How To: Smooth It Like a Baby's Butt

Jack quote of the day...in a very mature voice, "I won't listen to it. Whining doesn't make it happen.  You can't get everything in the whole wide world by whining!".   Aidan wasn't phased of course, but I can't help thinking that Jack was talking to me too...Hmmmm.

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So I just learned a new tool that is my new BFF. Any Lightroom users out there?  For those who are just beginning to use the Develop Module, I have a great tool for you.  It's the Soften Skin Effect.  Here is what it can do for your portraits:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Here's how it works:

1. Click the Adjustment Brush

2. Mask should be NEW

3. The Effect is normally set to Exposure.  Click the down arrow to see a full list of effects. 

4. Click Soften Skin

5.  I use the following settings: 

Contrast - 24

Clarity - 100

Sharpness +26 

6. I always want to see what I'm painting so I click the Show Selected Mask Overlay option (under photo in the middle - check the box).

7. Click the left mouse button while you "paint" over the skin.  The Mask Overlay will paint the skin red.

8. Once you have the area covered, deselect the Show Selected Mask Overlay to see your results! 

9. Adjust Contrast, Clarity and Sharpness until you get the look you desire.

If you have any questions or need help with this effect, comment below or shoot me an email at: tlsportraits@comcast.net.

Meetup: Maternity Photoshoot

On Sunday I met up with four other photographers at Blush Boudoir in Old Town Sacramento for a maternity photoshoot.  They provided us with a very lovely, very pregnant model and time to complete a full session shoot.  I rarely photograph indoors (I some day hope to have the luxury of my own studio) so this was a treat!

Here are some shots from the day...

Meetup: Portrait Photoshoot

Have you heard about  Meetup.com?  It's a great site where groups of people meet according to an interest...for me it's Photography. My sister and I met the group at Gibson Ranch in Elverta, CA. Here's a behind the scenes shot to show you how we photographed our model:

My usual client comes from the five and under crowd so I was amazed when my subject didn't require bribery, allowed me to try new poses and she stayed still.  I didn't even have to give her stickers and a lolly pop when the shoot ended!   

Welcome

Welcome to my first photography blog.  I've been told on several occasions that as a photographer I MUST have a blog.  So here I begin my journey... 

The thing about my blog is that it probably won't be just about photography.  It would be totally impossible for me to write solely on one subject as I'm a mom of two little ones who rule my world.  I can't go a day without talking about them because they completely crack me up.  Like how yesterday Jack told me he had gasoline up his butt.  What?  Yes. Gasoline. Up his butt.  How did it get there Jack?  Daddy put it there.  Daddy put gasoline up your butt???  [Light bulb]  Ahhhhh.  That would be VASELINE Jack.  Daddy put Vaseline on your bottom because you have a rash big guy. 

You see, my world of portrait photography would be completely gray without my every day colorful one.   So let's mix it up and see what happens...