Pictures of You

Summertime is a change of pace here at FotoFink.  Sweaty battles on the athletic field are less prevalent, with weddings and band shoots at least partly taking their place.  Perhaps it is this broadening of the photographic horizons that causes lots of questions from the FotoFink faithful- Do you take Senior portraits?  How about a family get-together?  Can you shoot some calendar photos? OK.....  to be honest, Miss December hasn't approached us for her centerfold just yet, but many have asked about prices for these other sorts of shoots- forcing us to consider- What to charge to take these sorts of pictures of you?

Careful consideration, and research into some competitors pricing, has led us to our official price policy for portraits- senior, family, and any other type we can shoot.

So what can you expect from this kind of shoot?  Generally, it will take about an hour, and you should expect 25-30 different shots to choose from.  We can do this indoors, outdoors, in a box, with a fox....  within reasonable travel distance.  Change clothes, bring props, whatever.  There are 2 options for pricing this kind of shoot- and they are entirely up to you-

Option 1-   Take the disk and run.  With this choice, you get the disk of original, high-resolution files and can make as many prints as you want, wherever you want.  The cost for this privilege-  $200.

Option 2-  Buy prints from me.  If you would prefer to buy your prints from me, we can do things this way too.  There will be a $100 "sitting fee", which will then entitle you to a $75.00 print credit at the regular website prices.  You can mix or match sizes and shots in any fashion that you see fit.

The goal here is to be as fair as possible to everyone involved- you and FotoFink.  My research suggests that this is significantly less expensive than most other photographers- both near and far.  Feel free to agree or not- that's what the comment section is for- at least in part.  There are other services available as well- video slideshows, digital album creation, photoshop retouching, etc. contact me for details on any of that, or to arrange for your photo shoot!

sfinkernagel@hotmail.com

Bob Robert's Society Band

The World Cup marches on, and still- no emails, no phone calls from Getty, SI, or FIFA....  Perhaps they are going to go the whole tournament without requesting FotoFink magic to cover the matches....

Closer to home, our staff did get invited to the kickoff of the Paulsko Summer of '10 tour- since we had the time...  Why not?  It doesn't all have to be sweaty athletes here in FF land.

By now you are wondering- How is he going to tie Paulsko in with that swing-style Jimmy Buffet song?  Let it play, and enjoy the ride....

The tour opened at Senunas'- the home field for the duo. (Down a secondary road that severely shows its age.. have you driven in Wilkes-Barre lately?  Its enough to crack your expensive rims...)  They don't play grunge and they don't play loud-  Its the magic of the music that still draws a crowd.  Promotion is minimal for an event like this- Live Nation doesn't notice the show at all. Still- The faithful get the message like its written on the breeze.  Young folks, old folks (Sorry Mrs R.!!!) bout to cut a rug...  As the performance goes on, the boys in the band put them right in the mood.  And of course, by the time the number ended, they were dancin' in the streets.

Not too shabby eh?-  almost a mashup of some old-guy music with the legendary Paulsko.

Since this was the first time shooting this kind of event, there are naturally some things to be learned-

One of the "rules" of photography is that it rarely looks good to shoot someone so you can see up their nose.  Hard to argue that.

Another lesson learned- not all of the facial expressions are flattering.  At least his eyes were open for that one.

It's hard to match the unbridled joy that comes from gummy bears.

Alright fans-  Enough of this blabbering-  Notice that the gallery linked below is a low-price, steal as much as you want set-up.  The first taste, after all, should be free.  It would be good karma for you to mention where you got the photos if you pirate them-  www.FotoFink.net.  Hopefully, the band will invite us back when its time to shoot the album cover.

Paulsko!

FotoFink!

Enjoy!

Growing Older But Not Up

After a weather related postponement, Holy Redeemer held its annual, year-end, wiffle ball tournament last week.  Considering that all of the "real" sports have finished, the shooting schedule here at FF was incredibly open-  so off we went...

Every year, as the school year ends, seniors graduate, juniors become seniors, etc, etc, we are struck by the milestones, the passage of time and the changes that inevitably occur.  Considering the spectacle of the wiffle ball tournament, it's clear that much of our youth is growing older,but not up- which, if they are lucky, is a trait that will remain with them for a long time.

Ok- the song title is worked in, mushy stuff is over..... onto the photos....

One of the interesting things about still photography is how a moment is frozen forever.  As a result, there are things that can be seen in a photo that may be missed in "real time".  Game faces are like that- It's hard to measure the intensity on a face as an athlete is playing- Check out some wiffle ball game faces...

David     Christine     Katie     This girl

Careful readers will note that in spite of my best efforts, there are some un-named players.   Feel free to help out in that area...

Not every game face is quite so intense.  Some lighter examples-

Rachel     Pete       Elmo

The uniforms were another unique part of the day.  Some were better than others, but this was just disturbing.

Rally caps.  They work better when the umpire is on your side.

As usual, Nate posed for "the money shot".  Several times.  It seems a shame to tell him that the true money shots are when he's not expecting it.

It must be a baseball thing....

Hide behind the bat Carly.  That will work....

Some teams even brought coaches along, to help insure victory.  Here we see a coach working with Kelly, telling her to keep her elbow high as she bats.  Seconds later, here's Kelly batting.

Here's a player putting his best face forward for the camera- can anyone name that Royal?

Timing is everything.  Sorry Erin!

Alright- enough.  Summer hiatus awaits.....

Wiffle ball photos

All the photos you need (for now)

Enjoy!

In My Dreams

Here is a quick note to the faithful fans of FotoFink- There are some more pictures coming- lots in fact, from last week's wiffle ball tournament.  In the meantime.....

Here at the house of FotoFink, we are draped in traditions.  One of my favorites has always been a birthday tradition of "pick your cake".  Mrs. FF has always been in to baking, so as each of us has had birthdays, we have been able to request our favorite cake- chocolate, ice cream, italian love cake... whatever.  Add to this tradition a recent development- the head chef has gone head over heels into cake decorating now as well.....

To keep a long story... medium...  I recently had a birthday.  The question came up- "What kind of cake would you like?"

There are few times in your life where you get these opportunities....In my dreams, how could I combine the skills of my lovely spouse with some of my very favorite things in the world?

Have a look at my birthday cake.  I think I did pretty well.

I am soooo lucky.  Thanks M.

Your Mother Should Know

This game.....  may haunt Royal fans for a long time.  After staging an unlikely comeback, Holy Redeemer twice came within a strike of sealing the victory- only to see the game tied on a play that.....  words can hardly describe.  Apparently, when a batter swings at strike three, which happens to be a pitch in the dirt, it's the same as a dropped ball.  It's a rule that your mother should know-  The batter is free to run to first base.  By the time the Royals realized what was going on, the batter was safely at first, and the runner on third had made his way home to tie the game.  The extra inning was unkind to the Royals as well- with the winning run scoring on a wild pitch, ending the game, the season, and the shot at district glory.

Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?  Glad you asked.....

Crowded, for one thing.  Between very few vantage points to watch the game, and some very directional light that eliminated the third base line as an option, the photos are a bit repetitive.  Was it necessary to capture dozens of shots of almost every pitcher?  Why not?  Use the search box if you want to narrow things down.

The limitations forced a few (hundred) shots from behind the fence too.  It's kind of remarkable that the fence doesn't interfere more with the photos, but there is definitely an impact.  Any shot where the pitcher is looking right at the camera may look a little... soft as a result.

This time, it was Zach.

Baseball faces continue to be some of the best of the FotoFink bunch.  Christian, Steve, and Christian again.  Thanks guys!

Here's a reminder of better times.

Hi Steve.  How are ya?

Hellooo ball...

Here's the background on that last one-  For those who may be completely unfamiliar with classic comedy.  You know it's coming, and it's still funny. 

And awayyyy we go-

Game photos

FotoFink.net

Enjoy!

Just Another Night

Back from a district playoff baseball game, and looking at close to 1,000 photos to edit from 3 different events, 4 different games.....  Unusual?  No- just another night here at FF headquarters.  Happily, this post catches things up- perhaps for a long while as any of the teams we are shooting can have their seasons end with the next loss.

In addition to being caught up, we are nearing another milestone- Once Ian Hunter is completed (2 albums) we will have reached the halfway point of the lifelong project.  It looks like we may get to Warren Zevon while there are still some Ell children in school.

Redeemer baseball is reaping the benefits now of "playing up" a division all year.  Soccer had this happen a few years ago- before "the merge" anyway.  PIAA voodoo allows some small schools to play against the powerhouses all season, then settle back to the AA level for the playoffs.  In the case of soccer, the Hoban team had something like a 2-14 record, then ran all the way to the district finals in the playoffs.  Nice deal if you can get it.  After besting Hanover last week, the Royal sluggers will move on to the semi-finals on Tuesday-  nice run by any measure.

So how was this game?  Let's have a look.....

Watch that one.  It's a one, two, three run shot to give the Royals a lead that they would not relinquish.

Lots of odd faces in baseball- sometimes it is just a tongue slipping out, sometimes it is just the stress of the game showing up on a face.  Check out Christian, Steve, Shawn, Zach and even Mike.

Ideally, there is a ball in every sports photo.  Baseball tests that, since the ball is relatively small, is often in a glove, and moves pretty fast.  Look around this photo for the ball- it's a good argument for protective face gear.

Not to be outdone, Shawn makes sure everything is in its place.

Benches are fun for pictures.  Not sure what is going on here though- some sort off "start the mower" cheer.

Pick-off pictures are fun too.  Lots of 'em

Here's what you need-

Game photos

Fotofink

Enjoy!

.

Change Partners

Playoffs are always exciting, and this year's district volleyball showdown has been no exception.  Tuesday's semi-finals were filled with close games, momentum swings, and plenty of "thrill of victory" stuff.  For Thursday's finals, the same four teams would change partners for another night of fun- this time with more on the line.  The winner of Coughlin/North Pocono would claim the district title- a banner for their gym, and favorable seeding going into the regional round of the state tournament.  The winner of Holy Redeemer/Western Wayne would lay claim to the last spot in that tournament, keeping their dream alive.

Lots of you were there- and if you were not, you probably know how things finished.  North Pocono wins the district, fighting off a strong push by Coughlin- game 3- a 28-26 win for North Pocono was a turning point.  North Pocono will meet Western York as a result, and Coughlin will face BeCaHi in their opening round.

Holy Redeemer bested Western Wayne, and will take on Northeastern for their opportunity to advance.  Wins in this next round send the team to Penn State next weekend for the finals- a treat for any player.  There are no bad teams left playing though- so wins will be hard to come by.

Some thoughts from Thursday-

The bowtie has become kind of a tradition, so maybe by now, it is some sort of good luck charm.  Saddle shoes though? Apparently that's part of the uniform too.

Nice.  Too bad that wasn't towards the camera.

Best hitting face ever?  Discuss amongst yourselves....

One of the rarest shots on FotoFink.

Keep the faith- it's a long series.

A brief explanation-  Some time ago, our cameras caught Mrs. Wingert in an odd pose.  This has become sort of a tradition itsself now- she is a good enough sport to occasionally recreate that pose for our cameras.  On Thursday night, seeing this, led to this.  The camera was far too close for this most recent one, but traditions should be kept...

Time to wrap this up.  Just a side note- the lights at Wyoming Area were probably the best we've seen all season- these may be the highest quality volleyball pictures of the year.  It's as good a time as any to visit your friend the "BUY" button.

Championship match- Coughlin vs North Pocono

Consolation match- Redeemer vs Western Wayne

Tons 'o matches

Enjoy!