Robert Wheater Photography
Visalia Photographer
Scott | Business Portrait
Jun 11th
When I am commissioned to create a business portrait, I always aim to do something that represents a person and with different styles of images. Every single person is their own brand and while many people don’t really care about the picture they use, I am someone people come to when they care. First, I try and key in on who you are as a brand. What do you stand for? What values do you have and what do you do? I never just take a quick head shot.
In the images below, you will see Scott. He makes wine and loves it (thanks for the wine by the way) and we set off and decided to shoot in a vineyard. I advise to any professional that they update their business portrait once every 2-3 years and keep it current and do not use black and white.
I see these black and white business portraits on color business cards. Don’t do it, everyone does. Business portraits for office professionals are best photographed within the office or where people would meet – a further connection in the image that helps a professional stand out. I especially love working with business owners and showing their business within the images – in vibrant and powerful images. Business images should be power images. An image of the owner of a salon should be softer and more fashion forward. It is attention to these details that make a business portrait that will stand leagues above your competition and have an editorial/advertising feel to them. Remember you can click images on my blog to view a larger version full screen.
Kym | Portraits
Jun 10th
I don’t publish client work on the internet because almost all of my clients prefer privacy, so in order to get images to show on my blog and on the internet I use models and friends. Kym had never modeled before and wanted to try it out. Here are shots of her done in my edgy fashion/glamor style. I have only been a professional photographer for a year, starting right after art school at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
There were many challenges in this shoot, wind being the worst. Because I rarely shoot in studio and prefer environmental and on location sessions. Kym was great and we got some great shots. Remember that you can click images to view a larger version.
One-on-One Photography Classes
Jun 10th
Because of a growing interest and reduction in price to being able to get incredible cameras a lot of people have asked me if I offer courses or if they could serve as an assistant. I did not offer any classes and I when I need an assistant, my wife joins me. Although, I have considered a student assistant position but that will come in the future, if I decide on it. Now, I am offering two and four hour courses on different photographic topics that I am experienced in.
The photography courses are all hands-on and in an environment taking a look at how to use YOUR camera, not just any camera. Here is a list of the courses:
Foundations of Photography
Digital Photography
Location Lighting
Visualization and Creativity
Environmental Portraiture
Fine Art Photography
Post Processing in Photoshop CS
Guided Project
Vacation Primer
Most classes require an SLR, digital SLR or EVR camera. Courses start at only $100 and have been created for those that do not have time for traditional classes and want to learn specific facets of photography. Some classes do have prerequisites, additional fees for models and support crew and additional equipment, a few classes also have equipment requirements.
You will not find the Vacation Primer Course in the brochure. It is a two hour course designed to touch on several disciplines of photography such as architecture, nature, portraits and landscape photographer. Depending on where you are headed, our location for training will change. This class is incredible for those that travel often and want to capture the very best images. The class is two hours and is $100. Knowing the right settings or how to capture that sunset and how to keep from getting blurry pictures of your vacation.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CLASSES AND ONE-ON-ONE COURSES FURTHER.
New Brochure [download here]
May 25th
This is my new brochure. There is a wedding version of the brochure coming soon. I have revised all of my wedding services and the new wedding photography one will be up in a week.
Natalie
May 23rd
Natalie is one of my favorite models to work with. She has pretty much been around from day one with her family. She has also seen my photography skill go from just taking pictures and refining a form to making art. Making the transition from art school to business has taken time. This was our fifth session. This is a prevalent style that you will see in my gallery wraps.
As an artist, the click of the camera is just a single step in the creation of my products. It starts with talking about your final product. What are we doing? In Natalie’s case, I was practicing a new style. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do with the images. They would be artistically edited to show my clients another product of mine and a style and product I offer.
Gallery wraps are for works of art, they are not for common photos. They are expensive and built to last generations. I believe that families should collect gallery wraps for their families at specific milestones in the road of life. To me, gallery wraps are the epitome of celebrating ourselves as a family. It, far more than a common 8×10, will celebrate the passage from high school to adulthood with our senior gallery wraps. Celebrate your family with a gallery wrap that will serve as an heirloom for generations.
I love these
My gallery wraps can be traditional but my art lies in a painted contemporary style. I can do traditional, but I don’t think it lends to the gallery wrap art piece as well as my painted style. There are other products like a traditional black and white image with deep blacks on metallic black and white paper wrapped around a floated frame that stands a few inches from the wall. In my gallery wraps, I prefer bright colors and paint-like canvases with beautiful photos. If you have a dream image, come to me with it and we can figure out how to create it together.
Fine Art vs. Photography
May 23rd
In the world today, photography is everywhere and everyone has a camera. Local photographers have multiplied and multiplied creating a minefield of photographers, which ones are good and the ones that aren’t are difficult to find.
In today’s photography world, my style of photography stands out because it is fine art. Fine art is much different in the fact that I create photographic art printed on canvas or fine art photographs. Real photographs are also something I provide, instead of inkjet prints. I am not one to look down on other art but the medium of our art is as important as the display itself. I would say that every photographer out there is using inkjet prints, if they are making real photographs they will let you know. You can’t print fine art on an inkjet. For one, it fades after a decade if it has UV protection less if it is not protected with a coating or UV glass frame. Two, fine art is not meant to fade, ever. Great precautions are made to protect fine art. I make real photographs created using light and a chemical process. The photograph alone will last your lifetime right out of the package. Oh and it will last for at least another generation. These photographs will last for 100 years, far longer if protected further behind museum glass (which we use in our frames).
So, the primary thing you need to ask yourself is this – do you want a picture or do you want art?
Fine Art Gallery Wraps
So just be sure what YOU want when you are talking to a photographer – photographic art from click to the display on your wall – or just the click. Contact me today with your art and display needs.
Military Wives and Girlfriends | Memorial Day
May 17th
I was thinking of something unique I could offer for Memorial Day aside from my normal 10% off for military and veterans. I thought about something that is very usable but really is exciting for me and my feeling of creating heirlooms. So, from now until Memorial Day (May 31) I am offering something unique. Contemporary Vintage Wallet Portraits.
Trying to embrace a classic portrait style mixed with my contemporary style, I wanted to create an image that could be used for portraits from wives and girlfriends to their husbands overseas. The portrait session is only $25 and I have a wide array of picture styles to send from portraits on archival art paper which gives the images tactile feeling also. This makes a great gift. I also offer a much more sexy maxim-magazine session starting at $100.
Your session must be scheduled prior to Memorial Day 2010 (May 31). I wish I could keep the offer up all year because these are truly fun.
Wallet style shots are edited to look similar to the image on the right. This is a before/after of original photo and then the contemporary vintage edit.
Some of the final product ideas for these sessions are:
Fine Art Archival Prints
Framed Desk Prints
4×6 Hard Print (the fine art print is bonded to a Masonite backing)
5×5 Gallery Wrap
It is a good idea that we talk about your final product before we actually have the session because we can have a general direction to go. If you want a 5×5 Metallic Gallery Wrap we are probably going to shoot a completely different way than a 20×30 fine art paper print. Yes, almost all my products are focused on creating an heirloom. I don’t print any inkjet prints, I still make real photographs and focus on the end product of my photography. They are not cheap and will last generations. 90% of photographers use inkjet prints, not me. Ask me why if you are interested in knowing the differences.
Glamor Photography
Apr 18th
The beautiful model is Sunni. This particular photo is from a photo shoot a few months ago but I am working on a new editing style that is one of my favorites currently being used by a few of my favorite photographers. Photography style changes over time and only through really doing different things does our art as a photographer stand out. Not only is a style important to a photographer, it is essential. I am chosen as a photographer because of my style capability. I can create images that are clean crisp traditional black and whites, edgier vibrant colors but now I am really falling into a style that has really only become possible with digital photography. Airbrushing aside (I post process every image I take, it is the new dark room) the image was beautiful but I am working on a style that both shows the real person with the art of glamor photography.
Glamor Style Photographs
Kerry and David
Apr 15th
Over the winter, we (my family) ran up into the Sequoias a few times. I love the snow. I was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming grew up spending winters in Jackson, Wyoming… Jackson Hole. I love the snow. I don’t like the gloomy winter weather, but I love the snow. We should have gone up a few more times this winter but between moving and changing the focus of my business and a slew of other things, well, it got pushed back so we only got up in the snow a couple times. No bears this year. Last year I got some shots of bears while with my son Jacob. Here is a shot in the snow of my wife Kerry and our youngest son, David while visiting the snow a month or so ago.
Travis and Kira
Apr 12th
Visalia dad, Travis and daughter Kira were a lot of fun in this session. We shot in a pink dress and then her play clothes. Here are some shots from the session in her play clothes.
Recent Comments