Take lots of pictures
Since your camera phone is always with you, take advantage of capturing those spontaneous moments. Take lots of pictures to increase your chance of capturing just the right shot. Use pictures to communicate – it may be faster and easier for both you and the recipient.

Move in close
Many camera phones lack a zoom lens, so make sure you move in close to capture your subject. Fill your phone’s display screen with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Up close you can reveal telling details – a wrinkled nose or an arched eyebrow. Don’t get too close or your pictures will be blurry and distorted. As a general rule, stand about one to two feet from your subject.

Shoot at eye level
Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person’s eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children and pets, that means stooping to their level. Your subject doesn’t have to stare at the camera – all by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.

Watch the light
To create impactful pictures, move in close and fill your viewfinder or LCD with the subject. Unless your camera phone has a built-in flash, low light = bad picture. Try to take pictures in bright light. Without adequate lighting, your camera phone pictures will look dark and grainy. In sunlight, move around where the sun beams onto your subject. Indoors, turn on extra lights to brighten your subject.

Use a plain background
A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you’re ready to take your picture, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure a tree isn’t growing from the head of your subject and that no cars seem to dangle from their ears. Check your picture in the your phone’s display screen and retake it if necessary.

Try different angles
Start by shooting at eye level. *CLICK.* Capturing many angles will add variety and interest to your photos. Keep the ones you like, delete the ones you don’t.

Set resolution to high
Many camera phones include a low, medium, and high resolution setting (picture quality). Setting your camera phone to the highest setting gives you the best quality pictures. The quality difference might not be apparent on your phone’s display screen, but you’ll see it on a computer screen.

Discover your phone’s capabilities
Flip through your phone manual and see if your phone has any of these features: Picture messaging – send pictures from your phone to others. Picture effects – snap black & white or sepia pics or add different frames. Photo caller ID – set a picture for people in your address book so it appears when they call. Wallpaper – save your favorite picture as the background for your phone. BLUETOOTH® – wirelessly send pictures to Bluetooth Wireless Technology enabled devices.

Stay still
Jittery hands cause blurring. Keep your hand still a second or two after shooting, since the shot is still processing. When you hear the click sound, it doesn’t mean you captured the photo, it just indicates that you pressed the shutter.

Be courteous, be legal
Cell phone etiquette includes being mindful of its camera. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind. Ask permission before taking people’s picture. Don’t use your camera phone in places like health clubs or theaters. Places like airplanes, courthouses, concert venues, and military bases, don’t allow cameras or phones. Abide by their rules.

as everyone knows, way back in 1996 we started off as a portrait studio. specializing in black and white film portraits of infants, and kids. we moved into doing modeling portfolios, then into high school seniors, and finally into the pet and maternity genres. we bit off more than we can chew back then, but we were just a baby of a company and had to go through the growing pains associated with that. we bit off even more, when only a year later, we dove into wedding and event photography. we got very very successful photographing weddings. we dropped our portrait sessions soon thereafter and concentrated on being the best wedding professionals we could be. and we had a great run at it. from 1997-2010 we did over 400 weddings, 200 events and thousands of portrait sessions here and there. until recently. our wedding sales have dropped off considerably with the advent of digital cameras, and younger photographers with little experience offering $500 wedding coverage. we are truly hoping these clients got their moneys worth, cause you get what you pay for when you hire a $500 wedding photographer, versus a $5000 wedding photographer (Pixelus).

with all of that being said, I as the owner, decided to completely re-brand my photo studio. I want to return to the good old days of photographing infants and kids in a simple one room studio setting, and having a blast, laughing, and seeing what amazing photos we can capture for you and yours!

so, we are going from a one stop shop/do it all photo studio to a childrens photo studio that specializes in black and white and soft focus effects. we will offer CD’s of your images, still have our online web photo gallery that you can order prints from, and the same quality service you have come to appreciate with Pixelus. we will offer these services in our studio OR in your home/location of your choice at no extra charge! all sessions will be two hours in length and as always we wont shoot for quantity, but for quality! you aren’t just a number here, you are a valued part of our success!

this is going to be a great return to our roots. I should have listened to my mother a long time ago “if it aint broke, don’t fix it!” thanks mom! love ya!

When they are uploaded, simply click the Kid Fest picture on our website (top right side)! There is no password required to login.

UPDATE:
photos online at 7pm EST on 8/15/2010 !

UPDATE:
what a wonderful turnout Belk had, complete with the cow from Chic-Fil-A, popcorn and refreshments at the front door. my three year old daughter was along to help me set up and help the kids to smile, relax and have a great time. she was an angel and we all had a great time today! my little helper was rewarded with some treats and snacks on the way back home! all of the kids today looked great, and we had a blast. too bad it went by so fast, bu time flies when you are having fun. thank you from the bottom of my heart, to Belk and all of you for coming out and making this a fun event! Belk has been awesome to us as a company and since all of the people in attendance should have a business card with this same website address, I am discounting all of the prints deeply for you and Belk! enjoy and thank you!

1. We love weddings and portraits. We’re photographing weddings because we enjoy these momentous events–the details, the emotions, the celebration. We’re photographing your family because of the chance to photograph that first toothless smile with your newborn, or capture on film your precious high school senior before her graduation day, or capture forever the first steps of your baby as they decide right in our studio to take their first steps (yes it happens, and we always have a good happy cry afterwards). The list goes on, and it’s a privilege to share your moments in your life, even if for a short time, and that’s not lost on us. We love people and we are thrilled to be there for your picture-perfect day.

2. We’re fun. If you’ve heard some tragic stories from your friends about how their photographer ordered wedding guests around and was always in the way. Or how you were treated like a number in some photo mill and got tricked into buying a $400 portrait package with maybe, three photos. You can rest easy that won’t happen when you hire us for your wedding or your portrait session. Joshua Westbrook is fun to be around, easy to talk to, and gets along with everyone including stressed out mothers on wedding days and hungry newborns in the studio. But most of the time you won’t even notice him, because he’ll be busy photographing all the great moments of your day, leaving you free to kiss your new spouse and hug all the aunts and uncles. And when the music starts, he’ll be itching to dance too. He won’t, though. And that’s a good thing.

3. We like cheese, but only if you can eat it. Sure we’ll do some group shots but they are still going to be lively and fun. Stiff, set-up pictures might be fine for the other guy, but that’s not what we do. We shoot images that are true to life, situations that actually happen so that when you look back at your wedding or portrait photos, you feel like you’re there all over again.

4. We love to create stunning, artistic, classic, fun images. This passion for photography is what makes us who we are. Our satisfaction in capturing all the emotions and elements of your day shows up in the images we make. We provide the best wedding and portrait photography on the planet. We can’t stand to deliver anything less. And we wont.

5. We are committed to excellence. Providing you with the finest professional photography is our top priority. Joshua Westbrook was trained on traditional film, and with the advent of high quality digital capture that rivals the quality of film, we know what it takes to get great images with digital technology. We choose cameras, printers, and albums that are the finest products in the industry.

6. We are a real company. This is what we do full time. We don’t just get out the camera on Saturdays and call ourselves photographers. We’ve been offering distinctive, stunning photography since 1996 and we’re going to be in business for many years to come.

7. We never sleep. Well, we sleep sometimes, but for all intents and purposes, we are available any time you call. And when we’re not shooting weddings or portraits and meeting clients, we’re out improving our skills by working on personal photography projects. You are never too good at something to stop learning!

8. We care about our clients. And we really care about your experience with us. We appreciate the thoughts and comments you give us, and they definitely make us a better company. If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts, our phone number is 678-634-7415. Feel free to give us a call. Who knows, it might be on the testimonial page!

9. We guarantee results. If you are not happy, we are not happy. We care more about your satisfaction with your wedding and/or portrait photos, than your money. If you are not happy with your portraits, a re-shoot will be scheduled at our expense.

10. Low overhead. We are a family ran business with very little overhead. We pass those savings directly to you!

If this resonates with you and you like what you see, well then, we should talk.

Pixelus Photography is an wedding and portrait photography studio specializing in digital capture and film.