Dave & Karla | Engaged

You never know what kind of weather to expect for an engagement session in Ohio, especially with the uncharacteristically mild winter we’ve had so far. The finicky weather definitely showed up during this particular e-session, as we went from an overcast, cloudy day with light snowfall to a windy, sunny day in a matter of hours. Nevertheless, Dave and Karla braved the cold weather and we got some AWESOME images in a variety of locations—from a scenic castle in Willoughby Hills to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in downtown Cleveland and finally to the University of Akron where the couple both graduated from.

I’ve known both Dave & Karla for a while now. I met Dave through a mutual friend and Karla and I were in the same highschool marching band section. Small world, right? I was extremely honored when the couple asked me to shoot their engagement photos, and I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in a few months!



Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and we are in a giving mood here at Jarette Howell Photography, so we’re offering a free coffee table engagement album ($50 value) to Dave and Karla if this post receives 50 Facebook “likes” AND at least 25 comments from 25 different people by the end of the week. Take a few seconds out of your day, use the link below to “like” this post and leave a quick comment using the comment form, and you can help give them a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift!

Sherome & Erin | Engaged

Here is a set from a recent engagement session I did with Sherome & Erin. We shot half of the session at Wade Park in Cleveland (also commonly known as the “Duck Pond”), which is a very nice spot for portraits. In fact, EVERY time I have taken a client there for a session there is always a bridal party or two taking portraits there. The other photos were taken at a nearby church, which proved to be a great location as well. We had to dodge some rain towards the end of the session, but overall everything went smoothly. These guys were so fun to work with. Thanks for looking and congrats again to Sherome & Erin on their engagement! More to come in the next few posts!

Portia | Maternity Session

Hey everyone! I’m back with some brand new images! (About time, right?) These are a few from a maternity session a few months ago. Hope you enjoy these; I’m going to get this blog caught up with some more of my recent work in the next few posts, so stay tuned!

Summer glamour shoot with Jadea

In keeping with the beautiful, yet uncharacteristically good weather we’ve been having these past few days, I thought it would be appropriate to share some images of the lovely Jadea I shot in the studio last summer. This was a fun, but hectic shoot…and if I remember correctly, I didn’t get home until after midnight! (And yes I still had to get up and go to work the next morning). My lighting setup was very basic; I’ve posted it below (*Note: the last shot was without the softbox, and the BD was gridded). I hope you enjoy these images and the weather today! Make the most of it because the snow will be here again next week…hide ya wives, hide ya kids…

Affordable semi-DIY snoot for Vivitar 285HV

If any of you photographers out there started out learning basic lighting concepts using small studio flashes off-camera (aka the strobist method) like I did, then you probably have used or have heard of the revered {Vivitar 285HV} flash. There’s really no question why the 285HV is so well-liked among strobists since it is relatively cheap and packs a bunch of power for the price. It does have a few negatives such as a proprietary sync port and no settings for 1/8 power, but the biggest flaw of this flash is the awkwardly-shaped flash head. Compared to modern flashes like the {Canon Speedlite 580EX II} or {Nikon SB-900 Speedlight}, the 285HV’s head is ridiculously large. Consequently, it makes finding lighting modifiers that will fit this flash a REAL pain. Now contrary to the title of this post, I really prefer to stay away from DIY stuff when it comes to my photography equipment. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with making your own snoots, brolly boxes, beauty dishes, etc. if you are handy and have the time to do this. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or the patience to sit down and do all of that when there are companies out there that make the equipment I need. Plus, I care about the image I portray to my clients during our sessions, so I would rather not bring something to a shoot that looks like a homeless man made it unprofessional. With that being said, I really needed to find a good snoot that would work on my Vivitars. After doing some research online, I came across someone using a {Caselogic ANC Neoprene Mobile Catch All} to snoot their 285HV. This was the answer I had been looking for! It’s really a case to hold personal items such as a cell phone, glasses or other small items that you can attach to a car dashboard or the like. But it works PERFECTLY as a snoot. It’s made out of neoprene and the opening is adjustable, so you can control the shape of the light a little bit if necessary. Another great asset is that it looks professional! I call it semi-DIY because it does take a few minutes to cut the strap off that comes with it as well as the stitching that holds the bottom of the case together. But for $3.99 and a few minutes of your time..I’d say this purchase is well worth it if you own one of these!

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