The Long Center for the Performing Arts

Finding the right location for photos can be tricky depending on the time of year.  The hardest time of year to find great backdrops for Austin are the winter months, when there are so many bare trees.

I took a little trip and went to visit some places that I thought still worked for winter.  Most of these were taken this February.  The are two exceptions.  The senior photos on South Congress were taken in September and because this is an urban location, it would also work well in the winter.  The other photos not taken in February are the family photos at Butler Park, which were taken in December.   Additionally, all of these locations would be great during spring, summer and fall months. See my photos and descriptions below for examples of what each location has to offer.

 SEAHOLM DISTRICT

The Seaholm District was once an industrial section of downtown Austin.  This has gone under an extensive transformation, which is currently a mixed-use urban neighborhood.   This area includes the Library, the Butterfly Bridge, Shoal Creek and the Seaholm Power Plant. I captured photos at the Butterfly Bridge (by Shoal Creek) and down by the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail that is along Lady Bird Lake.

 PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

This is both a pedestrian and cyclist bridge which overlooks Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, connecting north and south sides.  It features a “double-curve” design. This connects Seaholm District to Butler Metro Park and can be a great place to stop and get a photo if you’re walking from one place to the other.

 BUTLER METRO PARK

This park runs between Riverside Drive and Barton Springs Road, and between South First and South Lamar.  This area has beautiful backdrops of the Austin skyline.

 THE LONG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Long Center is a venue located on Butler Park, which is along Lady Bird Lake.  This is a great place for photography not only for its great skyline views, but the design of the building is stunning with it’s glass structure, circular “ring-beam” and aluminum paneled roof.

The photo at the top of this article was also taken at the Long Center.

Fun fact: During the renovation, 95% of the material from the Palmer Auditorium was recycled and incorporated into the first phase of the Long Center.

These first four spots are technically close enough and within walking distance to include in an hour long session.  However, this all depends on how much time is spent at each location.

 SOUTH CONGRESS

This district features hip boutiques, restaurants and trendy hotels.  There’s plenty of options that make for fun backdrops in a photo session.  When planning a shoot here, it’s probably best to avoid busy times, such as Friday/Saturday late afternoon to early evenings.  This is the only location where my photos were taken in the summer.

 BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK

Located just 20 minutes Northwest of downtown Austin, Bull Creek offers a variety of backdrops, including a running creek, hiking trail, rock formations and lots of trees.

I am hoping that this article will be helpful when planning a photo session.  Contact me to book a session.

Cheers to 2021!  I think everyone agrees that last year was not as great as we hoped for.  Not that any of us could have foreseen what was coming.

Despite everything that happened in the past year, I did gain some new clients and am thankful for that.  I was limited to shooting outdoor only with smaller groups.  In the near future, I will still be shooting outdoors only.  No indoor Lifestyle sessions at this time.  However, I’m hoping that things will be different later in the year.  I have some new goals for this year that will hopefully inspire new and past clients.

Communicate

Last year I started an email list.  The goal is to collect emails to send out a monthly newsletter.  The newsletter will cover my blog posts and upcoming deals or mini-sessions I may be offering throughout the year.  These things can also be found on my Facebook page.  However, to get first access to these offers, the newsletter is the way to go.  Anyone can sign up for my newsletter by adding their email here.

Another form of communication is through my blog and Instagram page.  I plan to update my Instagram page more often this year, which will include not only imagery but sometimes session information.  My instagram page offers images that you most likely won’t find on my website gallery.  Although there are a few of the same.

Explore

2020 was not the best year for getting out of the house.  While I did a bit of exploring, I plan to get out more once Covid cases begin to go down.  It’s important that I scout for new locations for photography sessions.   I did find a few new locations last year and plan to write a new blog post in the near future which will cover my new findings. Although it’s not just about location,  time of day means everything.  I’m hoping  to see locations at different times of the day to see how the lighting effects it.  In most cases the hour before sunset is the most ideal.  However, not everyone is available during that time, so it’s good to have other options.

Offer Mini Sessions

Last fall I offered School Portrait Mini-Sessions from my backyard and it worked out very well.  I plan to offer more this Spring for those who missed it.  I’m also planning to offer Spring and Fall mini-sessions this year for families, siblings, couples, etc.  I live in South Austin, so mini-sessions most likely will occur here for this year.  Sign up for my newsletter to find out first!

Create a Showcase

When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I had exhibits occasionally at an event called Last Thursday.  This event took place on a street called Alberta where people could walk and view art from street vendors or within places of business.  Mine was displayed in a wine shop.  This was a lot of fun for me, but takes money, time and work.  Since then I haven’t been shooting much aside from people.  That said, I would like to get back into landscapes and I know there is a lot to explore in and around Austin.  This was a goal for last year as well, but things were thrown off when the virus hit.   I’m hoping this year will be better, especially with the purchase of a new camera!

Educate

I really enjoy working with kids and considering the idea of offering some type of 1/2 day summer camp for those who are interested in photography.  It would be very basic, covering lighting and composition mostly, so any camera will do.  It will most likely be in my backyard.  If you have a child that you think would be interested in this, do let me know by sending me an email from my contact page.  Or sign up for my newsletter to find out my plans during the year.

That concludes my goals for 2021.  If you have any questions or would like to book an outdoor session, then send me an email.

​Senior portraits should be interesting, fun and exciting.  There can be a range of styles depending on what you want to capture as you transition to a new phase of life.

Below I’ve created some tips to help you prepare and get the most out of your session.

Personalize

Props can be fun to incorporate into the session, whether its sports equipment, instruments or hobby items.  However, this is not for everyone.  It can be fun if you’re into it, but it’s not necessary for a successful photo shoot.  Same goes for accessories.  Bring items that will compliment your personality and unique style.  Hats, sunglasses and scarves can often add character and personality.

Location is another way to personalize your photos.  Do you prefer more of an urban or natural setting?  If you have a perfect spot, then mention it.  I’d be happy to recommend some spots based on your preferences.

Don’t get a haircut the day before your session.  Give your hair at least a few days to learn how it will lay best and how you want it styled.  You might even wait about a week.

Keep it Simple

Bring at least one change of clothing.  If there’s not a place to change, I’ve got a pop-up tent I can bring.  This is probably most necessary in a natural setting.  Speaking of clothing, stay away from logos, crazy patterns, graphics or stripes.  It’s important to maintain focus on your face, not the graphics on your shirt. Jewelry and makeup are very similar.  I’m not saying, don’t do them, but make sure it’s not too distracting.  Also, both jewelry and graphics can date a photograph pretty quickly.

Bring Someone

If you bring a friend or family member, it may help you relax, which results in more natural photos.  They can actual be of assistance while they are there.  They can keep an eye on hair, help with clothing, make you laugh.  Sometimes someone close to you is better at making you laugh than I might be.  They know your sense of humor.

Communicate

It’s important to let me know if you’re not comfortable with a setting or a specific pose.  It’s not a big deal for me.  I’m happy to move on to another idea.  Everyone has different taste and I just want you to be happy and completely satisfied with your photos.  So don’t be afraid to speak up!

Don’t Stress

Again, if you bring someone you feel comfortable with along,  it may help you feel at ease and relaxed.  Usually the first few poses are more of a practice session.  They are not always the chosen images of the bunch.  That said, use this knowledge to relax and not worry about how you look in the beginning.  As I continue to capture images, you will most likely get used to it and start to relax.  I will be taking a variety of shots, using a variety of different angles, compositions and poses.  I will be be letting you know if your hair gets in your face, clothing is sitting wrong, etc.

If you’re worried about blemishes, don’t!  Once you select the images you want from your online gallery, I will retouch the images and they will be removed.

Hopefully this post has helped.  I want this experience to be something you look back on fondly.  So, if you have any concerns, questions or ideas, please contact me.

For more information on what to wear, see my article.  To see examples of my work, view my gallery.

To book a session, contact me.

Did you know you can control focus, change exposure or capture action with your iPhone?

In my post I will share how to do all of these things, along with a few other creative tips I’ve come across over the past year.

Utilizing Camera Features

Many people don’t realize that you can control focus on an iPhone. Just compose your photo, then simply tap on whatever you want in focus and notice a square pops up. Now the focused is set. If you focus on the foreground, whatever is in the background may be out of focus depending on how close you are to your subject. Or visa versa. If you would like to lock these settings in for more images, just tap and hold until the square flickers. When releasing, you will notice the AE/AF Lock indicator appears on the screen.

To change the exposure while taking a photo, first tap on the image to focus, then notice an exposure slider appears with a sun. Using your fingertip, slide the sun up or down to change exposure. If you’d like to lock in the exposure, you can do this when you focus, as I mentioned above. This will lock both exposure and focus at the same time.

Burst mode is an iPhone camera feature.  While using burst, you can take more than ten photos per second.  In earlier iPhones, you can activate this by holding down the shutter button.  From the 11 series iPhones, swipe left on the shutter button and hold to shoot.

Getting Creative

If you have an iPhone 7 Plus or above, you should have portrait mode. The photo at the top of the page was taken using portrait mode. To access this mode, open your camera app.  Then under the image, you will see “PHOTO” is highlighted.  Place your finger there and drag to the left until “PORTRAIT” is highlighted.  Some of the newer iPhones will allow you to change the f-stop.  Look for the “f” icon in the upper right corner of your screen, then tap on it. Using the slider below the photo, click and drag to the right for more background blur.  If you do not have this feature, you can try to do it after the photo is taken, in editing mode.  Some of the earlier phones (such as iPhone 8) have this option. One other fun feature that’s new to portrait mode is High Key Mono, which is similar to Stage Light and Stage Light Mono. If you’re not familiar with Stage Light, it simulates a studio photo taken against a black background. Stage Light Mono is the same, but in black and white and the newest mode, High Key Mono is similar, but uses a white background instead.

There is also an option for slow shutter.  For example, have you seen the photos where the water looks really smooth?  This is accomplished using a slow shutter and a steady hand or tripod. To enable slow shutter on the iPhone 6X and above, open the camera app and select Live in the upper right corner (icon with concentric circles).  Then select the upward arrow in the center top of the screen and notice some icons now appear at the bottom of the screen.  Look for the timer icon and select it. Then press 3s and take your photo.  There is a choice for 10s, but I found that the 3s worked better for me.  If you happen to have a tripod for your iPhone, use it.  If not, hold your phone very still.  After the photo has been taken, open it in the photos app and swipe up on it to reveal effects.  Then swipe left until you see the Long Exposure effect.  Select it and you’re done. If you don’t like it, you can always revert back to the original.

For the iPhone 11 and above, there has been an improvement with the night mode feature. This mode improves brightness and reduces image noise. Night mode appears automatically activate when the lighting conditions call for it. Or you can enable it by tapping the moon icon at the top of the camera app.
To turn it off, slide the slider under the image all the way to the left.

I hope you learned something new about your iPhone camera. For more info about Melissa Hay Photography, see my about page.

When planning a family photoshoot, the most common question I get is what to wear.  This is a good question because what you wear could have a huge impact on your photos.

The biggest problem is when there’s too much going on with the outfits which causes a lot of distraction.  This takes the focus away from the subjects.  Clothing can be distracting in many ways and I’m going to talk about that, along with some ideas that can help keep the look cohesive.

Things to Avoid

Don’t wear conflicting tones or patterns. Make sure to stay consistent.  For example stick with neutrals or colors that have similar tones.  Having a color palette is not a bad idea.  If patterns are being worn, make sure they do not conflict or draw too much attention.  If one person is wearing something extremely bright or a pattern that is too busy, it draws the eye away from everyone else in the shot.  Graphics and fluorescent colors are also not a great choice.  Graphics tend to go out of style and and fluorescent colors can draw too much attention and reflect into faces.

I think it’s a great idea to coordinate what you wear, but don’t match!  You won’t want to look back on those awkward family photos and say, “What were we thinking with those matching outfits!”  Instead focus on creating a cohesive look and find outfits that allow for a timeless feel.

Things to Keep in Mind

Although there are a few things not to wear, I also feel like it’s important not to focus too hard on clothing.  Wear something comfortable, something that you like and feel is flattering.  A family photo shoot should be a relaxed and happy event. Also, be yourself!  If you tend to wear a lot of jeans, then wear jeans!  There are no rules about dressing up unless you want there to be.  This goes for the kids as well.  If the kids are more comfortable in their clothes, they will probably be more relaxed in the photos.  Not to say that you can’t dress up.  Just be somewhat comfortable so you can enjoy the shoot.

Another thing to think about when coordinating your clothing is the location.  For example, if your backdrop has some fall foliage, you might think about finding colors that will not blend in with the leaves.  Select a color palette for your outfits that will complement the setting.

Wearing sleeves or quarter-sleeves can help if you are insecure about the way your arms appear in photos.  I know I can be,  so I find thet covering them (at least at the very top) can take the focus away and be flattering as well.

Layering can often help the photo shoot move along quickly.  This is most important when there are kids involved since they usually will only cooperate for so long.  So layering instead of bringing a change of clothes can really keep things moving in a good way.

Fitted clothing, opposed to loose-fitted often looks more attractive.  Keeping jewelry simple works well because otherwise it can draw attention away from your face.

Don’t forget about shoes or accessories.  Make sure shoes are in decent condition.  Accessories can add a bit more color and texture, which can be nice.

Think about whether you’d like to display a photo in your house.  If that’s the case, which room will it be in?  This may help determine your color palette and location.

Hopefully these ideas will be helpful to you when coordinating your outfits for your family photography session.  Feel free to reach out to me if you have additional questions that I haven’t covered.  For some visual ideas, check out my pinterest board.

For information on scheduling, contact me.