Thursday, March 25, 2010

HAND OF MAN | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County Award Winning Photographer, Northern Virginia

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Tonight was a Loudoun Photo Club competition; the subject was "The Hand of Man" (meaning any subject that was created by humans.) I entered four images and I am thrilled to report I won a first place ribbon in two categories! And these are all images I took with a Nikon Coolpix 5700, a point-and-shoot camera that is at least 5 years old. So it just goes to show that while I do love having the Canon SLR and lenses I have these days, photography is so much more than the equipment.

Anyway, the photo above (of the light installation in the walkway of the National Gallery of Art) took first place in Intermediate Color, and the one below took first place in Intermediate Monochrome.

hand bw3 Do you recognize this photograph? Next time you are at the Dulles Towncenter mall in the food court, look up!

Below is an image which did not place.


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The judge said this one was a strong graphic composition with good clarity and tone, but I had nipped the tip off of the steel sculpture and didn't give the sculpture enough breathing room (I had to mat this photo as an 8x10, so the crop was a little different from the photo below).

Well anyway. It is rather nerve wracking to submit photographs for evaluation! But it is so helpful, too, to listen to the feedback of long-time pros -- not just about your own work, but about the other photographs that other photographers submit.

If you are interested in photography, I highly recomment joining a photography club in your area. I have learned so much from the Loudoun Photo Club. And in addition to having the opportunity to go on field trips, listen to interesting guest speakers, participate in competitions, and make friends, I have also acquired photography equipment from other members at good prices. So definitely check out your local club!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

EASTER AND BABY CHICKS | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County family and child portrait photographer

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I am in heaven, photographing such incredibly precious subjects! Baby chicks and bare-footed children all dressed up - so much fun. Here are a few sample photographs from today:


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I will be sending the baby chicks back to the farm this weekend, where they will continue to grow feathers and prepare for their future careers as egg-layers.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

HELLO SPRING | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County Family Portrait Photographer





The little chicks are quickly growing and will be hens before we know it. Therefore, I am running my special for this week only.

And of course we can take some portraits without the chicks too...

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST NA'VI| Goodhart Photography, Northern Virginia Family Photographer

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That's my daughter above as a Na'vi. She hasn't even seen Avatar, but I did, and I just loved the beautiful imaginary world that the Na'vi inhabited. I think she would, too. Pandora sort of reminded me of that Disney movie without words....Fantasia. I had to google that, my mind couldn't pull it out of my memory!

Anyway, below is the Na'vi image superimposed on the original. Isn't photoshop amazing?

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And no, I did not figure out how to do this on my own! There is a tutorial in March 2010 Photoshop User, the official magazine of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals.  I highly recommend subscribing to Photoshop User if you are interested in the post-processing end of photography.  It has really helped me improve my abilities!  And it always has fun projects to practice.

So now I must put away my computer and think about getting dinner on the table...

SPRING CHICKS | Goodhart Photography, Northern Virginia Infant, Child, Tween, Teen, and Family Portrait Photographer

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Isn't he adorable? We are taking care of three chicks for a few weeks. I am hoping to have some sample spring/Easter portraits up soon, and will arrange a day of mini-sessions for interested families at my home with the sweet little puff balls.

The chicks came from Pasture Raised Eggs. I know the owner, Belinda Moh, and she delivers eggs weekly/biweekly to various communities in the northern Virginia area. Her eggs are delicious! The little chicks we are caring for will one day return to her farm to lay eggs for families to enjoy.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

LITTLE SISTER | Goodhart Photography, Ashburn Maternity and Newborn Family Photographer

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Isn't he adorable? He is giving his soon to be born little sister a hug. I know he is going to be a great big brother!


Little sis is definitely being welcomed into a family with a lot of love!

Friday, March 12, 2010

PRECIOUS | Goodhart Photography, Northern Virginia Newborn and Maternity Photographer

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Isn't he precious? He was wide awake and alert for most of the shoot, and then finally settled into a deep sleep about 10 minutes before it was time to leave.

I've been wanting to try a stacked towel shot for some time, but I think the blue blanket was a great substitute.

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And how could any mother resist kissing her sweet little morsel of humanity?

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Monday, March 8, 2010

ANGELS | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun and Fairfax County First Holy Communion Photographer



This morning I had another fantastic photo shoot - here are a few images as a sneak preview!



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Here are some more portraits of the girls I photographed yesterday. I am having so much fun developing these amazing images!

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And a parting shot...

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Sunday, March 7, 2010

AMAZING GRACE - FIRST HOLY COMMUNION | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun and Fairfax County Child Portrait Photographer

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What a great day - three gorgeous children who were all a dream to work with. I thought I was pretty much an on-location only photographer, and yes, I do love the paparazzi model of following spontaneous children around and getting natural, joyful expressions, but there is just something wonderful about photographing children who are dressed up like royalty. Unfortunately, my own daughter cried every time I put a dress on her from age 6 months until about a month ago, so I have been deprived of that joy for quite some time.

The First Communion is a special rite of passage for Catholic families. If you, or any of your friends, have a child receiving First Communion this year, give me a call to commemorate the special day with a beautiful portrait.



Friday, March 5, 2010

NEW PROFILE PORTRAIT | Goodhart Photography, Loudoun County portrait photographer

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So a good photographer friend came over today for a couple of hours and helped me experiment with lighting possiblities using two off camera flashes, one gigantic reflector, and a wall of window light. I will be taking some First Holy Communion portraits tomorrow, and wanted to have some tricks up my sleeve.Then we worked on getting some better shots of me for my web sites/blog/etc.