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My style is unique, I am not a follower in photography I do like my work to stand out in order to grab attention. However I'm also open to suggestions, from those wanting photographs taken, I'm not opposed to following instructions. As a member of the Pro Photographers For Baby Safety you can rest assure your infant/child will not come to any harm during professional &/or artistic shoots. When a person wants to communicate the attention to detail, superb quality of an investment then you need StarKatz Photography to bring that into something tangible and effective to meet that sale! No matter what you want to promote sometimes you need to have it done professionally, product photography is one of our specialties, creating a mood with perfume or anything else that begs to encourage a sale look no further! 'Getting to know photography' lessons available. www.starkatzphotography.com.au
Allow the natural sunlight to highlight babies hair, add a light breeze from a fan if there isn't any wind or have someone fan a large piece of cardboard to create a breeze. Place confetti string of various colours then take your shot low. Later in Photoshop ad a layer duplicated and lightly paint on the layer a pink set at 100% using a large soft brush setting. Then using the Opacity adjuster decrease to your liking so you have a hint of colour. Do the same using a blue or other colour.
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The fairytale begins Before you throw that photo away think about digital editing, digital editing gives life to an otherwise perhaps, boring image.
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Here's an idea of mine I don't mind sharing, in child portraiture have a couple dress up like they are just married in cheap wedding dress and 2nd hand tux, place them in the far distance of the shot and have the child semi-back turn in that direction, gives the shot a storyline theme to it, like the child looking on into her/his future. You can't really see the couple in this shot deliberately done so as they were actually a couple who were having wedding shots, so in respect of the other photographer I made sure I didn't reveal them too clearly in my shot.
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Digital editing as the sky was very dark and overcast, using various adjustments on selective colours and soft brush techniques.
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Warped building using Photoshop Warp tool > Simply select all (CTRL +A > and then click top middle of image until you see a tiny square that resembles this ◘ >you will then notice the warp tool icon will appear next to the Transform Delete & Approval (looks like a tick) icons on the bar above the image in Photoshop. Click on the Transform tool that looks like a bent semi-circle (crest shape) then you should notice the whole image has 9 squares on it. To warp the image simply click down and drag the image into whatever form you want, once finished simply click the tick icon and save your image. Before saving on this image I simply fiddled with the colours, light and contrast to give a bit more vibrancy. Have fun! :D
Silhouette Photography. Elimination of flash completely Allows only the background to be revealed. Technique here was created using a Chroma Key backdrop without flash on subject.
Elegant digital backgrounds for sale at www.StarKatzPhoto... transform your images today!
The best shots are the natural shots, at StarKatz Photography we endeavor to capture moments, as our motto goes "We don't remember days, We remember moments" Image later edited in shop. Bookings available at www.StarKatzPhoto...
Cave Photography Never use a flash is the key to the best shots. ISO 1600 Exposure time 1/8 sec. Aperture 3.61
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Landscape photography A step into realism adjusting simple settings on your DSLR can achieve remarkable results, remember when you take a photo your goal is to communicate what you see through your lens to the viewers you show your photo's to. I simply adjust contrast, aperture, sharpness until the display meets my satisfaction. There is no post production in this image nor any landscape images I take.
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Cave Photography. My Tip is NEVER be tempted to use a flash otherwise you take the whole effect of what you're trying to communicate to others. Simply put here is my rule of thumb when I teach others: Flash in light not in dark unless you're trying to balance a shot, use your flash on a human or reflective subject in daylight, not in the dark if there is already provided light.
Cave Photography. My Tip is NEVER be tempted to use a flash otherwise you take the whole effect of what you're trying to communicate to others. Simply put here is my rule of thumb when I teach others: Flash in light not in dark unless you're trying to balance a shot, use your flash on a human or reflective subject in daylight, not in the dark if there is already provided light.
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Alice in Wonderland Theme shoot Stepping out of the Rabbit Hole into a new dimension. One of our lucky winners Natasha, won not only the shoot itself, editing, CD etc she also scored a beautiful hard cover 60 page album consisting of all edited & unedited shots.. why include the unedited? Because this way people can see the quality of our work and makes them more appreciative of the shoot.
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I can't stress the importance of using a flash diffuser with the macro setting and the key is don't go in too close.. What? I hear you say.. That's right, think about it, if you do go in too close the image creates a out of focus range top and bottom of the screen and in addition when using a flash you get a lot of shadow, if you want to use the natural light that's even better, increase your exposure bias to +1 step then time to 1/60, ISO should be 200 to prevent grain. My focal length was 33mm.
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THE BENCH Child Portraiture using green chroma key backdrop screen & post production of painted background.
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Child portraiture - Sleeping Beauty Using High contrast and fast shutter for more crisp lines, later edited in shop using colour tool.
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DSLR camera result no post processing, simple and effective technique anyone can do, in the process of a slow shutter release simply zoom in during the shot, you may need to experiment a few times until you get it the way you want.
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A slight angle subtle enough to notice without it dragging away the intricate details brought out with a Hoya Lens and manual focus on sharp in the lens.
Bridesmaids We all want to be one. With this shot I used a flash diffuser and used the soft setting to ensure no harsh lines. Notice my intention of using the bridesmaid on the left to create some indication of distance without a lot of intended bokeh, as I wanted to have both in view. With the in camera crop by way of manual focus I was able to use the closer subject also as a balance or border to some degree. Later in shop I did a little color lightening.
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Taken with use of an Orbish flash ring to eliminate shadow and too much contrast, I find compared to other Flash Ring Units the Orbis by far is the best investment as the lighting is better diffused, made for the professional, by professionals.
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Isn't young love grande? Taken at 12.9m I prefer to always stand back this way the image offers more to the viewer and less distortion. I love the ambience created through the stain glass window. ISO 1600 Aperture 3.61 f/4.5 sharpness set to soft.
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Portraiture using only bounced light from reflector sheet on gold. Also used inbuilt program that generates a softness on the subject. This is my daughter who has the most amazing eyes no post processing required . Now that's what I call lucky :D
Wedding Photography Distance 16.9m ISO 1600 Exposure 1/125 f/4.2 Flash fired.
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Photo shoot using strobe and post production. Taken from 20ft away using 500mm lens on RAW Large.
Strobe light used to illuminate subject in daylight conditions diffuses the background creating an appearance of it being dark, perfect setting on an old tree stump.
Using an strobe light to shine on the front and right of subject you get more of a dimension to your subjects details and shape, the strobe is seen mid top right of the screen balanced on a limb, risky to do but afterall I do take risks :D Flash was also mounted on the hot shoe and fired at the same time as the strobe. To create the illusion of a higher limb I got pretty much right down to ground level for this shot. Later edited in shop using filters and vignette tools created from the burn brush.
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Another model shoot photo, using flash fill and a reflector/diffuser. Image was later edited in shop for more contrast and filter used to create a unique grungy tone. TIP: Once again kneeling was done for this, by being approx 15ft back from the subject and kneeling or if you prefer you could use a tripod for more balance your subject is in complete alignment, the subject is natural without too much focus being on one area of the body the whole body is in proportion.
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This model shoot was fun! Meet Ty a beautiful girl the camera loved, once again flash was used as I always use in daylight conditions. Naturally dependent on the end result I might just go with the lighting provided. Later edited in shop. TIP: For results like this get down to waist height and hold elbow on raised knee for sturdiness, remember the rule of thumb with DSLR is with the free hand place under the lens for support with the thumb pointing to the left and away from body. This technique I tend to use a lot, as there is less jitter results in the final image, a fast shutter is also required, approx 600-1000 ISO setting. Once you are ready ask your subject to look just over your shoulder so the eyes aren't completely on the lens.
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Child Portrait Have a child leaning on the back of a chair against a dark backdrop, with the chair positioned approx 5 feet in front of the backdrop the bokeh eliminates any attention being drawn to otherwise creases in the fabric if you happen to be using Muslin cloth as we have done here. Position the soft boxes toward your subject, your camera should be moved back at around 15ft if possible, and mounted on the tripod at the height just above the chairs back. By doing this your subject is not distorted and having them lean, arms crossed on the back of the chair creates more balance to the body. Since it is natural for children's heads to be larger for their body this angle brings out the symmetry. Later the image was edited in shop to add tones to crisp it up. Once more the flashy light was used to keep the attention directed at me.
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In this portrait the mother is proping up her daughter, her hands were brushed out later using shop techniques, the boa was added to give some extra colour to the image. To keep this little princess looking my way I used my little flashy light that is mounted onto my camera with a round piece of velcro it constantly flashes on and off. Plus... TIP: how did I get this 2 month old to smile? I blew raspberries and had my assistant and her father rattle her toys behind me :D
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Baby portraiture, setup consisted of: baby change mat which cradled baby artificial rose petals baby throw prop prop umbrella black backdrop 2x soft boxes The shoot was choreographed to ensure as little flash was used since with almost anyone the constant use of a flash is not good for the iris on anyone let alone a baby. In this particular photo no flash was used just the lighting from the soft boxes at either end of the table. At one point there was a small hot water bottle placed under the baby to keep her warm. TIP: when using a hot water bottle make sure it is not scolding, standard tap water is best as it is not boiled heavily, alternatively you can throw a towel into the dryer for a few seconds to warm it up and place this under the infant.
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Product photography. Taken without flash using a soft black drop and slightly tilted angle creates a more depth of field from lid to base. Later using a burn brush set at 87% we created a vignette carefully avoiding the back light painted gently behind the product.
There is nothing like smiles, and this image was produced using funny noises, a flashy button, soft boxes and a mottled backdrop in their home. Later the vignette was added. What I love is the simplicity, in my mobile studio I have a few goodies, what else could you put on a little angel than angel wings and a halo? :D
Another baby portraiture this time using macro lens and without the flash we made use simply by using the silver reflector diffuse to bounce off the hospital room lighting, then setting the image to black & white we tightly cropped in with manual zoom function and took this shot. What I love most about this is that you can see the tiny milk spots on his nose. This little man was not even a whole 1 day old. TIP: never ever use a flash when taking newborn photo's as this can cause long term damage to their eyes.
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Child location portraiture, using flash, yes.. flash in broad daylight means you get no silhouetting on your shots and the clarity becomes more in control which means less post production. Here the child was simply walking along the beach in her dress up princess outfit. I kept a tight crop in the lens to make the image symmetrical without taking away too much of the location itself, later in post production I painted in some borders to add to the charm. Tip: when using a DSLR always have your image setting to RAW Large for best quality images. As RAW has the ability to draw in more detail.
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Another concept I've incorporated into family shots is mother & daughter or father & daughter etc.. hand shots. We often see baby hands held or the feet of the baby held by a parent, so what happens when that baby grows up? We capture that maternal feelings of touch in our portraits, using a black backdrop, diffused soft boxes and flash this image was created of a mother (seated) reaching up to touch her daughters hand that rests on her shoulder.
Baby portraiture, making the baby comfortable is a first, then you need to get their attention. To do this I use a little red flashing light that fixes to the front of my camera's body, similar to the bike lights you might have on your childs bike, only much smaller but it does the trick every time. Since babies and young children only have a small attention span of approx 5 seconds you have to be quick. Blowing raspberries or playing peek-a-boo can have any kind of reaction, a giggle, or a crying scared child :D Sometimes with little ones they like to see a familiar face so make sure Mum or Dad are standing right beside you or behind you when taking the shot. This provides those gorgeous little rascals that reassurance that it's ok.
The dining experience here using only the lighting available the colors are rich and create mood and atmosphere from the shot.
The eyes have it, using only natural light to capture this close up it in no way affects the animal, sometimes even using a reflector in gold or silver or even white for a more relaxed feel this technique is also suitable for baby portraits as it doesn't cause any blinking and you grab the eyes wide open.
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Pets are never left out of portraiture and as previously mentioned, our methods aren't of the norm, many wouldn't consider taking shots from behind but regardless the image gives character and uniqueness to the shot.
This shot was taken in Mona Vale around 4:30am, using the bulb setting what was dark became illuminate. What a magical morning that was, the whole intention was to capture the sunrise which, never happened due to all the rain clouds, but we were far from disappointed with the results anyway.
Vivid colours, wild contrasts and tones, outdoor at night doesn't have to be gloomy it can have remarkable impact! TIP: Light photography requires a slow shutter and large aperture, alternatively you could just cheat and set your DSLR to Bulb and then holding the trigger for a couple of seconds or longer your camera will create the right amount of shutter & aperture to create this result, problem is you will need someone to hold the trigger whilst you or someone else does the waving around of the torch :D
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