click here for the Hawaiianpix Photography's Faceook page

In case you missed the email, here is a copy of what we sent out.

Thank You from Hawaiianpix!

2011-11-23T10:05:00.001-10:00

Thanksgiving is less than 24 hours away, and we are all day dreaming about stuffing our faces with delicious food tomorrow. But before we begin in the festivities, the entire Hawaiianpix crew wants to give a big

THANK YOU

to all our amazing clients!

It has been a very busy fall season, which is a wonderful thing. We have had the privilege of meeting people from all over the United States (and sometimes the world). We love each and every one of our clients. With out you guys there would truly be no Hawaiianpix.

So visualize all of us at Hawaiianpix giving you all a big virtual HUG!

Okay, having a hard time visualizing our virtual hug? Maybe some of these hugging themed photos will help!

S Family -

Lauren and Ricky -

S Family -

N Family -

Matt and Sarah -

U Family -

Mike and Mandy -

L Family -

Cindy and Gerry -

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! Hawaiianpix will be closed November 24th and November 25th, but will resume normal business hours on Saturday the 26th.

"Pixurelab by Hawaiianpix" Mobile App

2011-11-18T10:35:00.001-10:00

Did you know that there is a mobile app that makes it possible to instantly print off professionally quality photos from your phone? All you have to do is upload your photos from your phone onto the LifePics app and select Hawaiianpix Pixurelab as your location to print them off. We print in our lab and you pick them up. It is that easy! To explain it in detail lets go through the process step-by-step (example shown on an Android phone) -

First of all, go to your app store on your iPhone, iPad, or Android enabled device and search for the "Lifepics App." Its a free app and easy to download and install.

Step 1: Find the app and download and install -

Step 2: Open the app on your phone -

Step 3: Go to "My Account" -

Step 4: Create an account. Or if you already have one just log-in.

Step 5: If you live in Hawaii, you will need to find the Hawaiinapix Pixurelab. To select us as your store, you can use your current location (GPS enabled) or you can enter your Hawaiian postal code. If you don't live in Hawaii, no worries! You still have the opportunity to get your photos printed at a professional lab. You simply need to find other professional printing labs in your area by using your current location or postal code.

Step 6: Once you have entered in your location, you will be directed to another screen. When you are on this screen you will need to choose Pixurelab as your fulfillment lab.

Step 7: Once you have chosen your lab, the next step is uploading the photos you want to have printed from your mobile device. You will need to go back to your homepage and select "Albums."

Step 8: Your phone's camera roll (or gallery) will be the first album listed. If you already have a Pixurelab account, then your past Pixurelab photo albums will show up below your camera's roll. If this is your first time using Pixurelab, then the only album listed will be your camera roll.

Step 9: Select the album and the images that you want to print. For easy ordering, make sure they are all the same size.

Step 10: Upload your selected image(s).

Step 11:

Choose the quantity and size of the image you want to print. It is important to remember that there is a 3 MEGAPIXELS minimum for 8x10 prints.

Step 12: Once you have completed the quantity, add them to your shopping cart. The minimum cart order is $2.00, so make sure you order enough for all your friends!

Step 13: The final step! Complete your contact information and submit the order. When your order is completed, you will get a notification through your email saying your order is completed and ready for pick-up! Note: the app doesn't have a way to include shipping cost, so orders are available for pick-up only.

That is all! Only 13 easy steps to get your mobile photos printed at a professional print lab. With the Lifepics app you can store your images online for up to six months for free, share your photos directly with your facebook account, and email your images to family and friends. You can also download images from your facebook account (full resolution is best) to your Pixurelab account for storage and printing anywhere.

Do you live far away from your friends and family? You can stay connected with Pixurelab by downloading your pictures to the app and choosing to have your pictures printed off at a location close to your family and friends. Once they are ready for pick-up, your family member or friend can go their neighborhood location to get the prints you sent them!

Holiday Cut-Off Dates!

2011-11-16T10:44:00.001-10:00

Hawaiianpix has some important cut-off dates for holiday ordering!

You might have woken up and seen this email in your inbox today -

To clarify - We will still go ahead with our existing reservations December 11th - January 9th, however, during that time period we will not be accepting reservations.

It is important to take note of all the special dates. We want to make sure your holiday orders are received in time for Christmas.

You may have noticed the deadline for the end of all our online specials. If you are don't know what online specials we are talking about here they are -

Those are some amazing deals you aren't going to want to miss out on!!

If you have any questions please contact Micole at 808-387-0869 or micole@hawaiianpix.com.

Mahalo to Our Military!

2011-11-10T10:07:00.001-10:00

This Veteran's Day, the Hawaiianpix crew wants to say a big MAHALO to our military!

We appreciate everything that our military and their families sacrifice for us everyday. Living in Hawaii, we are surrounded by all military branches - army, air force, marines, navy, and coast guard. Many of our valued clients have a military connection.

Amanda and Jason -

Did you know that the majority of the Hawaiianpix crew is made up of military spouses? We are one big military family representing a wide variety of branches.

Jerry and his wife, Connie, are the owners of Hawaiianpix. Connie is retired air force. We got her to dig up some photos of her early air force days. Love her glasses in the second picture!

Connie at Chanute AFB, IL 1987

Connie at McGhee - Tyson AFB, TN 1988

Lyndsi is the Hawaiianpix lab tech. Her husband is in the marines. They got married two years ago in Massachusetts. Here is a photo from their wedding day -

Micole deals with all the scheduling, phone calls, and social media. Her husband is in the army. They met almost about five years ago in Alaska when her husband was stationed at Fort Wainwright. In January, her husband graduated from Ranger School. Here they are at the Ranger School graduation -

Lastly, we have Wes, an associate photographer at Hawaiiwanpix. His wife is a senior airman in the air force. This year they went to Maui and tried zip-lining. Here they are before they headed down the zip-line -

Hawaiianpix will be closed on November 11, 2011 for Veteran's Day and we will be unable to take reservation and answer phone calls. However, we will resume our normal business hours on Saturday. Mahalo!

"Mahalo-ween" Party

2011-11-08T12:00:00.001-10:00

Halloween has come and gone, and we are all still recovering from our sugar induced comas. Before you block Halloween out of your mind until next year, we thought we would share what the Hawaiianpix crew was up to the day before Halloween.

This year we were asked to participate in the Hawaiian Prince "Mahalo-ween" Party to celebrate all the hotel's employees and their family. The "thank you" party was an exciting movie themed Halloween party. Of course, Halloween costumes were highly encouraged...and this included the Hawaiianpix crew!

Here you see the Hawaiianpix crew all dressed up. The goul and "Hit Girl" are attacking the cowgirl because she had a lame last-minute costume. Mr. Incredible is...well...he is just showing off his muscles.

Mr. Incredible (aka Jerry), Hit Girl (aka Connie), a scary goul (aka Lyndsi), and lame "cowgirl" (aka Micole)

Are you wondering how the Chipmunks got in the photo? Well they were part of the amazing movie themed props at party. Before the employees and their families walked the red carpet, they would first stop and get a photo with the Chipmunks. A short while after getting their pictures taken, Hawaiianpix printed off their photos with a spooky over-lay and the photos were ready for pick-up from their costumed owners.

We love how creative the employees and their families got with their costumes! Here is just a small sampling of some of the great costumes we saw that day.

A big MAHALO to the Hawaiian Prince Hotel for letting us participate in their first annual "Mahalo-ween" Party. If you would like to schedule Hawaiianpix for your next event call Micole at 808-387-0869 or email her at micole@hawaiianpix.com. You can also check out our event rates on our website.

Facebook Holiday Specials

2011-11-05T10:26:00.001-10:00

Have you liked Hawaiianpix's facebook page yet??

If not, you are missing out on some amazing holiday specials! We just released our newest holiday special. You will have to head over to our facebook page to see what it is, but lets just say you can save some major money on your next print order! Released just in time for you to order those prints for the holiday season!

How do you like us on facebook?? It is easy! Just click here...

http://www.facebook.com/HawaiianpixPhotography

... and then push "LIKE". Once you do that, you can keep up with our latest promotions. Who knows, you may even find a photo of you on our facebook page!

And don't forget, we are still offering a prize package to a randomly selected facebook fan of $300 worth of Silpada Sterling Silver Jewelry once we hit our 1,000 like!!

What are you waiting for?! Head over to facebook and check it out!

To Wear or Not to Wear? That is the Question!

2011-11-04T11:14:00.000-10:00

Okay, so you have your appointment scheduled. The time and location are all set. Now comes the hard part....what should we wear?

One of the most important things we tell clients is to wear something comfortable. When you are comfortable in the clothes you are wearing, your pictures reflect it. We always suggest that something in natural fabrics, cottons and light weight work best for portraits.

Janet and Matthew -

Don't forget about the location. If you are getting your photos taken at the beach remember to dress accordingly. You will be walking in sand, so high heels are not ideal. Flip-flops work great for the sand, however, most clients prefer just to go barefoot.

B Family at Kawailoa Beach -

If your location is at the studio or in a park, then shoes are definitely recommended. The type of shoe you wear is really up to you. We just suggest that you keep it consistent with everybody in the family. Don't mix formal shoes and flip-flops. If one person wants to wear formal shoes, then you should match the whole family.

H Family at Ala Moana Beach Park -

Lastly, it is important to remember that you don't want your clothes to compete with you as the main subject. We usually suggest staying away from busy prints and sticking with solid colors. Solid colors work best with the Hawaiian scenery in any location and present a clean bold front to your portrait.

G Family at Kawailoa Beach -

The key is to tie everyone together. Everyone should be in a common thread color. A neutral color or black/white combination look great in photographs. White and khaki seem to be a very popular color combination for our clients.

Levi and Harmony at Ala Moana Beach Park -

Thy and Than at Kawailoa Beach -

C Family at Kawailoa Beach -

If you use a colors (blue, red, pink, teal, etc), make sure that there are accents of the same hue in multiple people in the group shot. This will help to create a cohesive appearance for your group or even as a couple.

T Family at Kawailoa Beach -

Jacquelean and John at Kawailoa Beach-

S Family at Ko'Olina Marriott Beach Club -

M Family at Aulani Resort -

Rachel and David at Kawailoa Beach -

Just remember to keep it simple. You will make the photographs beautiful; your clothes need to be secondary. If you have any more questions about what to wear, check out the "clothing" portion of our portrait agreement.

If you have the clothes, but haven't booked a session yet. Call Micole at 808-387-0869 or email her at micole@hawaiianpix.com.

Dream Wedding of April and James

2011-10-28T12:58:00.002-10:00

It isn't every day that Hawaiianpix gets to photograph a wedding and be guest at the same time. Last month Jerry (aka Hawaiianpix boss-man) and Connie (aka Hawaiianpix boss-woman) attended the wedding of their close friends, James and April. They were honored when April and James asked them to be a part of their special day, Jerry as the photographer and Connie as the officiant.

Here you can see Connie in action during the wedding ceremony.

It is pretty obvious that April made a stunning bride. Her lace dress was absolutely beautiful.

The ceremony and reception took place at the Kathy Ireland Estate. It ended up being a very hot and sunny day with very little trade winds. However, the heat was easily forgettable when you looked at the love between the couple.

You may find it hard to believe that this wasn't the couple's only wedding ceremony this year. April and James wanted a wedding ceremony that included all of their family and friends. So they booked their wedding for September 29th, 2011. They already had their perfect wedding planned and paid for when they learned that they were winners of an all expense paid wedding by Kathy Ireland. You can see that beautiful wedding here. The Kathy Ireland wedding was amazing, however, a lot of their close family and friends were unable to attend. So they decided to still have the originally planned wedding on September 29th and continue with the wedding they completely planned for themselves.

Thank you April and James for letting Hawaiianpix be part of your special day! It was truly an amazing wedding.

Ala Moana Beach Park

2011-10-14T10:08:00.002-10:00

Here at Hawaiianpix we have a few beaches that we like to shoot at because we know the location offers great scenery and easy access for our clients. Last month, you may have read our blog post about one of our popular locations, Kawailoa Beach. Another one of Hawaiianpix's popular locations is Ala Moana Beach Park.

Anna and Phil -

We always love recommending Ala Moana Beach Park for our clients that live near Honolulu or are staying in Waikiki. For our visiting clients staying in Waikiki, Ala Moana Beach Park is the ideal location because you don't need a rental car to get to it and the area is often less crowded than the beaches of Waikiki.

B Family -

We also love Ala Moana Beach Park because it offers a variety of backdrops for our portraits! Not only can you have your picture at a beautiful Hawaiian beach, but the green grass and palm trees at the park make an amazing backdrop too.

V Family -

Johnathan and Dai -

Not to mention there is an amazing view of Diamond Head!

L Family -

If you are interested in scheduling your Hawaiianpix photo session at Ala Moana Beach Park (or any location on Oahu) please contact Micole at 808-387-0869 or micole@hawaiianpix.com.

Release of New Hawaiianpix Groupon!!

2011-10-07T10:32:00.000-10:00

Coming soon to a computer near you...

Hawaiianpix Groupon release!!!

Ahhhh!! The excitement is killing us!

We had so much success with our July Groupon that we have decided to release another Hawaiianpix Groupon! The high powers at Groupon can not tell us the exact date, but it should be sometime in the very, very near future.

So cancel all your plans this weekend (*hint hint*) and glue yourself to the computer, because you are NOT going to want to miss out on this deal!

A Family

If you are a "GROUPIE" in the Honolulu area and are looking for a great portrait deal, this is it. Look for the Hawaiianpix Groupon on your phone (get your Groupon app here). OR join the Groupon email list, if you aren't already a member now is the time to become one by clicking here.

These groupons can be used by you! OR you can purchase an additional groupon for your company, school or church, us them as a fundraiser, a gift or a promotional give away.

Joe and Sharron

The Hawaiianpix Groupon also make wonderful holiday gifts for family members or visitors!

A Family

What ever the reason, get your
Hawaiianpix Groupon!

Look for yours in the very near future in your
Groupon offerings, coming daily to a computer or phone near you.

The Hawaiianpix Groupon will only be available in a limited quanity, so be sure to purchase yours as soon as it is released!

Now is the time for those ...

* Couples Portraits

* Engagment Portraits

* BFFP (best friends forever portraits)
* Family Portraits

O Family

Don't Miss This One !

Are you currently a Hawaiianpix Groupon holder!? Schedule your appointment today! Our schedule is filling up fast for the holiday season and we highly encourage you to schedule your appointment as soon as possible! To schedule an appointment, contact Micole at 808-387-0869 or micole@hawaiianpix.com

Jason and Amanda

2011-09-30T11:21:00.000-10:00

You may remember when we posted this photo on facebook of Jerry in action at a recent photo shoot -

Well, the couple in that photograph was Jason and Amanda. Jerry recently photographed the young military couple at Ala Moana Beach Park. They both were a lot of fun to work with and ended up having some amazing photographs! You can really see the love this couple has for each other in these images.

Jason and Amanda had a great story of how they met. Amanda is from Iowa, and Jason is from Washington state. Both attended a mutual friends wedding in New York and the rest is history.

Jason is in the Navy and they wanted some photos of him in his sailor dress whites. Amanda patiently waited for him as it took him about twenty minutes to change. It was completely worth the wait, because the photos in his dress whites turned out really great.

We can't help but to have a soft spot for all our military customers. It probably has something to do with the fact that the majority of the Hawaiianpix crew is a military spouse. :) We love our military!

If you want to schedule a photography session with Hawaiianpix contact Micole at 808-387-0869 or email micole@hawaiianpix.com.

Having Some Fun!

2011-09-29T12:02:00.000-10:00

Sometimes showing your personality can be a lot of fun!

Here are a few recent photographs of our clients showing their playful side.

Christian and Elizabeth -

P Family -

Ricky and Robert -

B Family -

Hanh and Cong -

H Family -

...and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your children have a different idea for how the photo shoot should go...

We love how the B Family handled the situation.

B Family -

If you want to schedule your next photo session with Hawiianpix, contact Micole at 808-387-0869 or micole@hawaiianpix.com.

Kawailoa Beach

2011-09-27T12:44:00.000-10:00

Our most popular location for our photo sessions is at the beach. There is no denying that the scenery in Hawaii is absolutely breath taking. Our customers love to take full advantage of the beautiful scenery. Jerry shoots at beaches all over Oahu, but one of the most popular beaches is Kawailoa Beach on the North Shore.

When our customers are unsure of a location, we often suggest shooting at Kawailoa Beach. The beach is located about a mile away from the famous surfing town, Haleiwa. Kawailoa Beach is a public beach nestled in a residential area. Unlike the crowded beaches of Waikiki, Kawailoa Beach tends to be fairly empty and private. Not only is the beach a perfect location to spot a sea turtle, but the area includes a wide variety of scenery which is perfect for stunning photographs.

Take a look at a few of the photographs Jerry has taken recently at Kawailoa Beach.

Andreanne and Ryan -

M Family -

S Family -

Kelli and Jason -

Geoffrey and Farrah -

U Family -

Deja and Werner -

If you are interested in getting your photographs taken at Kawailoa Beach please contact Micole at (808) 387-0869 or by email at micole@hawaiianpix.com.

Love is in the Air

2011-09-22T12:17:00.001-10:00

Here at Hawaiianpix we can definitely tell that there is some serious love in the air!

You can see the love in that first kiss as husband and wife....

Toireasa and Ryan

You can see the love in their smiles...

Cole and Samantha

You can see the love in the way a soon-to-be father kisses his pregnant wife...

Ryan and Larin

You can see the love in the moment before a kiss....

Sheena and Robert

You can see the love in a hand hold...

Alex and Sandy

If you're feeling the love and want to schedule a session with your special somebody you can contact Micole at 808-387-0869 or micole@hawaiianpix.com

Hawaiianpix in the Community

2011-09-20T12:20:00.000-10:00

Most of you will know Jerry as the photographer for Hawaiianpix. However, you may not know that he is also very active in his community.

Recently a local non-profit organization, Epic Ohana, asked Jerry to participate in a mentoring session with one of Jerry's former "Know Your Camera" students, Robert Carlos.

Epic Ohana is an organization that helps children become self reliant and start a life of their own after they leave the foster care system. Robert was a part of the foster system, but he is definitely not letting that effect his future hopes and dreams. He was inspired after taking Jerry's "Know Your Camera" class and wants to pursue a career in the photographic and media field. His hope is to someday get to work for National Geographic.

Robert is a very driven young man that has already accomplished a lot in the past year, and we believe he can achieve anything he puts his mind to!

Here are a few more photos with Robert and his Epic Ohana support -

Hawaiianpix would like to thank Epic Ohana for allowing us to be part in such an amazing and inspiring organization. They have a wonderful website and we encourage everyone to take a look.

We LOVE our Groupon customers!

2011-09-15T12:38:00.000-10:00

Did you know that Hawaiianpix released a Groupon in July? The response was beyond amazing! Residents of Hawaii and visitors from all over the United States purchased our Groupon. Jerry is having a blast with all our Groupon customers.

Here is very small glimpse of some of our wonderful Groupon photo sessions...

Elizabeth and Christian at Waimanalo Beach Park -

Edyta and Arthur at Ala Moana Beach Park -

R Family at Aulani Resort -

Peter and Mariloa at Waimanalo Beach Park -

K Family at Kawailoa Beach -

W Family at Hale Koa Resort -

We love our Groupon customers and we know there are still a lot more out there. We are quickly approaching the holiday season, and our calendar is starting to fill up. We highly recommend that if you have an unused Groupon call Hawaiianpix as soon as possible to schedule your appointment.

Contact Micole if you need to schedule your appointment or if you have any questions - micole@hawaiianpix.com or 808-387-0806

Hawaiianpix's Newest Addition - "Mighty Mo"

2011-09-13T10:57:00.000-10:00

Hello everybody! My name is Micole (aka Mighty Mo), and I am the newest addition to the Hawaiianpix team. Here I am with my fur-baby, Buddy.

You may never see me, but at some point you will probably talk to me. During our business hours, I will be scheduling your photography session. I also get to do all the fun stuff around the office such as keeping up with the paperwork, confirming appointments and social networking.

You will be reminded of my presence as I take over the Hawaiianpix facebook page, twitter, and blog. Weekly, I will be updating our facebook page and the blog with current pictures from our photo sessions, exciting deals and promotions, and much, much more!

To keep on top of everything, make sure you "like" our current facebook page. To make it simple, we have a link on our website (www.hawaiianpix.com) that will take you directly to the Facebook page. It is easy!

Our goal is to get to 1,000 likes! Once we have hit our goal we will randomly select one of our facebook fans to win an amazing $300 prize package. Spread the word so we can get to our goal fast!

I am very excited to be part of such a wonderful team. If you have any questions or requests, please feel free to contact me at (808) 387-0869 or micole@hawaiianpix.com

Groupon Comes To Hawaiianpix

2011-07-11T19:05:00.001-10:00

Hawaiianpix Want's To Know Are You A GROUPIE?

If you are a "GROUPIE" in the Honolulu area and are looking for a great portrait deal, this is it. Look for it on your phone or get app here, or join Groupon, if you aren't already a member now's the time to become one by clicking here.

These groupons can be used by you, and you can purchase an additional groupon for your company, school or church, us em as a fundraiser, a gift or or promotional give away.

What ever the reason, get your
Hawaiianpix Groupon

July 2011 Look for yours in your
Groupon offerings, coming daily to a computer or phone near you.

Now is the time for those ...

* Couples Portraits

* Engagment Portraits

* BFFP
(best friends forever portraits)
or even
* A Family Portrait

Don't Miss This One !

The Times They Are A Changin'

2011-07-09T09:56:00.002-10:00

For some of the visitors to our Blog, the Title here will be lost. If it is, Google Bob Dylan. Read what a master poet threw downs 2 generations ago, it still rings true today. See Change is the ONLY constant in the universe. I have taught my kids this for years. Embrace it, flow with it and maybe just maybe, see it coming. That's what I am giving all of you today, a glimpse of what's to come with Hawaiianpix.

So in the words of Dylan, "Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen, And keep your eyes wide the chance won't come again, don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin, And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'. For the loser now will be later to win, .....For the times they are a-changin'."

Stay Tuned to Hawaiianpix this weekend and early next week too... We will be announcing some really great stuff. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED, feel free to forward this to a few folks, they might be interested too :) - Aloha

Holy Wedding Week :) From Maundy Thursday To Good Friday

2011-04-22T18:06:00.002-10:00

The week before Easter and Love is in the air! We have had a couple of great weddings this last week. The first was on Thursday with Kathy and Alex out at Secret Beach on Kualoa Ranch. This wedding was for Dawn Nash of The Romance Specialist in Hawaii. Check out her site, she is an Awesome Coordinator and will do a great job on your wedding if you are planning one.

Alex (The Tree) and his new wife Kathy are Canadian and a lot of fun, aye?! They were very comfortable and their family was one of those that you could tell just had fun together. The Light at Kualoa Ranch was simply AMAZING! Which made this one of those weddings that photographers absolutely love to shoot.

After the ceremony, the couple spent a little time getting a Plumeria shower from their family. They happened to be the brides favorite flower and her laughter along with the fragrance of the flowers, filled the air.

Our second wedding this week was today, Good Friday at Wahiawa Botanical Garden. Hawaiianpix was one of just 25 people in attendance at the intimate ceremony for Nuu and Dove. The weather was great in Wahiawa, cool with those occasional trade winds we love here in the islands and blue skies.

The couple were very traditional, not seeing each other prior to the wedding and you could tell the minute their eyes met; that the wait was worth every minute.

Dove was soooo cute with her freckles and genuine playfullness. Nuu was a big strong young man, that totally fit the " strong silent " type of guy. They were just perfect together.

And when you get a couple like this and ask them to "snuggle" it becomes very apparent that they are completely in love with each other. Photographers love moments like this by the way.

We wish both of our Easter Week Couples and their wonderful families all the very best. We truly appreciated working with both of these couples and were honored to be there as they started their new lives together. - Aloha

Son's and Senior's on a Saturday in April

2011-04-20T10:06:00.001-10:00

This last weekend we had a great time in the studio and on the beach. First on Saturday we got to work with 2 young men.

Really Young, 4 and 1 in the studio. Jonah our "Rockstar" and his brother Dylan came in with their parents for a portrait session. Very cute kids and very well behaved! Awesome job Mom and Dad!

Once they got comfortable in the studio we began to play and got some great shots of both of them individually as well as together. The whole session took about an hour trading off time in front of the camera, the boys were ready for it to all be over by the time our hour was up. Thanks guys for playing with us and we hope to see you again.

Later on Saturday we traveled up to our favorite Beach to do some over due Senior portraits for Ashley.

Now we have worked with Ashley, her family and friends before. The first time was a couple of years ago when we did photos of her and her friends in Haliewa. That was a really fun session with some great "kids having fun" photos on the beach in Hawaii. Well Ashley is all grown up now and graduating High School here in Hawaii this year and needed to get some Photo's done. We were more than happy to be there for her.

Congratulations!!! Ashley, we wish you all the very best as you begin your new life out there in the big ole' world. We are sure you will do just fine.

Portrait Thursday, Everyone Loves The Beach!

2011-04-14T18:09:00.005-10:00

Remember When You Were A Kid?...

Well Part Of You Still Is.

Ahh little girls. Daddy's love em' and so do we. Today we (Janel and I) had the good fortune to photograph lil' Eva in celebration of her second birthday!!!! Yay EVA ! We also Photographed Alyssa, who will be graduating High School in a few weeks. Both of these young ladies were a ton of fun.

Happy Second Birthday Eva! This is the second time we have gotten to work with Eva and I think she is finally warming up to us. This very serious little girls is the " strong silent type" of girl. She is an absolute delight though when she smiles and her giggle is.... well quite contageous. You just can't laugh at anything, just ask Eva, she saves it for just the right time. Thanks to Mom Sarah and Janel we were able to get some truly amazing photos of this wonderful little girl at the beach and playground today. Thanks Eva for being one of the 2 girls we worked with today. I had a lot of fun!!!

Oh did I mention BUBBLES?

And the Beach and the Bubbles?

Oh this one is all girl, putting on her bracelets, necklaces and man she is ready to get in the water too. You go Eva, Mom will just have to keep up as you get older :)

Remember Lilo and Stitch? We met em' today!

So our second shoot of the day, High School Senior From San Diego, Alyssa and her family. What a great bunch of folks. They are "regulars" to the islands having visited here 5 times in the past. We know we are working with a serious young lady when she is the one that calls and reserves her session over the phone herself!

Alyssa is one of those young ladies who seems to be ready for adulthood, yet there is a little something that keeps tugging her back. That would be " Stitch". You know from Lilo and Stitch? She brought him along with her to the session. What an awesome open spirit, sharing her favorite movie with us and doing so with an amazing sense of self awareness about who she is. Seems everyone at home believes she is Lilo..... you know I can see it. Strong independent and knows what she wants. Yep she is Lilo. We of course had to work with Stitch too. You know he is a pretty cool guy when you get to know him.

We wish Alyssa (a.k.a. Lilo) and her family all the very best as she begins her new life this fall in college ( we'll keep our fingers crossed that you get the school of your choice) honestly though this young lady will excel no matter where she ends up. Congratulations on your up coming graduation Alyssa!

And what ever you do never lose that sense of wonder, Lilo is alive and well and I was privledged to meet her today. - Aloha!

Digital Photography 101 for April Here Comes Easter!

2011-04-11T19:42:00.001-10:00

In this episode of Digital Photography 101:

Digital Photography 101 is brought to you by:

https://pixurelab.lifepics.com

Order Prints | Create a Photo Greeting Card | Create a Photo Book

Photo Tip #116: Shooting Sports Series: Soccer

Greetings Fellow Photographers!
The seasons are changing, and I can certainly feel it everywhere I go. And with the new season comes the kickoff of a number of different sports! I'll spend the next few emails giving you some tips for shooting at outdoor sports games. So get your cameras ready, because the action happens fast! Today, I will start with soccer.

Benefits of Soccer Shooting
One of the benefits of shooting at soccer games is the wide open field. It allows you to compose a variety of different angles in your photos. Also, there are typically no fences at kid's soccer games, so you can get close to the action without anything blocking you. Of course, if you are shooting at professional events, you need a pass for that kind of access. But either way, use these benefits to your advantage when shooting.

Composition
I've found it is best to stand near the corner of the field rather than along the sidelines at a soccer game. Standing near the corner allows you to shoot the action coming toward you, as well as near the net without the net getting in the way of the shot. If you shoot from the sidelines, your shots will mostly consist of the players running from side to side, and you will have the opposing team's bench in the background. Get down low on your knees or sit on the ground when you compose your shot. This adds more drama to the photo and makes the players look more powerful, which is a really cool effect for kid's games. It also helps you avoid a lot of background clutter and distractions and concentrate just on the action. Also, I find that the best lighting is when the sun is directly in front or behind the players, and not coming from the side.

Take the Shot
I strongly suggest charging your battery and clearing your memory card before the game, because you should take a lot of shots. Professional sports photographers shoot hundreds or even thousands of photos during a game just to get those one or two amazing photos, so don't be afraid to let loose and shoot a lot. Use a long lens if you have one to help isolate different players and shorten the depth of field, set your aperture to f4 or f2.8, drop your ISO to around 100, and use a fast shutter speed, like 1/500 or 1/1000, to freeze the action (read more about using manual mode on your camera). Also, try to anticipate what is going to happen, as well as how and where the players react. If your kid has the ball and is on his way to shoot a game winner, capture the action, and keep shooting during the reaction to get some emotional shots of the team celebrating together. Lastly, resist the urge to run up and down the field with the game. Instead, stay in one place most of the time, and let the action come to you. Your photos will be better because of it.

Digi's Site Tip
Did you know you can use your online account to convert your photos to black and white or sepia, then order prints, photo books, cards, or other photo products with the black and white or sepia photos? Well, you can! Simply log in to your account, click "My Web Photos" on the right, select a photo to edit, click the "Edit" button from the toolbar above the photos, and click "Edit/Crop Photo." Then, in the Edit Tools page, click "Effects," choose "Black and White" or "Sepia," and save a copy of the photo so you don't save over the original. The edited version will show up in the same album, and you can order it as you normally would.

Also, we now have an integration with iPhoto (versions 10 and above) that uploads your images from iPhoto to your account so you can easily order prints, create photo books, and much more:

1. Download LifePics Uploader for iPhoto

2. Double click the file and follow the installation instructions

3. Open iPhoto and select the photos you want to upload to your online account

4. Choose from the top menu: "File," "Export," "LifePics Uploader," and then click the "export" button. Voila! Your photos will be uploaded to your account.

View my previous photo tips!

Order Prints

Create a Photo Greeting Card

Create a Photo Book

Thanks to everyone that has shared their photos with me since the last email! If you would like to submit a photo for me to post in an upcoming email, please use the "Share via Email" feature in your online account: log into your account, click the green "share" tab, and follow the steps to share via email (the photo must be uploaded to your account, which you can do by clicking "Add Photos"). Share the photo(s) with me, digipixels@lifepics.com. Feel free to include info on how you got the shot, and whether or not you used any of my tips! Here are a few recent submissions, including some great black and white shots as well as silhouettes.

Also, check out these cool links and apps!

"This is a photo I captured of my husband and 2 year old."
- anonymous

"Thanks to pollution and clouds, every day in Mesa, AZ, ends like this!"
- Bob

"The highway is in Philadelphia. I had just gotten my first DSLR camera in August when I went on a trip to visit my sister. I was shooting on manual trying to learn the settings. For this picture I was on a tour bus moving past the underpass and snapped the picture. The fence is a bit blurry but I think it adds to the picture a bit."
- Shawn

"This picture was taken at Ausable Chasm just outside of Potsdam, NY. I was not yet on your email list so I will be anxious to see how/if my skills improve as I take your advice to heart. Thanks!!"
- Melissa

View my previous photo tips!

Aloha 2011 - Look at all the things we've done - whew

2011-04-02T22:06:00.000-10:00

Aloha All Welcome to the new year and our first blog post, yea we know it is April already and the first quarter of the year is behind us.... That's why we want to catch everyone up. We have been real busy the first part of the year working hard for all of you. So a brief overview for stuff you might have missed

New Workshops
Hawaiianpix has added 3 new workshops for 2011

Click Here to check em all out

Photoshop For Beginning Photographers
Portrait Lighting Inside and Out
Lightroom For Beginning Photographers

These workshops have been very popular and if you haven't attended one you are missing out. both the Photoshop and Lightroom workshops include full DVD's of the material covered in the workshop in video format, so if you forget something, no worries, pop in the disk and you are right back into it. Register early workshops are limited to just 10 students each.

Awesome Images
Once again we were asked to be a juror for the University of Hawaii's Annual Survey and Exhibit of Digital Photography In Hawaii. This year there were over 400 images that we evaluated and many of them were just amazing. It was REALLY great to see some student work enter the fray. Several past students entered images into the event and many of those images were displayed.

The exhibit opening was last evening April 1st, 2011 in conjunction with the monthly 1st Friday Celebrations that take place in downtown Honolulu. The images were displayed at Frame Arts Hawaii, on 627 South St. in Honolulu and the place was packed. Some great prizes were handed out and many of the two former students won very nice prizes including a " purchase prize " of which there was only one, it was presented by the Halekulani Corporation. Congratulations to all the artists for a great showing. If you would like to visit the show, it will be on display through April 30th at the gallery.

OC16 "Down The Aisle On An Isle"

We have had the good fortune to be a part of a reality wedding show called " Down The Aisle On An Isle" in the last month. This show can be seen on OC16 exclusively in Hawaii. The show tracks the planning and actual wedding of Cherie and Travis as they go through the necessary meetings, planning, coordination and of course their wedding day. Check it out on OC16 all through the month of April. Mahalo to our crew, Scott, Janel and Leslee for being a part of this very special event. I hope you all get a chance to review the show. I also want to thank Darcie of Royal Weddings by Lavender and Kalehua Featherton of Weddings by Kalehua for asking us to be a part of this amazing event.

SHOW TIMES

PREMIERES
          Show #1   Saturday April 2nd at 2:30pm
        Show #2   Saturday April 2nd at 3:00pm
       Show #3   Sunday   April 3rd at 4:00 pm
       Show #4   Sunday   April 3rd at 4:30 pm

REPEATS

          Show #1   Monday April 4th at 5:00pm
                      Friday   April 8th at 2:00am
       Show #2   Tuesday April 12 at 6:00am
                      Friday    April 15 at 9:00am
       Show #3   Tuesday April 19th at 2:00pm
                      Friday    April 22nd at 8:30pm
       Show #4   Thursday April 29th at 8:00pm

Set your DVR and don't miss this first time ever showing of a real wedding in Hawaii from beginning to end. - Aloha

Awesome New Lab Features With Pixurelab by Hawaiianpix

2010-10-27T17:05:00.000-10:00

Pixurelab by Hawaiianpix
Announcing our new lab services for everyone!

For those of you that don't know Hawaiianpix has been a pro lab for about 4 years now. we service about 40 professional photographers in Hawaii and on the US mainland. The exciting news is that now EVERYONE can get the benefit of having a professional printer! This means you. If you are tired of standing in line at the "big box" retailers and or cruising through their store, purchasing $100's of dollars of stuff you don't need while you wait for you pictures, here is your answer.

Go to Pixurelab and start getting great pro quality prints and much more. Sign up is free, the service is great and the images you will get will be Pro Quality! Check out our current partner newsletter just released today explaining how when you Join Pixurelab you can begin printing from your iPhone and Facebook right away! This is a unique Pro Quality Printing Service, and only available from Pixurelab by Hawaiianpix!

In this episode of Digital Photography 101:

Digital Photography 101 is brought to you by:

https://pixurelab.lifepics.com

Order Prints | Create a Photo Greeting Card | Create a Photo Book

Photo Tip #104: Fun New Ways to Order Photos

Greetings Fellow Photographers!
Today I'd like to tell you about a few new options you have to order your favorite photos, and give you some information on voting for the most recent photo contest. As we all know, photos are not just on our memory cards and computers these days. We keep photos everywhere: our cell phones, various software applications, social networking sites, and much more. So, what if you want to order prints of the photos you have in those various apps and sites? Well, now you can! Read on for a few brand new popular ways to order your photos.

Facebook
Facebook photos have always been fun to look at, but virtually impossible to print through your local photofinisher...until now. To order prints of any of your Facebook photos, including photos you are tagged in, simply install the Facebook photo ordering app from your Facebook account. The app is still a Beta release, meaning your feedback is welcome to help make it perfect via the feedback link in the app. Once it is installed, select the photos you wish to order, press "Add to Cart" to put them in your shopping cart, and when you are ready to order, press "Go to Cart" to open the shopping cart and complete the order. The order is sent to your trusted local photofinisher, just as any other order you place using your online photo account.

Ordering Facebook photos is a great way to preserve your memories so you can enjoy your Facebook photos anytime, even when you are not in front of a computer. Also, I've created a promo code just for you to try out the new Facebook app! Order your Facebook photos through the app and use the code FaceBook5 when you check out to receive $5 off your first order! But hurry...the promo code expires on October 28. I recommend ordering 4x6 or 5x7 prints from Facebook, since the resolution on Facebook photos is usually too low to get a good quality print in any larger size. Also, Facebook recently enabled a new feature that allows you to upload high resolution photos, so next time you upload to Facebook, choose the high resolution option for better quality prints.

iPhone
Imagine this: you are walking down the street and bump into your favorite celebrity. You pull out your iPhone for a quick photo, and it comes out great. But, how do you make a print? Well, thankfully, I have the answer. Download the LifePics for iPhone app. The free iPhone app lets you order any photos from your iPhone to your local store, or any store near you if you are traveling. Order 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, or 11x14 prints (based on availability). You can also access your photos that are stored in your online photo account and order those through the app as well. The app is a great way to print and preserve your memories captured on your iPhone. A similar version will soon be released for Android phones; you can download the current Android phone app now (search "LifePics" in the Android market on your phone), but the printing capability is not included yet.

Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is a software application many people use to edit and share photos. Up until recently, there was no way to order those photos directly from the software. Thankfully, you can now install the Lightroom plug-in, which allows you to order all of your Lightroom photos through your local photofinisher. This plug-in is free and is a great tool for Lightroom users. People who use Lightroom often spend hours editing and manipulating a photo until it looks just right, but what's the point if you cannot print the photo to hang somewhere? Well, now you can. Install the plug-in and give it a shot!

Fotobounce
Fotobounce is a free photo sharing and organizing tool. It uses facial recognition to organize your photos based on who is in them, or by date, name, or a variety of other methods. And now, you can order any of your Fotobounce photos through your local photofinisher. Simply install the latest version of Fotobounce, select photos to order, and select "File," "Print" from the top menu bar, or right-click on the photos and select "print." The orders will be sent to your trusted local photofinisher, just as any regular order from your online photo account.

Well, that's it for now. There sure are a lot of ways to order! Hopefully one of these methods applies to you and you have time to give it a shot. With the holidays around the corner, it is a good idea to print some of these photos now to give as gifts so you have one less thing to do in December. Keep an eye out for several new apps and integrations coming over the next few months, making it easier to order your favorite photos to your local photofinisher!

Looking for Halloween photo tips? Here you go: Halloween tip number 1 and Halloween tip number 2. Happy Halloween!

Order Prints

Create a Photo Greeting Card

Create a Photo Book

Summer Photo Contest Update! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted photos for the most recent contest! The submission period ended on September 30, and I am happy to announce that the polls are open! Visit my Facebook page to view all the photos and vote for your favorite. Vote by clicking the "Like" button corresponding with your favorite photo. I will announce the winners soon after the voting period ends on Halloween night! The photos are arranged into three different albums. Check them out and vote!

Are you an App Developer? Or, do you know one? I am always on the lookout for cool photo apps (mobile or software). Check out the LifePics OPEN Program to learn more about how your app can make you some money!

Thanks for everyone that has shared their photos with me since the last email! I haven't posted any here because I am so busy sorting photos from the contest, but please continue to share your favorite photos for me to post in future emails.

If you would like to submit a photo for me to post in an upcoming email, please use the Share via Email feature in your online account: log into your account, click the green "share" tab, and follow the steps to share via email (the photo must be uploaded to your account, which you can do by clicking "Add Photos"). Share the photo(s) with me, digipixels@lifepics.com. Feel free to include info on how you got the shot, and whether or not you used any of my tips!

Become a fan of me on Facebook! I will be posting my photo tips, answering questions, and much more.

Follow LifePics on Twitter for more photo tips, photo news, and other fun photo-related content!

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Hawaiianpix goes OC16 with Kalehua Featherton and Hawaii Wedding Professionals

2010-10-09T11:17:00.001-10:00

Aloha Everyone,

Ok, So we got this call from Kalehua Featherton to be on his cable access show on
OC16 where they highlight Hawaii's Wedding Professionals. We worked with his crew at
Paradise cove for a wedding last month, and believe me Kalehua does an awesome
Hawaiian Ceremony. Check us out on OC16 all this week ( Schedule is below) or on our
Facebook post.

Show times are as follows:

Fridays at 6:30pm

Repeats: Saturdays at 1:30pm, Mondays at 5:00pm, Tuesdays at 6:00am & 2:00pm

Fridays at 9:00am

Check out Hawaiianpix on OC16 all this Week!

Aloha wedding couples, wedding planners and other interested vendors!!

We are currently filming on Maui and our first couple for the reality show called “Down the Aisle on an Isle”. It is scheduled to air on OC16 starting March 2011 with bigger surprises to follow. If you know of any wedding couples who would like to be on the reality show, let me know (see below in pink for more info).

Here’s what our show can do for you.

Wedding couples – save up to 70% of your entire wedding expenses. Wedding vendors and wedding planners – save up to 90% of costs for television, live streaming and 24/7 viewing access via OC16. Hopefully, you’ve seen our show and see the quality and value in it. Starting early next year, in addition to OC16 we plan to air the show on the west coast, once a week reaching 2.6 million homes for our destination weddings through ION Media who owns and operates the largest television station group in the US, reaching 98 million homes. Join us!

Episode #15 – Hawaiianpix Digital Photographic Service

and Royal Weddings by Lavender

We are proud to sponsor our third professional on Hawaii’s Wedding Professionals, Kalena Paty Photography for the month of October. We are pleased to sponsor them with $6,700.00 worth of advertising on our television show on OC16 and will continue to support other companies or individuals by offering them sponsorships too!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Hawaii’s Wedding Professionals Show #15 – Hawaiian Pix and Royal Weddings by Lavender

Against the background of Waialae Beach, Kahu Kalehua Featheran welcomes Jerry Omo of Hawaiianpix Digital Photographic Service as his first guest. Jerry started 8 years ago, primarily photographing weddings, but has since grown his business to also process and print photos for himself and for 40 other photographers from the islands and the mainland as well. The ability to process and print typically results in a quicker turnaround time for prints and albums to be completed and this is a great service for newlyweds who are anxious to see their wedding day photos.

Jerry calls his photographic style contemporary classic and he explains what this means during the interview. Although he suggests doing the formal photos ahead of the wedding ceremony, when hair, make up, dress and flowers are fresh and new, he also respects the wishes of the traditional couples who choose not to see one another before the ceremony.

Photographic packages are available on Jerry’s website, and he is available for in person or phone consultations with couples. Jerry also mentioned that his wife retired from the Air Force after 21 plus years of service and so Hawaiianpix also offers a 10% discount to military personnel. Mahalo Hawaiianpix for this offer!

Kahu Kalehua’s second guests are Darcie Wharton and Gabe Gongob of Royal Weddings by Lavender. A multi-faceted company, Darcie and Gabe offer services in wedding coordination, DJ and sound, candy bars, favors and invitations. As the first wedding coordinator for the upcoming 2011 Hawaii’s Wedding Professional’s reality wedding mini-series, Kahu Kalehua and the HWP cameras are following Darcie as she works with one of her couples who are getting married early next year. Some of Darcie’s many responsibilities as a wedding coordinator is to meet with the couples, help them with their needs, including working out a realistic budget and pulling everything together for them to have a memorable wedding day. To do this, Darcie meets with her clients and goes through a series of questions to better understand and help them with their wedding plans.

Gabe has been a DJ for 18 years and has a library of thousands of songs of all different types. With his many years of experience, Gabe is able to read the crowd and provide just the type of music that would get them tapping their feet and up on the dance floor.

In this day of single parent families and people working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, a wedding coordinator often takes the place of or relieves some of the work that would ordinarily be handled by family members. Also, because Royal Weddings by Lavender can provide so many different services, Darcie and Gabe offer discounts at each spot. For example, if a couple retains Darcie as their coordinator and Gabe as the DJ, there is a discount extended. With the ordering of invitations from Darcie or a candy buffet, additional discounts are added on, and this is their way of helping the couple to have a wonderful wedding day and get a little break in the cost. Mahalo Darcie and Gabe!!!

Show times are as follows:

Fridays at 6:30pm

Repeats: Saturdays at 1:30pm
Mondays at 5:00pm

Tuesdays at 6:00am & 2:00pm

Fridays at 9:00am

Wanna be on the show, let me know!!

Top 50 Photo Tips #10 - 1

2010-09-17T12:43:00.001-10:00

Well we have finally made it, we are into the top 10 all time greatest Photo tips. It has taken a few articles but upon arrival at the number one, no peeking. You will probably slap your head and say DUHH! Of course that is exactly what it is all about! So without further waiting let's get started on our Top 10 Photo tips of all time.

#10 Flashing someone can be very enlightening....

Ok so you have these different features on your camera, even most of the top end DSLR cameras include a pop up or controllable flash. Why don't people use these? Well the light can be unflattering in some cases but most of the time the pictures are so much better if you just pop up that flash. If you have a setting on your camera that looks like a lightning bolt, this will allow you to make changes to how the flash is set. It can be Off, on an Automatic setting when needed or just on all the time. This is especially true with point and shoot cameras. Turn this thing on even in BRIGHT SUNLIGHT and use it to fill in the shadows of your subjects. You will be so happy that you have flashed your subject, you just might do it over and over again.

#9 What The Heck Is That?
When you are lining up your shot, pay close attention to the background. This is where people's eyes will wander to when they aren't searching for your subject. What you place behind your subject is just as important as the subject itself. Remember you are working with a 2 dimensional medium here. If you put something behind your subject that makes it look like it's "growing" out of the subject, it will totally distract your viewers. Worse yet placing something that is more important than your subject either visually or in content behind them will make your viewer leave the subject of your shot. Avoid very bright objects that aren’t directly behind the subject, i.e. framing them. Avoid strong vertical lines like telephone poles and trees, avoid palm trees and placing the background too close to your subject. If you follow the guide of looking at the scene first then placing your subject into it, your viewers will never say "What the heck is that?" when they look at your images.

#8 Saving Time In Post Production
When I got my very first camera..... a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away... (that statement should tell you when I actually did get it) the camera came as a kit with 2 lenses. There was a Normal lens and a telephoto lens. While I loved shooting with that normal lens, I really loved using the telephoto (zoom hadn't been invented yet ). Yea yea I am old. Anyway, I learned right away that if I wanted to get close to my subject and eliminate all that distracting stuff that surrounds them like other people, buildings trees etc, I needed to crop in camera. This meant getting close in some cases but because we were still working with film, you had to plan your shots a little more than people seem to do today with the throw away feature on digital cameras. Take your time, compose your images in camera look at the edges of the frame, most view finders show you 98% or more of what your final image will contain when you press the button. Use all the space wisely. Composing in camera will improve your images and save you tons of time in post production.

#7 Know Thy Subject - Keep Your Viewer Interested
Have you ever looked at an image that has so much going on that you just have no idea where you should be looking? We have all seen these kinds of pictures and they are singularly unremarkable. Your images should always have a focus, a point of interest that grabs your viewer and makes it clear that they are what this image is about. Before you snap that photo, ask yourself what it was that drew you to stop and think "I should take a picture here." Was it the brilliantly painted building, the way the elements of the scene lined themselves up perfectly ... what was it? Once you have discovered your main subject, explore it from other angles and then choose your favorite before pushing that button. Know what the focus of your image will be about before you push that button. I hear you saying .... what about stuff that happens so fast you don't have time set it up. If you find yourself in a fast moving situation that requires you to record it, anticipate what will happen next and be there before it does. Move your camera into position quickly looking through the lens and evaluating the entire scene before the event takes place. When it happens, push that shutter button.

#6 How Low Can You Go?
One of my favorite things to do is to lower.... LOWER my ISO setting on my camera, that is. Early DSLR camera's couldn't shoot above 400 ISO without getting such a bad photo that photography it seemed, had stepped backwards rather than forwards. Today’s cameras though seem to be going in the opposite direction. Most DSLR camera's have made their minimum ISO setting 200 but have a great top end of 1600 and more in some cases. I am sad to see the lower end of the spectrum lose its grip on digital photography. I routinely shoot at 100 ISO for the smooth, quality images that can be produced there. Sure you need a little more light to work in but most of the time that isn't a problem. In fact I will change to a lower ISO to be able to achieve more desirable settings like a shallow depth of focus in bright sunlight. Shoot your images on the lower ISO settings for high quality images.

#5 Go Big Or GO HOME!!
When you bought this fancy new camera with its 10-12-18-20 megapixel rating you did it because of the higher quality you could get out of all those pixels. Why would you then shoot everything on the lower quality settings on the camera? Is it because the camera only came with a 1 GB memory card? Or that you never download your pictures to your computer and you are trying to save space? I know, maybe you have decided that because you never make prints bigger than a 4x6 you don't need all that quality? So why did you spend the big bucks on the camera? Crank it up to 11. Use all those pixels on every single shot, you will be much happier with your prints.... which can be HUGE by the way, not to mention feeling like you are getting your money's worth out of that expensive camera.
#4 Burn Baby Burn
Can you honestly say without a doubt that you have a backup of everything you have shot in the last 6 months, year or 2? If you can then you are among the very few people that can. If you backup your work by never erasing your memory cards, that is great, as long as you keep them in some sort of storage and just keep buying new ones. If you re-use your memory cards like most of us, you should have at least 2 backups of your images BEFORE you clean that card. That means you should have transferred them to your hard drive, and then burned a disk of the files, maybe even printed out your favorites before you clear the card. Burn baby burn.... Disks are cheap and when properly kept will last for a long long time. Hard drives fail, ask anyone whose computer has ever crashed. They lost everything. It has happened to us, 2006 was a fantastic shooting year. Literally thousands of customer files on a hard drive that FAILED. Were we freaked out? Sure. Did it slow us down a little? Yep. But it didn't stop us dead in our tracks. Every single client was backed up on CD or DVD and we simply loaded them back into a new hard drive. Back up your files and if possible store your backups off site. In the event of a fire or other natural disaster you will have a better chance of recovering your work.

#3 KISS
This is one of the oldest acronyms out there but it is also one of the most forgotten. Keep your images simple, uncluttered and flowing. Your composition should be easy to follow, with a strong subject and complimentary background. Great light and pleasing lines. Keep It Simple.... Sweetheart is not just a statement, it is a photographers best friend. The more uncomplicated your images are the more appealing they are to your viewer. Keep distracting composition killers out of your shot. If it doesn't belong there... don't put it there. Think clean, clear shot, little or no background distractions, framed subjects that pop off the image at you and you will be living proof that the KISS method of shooting is the only way to go.

#2 What Happens If I Push This?
Have you ever wondered what that button on your camera was for? WHY? Get out the manual and find out. Take a class or two and learn what it is for. Are there things on your camera menu that you don't understand? You paid for this camera and ALL its features, take the time to learn what all the widgets and buttons are for. What each setting does or doesn't do. In the long run you will not only learn what they are for but somewhere along the way you will learn more about your photography. Knowledge is never a bad thing, find out what the heck that button is for. Look it up, ask a camera tech at the store you purchased the camera from or just push it to find out. Don't be afraid, in my 30 plus years of doing photography I have never pushed a button or set a menu selection on my camera that made it self-destruct. Go ahead and learn what it is for, you might actually surprise yourself with a clever new tool.

Ok here it is......... Drum Roll PLEASE........
The NUMBER 1 TIP IN OUR TOP 50 PHOTO TIPS
#1 The Definition Of Photo - Graphy
Photography literally means "Light Writing" This seems simple enough but for over 100 years now mankind has tried to master this new art form. We have changed the way we shoot, record, develop and print our Light Writings. There have been those who are considered Masters, those that were simply professionals and those that were the everyday Joe or Jane's taking pictures of their kids in the back yard. All of them have one thing in common and that one thing also separates the truly great ones in each category from the well, not so great ones. The defining factor is right there in the name of the medium. It's all about the Light. Those that are great photographers at whatever level, understand how light falls, plays and can be bent to their will. They look at it, study it and understand why it acts and reacts the way it does in relation to the subject. They manipulate it and bend it to produce a scene that captivates, excites and holds their viewers in a moment that has long since passed. The Number ONE Tip is to LOOK AT THE LIGHT, before you shoot, is it exactly what you want it to be, can it be modified in post production or on site to make it what you want it to be? Is the color, contrast, brightness what you would expect to see? In short control the light and master the medium.

We hope you have had as much fun with this list as we have had researching and bringing it to you. Understand that we by no means believe this is the end-all, be-all of photography tips out there. We are talking about an art form that has changed the face of our planet, from every cereal box we buy to the images on billboards, buses, buildings and in family photo albums. We are a nation obsessed with our images. We capture them with our phones, post them on our Facebook pages and just as quickly replace them with the next image of our lunch. All we hope to achieve here is to have our readers take time to experience their images both before and after they have made them. It is easy to be image jaded with the barrage of images we are struck by every day. Maybe after reading these tips, you will take the time to create something not just capture it, when you do be sure to post it to the web and email us. - Aloha

Top 50 Photo Tips #20-10

2010-09-17T12:41:00.000-10:00

We have taken ourselves past the 1/2 way point in our top 50 all time best tips for photographers. For those of you who might have tuned in late, we have had a great run at this and you should really read the other articles and catch up. Before we go way into the next series of tips, it might be best to describe how we got here. After searching online for photo tips during our research, we found there really wasn't a comprehensive list of tips that we could give to folks. There were a lot of similarities between lists, even some contradictions but the one thing we noticed with all of the lists is that they were just too short. So we compiled their lists, some of our own favorites and put together this list for the people. Now we are inside the top 20, we hope you enjoy reading these tips as much as we enjoy bringing them to you.
#19 The Image Killing Disease, Centeritis
This horrible disease is pervasive in photography. It is generally caused by beginning photographers, people who think those small center dots in their cameras are a target that must MUST go on top of the main subject. Knock it off! The center of your camera is just the CENTER that’s it! There is a whole frame above, below and side to side that is just way, way going unused here. Place your subject for the best composition, not because you have a dot on their forehead!


Centeritis		Good Composition

#18 Leading Lines
A great compositional tool is to use leading lines. They can be as simple as a pattern in an object or as obvious as train tracks. Either way if you have them in your scene use em. They are a great way to direct your viewer around your image. Force them to look in a specific direction. If you do use leading lines be sure there is a payoff for the viewer. There needs to be a place they are going to if you are directing them there. Don’t just have your lines converge into nothing.

#17 Enter CompetitionsAs an amateur photographer and even as a professional, you can enter competitions. Win prizes and accolades for your work if you pass the muster. These competitions aren’t taken lightly, you will have to bring your “A“ game. Where ever possible, if your image isn’t selected, review those that were, try to discover why they were “more” than what you had submitted. If your image was selected quiz the jurors if possible, and above all be honest with yourself enough to listen to what they say. Your work will improve simply by the virtue of competition with others. Best of Luck!
#16 What does it look like from up there?
Perspective is a wonderful thing. Everyone has a different one and the use of different angles will totally say different things about even the same image. There is never a time that changing your perspective on a project will hurt it. Look a things from different angles, not just physical ones either. Put on your child glasses, your middle age glasses, your parent glasses, even those goofy glasses with the big nose, every project deserves a different perspective. You maybe be surprised by the results give it a try.

#15 Zoom Zoom
Ok so you basically have a couple of choices, you can purchase a large number of “fixed focal length” lenses and spend your time not only changing endless lenses during a shoot, not to mention trying to make more money to support your multi lens habit. OR, you can through each others’ minimum and maximum focal lengths and spend more time shooting with a paid off Visa card. Yes, you do sacrifice a little, higher minimum aperture speeds, shifting minimum apertures with focal length and some distortion however, these are minor compared to the ease of use, speed in which you can shoot not to mention the number of times you DON’T have to change your lens and introduce things like dust and foreign objects into your camera body cavity.
#14 You can’t have the Zoom without the VR (or IS)
What? Most digital cameras today have some sort of image stabilizer in them or in their lenses. In this case we are talking about the stabilization that is contained in your camera lens. This nifty little gizmo will actually assist you in shooting at low light levels by reducing camera shake. You will find this on most upper end Zoom lenses and it is FANTASTIC, to a point. In those lower shutter speed areas below 1/30th of a second and 1 full second this feature is a Godsend. It will stabilize your camera without… the need for a tripod. Woo hoo. Give it a whirl the next time you go out shooting and find yourself in low light. Keep in mind though that the camera lens is actually creating a mini vibration to offset your movements, these can be seen as actual camera shake in exposures longer than 1 second. So you might wanna turn it off when you get down that low.
#13 I had a 3 legged dog…
You have likely heard of a 3 legged dog named tripod at one point or another in your life, this isn’t about him. It is about getting great exposures in low light though. When you go out to look for a tripod, don’t be cheap. Remember this thing will be responsible for replacing YOU as the thing that holds your very expensive camera! The latest X-mart special should not be trusted to do that. Companies like Bogen, Manfrotto (same company), Slik, Gitzo. These are tried-and-true tripod makers that have “stood” the test of time even when my dog tripod ran into them.
#12 Spare in the corner pocket
If you are a pro with one camera… I am sorry but you aren’t a pro. Every single photographer that is worth their weight will tell you a horror story about the camera that became a door stop at the wrong moment during a shoot. Redundancy, backups and spare parts are a necessary part of any shoot, pro or not! Would you go out with just one battery? Media card? Lens? If you do, you’re asking for a disaster and hopefully you aren’t charging someone for your time when it happens. Even if you have to bring along an “inferior” camera model as your backup, do it. Save your shoot.
#11 Glass Is God
Ok, anyone that knows me knows that I am a very spiritual person. They also know that I don’t really believe that Glass is God, unless of course you are talking about the world of photography. There are always time tested truths about every profession. In photography this is one of them. I am a way back Nikon User, I am not militant about it but I do know the reason I have used Nikon for so long. It is unquestionably their lenses. When I started this journey into the world of imagery some 30 years ago I was looking long term. Nikon lenses offered what others couldn’t, not only were they incredibly sharp, but they could be used on any Nikon camera body. Doesn’t matter if I am shooting with a Nikon F from 1972 or a D3X from 2009, I can use the same set of lenses. Long and short, spend your money on your lenses, Nikon, Canon or other. You WILL have the lenses a lot longer than you will your camera body. With today’s camera’s you will likely be changing and upgrading about every 3-4 years. The lenses you buy will last 5 or 6 times that length of time. Glass is God.

Well Gang we are almost there... Next month we will be hitting our number one tip of all time. Do you think you might know what it is? Any ideas? If you have 'em email us at jerry@hawaiianpix.com or check out our Facebook page, become a friend make a guess... All will be revealed next month. - aloha

Top 50 Photo Tips #30-20

2010-09-17T12:40:00.002-10:00

We are in the middle of our top 50 Run on the best photo tips of all time. You will begin to notice that as we move closer and closer to our number 1 tip, they will begin to lean more toward composition and lighting specs that will require you to perform at a higher level of proficiency in order to get the shot that you want and not the one everyone else can do. Put these into practice and you will begin to see a marked improvement in your work. As will your viewers.
#29 - Be Bold
Use the dramatic times of the day to your advantage. When is the Drama? Generally when the sun is low in the sky, but it can also be at High noon. Look for the storm, look for the color, look for the strong light, casting shadows long and strong. These are the Drama times. They are a “Wow” factor and exactly what you are looking for to capture your viewer and not let them go.

#28 - Balance Elements
When you place a subject in your scene you have to be aware of the other items in that scene or lack of items in that scene. Balance isn’t reserved for the playground and the teeter tauter. Balance in an image means front to back, side to side, light to dark, foreground, middle and background, subject to surroundings. When you balance an image, your viewer is captivated by the elements of the image, keeping their attention.
#27 - Framing
When we think of an image and we think of framing, we tend to begin asking, wood or metal. But we aren’t talking about how you will display your image. We are instead talking about the “framing” of your subject within the scene. When you capture your subject inside of a natural frame that is compositionally positioned within the image, you again are helping your image capture and keep its viewers.

#26 - Move In Close
There is a story that we tell in our classes of a student focusing on color as a subject, who turned in a wonderful photograph of a park. The greens of the grass and trees were amazing. When we as a class guessed that his color choice was green, we were astounded to learn that the color he had chosen was RED. When we asked him how that could be, he simply replied, “there is a cardinal in that tree there”.
Get close enough to cover your subject but stay far enough away to allow your subject to breathe.
#25 - Plain Backgrounds….. Aren’t Boring.
The Kiss principal of photography applies here. Simple backgrounds have the ability to help the viewer focus on the subject. While a plain background can be …… well plain, it can still have character, mood and direction and it all has to do with how it is lit.

#24 - Get Down!
Ok your subjects have a size; you need to get to that size when you shoot them. We are not just referring to people; you could be shooting a car, building or flower. Your view will be the view of everyone that sees your image. Make it the view that best flatters your subject.
#23 - If your subject moves, move with them
Panning as your subject moves can totally enhance your image, panning helps show motion in a motionless 2 dimensional image. It adds a flow to your work and creates action where there was none before. Slow down your shutter and have fun with the panning motion. It can make something stagnant, come to life.
#22 - Tic Tac Toe
Ok I just had to call this something other than the rule of thirds. This is likely one of the best known compositional tool in a photographer’s tool kit. By dividing your image into 3 sections (vertical and horizontal) (get it, Tic Tac Toe) you can place specific parts of your scene in these locations to create a more pleasing image. The things you put there are namely foreground, middle ground, and background. Keep your Horizon line out of the center of the image as much as possible.

#21 - How Deep Is Your Image
Ever since the first cave dweller decided to paint their world on a cave wall, man…. and women artists have tried to show depth in their images. We have to face the fact that we are dealing with a 2D medium that looks best when it is fooling your viewer into believing it is 3 dimensional. Add depth to your images to enhance your images.

#20 - Vertical, Horizontal and Everything In Between
If you pretend for a moment that your camera is attached to the world with a rotating pin mounted in the center of your lens. If you could rotate your camera 360 degrees around your subjects, wouldn’t you? Of course you would so do it.

It Wasn't A TRAIN WRECK, It Was Just KYC#3

2010-08-10T15:46:00.000-10:00

Aloha AllWe haven't run our KYC3 class through the University of Hawaii's Pacific New Media Program for about 6 months and this will be the last one for the year. We had some outstanding people though that helped make this class a BIG success.

First off I want to thank Laurie Gomes our makeup artist for doing an outstanding job with the models on the day. Your work is amazing and the models looked GREAT!....Who was supposed to have their hair spiked? Scott Barnes our favorite second shooter was there too doin the T.A. thing.... Uhhhhh that's Teachers Assistant..... We were also joined by our world famous image editor Janel Roback and the newest addition to the Hawaiianpix team our inter, Meghan Osborn. I couldn't have pulled this session off without you guys, YOU ROCK !

Then Of course there were the models' We had Cody, Sapphire, what a great couple referred by Laurie and Abbey on referral from Dawn Nash. You guys all made this EASY. I loved the look you guys all totally go into the " urban vamp " theme of the session and the Hawaii Railway Museum was a perfect location for this.

The session began at 8 am, we took the students through 3 different aspects of a commercial model shoot, Lighting, Photography and Wardrobe. While the Photographers don't always have control over all aspects of a session like this it is really great if they at least know how the different parts of the session work.

Each student had the opportunity to work in each area of the session, but once the models got on set.... it was hard to find a lighting person, everyone was grabbing their cameras. The Hawaii Railway Museum was very gracious. They allowed us the " run of the yard " for the session, while it was really..... REALLY hot by the time we were done no one was complaining.

During this 4 hour shoot class, we were able to do about 3 full sets of lighting, and a few clothing changes on the models. We talked about doing even funkier photos but just plain ran out of time. Maybe at the next class...

The class is designed as a workflow class with a 1/2 day of shooting and 2 nights 4 hours each of computer work and image manipulation using both lightroom and Photoshop. The students as well as the models and our makeup artist should come away with some really great photos to use in their portfolios. You can check the links below for the next series of classes we will be running through the UH Manoa and in Mililani. If you are interested in learning more about DSLR photography from the professionals, get in touch with the Pacific New Media Department of the University of Hawaii or contact us here through our website at Hawaiianpix. - Aloha

Used Photographic Equipment, Buying Selling? What You Should Know.

2010-07-17T14:14:00.000-10:00

Buying Used Equipment On eBay or Craigslist

First Published on AOL TIME WARNER, Oceanic Cable Leisure Section September 1, 2009 by Jerry Omo, Jr.

You all know the favorite places to buy photo equipment on line. EBay, Craigslist etc. What you may not know is just who you are buying from, worse yet, what the quality of your new purchase will be.

It is always best to inspect your camera, lens, flash or other photo accessory prior to plunking down cash for it. With online buying this isn't always possible. In this case you need to do as much investigation as possible prior to your purchase.

With Craigslist, you will find a sort of "garage sale" mentality when it comes to buying. Bargaining is really your best option here. If you are able to inspect the equipment before you buy it this is the best way to purchase used items. Here are some things that routinely go overlooked by both buyer and seller alike that will help you sale a few bucks on your next Craigslist purchase. For all equipment, it is important to find out if the sale includes the original paperwork. Does the item have the original manual? Is it still under warranty or is the original unused card available? What about the original box that it came in? These are all items that will increase the value of the item for sale.

Before you rush into the "quick sale" check online to see what the item is selling for New. Using a scale from 1 to 10, a “New” item would be a 10. These items are described as “factory new”, ”Opened box condition” or “excellent condition”. From there start deducting points, or fractions thereof for certain usage flaws.

We all know that the minute a new car leaves the dealer lot, it starts to depreciate. So too should the camera equipment, you purchase. If there is no original box, deduct 1/2 pt. This isn't that important unless you need to send it back to the factory need things like a product code for special discounts or want to resell the item yourself. If the original manual is missing this is a bigger deal I would deduct 1 full pt for this. While most manufacturers have PDF’s available for most models online, if you want an “original” manual, you would have to buy one. This is the only thing that will help restore the “value” of the used item for sale. Hey if it’s gonna cost me money, it’s a 1 pt deduction. If the warranty card is still valid, or better yet if the warranty card was never filled out, this could be a bonus. So + or - 1/2 pt depending on the situation. If you have the opportunity to view the item, inspect it for physical marks, general wear and tear scratches & especially dents. If the camera/lens is dented it indicates the camera might have been dropped, walk away in this case especially, if the unit does not have a warranty card. If you don’t, you might end up spending your money twice to replace another persons’ problem. Deduct points based on the severity of the use. Was it dirty? 1/2 pt. Heavily scratched 1 pt. Mild wear 1/2 pt.

On a lens, CHECK the front, back and inside elements of the lens for defects, fogging (mold), fingerprints and in Hawaii, salt damage or corrosion. The lens mount should be clean and have little wear, the aperture ring should be able to function properly at all F-Stops ( you may have to put it on the camera to know this. The paint on the lens should be clean, without scratches and especially dents. Major mark downs on the price of a lens includes; fogging if this is heavy the lens may be worthless all together. Look for actual mold growing on the element. If this is present -8 immediately. If the F-Stop ring does not actuate -9, if the lens front or back are scratched from improper cleaning, or have finger prints that cannot be wiped off -4 or 5.

On the camera bodies, your mounting ring, mirror dampening seal, and dirt or dust in the lens well, mirror or focusing screen are all indications of a camera that hasn't been maintained. -2 to -3 depending on how severe. Battery power is important, pull it out ask about if the charger is included for the battery if not -2 or 3 pts, this will again cost you money to replace. If when you pull out the battery check the date on the camera. If it resets to the manufacture date of the camera after having been set to the current date, this could mean serious electrical problems, again, walk away from the sale. This could potentially cost you as much as a new camera if it isn't still under warranty. Thumb through the menus, check the firmware version and date if available, these items in some cameras can be updated and should be current if they are.

Ask the seller if the camera comes with a media card, lens mount cap, pc connection caps camera straps, computer CD and connection cables to download your pix onto your computer? Lenses with lenscaps and or protective filters . Flash units usually have a diffusion cover for the flash if they are higher end units, they also have manuals that should be included. All of these "extras" if missing will range from 1/2 pt to 2 pts depending on the missing item.

Once you have tallied up all the flaws for a particular item you want to buy, finally add 1 pt for each year a camera is old, 1/2 pt for a flash and just 1/4 pt for a lens.

If your final tally is say 3.5 you would take the current going price for the same item new and reduce it by 35%. I.E. Your original 10 minus 3.5 For defects. This is what you would offer in an auction or should pay for your Craigslist purchase.

We understand that it isn't always possible to do this thorough of an inspection, especially online. So ask lots of questions of the seller, if this is an eBay sale check the return policy or email the Craigslist seller to find out if they have a policy for returning an item for defects. This will help you make an informed decision, not only about the item being sold but about the seller too. - aloha

The New Website IS HERE !..... Things Will Start Happening To Us NOW!!

2010-06-04T08:31:00.000-10:00

This of course was borrowed from one of my favorite all time movies "The Jerk", let's just hope that people don't start shooting at us.... thinking .... thinking..... Na. we're good.
THE NEW WEBSITE HAS LAUNCHED!!!! 5 Months of sweat and ideas setbacks, content, pictures and finally Victory! Woo Hoo! The new site is fully functional for our guests to not only review our work but also to actually reserve their session and packages online. As time goes by we will be adding Ala Carte Items allowing more customer flexibility for making payments online, ordering products and services.

We are also rolling out our new consumer printing program this month. Check out the Pro lab services for Everyone! Sign into this unique service and have your pictures printed by the PROS rather than the folks at your local Xmart. When you do you can also sign up for our new lab newsletter for Pixurelab called Digital Photography 101, This months edition is below.... the dude kinda looks like me aye? I didn't draw him!!!hehehe.

In this episode of Digital Photography 101:

Digital Photography 101 is brought to you by:

https://pixurelab.lifepics.com

When giving for fathers day, you want to be sure to give the best! Be sure that the cropping and aspect ratio of your shots are correct for the final size of your prints.

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Photo Tip #96: Image Size and Resolution

Greetings Fellow Photographers!
I hope the past few emails about post-production have been helpful! Today I am going to talk a bit more about image size and resolution. These elements of your digital photo play an important role when you decide to order prints and photo products through your online photo account.

Image Size
Image Size is the size of your original digital photo file, measured in pixels and DPI (Dots Per Inch, sometimes referred to as PPI, Pixels Per Inch). What is a pixel? A pixel is a small square dot. DPI refers to the number of dots (pixels) per inch. Why is this important? Well, if an image is too small, you might not be able to order a large size print or other photo product. A general rule of thumb for image size versus print size is: the image size should be at least the size of the print you want multiplied by 300, at 300 DPI. For example, if you want to order a 4x6 print, the image size should be 1200 pixels (4 x 300) by 1800 pixels (6 x 300) at 300 DPI. If the image size was half of that (600 by 900), then the 4x6 print would likely come out distorted or pixilated if you were to order a print.

Camera Settings
Decide in advance what is more important: image quality or room on your memory card. You can set your camera to take photos that are larger or smaller in size. If you know you will only be printing 4x6 photos, then you can reduce the image quality, which allows you to store more photos on your memory card. If you will be printing enlargements or other photo products like photo books, then keep the setting on "high" for higher quality images. The image sizes will be larger and you will not be able to store as many on your memory card at one time. Also, set the file type as "jpeg" if your camera allows you to control that detail. You might have a "tiff" option, but it is not necessary to save the photos as "tiff" files, and it will only take up more room on your memory card.

If you have a point and shoot camera, open your main menu, and find the setting for "image quality" (or something similar). Usually, the options are "low," "medium," and "high." Choose "high" for higher quality (larger) photos. If you have an SLR camera, you probably have additional options. Just stick to high quality jpeg images, unless you know you will be doing extensive image editing and post-production. In that case, you might want to shoot RAW files.

Resolution
The resolution of your photo is directly impacted by the image size. The more pixels your photos have, the higher their resolution is. When you upload photos to your online account, you are given three upload options: "Regular," "Fast," and "Fastest." When you choose "Fast" or "Fastest," the photos are compressed, so the resolution will be less than the original photo file. So, if you are just uploading to order 4x6 prints, "Fastest" will be fine. But, if you wish to order enlargements, photo books, calendars, and other photo products, choose the "Regular" speed, which uploads the photos at their original resolution.

Once the photos are uploaded, you will notice three bars for each photo in your account. If all three bars are green, that means that the resolution of the photo that is in the account is sufficient enough to order just about anything on the site. If the bars are all red, you have uploaded a low resolution photo. Try to find the original photo file and check the size. If the size is sufficient enough to order prints (based on the rule I mentioned above about multiplying the desired print size by 300 and comparing to the actual image size), re-upload the photo at "Regular" upload speed. Photos with two or three red bars will generate poor quality prints, especially if you are trying to order anything larger than 4x6 prints.

Additional Tips
Now that you understand image size and resolution a bit more, and understand why they are important when working in your online photo account, here are a few more extra tips about image size and resolution:

Most computer screens display photos at 72 DPI. That means the printed photo will look different than how it appears on your computer screen. Usually, it will look better when it's printed. But, it is always a good idea to order a 4x6 test print before ordering any large prints or other products to give you a feel for how the photo looks when printed.

If you crop a photo too much (zoom in too much), it will always look pixilated and distorted, no matter how large the image size is.

Once you take the photo, you cannot increase the size or resolution by increasing the number of pixels in any photo editing program. If you wish to increase the resolution or file size, you must do so by adjusting your camera settings before you take any more photos.

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Thanks for everyone that has shared their photos with me since the last email! Here are a few shots that stood out to me.

If you would like to submit a photo for me to post in an upcoming email, please use the Share via Email feature in your online account: log into your account, click the green "share" tab, and follow the steps to share via email (the photo must be uploaded to your account, which you can do by clicking "Add Photos"). Share the photo(s) with me, digipixels@lifepics.com. Feel free to include info on how you got the shot, and whether or not you used any of my tips!

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"My husband bought me a really nice Canon camera & lens not too long ago, so I am very new to learning how to take more than point & shoot pictures. Your emails have been very helpful! The lily pads picture was taken while riding around the river with my husband. I really enjoy taking outdoor pictures and finding interesting shots like this one. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for all the tips!
- anonymous

"This picture was taken in March. I took the picture dozens and dozens of times and this was my favorite of my results. The water that splashes above the surface seems to form a crown. It was taken with a Nikon D80 and the use of one SB-600 speedlight. The idea behind taking this photograph was to take an ordinary fruit and do something creative with it to turn it into an interesting picture. A few days after taking this picture, it was selected into National Geographic's Daily Dozen and will be featured in the next issue of Marymount University's magazine as well."
- Pablo

"This is one of my favorite shots of all time. I was in Ocean City, MD at a conference and was given an ocean front suite which I used to my advantage at sunrise! In hand was my Canon Rebel XS attached with my Canon Zoom Lens EF 75-300mm. I have not retouched this photograph in any way. Thank you for all of your insights! Everytime I reach for my camera I think of your wonderful email lessons!"
- Marianne

"It's Spring in Chicago and the tulips are in full bloom. Here, I stopped in Millennium Park to capture some of the thousands of brilliant tulips planted along Michigan Avenue. Who could resist this canvas? Thanks for letting me share."
- Theresa

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Thanks for stopping by, check back for specials and for petes sake tell us what you think - Aloha

Top 50 Photo Tips #40 to #30

2010-05-27T13:11:00.001-10:00

We have made our first drop into the list with last month’s article on the top 50 photo tips. This month’s offering is getting us closer to that number one tip for better photos and there are some real gems in this one. Some of our favorite discoveries over the years are listed here. We will start with #40, enjoy.

#40 - Zoom Lenses for Fast Work

This hasn't been a real big issue for those shooting with point and shoot cameras because they really can't change their lenses. For those of us who can, if you are totally married to a “fixed focal length lense", try a zoom will ya? I know, I know, there are drawbacks, higher minimum apertures, distortion at the extremes etc. But you just can't beat 'em for speedy operation in fast moving photo situations. You are instantly cropping without doing the manual zoom (you moving in and out from your subject.) Plus, you don't have to keep changing your lenses, opening up your camera to dust and dirt. For fast moving work, just Zoom-Zoom.

#39 – In Living Color… but only if you want it to be.

We understand that digital photography has allowed for some really great new camera features and abilities that you just didn’t have with film, but shooting your pictures in Black and White or Sepia or inverted color just isn’t one of them. The best possible way to record your images is in the full color setting on your camera. If you want to tweak something, do it post production. Doing it in the camera only limits what you can do with the photo. If you shoot it in Black and White for instance, you won’t be able to change it to color later if you want to. What a shame, ‘cause I can make this color photo I took any color I want any time I want. Our suggestion is to leave the segregated color pallets behind you.

#38 – Get into the picture, you have the time.

One of the coolest features available to the person behind the camera is the self timer. Most all cameras today have one and they are simple and easy to use. They generally have a flexible time that you can choose so you can properly maneuver yourself into a photograph and have a little time to spare. How many times has the timer on your camera gone unused? Trust me it is way better than the “hold the camera out and point it at yourself” thing. Who wants their big ole’ arm in every photo? Get in the picture!!

#37 – It isn’t just for keeping the inside of your car cool!

I love this one! I had an old car reflector glued to a white board that I threw into the back of my car for several years. It was there to provide me with a little reflected light every time I needed it. It wasn’t as chic as the fold out reflectors we use in the studio, but just as effective and it was WAY cheaper. Go to your local x-mart and pick up one of those car shades that fold up easily. They are usually silver on one side and black or white on the other. Perfect! Use the silver side to add a little light to a subject or the black side to block or draw a little light from your subject. Trust me this is a great one!

#36 – Know the range of your camera flash.

We talk about this in our classes all the time. As you are watching the Super bowl on TV, have you noticed all of the folks at half time taking photos from the nosebleed sections with their camera flash on? Wow, they are really out of touch at just how powerful that flash is. It makes for a great lightshow for the people watching on TV, but the only thing they are getting a well exposed picture of is the bald guy sitting in the row just in front of them. Trust me, every age spot and wisp of hair that he has is going to be perfectly exposed! Chances are though, this isn’t the shot they were after. Keep in mind the built in flash on your camera, regardless of the type, only has a range of about 6-10 feet.

#35 – Look for symmetry and patterns in your scene.

Ok, most of us just walk up and take a picture of something without thinking about the angle, surroundings or composing the image so it is interesting. This is what separates a good photographer from a great photographer. Pay attention to how your subject will be placed in the scene. Where the lines in the image are repeating? Is there symmetry within the scene? Are there repeating patterns that you can use to frame or surround your subject to create a more pleasing photo? Take the time to LOOK at your scene, then imagine your subject in that scene.

#34 – Focus on your subject

We aren’t talking about making sure your camera is in focus, or that your subject is nice and sharp in the scene. That is a given. We are talking about making the focus of the entire image about your subject. Surround them with items that will tell a story and keep your viewer interested in them and only them. Remove distracting items from the background, make sure they are the brightest part of the scene and that the “focus" of the viewer is firmly fixed on your subject.

#33 - Take a Hike!

We have all been on bus tours. They stop where every other bus that has ever traveled that path stops, the tourists get off, they take their pictures right from the same spot as the thousands of others before them had taken their photographs. Dude, get off the path, use that 20 minutes….. all of it - to go where nobody else is going, get higher, lower, down the path or up the road. Take pictures of the people, the lifestyles, everything but the thing that all the others on the bus are taking their photos of. Be creative.

#32 – Get Close….. no, Closer….. NO CLOSER!

One of our favorite lenses in the bag is the Macro setting. Just like the self timer on your camera, most cameras today have a “macro” setting. This setting opens the door to a whole new world that is just inches in front of your lens, literally. You can pick out a single letter on a matchbook or check out the pollen on a flower. There is a whole tiny world out there that you have been missing and it is right in front of your lens. Check it out.

#31 – Wow! That color is AWESOME!

We know you have seen those really great shots where the sky is an incredible blue, the colors jump off the page, and there isn’t a stitch of haze in the air. These shots are likely taken using an expensive polarizing filter. These filters can run you $70 or $100 easy. If you shoot with a point and shoot camera though, they don’t make them small enough to fit these cameras. This doesn’t mean you are out of luck, though. The answer is probably sitting right on top of your head. You know that pair of “polarizing” sunglasses you shifted up to the top of your head so you could look through the viewfinder on the camera? Take 'em off and hold one of the lenses over your camera lens. Voila! You are shooting like a pro and didn’t have to spend the $$$$.

#30- Exciting Photos

The word excitement has a lot of weight to it, so let us clarify. We are talking about visual excitement. Ok, that didn’t help. We are talking about color visual excitement. There is a rainbow of colors out there and they can all be recorded but when certain elements are played against each other, they create color visual excitement, physically in your eye. There is a warm and a cool color pallet to the standard color wheel. The next time you are lining up your shot, try to put a couple of these colors in positions that are opposing each other. Your eye won’t know how to react, for example, to a bright yellow wall with a person dressed in a brilliant blue suit. These are direct opposites on the color wheel, and your eye tries to adjust for both colors, causing all those little brain impulses to fire at once. This is visual excitement.

Next month we will crack the top 20 tips, stay tuned and continue to shoot! Try these tips and let us know what you think. Is your photography improving? - Aloha

Top 50 Photo Tips #50 to #41

2010-05-27T12:47:00.002-10:00

OK, so there are tons of images that barrage us everyday but what makes a good photo and what makes a great photo? The answer may very well lie in the Top 50 photo tips of all time. Yep that's right I said 50. We will explore these 10 at a time so you don't go out in one weekend and try them all at once.

We will start with #50 through #41 in this article and work our way back to #1. In our second to last article, we will announce a prize for the first person that correctly guesses the #1 tip of all time. Here we go.

Here we go.

#50 - Clean up this mess
Ever went to the beach or a football game where there was more dirt than there was grass. Then you know how important it is to keep your camera and other equipment clean. A trip to the beach can be devastating to your equipment. The salt air is very caustic not to mention the moisture. For your camera body, a damp then a dry paper towel will do the trick to eliminate that thin layer of salt air that has deposited itself on your equipment. For your lenses, a good lens cleaning solution and a microfiber or lens cloth is the order of the day.

#49 - Bag it
We actually had a student that showed up in class with their camera (a brand new DSLR - about $700) in a plastic shopping bag. While we recommend a hard side case with a rubber seal to protect the camera from moisture. You can easily purchase a low end canvas bag and throw a couple of those silicone packets that came with your camera into it to absorb moisture from the bag to protect your camera. Honestly how much protection are you gonna get from a plastic shopping bag, it isn't even environmentally friendly. If the camera was dropped how exactly would he explain this to the manufacturer?

#48 - Camera straps are for wimps
Really? I have had one on every camera that I have ever owned. I feel naked if I don't wear a seat belt when I drive, so why would I risk several thousand dollars to sweaty palms? Put it on and then put it down. If looking "Cool" is your reason for not using one, imagine how foolish you will look when it drops on the floor and doesn't work anymore? Cheap insurance.

#47 - Use Smaller Media Cards
Yep you read this right, smaller cards. We don't use a card that is larger than 4 GB for a high resolution DSLR. Sure we can only get about 170 shots on the card in the RAW setting. Consider this, in the days of film you only got 36 images max on a single roll of film, 200 is a cornucopia of images. Plus if the card goes bad and we can't retrieve our images, we haven't lost an entire shoot because ALL our pictures were on a single 32 GB card. In addition, you can get really fast low storage cards for 1/2 or less of the cost of the bigger ones.
#46 - Shoot A Lot Of Images and pick ONE
Ok so this seems to be a bit of a contradiction to the last tip. We tell you to do this because More is more to choose from. You don't have to use all the images you shoot but having all those selections to make your final decision is liberating. Finally there was only one Mona Lisa, and so it should be with your final image selections. Pick ONE from a series of shots that best tell the story.

#45 - What are you looking at?
One of the drawbacks to the digital age is someone that takes a picture and then immediately looks at it. For some reason these people believe that the whole world will be paused until they decide that the shot is "exactly" what they wanted. Knock it off! If this is you, while you are looking at the image for the perfect expression from your subject, it is happening right in front of you but you can't see it cause your face is buried in your camera's viewer.

#44 - Was Mona Lisa Smiling?
It's an age old question to say the least but it poses an important question. Do your subjects always have to smile to make a great photograph? NO! People are best when they are being themselves. Sometimes they have a crooked smile and know it, maybe they wore braces as a child or are a child with braces and they are self conscious. Maybe they need to have dental work done or are missing a chopper. Any way you look at it, if they don't wanna smile, don't make em.

#43 - Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
Today most folks will view their scene through the screen on the back of their camera or the "live view" feature on most digital cameras. This is a cool feature, no doubt. You however, do not want to be so caught up in your scene that you don't see that ...... aaaaahhhhh cliff. Ok so this is dramatic, but you could likely be unaware of your surroundings and something can come in and spoil a great shot. Like a car passing in the background, or a bicyclist, small child or your thumb. Pay attention to the activity around you because it can not only spoil a good shot but it might also be distracting your subject causing that unwanted expression.
#42 - Fill The Frame
There was a class we held several years ago on shooting color as a subject. While we were reviewing the images a beautiful garden scene appeared on the screen and we as a class said what impressive greens were in the scene. The photographer was visibly upset stating that the color of choice wasn't green but red. We were of course puzzled only to find that the tree in the shot had a red Cardinal in it. Long story short, tell the story by getting close enough to your subject to make it obvious that they are the story in your image. You will want to leave a little room for cropping if you want to enlarge the images but get closer.

#41 - Be A Wall Flower
Some of the best shots you will ever take are the ones you take of people being people. As soon as someone is aware of your camera, they instantly change. Prevent this split personality from arising by being a wall flower. Blend in, use a longer lens, (Zoom out) and sit across the room the results may surprise you.

Tune in next month for the next 10 in our series. What will number one be? if you want to venture a guess or discuss any of these tips, comment below, visit the original article on Oceanic Time Warner's Leisure Page or FB page - Aloha

2010-02-24T12:57:00.000-10:00

Contemporary

Photography in Hawaii 2010

UH PACIFIC NEW MEDIA CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL STATEWIDE SURVEY EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY IN HAWAII

Sponsored by UHM Outreach College's Pacific New Media,this juried exhibitionis open to all artists using photographic processes: traditional silver or color prints, digital imaging, alternative processes and mixed media explorations.Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2010offers artists who use photographic processes a venue for exhibiting work and provides a snapshot of the "state of the art" of photography in Hawaii.Selected images will beexhibited at Frame Arts Hawaii, 627 South Street in Honolulu, from April 2, 2010 through April 30, 2010. An Artist Reception will be held during First Friday, April 2, from 6-9pm.

Hawaii residents, amateurs and professionals, age 18 years and older, are welcome to submit original images which must have been created within the past two years and not previously exhibited.An entry fee of $5 per image (maximum 5 images) and registration is required by February 26.To download a submission form and for complete information on submission requirements, visit http://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/pnm or call 956-8400. For questions, contact pnmphoto@gmail.com or call 956-3422.

Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2010 is juried by professional photographers, David Ulrich and Jerry Omo Jr.

David Ulrichis a photographer and writer whose work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions. His work combines traditional photography with digital imaging. Ulrich has taught digital applications for Pacific Imaging Center, Kodak`s Center for Creative Imaging, New York University, and others. For 15 years, he was an associate professor and served as the chair of the photography department at The Art Institute of Boston. He is a core faculty member of Pacific New Media and is the chair of the visual arts department at Cornish College in Seattle.

Jerry Omo Jr., AAS, Rochester Institute of Technology, is a professional photographer who has worked on projects for the U.S. Army, Mead Paper, Kodak, Korean Airlines, Konica West, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Hawaiian Sun Chocolates, Tradewind Charters, Indich Collection, Ross` Appliance, Surf News Network, and KHON.

Automatic For The People

2010-01-05T11:26:00.011-10:00

This title was made popular when the rock band R.E.M
released of the same name back in 1992. The album
was labeled by some as the "commercialization" of R.E.M.s
music, gaining them a wider audience by taking a new
direction. The same can be said for the trend in camera
manufacturers to produce low cost automatic cameras
for today's digitally smart, media hungry youth that
just want to take a snapshot and put it on Facebook.

From camera phones to 35mm Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras, manufacturers have been churning out automatic cameras designed to satiate the need of the D generation's appetite for instant gratification. For these people a manual aperture or shutter speed setting is as foreign a concept as cooking a well prepared home made meal from scratch. It's just something they don't want to know. It seems for these folks that is easier to shoot on automatic or go to the local fast food restaurant and order a #1 off the menu, than it is to learn how something works. Don't get me wrong, I have used automatic on my camera, but just like choosing a #1 off the menu at a fast food restaurant I don't do it all the time because it's just not good for me. Likewise shooting on automatic isn't good for your photography all the time.

Automatic settings on cameras have been around since the early 1980's and were a pretty unreliable method of recording images even then. Today with the advances in digital camera technology, automatic settings have gotten better, but they can not replace the intelligence of the human brain. So why do people continue to ignore this. I believe it is mostly because they have been lulled into a state of almost unconsciousness by the manufacturers. Being told to just trust the camera, so like lightning, they take the path of least resistance and we all know how things turn out when lightning strikes. It's beautiful with a quick flash, then a little scary with some thunder, finally leaving behind the destruction and charred remains of it's visit.

I tell students all the time that they are smarter than their camera, they just have to give themselves a chance. Most cameras have some sort of manual setting included on them. You can easily find out if yours has a manual setting by looking at the printed manual that came with the camera. If you can't find that, try looking at the mode setting on the camera for a big "M". This is where the professionals shoot, most of them anyway, most of the time.

There are 4 settings on most mid to upper end DSLR cameras. They are P, A, S & M. If you see these on your camera, you are likely shooting with a DSLR or a high end point and shoot camera and have the ability to take your photography to the next level. Simply put the P is for Program total automatic. The camera is in charge here. A is for Aperture priority. You actually set the aperture on your camera to a setting that you want to use, either for depth of field or for lighting conditions, the camera decides the shutter and sometimes the ISO setting to use with that aperture. S is the Shutter priority mode, it works like the Aperture mode, freezing the shutter speed in one setting to meet the photographers' needs with the Aperture and ISO being changed by the camera. The final is the M or Manual setting, requiring the photographer to set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO to meet the needs of their scene. The funny thing about these settings is that those that work in Manual most of the time, understand them all. Those that have only ever worked in automatic likely do not understand any of the other settings or why they would use them.

Automatic photography works because the camera has a light meter inside that tells the camera how much light is entering at any given time. Understanding what the meter is telling you is the first step to understanding Manual photography. Most light meters have a scale that runs from a -2 indicating a dark scene to a +2 for a bright scene. The center point or a "normal" position on the meter is where the camera has determined that the scene is well balanced. This is where your camera shoots everything.... everything when in the program or automatic mode.

In the manual photography mode, this center point tells the photographer where to start their exposure. The photographer then decides if this is where they want to expose the image or if additional changes are necessary. When the photographer is making these evaluations they consider things like overall exposure, depth of focus or even the amount of light or contrast in the scene before actually pushing the button. These critical changes can make a huge difference in a final images' quality. In a nutshell, automatic settings are a one trick pony that can't achieve the kinds of results available in the manual mode.

So if you are concerned that all the pictures you are taking may not be optimized or if you have spent a small fortune on your camera equipment and want to get the most out of it what can you do? Take time to read your manual, take some online courses or courses at a college near you or join a local camera club. Better yet, do all of these. You will not only find that your photography will improve, but your knowledge of the medium will increase, opening up new avenues of creativity, which is the reason most people get involved in photography to begin with. Shooting exclusively in automatic is the equivalent of the "dumbing of the consumer" mentality. I believe stifling creativity and options. Don't take the "Automatic For The People" attitude when it comes to your photography, remember that normal is not always normal and that you are smarter than your camera. - Aloha

Tagger / Artist Writes for Hawaiianpix

2009-10-11T14:38:00.016-10:00

It has been several months since our last post but we have a great reason. We opened a new studio in Mililani and have taken on some very cool projects. This is the story of Pheyr's art that hangs 10x10 in our space. Everyone.... and I do mean everyone that sees it says the exact same thing . . . Cool! That absolutely describes our artist. A quite, soft spoken kid that has some seriously mad skills.

This whole thing started when we approached a team of writers, taggers, Artists that were working on a wall near our studio. They had the permission of the owners to be there and while that isn't always the case these guys and gals are serious about their work. One particular artist "Pheyr" struck us as intense and focused, his sketch book shows it. Awesome stuff. This team of painters, are loosely held together by a former tagger who is working hard to get their art recognized in legal approved venues. Anyone that is seriously considering doing something like this for their place, needs to contact us and we will pass on their info.

OK Long story short, 4 weeks later Pheyr is painting a new backdrop for our studio to use with our high school seniors and youth portraits. We thought it only fitting that he get the "first shot" with his creation.

With just a few color selections by us, a couple of days of spraying and a wall sized canvas, our new backdrop was born. We think it is amazing and couldn't wait to shoot with it in the studio. Check out his 2 day odyssey in this slide show.

We are proud to know him by his first name, an incredible young street artist,who really wants to attend The Art Institute in New York. We hope that he makes it cause is work is crazy good. We want to say Mahalo to "Pheyr" for his awesome work.

Melissa's Senior Portrait

2009-07-03T09:26:00.007-10:00

Last Sunday we had a great senior portrait session with Melissa. She will be graduating class of 2010 and is one of those all around kinda kids. She plays tennis.. quite well, and is a great student. She was selected for a very special scholarship that is given only to one student in each state by Nestle' and she was a blast to work with.

We first met Melissa when we were called to do her "promo" shots for the Nestle' scholarship booklet that is produced each year by Nestle' to promote their program. We of course agreed and had such a great time with our session, we were asked to do her "non- traditional" senior portraits.

What do we mean by "non-traditional"? Well, all schools have contract photographers that produce yearbooks for them. Most of these places spend 10-30 minutes per student doing the "sit, turn and pose" type of photos we all have in our yearbooks.

At Hawaiianpix we like to offer the kids the opportunity to spend a couple of hours doing their photos. We will do either a studio session with them or an environmental or both depending on their package. Before the session we consult with the seniors and work with them to produce a more personal and meaningful senior portrait. Hey this is the best time of their lives, they might as well have pictures that reflect that.

With our sessions we can provide prints, internet usage images and a line of other products that the students can use to share their special senior session. Below is the Mahalo vid that we produce for all of our seniors. This is our gift to them for choosing Hawaiianpix for their Non-Traditional Senior portrait.

Enjoy.

Know a senior that want's something non traditional, call or visit hawaiianpix.com for details.

Congratulations Kat & Shaun

2009-06-26T14:34:00.006-10:00

Ok so a couple of weeks ago we got a call from one of our favorite brides, Kat. You will see Kat in a lot of our advertising, she has even done a "trash the dress session" for an entire class full of UH students. She is a bunch of fun to work with and no surprise, her hubby Shaun is no different.

She and her husband were married quickly before the whole deployment thing and will be doing a re-marriage in PA. in early July. Anyway, she decided to do a pre.... well really post engagement session. So we started kicking around ideas. I had wanted to do a session downtown Honlulu for some time. There is a ton of character in the buildings, the lights etc and it just fit.

A week ago Sunday we met downtown and Kat, her hubby Shaun, Scott and I went to work. 4 hours later, we had some great sample shots, a ton of laughs and a hunger ( we all missed dinner) that just wouldn't be contained. Shaun I hope you got a great meal. Anyway here are a few pix from that session.and a little videoslideshow, YOU GUYS ROCK N F'N ROLL!!