Blog

Wanted: Senior Model Reps

2010-02-08T20:27:32Z

I am accepting applications for Class of 2010 & 2011 senior model reps. You can fill out an application here. What do the models get?

Free photo session (2 hours)
50 personalized referral cards to give out to friends
10 free Facebook/MySpace images (watermarked)
25% off all print prices
$20 print credit earned for every senior who books a PAID session (Minimum $200 order. Booking senior must mention senior model's name or return a referral card)

Seniors: Early Bird Special

2010-01-31T01:06:23Z

Attention Seniors: Early bird special from now until May 1st. $100 gets you a couple of hours of on location shooting, an online proofing gallery to show your friends and family, secure online shopping cart for ordering prints and digital files. Book now: jon@jonphillips.net or 678-321-6529

Athena

2010-01-29T23:00:04Z

Athena helped me out on Day 25 of Project 365. Here's a few more from the shoot.

Summer

2010-01-25T23:00:50Z

More shots from Project 365 - Day 16.

What Not To Wear

2010-01-06T23:00:24Z

Clothing Tips For Portraits

Keep it simple.

Dark or black clothing is slimming. Avoid crazy patterns or bright colors. You don't want the clothing to draw attention to itself. Portraits are about you. Its the face, the body language, and the expression that is important.

Be comfortable.

Choose clothing that's comfortable and that you like. Clothing can make you confident as well. All this will show up in the picture, so choose comfort.

Short sleeves & shorts.

Avoid shorts especially. Long sleeves are the superior choice, even with casual portraits. Too much exposed skin can be distracting, especially when the skin tones vary too much. Remember, this is a general rule and doesn't necessarily apply to all situations. Women can get a pass on this much more than men.

Classic & timeless.

Remember, these pictures are going to be around forever. Try to stay away from trendy clothing that will be out of style next year.

Project 365

2010-01-03T22:12:18Z

On January 1, I started a 365 project. Its a photo project in which you take a photo everyday. Its a personal project but sometimes the paying gigs will spill over and make it into the project. I'll be posting the photos over at http://www.jonphillips.net/category/project-365/. Please check it out. I'll post updates here about the project but not everyday. So far, there's not going to be a particular theme to the photos. More than likely, many of the photos will be self portraits simply because I'm not going to be able to find a different subject to photograph everyday. Sometimes it will be still-life, such as Day 1 was. I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of my kids, as well.

Its an exercise in creativity, lighting, composition, technique, and trying not to repeat myself too much. Part of the challenge is simply keeping to it day in and day out. It will get old. I may miss a day here and there. But the goal is simply to finish. And I would hope that I'll grow as a photographer in the process.

Tips For Hiring A Wedding Photographer

2009-12-31T10:00:51Z

1. Meet Your Photographer

2. Look At Their Previous Work

3. Testimonials/Referrals

4. Engagement Session

Video: DIY Snoot

2009-12-30T13:52:24Z

In this video, I talk about how to make a snoot out of a piece of black foam. The black foam can be found at any arts and crafts store for about $1. You will also need some velcro. I went with the 2" industrial strength. Just cut the foam to the size you want. Not bad for a few dollars worth of materials. So simple.

Allen's Florist At Christmastime

2009-12-26T22:33:23Z

I'm currently working on a project for the Haralson County Chamber of Commerce to update all the board members, staff, and team members with photos for their new website. Rather than the traditional head shot, the Chamber decided they wanted environmental portraits. This was obviously an exciting project to be a part of because of the creativity and flexibility I get to exercise. But it presents some logistical challenges as I'm doing most of these shoots on location at each board members business or place of employment.

One of the first shoots brought me to Allen's Florist in Tallapoosa, GA. I'd never been by Allen's but I've heard about the place, especially around Christmas. After I photographed Mr. Allen, I asked if I could wonder around the place and take photos. He obliged and below is a slideshow of some of the images from his place.

Update \\ Help-Portrait Atlanta

2009-12-13T04:27:49Z

It was awesome to be a part of Help-Portrait. We got to make portraits of some very special people and believe me, they were as much of a blessing to me than anything else I could've asked for. Due to privacy issues, I can't really post any photos of the families but I did throw together a little "behind the scenes" video of some of the folks I got to work with. I know next year will be bigger and better and I can't wait.