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