Blog – Dana N Photography

Professional outdoor portrait of a young woman with long brown hair, sitting on a sunlit path in a denim shirt and white pants, smiling beside a happy white and brown dog wearing a turquoise collar, photographed in Melbourne, Florida.

Beach and Country Road Senior Photography Session

Written by DanaNPhotography on May 7, 2021. Posted in Blog, Clients, Seniors, Styled Photography Session.

Model For a Day Portraits

Karlyn chose our “Model for a Day” Senior Photography Session and enjoyed a fun tour of Florida’s stunning Space Coast beaches and picturesque Live Oak-lined country roads!

Karlyn started her Senior Photography day with light hair and makeup. The expert stylists at Glam Culture, listened to what Karlyn wanted and then styled her beautifully! Glam Culture is conveniently located in Downtown Melbourne near our studio! We maximized the cool comfort of the air conditioning and captured Karlyn’s Glam side in a vintage gown from our Style Closet.

Florida’s hidden gems include rural country roads framed by majestic Live Oak trees, perfect for capturing unique and beautiful portraits. Karlyn’s sweet dog and her new convertible were wonderful additions to her Senior Portrait Box of matted 5×7 prints.

As the day unfolded, we couldn’t resist the allure of the beach. We headed to Sebastian Inlet, one of Florida’s top surfing spots, for breathtaking sunset portraits by the dreamy sand and surf. Of course, no “Model for a Day” Senior Photography Session would be complete without a sunset graduation gown shot!

Behind the Scenes

Model for a Day with 13 outfits and 5 locations!! Whew! What an incredible portfolio of photos to commemorate Karlyn’s 2021 Senior year of high school!

Here is another Senior Photography Session to check out!

If you would like your own session, I am happy to talk with you about it! >>

Go Green At Trade Shows

Written by DanaNPhotography on January 24, 2020. Posted in Blog, Business Head shots, Head shots, Informative, Photo booths, Professional Headshots.

Going green at a trade shows has an appeal doesn’t it? You have been there. You have attended a trade show with a branded bag and collected all of the swag from pens, to stress balls to usb drives. What would you pick up at a trade show that you would use in your business everyday and remember where you got it? As a company AT a trade show with a booth, what would you feel great about offering to attendees that they would love to have and use EVERY day? I have the answer—Professional Headshots.

Lead capture and the good feeling that you and your company are going green at Trade Shows helps show your potential clients that your company is conscientious about the state of the environment. Imagine this>>While our Professional Headshot Team is photographing your potential clients, you are free to talk with them! While they wait in line for their instantly delivered digital Professional Headshots, they are watch a curated slideshow of everyone’s headshots along with your branding. Professional Headshots attract everyone to your booth. We photograph them and you get to interact with those waiting at your booth! WE make it easy for you to book us. One Click, answer a few questions, check it off your list. Right Here>>Book Us

A young woman smiling, sitting cross-legged while holding a rainbow Pride flag with the word "Equality" printed on it. She is wearing a white tank top with a rainbow stripe and denim shorts, set against a lush, outdoor background

Seniorography 2020

Written by DanaNPhotography on October 2, 2020. Posted in All Posts, Blog, Portraits, Seniors, Styled Photography Session.

Let it be known that 2020-21 will not be the year that High School Seniors just set back and gave up on having anything special happen their Senior year! Hope’s mom, Julia was determined that Hope would begin her Senior year with a very special custom photography session from Dana Niemeier Photography! Over Zoom we planned the location and even planned the outfits Hope would wear right down to the jewelry and shoes. I scheduled Hope with my Professional Hair and Makeup Stylist so that she would feel pampered and taken care of AND wouldn’t have to worry about a thing on her portrait day! Hope had chosen a beautiful coral prom gown that she was never able to wear to her Jr. Prom because the COVID-19 pandemic closed her school! I made sure she was able to have some gorgeous portraits and happy memories in that gown! It was a warm summer Florida day in a Botanical Garden and Hope looked radiant! We had so much fun and enjoyed a beautiful day in Vero Beach. I loved giving Hope a day she will always remember and beautiful portraits and wall art her family will always cherish.

Kid’s Headshots

Written by DanaNPhotography on October 2, 2019. Posted in Blog, Head shots, Informative, Kids, Professional Headshots.

Kid’s Headshots are important to have when they are just getting into the business of Community & Regional Theatre and Commercial work. Check out Mr. Personality above! Below, his young lady came to the studio with her mom and they both had professional headshots taken to use in a variety of settings. She is a thoughtful child by nature, I think and we captured that feeling. We also took some nice portraits for the wall as well!

Preparing Your Child

Before you bring your child in for headshots, there are a few things they should know.

This is not a school photo session . Remind them that they are an actor or actress! These photos are meant to show emotion and personality. Practice! Practice! in front of a mirror with your child! It’s OK (and very much encouraged) to be silly! What does surprised look like? What is the look you give when you just don’t believe something someone has told you? Can you giggle? What does it look like when someone has told you the FUNNIEST Joke? A bad smell?? Practice going from no smiling to sloooooowly going all the way to a full on laugh! All of these are used to loosen a child up in front of the camera and try to coax that personality out!
Dress in age appropriate clothing! Beautiful colors that compliment their eye color are always a good idea. No logos or writing on the shirt. Tops with sleeves and possibly a denim jacket, sweater or hoodie. I always like to see the clothing before you bring it in as it helps to choose complimentary backdrops!
Give them a snack before the session. Always a good idea but with NO sugar. Also have their own water bottle. I try to keep the session to 30 minutes so as not to tire them out 🙂
Solo shoot. Most of the time, kids do better if there are no other children around watching them. I know this sounds counterintuitive if they are actors/actresses! The truth is, is that many actors/actresses are usually uncomfortable with people being so close! Especially stage actors/actresses! I use a lens that compels me to be a comfortable distance from them and give them space.
Glasses. Glasses are a super fun and interesting addition!

All set! Kid’s Headshots can be fun and I encourage you and your child to be prepared with the above tips and have a fun time!

If you are interested, here is a link for Disney casting calls !

Going Green at Trade Shows

Written by DanaNPhotography on September 25, 2019. Posted in Blog, Business Head shots, Events, Head shots, Informative, Photo booths, Professional Headshots.

Multi block collage of men and women professional headshots

Lead capture and the good feeling that you and your company are going Green at Trade Shows helps show your potential clients that your company is conscientious about the environment. Imagine this. While our Professional Headshot Team is photographing your potential clients, you are free to talk with them! While they wait in line for their instantly delivered digital Professional Headshot, they watch a curated slideshow with your branding and everyone’s headshots! Professional Headshots attract people to your booth, we photograph them and you do the rest!

Going Green at Trade Shows. It’s a fun atmosphere and everyone wins including the environment.

Your First DSLR Camera

Written by DanaNPhotography on September 22, 2019. Posted in Blog, Informative.

Congratulations on wanting to buy your first DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera–a camera with interchangable lenses! I know it is overwhelming, so I won’t do that to you. Just a few basics to consider!

What do you want to photograph?

Are you interested in mostly photographing your family? Wildlife? Architecture? A little of everything? Is cost a factor? I wouldn’t go crazy and purchase the most expensive camera if you have never used a DSLR or even an SLR! The bells and whistles on it can be overwhelming and you will be buying more than you need. Buy a car that will get you from point A to point B at first! Here is the REAL in my humble opinion. The lenses matter the most. Telephoto, Prime, wide angle, macro! An entry level camera will usually come with a “Kit” lens. A multipurpose lens to get you used to photography with a DSLR. These are versatile, but may not yield the creative results you may be looking for! However, you will learn how to use it, push it to it’s limits and learn that maybe you would like lower Fstop lens OR a greater focal length to achieve that photo you are looking for! That is what is fun about learning photography! WARNING! When it comes to lenses…you can’t have it all in one lens!

A good portrait lens to begin with is a Canon F1.8 50mm lens. Loved that lens! Then you can graduate to the Canon F1.4 50mm lens!

It’s all about the lens…for the most part

As I mentioned in the previous blog post, I do think lenses are the most important choice when buying a camera. If you think you would eventually like to build your lens collection, then I would buy the lenses that would give me the option to expand into a semiprofessional or professional line camera body. Without going into too much detail about Crop Sensor Cameras and Full Sensor Cameras, I would buy the lenses that would fit a Full Sensor DSLR. You will be able to use them on the cropped sensor camera OR a full sensor camera. You can read more about those HERE and maybe rent a camera body and/or lens before you buy <<<A GREAT TIP!

In my camera purchase journey, when I bought a new camera body, it always had an upgrade that I needed. A full sensor, dual card slot, higher ISO, wireless capabilities. If I had that all at first, I would not have known what to do with it and therefore spent more money for nothing. Digital cameras are small computers and like computers, the software needs to be updated until it doesn’t anymore. Then, you buy another that is compatible with your computers software 😉 It doesn’t end, right?? But, photographers love new equipment and love learning and that is fun-

Buying Photography Equipment

Written by DanaNPhotography on September 18, 2019. Posted in Blog, Informative.

What I have.

Buying photography equipment can be so confusing! When people find out I’m a photographer, they always ask what kind of photography equipment I use. Canon is the answer. Photographers will want to know what model and how old it is and if it has been a reliable camera. So much thought, money, reading articles and reviews goes into purchasing professional equipment. Tastes change as well!

Cameras I have purchased

My photography equipment and camera choice progression has been this : Canon AE-1, Canon Rebel, Canon 50D, Canon 6D and presently a Canon 5d Mark 3 (which apparently has been discontinued. Oh dear.) Recently updated to the Canon mirrorless R5 in 2021! You see, once you are with a brand you typically stay with it. Why? It’s not because you just love that camera body, but along the way you have purchased lenses that only work with that camera brand. That’s right. Nikon and Canon don’t play with each other. Those film camera lenses don’t work on the digital cameras. Even some Canon lenses won’t work on certain Canon bodies. Wouldn’t that be great for the consumer if they did!!! We might all switch to Sony mirrorless and bring our lenses with us!

Lenses Rule!!

I do have a number of lenses that I love. and definitely make up the bulk of my photography equipment. Actually, I love them all 😉 Because I am a portrait photographer, I have portrait lenses. There are specific lenses for wildlife photographers and others for underwater photography!

What do I use the most?

My Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 with image stabilization if I have the room! If I need to take wider shots, I use the F/2.8 24-70mm L series. This is the most versatile lens I have! It is my 2nd one 😉 My first lens purchase was a 50mm F/1.8 lens. I then bought a 50mm F/1.4. The sticker shock at the time was crazy until I thought I couldn’t live without the 50mm F/1.2. Well, apparently you can live without that one…for a little bit 😉

I treated myself to the 70-200mm F/2.8

and didn’t use it much for the longest time! Now it is on my camera for every session at some point! I love the clarity. When I don’t want the weight of this lens, I reach for my 100mm F/2.8. Beautiful for portraits and macro shots if you are a wedding photographer and love those ring shots! When I shot weddings, I bought a 16-35mm F/2.8 for those beautiful wide church shots! I still use it on my 2nd camera at events for crowd shots and fun close ups. The 85mm F/1.8 has been a great lens as well. (The 85mm F1.4 is on my wish list!) Prime lenses (those that have a fixed focal length–they don’t zoom) are always a great choice for portraits! I have a fun Rokinon fish eye that I bought very early on that only works on my 50d cropped sensor camera, but it is a very specific look! Would love the Canon Fish-eye 😉

Next up!

If you are just starting out, I would suggest researching your camera brands. What type of photos do you want to take? Wildlife? Kids? Family? Flowers? Macro? Search lens prices. You may be shocked! Those gorgeous flying eagle photos? The lens used may be a great downpayment on a car!

Me? I guess I will be researching that Canon 5d Mark IV…

Next up>>>Buying tips for your first camera

Cheers!

Desai Family Photography

Written by DanaNPhotography on December 21, 2018. Posted in Blog, Family.

When Dipty called and inquired about a family portrait session, I knew it was going to be wonderful! She knew how she wanted to photos to feel and she knew she wanted a large portrait in a certain place of honor in their home.I arrived at their home for the consultation and we immediately set about finding the perfect spot for a more formal portrait. The entry to their home was gorgeous and all that was needed for a little flair was the beautiful velvet sofa that was to be moved to the front landing and a family who loves each other!

FAmily sitting on beige velvet couch in front of their home in front of their front doors. Dressed in navy, blues and white

How to Prepare for your Corporate Headshot Session

Written by DanaNPhotography on August 4, 2018. Posted in Blog, Business Head shots, Head shots, Informative, Professional Headshots.

Most people are not super excited for their Corporate headshot session, but I am here to HELP YOU OUT with a checklist! The only thing you do not have to prepare for is posing. That is my job!!

1-Personal grooming: You are paying for a Professional Headshot, so take some time to prepare.

Gentleman–Go to the barber and get a nice shave/beard grooming nose and ear hair trim. If you have severe tan lines, get the haircut a week out and return for the shaving and hair trimming.

Ladies–Go to the salon and have your highlights/color etc touched up. Also eyebrow and lip grooming 😉 I have a makeup & hair artist that can help with styling day of in studio!

For both: No tanning! This will show up red and harsh in a photograph. A “little color” usually comes off sunburned or an artificial tan may show up orange!

2-Clothing: Please choose your clothing according to your company specs and colors best for you!

Gentlemen:A professional headshot usually requires a well fitted suit and tie for gentlemen. These must be wrinkle free. Best if the shirt is straight from the dry cleaners. The tie must be free of stains. Check. Sometimes stains show up after being worn! Try on that suit you may only wear for special occasions…like headshots 😉 Make sure the jacket does not have “pills” (little rolled up pieces of threads usually in blend fabrics). Check with your company for photography specs and send them on to me! This helps with my lighting and background setup.

Ladies: Sometimes a company requires you wear a jacket. I suggest a well fitted one as it will be buttoned in the front and no double breasted jackets! Usually darker colored jackets work best. Check with your company for specs 😉

No busy patterns. No pilled T-shirts or jackets.

Most headshots are just that>>Headshots, but typically a Corporate shot is waist up with both shoulders in view with one more prominent to the camera. If your company requires something other that this, I need to know! If this is a session just for you for your own company and website/marketing material, then obviously we can be more flexible!

These sessions are stress free. My goal is to photograph you and have you like what you see so that the first impression for your clients is a great one!

Contact me to discuss your individual session or for your entire company!

Cheers!

Dana

CrossFit Engagement

Written by DanaNPhotography on January 28, 2018. Posted in Blog, Clients, Couples, Engagement, Portraits.

CrossFit is a culture and apparently an avenue for engagement! Just watching a workout makes me sweat! Emily and Robbie met at Maverick Cross Fit in Melbourne, FL and decided that is where their engagement session should be. I was ALL on board with that! We shot on a Sunday morning and had an open gym with gorgeous light streaming in from the roll up doors. After discussing their vision for the session, we set to work with a few dress shots and then on to the athletic shots and gear CrossFit is known for– kettle bells, boxes, ropes and free weights. Below is the slideshow from their session. Much love to you both!!