Lucy Lime Studios

Alright! So we’ve compiled 5 of the more frequently asked questions that were sent to us and this is what we’ve come up with! Keep them coming because we’ll continue to post FAQ blog posts every month or so. Hope these help you all out there!!

1. ” I see your photos on your blog and they’re all just so clear… how do you get them so clear???”

Getting clear photos is a combination of many, many elements… way more than I can get in to here. But the main one is nailing your  focus. All dslr cameras offer this option and I think most newer point and shoots offer this as well: choosing your focus point. Open up your manual and find out how to do it on your particular camera, but basically, what you want to do is tell your camera exactly where you want the sharpest and clearest part of the image to be… you want to tell your camera where you want the main focus point to be. The will greatly help you get more clarity in your images. It may seem like an extra step you don’t have time to do now, but you’d be surprised at how fast you’ll get used to it (with practice!!). Also, ensure that the image’s exposure is right in camera. Any fixing you do in photo editing programs decreases the quality (and therefore clarity) of your image.

2. ” I have a regular little digital camera but sometimes, the photos come out really yellow. What am I doing wrong?”

Sounds like you may have an issue with white balance. Try going through your camera manual and finding your white balance adjustment. Every time you go in to a different light source (ie. inside tungsten lighting, inside fluorescent lighting, outside shade, outside direct sunlight, etc.) try adjusting your white balance appropriately for that light source. So if you’re inside in your dining room and the main light source is your dining room chandelier which gives off tungsten (orangey, yellow type lighting), try adjusting your white balance to that option… tell your camera what the light source is, so it can make appropriate adjustments. If it’s dark in your living room and you’ve turned on your flash, tell your camera through adjustments in your white balance that your flash is the main light source. I think you’ll find that the color in your images greatly improves!!

3. “I’ve photographed a few newborn sessions myself, but can never keep them sleeping long enough to get them in to positions like the ones I see on your site. What’s your secret?”

When shooting newborns, there’s three elements that, if all met, will greatly increase your chances of being successful. The first one is warmth… ensure that the baby is very very warm. Basically, unless you’re sweating, that baby isn’t warm enough. Remember they LOVE to be clothed and warm, and now they’re naked and cold. I use space heaters and always have the heat in the house dialed right up! The second element is food… get that baby’s belly full! Baby’s won’t sleep (and more importantly, won’t be content) if they are hungry or upset. So make sure that they have gotten all the food they can eat! And the last element is patience. Settle in for the morning because there is no rushing newborns! You’re on THEIR schedule, and not the other way around.

4. ” My husband just bought me a new DSLR camera for Christmas. Any suggestions on which lenses to buy to get the best images?”

This is a tricky question because buying a lens depends sooo much on your budget and what you want to use the lens for. But seeing as how this is your first DSLR, I would suggest you get a lens with a nice ability to zoom to give you a good range. Another nice starter lens is the 50MM F1.8. It’s a very good price for the lens you get. While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles (like ultrasonic motor), it still has very nice clarity because it is a prime lens (a lens that does not zoom). You’ll love your zoom for the range it will give you and you’ll love your prime lens for the clarity it’ll give you!    Having a decent zoom and a nice prime is great for starters.

5. ” I love the lighting in your work… do you ever use studio lights or is it all natural light?”

Shannon is mostly all natural light as most her work is done outdoors in parks, streets, beaches, and at client’s homes.

Jillian’s work is all natural window light for all her newborns and some of her maternity. For the in-studio work such as 6 month sessions or maternity, most of that work is studio strobe lights.

Hope that helps!!