custom black & white photography --- specializing in custom handtinting

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freda's style of handtinted photographs

freda's approach

Freda uses a unique and artistic approach for creating images that will be unlike any photographs you've seen! There are many techniques used today for adding color to black-and-white photographs - the one Freda uses is the archival, time-tested method for creating photographs that will still be around for generations to enjoy.

Although the digital realm is a great advancement for photography, Freda chooses to shoot film that can be processed in the darkroom to produce custom archival prints that can have beautiful color added by hand later. This method is very time-intensive - Freda works meticulously in the darkroom to produce photographs that are perfect for the handtinting process. The handtinting method Freda employs, using oils and pencils on prints that were processed in the darkroom, was used early in the twentieth century before the birth of color photography.

Freda uses fiber-based paper in the darkroom which will accept color from oils, pencils, and pastels in the final stage to produce a unique image with warm tones and colors. Although many photographers choose to add color to the entire photograph, Freda selectively adds color to the subject of the photograph so that the important portion of the photograph receives the attention and not the background.

about your photo session

The session fee is $60 for a session that will last about one hour - this is the total fee for the session - this is not a fee per child. The duration of your session will depend on the ages and number of subjects in the photograph - Freda will be patient in working with your children even if they are hesitant and apt to cry! She strives to help children become comfortable in the session - often she will even capture great photographs of children in a setting where they are simply "playing". So far, Freda has not left a session empty-handed! In other words, she always does what it takes to get a print out of the session that the parents will be proud of.

Freda uses nature as her backdrop to create photographs that are perfect for handtinting. Many photographers handtint photos shot in the studio, but Freda prefers the outdoors for her setting. She will choose a location for your photo shoot that will be great for black-and-white photographs, or she will allow you to choose a location that is special to you. Working in an environment that makes the subjects - children, families, or animals - feel relaxed is the key! In addition, it is so important to choose a location where the background will not become a distraction in the photograph.

Time of day is important when scheduling your photo session. Freda suggests early morning or late afternoon. The duration of your session will depend on the ages and number of subjects in the photograph. If you choose your own location, it is important for Freda to do a site visit to determine that the lighting is optimal for the time of day you select - or you can be prepared to describe the shading/lighting in the particular location you choose so that she can decide if your location will work.

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freda's subjects

The subjects of Freda's black-and-white handtinted photographs vary. The majority of her time is spent photographing children and families, but she has also had many photo sessions involving dogs, cats, horses, cars, motorcycles, and houses. She has also been commissioned to produce artistic still-life photographs. Freda has numerous prints that can be purchased to decorate the home that include beautiful flowers, rustic scenes, and patriotic images.

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what to wear

It depends on the type of image that the client desires when trying to determine what to wear. For any type of black-and-white photograph, it is important that subjects wear clothing that does not have logos, writing, or busy patterns on them - solid colors are the best choices!

If a client would like handtinted images, colors that are suitable for handtinting are suggested. These colors include: pastels (blue, green, yellow, pink, lavender, peach), orange, mustard, blue jeans, khakis, etc. White is also a good choice - just remember that if you are interested in a handtinted photograph and the subject is only wearing white, it is best to have something in the photograph that can be handtinted. For example, a girl wearing a white dress might hold a pink flower or her favorite pink bear. Colors that do not work well for Freda's handtinted images are: red, dark blue (except for jeans), dark green, royal blue, black, dark brown. Keep in mind also that some colors may appear slightly different in the final print. For example, red can be worn but it will handtint to appear more like burgandy.

Also for handtinted images, a casual look is usually best since the photographs are taken outdoors. Jeans, khakis, overalls are good with solid shirts, turtlenecks and sweaters. Sometimes young children are even photographed with overall jeans without a shirt. Casual dresses are also good choices especially when they are simple in design and balanced with the casual look of bare feet. Bare feet are often preferred over wearing shoes if the weather permits- especially for small children.

If you're interested in traditional black-and-white photographs that will not be handtinted, black is an excellent choice. However, if you plan to have a photo handtinted, black is not usually a good choice for clothing. White is also acceptable for traditional black-and-white photographs that will not be handtinted. Black and white are not the only choices for what to wear in traditional black-and-white photographs, but they are much more striking and crisp.

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props are used minimally in Freda's photographs

She does not bring a trunk full of props to sessions. As a matter of fact, she may only bring small items like flowers or stuffed animals. She prefers to let clients choose props that are important to them. For instance, small children may have favorite toys that will work well in photographs - dolls, stuffed animals, balls, tractors, wagons, etc. Also, hats are good choices for both boys and girls. Older children might want to wear sports uniforms and/or have their gloves, balls, musical instruments, etc. in their photographs. Whatever props you may choose to have in your images, Freda will make sure that they are not distracting so that the main focus is on the subject and not the "stuff" around the subject!

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black-and-white, sepia-toned, and handtinted prints

The proofs you'll receive are machine-printed, sepia-toned 4 x 6 prints that are produced in a professional lab. The final print selections you make will look considerably better than the proofs because the final prints are custom-printed by hand by Freda in the darkroom.

From a single proof, you can choose to have three different types of custom prints: traditional black-and-white, sepia-toned, and handtinted. You can choose to have prints from one of these types or from a combination of the three. Any print can be made into one of these three choices. All prints start out as black-and-white. If you choose to have your print handtinted, it will be sepia-toned first before color is applied to it. Sepia-toned prints are prints that were originally black-and-white and have gone through a chemical process to give them a warm brown tone. Also, you can choose to have a print sepia-toned only and not handtinted.

All custom prints are available in sizes ranging from wallets to 20 x 24, and prints 5 x 7 and larger can be custom-matted and signed by Freda.

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placing your order

About two to three weeks following your photo session, your proofs will be available for viewing. As long as Freda has time in her busy schedule, she will create a sample matted handtinted 8x10 print for first-time clients so that they can get an idea of how their final prints will look.

Clients may place their orders at the viewing session, or they may take the proofs with them if they place a deposit equal to the value of the proofs. Proofs may be kept for three weeks before an order is placed. When the order is placed, a minimum of half of the total balance is due at that time. The remaining balance is due upon delivery of the photographs. Orders will be ready in approximately four to six weeks after the order is placed.

Personal checks, cash, and money orders are accepted for payment. For orders not placed after three weeks, the deposit is kept and the negatives are purged.