About - Jennifer Allis Photography

These are a Few of My Favorite Things . . .

jenniferallis.com-admin — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:30:00 +0000

I went on a little photo walk around my home, with the intent of capturing images of a few of my favorite things to share with you all. I know some photographers post galleries of their favorite things and usually include things like Starbucks, Tim Hortons, their favorite car, their pet, etc.

Mine will probably look a little different from theirs.

So, without further ado, here goes!

Notes from our kids!! This one was written this past Friday night and taped to our kitchen cupboards for us to find when we got home from an engagement shoot. These will always melt a parent’s heart!

Good lip gloss. I don’t leave home without it. Although I’m constantly experimenting on the newest, most natural kinds. I recently found that I really like coconut oil, but it’s not easy to transport.

Chairs! Especially old ones like this with lots of character. I’ll be taking it with me to shoot seniors this summer. Oh, yeah!

Garden seeds. I have way too many. But, I love to garden. And when worse comes to worse and I’m tired of planting, I just broadcast them (scatter them all around, keep them damp, and hope it works out).

Dr. Martens boots. I always own a pair. They’re sturdy, comfy, and last a loooooooong time!! I’m about ready to replace these ones after more than 3 years. I wear them to church and to garden. Seriously. So, even at $100 a pair, for me, they’re still a bargain!

My preferred exercise: gardening. Sunshine, fresh air, pulling stuff up, planting stuff in; I LOVE IT!!

“Grocery shopping” the way I like it! We currently have 25 laying hens and collect around 21 eggs daily. If you’ve never tasted farm fresh eggs, the ones on store shelves don’t even compare!

A pear tree that we planted about 5 years ago finally producing!!

Strawberries. They’re in my genes. My family has one of the best-known strawberry farms in Michigan, Howard Farms. I grew up picking, planting, and weeding them. So, when we started our own garden, strawberry plants were a given.

So, this is me. And a peek at a few of the things I enjoy. What would be on your list?

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17 seconds . . .

jenniferallis.com-admin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:37:00 +0000

I was just looking through our images from this Saturday’s wedding and came across a series that I needed to share.

We love the emotion surrounding weddings. It truly runs the gamut. And, for that one day, at least, emotions are raw.

Check out this grouping of four images made soon after the bride and groom took their places at the altar. I think you’ll see exactly what I mean.

In this image:
Bride: uncertain, shy, willing only to gaze at the hands of her beloved
Groom: “you look amazing” and “Thank you for marrying me”

In this image:
Bride: willing to chance a glance into the eyes of her groom
Groom: reserved, unsure

In this image:
I think there was a quick glance between them just before we captured this next image. They’ve caught each other’s eye and are dealing with their own emotions.

But, oh, once the ice has broken, they are all-in. This is the CONNECTING moment.

The amount of time elapsed from the first image in this series until the last? 17 seconds. That’s right. 17. Seconds.

This is beauty. The moment these two have anticipated for days, weeks, months, maybe even years, is here. And, in the space of 17 seconds they have made an undeniable connection that they will remember forever. They went on to have a wonderful wedding day. But, this was the beginning. And, we got to be there.

Yeah, that’s why we love weddings.

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Jennifer Allis Photography + BASEBALL!!!

jenniferallis.com-admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:04:00 +0000

It’s a Saturday afternoon in May and we don’t have a wedding.

What to do?

BASEBALL!!

Kevin and I have three awesome children, ages 13, 11, and 9. Our youngest is currently playing in his fourth year of baseball. I love him. I love baseball. I love watching him play baseball!

And, this year, for the first time, Jennifer Allis Photography sponsored his team. So stinkin’ cool! “Our” team, The White Sox in Somerset Little League, consists of 12 of the cutest little boys you’ve ever seen, ages 6-9. Kevin is an assistant coach.

This is our son, Shay, pitching his little heart out:

And this is our team, in their huddle, after they beat the Mets 5-2:

Check us out on the back of their uniforms. BAM! Jennifer Allis Photography all over the place!

Good, summer fun!

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Why models?

jenniferallis.com-admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:08:00 +0000

On my recent trip to St. Louis to attend an After Dark EDU event, I had the amazing opportunity to work with models.

It kind of felt like cheating. In a good way.

They moved, pouted, smiled, and posed without much direction at all. It was a new experience for me.

Here is an example:

She was totally unposed (by photographers). We were able to capture her training in action.

Now, check this out. While our model stepped out to change her clothes, I stepped in.
NO training.
NO beautiful pouty lips.
Just me, trying to be model-y.

What do you think? Honestly, I think I’m best on the other side of the camera.

And, that’s O.K.! I’m aware of my strengths (and weaknesses, lol). And I love being on the other side of the camera.

BUT, just once in a while, I want to experience what it feels like to be YOU. How does it feel to have a huge camera pointed at your face? What can I do to make this easier and more enjoyable for you? From this experience, I learn how to better help you (and make the images you’ll love).

And, not just me! When I got home, my head packed with all of this knowledge, Kevin got in the hot seat.

Me: “Honey, let’s try our new video light!”

Kevin: “OK, where do you want it?”

Me: “Can you just hold it? Stand right there. Turn your face a little more towards me. Look up.”

CLICK!

Yes, I love this man!!

We may not be perfect models, but we are ever-striving to be fabulous photographers.

We will soon be posting images from this Saturday’s wedding, where we were able to implement some ideas from After Dark. I’m so excited to share!!

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After Dark, continued :)

jenniferallis.com-admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:37:00 +0000

Yesterday I posted about some of the awesomeness of After Dark. Today, I’m back to share more!!

This image is from a class on how to use poor locations/poor lighting effectively. If you are a photographer, you know that shooting in bright sun can be a challenge. Plus, to make it even more interesting, we went in the middle of the road for this one. Kevin Focht, the mentor, is lying on his back to get beautiful light reflected up into the model’s face from the street. I saw his resulting image on the back of his camera and it was gorgeous!!

Bert Behnke, the mentor at this next class, can pose a family beautifully in less time than it takes to sneeze. He is standing to the left of the frame, facing the class. This class was on posing and lighting families. It was the largest class I attended. I’ve already used some of the lessons he taught when I photographed a family last Saturday.

I’ve been to other photography conferences/conventions before. But, never one as hands-on and comprehensive as After Dark. I will ABSOLUTELY go again! And this time I plan to take Kevin with me.

Tomorrow, if I can work up the courage, I plan to show you the reason real models get paid (and why I’m not one of them.) Come check it out!

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The Cost of Wedding Photography

jenniferallis.com-admin — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:57:00 +0000

When Kevin and I got married, we were not photographers. We paid $500 for 200 prints in a slip-in album and our negatives. We don’t love our photos. In fact, we don’t have a single one on display anywhere. And, the only person who ever asks to see our album is our 10-year-old daughter.

So, how do we go from that first humble experience with wedding photography to where we are today?

And, really, is our photography worth the cost?

For a really good description of the cost of wedding photography, check these posts out:

If you’d like a brief overview, check out Lauren Grove’s blog.

Or, if you’d like more details, Britt Croft’s blog does a very thorough job of listing where your photography dollars go.

BUT, if talk is cheap to you, let’s do a little comparison.

This is my bridal portrait, taken in 1997:

And, once you’ve finished laughing (or crying, depending upon your bent), let’s talk shop. Aside from the old-fashioned “hold your dress up to use as a backdrop” style, what do you think?

As a photographer myself, let me tell you what I think.

#1. A bride (or any woman) should never have her hips and shoulders straight on toward the camera. It makes her look wide. And, unfeminine. And, at least in this photo, dowdy.

#2. I have eyes. And, they’re a very pretty shade of blue, if I do say so myself. And, well, you’d never know it – looking at this image. Here, I’ve got serious raccoon eyes going on. I think this photo was lit from overhead fluorescent lights alone. ugh

#3. Check out that double chin. If the photographer had had me look up, or stick my chin out, poof! It would have disappeared.

O.K., let’s be honest. There’s not a whole lot to like about this photo. Yes, I’m in it. And, yes, it’s obviously my wedding day. And, if it weren’t for those two things, this baby would be in the trash.

Now, in contrast, here’s a bridal portrait that we took recently:

“What a beautiful bride!!”

When she looks at this image, or when her guests do, that’s what they’re thinking.

They aren’t thinking about the lighting, or posing, or camera angle, or any technicalities.

And, that’s the way we want it.

We have invested lots of time, energy, and money into our photography training. So, we can take the concern off your shoulders.

We do it because we love it, not because we have to. And, I’m fond of saying that if it ever becomes “just a job,” we’re OUT. I never want a bride and groom to trust us to be all in, when in fact, we aren’t. So, if that day ever comes, rest assured, we’ll be the ones to pull the plug.

I’m not sure how many $500 photographers are out there these days, but I do know that if I had it to do over again, I would sacrifice lots of other things before I skimped on my memories.

I’d love to answer any of your questions about this subject. Please contact me through my website, www.jenniferallis.com.

And, to see what clients say about their experience with us, check us out on weddingwire.com.

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Albums!!

jenniferallis.com-admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:01:00 +0000

We love Renaissance Albums for our wedding albums!

This is our “Fine Art” album. The material, color, and cover style are all customizable. This one has an ivory silk brocade cover with 3 windows in the front:

This is our “Reflections” album. It features front and back photo covers and seamless panoramic pages:

These are our newest additions: Mini Brag Books. EXACT replicas of your wedding album, they are only 3″x3″ and come in packs of 12. They are so much fun to gift to family or bridal parties!

To see these in person, call to set up your appointment!

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Tis the Season

jenniferallis.com-admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:05:00 +0000

This is my season of “Meet and Greet.” Truthfully, I love it. I get to meet new people and share with them my passion for photography. (Two of my favorite things!)

Here’s how it goes:

1. I get a phone call or email from someone who is looking for a photographer for their wedding. They’ve usually checked out my blog/facebook/website. They know our work. AND THEY LIKE IT!!
2. Which leads to the second step – we meet face to face. This part of my business is SO MUCH FUN for me! I get to hear their engagement story. They look through albums. We go over the contract and any questions they might have. In general, we establish a relationship. (This is when I start to get EXCITED to capture their wedding and engagement images.)
3. They leave. They talk it over. They email to let me know the deposit is in the mail.

Today, for instance, I met with Adam and Amanda. By the time they left, I was so psyched to shoot their wedding! It’s in June 2012, outside, and I would love to be there with them!

So, now is the time that I wait. Let them choose. It’s their day. And, ultimately, I want them to have a perfect fit. Whether or not that includes me. But, it’s hard to keep from hoping that they’ll choose us! I don’t know if every wedding photographer goes through these emotions. But, I sure do!

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Niagara’s Honeymoon Sweets’ completely edible chocolate picture frames!!

jenniferallis.com-admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:01:00 +0000

Mary Ann Hess of Niagara’s Honeymoon Sweets invited me over for tea and to photograph her beautiful chocolates. Now, I’m a chocolate-LOVER, so in my mind, chocolate is functional, but doesn’t have to be beautiful. When I first saw Mary Ann’s picture frames, I was amazed! They are beautifully detailed. EVERYTHING, including the picture, is edible.

Just look at this detail:

It’s so beautiful, you almost don’t want to eat it. But, just then you think, “HELLO, it’s CHOCOLATE!”

These are 2 frames, dusted with edible “gold” and “silver.”

This is a little camera. You can put a photo or logo in the front circle.

I just couldn’t get over the depth of detail.

And, this is a finished product. My very own photo in a 5×7 edible picture frame, stand, and camera ornament. (It’s sitting on my mantle.)

Mary Ann does fabulous work. I will be offering these (she does favors, too) to my clients this year. If you’re interested, give me a call!

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For those who like to talk GEAR . . .

jenniferallis.com-admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Toward the end of last wedding season, Kevin and I made a huge plunge from Olympus camera gear to Nikon. We had been thinking about it, and planned to make the change when wedding season was over. But, then, while photographing a senior in August, my bread-and-butter Olympus lens, the 12-60 f/4.0, BROKE! This just happened to be a Friday evening, the night before a Saturday wedding. I spent the morning calling every camera store in the area, trying to buy or rent a replacement. No one stocked Olympus lenses.

To make a long story short, my friend, and fellow wedding photographer, Kelly Jankowski, lent me her 3rd string Nikon gear. That gave me the opportunity to play with a Nikon for a day. Well, I loved it. By the end of the next day, I had decided to make the plunge. I bought the Nikon D700 body, the 24-70 f/2.8 lens, and the SB-900 flash.

One of my favorite things about the Nikon D700 is the very low noise at high ISOs. Receptions can be DARK!! I routinely shoot at ISO 3200, but can go up to 6400 without worry. And, when there is opportunity to shoot at lower ISOs, I am in LOVE with the absolute silkiness of the skin tones.

We plan to add more lenses and an extra flash this year. I’ll keep you updated!

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