Sneak Peek | Modern Women's Portraiture in Denver!

Just a little something I'm working on...

I'm ridiculously excited to be launching empowering women's portrait sessions in Denver in just a few weeks!

In fact, I'm now looking to portfolio build, so if you are, or if you know a FABULOUS woman 40, 50 or 60+ who deserves to be treated to an incredible, once in a lifetime experience, please contact me now!

YOU DESERVE -- in fact you NEED -- to exist in photographs. For yourself, and for your family.

Why I do What I Do | The Happiness Gratitude Connection

I have something personal to share on why I have been a photographer since ... long before I realized I was actually a photographer ...

I recently caught the tail end of a TED radio talk on Happiness, when I was struck by these words:"WE HAVE TO BUILD STOP SIGNS INTO OUR LIVES."


The speaker, David Steindle Rast, was talking about gratitude as an essential key to happiness. He suggested that this simple active pause can revolutionize our lives, inspiring a sense of gratitude, and in turn bringing more happiness to our daily lives.  He suggested that we could ALL benefit by taking time to "STOP. LOOK. And GO." Every day.


This is PRECISELY what I love so passionately about photography. 


Great photographs are stop signs: they evoke a moment's pause, a moment's reflection, a moment to be grateful. 


The world moves fast. Faster, every day with digital images pummeling most of us for most of our waking hours (I'm probably not the only one guilty of absorbing digital media even from bed)!

When I recently started ordering PRINTS again -- for myself and for clients -- it struck me how much value there was in looking at something that wasn't being projected in pixels. It was inspiring me to STOP. And LOOK. And then GO on with my day. With Gratitude.


THIS is why I do what I do. My work is ever inspired by love, gratitude, and a desire to share.

To see more of what's been happening in our latest newsletter, click HERE!

Stay GRATEFUL... and as always, Stay INSPIRED!

Photography Studio | Top 10 Tips for Success

With a desire to start the year with a positive outlook, Sandy Puc just began a great discussion thread on LinkedIn asking people to think about the Top 10 things they believe contribute to a successful photography studio.  

I love taking the first week of January to revisit goals for my photography business, and so was inspired to take a moment to reflect on my overall strategies for success. In no particular order, here are my Top 10 (ok 12) things I have observed over the years which motivate me every day.  Some I live with confidence.  Others I am still working to make wholly mine. What would YOU add?

1. THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE: Make booking, scheduling, delivering, and of course, shooting the photo session a memorable and fun experience.  Inspire referral business through existing clients.
2. SMILE: Yes, you. Genuinely. Smile!! On the job ... and at the proverbial coffee shop (can’t even count how many clients I’ve earned with this philosophy).
3. INSPIRATION / EDUCATION: keep reading, networking, attending seminars and workshops, and staying abreast of current trends, and try new things based on what inspires you.
4. GOALS / LISTS: keep both business and personal, and self-impose deadlines for non client driven ones. If you keep pushing back a deadline, ask yourself if the item should really be on the list (if so: do it! If not, remove it or put it on a separate back-burner list).
5. MARKETING: Schedule regular activity and think outside the box to market yourself creatively (in print, in person and via social media) Your website should reflect your personality. And especially when you’re starting out, don’t show every photo, show only your BEST photos!
6. COMFORT ZONE: Push it! Often! Shoot new material.  I love to use my phone camera to shoot personal projects even on days when I'm not shooting for clients.
7. PRICING: Review cost of business and package pricing annually and always communicate clearly and confidently with clients (unless you happen to love negotiating -- which I decidedly do NOT -- printed materials with pricing menus help tremendously).
8. MONEY: Fall in love with the business side of what you do. This is still my biggest challenge. I had to finally design myself a beautiful system of spreadsheets b/c the available software systems were all too dry for me. May sound silly, but it works for me. Find what works for you.
9. CONTRACTS: Know and continually update your contracts to stay on top of constantly changing on-line world (especially if you work with digital files and licensing). Educate your clients about copyright laws, and gently educate clients that they are investing in your talent, creativity, instinct and vision, NOT paper and ink.
10. GRATITUDE: Be grateful for the fact that you get to do what you love for a living! Remind yourself of this simple and amazing fact when times are tough.
11. ACCEPT CHANGE! Don’t attach to old ways of doing things and don’t be afraid of learning new tricks. Let go of fear, take chances, dive in...
12. TAKE DANCE BREAKS. Often. Crazy ones. They are immeasurably good for the spirit. Not to mention sore, over-worked eyeballs.

On Interstellar Dance + a New Website | Architectural, Wedding, Portrait + Product Photography, Denver

Winding my way through the breathtaking back roads of Colorado a few years ago, I was lost in a favorite tape-set of mine called "Canticle to the Cosmos."  (wait, I just typed the word "tape-set" -- there's a possibility this may have been more than a few years ago) 

On this particular trip, following a spectacular autumn photo shoot at dawn, I was somewhere near Great Sand Dunes National Monument when struck anew by the words of cosmologist Brian Swimme.  He spoke passionately about exploding supernovas, black holes, violent asteroid collisions and entire galaxies hurdling through space toward each other on an inevitable course toward an interstellar dance of destruction. 

My attention was sparked deeper still as he paused to reflect on the poignance behind the chaos.  It turns out that each of us are comprised of certain elements which are produced ONLY in the most fiery explosions of giant supernovas.  We thus are, quite literally, made of stardust.  On top of this gift of elemental life birthed solely through the most destructive of universal events, Mr. Swimme suggests that there is a more poetic gift in all of this destruction as well: the gift of pressure.  A positive pressure... the pressure to LIVE, to love, to observe, to experience.  A pressure to appreciate what it is to be human at this moment in time.

So... why am I talking about this in a photography blog?  Partly it's an attempt to find perspective and hope amongst the backdrop of recent events in our more immediate universe.  Maybe I just wanted to use the phrase "interstellar dance" in a post announcing my NEW WEBSITE.  Either way, if you happen to find resonance in Swimme's perspective, I hope it inspires you as it has for me!

With a renewed vigor for grabbing each precious day and living it to its fullest, here's to each of us remembering -- today and every day -- to make it count! 

Carpe Diem.

a glimpse of my new homepage!  Come VISIT!

Green Gourmet Cooking | New Merritt Design Photo Magazine!

So excited to share this new project which I photographed and designed for a wonderful new client, the uber talented Lucy Warenski, chef at Green Gourmet Cooking.

Within hours of uploading the finished artwork, I was contacted by the Director of Marketing at MagCloud, saying how much she loved this piece and asking if she could feature our first issue as part of the launch of MagCloud's new 8x8 format square magazine later this week -- very exciting!

Green Gourmet Cooking

By jennifer koskinen in Green Gourmet Cooking

28 pages, published 27 APR 2012

Yum! Our premiere issue of Green Gourmet Cooking features information, recipe, sample menu and delicious photos of Denver Colorado based organic chef, Lucy Warenski. Photography by Jennifer Koskinen

Watch for big things from Lucy and me as we strive to take the culinary world by storm!

Painting with Light

Warning: These photographs aren't for everyone.
But if you're among the curious... I'd like to share!  There's something I find enormously compelling and peaceful about leaving the exposure open just long enough to "paint" the sensor with a swath of light dotted foliage.  Resulting streaks of color appear painterly, but are completely the result of photographic processes.  I'm going to include a few sets here from my favorite experiments with this method.  Enjoy!

Capture Philosophy | Photo Tip 04: Finding Portrait Light on Location

A week or so ago, I had the opportunity to work with talented Denver studio portrait photographer, Mark Pells, on an ambitious headshot project for the theatre department at my son's school.  

As a completely self-taught photographer and a HUGE fan of natural light, it was fascinating to watch Mark create magic with his studio lights.  I found it most interesting to learn that I am often drawn to or actively seeking out  the very conditions in the field, which he sought to create in the studio.

Thought I'd share a few of my personal favorite conditions through examples, in case you're curious to experiment the next time you're out photographing your family and friends.  

These are all photos I took on a single walk with my son on a bright, sunny afternoon in Denver (as you can see in the first photo below).  These photos were all taken with a 100mm macro lens with a Canon 5D, set on aperture priority (all shots are between apertures of 2.8 and 4.5).

Often, it is instinct for us to want to place our subjects in the sun.  But beware!  Direct sunlight can be a great dramatic tool when used intentionally, or with reflectors, fill light, etc., but if you are out with your camera and don't have such accessories (which I did not use for the shot above), not only will your subject likely be squinting, direct sunlight will create harsh shadows that generally aren't as flattering for skin tones, facial features, etc.  Thus, it is usually better to take the subject out of direct sunlight...

Once you take your subject out of the direct light, you'll have better luck getting even skin tones.  In this photo, light bouncing around from north and east facing windows at a coffee shop provided gorgeous, flattering conditions in the afternoon.  I simply exposed the shot to feature the correct amount of light in his eye and let the camera and natural light do the rest.  You can actually see the north facing windows reflected in his eye. 

In this shot, I asked my subject to stand in a spot of reflected light -- sunlight that was bouncing off the windows of a building across from us.  Beams of reflected light are fun to experiment with, and are a bit easier on the subject's gaze.  As you can see, while it still casts some dramatic shadows, it also can create fun magic in the eyes.

One of my favorite things to look for is nice, subtle bouncing light that is slightly weighted in its direction.  By that I mean that the light is essentially coming more from one side than the other creating a nice broad highlight on one side of the face, in this case, the side towards camera.  A darker background pops his face as the main focus of the composition.

These last two photos are shot on the same long wooden bench, but facing opposite directions.  In this first one, there is only indirect light on my subject, but an open area of VERY bright light behind him.  I exposed for his face (so essentially you'd need to OVERexpose if you were using a camera that meters for an overall scene), and I let the background go white.

For this photo, we switched positions so that the brighter area is now behind me (the camera), and it's a little easier to get a traditional photo with a nice tonal range, great skin tones and no hot spots.
And of course it never hurts to capture an impish grin :)
Happy shooting!!

Scene on Site

Having a personal history with landscape photography, I love it when a commissioned shoot brings me a chance to also capture a great sky or a unique perspective on a familiar landscape.  Here are a few such images I wanted to share from two recent photo shoots in the Telluride area.

Springtime in the City

Rushing water is the hallmark of springtime in the mountains.  Rivers burst at the seams and ponds emerge in the valleys as snow melts and rages on its annual springtime descent. 

After a dozen or so of these high alpine springs, I had completely forgotten how abundantly beautiful this season can be at a slightly lower elevation!

It is April and already neighborhoods in Denver are bursting with color and new life.  And I, of course, as my eyes are on overdrive, I can't help myself but try to capture the new season in its birth.

I photograph because I have to.  Just ask my son, it's a compulsion over which I have surprisingly little control.  Compositions present themselves constantly, frozen moments of time, light and expression frame up in my view, even when I am not actively pressing a shutter.

As such, my camera often feels like an extension of my self; it is the tool through which, when I use it well, I am able to communicate my vision of the art and beauty that I see in my surroundings with the rest of the world.  The creative process drives me to the art of capture; the ability to share my work and evoke emotion from others is the inspiration.

Capture Philosophy | PHOTO TIP 03: SHOOT, SHARE, STAY INSPIRED

My newest creative addiction has a healthy side-effect: Pure, Raw, Synapse-Firing... INSPIRATION.

Instagram, if you aren't already familiar, is a free photo sharing app for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad which has skyrocketed in popularity in just a few short months (Check out this article on the simple but powerful features they nailed in their launch).  It took me less than an hour to figure out why it is so popular amongst photo enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals alike...

Photos taken with the iPod Touch and filtered with "Lomi-fi" filter in Instagram | ©merrittphoto

The basic tenet of "iPhoneography" is that the best camera is the one you have with you.

As any dSLR owner knows, it's not always convenient to carry tripod, camera body, kit of lenses, filters, batteries, cards, etc., and more often than not, there will inevitably be a great spot of light or moment of inspiration precisely when you decide not to tote along your gear.  If you are lucky enough to have a camera in your phone, however, the opportunity for creativity and capture is hardly lost.

iPod snapshots of architecture around Denver, with various IG filters | ©merrittphoto 

Dialoguing recently with a fellow Instagram'er, I realized how much inspiration I gather not only through this less formal method of shooting, but also through the daily feed of tiny square photographic compositions from all around the world.  I am provoked to consider what moves me about these images -- in intimate scenes from Italy; in extraordinary aurora sky photos from Lapland; in edgy street scenes from New York City and dramatic ocean sunsets from the equator -- as they each enter my personal photo feed...

... Like miniature vacations in the palm of my hand.

iPod Touch photos of my favorite model, with Lomi, Apollo and Gotham IG filters (l-r) | ©merrittphoto 

With visual media such as photography, we can learn so much from studying what we like (and dislike), and we can then attempt to reproduce our favorite elements -- pattern, simplicity of composition, use of light, etc. -- from the material in our own world.  A tool like this with a constant stream of content for inspiration can thus become truly addictive.

It may be obvious that as a professional photographer, I find that my style while shooting with the iPod is FAR less inhibited than when I am shooting with my dSLR.  Less obvious is how dearly I have come to love the results... as well as the new possibilities.  Often (as with the "drive by" photos below) I just hold the phone up to a scene and press the "shutter" without looking (not exactly possible with pro-gear).  It is delightful to look later and discover there are gems in the mix.

A new category of photos not possible with a dSLR (Please drive safely! Don't post and drive!!) | ©merrittphoto

The IG filters offer enough creativity to require no additional photo editing, but of course there are hundreds of amazing photo apps out there to process phone pix through as well, and I have found several that I enjoy, including Filterstorm, TiltShift Generator, FX Photo Studio, 100 Cameras in One, and Impression (if you want to add a copyright to your photos before posting).

Once you have even just a few followers on IG, the feedback is immeasurably enjoyable.  Like any other social media, a great part of the allure is the community itself.  So far my experience is that the IG community is like an incredibly supportive, creative, international family!

Where would iPhoneography be without coffeeshop photos? iPod Touch / IG filters | ©merrittphoto 

My hope with this post is to encourage you, if you have the ability to shoot from your non-dSLR mobile device, to USE it, and use it every day.  Take photos of your morning coffee, your pet and the walk around your neighborhood.  The discipline to simply do something creative every day is a wonderful way to sharpen your skills and stay inspired.  Regardless of your skill level, the tricks of composition, light and content choices which you learn quickly with this completely non-intimidating device will inform choices when using your "real" camera.

Just as important: SHARE your photos.  Photo sharing communities such as Instagram offer each of us the ideal opportunity to share our vision with other people -- people who don't know each other but who truly desire to share creativity and inspiration through each other's photos and feedback.

And thus our world expands yet again... Brilliant use of the technology, in my opinion!

Happy Spring from my iPod to your eyes | ©merrittphoto

Until next time, Happy Spring to you!  Shoot, SHARE and stay inspired!
... and as always, have fun!

--
A complete collection of the @merrittphoto feed on Instagram, can be seen here.
--
If you'd like to get started on IG, there are SO many incredible feeds out there, but here are a few recommendations for fun, interactive people to check out as you get started:
@joshjohnson @richnyc @iscooler @mouselink @brianng @electricdenim
and @steinvalente (thank you for this blog inspiration, Michel!)

Telluride AIDS Benefit | Model Photo 2011

This year's theme, "Force + Grace," was another really fun concept to dream up, sketch out and photograph... A central spine of models choreographed to transfer forces top to bottom, complimented by the graceful poses of the dancers weaving on either side:

As always, the models were a dream to work with... Special thanks to this year's amazing Fashion Show choreographer/directors Katy Parnello and Amanda Carlson for their assistance in directing the shoot.

I feel so blessed for the opportunity to be involved in the promotion and fundraising for this unique and special event.  Gratitude abounds for everything the board and community behind the Telluride AIDS Benefit does to make this event not only an impressive high quality and ridiculously fun experience, but also a huge success with its financial contribution -- funds which go directly to saving lives and helping improve the quality of life for children and people effected by AIDS from the Western Slope to Africa.

Watch here for photos from the always amazing TAB Gala Fashion Show!

Capture Philosophy | PHOTO TIP 02: Creative use of Foreground

Dynamic photos draw us in and give our eye the space and reason to move around inside the frame.  Layering a composition with simple foreground, middle and background elements can add a great deal of interest to an otherwise flat photo.  As such, many photos can be dramatically improved through the implementation of some simple but creative compositional choices.

While this may sound like a simple concept, finding the right foreground element can have a profound impact on a finished photo - from grounding the image with a sense of scale to framing and/or highlighting a subject.  In fact, often in the search for a great foreground element, you can discover a whole new subject for a photograph you hadn’t previously envisioned.  It’s a great exercise to explore your surroundings and find new inspiration.

Here are a few examples using a variety of different subjects:

01 | Draw your viewer into the photo with a compelling foreground element which directly leads into the photo:

Great Sand Dunes National Monument + Denver Art Museum © Jennifer Koskinen

02 | Find foreground elements with which to frame your subject:

Bridal Veil Falls, Telluride, CO + Denver Art Museum © Jennifer Koskinen 

03 | Ground the photo by highlighting a strong foreground element in a composition that might originally have been about the background (these "discovered" opportunities often make for more personal photos of iconic locations):

Bridge Railing to Town Park, Telluride CO + Maroon Bells Wilderness, Aspen CO © Jennifer Koskinen 

04 | Relate the foreground to subject matter, highlighting, echoing or strengthening the subject itself:

Sculpture outside Denver Art Museum + Chalk Street Drawing at Telluride July 4th Celebration © Jennifer Koskinen

05 | Create symmetry, layering and balance:

Driftwood at Maroon Bells, Aspen CO + Private Residence, Telluride CO © Jennifer Koskinen

06 | "Work hard and you’ll get lucky"
Often great foreground material will present itself when you are open to seeing it; the audience member who pops up right in front of you with a perfect hat and hand gesture; a butterfly on a flower when you're already on your belly in the grass; a handful of autumn photographers so perfectly set they could have been staged; and lastly of course, drifting fog makes for a lovely and precious foreground that can only be discovered when in the right place at the right time:

Mountainfilm Symposium + Butterfly on Valley Floor
Photographers in the Sneffles Wilderness + Wilson Peak Above the clouds
Telluride CO © Jennifer Koskinen

SUGGESTION:

The next time you are out shooting, take some extra time and move around to find interesting foreground elements with which to frame or draw the attention towards your subject.  Play with your aperture as well (last month’s tip), and see what kind of results are yielded when you focus selectively and/or blur your foreground or background elements... experiment with color and composition, and most of all, have fun!

Happy Shooting :)

MDP Newsletter | Issue 03

Please click to enjoy the latest edition of the Merritt Design Photo Newsletter!

Merrittphoto on Instagram!

We got a fancy little iGadget over the holidays, and I have become completely addicted to a new form of social media / photo sharing, in the form of a free app called Instagram.

Through the app, you can photograph and apply from a selection of nostalgic and artistic filters... but the power is really in the ability to view, share, comment, "like," follow  and otherwise interact with photo-minded people from all over the world.  

Ridiculously fun and inspiring!

Here are some selections from my first few days of posting.  If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, check out this free app and come say hello (@merrittphoto)!