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tammy is a dork


There’s Something Interesting About a World View | Rochester NY Wedding and Portrait Photographer

January 26, 2010

I realized…when I thought about doing a “year in review” post (that would be 2009 peeps.  I might be a wee bit behind.  lol) that when brides meet with me I show them wedding images…and when families meet with me I show them family images…and when seniors meet with me…I show them senior images…

very rarely do I mix and cross over these groups with each other.  So…since I thought it might be interesting to push everyone into one slideshow (read:  laaazzzyy ::laughing::) — so that there’s a record of 2009 visually all together in one place.  It’s pretty cool.

Some images you’ve seen…some you haven’t.  And no, this isn’t EVERYONE who I worked with this year — that slideshow would be about 4000 hours long (not really — but I wanted to fit it into one song – -so this is my best shot)…so I pulled images that appealed to me TODAY.  If I worked on a slideshow tomorrow — it would be completely different.  So…gather what you want about my mood today — here is 2009 in 4 minutes.  Put your seatbelt on please.


Click on the image.  Ra ra ah ah ah….

193-seniorrepcover1 copy 3


3 Comments

Kerry Cannan
1.26.2010

Amazing.. I am truly in awe of your work! Wow! What life would be like if I could see the world the way you do thru your lens! You rock! –Kerry–

debbie
2.04.2010

Since this was the year I “found” you. It was a great collection of images, most that just made me smile. Fun music too!

hey congrats saw you mentioned in an article a few times in amerian photo

 
 

 

Trusting Your Wedding Photographer or I Stole a Wedding Dress (Not Really) | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

November 18, 2009

There are a couple of things to think about embedded in this series of images…can you guess what they are?


dressweb Trusting Your Wedding Photographer or I Stole a Wedding Dress (Not Really) |  Rochester NY Wedding Photographer


First — trust is important.  You should like and TRUST your photographer with your wedding day.  I was thinking about this while I was editing Shailer’s dress images.  See…I stole this dress.  Maybe not “stole”… that is a harsh word…but “borrowed” may be more like it.  And I took it outside.  (I told them I was taking it outside in my own defense.  ::laughing::)  Now.  Outside has A LOT of different interpretations…it could mean…oh…just out on the porch…or it could mean…”I’m going to hang it from that tree”…or…it could mean “do you think they are looking?” and a mad dash across the street carefully carrying the dress to the absolutely GORGEOUS field down the road.

Trust.  There should be no doubt about what your photographer wants to do — because you are paying them to BE your eyes…you hire them for their viewpoint.  And creativity.  And technical skills.  And experience.  But this is not about those things (lalala).  This is about pushing your comfort level to be able to believe that your photographer gets you….gets what you are about…what you like…how you feel….and is still able to delight you and surprise you.

Sometimes being a photographer is HARD!  ::laughing::

So back to the mad dash across the street.  Yes.  I am careful.  SUPER careful.  But here’s how I think:   if you don’t take a few risks…push a few boundaries…you miss opportunities to have images that NO ONE ELSE has.  I always think…your wedding is unique.  It is about YOU.  Why do you want the same images everyone else has?  Shouldn’t it be as unique as you are?  Do I sound like a commercial?  ::laughing::  I don’t mean to.  I really think about these things.  I sit in front of the computer for a gazillion hours…and it gives one LOTS of time to think.

So.  Just so you know…I confessed to Shailer  immediately after her dress had it’s own private adventure.  She laughed in the amazing way she has and just told me she trusted me.  And that my loyal blog reader (hi mom again) THAT is what it is all about.

Thanks S.


7 Comments

jess
11.18.2009

I’d trust you to steal my dress ;) These are awesome, T!

Bill Gellerman
11.18.2009

Awesome, and extraordinarily written!

Marina
11.18.2009

HAHA! I love that you did this. I feel the same way and usually jokingly tell my brides, “I’m gonna steal your dress now!”. :)
Love the detail shot of the bodice and the not so subliminal message posted. :)

Your Name
11.18.2009

TS synonymous with trust:)

alice
11.18.2009

Love your story around these fun photos. Risk taking (with care, as you mentioned) almost always pays off! Thanks for sharing!

Diane Phillips
11.19.2009

OMG, LMBO! What a great post. So true. Granted, my photographers didn’t run off with my dress, but to your point, trust your photographer! Love the photos!

elizabeth pellette
12.15.2009

Love these shots Tammy and I wanted to wish you a Very Happy Holiday Season

 
 

 

Rock and Roll Tam. | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

July 31, 2009

Recap.

Busy.

Twins.

Nutritionist.

Dogs.

Weddings.

Seniors.

Maternity.

Engagement. Wait. no. no engagement shoot this week. ::laughing:: I must be delirious!

These are seriously fun to put together. You should see me in front of the computer peering at all of my images from the week. It occurred to me that it might be good for you to understand my workflow (right? cuz you’ve been laying awake at night thinking…I wonder…what Tammy’s workflow is…yeah. I know.)

When I photograph a person…or a wedding…or a dog…I have to immediately go home and look at the images. Sometimes I get so excited about images that I want to leave the shoot and go home and immediately start working on them! Just kidding (sort of). ::laughing:: I always give my clients a sneak peek. Digital has made us all immediate gratification junkies. I see everyone (me too) peering at the images on the back of your cameras — I so get that. So I edit up one or two images and post them. Usually on my facebook first…or email (if it’s boudoir, obviously) if the client prefers that instead…or doesn’t…have…a…facebook…account. Did I just say that outloud?That doesn’t really happen, right?

So. Sneak peek done — my lovely and efficient assistant Jess contacts the client and puts them on the calendar for their proofing appointment. Yep. I do it all in person. Because I like to SEE you react to your images. It means a lot to me — so I make this a priority. So my point being — that I work on images twice — first time is the sneak peek — second time is in preparation for the client seeing the images — so sometimes you’ll recognize a person (or dog or wedding) you saw two weeks ago. Sometimes I pull out old images and work on them just for the fun of it. Those might show up too. I just can’t promise that all my stuff is chronological. It’s more “tammylogical” which makes way less sense but is much more fun. (at least…in MY opinion. ::grin::)


But first…lest you think ALL my work is perfect (because it’s so easy to show only the GOOD stuff) here’s a moment that I LOVE actually, from my session with one year old twins — (happy birthday AJ and Sophie!)…this makes me laugh every time I see it: twinsneak Rock and Roll Tam.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer


haha  — funny right?  I love everyone’s mouths in this image.  I should add speech bubbles!

Here’s the pretty stuff:

uptoweek3 Rock and Roll Tam.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

uptoweek3.1 Rock and Roll Tam.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

2 Comments

Beth
7.31.2009

YES add speech bubbles! haha! You are so amusing Tammy! :)

monique
8.07.2009

oh my heck! so funny! Love this post Tammy!

 
 

 

OMG. SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

June 30, 2009

HOW long has it been since I’ve blogged?  Yeah.  That long.

So…I reached an interesting point where I got so busy that I um…ahem…got a little behind.  And I looked long and hard at where I wanted to be compared to where I was and decided I needed to make some radical changes in the tammyswales.com world.

I needed help.  Serious help.  (Now…those of you who are my FRIENDS can stop laughing and saying “we’ve been telling you that for YEARS Tam” — not THAT kind of help.  ::laughing::)

So.  I created a “help wanted” ad.  And I heard from some AMAZING people who would have been awesome additions to the Tammy Swales brand.  (I love being a brand…it sounds so…cool.)  But once I received Jessica’s letter and resume — really — there was no other choice.  She was made for me.  She….completes me.  ::grin::

So — Jess is my new addition to Tammy Swales Photography and if you are contacting me about photographing you or your wedding or your child or your dog or your fiance or your mother  — you will likely be contacted by a very cheery, sunshiney person who has all the answers, is very organized and basically keeps me on task when I show signs of being distracted.

An upside and maybe..possibly a downside of working for a photographer is that it is almost an OBLIGATION to be photographed.  Repeatedly.  In different scenarios and settings.  I mean…I think I have to add it into the job description.  “Must be guinea pig for any and all photographic ideas for Tammy Swales”.

Today — Jess got her first taste of that.  I wanted some Kick Butt pics of her to announce how cool I think it is that she’s working with me.  And somehow…her boyfriend wandered into some of the images…which possibly means I have to expand the job description to include all relatives of said employee as well.  ::grin::  Of course I am just kidding.

We have a lot to do and a lot to share, Jess and I — so stay tuned — I have been SUPER BUSY and the images — OMG the images are AMAZING.

Without further ado — meet Jess.  She can be reached directly at Jess@tammyswales.com — and I’m sure you will adore working with her as much as I do.

jess1 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

jess3 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

And here’s the part where John jumps in…how can I resist these two?  Cuteness personified?  Seriously?

jess5 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

jess4 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

jess7 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

jess6 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

(Hey.  How’d that jumping shot get in here?!)

Then I asked Jess to demonstrate how working for me “looked”.  I think she’s going to fit right in around here.

jess2 OMG.  SRSLY? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer



7 Comments

Lisa Frey
6.30.2009

She looks like a great addition…and an added bonus for HER is that she get’s phenomenal photographs of her and her boyfriend. Seriously [srsly], those are amazing!! We should get together soon!!!

Lisa Frey
6.30.2009

get’s? Umm, yeah. That would be “gets.” Dork.

Karl Slentz
6.30.2009

Wait a dog gone minute here … I recognize this girl from somewhere … Oh I remember now it was the eyes … Tammy we have not met, but these are way so excellent pictures! I am glad for you and Jessica … KMS

Jason Dufair
7.01.2009

I am THRILLED that you found Jess, Tammy. I’m glad that when you asked, the universe answered in kind. Probably because you have the universe’s direct email address.

Katie Slater
7.01.2009

Tammy Swales!!! Congrats to you girl! I hope it makes your life a whole lot more wonderful!

stacyK
7.01.2009

Love the pics tammy!!! You two are a match made in heaven :-) I like the new blog too!!! I need one of these :-)

tara leigh
7.09.2009

it’s gross and adorable… and AWESOME. :)

 
 

 

I love outtakes. Seriously. | Rochester NY Photographer

March 3, 2009

This is me being me.

Ever the DORK!  ::laughing::

3322050304 7ab1249b5d o I love outtakes.  Seriously. | Rochester NY Photographer

0 Comments