New Photography Website Soon, But Same Blog Here

I recently received a notice from my website host that after March 15, 2014 that anything on my website will not be able to be changed (i.e. - no updates), and after September 30, 2014, it will be gone.  It has been temporarily relocated at tonybelmontphotography.com while I find a new host and start work on updating it.  Meanwhile, tony-belmont-photography.com will still take you to the old site.

I had planned on a major update of the site anyway, so this works out OK.

One of the changes I want to make is to redefine what to look for when looking for a photographer.  On the current site I had a lot of the technical things (lighting, composition, posing, etc.), but the most important thing is the final product.  Do you love the photographers past work?  Are you and the photographer compatible (is he or she easy to work with)?  Could you see yourself as friends (which is why you should always meet before agreeing to a session)?  Does the photographer offer a total money back and/or reshoot for free guarantee if you don't totally love the results?

Once a photographer has the technical aspects down, the next thing, and perhaps the most important, is capturing that fleeting expression, the one that will only be there for an instant, the one that makes or breaks the perfect photo.

Many years ago I was shooting polaroid film ($1.00/shot) of tourists.  I had to catch the best expression on the first try, or it would get to be an expensive hobby.  That was good practice and instant feedback.  Very seldom did I have to shoot more than one exposure of the same people.

The following photos have nothing to do with this article, although the photo of the person at the stand was a one shot photo.

This one was shot on Dec 27, 2013 adjacent to the paddle tennis courts.  She is a paddle tennis player.  And a very good one.

Both of the above photos were shot with a Panasonic FZ30, Venice Beach, Dec 27, 2013.