Ready for the big news?

CALLING ALL SOON TO BE MARRIED COUPLES!!! Are you:

1) A Fun, Fit, Fabulous, Bold, Adventurous couple?

2) Getting hitched in 2011?

3) Looking for some creative, spunky Wedding Photographers?

4) Interested in scoring FREE photography for your Big Day?

5) Wondering why I'm asking these questions??

Because…(drum roll please…)

McGraw Photography and Blue Ruby Photography ~ two established, professional photography businesses ~ are partnering up to create Ruby McGraw Wedding Photography!!

(applause)

To kick off our exciting new venture and to expand our wedding portfolio, we are announcing a super cool contest where one lucky couple will win our photography services for their Big Day!

(more applause)

The contest will run from February 1 to February 22, 2011. Nicole and I will judge all entries and the winner will be announced March 1.

Are you wondering what the winner will receive?  Well read on!

1) Pre-wedding consultation. We’ll get to meet in person, have coffee and talk about your Big Day! If the winner is not in the Charlotte area, we can meet up via Skype!

2) Up to (8) eight hours Wedding Day Coverage

3) A 90-day online gallery with all the finished, professionally edited photographs from your Big Day. You can even share the gallery link with all your friends and family!

4) A CD of all the high-res images with printing rights

5) 20% discount on any products you wish to order from us.

All of the above is a $2800.00 value!!

What’s that you say? You can’t wait to enter this super fabulous contest? Well read on!!

Here’s how to enter:

Send an email to the following email address: nicole@bluerubyphotography.com

In the email, we require the following:

1) Up to (5) five photos of the lovely betrothed couple. OR if you want to get totally creative, videos are also accepted! Videos must be uploaded to YouTube with the link included in the email.

2) Tell us what makes YOU a Fun, Fit, Fabulous, Bold, Adventurous couple! We want to know all the cool details!

3) Give us any current Big Day details you may already have, such as the date, location, etc.

That’s it! That’s all you need to do! Get creative! Make us laugh! Make us cry! Make us fall in love with you!

The fine print:

No Purchase Necessary. Contest runs from February 1 thru February 22, 2011. The winner will be announced on March 1, 2011. Valid to US residents only. The wedding must take place in 2011. Each couple may enter contest one time only. The location of the wedding doesn’t matter to us, but travel expenses will apply beyond 50 miles of Charlotte, North Carolina. (Heck YES we’ll shoot your destination wedding!!) Winner will be required to sign our Photography Contract and Model Release. Void where prohibited.

Dog Model Call

I need a huge favor from all the American Pit Bull owners out there! I have an editorial client that is looking for some shots of Pit Bulls and the turnaround time for the photo shoot is pretty quickly. Like this weekend! I'd love to pick 1 or 2 special dogs out there that I can photograph in Cornelius, NC on Saturday afternoon. The photo shoot would just be a short little session (approximately 30 minutes) so I can get what my client is looking for. A model release will need to be signed as part of the shoot. In exchange for your time, I would give you a complimentary 11x14 mounted print from the session.

So here are the details:

I'm looking for any color American Pit Bull but he/she must meet the UKC breed standards set forth here:

http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/AmericanPitBullTerrierRevisedNovember12008. The pup must be well behaved and know basic commands (sit, stay, etc). I'd really love to find a Pit Bull that has either been rescued or is currently in a foster home (however, please keep in mind it must be purebred). The photo shoot would take place in Cornelius, NC on Saturday, January 29th around 3:30.

If your dog meets the requirements, please email me at sarah@mcgrawphotography.com with a little information about your Pit Bull along with a picture and your contact information. Feel free to post on my Facebook page as well! Because of the tight turnaround time, please place all submissions by noon on Friday, January 28th. I will contact the selected owners on Friday afternoon to go over all of the details.

Thank you all so much and I look forward to seeing all the gorgeous American Pit Bulls out there!

These are the types of shots I will be trying to get on Saturday...

Are you Ready...

...for something super cool and totally exciting? Then stay tuned! Because February 1st, Nicole (my fellow photog friend) and I are announcing something special...wait for it... ;)

Snow Day!

We have about 5 inches of snow outside the McGraw Photography headquarters. As usual, Eva has been enjoying every minute of it!

2011 Calendars

2011 calendars? Yeah, yeah, I know its already 7 days into 2011. I just love making surprise gifts for my clients!

Eva's First White Christmas

When I found out we were going to New York for Christmas, I was so excited knowing that I would have a pretty good chance of photographing Eva in the snow. Well sure enough, there was snow on the ground...a LOT! Eva is fascinated with the snow and doesn't think twice about jumping in head first and having fun. You could never tell by her actions that it was *literally* 20 degrees out. Now mine on the other hand, you could tell. I had snow gloves on and I looked like a toddler fumbling around with my camera. I kept fogging up the viewfinder, pushing the wrong buttons, and just making a mess of my pictures. I managed to grab a couple keepers and quickly headed back inside by the fireplace where a southern gal like myself belongs! Eva could have stayed out there all day...

Despite the snow, Eva caught her frisbee like a champ.Eva poses with the festive necklace her Grandma bought her.Eva loved running through the corn field..especially with her daddy egging her on!Something catches Eva's eye... And she attacks!The end. Time to go inside!

1-Year Anniversary!

Today is the first day back at work for many people...me included! Over the holidays, I tried my very best to take a relaxing vacation and even went to upstate New York for a couple days over Christmas. Fortunately, we got to be there when my first nephew was born! I kept my emails and phone calls to a minimum and really tried to catch up on some *me* time (I am starting today to get back to all of you that have contacted me). Anyway, this little break was exactly what I needed because as of January 1st, McGraw Photography officially turned 1 year old!!! During my break, I had some time to reflect on the past year. I started 2010 (and my business for that matter) thinking I was only going to shoot architectural work. Fortunately, around March-ish, my mom chimed in and suggested I also add pet photography. Well, after a ton of researching and practicing, I officially added pet photography to my repertoire. I couldn't be happier, and now, it is my main focus.

2010 was a challenging and tough year both emotionally and financially. It was very scary quitting a full-time job in these economic times but I was miserable, unhappy, and I felt creatively stifled. Fortunately, I think I have found my direction and I've been lucky to have had great clients and a great support system to get me through. I have discovered a wonderful network of pet photographers and they have given me inspiration, advice, and the drive to continue what I'm doing. Thank you so much! I am now ready for 2011!

Here is a quick reflection on some of my favorite pet images from 2010. I know a ton of them are missing but my mind is still waking up from vacation mode ;)

Happy 2011 and I can't wait to see what is in store for the second year of McGraw Photography!

Processing - Behind the Scenes

I was in the middle of processing some images and came across and extreme case of before-and-after...you know, Extreme Makeover style. Many clients don't really understand what goes on during post-processing so I thought I would share with you. Many people assume the images look great right out of the camera and all the photographer has to do is download them. Well, unfortunately, that's not the case. While I do strive to perfect my exposure and cropping in-camera, digital images are sometimes kinda greyish-blah and need a little boost. Here is a great example of what my clients are investing in - meticulous retouching of each of the images they receive. This process takes time and experience...something the chain photo studios usually don't have. *WARNING* - Viewer discretion is advised. The following image is not very pleasing to the eye and isn't something I would ever deliver to my client!

This is the image straight out of the camera. Yes, completely embarrassed and naked. Nothing too special but there is definitely potential. The color temperature is too cool for my liking and the contrast needs a good boost. I shoot exclusively in RAW so I can make adjustments as needed.This is the image after editing in Photoshop Camera RAW. I warmed up the color temperature, adjusted the exposure and increased contrast. Much better but it still lacks the pop I'm looking for. Here is the final image after my tweaks in Photoshop. I made several curves adjustments both overall and locally, did some clone work, and adjusted the eyes to make them really shine. Lastly, I sharpened the image. This is the image I saw in my head when I took this shot...

And the final before-and-after!

I hope this has answered some questions about what post-processing is and what all is involved. Let me know if you have any other questions!