• I have many journals that sit on the shelf at home. They chronicle many aspects of my life. I love to look through them, enjoying the things I have written or the pictures there in. It is my hope that as you look through these pages, that you too will enjoy the things placed so lovingly here.
    It has been a journey that has seen me through many joys and a few heartaches. From the start of Crimson Chickadee and my growth as a person and as a photographer. From the realization that how many fans I have on my facebook page does not merit my worth, to the swelling in my heart as I hit publish to a post that I know will mean so much to the intended recipient.
    I hope you join me often, with a good cup of coffee, and enjoy these pages as much as I do creating them.

    {hugs}
    Nicole

  • Donate to the Precious Pets Animal Rescue


Category Archives: studio

There’s one on every corner

Sunday, January 8, 2012

While shopping I had a conversation with a store owner about my occupation. As soon as I said I was a photographer it was as if my merit as a professional was blown away with the wind. The instant response from his mouth went something along the lines of there being a photographer on every street corner. I tend to agree with him. If I was to draw a circle on the map that covered roughly 30 miles around my studio I know of 24 photographers who would fall inside that circle. Those are people that I know of. I am sure there are more. This bothers some of the more seasoned professionals. If you take a peek into any of the many photography forums or facebook pages out there you would see the various opinions of the newbie and the seasoned  photographers on the subject. I don’t venture into those conversations. I know where I came from, I know how I have educated myself. Business is business. It is up to each of us to educate our clients and the public as to what makes us the best choice for them. Usually we tend to do that by making our portfolio available for the viewer to see just what kind of work we do. We fill the about sections on our websites with interesting facts about ourselves and tidbits regarding photography. We call ourselves photographers, artists, visionaries, business owners and marketing experts. We give ourselves brands to entice the viewer. I have done it all. Spent the money on pricing guides, purchased marketing kits and called myself all of the for mentioned titles. This past year I changed my business cards to read portraitist. Why? Because I make portraits. I take an image and I make it the best that I can. If you are a photographer trying to do the same, let’s be friends. You don’t have to be a professional to be a photographer. There are all levels of photographers, from the preteen who takes pictures of her friends, to moms with cameras to the famous photographer whose name is common place.  I am here to learn all I can in my lifetime and if you want to visit about something that we have in common I would love to chat. Let’s stand together and share what we love.

Me….I love taking what the camera sees and turning it into what I see in my mind when I survey a scene. Making something that is already so beautiful and preserving it for all to enjoy after the moment has passed.

How about you? What is it about photography that makes you pull out your camera time and time again?

 

My portraits…what my camera reads(before)  and what I see in my mind(after).

 

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Heartfelt Workshop

Monday, January 2, 2012

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So long 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

~2011~

What a wonderful year.I am SO happy to be able to do something I LOVE….and I am so thankful to all of you for giving me the ability to do that. As I reflect on the past year I truly feel so blessed, what a year it was. So many things have changed since I first started CCP. A little over five years ago I was sitting looking out the window watching the snow fall, contemplating a name for my business. I can tell you that I would never have believed you if you would have told me where I am today and the things I have experienced because of my business. It makes me so excited for the future. I have set goals for 2012, some of which I have been keeping under tight wraps! It has been so hard for me not to share! I hope that within the next few weeks I can spill ALL the beans, until then I will share what I can.

First is the launch of the Heartfelt Website. You may have already noticed the link in the menu for a week. With the number of group and private workshops that were successfully held this year it is with much anticipation that I am broadening those horizons. I feel excited about getting to know all the ladies who are future Heartfelt attendees and the experiences in store.

Second is the launch of the new wedding website. It is up and running. I will be posting the link soon. What makes it so special? Only that every CCP bride will have their OWN private website, devoted to them and all things wedding. A place where they can send their family and friends to share their Unfolding Love Story.

Thank you to everyone who booked a session with me this year. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that as the number of photos  I have taken grows every year, so does your trust in me.

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2012.

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December 21, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Here we are only 4 days from Christmas. Today is a my cousin M’s birthday. (Happy Birthday M!)  It is also Dolly’s Pre-School Concert. She has a new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa that she is excited to wear, and she informed me this morning that she wants her hair in curls. Then it’s off for supper with Grandma and Grandpa and a bit of shopping.

Onto today’s post….

DAY 21: TABLE

The Christmas table is usually a site to behold. It is something we probably don’t pay much attention to documenting with our cameras. Today is all about the table! It is where conversation flows freely. Hopes and dreams are shared, as well as heartbreaks and disappointments. Games are played, crafts are made and desserts eaten! So much of our lives are spent at the table. It is an important part of our memories.

When taking pictures of your table it is important to  change your perspective often. Place your camera on the table and shoot straight across all the plates. Stand on a chair and take an image straight down, taking one place setting or the whole table. Sit on your chair and take the perspective you see there. Try to take pictures that capture the details as well.

 

 

I didn’t change my lens for any of these pictures but by varying your focal length and retaking your images, it will give you a completely different set of pictures. Also adding mood to the setting changes things as well. By adding a little candle light to the table it changes the look of the pictures. Also don’t be afraid to move things to make a better image. (like the green ribbon in the lower left corner of the centerpiece in the image above!)

 

 

 

Remember if you are shooting digital it doesn’t cost you any money to fill your card. Try taking lots of different angles. That is how you will learn which you like the best!

Now that the table is set Dolly and I are off to sit and have a girls breakfast!

 

{hugs}

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December 20, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

DAY 20: DIVINE

Image Settings: ISO 1600    f/1.4    SS 1/100

 

 

I know I said I would have some tips for you this week to taking better images this holiday season. I have a list of things I wanted to pass on to you. As I sat here this morning I wondered which of those things I should talk about, I looked  across my desk. Big Nik sits there, next to my morning coffee. I noticed something on the edge and picked him up to investigate. There is a spot where the finish has been rubbed down, right where my thumb reaches around. Hmmm I thought, isn’t that odd. Then it struck me as to why. I use all the buttons on my camera as I am shooting, my thumb is constantly moving. There has been such a change in how I shoot since I started down this path of learning. I am sure it will change many more times before my journey ends. The most important thing is to know my camera. I know all the buttons and what they do. Some of them have more than one purpose. It is up to me to decide and choose within my settings menu how I want my camera to function for my needs. So today I would like to stress to you all to learn your camera inside and out. If your manual is to technical for you there are plenty of good books out there to help you understand everything about your camera. In fact, if you have an iPhone I know you can download iBooks and purchase many different manuals there.

Because I know how to change how my camera is set up, I have been able to use a method called back button focusing.  It can also be called Auto-Focus Lock. On my camera there is a little button on the back labeled AF-ON.

So what does this button do and why do I choose to shoot this way?

When you get a camera, it is set up so that when you press your shutter button half way it, it will focus. Continuing to press it all the way down will fire your shutter. Taking your picture. Sometimes when you are taking a picture you want to set your focus on a certain part of the image and compose it inside your viewfinder, but when you move your camera it refocuses. It is frustrating. By separating the focus and the shutter release it enables you to do just that. Choose where you want your focal point to be, recomposing your image by moving your camera to show what you want to include in your image, and finally, firing the shutter to take your picture.

This enables you to shoot more quickly. Such a good thing for Christmas morning when the kids are ripping open their gifts. Your camera will be focused on the area ( say little Suzie, as she opens that Barbie she has wanted since she saw that commercial a month ago! ) you can fire away repeatedly, capturing her expressions of disbelief and excitement, without having to focus every time you push the shutter button.

Or perhaps little Billie is Joseph in the Sunday School concert. You want so badly to get a picture of him as he stands by, watching Mary and the manger. It seems like as you try to take a picture of him, a Wiseman, Donkey or other character in the cast move in front of you, causing your camera to switch its focus to them. As you hit the shutter button, little Billie is out of focus. If you use the BBF method, your camera will continue to keep the focus on Billie, no matter who moves in the shot.

So go now and learn how to change the settings on your camera!

Because I won’t leave you in the dark, and most of you probably have a Rebel of some sort, I will post a little help here for you. Raceboy82 has a Rebel T1i, so I will use it for the purpose here.  If I want to change my focus point for the camera I hit the Menu button on the back of the camera. My LCD illuminates showing me my menu. On my camera I move my selection tool across to the yellow wrench with the three dots. I then select the Custom Functions in the menu.

 

Once inside the Custom Functions I need to scroll through until I find the Shutter/AE Lock. For me this was number 10 in the menu. Selecting it I then move my selection tool to highlight the AE lock/AF.

Once it is selected I test my shutter button on my camera. It should not focus. Now I push the little * button. It focuses. So I know it worked.

I can now select my focal point, push the * button to focus, recompose my image and push the shutter to take my picture. I can recompose many times without having to refocus. Just as long as I do not move the distance from the camera to my selected focal point. Wasn’t that easy?

I just want to point out that this method of focusing will not work in Auto mode. Your camera must first be in one of the “creative zone” exposure modes – P (Program auto exposure), Av (aperture-priority mode), Tv (shutter-priority mode), or M (manual exposure mode). Custom Functions are totally locked-out if you’re in the full-auto “green zone”, or a picture-icon setting like the Portrait mode or Landscape mode.

 

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