Find me at Harston Designs

I decided to name my page Harston Designs so I could do more than just photography. You can go
  here to find my photography blog.

S&J

My friends were such a good sport to allow me to practice on them. Being married nearly 2 years, they felt a little silly like they were taking engagements again, but it was fun. It's nice of BYU to have redone the hill south of campus- it makes for some great shots!

Engagements & Bridals

One of my old friends from sophomore year, Emily, is kind enough to let me accompany her on a bunch of shoots. I'm so excited to learn from her. I already did a bridal shoot and an engagement shoot. Some things I have learned so far:

 1. I need to learn how to get my focus right on. You can fix SO many things in Photoshop, but not focus.

 2. Being aware of lighting is important for composition. Early in the day and then early evening are the best times to photograph.

3. Look at blogs & websites for setup ideas.

 4. I may need to buy a lens hood to prevent sun flairs- although in this case it turned out kinda fun, don'tcha think?

 

 4. I also learned some cool tricks in Photoshop like levels and actions that really help my images look good. My goal however is to get better at the settings so I won't have to do as much post production.

Thanks again Emily and I look forward to learning more from you!

One Take Photography

Easter shots

I went to my cousin Megan's house (Megan Hauze Photography)  to do some studio photography with her kids. It was fun watching their reactions as we brought out the bunny and chicks for the Easter shots. I learned a few different things observing and taking shots.

1. Don't get discouraged with kids. They will be kids and you have to be willing to go with the flow.

2.  Head swapping is okay, even necessary with a group of kids who look every which way but at you.

3. Choose outfits and backdrops that compliment the children's eyes so they "pop."

4. Place the kids a couple feet away from the backdrop.

4. If using studio lighting, place at a 45 degree angle from subjects.

5. Be goofy with the kids. Have fun!

Thanks Megan for the fun day!