Calling All BRIDES!! Save Money for your Wedding Photography!

Hello to all my Brides!

I am running a sale to help you save on your Wedding Photography.

10% off Wedding Packages!! Find us Facebook and "LIKE" us to help you obtain your offer!

Happy planning!

Modeling Contest 2012

Layman Photography is looking for those interested in model work.
 Career or fun- We want to use your image in our photography program!

The Shutterbug Program offers models and photographers the opportunity to come together as a community to support the local arts by learning, participating in helping  create stunning images. This program puts photographers together to learn from each other.

Our models help us by providing certain looks to fit the photographic theme, be it fantasy or traditional portraiture.

If you are interested in modeling for us, please contact Stacey Layman of Layman Photography by email, please no phone calls. Submit a short essay of why you would like to work on this project  along with two photos of yourself (head shot and full length). Please do not submit nude photos and you MUST be 18 years of age.
 Your time will be compensated by a CD of images  from each session.

Entries will be reviewed and the best 5 candidates will be contacted by Stacey Layman.
Please submit all entries by March 4th, 2012.

Happy New Year! May we live life by "I did" instead of "What if"!

Modeling-Bridals: On Location & Studio Portraits

Hello, hope you are all well. I am excited to be done with my Project KickOff!! Big thank you goes to my Model: Lynnette England for putting so many hours under some extreme conditions to be in front of my lens. It was well worth it! We had the best time creating ideas and were able to go to many places.

 Another Thank you goes to Merri Beth Falkner for loaning us these wonderful wedding dresses. Merri Beth and I became friends instantly upon our first meeting! I love when I get to know my brides and we are able to create lasting friendships.

Here are a few from the Modeling III Bridal Collection.

 Want to see more? All Modeling Portraits and other On Location Shoots...CLICK HERE.http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1958699062190.84169.1684187489&type=1&l=41bfb4b586

Noccalula Falls, Gadsden Alabama

The Legend of Noccalula came from the early times.  Originally known as the Black Creek Falls, the legend as written by Mathilde Bilbro says that "long ago, on a mountain summit within sight and sound of a rushing waterfall, lived a great Indian Chief whose young daughter, Noccalula, was famed far and wide for her beauty and lovliness of character."  Many gallant braves sought the old chief for the hand of Noccalula, but only one was favored by the girl's father, a rich chief of a powerful neighboring tribe, who had much to offer in exchange: wampum, horses,  and blankets.  Vainly Noccalula pleaded that her heart was already given to a young brave of her own tribe. 

But this young warrior, though noted for his skill and valor, possessed little in wordly goods.

The old chief refused to listen and ordered his daughter to make ready for the marriage he had arranged.  What was a maiden's silly fancy against many horses, much wampum and union with another strong tribe?  The girl's lover was driven from the tribe, and a marrige agreement was made with the neighboring chief.

The wedding day came and a great feast was prepared.  In silence Noccalula allowed herself to be arrayed in festive wedding robes.  It was incredible!...To be sold to a stranger by the father she loved!  Her chosen lover forever banished!  Overcome with grief, she quietly slipped away from the merrymakers during the festivities..the soft rhythmical rush of waters called her...a moment she stood poised upon the brink of the yawning chasm.  One leap - and her troubles were over.

Heartbroken, the remorseful father gave the great cataract his daughter's name.  Since that day the waterfall has been called Noccalula.

Modeling Portrait Session II

Hello to All.
Hope everyone is well. I wanted to share a few photos from the last modeling portrait session that was done at the Alabama Theatre.
 Keep trying, learning,,, Thanks for reading.

Here is my model Lynnette on one of the staircases.

On Stage.

Hall of Mirrors

A Beautiful Woman

Favorite Moments II

I love it when Brides become friends. It gives me the opportunity to really get to know them and their personalities. They talk to me and you can hear excitement in their voice and see it spread all over their face when they describe the details of their weddings. I take into consideration if they are a little shy or reserved. In knowing them , I'm able to get reactions in front of my lens, even if I get help from others to do it.
In this photo, I had asked the Groom to whisper that one phrase that gets her laughing. I have no idea what he whispered but I enjoyed capturing her reaction. It was a great moment between them.

Lens Flare. It either works or it doesn't. I wanted so bad to get this angle of them walking up the stairs, I was trying to control my background as there were numerous things I didn't want in the photograph. The sun came into my lens and I just went with it.



This little cutie was bored but being real patient.

This Bride was located out of town while planning her destination wedding. She had sent me many examples of the things she liked in photographs. It was cloudy and had been raining up until the time I took them outside. I love the softness of this entire exposure and of course the KISS!

Sunrise and Sunset Photography- Civil Twilight

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. I had the opportunity to photography a sunset, in which I felt that all elements were just right, the light, the colors, the Awe I felt when looking at the sky. It just happened that yesterday it was getting grey and very cloudy, I thought, would be nice if the clouds would break, catch that sun moving into the horizon.. I stepped out a few times, thinking... This will never happen, then on the  last trip, I was in shock at the wonderful colors. I took a few shots chaning settings to get dramatic effects, then I ran in my car to the walking track to catch the view I see so many times when Im excercising.

How to photography sunrises and sunsets:
The light most photographers capture sunrise and sunsets is what we call Civil Twilight.
Twilight is:  the time between dawn and sunrise or between sunset and dusk, during which sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark.

Sunrise and sunet are two of the most photographically dramatic times of the day. It is beneficial as a photographer and especially if you love to take landscape shots to KNOW official sunrise and set times for the time of the day for the area you located.
Why?
1. Knowing time will get your mind and camera ready instead of being taken surprised and running for your camera and in the process of chaos, forgetting things such as shutter/aperture.
2. It allows us to identify patterns , durations and peek times of twilight color.

Sunrise: The time of morning when the upper edge of the disk of the sun is touching the horizon.
Sunset: The time of day when the upper edge of the disk is touching the horizon, this is how we get that dramatic twilight colors.
* If the sun's lower edge is touching the horizon you still have the same sky,, this is your time to get ready and wait for the upper edge to hit the horizon, its the reflection against the clouds that gives us that pop.

My personal preference to sunrise or sunset photos is to have an object back lit for dramatic purposes. How many times have you or someone you know taken photos of clouds with just the clouds in the shot? Pretty boring, I think.

Here are the images below. Please comment. Thank you for reading!

1/40 f4 ISO 100

1/40 f6.3 ISO 100

1/40 f3.5 ISO 100

1/40 f5.6 ISO 100

1/60 f4 ISO 100

8 Sec f 3.5 ISO 100

1/3 f3.5 ISO 100

* To see the other shots taken please view the Entire Album on Facebook, Settings also listed. Facebook Sunset Album