Amy Sandoval Photography Blog bio picture

Welcome to Amy Sandoval Photography - The Blog

My name is Amy Sandoval and I am a portrait and wedding photographer in the Hampton Roads, VA, area - including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and surrounding cities. I shoot many types of portrait sessions including boudoir, newborn, child, family, high school seniors and engagement sessions. I also shoot weddings - specializing in a photojournalistic approach to smaller weddings and highly personalized coverage. I am a member of the Professional Photographers of America. For more information on sessions and pricing, click on the "Portfolio" link above to go to my main site.

Why blog? I post client sneak peeks, special opportunities and even some helpful tidbits for those fellow photography-buffs who want insider info on how to take great photos.

You can also connect with me on Facebook!

Contact me at amy@amysandovalphotography.com or 757.406.6036

Please note: The images on this blog are property of Amy Sandoval Photography and may not be used without permission. Please email me at amy@ amysandovalphotography.com (take out space) for permission or additional information.

Custom and Ready-Made Stationary with a Personal Touch in Norfolk

February 7, 2010 – 5:53 pm

IMG_6249Getting married means making a lot of decisions – when, where, how many to invite and the list goes on. And wedding invitations are just one of those decisions that can be overwhelming. There are many printing options these days – and sometimes it’s tempting to take it into your own hands with an online service. But what if someone was willing to walk you through the process? Design or help pick an invitation that speaks to who you are as a couple?

That person exists! I’d like to tell you about Sharon Campbell, owner of Live, Love, Paper – a luxury invitation and design studio located in Historic Ghent in Norfolk. I love all things paper, stationary (office supplies, pens, you name it!) and fell in love with the wonderful designs Sharon has available. It made me want to throw a party of some sort so I can work on some cute invites!

Sharon offers a personalized experience – clients arrange to meet with her at their convenience and nights and weekends are welcome. Sharon walks them through both high-end custom options as well as ready-made options to fit any budget. She knows that it helps to feel the thickness of the paper and see the colors and font choices in person – so she offers many samples in her studio. Married not long ago herself, Sharon appreciates how the invitation ties into the wedding colors and theme – she can truly help you bring it all together.

Live, Love, Paper is frequented by local designers and event planners, as well. And if you need invitations for other occasions, such as birth announcements, parties or Bat/Bar Mitzvahs, Sharon provides many options for those events. If you’re planning a wedding or any other event requiring custom invitations, be sure to give Sharon a call.

Live, Love, Paper
Located in Ghent, Norfolk
(757) 816-3186

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By Amy Sandoval | Posted in Wedding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | no comments         Add a Comment

Senior Portraits in Virginia Beach: The Slideshow

February 4, 2010 – 2:42 pm

I gave you a quick sneak peek into this session on Tuesday. It was shot on Monday evening back when the snow was still pretty! Now that I’ve finished working on this session, I thought I’d let you see it all! This session was shot in under an hour and right inside my neighborhood, where Tiana, the gorgeous Kellam High School senior featured also lives. It just goes to show that given a wonderful client, the right light, a few scenic spots and of course a wintry blanket, you can put together a beautiful session just about anywhere.

Interested in high school senior portraits? Contact me by email at amy@amysandovalphotography.com – I look forward to customizing a session for you. As with all of my portrait sessions, high school senior portrait clients receive all of their final digital high resolution images on a disc as part of the package – so they can Facebook, blog, and print images to their heart’s content – and of course mom and dad can share them with family and friends!  Many thanks to Tiana and her mom, Lizette, for trusting me when I said “What about a session in the snow?”

By Amy Sandoval | Posted in Senior | Tagged , , , | no comments         Add a Comment

A Snowy Senior Session: Kellam High School Senior Photography

February 2, 2010 – 12:41 pm

Here’s a quick first peek at a snowy high school senior session shot late yesterday afternoon. I’ve known Tiana and her family for several years – we did a fun beach session a few years ago and Tiana has also babysat for our daughter. They’re also neighbors, living just a few streets over. We’d talked about doing a senior session back in the fall, but the busy season kicked in and I didn’t get to it. So when I heard about snow on the way, I began to brainstorm a snowy senior session shot right in our neighborhood. We’re lucky enough to back up to horse pastures and some woodsy spots – and we also have a beautiful white fence that runs the length of the neighborhood on one side.

Tiana was such a good sport – it was obviously cold and at times we were stepping through snow that was at least 8 or 9 inches deep. As long as we kept moving, we stayed warm (she even took off her coat a few times!) but our feet were definitely coldddd towards the end! I think it was totally worth it though – you just couldn’t pass up the beauty of the snow and the light at this time of day. We’ll definitely remember this for many years – it’s so rare that we get snow in this area!

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By Amy Sandoval | Posted in Senior | Tagged , , , , , | 1 comments         Add a Comment
  1. Vinita   -  

    Love the soft light and the feel of these images!

January 2010 Winter Storm: The Photos

January 31, 2010 – 1:34 am

We did get out for a little while today while it was snowing and here are a few photos. Tomorrow should be an even better day since the snow will stop and hopefully the sun will shine! I love our neighborhood – people were out playing and walking around all day enjoying the snow. I’m glad we don’t get snow often because it makes it that much more fun. As I mentioned to someone last night, it’s a sort-of forced downtime that we all appreciate – like a sick day only better since we feel well and get to play!
Olivia – this is really the first major snow that she has experienced and will remember as an adult – our last significant snow was when she was two. You may be able to tell that she lost a tooth – she lost her first tooth last night and it was major excitement!

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Nevaeh – one of Olivia’s friends in the neighborhood.
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Our neighborhood gazebo/common area – we live across the street from this area and enjoyed watching children come here today to play and try sledding down the slight hill.
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IMG_5902Our home – of course I’m a sucker for photographing it covered in snow. Loved playing with my new lens, the Canon 24mm 1.4L – was able to get the whole house and side/part of back yard with it!
IMG_5905We actually got quite a bit more snow after this was taken – snowy mailbox!
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By Amy Sandoval | Posted in Personal Notes | Tagged , , , | no comments         Add a Comment

Are You Ready for Snow? Camera Tips for Photos in the Snow

January 29, 2010 – 6:47 pm

This might be the big one! I know a lot of you are weather-burned from recent forecasts of snow only to see…absolutely not one flake. But all weather stars seem to be aligning and it seems it’s time to go to the grocery store and get ready for snow! I’m hoping to shoot a senior portrait session in the snow this weekend if we can coordinate it and you’ll probably want to get outside and photograph some snowy photos, too – since this is a pretty rare sight for Hampton Roads.

But why is it so hard to make the camera’s photos as pretty as what we see with our eyes? Metering! Cameras have a tendency to underexpose snow because the brightness throws off its metering functionality. There are ways to trick many cameras to expose bright photos properly.

See if your camera offers exposure compensation: Exposure Compensation lets you quickly add or subtract from 1/3 to 2 stops (or more on some pro cameras). When photographing snow, experiment with adding more exposure, anywhere from +1/3 to +2 stops. Let your camera (and your eye and that viewfinder) be your guide. Just remember that adding more exposure will help. To make things trickier, remember that if it’s too bright you will not be able to recover the photo and you will have very “blown out” areas of white with no detail. It’s a fine line.

Here are more excellent cold-weather shooting tips straight from Canon:

  • Cold batteries die faster, especially in temperatures below the freezing point, so keep your batteries warm. Carry them close to your body/in pockets/under clothes. Also, bring spares and keep those warm in your pockets until ready for use.
  • Give your camera equipment time to acclimate when going from cold to warm temperatures. Otherwise, you risk condensation build-up, which can damage lenses as well as internal digital camera components. Gradually introduce it to warmer temperatures. For example, leave your equipment in the garage or on a covered porch for a while before moving it inside.
  • Another trick to prevent condensation build-up when moving from cold to warm temperatures is to seal your camera in an airtight plastic bag (such as a Ziplock). Seal the camera completely inside of the bag BEFORE moving indoors, and condensation should form on the bag rather than the camera. Leave the camera inside the bag until it’s had a chance to fully warm up to room temperature.
  • If you anticipate mild snow or rain while shooting, waterproof your camera with plastic bags. Bring lens cloths or lint-free tissues to wipe off any moisture that might build up on the lens from melting snowflakes.
  • Invest in fingerless gloves with a fold-back mitten top, so you can access camera controls while keeping your hands as warm as possible in between shots.

By Amy Sandoval | Posted in Personal Notes | Tagged , , | 2 comments         Add a Comment
  1. Cara Mandart   -  

    GREAT advice! Today I was freaking out about the moisture and tomorrow looking forward to doing it the right way. I’m going to cut the finger tips off an old pair of gloves, is that tacky? oh well. LOL

  2. Amy Sandoval   -  

    I was able to control my camera with my gloves on today, but was seriously planning to cut the tips of the fingers and make fingerless gloves if it didn’t work!