Walsh Photographic Design Blog

What do I do now...my card is full!

Digital cameras...instant gratification...really convenient! True! But remember...your images are only temporarily stored in your camera. Be sure to back them up! Here are a few thoughts...

1. At least once a month, copy your camera card to a cd. It's easy and only takes a few minutes. Mark the cd and file it in a safe place. If you have time, print out an index sheet that shows you what images are on the cd.

2. Ok...you're really busy. No time to do the backup cd and index. Then take your memory card to your favorite retail photo department and have them create a cd & index for you. It's fast, inexpensive and the best way to make sure your awesome images don't vanish into etherspace!

3. While you're at the store...buy an extra memory card. Memory cards have gotten really inexpensive. You can easily rotate cards from camera to store without missing a beat. You won't regret it.

4. Create a photo libary on your computer! Copy your images into your favorite photo program. Archive, sort, rename, create albums, even print photo books. These programs are simple and fast. We are big Apple users and recommend iPhoto for casual users. There are great programs on the PC too! Like so many things, the important thing is to just get started.

5. BTW, never trust your images exclusively to the computer...computers can and do crash! Always keep a cd backup in a safe place...just in case!

Get the camera out of the closet!

Ok...this one seems obvious. Keep your camera handy! Put the camera on the kitchen counter or (if you're careful) in the car. Have it with you when you go fun places. Keep a spare battery nearby. Those great images you see are often just a matter of having the camera ready.

Photography Tip #3

Outdoor Photography in the Snow!
Ok, its finally starting to snow. Break out your skis and snowshoes and get outside. (Sherry, I promise to follow my own advice).

Winter is a great time to take a camera outside and capture images of your family, friends or just the incredible scenery. Many folks are very disappointed with snow photographs. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Get close to your subject. If you let the snow dominate your scene you will likely need to adjust your exposure. See tip #2.

2. If you want to show lots of snow adjust your camera to overexpose the image by about 1 to 1 1/2 stops, depending on how bright it is outside. Meters in cameras are calibrated to give a good exposure to a scene of average brightness. If you are out on sunlit snow the overall brightness will trick your camera into underexposure. The result will be a dark scene and grey snow! Yuk.

3. If you are using a modern point and shoot digital camera, see if it has a snow scene setting. Many do. This will attempt to make the exposure correction for you.

Good shooting! If you have a comment or question, please post it here!

A Terrific Weekend!

We had a great Thanksgiving holiday. As I mentioned earlier, Kevin came home from college for 4 days. It was fantastic having him here...and of course lots of his friends came calling. Tyler Bethke came home from Pepperdine, Andrew Guilliano from University of San Diego and Daniel Modrovsky from the University of Colorado. There were lots of other friends too! What a great group.

Daniel Modrovsky's weekend was extra special. Daniel (PCHS '07 football and hockey) plays on the University of Colorado football team. With their win over Nebraska, the Buffs will likely go to a bowl game! Congratulations Dan.

What Are You Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for!

More than anything else...I am thankful for my family. I love them both so much.
Our Thanksgiving is very special this year. Kevin is home from the University of Richmond. We haven't seen him in 3 months. It is fantastic to have him home! Can't wait for the Christmas holiday.

Come on, don't be afraid to leave a comment!

The East Family

The East's called us from their home in Arizona. We picked a great date at the peak of Fall Foliage.We sure didn't expect an early season blizzard! In spite of the challenging weather the East's stuck with us...the weather improved...and we had an awesome session.

Holiday Travel

I travel....a lot!!! I thought I would share some observations with you. Perhaps I can save you some time or some trouble and make your holiday trip a bit easier. Many of you are frequent travelers. Much of this will seem routine. If you don't travel frequently, read on. If you have a tip to add, please comment!

Today I am in Chicago. Leaving for Shanghai, China in the morning. The airports are packed! Arrive Early!

Salt Lake Airport is geared up for the holidays. There were lots of extra security screeners working today. Nonetheless, you need to allow extra time. There are lots of folks traveling and many of them are not frequent fliers. Lots of parents with children. Today I had 4 elderly wheelchair travelers in line in front of me.

Watch the liquids in your carry-on baggage. All liquids in your carry-ons must be in 3 oz. or smaller containers. These containers must be placed in a 1 quart ziplock bag. This bag must be removed from your bag for x-ray. Laptops must be removed from baggage and coats and jackets must be removed. If you are checking luggage, put everything you can afford to be without in the checked bags. www.tsa.gov

Be patient and kind. Imagine doing security screening 8 hours a day. It's a demanding, thankless job. A smile and a kind word are "priceless" and much appreciated.

Austere times in the airline business have left ticket agents and gate agents working alone where there used to be 2 or 3 agents working. If you have a special request try to handle it before you get to the airport! If that won't work, try to get to the gate early to make any special requests. Check in online. If you don't have bags to check that will save you lots of time. If you have to check bags, use the kiosks at the check in counter. These really can save you time.

Use your cell phone to keep abreast of flight schedule changes and delays. Every airline now offers cell phone notification of delays and schedule changes. Many of the internet travel services like www.expedia.com, orbitz.com and travelocity.com do too! Most airlines have mini-website for use with web-enabled phones. You can use web-enabled phones to check schedules and much more. I use this service on every trip.

Halsey Family

We had a great time with the Halsey's. What a neat family. The boys had a lot of fun climbing trees and checking out the cool stuff around the stream. The Halsey's loved their images. Here are just a few of their favorites.

Roon Family

Here is a great shot of the Roon Family. The Roon's moved to Park City last year from Atherton, CA.

Marsha and Chris have twin sons, Wes and Matt. Wes attends the University of Vermont (nearby his favorite ski haunt - Tuckerman's Ravine). Matt attends Santa Clara. Chris, Matt and Wes love to ski. In fact, the boys spent much of the summer hiking the highest peaks "flagging" their favorite backcountry ski runs. Matt is currently studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. Boy...I want to go back to college!

Shelby, the world's most loved dog, is a wonderful flat coated retreiver. She loves her daily walks with in Round Valley with Pico and Sunny.

This image was enhanced by Sherry, our extraordinary artist. It is printed on watercolor paper and is displayed in the Room's Living Room.

Complimentary Missionary Portraits

Many of our clients have sons and daughters who will be leaving soon on missions. Why not have a great portrait taken before they leave?

We are pleased to offer a complimentary session and portrait to anyone who is about to leave on their mission. The portrait provided is appropriately sized for use in newspaper or church announcements.

If you would like to add additional "non-missionary" looks to your portrait session just let us know. For just $49 you will receive a complete studio or outdoor portrait session, including different outfits and looks. An $85 value.

Additional portraits may be ordered at regular portrait prices.

Please call the studio at 435.649.4523 to schedule your appointment. All sessions are by appointment only. No drop-ins or rush service are available with this special complimentary offer. Please allow 4 weeks for delivery.