iheartfaces

iheartfaces hosts weekly photo contests for photographers.  I have been watching for a good one (well, they are all good) for me to enter into for a while now, but haven't had the "right" one...until now.  :-)  The topic is "props" and I think that this photo fit's that criteria perfectly.  This shoot was a lot of fun and I'm glad that I can use this photo to enter.  Thanks Hescox family! :-)

If you haven't checked out iheartfaces you should! :)

The Charles Family

A HUGE thank you to the Charles Family for letting me take their family photos, not to mention their daughter's 1 year old photos!  (The Charles Family was a Weekly Photo Challenge winner too.)

They are such a sweet family.  So fun to be around.  I had a great time working with them!  Their daughter is SUCH a cutie, and I absolutely LOVED the funny faces that she made.  Especially her "war face".  This is her "war face".  It makes me laugh every time I see it.  :-D

I hope you enjoy some of the photos from their session.

Changes...

I am pleased to announce that you will be seeing a lot of changes coming, if you haven't noticed already.

The first change that you might have already noticed is a new logo!  Go to my facebook page here to see it.    The next change that should be coming soon is a new website.  :-D  So excited!  There you will find my blog, pricing information, contact information, etc.  It may be a couple of more weeks, but it's coming, I promise.  And lastly, I will be partnering with Fresno Couponing to offer a pretty AMAZING deal on my services.  It will (hopefully) coming soon.  You will probably be able to find it on Fresno Couponing's facebook site within the few weeks.  Be on the lookout.  Make sure you "like" their page so that you can receive their updates in your news feed.

Also, be on the lookout for blog posts of the Dias Family and the Charles Family!  They have some pretty cute kids.  :-)

6 months old already! Time is flying!

I had a photoshoot the other day with little Gabriela Bella.  Gabriela is 6 months old.  She enjoys playing with grass, sitting up, holding her own bottle, being thrown in the air by her Daddy, sleeping and pooping. She is such a sweet little girl and has grown so much since the last time I saw her.  

Here is a preview from when she was 1 month old.  

It's amazing how fast babies grow...here is Gabriela now...

Thanks for letting me document the growth of little Gabriela!  Hope to see you again around 1 year!! :-D

PS.  New website coming soon....--> sortizphotography.com

Let Them Eat Cake

My last photo shoot involved 2 VERY cute little boys and a cake.  It was such a fun shoot!  Their mom made an AMAZING cake.  I didn't get a taste, but by the mess fun that the boys had in it, I'm sure it was delicious!  I think that the photos speak for themselves this time.  :-)

Little W was sneaking it too... :-)

Little T didn't like it very much when the fun was over...

Happy 1st Birthday Little T!

Side note:  I am pleased to announce that a new logo and a new website are coming soon!

Teaching Photography

Today was my first day of teaching photography to a fun bunch of 6th graders.  Today they learned all about photos that are in and out of focus, parts of a camera, how to upload their photos on a computer and the rule of thirds.  I'm assuming the majority of my readers know what a photo in focus looks like, and also that they know the majority of parts on a camera (lens, screen, zoom, etc.)...very basic.  But what I am not sure about is if my readers know what the "rule of thirds" is.


The rule of thirds is a great rule to follow to help you take a "better" photograph.  When most people take a photo, they put the subject directly in the center.  Do you agree?  I do.  Well, I'm here to suggest to you today that the next time you take a photo, you should try using the rule of thirds.  It will make your photos look more interesting and much "better".  I found a tutorial from World Start that really explains this rule in great detail.  Check it out if you want to learn more.  Until then, here is my very, very basic tutorial.  I borrowed the images from World Start and Photo96.

Okay, so pretend that you are looking through the viewfinder (the little window that you put your eye up to to take a photo) or the screen on point and shoot cameras.  Pretend that the image below is on your screen/viewfinder.  Normally you put the subject (the thing/person you are taking a photo of) in the center.  Like this....

But the next time you take a photo, try to put the subject as close as you can to the intersecting blue lines (in a red circle).

This is what I mean by that...

This way, the photograph looks much more interesting and can help improve your photography skills by simply making this small change.

Here is another example:  

The lady bug is close to the bottom right intersecting blue lines.  Because the subject in not right in the center of the photo, it makes the photo more interesting and a "better" photo.  Even though the lady bug is not exactly on the intersecting lines, the photo still looks great because it isn't just a boring ladybug photo centered on the photograph.

Here are some other examples...

If this is something that interests you and you want to know more, check out this flickr post.  

I know that this post is a little "untraditional" for me, but I hope you enjoyed it.  Let me know your thoughts.  And I hope that it was helpful! :-D  

If you have any more questions or want to know more about something let me know.