Family Photo Sessions

Now that I've lived in Idaho for a while I'm feeling a lot more confident on how to price my Family Photo Sessions. I've decided on moving away from packages to a simple A la carte pricing model that requires only a small initial investment and let you, the customer purchase only the images (downloads and prints) you feel best capture your family.

I like this pricing model as it challenges to be a better photographer and empowers you to purchase only what love. My previous package averaged around $600 in profit for me. If I book at least 3 sessions a month, it's good business for me. So here comes the pitch. If you live in the Boise area, you really should book me for a Family Photo session.

*Comment in this blog entry after you book me and I'll buy you one 8x10 print of your choice.

Summer!

I sure hope your summer has been filled with amazing great times. It's been hot at times here in Idaho after a rather cool and wet spring. No complaints here as summer of 2021 was the hottest summer Idaho had seen in a very long time. This past week has been a bit cooler as we had the monsoon flow push moisture up our way from Arizona. Nothing spectacular, just a few showers, humidity and cooler weather.

Other than that, It's been a great summer, with kid adventures, river trips, Rodeo and other photo shoots. I am starting to focus more on family shoots and Rodeo. I even joined the ICA, (Idaho Cowboy Association) to get into Rodeo event rings and capture some amazing feats of athleticism. I hope your summer is going great!

Editing!

The process. Editing is not easy. This is especially true when I have a high volume event like a Rodeo or a wedding as editing requires I take into account how light changes throughout the day and especially into the evening, or night.

Not all photos are keepers. No photographer is that good. Haha. I have to admit that when I first started as a photographer I shot a ton of frames for every event. That meant on the back end I had to cull a ton of photos to find quality. I now take a lot less photos and shoot with intent. This increases quality and reduces my editing time. To make my life easier I shoot in RAW which is a format that records all the data including the full dynamic range the camera sensor can capture. Which makes it easier for me to edit an image as I can easily manipulate key elements like White Balance, Exposure, Brightness, Contrast and Shadow which is about 50% of what it takes to edit an image and produce a "look". This look can then be used for all the photos in a collection of photos to maintain the same color palette.

Once I have edited an image, I then copy and paste the attributes to other photos in that time of day. I then repeat this process adjusting Exposure and White Balance. The gotcha is that I have to repeat this process several times for a wedding or a Rodeo. This is very time consuming, but I love it. This process allows me explore my creative side and tell stories. Being a photographer is great fun and a lot of work.

Adams County Rodeo

It's Rodeo time! Time for the running of the annual Adams County Rodeo. It started last night, but I'll be heading out there tomorrow evening to capture all the excitement. Truth be told. I never knew much about rodeo until my move to Idaho, but I can see why it's really the #1 sporting event in the state. There's really not anything else here that compares.

Rodeo is a great community builder as it takes lots of dedicated fans and participants. Rodeo is very accessible as even small towns across America host Rodeos. In my short time of photographing Rodeo, I have witnessed bravery, athleticism, and a high level of teamwork. Above are the photos from last year's Adams County Rodeo. Enjoy!

4th of July Silver Spurs Livestock Blowout

It's been a while since I last posted, but I promise that will change. Starting today.

One of the last events I recently shot was the Silver Spurs Livestock Blowout which I have learned is a youth showmanship event known as a "jackpot", as winners receive a portion of the prize money from entry fees. This event took place at the Payette County fairgrounds in New Plymouth, Idaho. This was my first experience with this type of event. My daughter Ana is 8yrs old and is new to showmanship and we wanted her to get a little experience with these events as she has taken an interest like her mom to show sheep.

Let me first say that these kids are amazing. Seeing a 65lb child boss around an 1500lb+ steer was pretty amazing. The time spent by these children in learning how to show these animals is quite considerable. As a parent I know this takes a lot of dedication, patience and compassion. I had a great time watching these kids set their animals for the judge to inspect which was similar to a dog show as the judge dismissed animals as he narrowed the field to the top contenders. I especially appreciated how the judge privately spoke to each competitor to make sure they understood why their animal was dismissed and how to improve their showmanship skills.

These events are wonderful as they build leaders. People become leaders through adversity and failure. I can't wait to see how Ana places at the coming Payette County Fair next month.

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm is a legendary magical place. Located in the small agricultural community of Wheatland California. Most children living in Yuba, Sutter, Placer, Sacramento and Nevada counties can't wait to make the annual pilgrimage to Bishop's Pumpkin farm. School children have been visiting the farm since 1973 when the Bishop's first invited school children to visit. This marvelous idea brought much success as today thousands of school children are invited to visit the farm and the many attractions.

Over the years the Bishops have added several corn mazes, a railroad, food concessions, a gift shop, a petting zoo and out of this world delicious pies, pumpkin bread, and apple cider fresh from their bakery all made with great care following family recipes. I can go on and on, but highly recommend you see this all for yourself. This is a fall tradition that can't be missed. Check out their website for directions and hours of operation.
Visit Bishop's Pumpkin Farm!

Events!

I love events! It's been extremely difficult the last 6 months not being able to photograph the Nevada County Fair and all the other events that happen around town.

I'll be posting photos of the different events I've shot around town. To me. Nothing is more exciting than the roar and thunder of six-horse hitch just inches from my camera lens or the laughter of a child on her first ride at the midway.

Covering events is a huge part of why I took this path into photography. As a photographer, 2020 has been hard on so many levels. Both financially and emotionally, it's been a huge struggle. Thankfully I'm an extremely optimistic person so I never show it and am a very happy person as I feel very grateful of the generosity surrounds me. So let's get excited about 2021.

New Beginnings

Hey hey Giovanni here! Welcome to my blog and my new site. It's fall and I'm excited to rebrand and start fresh with this website. I recently departed Lenkaland Photography as my divorce finalized. I am very proud of the work I produced as a photographer and videographer. I have no regrets, it was just time to strike out on my own.

Like many photographers. Photography isn't just something I do or a job. I pour myself into it and let it speak for me through my use of color and light. Photography isn't easy. I can't explain it in one eloquent sentence as I'm still learning. Even after years of running a successful photography business, I feel like I'm just getting started.

My posts here will be fun and surprising at times as I feature my new work and some of my previous work. My hope here is to remain whimsical, light and entertaining. I hope to also let you in on my life. Some posts will be beautiful such as my daughter Anika in this post, while others may be a silly video. My goal is to document and let you in on what is going on in my life as a Photographer and videographer. Feel free to comment. I want to include your voice as part of my story.

-Giovanni Paolo

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