Fall Family Session

Here are some pictures from another session we did back in the fall.  I have known this family for a long time, and it was good seeing the girls (who are now married and have families of their own) after several years.  They haven't changed a bit!

Even though it was a sort of dreary day, there was some fall color and even a few flowers left over from this past summer.

Are these little kids cute or what?  They were also very well behaved during the session!

It was a great session!  This gorgeous family is just as much fun as they look!

Another Wonderful Family

Here is another family that I have known for many years.  They were our next door neighbors for a while, and three of us worked in the same school system.  Fred was a high school teacher and guidance counselor for most of those years, and he has long been the radio voice of local high school sports.  Because of his association with the school, they wanted some of their pictures taken on the football field.  It was sort of a dreary, rainy day, but everyone was a good sport about that!

Check out the eyes on these girls!!

And finally, a few images in black and white.

Great times, in spite of the weather!

More Family Pictures

Once again, I am WAY behind on posting pictures to my blog.  This group of pictures was taken late last summer.  The family used to operate a strawberry farm, and all of the pictures were taken on their property.

These pictures include Grandma and Grandpa (owners of the farm), their three children, and their grandchildren (and a cat!)

This was a beautiful and fun family to work with!

A Senior at the Lake

It's really cool when people have these great places for photo shoots without ever leaving their own yards!  Some of this lovely senior's photos were taken at their lake cottage, on a couple of different docks, with a variety of interesting boats.  Some were also taken at a local historical site with beautiful gardens.

This gal lives out of state, but I'm so glad she was here for a few days this summer so we could capture her senior photos!

And a few other individual shots:

This was a very casual session (I guess most of mine are, though) and we had a lot of fun!  When you have a pretty girl and some pretty settings, how can you go wrong??!!!

(For any of you who might recognize this girl, I think she looks a lot like her Aunt Janet did when she was about this age.  Anyone agree??)

A Family at the Lake

This family asked me to come to their home in a lovely lake setting to do some family pictures.  We took pictures of Great-grandma and Great-grandpa, Grandmas and Grandpas, their kids and spouses, and the grandkids and great-grandkids.  The weather was a little overcast, but there was no rain, so we were lucky.  And we got some great shots!

Here are a few of the whole gang and representative groups within that gang.

Here are some of one of the individual families.  This family is also in some pictures that appeared on my blog back around Christmas time.

The next ones are of one of the other individual families.  

I have to say that all of the kids from both families were super cooperative!  I got some great individual shots of the kids too, some of which you can see on this website under the "Children" section of the Galleries link.

Another Great Family Session

I have known this family for many, many years.  They were our next door neighbors for a while, and I watched their kids grow up from the time they were born.  Now these same kids have beautiful families of their own.

Their home at the lake was another great location.  They have flowers, trees, a swing, a glider, a beautiful patio that overlooks the lake, and many other amenities that go with lake living.  If I lived here, I don't think I would ever get anything constructive done!

Another great session with old friends!  Thanks for letting me help capture your memories!

Five Gorgeous Gals and One Lucky Guy

I am SO far behind on posting on my blog, that I decided to try to catch up (somewhat) today.  A few weeks ago, I did a session with this family at their home, which is complete with a pond, a gazebo with a bridge leading to it, flowers, woods - in other words, a photographer's dream.  Here are a few pictures from that session.  

Notice the chocolate lab, Elmer.  He is a rambunctious pup who is very much an important member of the family, and he was a pretty good poser for being so full of energy!

Then, a couple of weeks later, the family had a birthday party for a member of their extended family, and I did another session with all of them.

Unfortunately for Elmer, he was not allowed to be in these pictures, and he made quite a bit of noise about it.  Poor pup!  :)

This whole group was so easy to work with!  Even the little ones were cooperative and fun, which makes things a lot easier when working with this many people!

Senior Model Program

j bentz photography SENIOR MODEL PROGRAM 

Here's what you get: --A free 30-minute mini-session early in the summer to get some model shots --50% off your regular photo session later in the year, where you can go to different locations and have several outfit changes --Referral discounts - for each friend you refer who has a photo session with me, you get $15 in print credit to apply to your package. For every 5th referral, you get an additional $25 cash or credit. --Five of your favorite shots in low-resolution format to share on Facebook or Twitter --A special Facebook Timeline --A special app for your phone that allows you to show off your pictures and a special code for your friends to use when they book a session --Rep cards to hand out to your friends, with a couple of your pics and your special code Sound like fun??? Keep reading . . . Here’s what you need to do: --Fill out an application and sign a model agreement if you are selected --Have parent approval and signature --Be a person with great style, lots of personality, and lots of friends to show your pictures to --Promote j bentz photography by showing other people your photos – a lot!!!! (You will get some special ways to do this!!) --Post testimonials on my Facebook photography page, my website, and my blog --Agree to represent only j bentz photography and become a fan on Facebook Other Facts: --All packages, a la carte items, and other products would be regular price, but you can apply your reward credits from your referrals. --Each person you refer who makes an appointment will receive 10% off the package or products that they purchase if they give me your code. That’s a win-win situation. --REMEMBER - you don’t have to look like a “model” to do this - your personality and spirit are MUCH more important than “looks.” **Go to my website, www.jbentzphotography.com, and click on the “Senior Model Application” link to fill out and submit an online application.

Looking Good for My Senior Photo Session

WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR SENIOR PHOTOS AND OTHER TIPS ON LOOKING GREAT!  When deciding what to wear, you should always consider where your photos will be taken. If the background is going to be plain, such as studio shots, up against a fairly plain wall, or against any kind of background which will mostly be a solid color, you can wear prints, stripes, polka dots, and bright colors. If the background is going to be busy, such as many nature shots with trees, bushes, and flowers, you should wear something that is NOT busy. Solid bright colors are good. Wear colors that will contrast with your background, not blend in. If you are going to be in a grassy field, you should not wear a green dress or shirt. If you are going to be in the middle of a bunch of flowers, you should not wear a flowered dress or shirt. Wear clothes that are flattering to you and that make you feel good. Skirts shouldn’t be TOO short and shirts shouldn’t be TOO tight or too revealing. Wear shoes that look good with your outfit. As much as you might like YELLOW, it is a color which is not flattering to many skin tones. So if you don’t want your skin to look sick or dull, avoid yellow. Also, shades of beige and gray are so neutral that they often blend into the background and look dull. Wear colors that bring out the color in your eyes. For girls, choose simple jewelry. You want your jewelry to reflect your personality, but not to dominate the pictures. Make-up should be tasteful and flattering. Don’t try to overdo it - you want your pics to look natural. AVOID GLITTER at all costs - no glittery eye shadow, blush, or lip gloss. It might look great in everyday life, but in pictures, the light reflects off the glitter in a funny way and you might end up looking like a creature from outer space. It is often hard to re-touch, and it could ruin an otherwise lovely picture. For guys, if you need a haircut, get it at least a week before your photo session so it looks more natural. Bring at least one outfit that you wouldn’t mind getting dirty. You might be sitting or lying on the ground, in a bunch of leaves, in a tree, etc. Think about whether you might want to mix styles and settings. Interesting photos can be created by wearing dressy clothes in a grungy setting, or creating other unexpected effects. Wearing a suit on the railroad tracks, or having your drum set in the middle of a grassy area are effects that can result in unique photos. It is okay to bring a variety of outfits and change clothes as many times as you want. Just remember that each change takes time, and the more you change, the fewer pictures you will get in your session. It is helpful to bring someone along (mom or friend) who will carry the clothes and help you change. Have fun choosing your outfits and the special looks that you want to create. Use your imagination!!

Photography Websites by BetterPhoto.com

Information for 2014-2015 Seniors

2014-15 SENIOR SESSION INFO.  Do you want your senior portrait session to be fun and crazy? Do you want to have pics taken with your pets, your car, or other special items? Do you want to have a chance to get products that many photographers don’t offer? Then keep reading!! The 2014-15 Senior Portrait season is about to start. Many seniors like to have at least some of their pictures taken in the summer before their senior year. Some like to get pictures in different seasons, so they start in the summer, have more in the fall, maybe the winter (snow pics are fun!), and more in the spring. Many seniors also like for me to take a few of their favorite pictures and make them into graduation invitations in the spring. Invitations come in several sizes, from those that your parents would send in the mail to smaller ones without envelopes that you can hand out to your friends at school. I also offer a couple different kinds of senior folios which hold anywhere from 6-12 pictures. These are nice to display at your graduation party. And of course there are regular photo prints, ranging from wallet size to large wall portraits. There are also many unique products, which will be explained later. With so much to choose from, there is something for everyone! Sessions & Fees It is possible to do some studio pics if you want, but most of the sessions are outdoors. There are several locations I like to use, or we can go to a location of your choice. The session fee, which I call the “Artistic Fee,” includes a pre-consultation with you and a parent where you get to view various products, find out about pricing, and make your session appointment. A 50% deposit is due at the consultation, and the remaining artistic fee is due at the session. Also included in the artistic fee are the time spent during the session, and all editing work. All photos are completely retouched and enhanced in various ways. All photos will be presented in color, as well as some in black and white or sepia. I will also show you some that have been enhanced with textures, background effects, or templates. Artistic fees are as follows: ½ hour = 25+ © proofs $80 (15) 1 hour = 40+ © proofs $150 (25) 1 ½ hours = 60+ © proofs $200 (35) 2 hours = 75+ © proofs $250 (50) The number in parentheses is the amount of the artistic fee which will go as a credit toward the package or products that you order. EXAMPLE: You have a 1 ½ hour session. You have paid a deposit of $100, so you owe $100 at the session. $35 of that will go toward your order, so if you order a $300 package, you will only pay $265 more. What Happens Next? After I edit your pictures, which takes 2-3 weeks, you and a parent will come to my house for a chance to view your photos on the computer. You will also receive a flashdrive with a copyrighted version of all your pictures (they will contain a watermark.) We will discuss various products and the package, a la carte, or add-on items you might be interested in. Then within 3 weeks, you will choose your pictures and place your order. 50% of the order cost is due when you place the order, and the remainder, along with tax and shipping, will be due when your pictures come. Most orders should be ready in a week or two.  Senior Model Program Every year I like to have a few students, both girls and guys, who will help represent j bentz photography by being senior models. To be chosen as a senior model, you must do the following things: 1) fill out an online application – go to www.jbentzphotography.com 2) have parent approval 3) be a person who is outgoing and friendly, and interacts with a variety of other students in class, in sports, in activities, at work. 4) want to have a great time at your photoshoot and get discounts!p 5) show other people your photos – a lot!!!! You would have a free half-hour session early in the summer to get a few model shots taken. Then you would receive some special surprises so you could share your pics with everyone you know. Later in the year, you would receive 50% off your regular photo session. All packages, a la carte items, and other products would be regular price, but you have a chance to earn credits for referrals. For each senior who makes an appointment with me and gives me your code, you will receive a $15 print credit toward your package. You will receive an additional $25 cash or credit for every 5th referral. If you have already purchased a package, you can use the credits to get free stuff. Also, each person you refer who makes an appointment will receive 10% off the package or products that they purchase if they give me your code. That’s a win-win situation. So – whether you want to be a senior model or just want some cool photos, contact j bentz photography. Call: 260-437-1124 Email: jbphotos17@live.com Web: www.jbentzphotography.com

Spring Pictures of Jessica

Jessica had pictures taken in the fall (earlier post) at a local park.  She decided to have a few more taken this spring.  She has a shorter hair style, and we took the pictures in a grungier setting, so they are very different from her fall pictures.

Here are a few pictures from her latest session.

A Mother's Day Gift

These three sisters decided that they wanted to give their mother some pictures for Mother's Day.  So we did a photo session with them and the oldest sister's daughter.  It was a sunny but chilly spring day, and there weren't many flowers blooming or leaves coming out on the trees yet, but we found some pretty spots anyway.  

They chose some pictures and are making a special surprise for their mom.  How sweet is that?!!  Here are a few pictures of these gorgeous girls.  Their mother should be proud!

A Fun Family Shoot

We had this session set up for the week before Christmas.  About a week before the session, we had several inches of snow and were really excited to do snow pictures in the woods.  One of the families lives in Georgia, so they don't see much snow and were really looking forward to it!

Then a couple of days before the session, it got warmer and rained, and all the snow disappeared!  So the day we did it, the ground was soft and muddy instead of snowy!  

However, the family was super about trekking through the mud and leaves and getting a little dirty.  And the result - a ton of great family shots.  


Here are some shots of the entire family and individual families within the larger group.

The next grouping includes a couple of family shots and some shots of just the kids.

And finally, a grouping of one family's kids and their cousins.

Even though the day was cold and blustery and it was spitting sleet before we were done, this family was a ton of fun to work with.  The woods was actually gorgeous - it almost looked more like fall than winter with all the leaves on the ground.  That made it more colorful than if we would have had snow.  

We also did a few shots inside, giving everyone a chance to warm up a little before we went outside again.  Hats off to this fantastic family - they absolutely rocked this photo shoot!

Ryan - Age 6

Ryan has a December birthday.  So for his birthday pictures, sometimes the weather cooperates and sometimes it doesn't.  This year, we had about 8-10 inches of snow, so we got to do some neat shots of Ryan playing outside.  Also, his house is always decorated for Christmas by his birthday, so we always do some Christmasy shots too.

Here are some of the indoor shots. Ryan was goofy and even had me take some pictures of him in the bathroom (which had Christmas decorations), but I'll limit this to some of the more traditional shots.

We had a lot of fun with the outdoor shots.  Ryan had about three different sleds that he tried out, and there are some HUGE hills at his house, so it was perfect.  I just wish I had half the energy he has!  The outside of his house was decorated for Christmas too, so we got some good pictures with the outdoor pretties.  

And notice the cat in one of the pictures - the same cat that you have possibly seen in some of Ana's pictures.

And of course, I couldn't resist taking some pictures of Ana too!

CUTE KIDDOS!

Like I did with Ana, I will soon be posting a series of pictures of Ryan from the time he was really little until now.