Greg Hahner Studios

Adding Textures To Give It An Extra Pop

2012-02-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick tutorial over at Digital Photography School's site on how to add textures to your photos. I've utilized textures in my photography in the past and have found that they add a nice effect. Textures are also useful in graphic design and image composites.

Be sure to check out more of DPS's stuff over on their site.

Read the tutorial here.

Useful Tools: Russell Brown Scripts

2012-02-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

There are some useful photoshop scripts over on Russell Brown's site (including an awesome watermarking tool for CS5 users). I've used several of his scripts before and found them to be quite useful. Also check out some of his photoshop tutorials on his tips and techniques page, they're quite informative.

http://russellbrown.com/scripts.html

Lightroom Preset - Daylight Citrus

2012-01-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

It's time for the monthly action/preset, and this time I have a lightroom preset that is really great for outdoor portraits. It enhances the details, boosts contrast, fills in the shadow areas, and does an overall color shift, giving your photos a nice illustrative effect. Works best with daylight-balanced images.

Download Daylight Citrus.

From Their Perspective: Christina Dickson

2012-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Today I'm excited to share an interview with BrideInspired's photographer Christina Dickson in which she shares the goals of her business, gives some insight as to how she connects with her subjects to create such powerful imagery, talks about her workflow, and offers some advice to aspiring wedding photographers. Read through these excerpts from the interview or follow the link at the bottom of the page to listen to the whole thing.

GHS: How would you describe the purpose of your business, BrideInspired?

CD: When I first went through the process of branding my business and trying to figure out what I wanted to stand for, I knew that I wanted to do philanthropy work and weddings additionally, and I didn't really want to have two separate brands for those, but it was very difficult to link them. So I decided to focus on the idea that my work exists to tell stories of love hope and beauty, and that is something I look to do with my philanthropy/missions work and within BrideInspired. I feel like when you can show people what love is, it gives them hope and people are always drawn to beauty, so, the combination of those three things I just feel like is a very strong brand that is also very authentic to me and what I want my contributions to be to the visual world at least.

GHS: What do you most enjoy about being a creative professional?

CD: It keeps life interesting! And I kind of think it's a little bit of a necessity for me because I love working with people. I love the variety and the adventure and the connection, just connecting with people. I just love that.

GHS: How do you connect with your subjects?

CD: Connecting has always come naturally to me because I just love talking to people. So when I go to shoot, I set up my shots so that they're beautiful, lovely, and have a styled feel to them. Then I step in and I deliberately try to connect with my subject for that shot based on what emotion or what look or feel/expression I want to get out of them; and I pull that out of them. So whether it's in what I say to them or what I ask them, being engaging on that kind of level helps to break the perfection of how I've just set up the shot and it pulls their personal expression out, and I think that it really makes the time enjoyable for them because it becomes more of a relational experience.

GHS: Where do you get the inspiration for your images?

CD: It's a combination of several things. Of course every photographer looks at other peoples' work, but when I look at others' work, I am deliberately asking myself how I can make it my own. And the person that I'm photographing is a very active component in the shots I create as well, because I want the photos to be unique to them. I guess I really just enjoy being unique and unexpected and artistic at the same time. And I'd say that when I go to these locations, I have an idea of what I'm looking for, but probably 50% of it happens to be inspiration of the moment.

GHS: What gear do you use most often in your shoots?

CD: I have one camera body, a Canon 1D Mark IV. I always have a second-shooter with me, which eliminates the need for a second body. For lenses I use my 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 20-35mm, and 100mm portrait lens. My go-to by far is my 24-70mm.

GHS: How do you handle your images after you download them to your computer?

CD: I handle all my photos in lightroom. After downloading and importing, I pick out my top 100 images and edit those for initial motivation. Then I cull the rest down to between 500-600 images and edit those from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. Then I save my edits to the DNG files and export my images as JPG's for use in my albums, galleries, etc.

GHS: Could you give any words of advice to photographers looking at getting into the wedding market?

CD: I'd say that practice makes perfect. I think that if you can get great photos of the bride and groom, you're set. So I would encourage people to experiment by setting up shoots with friends to practice photographing individuals and couples. That is something that I think is really beneficial to photographers just starting out. I would also encourage aspiring photographers to contact local wedding photographers, explaining who you are, asking if they can keep you in mind if they ever need help, that you would love to learn, etc. That kind of situation (as a second-shooter) helps because you are able to be a part of the experience more second-hand, you don't have the pressure of the primary photographer, but you will get shots that you can use to build your portfolio and you'll have that experience that you otherwise wouldn't. These are two ways I would encourage photographers to gain experience necessary for shooting weddings.

Thanks so much Christina for the great tips and insight! I know I gained a lot from talking with you, and I'm sure others will find this information useful as well.

If you want to listen to the rest of the interview, just click here.

And be sure to check out Christina's other work over on her website.

Helpful Post Processing Tips From Diane Varner!

2012-01-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

Helpful post-processing tips over at Diane Varner's Daily Walks blog! Download the PSD's and look at how these amazing images are put together.

Check it out here.

CLCL: Simple but Useful Tool

2012-01-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

This is not really a photography-related post, but I wanted to share a great tool that I've found to be useful on an almost daily basis.

I'm the type of person that utilizes my computer's clipboard extensively. I'm always copying and pasting something from one place to another. The only trouble is when I realize that I have accidentally (or without thinking) copied something else to the clipboard, thus replacing what I was originally intending to use.

But this is no longer a problem with CLCL. With this fabulous tool, I can now browse through my clipboard history and recall previous information. You can specify the amount of clipboard activity by changing the settings in the program itself (I have mine set to keep track of up to 30 clipboard edits, thus allowing me to recall and use information I copied 3 hours ago!).

Anyways, if you think such a tool would be a useful asset to your workflow (or even just day-to-day use), visit the page and download this free tool at http://www.nakka.com/soft/clcl/index_eng.html.

Photoshop/Lightroom Users: Two Early Christmas Gifts

2011-12-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

In an effort to add to the resourcefulness of this site, I will be starting a new monthly post that will either include links to my own actions/presets or ones that I have found useful, or a tutorial on how to create/use custom presets and actions.

So to start out I've included links to two of my current favorites, 1 Lightroom preset and 1 Photoshop action. Click the links below to download.

Lightroom Preset: Lindy

I love this one for soft-lit portraits. Boosts the highlights, ups clarity, and adds a faint split tone.

Photoshop Action: Cold Definition

This action is awesome for harsh-lit portraits. Utilizing the Smart Sharpen filter, this action brings out the details in the photo, adding contrast, desaturation, and an overall blue tone to the scene. This also greatly enhances contours of the face, creating very dynamic photos.

If you don't know how to install actions/presets, check out these sites:

Installing Lightroom Presets

Installing Photoshop Actions

Hope you find these useful. Merry Christmas!

Annual Family Photo Project

2011-12-20T10:03:00.001-08:00

As usual, I was commissioned with the task of producing the annual family photo. Fortunately, I already had an idea for this year's composition. Here's the final product; more info and a tutorial on how it was made coming soon.

Shooting My Sister (Not Literally)

2011-06-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Every year Mom likes to hang up a new photo of each of us kids on the wall. The only rule is that each photo has to be taken after each person's birthday. Since our birthdays are pretty well spread out throughout the year, this project tends to keep me busy taking new pictures of all eight of us to be placed into our own special 10x13 frame. So here are some of the results from my first sibling session of the year. Hope you enjoy.

Spring Walks

2011-05-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Since the weather has started to improve we've tried to go outside and enjoy some sunshine. One of our favorite things to do is take walks. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and brought my camera along. Here are a few of the shots from one of our most recent excursions. Enjoy!

Ambient Light Portraits

2011-04-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

Had a little fun on Saturday. We had some company over so I decided to do a short photo session with some of the kids. The setup wasn't difficult. I just set up a plain white backdrop next to our sliding glass door and we were all set. I'd get a nice clean background and soft even lighting from the ambient light coming through the window. Another great thing about this setup was the beauty of the catchlights in the eyes. I even moved one of the curtains into the middle of the doorway to give the impression of two separate light sources reflected in the eyes.

Hope you enjoy them.

A Few (Photo) Highlights

2011-03-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Part of the reason I haven't posted these last few weeks is because our family went down to Arizona on a 5 week music tour. We played bluegrass-gospel music for several RV parks and churches down there and were really blessed by the whole experience.

The internet connection was a bit spotty, however, so I decided to save my post until we got home. Here are a few of the highlights (aside from the music) from the trip.

We got to visit Zion National Park:

The weather was beautiful, the sun was out, and the awesome shadows were pretty amazing.

The color of the rocks reflecting in the stream were so vibrant.

A glimpse of the sun shining through the huge rock formations.

I also had a chance to see some of the local wildlife:

This guy crossed paths with me when I was out walking about one morning.

This was taken at the local zoo.

We also had the privilege of taking a few hikes around the area:

This was a view from a hike through the superstition mountains.

This was a dead cactus found along the side of one of the hiking paths near Desert Trails RV in Tucson.

Needless to say, it was a great trip. The memories created down there, some captured and displayed here, and others that could never be photographed, will always be there in my mind, serving as a reminder that no matter where we are (even if it's the desert), God is there and He can give us joy and peace even in the remotest locations and in the smallest (yet most profound) ways. Don't underestimate His love.

Another Project Completed

2011-01-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

The last month has seen me busy working on an important project. Our family band just recently recorded another CD, and I was responsible for getting the CD jacket art put together.

Design has never been one of my strong points, but I do enjoy the challenge of putting things like this together.

To find out more about the band, or to get in an early order, check out our site:

www.hahnerfamilyband.com

The Annual Update

2010-12-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

Every year our family, like so many others across the country, takes part in sending out an annual update (better known as the infamous "Christmas Letter") to friends and family letting them know what's gone on in our lives during the year, what we've accomplished, what our ambitions are for the following year, etc.

Yet this yearly update would hardly amount to anything if it wasn't accompanied by a photo of the family. After all, isn't half the purpose of this annual message to let others see how your family's grown and the nieces and nephews have changed? In fact, it seems as though most people could do without the letter entirely and would just prefer a family photo to hang up on their refrigerator.

So, for the past couple years it's been my job to compile the annual family photo (or collage if you want to get specific). In past years we've been rather traditional with our photos, nice portraits, smiles all around. This year, however, we decided to hit upon our musical background and use photos of everyone with their instruments. Considering that we released our first CD this year, and that I'd already taken band pictures of everyone for the CD jacket art, it made a lot of sense.

So, after a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and several hours of staring at the computer screen pulling my hair out (only a slight exaggeration), here it is in all its glory.

Hope you all have a blessed Christmas season and that you remember the importance of family and the significance of what God has blessed you with. As you search for the front of your refrigerator, buried under various photos of family and friends, remember that God has a plan for you and for your family. He has you here for a reason, and this season is a perfect time to reflect on that truth.

New Website Release!

2010-12-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited, I just finished designing and uploading my new website.

Check it out here: www.greghahnerstudios.com

More photos and updates coming soon...

Lifestyle Depictions: Lawn Maintenance

2010-11-29T10:39:00.001-08:00

Just recently I got to do a shoot with a good friend of mine...

Joel has been in the lawn-maintenance business for two years now. He stays busy all summer long trimming grass and hedges, weeding around trees and flowerbeds, raking leaves and debris, all with the goal of making his clients' yards look good. He enjoys what he does, and his clients do too.

To stay on top of business, Joel uses quality equipment. Besides his truck and trailer, he's got three mowers (two consumer, one commercial), two leaf blowers, and a line trimmer. All of these have their purpose, and all are very well used.

For this shoot I really wanted to emphasize what business is like for Joel. I wanted the viewer to really understand what it means to be in his line of work, and to catch a glimpse of what day-to-day life is like.

It's not an easy business to get into, nor is it a leisurely line of work, but it's what he does, and he does it well.

[ - ]

Joel, thanks so much for letting me come and photograph you in your working environment. It was awesome getting to shoot with you. We had fun and got some great shots. Thanks so much for just this great opportunity. Blessings to you...

Simple Wireless One-Light Setup

2010-11-22T09:36:00.001-08:00

Did some in-studio shooting this weekend and used this easy wireless one-light setup to create some really dynamic portraits. Read on:

People have a tendency to think that shooting with a wireless setup is difficult or too complicated. While shooting wireless may add slightly to the complexity of the shoot, it can really enhance your images even to the point of producing work that would be impossible to replicate with natural light. Besides, your lighting setup doesn't have to be very complicated to give you a great look. See the diagram below:

Very simple, very easy. Just place one light with a shoot-through umbrella about 3 ft. to the side of your subject, set your exposure and the light's output setting, and your ready to go. A quick, easy way to greatly enhance the feel of your images. (For you technical types, I was using a 4 ft. white shoot-through umbrella raised slightly higher than my subject. My exposure settings were f4, 1/250, ISO 100; and the light's output was set to 1/32)

Feel free to experiment with the light as well. Move it around, raise it up and down, increase or decrease the power output, just have fun. Learn what this tool can do, then run with it.

For more information on getting started with wireless lighting, check out this set of feeds; and, if you're interested in creating lighting diagrams of your setups (like the one above), just follow this link here.

Client Relationships

2010-11-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

As I've continued to take jobs and photograph various individuals, I've begun to notice something intriguing. Something that would seem obvious enough, and yet continues to puzzle and amaze me.

It would seem that there is a direct correlation between my attempts to build a relationship with my client and the level of achievement we both feel after a shoot. It seems that the more time I take to get to know the person I'm shooting (i.e. asking them questions, commenting on their achievements, carrying on a conversation and actually putting the camera down for a few minutes so that they can see my face), the more comfortable both of us become. A connection, a common bond, seems to form between us, and all of a sudden, our ability to relate to each other jumps to a whole new level; our respect and concern for each other reaches a new height, and things progress at a far greater level than I could ever have imagined.

And it's not like it's a difficult thing to do, but often it's the farthest thing from my mind at the time. After all, I've got photos to take, portfolios to build, money to make...

But what are the few minutes that I take to build a relationship with my client really worth? Isn't a relationship with another individual one of the best investments I can make? Am I downplaying the importance of friendship and putting too much emphasis on business?

Now to some people, this may be an observation unworthy of mention; but I firmly believe that the more time you take to establish a connection with the person you're working with, the easier it will be to labor with them. This is a co-effort, you're working together as a team. Building relationships through this process is crucial to getting results that both of you will be happy with.

So many people see business relations as a necessary evil and go about establishing connections only out of self-interest and with an attitude of impersonality and hesitance. They're not out to build friendships, they're out to make money. Genuine concern for their fellow man is counter-intuitive to their line of thinking; they are too caught up in their own problems, concerns, doubts, and fears to be pondering the lives of others.

But truly, what is life really all about? Is it not to build relationships? To show yourself a friend to those who are in need? To make an impact in the lives of others?

Business relationships are just an extension of what we do on a personal level on a daily basis. There should be no distinction. The people we work with are just as important as the ones we hang out with. I think this is an important perspective for us all to have; it will affect the way we treat others for the rest of our lives.

This is an area that we all need to grow in. True concern and appreciation for the lives of other people is a difficult thing to develop. It's something that will take some work, but the rewards of it's institution will far exceed our greatest dreams.

Lifestyle Depictions: Car Restorer

2010-11-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

I had the extreme privilege this last week of getting to do a shoot with Dave. My goal for this shoot was to capture him in his working environment; trying to let the outside viewer get a feel for what it's like to be in his shoes. Imagery is one of the strongest ways of portraying a person, and I hope these images give you an idea of who Dave is as an individual.

Dave has a regular day job and joins the rat-race during the week like everyone else, but in the evenings and on the weekend, he likes to work on cars.

Dave's been working on cars for over 30 years, and the passion continues to grow. One of his current projects is building a street-rod for a friend out of an old '42 Plymouth.

He's got two garages to hold the cars that he's collected and restored over the years. Among his collection are two Oldsmobiles, three Corvettes, and a beautifully restored Ford Model-A.

The shot above was taken in his paint booth with a vehicle he fixed up, painted, and is getting ready to sell; typical turn-around for this line of work.

Most of his work requires him to be inside the shop, disassembling, adjusting, hammering, welding, replacing, etc. When the weather's nice, he'll open up the doors to let in the light and the fresh air. He continues on, goal in sight.

The great thing about Dave, though, is his relaxed manner and his sense of humor. There were times during the shoot he just couldn't resist striking a funny pose or making a joke about something. It really enhanced the shoot and really made him more comfortable with the whole process. He even came up with the idea of breaking out the sunglasses and getting some more "laid-back" shots. I truly think that those shots illustrate his personality more accurately than the posed shots.

The shoot was a ton of fun, and I was pleased with the images we got. Dave was happy too; he even asked if I would come back next spring to get some shots of his cars! That's definitely going on my calendar for next year.

[ - ]

Dave, thanks so much for the chance to come and capture you at work. It was a neat experience for me, and it truly was a privilege to get to know you better. Thanks for the fun and laughs and for your willingness and flexibility to try different things. It was a real blessing for me, and I hope it was for you too...

Painting in Photoshop

2010-10-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

I recently re-discovered a technique for creating a painting-like effect with my images. It's really a neat effect, one that I think a lot of photogs could use to give some of their photos an "artsy" feel. Here's the tutorial:

1. Open up your image in Photoshop.
2. Duplicate the image.
3. Select duplicate (Shown below).

4. Fill image with white (or black, it doesn't matter) by going to Edit > Fill... or by pushing ctrl + backspace on the keyboard.
5. Select the Art History Brush Tool located just above the eraser tool.

6. There are a number of parameters that can be set with this tool. These include:

- Brush size
- Mode
- Opacity
- Style
- Area

For right now, just set the brush size between 15 and 30. Set the style to Tight Long, and the area to 300 px. Opacity should be 100% and Tolerance should be set to 0.

7. Paint over the white canvas (make sure the duplicated image is still selected). You should start to see the original image reappearing. It should, however, now appear to have a paint-like effect applied to it. See the example image below:

8. Continue to brush over the image until it has fully reappeared with the new filter applied to it.

Experiment with brush size and area; the smaller the brush size, the more detail you'll get, the smaller the brush area, the more minute of touch-ups you can do.

Also try out the different style types. There are several different choices to choose from, each providing their own unique paint-like impression.

One of the best ways I have found the achieve the effect I'm going for is to start out with a brush size of about 40, using the tight long style, and to paint in the entire image first. This ensures that I don't have any white showing through when I get more detailed with a smaller brush size. Then I typically resize my brush to about 10-15 to paint over the entire image, and a size 3 brush for faces and other things that need fine detail. This usually gives me the look I want, and makes a fun, unique image to offer to clients.

Hope you enjoy this fun tool...

Senior Depictions: Hana

2010-10-12T11:44:00.001-07:00

This is Hana,

Nature lover, avid reader, active gardener, competitive athlete, pianist, karate enthusiast, and prospective lighthouse keeper.

I had the privilege of capturing Hana on film this last week, and what a fun time we had.

She wanted to have the shoot done in her back yard, among the blooming flowers and lush greenery that make up her garden. The location was beautiful, and we got some great shots.

Hana seemed quite comfortable during the shoot. Smiling came easily, and her joyful personality just shone during the entire time.

I had some fun getting some different perspectives on the swing set in back. The high point of view really adds a lot to this photo.

Hana wanted to get a few shots with her piano. This photo really illustrates her love for her music. We used a strobe/umbrella setup to get the soft light. It was a little tight, but we got some awesome shots.

Last of all, we had to do a few shots of her in her karate uniform. The sunlight behind with a fill-flash from the side really added the contrast I think we were looking for, while still giving it a fun feel to it.

All in all, the shoot went off without a hitch. The light was gorgeous, and we got some great shots.

Thank you, Hana, for giving me this great opportunity. It was truly a great privilege to be able to capture your unique personality and passions. May God bless you in your endeavors, and guide you as you continue along life's journey.

Mark and Sara: Forever United

2010-10-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I had the great privilege to be able to second-shoot my cousin's wedding. It was a fabulous experience for me, getting to see how the first-shooter organized the shoot, dealt with people and deadline issues, and got the shots she was looking for at the same time.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and got some great shots, thanks to a generous primary-photog, and a very patient bride and groom. Things went very well, and some of the results can be seen below:

I really wanted to get a dynamic shot of the dress. I'd seen photos of dresses hung up in front of doorways, windows, etc., and felt that this would make a good shot for my portfolio. I really liked the softness and the contrasting texture that the curtains added to this shot.

We did a first look session for the bride and groom, and the results from that were just beautiful.

This was one of my favorite shots from the park. I just love the feel the image gets from the combination of the pose and the solar flare. One of the most profitable shots of the day.

The wedding party was really a joy to work with. They were willing to do pretty much anything. We had a blast shooting them in different poses and combinations.

All in all, I felt it was a very rewarding shoot and a great first-time experience for me. I learned a lot from it, and was very grateful for the opportunity I had to take such an active part in the process.

Special thanks to Steve and Natalie Hilliard for letting me help them with the shoot, and to my cousin Sara and her husband Mark Schrag for letting me capture such a special moment of their lives.

Kendall and Ellie

2010-09-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't blogged in a while. Just haven't made the time to sit down and write about what's been going on. Quite a bit has happened since my last post. After my senior shoot in June, I did a fun shoot with Kendall (5) and Ellie (3). They were truly and fun pair to work with. We had a blast running around their farm snapping posed and candid shots. Here are some photos from that shoot:

They truly loved being together and some of the shots we got of them both were quite beautiful.

We also did some fun individual shots. These ones were some of my favorites, especially the ones of them in their cowgirl outfits

All in all it was a great shoot with a bunch of fun poses and lots of laughter. Thanks Kendall and Ellie for the awesome time.

Senior Depictions: Cameron

2010-06-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Meet Cameron, a highschool senior with a great personality, a sincere love for his dog, and a hidden smile.

Cameron's photos were taken in Mirabeau Park this last weekend. The sky was overcast and the temps were in the upper 60's. Just about perfect for a photo shoot.

While briefly talking with Cameron before the shoot, I found out that this was his first formal photo shoot. I must admit, I think he did great for a first timer.

At the beginning of the shoot, he seemed a little reserved, and unsure as to how to act during a shoot, but as things progressed, he got increasingly comfortable with the process, and even messed around with the photographer a little (a great way to get genuine expressions).

He brought along his dog, Daisy, to have some photos taken with her. She was a bit of a challenge to work with, as she kept wanting to lay down, but we got this great portrait of the two of them sitting in the grass together.

We got some fun shots of Cameron walking down the road, standing on rocks and benches, and making faces at the camera. This really brought out the fun side of him.

The park really proved to be a great place to incorporate a multitude of backdrops into the shoot without having to walk too far. It also allowed us to get starkly different feels between photos as evidenced by the photo below.

All in all, our shoot was a blast. Cameron did very well for his first time, and we got some great shots that really depicted his personality well. Although challenging to capture, his smile, when it broke through, was definitely a winner.

Thanks Cameron for such a great time. Blessings to you in your endeavors and future pursuits.