Annabel Valencia Photography Blog
A collection of helpful blog posts, containing industry insights, advice for clients and thoughts on photography.
Quick Photo Tip – Wipe your cell phone camera lens
Do This to Get Better Cell Phone Photos & Videos Instantly Quick Photo Tip for you! A super simple & easy tip for taking cell phone photos and videos is: Wipe your cell phone camera lens EVERY TIME, *BEFORE* you use your camera. (Honestly, I usually use my clothing instead of a lens cloth). Our cell phone cameras lens gets dirty from use. Give it a quick wipe and you’ll get much clearer photos and videos. If you’re already usingRead More
Read More
My Thoughts On “Photoshop”, Editing and Body Insecurities
Body Insecurities: Here’s something I hear a lot and it makes me sad: “I just need to lose X more pounds, then I’ll schedule a session with you!” Lots of clients say, half-joking “You can just Photoshop me and make me look like X, right?!” Here are some of my thoughts on “Photoshop”, editing, and body insecurities. I’m in my forties and my body has birthed and nursed three children. Why would I expect myself to look like I’m stillRead More
Read More
A Family Album – The #1 Reason To Get One
The Family Album Is Becoming Extinct There is no such thing as a digital heirloom. The family album is becoming extinct. So is the family portrait above the fireplace. They’re being replaced with cell phone galleries of digitized photos that never see the light of day. Having a Family Album Helped Me Feel Like I Belong I can’t forget the feeling of turning through the pages of our family albums. Seeing photos of myself when I was young, my childhoodRead More
Read More
7 Myths: Why hair and makeup is more than hair and makeup
Surprising fact: both men and women benefit from spending at least a few minutes with a professional hair and makeup artist before getting in front of the camera. Photographers want clients to look polished for their photos and having clients “camera ready” saves time editing imperfections. But getting hair and makeup is not just a convenience for your photographer. Here’s seven myths about professional hair and makeup that will have you rethinking whether you want it or not. I’ll startRead More
Read More
Caution, a digital photo is not a finished product
Caution, Moms! A digital photo file isn’t a finished product. When a photographer sells you only digital files, they’re selling you an unfinished product and leaving you with the responsibility of finishing the process. Don’t you have enough other things to do, Mom? Do you really want to hem and haw at your computer screen, looking over umpteen portraits in a digital gallery, picking out the best images without guidance, worrying about crop-ratios, paper surfaces and a dozen other thingsRead More
Read More
Digital media changes but prints endure
Vinyl records, 8 tracks, casette tapes, VCRs… Over time, the way we store media will change. That’s why I encourage all my portrait and wedding clients to print their photos. It’s actually baked into my process. The endurance of a print will not change. Digital photo files are fast and convenient, but they can also be unstable and corruptible. So make sure you have a tried and true paper print of all your favorite portraits. Let’s talk about your photos!Read More
Read More
The Benefits of a Pre-Wedding Session
This is one of my all time favorite bridal photos because it is iconic Oklahoma. It was taken during a pre-wedding session. A pre-wedding session is similar to a first look, but on steroids. Or, you could say it’s like an engagement session, except the bride is wearing her wedding dress and the groom is wearing his wedding day clothing. A pre-wedding session traditionally takes place months before the actual wedding day. The concept is popular in Asia and otherRead More
Read More