New Barns for Fall Images

While out hunting storms for lightening images I came across two barns I am going to save until the fall colors are abundant.  These are just snap shots so do be too judgmental :)

© Copyright Mark Williams Photography 2012

© Copyright Mark Williams Photography 2012

To CD or NOT to CD

After reading a wonderful article from www.shootsmarter.com (Free membership if interested) by photographer William Innes about how "Shoot and Burn" is bad for the customer as well as the photographer got me thinking about what can happen after you receive you image CD.

So you paid the photographer for the CD of the images he/she photographed of your portraits or wedding.  You are so happy you will have this cd forever.  Plus you can just load the CD onto your computer where they will be safe.  "Oh NO!!! I got a virus and my computer is now junk!" or maybe this scenario "Hun, have you seen the CD of our wedding photographs?"  Did you backup your wedding or portrait photographs ... maybe or I didn't think about doing that.  You try to contact the photographer and you get a message like "I'm sorry the number you dialed is no longer in service."

One more item to consider " We will march right over to the discount drug store and then we will have prints made" The prints being only 29 cents each is a real deal you cannot pass up.  You may end up with a print like the one on the right in this image.

Just think of all the money you DIDN'T spend on the prints/album the photographer would have charged you.
Did you ever think that someday your grandchildren or maybe great great grandchildren may want to know who you were and what you looked like?

The print above has been around for many years and is still in good shape for as old as it is.

One more thing I was thinking.  Wow we had a grand reception and it cost us $20,000 but we really saved when the photographer sold us a CD of images for $500.

Point taken is your full time photographer will use a professional lab to produce your prints for you and you will not get images with that are off color or just plain terrible.  Prints are made to last for years but a CD, according to some testing labs say, the data on a CD will last 2-3 years at the most.
Ref: http://www.audioholics.com/education/audio-formats-technology/cd-and-dvd-longevity-how-long-will-they-last

The Story behind JPEG's  


If you get JPEG's from your photographer and down the road you want to do some of your own adjustments or creative input on your photographs bear this in mind.  JPEG's are compressed and how are they compressed.  As soon as the shutter closes the computer in your camera will compress the image by removing some of the information that it DOESN'T THINK it needs.  Some of that information is color and some other unnecessary information.  You take the JPEG and do some work on it of your own and you save the photograph.  You just lost some more information because the computer again throw out some of the information contained in the image that it doesn't think it needs thus destroying the image bit by bit.  So opening and re-saving a JPEG does more harm than good.  Any good photographer will either use RAW or TIFF format when taking your photographs which are uncompressed files then give you JPEG's for your use.


Video - JPEG deterioration after re-saving many times.


Solutions


The best idea for you when planning on having any type of photograph taken is to purchase prints from the photographer.  If the photographer gives you prints that are not of your satisfaction you have the right to take them back and demand to get them corrected.  Most professional labs will reprint for the photographer any image that is not color correct or has been damaged by the lab at no charge.  If the photographer is at fault then he/she must make the corrections and then resubmit the image for printing which will cost them to have it reprinted.  Most professional photographers will have their computer screen calibrated for correct color and the digital files should match what the lab prints.


If you do get a CD from your photographer it is wise to backup the CD to an off site location.  Somewhere different then your home or computer.  There are many off-site locations on the web but do some research on the site before uploading.

The only other important part is natural disasters like fire or storm damage.  These instances are not your fault or the photographers.  If the photographer is still in business and has archived your images then you are in luck but most photographers will not keep files over a certain amount of time.  It might be wise to have either extra prints made and give to family members to keep.

So the next time you think you saved a lot of money going the cheaper route think again to what could happen in the future with the investment you put into your photographs.

Studio Location Change

I now have a contract with R & L Color Lab for studio use.  The studio is very nice and has all of the amenities for some really grand images.

The studio is located at 2125 West Fifth Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43212

Hanami "Flower Viewing"

I was honored to be asked to photograph over 100 cherry blossom trees located on a business property in Dublin, Ohio.
I was also fortunate to have such great weather to allow the blossoms to come into full bloom before a cold front moved in.
The Japanese celebrate the blossoms with party's and luncheons which they call "Hanami" or "Flower Viewing".
The company I did the photography for will have a luncheon on April 6th in celebration of the blossoms.  They needed the images so they could show the guests how beautiful the grounds are in front of the business.  Here are just some of the images I was able to capture.

First Year Revue of Living Angels Calendar

First Year Production

This was the first year of the Living Angels Calendar.  In my opinion I feel it was a total success.  We,  raised $1200 for the children of A Kid Again.  One important fact we sold 350 calendars which will   help to bring awareness to the public about A Kid Again.

I wished we could have raised more funds but with the idea of not relying on the charity to produce funds we had a pre-sale of the calendar which helped to raise the needed funds for the first batch of calendars to be produced.  Within the first two weeks of the pre-sale we sold 250 calendars.  The reason for such low income from sales was due to how we produced the calendars.  We bought small batches instead one large mass production.  A Kid Again tried to get some sponsors for the project but with no available takers it was left up to me to produce the funds.

Any unsold calendars will be given to A Kid Again so they may give them to some of their supporters as a thank you token for their donation.

Here are some statistics from the website that I feel have some important indicators.

The map shows what states visited the website.  As you can see 27 states were active and there were purchases from 10 of those states and the most being from Ohio.

 
This shows the traffic sources plus (not shown) the bounce rate was 37% and the average time on the site was 3:39 with 484 visitors and 1,339 page views.  Stats were gathered from 08/17/2011 to 12/25/2011.
For a first run calendar these are great and gives some insight as to how many people were interested in what we had to offer.
Note: Bounce rate is the percentage of the people who did not spend any time on the site after they viewed the home page.

 The Next Version

Now is the time to decide how to move on to the next version.  I have asked on Facebook and also produced an questioner on the calendar website, which is totally anonymous,  to find out if we should continue with the calendar.  To my surprise only 6 people responded and (5) saying "Yes" and (1) Saying "No".  What does this mean do people feel it was not worth it or they stay away from polls so they will not hurt someones feelings.

I would like to produce another version but I am also indecisive on the basis that no one wants to say yes or no to the calendar.
I am asking a lot of people involved with the calendar about what type of images we should produce.  No decisions have been made but hope to have a decisive direction for next years version within the next month.

If you could take the time to cast a Yes or No vote it would be helpful.   Go to www.livingangelscalendar.com and you will find the poll on the home page.  Thank you!!

Living Angels Calendar A News Story

 View Video Click HERE

I am honored to have been nominated for the ABC 6 News special On Your Side Community Champions.  A tribute to people in the community who make a difference.

Bob Kendrick news anchor for ABC 6 came to the studio to do an interview with me and two of the angels in the calendar.  He then came to my home to watch me work on the images as I turned the children into angels.  Bob has put together a very touching informative piece which has touched many people.

A special thank you to Bob for doing this segment.  I hope the segment helps with the calendar sales and brings funds for the children to enjoy their adventures but to bring awareness to the public as to what A Kid Again does for children with a life threatening illness and their families.

Family Video Stores

I am pleased to announce Family Video stores will now be selling the Living Angels Calendar.

Starting September 25th Family Video Stores in Columbus, Marysville and Newark will be selling the Living Angels Calendar.  They will give you a free video rental on selected videos when you purchase your copy of the calendar.

Here are the store locations:

Columbus OH 5540 N. HIGH ST 43214 614-841-1771 

Columbus OH 5304 N. HAMILTON RD 43230 614-855-5489

 Marysville OH 332 W 5TH ST 43040 937-644-2749

Newark OH 225 NORTH 21st ST. 43055 740-344-1877

Whitehall OH 3768 E. MAIN ST 43213 614-338-1439

Galloway OH 5370 SULLIVANT AVE 43119 614-853-4970

All proceeds from the calendar sales goes to A Kid Again to help children with a life threatening illness to be.... A Kid Again!

Grove City Arts in the Alley

The Living Angels calendar will be for sale at the Grove City Arts in the Alley Saturday and Sunday September 17-18th.  Hours are Saturday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. 
Our booth 109 will be located on Park St. next to City Hall.

Prices for the calendars are 1- $17.00  or 2 or more $15.00.  Sales tax is included!  All proceeds from the calendar sales are donated to A Kid Again.  www.akidagain.org

Now here is the cool part!! 

Purchase one Living Angels Calendar and receive a coupon for 50% off all portrait pricing until October 31, 2011.  I do not charge a session fee for any of my portrait work.  You just purchase the prints you need.  

This includes High School Seniors, Family Portraits, Individual Portraits, Children, In Studio or Outdoor Portraits and our new line of Esprit Portraits.

Stop by and say hello and see samples of my portrait work and get more information about our services.

 

Zane - The Warrior Angel

Zane as a warrior angel for the calendar.

On September 2, 2011, before an interview with a news reporter from a local TV station I listened to a story Zane’s mother told me.  She asked “ Do you know how the idea of Zane being a warrior angel started?”  “No, please tell me” I said.

She explained that her and Zane had met a little girl named Kennedy and her mother on one of the elevators at Nationwide Childrens Hospital.
Ever since then the two families became friends.  Zane and Kennedy became rather close since they were both going for treatments at the Cath Lab.
One day Zane showed his mother a piece of art he had done in school.  Zane had cut pieces of white paper and taped them to another large piece of green paper.  He had drawn a face and armor on the body.  He also cut out wings and placed them on the back of the person holding a ball and chain.
Mom asked “What is it Zane what does it mean?”  Zane replied “It’s an angel mom a warrior angel to protect Kennedy!”  The mom always takes photographs of Zane’s work so she got her cell phone out and snapped away.  See Zane's art at the bottom of this post.
She showed me the photograph of the warrior angel and my heart began to pound.  “That is so amazing” I replied.  I asked Zane “I cannot believe this, when did you do this Zane?” He and his mom could not remember the actual date but they both said it must have been in January of this year or somewhere close to that.

In July 2011 I asked Zane’s mom if she would like to participate with the “Living Angels” calendar.  She responded with a big “Yes!”  We set a time for July 19th in the evening to photograph Zane for the calendar.
Just before I started to snap the shutter I asked Zane if he wanted to be a nice looking angel or would you rather be a tough protecting angel with a sword or spear.  He hesitated and said “A nice angel.” But then he suddenly changed his mind and said “A protecting angel!”
Without knowing the story of the piece of art I then photographed him with a spear and gave him the caption “How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it”  - Saint Jerome

The main reason I am writing about this story is because ever since I started to take the images for the calendar there has been a higher force within me.  God!  The Lord has brought to me the people to be my angels and has shown me all the quotes to use with their images.  He has directed me where to go to obtain the calendar cover photograph.

Today I have to just thank Our God for allowing me to show to his people that there are truly angels in this world.  Angels to help each of us whether it be for prayer, a loving touch or just being a friend to help protect another soul.

Zane is a true warrior angel and has survived his life threatening illness to be able to be the protector to his dear friend, Kennedy.

Zane's art of his Warrior Angel

Revision to the Living Angels Calendar Website

I have received some information from clients purchasing the calendar saying it was too confusing to order the calendar and I agree totally!

With a little bit of research and seeing another friend using Weebly.com for her website I decided to make a website dedicated to the Living Angels.

All the information you need about the calendar is now located in one easy to use website.

Order Your Calendar Here

You can read about A Kid Again, Mark Williams and see all of the calendar pages.  You can order from the site too.  It will take you to the original ordering site.  There you will only see the front cover for the calendar.  After you hit continue on the landing page just select the cover and purchase image then input you information.  If you get confused there are instructions on the new website to step you through the process

If you use the old website address it will still take you to the ordering site and you will only see the calendar front cover.  You can still order from that site.

I hope this helps with the ordering and viewing of the total calendar.

If you have any further problems or comments please feel free to contact me!

Thank you,

Mark Williams

Living Angels Calendar Pre-Launch Sale Event

 

The fine art calendar "Living Angels" is about to be published and we want you to save by purchasing calendars before the launch date of September 1, 2010.

The calendars will benefit A Kid Again a nonprofit 501(c) (3) charity.
For 15 years A Kid Again has enriched the lives of children with a life threatening illness and their families with fun filled activities and destinations though out the year.

On August 15th the website will be open to order your calendar(s). Order as many as you like with reduced prices $3 or $5 off from the regular price of $20 (Ohio Sales Tax included).

Order Your Calendar Here

Major credit cards/debit cards will be accepted (Visa, MC and Discover). Paying by check is accepted but orders will not be shipped until we receive your check and cleared your bank.

Calendars will be shrink wrapped and mailed in boxes . There will be a small shipping charge for this service.

Please feel free to invite your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to this event. This will be a win-win event for you and the children of A Kid Again.

Thank you for helping these children with a life threatening illness and their families to be ...... A Kid Again!

For more information about A Kid Again please go to:

www.akidagain.org

or call them
Toll Free: 800-543-9735
Phone: 614-797-9500
Fax: 614-797-9600

Copyright © Mark Williams Photography 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Mark Williams Photography
4140 Tuller Rd Suite 101
Dublin, Ohio 43017
614-832-6448
www.markwilliamsphotograph​y.net

A is for Angie

Today was just a normal day for me as I headed into the studio around 1:45 today to meet a client.
Driving on Industrial Parkway just outside of Marysville I was intrigued by the cloud formations.  I noticed a cloud formation which resembled a perfect "A".  If I only had a camera with me ( I can hear some people in my head saying "You should always carry a camera with you!")  Today was a day that a camera was absolutely essential but I continued heading to the studio.
Since I have been working on the City of Angels calendar I was thinking maybe it's a good sign for the "A" stood for Angel.
My client did not show so I headed home around 4:00pm and received a text message from a friend saying " Angie has passed away."  My heart sank, my eyes teared and I had to stop my car for a few minutes.
Angie Sayers who is a very talented writer and loving friend to me and a lot of people was close to receiving her wings as the days went on.  She was a bone cancer patient which she had survived 5 years but not without complications.
It then struck me that the "A" was for Angie.  The tears became more like running water over a cliff.  The perfect "A" meant that Angie was looking down upon us and saying her goodbyes.
After drying the tears away and continuing my journey home plus wishing I had a camera with me I asked God to allow me to hold this image in my head.   I wanted to show the world that Angie's spirit was amongst the clouds heading her way to receive her wings.
You have to believe me but this drawing is exactly how the "A" appeared in the sky.  A lone cloud surrounded by larger clouds to present itself for all of us to see.
This image will remain with me for the rest of my life and I will always look to the skies for the "A" for Angie.
Rest well my dear friend and write all of the poems and journals of your voyage so we all can read them when we join you.

July 15, 2011

City of Angels Calendar

Now that I have photographed a few angels the design work is taking place for the calendar.  I hope to have everything done and printed so we can start selling the calendar by October 1, 2011.

Here is two of the pages and the design might change but it will at least wet your appetite.

Lighting Captured

I have always wanted to capture lighting and I finally was able to get out into a storm a fulfill my quest.  If anyone wishes to capture lighting here are some tips.

1. Please be careful we do not want to read about you in the newspaper the next day.  There really is no safe way to capture lighting but I try to wait until the storm has passed the area I am in or is far enough away from me.

2. A camera with manual settings is a must.  You have to allow the the camera to stay on manual until the lighting strikes.  Don't try to point the camera at the lighting and think you are fast enough to hit the shutter when you see the lighting.

3. A tripod is an absolute necessity or at least something to hold the camera still and not hand held.

The settings I used to capture these images:

ISO 800 - you can use a lower ISO because the lighting is so intense that it will record and it depends also of how much of the scene you want to capture with the lighting.
f/stop - f/16
Shutter speed - 25 seconds (you can use bulb if you have that setting)
Focus manually to infinity

Try to sit in the location for a few minutes to see where the lighting strikes are occurring then with your camera on a tripod aim the camera in that direction.  Generally there will be a few more strikes coming from that area so be patient.
If you are using "Bulb" to keep the shutter open you will have to hold the shutter release down with your finger until you capture a lighting strike unless you have a remote control shutter release for your camera.  That is the reason I used 25 seconds and just kept firing away until I capture the lighting.

As mentioned above the lighting generates its own light and it is almost the same as the flash on your camera.

The last thing you need is a little bit of luck so don't get discouraged if you fail to get some lighting images just keep trying.

I hope these tips help you with your lighting photographs and again please be safe when attempting to capture this amazing part of our world.

Every High School Senior Deserves A Portrait

I love to photograph high school seniors because they are just plain fun to do. 

But what happens when the senior has a disability, is in a wheel chair and cannot communicate like any other senior.  Depending on the disability they don't have the ability to pose for the photographer and generally the photographer doesn't have the patience nor wants to spend the time with them. 

Since I have been with the charity A Kid Again I have been asked to photograph children with disabilities which I have the patience and make the time for these special need teens.

Take for instance Elizabeth who is 21 years of age and is going to graduate this year.  Her parents wanted to have some photographs for her graduation.  With kindness, gentleness and a soothing voice I was able to communicate with Elizabeth to get her to become calm and make her feel that she was in a safe environment.  This technique works very well to allow the person to smile and have a good time.

The results are spectacular and very rewarding for the parents as well, as you can see here with this image of Elizabeth. 

I received an email for Elizabeth's mother and she wrote "Oh my goodness!!! It is awesome!!! I would have never imagined, I'm at a doctors appointment bawling .  I have never had anything that I will treasure more.  You are a miracle worker. Thank you"

My rewards do not always come from money but from giving a parent something that they will cherish forever. 

Congratulations Elizabeth you are a true scholar!

Best Teachers In The World of Photography

If there are any of you would love to learn the Art of Photography from two of the best teachers in our industry, please take the time to checkout Tim and Beverly Walden.

Tim and Beverly have been in the photographic industry for many years.  Their work is extraordinary, highly creative and a true work of art.

They have started a Coaching Community and you can join to see video's, print critiques, free downloads and much, much more!

I am a member and here is what I have said about Tim and Beverly's Coaching Community.

Tim and Beverly,

Thank you so much for creating a wonderful website for learning. Your coaching community, in which I have joined, has a highly beneficial quality for those of us who want to learn. The whole concept is very well planned out and full of detailed information.

I have attended many seminars and week long classes and I will tell you, this surpasses many of my expectations. The amount of detail expressed is so informative. I feel the energy both of you put into this. 

 To Beverly: your facial enhancement teaching was definitely something I needed. I consumed every little detail you did on the little girl's face. Thank you Beverly for sharing your talents.

God answers us in some many ways and I truly believe he has sent me both of you!

Thanks again,

~Mark Williams

Please check out their website for more information about the Coaching Community by clicking the link. 

www.timandbevwalden.com

City of Angels

I have been trying to create something for a calendar and I think I have hit the nail on the head.  I have asked some of my fans on facebook if I could photograph their children to be angels in my latest series of images.
So far the images have been stunning and I am still looking for a few more angels.  If you would like to participate just email me or call the studio.  614-832-6448.

Ohio Sled Hockey 2011

Ohio Sled Hockey - Ohio Blades vs Dublin Scioto High School

The Ohio Blades gave the Dublin Scioto High School hockey team a chance to see what it's like to play hockey their way, strapped in a sled!  The Blades defeated the Dublin school 4-0. 

Mark Williams Photography Celebrates 25 years

Mark Williams Photography Celebrates 25 Years

Mark Williams Photography is celebrating his 25th year of great imagery and service. 


We would like for you to help celebrate this accomplishment by offering you a 25% discount on all wall portraits and 10% discount on table top portraits.  This offer is good until July 31, 2011. This offer is good for any of our outstanding portrait sessions.

High School Seniors

Esprit Collection

Essentials Collection

Hearts Collection

Business and Corporate

So call us today to book your appointment  614-832-6448

NAPA Awards Ceremony 2011

NAPA Central Region held their annual Awards and Banquet at the Worthington Hills Country Club on March 10, 2011.

Jon Petz Corporate Magician and Comedy Magician gave an impressive motivational presentation using magic to communicate to the attendees. 

Jon Petz