Tara Steffen Fotos

January Jack

2012-01-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

I love frost almost as much as snow! The tiny intricate details are all unique and different. I only wish I had a macro lens to really get a good look at them!

For now, this is as close as it gets. Beautiful isn't it? If you click on a single picture, it will place it larger and on a black background...

A little political humor

2012-01-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

I love my cat and this shot just screamed Caption.....!!! I tire of all the squabbling candidates and really pray that God's will might be done in this election!!!!!!!!!

Day Date

2012-01-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

We wanted to get away, but not stay overnight anywhere. We haven't been to Indy in years, so we decided to go there. The Super Bowl is being held there in two weeks and things are already being prepared for that....

I imagine that this place will be busy as it is location right down town. Even though the Colts are not going to be playing this year, it will still draw a lot of attention.

This is a local name. Glad to see it's made in Indiana!

Sweet potato fries are the BOMB! They had a cinnamon coating on them and were very light. I should have stuck with a cheeseburger though. The chicken looked pretty, but was did not taste so pretty...

I LOVE architecture!!!! The older the better. They knew how to take time and build something that they could take some pride in!

And of COURSE I gave my hubby a camera! This way he got to have some fun too! He actually got a lot of nice shots, but they were mostly of me.

Loving winter about now

2012-01-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

It might be a little slow on the photography side, but I am definitely making the best of it....I've been crankin out more hats for my newborn sessions! Getting very excited about getting some babies in here to shoot!!!

Here are a few more pics of my latest hat collection. Crochet is very calming and therapeutic... I highly recommend it!!

Homemade

2012-01-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

Newborn sessions are really really fun....but also a ton of work. It literally takes the patience of Job to get those precious poses out of newborns!

I love to see the adorable hats on infants, but again, being on the tight budget that I am, I usually end up making them myself. I have learned many techniques from watching "Teresa" on You Tube. She's awesome!

This is one hat that I whipped out in about an hour and a half this week....Isn't it the Bomb??

Now I just need a little munchin to shoot in it!

Trying new things

2012-01-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

I had an idea for a shot this weekend, and lucky for me, I have a sweet girl who loves to have her picture taken!!! So we went off to the mall today!

This about made me sick to shoot, but it was still fun. I set a long exposure to make sure the background was totally blurred as the carousel went around. There was some vibrations coming from the floor even though I used my tripod, and the fact that it's really hard to sit perfectly still for 2-3 seconds without ANY movement!

Then we tried on on the outside of the carousel ...

Pretty COOL, huh???

Snow's coming!

2012-01-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

Snow's coming and with it.... a valentine's day post! Snow makes great pictures! Get a mini session of just the two of you! Session is 30-45 minutes with 10 keeper shots. On location. $40. Call 260.589.2728 to schedule yours!

Hit the jackpot!

2012-01-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

I have been searching all over the internet for blankets like these and had found some, but was not really wanting to pay the price for no bigger than the blankets were. Today I went to K Mart and hit the jackpot! Everything I found was on sale and exactly was I was looking for! I saved a ton of money!! Bring on the newborns!!! I'm so ready! Whoo Hoo!!

Star trails

2012-01-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

The trick to good star shots is a very dark night with no moon or lights from any city of any kind. So I treck out into Amish country to get these shots. Also use a tripod! Cover the lens while pushing the shutter button, then move your hand away. The camera can pick up any and all vibrations, even the shutter button.

Usually these shots take about a 1 hour exposure to get trails like this. It's good to have a shutter remote that can be locked in place to hold the shutter button open that long.

Some old stuff

2012-01-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

One of my loves is shooting children....but when there aren't any around....my second love is landscapes! I took this shot last summer, but never really did anything with it.

I have discovered Camera Raw in Photoshop Cs5 and LOVE it! I have many presets that I have saved in it which cuts my editing time in half! Yeah!!!

This shot was taken not quite at sunset, but I wanted it to look that way, so I added some pinks and oranges to it to give it that soft dusky look. All of the edits to this shot were done in Camera Raw.

This also was done completely in Camera Raw. I love raw because it's so versatile! If I don't like something, it's easily changeable!

What to do in the winter....

2012-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

Winter is downtime for most photographers....so what's a girl to do with all her free time? Well...I love to learn about and hone my editing skills. I don't buy "actions" per say, but I do love to create some of my own...

It's also a great time to maybe spiff up your blog or perhaps create a new water mark for your web pictures.

Looking forward to a great year in 2012!!! Bring it!

Playing around

2012-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite pastimes is to go to YouTube and see what kind of strange tutorials I can find about Photoshop...I came across this one about "wrapping" your graphic with your background image.... Sounds interesting enough.

So I brainstormed and came up with my own idea of wrapping of hands on a piano...I call it, " Becoming one with the piano"....ok, it's the best I could come up with.

I started by taking a picture of my keyboard....

Then...I took a picture of my hands.

After watching this tutorial step by step....I came up with this image....pretty weird, huh??

a perfect opportunity

2012-01-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

The snow around here is kinda touch and go lately....here one day....gone the next. So I have to take every opportunity I can to capture it! I love, love coming to this place to shoot when it snows. It's so peaceful and lovely...

I thoroughly enjoyed chasing these geese to get them to fly in this shot. They are kinda hard to see with all the background noise of the trees... ; (
If you click on the picture, it places it on a nice black background...

A quick recap

2011-12-31T16:02:00.000-08:00

2011 was a busy year for me and I am just thinking back to some of the highlights that stick out to me. I am so thankful for all my clients this past year...so here's to you!!! ( it was hard to only pick 1 per month!)

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Making memories and musings...

2011-12-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing this year...and not because I got anything great....

It started with the Awesome Church activities of the season....

Then a sweet funeral of my hubby's grandmother who met Jesus for Christmas....

Then a wonderful time with family!

Merry Christmas doesn't even come close....but I'm going to say it anyway!!

Miss Samantha

2011-12-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

I can tell that I'm going to be slightly partial in this post.....

This is my cousins new daughter....

She is so beautiful!!!!!!!!

Happily ever after

2011-12-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

These two are celebrating their anniversary and wanted some new pictures. They are a beautiful couple.

Christmas memories

2011-12-15T04:39:00.000-08:00

This may sound weird to some of you....but I love to roll up bread into balls and dip it in hot coco. There's a cute story behind this strange quirky tradition of mine....

I spent a lot of time at my grandparents home as a child and ofttimes my grandmother would have cookies in her jar and make hot coco to go with it on cold winter days. One day while eating cookies, a terrible thing happened... the cookies ran out! I insisted on having something to dunk into my hot coco, so my grandmother gave me a piece of bread! I rolled it up tightly and dipped it into the coco.

It's really not that good, but it still brings back those sweet memories of my now past grandmother whom I loved quite dearly.

Our church Christmas program

2011-12-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

I so enjoy being the photographer for our church's events. It gets me up close and personal with all the action. My son was also a part of this year's production, so I really had a good excuse to be snapping away!

Do you think this little man was slightly frightened? Me too!

And it just tickles me silly when one has a meltdown and needs a little encouragement to join the other kidos!

And then there's my son who loves to perform! ( takes after his mother I suppose) He is the big guy peaking out of the manger scene...

Ah....Christmas time....programs....children....I love it!

Elfin magic

2011-12-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

These two are just the sweetest little elves ever! I know, I know, I say that about all my clients....it's true though!

I guess that's why I LOVE what I do!

Sweet baby girl Hackenjos

2011-12-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

This little one is such a sweet thing! I was so thrilled to get to be able to meet her!

Chess anyone?

2011-12-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Chess anyone?

Winter's lace

2011-12-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Whenever we get frost and morning sunshine, you can bet I'm outside looking for glass with frost on it....

These are a few shots I took this morning with my 35mm lens at 400 ISO, f5.0, and 1/50 shutter speed. These photos have been cropped, but if you get a nice clean shot, there's no need for a macro lens.

A Christmas treat

2011-11-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

I got to photograph these two a few years ago and was thrilled to be able to do it yet again! This is without a doubt THE MOST SWEETEST LITTLE SANTA"S HELPER ever!!!

November is a month to remember E session

2011-11-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

This young lady will remember this November as it is her first time coming to the States and seeing snow!

How exciting that these two found each other!

Cat in a tree-personal

2011-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

We "just" put up the Christmas tree today....it didn't take my kitty long to find it! This might be a problem....

Luke newborn session- indiana newborn photographer

2011-11-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

This little man was a joy! Once I got him warm and comfy, he let me do about anything I wanted!

50 years of Bliss- 50th anniversary

2011-11-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

This was a super neat family! I had a great time capturing this wonderful event of 50 years!

Zac Senior session- Indiana photographer

2011-11-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

We fought 35 mph wind the day of Zac's session....no joke!! We had to get creative with the places we could actually shoot without the wind to carry us away!

McCormick Family- child photography

2011-11-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to see this little one again and sad at the same time. This couple has been bringing their daughter to me for a year now. This is the last session in their package and they are also embarking on a new journey in ministry! (how exciting) I hope someday they will get to return and I can have another opportunity to see how much their family has grown!

But NOW, they have a new member of the family as well!

Happy First Birthday IVY!

Welcome little Israel!

11.11.11 Amstutz Wedding

2011-11-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

This was such a fun fun family! I had a great time capturing this wedding for them!!!

11.11.11 sneak preview

2011-11-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

What an incredibly EASY date to remember!!!

Erb Newborn Session

2011-11-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

This was such a tiny little lady. She was just a doll though!!

Kassie and Lee ~ E Session

2011-11-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

I had trouble picking only a few of these to post on my blog tonight. They did an amazing job! Can't wait for your wedding guys!!!

Cat in a bag!

2011-11-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you the joy this little cat of mine brings me! What a hoot to find her sleeping in my bag!

Referral coupons are here!

2011-11-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

If you refer a friend or family member and they call to book with me, you will receive $20 e coupon off your next session. Just one way that I would like to THANK YOU for your referral!

Boots kids Session

2011-11-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

This family has some musical talent....

Drums...guitars....

That point

2011-10-31T14:56:00.001-07:00

"the point of letting go"

Father God, may I always be willing to let go and let you...

Halloween kitty

2011-10-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's a big birthday for me today, and yes, I have a beautiful BLACK kitty who wants to tell you something...

She's really not mean.

But how could anyone NOT love this little face??

More school pictures

2011-10-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

It hasn't snowed yet....frost maybe, but no snow....I am still shooting that back to school package....

Keeping me in business

2011-10-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

I am overjoyed to have such a computer geek for a son!!!!

One broken belt in my cd burner...

20 minutes of labor....

One rubber band....

Didn't have to buy a new cd burner....

PRICELESS!

Need a business picture?

2011-10-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

I take pictures of business and products for web pages, menus, brochures...

This is The Rosewood on Main. I actually got to eat there as well as take pictures.

It was very very good!

Lazy Daisey

2011-10-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's one of those days when you just have to shoot something....

missing you

2011-10-25T13:59:00.001-07:00

"missing you"

pure sweetness- child photography

2011-10-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

This little one is pure sweetness!!

Jean Family

2011-10-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love getting to see long lost family members like this! I haven't seen my cousin for a few years now, so it was fun getting to know her girls.

Gilbert child Session

2011-10-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

This is an active bunch of sweethearts! The boys are very good big brothers to their little sister.

Boots Family

2011-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

This family has so much energy! I love it!

Drewery Family

2011-10-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

This family has grown so much in two years since I last shot them... This is an awesome family~

Rockin our school pictures

2011-10-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

I will continue my school package deal until it snows....1 8X10
2 5x7
12 wallets
For $20!

So here are a few more kidos who are rockin their school pictures.

Sanders Family

2011-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I got to take pictures of this little man as a newborn, but now he's grown so much! What a sweetie!

Josh Senior Session

2011-10-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've known this kido for sometime and can't believe he's a Senior now. *sigh* I'm getting old.

Chaffin Boys

2011-10-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

These are some really neat guys.

Brie Senior Session

2011-10-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

It was a perfect day for a senior session....a bit on the chilly side, but cloudy, so no fighting light!

I have never shot here before, so it was fun to explore and find neat places to use as backdrops!

In between

2011-09-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

While in between busy weekend sessions, I do get a little time to shoot for myself. There was a night last week where I got to witness God showing off of me....

I call these shots, "Heaven's Fire" and "Heaven's lights"

Hyman boys back to school pictures

2011-09-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

I love to shoot these kids! They are so much fun! This is a little behind the scenes look at what happens sometimes...; )

Too much fun right?

But they we do get some really nice, and I mean nice shots!

Erb Maternity

2011-09-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

This family is so cute! They are expecting their second child soon and wanted some maternity shots before the baby comes.

9-10-11 Josh and Monica Wedding

2011-09-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here a are a few more shots from Josh and Monica's wedding. The day started out with a very foggy morning drive, but turned into a beautiful day.

9-10-11 sneak preview-wedding

2011-09-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, there were Lots and lots of weddings on this special date! I was fortunate enough to photograph one of them.... here's a few sneak peaks...

newborn special

2011-09-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this newborn special! Having a baby? Got a newborn?

Book now for $50 and get newborn poses and a family shot.

Good till Oct 1!

Ravi Senior

2011-09-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Banwait family also has a Senior this year. So...we got those pictures taken as well....

Banwait Family

2011-09-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is a specially colorful family...and you'll see why I say that.

They are adorned with the beautiful and rich colors of India!

healthy respect

2011-09-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

This storm went through tonight. Normally I stay clear of lightning, but it was so far in the distance that I felt somewhat safe standing outside....with a metal tripod...under a tree....hum...

I'm not really sure why I got all the colors to show up on these shots. Maybe someone out there has an answer for me?

2011-09-02T04:41:00.001-07:00

any questions?

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Summer butters

2011-08-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

I can't help it.

I love nature.

I LOVE butterflies....

Lloyd girls

2011-08-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Grant 1 year old session

2011-08-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Grant 1 year old sneak peak

2011-08-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

This little man has grown so much in one year and has a smile that you can't help but love!

More to come.....

glad glads

2011-08-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

I started a new flower patch in one part of my yard this year and planted these bulbs in the mud. I was almost sure they didn't make it due to all the heavy rain we received this spring.....but they have finally been blessed and given me perfection!!!!

Welcome Gladiolas! Welcome.

Psalm 145

2011-08-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Missouri ~ personal

2011-08-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

We took a little time out this week to visit our son who graduated from basic training last week. We haven't seen him for 10 weeks and were amazed at how much he had grown into a man!

If you follow my blog....you know I take all opportunity to capture where ever I am....so here are a few shots of Missouri....

This was the show we received from God upon leaving our son.

We stopped on the way home to see Maramac cave....pretty cool, literally!

Reinhard kidos

2011-08-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

These kids are just adorable!!! I love having the opportunity to capture them as they continue to grow!

fun times

2011-08-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

we had the opportunity to get away this week for a day. My twins had the best time....I thought they might be 5 again. This shot could have been more serious, but thank God is was not. A hugo wave came out of nowhere and nailed my twins. ( the photographer got quite drenched as well)

I had the best time capturing NEW subjects that I don't get to see on a daily basis..... Enjoy!

a secret

2011-08-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Beth gave me total permission to post these to my blog. Her daughter let slip to her daddy the morning activities already though....so I guess the cat's out of the bag... No secret session any more.

Anderson Family

2011-08-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

I've known this family for a long time, but haven't seen many of them for years. What a great time we had catching up and capturing this great family!

In my little peaceful place

2011-08-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Photography is more than a profession for me....it's a passion and a peaceful release of the day.
This is my peaceful moment for today. Enjoy with me!

splash photography

2011-08-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

I came across this site today that showed me how to shoot a splash in a glass. So, being curious and adventurous, I HAD to go home and try it!

My sweet hubby was willing to be my pourer.... this was shot at 1/1250 shutter, 7.1 f stop, and ISO 800. The sun was going down and was just off to the left of me. I tilted my camera a little on my tripod to get the angle of the shot.

Once in awhile, he missed the glass....but that was the neat part of it!

Ivy 9 months

2011-08-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

This little one melts my heart each time I get to have her for a session!

Ben and Sue 50th

2011-08-02T04:38:00.000-07:00

I cannot begin to tell you what a joy it was to meet this family and to capture their special day! 50th anniversaries are not really about the couple, but about family and friends. It's amazing how that focus changes to include everyone and not just the bride and groom.

Ben and Sue 50 years

2011-07-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

50 years does not seem as long as it used to for me....it gets closer every year actually!

For Ben and Sue, it came! What a beautiful couple and wonderful family day to celebrate it!

This is a sneak peak of my favorite shot of today....

Rockin our school pictures

2011-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

We've started "Back to school" pictures!!!!

Give me a call to be part of our "Rockin our school pictures"!

260.589.2728

Butterfly session

2011-07-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was chasing this guy all over my yard trying to get a shot of him,( you should have seen me!) when he discovered that I was watering my flowers. There was water on the pavement, so he stopped long enough for a drink....

So I started with a full body side shot.... Not bad.

How close will he let me get?

Sprawling around on my tummy....he let me get THIS close...

But I wanted a head on picture, so wiggling myself around some more....I got this one....

Scroll down for my BACK TO SCHOOL Kick Off!

Back to school kick off

2011-07-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Kayla Sweet 16

2011-07-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Kayla's sweet 16 sneak peak

2011-07-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

It was quite warm for this session, but we waited until evening when it came down to 94 degrees and had an amazing and fun shoot! More to come....

Back to School Kick off

2011-07-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the details I promised to post for my Back to school kick off.

Picture package is $20.

1 pose ( within a 10 mile radius of Berne)

1 8x10

2 5x7

12 Wallets

Extra sizes and prints are also available. Prints will need to be picked up.

Call 260.589.2728 or e mail rtsteffen@embarqmail.com

getting ready for school

2011-07-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to this sweet girl for being so willing to model for my back to school kick off! Details about "that" to come...

Beauty

2011-07-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Relax

2011-07-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

My hubby has not had a chance to do much of this lately...

So this was the perfect time to capture this moment!

Wow God....wow

2011-07-12T07:40:00.001-07:00

Enough said.

Seize the Moment

2011-07-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

back light

2011-07-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

The secret to using "back light" is not to directly use the beam of light, but a "bend" of it. In this picture of my Hosta, I used the setting sunlight behind the flower to highlight the water droplets. This made the amazing lights in the Bokeh background. A direct use of the sun would have washed out my picture completely loosing detail. I know this is sometimes the latest fad to do this, but I like to see the subject I'm shooting and not have it washed out completely.

This was shot in Manual, 1/80 shutter speed, 5.6 f stop, 100 ISO using a 15-250mm lens.

new concept....check

2011-07-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

I saw this concept on Flickr and HAD to see if I could do it.

I call this "My Flip Pic". Pretty catchy don't you think?

The picture I'm holding is not a print, but a blank white paper. I copied my portrait into this half picture of me, tuned it upside down and used "vanishing point" in Photoshop CS5 to reposition it and make it look like it's being held. Pretty cool if I say so myself!

Aren't they just sweetness?

2011-07-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

I might just be a little partial to these two sweethearts....but what can I say?

We saw some amazing fireworks last night as well....Now to post only one....let's see.

I like this one for the power it demonstrates in it's own explosion!

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

This day...

2011-07-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

This day I married my friend...

The one I laugh with

Live for

Love.

Happy Anniversary Baby! 22 years!

I think I finally did it!

2011-06-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

This shot has taken me many hours of trial and error to get it right. I posted earlier that it was not possible to get a clear image "through" and water droplet. Well, I stand very much corrected. You can. The droplet acts as a sort of "fish eye" lens. Everything is backward like a mirror, but clearly seen.

It's not a perfect shot, but it made me very excited!!

I'm on it boys!

2011-06-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

It seems that it is much harder to find time to shoot your own kid's senior pictures than other peoples....maybe it's a schedule thing...

Here's Andrew's Senior pictures. He took so many good ones, it was hard to pick just a few for the blog...

This one took a little planning and some edit time, but we got it! Since Andrew is going into IT ( computer networking) we came up with this idea.

Jonathan Senior Session

2011-06-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

This kid is so into music and plays several instruments as well as sings! Multi-achiever!