This was my first year covering a wide range of summer league games and I was amazed with not only the teams but the umpires as well. Most of them are or were Varsity Softball & Baseball Players for Athens & Union City High Schools. I love the fact that they were given the chance to learn what it is like to be behind the plate and show their knowledge of the rules of the game but to also be a role model for the younger players.
Kudos to all of you…
So when you saw “Water & Senior Portraits” you were probably thinking there would be some cool beach portraits… that is probably what I would have thought! We we would have both been wrong!!
With the theme for today’s post being “Water” and me being a sports photographer, I thought I would share with you some Senior Portraits with you from a photo shoot in the pool area of Marshall High School.
This young man is a member of the Marshall High School Swim Team. When he mentioned having some portraits done in the swimming for the sport of swimming I wan’t sure what I was in for. I had never photographed the sport or photographed anything in a pool area of a school.
He even brought a pullover from Grand Valley (which is the college he will be attending) and what a combination of blues… The painting along the walls, the blue of the pool and his outfit were all a wonderful combination.
As a Sports Photographer & Senior Portrait Photographer… this is just the type of photo shoot I look for! Something to push my skills and creativeness but that also results in showing off ones accomplishments and decisions for the future.
WordPress.com Daily Prompt: Water
Almost 1 year ago I made my first post to this blog dated February 25, 2013. I was extremely excited because I had hired someone to design me a Logo, Website and this Blog!
However, I did not follow thru with posting to this blog as I originally promised. Shoot, I didn’t even keep my website design for a year! The Logo was the only thing that I truly kept.
So now that I have admitted this to you, my readers and customers, this is what I plan on doing in the future…
At least 1 blog post a week… I PROMISE. A blog post may be about a session, sporting event or team, something that I am offering, or how to do something website, ordering or photography wise. You may even find more posts like my last one “Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning“. Or I might just share someone else’s work that I found inspiring.
My goal for this blog is to draw more followers and customers. I would like to be able to entertain but also provide informative information and share my work with the world. When you read this blog, I want you to want to come back and read more or to at least gain you as a customer.
Okay… I will be honest… both would be extremely nice!
Something about myself that you may not know… I am shy. Yes, a shy photographer who loves covering sporting events!
One might ask, “How does that work?” Well… it is like this… I really depend on word of mouth. When I am feeling courageous I might introduce myself to a new coach or parent and hand out business cards. Believe it or not… Facebook has been a tremendous help in this area!
As a photographer I am all about what I am photographing. By that I mean, “It is all about you, the client, the team, the athlete and the sport that I photographing.”
I am not about the perfect pose or studio settings… but instead, I love capturing what you or a team wants me to capture in the natural setting of being “on location”.
I love discovering the dedication of an athlete to the sport they love or the character a senior brings to their own life or the love between two people when they join lives forever in marriage.
Oh, and one more thing about myself…
I am also a mom. A mom who has lived with those not so nice sports portraits of my children. A mom who has coached little league soccer teams. A mom who is very proud of her children and her work…
A mom who has developed a photography business based on my experiences as a mom and the inspiration that has come along with that experience.
My name is Char and I hope to be “Your Sports & Portrait Photographer” in the future!
My 12″ x 12″ Memory Pages can be customized to your school, sport or event! One way to find out how to order a Memory Page from me is to go to my Website, scroll down to the Sports Folder, click on it and you will find the following information…
12″ x 12″ Memory Pages cost $25.00 each. Starting in September, 2014 – when you purchase 4 Memory Pages you will receive your fifth Memory Page for FREE.
Here are some examples of Memory Pages from Union City 2013 Homecoming…
and here are a couple examples of Memory Pages done for Harper Creek 8th Grade Football.
Memory Pages are 12″ x 12″ and perfect for Scrapbooks. You can also find frames for 12″ x 12″ prints at various stores. Memory Pages are an excellent way to display your Senior’s accomplishments and participation in various sports and events for their Graduation Open Houses! A Memory Page makes a great present and is a keepsake that will last forever with proper care as they are professionally printed.
To order your 12″ x 12″ Memory Page, contact me with the Athlete’s Name, Number and Sport/Game/Event they participated in by sending me an email, message on Facebook, filling out the contact form on my website or by calling me at (517) 767-3013.
I do offer the option to have a Memory Page mailed to you with a tracking number and in a cardboard sleeve for an additional $5.00. For more information on having your Memory Pages mailed, please contact me.
I have had a few people inquire about how to purchase Prints & Downloads from my website. Here is a quick break down on 2 ways to purchase Prints & Downloads from my website…
All galleries will have a button “Add to Cart” in the upper right hand corner.
When you click “This Photo” you will be taken to this screen. Select the size print you would like to purchase and then you can click “Back to Photos” to add more to your cart or “Checkout” to purchase the prints you have in your cart.
You can also click “Downloads” at the top of the shopping cart. This will take you to the screen shown above. Here is a break down on the different sized downloadable file that are offered
– Low Res (1Mpix) is about 1000 x 1000 megapixel file. This will work for 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″ and possibly 8″ x 10″ prints.
– High Res (4Mpix) is what you would purchase for good quality 8″ x 10″ or larger prints (reasonably sized).
– Original File is just that. It is my original file which is high quality and resolution. This would be purchased for printing large poster or larger prints.
All downloadable files come with a personal print release which basically states that you can print these photos for your personal use. You cannot resell any of my files or prints.
This screen viewed above is what you will see if you select “Photos from this Gallery” when you click on “Add to Cart”. This screen is actually pretty cool if you have several pictures in a gallery that you would like to purchase! You can select the Print Size or Download that you would like to purchase and then just click on each of the pictures that you would like to purchase. Once you click “Add Photos to Cart” you can continue on to another gallery and purchase more!
Prices shown here are for Sports and Event Galleries only. If you are interested in Portrait Session & Prints Prices, please contact me.
Thank you for your business and support but even more so… Thank you for allowing me to photograph your athletes!
Above you are looking at the new 8″ x 10″ Team Portrait print that you will receive when ordering a package containing an 8″ x 10″ Team Portrait or an individual 8″ x 10″ Team Portrait. All schools of the teams that I photograph will also receive an 8″ x 10″ Team Portrait for displaying in their school.
Above you will find the new 5″ x 7″ Team Portrait print that you will receive when ordering a package containing a 5″ x 7″ Team Portrait or an individual 5″ x 7″ Team Portrait. Also, all coaches will receive a 5″ x 7″ Team Portrait of the team they coach.
You will notice that the new Team Portrait prints look similar to the Memory Mates! Now you have nice complimentary prints for scrapbooks and framing. There will be times when I will customize the Memory Mates to suit the teams, school/team colors and portraits taken. Here is an example of a change in the Memory Mate for the same school but different sport:
I am looking forward to an exciting and busy year of High School & Middle School Sports! Good luck to all of the teams that I am photographing… Athens, Tekonsha & Union City. You will also find me in Harper Creek this fall photographing athletes competing in Football & Volleyball.
I grew up in Athens and graduated from Athens High School (Charlotte Converse). Shortly after I moved to Union City where I was married and started a family. I since then I have divorced and now live just outside of Tekonsha with Mark.
I have been asked if my photography skills came from taking classes or if I am self-taught. The answer to this question would be both. I started taking sports pictures of my brothers when they played baseball, basketball and football with a 35 mm film. I also did some portrait and candid work at weddings, anniversary and birthday parties. I did take a black and white photography class where I learned how to develop my own film and prints in a dark room. I bought my first digital camera several years ago and I have taught myself how to use it. It has taken me a long time to get where I am now. At the age of 44 I finally turned this passion of mine into a business, Photography by Char.
Another question that I have been asked has been “Do you ONLY photograph Union City School Sports?” The answer to this is NO!
My 2 children have attended Union City Schools and have been involved in sports pre-k thru graduation. Union City has been a wonderful place for me to start my business but I certainly do photograph for other schools and communities. For example:
1) I have always enjoyed photographing any Athens vs. Union City sporting competition. I have also photographed Athens Winter Homecoming, their 2013 Follies and followed the Lady Indians to Regional and State Final Tournaments at the Breslin Center.
2) I have also traveled to Battle Creek to photograph Harper Creek Middle School Football, Freshmen Volleyball and traveled to Coldwater to photograph the Varsity Harper Creek vs. Coldwater Football game this past fall.
3) I have been asked to travel to Battle Creek for Baseball this spring/summer and to Marshall for Soccer.
4) I have had parent customers from Athens, Bronson, Harper Creek, Quincy, Union City and
I do not charge at the present moment to attend and photograph a sporting event or other special events (dance recitals, proms, etc). I also do not charge to travel to your home school to shoot a Portrait Shoot of a team or group. I rely solely on the sale of my photographs and portraits to athletes, parents and coaches. I also work with schools and coaches to provide photographs for the organizations and publications.
I also photograph Seniors & Families along with Weddings. These have mostly come from my work as a Sports Photographer!
I have found a real joy in my ability to provide documentation of not only an athlete, team, school year 
but the life of these teens, young adults and families.
Now that my kids are grown (Martha graduates this spring!) I am looking to expand and cover more schools and teams in the area.
Now would be a great time to schedule those Summer and Fall sporting leagues for Portrait Shoots and Game Coverage. You can contact me and request a photo shoot on my website www.photographybychar.com, by email photographybychar@gmail.com, by phone at (517) 767-3013 or by commenting here on my blog.
I am a Freelance Sports Photographer in Southern Michigan. I have come across some schools where the Athletic Director will make the decision and contract a photographer to do all of the Athlete & Team Portrait shoots for all of their Sports Team for the year. I have also come across some schools who make recommendations but ultimately leave the decision up to the individual Sports Coaches.
I am curious as to how your school handles this?
I am going to share with you some information on how I go about an Athlete & Team Photo Shoot
Location:
I shoot Athlete & Team Portraits on your home field and natural setting of your sport.
The Athlete Portrait:
I encourage the athletes to do what they would like for their portrait. This includes their particular area of expertise and contribution to the team and sport. Examples would be: the pitcher having their portrait done on the pitching mound; a solid hitter having their portrait done up to bat; a discus throwing having their portrait done in the discus circle with the discus; a pole vaulter having their portrait done in the pole vaulting pit with the pole; or a good putter having their portrait done on the green with their putter & flag.
It has been surprisingly amazing that when an athlete has the opportunity to do what they want for a portrait, they really like their portraits more and are more willing to have their portraits done. A photo shoot also tends to go a little bit faster! Track may be the only exception to this considering there is such a large range of events that could be involved. However, I always attempt to limit the amount of time I take an athlete from practicing their sport.
My Objective as a Sports Photographer:
Throughout many years of being a parent of an athlete, I have learned what parents and athletes are looking for in a good Athlete & Team Portrait and Memory Mate. In my opinion, one of the main objectives a portrait photographer should have is to capture the true contribution, dedication and expertise an athlete brings to a team and sport. An Athlete & Team Photo Shoot should not be about me and what I perceive as the perfect pose but instead what the athlete, team and coach perceives as the perfect pose.
I will bring suggestions and guidelines to help an athlete and team portray what they are aiming for.
It is my belief that the athletes and teams should have ownership in their portraits. This would be the foundation of Photography by Char. It would be a great pleasure to be able to photograph your school’s athletes and teams.
As many of you know the NCAA March Madness tournament begins March 19. Now I don’t usually follow college or professional basketball. To be honest the only thing March Madness has meant to me in the past was that normal Channel 3 shows were going to be interrupted! However, this year I am actually looking forward to March Madness. Yes, Dish Network has assisted with this since I can now find The Young & The Restless on the Soap Opera channel… but more importantly would be my enjoyment in photographing the sport!
In the past, my favorite sport to photograph has always been whichever sport my teens were participating in at the time. They are grown now with my daughter graduating high school this year and as a result I have noticed a shift in the way I go about photographing sports. Instead of just focusing on my teens and their team… I am striving to capture the whole game showing the dedication and determination that all athletes bring to the competition and their team. While I enjoy photographing all sports, basketball has become one of my favorite to photograph. You can literally test all of your photographic skills while photographing a basketball game.
From capturing the action of a fast breakaway to freezing the ball in midair or a player jumping for a jump shot… to the contemporary portrait shots of a player concentrating on that all important free throw. To capture the facial expressions of a player while waiting for a rebound or a pass… to the physical contact on the floor with blocks and picks… nothing is better than that up close action right under the basket. There is a play on focal points and depth of field with capturing the spectators in the stands, the team on the bench and the lectures of the coach during a time out.
Ultimately, I have seriously enjoyed this past basketball season! Not only have I photographed 7-12 grades in the Big Eight Conference in Southern Michigan but I also followed the Athens Lady Indians to their Regional Victory and second trip to the Breslin Center at MSU for the Class D Semi Final State Championship Game. What an experience! These young ladies played an awesome game and I was extremely proud to be a photographer down on the floor while they played.
Spring brings a whole new round of sports. I have already lined up several Athlete & Team Portrait Photo Shoots along with athletic events. If your school needs a photographer, give me a call at (517) 767-3013 or email me at photographybychar@gmail.com. You can also see more of my work on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/PhotographyByChar.
In the meantime, I will be watching the NCAA March Madness tournament to see different aspects of the game that I can look for next year!
MY PHOTOGRAPHS & WORDS 