This quote reminds me of all that I am lucky to have, a loving and caring wife, two adorable, smart, funny and healthy children, a home that is ours and a business that is my passion. But with all of this, it is easy to get caught up in life (bills, work, taking out the trash, running errands, etc.) and miss the important parts that mean the most to you. For me, that is my family.

Family portraiture is a growing part of my business. A photograph is a perfect way to ‘look around’, not miss life and what matters most.

We all know that you just cannot take a giant leap forward. But by taking some smaller steps, you will learn the craft and make the final result better. So I decided to try my hand at some stop motion or time lapse photography instead of just jumping in with a video camera.

Now I needed to prepare. I had to fiqure out the intervalometer (or Intvl Timer Shooting) on my D200. After a short test or two, I was set to really test it out on a final subject. I had to now figure out what to shoot, how much to shoot and then how to make the video. Figuring out what to shoot was pretty easy for me as I had some ideas. The sky is an easy subject by just putting the camera on a tripod and getting it set. How much was not too hard to figure out using some basic math. But I did not know how many frames per second to make it which would help me determine how much to shoot and how long the final project would be. This was something I now know by making 2 movies. Finally, what was I to do with the captured photographs and how to make it into a movie. Luckily, through the internet and friends, I learned of a very simple, easy and cheap solution…Quicktime Pro. If you are interested in making movies like this, I highly recommend purchasing this. A quick google search will give you all the information you need to use this program for this type of photography.

So I gave it a shot. My first effort turned out ‘ok’. Only problem was that I should have had a full battery or battery grip on my camera as the battery died. Rookie mistake!

Tree and Sky – May 2009 from Scott Bush on Vimeo.

I wanted the next effort to have a final product that was much longer. Luckily, the sky and wind again worked in my favor. Charged batteries and then some final post-processing (B&W and a vignette) added to the final video.

Sky Drifting from Scott Bush on Vimeo.

Now to move forward with this technique using story boards, multiple scenes in one movie and maybe even selective focus. All this while working toward a final goal of working with video!

At the end of April, my wife and I (owners of Scott Photography) have introduced our new division of photography, The Beauty of You! Our photographs are very elegant and artistic that visually show your true beauty, strength and sexiness!

We are a husband and wife team that work with you on these boudoir sessions from initial inquiry all the way to the completion of the album. My wife will talk to you initially to tell you more about our services and the session, as well as set up a meeting to meet us both. At this initial meeting, we get to know each other, discuss the session and show you the products. This allows you to feel very comfortable with us at the session, enabling you to get the best possible photographs for your significant other. Yes, my wife is always at the session with us. We chose “The Beauty of You” because although you are giving these to your man, they are just as much for you to celebrate who you are, feel proud of being you and show yourself that you are truely beautiful.

You can choose an in-studio or location session ranging from 1 to 3 hours. We also offer packages that include a variety of products to give that special someone as a gift! Please take a look at our website, The Beauty of You, to learn more about us, see our portfolio and get more information. Feel free to contact us through the website to setup a consultation if you would like to give the Beauty of You!

Sometimes it gives the couple one last chance for a quiet moment alone.

Other times, it is a chance for one group hug!

Or the couple can be surrounded by their closest family and friends.

Or in a popular New Jersey/New York fashion, Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ would be accompanied by some high leg kicks!

No matter how you end your wedding reception, it is a perfect chance for me as a wedding photographer to capture the last moment of the beginning of your life together.

Last week, I received tough news as a photographer. A recent client had passed away, very suddenly. The portrait I took a month ago with him in it, was one of the last photographs of him. Even more importantly, it is the only photo he had ever taken with his brother’s family and his mom. The only comfort I could take from this news is the benefit that I had provided to this man’s family and friends with my photograph. It is something they will get to look at, share and remember their life with a lost family member.

Photographs not only bring us great memories of special times, but also let us remember those that have passed on. Portraits are no different and are even often overlooked today on a professional level. Think about it for a second. When was the last time you had a professional photograph taken of you and your family, immediate or extended? Most likely it was at a formal event, like a wedding, birthday or family reunion. But why not do it just to preserve the moment?

I try to get family photographs done by a professional every year. Yes, I’m fortunate to know alot of photographers. But sometimes, I become the photographer for this portrait. Here is a photograph of my entire immediate family (my mom and dad, brother, sister), plus my wife and daughter, my grandmom, aunt and uncle, as well as my sister’s husband and daughter.

Yeah, its a nice photo on the beach in the Outer Banks 2004. Pretty typical actually. But when I see this photograph, a lot comes to my mind, some good and some bad. My wife is expecting our 2nd child, our son Kristian. My brother is no longer seeing his girlfriend in the picture. This was a time that was also important for my career, as from this vacation, I was a full time photographer.

But most importantly, it is the last photograph of my family (mom, dad, brother and sister) together as I lost my dad to cancer the following year.

So, don’t wait! Get a professional photograph done of you and your family. A photographer that I look up to greatly, David Williams in Austrailia, said to me and some other workshop members, “These portraits/photographs are not just important to us now, but more important to our kids and their kids in the future.”

My camera allows me to do certain things, but no matter how you look at it, it was my vision that decided to make the picture. Photograph dancing with motion blur? My vision. Photograph a detail in selective focus? My vision. Use the video light from the videographer to light my couple on the dance floor? My vision.

Think about someone like Tiger Woods. It does not matter if he uses a Nike or Titelist driver. It is his expertise that makes him a professional golfer. Yes, the driver has a little to do with it, like the piano for Mozart or the camera for me. But the result is due to the person using the equipment.

So where am I going with this?

Photographers…Yes cameras are important to us. OK, that is an understatement. They are very important to us! But do not worry so much about upgrading to the new and latest DSLR every year. More importantly, push yourself to view your work/subjects differently. Photograph a new subject. Use new lighting. Focus more on your photographs than the tool used to create them.

Everyone else….Knowing which camera your hired photographer uses is really not relevant. Knowing they have substantial equipment and backups is. Even more important is knowing the consistency a professional photographer delivers is important. Ask to see current albums or proofs. If they have a blog, look at what they have created over the past few months. This will show how professional they are more than a black camera.

A photographer whom I have always admired is Richard Avedon. Ask any photographer about him and they will tell you how influential he is for portraits and fashion. The portraits in his book ‘In the American West 1979-1984′ are very influential for me.

A few years ago when meeting with a wedding couple, I knew their wedding would be unique. I wanted to bring something to their wedding day photographs that would showcase the day in a way that I’ve never done. I related back to Avedon’s ‘West’ portraits and pitched the idea to them. They loved the idea and I ran with it, still not knowing how it would turn out. That is the beauty with being an artist, you push yourself to the brink of failure or having it not turn out the way you imagined. But when it works out, it is hard for me to describe the feeling.

So on Mai and Rich’s wedding day, in the backyard of his parents house, I set out to create a series of portraits that was unlike anything I have ever done. Feedback I received from the couple was nothing short of amazement and gratitude for taking ‘wedding photography’ to a higher level then they imagined. Even other photographers whom I shared the work with gave me compliments that I never imagined I would ever receive about my work. But in taking a risk, I received the greatest gift…growth!

There are many qualities which factor into your decision to choose your wedding photographer. Experience, price, products and customer service are some of the more important attributes we must have as a photographer. Perhaps the most important one to have is your connection with the photographer. You are choosing them to document the most important moment in your relationship. You want to feel relaxed, not be pressured and have your photographer fit in with your family and friends. As with any major decision, a lot of it comes from the gut. You get a feeling when you meet with a photographer that this will be “The One” or that they are not the best match. All the other factors listed above add to your decision, but the best photographer will be one that you feel the most comfortable with.

Last September, I met with Sharon and Herb to talk about the possibility of me photographing their wedding. At the end of the meeting, they asked to sign a contract. It was like three friends sitting down to have a few drinks. It was never a sales pitch, which I try not do anyways. In our meeting, they told me (and it was pretty obvious to see) that they were expecting their first child together in December. I had been wanting to photograph another birth ever since my two children were born. I was comfortable enough to propose the idea to them and was excited the next day when they were thrilled to accept! Their son Gavin arrived on December 1st and it was pure joy for me to be a part of it.

Just last weekend, Sharon and Herb were married. Our bond was stronger than just a photographer and his/her clients. It was as if I was family or an old friend. Because of our connection at our initial meeting and the sharing in their son’s birth, they were completely comfortable with having me around for every moment of their wedding. In fact, Herb came up to me after the ceremony and told me that when he introduced me to his brother, he introduced me as ‘Scott’, not as their photographer. This statement validated that the connection between the photographer and their client went both ways. It also went well beyond just the client/professional relationship in that we became lifetime friends.