A couple of people have asked me recently how and why I decided on the motto for Merrick Photography, which is “Images Inspired By You…” As I explained to them, those four words really do mean everything they say, and a lot more…
I originally came up with the phrase while trying to think of the shortest possible way I could encapsulate in words what it is that I aim for in every photograph I take, whether it be a wedding photograph, a family portrait, child’s photograph or even a landscape photograph.
Shelby, photographed during a model session, allowed me to capture her true personality
As a photographer, I respond to what I see around me with my eyes, and especially to the emotional connection my mind’s eye makes with my subject. It goes a long way beyond posing my subjects, or asking someone to stand or sit in a certain way. It isn’t where I position the lights or reflectors, or even the background we choose, and it really has very little to do with the settings in the camera. These things are simply the technical aspects that go into producing a good photograph; they are required, of course, but they aren’t the essential ingredients for an image the client will be totally thrilled with.
The real spark of the photographs I create for you, the life that lives within the image, so to speak, is something we can’t adequately articulate in words. It’s an emotion, a fleeting sense of something we can’t quite grasp, but we know it’s there. If pressed, we couldn’t put our finger on it and say, “here, this is it.” Whatever it is, it’s far more ethereal than that, and can only be recognized through experience and passion for being a photographer.
Often during a session, once the subject is accustomed to being in front of the camera and relaxed, a moment will come when I observe them do something extraordinary, revealing the essential “them”. That’s the point at which I try to capture a true portrait that shows a glimpse of their beautiful personality.
My mind’s eye sees it before I even realize it myself, producing an almost unconscious response to the scene in front of me. When I press the shutter release I instinctively know that what I have are not just photographs or snapshots. They are truly “Images Inspired By You…”
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The heat of summer 2010 is now a fading memory and we’re well into the Fall, with the nights closing in and both leaves and temperatures falling. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it will soon be Christmas – it’s hard to believe just how quickly 2010 has gone by!
A colorful family portrait against a backdrop of fall foliage at the Memphis Botanic Gardens
But, there’s still time to schedule a family portrait session in one of the many great locations in the Memphis area. This one here was taken just over a week ago at the Botanic Gardens in the their lovely Japanese garden. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stan & Leslie Addison, and their family, for being so wonderful to work with – I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent to create a set of family portraits for them.
Outdoor portraits are so much fun, and one of the things I pride myself on is being able to schedule flexible sessions that are dedicated to the most important people involved – you. There’s no time limit, and I only book one session per day (see this earlier blog post for more on that), so that everyone is nice and relaxed and has a fun time.
Fall portraits will also look great on a set of custom-designed holiday cards, and there’s still time for you to schedule a session for your family before all the leaves have fallen!
Simply call the studio today at (901) 465-6393 for a friendly chat with me about your family and for more information.
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Fall 2010 has been great so far, with some beautiful colors and backgrounds for a multitude of portraits – from seniors to bridal to families and children! I love to photograph outdoors and this time of year is one of my favorites for capturing families amongst some of nature’s most amazing colors.
I always love trying out new locations to find different backgrounds and places I can use to create unique portraits for my clients, so I was thrilled to be able to photograph this wonderful family at Herb Parsons Lake, right here in Fayette County, and just 10 minutes ride from the studio. I suspect that I’ll be using this location again in future sessions, as there was a wide variety of settings with diverse backgrounds in the park.
A collage of family portraits taken at Herb Parsons Lake - the Fall colors are one of my favorite backgrounds
Despite less than perfect weather (it was very windy, cloudy and threatening rain), I had a great time working with the Reifsteck family to create a beautiful series of portraits.
As you can see, the Fall colors still dominate the scenes and will continue to do so for a few more weeks, so NOW is the perfect time to schedule a portrait session for you and your family.
Visit our Family Portrait pages for more information, but remember that time is passing by… so don’t wait too long!
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This year’s Fall foliage has been particularly wonderful here in the Mid-South, and the Memphis Botanic Gardens has provided us with an exceptional variety of scenes in which to create some of our favorite family portraits. The Japanese Garden has proven to be especially popular with a surprising number of varied backdrops in a huge range of colors. The red bridge always adds great color to the images, but even more so at this time of year when the trees are at their Fall best.
The Woodworth family pictured in various locations at the Memphis Botanic Gardens for their Fall portraits
Pictured here are the Woodworth family, whom I was delighted to photograph in the gardens just a couple of weeks ago. I have to say that they were a delight to work with and we had a really fun time creating these photographs for them. You can also find a new, dedicated page with a slideshow at Woodworth Family Portraits.
Although we’re moving closer to the winter, the beautiful Fall colors are still here and there is a chance to take advantage of this time to create your own family portraits for the home and greeting cards in time for the holidays.
I love meeting new clients (who I regard as my extended family) and would really love to chat with you about how we can create some amazing portraits for your family. Call the studio TODAY (before these colors are gone!) or email us for more information.
Don’t wait too long – once the colors have faded, they’re gone until next year!
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As many of you know, one of the key ingredients to my wedding photography services is that I attend the wedding rehearsal for my clients as a standard feature of all my wedding collections. This is an essential component, one that I wish all wedding photographers would include, because it has so many benefits to both the bride & groom and the photographer.
Not only do I get to see the couple again before the big day, and enjoy the fun of the rehearsal itself, I also have a chance to talk with the minister who will be officiating at the wedding to make sure I introduce myself and chat with them about procedures for the next day. This is, after all, a religious ceremony, and I want to be sure that I stick within the guidelines expected by each individual minister or priest.
Some of the photos from Tenee' and Brandon's wedding rehearsal
Last night’s rehearsal was a lot of fun, and my thanks to Tenee’ & Brandon’s wonderful families for including me in their celebrations, I really appreciate it! As usual, the rehearsal was punctuated by moments of laughter, as things never go quite as expected, but I know that today’s wedding will go smoothly and properly!
I’m really looking forward to capturing this special day today, and will hopefully post some photos online later this evening when I return to the studio.
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