Adrienne Brand Photography

Starting Line for Cullen's Crusaders , a photo by PhotoGraphicGirl on Flickr. Donating time is usually a grumbling situation for photographers, but not when it comes to a worthy cause like the Walk to Defeat ALS® events. When Karen Wood's boss, Vinnie Cullen, was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS, Karen rallied together Vinnie's co-workers, friends and family to form "Cullen's Crusaders," whose main goal was to raise money in an effort to find a cure for ALS. ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease, is a is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.* In July 2012, Cullen's Crusader's, along with Vinnie Cullen, his friends and family, enjoyed a night on The Moon Chaser, a sunset cruise off Captree Boat Basin, Long Island. They later gathered again at Eisenhower Park on September 29 for the Walk to Defeat ALS. Because of the tireless efforts of Karen Wood and Cullen's Crusaders, the...

The Generators (Band Photo) , a photo by PhotoGraphicGirl on Flickr. It's not every day you get chosen to photograph a special event in someone's life. This particular event was an ALS Benefit Cruise off Captree Boat Basin. The Generators, a cover band from Long Island, New York, was the choice of enteratinment.

Looking for Mama , a photo by PhotoGraphicGirl on Flickr. It's funny how natural light can work with an image. We sometimes take for granted the light that spills into a home through the window. Now, add to it a white bedspread that the baby leans on, and you've got the makings of a festive image. This little boy was looking for his Mama when I got this shot. It received many "FlickrAwards" on Flickr.com.

First Communion , a photo by PhotoGraphicGirl on Flickr. A friend of mine had a great idea – photograph her son earlier than his first communion day in order to have prints made for the "Thank you" cards. So I came to their home where he was very dapperly dressed his his Sunday finest. Yet I've come to the conclusion that Mother Nature is an old bitty who refuses to cooperate. We tried shooting in the mist, but the drops became too heavy and we were forced to come inside. Being a more experienced photographer, I know what my camera can handle, so we propped him near the nearest window and took a few shots before heading off to a nearby park that sported a picnic area with covered pergola. This boy is a charmer. He's got the greatest personality and is so willing to help. As a photographer, it's what you want your clients to be; cheerful and cooperative. We snapped a few shots inside her apartment then headed to the park. This is just one of the images from that d...

Hi folks! Florabella Collection offers an action for the Facebook Timeline. The owner of Florabella seems to be generous, I'm pretty sure she'll allow you to create diptychs for your clients as well as yourself, provided you flatten the layers before you hand over the JPG. Here's a link to the diptych. (You may have to "Like" the page.) > Here's a link to the free Diptcych action > Florabella Collection on Facebook.  << Click there for more info on Florabella as well as free actions via Florabella's Facebook page. I plan to use the diptych for my photo fan page as well as my graphic design fan page (because I think I have all the time in the world *laughing). (Click here for more info on what an old style "diptych" is.) (Click here for more info and examples of contemporary diptychs.) My results / sample: This is the diptych that I made for my Facebook Timeline, using Florabella's action. (Sorry if it shows up a tad bi...

I've been getting more involved with freelancing portrait photography, and so have been studying about retouching more in order to enhance the images that I give to clients. What is retouching? Retouching includes photo manipulations including: fixing the white balance on your image so the color is more lifelike, replacing arms or eyes, removing items from the background, inserting updated product shots, changing model positions, removing light poles... Whether you realize it or not, most of us already do some level of retouching. Actions During the last few months I've come across some Photoshop Actions that have improved the quick skin retouching that I do on portraits, as well as the color and enhancement of the photos themselves. An Action is somewhat like an enhanced filter – instead of hitting one button you hit "Play," and it runs through an entire series of gyrations that you may later manipulate mainly through your layers palette. Example! The following t...

Children's Portraits by Adrienne Brand Photography I'm a child photographer in Long Island, New York whose photographed children in their natural environment, called "lifestyle photography." Lifestyle photography means that we meet at an agreed-upon location where I'll photograph your child. Many times this creates a more realistic expression on the faces of children because they're in their own environment, versus having formal portraits done in an unfamiliar studio. After seeing the video you'll have a better understanding of the difference between studio photos and lifestyle photography. Enjoy! Adrienne Brand