ALOHA!

I’m Liz, and it is lovely to meet you! I’m a 29 year old natural light photographer based in Kailua, Hawaii. While photography has been my chosen work since 2008, it hardly seems like it, since my biggest passion is to spend time with PEOPLE! What better job is there than to create a work of art out of the beautiful moment I see unfolding before me? I’m so blessed to be able to combine my love of people with my love of capturing moments. I’m a lifetime learner, and want to always be developing my understanding on both subjects. You can call me at (808) 201-0875

What do I love? Lots of people, lots of things.

My Hubby. My tall-blonde-and-handsome husband who I met during college in 2004. Yes, he swept me off my feet, and still does, and we’ve been married almost 8 years (holy smokes, how old am I?!).

My Littles. I’m in absolute, irreversible love with my two little boys, Truitt & Brave, and don’t mind being outnumbered a bit. We jump in every puddle we see, play endlessly with Hot Wheels & Legos, play lots of hide-and-seek, boogie board & surf in the ocean, and love to go on family hikes. I wouldn’t trade my 3 boys for the world.

I love the One who gave it all for me and made it possible for me to live abundantly, freely, and fully- my Jesus.

My youth group girls. They are supposed to be learning all kinds of deep stuff from me, but goodness, I think I learn more from them.

Raw cookie dough. I really love raw cookie dough. I love it too much actually.

I love traveling! Which will not happen for a while since I have two Littles under three… But someday!

My friends. A girl HAS GOT to have a solid group of girlfriends. It’s where encouragement, joy, laughter, honesty, and love all get to collide abundantly.

I love sweet tea, the smell of rain, mountains & ocean, big earrings, words, the smell of fall leaves and real Christmas trees (I think I’m living in the wrong state…), reading, jumping off of cliffs into the ocean, adventuring to unseen places in the islands, end-of-day sunlight, and many, many other things.

…I DON’T love cooking or gardening or knitting or reupholstering or coffee… I don’t even really love crafts. That’s all there is to say. What kind of mom doesn’t love crafts, right? The “artist” in me clearly puts all of its energy into photography and nothing else! Sorry kindergarten, this mama won’t be making a house out of popsicle sticks. *For the record, I do love PEOPLE who love crafts, and I’m in awe of your abilities! I think to myself, “GO YOU! That’s awesome!”

A bigger glimpse into my life can be found on my blog if you want to follow our family’s adventures.

Enough about what I love- I want to meet YOU and find out what YOU love. I believe every person has been created with a purpose, which means we are all quite different from each other, which makes this “life” thing so much fun! Beauty can and will be found in every person I photograph, and I would love nothing more than to get to know your heart, while giving you pictures that reflect the very beauty of your life.

How to Choose a Great Honolulu Portrait Photographer

So you’ve decided it’s time for some nice family photographs, or maybe your daughter needs her senior high school portraits, or you want to capture the beauty of your new baby boy. It’s time to find a Honolulu Portrait Photographer that will give you the images you want at a price you can afford.

Relax: there’s lots of good news here! You can get a top-notch photographer for surprisingly reasonable amount of money. And since each photographer has his or her own style, you should be able to find someone whose images you admire.

Unfortunately, many people don’t put a lot of thought into choosing a photographer, which will usually lead to disappointment and frustration. But by following a few simple steps and spending just a few minutes online, you will greatly increase your chances of finding a photographer you like at a good price.

First: be aware that there are too many people who bought a big, black camera and started advertising professional photography services on Craig’s List. Ownership of a big camera (otherwise known as a Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera, or DSLR) does not make someone a professional photographer. The advent of digital photography, combined with the relatively low prices of DSLRs in the last 5-10 years, has spawned a generation of “wannabe” photographers. There are two major drawbacks to this situation: clients have been increasingly frustrated with the quality of images they get from these novice photographers, and the photography profession’s reputation has suffered. True professional photographers cringe at the proliferation of inexperienced, unqualified novices.

Fortunately there are a few simple ways to spot someone masquerading as a professional:

1. First and foremost, look at the image portfolio/gallery they display on their webpage or advertisements. If there are no images, beware! This is a huge red flag. If there is an image portfolio, examine the portraits closely. There should be many images, not just three or four – many images will give you a more accurate idea of the photographer’s style and consistency. There should be a variety of poses and types of images – this demonstrates experience and creativity. No two images in the portfolio should be of the same person – this indicates the photographer has no experience and just had a friend model for him/her to establish a portfolio.

2. Do the photographer’s images look similar to the pictures you take with your camera at home? If so, this person is not a true professional. Images taken by an experienced photographer with proper lenses and lighting will look dramatically different than anything you can do with a small point & shoot camera. The backgrounds should be very blurry, so the subject of the portrait stands out in sharp relief. There should be plenty of light in the subjects’ eyes to avoid the “raccoon eyes” created by overhead sun. Tip: if the subject’s face is in direct sunlight, there is a good chance the photographer is not an experienced professional. Very few pros will ever photograph a subject’s face in direct, full sunlight.

3. Does the photographer have a webpage? What’s the web address? A proper professional will invest the relatively small amount of money necessary to purchase and host his or her own domain name. For example, www. photographersname.com or www. businessname.com. If the person has a web address that includes the words “freewebs” or “blogspot” or “wordpress”, then the person has a free site and was not willing to spend even the minimal amount required to have a professional domain name and webpage. What does that say about the person’s attitude towards their business and equipment?

4. What does the photographer charge? When searching for a good portrait photographer, the most important thing is not price. You can spend $50 on a portrait session but hate all the resulting images. And you can spend $200 on a session and love all the pictures, use them as Christmas pictures, and display them in your house for years. Between these two scenarios, which was most cost effective? To a certain extent in photography, you get what you pay for. True professionals will charge according to their experience and level of equipment. If you see an advertisement for free portraits, or a portrait session for $50, or a $100 session that includes a $50 credit towards prints, this is a hint that the photographer is not experienced or in demand.

5. What type of photography does the person claim to do? Generally speaking, you want a photographer who somewhat specializes in portraiture. It is common for portrait photographers to also shoot weddings. But I would be wary of someone who says they do portraits, weddings, corporate headshots, architectural photography, events, commercial photography, fashion, sports, fine art, and wildlife photography!

Once you’ve used these tips to make a list of legitimate photographers, focus on style. This is the most important part of selecting a portrait photographer. Photography style is a very personal thing. Someone who is considered to be the best photographer in the world might take portraits of your family that you hate, depending on their style. Some photographers shoot exclusively black and white, or use a tilt/shift lens to blur large portions of the image, or use PhotoShop to significantly alter the original look of the image. Others might take close-up shots of your child’s shoe or hair ribbon instead of focusing on the face. Some might only shoot in their studio with formal backgrounds, while others shoot outdoors or at your house. This is all a matter of style and is crucial to finding a photographer you’ll be happy with.

Now it’s time to contact the photographers to get more information. How long have they been a professional photographer? Do they attend seminars, take classes, read photography books, and otherwise constantly seek to improve? Do they teach classes, publish articles, or are they otherwise demonstrably admired by their peers?

More practically, must you shoot the portraits in their studio, or will they come to your house with all their equipment? How many changes of clothing will they allow? What prices do they charge for the package you want? These details will help you make a final decision.

Once you’ve decided on a photographer and agreed upon the details of the shoot, you should expect to sign a contract and pay a deposit to reserve the photographer’s time.

How to Prepare For Your Honolulu Family Portrait Photography Session

Family portrait can be described much more than just a photo. It is a memory tradition for a family to keep for a very long time. Many people feel reluctant about spending money on the family photo session because photography is more of a luxury than it is a necessity. Hiring the right photographer is not easy, because not any photographer have an ability to capture the essence of your family photo.

It is best to plan your budget and figure out what kind of portrait you want. Your budget will most likely determine the kind of quality of your photo. Most good photographer has a studio or rent a studio. Within a studio session, a good portrait photographer should have the ability to manipulate the lighting. There are so many different kind of lighting and you should let your photographer know exactly what kind of feel you’re trying to achieve, and the photographer will work on the light setting accordingly.

Another alternative is to shoot on-location. There are many great locations in Honolulu or around Oahu to shoot photographs. For an example, the beach in Waikiki can create a great look with Diamond Head in the background or More traditional beach scene can be shot at Ala Moana or Lanikai. Another great place is any big public park like Kapiolani that has lots of greens and trees.

So the question is what do you wear for that day? Everyone who’s going to be in the picture should wear something what makes sense. Try to stay away from pure black and white or gray. All clothes don’t need to match, but it would help your family portrait if they look good together. Generally, studio sessions are suitable for a traditional look, everyone should dress up formal or semi-formal. Outdoor on-location is most likely to be something fun. Colorful shirts and casual jeans is ideal for those kind of picture.

After your session is done, you will need to decide if you’d want to have a large frame print or gallery wrap canvas. Modern trend shows that most people produce a coffee table book for their family album. The design and quality of the album is heavily rely on your photographer.

A good couples portrait is actually one of the best investments a family can have, as happiness and family bond is priceless. Getting well prepared for family portrait session can result in great photos.

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