Monthly Archives: August 2012

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As a portrait photographer in the Hamptons, I have spent year after year surrounded by breathtaking seascapes; the bay, the ocean, beaches, and ponds of the Hamptons. My familiarity with this scenery has allowed me to become more adventurous over the years with my portraiture and explore secret places of the Hamptons.

My earliest boating memories were as a child in Margate, New Jersey, sailing with my Dad. I think we spent more time bailing water out of the leaky wooden boat and getting towed off sandbars than actually sailing. As a child, all of this was exceedingly embarrassing but not completely discouraging. In fact, over the years I have acquired a fleet of wooden boats, none of which need bailing or towing.  I incorporate the entire fleet into my portrait sessions in the Hamptons. These unique portrait photography props add depth and character to the magic moments that can be captured on camera.

The tiniest of our boat props, also known as our baby boat, is perfect for infants up to about 9 months.  The white and navy color scheme of the boat allows my subjects to stand out brilliantly against beach dunes, ocean settings, and other favorite Hamptons’ locales. Don’t forget – our tiny boat is also great for pet portraits of your family’s favorite animals.

Boating Photography in the Hamptons

 

“Fairweather” – the second in our series of boat portrait props – is best suited for the little guys and girls who are fast becoming toddlers. One year olds who still need to hang onto a sturdy object and toddlers who like getting in and out of the boat over and over or filling the boat with sand or seashells will find themselves at home for their beach portraits in “Fairweather.”

 

“Buttercup” is a serious sailing dingy that can really enhance a photo-session for your “big kids” or kids about 4 years and older. Since “Buttercup” is a sailable vessel, new options for beach portraits in the Hamptons arise: on and in the water.  Check out below how a family pet, Applejack, has used “Buttercup” to make quite the splash!

 

Pet Photography in the Hamptons

Our final and most exquisite boat prop for beach portraits in the Hamptons is the “Eastern Star,” a classic 18-foot Marshall catboat. This fully operating sailboat helps me voyage families to the most remote and pristine locations in and around the Hamptons, of which, some of my favorites are Three Mile Harbor and Gardner’s Bay.


Whether you are looking to have portraits taken of your newborn, a family pet, or take your family portrait out to sea – at Deborah Kalas Studios we have the perfect boat for any type of portrait!

To learn more about my portrait photography in the Hamptons click the links below:

Secret Places For Portraits In The Hamptons
Unique Hamptons Photography Sessions On The Water 
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In my next life I would like to be a photographer AND a weather God. If I had it my way, sunny and clear blue-sky days would happen all summer long between 5 and 8 pm. For now, I just have to do the best with what I am given. So far that’s searching at least three weather channels every few hours, utilizing the Ultimate Weather App on my Ipad, and visiting the beaches I plan on shooting at, if necessary, to come up with the optimum start time for portrait sessions.

That being said, beautiful images can be captured at almost any time of the day even with less than desirable weather conditions. Below you’ll find portraits illustrating what can happen in variety of light settings.

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Click here to find out what time of day is the best for beach photography.

 
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Having been a portrait photographer for many years, I have grown to love photographing what is natural and real. With the advent of digital photography and tools like Photoshop, the ability to retouch images and “fix” the way people look has become commonplace. Portrait photography clients frequently ask whether I can make them look younger or thinner. The answer to those types of questions is handled on an individual basis guided by what can or can’t be changed in a photograph and still remains natural and believable.

Once you choose your finished photographs, the images selected for printing can undergo a number of corrections. Some basic retouching to your photographs can include minimizing wrinkles, brightening eyes and teeth, evening out areas that are too dark or light, and eliminating some stray hair and facial blemishes.

At times, especially in posed group portraits, smiles can be fixed and blinking eyes can be opened, but only if there is a suitable image to pull the best features from. This technique generally doesn’t work for candid photographs. The extent and limitations of these retouching techniques can be discussed when selecting your favorite images.

Here are some examples of more extensive retouching:

  1. The girl in the white dress gets a new leg from another image, and the bandage is removed from her toe.Portrait Photography: What Can Be Retouched
  2. In the close-up photograph of the young girl, she had been bitten by a bug at the beginning of the session. Her eye swelled immediately. I made a conscious effort to photograph her in a pleasing way, and when I wasn’t able to avoid showing her eye, my team was able to retouch it and make it look “normal and real;” something I constantly strive for.Deborah Kalas - Portrait Photography Retouching
  3. In the third photograph, a woman’s thigh is slimmed. In some situations this is possible. Sometimes not.  Wrinkles from a shirt can be softened drawing less attention to it. A piece of dress can be made longer to cover a piece of underwear that may be showing.Retouched Hamptons Portraits

We will work together with each photograph you’ve chosen. These images will be carefully analyzed for what can and cannot be done to keep them looking real & natural while guaranteeing that you not only look like you, but you look your finest.

Click here for more information on how to choose your finished portraits.