Behind the Lens, Part I

I get a lot of really funny looks and comments from wedding guests when I’m shooting. Sometimes my job requires me (and my fellow photographer friends) to get into weird positions or use odd techniques to get the shot we are looking for. I decided it would be fun to give my clients and fans a “behind the scenes” look into what this type of positioning can produce. Those of you with a hobby – along with anyone else who loves photography – don’t hesitate to experiment! We didn’t come to the conclusion that these shots would work by having someone tell us. There is a lot of experimenting that goes on in photography, just like any other art form.

Aimee Fredy of White Daisy Photography grabbed this shot of me capturing some bridesmaid getting-ready snacks:

Here is another of Aimee using a fun position in order to get a beautiful shot of the bride getting ready:

At one of Aimee’s weddings, I took this image of her going the extra mile for that amazing wedding dress shot (editing done by Aimee):

Last but not least, here is an image from Jessica Cole, soon to be Jessica B Photography. This is a typical way of shooting a reception in order to get great shots of guests partying:

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This Week…

Just a little preview of what I’m working on this week… Remember the contest winner Kim? Here she is with her sweet hubby. I intend to share the rest of her family pictures soon!

And a couple shots of the Holt family from last week:

I LOVE this little girl!

And, as I mentioned Sunday night, I did a small shoot with my girls. Unfortunately, we are going to have to call this one a work in progress. Despite the fact that they did so well, as soon as we got to our location, brother fell asleep and kids started feeling sick. See why I never shoot my kids?!

I love this shot of my sweet, sensitive girl:

So much to look forward to this month! Lovin’ it!

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My girls. Finally.

Here I am, a week before my due date and what am I doing? Taking my girls’ pictures, of course! I promised myself that before baby Zeke got here, we were going to go out and do this the right way. I researched their outfits, bought/borrowed props, and hyped them up for this photo shoot for two weeks straight. Cut to this week… It’s the one day of the week where the weather forecast promises sun, and three little girls are SICK. I’m not talking all the same ailment either – one suffers from a UTI, one from pink eye and a horrid cold, and the last one is getting the ickies with a sore throat and headache. Still, Mommy continues as planned after pumping three little girls with the proper medications for the first half of the week.

You can’t tell by looking at the other 500+ pictures in this session, but the girls did an amazing job. Even through their discomfort, they did their best to give me everything they had. Yes, we had hurdles and moments in which they did NOT want to cooperate. But we made it through the two hours of shooting, and I am very, very pleased with the results. Here is a little peek at my three girls:

On the other hand, I have to point out that my little Thayana pretty much stole the show. If one of them is destined for a career in modeling, it’s gonna be this one!

I am certain that I will have much, much more to come from this session. In addition, I had no intentions of waiting this long to post in my blog, but pregnancy has done a good job of tripping me up again. We will see how I do with keeping up a little better.

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Trizza Grantham Photography featured in Real Weddings Magazine

I’m so excited to announce that one of my weddings from this past summer has been published in a two-page feature in Sacramento’s own Real Weddings Magazine! If you get a chance to pick up the current edition, you will find Nicole and Dan Caramello’s wedding inside. What an honor, and a huge thanks to the fabulously helpful editors and staff at Real Weddings Magazine!

If you are interested in picking up a copy of Real Weddings Magazine, they should currently be available all around the Sacramento area. You can also have the current magazine emailed to you if you visit the website (link above) and request to have it sent.

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Changes in session pricing… And a beautiful little girl!

As my year of photography is coming to a close, I am super thankful for all the awesome clients who have trusted me with capturing their memories. My job is (in my opinion) the best job in the world. I get to travel, spend time with amazing people, and receive their gratitude when they allow ME to shoot their special events. How could this job get any better?!

In additon, the demand for my work is increasing steadily as my clients continue to pass on my name to their friends and family. Those people who have made it a solid habit to refer me out to others have been the foundation of my business. You all know who you are, and I can’t begin to tell you how special you are to me. I feel blessed to know that there are so many people out there who believe in me and the quality of work that I do.

Because I am fortunate to have a job that I love, I have been reluctant in the past to raise my prices. I have been told that the quality of my work and the packages I provide are worth far more than I charge, however, I pride myself on giving the best possible packages to my clients. As of January 1st 2011, my small session prices will increase to $200.00. They still include travel to the greater Sacramento area and the counties of Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba. Small travel fees may apply for any sessions out of this area. I’m still offering what I have always offered in a fun and upbeat photo session with amazing memories being captured for your family to enjoy. Weddings and other large events take extra special handling, so please contact me if you would like to discuss your event.

In close, I hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying their holiday seasons. And what kind of post would this be if I didn’t include a fun image at the end? This is my best friend’s daughter, and we grabbed this shot last-minute before the sun went down. She looks so peaceful to me.

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Family portrait sessions this fall

It SEEMS a little early for this post, but it truly is not. Fall is right around the corner, and holiday portrait sessions will be booking up fast. Unfortunately, this year will book up even faster than previous years due to my busy schedule. In addition to wedding season running longer than usual, my husband and I recently found out that we are expecting another baby in March. My normal hectic running-around-like-a-crazy-woman schedule will probably not work for a pregnant woman this fall, so I will only be offering limited photo sessions. Four sessions per month during September, October, and November will likely be my max, so I strongly encourage families to book sessions now. All bookings will require a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold the date, especially with weekend sessions being most popular. Below are available weekend dates for fall sessions:

Sunday, September 12
Sunday, September 19
Saturday, September 25
Sunday, October 3
Sunday, October 17
Saturday, October 30
Sunday, November 7
Saturday, November 13
Sunday, November 14
Saturday, November 20
Sunday, November 21

Please contact me for available weekdays, including Fridays. It is unlikely that I will book sessions Monday through Wednesday, but other weekday sessions are possible. It is my goal to not stretch myself too thin and risk my health throughout this pregnancy, so once I book four sessions, the month WILL be closed.

I am leaving you with a lovely portrait that Aimee of White Daisy Photography captured during the small family ceremony Luke and I held in Hawaii with our girls. I will post many more soon, but there hasn’t been time for Aimee to crank out more than this fun little teaser.

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Jeniece and Tony – Engagement Session – Chico, California

This is my little sister Jeniece. She’s ten years younger than I, and one of the sweetest girls ever. Recently, she and her long-term boyfriend Tony became engaged and they will be getting married in a few weeks. My family loves Tony, and we are so happy that Jeniece has found someone who keeps her happy. Best wishes to you both… I love you, and make sure to stay close enough for me to visit!

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Update on my shooting schedule

As many of you have probably noticed by the traffic on my blog lately, things are beginning to get very busy for me. I anticipated this wedding season being a killer, but today I just received a phone call that my youngest sister will be getting married next month. And since this brings me to four weddings in May along with several other small sessions, I am hoping to preserve my sanity by locking my calendar for that month.

I will continue to book sessions through April, the first half of June, last half of July, and well into August. If you have an inquiry about a certain date this summer, please don’t hesitate to contact me right away. Because I have such a busy wedding season and I am taking time off for personal reasons in June and July, I will likely be booking up any available dates very quickly.

Thanks for your patience and for your loyalty in keeping up with my blog! My readers rock!

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Kim and Russell, April 6, 2010

I am hoping that this post will be the kickoff of a huge blogging spree. I apologize to my clients who have been waiting so patiently – I am currently behind on an engagement session, a newborn session, and I have another wedding to post. I promise that these sessions will be up in the next couple of days.

I had the pleasure of traveling to Maui this past week for an amazing vacation and a beautiful wedding. My best friend Melissa and I traveled to the islands to see a gorgeous couple begin their lives together in a fun ceremony on the beach, and I told the bride that I would snap a few shots for her while we were there. Fortunately for her, I got carried away. It was good practice before the official beginning of wedding season, and there was so much to see!

Kim was such a radiant bride!

And after such a long day, here is my family – they were pooped.

Kim and Russell, your wedding was beautiful! Thank you for the warm invitation to join you in Maui on your special day.

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A Wii-bit of an addiction.

I love the fact that we have a Wii – it’s fun for helping get fit, entertainment, and especially family time. Unfortunately, my youngest has become slightly addicted to the console (and pretty much any other electronic game out there). There have been days that she has thrown temper tantrums over not being able to play “her Wii”, and the first punishment that comes to mind in any disciplinary situation with her generally leads to Wii restriction. We even went as far as moving the Wii from the “Wii room” to our bedroom. She has been doing better lately though – probably because Luke and I often work to divert her attention to other activities. However, some evenings it’s even downright cute to see her play the games. Here are the two girls chillin’ on my bed (you can see Tariah stretched across the pillows in the background):

I’m really working on spending some time with my new toy (the 50mm 1.2), so low-light situations like the ones above are awesome for pulling it out. I have more shots coming from all my practice this week, and I have to say that this lens is a completely different animal than any I have ever worked with. I look forward to mastering it!

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