As usual, After Dark was an overwhelming experience! Three full days (and late nights) of photographing and learning about photography. It is not your traditional convention or workshop. There were over 400 students, over 35 mentors and tons of photography equipment and lighting.  It was more than any photographer could imagine at their fingertips.  Add to that a boatload of models with professional hair and makeup and a sea of backdrops and locations.

It was wall to wall photographers at this year’s event in St. Louis, with a sell out crowd. Because of the large amount of attendees this time, I took a different route, photographing less and watching instructors in their photography process more. With the recent opening of the new photography studio in North Lima, I sat in on a lot of classes about lighting and posing. With so many lighting options out there, I wanted to continue to strengthen my studio lighting work. Oh and all of the toys I could have purchased while there. But I held strong and at least waited until I was back in Boardman before I ordered more equipment.

Below are just a few of the images I created while at After Dark with the guidance and instruction from the many mentors there. Some of these images are not my usual style of photography, but when you have the option to work with amazing makeup artists and stunning models, you cannot pass up a unique photography opportunity!

The post Photography Education Overload! { Boardman Ohio Photographer } appeared first on Blog Northeast Ohio Photographer.

I really wanted to title this blog post “One Giant Pinterest Project” because that’s what I have felt like since I signed the lease at the new photography studio space. The weather this year has become more strange by the day. Early spring last year, I was already outside, photographing sessions. This year, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll actually be outside shooting by the end of April. With ants in my pants to get back to work since the move to Youngstown, I decided to look at potential studio spaces. I never thought I would take the plunge into studio photography, but with the ever changing Ohio weather, it was time.

The biggest obstacle in my search was finding a space that was pet friendly. That was the continual stumbling block at most places I looked at. I came across a story online about how the former South Range High School had been sold and converted into a business incubator. I headed out to the old school, now known as the North Lima Business Complex to take a look around. Since there is a dog groomer and a bunny rabbit rescue in the building, there was not going to be any issues with bringing in clients’ pets. The best part of this space is it’s ease of access for clients – just minutes from the Southern Park Mall, right down the road from Columbiana and close to both I-76 and I-680 .

Then the work began. Thank goodness my dad was not only available to help, but  may be one of the handiest people that I know. We went the DIY route on a few  things, including one of the backdrop stands, the curtain rods for the super long window and a faux floor for portraits. In just less than a month after the lease was signed, I’m ready to start photographing in the studio! It’s still a work in progress and I am still taking equipment and props in every time I go, but it’s finally a functional space.

Below are a few before and after photographs of the studio. And of course, I had a four-legged furry model stop by to play the other day. You’ll probably be seeing a lot of Gunnie the Westie.  My  mom’s dog is slightly more well behaved for photos than my dogs are. Studio sessions will be offered for single subjects including kids, pets and high school seniors.

Yes, those are leaves on the floor in the before photos on the left. Needless to say it took a lot of work to clean up this room!

I love this little bench – it was a great find at a resale shop in Boardman!

The post From Drab To Fab, The New Photography Studio appeared first on Blog Northeast Ohio Photographer.

Danielle Neil Photography is making the move to Northeast Ohio! If all goes as planned with the sale of our home, we will be on the road the first week of December. While we are not 100% sure where our final destination will be, it will more than likely be in the Northeast Ohio/Western Pennsylvania area. Until all the logistics of my husband’s employment is worked out, we will be somewhere in Mahoning or Columbiana County, living out of boxes until we are situated.

So, what does this mean for my Columbus clients? All orders, reprints and uploads to TinyPrints must be placed no later than November 25th to guarantee they’ll be in your hands before I head out.

I am not done with Columbus. After living here for 10-years I still have many friends and my sister-in-law in the area, for me to visit. Plus, there is always room in my schedule for a weekend shopping spree at Easton. I will be making trips to Columbus in the future for portrait sessions, typically 2-3 times a year. Be sure to keep yourself subscribed to the newsletter for details on scheduled Central Ohio trips.

For my Northeast Ohio clients, we will be looking for a home that will also house a portrait studio, but in the meantime, the Holidays and the gloomy Ohio winter will put a halt to sessions for a little bit. I will be looking for rescues and shelters to work with during the Winter months so I can continue my volunteer pet photography in our new location. Sessions will resume in the Spring once the weather breaks and we have settled into a new home, whichever of the two happens sooner.

I want to thank EVERYONE who has supported me and the business. I am incredibly grateful for all of the support and encouragement and for my wonderful clients who make this job possible!

Of course I have to feature one of my furry kids in a blog post. After back to back sessions yesterday, I was ready to wrap it up for the evening. While driving home, I realized that the light was just fantastic out. I called George, told him to grab Baxter and meet me at the entrance to the subdivision behind us. I was able to get a few fun images of Mr. Cranky Pants in before the sun set. My poor dog, he really hates being my model!

The post Moving Forward And North! appeared first on Blog Northeast Ohio Photographer.

Just a little update on Fall photography sessions. I have a very full three weeks ahead of me with a jam packed schedule of high school seniors, children and pet photos! Bookings for this time of year are filling up quickly as everyone wants to have the stunning Fall colors of Ohio as their backdrops. Currently, there are just two Saturday openings in the month of October and four weekday openings during the last two weeks of the month. November is starting to fill up as well. If you are considering a portrait session this Fall, especially for holiday gifts, please contact me soon to get on the schedule. Session held up to Saturday, December 8th* will be guaranteed to have their portraits and products in time for the holidays. (*Please note, if purchasing an album your session will need to be completed no later than November 18th)

Now, to the good part of this blog post, Gunnie’s portrait session. Every year, my mom has me take photographs of her furbaby for holiday cards. On a recent trip up to Boardman, Ohio, we squeezed in his session between a shopping trip and dinner with the family. We are both always trying to come up with new locations for her Westie’s photos. This year, we picked the area around the Poland Library and across the street at the small park surrounding the Poland Village Town Hall.

Just like taking my own dogs’ photos, taking photographs of my mom’s dog is just as hard. I swear, since these dogs know me and what happens when the camera comes out, none of them feel like listening. I really think they pull out this behavior to earn more treats during the shoots! Gunnie would look every single direction around him besides right at me. It was pretty funny that he wanted nothing to do with cookies or my special noises while we were out. But, later that evening he was giving me full attention at the house with no camera involved.

Sporting his very stylish new Burberry scarf from Etsy, we did come up with some fun images of him for this year’s Christmas card.

The post Fall Schedule Updates & Gunnie’s Dog Portraits appeared first on Blog Northeast Ohio Photographer.

Back to a busy workload now that I have returned from a quick trip down south to spend time with George’s family and some of my friends that live there. It was nice to have a few days to relax, but now I am back in the real world.

I fully jumped on the Instagram bandwagon while on our trip. I downloaded the app right after getting my iPhone but never really used it. I rarely take my good camera or lenses with me while on non work-related trips. This time, I also forgot my point and shoot camera as well, so my iPhone was the only way I would be capturing any images while I was gone. Of course the iPhone does not even come close to the picture quality of my DSLR camera, but I am ok with that when I am playing the role of a tourist and not working.

I am currently booking sessions for July and August in the Columbus area. If you have been considering family, pet, high school senior or kids portraits, now is the time to book! Send me a message via the contact form and let’s chat more about your photography needs!

Here are some of my Instragram images from my trip. Every time we come back from South Carolina, I try to figure out how we can pull off living in Myrtle Beach during the cold Columbus, Ohio winter months!

The post Back To Reality and Booking Summer Portrait Sessions appeared first on Blog Northeast Ohio Photographer.