This Blog Has Moved!

Hi all!

I've recently made the switch over to a Wordpress blog.

Please come visit me at my new blog at:

http://bebaphotographyblog.wordpress.com/

and follow me there!

Hope to see you soon! Thank you for following me here! : ) 

{ Color or B&W? -- Which Do You Prefer? } -- Phoenix, AZ Photographer

Is color the new way to go or does black and white still carry some of it's old charm?

If you're a photographer, do you prefer to work in the medium in color or B&W?

If you're a client or a photo enthusiast, does color or B&W have more appeal to you?

In your own opinion, should photographs "paint the world with color" or should they "capture the classic qualities in a simple B&W"?

Couture Is On It's Way / Phoenix, AZ Photographer

When I said couture, I meant couture........

Beba Couture is on it's way! Stay tuned!

For more sneak peek details, visit my website and click on the "couture" link:

www.BebaPhotography.com



Online Photoshop Classes / Phoenix, AZ Photographer / Editing

Online Photoshop Tutorial Classes Have Finally Arrived!

Have you been wanting to take your phtography to the next level?

Now is your chance!

I have been asked by several photographers, when am I going to start offering online Photoshop tutorial classes? Look no further, the time is here! : )

I will be offering several classes at different skill levels, so check and see which one sounds most like you and shoot me an email to book a class :

alicia@BebaPhotography.com

The cost per class is $150.00

Class sizes will be limited to 25 participants per class, so you'll want to reserve your spot before they book up. Once classes are filled, no more participants will be accepted.

Instructions for how to access the class will be emailed out to participants 2 weeks before the class takes place.

Payments for classes will be accepted only via Paypal.

Participants must have Photoshop CS3, CS4 or CS5.

Sorry, but I do not offer Elements classes just yet.

I can't wait to teach you the magic of Photoshop!! See you there!

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{ LEVEL 1 ONLINE CLASS}

Beginning Level  / Brand New to Photoshop

This class is designed for those of you who are

brand new to Photoshop and want to learn the basics.

Saturday / May 26th, 2012

10:00am-2:00pm

Skills Taught:

-Understanding the histogram

-Working in layers

-How to make a new document

-Saving your work

-Different file types

-Rotating photos

-Adjusting, changing and balancing color

-Adjusting light/dark

-Eraser tools

-Masking

-RAW vs JPEG

-Sharpening images

-Blend modes

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{ LEVEL 2 ONLINE CLASS}

Intermediate Level / Enhance It!

This class is designed for those of you who want to

learn how to take your picture and enhance it and take it from okay to WOW!

This class is usually the most popular, so it's being offered

twice--when you register, make sure to specify which class date you'd like:

Saturday / June 9th, 2012

10:00am-2:00pm

Skills Taught:

-How to "pop" colors from your picture

-How to change a wall's color

-Whiten teeth

-Brighten eyes

-Contour skin

-Soften wrinkles

-Remove blemishes

-Targeted adjustments

-Liquify/Warp tools

-Change eye/hair color

-Remove stray hair

-Faux tan

-Digital makeup

-Thinking like an artist

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{ LEVEL 3 ONLINE CLASS}

Intermediate Level / Scrapbook Guru

This class is designed for those of you who want to

learn how to digitially scrapbook your images and how to make cards for your clients.

Saturday / July 14th, 2012

10:00am-2:00pm

Skills Taught:

-Making digital cards

-Creating storyboards

-Making photo collages

-Digital scrapbooking

-Making albums

-Adding textures to photos

-Adding materials

-Creating your own textures

-Extracting graphics and modifying them for your digital art

-Using existing shapes in Photoshop to create new ones

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{ LEVEL 4 ONLINE CLASS}

Advanced Level / You're a Pro!

This class is designed for those of you who want to

learn how to digitially alter challenging photos. This class is more labor intensive and is

designed for advanced Photoshop users only.

Saturday / August 11th, 2012

10:00am-1:00pm

Skills Taught:

-Photo restoration

-Head swapping

-Creating your own actions in Photoshop

-How to remove chipped nail polish

-Removing a photo's background and dropping in a new one

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Some of my favorite Befores and Afters:

{Will be taught in Level 4 Class--Advanced Level / You're a Pro!}

Removing current background for a new one.

{Will be taught in Level 2 Class-- Intermediate Level / Enhance It!}

Lightening and brightening photos + targeted adjustments

{Will be taught in Level 2 Class-- Intermediate Level / Enhance It!}

Lightening and brightening photos + making eyes pop

{Will be taught in Level 2 Class-- Intermediate Level / Enhance It!}

Changing the color of walls

{Will be taught in Level 1 Class-- Beginning Level / Brand New to Photoshop!}

Lightening and brightening photos + making adjusting color

{Will be taught in Level 3 Class-- Intermediate Level / Scrapbook Guru!}

Making client cards

{Will be taught in Level 3 Class-- Intermediate Level / Scrapbook Guru!}

Making client cards

{Will be taught in Level 3 Class-- Intermediate Level / Scrapbook Guru!}

Digital scrapbooking

{Will be taught in Level 4 Class-- Advanced Level / You're a Pro!}

Photo Restoration

{Will be taught in Level 4 Class-- Advanced Level / You're a Pro!}

Photo Restoration

{Will be taught in Level 2 Class-- Intermediate Level / Enhance It!}

Popping color

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTEST:

SHARE THIS ONLINE CLASSES BLOG POST WITH OTHERS TO BE ENTERED INTO A FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A PRIVATE 1 HOUR ONLINE PHOTOSHOP SESSION WITH ME THIS SUMMER!

No purchase is necessary to be entered into the contest giveaway.

Simply help me get the word out by sharing this online Photoshop classes blog post with others on Facebook and make sure that you let me know by linking my Beba Photography Facebook page in your post when you share it with others. To tag my page, you must manually type in the "@" symbol and BebaPhotography {no spaces} on your Facebook page:

@BebaPhotography

Email me if you need help with this. : )

My Facebook page can be found at:

www.Facebook.com/BebaPhotography

2 winners will randomly be selected on the last day of May and July and contacted via email. Winners names will be posted on my Facebook page.

Private online Photoshop sessions are NOT a part of the Photoshop tutorial classes that I am offering here on this blog. The classes posted here are group classes. Winners of the giveaway will receive a separate 1 hour private online session at no cost.

Happy Photoshopping!

{ What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? } -- Phoenix, AZ Photographer

When we were little kids, we often acted out how we saw the world. Some of us carried around baby dolls. Others dressed as firefighters or carried a soccer ball everywhere. Even as children, you see something in them that gives a little secret peek into the future.

The kid that was always goofing off in class might become a comedian.

The one that was always there when another kid got hurt might be a doctor or a nurse.

The bossy one might be a manager now.

{ Haha, just kidding -- managers aren't bossy, but they are great leaders }

The one always reading might now be an author.

The one that always played with her big Barbie styling head { remember those?! } might now be a makeup artist.

The other that was always there with a hug and a comforting word might now be a counselor.

There are shadows of what we do as adults in what we did as children.

When I was a kid, there were 3 things that I really loved to play:

-Barbies

-Make believe

-"Store"

With Barbies, I was always fascinated with her dresses and beautiful furniture....okay, maybe a little obsessed! I wanted her pretty princess dresses and somehow my Barbie ended up being a damsel in distress a lot of the times that I played.

I also liked to play make believe. I could "see" the scenes around me as I acted out my roles.

I also opened my own "store" at school. During summer day care, I would grab milk crates from the kitchen area and stack them so that they looked like a store counter and shelving. I'd bring my toys and arrange everything to look like a store, "hired" a store associate to help me and kids would bring fake money to me to "buy" my things { really just "rent" them for the day to play with }.

I didn't see it then, but I was a little entrepreneur in the making! ; )

Fast forward to today as a photographer. I stumbled across an old box of papers from when I was younger and the same message was repeated through a lot of what I wrote or drew:

Princess

Fairytales

Dreams

Goals

{ Haha, don't laugh at me--this was my version of a Princess in 2nd grade. The other kids thought I'd drawn a dog. Those big "ears" was actually a veil }.

I came across one little folder that was a class project in 2nd grade. It was titled, "If I were a Christmas Present....." We were supposed to answer what we'd be for Christmas if we could be any present.

I'm not surprised by my answer.

I wrote:

"If I could be a present for Christmas, I would be a princess.....I would be a princess present for Christmas."

It's no wonder that my heart is soaring as I'm working on putting together ideas and details for Beba Couture--stylized princess shoots. It's a PART of me. It's who I've been. Who I am.

These last few days, I've been reflecting on my past and now see all these little parts of my life working together to see this dream build and come together. Is it any wonder that I worked at Disneyland? I don't believe that was a coincidence. When I became a Christian, I was instantly drawn to the idea that I was now the daughter of the King of Kings. A lot of my ancestry on both my Mom and Dad's sides also has royalty weaved throughout it--and include fascinating stories of several great-greats grandparents who were kings and queens, princes and princesses, dutchesses and dukes. I always wanted princess everything growing up. All my life I have surrounded myself with the message of being a princess. For years, my friends used to call me "Princess Alicia" because I was that into the princess thing. It's near and dear to my heart. It strikes a chord with me.

It makes the most sense to pour one of my dearest loves { being a princess } into one of my biggest passions { photography }. I really want what I do to resonate with a lot of girls and women. I want each one to see themselves as special and unique and beautiful. I want them to see themselves as....

....a Princess.

I could "see" that vision in my life when I was a little girl and now it's finally coming to fruition with Beba Couture and what I'm doing as a photographer. There are so many negative messages being sent to girls and women these days and I want to take this message that they are special and unique and share it with them.

When Beba Couture launches, it will be a unique experience that involves more than just pretty pictures--it is designed to speak deeply to the heart of a girl and a woman so that she will never forget her experience of being a princess for a day....and she will never forget that she is indeed, a princess for life.

Are you ready to fill your special role?

What's Your Worth? -- Phoenix, AZ Photographer

{ The Tale of the Skinny & Fat Piggy }

Is your piggy bank starting to look a little too thin?

Do you need more green to feed it and to fatten it up again?

When photographers are starting out in business, they often make a similar mistake:

They let their little piggy go hungry.

Very hungry.

But what they don't realize is that that piggy bank becomes the bacon off of which they and their family eats and it's important to set a price that is not only fair to clients, but to his or herself as well.

It is important for a photographer and a client to:

Value time.

Value effort.

Value what is being invested into. 

When I first started photographing as a business, I was charging $50.00 per session. It seemed like a good thing at the time because I was new and thought, "Awesome, I'm making money!"

But was I really?

After spending a few months in the business, I realized just how many costs go into making photography a business--and there are many hidden costs that really add up. I want to highlight them here for both the photographer and the client.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{ These are just the bare bone essentials of what goes into a photo shoot } :

There's the cost of gas to drive to the location and back.

The taxes that are paid on 4 different levels

{ here in AZ it's city, county, state and federal on product and services }.

There's the 1-2 hours out on site to take the photos.

The 2-4 hours at home hand editing each photo from the session.

The time it takes to upload and process an order at a lab.

The shipping of the photos from the lab to photographer.

The shipping of the photos from photographer to clients.

The cost of the product themselves.

The cost of packaging.

The cost of credit card processing.

The cost of posting the photos online in a proofing gallery.

The cost of electricity to run the computer to make all that magic happen.

I'm not including the other costs--maintenance of gear, maintenance of car, licensing, business cards, etc.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a photographer, you have to take these things in mind as you set your prices for your clients.

As a client, you have to take these things in mind as you search for a photographer.

Photographers, are you being fair to yourself and your work? Do you value it?

Clients, are you being fair to your photographer and their work? Do you value it?

I wouldn't expect a person to work and not get paid.

Would you?

Some of you photographers, why are you working for free and not charging enough to cover your costs? Why are you not charging your worth as an artist?

Some of you clients, why are you expecting to get something for near nothing?

Why is that?

We wouldn't expect to get a diamond for a cubic zirconia price, right? So those of you photographers who are exploding with talent, why are you pricing yourself as a cubic when you're really a diamond?

Do you want to work with a client that doesn't value your work at the level that it's at?

Could it be that you're setting your prices lower than they should be because you're afraid that you won't find people who will value your work?

People pay for what they value.

Listen: Price isn't the issue. The perception of value is.

Some people value one thing over another.

My goodness, have you seen the rise in fights that are happening over a pair of sneakers out right now? People are fighting over shoes! Shoes! Enough to call in riot police! People buy what they value.

I'll give you another example.

DISNEYLAND.

Disneyland is expensive.

I know.

I used to work there.

What is the breakdown of the bare bones of a trip?

1 adult ticket is $80.00 for a 1 day, 1 Park ticket.

There's the cost of parking.

The cost of meals throughout the day.

Drinks throughout the day.

The cost of a locker.

The cost to get to the Park { gas or airline }.

If you're from out of town, the cost of a hotel or motel.

Not including souveniers, it's pretty pricey...

But people pay it.

Why?

It's hot in the summer. Lines are endless. Crowds are pushy.

Because of memories.

There is value in going to Disneyland.

People are willing to pay for the magic that Disney creates for them.

I used to be a part of making that magic and I know how very special that can be for a person or a family.

People pay for it, because memories are valuable.

You could go to the local carnival.

It's cheaper.

But the experience is not the same by far.

I guarantee you're not going to get the same experience that you will at Disney!

The same thing is true of a professional photographer.

A client could go to a local store or mall store and get their photos done.

But you get what you pay for.

It's like eating a cake without the frosting.

You can't expect to price yourself the same, because you're not the same. 

Clients shouldn't expect to get you at the same discounted price because as a professional, you invest more into their photos than they'll ever be able to get at a local store or mall studio.

A professional photographer is valuable because he or she is capturing memories in a professional way.

A photographer creates and captures memories.

In their best light.

In the most artistic way possible.

It's funny how people view pricing sometimes.

I wouldn't expect to walk into Neiman Marcus and ask for something at Kmart prices.

I would probably be laughed out of the store for even asking such a thing.

Each place is priced differently for a different crowd of shoppers. Some can afford one price. Some can afford more. Some can afford less. We each shop at the level that's most comfortable to us.

Just like with shopping, there are photographers at several different price ranges for a variety of different clients at different price ranges.

If you're priced fairly and someone can't afford you, you don't have to feel bad and change to fit their budget and expectations.

You set your prices fairly and the right clients that value your work and can afford your price range will be the ones to hire you.  

Skinny piggy, fat piggy....

What's in your wallet?

It all depends on the value you and others see in your work.



{ Beba Couture -- Stylized Fairytale Princess Photo Shoots } -- Phoenix, AZ Photographer

Do YOU See Yourself As a Princess?

Working out details for stocking dresses for Beba Couture { stylized fairytale shoots } when it launches this year. I know that it's going to be a hit for the little girls. But I want to do princess shoots of teenaged girls and women too. But I'm curious to know if women would be interested in something like that. If you're a teenager or a woman, would a princess shoot appeal to you? The costumes I'm looking at are similar to this one on my Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/pin/5488830765400310/ I'm looking for feedback from everyone and would love to hear back from you so I know which age group to focus on. Thanks! : )!! ♥ ♥ ♥

{ Beba Photo Tip -- Finding Open Shade } -- Mesa / Phoenix, AZ Photographer

Harsh Lighting = BAD

Don't Do This:

Open Shade = GOOD
Do This Instead:

This is a quick little tip that's easy to remember and one that will make a world of difference.

When you're shooting your subject, whether it be a person or object...make sure that you're shooting in good open shade and NOT direct sunlight.

These two pictures are SOOC{ Straight Out Of Camera }--no color or lighting has been changed.

Do you see the difference? One is harshly lit and the other is softly lit.

Aim to find "open shade"--an area that is well lit, but covered by an overhang or shoot on the backside of a wall when it's still bright out so that you don't get those harsh shadows and highlights.

Before you photograph your subjects, make sure you take a moment to see how the lighting is falling across their faces and their bodies and the scene around them. Are there any harsh shadows and highlights? Search around and move them into an area that has open shade and your pictures will be transformed!

A small detail that's sometimes overlooked, but that make pictures look ever-so-much better when you find that right light.

{ Flash and Lighting Techniques -- Photo Tip } -- Mesa / Phoenix, AZ Photographer

{ You Light Up My Life }

When you're using an angled, external flash, which direction should you point it? It all depends on what kind of affect you are looking for and are trying to create. I'm going to be using my little bear friend as a model for this tutorial on lighting. You can use a similar item to practice your flash lighting or also use a real { person } model. The key is to practice so that you get used to what your flash is doing. All of these photos are lit from two light sources. The first light source was an overhead ceiling fan light behind me to the left, facing the bear. The second source in each photo is described below each photo.

In this photo, I positioned the swivel head of my flash so that the light coming from my flash first "bounced" off the wall and then fell softly back on my bear subject. This is a way of softening the light on your subject. Rather than being a harsh, direct light from a flash that's pointed directly towards the subject, it's softened by lighting the wall first and only having the residual light fall back onto the subject.

Shooting with your flash angeled to the right will have the same effect that bouncing the light from the left will do, only it will light the other side of your subject. One thing to keep in mind when you're bouncing light from the left or the right is that it creates shadowing on the other side of your subject. To fully understand shadowing, place a 3 dimensional object on a table and turn the lights off. Then, take a flashlight and position it so that it's lighting from only one direction of your subject. You'll notice that the other side is in { mostly, if not all } darkness. This is because your subject partially or totally blocks the light source. Any solid object will block light.

This is an example of light pointed above and towards the subject. It's that direct light that isn't very pretty. It's why most photographers use an external flash, so they can bounce the light and make it more artistic. I'm not fond of direct light because it's so stark--it is harsh and blunt, taking away too many of the shadows and making my subject look a little too flat.

You can also angle your flash straight up and this will bounce the light from the ceiling { if you're shooting indoors } and fall back over your subject. The shadows will fall underneath your subject. Can you see that in the photo?

This is my favorite kind of light. I turned my flash head around and bounced it off the wall and ceiling BEHIND me. This really took the light source away from my subject and allowed the light to fall back more evenly, filling my subject, but not harshly. All the shadows seem to be in the right places. This is a great tip for when you're shooting inside because there is something to bounce the light off of.

After you have gone through this tutorial, go back through each picture and study the shadows and lighting in each one. You'll start to "see" the way that lighting has an affect on photos. It's an important and fundamental key for photographers to understand as they're lighting their subjects. Hope this is a great help to many of you! : )!

Happy Lighting!

{ Happy New Year! } -- Mesa / Phoenix Photographer

{ Beba Couture } -- Mesa, AZ Fairytale Princess Photographer

{ Beba Couture }

Video: http://animoto.com/play/BclAa06QUE9MmjjZqlvyJQ

A special video preview of Beba Couture that will be launched soon!

Beba Couture will specialize in stylized fairytale shoots. The heart behind it is that I want every girl and woman to see herself as the beautiful person she was created to be. From young to old, I want her to know how unique and special she is

Once Upon a Time, There Was a Princess..........

and that Princess is YOU.

{ New Year, New You -- How To Achieve Your Goals This Year } -- Mesa, AZ Photographer

{ New Year, New You }

How To Achieve Your Goals This Year

In less than a week, we will be in a new year.

2012

Doesn't it seem like it was just turning the millenium with year 2000?

It sure feels that way to me sometimes! It feel like time passes quicker than we can blink.

I've made some good New Year's resolutions in the past that I've been able to keep:

Be more positive.

Open a photography business.

"LIVE" and "BE", not just "DO".

I've also made resolutions that seem to go strong the first week or two and then fizzle into oblivion by the end of January:

Lose weight. { Ha! }

Get more sleep. { Ha! }

Treat myself to a home manicure every week. { Ha! }

Okay, so some things don't totally go as planned. Sometimes we start off with all the motivation in the world....but what is the secret to actually achieving those goals? What makes such a big task possible?

My secret from last year is to:

Write. It. Down.

It sounds simple enough and like it wouldn't really make any difference, but oh, it DOES.

I was able to achieve 75%-80% more last year from my goal list--things I once only dreamed about doing--because I wrote those things down. I typed them into my phone and added to the list throughout the year. It committed me to doing them because I actually SAW them throughout the year.

It challenged me and reminded me that New Year's was coming around again at the end of this year and I didn't want to celebrate another year passed as unfruitful.

What are your goals for this coming year?

When 2012 ends, what will you say you've accomplished that you've always wanted to do?

It seems daunting at first, when you think of it as the "Big Goal." But when you slice and divide that Big Goal into tinier, Smaller Goals....then suddenly it becomes easier to achieve what you'd like to do, because you take it one step at a time.

For example, last year, I knew my "Big Goal" was to get started as a photography business. I had that broken down into smaller goals like:

-Buy business cards

-Open a website

-Get business Trademark

-Get EIN

-Open blog

-Network like a crazy person

-Do (x) amount of shoots per month

-Earn (x) amount of $$$ per month

-Quit full time job { gulp } and move into part time job

-Etc.

Did I achieve every goal?

No.

There are still some that I'm going to aim for again in 2012 such as purchasing new camera gear. But did I get things done that needed to get done to push me closer towards that goal?

Yes.

And that forward motion is what's important.

Are you moving yourself closer towards your Big Goal?

Are you taking those smaller steps towards achieving what you'd like to do?

Here's a way to break down your Big Goal:

1. Define what your Big Goal is and label that as the goal for the year.

2. Then, break down what could be done each month to reach that Big Goal.

3. Then, take those monthly goals and break them down even further into weekly goals.

4. You guessed it. Break those weekly goals down into daily goals.

5. Think I'm crazy? Break those daily goals down into hourly goals or minute goals.

Remember, every little step you take towards accomplishing your Big Goal and your dreams can launch you that much closer to it. I typed my Big Goal into my phone, as well as all the little things that needed to be done to achieve it. I set it up under my "Tasks" folder and checked them off as I went. You can do this on your phone too or use good old fashioned pen and paper. The key is to write things down somewhere you can see it often.

And at the end of 2012, if you keep taking those smaller steps towards it, you'll find yourself feeling refreshed and in awe that you accomplished so much more than you ever thought possible....all because you did what you could and bloomed where you were planted.

Take it from this level to the next...and the next...and the next...and the next...

And never give up!

I can't wait to hear all about what you're going to achieve in 2012!

: )

AZ Photographer's Contest -- Voting Is Now Open!

{ AZ Photographers Contest -- Voting Is Open! }

There were 4 entrants in the AZ Photographer's contest--each trying to win a free 2 hour Photoshop/Lightroom editing session with me. I know that some of you wanted to enter, but were not able to enter in time and some entries were submitted incorrectly and disqualified. Please do not be discouraged! I will be hosting more of these fun giveaways in the future! : )

So, voting is now open! Please look through the contestant's entries and decide which # you think should win and post a comment below on which number you're selecting to win by December 15th, 2011 at 11:59pm.

The contestant with the most votes at the close of that date and time will win the editing session with me.

The winner will be announced on my Facebook page on Friday, December 16th, 2011! : )

http://www.Facebook.com/BebaPhotography

Best wishes to all the contestants! : )

 

Photoshop is so powerful! You can take a great picture and make it WOW! : )

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.147107345323808.21782.126805867353956&type=1#!/photo.php?fbid=293941440640397&set=a.147107345323808.21782.126805867353956&type=3&theater

Photography Contest -- AZ Photographers

{ For All Phoenix Metropolitan AZ Photographers }

This contest is open to all photographers in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

{ East: Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Apache Junction}

{ North: Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Anthem, Cave Creek, N. Phoenix }

{ West: Buckeye, Goodyear, Avondale, Peoria, Surprise, Phoenix, Glendale }

{ South: Queen Creek, Awhatukhee, Maricopa }

The Details:

What Do I Get If I Win?

If you are the winner, you will receive a private 2 hour

Photoshop tutoring session with me {Alicia} of Beba Photography.

How Do I Enter?

Choose 1 of the photos below and edit it to your best ability and then send the file to me: alicia@BebaPhotography.com by Tuesday, December 6th, 2011, 11:59pm. You may only choose 1 photo and only enter 1 time.

Then What Happens?

I will place a number on each photo and upload all entrants photos on a separate blog post. An announcement of when the blog post is up will be made on Facebook { http://www.Facebook.com/BebaPhotography } on Thursday, December 8th, 2011, so stay tuned to Facebook for updates!

So Far, So Good....But Then What Happens?

Photos will be posted on this blog for a total of 1 week, from December 8th, 2011 until December 15th, 2011, 11:59pm. You may invite family and friends to visit this blog and type out the number of their favorite photo in the comments section below all of the entrants photos. You can let them know which number is yours so that they can vote for you. The photo with the most votes at the close of the contest on December 15th, 2011 will win.

Can I Use The Photo I Edit?

Unfortunately, no, not entirely. By entering the contest you are agreeing to only use the photo for this contest. The edited photos will only be used in the context of this contest and then removed. You may not use the photo on your website or in your portfolio. Photos may not be sold, traded, used in other contests, published or used for any form of monetary gain

You may, however, post the photo to Facebook so long as there is a link back to Beba Photography { http://www.Facebook.com/BebaPhotography.com } and the correct credit is given. Photo may be posted to Facebook with the following: "Photo copyright Beba Photography -- Edited by {enter your name/company name}"

Please note that any photos displayed without proper credit and/or used in non-permissable ways will be fined 3 times the professional cost of photo in violation of copyright laws.

What Do I Edit and Submit For the Contest?

Select one of the following photos to edit. You can click on it, then right click and select "Save picture as":

Questions?

I can't wait to see your entries! If you have any questions, email me at:

alicia@BebaPhotography.com

Best wishes & Happy editing!

Don't forget to tell your friends about it if they're interested in entering too!



Why Should I Pay for a Professional Photographer When I Can Go to Walmart or JC Penney? -- AZ Photographer

{ Walmart vs. The Professional }

My friend Beth of Lizzie Bee Photography and I were discussing this very question tonight. I've been asked it by others a lot and want to answer it. Why should people pay more for a professional when they can just go to the mall or a local chain and get lots more for a lot less?


Here's confession time. I actually used to work at a mall photo shop a long time ago and know first hand that they don't always necessarily have the same experience as a professional photographer has. I will be honest--I was hired back then when I had zero experience. I had some raw talent, but had never shot before. That's not to say that the pictures are going to come out horrible, but they might not be to the same caliber as a professional's are.


The key is where people place their value on things. We all value something different in life. Some people value their home and are regularly buying things to spruce up their home. Others value their cars and you can always see them out on a weekend detailing the finest detail of their cars. Others value fine dining or are wine conneseurs....others, book or music lovers, jewelry lovers or technology gurus. We all have something that we lean more to than other things. We are hobbyists and all unique in what we love.


My value is on photography. It's what I'm passionate about. I would and still do sit for hours pouring over old photo albums of my grandparents, aunts and uncles who have passed away. At Christmastime, I want to pull out the albums and pour over old Christmas memories and how different things are now than they were back then. I want to see how much I've changed, my loved ones have changed, how life is segemented out and stored in each photo.


Because I value photography so deeply, my argument is for it's value. I wouldn't take my car to a mechanic or to someone who had never worked on a car before, even if they had some natural talent at it. I pay for the experience and level of expertise accordingly. Yet a lot of people will not place value on their memories and are okay with just okay. But do we underestimate the true value of photography and our photos? When a fire happens, the first thing that people usually grab after their family and pets is their photos. Why? They're just pieces of paper with images on them, right? Well, maybe to some. But for those that value them, they are like little time capsules that hold the treasures to the past. The are like little stepping stones that built the life of the holder. They are memories--cherished ones.


Well, what about the difference of cost? People often ask me, "Why should I go to you and not to JC Penny or Walmart? Because really, it's true--they're right. You can get so much more materially at mall or local places than you can with a professional photographer.


You get more materially, but less substantially.


You'll be getting a photographer with less experience and a product that's not quite as high in caliber. I make sure to hand touch and hand edit every one of my photos. I bring artistic touches to them. You're not going to get that with Wal Mart, JCPenny, Sears, Picture People or Portrait Innovations. Clients pay for the art that goes into a professional's work and not just the photos--the pieces of paper with images--themselves. They pay for the hours that go into making sure that photos are beautiful and capture your family in an artistic way. That's where your price comes from. And for those that value that artistic representation of them and their loved ones--those are the ones that hire me as a photographer.


I feel confident in charging my clients what I do because I believe in the price itself--I know the time that is invested into each one to make sure that they are artistic and lovely and I know the value I'm giving my clients in memories of their loved ones. The second a person passes away, the value of the photos I took multiply 100 fold.


We value memories so much--why *not* invest into them? ♥


I believe in their power and for those of you who value the preciousness of memories, I know that you do too.