Spring is almost here, the perfect season for portraits! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the spring sun is shining. This spring there is a 20% discount on all session fees and print/products orders.
Schedule you session today,spring doesn’t last forever.
First and far most! I want to thank God for bringing me through to 2012!
2011 was a great year. It went by very fast but as I look back I can’t see any regrets. As technology advances, so do I. Change is always inevitable. I feel that 2011 is the year that I truly and finally learned that if you refuse to change then you get left behind. Because, when you are through changing, you are through. ~Bruce Barton
I’m looking forward to a very successful year. There are many different ways to measure success. Happiness is the way I measure my success. What makes me happy? Goals… I’m setting new goals this year. And 2012 will be a hard working year.
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. ~William Feather
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. ~Winston Churchill
To escape criticism – do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. ~Elbert Hubbard
In 2011, I have come a long way in my craft. I practiced, I shot, I edited, I practice, I shot more… But I seemed to never be satisfied with my craft. But, I figured out that this is normal. If I continue to strive to do my best, my best will come.
Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence. ~Vince Lombardi
This year, I will be bringing more like the images you see here. These are my top ten of 2011. Please enjoy and expect more from AEparker. (posted in no particular order)
Top Photo of 2011 is a the end of this post!
Well, as many know, this is my beautiful daughter. She is my most loyal and dependable model. Because of her age, at times it’s hard to get her to cooperate with me. This one is one that really touched me because of her pure and innocent beauty. And no, she didn’t end up in my top ten because she is my daughter. She ended up in my top ten because of the look and feel of this photo. This image was close to AEparker’s Photo of the Year. Yes, I have a photo of the year.
She’s a natural! Watch out for Alissa Parker. Maybe when she is 17 or 18, she’ll be interested in modeling. She’ll be use to working in front of the camera.
This image was my pick for AEparker Photography Image of the Year! This image has a fresh and newish look. The eyes always do it for me. And the makeup is flawless. Thanks to Carly Vega, Makeup by Vega! More from this model and the whole crew in 2012…
Stay tuned for more from the Digital Photography Era!
This weeks Top Ten Tuesday!
As a potential client shopping for a photographer, there are questions you must remember to ask before you hire. Of course, these questions will be different as each potential client and situation is different. Well, here are my Top Ten Questions to Ask a Photographer.
You want to know what style is being brought to your event or portrait. Some photographers have a photojournalistic style, documentary style, traditional style, contemporary style, or an artistic style. If you are shopping for a photographer, you should be concerned with quality and style. This will determine what your photos will look like when the whole process is done. So, search for something that fits you and your event.
This is important to know for weddings, because you have double the coverage when the photographer uses a second shooter. Some photographers will ask if you want a second shooter and some will automatically use a second shooter. Be proactive and ask the question. A lot of times I shoot alone. But there are situations that I refuse to shoot without an assistant. A wedding is an event that I will at least have an assistant to make things work a bit smoother. A wedding is a very stressful day, even for the photographer. An assistant helps things to be less stressful. Do you want a stressed out photographer shooting your special event?
Knowing where the ceremony and reception is being held is key information. You always want to be sure that the photographer is familiar with where things are located. At times the ceremony location could be miles away from the reception location. So, be sure to ask this one. And be sure to inform your photographer of all locations of this special day.
This question is important because it’s style related. Some photographers are great posers and some are great at catching that moment. Posed or candid shots work well in most situations. Posed shots take a little longer and candid shots usually go with the flow of the event.
A photographer should encourage a list of some sort in order to be sure to get what you want. If there is a list, it’s easier to accomplish a successful shoot.
How many hours are included, is a very necessary question. This is one of the things that should probably be put in writing. You also have to know how long the photographer is available.
First find out if the photographer charges extra for going over the time planned. If there is a charge, then you may want to think of confirming that the photographer is available for the full event.
The amount of time it takes to get the formals done at a wedding is key, its one of the most important shot sessions of that day. And everyone is trying to hurry to the reception.
One of the most important details will be, when will you receive your product? How long do you have to wait in order to see, enjoy, and revisit that special day. 6 weeks, 3 weeks, 2 weeks… How long? If a photographer is over booked it will usually take a lot longer than you would like to wait. So pay very good attention to how long a photographer will tell you it will be.
Products included is always a good thing to figure out before hiring. Is there an album included with the price offered? Or, is it extra?
These are my Top Ten questions. I’m sure you have your own questions. Feel free to add your questions below.
Thank you for stopping by to visit AEparker’s Blog.
One of the benefits of being your own boss is you get to decide what clients you take on. As a photographer, there are several reasons to steer clear of certain potential clients. I’m sure the reasons will differ with each photographer. Here are my Top Ten Reasons to turn down a potential client.
I know it’s been a while for Top Ten Tuesday but stay tuned for more from AEparker Photography
New contest… Share My Facebook Page! Share my Facebook page with all your friends. What will you get out of it? You will get my great personality, view my work, and if you get this most likes… You will receive a free session (prints and product are separate but 20% off). How do you enter this contest? Simply post on my this page “I’m sharing AEparker Photography” (be sure to instruct your friends to click the like button at the top of my Facebook page). The winner will be the one that has the most likes on their “I’m sharing AEparker Photography” post. If you enjoy my work, this is a great opportunity. You lose nothing but could gain a photo shoot with me. 
This past Saturday was Military Appreciation Day at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA. So my wife and I took the kids to the zoo. Of course I had to bring my camera to photography my kids enjoying the animals. I didn’t get many photographs of the animals but I did get plenty of my little animals… I actually think they enjoyed dancing more than they enjoyed the animals. These kids keep my laughing and they also keep me inspired to create. Laughter and happiness is very inspiring. Here are some of the photos from our zoo trip. I am also including a video I put together of the Parker Kids Dance…
One of the most useful things I have learned that will stick with me is to love my own work. If I don’t love my work the way it is, then I’m letting others dictate my style. Of course there are rules and guidelines to the art of photography. But there are no rules to my style. My style and how I shoot is apart of who I am.
So, today’s Top Ten Tuesday will be sort of a pat on the back for myself. Here are my Top Ten favorite photographs, I created.
A pat on the back for AEparker Photography! I think I need to do this more often.
Always love your own work and admire others…
Algernon Parker
A few days ago, I was asked a question about the difference between the 50mm prime lens and the 85mm prime. This question came from one of the members of the Photographer’s group on Facebook. Some of you maybe thinking, what a dumb question… But this question isn’t dumb at all, especially for a beginner.
Now that I’ve been using Google+ for a few weeks, I’ve noticed several users that are a must in my circle. If you are new to Google+ and you wonder who you should add to your circle, here are my Top Ten Google users (in no particular order).
Nicole S. Young – A stock photographer that shoots people and food, currently based in Utah. Since I’ve been using G+ she has provided my stream with great information and great photography. She even posted a Basics of Google+ video. Thanks Nicole!
Lisa Bettany – Lisa Bettany has filled my stream with excellent photographs. She even leaves a detailed description of each one. Lisa is a photographer and iPhone app developer.
Alex Koloskov – A talented commercial photographer also adds to my G+ stream. His recent splash photography has caught my eye. He also has posted great how-tos. His most recent is a guest blog on Digital Photography School.
Pete Cashmore – For all that don’t know, Pete is the guy behind Mashable (CEO). Mashable is a great source of information. Pete Cashmore keeps me up to date on all things technical and social.
Trey Ratcliff – Trey Ratcliff’s work is amazing. He is ultimately responsible for the photographers list being started on G+. He offers free HDR tutorials. And his work on my G+ stream has inspired me to try HDR. I’m getting better.
Dave Beckerman – A Fine Art Photographer from New York keeps my stream filled with stunning black and white photographs. I really get an idea from Dave of what black and white should look like.
Thomas Hawk – As photographer and blogger, Thomas provides stunning images and photo industry news and tips on his blog.
Alfie Goodrich – A photographer and photography teacher in Tokyo, Japan, provided a little guidance on my first HDR photograph. Thanks Alfie Goodrich.
Jeff Wickliffe – Jeff has been constant in my stream. He provides great information and reposts. His HDR images are also inspiring.
Algernon Parker – I am a photographer, a US Navy sailor, and an amateur blogger. You may enjoy my posts in your stream for the photos, blog post, or my daily inspirational quotes.
Who should I include in my circle that you have in your circle? Leave comments…
Above is one of my recent HDR images.
