Harper Lee Photography: Blog

HOW TO DECIDE ON A SESSION TIME AND LOCATION

(Harper Lee Photography) — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 03:16:39 GMT

_DSC3225 The most difficult part of planning a photo session is finding the right photographer. The second most difficult part is choosing a location and time of day for your session. Thank goodness most photographers (including me!) have a lot of knowledge on locations and times for the best light to shoot in. We are so lucky to have so many perfect photo locations in and around the Binghamton area; from beautiful rolling hills, to downtown Binghamton's historical buildings. But how do you choose where to shoot? I have many locations I like to shoot at, but ultimately I leave it up to my clients to choose where and what time they want for their photo session. The location of a shoot is a big piece of what sets the vibe in your photos, which makes choosing the location extra important!
_DSC3166 Are you looking for soft and romantic? light and fun? adventurous? chill and intimate? classic and timeless? There are so many options! A good way to get some different vibes in one session is by splitting your shoot. When you are booking me, ask me about doing this! I can help you choose two locations that have completely different vibes, but that are not too far from each other. I also recommend that you bring outfits to change into for different locations. This helps add variety to your finished gallery. I won't get too into what to wear right now, because that will be a whole other blog post! _DSC3410 Let's talk about timing. Assuming your session is outside, we have to work with the sun, not against it. The sun can be super bright, creating harsh shadows on our faces in the middle of the day. But don't fret! There are some tricks to getting around this. If you are looking for a shoot earlier in the day or even mid-day, find a location that has some shade! This could be in the city with the shade of the buildings, or in a park with good tree coverage. _DSC3445

Have more flexibility when scheduling an outdoor shoot? I highly recommend scheduling shoots for later in the day, around 6pm-8pm depending what time of the year it is. This is what we photographers call "golden hour". It is the perfect time in the day where the sun is less intense, but makes photos absolutely pop with golden color. I use a sun tracker to check and see when golden hour would be during different times of the year. This can help me schedule your shoot for the perfect time of day if you have flexibility!

And now that the weather is finally breaking in Binghamton, NY I can't wait to get outside for all the outdoor sessions! Contact me to find your perfect shoot location and time.

GET TO KNOW YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

(Harper Lee Photography) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 22:21:58 GMT

Let's get real. Getting photos taken can be awkward. Many of us feel a bit weird being in front of the camera, especially if they don't know the person taking their photo (I know I do!). When clients are not comfortable enough with their photographer, their photos can come out stiff, or really posed, or just photos that do not represent them, and who they are. That is why it's so important to not only know your photographer, but to feel comfortable with them too!

So let's get to know me! My name is Harper, and if you read my "About" page, you know just a little bit about me already. It is hard to try and describe yourself to others, but I am going to give it a go here.

First off, I think it is important to know I am a genuinely happy person. Don't get me wrong... I have my off days just like everyone else, and sometimes the small things can really throw me off; but in general, if you pass me on the street or walking with my dogs, I will be the type of person to say hello and offer a smile with a how are you?! I am definitely more extroverted and I always take the time to get to know people. Which is why when I book a client I haven't met before, I will send over a questionnaire with questions about what they like to do, things that have shaped them throughout their life, if they would describe themselves as introverted or extroverted, and of course questions about what they want in their photos. This questionnaire really helps me get to know them, and I think for me, I like my clients to not only feel comfortable with me, but for me to be comfortable with them too.

As for my personal life, I am a huge dog lover, and my husband and I have two dogs of our own. One is a cocker spaniel named Emery Lou who is 3 years old, and the other is a golden retriever named Ellie Lynn who is 3 months old (yes, our dogs have middle names). They are the sweetest, and they make our lives complete. My husband is a full-time elementary physical education teacher and a part-time coach, while I am a full-time school-based occupational therapist and part-time photographer. Between our full time and part time careers we keep very busy, although we wouldn't have it any other way. They make us who we are, and our careers push us to be the best we can be, which we love!

Now that I have told you about myself as a person, let me tell you about myself as a photographer and how I got to where I am now. If you checked out my first blog post, you would know that I loved shooting from when I was a small girl (although those photos were mostly of sticks, and leaves, and flowers, SO MANY FLOWERS). Then one Christmas my brother Jack gave me my first DSLR camera. I have to give him credit, because it was completely his idea. From there, I got into second shooting weddings, and starting to shoot my own photo sessions. I now own my small business Harper Lee Photography, and it is still feels unreal in the best possible way. I photograph my own weddings, while still second shooting for other photographers from time to time. I love engagement sessions, family sessions, cake smashes, maternity sessions, and Christmas minis sessions. Basically, I just love to get out there and shoot all the things!

I think I wrote this in another blog post, but give me all the genuine, authentic, beautiful moments. If I had to describe my photos, it is those 4 words I would use every time. Don't just stand there, walk towards me, spin around, hold hands, touch foreheads, play with each other, and most of all let's laugh and have fun! I don't give poses, but I do give direction through movement! Adding movement to any "pose" makes it natural, fun, and real.

Okay! If you made it to the end, then you now know quite a bit about me! Reach out, let's be friends, let's make some amazing art together, and let's photograph some of your greatest memories & moments <3

THE BEGINNINGS

(Harper Lee Photography) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 02:05:48 GMT

DSC_2519 When I was little, my parents would give me those little disposable cameras that you would press the button and crank the wheel for the next exposure. I know, this sounds crazy that we used to have to document our lives without the luxury of cell phones and endless camera rolls. I mean, now we take 27 photos in less than a few minutes without blinking an eye... Well, me being me, I would blow through a new disposable camera within the first few days, and it would be a miracle if one even made it through the week. Mind you, at this point I am about 5 to 6 years of age.
Finally when they would get developed, my mom and I would go through them one by one while sitting at our coffee table in our apartment. And each time she would say... "Harper. You need to take pictures of people. Not of the ground, or the flowers, or the trees, or that stick." (Because, that was my specialty back then, taking photos of things I found interesting for me, not for other people).

Fast forward 20 years, and I think I finally got what she was saying LOL!

Taking photographs of people now has great meaning to me (unlike my 6 year-old-self). It is my way of helping others document their lives; and photographs are what we take with us after the moment has passed and the memory has been made. It is how we share memories with others that were not in that moment with us. Because photos can hold so much meaning, taking photos not only gives my life meaning, but makes my life meaningful. I love delivering a gallery and hearing "it will be so hard to pick which ones to print!" or a simple "I LOVE THEM!". I love hearing this because it tells me that I gave them something they will be able to cherish for years and years to come, whether the photographs hold big moments (like their wedding), or the in-betweens (like a family or engagement session).

I truly wish I had done a better job taking photos of people, and documenting my younger years surrounded with the people I loved most, especially now that some have passed on. But, here we are, with hundreds of photos of inanimate objects that were probably thrown out because lets be honest, how many photos of sticks and rocks does one family need? ...But seriously, I miss taking photos for me sometimes. And this year I finally invested in a macro lens, so I can return to my roots, taking photos of the trees, and the sticks, and the leaves, and the forget-me-nots, and all the small things that I find absolutely stunning. And guess what my mom said... "Harper, I can't wait to take pictures of the trees, and the flowers, and the rain drops on the leaves." and she said nothing about having to take photos of people.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first blog! I am hopeful to be writing more blogs about so many different topics, whether they be personal, educational, or just photography related. I love sharing my life, and these blogs provide an outlet for that.