Teale Photography

Senior Portrait Time!

2011-11-19T21:02:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for Senior Portraits! I am really excited to offer this service for high school students this year! I have done lots of portraits in the past, but this is the first year I am focusing on seniors. My sessions come with a money back guarantee. If you're not satisfied with your photos, you don't pay!

I am happy to offer an introductory special for Senior portraits at a substantial discount. My current pricing is $99 for one person, or a group discount: $169 for 2 (about $85 per person), $229 for 3 (about $76 per person), and $269 for 4 (about $67 per person). I specialize in outdoor photography and the session also includes basic touchups!

I know how to do Photoshop edits so the changes (if any are needed) look entirely natural, so people will never know the imperfections were there : ).

Typically, I take 50+ photos per session, then pare them down to your 6-8 of your best shots. You can pick the 4 you'd like to have printed. The final, refinished, full-resolution photos (your 4 best shots) will be emailed to you.

Right now, I am also including prints with this session: 1 8x10, 2 5x7's, and 40 wallet photos (for no additional charge!).

To schedule your session, just email me at tealephotography@gmail.com.

I look forward to working with you!

Laura

Audrey's 10th Birthday

2009-07-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few pics from Audrey's 10th Birthday. It was a lot of fun to get some pics of her Mom's side of the family! Here are some shots from the day...

The Father-Daughter dance at St. Raymond's School

2009-04-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone involved in the Father-Daughter dance at St. Raymond's School on March 27th. Me and Jocelyn had a great time taking the photos (Jocie you are a rock star). Thank you Tom for all your hard work setting me up with this gig (not to mention editing and uploading all the pics), Patti for the referral (BIG thanks), Nimpa, Janette, Mary Jo and Stacie for working so hard to keep it all running smoothly, Shannon for taking lots of photos on the dance floor, and extra special thanks to Audrey and Jack for the initial introduction to St. Raymond's!

After seeing the amazing photos from last year's dance I was so excited and honored to have the opportunity to take the pics this year. It was really heartwarming to see so many Dads having such a special night with their daughters (what a great idea - why can't every school do this?). I ordered some plumeria and white ginger from the Hawaiian Lei Company in Hawai'i (my home state) to make some leis for this year's occasion, but then ended up working 70 hours that week. I was so busy, Jack really saved the day by helping me sew all the leis (impressive needlework, Sellman!). They were originally for him and Audrey (and the crew) but on the spur of the moment we decided to ask some of the Dads and kids if they'd like to wear our leis in the pictures.

So, my apologies to anyone who wasn't handed a lei earlier in the evening, or was - later in the evening - handed a slightly brown-lookin-with-half-a-dozen-flowers-missing lei (in Hawaii we'd call it "all buss-up"). We hadn't originally planned to use them as props, but one thing led to another and we just kept going with the flow!

I wanted to remind the parents that they can have the photos cropped to their liking. I believe the company St. Raymond's is using to host and sell the photos, can crop the photos for people if they choose to do that, and if not, I'd be happy to do it if anyone asks. It's generally better to leave the pics "less cropped" and let people choose what they like later. Personally, I am a cropping fiend (the photo at the top of this post was cropped and the original is below).

Anyway, thanks also to all the Fathers and Daughters who were there that evening, giving some great smiles and photo ops on the dance floor. It was really a night to remember!

Father Son Pics

2009-02-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

Father-son pics are among my favorites to take (well I like any kind of family pics but I really love doing these), and last weekend I got the opportunity to take some cute pics of Jack and his son playing basketball. The weather was beautiful and I knew I could get some good shots if I just started snapping away. Robert is so cute and has a smile so big, and Jack is a great subject too, always hamming it up. Thanks for the photo op, guys!

Angela's Wedding

2009-02-08T21:37:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy I haven't had time to do many posts lately, but wanted to post a handful of pics from my friends' Angela and Barzel's wedding. They were absolutely beautiful, fun to photograph (as always) and I am so happy Angela liked the pics. I rented a Canon 50 mm f1.2 lens for the event and am very glad I did, the colors came out much better than they would have with my normal lens. Thanks a ton to http://www.borrowlenses.com/ for their great service.

I also used a great new flash bouncer called the Demb Flip-It. My friend Jodi highly recommended it, saying it's the only one she likes. I agree, it was very easy to use and produced some great pics. In addition, their customer service was outstanding. I ordered it the day before the wedding and it arrived right on time!

Anyway - it was a really fun evening and I am so glad I was able to be there.
Congratulations Barzel and Angela!

Family Photo Time w/the Montgomerys

2008-12-09T01:58:00.000-08:00

I had a great time taking Christmas card photos for Jen and her family. They gave me so many great shots, it's hard to decide which ones to put on here! The kids had some cool ideas for poses as well. Sometimes, when someone in the group has a lot of ideas, the other people (especially when it's a parent) start looking kind of embarrassed, like, Oh my god, we are so sorry, we know you probably don't like being told what to do. But I don't really mind. I've gotten some GREAT shots from other peoples' suggestions, so I just roll with it.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the day:

It was a great day. Thanks to Mary and Aidan for some fun, creative ideas, and to Jen and Mike for being such troopers and laying down on the stillalittlemuddy grass! : ) Well done, team Montgomery!

Tis the season - It's Xmas Card Time!

2008-12-09T01:51:00.000-08:00

Here are a few xmas card samples I made recently... Thanks to everyone in the photos below for letting me use your cute pics.

I'm doing a Christmas Card / Family Portrait special this month - just $99 for 25 professional, high quality prints, viewable and downloadable via a Flickr link. You can use the files to create your own prints via Shutterfly, Costco Photo, Snapfish, Picasa, etc.. If you need help with this I can show you how, or do it all for you for $25 (fee for one hour) + the cost of individual prints (which are 13 cents each through Costco right now).

If you're interested just let me know. Thanks! And Happy Holidays everyone!!

Some photos of my neighbors - Kristin and Gavin

2008-09-27T00:34:00.001-07:00

I'm testing out a new feature of Picasa - uploading a web album / slideshow to a site. I took these photos the other day after seeing Gavin scooting around on his tricycle - I knew there were some good potential shots just waiting to be had! It was really touching to see Kristin's face as she watched her son. She said she felt grungy but she looked beautiful - just the expression on her face, looking after her son. I'm glad I got to take these pictures.

Kendra and Holly

2008-09-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

Speaking of dogs (as in my last post) - I just got a great doggie photo-op last weekend. While driving through Oakland, I saw an open house sign and decided to take a peek at the listing. The house was cute, but what was even cuter was the dog that was sitting outside (who was named Holly - she belonged to a gal named Kendra who lived next door). I think I must have squealed when I saw her. She looks like a Golden Retriever with little Corgi paws. Omg she was so cute it hurt. I asked Kendra if I could take a few photos (I have to show my friend Gaylen, who is a big Corgi fan) and then while I was at it, asked Kendra if she wanted a few photographs with her dog.

It's not uncommon for me to take a photo of someone whom I've just met, when they're with their pet, if I think it would make a nice photograph. I mean, if I have my camera with me, why not? I wish I had more photos of me and my dog Coco, when she was still alive, so I think this is part of the reason I enjoy doing this for people.

Thanks Kendra for letting me post these. I'm flattered that you might want to use one for your Xmas card!

Lookit those little Corgi paws!!

Gotta Love Dogs!

2008-09-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Although I am only able to have kitties right now, I have to admit - I've always been a dog person at heart.

When I was a teenager and early adult, my family had the most wonderful dog named Coco. She was a German Shepherd / Airdale mix, and I still miss her. I put her through doggie training school when I was 19, and I used to take her for long walks around my hometown of Kahalu'u when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Coco was like a best friend to me, and ever since she passed away, in 1999, I have had this thing with dogs, where my heart just lurches when I see one... I always want to give them a big hug!

I was just dogsitting for my neighbors, Kristin and Brian. Their dog is named Bodie and he is soooo cute and funny, it's ridiculous. It's like, it's hard to take all that cuteness rolled into one little ball of a pug. Pugs are kind of funny looking but that's part of their charm. And those grunting noises they make... I was like, cracking up halfway around the block while I walked him.

Anyway, this is Bodie, and I'll include some other photos of dogs that I've taken over the years. It sure does help to have a professional (fast snapping) camera when taking animal pictures!

Bodie

Parker and Nikki, my favorite German Shepherds, whom I get to dogsit for on occasion:

Good Doggies!!!

Parker

Nikki

"Mr. P"
Bij

Angus

I also love to photograph people with pets. I know that for many people, their pets are their kids. Thanks to Rebecca for letting me post these photo I took, for her website:

Below are some pics of Angela and Miska, right after she got him. When she told me she was adopting a new puppy I really wanted to take some candids right away, because I knew he wouldn't stay that tiny for long! I'm so glad I got to take these photos (and Angie I can't wait to photograph your wedding - I feel super honored that you asked me!).

Angela and Barzel with Mishka:

Angela and Mishka at the dog park - they grow up so fast!

Audrey and Angus (who are the same age). Angus belongs to Kristen - a good friend of the family, and is the same age as Audrey, so they're like siblings : )

A Night at the Baseball Park

2008-08-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to score some baseball tix for a Giants vs. Dodgers game a few weeks ago (thanks to Mr. Roberts, the big boss at the company I worked at) and ran into Alex, one of the sweetest gals who works at the company I was temping for. She was there with her husband and son and a few friends. It would always warm my heart to walk past Alex's desk and see all the photos she had of her family, and when I saw how cute her son was being with his Dad, I could not resist taking a few more to give to Alex. I love it when I see kids being really affectionate with their parents. They grow up so quickly, it's nice to be able to capture some of those sweet, candid moments on film. I have a few really nice candid pics of my father with his Dad (my Grandpa), and also some of him with his Mom (my Grandma), and they are among my most cherished photographs. So I like to take "parent and child" photos whenever I get the chance!

I am also wanting to schedule something with Alex and her son. I know they will be sooo cute together. I've wanted to do Alex's pics for a while now. They were sitting too close to get good shots at the ball park because I only had my macro lens with me, and you have to be at least a few feet away to get a good pic, but I look forward to doing Alex's pics one day. I know she and her son will look beautiful together.

Here are some more pics from our evening at the ball park. I am so glad I had my camera with me. Thanks to Alex for letting me post these on my site!

I love how you can see the smile on Alex's face while she's looking at her boys! : ). I made these last 2 pics a little smaller because they were a little more grainy than the others. I can't wait for the day where I'm able to afford a camera with 3200 ISO!!

And, just for fun, I would be remiss not to include a photo of the guys I came with. Unfortunately I missed getting a pic of my friend Karen but here is one of the dudes... what a fun night!

Family Photos: Jen, Mary and Aidan

2008-08-11T02:16:00.000-07:00

I took these last November at CSM, and it could not have gone better. Jen asked me to do some pictures for their Holiday greeting cards. She and her kids, Mary and Aidan, were so easy to photograph - they are all so animated!

(Side note): Poor Miss Mary is still on crutches. From what I hear she's being a brave little trooper. Get well soon, Mary! I hope to see you soon. xo

Here are some of my favorite shots from the day...

Jen commented on the photo below: "I love this one because you got the toothless/ teeth growing in fully. They will only look like this once in their lives...(hopefully!)"

Family Photographs

2008-08-11T02:02:00.000-07:00

These were a lot of fun to take!

Engagement Session #2: Vicky and Brad

2008-08-11T01:53:00.000-07:00

Taken at the Berkeley Rose Garden... They were soooo cute!

Vicky and Brad have been very, VERY patient in understanding that it can take me a while to get the photos back, partly because I am a perfectionist and want my clients to really like the whole package (a note for anyone who reads this, I'm pretty good about getting digital pics to people within the first week, via Flickr, but trying to get them all burned to disk was another story).

It's to the point where I have realized, I need to change my policy. Offering an entire disc of originals in a timely manner would only be realistic if I were doing this full time. It takes a lot longer to burn and sort through 600-1000 full-resolution (up to 10MB) photos than I had realized (obviously, I dind't really think that one all the way through).

The bottom line is that, as a photographer, you don't want your clients to see any pics that don't look great. Even if you're working with a really photogenic and good looking couple, you still have reservations about letting them see photos that they might not be excited about. The fact is, most clients won't really want to see all those other photos. My friend Jocelyn said that her engagement photographer simply told her and her fiancee, "Look, I'm just going to give you the best digital prints. Trust me... you don't want to see the other ones anyway." If you're a perfectionist, like I am, you will have to fight the tendency to want to edit every single little photograph and make it look great... but you just can't do that. Maybe if there were 48 hours in a day, but not when there are just 24.

I guess it might have been a little smarter for me to read up on the subject and follow the advice of other photographers, before I started doing this on my own. I am just one of those people who likes to try to do more, more, more, so it seemed like it would be ok to offer the whole disk, but I am realizing, that was not the smartest move on my part. What happens is, when you put yourself under a ton of pressure to do a huge, time consuming project, you will end up taking a lot longer to do it, than if you just kept it simple in the first place. This is because, in the back of your mind, you will be looking for a big sixteen hour block of time to work on all the pics (when you're passionate about it, you really get on a roll with editing and don't want to stop, so you look for these big blocks - but unfortunately, they never seem to arise!!!).

So I want to take this moment to thank all of my clients for their patience. I am learning all this as I go along, and have been going through the busiest time of my life, but I am hoping things will settle down soon!

Congratultions Brad and Vicky. You are a beautiful couple and have been absolutely wonderful to work with!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... and Look Cute while we're at it : )

2008-08-11T01:08:00.000-07:00

When i was a little girl, I loooved playing dress-up and posing for a camera. As I got older, though, it seemed like I got less and less comfortable with admitting that I liked being photographed. I mean, let's face it. Admitting you like being photographed can sound vain and showy. But I really think it's just a natural human desire for most people. Who wouldn't want to look at a nice photo of themselves? Because I'm so familiar with my own insecurities about posing in front of a camera (I usually feel super awkward and have this tense look on my face), I get a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I'm able to get people to relax and smile in front of a lens.

Because I'm a woman, I am also very sensitive to many of the things women like and do not like to see in their own photographs. Panty lines, frown lines, hanging bra straps and the like can turn into a thing of the past with a little thing called Photoshop. I don't like to do a lot of retouching, in a way that would look unnatural, but I have a pretty decent "feel" for how to work on a photo in such a way so that it looks natural. The bottom line is just asking yourself the question, "If this were my photo, how would I want it to look?" I would feel insulted if someone touched up all my flaws, but softening things up just a touch would be fine with me!

The way i look at it is, I try to remind myself that many celebrities are photographed with the assistance of a professional hair stylist, wardrobe person, makeup person, and lighting person. Well, with Photoshop, you can fulfill all of those roles. You can fix flyaway hair, add a little lip tinting, whiten teeth, and soften wrinkles. I have no ethical reservations about using Photoshop to achieve a look that I could have achieved with the assistance of a highly paid professional!

My friend Joann graciously allowed me to use these photographs of her. Most people who know Joann would agree that her personality is more suited to the photos on the right, than the ones on the left. But Joann is a busy career woman (recently named the #1 Keller Williams agent in Tallahassee, FL!) with a family, and she doesn't have a lot of time to iron every wrinkle in her clothing, or spend a lot of time with her makeup. So that's where I come in : ).

See if you can spot the different things that have been retouched. They're minor things, but they can really help give a photo a more smooth, polished look.

Thanks, Jo, for letting me use these photographs!

My First Engagement Session: Joy and Mike

2008-08-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Some photos from my first engagement session. Joy and Mike were awesome subjects. Joy really came prepared and had a lot of great ideas for poses and shots. I couldn't have been happier with the way the photographs came out. Many months later, I still look at these photos and am so proud that I got to take them.

Thanks Mike and Joy... and Congratulations!!! I can't wait for your wedding in September!

(Introduction).... Hi there!

2008-08-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

My name is Laura Teale. I have been a professional photographer for about two years, and few things make me happier than being able to claim credit on a good photo of someone. I really do consider it an honor to photograph people. Although I have a decent eye for photography, I'm most proud of the fact that I am often told that I am able to make people feel comfortable while taking their pictures. I think the biggest key is to just love what you do, because when you are in a feelgood state, it transmits to the person having their picture taken!

I particularly enjoy doing candids, and for this reason, I like to have my camera (A Canon Rebel XTi with a 28-135mm lens) with me at all times. Just about anyone who knows me well knows that my camera may as well be attached to my hip. I do enjoy doing posed photographs, but my favorites are the ones where people are naturally in their element, and were not necessarily expecting to be photographed.

Below is one of my favorite candids, of my friend Nichole and her daughter Mima. I had spontaneously called Nichole while driving down the Pali Highway in Hawaii (where I'm from), and said I was nearby, with my camera. I wanted to photograph her with her new daughter. Her reaction was, "Ugh, I look grungy, I need to take a shower." But a you can see, she looked beautiful. All the photos just came out so natural and relaxed, we were both really happy. I also got some really nice pictures of her husband, Umi, with their daughter.

I think part of the reason I love taking photographs is because I am keenly aware of how quickly life can change. A few years ago, my father died of a stroke. It was very unexpected and my whole family was in shock. I had assumed that my father would be with me for at least another 20, 30 years (he was just 62). Suddenly, all the photographs I had of him became my most valuable possessions - especially the photographs I had of the both of us together.

For this reason, I really like to take family photos, and pictures of people with their loved ones. I realize that no matter how much it may seem like someone will be around for a long time, there's really no way to tell. Shortly before my father had his stroke, a dear friend of mine lost her father. She called me and said, "Honey, tell your father you love him and cherish him. Life is so short. You want to do this now, while you still have him." I remember thinking Well, my Dad's not going anywhere... I knew that her father was much older than mine (in his 90's I believe), so it seemed more "natural" that her Dad passed away when he did. I figured my Dad would be around for another 20 years at least. Little did I know he'd be gone in less than a year. We just can't predict what's going to happen in our lives, and now I would give just about anything to have another five minutes with my Dad.

This photo is one of my most cherished photos of my father with my nephew, Noa, in Golden Gate park, around 1997. I feel very lucky that I was able to capture the two of them together. Noa is all grown up now, and I am so glad he got a photo of himself with his Grandpa when he was young enough to fit in my Dad's arms! This is how I like to think of my father - like he's up there somewhere, watching over Noa and the rest of us.

I think photographs can help us to keep peoples' spirits alive, so it is a real honor for me to help people and their families create visual memories that will last for generations to come.