This grad and I spent a great morning at Ypsilanti’s Depot Town and Riverside Park.
We were concerned about the weather but got a great, sunny day.
He has worked hard to get to this point and has a wonderful future ahead of him!
Clicking on the composites will display then full size.
This senior session was to be held at two locations, one of which was Ann Arbor’s Graffiti Alley, a back entry area in the middle of town.
Under the heading “ya never know what you’re gonna get” the expected F bombs were less abusive than I’ve seen them in the past…. still, be forewarned.
Many years of applied roller and rattle can paint have graced these walls and it’s clear that it’s been an active site for social expression.
We relocated to the local canoe and kayak rental spot to finish the session.. somewhat more sedate.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
These two sessions are quite different and point out a couple of the range of services I offer.
The young woman lives in a house with long established flowering plantings in the yard. She and her family wanted some photos taken with the flowers in the background, her full senior session to be completed at a later date.
The head shot session also included here was taken in my studio. The gentleman needed to update his photos for professional usage. another fun session.
Clicking on the composites and the header photo will display the full size.
I had the opportunity to photograph a headshot session for a gentleman who also is active in acting and local theater so we got to do a bit more to show a range of emotion as opposed to the standard “approachability” photos.
It’s always fun to play a bit and since I have had some small theater experience back in New York City we traded stories. A fun very enjoyable session with a very nice guy!
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
There’s a phrase in photo-world known as SOOC meaning “straight out of camera” or unedited.
I’ve seen this in a lot of photo forums mostly used with pride by hobbyists because I don’t know any professionals who do not edit.
Edits can be very subtle.. color, exposure, retouching skin issues or sometimes creating a fantasy world.
AI is making major waves in the arts as well as politically and socially.. a subject for another day. I haven’t dipped my toe into that vast ocean…. waiting to see how I can incorporate it to enhance but not replace my images.
The composites included here are a very few examples of edits.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size
I have a great admiration for wedding photographers as it takes a special skill set and great patience. To me it’s cat herding.. sorry!!
In this case I was contacted by the bride to photograph a very small ceremony at Washtenaw District Court 14A.
There is a long window wall along the hallway leading to the courtrooms that has always fascinated me on a visual level. True, the walk down that hallway is not the most pleasant of experiences as it is, after all, a criminal court building.
Nonetheless on the day of the ceremony we were able to capture some great images of a happy bride… other photos are private but she OK’d these.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
Both daughters are in schools in separate parts of the country so when they both came home at the same time, this happy mother got us together at County Farm Park in Ann Arbor to capture this slice of time.
The day was a bit brisk but clear and a hint of warm weather to come.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
This session happened this morning on a bit of a cloudy, blustery day that improved drastically just as we started.
This young woman just received her Bachelor’s degree and will pursue a Master’s in forensic science and criminal investigation.
Photographed on the Eastern Michigan University campus in Ypsilanti the day went well. Sunny with a side helping of huge Koi living in the ponds.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
Part of me envies the part time photographers picking up a few jobs here and there for a bit of extra funds although, in fairness, many of them yearn to go full time but due to family, financial or personal reasons have not done so.
In my case I was laid off shortly after losing my wife to cancer after being together 31 years and I was done with corporate so bootstrapped my photo business.
It was a leap of faith and I love what I do. The business side of running a business is where many entrepreneurs fail. I had many years in and out of corporate so had the background to make the move.
I am an LLC, BBB accredited and licensed as a home business in the City of Ypsilanti. I carry equipment and liability insurance, pay for search engine optimization, my website, gallery and Etsy page as well as print samples, maintain my in-home studio much of which is pictured in the composites in this post and have a load of equipment also pictured in the post.
Two camera bodies, 8 flash heads, a host of light stands, tripods, umbrellas and light boxes, backgrounds, various electronics to fire the heads and enough computer power to process the photos and some stuff I’m sure I’ve forgotten here all add up to my tool kit.
I guess I qualify as a cottage industry of which there are many in this city alone and we are eternally grateful to our customers who keep us alive and still working.
Clicking on the composites below will display them full size
While it’s still a bit chilly here in Michigan it’s still not too early to plan for a graduation photo session.
Whether it’s high school or college the need to capture that slice of time is fast approaching.
Obviously the preference is for an outdoor session utilizing one of the many great locations available to us with, perhaps, a side trip back to the studio to incorporate a short yearbook photo into the mix.
This post is intended to be a thought starter as I always get frantic calls as the deadline approaches.
The composites below are a very small sample of some of the sessions I’ve photographed.
Clicking on them will display them full size
Last week I posted some Etsy products using my own and others’ photos and this week I am rolling out my new Metal Print Wall Art page.
I stress the these prints truly need to be seen in person to appreciate the dramatic difference over paper prints. I have a wall of them in my home and when customers come in for studio sessions they almost always are shocked at the intensity and color depth of these display prints.
Rather than printing the image directly onto aluminum which results in a lower resolution print that scratches easily, my lab uses the Dye Sublimation Process! During the dye sublimation process the image is first printed onto a transfer paper with "dye" inks then "sublimated" into the aluminum sheet with heat and pressure. At this point the inks are bonded with the aluminum for permanent protection and longevity! Because the inks are infused beneath the coating of the metal these prints are also scratch resistant and hold up perfectly in moist environments. Unlike other print mediums, you can wipe away fingerprints easily with a soft microfiber cloth and glass cleaner, which will leave your HD Metal Prints looking like new for a lifetime!
This post is a bit wordy as I am trying to get as much information a possible to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeX53aItNys is a link to show you a video of the process.
Here is a link to the store page:
https://www.ssphotographic.com/metalprintstore
Clicking on the photos below will display them full size.. these are a small collection of what is available and photos I do in sessions are always available in metal.
I’ve been posting links to my product sales sites occasionally but this year my mission is to make a more concerted push to make people aware of the available custom imprinted image items.
I’m integrating a couple of new pages to my website that will be up and running soon but here is a preview of some product using my photographs…. more to come regarding the metal prints soon.. these in the photos below first.
I am also, in this post, asking anyone who has suggestions for new product to post a comment.
Also any product is available to clients who want photos I’ve done for their family, seniors, portraits or pets with those images printed as items to have commemorating those memories… just contact me.
This link takes you to my Etsy site https://www.etsy.com/shop/SSPHOTOSTORE
Clicking on the composites below will display them full size
I don’t get to play much in my studio as many sessions don’t lend themselves toward too much experimentation.
The mission is always to capture the personalities of people who come in so when this young woman who had never been in a formal photo session asked for some photos for a potential model portfolio I jumped at the opportunity to be a bit more inventive.
She immediately relaxed in front of the camera and it turned out to be a really fun session.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size
I photographed three sessions that piggybacked a couple of guys needing high school senior yearbook pictures with a woman updating her head shots.
Until the actual, consistent spring weather moves in I’m happy my studio is available for indoor sessions.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
Anyone who “owns” an animal knows full well the animal is the true owner.
Bad weather walks, expensive food and vet bills, middle of the night wet nose in the ear are all par for the course.
The obvious other side of the coin is the companionship, unconditional love, sheer fun and the inevitable statement “Sorry, I can’t move… there’s a cat on me”.
Back in the mid 1960s I lived in a 5th floor 2 room walk-up apartment in the East Village in New York City with my then wife, a cat, two Afghan Hounds and a rescued Great Dane so I get it!
These photos are a combination of my son’s dog just prior to a much needed clipping and a pair of customer’s dogs.. all photographed in my studio with a brief burn off some energy break in the snow.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
A while ago I donated a gift certificate for a one hour session to a worthy cause and this family bid and won the session.
Their story of coming to this country was very interesting and the session was quite rewarding!
Clicking on the composites will display them full size
This week’s post highlights two headshot sessions.
The first was for a gentleman who came in for a quick session. His wife accompanied him and when we were done I convinced her to get in front of the camera despite her protestations that she didn’t photograph well and her hair and makeup had not been done at all.
I actually love it when I get someone who says they don’t photograph well as in many cases they turn out to be my best shots. I love this one!!! Her natural intelligence and charm just came across perfectly.
The accompanying couple of headshots were from another session and in a very nice small world moment it turned out the woman went to high school with my son, who is now in his late 40s.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
This dad and his two sons came into the studio for a family session to update the one we did in a park last year.
No surprise, the boys have grown and, as before, we had a fun session.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
If you’ve been following my blog posts you know I have been sharing the backlog of warm fall weather photo sessions. I met with this great family on a warm day in mid November just before the winter chill set in.
They were the last family group photographed outside in 2023.. Had a great session and it was a perfect day to wind up the season.
Clicking on the composites will display them full size
More from the last of the warmer weather.
This couple had me photograph them and their pup last year and came back for a one year redo.
The header photo is an after/before and it’s amazing how much he’s grown.
I’ve enabled a new pets and people web page and am posting the link below. Please feel free to visit.
https://www.ssphotographic.com/pets-people-and-animals
Clicking on the composites will display them full size.
