Happy 2.22.22 Day from Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits
2.22.22
Category: Other
Original Art for Sale at The Framery
I’m excited to share that starting today, two of my original photographs are available for sale at The Framery, Etc. in Lancaster, PA. Both prints are for sale framed and ready to hang as pictured above, so there’s no fuss or extra costs. Simply bring them home and hang them up!
Visit The Framery, Etc. at 1912 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601. In addition to my photographs you’ll find a number of hand made items by local artists, a great selection of cards and gifts, and a wonderful team of people ready to assist you with your framing needs. Learn more about The Framery, Etc. on their website.
Check out the photoshoot I did for The Framery, Etc. here!
Best Photos of the Year—Celebrating 2020
Celebrating the year 2020? Yes, you read that correctly.
If you’re reading this in the future, you may not be aware of the pure, flaming-hot dumpster fire that were the 365 days of the year 2020. The year brought devastating brushfires and wildfires, record high temperatures, political and civil unrest (to put it lightly), the loss of important leaders, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and civil rights icon Representative John Lewis, and not the least of all, the global pandemic of COVID-19. If you’re a glutton for punishment, you can read more about the events 2020 on History.com.
2020 was a hard year for me. I’m sure it was for everyone. It was challenging personally and also challenging as a small business owner. But, I was inspired by some of my fellow photographers to take a look back at the year at the work I created and my top accomplishments. Admittedly, it wasn’t until I saw all this work compiled, that I realized just how much I did accomplish in 2020. It’s easy to forget to look back and reflect when life continues to rush you forward. While I take this moment to look backwards, I wish you and the world a better year in 2021.
It’s a Mood
In 2020, I had the opportunity to meet and work with many new people. I love creating moody, style images whether doing so while exploring the side streets of Downtown Lancaster, PA or in my favorite studio space Hingework. All these models brought their all to these shoots which resulted in vivid photographs.
Featured above in order: (Click to see their full shoot)
Erin L., Harmony, Aimee, Erin S., Ashley, Aksa, LeAnna (1), LeAnna (2), and Brenda.
Tasty Dishes
For the first time, I had the opportunity to photograph food—on two different occasions. My love for food rivals my love of photography, so this is really the best match their could be! These shoots were great learning opportunities, and I am really happy with the results.
My first food shoot featured the culinary artistry of Maritsa Cortes who prepared vegan versions of traditional Puerto Rican foods. Maritsa is really a master of her craft, and I’m really excited that she is pursuing her dreams with her own vegan butcher business—Lancaster Vegan Meats. I can’t wait to see her endeavor flourish. Check out my full photoshoot of her dishes here.
Additionally, I worked with home chef Sara to photograph her Italian dinners and drinks.
Furry Friends
I am always thrilled to work with pets, whether I am photographing them on their own or they’re being included with a solo, couple, or family photo session. Pets are always welcome at Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits, and I have enjoyed working with many clients who were specifically seeking pet-friendly photographers.
Just like humans, each animal truly has their own personality. So, it is fun meeting and working with pets during a photoshoot. I also appreciate that pets, and animals in general, always give unconditional love and gentleness. Some of my favorite pet photos of 2020 are above, and I especially enjoy the photos of T-bone the Corgi looking lovingly toward his owner with complete trust in his human!
Something Spooky
Another “first” that came in 2020 was my first “Spooky Shoot.” Kelly and Tyler are big fans of Halloween, horror movies, and the spooky season. They wanted to capture some couple portraits that would show off their own style and appreciation for the season. I absolutely love when couples come to the table with ideas for how they want to bring their own personality into the shoot. This helps to create something unique and special to them. Check out the full shoot here.
Experiments
Early in the year when we were all just starting to get used to quarantining, I decided to try to have some fun with what I had at my disposal—myself, my camera, my wife, and some props. The images turned out really fun, and I’d like to do more.
Check out these blogposts for more from these shoots: Double Vision and Quarantined
Events—but in COVID times
Thankfully, despite COVID, I still had the opportunity to photograph a few events in 2020. Some before the outbreak and some during it when it was safe to do so with the right precautions. Events are always enjoyable to capture. I love to move through the crowd and capture the genuine moments of enjoyment and fellowship between guests.
Among the events I photographed in 2020 was a special concert by Big Boy Brass at Pequea Valley High School, Lancaster Farm Sanctuary’s first ever Gala event to raise funds, and a special ‘Puerto Vegan’ dinner also hosted at the Sanctuary.
Senior
Dagen wins the award for coolest photo prop! He posed for his high school senior portraits with his grandfather’s stunning 1952 Dodge pickup truck. I travelled to the family’s historic Srasburg, PA home for the shoot which was just as beautiful. For more shots from this session (and to drool over more photos of the renovated truck) click here.
Love Birds
Grace & David wanted to celebrate their first wedding anniversary with a special photoshoot. I was honored to be asked to capture these special portraits with them! We explored the streets of Downtown Lancaster on a very cold December day. I think the best photos of the session took place in Steinman Park, especially as Grace looked lovingly into David’s eyes.
Wedding Bells
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but of all the amazing opportunities I had as a photographer in 2020 capturing my first wedding may be my proudest accomplishment of the year. Like so many others, Dennis and Jaclyn had to change their 2020 wedding plans. They had to give up the big venue and long guest list they had originally planned on. While that fact was disappointing, it did not stop them from having a truly beautiful wedding. They hosted a small group of close family and friends at the Nassau County Museum of Art—a place that holds special meaning to the couple. I was happy to be there and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of capturing these memories for them. See more photos and read Dennis and Jaclyn’s love story here.
Looking back on 2020, I am thankful for all the opportunities I had to continue doing what I love—photographing life’s best moments! I am grateful to all of those who chose and support Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits, especially during what was an extremely challenging year (financially and otherwise) for so many. Putting this blog post together helped me to see that no matter how bleak things get, there are always things to be happy about and grateful for—big and small.
Wishing the world a happy 2021.
Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits
How to take the Perfect “Selfie”
What makes the perfect “selfie”? How many times do you snap the same photo until you feel it’s perfect and ready to be posted online?
There are a lot of ingredients needed and a master “selfie” taker knows the perfect recipe to make a stunning portrait. Of those ingredients, the most important by far is the “selfie” taker… the photographer!
Okay, so now here’s where I fess up and tell you that I’m not actually describing “seflies” as they are typically understood. I’m not describing the act of you holding up your phone in front of your face, or attaching it to a telescoping “selfie” stick. I’m talking about a beautiful, crisp, well-lit, portrait taken by a professional photographer.
With iPhone and Android phone cameras getting better and adding more effects and modes to simulate professional photography, the “selfie” has become ubiquitous. Every moment has become a “selfie” moment. But professional photography should not be forgotten. Why? Remember those ingredients I mentioned? Professional photographers know how to take all those ingredients and capture a perfect portrait for you.
Let’s break it down. A photographer considers the following while capturing your portrait.
Light
The most important ingredient is light. Without light, there cannot be a photo. If you’ve ever taken a “selfie”, you’ve probably run into a number of issues. Maybe it’s too dark and your phone’s camera can’t focus. Or, you notice your image is very grainy or perhaps blurry. The result is a very low-quality image, and it’s often unflattering. Perhaps the sun is too harsh causing the photo to be much too bright and blown out. And, it causes you to squint in the photo or have deep, dark shadows around your facial features. Again, the resulting photo is probably not very flattering. The struggle doesn’t end there though. The lamp in the background is giving off orange-yellow light and coloring your skin. Or, your light source is directly behind you making you appear in silhouette.
Professional photographers, like Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits know how to get the perfect lighting for your portraits. Light that will be even and flattering. Light that will not be harsh or put you in silhouette. If there’s not enough natural light, a professional photographer knows how to use light tools like flash triggers and beauty reflectors to create the perfect conditions. The result is a high quality, professional portrait that depicts you perfectly.
Angle
Now, let’s talk about angles. The classic selfie pose seems to be from above and with a tilt of the head. While a photo taken from a higher angle is often flattering, in the case of a selfie, you are limited to the length of your arm or the shaky selfie stick. The lack of range your arm or that selfie stick affords is extremely limiting to the creation of a great portrait photo. There’s not a lot of ways you can point that phone on your own that is flattering to you. We all have opened our phone cameras in selfie mode before we’re ready to be greeted by our unsuspecting double chins!
Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits is not limited when finding the perfect angle for your professional portrait photography. Photographers can be as close to you or as far from you as needed or desired and have a range of camera lenses that also completely change the distance and angle. Professionals know just how to put the right pieces together to make you look great. This is another great reason to ditch that cell phone selfie for a professional portrait!
Pose
Very closely related to camera angle is your pose. We’ve all seen selfie takers in the wild endless moving their bodies, arms, legs, hands, and heads in a never-ending search for the perfect shot. And, seemingly they are never happy.
Leave it to the professionals! Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits knows how to pose you for a beautiful and flattering portrait.
While there are many more ingredients that make up a portrait photo that professional photographer like Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits use in perfect measure to create your images, those are just a few of the most notable.
Which do you choose?
Everyone wants to look their best. Every morning many people spend significant time carefully selecting that day’s wardrobe, applying makeup, shaving… the list goes on. A photo is no different! Putting your best foot forward with a professional portrait will make a world of difference. The best example is during a job search. Consider the message you might be sending a potential employer with a dark and grainy selfie versus a stunning, professional portrait. It’s likely that you agree that the professional portrait makes the applicant appear professional, trustworthy, punctual, and general like they have it together. These are traits that every employer wants in all of their employees! Beyond a job search, there are so many reasons why a professional portrait is important to have. It helps you put your best image online on social media, on LinkedIn, on your dating profile, helps you land that role at the community theater (and looks great in the playbill!), makes you look fantastic when you’re ask to be a presenter at a seminar or conference, and the list goes on and on. Imagine what you could do with a new headshot!
Are you ready for yours?
Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits in here for your “selfie” needs. Upgrade and update that grainy cell phone pic with a new, professional headshot portrait.
Ready for your own photo session?
Chris Corrao: Stories & Portraits 