May | 2012 | Waterlily Photography

It really all began when I realized I needed a business card. So many times, people would ask me for a card and I would have to say that I didn’t have one YET. As I started to design my card, I realized it all really had to start with a logo. The logo had to be mine. I couldn’t use clip art or use something from the internet. Doing that could lead to copyright issues and legal problems that I don’t know enough about! So…I went through my photos and found the photo of a waterlily that I took last summer. It really is one of my favorite photos – it is from a waterlily that was blooming in my pond in my backyard. There could be no copyright issues with that. (The photo is the header for this blog.) I traced the photo in Photoshop and made a digital image of the waterlily that I used for a watermark and for my first business card.

I was pretty happy with it for a first effort.

As I became more focused and serious about my own photography business, I knew I needed a website. Today, with a visual, artistic business like photography, a website is a must. I hired someone to develop my logo and soon discovered that the best person for the job was me. So, my logo evolved and became this:

I used my new logo as the inspiration for my website….thanks to my photography friends at Snapshots of a Good Life for all of their guidance, to my friends, Natasha at NTME Photography (www.ntmephotography.com) and Kelley at Pear Tree Photography (www.kelleywenzel.com) for their help as I authored a showitfast.com website. Soon, I began to understand that when you have a website, you really need a Facebook page and a new blog all at the same time and they all have to be linked.

Thanks to all of you who showed me so much support and “liked” my Facebook page! Your friendship means the world to me!!

I am so happy to finally show you my website – http://www.waterlilyphotographybynancy.com. A website is dynamic – it will take shape as my business grows. There will be more that I add to it – FAQ’s, locations for shoots, and I will complete the pricing and client pages. I think it is a good start – I feel like it is me – and I am so excited to share it with you. If you click on my logo at the top of the right margin or waterlily website in the border under the waterlily photo, you will be connected to the website. I hope you will let me know what you think. Thanks so much for looking!!

Chat later!

Welcome to my new blog! I have to confess, I have been an off again, on again type of blogger. I aways have good intentions …but THIS time, I really mean it. I plan to blog on a regular basis – about my new photography business, about Pa/NJ Photo Tour Enthusiasts, and a little about my life. I can usually talk a person’s ear off so let’s see if I can meet my goals this time.

My photography business had a little push. A very special wedding for a friend’s daughter is coming up on June 16 and I will be the photographer. Wedding photography wasn’t really a part of my plans at first but when I accepted the job (and the challenge), I decided to give it my all and spend the last six months getting ready to be a wedding photographer. I have been talking to people, reading and reading some more, attending webinars ad seminars, attending workshops, and reading a little more. The last workshop I attended was held in a beautiful photography studio in Manhattan last week. The photographer and workshop leader, Neil van Niekerk, has written two books on flash photography and held countless individual and small group workshops. You can find out more about his seminars here. This workshop was really what I needed and I feel much more confident with lighting – something I realized I had to learn to be a wedding photographer.

This is Neil as he starts class – with one of the models.

A New York cabbie stopped by to see who the celebrity was that we were all shooting. We looked like the paparazzi! When he learned we were a photography class, he brought out two cameras that he happened to have in his cab that he wanted to show us.

Then, he had to have a photo of Neil – just in case he really was a celebrity.

We were shooting in the meat packing district of NYC. Most of the buildings now house beautiful restaurants and night clubs. It was an excellent site for the urban backdrop we were looking for. Here is just one reminder of where we were.

Outside, we were practicing off-camera flash with a soft box.

This model must have jumped 50 times so that we could freeze actions using our flash and get this shot!

Beautiful lighting with an urban backdrop –

This is a pull back shot – that’s Eric, Neil’s assistant, holding a large soft box (not actually in the shot but just pretend).

This was a light moment – (get it?) – one of my classmates was demonstrating a pose to one of the models.

pretty street in the meat packing district.

The models were amazing and real troopers. This isn’t easy work! Not only did they stay beautiful all day, they seemed genuinely interested in what we were accomplishing and so willing to help.