How to Look Good in Photos~ Annmarie Young Photography

 It's that time of year again. The office holiday parties, the family gatherings, New Year's Eve parties, etc. All prime opportunities for highly unflattering photos that will, let's face it, end up on Facebook and haunt you forever. 


But there is hope! Armed with my photo tips below, I promise you that this holiday season can be one where you say, "Damn, I look good in those photos!"

Tips for Better Photos 

•  Relax. Have you ever noticed that some of the most photogenic people are not necessarily the most gorgeous? It's because they enjoy getting their photos taken and they know how to project a relaxed presence in front of the camera. Even if you have to fake it, a relaxed face will photograph much better than a tense one.   

• Pay attention to lighting. Avoid overhead lighting like the plague. This means office lighting, high noon lighting, or bad nightclub lighting. Taking a photo in any of these lighting situations without flash is a sure fire recipe to look ghoulish because your eyes will become hollowed out and your skin will take on whatever cast the lights are giving out (yellow, blue, etc.) The remedy is easy. Make sure the photographer turns on her flash. The flash will fill in the shadows and will correct any hideous blue or yellow tint of bad lighting. 

• Want to look thinner? Always stand at an angle to the camera. Never, ever, ever stand straight towards the camera unless you are really thin and want to look bigger. Ideally, you want to stand slightly sideways and put your weight on your back foot. This will kick your hip out in front and you will look thinner and curvier. As a final touch, put you hand on your hip to make your arms look thinner and more toned. Don't believe me? Pick up any gossip mag and look at every celebrity on the red carpet. They all do it. In fact, they actually pay people to teach them this. Crazy.

• Afraid of a double chin? Never let a photographer shoot you below eye level. In fact, if you can swing it, have the photographer stand while you sit. Shooting from above is a universally flattering angle for just about everyone. If your photographer tries to get fancy and crouches down on the ground to shoot you, you have my permission to take his camera and sell it on Ebay. 

• Want to look like you like the people you are being photographed with when you really don't? Simply tilt your head slightly towards them. The bonus of this technique? If you really do like the people you are being photographed with, it will show in the photos.

• Clothing Tips: For women, long sleeves are always the way to go in photos unless you are a gym rat or an Olympic athlete. If you do wear short sleeves, just be sure that your arms are not squished next to your body for a photo. Try to putting your hand in your pocket or on your hip.  Turtlenecks will shorten a torso, V-necks will lengthen you. For men and women: Dark colors make you look thinner. Light colors make you look bigger in photos. 

• Avoid big smiles. This sounds counter intuitive, I know. But smiling really big can make your eyes disappear and can exaggerate a double chin. Even if you are having a blast, take a sec to just dial down the smile when someone snaps your photo.

• Special Tip for Men: Okay ladies, we all know the type. The adorable men in our life who refuse to smile in photos. This drives me crazy. I'm no expert on men, but I think they think that they look manly if they don't smile. I tell my husband, and yes, even my clients this: If you want to look like a serial killer in photos, then don't smile. If you want to look attractive, warm and open and that you like the people you are standing next to, then try to smile. Please. The women in your life will love you for it, I promise.   :)

Thanks for checking out my tips! If you are in the market for a professional photographer, check out my website at www.annmarieyoungphoto.com , or contact me for a free consultation.


Best Regards,
Annmarie Young

Interview with a Personal Chef~Photos by Annmarie Young Photography

 The Flavorful Fork

An Interview with Fran Davis, Owner & Chef of The Flavorful Fork Personal Chef Service

Photos: Annmarie Young Photography 

Have you ever dreamed of having a personal chef? Of course you have, don't be silly. It's right up there with wishing you had a personal assistant, housekeeper, private jet, hair and makeup team and driver. Thanks to a recent photo shoot with Fran Davis of The Flavorful Fork Personal Chef Service, I learned that hiring a private chef, unlike the rest of those daydreams, can actually be an affordable service to consider.

The Flavorful Fork is a personal chef service based in South jersey.  While working with Fran I just fell in love with her "healthy gourmet" approach to cooking.  It hit me while editing her shots that I get to meet all of these interesting people through my work as a photographer. Why not start interviewing them for my humble blog? 

I hope you find our little Q&A interesting. Fran was a fabulous interview subject and I think her photos turned out great.

How did you get started as a personal chef?

I have always had a love for good food and really enjoy entertaining. Having worked in the Information Technology field for over 15 years, I was looking for a change. After experiencing my third layoff in under 7 years due to downsizing, outsourcing and restructuring, I had enough and decided it was time to make my move. So the very next week I began the process of getting my personal chef certification from the United States Personal Chef Association. I started up my business in September of 2010 and have been so thankful that I have been able to turn a passion of mine into a viable business.

Do you have a signature dish?

All of the dishes I enjoy making and eating I like to call "healthy gourmet". I like to flavor foods with citrus, fresh herbs, capers, garlic. Things that are rich in flavor but not necessarily in calories. One of the dishes that people always rave about is my Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail. I love to serve it in a martini glass with some crunchy plantain chips and the combination of cucumbers, jicama, avocado, cilantro, and citrus are just delicious.

Who can hire a personal chef?

People have a misconception that personal chefs are for the rich and famous, but honestly, if you are a person that is just too busy to cook, eating out too often, or need help with creating healthier meals, a personal chef can be a lifesaver. You can have a personal chef provide all your meals for the week or have them supplement your own meals with a some of theirs to help ease the burden during the month. Personal chefs also make great gifts! A week of meals for a new mom or someone recovering from surgery or a romantic dinner for two for a birthday or anniversary make unique and welcome gifts.

As a vegetarian, one of my favorite posts on your blog is the one about grass fed beef. I am a vegetarian because I love animals, but I know that not everyone is cut out to be vegetarian. For this reason, I love articles like the one you posted. If you are not interested in vegetarianism I think it's cool to at least be conscious of where your meat comes from. What are your thoughts on the subject?
 
I agree. The blog post you are referring to is part of a series of posts about making small, manageable changes in your diet. I firmly believe that to move towards a healthier lifestyle you need to do it incrementally. If you are currently a real meat eater, moving to grass-fed beef for one month and incorporating that into your budget can be a first step. Grass-fed beef is leaner and better for you, the animal and the environment. You might decide the following month to try out Meatless Mondays to reduce the amount of meat in your diet. By slowly reducing the amount of meat you are eating each month, you may find that you enjoy the way it makes you look and feel and that you don't really miss meat that much at all.  While I am not vegetarian today (I used to be before getting pregnant which made me lust after spicy taco salads), I do try to limit my red meat consumption to once per week and to have one or two vegetarian meals per week. It is a goal of mine this year to try out more vegan recipes and get my carnivorous daughter to replace much of her hamburgers and hot dogs for vegetables. Wish me luck!


I love photography and I love food. Naturally then, I'm totally into food photography. Do you ever geek-out to food photos in magazines like I do?
 
First of all, I love YOUR photography. You can come photograph my food any day! Yup, I love looking through food magazines. In fact, you may often find me sitting in Barnes and Noble sipping some coffee and pouring over a pile of them. I also really have an obsession with organizing magazines. Pictures of perfectly organized kitchen cupboards and pantries make me happy happy!
 

How are you different from other personal chefs out there?

I like to focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, organic if possible, and create meals that are flavorful yet healthy. I want to show people that food that tastes great can be great for you. I also am very concerned about the rate of obesity and diabetes amongst our children and want to do what I can through my blog, community involvement and cooking classes to provide parents and kids the skills and incentive to get back around the dinner table again eating good quality meals.
 
Since I've been known to dump many a failed recipe in the garbage, I have to ask; have you ever messed up a meal at home?
 
Hasn't everybody?


I'm vegetarian. My husband is not. What kind of romantic meal would you whip up for us if I hired you?
 
Hmmm, vegetarian, not vegan, yes? Then I would suggest for the first course we start with a a mixed green salad with dried cranberries and toasted hazelnuts with a cranberry orange dressing. For the second course, a creamy butternut squash risotto. And for the main course a satisfying dish of stuffed portabello mushrooms with sun-dried tomatoes, fennel and mushrooms topped with shaved Parmesan. Then we would end the meal with a some tiramisu parfaits. Sound good? (Yes!!)

What is your greatest achievement as a personal chef?
 
If I am making the lives of my clients less stressful and more healthful, I am very satisfied. It is always rewarding to hear how much they have enjoyed the meals I have prepared. And if I can get my own 6 year old to give me a thumbs up on dinner, I am thrilled! :)

If you could have just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

All the Thanksgiving fixings- stuffing with sausage, cranberries and apples, roasted butternut squash, glazed or roasted Brussels sprouts, pumpkin pie. Eating this meal day after day would most likely make the rest of my life considerably shorter and my waistband considerably larger but very happy indeed! Oh, and yes, I still love spicy taco salads with mango and avocado slices.

A very special thanks to Fran Davis for a great interview!

 For More Information:

Phone:         609.304.5295

Email:          cheffran@flavorfulfork.com
Blog:      www.flavorfulfork.com/blog
Facebook:    www.facebook.com/flavorfulfork

Thinking of updating your business image? Sick of that old stodgy headshot you've been using? Annmarie Young Photography specializes in classic modern head shots.  Contact us today for a free consultation!

www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Annmarieyoung@msn.com

Rangefinder Magazine's "Seeing the Light" Contest 2011

Hey Ya'll! It's contest time again! My husband and I just got back from Italy, and much to my surprise while editing some of the photos I took, I found this nice shot. It was taken at St. Peter's Cathedral, Vatican City Italy. You know, the Pope's stomping grounds.  I had no idea if it turned out or not until I got it on the computer. The basilica was so crowded with tourists when I shot this image that I'm surprised I got it. I entered it into Rangefinder Magazine's "Seeing the Light" contest. Wish me luck!

St. Peter's Cathedral
Vatican City, Italy
November 12, 2011

 

Help me win the People's Choice part of the contest! Please vote for my photo!

 http://www.seeingthelightcontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=2004300046

Thanks,

Annmarie Young

Annmarie Young is a professional photographer specializing in Children's portraits, family portraits, executive headshots, weddings and events.  Website: www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Brotherly Love~Twin Photography (South Jersey Children's Portrait Photographer)

There is nothing more fun (or terrifying for a photographer) than photographing twins! These two beautiful little boys were so good for their first photo session! They just snoozed and smiled and looked adorable for our whole session. If their gorgeous big brother is any indication, I think these two little guys won't be hurting in the hair department! Such beautiful boys. 

Annmarie Young is a portrait photographer based in South Jersey. She specializes in kids, pets, weddings, portraits and events. For more information, please visit www.annmarieyoungphoto.com . 

Northern Liberties PA-- Photography Portrait Session~

I'm a Jersey Girl, born and bred-- but I fancy myself a Philly hipster once in a while too. Well, not so much these days, but when I was younger I loved going to the city to see all of the latest art, music and indie movies at The Bourse. When I was in college at Rutgers-Camden as an art student my friends and I used to love to grab our cameras go on city photo safaris!

One section of Philly I'd always heard about but never visited was the Northern Liberties area. I'd heard lately that it was the go-to spot for photographers looking for some artsy urban backdrops. So I grabbed my husband one night and promised him beer if he'd help me do some photo location scouting. Instead of the proverbial carrot on a stick, I motivate with beer. Of course the scouting of locations lasted about ten minutes and the rest of the night we spent eating & drinking at some area hot spots until we'd spent a small fortune. We left broke, but full of wine, beer and tapas! Bar Ferdinand, we think we love you!

My first shoot in Norther Liberties was  a few days later with a totally cool & lovely young lady who wanted some professional portraits for an acting portfolio. We wandered around and had a lot of fun finding great spots to shoot. We found cool murals & tons of grungy and colorful backdrops.  She did a fantastic job as a model! Here are some of my faves from the shoot:

For more info, please drop by my website www.annmarieyoungphoto.com
or visit me on Facebook to say hello!  http://www.facebook.com/AnnmarieYoungPhotography

"Baby Virtuoso"~ Annmarie Young Photography

Baby Playing Piano, a photo by AnnmarieYoung Photography on Flickr.

Hey Friends,

Can you do a gal a favor?

I just entered Rangefinder Magazine's "Your Best Shot" contest where among other things, you can win the cover spot on a future issue of the magazine.

Needless to say, this would be way cool.

There is also a "People's Choice" award for the most popular image.

If you click the link below, you can cast your vote. You just need to log in with your email address for verification purposes, but to the best of my knowledge they don't spam you afterwards. Rangefinder is cool like that. Just click the link below to vote! Thanks for your support!

http://www.yourbestshotcompetition.com/bin/Rate?image_id=2002500117

Thank you!  

Annmarie

Fun with Flypaper~Annmarie Young Photography

So I hear I'm hard to shop for.  For this reason, I took the liberty of emailing my husband a link to the Flypaper Texture Website . Thoroughly confused as to why I wanted flypaper for a gift, but most likely quite happy it wasn't a Tiffany's link, he purchased a set of Fly Edges for me for my impending birthday.

Flypaper Textures are cool grungy-vintage, and sometimes painterly texture overlays that you can use on your photos or artwork. I'm having a blast playing with mine. Drop by tomorrow for more!

vintage kitchen

 

seaside heights, nj

 

Rangefinder 2011 Best Friends Photo Contest~ Rocky Wins!

This month the winners of the 2011 Rangefinder Magazine Best Friends Photo Contest were announced. I was completely shocked to find out that one of my photos won 1st Place in the Animal Humor category for a photo of my pal Rocky the pug. Rangefinder is only one of my favorite magazines in the whole wide world (it's a magazine geared towards professional photographers) so needless to say, I'm in heaven! I'm so thrilled to be included among such talented photographers! By the way, Rocky declined to be interviewed for this blog post. He was too busy auditioning modeling agents.

 http://www.bestfriendsphotocontest.com/gallery/gallery_winners_2011.shtml

Atlantic City Model Photography~ The Pier at Caesar's ~ Allante'

You know what's nice about shooting adults vs. shooting kids? Generally, adults don't run away from you or cry! I love photographing the kiddos but it was a lot of fun to do a model shoot to change things up.  Allante' is an actor/model who needed a few new photos for his portfolio. I was thrilled that he asked me to do the honors. We had a great location around and under The Pier at Caesar's in Atlantic City, great weather, and even Mike Tyson made a cameo appearance on the boardwalk that morning. Atlantic City is crazy like that. :)

Annmarie Young is a portrait photographer serving the Greater Philadelphia area. 


For more information about services please visit www.annmarieyoungphoto.com or stop by Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AnnmarieYoungPhotography

Annmarie Young Photo is a proud affiliate of Tiny Prints.

Share a Shoot Photo Special! South Jersey Photography

P.S. You don't have to limit the session to just kids! Grab your husband, pets, or just do a 
special photo session for yourself if you are into online dating. You can even redo your
professional head shot to start the fall business season with a fresh modern look. The possibilities are endless.


www.annmarieyoungphoto.com
annmarieyoung@msn.com

A Pixie in the Park! Children's Portrait Photography South Jersey

This little pixie reminds me of a tiny Jean Seberg (the famous actress and style icon). Every outfit we put on her looked perfect, and I loved following her around as she checked out the park. With that pretty little face and a beautiful morning to shoot, we got some really nice shots. Here are a few of my favorites!

www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Special Delivery! Meet the Lovely Miss Olivia~South Jersey Children's Portrait Session

Everyone, meet the lovely Miss Olivia! This little knockout was just a little doll during our whole shoot. She got a little impatient with my flash and at one point her little brow furrowed and the tiny fists were flying, but after a snack and some cuddling by mom, dad, and big brother, she finally snoozed so we could get some pretty shots. Look at that sweet little face. :) Just beautiful.

Annmarie Young Photography: Chains vs. Custom Portrait Photography Sessions~Th...

Annmarie Young Photography: Chains vs. Custom Portrait Photography Sessions~Th...: "I hear this all of the time: 'What's the difference between you and Sears as far as photography? How come at Sears I get five thousand pho..."

Chains vs. Custom Portrait Photography Sessions~The Difference

I hear this all of the time: "What's the difference between you and Sears as far as photography? How come at Sears I get five thousand photos for a dollar (I'm exaggerating) and your 8x10's are $30 each?"

To be fair, I never hear this from actual clients, but I sometimes hear it from someone who is considering custom photography but isn't sure yet if it's worth the investment. I understand being concerned about money, I really do. Times are hard. But it would be a mistake to equate quantity with quality.

I'm here to tell you that the difference between a chain photo studio and what I do comes down to this:  Families who choose a professional custom photography session want a truly personalized, creative photo session that will really capture the personality of their child and produce beautiful, high quality portraits.


Not to knock chain studios, but they aren't in business to create high quality results or to give you personalized service. Walmart, Sears or Babies R' Us photo studios exist just to get you in the store with the hope that you will buy more stuff. It's really that simple. Not to say that a chain studio photographer doesn't care how your photos turn out, but it's just a business fact that churning out high quality photography is not why they are there. Chain studios in department stores were created to get you in the store with the hope that maybe you'll buy some kid's clothing, or a Sears TV, lawnmower, etc. after your session. This is what's called a "Loss Leader" sales technique. 


DEFINITION: Loss Lead describes the concept that an item or service that is offered for sale at a reduced price and is intended to lead to the subsequent sale of other items, the sales of which will be made in greater numbers, or greater profits, or both. It is offered at a price below its minimum profit margin—not necessarily below cost. 

Here's another little factoid for you: Did you know that sales experience is more important than photography experience when it comes to being hired as a photographer at a big chain studio? Their "photographers'" are trained to be salespeople first, photographers second. A lot of places don't even require any photography experience at all to be hired in their studios.


But hey, as I've said before, I don't really mean to knock chain studios because I truly think that they serve a purpose. If you just want to document a holiday, a birthday that's not one of the big milestones, etc. and you don't have a lot of disposable income, then why not take a trip to Walmart? I get it. Money doesn't grow on trees. As far as comparing the two, though it's apples and oranges. One is not better than the other, they are just two different approaches to photography.


If you truly want to capture important moments in your child's life and development, and personalized service and quality is important to you,  nothing beats custom photography. 

• When you hire me, you will get a lot more than a rushed 15 minute session where you just "get what we get" even if your child is in a bad mood. 
• You will receive highly customized service, beginning the moment you contact me to set up a session and ending when I deliver your photos. Even better, I feel like I become "part of the family" to my photo clients. I love it when a past client checks in to say hi or to update me on their children.
• To start, we'll talk about the best ways to photograph your child and what your goal is as far as a final product.  We'll work around nap-time, snack time, etc. to figure out the best time to work.  
• When I arrive, I know in advance that photographing children takes a lot of time if it's to be done right. I generally spend on average two hours with a client when I work. If we need to take a break if your child is getting overwhelmed, we take a break. No biggie.

• When our shoot is over, I personally edit and retouch the best photos from our session. This is not a quick process to any photographer who takes seriously the task of preserving important moments from a child's life. I carefully edit and retouch the best photos from your session to ensure that you will be happy with the results. I'd say I spend a good three hours editing, retouching and archiving each clients photographs. Also, I'll never threaten you about destroying your files if you don't order. As long as I'm in business, I'll keep your files archived.

From beginning to end, custom photography is a highly personal, creative service. It's not for everyone, but it's priceless to those who understand it's value.

If you are considering a custom photo session for your child, shoot me an email and let's chat. Even if you invest in only one custom photo session a year, why not round out your child's photo history with some truly unique professional photos? I can't offer you ten thousand wallets for $5 but I can offer you a truly unique custom photography experience that will net some truly special photos that you can't get anywhere else. :)

Annmarie Young Photography

www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Email: Annmarieyoung@msn.com 

Recent Children's Portrait Session in South Jersey~Strawbridge Park

You know how you can tell when a kid is cooler than you are? When he's two years old and his favorite song is Cee Lo Green's "Forget You"! Add to that fact that he looks like a pint sized movie star in the adorable little hat he wore for our shoot, you know he's gonna be quite popular with the ladies when he gets to preschool. Once again, a nearby park was a great location to capture some perfect summer moments. Thanks to his mom and dad for a fun shoot!

Don't let another summer pass without creating beautiful photo memories that you will treasure forever! Schedule your session today! www.annmarieyoungphoto.com