The studio will be closed on Friday, September 3 and will reopen on Tuesday, September 7 at 9 am.
Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend!
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‘Day to Day...’
Customer highlight’s
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
I wanted to share a story with you about one of our families. The Kessler family first visited us in 2006 for a family portrait with their three boys. We had the privilege to update their portrait this summer with their extended family at the Carsten home. While every family has a story to tell, this one caught my eye.
The Kesslers are missionaries. After their portrait session, they moved to Costa Rica to be immersed in the Spanish language. Then, in about a year, they will make the move to Honduras to work full time for Forgotten Children’s Ministry.
Family portraits are high on the priority list for the Kesslers. Trips to the states will not come as frequently as visits when they lived 10 minutes from each other. In my opinion, with the constant changes that families go through, portraits are the best way to take our mind back to a memory just as the feeling of warm wind can flood your mind with memories of the beach.
This family had a wonderful zest for life and their willingness to go as a family and do what they felt they needed to do just brought me all kinds of warm and fuzzies! Here are a couple of photos from their shoot. Enjoy!
Congratulations to the bride and groom!
Monday, July 19th, 2010
We wanted to send out a special congratulations to Christina and Gary, who tied the knot in a beautiful June wedding.
The atmosphere during the entire day was filled with smiles, laughter, and an occasional sheepish grin that was brought on by a unique game at the reception. (What happens at the reception stays at the reception, lol!!)
They were a fun couple to photograph and we really enjoyed the unique blend of culture throughout the entire evening.
We wish you all the happiness in the world!
A Second Look
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Jeff stepped out for a lunch break and while he was gone, the rest of the staff got a little creative… We came up with our own version of Second Look (you know the photos in the magazine that are almost identical, except there are 10 things missing or out of place).
Have a little fun and see if you can spot the 15 things that are different in Gail’s office!
Happy Father’s Day!
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
We wanted to send a special Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. In portrait photography, we feel so blessed that we are able to aid in celebrating special relationships between fathers and their families. You would be amazed at the amount of people who do not have a portrait with their dad, or barely a couple of snapshots with him. Fathers get the back burner when it comes to family photos because he is mostly behind the camera, if there at all. Fortunately, this can change. Say “Sayonara!” to that old trend and let’s bring on the 21st century, where we are more connected than ever.
I would encourage you to take the time to bring dad and the family in. Celebrate his hard work and kind heart with a gift that will not be able to be recreated. That gift would be a memento of today!
Here is a poem just for the Dads.
Dad
© Karen K. Boyer
He’s never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries
Will go unspoken too
He’s there…. A firm foundation
Through all our storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold to
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings,
The man that we call Dad.
Nature’s Groupies
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
When it comes to family events and everyday life, does your family call you their photographer? This new found nickname begins a breeding ground for your developing passion for photography. From candids of the hot dog eating contest at the reunion last July to snapping photos of your oldest boy attempting to help your youngest son remove his loose tooth by the whole string tied to the door trick, your camera becomes almost as important as your cell phone!
What’s next? A natural progression is nature. Nature is a great way to practice with natural light, different angles, and composition. The best part about it, nature is everywhere.
If this is you, I want to introduce you to a photographer who has revolutionized the art of photographing nature. Many have heard about him, most have seen his photos, but rarely do people actually study him and his work. His name is Ansel Adams. He is known for his beautiful black and white photographs of the American wilderness.
I want to encourage you to look at his work and understand how he brought his passion for preserving the great outdoors to the attention of the public through photographs. The next time you visit Arizona, go to see Adams’s work which is featured in the John P. Schaefer Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Tucson.
Our very own Charlotte portrait photographer who stays busy doing family portraits, baby portraits, and corporate head shots, always finds the time to surround himself to get outdoors and be further inspired.
A great reference for Ansel Adams would be http://www.anseladams.com/index.html
Beach Portrait Package
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
Beach Portrait Special – $75 beach session and 11×14 print.
Contact Us for Availability!
If you need a beach portrait photographer in Myrtle Beach, SC, on the Grand Strand, you’ve come to the right site. There are plenty of beach portrait photographers to choose from, but only a small group of professionals have the beach photography experience that you will find in Jeff Carsten at Southern Light Photography.
We have beach photography locations in Cherry Grove, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and Pawley’s Island. Private proof sessions may be held at the customer’s beach house or at the studio in Charlotte. Southern Light Photography provides you with custom packages, outstanding service, and a friendly, helpful staff that is dedicated to your satisfaction. Whatever you are looking for in a beach photographer on the Grand Strand, Southern Light beach portrait photography is your best choice!
Photo overload? Try these tips!
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Polaroids, disposable cameras with 25 frames, and the latest film cameras of the 90’s gave people the ability to capture moments mostly from family vacations, birthdays, and holidays.
In contrast, it no longer is required to have a special occasion to bring out the camera. A new parent will have 100’s of photos of babies first nap, first smile, first poop face, baby napping again, baby with new toy, baby with doggie, baby chewing on doggie, baby… you get the drift.
Now comes the question, what do I do with 4 gigs of pictures worth of Tommy’s first tooth fairy visit? Here are a couple of helpful tips:
1. Edit - If you have tons of images from the same event, delete the bad ones and keep the ones that truly speak to you, or tell the story the best. To this day, my mother has a drawer full of all the best photographs of my childhood, but they are jumbled up with an overwhelming amount underexposed, blurry, and meaningless pictures that we never attempt mess with them because we don’t want to sort through the mess. It’s ok to edit out the ones you don’t like.
2. Make a back up – Photos can take up a lot of space on a much needed hard drive. Burn a copy of your pics to a dvd and also put them on your backup hard drive. Remember, the better you organize the files, the better off you are!
3. Make prints – I know, it seems so 1900’s, but facebook should not be your only family album. Out of the 100 pictures of you and your family at the lake, edit them down, then print the top 10 favorites and put them in an album. It makes for great conversations that can be centered around the coffee table with a lot of people, instead of around a computer with a couple of people.
4. Make a children’s album with your professional portraits – I have never had a parent tell me that they regret buying multiple prints of their family from a photo shoot. What I do hear is, “What am I supposed to do with all the ones from the last session?”. I recommend a childrens album. Put your portraits on your wall, or in your personal album. Then, take the duplicates and put them another album to give your kids when they head out on their own. This is the only way that I personally have been able to have photos of my family and childhood in my own home. Momma will not give up her portraits, but she will share if she has a duplicate. (Thanks mom!)
In the mean time, enjoy the technology of the modern day cameras and try not to get too overloaded!
Happy clicking!
Charlotte’s B.O.B Awards & Auction
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Congrats to Catherine, the winner of Southern Light Photography’s auction item at the Charlotte Best of the Best (B.O.B) Awards!
Family portraits have been on Catherine’s mind for a while now. She said she is in 
need of getting her family photographed, or at least getting someone to do some children’s portraits for her kids. With buying a package like this, not only will her needs be met, but the money she spent will be donated to the Simon Youth Foundation.
Personally, I really enjoyed the relaxed environment of the event. Most of the people who attended were picking up their award and mingling with the rest of the winners from other categories. While the band played in the background, you could overhear conversations that were filled with congratulations and more information on the background of the participants.
I brought my husband with me and he had met Josh Elmore, the winner of the best personal trainer, and his wife, who is also a personal trainer. They laughed and carried on as if they grew up together. Over all, it was a fabulous night.
Take the opportunity to go to silent auctions when you hear about them. It’s a great way to meet people in your community and participate in the growth and development of the surrounding areas.
Congrats to all the B.O.B winners!
Camera Equipment Tips
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Have you had your digital SLR camera for a long period of time? If so, you might want to consider a couple of things. Your five year old camera that proudly holds the name of “Old Faithful” could be decreasing in quality little by little and it is so suttle that it is hard to tell.
The biggest differences will be found in sharpness, color temperature, and focus. Take a look at photos from the past and compare them to the images being shot now. If you notice that your photos are having a green or yellow color cast, this might be a sign. Along with the actual camera body, another reason for these mishaps would be the lens. Each lens has sensors that can get a little out of wack at times.
So, now that we have noticed the problem, what is the solution? We have three options…
1. Preventative maintenance – RESPECT THE CAMERA AND THE LENS. When changing lens, do it in a timely manner to avoid dust and other air particles getting onto the censor. When traveling, use a camera bag, not a purse (ladies!). Jeff (Southern Light’s photographer) had a great tip about airplanes. He says to carry your equipment on the plane and put it on a pillow or blanket in the overhead bin to help absorb the vibrations.
2. Send it in to the camera’s manufacture for maintenance. Of course, there is a fee for this service, but it sure does beat spending a couple grand on all new gear when you can get yours fixed for one to two hundred bucks.
3. Pretend everything is ok and when the time is right, purchase a new one.
Happy shooting!
These photos were taken outdoor with one catch light. The original image is a 3/4 body shot. They have not been retouched in any way.
The difference is also shown in the eye lashes. Notice the seperation in lashes is more defined in the photo from lens 1.
Moral of the story, get your gear serviced!