Did we photograph your Wedding?

   Ailor Photography has been out of the wedding photo business for several years now.   During the 10 years or so that we were photographing weddings we amassed a HUGE collection of negatives and digital files.  DID WE PHOTOGRAPH YOUR WEDDING?  If so....we would like to clear out some of our old files and negatives.  I DO NOT believe in throwing away or destroying negatives, but storage of these old events can be very difficult.  If you would like to have the ORIGINAL negatives or digital files (plus a copyright release) from your wedding, give us a call.  We are hoping to clear out as many as possible.  You can purchase the originals for $150 per wedding.  These originals are invaluable to you....give us a call today  765-429-7145.

The outdoor season will be ending soon! But until then...

Here are a couple of photos from yesterday.  It was a very good day for photos both indoor and out.  I had great clients who made taking their photos very easy.  I am still trying to push myself into a more "stylish", "Fashion Photography" kinda direction while still keeping a clean, nice portrait.  These are a few that I thought worked really well. 

This hasn't been the most colorful fall season, but we are still getting some great photos.  I am guessing that by the end of next week, most of the color will be gone.  I know I have several more outdoor sessions this week and next, so I hope to holds on. 

A very cool photograph.

I just wanted to make a quick post to show off this photo from yesterday.  It came out great.  Michael has really amazing bluegreen eyes that made every photo of him awesome, but this was my favorite.  I hope he likes it.

 

Michael's choice of clothes showed a distinct "Style" and that is what made his photographs great.  Everyone should use that information and choose clothes that emphasize your particular style.  As a photographer, I can then see that style and create images that help convey that. 
Anyway....great photo!

Holly

Well,  another great shoot with Holly.  A little while back we did some modeling shots for Holly and they came out great, so I was really excited that she is now in need of Senior Portraits.  Luckily...Holly is really open to experimentation and she really trusts me to create great images.  Here are just a few.  (not too sure about the quality of this video?)

My advice to everyone in need of senior photos is always the same.  Choose really great outfits that really 'Ramp up" your personal style.  Don't be afraid to take it to the extreme.  If you have ideas....let us know so we can work with you to create great images.   And last of all.....trust us to give you really cool images.  Remember....we gain nothing if you look bad.  So we are ALWAYS out to give you fantastic images.

A new direction???

Lately, I am feeling like my photography is going a new direction.  I want to do more "fashion" type images.  Images with a certain mood or style that fits the personality of the subject.  I want to do location photography with full studio light set-ups that really looks like the fashion shots you see in magazines.  I know how to do the photos,  I have the right equipment, now what I need are some Seniors or individuals who have a defined style that they want to show.   Someone who isn't looking for "more" photos, but it looking for "better" photos. 

I have been experimenting with more "stylized" photos here in the studio and on location lately.  I did this photo yesterday and think it is "more" than your typical senior portrait.  It says more...it has style...it reflects the personality of the subject.  What do you think?

Keep your eyes posted here, or our website (www.ailorphotography.com) toward the end of this year or the beginning of next as we start to offer more diverse exciting options for your portrait sittings.

Another cool one from this week!!!

I just had to post this photos because we thought it was really cool. I hope Chrissa likes it as much as we do. 

Some Photos from this week

Here are a few photos from this past week.  We have been VERY busy with Senior Portraits and Family Portraits.  Remember...if you would like portraits with the fall color, do NOT wait until the color is here to book your appointment....we will be full by then.  The fall is a beautiful time to do portraits outdoors, but the spots fill up quickly, call now to make your appointment.  Also it is a good time to start thinking about family portraits for Christmas!  The holiday season is coming fast!

Looking Through old photos...

I had a little free time this morning and I was looking through the photos from my trip to Ethiopia.  I found this photo and fell in love with it. 

I remember seeing this group of children leaning up against the wall and this little girls face just jumped out at me.  She was one of the few kids who was NOT clamoring for me to take her picture and that, in itself, made her stand out.  She has the most amazing eyes!  Anyway, just thought this photo was worth sharing.  maybe one of my favorite portraits of all time.  Simple, but it says it all.

Okay.....I'm biased

Admitted...I am biased, but these guys sure are cute.  My wife's parents, sister, brother-in-law and nephews were in town last week and it seemed a good opportunity to take some photos.  The first photo is of my son with his three cousins.  These boys are notoriously hard to photography, but this year they were super easy.  I think Simon was the most difficult (you can see his is the only one not smiling!)

This photo I just has to post because it is so cute.  Mason always looks good in a photo, but I usually have to chase him around to get it.   This time he did great and what a great photo.

Fashion Shoot for "Devoid and Deveil" designs

I have worked with the fashion designer, Chris, on an art project before.  He loved the work we did together so when it came time to start shooting his clothing line...he thought of me.  I am grateful to him for that as I have a lot of fun doing this type of imaging.  We have 3 pieces to photograph and we did the first two on Thursday and here are a couple of the early images. 

Hopefully we will be shooting the last look soon.  It is a purple and black outfit.  Chris would like it to be set in a moonlight forest and I think I can make that happen.  Look for that image here soon.

Some Photos from the past couple of weeks!

It has been HOT!  If you haven't noticed I would be surprised.  Therefore we have not photographed as many outdoor sittings this summer as we usually do.  We did manage to squeeze in a few here and there.  Here are some photos from the past couple of weeks that I really liked. 

I have a fashion shoot with a designer from Chicago today so keep your eyes open for some cool stuff to come.

New Website

Well, it was out of date for a while, but I finally got around to redesigning the website and adding new photos.  Check it out at:  www.ailorphotography.com.  We have added new photos, and updated price lists (don't worry...the prices haven't changed!).  If you have any questions, or find any typos...let me know.  I hope you like the new site!

Even More new stuff

Yesterday I got in a couple of new backgrounds that I wanted to try out.  Luckily I had two sittings in a row that fit them perfectly.   As always, we are constantly looking for new scenes and ideas for all of your photography needs.  Thanks to Spencer and Tyler for being good sports in letting me try out my new backgrounds. 

Lighting by IPad

Okay....very cool.   I had a senior sitting today and unfortunately it rained out his outdoor sitting.  HOWEVER!...we got a very cool shot because we had a bit more time to work on his studio sitting.  As it turns out, JT is a big fan of his IPad and wanted it in one of his photos.  I had the thought to try to use it as the main light in the photo.  I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that it worked as well as it did.  I used only it and the modeling lights on my studio strobes to light the photo.....pretty cool.

Senior Portraits for my Neice.

Well, my niece Caitlyn came down for a visit this weekend.  We thought she could hang out with us, play with Simon and get her senior pictures taken.  Here are a couple of the cool ones we did today and yesterday.  I have a lot of editing to do to finish all of them, but we wanted to get these done right away. 

Still editing the fashion shoot!!

After further editing of my recent fashion photography shoot...I found another really cool photo.  What do you think of this one?  I think it has just the right "Vibe" for what we were trying to do.  I am hoping to use a little of what I learned during this shoot to create really cool senior portraits.  Attitude, fashion, creativity, style and fun....that is what makes great photos.

Creative Experimentation

Okay....we had a little downtime today so Dana and I decided to play a little with the studio lighting. I have been wanting to do some photos that have that "old school" glamour/film noir style lighting. I wanted to find a way to do it that would work easily in one of our studio sessions. I normally could spend up to a half hour setting up the lights for that style of photograph, so I had to simplify it enough that we can use it during a sitting. I think they came out pretty cool. Keep in mind...neither of us were really dressed or prepared to be photographed today.

ART Mondays

Being a professional photographer doesn't mean that at some point you "know it all" and simply apply what you know. Photography, for me, is a lifelong passion and a lifelong education. I hope to always push myself to learn more, do more and create quality images. In order to continue learning and evolving as a photographer I have dedicated my Mondays (wife at work and son in Daycare and my only other day off) to creating my personal images. What does that mean? Well, I guess it means that on Mondays I am going to photograph what I want and do it in a way that improves my overall knowledge as a photographer. It may be a simple fashion shoot, an art project session, or simple studio experimentation with equipment, lighting etc.
This Monday, I got a call from a model who wanted to shoot some images for a clothing line. Pretty simple stuff, but with a fashion edge. I used this as an opportunity to work on my photo technique, lighting, framing and posing. In all....I got some pretty cool images. Here are a couple that I really like.Who knows what future Mondays will bring!!!! I am currently also working on an art project in which I will create images of the characters from my favorite novels. I will post some of those as I get them completed.

Xander and Ayla

Okay....two of my favorite kids in the whole world came in today. Xander and Ayla are the children of two of our best friends, Dan and Jana. I have been so excited since Jana made the appointment and this morning I finally got to take their photos. They came out amazing. I think Jana is going to have a hard time picking since we took a ton of photos. Here are two that I really like.

Let Senior Season BEGIN!!!!

Well, Senior portrait season for the 2010-2011 school year is in full swing. We are booking a lot of appointments so don't wait until the last minute. The summer will fill up fast! We have added several new backgrounds and styles to the studio this year. We are working hard to make sure that we keep advancing our photography into the fashion and glamour portrait style. Here is one of my newest backgrounds. I wasn't too sure about it when I ordered it, but after a few shots...it is one of my favorites.
I had a sitting today that was really fun. Grayson brought his '72 cutlass in for photos and I think we got some really cool ones. This one definitely has a fashion / 70's vibe.Keep watching here to see some of our best shots from the year! And remember to make your appointment soon. The school year will be here before we know it!

A couple of really great photos....I'm not biased of course...

I have posted these photos on facebook and many other places, but I think they should be on here also. These are a couple of photos of my son in his traditional Ethiopian outfit. I had the idea quite a while ago to photograph him dressed this way, but in an Indiana cornfield. As it turns out, I couldn't actually put him "in" the corn because he is too short and we couldn't even see him. I do, however, LOVE how these came out.

New Senior Season....New Ideas....

Well, we come to one of my favorite times of year....when I have enough free time to create new backgrounds and sets for our upcoming Senior Portrait season. I try not to buy a lot of "photo" backgrounds because they are the same old thing that every other photographer has. I love to try new things and create "scenes" that our customers can interact with. This creates the laid back, casual style that our customers love. I have about 8 or 10 ideas working around the ol' noggin right now, but here is the first one we have completed. Here are a couple of photos of our studio manager "Dana" on the new set. She hates being my guinea pig...We are just trying a few different poses on the new set...I love the possibilities....Well that is the first of the new stuff....I am well on my way to using every square inch of wallspace at the studio. We can't wait for you to come in for a sitting so we can try this stuff out for real!!!!!

Proms, Dance Recitals and Simon

What a busy weekend! On Saturday, we had a dance recital to photograph for Morton Community Center. It is always a fun event. Especially to see the really little ones who are so excited about performing onstage. That was in the morning, and then in the evening we had the Lewis Cass High School Prom. We have been photographing it for about 7 years now and it is always a lot of fun. This year was a little strange because I began noticing that some of those attending the prom were the children of my Classmates! Yikes...I am getting old.
Anyway, here are a couple of photos from those events.
On Friday, my wife and I brought our new son, Simon, into the studio for his first "portrait" session. He did pretty well. I will say that is very difficult to photograph your own children since they don't feel they have to listen to you. We thought the "bibs" without shoes or shirt was a good introduction to Indiana and my family. I may be biased, but he is just too darn cute!

A few quick shots...

Yesterday I had to come in to the office on my day off to do a little paperwork. While I was here I decided to see if I could get a really good photo of Simon. I can get him to smile without any problems, but as soon as I put the camera to my eye...he would stop smiling. Luckily the little guy has eyes that look GREAT when he isn't smiling too big. I did a couple of "window-light" shots to really show his eyes. This is one of my favorites.

Okay....It's been a while, but with good reason!

I haven't been to good about updating this blog lately. Sorry. As many of you know, my wife and I are adopting from Ethiopia....I guess I should say that we now HAVE adopted from Ethiopia. We made a whirlwind trip there 2 weeks ago and only got back last week. We came home with our little guy, Simon Kebebe Ailor, who is just amazing. The trip was amazing, difficult, exhausting, thrilling, emotional...etc. I still haven't processed it all into words just yet. Here is a photo of our little guy. As my son was attached to my hip during most of the trip, I didn't get to take nearly as many photos as I would have liked. I did get to take photos of some Children at the Yezelelem Minch feeding program. They do an amazing job of providing a hot meal for over 720 kids a week. I just thought these three little girls were beautiful and I had to take their photo. I got a lot of amazing photos of the kids that day.

Into Africa!!!!

Well, to all of you who have been keeping up on this blog, you know that My wife and I are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia. On March 17th, we officially passed court and Simon legally became our son. What this means is that once his birth certificate and passport come through...we are off to get him and bring him home!!!!! It is looking more and more like we will be traveling during the last week of April. Ailor Photography will remain open during the week we will be gone, but our hours might be a little limited. I will post our exact dates and hour changes here as soon as I am 100% sure.
We GREATLY appreciate everyone's support and understanding during this time. This will, in no way, delay anyone's sittings or orders as Dana will continue to be here to provide service. Thanks again, and keep checking here. Once we are home I can post some photos!

Thank you J&C!

I would like to thank the Lafayette Journal and Courier for making us the "Blog of the Week" this week. I was very surprised when they called, but grateful for the free publicity. I was even more shocked that they chose to run the excerpt about our adoption. The little guy is famous and he's not even here yet!
As a reminder... Ailor Photography is offering $10 sitting fees in February! If you book an appointment for a sitting between February 2nd and February 16th and bring a copy of the coupon below, your sitting fee will be only $10!!!!!!!! Call today as times are going to fill up fast!

Modeling Sitting

Wow! Did we get some cool picts. or what? On Saturday we had a modeling sitting which is one of my favorite things to do. It is usually 6- 7 outfits with Hair and make-up changes...the works. Since it is winter, this sitting was all done in the studio. Thanks to a great model who was fun and had great taste in outfits, we got some really cool photos. Check them out:The second one here was taken on one of our newest backgrounds. It is very modern and looks great with any solid color. ESPECIALLY black or white. Thanks again for a fun sitting.
Everyone don't forget out $10 sitting fee special for February! Check out the details and coupon in my last post.

$10 SITTING FEES IN FEBRUARY!

To celebrate our first year at our new location, we are offering $10 sitting fees from February 2nd - February 16th. Schedule your appointment during this period and bring in this coupon:
and your sitting fee will only be $10! That is over 60% off!!!!!! Good for all family, Senior, Business, and Childrens studio portraits. CALL TODAY TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT!!!

IT's A BOY!!!!!!!

I have mentioned on this blog before that my wife (Wendi) and I are adopting a child from Ethiopia. We were not expecting to get a referral and find out who our child was until early spring. However, yesterday afternoon we were totally shocked to get a call and find out that we have a 15 month old little boy!!!!! He is so adorable that I can't describe him. We are not allowed to post photos of him online so if you want to see him....you will have to stop by!!!!!

We decided to call him Simon and keep his Ethiopian name as his middle name (Can't post that either...sorry). We are not sure what we will call him since he already recognizes his birth name, but for now we will call him Simon.

We have a little road ahead of us with paperwork, travel shots, court dates, immigration dates and travel, so it will be a little while before we can have him home. We appreciate all the support and kind words we have heard from everyone and look forward to you meeting our little guy.
~Mark