We are so excited to announce our NEW
Mini-Workshop FOCUSED entirely on SENIORS!
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
for BOTH Mini-Workshops to beheld in
Scottsdale, AZ
September 2nd & 3rd and September 12th & 13th

The SENIOR Mini-Workshops will be focused entirely on working with high school seniors…and discovering all of the specific and unique elements that go into running a successful Senior Photography Business. Our Senior business has grown every single year…and we believe that it’s due to some very specific decisions we’ve made in how we run Avenue 17…as well as how we work with our seniors individually and on a personal level. We are SO excited to share with you everything that we’ve learned over the past 5 years about working with our very favorite subjects!

The Mini-Workshop will be ‘mini’ timewise…but, not in content! We will cover everything that we know in 9 PACKED hours of shooting, detailed post-processing, marketing specifically to seniors & branding that will set you apart. All of the following will be covered and is inculded in your registration fee:

The Mini-Workshops will be held from 4pm to 7pm the first day and 10am to 4pm the 2nd day. The first day we will jump RIGHT into styling our models. Kaylie, my Style and Design Assistant, will be instructing on exactly how we consult with our clients and help them pull their ‘looks’ together for their session. From there we will head out to our shooting location for 2 hours of live shooting with the models.

There will be an optional dinner the first night after we finish shooting at a restaurant within walking distance of the studio and the recommended hotel. Dinner is totally optional, but strongly encouraged because it’s a great time of asking questions and for building relationships with the other photographers…and it’s just plain FUN!

The second day we will spend the morning covering marketing, branding, pricing, and products specific to seniors…break for a short working Q&A lunch…and then wrap up our day post-processing.

This will be a FAST paced workshop…like SUPER FAST!…but, PACKED with extremely useful information that will help you take your senior business to an entirely different level!

*** ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED TO 10 PHOTOGRAPHERS PER WORKSHOP ***

Be sure to JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!

I hope to see you at the Senior Workshop!

XOXO,
Sandi

Senior Photography Workshop  |  Sandi Bradshaw Workshop  |  Focus Photography Workshop

One of my absolute favorite things about working with high school seniors is that they are unapologetic about embracing their style. I LOVE that about Amanda! It is so much fun for me when a senior…or any client for that matter…makes it a point to just be themselves in their images and select their clothing based on their unique style. I truly just love that. I had so much fun with Amanda…she is enamored with cameras…which makes me adore her. Most photographers like to remain behind the lens…but, I think she rocked the other side of it too. And BTW…Amanda…I think you look like Chrissie Hynde…like, for REAL!

‘Til Next Time!
S

+ SUMMER INTERNSHIP

We are looking for a Summer Intern (preferably a student going into their Junior or Senior year of high school) who has a very strong interest in photography, design and fashion. The summer position is being offered as an internship with school credit being provided and pay will be determined based on qualifications. The internship will begin on June 7th and will continue throughout the summer until the fall semester begins. At that point the intern could potentially be job offered for part time employment throughout the school year.

+ The Details

- Must have your own car or transportation.
- Must be comfortable working in a home office environment.
- We are located near Power and Queen Creek in Queen Creek.
- School credit will be provided if you are participating in a work study program.
- We are looking for a 3 month commitment that could potentially go longer.
- Must be able to work 2-3 days per week (approximately 12-15 hours per week).

+ The Job Description

Tasks may include:
- Design work in Photoshop CS3
- Handling of client galleries (preparing, uploading, maintaining, etc.)
- Placing client orders
- Packaging, shipping, and delivery of client orders
- Errands (Post Office, Office Supplies, Starbucks , etc.)
- Helping with scheduling and organization
- Maintaining workflow spreadsheets
- Filing
- Help with marketing
- Guest blogging
- Studio promotion
- Assisting at shoots (as schedule permits)
- Assist with summer workshop and all of the related event planning duties

+ The Qualifications

- MUST have a strong working knowledge of Photoshop CS3
- MUST have a strong working knowledge of Mac OS
- Excellent people skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Positive, friendly, and outgoing attitude is VERY important
- Self-starter and motivated
- Preferable knowledge of Microsoft Excel (for Mac)
- Time management skills
- An enthusiasm and willingness to learn knew things
- A genuine interest in photography and fashion

+ To Apply

Please click on the following link to submit your application.

2010 INTERN APPLICATION

We look forward to meeting you!
S

LOCAL CHILD MODELS needed for my February Focus Workshop. Do you have a child/children between the ages of 2-15 who would like to participate in the child modeling portion of my February workshop? No previous modeling experience is required! I have several children lined up…but, I need to fill in some gaps. Child models will receive digital negatives from the workshop attendees in exchange for their participation. I will also be making every effort to photograph all of the children participating myself, but I can not guarantee that I will be able to get to every child since  I will also be teaching and working with the attendees during the shooting portion.

We will be shooting in an urban area in downtown Mesa on Friday February 19th. Participating children will need to be there from 3:45pm until approximately 7pm.

All children must be chaperoned by a parent or guardian the whole time that they are at the workshop. Parents are welcome to stay in the workshop room while the photographers work with your children outside, but a parent or guardian must be present the whole time. Since we will be shooting in an urban environment…trendy/urban style clothing is required for participation. A detailed email will go out to those who are selected to participate on Sunday evening…with clothing suggestions and ideas. We are looking for a VERY diverse group of kids! It will be a FUN and FAST PACED afternoon…this part of the workshop is always so much fun…both for the photographers as well as for the kids. The past child models have had such a blast!

If you would like to have your child considered for participation…please fill out the Online Application NO LATER THAN SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH!!! Selected participants will be notified on Monday, February 7th. If you know of someone who might be interested in applying…please pass this information along to them as well.

And here are a few shots from previous workshops…

‘Til Next Time!
S

Here are a couple more of these amazing little men…

These are just a couple more from the workshop…I’m slowly getting some editing done on the workshop images…so I’ll post some more as I get them done.

It’s been so crazy busy around here since my kiddos have started school. I truly had NO idea just how crazy schedules were when kids were in school. I think we must have been spoiled with homeschooling for so many years. I have had countless…and I mean countless…people ask me over the past few years, “How do you run a busy business and homeschool at the same time?” I really never felt like it was too difficult to manage it all…my boys are super, super helpful…and it’s always been our way of life, so it all just kinda gelled. But, now…WOW! School adds a whole different level of busy-ness that I have never known. We are here…we are there…we are here again…and there again…and everywhere under the sun…it’s crazy how much less time I have right now. I’m sure it’s all just a matter of getting used to the new schedule, but man there is a LOT of activity going on…and I’m tired…but, so loving it…and so are they…so it’s all good.

‘Til Next Time…(which won’t be so long this time – promise!)
S 

Phoenix Children’s Photographer | Scottsdale Children’s Photographer | Gilbert Children’s Photographer

So, rather than beating myself up for not being very on top of things this week…I am instead going to take this weekend to regain some ground on the homefront and get some laundry done, some organizing done, some editing done, and move on! I hate being behind. And…as some of you have noticed…as evidenced by a couple of inquiring emails…I skipped Photog Friday this week. I was going to make it up today…but seeing as how I am lagging on a few things…I am just going to skip it and catch ya next week.

However…in the meantime…I have a little sneak peek for ya of a great senior guy…ready to launch into the real world, but he’s totally ready. He’s a really responsible kid and just a great guy all around. He’s been my boy’s Senior Patrol Leader for Scouts for the past few months and he’s been a great example to them. Thanks J! You rock!

Your gallery is just about ready…so be watching for an email from me before the weekend is over.

‘Til Next Time!
S 

FOCUS 2009 Workshop for Photographers – INFORMATION HERE and Workshop FAQs HERE.

But, now…for the Photog Friday Saturday post that is loooong overdue…

Today, I will address Alison Y.’s question from NM, “I really struggle with the skin tones in my photos. It seems like once I start processing the image I end up with a lot of yellow and red in my skin tones. How do you get your skin tones so creamy and without color casts?”

Well…there are so many ways to avoid having problematic skintones in your images. The first and most important thing to watch for is good lighting and proper exposure when you’re shooting. That’s tremendously helpful to start with rich, even light and a correct exposure. However, when you begin processing an image…the more you are doing to it colorwise, the more you are going to have to work at keeping your skintones creamy. There are a lot of ways to work with skin tones…and unfortunately I haven’t had the free time today to put together an extensive tutorial, but I did want to share a simple tip that I do for every single image in the finishing stages. There are more extensive things that I will be covering in my April workshop, but this is a tip that will help you to eliminate the red and yellow casts that are so common after an image has been heavily processed.

For this first image, I’ve finished my processing…and I’ve done my regular skin-tone management throughout my processing on the image…but, there is still some residual yellow tones that are messing with my happiness.

|| Pause || – I gotta tell ya…I love my hubby…he just brought me a burrito – he knows I’m starved – on a fancy plate with salsa and sour cream…and a glass of milk – I *love* milk…AND he’s been getting all the kiddos dinner tonight JUST so that I could sit here and work on this for ya’ll. J’adore lui. Alrighty then…back to this…

I’ve circled the yellow areas on his sweet little face where the yellow was too strong in the image below.

In this next shot I’ve opened up an adjustment Hue Saturation layer in order to make some changes. (Okay…so the Hue Sat layer was already showing in the top two images…but, here’s where it matters. I am going to decrease my yellows until I like the way the CIRCLED areas look. I’m not concerned with the fact that the yellows in the other area of the image are desaturating at this point…I’m ONLY looking at those circled spots and reducing the yellow there.

Once I’m happy with where the yellow levels are at…I then do a mask on that layer…then I invert the mask. At this point…my image will look exactly like it did before I made the adjustment hue saturation layer. 

And now, at this point…I will select a soft brush and begin painting back in the adjustment on the mask layer. On the areas that were circled in the above selection, I will paint in the adjustment layer at 100%…on areas where the yellow was not so predominate…I may paint it back in at 20%. I pay particular attention to the areas around the eyes, the nose, ears, and the hairline. Those are the areas of the face that are the quickest to saturate with unwanted color casts. Once I’m done painting back my adjustment layer…I’ll end up with even skin tones that are generally fairly creamy looking. 

Now…if you really struggle with skin tones throughout your processing…and it’s not just an issue that you are having a hard time with in the final stages…then that is a little more complex of an issue…and one I wish I had time for today. But, hopefully this will be helpful to those of you who are wanting to polish up the final touches on your skin tone processing.

And…here is another of this absolutely charming little boy… ;o) My goodness…who are the lucky parents of such adorableness? 

There are still a couple of spots left for the FOCUS 2009 Workshop. ) One more FAQ question that I forgot to put in the Workshop FAQ Post is whether or not the whole workshop registration fee has to be paid for upfront…and the answer is no…you are welcome to pay half now submitted with your registration and the other half by March 15th.

Okay…that’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a sneak peek of the 4 month old and her brother that I promised the other day. This week has really gotten away from me…

‘Til Next Time!
S 

But, now…for the Photog Friday Saturday post that is loooong overdue…

Today, I will address Alison Y.’s question from NM, “I really struggle with the skin tones in my photos. It seems like once I start processing the image I end up with a lot of yellow and red in my skin tones. How do you get your skin tones so creamy and without color casts?”

Well…there are so many ways to avoid having problematic skintones in your images. The first and most important thing to watch for is good lighting and proper exposure when you’re shooting. That’s tremendously helpful to start with rich, even light and a correct exposure. However, when you begin processing an image…the more you are doing to it colorwise, the more you are going to have to work at keeping your skintones creamy. There are a lot of ways to work with skin tones…and unfortunately I haven’t had the free time today to put together an extensive tutorial, but I did want to share a simple tip that I do for every single image in the finishing stages. There are more extensive things that I will be covering in my April workshop, but this is a tip that will help you to eliminate the red and yellow casts that are so common after an image has been heavily processed.

For this first image, I’ve finished my processing…and I’ve done my regular skin-tone management throughout my processing on the image…but, there is still some residual yellow tones that are messing with my happiness.

|| Pause || – I gotta tell ya…I love my hubby…he just brought me a burrito – he knows I’m starved – on a fancy plate with salsa and sour cream…and a glass of milk – I *love* milk…AND he’s been getting all the kiddos dinner tonight JUST so that I could sit here and work on this for ya’ll. J’adore lui. Alrighty then…back to this…

I’ve circled the yellow areas on his sweet little face where the yellow was too strong in the image below.

In this next shot I’ve opened up an adjustment Hue Saturation layer in order to make some changes. (Okay…so the Hue Sat layer was already showing in the top two images…but, here’s where it matters. I am going to decrease my yellows until I like the way the CIRCLED areas look. I’m not concerned with the fact that the yellows in the other area of the image are desaturating at this point…I’m ONLY looking at those circled spots and reducing the yellow there.

Once I’m happy with where the yellow levels are at…I then do a mask on that layer…then I invert the mask. At this point…my image will look exactly like it did before I made the adjustment hue saturation layer.

And now, at this point…I will select a soft brush and begin painting back in the adjustment on the mask layer. On the areas that were circled in the above selection, I will paint in the adjustment layer at 100%…on areas where the yellow was not so predominate…I may paint it back in at 20%. I pay particular attention to the areas around the eyes, the nose, ears, and the hairline. Those are the areas of the face that are the quickest to saturate with unwanted color casts. Once I’m done painting back my adjustment layer…I’ll end up with even skin tones that are generally fairly creamy looking.

Now…if you really struggle with skin tones throughout your processing…and it’s not just an issue that you are having a hard time with in the final stages…then that is a little more complex of an issue…and one I wish I had time for today. But, hopefully this will be helpful to those of you who are wanting to polish up the final touches on your skin tone processing.

And…here is another of this absolutely charming little boy… ;o) My goodness…who are the lucky parents of such adorableness?

There are still a couple of spots left for the FOCUS 2009 Workshop. ) One more FAQ question that I forgot to put in the Workshop FAQ Post is whether or not the whole workshop registration fee has to be paid for upfront…and the answer is no…you are welcome to pay half now submitted with your registration and the other half by March 15th.

Okay…that’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a sneak peek of the 4 month old and her brother that I promised the other day. This week has really gotten away from me…

‘Til Next Time!

S

S