Categories
Blog News Rambling

BLOG Rebuild

House of Photography, Nacogdoches.. providing professional photography in studio, outdoors and on location.

BLOG REBOOT

After several years of being without a BLOG for House of Photography, I decided it was time to get this up and running. As a local business in Nacogdoches, TX and a sole proprietor, time is always a factor. With Covid still having its effects, even though its August, I’ve set aside some time to write, share and blog.

The state of our business is positive for anyone interested. After being in business for over 25 years, I’ve learned to save for the lean times. Covid, 911, economic slump of 2017, etc. One thing for sure is that hard times will come and as much as possible to be prepared. With that said, we are positive with our attitudes and looking for ways to drum up business.

Being a photographer in Nacogdoches, first as campus photographer for Stephen F. Austin State University, later teaching photography to over 1000+ students, all while running a full-time retail photography studio has taken much work. Cindy and I both know how to work and genuinely would rather be busy.

Currently we are focusing on a few personal projects. Our photography studio being in the downtown district of Nacogdoches is always in need of updating and repair being that it was built in 1898! Just before Covid hit, we had the roof redone and my what a project. Thankful to have real professionals climb this steep pitched roof, repairing old lath boards and bring this structure more protection from the East Texas weather.

Another project that we are beyond excited about is what we have named, the “Greatest Generation” project. Be on the lookout with our next blog post and I’ll share GLENN HARVIN, his story and some of the photos captured on a recent visit.

Support LOCAL business

If you live and work in Nacogdoches, please consider shopping local as much as possible. We are here for this town and would love to provide professional photography for years to come. But we need your help! Would you consider allowing us to photograph your family, upcoming son or daughter that is entering their senior year, capture a milestone birthday portrait of one of your kids or grandkids?

As a full-time retail photography studio, you are correct in that our prices are a little more than some, but what we offer in return more than makes up for that little extra cost. For example, our studio sits on a full acre of property designed with photography in mind, a dressing room and plenty of room for the entire family, indoor photography options and backdrops, an outdoor portrait garden and park with 100’s of photo options. Beyond these, we can professionally print ANY SIZE and create wall decor you will cherish for a lifetime! On top of all this, we guarantee our work! If you would like to see our work, head on over to houseofphotography.biz and click on the PHOTOS tab.

There you have it… a recap of where we stand, update on a few projects and a plea for your business.

We would love to hear your feedback!

Categories
Advertising Babies Blog Children Contest Events Family Gifts Graduating Seniors Links News Pets Photo Gear Portrait Sessions Rambling Running/Recreation Self-exploration self-help Tips & Tricks Travel Weddings Workshops, Seminars & Talks

The Newest Gift Shop in Nac

House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes}
House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes}

House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes}
House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes}

A Year of Change
We get a lot of questions these days about the changes we’ve made at the studio. One is, “Why would you want to change the name of your business from G Patterson Photography Studio to House of Photography?” and “What is this I hear about you selling gifts?” or “You can teach me photography?”

This year certainly has been a year of change with our small town business. For the past 25 years, we have been photographers. Pretty simple! Photography has changed dramatically the past 10 years. The idea of who and what a photographer has changed as well. But to answer the questions in very broad terms, the reason for this change is that we see Nacogdoches undergoing many positive changes and we wanted to be part of that effort, making this town we call home the best it can be.  Utilizing our talents as photographers, experience in graphic design plus the love and ability to create unique products has allowed us to “think outside the box!”

25 Years of Professional Photography
There’s many things we do right at House of Photography like capturing professional photographs, providing beautiful surroundings and backdrops for those photos, great customer service, and the ability to finish the art with professionally printed portraits worthy to hang on your wall. This is our passion and will continue to be our focus! We LOVE creating photos that make you love the way you look.

Learning Photography from a Pro
We’ve even put our expert knowledge of photography to work by teaching people of all ages the basics of photography in both our kids photography camps and adult photography classes. Just this year we have taught almost 100 people through our photography classes. Adult classes run throughout the year with new classes pretty much every month. If you want to know how to use your camera or how to see like a photographer, these classes were designed to get you started. They are FUN, FUN, FUN! You can see our current class offerings by visiting https://houseofphotography.as.me/learnphotography.

We ❤️  Nacogdoches and SFA! Introducing the Newest Gift Store in Nacogdoches
With our love for this town we proudly call home along with our favorite university-SFA, we embarked on a venture, an idea really to help promote what makes this place so unique. We want to highlight the history of Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas! We also want to shine a light on some of our local talent, artists, and makers. All of this wrapped up together led us to rename, rebrand, and build something totally unique.

With twenty-five years of experience in photography, you wouldn’t be surprised to find an overarching theme to just that.  Some of the photography related gifts include camera stickers, camera patches, camera straps, camera bags, etc. We have scenic Nacogdoches photographs for purchase by local photographer Wendy Floyd; also, some great photography including Big Bend and our local Goodman Bridge prior to being moved to Pecan Park.

House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes}
House of Photography {Gifts + Photos + Classes} Greg & Cindy Patterson with Haley Compton

Nacogdoches Gifts, SFA Gifts, Gifts for Men, Photography Gifts, etc…
Because our town boasts such diverse talent, we also have bath products, wood carvings, coffee mugs, drink coasters and jewelry made right here, all of which make great gifts! You’ll find whimsical products like camera purses, camera bubble blowers, t-shirts, hats and unique and award winning greeting cards, Nacogdoches post cards, SFA post cards, as well as other products devoted to SFA. All these together with a handful of supplies for the amateur photographer combine to create a collection of unique and fun gifts. 

When you leave House of Photography, we hope you’ll tell others of the unique experience you had here; but, also, a sense of deja vu as we’ve chosen black and white prints from the past 100 years to decorate our walls and help bring a little recognition and prestige to SFA and the beautiful town it which it calls home.

The quaintness and attention to personal detail you receive in shops like the ones in downtown Nacogdoches is a real appeal. So, we hope you’ll drop in and experience all the changes we’ve made. You can even leave with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee while the weather’s cold.

New Hours
One last note, from now until Christmas, we will be open Monday 11 am to 4 pm, Tuesday-Friday 10 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday 11 am to 4 pm.

 

Categories
Blog Events Graduating Seniors Portrait Sessions self-help Tips & Tricks

8 Steps to Better Prom Pix

It’s that season, and though you might not have a high schooler destined for prom this year, these tips just might help with your next family gathering.

1. CHOOSE A CLEAN BACKGROUND

If possible, choose an outdoor setting with some greenery—trees, bushes, anything with green or flowers. Place the subjects several feet in front of the background.
If indoors, take a couple minutes to select a posing spot and clear any clutter out of the background.
Try to avoid direct sunlight. If you have no choice, place the sun behind your subject and off to one side and force the flash to fire.

2. FALL BACK AND ZOOM

To compose your image, you can either zoom out and get close or zoom in and step back. Try the latter.Jenkins_270 PT By stepping back, you shorten the facial features and create a more flattering image of the subjects’ faces.

3. STABILIZE THE CAMERA

If you have a tripod or monopod, use it. If not, set the camera on a stable object. The Faver_123smworst possible way to shoot is to hold your camera out in front of you with two hands.The camera will move and the image will be blurry.Faver_093sm

4. KNOW WHEN TO USE FLASH.

In general, don’t use on-camera flash indoors; it will create a very cheap look and very hard shadows. Find a room with the best light. If you have an DSLR camera with a separate flash, you can consider bouncing if off of the wall or ceiling. It’s better to use available light and shoot with a stable camera. Outdoors, a bit of fill flash may be good to minimize eye circles.

5. MIND THE WHITE BALANCE.

Most cameras have a white balance selection. Instead of auto, choose the white balance that is appropriate for the predominant light source. Outside in shade, choose Shade. It will have a great impact on your image colors.

6. COMPOSE THE GROUPS.

Take a few shots of each couple. Have one person place their arms around their date’s waist and you can show their flowers, as well. Then get all of the girls together and then all of the guys, and finally, one shot with all of the couples. Pose them with hands at sides, or partially in pockets, or holding flowers or each other. A few candids will mix it up, maybe using a sporty car or the family dog. You can shoot the guys roughhousing or the girls “getting ready” to go to prom. If multiple people are taking pictures, take turns. You want to avoid eyes going in all different directions.

7. MULTIPLE SHOTS FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE.

The more people in an image, the greater the likelihood that someone will be blinking in any shot. For larger groups, take at least 5 images. One trick is to have everyone close their eyes, and on a count of three, open them and smile.

8. DO SOME QUICK EDITS.

Spend a couple of minutes to rotate the images so they all show up correctly, and consider a few basic edits: contrast, color saturation, exposure levels, cropping. These fundamental editing steps will take a good shot and make it great.

P.S. If any of this sounds like greek to you, consider calling a professional this prom season who takes all the guesswork out of creating beautiful images of an occasion worth remembering.

FIVE MISTAKES TO AVOID IN YOUR SENIOR PHOTOS

Categories
Blog Events Rambling Self-exploration

Purple Runs Through These Veins

Lumberjack Studio
Lumberjack Studio

As the saying goes, “I wasn’t born in Nacogdoches, but I came as soon as I could.” Greg and I both grew up in Dallas, and my family would often make the short 1 1/2 hr. drive to Tyler State Park to camp out in the summer. And, that’s where I fell in love with the Pineywoods. I often wish for those first summers back when I was a young girl and smelled the fragrance of the pine trees and felt their soft needles under my bare feet. It was lush and brilliant green, and so different from the concrete jungle of MY hometown. Fast forward to now, and I’m so grateful for the steps that brought me here and for the life for which God has privileged me.

I couldn’t write my life story and leave SFA out. It’s been Greg’s employer for the last 29 years; it’s, also, where we each received our degrees. Like so many others, that town that was home to the university to which we came as freshman, eventually became OUR town.

When we were first married, Greg was photographer for the student newspaper, the Pine Log, and I was a student worker in the Computer Science department. Our daughter was born when we lived in the New Raguet Apartments. This was student family housing on the grounds that now belongs to the SFA Charter School. Many afternoons were spent fishing, picnicking, and walking at the Ag Pond. Collegiate sports was comprised of Lumberjack football and Ladyjack basketball and not much else.

It doesn’t take long to grow roots in a town such as Nacogdoches. You spend enough time here weaving common interests with people at your church, in your school, at your job, you can’t imagine living anywhere else. I’m reminded of the quote from Our Town, “Does anyone ever realize life while they live it…every, every minute?”

hoco17-3240

So, here we are again, on the eve of another SFA Homecoming. You’d think after thirty-two of them, they’d become dull. But as I grow older (and wiser), I realize those same things we thought were boring, have become the things that have endeared us to this place. Surprisingly, I’m hoping to attend yet another SFA Homecoming parade. I might even throw up an “Ax’em Jacks.”

Categories
Blog Photo Gear Rambling Self-exploration Travel

New Mexico, Land of Enchantment

Okay, so Greg and I traveled to New Mexico last week for a backpacking trip in the mountains…well, and to sample the awesome cuisine! It’s in the name, right? New MEXICO? Who knew driving just one state over could take as long as it would’ve taken to get to Florida if we’d gone in the opposite direction. Or, pretty close.

When going backpacking, one does not just throw stuff into their backpack and go, Greg tells me. It takes an enormous amount of planning (and half of what REI has to offer, apparently.) When packing, a good rule of thumb is to not pack more than what your back can handle! It’s not rocket science, but it does require you to ask such questions as, “Do I really need a coat or can I get by with a fleece jacket?” or “How small amount of food can sustain me each day?” Thankfully, this wasn’t our first rodeo, so we knew that skimping in these areas could make for a tortuous trip!

Greg could’ve easily left his camera and tripod and extra lens at home, but would Dr. Who leave his screwdriver? or Dora leave her backpack? or Ernie his Rubber Duckie? Boy, was I glad we weren’t relying on my rinky-dink camera to give us those awesome shots of our epic vacation. So, below are two sets of pictures from the same trip. I bet you can tell which ones are Greg’s and which are mine.

DSC_2801-HDR DSC_2593-HDR-Edit DSC_2885-HDR DSC_2905-HDR DSC_2947 DSC_2824 DSC_2724
Being in a place like New Mexico surrounded by the beauty of it’s landscapes, structures and nature, you understand Georgia O’Keeffe when she said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way…things I had no words for.”

Besides our backpacking adventure, we visited the towns of Albuquerque, Taos and, lastly, Santa Fe. Did you know Santa Fe has over 250 art galleries as well as a variety of museums and performing arts? By the end, I’d seen so much raw beauty in nature and in the renderings of so many painters, sculptures, photographers and other craftsmen, I felt full. In fact, gluttonous to the point of feeling selfish. I wanted to share something of my own world before I left their world.

Driving home, I thought of my own little “neck of the woods.” And, in my woods the trees are tall and beautiful and stay green all year. And, the ground is lush with grasses and gardens. We should all be inspired wherever we go and by whatever we see. We should want to come back from our travels and, “Bloom where we are planted.” God created me just the way I am to the family and place I was born. Who am I to argue about anything?

So, the food wasn’t Mexican food I’m accustomed to having in East Texas. The most popular restaurants seemed to be the ones that served “New Mexican,” and your waiter asks if you want red or green chile. It did not disappoint!

FullSizeRender 2

 

P1030437

P1030442

IMG_2316

Categories
Blog Graduating Seniors News Travel Workshops, Seminars & Talks

Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful

G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce)
G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce)

It’s been three years since we visited Park Cities, Utah. In my mind, it’s a city that will always be synonymous with beautiful. Besides its terraced landscape and grandiose vistas, it was clean. I don’t just mean absent of trash on the roadways, but attention-to-detail clean. We’re talking yards mowed, hedges clipped and roads swept. There were no garish signs on poles; in fact, there were few poles of any kind at all. Maybe it was the way the sun set in the sky or, simply, because I was on vacation, but I was happy. It felt like I’d just stepped into the Technicolor “Wizard of Oz.” Screen Shot 2017-07-03 at 11.24.00 AM

Until I visited this town, I wouldn’t have imagined how the aesthetics of a city could truly make or break a tourist’s experience. Nacogdoches is home to many tourists each year. Many of them come because of our designation as the Garden Capital of Texas. Our city’s university, businesses, civic groups and many individuals have worked well together to help create that designation. We should be proud of these efforts and for the difference it’s made in our parks, paths, and gardens.

Luke Stanley surrounded by his Eagle Scout project in the SFA garden. The labyrinth was finished spring 2017.
Luke Stanley surrounded by his Eagle Scout project in the SFA garden. The labyrinth was finished spring 2017. (Photo by Greg Patterson, G Patterson Studio & Gallery)

G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce)
G Patterson Studio owners and volunteers pose with Katie Blevins in recognition of the 2017 Nacogdocehes Landscape Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce)

When I see the improvements to our parks or the flower boxes downtown or the new labyrinth at SFA’s trail system at University Dr. and Starr, I’m inspired to play a part. We recently received the Landscape Leadership award by Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful for the initiative we took in establishing our portrait garden in downtown Nacogdoches. It was bestowed on us due to the efforts made by my parents and other volunteers; it’s because of their concerted efforts, I realize that “many hands make light work.”

If  you want to be part of the change but don’t know what to do or where to go, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful is a great place to begin. KNB implements programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, encourage individual responsibility and beautify and enhance the local community. KNB’s volunteers have done this so well they were named a Gold Star Affiliate by Keep Texas Beautiful, a designation conferred on just 66 of KTB’s more than 395 affiliates in 2017. At www.keepnacbeautiful.org, you’ll see exactly what they do and many different ways you, or you and your family, or you and your co-workers can get involved.

There’ve been many positive changes made to our city, but noo one will tell you it’s easy. Wouldn’t it be worth it, though, to be able to say, “We’re proud of Nacogdoches and how beautiful it is?” To be the town that everyone else blogs about? I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend but alongside friends helping clean and beautify Nacogdoches. It all starts with you!

Categories
Blog Rambling Self-exploration

This Old House

So many people over the years since we’ve lived in the house at 122 N. Mound Street have said to us, “Don’t you love old houses?” I guess they don’t know what I know about this one. They don’t have to put up with the creaky floors, the plumbing that always needs attention and the exorbitant energy bills.

Actually, we don’t live there. But, I joke that because of the number of hours we work there, it feels like home. Where we live is much newer say…by about a hundred years or so. Everything in the newer house still works properly. Things haven’t been remodeled, refurbished, reworked and replaced a hundred times. For all my complaining, though, I’m proud to be the owner of the old house, because it has a proud history.Nelson Home P65H_48

 

It was built and designed by the German-born Rulf brothers. Dietrich Rulfs designed so many homes in the area over a wide span that he’s become known as Nacogdoches’ master architect. Dr. Nelson, for whom the house was built, was the son of A. A. Nelson, a sailor who became district surveyor in Nacogdoches for many years. He rubbed elbows with people like Adolphus Sterne, Haden Edwards, Sam Houston and Thomas Rusk. All we know of these people is part of recorded history, but we’ve been told some of what’s happened to the house and its occupants since. These stories come to us in bits and pieces from various people. An appreciation for this old house deepens with each new story I hear. They’re like clues as to what this house once was or about the people who it once knew, and it leaves me wanting to know more. All these snippets have become like puzzle pieces that don’t fit together.

OldPic 1

 

One question I’ve pondered since moving into the house thirteen years ago was about the wainscot that runs all through the house. Most of it was painted at some point, except for the room into which you enter the house. The wainscot in that room was made from burl wood, the likes of which could be used by a sculpture. This room is the one you see first; originally, it would have been the room in which suitors would wait for their date. But, I’d wondered why it didn’t wear the coats of paint that the other wainscot wears.

A piece to that puzzle fell into place at the Blueberry Festival. When I met Eric, he was inside the house studying the beautiful wood as it wrapped around a door opening. Eric Gaylord told me he’d once been a member of a fraternity that lived in the house. He said that he and a buddy had restored the wainscot in that room to it’s former glory, a painstaking process he assured me. As founding member of the frateFullSizeRenderrnity, I surmised that he’d taken it upon himself to do a little “sprucing up” of the place which included stripping the paint in the entrance. There were so many questions I would have liked to ask him, but the busyness of the day took him to his next appointment quickly
When I’m alone in the house and it’s quiet, I think about the people who lived here before me and the questions they could answer. I wonder if I had all the puzzle pieces finally in place, they’d form many puzzles. After all this old house has outlived many of its occupants and, most likely, many more to come.

Categories
Blog

The Consultation

Original and signed version of our ribbon cutting picture from Chamber of Commerce. Shown now, ten years later on the front porch of our Victorian Studio located at 122 N Mound in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Original and signed version of our ribbon cutting picture from Chamber of Commerce. Shown now, ten years later on the front porch of our Victorian Studio located at 122 N Mound in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Greg calls himself a portrait artist, but what does that mean?

An artist begins with a blank canvas and a subject that sits for him as he or she paints strokes on the canvas. How the portrait turns out depends largely on the colors the painter chooses, how he/she holds their paint brush, etc.

Much like a painter, Greg depends largely on his own discrimination when creating the final product. For the very best outcome, though, there must be a bit of collaboration between the photographer and the client. At our studio, we find it best to plan a short consultation to get a picture of what you expect.

For instance, if a client wants a session with her boyfriend, it might be helpful to know if they want something fun and flirty or something more dramatic. We’d ask what they plan to wear, what time of day they want their session and whether they want to be photographed inside or out.

We’ll also ask what you plan to do with the images. Will you want small prints or something for the wall? Would you like an album, or do you simply want them to share on social media.
After compiling all your information, we’ll form an idea of how your session will go. This collaboration that takes place the month before or maybe a few days before helps us answer a few basic questions about your session. Still, when you arrive the day of your session, we’re still mulling over hundreds of ideas on lighting, posing and backdrops in our head.

If the photographer is skilled and experienced as Greg is, this creative process is quick and seamless.

A good photographer knows it takes more than telling the client how to sit or stand. In order to give you the beautiful, timeless portrait you’ve dreamed up in your head, an expert photographer will spend the time to get to know you before the session in order to be the creative genius you need him to be. The trust a photographer gains during this process, gives you the confidence you need to look great for your portrait.

At G Patterson Studio & Gallery, “So Worth It” is more than our slogan, it’s how we’ve built our business.

Categories
Babies Blog Children Family Graduating Seniors Pets Portrait Sessions Rambling Self-exploration Weddings

Bah, humbug!

It’s not that I don’t like the Christmas season, I’d rather focus on the Christmas reason, you know, the why we do all of this. I’ve had the Christmases that were perfect, with everyone unwrapping all that they asked for, the cooked-to-perfection meal for twenty, and the decorations that could make the spread in “Home and Gardens.” All of that takes lots of shopping and planning for what to buy, and it’s so stressful! And to be honest, I’m just not a big shopper. I know I stand in stark contrast to the many people who live for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I don’t pore through on-line ads or those in the newspaper. My nickname could be “make do”, because I’m fine with last year’s styles (and in some cases, last decade’s styles), and I love repurposing things. My husband would tell you it takes me longer scraping the last of the contents from this bottle or that than it would to go out and buy a new one.

I’m probably an offense to every red-blooded Amansfield_2893merican girl who shops for the sake of shopping.  Forget window shopping; I’m more like a guy when I shop. As soon as I see what I need, I bag and tag it and move to the next store! I abhor clutter, whether it’s in my home, car or even on my computer. I’ve never collected knickknacks, though I think they’re really pretty in other people’s homes.

One thing I don’t mind having a lot of or spending time shopping for are pictures. Pictures on the wall, in albums, on blankets and pillows, and even on my coffee mugs! Pictures for myself and those I buy for others. I like pictures of all kinds, my kids in school, my family on vacation or enjoying the holidays or ones depicting our everyday lives. Pictures that show us happy, sad or melancholy. They help me remember what we were doing this time last year, five years ago, twenty years ago, or in the case of my parents’ pictures, a lifetime ago. When I look at pictures of me and my loved ones, it helps me to remember who I am and what’s important to me. They preserve our memories and remind us how grateful we are for one another.

I’ll make no excuses for not having the most brightly lit house on the street this year, because I’ll be reminiscing over pictures from Christmases past and remembering what’s really important to me. That brings me back to the real reason why we put so much focus on this day of the year. The day Jesus entered this world, nothing would be the same. It set into motion a plan that from the beginning made a way for us to be saved. Christ alone is the one who saves; this is nothing we can do for ourselves. John 3:16 says, “For God so loves the world, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting lmansfield_2893ife.”

Categories
Blog Children Events Portrait Sessions

Today in MicroFashion Photography

G Patterson Studio MicroFashion Photography

An idea that was born to the studio earlier this year has continued to spice things up in our mini model department. With the success of our Microfashion {Brick Streets} to kick off the series, we decided the Brick Streets edition was simply the beginning. Adorable kiddos are the heart of our portraits, while their personal style (or, personal styler) is brought to life through their unique portrayals of “microfashion.” From the tutus to the cowboys… The more variety, the better!

Its a newfound love, for us, to see just what these minis dress up in and how their little personalities glow through their portraits.

If you happened to miss the ’51 Chevy Microfashion sessions, fret not. We are planning another edition for September 1 & 2 with a Back2School theme. Check out more MicroFashion on our Facebook page and outfit ideas on our Pinterest board.

briechatman

Hunter

 

 

 

micro.adkison