Our 1st guest post!? The art of photography, and how to get started.

Howdy peeps! This week we have a treat! I asked one of our pineapplite friends to write a guest post for us, and she said yes! I AM VERY EXITED! She is such a great role model and I would love for you to read this post and meet her! Meet ShayHope or Shay! (She is also possibly the best photographer ever so this should be enjoyable.)❤❤❤-Izzie

Hello everyone! 

As you probably know, my name is ShayHope, (I sometimes go as Shay) and I'm a photographer.  I've been taking pictures since 2018, and have loved every moment- from setting up still life pictures or portraits to almost breaking my neck trying to get a shot of Jackson Falls. (I'm fine😄)  But I must give credit where credit is due- my inspiration to become a photographer is from a very impressive lady, Miss Rachel Patton. You can find a link to her portfolio on my 'About Me' post.

With all that being said, I'll get on with telling you how I take my pictures today.  We'll start with 'Portrait'.

Let's say you want to take a

picture of your model in an outdoor scene- by a creek or lake.  Sunlight is my favorite lighting to work with- it's natural, and beautiful.  But be creative!  Using reflectors are always fun as well, and, more often then not, I adjust the lighting in editing because it can be a little too bright, or too overcast.  I use Polarr editing app.  Try different poses and see which you like best.  Don't be afraid to be a little bit bossy to the model to get the perfect shot.  And remember- the more you practice the better you get!  My sis is my main model, and when she first starting posing for me- clearly it looked very fake.  But now she is so good at it!  So don't be discouraged if your siblings aren't the best models yet.  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

So, I haven't done very many still life shots because I prefer people and animal portraits and nature shots, but I'll tell you what I've learned from what I've done in the past.  

When photographing still life, the best part is being creative. You could arrange cookies, draw faces on eggs, or it doesn't even have to be food!  I did one still life where it was like the bride and groom getting ready to get married. (Inspiration from Rachel Patton) But get creative with it- the sky is the limit! 

I'll now move on to nature.  Please remember that these are only examples of what I do, and don't be afraid to use your imagination! 

I LOVE taking pictures of flowers! There are a lot of great books out there, too, on photographing flowers.  I enjoy shooting wildflowers because they are so unique, but any and all are fun. And always be on the lookout for beautiful sunsets!  You never know what colors the sunset may be that night, or if there's a few clouds in front of it which are very pretty because the sun outlines it from behind.  I could go on and on all day about the fascinating beauty of God's nature- landscapes, waterscapes, flowers, trees, clouds, bugs, grass, sky, bushes, vines, fascinating creatures, rocks, dirt, the list goes on!  But I'll let you discover for yourself the amazingness of it all.  Some things people simply wouldn't notice, and it's our job to photograph those things and show them to the world.  Who's with me?😉

Thank you all very much for taking the time to read this, and I also want to thank THE PINEAPPLE for featuring me on their awesome blog.  May God be with you all.❤        

-ShayHope

Heyooo me again! HOW INCREDIBLY INSANELY AWESOME WAS THAT!? I think you did awesome Shay! Please check out her blog and photocrowd site to see her beautiful photos! SHAY'S INCREDIBLE AND AMAZINGLY AWESOME BLOG (at least that is what I think it should be named) ;) - https://shaysimpson.blogspot.com/?m=1