Arting again- Tacoma Art, Wedding and Family Photographer

This is a post for me, but I thought it might be a good one for this blog as opposed to the private one I keep for making notes on the MFA work I want to do.  It's not about photography, but it is.  I guess it's more about process?  I don't know.  Forgive the rambling, there's stuff to get out.  

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be an artist.  Except, I'm not BEING one.  I think about it a lot, I talk about it, I plan things.  But I haven't been MAKING things.  I've been drifting, trying to figure out who I am, what I want to make, what will get  me into a show, blah, blah, blah.  I've been paralyzed by fear of making something WRONG.  Of messing up.  Of... I don't even know what, but everything.  

I've been watching friends be successful and while I'm happy for them, I've become more and more miserable.  Why not me?  Well, dumbass, you haven't been making anything.  If you haven't made anything, you don't have anything to submit.  You can't keep submitting the same sad images, hoping someone will finally take it.  It doesn't work that way, and you know it.  

So this morning, I walked past some flowers my husband bought me a while back.  They were dying, but there's something about them I find beautiful.  Then I remembered I wanted to try lumen printing.  , I dug out some old paper I had laying around from my art school days, found a piece of cardboard and a large piece of plexiglass I didn't even remember having and hied off to my upstairs closet to mash the flowers onto some paper.  It's sitting outside right now, soaking up the sun.  We'll see how it looks when I put it in the fix.  

Making a simple print felt good.  For me, the thing about photography, and why I'm so interested in alt process is the MAKING.  My hands are on it.  My hands made it.  It's deliberate.  It's a THING.  

Before anyone gets on me for slamming digital, I'm not.  I like digital.  It has its place.  It's definitely the better system for a lot of situations.  But there's something about getting your hands on something and having ONE chance.  I can't shoot a bajillion frames and get one that comes out, nor can I composite these.  I've got ONE shot and if I don't like it or it blows away or gets rained on or a squirrel eats it, well, hell, I need to start over.  

But I have a whole box of old paper, a yard full of weird plants and a lot of time on my hands.  I think I can do this.  

Published! Tacoma Senior and Family Photographer

Just a quickie today!

I have publications!  Well, one, but one more at least coming out.  I did some work for Cooperative Press a while back for their magazine KnitEdge.  It was a last minute thing, so I grabbed my daughter Maddie who's about to turn 13.  She's a fantastic model, and was perfectly willing to pose for me.  I dearly love working with teens and tweens.

Here are the images published.  Check out the magazine!

Monday Mash-up- Tacoma Wedding and Family Photographer

You may have noticed I'm working to revitalize this blog a bit.  I think I've worked out a schedule, things that will make the posting schedule a little more reliable and interesting.  Maybe a wedding or family session I shot, possibly a senior.

Mondays will be an open topic.  Maybe things I did over the weekend, thoughts on photography, random things I find on the internet.  I'll try to include a photo or two, but no promises.  

Tuesdays will be Technique Tuesdays.  It may be talking about a new technique, explaining how certain things in your camera work, bits on developing, etc.  Think technical info.  

On Wednesdays, I want to do Working Wednesday, where I feature another business, like I did last week with T&H Fiber.  I strongly believe in networking with other businesses.  I'm going to feature other photographers, but also just other businesses.  It helps everyone! 

Thursdays will be Throwback Thursdays!  Because WHY NOT?  It's fun, it's silly, and I really enjoy looking back at where I came from.  

Friday will Photo(grapher) Friday.  I'm still working on this one, but I think I'll pick a photographer from my art history knowledge and talk about their work, or pick a photo and discuss it.  I need to get back into my art language.  This will be a good way to do it.  

I'm takin the weekends off.  :D  I may put some Instagrams, but everyone needs a break, right?  :D 

So, in honor of today being a mash up, here's a shot from when I was going through all my old photos last week.  I'm busily working on my MFA portfolio, scanning in all the images I'll need to print this summer.  I'm hoping to have the transparencies printed in April and have the first batch ready to print in May.  I'm teaching classes at Tacoma Community College and for the MSL program at UW Tacoma in cyanotypes that month.  

Throwback Thursday- Tacoma Vintage Wedding and Family Photographer

I'm trying something a little different with this blog.  Yes, it's still about photography, so you'll see a lot of that.  But I'm also going to try incorporating different elements.  You'll see the pattern develop as time goes on.  :)

You've all seen the Throwback Thursday posts on Facebook and Instagram, right?  Now you're seeing it here, too.  I'm going to use it to highlight past work, things people may not have seen before.

This week, we're digging waaaaaaaaay, way back, to when I first started with photography.  If you've read the bio on my website or on my Facebook, then you know I've been shooting for 23 years.  I started when I was 13, and I dropped my dad's rather expensive camera in a stream while he was salmon fishing.  What?  I was bored and cold.  That makes for accidents.

ANYWAY.  He made me learn how to use the camera properly after that (first lesson- HOLD ONTO THE CAMERA).  We lived near the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, NY, the place of many a wedding and family session, I'm sure.  They have absolutely gorgeous gardens there.  So I did what most people do when they first pick up a camera- I took pictures of flowers.  One of them even won second place in the teen category that year in the annual contest Vanderbilt Mansion ran.

Sadly, those images seem to have been lost to the ages.  So you don't get to see them.  But they were spectacular.

(I can totally claim that, because there's no evidence to the contrary.)

Instead, you get my first attempts at black and white, from my HS photography class.  I was.... 15?  16?  It was junior year, so 16.

Welcome to Dorothy, circa 1994.  Gotta love it when you set a 16yo loose at the local ren faire.

And my first foray into color printing.  This was when you developed your paper in a tube you had to keep rolling on the table while your chemicals (all 3225235 of them) were kept warm in a crockpot next to you.  Touchy, touchy stuff.  

(Yes, that is, in fact, me at 16.  Short, fake red hair.  I had just gotten my braces off.  Oh, such a fashion nightmare...... )

Why am I posting these?  A lot of photographers would NOT want anyone to see this kind of work.  Well, I'm a firm believer in knowing where you came from.  Past work, no matter how old is part of that.  Yes, even when it's hideously printed, badly exposed tarot booths from the local Ren faire.  Because you know what?  I'll never be that terrible again.  Nope.

Fine Art Maternity- Part 2 :: Tacoma Family and Maternity Photographer ::

Annnnnd, here's part 2 of the fine art maternity shots.  It's been an exciting weekend, full of intrigue, anxiety and rebuilding my Facebook fan page.  I'm working on a blog post about that, but in the meantime, take a mosey over to the new one and give it a like, will you?  I'll wait.  :D

www.facebook.com/dorothydeanphotography

Back already?  AWESOME.  Now you get to see the rest of the fine art maternity photos.  Yes, some of these are the same images as the previos, because I couldn't decide which I liked better!  Ahhhh, the beauty of shooting digital.

I'll soon be offering this service, as I LOVED this.  I love the light, love the posing, love the fact that it's not in a field or a lake or anywhere else.  It's pure figure work, which I adore doing.  Stay tuned for pricing here, as it's not going to fall under my usual portrait prices.

New Pricing- Tacoma Family and Wedding Photographer

The time has come, my friends, to talk of many things.  In that case, it's pricing.

Prices are changing effective immediately.  The cost of doing business has gone up, your wants and needs have changed and to be honest, I'm trying to simplify things.  People want digital files.  So digital files you get! Portrait pricing is as follows:

Deluxe Package- $600; includes 20 digital images and a 20x30 canvas 

Basic Package- $475; includes 15 digital images 

Military and emergency personnel discount- $50

Yup, just two packages.  Easy peasy!  

But what about prints?  No worries.  They're still available, as are canvases, albums and a few other goodies.  I know people like to be able to order prints a the same time they download their images.  Makes it easy.  But I don't want people to have to pick and choose right away.  The prices on those are changing, too, but not by much.  I HAVE discontinued wallets, since no one seemed to want them. 

Product	Price	Extra Shipping
4" x 6" Print - Lustre	$10.00	$0.00
5" x 7" Print - Lustre	$15.00	$0.00
8x10	$35.00	$0.00
11x14	$55.00	$0.00
11x14 Canvas	$70.00	$0.00
16x20 Canvas	$150.00	$10.00
20x24 Canvas	$175.00	$10.00
20x30 Canvas	$175.00	$10.00
24x30 Canvas	$190.00	$10.00
24x36 Canvas	$190.00	$10.00
30x40 Canvas	$225.00	$10.00
20x60 Canvas	$225.00	$10.00
32x48 Canvas	$300.00	$10.00
4x8 Accordian Book	$60.00	$0.00

Finally, homecoming prices are going up as well.  Homecomings are now $225.  This includes the on-call time, 70-100 images, 

Even though I'm simplifying packages, I'll be adding some special sessions, with pricing all their own.  Stay tuned for details about Comic Book sessions (which will include a custom printed comic book!) and Fine Art Maternity and Boudoir!

Fine Art Maternity, Part 1- Tacoma Family and Maternity Photographer

A few weeks ago a fellow photographer asked in a group I'm part of if anyone would like to do some fine art photos.  She was itching to do something and well, I'm always up for it.  I suggested we do some Weston-esque work, another, very pregnant, member volunteered to pose and a shoot was born!

The shoot was awesome.  Emily was fine with doing pretty much whatever we wanted her to do.  Alisha was really open to different types of lighting and working outside her comfort zone.  I was excited to finally shoot FILM again.  There was digital, too, but FILM.  OMG.  

It ended up with Alisha using the strobes and me shooting with the available light from the modeling lamp.  I was perfectly happy with that.  I like mono lights.  I like continuous, touchy lighting.  It was exactly what I was going for when we first planned the shoot.  The images I got surprised me in some ways, but not in others.  Then there was the happy accident in Lightroom....  I clicked a button, not meaning to use that one and all of a sudden the images were perfect.  The lighting, the color, all came together on that set and I didn't have the heart to turn them black and white.  Some got both treatments, as you'll see in the next installment.  These had NO retouching, as I just don't do that, unless there's something I screwed up.  What you see is who Emily is.  And she's BEAUTIFUL.  

Before you get pic spammed, a big, HUGE thanks to Alisha Liker of Ayanoz.com and Emily Caldwell.  If you want to see what Alisha shot today, take a trip over to her blog, My Lens and I.  

Now, the photos!

Tracey and Spencer- Olympia Wedding :: Tacoma and Olympia Wedding Photographer

When I first moved to Tacoma last year, I stayed with someone who ended becoming one of my closest friends.  She was awesome, and amazing and took in a family and their cat in need of a place to stay until they could move into the house they were busy closing on.  We only knew each other via the internet.  Luckily, neither of us were serial killers.

This blog is not about her.  But because of her, this blog is happening.

Whuuut?

You see my friend had a sister.  A sister who was getting married. This sister needed a wedding photographer.  I'm a wedding photographer!  So in January, I met up with her and her fiance, we decided we all liked each other and some AWESOME photos were born.

Meet Tracey and Spencer.

Yes, that pretty much sums Tracey up.  She was an amazingly fun person to shoot.  She gave me pretty much free rein to shoot whatever and however I wanted.  The wedding was super relaxed, and the food?  AMAZING!  

Anyway, you're here for photos, not words.  Enjoy.  

(Me again)

Ok, so this series is probably my favorite set of wedding photos. There were these old RVs on the property, so we decided to shoot a short editorial.  It's Tracey, seeing her future as a military wife.  

(I kid.  I'm a former military spouse.  Housing isn't this bad.  Ususally.)  

And then they danced.  And Tracey danced with her dad to a big mash up of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Walk Like an Egyptian.  It was hilarious!

Finally, I'd like to give a big shout out to my second shooter, Amanda Cameron of Amanda Cameron Photography.  She did a fantastic job, and I couldn't have done it without her.  Thanks, Amanda!!