This past Saturday I offered the first ever Shay Cochrane Photography workshop in downtown Tampa.  The feedback has been pouring in and I have been anxious to get my thoughts down in writing!  The workshop was an incredible success, but here is the good, the bad, the ugly and what it all means for future SCP workshops!

First of all I have to give a sincere thank you to all of the awesome photographers who attended!  I am humbled that you guys would come from as far away as Virginia to hear what {little} wisdom I have to offer.  I am grateful for the great questions you asked, the effort that you put into learning the concepts, the images that you have shared from the workshop and your incredibly encouraging feedback!

I had decided to limit the workshop size to 10 photographers which proved to be perfect.  Everyone had the chance to contribute questions and get one on one time during the actual shooting.  The workshop was divided into two sections, the first  was a “classroom” portion and the second was an actual mock engagement shoot to illustrate and practice the classroom concepts that we covered.  My biggest regret is how rushed the whole thing felt. Three hours just wasn’t enough time and, at least from my perspective, it felt like we were going 100 miles an hour – and that is with us really going for about 4 hours and then hanging out for another hour or so for lunch! haha.  I think it was the right amount of information covered but in the future I will add at least an hour or two to the workshop overall just to bring the pace down a bit.

For the classroom portion we squeezed into the Appleblossom Wedding Center consultation room.  While it was conveniently close to where we would be shooting, next time we will definitely need more room to stretch out our legs!!

We spent the first portion of the workshop talking about what it takes to get great images right out of camera; including lens choice and how/why you should be confidently shooting in manual mode!  We worked through how to solve the common problems of blurry images, dull colors, dark underexposed images, inconsistent results, all with the goal of getting images that “pop.” (Oh the ever allusive “pop”). haha.  We also talked about what goes into choosing a location for optimal gorgeous natural lighting and what it takes to get natural posing and genuine emotion out of your subjects. I’m just going to let you guess what I was talking about while making this ridiculous face. haha

I think that everyone left the classroom portion really excited to put what they had learned into practice on the shoot!  At that point we headed into downtown Tampa to meet up with our couple and begin working through what we had learned.  While planning the shoot portion of the workshop, there were a few points that I wanted to get across. At many workshops you get the incredible chance to work with real models in gorgeous locations…and then you get home and you struggle to put into practice what you learned when you are working with your very “normal” non-model clients in often less than ideal locations.  For this reason, I specifically wanted to get a normal couple, and shoot in a normal location at a less than ideal time of day as far as lighting goes.  So, at 10:45am we took to the streets of downtown Tampa!  Let me just tell you, it was HOT and the sun was blazing down from right overhead.  It presented the PERFECT opportunity to put into practice what we had learned in a less than ideal setting!!  In my opinion, although I love the chance to work with fabulous models who pose perfectly in gorgeous stylized locations, it seemed SO much more helpful to keep the shoot portion as true to real life as possible and prove that you can find great lighting and create beautiful images anywhere!

The first few location stops on our route were, again, less than ideal lighting locations but were used to illustrate that the exposure and metering tricks that we learned could be used anywhere!

On our quest to find gorgeous lighting at noon in a busy city we found this little gem of a space.  It had all of the right ingredients that we had been talking about…simplicity, beautiful diffused light, natural reflectors, a beautiful color palette…just fabulous.  It was a perfect illustration of how you can find beautiful light and create a fabulous image anywhere – no fancy schmancy location needed.  We also talked about some basics of posing and how to engage and prompt your couple to create natural emotion and beautifully sweet moments.

With as much as I was running my mouth, I didn’t get the chance to take a whole lot of images myself but here are a few little gems:)

Again – nothing fancy – but it perfectly illustrates how with the right combination of good lighting and exposure, attention to environment, and natural posing and emotion, you can create a beautiful image anywhere!  You just need to know what to look for on location and have the tools to get images like this right out of camera with minimal work needed! (For those curious workshop attendees, my settings were f/1.8, ISO 500, 1/2000, WB cloudy, 50mm 1.4 lens. The only adjustments that I made were to increase the contrast a smidge, cool down the WB a little bit for better skin tone, and add a normal amount of sharpening.

All along the way, I coached on client interaction during the shoot.  I am not sure what is more exhausting as a photographer during a shoot…how much technical and creative thought is required for each shot, or how critical it is that you set and maintain the emotional momentum of the shoot.   The camera stuff is only half of your job; the other half is a combination of cheer leader, psychologist, modeling coach, stylist, and stand up comedian!!

(camera settings and Lightroom adjustments same as mentioned above)

(camera settings and Lightroom adjustments same as mentioned above)

Phew, what a day! With this being my first workshop, my biggest concern was, of course, what the workshop attendees were thinking when they left!  To me, a good workshop both challenges you while giving you tools that you can use immediatly.  I wanted them to feel like they had received the attention and information that they were expecting while being both challenged and encouraged in their work. More important than anything that I can say about the workshop is what the attendee’s said about it…it truly made my day.

“Thank you sooooo much for the invaluable information! These are some of the best pictures I have ever taken because of your great tips and direction.” – Katie

“Thank you SO very much Shay! I will be putting everything I leaned into practice! And the new rule of thumb for exposure is going to change the aesthetic of all my work.  I barely had to touch these pictures!” – Alberto

“I want to give a huge thank you to Shay Cochrane  for being so generous at her workshop today! She was absolutely amazing, kind, and full of knowledge and I learned so much, and met a lot of great other photographers as well!” – Jessica Liane

“The workshop was awesome, Shay! It stretched and challenged me! – Lisa

So, what will the future hold for SCP workshops?  Well friends, this one had such a great response that there will definitely be others here in Tampa along with a workshop that will be geared more for beginner hobbiests.  In addition, I am already making plans to host both of these workshops in central Virginia (date and location TBA) and will also be working on providing opportunities for one-on-one consulting to individually address business planing, portfolio/website critique, pricing help and basic marketing strategies for individual businesses. I really can’t wait!

Finally, I need to give a huge thank you to Naomi Chokr for photographing the workshop!  All of the above images are hers unless otherwise specified!  Thank you also to Emilio and Hannah, our incredibly accommodating couple for the shoot and thank you again to each one of you who attended! You guys rock!

To be put on the mailing list for more information on future SCP workshops both in FL and Virginia, please contact me at info@shaycochrane.com.

To say that I have a lot to do right now is an understatement.  Literally in the past 24 hours alone I have done two 1 year photoshoots, a family photoshoot, a 4 yr photoshoot and a 2 yr photoshoot.  I am finishing up two recent weddings with a wedding this weekend and a wedding next weekend, an album order in process, oh and I have been trying to finish a blog post on last weekend’s workshop since Monday!  But I just could not help but quickly rummage through these shots that I took today of Chloe for her 2 yr phototshoot and had to put this one up here.  Despite my office and my life literally looking like chaos right now, I can not wipe the smile off my face when I look at this sweet picture. I mean seriously.  She has stolen my heart.

This is how I am feeling at the moment – it is Monday morning and my head is spinning with ideas and work that needs to be done. I am exhausted and it is only 9:30am. My to-do list is about 20 items long…half of which needs to be done “immediately”… but I am trying to put first things first…time to read my Bible and pray this morning, breakfast with my family, a quick tidying of the house so that we get off to a fresh start…

There are wedding packages to be mailed, images to be edited , galleries to be posted, blog posts to be written (OH MY!) and in the back of my mind I am still a little giddy with excitement over my first workshop being a huge success.  I am already scheeming followup workshops, consulting opportunities, and am in the beginning stages of planning at least one, maybe two workshops to take place in Virginia!

All of this is fighting for attention with a daughter who has peed through two outfits already (all in the name of potty training) and is currently back in her diaper (#pottytrainingfail) and is currently filling the top of my DVD case with water to drink out of while simultaneously unraveling about 100 yards of yellow ribbon across my office floor…and you know what,I dont care, the ribbon can be replaced and someday my daughter will successfully learn that pee pee goes IN the potty.

So this morning I am taking a deep breath, setting my priorities and tackling the crazy load of work ahead of me while attempting to keep my priorities in tack.  This whole business of being a work-from-home mommy is not a tidy thing that I have orchestrated to perfection…but I am blessed to hear the little songs that she sings while wrecking havoc on my office, I am blessed that my husband works just a few rooms away – close enough to escape to for a kiss and a moment of sanity amidst the chaos.

Happy Monday friends.  I hope that your week is off to a good start and that you are putting the important things first and not just the urgent things.

Love,

Shay

(above mage found on pinterest)

If I were to ask you to pull out the most recent professional portrait of you, you would likely either show me your high school senior portraits (which sadly took place before the wide spread use of straightening irons) or your wedding portraits (not exactly business headshot appropriate) and if you happen to have both, there would be a 10-15 year gap between the two in which you presumably lived under a rock as you morphed out of high-school awkwardness or you just “happened” to always be the one behind the camera…am I right?  Why is it that during the “prime” of our lives we don’t treat ourselves to images made that capture us without there needing to be a big event to warrant it?  For this exact reason I was so excited to shoot Eboni’s “Just because I’m turning 30″ portraits!  I would almost feel bad about giving away her age (sorry Eboni!) except I think that everyone would agree that this girl is a bombshell in need of a modeling contract!

What was really fun about this shoot was that Eboni had taken the time to send me inspiration images for the shoot.  It was really fun to take what she gave me and morph it into something that represents my own style and Eboni’s unique beauty and personality.  We had three different looks for the shoot and as I walk you through each look I will show you the images that we used as inspiration!

But first…meet Eboni!

While we were in the planning stages of her shoot – Eboni sent me inspiration images of her favorite actress Tracee Ellis Ross.  Now let me just say…this made me a little nervous at first. haha.  I had no idea what Eboni looked like and I am only a photographer…not a magician…there is a lot of money that goes into a celebrity photo shoot not to mention personal trainers, professional hair, makeup, wardrobe etc etc etc.  I could send you inspiration images all day of Angelina Jolie but ,lets be honest, even the worlds best photographer is not going to be able to make me look like her. haha.  Anyway, all of my fears were put to rest when, oh snap, the girl actually DOES look like Tracee!  Ridiculously fit body and all! haha.

I could tell from Ebonie’s inspiration images that she likes a clean, simplistic studio feel to her images.  Keeping these images in mind I looked for a spot on location that would provide a simple but textured background that would allow her posing and wardrobe to give the image beauty and edge.

The inspiration…

our final product…

There is nothing that radiates confidence and beauty quite like a woman laughing naturally…I love this image of Tracee and wanted to be sure that I caught the same spirit in Eboni!

There was a particular image that stuck out to me in the set that Eboni sent me.  There was a back and white headshot of Tracee created in a studio that was beautiful because of its sheer simplicity and her striking beauty.  it is hard to get incredible studio-type lighting on location in the middle of busy downtown Tampa but we could use the inspiration from the image to create our own strong black and white image with similar qualities but with our own spin.

The inspiration image…

Our own spin on it…

Before I forget…we started the day with a few business professional images…not your Sears portrait studio headshots right?

We ended the day with one look that I wanted to give two different “feels.”  I loved Eboni’s choice of this soft floral romper and chunky jewlery.  For the first part of this set I wanted images that were more urban-edgy.  Eboni was AMAZING when it came to her posing.  She moved so naturally from pose to pose needing almost no direction from me.

The second part of this set I wanted to be much softer…more Anthropologie catalogue than urban-edgy.  We softened her posing as well as her expression and the color palette of the scenery and it translated beautifully.

We brought in just a bit more of Mrs. Ross’s inspiration with her full hair and big ole’ movie start shades…

Overall, Eboni did an incredible job.  I told her during the shot that it is totally hard to be photographed alone with no one to hide behind or to help you to be yourself.  Eboni’s images are beautiful because she is a beautiful (inside and out), strong, and confident woman.  I for one am so glad that she took the time to translate this period of her life into images that she will be able to show her children’s children someday!  Didn’t she do a great job!?

With just 3 days (woo hooo!!!) and 2 seats left before the first ever Shay Cochrane Photography workshop I am going to offer just one more person the chance to win 50% off of registration!! So, if you are still going back and forth, taking up bad nail-biting habits and loosing sleep about whether or not you should make the investment in yourself and be at this workshop – here is your LAST chance to make it happen on the cheap!!! To win, do the following in the next 24 hours:

1. “Like” the Shay Cochrane Photography Faceboook fan page!

2. Post as your Facebook status or tweet the following: “I REALLY want to go the the @Shay Cochrane Photography workshop!! (http://shaycochranephotography.com/blog/?p=4119)”

*** For Facebook: Make sure that you tag me (@shaycochranephotography) in your Facebook post so that it shows up on my fan page wall and I can see it!

*** For Twitter: Make sure that you use @shaycochrane to mention me so that I see your tweet!

You will be given one entry into the contest for EVERY time you post on Facebook or Twitter from now until 11:00am tomorrow morning! Winner will be announced at noon tomorrow (Wednesday May 18th).  Good luck!!!

(above image found on pinterest)

We are heading up to Richmond,VA for the weekend to reunite with our Harrisonburg Aletheia Church family and enjoy a few days of worship and studying what God’s word has to say about the church.  Sweet little Chloe will be staying with friends here in FL – we thought it best to spare everyone from making a 14 hr drive with a 2 yr old. haha.  I will miss her little face…so this post is a much for me as it is for you.  Have a great weekend friends!

Before you read any further, this love story begins here:  {PART ONE}

Now where did we leave off? Ah yes, in the garden reading sweet wedding day love letters to each other!  We were able to steal a few minutes alone together in the back yard before everyone headed off for the ceremony…

Moments later the family and bridal party joined us for portraits in the back yard.  It is always so beautiful to see the twinkle of excitement in a mother’s eyes on her child’s wedding day.  Chris and his mom shared a sweet moment as we pulled everyone together for a few pictures.  These images remind me of how important the art of photography is, even during the more formal portraits.  Good photography not only captures the who, what and where…good photography should transport you back to what it felt like to be in that moment.

The time had finally come.  We loaded into cars and headed just a few minutes down the road to the beautiful Naples Continental Club.  The seats were already filled with guests chatting, reconnecting, reminiscing, all in expectation and excitement for the arrival of the bride and groom.  Andrea’s father gave her away as music floated across the lawn and out to sea.

The lawn where the couple said their “I dos”  sat beneath waving palm trees. The breeze coming off of the ocean kept the guests cool as the sun warmed their faces.  A perfect beach side ceremony.

By the time the ceremony was over clouds began to fill the sky.  And not just any clouds…like…end-of-the-world storm clouds.  Guests ran for cover as the wind picked up and threw sand across the beach.  But like any Florida storm, it left just as quickly as it came and while we missed the worst of the rain, we were blessed with a gorgeous backdrop of dark blue clouds against the white sand and light green ocean.P.E.R.F.E.C.T….just perfect.  You can always tell the couples who are there to get married…not just to have a wedding.  These couples are the ones who, despite last minute changes in plans or untimely weather patterns, keep a smile on their faces because, well, they are just happy to be in it together.

As the storm blew in, Paige of No Worries Wedding and Events in Naples did an amazing job of making sure that none of Andrea’s amazing details were lost, and as soon as the rain passed everything was back into place beautifully.  My good friend Ashlee of Ashlee Proffitt Design created and coordinated all kinds of fun printed details for Andrea and Chris from their custom invitations to table numbers, and even fun circular name tags for the crazy straws set out for guests to enjoy!  Andrea put so much time and effort into making the reception fun for her guests.  It really was so sweet to see everyone enjoying all of her hard work!

Ok, so, I’m not going to lie.  There were two points at which I was literally crying behind my camera.  The first was during the couples first dance.  They just were so sweet together and so genuinely in love.  When brides cry, I cry..I can’t help it.

The second was during the father daughter dance…maybe because it reminded me of my dad and I literally wept uncontrollably during my own father daughter dance five years ago.  I love this tradition and I love the special bond between daddys and their little girls.

As the couple shared their first dance and toasted to love and good friends, the clouds rolled away to reveal what every bride dreams of for her beach side wedding…a breathtaking Florida sunset.

As the evening came to a close, the guests made their way onto the beach, trading their loafers and fancy heals for sand between their toes.

Even the bride set aside her rose bouquet and silk stilettos to help find the perfect seashell for a seaside fortress.

It was the perfect end to a beautiful wedding day.  Family who had literally not all been in one place in over a decade sat and enjoyed drinks, a warm ocean breeze and a perfect  sunset.  I think that is was everything that Andrea and Chris could have hoped for. Andrea and Chris, thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding day.  It has been such a pleasure to get to know you two and I wish you both a lifetime of days even happier than this one:)

The house, nestled amidst looming Oak trees, was quiet and calm.  No flurry of maids with curlers in their hair.  No looking frantically for eyeliner amidst bags of wedding day paraphernalia.  Around the quiet house pictures of Chris and his seven siblings told stories of memories made long before the day he met Andrea.

The morning, like any other Saturday morning, started with a four mile run together, a favorite pastime that seemed like the appropriate way to start this special day as well.  Hours later, Andrea and her small party of two maids spent a peaceful and quiet afternoon getting ready in the home owned by Chris’ parents.

The dress could not have been more perfect for Andrea.  It had the most beautiful texture and despite its heavy layered appearance it was literally as light as a feather.  Fun, striking, but with no fuss. Effortlessly beautiful.  I think Chris would describe Andrea that way as well:)

During one of our pre-wedding phone conversations Andrea had mentioned the beautiful back yard full of old tree’s in Chris’ parents backyard…”like our own little secret garden” she laughed.  It turned out to be the perfect place to capture the wedding day details liker her deep purple peep toe platform stilettos or her crimson red rose bouquet.

One thing I came to learn about Andrea is that as laid back as she is, this girl loves the details (I know because my talented friend Ashlee designed many of them for Andrea!).  Every element of the wedding day was a reflection of the color theme…even the cute little cotton dress that she wore while she was getting ready!

Finally, the time came to get into the dress!  I think that no matter how many times you secretly try on your wedding dress in your room before the big day there is still just something electric about slipping into it for the last time…the time that matters the most.

Mom set to work tying the bow that would drape down the back of her dress and you know how moms are…it just had to be perfect.  I think she quietly put all of her love into tying that bow.  Just thinking about helping my own daughter into her wedding dress makes my eyes well up with tears.

The final touches were made to the makeup before heading outside to photograph Andrea alone.

In their “Get To Know You” questionnaire I asked Chris to describe Andrea in three words. “Beautiful inside and out, funny and loving” was his reply.  All of those characteristics shown through on her wedding day.

You have to love a girl who takes the time to have her toenails painted red with white polka-dots to match her color scheme but isn’t hesitant to run after an ice cream truck in her wedding dress to make sure everyone gets a treat!

A white coconut pop-sickle seems fitting:)

Just after the girls got back inside Chris and the guys pulled up and the house filled with excitement.   They did not want to make a big deal out of seeing each other for the first time before the ceremony – not even doing an official “first glance” but Andrea’s nervous excitement was unmistakable when he turned the corner and saw her there. His bride.

I just love the sweet way he looks at her as she fusses over him.

Now that the rest of the family and groomsmen had descended on the house it was a flurry of chatter, boutonniere pinning, tie tightening, and last minute glances in the mirror…in the midst of the final preparations we stole away to the back yard to give Andrea and Chris a chance to read the letters that they had written to each other.

and with that, I will leave you on the edge of your seat until part 2!

Natural lighting is the bomb.  Dark rooms with lamps giving off nasty yellow light are NOT the bomb.  Which of these do you think will produce more beautiful images?  If you said natural light then ding ding ding you are correct!  Natural light, meaning light from the sun, whether it is coming through a window or otherwise, produces beautiful natural looking color and skin tones on camera that mimic what we are used to seeing/interpreting around us in real life.  In contrast, when you are taking pictures in a room that is dimly lit with minimal to no natural lighting and has only ceiling lights or lamps to light the space everything will take on the tint of that unnatural light being used whether it is yellow lightbulbs or fluorescent lighting which has a blue hue .  A dimly lit room with table or ceiling lamps as the primary source of light will mean that skin looks orange or yellow, and your beautiful diamond white wedding dress will look (gasp!) yellow as well.

To employ my favorite saying…we are photographers, not magicians…there is only so much that your photographer can do to diminish these effects on camera.

When you are looking at wedding venues for your reception, ceremony and especially for where you will be getting ready – look for rooms with lots of natural light.  If you are getting ready in a hotel room for example, ask for a room with lots of windows.  If you are getting ready in a church ask for a room with windows and open the blinds and curtains up to allow as much light in as possible. Your makeup artist will also need lots of natural light if she is getting your look ready for an outdoor ceremony for example! Understandably, there are just some times that you do not have much say in the matter but every little bit helps.  You can apply the same principles to your ceremony and reception location.  The more natural light the better your images have the potential to be!

So, the next time you are out scoping out wedding and reception venues – follow the light!  The natural light that is:)  Your photographer will love you and YOU will love your wedding images even more!

Here is a perfect example of a great hotel room for the bride and bridesmaids to get ready in.  It has a whole wall of windows with tons of warm sunny natural light.  So pretty!

I have had the idea for this shoot in my head since the day that my mom and dad bought Chloe this adorable little wooden pink kitchen. But when is it ever convenient to haul a 40 pound kitchen set out into the middle of a field at sunset, strip little Chloe down to her bloomers and ask her to play “make dinner for mommy and daddy” in the middle of an open field. haha. I would have been so sad if we never did it though and of course Chloe didn’t even seem to notice anything different in her surrounding as she got right to work making “soup”, including praying over the food before serving it to us “dear Jesus, help us have good night night” (always her prayer) hahaha. I love you sweet little girl.