The last few days have been a bit crazy and when things get crazy the blog suffers. I am working on a few posts right now but in the meantime let me leave you with one of the greatest You Tube videos of all time…
Archive for the ‘General info’ Category
Boom goes the dynamite!
February 28, 2010They look so good I wanna eat ‘em.
February 22, 2010I am kind of a stickler for good design. I am not a great designer but I can fake it with simplicity most of the time. I knew when I started my business that along the way I would need to have GREAT design in order to stick out amongst the crowd of photographers in this city. So I started with really terrible logo, then I improved and improved until I had something I was ok with.
Then, by chance, I met Corey at a local coffee shop and we got to talking about life and school and all that good stuff. Turns out she was a design major at the Art Academy. I asked her if her class ever took on small businesses as a project and she said yes. So I gave her my (terribly designed) card and hoped to hear back. A few months later, she emailed me to say “Our class already has their project set for this year but…” I expected “…maybe next year”. Instead she said “A friend and I are started a freelance design business and we are looking for projects to build our portfolio and we would like to take you on as one of our projects”. Best part: “We wanna do this for materials cost only!” Wow. Along the way of starting your own business I think you need a couple breaks here and there just to keep you encouraged. It’s a hard road to say the least. This was one of my many breaks.
Starting in December I met with Corey and Zach from Yellow Whale Design and ironed out a new logo (which you can see in the header of the blog) and pitched an idea to them for letterpress business cards. They were stoked! They have been working their butts off the last few weeks to finish the business cards and I got them today! I was so excited I spent some time photographing them so you could see the results of their hard work. If you need some design please contact them through their website…they are just getting started but they are going places so get them while you can afford them:)
Once someone said to me, “Letterpress is so yummy.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
No two cards are exactly the same. Pretty nasty (in a good way) if you ask me.
You have to be really special to get one of these...I am getting "replicas" made to pass out to all the people who don't deserve them:)
(Not so) Professional Photo Contest | Winners!
December 31, 2009Cincinnati, OH | On December 1st I opened our first of many (Not so) Professional Photo Contests. You can read about the reason and criteria here. We had 19 entries from a couple states and even one from Great Britain! Today is the day we get to see some shots and see who won!
1st Prize – A free portrait session
Wendy Clark – “God Smites a Glacier”
This is such an incredible photo! No photoshop, no high end equipment…just nature and good timing (and a big travel budget). Brilliant shot Wendy!
Mentions – A copy of Capture Cincinnati ‘09
Dale Craven – “Overachiever”
I love this photo because you totally connect with the idea of it. There’s always one in every crowd that is trying so hard to stick out:) Again, nothing special about the equipment or editing, just a good eye and having his camera on him.
Tiffany Judd – “Bubbles”
This is one of those pictures that you can feel. The joy and innocence of a child is so contagious. We’ve all been there and we all would love to unplug for a few minutes during our normal workday and just go blow bubbles. Grab a camera, give your kid something to play with and wait for some cuteness to ensue…a recipe for a good photo every time.
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I wish I time to walk through and tell you what I love about each of these photos but here are some of my other favorites sent in to the contest:
Photographer in Cincinnati | Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
December 7, 2009Cincinnati, OH | Have you ever had an experience that seemed so surreal that you wonder if it really happened? A couple weeks ago I got an email from a city-wide photo contest called Capture Cincinnati. The email stated that I had won some sort of prize for one of the photos I had entered a few months back. I knew that this contest was huge so I figured there was some sort of “Thanks for playing” prize for everyone who entered. Regardless, I blocked out the time and planned to go, just in case it was something real.
When I showed up my name was on a list and I was ushered to a special area with about 20-30 other people. I started to get an idea that something was more than I thought seemed when there was free food and drinks to those of us who were up there. When it came time for the award announcements I was starting to get a little nervous. Am I really winning something? Is this an episode of Punk’d? Did they accidentally send the email to me instead of Mason Teel?
The host began to read off the categories and explain how a person could win. There were 9 categories, a cover photo and a grand prize winner. Each of the categories had an editor’s choice and a people’s choice award. The people’s choice meant that you had been selected by the number of votes you received throughout the contest. She read off a few categories and then came Landmarks & Architecture. ”And this year’s People’s Choice in Landmarks & Architecture is Nathan Peel”. Wow.
1400 photographers, 25,000 photos and over 2.4 million votes and I was 1 of 20 photographers to win an award? That’s nuts!
And if that wasn’t surreal enough they had all the People’s Choice winners stick around for the book release to sign on their winning photo…seriously:) It is hard to believe that it actually happened and that I really signed a hundred or so people’s books. I have never had an experience like that I am guessing they will be few and far between.
Thanks to all of you who voted! I have 2 photos in the Cap Cincy 09 book and a couple more on the accompanying DVD. If you want to get it you can go to the Capture Cincinnati Website or local bookstores and purchase it.
Here are the pictures featured in the book:
Holy Cross Immaculata (page 122)
*winner of the People’s Choice in Landmarks & Architecture
Tickets to Heaven or Just the Fun Slide? (page 57)
This one is one the DVD (I haven’t watched it all the way through to see if there are any others):
Jaya (in the “Friendly Faces” section of the DVD)
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Cincinnati Photographer | How to be yourself.
November 24, 2009You’ve heard it said a million times, “Just be yourself”. It doesn’t matter if you’re walking into a big interview, a first date, a big speech or whatever, just before you got there someone texted you to say “Just be yourself”. It starts to sound cliche after hearing it so much, doesn’t it? You start to think to yourself, “Who is this me that I am supposed to be?” or “How to do I find out who I am?” It’s so easy to walk into a party or a dinner and have a friend introduce you to the person sitting next to them. You strike up a conversation and before you know it you feel like you know a little about who they are. They are laid-back or uptight, out-loud or quiet, funny or introspective or a million other things. But how do you introduce yourself to yourself and find out the same kind of things?
When I started Fyrefly I knew that I wanted to start a photography business. I knew that my ultimate goal was to support my family by building it into a full-time job for me and possibly my wife and/or friends. I knew I wanted to take family, kid and wedding pictures. I envisioned a lot of what I wanted Fyrefly to become down the road. But early on I realized that there was only one thing that could set me apart from hundreds of others in Cincinnati just like me: ME.
There are so many photographers out there that take great pictures and have great websites and know lots of people. There are so many things that I have that you can find in any other photography studio in town. But I am the only Nathan Peel that exists in Cincinnati, or Ohio or the world for that matter. When people hire Fyrefly they are getting great photography laced with my personality. With that in mind, I figured I better get someone to introduce me to me quick!
The easiest way I have learned to infuse myself into my business is to write down words that describe who I am and let those carry over into my photography. So over the last little while I have been whittling down a list of words that describe who Fyrefly is and what kind of pictures I want to produce. It’s important for me to burn these words into everything I do and not stray from them. They will color the experience people have when they interact with Fyrefly. I wanted to share with you guys, the ones who have made it this far in the post, the ones who truly care about where this thing is going and who I really am:
- Laid back – We will never be uptight about our photography. I want clients to be relaxed so I am relaxed.
- Fun – I want you to remember your session or wedding for all the right reasons. We’ll laugh at each other, the people walking by or just because…but most of all we’ll have fun. We’ll discover new places, try new things and most of all just have a good time.
- Believable – This is a word that I need to remind myself of every day. I want pictures I take to be REAL! There are a lot of amazing photographers out there that can do crazy tricks with light and camera. I don’t want to get caught up in that. I want the pictures I take to look like a real kid or family or couple. I want them to look like they enjoy each other. I want the emotions that come across on film to have been there when I took the shot. This puts some pressure on me to lead people to this place, but it is so worth it when you look at the final product.
- Love - This is an overflow of the last one but the emotion you are most trying to capture in photography is love. It doesn’t matter if it’s couples or families or brother and sister, you want them to show their love to each other in a visible way on camera. Genuine love is the most beautiful thing on earth and we all want more of it, even in our pictures.
- Timeless – This is the hardest one to produce. There is so much competition in photography to keep up with fashion, or lighting tricks, or certain fad poses. Sometimes I wonder if we will look back on our photography 5 years from now, maybe 2 years from now, and think, “What was I thinking?” (i.e. www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com). I want to take the kinds of pictures described in the first 4 words to create timeless shots. These are the shots that no matter how old your album is or what the newest fad is you will always look at them and love them.
Basically if I can stay away from being posey and trying too hard to produce a “fashion” or “rock star” shot then I should be able to be me.
I am still learning what it means to be all of these things consistently. I am constantly trying to overcome envy of all those great photographers out there that have their style and nail it every time out. Sometimes I look at other’s websites and get a little depressed over how much more talented they are than me. But the truth is they are more talented than me at being them…I am more talented at being me.
If for a minute or a week I forget to be myself I pull out this list of words, reintroduce myself to myself and maybe even buy myself a drink and get to know me better:)
*if you want to talk to, hang out with or book Fyrefly visit our website or email us.
Cincinnati Photographer | Is creativity a habit?
November 22, 2009As I said in an earlier post, I recently attended a great photography conference in New Orleans. During each day of the conference they had several different classes to choose from… Some were designed to help improve the business side of your… er… business. Others were more focussed on technique. And they had others that were focussed on creativity and inspiration.
One of the classes I was able to attend was led by a fantastic photographer from Cleaveland, Mississippi, Will Jacks. Besides obviously being a very talented photographer, he seemed to be a pretty cool guy. You know, one of those people that you think, “Hmm… I don’t really know them, but I think we could be friends.”
Anyways, one of the things he talked about was making time to be creative. Deliberately going out and tracking down inspiration and creative shots. He said that he regularly will go out with only his iPhone, stopping by places he has never been, or going the long way home, seeking for new inspiration.
That has stuck with me. I think there is a misconception (that I am working to overcome) that creativity is something that just happens… I am sure that it is easier for some than it is for others. But, the thing that I am learning is that, no matter who you are, if creativity is something you want to develop, you have to work at it… You have to practice it. Someone once told me that Stevie Wonder writes a song every day… At first I think, that’s crazy!! But then it hits me… What if he hadn’t worked that hard at song writing? Would we have songs like Isn’t She Lovely? Or My Cherie Amour? Maybe…
But maybe not.
So I have been putting that into practice. Ever since that class I have been purposefully looking for creative shots, but using only my iPhone… Trying to further develop my eye for amazing photography. Here is one that I took this week:
Hanging on
I am excited to see how I improve over time, as I keep up this habit!
P.S. Occasionally I may decide to post a picture on Twitter. You can follow us here: FyreflyPhoto
P.S.S. I am following Will on Twitter and he regularly posts pictures from his creativity hunting expeditions. You can check him out here: WilJax
Cincinnati Photography – Amateur Schmamateur.
September 2, 2009It’s true, there is something special and unique about professional photographs. The light, the editing, the framing of the shot…if you find the right photographer they can create a moment that you didn’t even know was there.
But what about everyday photography? Can it be special too? People often say things to me like “I could never get the same kind of shot you get” or “I’m lucky to get a shot that doesn’t have my finger in it!”. Are you one of those people who thinks they have the shot nailed when they are taking it, then you look at the back of the camera and it just didn’t turn out that way? You aren’t alone.
Here are 3 simple tips you can use to make your photographs a little better each time you are out:
- Eliminate distractions. One mistake people make is trying to get all the action in the picture. Photography is more about eliminating distractions in a scene than it is about getting as much as you can in one shot. Find a point of interest and try to set up the shot to compliment that one thing.
- Be ready. This one especially applies to children. You have to have the camera ready to go when you want to get the shot. Make sure you are on the mode you want and that you are zoomed appropriately before the moment happens. I try to show up 15-30 minutes early for shoots just to get all my settings and equipment exactly how I want them BEFORE the client shows up. Obviously you won’t do this with your family but it illustrates the importance of being ready for the shot. There have been times when the sweetest moment of the shoot is when the family is getting out of the car and getting ready to get their picture taken. If I wasn’t prepared I would miss those all together.
- Be a composer. I know this sounds weird when talking about photography, but it is so important. In photography there is a rule that works pretty well…it’s called the “Rule of Thirds”. Envision that your photograph is broken up into three sections from left to right and three sections from top to bottom. All in all, there are 9 squares that are created when you do this. Most of the time your point interest should come at or close to the cross section of two of these lines. Don’t worry, there’s a picture below for the visual learners like me:)
Here is a couple of examples that illustrate all three of these tips. Both pictures are from a trip I took with some friends to Africa. Both were taken with a point and shoot. I chose these shots because one is an “in the moment” shot and one is a scenic shot and both were taken with an inexpensive camera. Basically, I chose them to show you that YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
The photograph above was taken while on safari. There was tons of stuff in that area that I could have included in this shot but I thought the simplicity of the bird and the dead tree was plenty. Also, the point of interest (the bird) is in the vicinity of the crossing of the far right “third line” and the top “third line”.
This photograph was taken on the way to the safari. We were in the middle of the African plains when we got not 1 but 2 flat tires (and then another 2 on the way back!). As you can see, while everyone else was working I was snapping away…I didn’t say being a photographer was going to make you any friends:) The point of interest is at the bottom left of the photograph near the crossing of the left third line and the bottom third line. If you look at the photograph, 6-7 “squares” are without any interesting content but they allow you eye to move right to the point of interest.
There are plenty of other little tips and rules to help make you a better photographer but these are pretty easy to pick up and implement. Maybe next week we’ll explore 3 more.
*If you really want to learn how to a better amateur photographer I have a friend and brilliant photographer who leads an online workshop for just such a thing. I’m sure she would love to have you in her next open seat! Check out 503 Photography’s “Wannabe Workshop” (I don’t know if that’s really the name, just sounded good).
**If you want to book Fyrefly Photography for a Wedding, Engagement, Family Portrait, Senior Portrait, Kids Portrait or anything else you can visit our website at Fyrefly.com or email us here.
Cincinnati Photographer – Some of my favorites.
September 1, 2009Who knows what the future holds for this adventure? Not me. If you had of told me when it started that this thing called Fyrefly would be where it is in such a short time I would have quickly told you that you were on an illegal substance. Sometimes when you dream you think “but that’s just a dream, it could never happen”. What a dumb thing to think…if you are dreaming with no belief that it might be possible, then what’s the point? Self-torture?
I am learning to dream and then sit down and figure out what it would take to make my dreams a reality. There is so much more in store for this adventure…for now let’s call my mood “pleased, not satisfied”. I am still chasing my dreams because I’m afraid if I stop something else will catch me from behind.
In honor of my nostalgic mood I went through and picked my favorite photo from every one of my shoots over the last 6 months, 22 in all. I exported these in small files so they wouldn’t take long to upload. So if you watch them on full screen they will be insanely pixelated. I thought about telling you why each one is a favorite but that would have made this post longer than any human would ever read, even my mom:)
[nggallery id=2]
*If you want to book Fyrefly for Newborn Photography, Kids Photography, Family Photography, Senior Portrait Photography Engagement Photography, Wedding Photography or anything else you can think of visit our website at Fyrefly.com or email us here.
Cincinnati Photography Blog – New Design
August 30, 2009
BEFORE
If you are here for the first time then you don’t notice any difference (obviously). But if you have ever been to our blog before you will notice that we changed the look completely! The basic structure is the same and everything functions in pretty much the same way…everything is just cleaned up and a little more sophisticated:)
Enjoy the new design…
Nathan
Coffee House Love – Photographer – Cincinnati, OH
August 26, 2009
As I sit here drinking my iced coffee drink and waiting for a client I am counting the hours a week that I spend in coffee shops like this one. It’s a lot. It got me thinking, “I should do a quick run down of all the coffee houses I’ve found in the city that I love to hang out and meet clients in. So that’s what I am doing…
These are not in any kind of order…I have some favorites but for the most part they are all pretty equal.
- Bean Haus – Covington, KY – The amtosphere and location couldn’t be any better. It’s right on Main St. in Mainstrasse and the coffee is fantastic!
- Rohs St. Cafe – Clifton – It’s a coffee shop for college students (not old people like me) so the parking is almost no existent. Most of their business comes from walk-ins so they really don’t need parking. The decor and atmosphere is right on and the coffee is made with a little extra love!
- Heaven’s Roast – Loveland, OH – It’s definitely a little more suburban and smaller but hip nonetheless. I totally expected a S_____bucks knockoff when I went there for the first time but it won me over with good coffee, music and free WIFI.
- Speckled Bird Cafe – Norwood – This place is artsy, eclectic and independent. I love the vibe in there. If only they had longer hours.
- Coffee Emporium – Downtown/OTR – There are other locations but the downtown version is the best. It’s a half floor down from the street which offers a pretty cool vibe. I love what they’ve done to renovate it and make it more customer friendly. Great place!
- Red Tree Gallery - Oakley – I’m partial to this one because it’s in my neighborhood. It’s an art gallery and a coffee shop so there is always a new exhibit to get lost in. They serve some great food, great coffee and there are plenty of place to hang out and check email or talk. I always leave wanting to go back.
There are plenty of others, but these are my most frequented. What have I missed? I am trying to come up with a list of places to meet clients in every part of the city. My criteria is 1. Artsy 2. Independent 3. Great Atmosphere and of course 4. Free WIFI.
Feel free to suggest any places you know of.