Congrats to the Class of Two Thousand and "I'm Getting Old!"

If you couldn't guess by the hilariously cheeky headline, this blog goes out to all the graduated seniors out there!  Congratulations on making it though 12 years of homework, projects, bullying, papers, early mornings, awkward phases, Friday night football, more awkward phases, and driving around with nothing to do!  A special congrats goes out to a person who not only graduated in the Class of 2010, but also 1998, 2000, and 2005...my mom.  Starting from the time I entered high school as a 4' 9" freshmen in 1994, she's been dragging Wheeler boys out of bed and doing most of the school work.  Way to fight the good fight, mom!

And while we are on the topic of seniors...hey, how about some senior pictures?  At right is one of the aforementioned and last of the Wheeler boys.  My little brother, Josh.  Most seniors not only like but NEED to have their portraits taken for the yearbook and of course to frame and display.   It is also a way for family to remember their graduate when all the world was at their finger tips...and a place for their friends to draw funny mustaches and horns and write things like "OMG UR MY BFF 4-EVA"...god I loved high school.  And while most seniors like to have portraits taken in the summer or early fall, Josh waited until March, which actually worked out nicely.  We headed over to the Ogunquit  River, where we all used to play as kids.  There is plenty of scenery and depth to keep the pictures interesting but not distract for the subject.  There was a lot of really nice light play coming off of the rushing river which in the summer and fall is all but dried up.  I was able use the river as a natural reflector because I am still mostly anti-flash.  So between the sun and the equally as bright refection, I was able to create a mini-studio in the field.  Thats the kind of creativity you need to have if you are working outside with out the net a flash provides.  You have got to be able to look around and think outside of your viewfinder if you are going to capture a subjects true personality.  Josh is laid back...really laid back.  Josh is the exact opposite of me and these shots caught that to a tee.  Chill, relaxed, and go with the flow.  Literally, he almost fell in the river.  As a photographer, thats a nightmare.  As a brother, that would have been awesome to see. 

  

Veronica was my second or third official shoot.  Senior portraits are a really easy way to cut your teeth as a photographer.  It allows us the ability to work with different lighting conditions and finding natural poses and it gives the senior a chance to come out of their shell and find their comfort zone, just like a budding photographer is doing...trying to find a rhythm.  This shot was taking at Riverside Park in Westbrook on a overcast and raw day.  It was late October, and the leaves at the park were all that brilliant orange color.  The color of Veronica's hair and hazel eyes combined with the leaves made for a nice color palette.  Very autumn-ish.   

Even though a good photographer can make anyone LOOK like a model, most subjects are still going to have some nerves going into the shoot.  The trick is to help a subject relax and settle in and suddenly the images jump up a few notches.  Give them 20 minutes and any high schooler will be able to pull of "Blue Steel" without giving it a second thought.  Veronica was a pro by the end of it.   

You know, not all senior portraits have to be head shots.  Every now and then, you can catch subject having little moments...those make the best shots.  Lynn was accompanied by her fiance, Peter.  Lynn took her place on the wall, and if I remember correctly, Peter was doing something goofy just outside of the frame.  Lynn cracked this smile and I just did my job.  I really like this shot...though I can't put my finger on exactly why.  It brought out her personality that for sure.  It just one of those happy accident photographers fall into every now and then.

And here is another one.  Two in one shoot?  Maybe its not an accident and I am verging on "I meant to do that."  This is another one of those images I look at and think, "Yeah, I like it."  I had to work hard of this shot.  The sun was right behind me and I was having a heck of a time composing the shot without the shadow of my spiky hair in her face.  That would have been unflattering.  So I left Lynn right there and stepped around the other side of the tree and for lack of a better term, guessed my brains out!  After shooting about 15 or so shots I checked out what I had.  I stopped looking after the first one.  Boom.  There it is.  Minimal editing.  Zero cropping.  Some call it luck...and so do I.  Sure I knew what the outcome could have been, but I was shooting blind and I think it paid off.

As I sat on the not so comfortable bleachers in the Wells High gym watching Josh graduate, I remember thinking "I'm getting old."  I didn't recognize any of the names, I could only pick out a handful of my old teachers, and I remember the place being quiet a bit bigger.  Of course, I'm a foot taller than I was when I first walked in, so that could have something to do with it.  

Now that the Class of '11 is on the yearbook clock, I'm putting Through The Lens out there as an affordable option for your Senior Portraits.  Just do me a favor...don't wait until March.

--Jason Wheeler, WHS '98

My Lactose Intolerance

Its not their fault.  Its not their parents fault.  In fact, it probably dates back to biblical times, though I'm not sure its high on Jesus' list of stuff he WD.  Maybe the dudes in the GEICO commercial started it while posing for cave paintings.  I'd kind of like Scott Bakula or maybe MJF* to figure it out for me.  I'm talking about the time tested art of "Saying Cheese", and it must be stopped.  People...I'm starting a revolution!  Just Say No to Saying Cheese!

Most of the time, a subject could replace "Cheese" with "Hurry up and take the dang picture cause I've been here for an hour and I'm tired and hungry!" without skipping a beat.  Heres a cute picture I've entitled "Cheese, I Wanna Get Down".  I've named it this way because Olivia wanted no part of sitting on a window sill and repeatedly told me how much she wanted to get down.  I did get her to sit for a picture and sure, I captured a little "talk to the handiness"...but for the most part, I think this one falls flat.  Its staged.

This is more like Olivia...as precocious as can be and as my mom puts it "there's a little elf in her eyes."  Same set of ruins, same lighting conditions, the two shots are just minutes apart.  One feels forced and one captures Olivia's natural personality.  I really love the back-lighting.  The shot looks great in color but there is just something about black and white that makes it more appealing.  Its in the photographer's bag of tricks, but should be used sparingly.  Sometimes, it doesn't really work for a photo and looks out of place.  I think it works here.  Plus, its just a stinkin' cute picture!    

Black and white is one of the tricks in my bag...it just happens to be my favorite!  I dragged Brady all over the park.  I made him repel down a cliff and scale the lighthouse.  Sadly, the lens cap was on and I missed the extreme side of Brady.  I opted for more traditional pictures.  I gave Brady one instruction, "head over to that window."  I wanted to see what he would do...he hit a very natural pose.  This is the first of 10 shots, and its the best one.  Shots 2-10...CHEESE!  Not that a single one of them was a bad shot.  But the off-the-cuff, unscripted shots are more my speed.      

Here's another must have for any parents desk.  A happy shot of brother and sister, sitting peacefully on some steps, big brother being gently hugged by his diminutive little sister as if this is a totally normal, completely common occurrence.  Now anyone who has ever been a kid, had a kid, seen a kid, or been related to a kid knows full well...no matter how sweet and pleasant kids are, this never happens!  I'm the oldest of four boys. If you took an honest photo of the four of us in out natural habitat it would look more like...

THIS...but with more crying.  "Hey Livi...hug your brother," I said.  "Hug" in three year old speak clearly translates to...sleeper hold.  I bet this is a more accurate representation of a solid brother sister relationship.  Big brother is protective of little sister...little sister treats big brother like a jungle gym!  Brady doesn't seem to mind.  He was a really good sport about it, and let Olivia climb all over him...like a big brother should.

The whole idea behind saying "cheese" is to get a subjects mouth to form that "long e" sound so it looks like a smile.  So, I'm not just proposing the ban of the word "cheese" but I have a solution.  I'm making the switch, and I suggest you do to.  Next time you take a picture or have your picture taken, change it up.  I'm saying "wEEEEEEasel" from now on.  Weasel...its the new "Cheese".

---Jason

*denotes time travel reference

My Daily Dose of Exercise

Look at that face.  Lilah is such an angel.  You'd never know that she is THE FASTEST CHILD ALIVE!  Wow.  I though I was the fastest child alive when I was 22 months old...but this little ball of fun put me to shame.
If there is one market I have cornered, its the "Girls I went to college with and their kids" market.  This shoot marks the third I've done with girls I went to college with and their kids.  This time it was Hannah and Lilah, and Hannah's sister Heidi (who I did not go to college with) and her one year old daughter, Peyton.  The moment the four-some arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, the girls were off like a shot!  Lilah acting as the mentor for Peyton, and the both of them leaving vapor trails behind them.  Not even the high tech camera, the green ball, or my winning smile was enough to keep them in one place for long.  No biggie...I only need a second.  I took 300 photos in an hour and a half!! 200 of which were tiny blurs in green dresses.  Odds were high that I had some good shots.

It doesn't happen often, but I actually surprised myself with the number of decent images I captured.  The sun was KILLER bright, so seeing my LCD screen was tough...couldn't tell if my shutter was set right, or of the aperture was open enough.  The girls were so fast I wasn't even sure I was in focus half the time!  It wasn't until about 9:00 Sunday night that I realized Hannah and Heidi could actually be pleased with what I had done!  Again, the secret is to only take pictures of wicked cute kids!  You'll never go wrong.
When I said the sun was killer, I meant it.  I am still working without a non-built-in flash.  The flash that comes with the camera is great for everyday stuff, but not super when professional-style photos.  I've got to be sensitive to where the sun is and make sure those little eyes aren't looking directly...kiddos don't know how not to squint.

This cutie is the aforementioned, Peyton.  Who couldn't stand to be away from her cousin for very long.  She was a tough nut to crack.  Very aware of the camera and where I was, I only caught her smiling a handful of times.  This is one of those times, but it was so worth it.  She was such a good natured girl.  Took her a while (and about 50 Goldfish, a bottle, and numerous toys) to warm up...but once she did she was a pleasure!  As a mom or a dad, you REALLY just want your kid to sit there, smile pretty, and then have a few good shots you can frame later on.  ALL of these shots were candid, VERY candid.  With two mobile, strong willed little girls, they have to be candid.  I am the proud dad of such a mobile strong willed girl.  Getting them to sit still is like running up-hill, in quicksand, with a 50 pound sack of potatoes strapped to your back, while trying to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time.  Tried it this morning...it sounds harder then it is.  Even still, I've learned to just let them do what they are gonna do.  The pictures will always be adorable.

Well, Lilah did slow down...about 90 minutes into the shoot.  Hannah scooped her up and she had a little down time.  The legs may have been a little tired, but look at those eyes...plotting her next incident of cuteness.  I did a little figuring in my head...I estimate I ran a mile and a half around that park.  The mom's apologized profusely for their highly active little ones...I wouldn't have had it any other way.

---Jason

Oooo Baby Baby. Oooo Bay-Bay-bay Baby.

The first rule of any good television news story: always lead with your best video.  Today I am applying that rule to the blog.  Instead of opening with some mildly witty prose, how about a picture!  After all, it is a blog about photography.  Honestly, why hear from me when you could just look at a wicked cute baby.  Say what's up to Paxton!  Pax was our first official paying gig...and I quickly learned shooting babies, while fun, can be a little nerve-racking for a first timer.  You wanna give mom and dad pictures that can look at 15 years later and still tear up over.  Did I?

Without lights or a decent flash, I'm at the mercy of the sun.  There was a perfect south facing window in Paxton's house.  That window was exposes to direct sunlight all day long.  It was shining bright on the day of the shoot and the window was the best option as far as lighting goes.  I just needed to diffuse it a bit.  Pax's mom had a canvas shade on the window, I dropped it and there it was, the PREFECT lighting conditions.

What parent hasn't used a pinky as a pacifier!?  Its never lost under the couch, or wrapped up in blankets, or being carried around the house by the dog.  Makes for a nice moment between father and son, too.  

If you have been reading my blog faithfully (Mom), you've noticed there are far fewer words than normal.  I'm trying this new thing where the pictures speak from themselves.  It reminds me of the game "See who can be quiet the longest" my folks made me and my brothers play on long car rides.  I always lost.  Always.  I'm really fighting the urge to write more.  But with FOUR shoots over the next two days, I'm sure I'll be back to my long winded, witty, "hilarious" self by Monday.  Also, I would like to apologize for the Salt n' Peppa inspired headline...it was the first thing that can to mind.

--Jason

For Daddy

"Cheese.  Cheese.  Cheese."  Nathaniel figured if he was saying "cheese", I was taking a picture.  So he walked around Prescott Park in Portsmouth saying the magic word for about and hour.  If I HAD taken a picture for every "cheese" he dropped, I would have snapped about 500 shots!!  As it is, I took about 200.  Par for the course.

I've been to Prescott Park loads of times...its nice.  A great place for a photo session.  The park strikes a nice balance between old school buildings on the Strawberry Banke side, an urban feel (its just feet away from downtown Portsmouth), and if you like pictures with a nautical theme the river is right there. Nathaniel lives with him mom Kelli, a good friend from college, and his dad, Doug.  Doug is a naval officer and Nathaniel has spent his whole life hanging out in, on, and around naval bases.  So the whole nautical theme worked out.  Prescott Park is across the river from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.  So every time a boat went by, the shoot stopped.  When the deck of a nearby bridge went up, the shoot stopped.  Nathaniel was a little preoccupied.  I never knew how many ships came into Portsmouth.  

I met Nathaniel's mom way back in the day...the 90's.  Kelli and I went to UMaine together, we were in the University Singers together, and Kelli lived in the all-girls dorm I would frequent...there was a study group.  Seriously.  Not only did Kel need updated pictures of Nathaniel, she wanted a few maternity shots, AND the pictures were a surprise gift for Doug.  Like a lot of Navy fams, Doug is in school, or training a lot.  Kel is a stay-at-home mom, and at that point 33 weeks pregnant!  But when Doug is home, he wastes no time, spending all of it with his young family.  I've never known how Navy families do it...I was away from my family for a week earlier this year, and by day two I was ready to call it quits!  I had a few of my favorite pictures with me...it made it easier to be away.  These photos were headed for daddy's desk, so when he's gone at weeks at a time, he's has pictures to remind him what he has at home.  

We took a walk to nearby Strawberry Banke.  Its an historic site...a great collection of weathered, colonial buildings with charm.  I asked Nathaniel to bust out his best "cool guy pose"...and that is what he comes up with.  Cool indeed.  Hit the shot with a little photoshop action, and the result is a photo fit for any daddy's desk.  If that doesn't take the edge of the distance, I don't know what would.

Kelli has a great support system around her.  She's used to Doug being away because her dad travelled a lot.  She's got a great role model in her own mother.  Clearly, Mr. Man enjoys being the center of attention, evident from this nice three generations shot.  It was a good day for the shoot too...slightly overcast.  Clouds act as a natural diffuser for the harsh sunlight.  No unsightly eye shadows, the flexibility to shoot at any angle...even for a recovering video nerd, it rocks.

By now, Kelli is 38 weeks along...baby number two will be here any day now.  Nathaniel is pretty excited to be a big brother and Kelli will have her mom skills put to the test.  She'll do great!  And I'll have visual evidence of those skill soon enough...I'll be taking newborn pictures of baby #2 in a few weeks!  Cheese!

---Jason

Phun with Photoshop

I was a photo-snob.  A purist.  I didn't care how much icing was on the cake.  I did not heart programs like photoshop where you could go in a "touch up", fix the imperfections you might have missed, correct the color and stuff that that.  "If you can't do it right the first time, don't bother picking up a camera, chief!" is what I used to say.  I have recently recanted my snobbery and the use of the word chief though...cause quiet frankly, photoshop is pretty freaking sweet!

The program is really limitless, but I only need it to do a few things.  Mostly, I use it for color "correction" and soften up my photos.  Case in point is right there...the same photo edited two ways.  Mrs. Me has been on me to post pictures of our kids being cute since I have a ton of other pictures of other kids being cute.  We don't have a lot though.  Its a phenomena that I like to call "The Builder's Dilemma".  The guys who builds houses for a living will always work on his last.  Hence, my kids get the shaft BIG TIME!  But it's Mother's Day...you win honey! = )  Yes, that is Makenna.  No, she isn't black and white in real life.  She's been Photoshopped.  She was rocking her Easter dress...a really pretty aqua color and I wanted to highlight the dress.  I uploaded the original shot (which was wicked cute anyway), and removed every color other than aqua.  I brightened it up a bit and softened it up to make it look like she was glowing.  Its all artsy...I love both photos for different reasons.    

Don't call it a comeback cause he's been here for years!  Johnny-boy returns to the blog!  This time dropping the prepster-chic look and is kickin' it hoops-style!  Thus the bad-ass look.  I called John Pistol Pete, but in reality, his role model is Rajon Rondo, hence the upside down "Swoosh". Again the same shot presented two different ways.  The original shot, unedited is on the top.  With the basketball in the foreground out of focus and all of the colors matching up...its a decent shot.   But it needed a little bit of help.  I saw this pic of Paul Pierce a while back and wanted to make it look similar.  I jacked the sharpness WAY up.  So instead of glowing, you could see every detail.  I boosted the level of blackness, upped the contrast, washed out the color, and added a vignette (darkened the edges).  The first thing my brother said upon seeing the picture "That looks like a Nike ad."  Mission accomplished.  This pictures was a slam dunk*!  The rumor is it was turned into a poster and its hanging in John's room.  So if anyone from Nike is reading this...I am available most weekend.

And now for two super-sweet pictures!  Makenna and Alyssa.  This is what they look like for the first 5 to 10 minutes of being together.  All huggy and lovey and playful and sweet.  Then its like the old WWF tag team "The Natural Disasters". Hurricane Makenna and Cyclone Alyssa.  Literally, its CRAZY!  Didn't do a whole lot to this one.  Just boosted the colors a little.  The red and the aqua were so bright anyway, I just highlighted them a tad.  About three minutes after this photo was taken, all heck broke loose! 

Check out Ava.  3 months post-surgery.  She is such a fat and happy baby!  Possible the most precious picture I have taken so far.  Just had to send this one to blackandwhite-ville.  What else can you say about a beautiful baby...I'd just ruin it with my words.  Enjoy.  

I'm still working on my photoshop skills.  It will take some time, but I'll get there.  Beside, you know what they way about too much icing, don't you???  Seriously, do you know any catch phrases about icing...I'm drawing a blank.  Happy Mothers Day everyone!

--Jason

PS...There is a rumor going around that I have a son too.  He has yet to appear in any of my pictures WITHOUT cake all over his face.  There will be some...one day.  Maybe he'll let me take his senior pics.  Check back in 17 years.

*denotes bad pun

My signature word

I've shown you a few of my latest shoots.  Now, I'll take on on a magical mystery tour...way back to the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth...2009.  Fine, you got me, it was last fall.  But it seems like forever ago.

My first shoot ever as a "professional"; John, Alyssa (blondey over there), and Ava.  They are pretty awesome*.  They are all pretty cute.  They are all Wheeler's.  My brothers kids.  We had just picked up out Nikon D90 at Hunts in South Portland and needed willing guinea pigs.  When in doubt, turn to your family...whatever, it was free.  We headed to the Footbridge in Ogunquit ie; the world's most awesome* beach.  It was sunset.  As far as I'm concerned the best time of day to take pictures.  The sunlight is still bright, but the lower the sun sits the softer and warmer the light is.  Warmer in regards to color, not temperature.  From what I hear, the sun is raging hot wherever it is. That's science.

And THAT is my sister-in-law, Tree.  Yep.  Tree.  Actually name, not short for anything.  She's holding baby Ava, who is one tough kiddo.  Ava was born with a severely deformed heart.  The best way to describe it...well, only half of it works and its in backwards.  She had her first of two open heart surgeries four days before Christmas.  They live in Wells.  We live in Portland, and Ava was at Maine Med.  So Jamie, the kids and I, my in-laws, my brother, sister in-law, John, Alyssa, and just released from the hospital Ava, opened presents in our condo on Christmas morning.  Best.  Christmas.  Ever.  Ava is doing awesome* now.  She is such a sweet baby.  Not out of the woods yet though.  Surgery two is months or possibly years away.  For now, she's the Wheeler family miracle.  And she'll have a long life of me sticking a camera in her face.  She also rocks a mean baby-hawk!
        
And then there is John.  Technically, my step-nephew, but he's just as Wheeler as the rest of us.  He is ranked highly on my top five most awesome* kids of all time list.  John was a pro...he rocked some mad awesomeness* during the shoot.  I didn't even have to tell him what to do.  He's a natural.  His awesome-ocity* known no bounds.  Pretty sure he was Pistol Pete Maravich in his former life.  You should see the kid "ball."  Mad skillzzzzz, dawg.  He's straight up killin' 4-5th grade pee-wizzz-ee hoop-shizle!  Wait...what?            

There's Alyssa again going all cyclopes behind John.  Don't let the coyness fool you, she is a spark plug!  She never stops moving, talking, singing, yelling, playing, bossing, or bouncing...and she can do all that at once!  Its pretty spectacular to witness.  But she stopped long enough.  I say "Hey Alyssa, go hug John."  She replies, "I don't like him enough and he smells."  Clearly, at 4, she had already mastered the art of sarcasm.  Another sure sign that she is, indeed, related to me.  Wheeler's are basically awesome* at sarcasm.

By now, you all see my signature word is Awesome*.  I've been saying it for years...I mean, before Captain Awesome* was a staple on Chuck, before Crayola produced the color Awesome*(its dark pink btw), and WAY before Wells-based rapper S'pose dropped "I'm Awesome*" on the world...I was awesome*.  I think thats 13 awesomes*.  Wait...14.  

*denotes signature word