Espana Photography Blog » for PHOTOGRAPHERS

Featured On: Go For Pro

Heather — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:34:48 +0000

If you’re curious to see the home office where I work, here’s your chance! Leah of Leah Remillet Photography runs a beautiful inspirational blog called Go{4}Pro and she did a feature on my office makeover. Fun! Click HERE to go read it and see all the pictures.

With Joy,
Heather España

New Things Afoot

Heather — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 09:00:57 +0000

Good-morning lovely people, and happy Saturday! Yes, I am posting on a Saturday. Don’t worry though — as you are reading this, I will be having a Date Day with my fabulous redheaded husband. I am cheating and blogging this the night before *wink*.

You may have noticed there are some new links ~~off to the left~~ at the top! While I have links to most of these things in the “Websites” menu of this blog, I realized that many of you might not click there on a regular basis, and it might not be the most convenient place to have them. SO I added ~~slide-out tabs on the left for you~~ links at the top for you Hopefully you will find them useful.

[Social] Links to my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

[Ask] A link to my Formspring page, where you can ask me anything. Really!

[Sign UP] At last, the Espana Photography newsletter is back! If you had signed up previously, it would be awesome if you could re-sign-up as my previous subscriber list wasn’t transferred to my new email system. You can sign up to receive occasional news about upcoming events and specials — you’ll be the first to know! For example, I have an exciting special coming up for the month of April. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to be notified before I blog it, tweet it, or put it on Facebook.

NEW UPDATE: To get to the home page of this blog now, just click the España Photography logo in the header . I have also replaced the old header — I hope you like it! Try refreshing the page, and you will see a new header each time. I have it set so it will load a new static image now instead of play a slideshow, in hopes that will make everything load even quicker for you as you look around.

And because posts are more fun with images, here are a few I took of my office space [styling by Rachel of Fawn&Feather - website coming soon!].

Have a wonderful weekend!

With Joy,

Heather España

Playground and The Hot-Seat

Heather — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:18:54 +0000

I know that full-blown spring is still a little ways off here in Oregon, but I have to say the breaks in the rain, the bits of sun and the flowers starting to bloom make me feel spring-y. My friend Rachel and I went to one of our local parks during one said rain break and played around with our cameras for fun. . .

I am looking ahead and a crazy busy couple of months, during which I’ll barely be home! I’m so excited for all the upcoming travel this year, but I am enjoying this spring soaking up our home and the quiet.

. . . . . . .

I also wanted to officially let you know that I am now on Formspring! For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Formspring is an online question and answer haven. You can literally ask me anything you want. I am mainly thinking photography and business questions, but hey — I got a tattoo question recently! If they’re too inappropriate I’ll ignore them of course, but I thought it would be a fun way for anyone who wants to to ask me questions about. . .

*gear

*the business of photography

*behind the scenes of photos

*about working from home

Etc. , etc. and so forth. Sometimes I get questions via email and Facebook, which I do try to respond to when I can, but you are more likely to get a quicker response via my Formspring page. Have at it! I love hearing from all of you.

With Joy,

Heather España

Formal Wedding Photographs. . .the informal way

Heather — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 05:21:05 +0000

Let’s face it. This is usually the part of the day that everyone dreads. The Formals.

Stand up straight. Stand closer together. Look happy. Look happy for longer. We’re not done. And so on and so forth. It is of course a rare couple who can skip The Formals entirely. They’re pretty important, after all. It’s family!

I don’t blog a lot of my “Informals” as I call them. . . usually just because I have WAY too many other favorites to bother with them. But I thought it was about time I did a short post, and kind of show you the way I go about this potentially awful part of the day. I understand that this style may not float everyone’s boat. But I’m a little quirky, as you may have noticed, and I’m a photographer because it’s how I give and experience joy. So, I try to bring that same joy to the “Informals.” If you are ever a part of this experience, you will discover that I will ask you all to talk to each other. Laugh. Bump hips. Etc. It is very likely you’ll feel like a dork. But you’ll look awesome. See?

This is just a small sample from four different weddings, but I hope it helps a bit!

And now friends, I am signing off for three days of being “unplugged.” I will be back in the office on Wednesday morning! I finished every single album design for the year, and I’m off to celebrate sans cell phone.

With Joy,

Heather España

How to Have an Awesome Engagement Session

Heather — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:01:13 +0000

What to wear for engagement/portrait sessions, and how to prepare for them are questions I get all the time from my clients. I thought it would be a good idea to expand on my What to Wear post, and go through the process of coming up with a unique portrait session that will completely express who you are as individuals and as a couple. The concepts below can also apply to anyone doing solo sessions, family sessions, just because sessions . . . basically any type of portrait session!

A session that resonates is all about Personality, Nostalgia and Emotional Connection. Now, I have honestly had clients who thought they couldn’t come up with anything of significance that would help us a create a session that spoke to who they were. I’ve had people say they didn’t have any hobbies, or special locations or much of a story even! After a little digging though, wonderful things started coming to the surface. Everybody has a story.

PERSONALITY

Who are you as an individual? What are the colors that make you happiest? If you have free time, what do you do? What makes you laugh? If you could go anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?

Who are you as a couple? What do you love about the other? What was the first thing you noticed about them (be honest now!)? If you had to pick your favorite trait about the other (kindness, humor, etc.), what would it be?

NOSTALGIA

Where, and how did you first meet? What did you do for your first date? What place/s do you call home? Are there any places you enjoy going to frequently (certain movie theater, hiking trail, coffee shop)?

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

I think some of the most powerful photographs are ones that just completely encapsulate someone. In engagement sessions, it’s important to be comfortable so you can be yourselves, and your photographer can capture your true relationship. Relaxing during a session is, of course, one of the most difficult things to do for many people. But answering questions about your personalities, and places that are special to you, help to create an environment in which it’s EASIER for you to relax and be yourself. And a good photographer will help bring out the real you.

And because this post would be boring and dry if it was just me talking, here are a whole bunch of pictures that I feel demonstrate what I’m talking about.

Below: Here’s Kate and Evan. Evan’s a DJ. They both heart records and thumping music. Also comedic relief. And they spend a lot of time in this very record store, which is where we began their session. . . [you can click HERE to see their engagement session, and HERE to see their wedding].

Below: and here is Fred and Martine. We did their engagement session on Martine’s family’s farm (nostalgia), and had fun playing with this old Ford truck and an ancient (still running!) tractor. They are both engineers, so it seemed appropriate. You can see their full engagement session HERE. Below: Stephanie and Nathan. Stephanie, as you can see, loves to dance and Nathan is a firefighter. So we had a blast making the most of their passions. You can see their full engagement session HERE, and their wedding HERE.Below: This is David and Emily. They’re both incredibly creative individuals, with a passion for vintage style. They had fun putting together their outfits and a little picnic for their pre-partnership celebration photos. You can see the full session HERE, and their Partnership Celebration HERE. Below: This is Jo and Janelle. Janelle is colorful and creative, and loves old books. Jo is quiet and kind, and loves fishing. Put those together, and voila! You can see their full engagement session HERE and their casual beach-cabin wedding HERE and HERE. Below: Meet Zach and Jennifer. Among other things, they like cupcakes. Really, it’s hard to go wrong with cupcakes in pictures . You can see their full Portland engagement session HERE.

Below: Jordan and Rachel were my most recent engagement session, and they love just spending time together and enjoying walks and good food. We took that and ran with it under the cherry trees in downtown Salem OR. You can see the full session HERE.I hope this helps!

With Joy,

Heather España

Any Yelpers out there?

Heather — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:15:27 +0000

Oh, how I love Yelp. For those of you who don’t know, it’s an online resource for business owners and their customers. You can search for any type of business, narrow the results down by zip-code, and easily see who comes highly recommended. You can even write your own reviews.

I set my page up a while ago, but keep forgetting to blog about it! You can, of course, ignore this post entirely. However, if you are a past client and feel like spreading a little love, you’ll put a huge smile on my face. Like this . . . except much bigger.

With Joy,

Heather España

Cross Process App.

Heather — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:06:18 +0000

I’m so excited about the brand new Cross-Process application, just released by Nick Campbell who also created the Shake It Photo app. I’ve been raving about. [If you're on Twitter, CLICK HERE for a chance to win a free download of Cross Process!]

The Cross-Process application works just as seamlessly as Shake It Photo, and makes all the happy camera noises I’m so fond of as it processes. There are several different filters you can choose to turn on or off, and as you can see there are a wide variety of different effects you can achieve by using different combinations. The border feature can also be turned on and off as well. I’m a sucker for borders, so I don’t imagine I’ll ever turn it off, but it’s an option!

What else? It’s only 99cents. Sweet!

www.espanaphotography.com

Shake It Photo ♥

Heather — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:24:16 +0000

Who would have thought that a little 99cent iPhone app. would bring me so much joy? I snap a picture, I click “use,” and then my phone makes the most delicious Polaroid sounds as a happy little square photo slides down the screen and an image gradually appears. It’s a digital fix for my vintage film cravings on-the-go.

www.espanaphotography.com

May Show at Honest Chocolates | Oregon Wedding Photographers

Heather — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:19:34 +0000

A group of us photographers are going to be doing a joint show for First Friday Artwalk on May 7th this year at Honest Chocolates. Yay! To make it more fun, we’re going to choose a theme, and select images to display based on that theme. We would love your help deciding what to pick! Thanks for voting!

España Photography 1950′s Inspired Brand

Heather — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:00:14 +0000

Hello!

Welcome to the spankin’ new España Photography brand and blog! Please take a look around, click on the links, check stuff out, let me know what you think. And don’t be afraid to alert me of any spelling errors .

CELEBRATION!

To celebrate, I am going to be giving away some goodies! Everybody likes goodies! If you are viewing this right at 6pm, you can refresh this page in 5min. to read the First Giveaway blog post!

WHY THE CHANGE?

In all honesty, I was worried about changing my old logo even a little bit because I’ve grown so fond of it over the years. Thankfully I have a stellar graphic designer [Brandon Buerkle], and he was able to come up with something that still hangs on to the character of my old brand, but is even more suited to my style of photography.

Well, funny story. The original España logo was actually designed by Brandon years ago, before I was even a professional photographer. I was making monster hats for kids and teaching fire dancing at the time! That’s where the “swoosh” and the red/orange/yellow color palette came from.

THE INSPIRATION. . .

When I started my own business, I really felt like the logo worked well for my photography. Now, it’s years later, and Brandon and I both agreed it was time for a refresh. I wanted something very 40s and 50s inspired in style and color, to compliment my vintage-inspired style of shooting. I’m really happy with what he came up with, and I’d love to know what you think!

Here’s a little inspiration board, a-la 1950s posters and advertisements. . .

And here’s the new refreshed logo!

And so, farewell old logo! You served me well.

www.espanaphotography.com

Sunpak Readylites | Oregon Wedding Photographer

Heather — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:01:00 +0000

My husband purchased me this beautiful bird ring from Etsy for our anniversary. I absolutely love it! It’s pretty, but also practical because it doesn’t catch on anything so I wear it all the time.

Ring shots are one of my favorite wedding details to capture, but they often have to be done during the reception and frequently when it’s already dark. I love doing something unique with them, but I thought it’d be a fun challenge to see if I could get some good ring shots with nothing fancy at all. For these two, I used nothing but my trusty Canon 100mm 2.8 macro lens, and one Sunpak Readylite.

On this first one, my ring is sitting on nothing but my slightly dusty glass desk, with the Readylite at the center right. For this one, the background is nothing but a chocolate brown pillow case, with the Readylite in the top left corner. Nothing fancy, but kind of fun!

Rollercoaster & Meeting Amelia. . .

Heather — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:28:00 +0000

It’s been quite the roller-coaster of a month so far! Extreme happiness, and extreme loss.

On the happiness end, I had the pleasure of traveling to LA for the workshop with Amelia and Justin Lyon. What an inspiring week! It was so wonderful to meet them in person, and connect with the other 14 photographers who attended the workshop. I love that, after all the weddings I have photographed, there is always something new and exciting to learn.

Here is an image I snapped of Amelia during our workshop. This is just a peek, there is lots more to come! Plus, a look at my refreshed branding is just around the corner!

Sweet Imperfection. . .

Heather — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

I was talking with my film-photographer friend Ryan the other day about how digital photography seems to have edged out the appreciation for imperfection.

Because we have so much control and instant-gratification with digital photography, there are a lot of expectations. If an image isn’t tack-sharp, or catches an awkward expression, or isn’t fashion-magazine ready in some way, it is frequently thrown out.

Film, on the other hand, has had a tendency to feel more magical. Like, it’s not just the photographer that’s working. It’s that, no matter what the photographer does, ANYthing could happen when that film is developed. Oftentimes they’re manually focused, which can take some time. And people move. We are emotional beings, constantly moving. It seems right that some shots would be blurred.

My husband and I can spend hours and hours pouring through drawers full of vintage photos. So many of my favorites might be considered “duds” if seen on the back of a digital camera. But captured on film, developed, and printed. . . there’s just something about them.

I have high hopes for keeping that kind of acceptance, anticipation and magic in the digital world. The whole idea of photography, be it film or digital, is absolutely breathtaking and ingenious. I want to keep that Christmas Morning feeling I used to get when I opened up that paper envelope full of photos. I learned to be a photographer on a film camera. I have chosen to be a digital photographer for many reasons, and I am seeing less and less reasons why it can’t be just as enchanting.

The goal is to balance the desire for perfection with the ability to see an image for its pure emotional value. The goal is not to immediately throw away an image because it was a “mistake.”

For this post, I asked some of my favorite photography friends to contribute images they love but that are “imperfect” in some way.

Emily G says: This one is “from my Grandparents 60th wedding anniversary this summer…super blurry… but perfect to me because [it makes] me remember the moment…”

Emily G says: This one “is actually an outtake of photos I did for miss Maricar & her family. The focus is way off, but the blur of her daughter dancing in the light makes me smile, so I love it. ”

Ryan Wilcox says: “With film you are ALWAYS getting happy mistakes whether it’s a funky sun glare or blurry/ out of focus. “

Another one Ryan loves from their maternity shoot. This is his lovely wife Tiff and his adorably blurry son, Finn.

Heather Espana says: I absolutely cannot get rid of this photo. This is me and my friend Megan, and her brother Jeremy snapped this while my camera was on manual and the shutter speed was too slow. I just love it.

Heather says: a definite favorite from Mike’s and my wedding, shot on film by my friend Tara Sanderson. It’s out of focus, but I just love Mike’s expression.

Heather says: I snapped this one while Mike and I were at the car wash on our way to celebrate our anniversary. It’s completely not perfect, but it helps me remember the day and I love the color.

Beach Day + Shooting in Manual

Heather — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:57:00 +0000

A much needed vacation day on the Oregon coast with my mom, my brother and his girlfriend.

First things first. BRUNCH.

Chowder and Garlic Cheese Bread? If we must.

Me and my bro (taken by my mom after a quick tutorial on shooting in manual .

Me and my brother at Moe’s. I set the camera on the table with the timer going.

Me and my mama. Ain’t she purty? (Taken by my brother)

Ben and Shelby. Awe.

My what a large Chef’s knife you have.

Come oooon Shelby! You can climb this vertical stump in flip-flops!

Ben is ticklish. Can you tell?

My fave.

This was supposed to be his impression of a seagull taking flight, but it looks more like he’s taking a whiz on the log.

A great Daycation!

SHOOTING IN MANUAL

OK. Want the fastest, in-a-nutshell guide to learning how to do the ever-feared, no security of “Program” or “Auto” mode to shooting with an SLR camera? My photographer friends might cringe, but here you go. Here are the secrets, for any readers who have digital SLR cameras to play with, but still get frustrated their home photos don’t have pretty light. This is it. . .no kidding.

1] Look through the viewfinder. See all the little green numbers along the bottom? Good. See the blinking little line? See how that line moves when you use the scroll wheel to change the shutter speed? THAT is what you need to look at when you shoot in manual. Generally speaking, you’ll want the little blinky line to be close the center, and sometimes a couple lines to the right of the center (or “overexposed”).

2] ISO. That means how sensitive your camera is to light. The more light there is, the LOWER you can set your ISO speed. REALLY Sunny? ISO 100 or 200. Cloudy? 400 is a good rule. Dark? 640 or higher. It’s not rocket science.

3] APERTURE! 1.4, 2.8, 5.6?!!!! What does it all mean?!!! I will tell you. All those freakish little numbers, in a NUTSHELL, tell you how much is going to be in focus in your photo and how much light it’s going to let in when you click the shutter.

Small Number = LOTS of light. Little Focus (or depth of field).

Big Number = LESS light. BIG Focus (or depth of field).

Here is a good rule for choosing your aperture, which I got from a Sandy Puc seminar(thanks Sandy!) = Your aperture (or F Stop) should be EQUAL TO, or GREATER THAN the number of people in your photo. i.e., One person? f 1.2, 1.4, or 2.0 and so on. Two people? AT LEAST 2.0 or higher. This “Rule” is of course only used when you WANT everyone in focus. I break it all the time, but it’s good to know.

4] The very last thing is White Balance. Easy way out? Just do auto white balance. But try cloudy sometimes too.

That’s it. In a nutshell. Seriously. Try shooting in Manual. It makes a HUGE difference. How to put all four of those steps together? Here’s how I will often do it:

1 – select white balance

2 – select my ISO based on the light conditions

3 – decide which aperture (fstop) I need, based on how many things/people there will be

4 – look through the viewfinder, press halfway down to focus, move the scroll wheel to change my shutter speed until the “blinky line” is where I need it .

5 – Shoot.

Have fun!

Print Sizes + Cropping Guide

Heather — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Sometimes all the print sizes and cropping can get a bit confusing. I put this image together to hopefully simplify how it works.

Obviously, when you order a size that involves cropping the image, I will position the crop for the best look possible. I would never chop this lovely couple off at the waist for a square print, unless you requested it!

A good rule of thumb to remember is that 4×6, 8×12 and 20×30 are all sizes that will fit the entire image. If you want the whole image, but a different size, it’s a good idea to order the print with a white or black border (available in your photo gallery).

I hope this helps!

With Joy,

Heather España