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Annabel Valencia Photography Blog

A collection of helpful blog posts, containing industry insights, advice for clients and thoughts on photography.

Annabel Valencia Oklahoma City Photographer 2017

My Thoughts On “Photoshop”, Editing and Body Insecurities

By Annabel Valencia

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

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old sepia photos

A Family Album – The #1 Reason To Get One

By Annabel Valencia

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

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7 Myths: Why hair and makeup is more than hair and makeup

By Annabel Valencia

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

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Caution, a digital photo is not a finished product

By Annabel Valencia

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

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Digital media changes but prints endure

By Annabel Valencia

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

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The Benefits of a Pre-Wedding Session

By Annabel Valencia

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

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The next Headshot Day is Fri, June 7th  Click here to find out more