The Garcia Family



I had a great time last Saturday, shooting pictures for the Garcia family.  We had a great time and there was lots of laughter throughout the whole shoot.  They are such a neat family and super easy to work with!

Here are a few pictures from the shoot:



I barely got the whole group to fit in front of my 10' backdrop, but we made it!



I believe you have to have fun, or it isn't a proper photo shoot. :o)



It's a Garcia tree!




I really like this lighting.




Anna




Looking sharp David!




Can you believe all the good looks in this family?




Natalie is so sparkly.  As a photographer, it makes my job so easy!




This little dude is super awesome!




Yes, she can melt hearts at will! :o)




What a great couple they are!




Simple background + great subject = Amazing shot

Afterwards, we headed outside to grab a few (chilly) snapshots.  I love shooting in natural light so much better!




Under the park shelter




David, being very chill.  (No pun intended)




Anna and Cindy




Love the bits of snow in the hair, it adds so much character to the picture.




Had to get a jumping picture of course.




Half frozen grins!




For those of you who don't know sign language, they are each signing their initial.

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Photo Tip Tuesday #2

Hey guys!

For today's photo tip, I am going to steal my own thunder a little bit by sharing a link with you that you may or may have not seen yet.  It is definitely worth your time to check this website out.  

I love to jump on here about once a week and read a few quick ideas and photography tips from other photographers amateur to pro.

So head over and check this web page out: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/

This isn't a web page of final authority on how to correctly shoot pictures, it's more of a collaboration of ideas and discussions of what people think about different aspects of photography, so don't think I endorse every article on the website, I just enjoy the short easy to read articles and inspiration.

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New Blog Design - Comments

Photo Challenge!

Hey guys, this blog has always featured my photos, so for a little change of pace I would like to showcase one of yours!

So submit one of your favorite pictures to me and if it is in the final cut, I will post it (along with a link if you have a blog) here on my blog!

Oh, there is one little catch, you have to take the picture with a cell phone. :o)

I have heard of professionals using very basic cameras in order to push their creativity photographic style, and cell phones have got to be the most basic cameras ever, so...

Below are a few of my favorite pictures that I have taken with my camera-phone. 

My front yard view of the Midwest sky!

Michigan Ave., Chicago

Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

I want to recognize your effort of submitting a great cell phone picture, so I am getting an awesome prize for the first place photo!

I was given the book Fast Track Photography by a photog friend, and I loved the great ideas and tips that it gave for someone starting a new business.  I am looking forward to reading The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan once it ships in as well.

So, for first place prize, you will not only get Fast Track Photographer, but the FTP Business Plan book as well!   Also included is a 150 question online evaluation quiz that pin points areas that you can work on in your photography business and relations.  It really helped me out! 

If you already own these books or they do not interest you, the alternative prize is a $25.00 gift card to the awesome electronics website B&H!

Here are the official rules and details for this contest:

1. One picture must be submitted to me at: jack.a.mcd@gmail.com by February 17th, 2011

2.  Pictures have to be proper and decent, I reserve the right to not post any picture if I am uncomfortable with the content.

3. I will make it easy on you and let you edit the pictures on your computer or phone to any extent except adding objects digitally.

4. Pictures will be reviewed and finalists will be posted  for final public voting contest on February 18th.

5. Whichever finalist picture gets the most votes wins!

Have fun with this and lets see how creative you guys can be!

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Thoughtful Thursday #1

Thought of the day: What gets your creativity going?

Is it hanging out with photography friends and swapping ideas?  Is it going out and shooting some pictures just for the fun of it?  Is it taking a walk in a quiet woods and admiring God's creation?  

What gets you creative, and when was the last time you did that for your photography?

Maybe writing everything down on paper in a concise list is what helps you, maybe it is dreaming up some big plans with your friends, but whatever it is, you need to do it again.  Do it for your photography's sake, to keep it from becoming typical, average or boring.

So let's get creative again.

I would love to hear your favorite ways to get the ideas flowing!

Photo Tip Tuesday #1

Here it is friends!  I know, it is late, but it is still Tuesday!

I hope to get these out in a more timely fashion in the future as I get used to working with the video capture software.

 Let me know what you think so that I can be of maximum help to you and your photography!

Coming soon to Photography by Jack!

Hey guys, I have been working (in my mind mainly) over the past few months to come up with some new things that would make this blog more interesting and helpful for you, my readers.

So, after much thinking, pondering, musing...etc, I have decided to start two weekly posts that should be a lot of fun and hopefully a little bit helpful to my photography friends.

The first weekly feature will be... 

"Tip Tuesdays" 

I have had several friends tell me that they would be interested if I would start posting some basic photography tips and tricks on the blog.  I know that everything that I post under this topic has already been discussed at great length somewhere else on the Internet, and I may include helpful links to other websites but if you have a particular question that you would like discussed on this blog, be sure to let me know and I will see if I can work it in to one of the weekly posts.   

These posts will be on subjects anywhere from composition, to product reviews to editing in Lightroom.

The second weekly feature will be...

"Thoughtful Thursdays"

We all get caught up with the busyness of life sometimes, right?  So this will be an opportunity to sit back and consider one question about your photography.  

You never know, sometimes really considering one thought can totally change the way you look at or create art.  I hope these posts will be helpful and I encourage you to express what you think of each and every Thoughtful Thursday.

Well, this has been quite a wordy post, so I shall end it now with best wishes to you all as the new year gets going.  Looking forward to sharing with you and hearing your thoughts!

Winter morning in Chicago

 Those who know me well, know that doesn't take much to convince me to make a trip to downtown Chicago.  I love that place!

Last Saturday, I went to Chicago to help out a young photographer, who was looking to get a few shots of specific places downtown.  Of course, while we were there, I shot some pictures too, so here are a few that I thought you all might enjoy.

A picture of history

I love the mix of old and new buildings that line Michigan Ave! 

Curtis was a great model for being out in 25 degree weather (Not including the stiff wind chill!)

We warmed up at the Caribou Coffee across from Millennium Park.  (I got the dark chocolate Campfire Mocha and it was amazing!)

The faces were on for once!  I had never got a chance to get a good picture of them until Saturday.

One of my favorite buildings in Chicago...the John Hancock Tower!

Here is why I love it.  The view is incredible!

I found out that the observatory at the top of the Hancock building is not only good for pictures of downtown Chicago, but also for high key lighting!



New Website Address!

Hey folks, yes, I know, I haven't been posting at all.  I am currently working on fixing that, but for now, I have a special announcement!

Thanks goes to my friend Ben Walsh who found out who owned www.photographybyjack.com and purchased it for me for Christmas!

I am totally pumped about getting the shorter name, because let's face it....how often do you type/spell "McDonnell"?

This will just make it that much easier to remember the website name.

If you have never viewed the web page, check it out at it's new address: www.photographybyjack.com