photography tips

Belmont, CA Child Photographer: Before & After

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Saturday, July 19 2014

I tend to like very clean, simple editing in my photography. While I touch every image that comes out of my camera, rarely do I bring in elements and textures into the composition that weren’t originally part of the scene. But every once in a while, I know that a little bit of extra can bring a pretty good image to something so much more.Today, I want to show you one of these examples, and tell you a little bit of what I did to get from the original to the final result. San Mateo child & family photography by Zemya Photography Copyright:Zemya Photography A few months ago, I posted the final of these two images on facebook. I was[…]See more from “Belmont, CA Child Photographer: Before & After”

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Bay Area Photographer: 5 under $50

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Tuesday, April 30 2013

So… do you ever wonder what gift you can give your photo-enthusiast buddy or relative without breaking the bank? I mean, have you SEEN what photo gear costs? Don’t fret. I have a couple of items that I think are really awesome, really useful, and don’t cost an arm and/or a leg. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This is a fantastic book, even for people that have been fiddling with photography for awhile. It explains Aperture, Shutterspeed (don’t worry if you have no idea what I’m talking about) in such a fantastic way, with such great photographic examples, it makes you want to pick up your camera just so you can practice. I’ve attended and watched several seminars but this[…]See more from “Bay Area Photographer: 5 under $50”

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Where should I print my photos? (Part 2)

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Tuesday, March 12 2013

It’s been almost two years since the last time I did a print lab comparison, and given the interest my last post on this topic is still receiving, I thought it’s only fair to revisit my findings. My objective today is to focus on consumer-based printing service providers. For your professionally taken images, going through your photographer’s labs really makes a difference. You won’t regret the money spent for what you’ll receive in regards quality, color and longevity. Still for those images you’ve taken yourself, or your friend took of you? Where should you go? In this print test round, I used 5 labs: Costco (Foster City), Target (Foster City) and Walgreens (El Camino & Ralston in Belmont), Mpix and[…]See more from “Where should I print my photos? (Part 2)”

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Bay Area, CA Child & Family Photographer: Location, Location, Location!

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Friday, December 14 2012

You’ve heard the term “Location, Location, Location!” when it comes to real estate, right? Well, it’s not much different for photography. I want to share my thinking with you for how I choose a location, so that the next time you photograph your family (either with me or on your own), you can keep these tips in mind too. My location list has been evolving through conversations with friends, other photographers, but also a lot of just driving around. I’m constantly paying attention as I ride around. My camera phone has been such an incredible tool. When I see a spot I like, if I’m able to, I stop, or I make a special trip to see. Then I walk[…]See more from “Bay Area, CA Child & Family Photographer: Location, Location, Location!”

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Bay Area, CA Child & Family Photographer: Photographing the little “monsters”

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Thursday, December 13 2012

It doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally I’ll receive the following type of email from a client following a session: “Ava, thank you so much for meeting with us today. I’m so sorry our kids were so difficult, but we appreciate your patience.”And I know EXACTLY what’s going on in their heads: it’s the fear that when all you wanted was this family portrait: CA Bay Area child & family photography by Zemya Photography Copyright:Zemya Photography instead, every one ended up like this: CA Bay Area child & family photography by Zemya Photography Copyright:Zemya Photography or this: CA Bay Area child & family photography by Zemya Photography Copyright:Zemya Photography or this 🙂 CA Bay Area child & family photography by[…]See more from “Bay Area, CA Child & Family Photographer: Photographing the little “monsters””

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