SUMMERANA MAGAZINE |October 2018 |The "Fall" Issue

SUMMERANA 

MAGAZINE FOR THE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER 

OCTOBER 2018 

THE “FALL” ISSUE 

HOW COLOR TONES 

CREATE MOOD 

WHAT’S IN 

SIERRA UHRICH’S 

CAMERA BAG 

INTERVIEW WITH 

WHITNEY CRIMEFIGHTER 

OF LITTLE DREAMERS TUTUS 

20 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR 

PHOTOGRAPHERS


MAGAZINE 

CONTENTS 


4 

WHAT’S IN SIERRA UHRICH’S 

CAMERA BAG? 

9 

FEATURED SUMMERANA MEMBER 

CRYSTALMARIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

10 

HOW TO CREATE A WHIMSICAL FALL 

LOOK IN PHOTOSHOP USING 

SUMMERANA TOOLS 

12 

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE 

MONTH 

22 

STYLE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR NEXT SES- 

SION BY NADINE BRECHT 

25 

10 MINUTES WITH 


OF LITTLE DREAMERS TUTUS 

28 

HOW COLOR TONES CREATE A MOOD 

31 

HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR 

CREATIVE SIDE 

32 

PROPS AND LOCATIONS YOU NEED 

TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS FALL 

36 


PHOTOGRAPHERS 

38 

HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION 

FOR YOUR HALLOWEEN SESSION 

46 

HOW SAFE IS YOUR PORTFOLIO 

FROM THEFT 

2 

Image courtesy of Twenty-Three Photography 

Model: Annaleigh Boitnott Tyler



ON THE COVER 


FRONT 

BACK 

TWENTY-THREE PHOTOGRAPHY 

www.twentythreephotography.com 

MODELS: ANNALEIGH BOITNOTT, 

EMMA BOITNOTT AND 

ISABELLE GENTRY-GILLIAM 

CAMERA: CANON 5D MARK IV 

LENS: 70 -200mm f2.8 

LIGHT: NATURAL 

LOCATION: BULLARD, TX 

MODEL: LAYNEE CAVENESS 

CAMERA: CANON 5D MARK IV 

LENS: 70 -200mm f2.8 

LIGHT: NATURAL 

LOCATION: BULLARD, TX 

DRESS: DOLLCAKE 

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF 

GRACE PAMELA 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / SENIOR DESIGNER 

MONIKA CIOBAN 

AUTHOR 

RHIANNON D’AVERC 

PUBLISHER 


WWW.SUMMERANA.COM 

COVER CONTRIBUTER 

ALICIA GENTRY 

3



WHAT’S IN 

SIERRA UHRICH’S 

CAMERA BAG? 

Throughout the past 6 years of my professional 

career I have gone through a variety 

of lenses. I have owned, rented, or 

borrowed everything from the basic "Nifty 

Fifty" to the legendary Canon 200mm 

f/2L. But as of right now I only have two 

lenses in my bag that I regularly use. The 

Sigma Art 135mm 1.8 and the Canon 

24-70mm 2.8L, and I shoot with the 

Canon 6D body. I've found the glass I 

really truly love and honestly I've had 

more fun spending the extra money on 

props and wardrobe pieces for my amazing 

clients to use! 

I mainly photograph children so my bag 

also contains things like extra hair elastics 

& bobby pins, a small first aid kit, tissues/wipes, 

lollipops (bribery...), and of 

course my sidekick "Benny the Bunny." 

He's my special stuffed bunny friend who 

fits around my lens and helps me out 

when I've got a super serious or distracted 

kiddo. I've give Benny most of the 

credit for those sweet smiles I capture! 

Sierra Pearl Photography 

Body: Canon 6D 

Lens: Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8 

Aperature: f/1.8 

ISO: 100 

Shutter Speed: 1/500 

Dress: Little Dreamers Tutus 

Model: Norah 

4



Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8 

This is my favorite lens! The SOOC colors are 

just amazing and this lens is tack sharp! This 

lens is on my camera 90% of the time and I 

am always happy with the results. I shoot 

wide open at f1.8 very often and the bokeh 

is gorgeous! I highly recommend this lens for 

individual portraits, and I even photograph 

families with it! 



Lens: Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8 


ISO: 200 


Dress: Alora Safari 

Model: Charlotte 

5





Lens: Canon 135mm f/2 


ISO: 250 


Dress: Miss Madison Photo Props 

Model: Anel 

6 

Canon 135mm f/2 

The 135mm focal length is my favorite. 

The compression and bokeh this lens 

offers is so dreamy and magical! I have the 

Sigma Art version in my camera bag now 

but the Canon L series is also amazing! 

One downside is that you do have to be 

standing a fair distance away from your 

subject for those full body images, but 

once you get used to it, it's second nature. 

And the results are so worth it!

Canon 24-70mm f2.8L 

I absolutely love the 24-70mm for my 

studio newborn sessions. The versatility of 

this lens makes it ideal for photographing 

babies by themselves as well as the entire 

family. I love taking overhead shots like 

this one during each of my newborn sessions 

and this lens allows me to zoom out 

far enough to capture the entire set up 

without having to stand on a step stool. 

It's also beautiful for close-up portraits of 

babies. When zoomed in to 70mm you 

avoid the distortion that can happen when 

shooting with a wider angle lens. 





Lens: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L 

Focal Length: 35mm 


ISO: 800 


Model: John 

7



FEATURED 

SUMMERANA MEMBER 

CRYSTALMARIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

SUMMERANA TOOLS USED FOR THIS COMPOSITE: 

- Animal Composite Workshop 

- Everyday Workflow Essential Action Collection 

- Elephant Overlay / Ivory Dreams Collection 

CrystalMarie Photography 

FB: ChrystalMarie Photography 

IG: @crystalcoodey 

Model: William 

BEFORE 

AFTER 

8



Image courtesy of: 

Feather and moss photography 

FB: Feather and moss photography 

IG: @featherandmoss_photography 

www.featherandmoss.co.uk 

Model: Isabella May Johnson 

Canon 5D Mark III 

Sigma Art 50mm 



ISO: 100 

Light: Natural 

Location: Manchester, UK 

9



HOW TO CREATE A WHIMSICAL FALL 

LOOK IN PHOTOSHOP USING 

SUMMERANA TOOLS BY RHIANNON D’AVERC 

The first thing to do when creating a fall look is to make sure you have the right image to start with. You won’t get the best results if you try to 

add fall elements to a snow scene or a shoot at the beach, for example! Areas with trees are often the best setting for fall looks – even if they are 

bright green and showered in sunlight, you can give them a fall tone easily. 

You can also start out by cleaning up your RAW file and making sure that it is ready to start editing. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start. 

There is actually a cleaning action included with the ColorFall collection, so you can get that done right away. 

The biggest and most important part of creating that whimsical fall image is the colors. Everyone knows that the leaves turn orange and brown in 

the fall, before they start to fall off the trees. There is also a different quality to the light during the fall, as the days get shorter and the weather 

changes. This means that even grass, which doesn’t change color year-round, will look a little different. The sky, too, might have a different cast. 

It’s all about how we perceive light, and when we have experienced fall ourselves, we just know what it looks like. That’s why you won’t fool 

anyone if you don’t get the colors right! 

Color-toning your image can take a lot of time and effort, especially when it comes to picking out the colors that have that real fall magic to 

them. The ColorFall action collection comes with a choice of different fall color tones, so you don’t have to worry about tracking them down. Just 

pick the one that works best with your image and press play – the action will do all of the work for you. 

10



The next step is all about making it look more realistic. When you take a look at your image after using the fall edits, you might feel like it 

doesn’t quite look right yet. There are lots of solution for this, as you can see demonstrated in the tutorial video for the ColorFall action collection. 

You may need to use a brush at a lower opacity to remove some of the color toning, such as to bring a little more green back through on the 

ground. Or you may wish to reduce the opacity of the layer as a whole and set your shoot in early fall. 

When you are happy with the effect of this edit, there’s more to play around with if you wish. The final image editor actions are set up to do 

those final touches, such as removing color casts, getting rid of dull areas, and adding more depth. You can also use some extra color casts to 

create a gorgeous look, as well as adding a vignette if you want to. 

Since the sun sits lower in the fall, you can also add some light flares, which add real oomph to the image and can make it more realistic for 

your viewers. 

Next up, you can have a lot of fun adding some leaves to your image! During the fall, a stiff breeze can easily knock down leaves from trees and 

allow them to swirl in the air before they drop. This has a really romantic effect, although it’s almost impossible to capture that perfect look in 

camera. 

There’s a solution to this which doesn’t involve you throwing leaves at your clients for hours. Yes, you can get your assistant to put the leaf 

blower down! Simply take your photograph as normal, or use an image you edited with the ColorFall Photoshop actions, and add some leaf 

overlays. 

These overlays are really easy to apply with the Summerana action collection dedicated to getting them looking perfect. First, you drop in your 

leaves, choosing an overlay which has as many or as few floating leaves as you prefer. 

Get the overlay placed over the top of your image, and you can apply a range of edits to them. You can even take some leaves out if they are 

over your subject’s face or if you don’t want them across the whole image. 

The leaves are even blurred or left sharp in different areas of the overlay to add depth to your image, making it look as though they really are 

there in the scene. Match them up to the tones of your trees created with the ColorFall actions and you will have a perfectly believable, but utterly 

whimsical, fall scene. 

Even if you never see real fall weather again for the rest of your life, you can provide it in post-production for your clients any time they want. 

This is a great way to add a new service to your portfolio and really enchant your clients with magical portraits! 

Images courtesy of 

Stephanie Ratto Photography 

11



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.michellezumbachphotography.com 

FB: Michelle Zumbach Photography 

IG: @michellezumbachphotography 

Model: Lyndon 

12



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

FB: Marcella Mae Photography 

IG: @marcellamaephotography 

Styled by: Katie Andelman 

Model: Mia 

13



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.cindyarthur.com 

FB: Cindy Arthur Photography 

IG: @cindyarthur613 

Models: Emerson & Ivy 

14



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.momentskeptbylisa.com 

FB:Moments Kept Photography 

IG: @momentskeptphoto 

Model: Alyssa 

15



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.inspiredandenchantedphotography.com 

FB: Inspired and Enchanted Photography 

IG: @inspiredenchantedphotography 

Model: Evangeline 

16



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.allisonhinmanhotography.com 

FB: Allison Hinman Photography 

IG: @allisonhinmanphotography 

Models: Kat & Ryan Eckles 

17



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

FB: Danielle Sullivan Photography 

IG: @danielle_sullivan_photography 

Model: Bianca 

18



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.stephanierattophotography.com 

FB: Stephanie Ratto Photography 

IG: @stephanierattophotography 

Model: Alice 

19



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

www.allisondittmanphotography.com 

FB: Allison Dittman Photography 

IG: @allisondittmanphotography 

Models: Brody and Emery 

20



“FALL” 

OCTOBER 

FB: Stephanie Henneman Photography 

IG: @stephaniehennemanphoto 

Model: Maya 

21



 

 

Image Courtesy of 

Photoart by Nadine Brecht 

FB: Photoart by Nadine Brecht 

IG: @nadine.brecht 

Styled by: Katharina Hakaj Couture 

FB: Katharina Hakaj Couture 

IG: @katharinahakajcouture 

www.katharinahakajcouture.com 

Models: Adrian & Aria 

22

Image Courtesy of 

Photoart by Nadine Brecht 

FB: Photoart by Nadine Brecht 

IG: @nadine.brecht 

Styled by: Katharina Hakaj Couture 

FB: Katharina Hakaj Couture 

IG: @katharinahakajcouture 

www.katharinahakajcouture.com 

Models: Adrian & Aria 



23




Regina Moneypenny Photography 

Dresses: Little Dreamers Tutus 

Models: Briana Marie Munoz & 

Marilyn Nicole Magana 

24 

Image Courtesy of: Sierra Pearl Photography 

Dress by: Bentley & Lace 

Model: Charlotte



TEN MINUTES WITH 


The Designer of Little Dreamers Tutus 

Who is Whitney Crimefighter? 

If I had to answer this question with just one word, I 

would say I’m a creative. I love all types of art. And I feel 

a real need to make something, even if it’s just crafts 

with my kids. I love to paint, I love photography, I love 

to read and dance and sing. Most importantly though, is 

that I’m a mom. I always wanted to be a mom and I love 

spending time with my husband and three kids. We’re a 

really tight family, and my husband, Cameron, is my 

best friend, and I couldn’t do any of this without their 

support. It’s definitely a family business, and that’s what 

makes it so fun, because even though we’re working, 

we’re together. They help me to be what I want to be and 

to succeed in this life. 

When did you turn your passion into business? 

In 2008 I was prepping to sell my creations at the Portland 

Saturday Market. My husband and I were going to 

college, we had a 2-year-old, and I was pregnant with 

our second. I had to do something that would allow me 

to make money from home. So I came up with these 

butterfly mobiles, the kind that hang over a babies crib, 

and a few other little things, like hair clips. Well the 

weekend before my first day at the Market, my mom and 

I saw a tutu in a boutique, and of course, my 2-year-old 

daughter wanted it, but it was $45, and we were poor 

college students. My mom turns to me and says, “You 

could make that!”. She then shows up at our apartment 

the next day with like $100 in tulle. So here I am, thinking, 

I’ve got to make these tutus now because I have to 

pay her back the hundred dollars! So I made as many 

tutus that week as I could, it was enough fabric to make 

18 tutus. I delivered our second baby girl on Friday, and 

my husband and I went to the Market two days later that 

Sunday. We kept our 2-day old baby in her car seat 

under the table, no one even knew she was there, and 

our two-year-old was running around having a blast. We 

sold 16 of the 18 tutus in less than two hours and made 

$311, and that’s how “Little Dreamers Tutus” came 

about. 

I was a member of the Saturday Market for 3 years, and 

in that time I was on the Product Review Committee and 

at the end I was on the Board of Directors, but I had also 

started an Etsy shop and we had so many sales that we 

couldn’t keep up with both the Market and online 

orders, so we eventually left the Market to do our online 

shop, and tutus grew into flower girl dresses, and those 

grew into custom couture gowns, and now here we are! 

What’s your least favorite fabric and why? 

Okay, so I have a love/hate relationship with certain fabrics 

for the way they look, but they can be hard to sew 

with. Sequins, for example, are terrible to sew with, because 

they’re always breaking needles, but they’re so 

fun! And stretch velvet, it’s just too slippery!! But I love 

the way it looks and feels. Chiffon is my most favorite 

fabric, I love how fluttery it is and the way it drapes, but 

it frays like crazy, so there’s that. But really I just love 

fabric, it’s weird. My dream date would be to go fabric 

shopping. 

If you could dress one celebrity for the red 

carpet, who would it be and why? 

I don’t really watch TV, and I don’t keep up with celebrities 

at all, so this is a tough question for me. I’m going to 

say Claire Danes. I loved her in Romeo and Juliet (my favorite 

movie), and in Les Miserables. She’s so classic and 

elegant, and I imagine she would wear something that I 

would love to wear, so it would be fun to dress her. 

Where do you get your inspiration from? 

Anything and everything. I love taking inspiration from 

nature, from a bouquet of flowers, from a painting I saw. 

I get inspiration from the fabric itself as well. I’ll go 

fabric shopping with nothing specific in mind and certain 

fabrics will just look like they belong to a certain 

design. 

25



And I’m obsessed with watercolor fabric. I work with 

artists to create exclusive designs, so I’ll commission 

them to make a watercolor painting, and I’ll just give 

them a general color palette and theme, and then they 

create a painting that we then transfer to fabric, which I 

then make into a dress. So I guess we’re getting inspiration 

from each other, and that’s my favorite. 




Model: Briana Marie Munoz 

Words to live by? 

“Never let anyone keep you down. Never give up.” 

If I didn’t live by those words I wouldn’t be where I am 

today. Everyone, especially our families, thought we 

were crazy when we started this business 10 years ago. 

Because it’s scary to not have a “secure” job with health 

insurance and a regular schedule, but I wouldn’t go back 

and I wouldn’t change a thing. It was so much hard 

work getting here, but here we are and it’s a wonderful 

place to be. 

What's your favorite season and why? 

26 

Fall, because October is my favorite color. And I love 

sweater weather, and when there’s a nip in the air. 

Coffee or Tea? 

Neither. I’m a Dr. Pepper addict. 




Model: Marilyn Nicole Magana 

Early mornings or late nights? 

Definitely early mornings. I love getting up when it’s just 

starting to get light and everyone else is still sleeping and 

everything is quiet. I get my best ideas in the morning. 

And I get super grumpy when I’m tired so staying up late 

is a no-go! 

What is one thing You can you find wish Little you Dreamers knew when Tutus here: 

www.littledreamerstutus.comF 

you started your business? 

FB: Little Dreamers Tutus 

IG: @whitney_littledreamerstutus 

Well I didn’t know anything when we started this, I was 

a photographer major in college, I hadn’t taken a single 

business class, and my sewing skills are totally 

self-taught, so there was a lot I wish I knew! Probably 

the most important thing I’ve learned, which is the same 

as the one thing I wish I knew, is that it’s okay to accept 

help and that you don’t have to do it all on your own. 

That was something that was really hard for me to 

accept, and to be honest, is still something I’m working 

on. If you work with others who have been where you’re 

at you get farther and grow faster and have a community 

of support around you. I fall into the trap of thinking that 

no one is going to do it as well as I am because no one 

cares as much as I do about my business, and that’s not 

true. I believe the world wants you to succeed, and I believe 

that everyone can succeed, that there’s an endless 

amount of opportunities to be had, you just have to 

work for it



Image Courtesy of: 

Leica Palma Photography 

Dress: Little Dreamers Tutus 

Model: Hailey 

27



HOW COLOR TONES 

CREATE A MOOD 

BY RHIANNON D’AVERC 

Color tones are one of the easiest ways to edit photographs. You no longer have to worry about color correction if you are 

adding a cast to the overall image, and you can also use subtle touches to introduce a new mood. Whether you go for a delicate 

flash, as with some of the Colorosity Lights Action Collection, or you change the seasons as with the Colorfall Action 

Collection, you can make a big impact. Here are all of the colours of the rainbow that you can add to your photographs, and 

what they mean for the mood. 

RED 

If you want to add warmth and passion to an image, then red is a great choice. It is strongly associated with love and especially 

with Valentine’s Day. You can also use it to raise the temperature of a photograph – especially one taken indoors. It can look hot 

and steamy if you use the right touch. If you go all the way up to bright red for a highlight or flash of color, it can evoke thoughts 

of danger. You can play with this to create a very dramatic image. 

ORANGE 

This tone is also very warming, and can make the image seem like it was taken during the golden hour if you 

keep the color subtle. It’s a colour that evokes thoughts of fall, but can also create that warm summer feeling 

depending on how it is used. It’s a more enthusiastic and fun colour than red and can create the impression 

of a happy situation. It’s great for portraits where the subject is smiling. 

YELLOW 

Be very careful about how you use yellow, as applying too much as an overlay can cause the subject to look 

washed-out or ill. It is also the kind of colour that doesn’t look great when it is too bright. Keep it to the 

background where possible and mask off your model. You can use it to brighten an image and make it look 

more summery, but too much of a heavy hand will simply leave it looking odd to the human eye. Yellow can 

even cause tiredness and irritation if you stare at it for too long, according to some studies, so don’t make it 

too prominent. 

28



BLACK 

Black will always darken your image dramatically, so this is something that you have to consider carefully. 

It’s not generally a good choice unless the image was overexposed in the first place. It will dominate the 

image and may even distract the viewer from the subject. It makes for a good choice if you want spooky 

images, however, such as for Halloween specials. It can also close the image in and make it feel more claustrophobic, 

especially if used as a vignette. 

BLUE 

You probably know that blue is associated with calmness, which makes this a good colour for toning down 

images that are a little too busy. It can also edge over into sadness, so look at the tones that you are choosing 

if you want to really emphasise the poignancy of an image. Deep, dark blue can also create a sense of 

mystery and even mysticism in an image. It’s quite a powerful colour and is often used to convey corporate 

messages, so it will function well for more official uses. A sunny day can be turned cold and even wintery 

with use of blue tones over the background. Your model can also become cold, unfeeling, or sad when you 

apply the color over the whole image. 

GREEN 

Adding green to a photograph can help it to feel calmer and more tranquil. It’s a natural color and this can 

help to add vibrancy as well. If you want to make yellow work better, try pairing it with green – as these colours 

have the opposite effects, they can cancel one another out. Outdoor photographs can benefit from a 

splash of green, which can transform a cold day into spring sunshine. It can also feel very nature-friendly. 

WHITE 

White is the opposite of black, and will help to open the image up. You can make it brighter and even create 

a sense of space in the photograph. Go too far, though, and you will end up with a misty look to your photograph, 

which may even convince the viewer that you got the exposure wrong. White requires a light touch 

and is often best used in combination with other photographs. 

PINK 

Pink is a colour of youth, of romance, and of the flush of spring. It helps the image to warm up and can even 

make the subject appear more likeable. It’s a great option for senior portraits as it can bring a young and 

playful vibe to the photographs. In couples shoots, you will find that a dash of pink evokes feelings of love. 

Of course, when shooting a female subject, it can also give that overall girly and feminine look! 

29



30 

Masquer8 Photography 

Camera: Canon 6D Mark II 

Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8L 

Model: Bianca Cioban



HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR 

CREATIVE SIDE 

As a photographer, we need to tap in to our creative side time and time again. It’s an important part of our work, and it’s easy to struggle with 

creative block. You can also end up feeling like you have run out of ideas at some points. So how can you encourage your creative side to boost 

you at all times? These tips should help you out. 

Get a Hobby 

For many of us, photography is a hobby. When this makes 

the transition into being full-time work, you can end up in 

a position where you have no hobbies left! Even though 

photography is a fun job and does have many creative elements, 

it’s still work. It’s important to have another 

outlet which challenges your creative mind in different 

ways. 

So, what kind of hobbies could you take up? They could 

even be things that go well with your photographic business. 

For example, you could start making props, or creating 

jewellery for your models to wear. You could take 

up sewing, whether creating clothing or making artistic 

embroidery. You could start to paint or draw. Even making 

elaborately decorated cakes would fit! There are so many 

creative disciplines out there, and adding another string 

to your bow is never a bad thing. 

Your hobby can be something that you eventually start to 

make money from, or an artistic project that you want to 

display in galleries. It could even be something just for 

yourself. Whatever it is, just make sure that it’s creative! 

Seek Inspiration – Everywhere 

Getting into a creative frame of mind means looking out for inspiration 

wherever you are. You can find a jolt of creative energy 

from seeing autumnal leaves on trees, or from hearing a radio 

DJ talk to a guest about their daily habits. It could be from reading 

a book, or watching a film. 

The important thing is to open yourself up to inspiration. Don’t 

just wait for it to strike – get out there! Consume cultural matter 

like books, films, television shows, and music. Go to museums 

and local art galleries, and browse their collections online. 

Spend time on social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest 

where there is a big art community. 

You should also actively try to use the inspiration you find as 

jumping-off points for new work. For example, if you love a particular 

show on Netflix, try capturing a portrait that looks like it 

was a screenshot from the last episode. If you have been inspired 

by a poem, try to capture that feeling in a photograph. It 

doesn’t have to work, and you don’t have to show it to anyone. 

The point is that you are out there making art! Creativity is the 

kind of thing that grows the more you put into it. 

Something Old, Something New 

One of the best ways to get creative when you are stuck in a rut 

is to take something old, and do something new with it. Bring 

up an old photograph that you took years ago, or even a piece of 

inspiration that you have used before. Now treat it as if you are 

seeing it for the first time. Make a new edit, or take a new photograph 

matching that inspiration. See where it takes you years 

after the first contact. 

This is also a really great way to show potential clients how 

much your style has grown and changed. Post up a comparison 

of your original edit and the new one side by side to show the 

difference. Now you have not only encouraged your creative 

side, but also found something new to post for your social 

media fans. Two birds with one stone! 

Set an Appointment 

As creatives, we often think that we have to wait until inspiration 

strikes. We will be there, ready and waiting, when it does, 

but we don’t go after it ourselves. This kind of thinking isn’t the 

best for encouraging yourself to be creative all the time. Instead, 

what you should do is set an appointment with yourself 

to be creative. 

If photography is your side-gig or hobby, then make sure that 

you are working on it once a week (or however often you can fit 

in reliably). If it is your full-time thing, then try setting appointments 

for your creative hobby. You should have a set time every 

week – or every day if you can manage it – which is just for 

being creative. 

Make sure that you use this time every week, without fail. If you 

miss an appointment due to a conflicting schedule, you will 

have to book it in for a different day so that you don’t miss out. 

Don’t wait for the creativity to come to you. Get out there and 

capture it for yourself. 

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PROPS AND LOCATIONS 

YOU NEED TO PHOTOGRAPH 

THIS FALL 


It may be hard for some to transition from the sunshine of summer to the blustery days of fall, but it is vital for us Photographers to embrace 

the season for the beautiful things it has to offer for our photo sessions. As a photographer, I try to be observant and creative with the different 

elements of the season, and bring those things to my work and to my photographs. Today I thought I would share with you some Fall locations, 

props, and creative concepts to really bring your images to life! 

SECLUDED FOREST/WOODS 

Nothing says Fall more than crisp yellow and orange leaves! In a wooded area there are lots of fall foliage all around and the trees provide many good 

posing opportunities. Maybe you will even find a spot where there is a pond of small waterfall! There is an abundance of natural light that peek 

through the trees and if you take your pictures during the golden hour (the hour before the sun sets) you can really take advantage of the beautiful 

warm lighting. Whether your subject is a fashion model or a playful child; there are many possibilities. 

Bring these fun props with you: 

Pine cones- Spelling out your clients names in pine cones or even making a heart would be oh so much fun! 

Leaves- One fun idea would be to have your subject playing in the leaves (make a pile and have them jump in) or spell out their names in the leaves. 

Wooden or Tire swing (or old tire to sit in for poses) - You would need an adult nearby for younger children, but this is a fun photo op for children 

and adults alike! You may also need to bring a ladder to tie this to a tree. You can wrap fall foliage to the ropes for even more oohs and ah's! 

THE PUMPKIN PATCH 

Oh the memories! Everyone LOVES the pumpkin patch and what better way to bring that nostalgic feeling to your sessions by having your photos 

there! 


Pumpkins -have your clients pick one out and if they have kids take pictures of the little guys picking out their big pumpkins! Some poses you 

could do is you could have the subject sit on or around a piling of pumpkins, have them stand posed with the rows of pumpkins behind them, or have 

them with their face close up to a pumpkin for a nice festive headshot! 

Hay bales- There’s just something about hay that is so fun and festive for fall! Of course be aware of any hay allergies your clients may have. You 

can have them sitting on the hay, throwing hay in the air, or just simply having it in the background and surroundings makes for a nice fall photo. 

Scarecrows- Either have clients bring a scarecrow of their own (if it’s not too big) or if there is one for décor at the patch, have them pose by the 

scarecrow. 

Costumes- This can be a fun opportunity to have kids wear their costumes (if the weather permits and it’s not too muddy). 

32



APPLE ORCHARD/FARM 

It’s the season for apples! This is a good opportunity to capture your subject (or multiple subjects) in candid fun moments picking apples or at the 

farm. This is also another opportunity to use natural lighting coming through the trees to highlight your subjects and to use the trees and fences to 

pose against. Don’t be afraid to take some photos of the natural scenery, these pictures can really tie in the seasonal feel if you are making an album 

or collection of photos for your clients. 


Apples- Take photos of your client picking them, biting into them, posing with them (in their hands) and doing whatever creative things they may 

think of with them! 

Small Wooden Ladder – You can bring a wooden ladder (or have them use one if available at the orchard) to pose your clients on. Really make sure 

you keep the height of the ladder to a minimum to keep the risk factor down. If you have small children with you, you could use a small step stool alternatively. 

Apple Cider Booth- Most orchards have a booth set up this time of year for hot apple cider! You can have your subjects pose by the booth and take 

this opportunity to photograph them sipping a nice steaming hot cup of cider. This is a fun opportunity for couple photos to have them cozy up and 

sip their drinks. This also ties in with the next prop… 

Cozy blankets (preferably a quilt, plaid, or red/orange fall colors) – Nothing like cozying up in a blanket with hot cider. If you’re photographing couples 

you can have them snuggle up and kiss or just capture them candidly relaxing and enjoying the moment with their cider. 

CORNFIELDS AND MAZES 

In some locations (like in my town) corn mazes are at the same location as the pumpkin patch. If this is the case, you can use this opportunity to also 

snap a few shots of your subjects by the tall corn. Cornfields/mazes are another great opportunity to take advantage of golden sunlight peering 

through the corn husks. This would make a beautiful couples photo or child portrait. 


Pumpkins- If the cornfield/maze is at a pumpkin patch, you can easily purchase one of the pumpkins to use as a prop (or possibly just hold one 

nearby). Have your subjects holding them or sitting with them next to the corn. 

Corn- A fun idea for children is to find a good ripe corn cob and have them bite into it! At some locations they even have cooked corn on the cob and 

you can use this with any of our subjects for a fun candid moment! 

Rustic Truck- A fun idea (if possible and allowed with your location) is to have your subject pose with a rustic old truck near or in a corn field. If it’s 

a little later in the day or in the evening, you could even have the truck’s headlights on and have your subjects posing in front of the truck for a nice 

backlight effect. 

Hay bales- Again, like the pumpkin patch, you could use hay bales in your sessions. They are so much fun for posing! 

33



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BETTER PHOTOS 


WHETHER YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OR AN AMATEUR, ONE THING YOU WILL 

ALWAYS BE STRIVING FOR IS TAKING BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS. 

We’ve put together this 

list of the 20 most essential 

tips for photographers, 

which will help your 

images really come to life. 

Try out these and you will 

find your work improving 

hugely. Even someone with 

a lot of experience can 

benefit from reminding 

themselves of these key 

points! 

36 

KNOW YOUR 

CAMERA 

It’s really important that 

you know how to use your 

equipment. Your camera is 

the backbone of everything 

you do, and if you 

don’t know it inside out, 

you have room to improve. 

What does this setting 

change? How do you 

solve that warning message? 

Spend some time 

with your manual to figure 

it all out. 

SHOOT IN MANUAL 

THEN PRIORITY 

First, you should learn how 

to shoot in manual mode. 

Then, when you have done 

that, you can start using one 

of the priority modes – aperture 

or shutter speed. This 

gives you greater control 

combined with a better 

adaptability in changing 

situations. 

TALK TO YOUR 

SUBJECT 

Almost everyone gets nervous 

during a photoshoot, and 

even a professional model can 

stiffen up without the right encouragement. 

Learn to talk to 

your subject, even if you are 

only saying encouraging 

words over and again – they 

will always respond. A friendly 

nature gets your subject to 

relax and provide a better portrait. 

USE A WIDE APERTURE 

FOR PORTRAITS 

Creating a shallow depth of 

field in your portraits will 

allow the background to fade 

away and blur, while your 

subject remains sharp. Take it 

down as low as you dare with 

a f-stop of around f1.8 or 

below in the best situations. 

BE CREATIVE 

You don’t need to have a 

full professional lighting 

kit so long as you have 

some kind of light. You 

don’t need to buy a reflector 

so long as you have 

something reflective. And 

you can always create a 

beautiful photograph 

whatever situation you are 

presented with. Open your 

creative mind and practice 

exercises which will help 

you to use it more effectively. 

STUDY 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

We don’t necessarily 

mean that it’s time to go 

back to school, but you 

should definitely be learning 

as much about photography 

as you can. Read up 

on the classic masters, or 

find out who the latest big 

name is. 

CREATE YOUR 

OWN STYLE 

Having your own unique 

style is the easiest way to 

start building a solid business 

from the ground up. 

If you shoot in such a way 

that everyone can tell you 

are behind the lens, then 

no one will ever be able to 

steal your customer base. 

When you have a unique 

style, you will find your 

popularity soaring. 

USE FILTERS 

Filters are essential first of 

all for protecting the lens, 

especially if you drop it. 

Secondly, they can really 

enhance the effects of the 

images that you are taking. 

With a filter you can 

smooth out dark shadows, 

shoot day for night, bring 

out the blue of the sky, or 

so much more. The possibilities 

are almost endless 

with a full kit of filters. 

KNOW HOW TO EDIT 

You could be the best 

shooter in the world, but it 

won’t matter if you don’t 

know how to select photos 

and edit them properly. An 

unedited shot from 

in-camera might look 

good, but it will always 

look better with a little 

color-correction and some 

contrast balancing.

USE THE 

GOLDEN HOUR 

This magical time of day 

gives you a golden light in 

your photographs which 

makes portraits glow. It’s 

especially essential for 

portraits, family photos, 

and fashion shots. Land- 

scape photographers 

should make it their favourite 

time of day, too. 

USE ACTIONS 

AND FILTERS 

How much time do you 

spend in Photoshop? The 

answer should probably 

be longer than it is, but 

you just don’t have the 

time. Using actions and 

filters cuts down on the 

time that you need to 

spend editing, and you 

can achieve much better 

results than doing it all 

manually. It doesn’t make 

sense to ignore them. 

KNOW 

YOUR FRAMING 

Your model might be 

beautiful, but if everyone’s 

eyes are drawn to the 

bright red fire hydrant or 

post box just at the edge 

of the frame, it will be 

wasted. Know how to spot 

a good frame, and what to 

look out for in your backgrounds. 

Don’t let a stray 

moment ruin your shot. 



FOCUS 

ON THE EYES 

What makes a great portrait? 

There are a lot of 

possible answers to this 

question, but one that you 

should never ignore is a 

good focus on the eyes. If 

the eyes are out of focus, 

the portrait is lost. Always 

keep that focus sharp on 

the eyes. 

ALWAYS 

HAVE BACKUPS 

Your camera bag should 

contain plenty of spares. 

Spare memory cards and 

spare batteries are essential, 

and you should 

always have at least a 

second lens with you. 

What happens if the card 

stops working, the battery 

runs out, or you break the 

lens? Don’t let it ruin the 

shoot and leave you with 

no results. 

DON’T BE AFRAID 

OF THE CAMERA 

Handle it with respect, but 

never fear. You’re in 

charge. 

CALIBRATE 

YOUR SCREEN 

Editing for print? Always 

calibrate your screen first 

to avoid unwanted color 

casts or contrast errors. 

KEEP IT STABLE 

Use your elbows tucked in 

against your body to keep 

your camera stable when 

not shooting on a tripod. 

This avoids camera shake, 

which can be a problem 

even at 1/125. 

MAKE PLANS 

Shooting an outdoor portrait 

session? Have a 

back-up location in case 

of rain. Always make plans 

for what you will do if it 

all goes wrong. 

BELIEVE 

IN YOURSELF 

If you want to be a professional, 

you have to act like 

one. Don’t try to give excuses 

or talk yourself 

down. You’re only as good 

as you think you are, so 

have some confidence in 

yourself and your abilities. 

PRACTICE 

EVERYTHING 

Don’t ever stop shooting. 

The more you shoot, the 

better you will get. Don’t 

let your skills go rusty, 

even if you’re taking a 

break from paid clients – 

keep your arm in whenev- 

er possible. 

37



HALLOWEEN 

IS AROUND 

THE CORNER 

GET SOME INSPIRATION FOR YOUR 

HALLOWEEN SESSIONS 

38



Shana Carter Photography 

Camera: Canon 5D Mark IV 

Lens:85mm f/1.4 

Model: Marissa 

39



Stevi Bean Photography 

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III 

Lens: 50mm f/1.8 

Model: Aubrey Elise 

40



Kara Taylor Photography 

Camera: Canon 6D 

Lens: 35mm f/2 

Model: Caleb 

41



Cindy Arthur Photography 

Camera: Nikon D750 

Lens: Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC 

Model: Kendall 

"The Other Side of Fairytales" Shoot Out 

presented by Traci Marie Photography 

and Designer Adrianna Ostrowska 

42



Trandafir Photography 


Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8L 

Model: Alexandru Toews 

43



Stephanie Henneman Photography 

Camera: Nikon D750 

Lens: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 

Model: Dori 

44



Maribella Portraits 


Lens: 135mm f/2 

Models: Bella and Marissa 

45



HOW SAFE IS YOUR 

PORTFOLIO FROM THEFT? 


In this day and age, digital safety is becoming an increasing concern. We are seeing images being hacked from the Cloud and distributed 

online, as well as a lot of theft involving cropping and reappropriation of images. Someone can recrop your Instagram images right from 

your feed and sell them for a figure with four zeroes in it. And of course, there is the age old problem of images by Western photographers 

showing up on counterfeit goods made in Asian sweatshops. 

DO YOU HAVE WATERMARKS ON YOUR IMAGES? 

This is the first question to ask about anything that you post anywhere. Are the images on your website watermarked? How about your 

social media posts? Yes, even Instagram? Watermarking does not have to be an ugly distraction from your image. You can use opacity 

levels in Photoshop and clever placement to ensure that your name and logo is out of the way of the action and yet still visible. 

46



You can easily add metadata to your images through Photoshop. Again, you can add this easily by batch processing after you have set up 

a new Photoshop action with the right data. You can do this for each set of images if you want to add details such as team credits and 

specifics. If you just want your name and copyright data added, you can create one action to go across all of your imaging needs. 

You can also set up metadata in Lightroom, and a few other photography editing suites. 

HOW MANY FOLLOWERS OR FANS DO YOU HAVE? 

Like the type of images you take, how popular you are may also have some bearing on how safe your portfolio is. When you have a lot of 

attention on your work, you may find that you become a target for those who want to steal it and pass it off as their own. 

This is also a big bearing on whether you should be checking for stolen work being sold on products or as prints. Take the case of British 

photographer Lara Jade, who made headlines when her self portrait image was used on the cover of a pornographic DVD. Shockingly, she 

was just 14 in the picture. Rising popularity on the art site DeviantArt led to her images getting more views, and she ended up successfully 

suing the company that stole the popular image. 

Basically, if you have a large following and your photos are getting a lot of views, they may need more protection. Failing that, you may 

need to think about running checks often to be sure that nothing of yours has been stolen. 

SO HOW CAN YOU CHECK YOUR 

PORTFOLIO? 

There are a number of ways to be sure that 

nothing of yours has been stolen. First of all, 

rely on your fans and followers to help you out. 

If you have a good attitude and listen to their 

comments, you may find that they bring you 

cases of your work being posted or used elsewhere. 

You can then take the necessary steps 

to have it removed. 

You can normally do this through the support section of a website if it has been posted up through a larger site; if it is hosted on a private 

site, you will need to contract the perpetrator directly and see about having it taken down. If they refuse, legal action may be the next 

step – but only if you deem it worthwhile, since it will most likely be a costly and drawn out process. 

You can also use reverse image searches such as Google’s tool to check for instances of your work on the internet. If you are a high risk 

group and you often charge a lot of money for the use of your photographs, you could even consider employing someone on a part time 

basis to check your catalogue regularly. 

For most of us, this won’t be much of an issue. But if you are concerned about it, or you find that your work becomes hugely popular in 

the future, these tips will help you to take steps towards a safer portfolio. 

48



There’s an easy way to automate it, too. Set up an action for web which will make it difficult for your images to be stolen. First open the 

document, then hit record on your new action. Resize it to 1000 pixels on the longest side, at 72 dpi. Now use the place tool to add in 

your logo and website address to the bottom left or right corner of the image. Hit the button to stop recording. Now whenever you want to 

watermark images for use online, you can batch process the whole group. 

It’s important not to merge layers right away, so you can go through each one and adjust if necessary. When you have done so, you can 

batch process the layers merging and save the files to close them. 

HOW DO YOU BACK UP YOUR IMAGES? 

External hard drives are the tried and tested method of backing up images. Yes, they are expensive, and yes, they may fail, but they are 

one of the best options available to you. Using two backed up drives for all of your work (one as the back up you use, and one as a spare 

should that one crash) is a very easy way to back up your images. 

If you back them up to a cloud storage service like Dropbox, you may be more susceptible to theft than you think. While an external hard 

drive has a physical presence, and therefore has to be touched to be stolen, the same is not true of digital content. If someone on the 

other side of the world manages to guess your password or hack into your account, they could have access to all of your files. 

Worst of all, you may not even know they have been in and out. They can download everything, and unless your service is set to notify 

you of unusual logins, you will never be told. There are many benefits to Cloud storage, and it can certainly be used alongside physical 

data as a very convenient option. For most people, theft here will not be a problem. But if you had a particularly valuable image to protect 

– for example, if you were a celebrity photographer with some unretouched files of Kim Kardashian looking less than perfect – then you 

may want to think twice about using an online solution. 

WHAT KIND OF IMAGES DO YOU TAKE? 

This question probably will not feel very fair, especially if you are someone who comes out on the negative side. But unfortunately, what 

you take pictures of will probably make you more or less likely to be a target of image theft. There are some images that are not worth 

the effort of stealing to most thieves. There are others which could be the biggest haul of their lives. 

If you take senior pictures, shoot weddings, deal with newborns, or generally have a part time photography hobby which is just something 

you are passingly good at, you should be fine. That’s the good news. 

The bad news is for anyone who falls into the other categories. Those who are most at risk of theft are celebrity photographers, those who 

work on nude or boudoir shoots, high fashion photographers, and fine artists. If you take picturesque landscapes or stunningly detailed 

still life, then you could be at risk too. 

If you want to assess how desirable your work would be to thieves, consider the uses they may get out of them. If your images would 

make someone popular on a social network, they may steal them to pass off as their own. If they can resell them by printing them on 

products, they are definitely a theft risk. If they are something that the world would like to see leaked, you could be in trouble. 

DO YOU ADD METADATA? 

If your answer to this question was “What is metadata?”, then you may be in trouble. Metadata is information that is attached to an 

image and travels with it, whether you add it to a website or simply send it as a file. It can give all sorts of information about the image. 

This includes when and where it was taken, who took it, who was in it, who the copyright holder is, and what sort of usage it is available 

for. It can even include tags which denote the content. 

47



A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH 

IS ONE THAT 

COMMUNICATES A 

FACT, TOUCHES THE 

HEART, AND LEAVES 

THE VIEWER A 

CHANGED PERSON 

FOR HAVING SEEN IT. 

- IRVING PENN 

49

w w w . s u m m e r a n a . c o m

SUMMERANA MAGAZINE |October 2018 |The "Fall" Issue

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