Tag: family

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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?”

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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.”

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Babies Blog Children Events Family News Pets Portrait Sessions Rambling

Memories of bunnies

2014 Bunnies at Greg Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches.
2014 Bunnies at Greg Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches.

A Magical Combination…

Since we opened our doors twenty years ago, we’ve had a lot of good ideas come and go. Though our focus has always been to provide lifestyle portraiture that makes you “feel” something, we’ve always tried to keep things fresh and in keeping with today’s trends. Making elaborate sets for one person for one hour was never our style, but could we decorate a set for many clients over a short number of days? We’ve always had great success photographing children, so we began using the holidays as an excuse to do something a little more fun! We began with the Easter holiday and bunnies, because…well, do I really need to explain it? Children with bunnies is a magical combination.

2011 Bunnies at Greg Patterson Studio in Nacogdoches.
2011 Bunnies at G. Patterson Studio.

There’s a huge element of unpredictability when photographing animals, but that’s what makes for a great photo session! Just when you have all your subjects, both kids and bunnies, looking in the general vicinity of your camera, the bunny hops off. Or, it could be the child scooting out of the scene, because come to find out, they’re afraid of rabbits! Photographing with rabbits, means you’re constantly picking up little pellets that look like their food, but they’re not. And, once, we had a rabbit bite a child, but that was just once. And than, of course, you may have two rabbits acting amorous all of a sudden, and you have to explain that’s just their way of playing, because that’s a conversation better left for the parents to have with them.

They’ve come with many names attached to them, but “Payday” has stuck with me, because of the number of years we used him. He was a beautiful big flop-eared rabbit that was so gentle and not easily spooked. Children would remember him from one Easter to the next, and were always happy to see him. Tracy Steinhauser and her two, Kasy and Keelan, were instrumental in keeping us in stock every Easter. We knew if our rabbits came from them, they’d be groomed and well cared for. Each of our three children were photographed with the bunnies. Our daughter, now 28 years, loved the bunny sessions so much, she even posed as a teen with her best friend and the bunnies. Our sons were a little less enthused. We even acquired a couple rabbits of our own at one point and would allow them to play in the backyard with the cats.

Since that Time…

2013 Bunnies at G Patterson Studio.
2013 Bunnies at G Patterson Studio.

Since that time, we’ve had many more of these types of sessions designed around a theme or holiday. We’ve had Santa for Christmas, pumpkins at Halloween, watermelons for Independence Day. For these children’s session we’ve used titles like “Gone Fishin’,” ”Puppy Love,” ”In the Attic,” ”Tea Party,” ”Little Guys in Ties,” and ”Mom & Me,” to name a few.

All of these “mini” sessions over the years serve to create fond memories for us at the studio. Our favorite remembrances, though, come from the sessions with the bunnies. They take a little more time and effort, but they’re always worth it!

Just4Fun is the title we give these specially designed sessions. They’re just for kids and just fifteen minutes long. We provide viewing at the time of your session, and our packages are offered at a discount. If you’re interested in our “Easter Bunnies” Just4Fun session, visit

2008 Bunny portraits at G Patterson Studio.
2008 Bunny portraits at G Patterson Studio.
Categories
Blog Children Family Rambling

The art of being single-minded

Cindy and Jessica
Me and Jessica, about to chase the sun!

I’m a student of human behavior, especially when it’s a little peculiar. The people that intrigue me the most are those that are single-minded. I’m not talking about people who prefer to stay single. Nor, am I talking about people who have narrow views. I’m talking about a person that likes one thing so much, they don’t like much else. We all know at least one person like this, a family member, a friend or even a neighbor; but what they all have in common is a laser-like focus on a particular thing. This obsession, which could be a cause, a hobby or, even, a celebrity, leaves the rest of us baffled.

Many single-minded people are worthy of notice, like a scoutmaster I have the privilege of knowing who’s been in charge of our local boy scout Troop 100. He’s served in this position for many years, going on countless campouts, attending workshops, holding meetings, conducting ceremonies and, as we learned at a recent Eagle Award ceremony, overseeing numerous boy scouts as they navigate the waters of earning the rank of Eagle.  I’d venture to say his knowledge of scouting and everything Troop 100 is unparalleled.

Although Tim Tindall has passed his baton to another, he still performs unofficially many of the same duties. Recently, Tim took our own boy scout, Nathan, to discover what Eagle Scout project might interest him. As they set off, I hoped that some of Tim’s commitment to service would rub off on our son!

In a time when there is so much to detract us from our focus, it is refreshing to have single-minded people among us. I’ve determined that my interest in them is truly selfish; I want what they have. If I had their same determination, I might keep my New Year’s resolutions for more than a couple of days. How is it that someone can grow their hair an extra twenty inches for “Locks of Love?” Or have the biggest collection of stamps? Or, have the same best friend for their whole life? I want to cry out, “How do I resolve to be more resolved?!”

The other day I found a picture of myself in an old album. It shows me warming up for a run, while my two-year-old is pretending to warm up with me. As I looked fondly at how cute she was, it struck me. That was twenty-six years ago, which means I’ve been running for, at least, that long. I’ve been committed to doing something most people find hard or mundane most of my life! Now, I know this is far from the picture left us by Mother Teresa and her life-long commitment to the poor of Calcutta, but maybe a little single-mindedness can be cultivated. If you’re like me (and you are if your #1 characteristic is ADHD), look below at 9 things you can do to help stay focused on whatever you choose.

Me and Jessica, about to chase the sun!
Me and Jessica, about to chase the sun!

NINE STEPS to be Single-Minded {focused}

1. Clear the noise. People who focus start by controlling their environment. Set up space that is conducive to the task at hand. Remove everything that’s not helpful to your objective.

2. Create a plan. Have a clear picture of where you’re going and how to get there. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Maybe just a few bullet points in a message.

3. Set up clear compensation. Focused people clearly understand why they’re engaged in a particular activity. Get excited about it by creating a reward for completion to help yourself become accountable and make the task a priority over all other distractions.

4. Create routine. Being disorganized can cause distraction, stress, and inefficiency. Give everything its proper place, so you can be free to deal with things that come up.

5. Work methodically. When you multitask, you accomplish less and what you accomplish is lower quality. Schedule your day to compartmentalize projects so you can give them your complete attention.

6. Live in the now. Be respectful of lessons learned and have a vision of where you’re going, but always be mindful of what’s happening now, the people around you and what they’re saying.

7. No second guessing. Everyone’s different, so don’t confuse someone’s else’s path with your own.

8. Embrace failure. Don’t let a mistake disappoint you for long. Allow it to guide you back to the right path.

9. Learn from others. You may not share the same path, but you can learn the characteristics of successful people. Make a habit of being around them, or you can read a biography about a successful person.

A much younger Greg enjoying a camping trip to Pedernales River.
A much younger Greg enjoying a camping trip to Pedernales River.
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Advertising Blog Events Family Graduating Seniors Links Pets Portrait Sessions

Lacey Stubblefield and Starr

Lacey proudly holding her FFA jacket
Lacey proudly holding her FFA jacket
Lacey proudly holding her FFA jacket

Being in business for the last twenty years has given us contacts we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Amanda and her daughter, Lacey, are some of our clients we’ve really enjoyed getting to know. A few months back, Amanda made an appointment for a senior session for her daughter. Besides being a teacher in Groveton and a Young Living consultant, Amanda spends much of her time traveling with her daughter all across Texas to her FFA events and barrel racing competitions. Lacey’s eighteen years belies all the awards and recognitions she’s received; and because she’s also very articulate, I’m going to let her tell you about Starr.

“My favorite animal is a horse. My favorite horse is Starr Lena. Who am I ?  Who is Starr Lena? Well let me explain, I am Lacey Stubblefield, a senior at Groveton High School, and a eight time National Little Britches Rodeo finals qualifier.  Starr Lena is my diva barrel horse. 

Starr Lena and I have a bond like sisters. Sometimes we push each other’s limits but we always love and respect each other.  Starr is my rodeo athlete.  I’m so thankful every time I get to throw a leg over her and ride . 

Starr and I haven’t always had the perfect journey but it has made us who we are. Starr and I have been through many trials together.  Starr was diagnosed with a disease called EPM that took her out of  competition for over a year.  The disease affected her brain and nervous system.  It took time for her to recuperate and we had to learn to trust each other again. Most horses don’t survive from this disease but,  my tough girl did. 

Starr and I are back on the rodeo trail again. Starr loves to take selfies on my phone. She has lots of personality and she is a little Powerball full of energy, but very down to earth. If you ever meet Starr she will leave an impression on you. “

Lacey is not your typical high school senior, and neither is Starr your typical pet. But, many of us have a bond with our pet that we have a hard time describing with words. And, isn’t that what makes it beautiful? If you’ve not had a professional portrait taken with your pet(s), now’s the perfect time. With our “Paws for Pets” special, we’ll donate half of the session price to our local Humane Society. Visit our website or give us a call to schedule portraits of your pet.

Starr, a well-gromed horse
Starr, a well-gromed horse
A bond like sisters
A bond like sisters
Categories
Blog Children Family Portrait Sessions Tips & Tricks

Fall Fashion

Fall fashion tips from Certified Professional Photographer Greg Patterson

Fall Portrait Clothing Tips from Photographer Greg PattersonFor those of us living in the south, fall means pumpkins, football and family time…much like anywhere else. But, what else we have that they don’t is moderate temperatures which are great for getting in touch with the outdoors once again. Let’s face it, once the long, hot summer is over, we’re tired of being cooped up inside with the a/c. We practically kill for a reason to step away from our desks and breathe in some brisk, humidity-free air.

The all-important questions becomes, “What do I wear when I’m outside seeing and being seen?” In a season where the days’ temps change drastically, really, anything goes. One word of caution would be you don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort when it’s cold. How about wearing layers instead of a bulky coat? For instance, pair a turtleneck with a scarf instead of a cable knit sweater? Guys can wear a blazer instead of a heavy jacket. Wearing a vest and tie for a picture will give you a classy yet casual look.

Okay, so you can’t compromise comfort for looking good? A puffer jacket only looks wrong in a picture if you’re wearing big clothing from head to toe? What about pairing a coat with skinny jeans, or jeans that aren’t too loose fitting? That way you’ll still see some of your shape. Actually, this is really cute! Why not take a look at some of my favorite pins?

Fall Colors to keep in Mind for Family Portraits

Some colors to keep in mind for fall are mustard, slate blue, burgundy, sage, marsala, turquoise, olive green or teal. And, one of my favorites?…orange. It’s not a color easily worn other times of the year! If you’re family’s having pictures taken and you’re afraid of splashing too much or too many different colors, how about a splash of a brighter color on a scarf or beanie or on a tie or the shoes your child would wear?

There are so many options, the name of the game is to just have fun! And, if picture-taking is stressing you out? Remember, those worry lines on your face can look far worse than a couple of extra pounds on the waist. It’s better to just go with it!

Free Consultation with a Professional

One of the benefits of scheduling with a true professional is being able to meet and talk about your session prior to the session. We LOVE when clients come in for our FREE no obligation consultation and we can certainly guide you in what to wear for fall family pictures. It’s a great opportunity for us to meet potential clients while answering questions and showing off everything we have to offer a G Patterson Photographic Studio & Gallery.

Interested in a fall family portrait just in time for Christmas? Give us a call at 936-569-7116 or checkout some more of our work on our website, Pinterest or Facebook.

Categories
Blog Children Events Family Portrait Sessions Rambling Travel Weddings

One great afternoon in Nacogdoches

HALPIN FAMILY-This weekend we met with two families we hadn’t seen for a few years. They’d each been a part of Nacogdoches for different reasons. The Halpins came, as many do, to SFA to further their studies. In fact, both Michael and April were students of Greg’s in the Communications Dept. They asked Greg to photograph their wedding here in Nacogdoches fifteen years ago.Halpin_191 PT

Halpin_131 PT

Conditt Family-A portrait session in the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden brought Becky’s family together this weekend. Though Becky and her daughter have  lived away from Nacogdoches for awhile, Clint calls it home, for now. We reminisced about how Sabina, during her portrait session when just 4 years old, was happier to pull the flowers than pose for the camera. When Greg finally got her attention, she looked up angelically still with fists full of flowers.

Later, as I reflect on all of this, I’m happy to have shared some important moments with them, and for the opportunity to reconnect. I think about other people and families who we’ve built relationships along the way, and how this small town brings us together at different times and for all kinds of reasons. It seems that we’ve changed so much more than has the town.  Sure, many businesses and restaurants have come and gone, and many of the people who were once here have moved on. But, much of it is still the same, and that’s comforting especially to those who’ve been away for awhile.

Many, many years ago, a college town became our home away from home when we came from Dallas to attend SFA. Although we didn’t intend it, Nacogdoches became home when we started our family. Now, as our kids are turning into adults and moving away, I can’t imagine living elsewhere. Sure, we talk about all the fun and exciting locations where we might move upon retirement, but this will always be the spot to which we come back. After all, what better place to spend an afternoon with friends and family.

Conditt_145 PT003200003254_033 (4.7.03)

Conditt_68 (4.19.04)

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Blog

A loving tribute

Nathan helping Dad place the grass.

There are two people that have been a constant in my life. For the past forty nine years, I’ve known I could count on them no matter what. When I became united with my husband, and then we became one more and then another and then another, they made room in their hearts for all of us. I hope I can count on them for many more years.

We take it for granted that the people that give us life will devote the rest of theirs to us. After all, our parents were, at one time, much younger and ambitious with their own dreams, dreams that would make them movie stars, war heroes, or astronauts, and these dreams didn’t include us.

When I see each of my parents now, and think about them younger and more carefree,  I wonder if they knew what they were giving up when they had me. How could they? Parenthood takes more than we could ever imagine. Not one minute belongs to you, alone, ever again. Even when our children are  grown and married, can we even stop worrying about them then?

When my parents retired, they didn’t take a cruise or buy an RV to while away that extra time they would now have to spend at their leisure. They didn’t pick up gardening or bridge, either. They did pick up and move to Nacogdoches. Greg and I had just bought an old house, a real fixer-upper. While my parents were still in Dallas, they’d come as often as they could to help us get the house ready to open as our photography studio. Looking back at the pictures, now, almost  eleven years old, it seems that they were there for all of it. From refinishing the floors to painting the walls, from making curtains to putting in new grass, they were there working alongside us.

When they left Dallas, the only place they’d ever called home, they left family and friends behind and immersed themselves in making Nacogdoches their new home. They continued helping us in every way they could. Fortunately for us, the garden at the studio has become my dad’s pet project, one for which he has much passion. He makes sure it looks good from week to week no matter the season. We share a meal with them once or twice a week, and our son kicks back out their home as easily as he does his own.

They do all these things readily and joyfully and would never consider that they’ve given up anything for us. And, that selflessness is what I love and part of why I want to recognize them.

So in this month we’ve set aside to tell our loved ones how special they are to us, I want to thank you, mom and dad, for all you’ve done for me. I’m the person I am because of you.

Mom cleaning paint brushes.
Mom cleaning paint brushes during studio renovation in 2004.
Nathan helping Dad place the grass.
Nathan helping Dad place the grass in front of 122 N Mound street studio.
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Dad using his painting skills during the studio renovation.

Categories
Blog Rambling Running/Recreation Self-exploration Workshops, Seminars & Talks

Nothing off the chopping block

I began running today. I’ve run plenty of other times, in fact most of my life I’ve run for recreation and leisure, but I had taken a hiatus.  I run for so many reasons. Because my pants feel tight, because I feel blue or maybe I feel “blah.” I run when I feel a little under the weather or if I’m cramping. I run to clear my head or to help me solve a problem. I run to feel the wind on my face and the sun on my shoulders.

But because I’m going through this process of “deconstructing” my life in order to put it back together better, I stopped doing many of the things I became so used to doing just because I’d always done them. The running, to me, had become symbolic of my life. Because I mindlessly cruise through my day like a hamster on its wheel, success was tied to how many “things” I could check off my list, not the meaningful interludes with people.

I was a lot like Bill Murray’s character in the movie, “Groundhog Day,” a weatherman who grudgingly travels to Punxsutawny Pennsylvania to cover Punxsutawny Phil, the groundhog. He finds the job to be beneath him, and is even more upset when he’s snowed in that night. Instead of going home the next day, though, the weatherman wakes up to find it’s the same morning of the day before. And, only he seems to know the day is a repeat. This happens morning after morning when he realizes there are no lasting consequences to his actions. Whether it’s overeating or acting like a jerk that day, it’s forgiven the next morning when he gets to live it all over again. He quickly finds this life to be a lonely one, and so to improve himself and, hopefully, “get the girl,” his outlook on life begins to change. He takes piano lessons, learns French, becomes an ice sculptor, but most importantly, he becomes a student of the people in the town he comes in contact with each day. As his focus is drawn from the inside out, he becomes a happier person and more attractive to those around him.

If I’m going to spend much time on an activity, I don’t want it to be a completely selfish and wasteful endeavor. If I’m trying to live more purposely, should something I ordinarily do by myself face the chopping block? As I run, I think about how basic, how elemental it is. By simply throwing on a t-shirt and sweats, stepping out my back door, and doing something I love, I can feel more passionately about the things that are important to me. Living my life more simply with less stress, I’m hoping to see through all my busyness to the things that really matter.

So, I’ll keep running, especially if it helpsIMG_0347 me do the things I love with the people I love for as long as I can!

Categories
Blog Children Family Rambling Self-exploration

Taking inventory

Instead of setting some goals for myself this year, I decided to take stock of my life. With everything I do, I ask myself why am I doing this? What is my main motivation? For instance, I might ask myself why am I cleaning the house today? No one is making me, so why do it? Is this really all I have to do today? It’s not like there’s bacteria growing under and between things. It’s not that I enjoy it that much. Do I do it because it’s expected of me? If someone sees it dirty, what might they think of me? This is the dialogue I have with myself a lot lately, and I’m not liking hearing what I’m saying.

If my main motivation of doing anything is to keep up this facade, this perfect person I want to display to the world, how will I ever know the real person inside? You might argue that becoming a better person is a good motivator. But, what if that ambition to be a better this or a better that makes us blind to how we’ve manipulated those around us? Getting what we want, in essence, has stolen away some really great relationships. Returning to the cleaning house analogy, what if I kept the cleanest house in town, but I’ve distanced my family, because I got mad every time something was set out of place?

I’m reminded of the question that brought me here. Why don’t I enjoy life more? Is it because I’ve filled it with a lot of things I think need to get done.
How many of us go through the day checking things off a list. How many of us have grown weary because we’ve followed the same list for so long? Grocery shopping on Monday, Bible study on Wednesday, date night with hubby on Friday, try to impress the boss today, make this month’s budget in order to have something to put in college fund, and so on and so forth. All those things are really good, but if we’re doing the same things the same way all the time, we could forget why we’re doing them. Have we forgotten that every day is a blessing, and we have some latitude as to which way it should go. You say you’ve never been good at navigation?
How about daydreaming? But isn’t that a waste of time. Try telling that to Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Albert Einstein or Adele? All admit to daydreaming. So, what’s stopping you, except for that careful plan you laid out for yourself. You better be careful; life might pass you by.

This week I’m looking at the book of Ecclesiastes, and here’s what King Solomon, the smartest man ever had to say about life, “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.”

A better question to ask myself before doing anything might be, “Does this have any eternal value? Or does this simply help make me a busy person?”
In the words of King Solomon, (I’m paraphrasing here) “It’s not the end of the world. Don’t sweat it!”

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Middlebrook

Let us raise our flags together in unity.

Golden Retriever and winner of the "Awesomest Dog in the Universe" Award frolics in bluebonnets.