Mobile Photographer Tip#1

Mobile Photographer Tip of the Day: When taking pictures of yourself in a mirror. Turn your phone around so that the lens is facing you, not the mirror. Use the mirror to view your image. Now you don't have the annoying camera phone in the pic. Oh and look at the camera not the mirror! Simple as that... Smartphone users can also download the photoshop mobile app to make minor effects on your pics.

So, now there are no excuses. Unless you just really like the effect of having a phone in your face or a big flash of light reflecting off of the mirror. Hopefully this will help release the inner photographer in all of you. 




I decided to take a couple of example photos for those of you that are visual learners. Hopefully you can use these pics as an example and look past the fact that I'm in a bathroom taking pictures of myself. To the right, you see the typical camera phone pose (look familiar?) facing the mirror looking at the screen to make sure I'm aiming correctly. Below, is my suggested way to take it so that the subject of the photograph is front and center without distraction.

HDR Photography

HDR= High Dynamic Range
This is the method of taking pictures of something at different exposures and combining the pictures to capture the full range of highlights and shadows. I like playing around with my own photos like this to see what I come up with. Sometimes this look can appear painted or even fake, but these are still regular pictures seen through what would be considered a "Super Eye" If you had the ability to really capture an image from the brightest to the darkest with all colors in between.(Above) I shot a picture of my daughter Kendall posing one Sunday after church. I was able to wash out the yellow outfit a little while bringing out the green in the grass. (Right) This photo was taken at The Veterans Freedom Park in Cary,NC. I actually drove by this memorial and did a u-turn to come back and snap a few shots. This example really comes off as a painting more than a photo. I love how the little flags glow against the green grass. The gun and helmet almost have a halo around them against the cloudy sky. I chose to accent the text in Photoshop with the flag colors to pay tribute to our Military.



(Left) Hey, who's that handsome fella making a guest appearance on Las Vegas Blvd? Oh, that's me! This image is cool because of the way the clouds pop out and the colors seem so rich. As you can see I like over-saturation of color in HDR photos. It makes the pictures look more layered to me.


You too, can achieve this look several ways. There is a Merge to HDR function in Photoshop starting with I think version CS3. A program called Photomatix Pro is one I like to use, because it is user friendly and does a lot of the guess work for you. You have to import at least 3 images with different exposures. Darker= -1, Regular= 0, and Lighter= +1. It helps if your camera comes equipped with AE(Automatic Exposure)bracketing, but it's not mandatory. This is when it can snap pictures back to back at different exposures just by holding down the shutter button.The more images the better the range. I haven't gotten into tutorials yet so, you have to search for your own, but take my word for it it's cool. I periodically find images that deserve a little HDRing (I just made that up). The best ones are outdoor on cloudy days but any image can work with the right tweeking.

The Vision

"Ok here goes nothing..." That's what it feels like sometimes when you try new things. If you've ever tasted an unusual food or jumped off of a diving board then you've probably used this phrase more than once. Well, starting your own business is something like both of those. You don't really know going into it whether or not you're going to like it. It might make you sick or even kill you, but you get the guts to try anyway! Why, because there is something inside of you that says this could be the greatest thing you've ever done. If you have ever followed through with that high dive, you might have discovered that you love the thrill. If you finally hold your nose and taste the new dish, you realize that its actually pretty good. Some people make that decision on their own and others need a little push to get them there. I admit I was one that needed a push.

 Complexx Visionz started as an idea in my head just like any other business would. I've known for a while that I wanted to do something with video editing and photography, but the idea of working for some company just didn't seem like my style. It all began to make sense when the pictures I was taking for fun started being recognized. I had developed my own style all this time, but never noticed it. For years,I had been practicing my craft and learning from my mistakes. It funny how God works sometimes. I would question why I took some of the odd jobs I had over the years. I complained about things I had to learn. I even mourned over jobs that I lost. Now, it all comes together. I know how it feels to be at the bottom and work my way up. I can manage a staff and I can get my hands dirty. I've done it before.

 So, not only did I jump off of the diving board, I took a running start with a back-hand spring double twist. I didn't just nibble the food, I turned up the plate and licked it clean. That's what it felt like when I started my business. The Vision, depsite the company name, is quite simple. I do what I love, I share my art with people, I provide good customer service, I build relationships by doing all these things to deliver a good product. First blog in the books. Now let's see where this thing goes.

"Ok, here goes something..."