Pierson Studios

Cold!

2011-11-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

42 degrees when we started shooting these. But the kids were awesome.

More fall images!

2011-10-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

My clients had this lovely 1970 VW bus. Loved it!

Workshop for you photographers!

2011-09-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

If you want to learn a bit more about shooting photos on location, here's your chance!

Workshop on location

There is a limit of 10 people.

Details:

Sunday September 25th at 4:00-6:00 PM

Rain Date: Sunday, October 2nd at 4:00 PM

Cost: $150

Location: Emerson Creek Pottery and Tea Room in Oswego

Workshop Description:

On location shoot with one model. We will talk about finding the locations, working with different ages, ideas, props, light, camera settings and pulling it all together for a successful shoot. Our model is 12, so she is old enough for us to move slowly and talk about details as we go. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions.

Bring your camera because you will also be shooting as we go.

If you want to register:

1. Send email back saying you want in

2. Send a check for $150 made out to Pierson Studios or call with a credit card number. 630.551.1442

3. You'll get an email back confirming with a map to the location.

Please note, we cannot refund your workshop fee, so please be sure you are available on the dates and times.

Thank you! Let's go shoot some spectacular shots!

Late summer shoots

2011-09-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Love this time of year, it's cool and everyone has a bit more energy.

Air and heat

2011-09-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Chicago area, be prepared, because in this town you can go from AC to heat in a week.
Crazy weather.

Recent summer farm shots!

2011-08-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Had some great kids and families to photograph lately at some private locations.

Tired

2011-08-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Lots of work and little time for other things. Well, of course there's time for the kids. Trying to get them to go to bed earlier and get them up earlier in prep for school. It's not working all that well. We still have 4 days.

Next year

2011-08-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

My wife and myself had a discussion yesterday. And we decided no matter how hard it might be to make it work, we are taking 2-3 weeks next year and going out west to enjoy showing the kids that part of the country. Not sure where yet, but wherever it is, there is so much to see and I just want the kids to experience it. There, done! We're doing it.

Crazy

2011-07-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that life just gets more crazy and busy as you get older. Time seems to fly by and can you believe that the summer is half over! Anyway, enjoy some of my latest shoots with awesome families.

Haiti Update!

2011-06-30T16:03:00.001-07:00

We are home from Haiti and had a great trip! God tested us from the beginning with a broken down van on the way to the airport at 4:00 in the morning. My wife came to the rescue and got us there on time and we were off! Thank you love!

The overnight stay in the remote village of Plik was really interesting and again tested us. Physically I was drained from sitting in the sun during the interview only to realize that this initial family was not the one's we needed to interview. As daylight hours were slipping away, we hurried to the other family we considered a good interview/family candidate and they worked out great but we still needed to catch tons of extra footage after translating what they had said. Even after drinking tons of water, my muscles were cramping up from holding the camera and tripod. I was dreaming about a glass of cold water with ice.

It was so emotionally draining to hear and see the plight of this family. I felt very humble sitting there with my $12,000 worth of equipment talking to a family that could barely scrounge one meal a day. After video taping the inside of their house, it sinks in that I have way more than I need to survive and that we come from a culture of excess. You have no idea how going to a place like this changes your view of your own little world.

The most stunning event took place watching the 12 year old get water down a very steep hill and climb back up with the 5 gallon bucket on her head walking barefoot over a rough trail. I had a hard time keeping up and I was just carrying a camera!

There is so much to tell, but you'll have to wait until the film is complete to see and hear the whole story, however, if you want to take a look at some of the still shots from the trip, go here.

http://bitsy.spinics.net/253

Thank you for your support!!!!

Sincerely,

Todd

Departure for Haiti!

2011-06-19T18:46:00.001-07:00

Our departure date has finally arrived for the filming of a short documentary in Haiti. I'm excited and anxious sprinkled with wonderment and fortitude. In just a few weeks, I should have the film edited and ready to share hopefully bringing a close look at what it's really like to live in such a rural poor place.

If you are spiritual, say a prayer for the safety of our travel group.

Need families for photo shoots!

2011-05-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the scoop:
Project Name - Families and their wheels
I am looking for families or couples that have a newer vehicle and live in a typical middle class home. (I know it's hard to define that). The vehicle does not have to be brand new but hopefully between 1 and 5 years old.

The idea:
I will come over late in the day (around 6:00 PM) and photograph your family hanging out by your vehicle with a "real life" feel. That means if your kids play soccer, let them wear their uniforms and let's put some dirt stains on their knees. One can sit on the car, one can bounce the ball. If it's hockey they're into, have them wear hockey attire with a stick in hand. If they're into gymnastics, let's see some chalk dust and wrist wraps. You get the idea. I might have kids run around the car/van and capture the fun and energy. These are very spontaneous and very high octane shots. Then... I am going to capture the same in energy shooting video clips.

This is what you get. Five high res jpegs you can print and share. They are edited and retouched with a creative edge. These images will look like photography you find in a magazine.

Is it free? No, but you only need to donate $85 to New Life for Haiti, an organization helping build schools in rural villages in Haiti.

Purpose of images:
This is for my commercial website to promote my skills. Photos will be posted and sent to advertising agencies and company contacts.

How do you get in?
Send me a photo of your family and your vehicle sitting in your driveway with your house in the background. (Doesn't have to be shot together). Currently, I can take 10 families for the project before my brain begins to freak out.

What do you think? I think this will be tons of fun and everyone benefits!
Send your images to todd@piersonstudios.com

One day

2011-05-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

I really hope it gets warmer faster, but while we wait, I met up with my friend Irene to photograph her son.
Thank you Irene!

Spring is coming

2011-04-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

I always wish it got warmer faster, but I know I shouldn't wish time away, so I accept the fact I live in the midwest. But I still want it to get warmer. Meanwhile, I get to photograph beautiful families like this!

Worthwhile

2011-04-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

http://haiti-june.blogspot.com/

More work and really fun kids!

2011-03-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Let's make something good!

2011-02-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

I love putting families into real scenarios and shooting what happens. It's as if I'm not there and that's where magic happens.

Working too much

2011-02-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

I have been swamped so I'm trying to balance, but it's so hard. I ignored the kids today and really regret it.
Okay, I'll work harder on that.

Red Woods!

2011-02-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

Had a chance to see these during a commercial photo shoot with my friend Jason Lindsey.
No words can describe them. Okay, one word-- awesome.

Inside

2011-02-07T06:12:00.000-08:00

Winter is a lot about being inside. So it's a great time to learn more about using light that's available and adding a touch more to make your photos. Of course you need to have some subjects in your images like this awesome family. The boys were perfectly fine with letting me hang with them a while and shoot 200 plus stills.

You Photographers!

2011-01-22T05:39:00.000-08:00

Simple, not too expensive, easy to understand demo on lighting in the studio.

The bloody details:
Saturday January 29th
2:00-3:30
My space in Oswego, IL
Cost: $89

You will walk away happy! Because you will learn:
What lights to buy
How to make them play nice together
How to modify them to make them give you nice light
Where to set them
And lots more details that you will eventually have to learn to use strobes

Come join us! I have only space for 6.
630.551.1442
todd@piersonstudios.com

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hoping your year is filled with joy, peace and great pictures of your memories!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

Hoping Christmas brings warmth to your heart.

Our personal video Christmas Card

Family in need

2010-11-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who had a rough year resulting from a lost job, car accident, hospital bills and repairs leaving them in a bind. Their bank is thinking this family should give them back the house, (so compassionate).

Putting their heads together, they came up with a hopeful solution to starve off the financial people and that's selling something she loves to make, English Toffee. If you would like to see their whole story, read it here. And if you want to help out, please consider buying some of this wonderful homemade product from here. Better yet, purchase one and share this with as many people as you can. Either forward this newsletter or just link the Etsy store link. Facebook is very powerful for this.

Family & Friends,

We hope the beginning of this holiday
season finds you in good spirits and good health! As
you may or may not know, we have had a rough year
with lots of ups and downs, but we are not going to let
it get the best of us! (If you want the sordid details, they
are at the end of this email.) We thank all our friends &
family for all the good wishes, prayers, help with the kids
and cars throughout the year. It means more to us than
you can ever know. However, we have come to a fork
in the road financially and as many other Americans
have done, we have come up with what we think is a very
creative (and yummy) solution!

We are embarking on a new venture to sell a traditional homemade treat that many of you have
tasted from my kitchen before. English Toffee… If we can sell enough in the next few weeks we will
be able to raise enough money to begin the mortgage modification process on our home and
hopefully be able to avoid a foreclosure as so many others have faced. This is where you come in.
HOW, you may ask? There are three simple things you can do to help make our dream a reality.

1. Buy Toffee… If you feel so moved and you are willing to help us please follow the link or email
at the end of this letter where you can purchase my soon to be famous Mamie’s Toffee.

2 Share… We realize that many of you are in similar
situations to ourselves and might not be able to purchase
toffee from our store. Please share the link to our store and
our story with your family, friends and co-workers. List it on
Facebook, tweet it out, or forward this email to everyone
in your address book.

3. Pray… Pray that if it is God’s will for us to stay in our home and our children to remain in their schools that He will make a way for us and soften the hearts of those at the mortgage company who seem so willing to move us out.

I am confident that no matter what the outcome God will continue to bless us wherever we are.
Thank you to all of you for your continued support and prayers. And a special thank you to the
Knights of Columbus of Oswego, IL for letting us use their kitchen and keep the health department
happy.

We hope everyone has a very “sweet” holiday season!! All Our Best, Pam and Ernie Bolen.

The sordid details: What a year I never thought I would have! My dear husband Ernie lost his job
in April of this year. In May, Josh was hospitalized with severe depression for the second time
stemming back to some severe bulling at the hands of his peers. Then in June, I was in a very
bad car accident that left us with only one set of wheels to transport a family of 4 to work,
interviews, and the rest of our life events. We thought we were fortunate to be able to purchase
a new used vehicle in July, however shortly after it came to rest in our driveway it quickly required
more repairs than we were prepared to deal with. The bank is eying our home for its next foreclosure
and we are trying to prevent that from happening.

You can find our Toffee product here:
Mamie's Homemade Almond Toffee by mamiestoffee on http://www.etsy.com/shop/mamiestoffee

Fall coming to a close

2010-11-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

I hate to see this time of year go, but the holidays follow so it's still all good. Here's a recent family shoot we slipped in when the temps reached the upper 50's. Thanks Jon and Brooke!

Loving these colors

2010-11-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

The light is so different outside in November. It's not really like any other time of year.

30 mph winds

2010-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

And they all did just fine even though we couldn't hear each other in the woods through the 40 mph gusts!

Studio Fall Portraits!

2010-10-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

These are fast, fun and you leave with the jpeg file in 45 minutes. Beat that!
But best of all, a portion is being donated to New Life for Haiti!

Loving fall

2010-10-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful time of year. Here is a local family who also totally enjoys this time of year. Doesn't it look like it?

Last night

2010-10-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

I photographed 2 boys last night and they were a total dream to work with. So much fun.

My girl.

2010-09-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

And she has a big heart.

Energy

2010-09-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Kids amaze me with how much energy their little bodies expend. If I could move as much as they do, I could eat anything I wanted and not gain weight!

Meet Avery and Cooper, they define the word photogenic.

Dangerous animals girl

2010-08-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

When I first photographed these kids, the girl was just about 6 years old and I asked her what kind of animals she likes, she said "dangerous ones". Here's the family all together on a perfect weather night.

2 more today

2010-08-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

One of my models from the American Girl video testing. She's the one at the end and appears a few other times as well.

See video here:

Summer is ending!

2010-08-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

My kids are headed back to school and it seems like the summer just started. Holy cow!

Here's recent work shot in Yorkville of 3 angels.

She made my job easy

2010-08-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

She sat there for 5 minutes and let me shoot photos of her at the piano. That doesn't happen to often with 2 year olds.

An afternoon in downtown Naperville

2010-08-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Many more people than I anticipated during this shoot were walking around town, but the kids didn't care especially with the promise of something sweet at the end.

Perfect weather

2010-07-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's always difficult to find the perfect day to shoot. You schedule and hope for the best. This day was perfect.

My new friend

2010-07-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, he doesn't care too much for me, but that's okay. His name is Matthew and he's 2. And he gets tired of camera's being aimed his way which I could understand. Matthew is a brave boy as is his family. He has what's called AML (acute myeloblastic leukemia). I was invited into his home for a brief photo session which included a few tough moments. You can tell that Matthew wanted to be done with all of this medicine and hospital junk. If you are spiritual, please pray for this family. They are going through more than anyone should have to endure.

Check out the cute kid.

2010-07-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

She was a sweetie from a session shot last week.

Wonderful break!

2010-06-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

My family and I took a break last week in South Dakota and stayed at a private cabin nestled in the woods on a mountain. It was way cool.

Take a peak at the fun we had! Don't worry, it's only a few minutes long.

Friends of mine

2010-06-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Their son is from Korea and I truly believe this kid will have no problem finding a girlfriend when he's older.

Summer is in full swing!

2010-05-26T09:12:00.001-07:00

Recent

2010-05-02T04:57:00.000-07:00

I spent an evening with this young man and found out how he loves what he does. He also has drive which will take him far. Thank you Chase!

Saturday Afternoon

2010-04-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

This is the nicest family and to add some excitement to the end of our time together, we mixed up some shakes. Can you see that anticipation in Emily?

Then and now

2010-04-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

I photographed these triplets a few years ago. My, what a few years do to kids. What's funny is they were best friends then and they were still best friends when I saw them again. How cool.

Projects

2010-03-23T03:51:00.000-07:00

They have kept me busy. The last one, a video which shows the importance of family during a stressful time, a lot of work but nice end result.

Have to post a photo of 2 wonderful people.
Thanks Mom and Dad.

Nope-not brother, sister

2010-03-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

These kids were actually my models for a test. But they were both awesome little actors. I'll post the test soon after the edit. I love doing tests because I have total control of the whole creative process and if it fails, no money changed hands so it's less pressure. Well, it should be less pressure, but of course I attach too much to of my self esteem to my successes. I have to break away from that.
Till next time!

My friends Pam and Andrew's kids.

2010-02-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

What more do you need to say? They're cute!

I love art

2010-02-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

And music is definitely an art. Her hands were really cold after 55 minutes but the end result was well worth it.

Workshop for photographers now open!

2010-01-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

I am so totally excited about this workshop for photographers. It's happening May 1st in Plano, IL.
I love showing others how to make things happen and talking about techniques and this workshop is all about that. Creativity is one of the most illusive difficult things to navigate, but it doesn't need to be a mountain to climb. By breaking down the pieces and thinking a little differently, you can take what may have appeared to be an average photo and push it to the artistic level simply by changing you camera angle or by manipulating the light.

The workshop details are here. Come on! Let's find push the boundaries together!

Pray for Haiti

2010-01-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

I have been there and it's not fair they have to suffer even more. Please pray for them. If you can make a donation, consider donating to this organization.

New Life For Haiti

Video about Haiti

2010-01-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Fresh off of the presses for release. I shot this video for an organization called New Life for Haiti.
Check them out when you have a moment.

Cookies Anyone?

2009-12-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

A mother daughter baking cookies. Now this is quality time together.

Christmas Eve showing winter at it's best

2009-12-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hope you took photos too!

My girls

2009-12-23T05:22:00.000-08:00

Yep, proud dad to two beautiful girls who worked hard for a Christmas service dance.

The Beauty of Christmas

2009-12-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

It's easy to find things to shoot photos of around Christmas time. Grab you camera, shoot away!

Family time

2009-12-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

Not sure this was ever posted.

New Year means a new blog!

2009-12-20T08:15:00.003-08:00

Updates coming soon!