Sierra Springs Photo Blog bio picture

Who's in charge around here, anyway?

My name is Karen Schmautz and I live in beautiful El Dorado County of Northern California.  I am a photographer specializing in weddings, portraits and events. 

Happy Thanksgiving

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to you and yours…

We’re heading out to Plymouth (California not Mass) to celebrate with over 100 relatives at an old one-room school house.  What a treat.

More portfolio fun

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Since my portfolio is due tomorrow, I’m trying to finish up the pieces I want to present.  I finished the one above today and I’m pretty happy with it, so I will probably include it. I am still deciding about the next one.  I like it, but I’m not crazy about it.

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I think this might make a good advertisement, but it’s not really portrait art, which is what my project for my portfolio is all about.

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This is my cover page.

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And I will probably include this one.  I don’t want to do too many because the more I turn in the more chances I have to screw up and get a bad grade.  Sigh.

At any rate, it was fun doing all these fun techniques and I learned a bunch about photoshop.

Wish me luck.

Some fantasy photoshop work

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CD cover

I’ve been taking an advanced Photoshop class at the local college.  It is taught by a Sacramento Wedding/portrait photographer and I have learned so much.  The class has also sparked interest in learning to do more with the photos that I take.

Here’s a couple of examples:

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Movie Poster

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Ipod image

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Fantasy image (the young man and yoyo are real, but everything else is fantasy)

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Poster or info card

Use the light, Luke

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You just can’t take a bad photo when you make good use of window light…especially windows that are huge and grimy like those at Preston Castle. Here’s Brittany with a beautiful Renaissance outfit on. Just look at the light on her face, will ya?  Good, huh?  Here’s another:

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Now this gal has got so much good stuff going on.  She’s got that wonderful red hair which complements the fur coat.  Her blue, blue eyes are knock out beautiful and she’s wearing red lipstick.  I placed her in front of a huge, dirty north facing window (best light) and just snapped away.  The only bad photos I had of her were operator error on my part.

Here’s a young man, senior in high school.

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I prefer using a north facing window, but in this shot  put him in front of a large, filthy south facing window and I got away with it because the sky was totally overcast at the time providing a nice soft light.  Look at the way the window lights up his eyes.  I love that he was wearing a tie and a nice vest.  So classy.

One more window light…

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Now, what’s not to like about this gorgeous gal. She’s standing directly in front of my big, huge, filthy, north-facing window.  I just love this photo. Her eyes are just knock-out.  The light on her face is soft and attractive.  Pretty much anyone would look good in this light, but she is a true beauty.

I keep telling my husband that the reason I don’t do windows is because they make better light for photographers when they are dirty.  He’s not buying it.

Happy Birthday and Happy Halloween

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Where was I 19 years ago today?   Oh yeah, I remember.  I was in the hospital giving birth to my darling daughter.  I don’t think she’s changed much from the darling little girl, to the beautiful young woman she is today.  She’s still goofy, fun, stubborn (she gets that from me) and fiercely independent.  She’s also a wonderful sister to two brothers and a loving daughter.

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When she was growing up we used to take her to Halloween festivals on Halloween.  Consequently she grew up thinking that everyone celebrated her birthday by dressing up and handing out candy.  Heh.

Happy Birthday, darlin’.

So, where’s the scary photo?  Okay.  Here’s one I took of Preston Castle last year.  I dolled it up a little to make it look a little spookier.preston nightmoonlight2

Happy Halloween.