We are excited to now offer Photography Registries!

April 27, 2017 in Portrait Photography, Wedding Photography

We created this program as a way to help our wedding and portraiture (Senior, Engagement, Glamour) clients! We know that most understand the true value of hiring a professional to capture their once in a lifetime memories! Having your life moments captured is something that you will treasure forever! Charles Mossey Photography understands that for some, luxuries like photography come with financial sacrifices. It can seem overwhelming, but your dreams of having those memories, doesn't have to be out of your reach! Your friends and family are eager to help you out, so why not let them give you something truly meaningful?

Once we've been in contact with you we will send you a link to get started with your registry. Once you 'Request A Listing' and sign up, I will build you a custom listing. You will be able to provide a link, for when people ask you "where you're registered?", Now you can give them another option. You will be able to monitor your gifts as people contribute. You can modify your services without risk! If you are a wedding client you would be responsible for the creative coverage only. Any client can use the gifts as they see fit.

It's completely FREE! What are you waiting for?

Good Bye Popular Photography Magazine.

April 06, 2017 in Current Events, Portrait Photography

Sadly flipping through the last issue of Popular Photography magazine, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite photography magazines. I use the word “flipping” loosely because I receive most of my magazines digitally. The March 2017 issue was the last magazine that they published, also discontinuing all updates to PopPhoto.com and AmericanPhotoMag.com.

I have to confess that I do have a love-hate relationship with photography magazines. I love the content and the photographic techniques that they offer. Someone can subscribe to magazines that suit their photographic interests. Hate them because of the advertising, I know it is necessary, it just makes many photographers feel “product envy.” Be warned of the "I don't have the right gear" syndrome. Trust me having the right gear can help but it is no substitution for good photo technique. Today photographers have more gear that they knew they ever needed, how did we get along without that! I assess my needs then I look for products that works for me. I don’t allow the ads tell me what I need.

Here are my top photography magazines, I am not endorsed by any of them. They are not in any particular order.

Popular photography (discontinued)
Digital Photo Pro
Shutterbug
Digital Photographer
Good Light Magazine

You can find lists of photography magazines online, if you would like to see if any magazines work for you.

Good Light Magazine is only in digital format . I find that the earlier issues offer great videos for beginner photographers on set up and setting your your lighting.

The end of Popular Photography should sadden many photographers. I am not here to analyze why it ended. I believe it is important to support photo magazines, so new photographers have access to quality content. For me, I find something a little different or it refreshers me to something that I had already known but stopped using. Go support our magazines!

Happy Spring!

March 20, 2017 in Ideas, Portrait Photography

Some of my favorite Spring locations to shoot portraits.

Today being the first day of Spring, I thought I would share with you some great Spring places to shoot. Some are actual locations, while others are general locations. I have to admit many places are great four season locations.

Washington Park, Albany NY. The tulips adorn this Dutch city park. The peak time for photography is a week or two before Mother Day weekend which is aka Tulip Festival. You also have a few days after the festival for photography but the city removes the tulip bulbs the following weekend. An excellent location for environmental and portraits.
Yaddo Gardens, Saratoga Springs NY. This is one of my favorite four season shooting places! Located next to the Saratoga Race Course. It was the home of the Trask family. They left the property as an artist retreat, the gardens are open to the public. To get the full effect of the gardens you need to wait for them to uncover the statues. Some would argue that one has to wait for the roses to bloom but there is plenty of areas to photograph, that does not include the roses.
Congress Park Saratoga Springs NY. Right in the heart of Saratoga Springs you will find a tranquil park. Many areas for great photographs, many couples like to have their engagement and wedding photos taken in the park.
RPI Troy, NY. Again another area with great features, mostly architectural, still great backdrops for portraits. The overlook or approach to RPI offers a wonderful view of downtown and a western sky. A short distance away is the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center or EMPAC building, which offers awesome fiery reflections at sunset for dramatic portraits. Especially, on cloud filled warm evenings!
Apple Orchards various locations. This is a tricky locations due to the small window that one has to shoot the blooming apple trees. If done at the perfect time the portraits are spectacular! I would recommend that you have a subject waiting for a shoot and go when the time is right.
Water locations various locations. Areas by the Cohoes Falls are always a treat. The Flight of Locks in Waterford, the lakes, including Saratoga and Lake George offer great backgrounds for portraits.

Although, the snow is still on the ground, it will only be a few weeks before the April showers bring May Flowers. Happy first day of Spring and happy shooting!

How You Can Help Charities with Philanthropic Photography Services.

February 06, 2017 in Wedding Photography, Portrait Photography

We are proud to announce that we are turning our discounts into donations! How would it feel to wake up the day after your wedding knowing that you started your marriage with a donation to help children suffering from chronic illnesses? Or maybe you can get some portraits done while helping another great cause! Spindle City Photography will make a donation to a charities for every new Wedding or Portrait session upon completion.

Charles Mossey Photography and now Spindle City Studio has supported charities for the past 15 years, 2017 will be no exception! We work with some of the best children's charities that help with chronic illnesses including: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Northeastern NY, Sugar Free Gang and Camp Dartmouth Hitchcock (Arthritis). We have reaffirmed our commitments to these great organizations for another year. We are looking for ways to help these great charities more!

Here are the details, we will donate 10% of all creative fees for each new Signature Wedding Collection, and portrait sessions we offer, to the charity of your choice. We hope that you will consider one of the charities we already have a relationship with but that choice is yours. Hope you agree that this is a great way to help charities. Please join us in helping our community!

Our Elegant Portraiture Sessions

January 19, 2017 in Portrait Photography, Products

Today I would like to tell you about Spindle City Studio's Elegant Portraiture Sessions. These sessions are for anyone looking to create a family heirloom. Perfect for Bridal, Engagement, Family and Glamour styles of photography. They make for wonderful Valentines gifts, perfect Easter and Spring Children or Family portraits. We have three sessions that fall into our Elegant Portraiture Sessions. The Packages include at least one large image for your home, medium images to share with your family and smaller images for bringing to work.

The Classic is an hour shoot at a single location. The package includes: one (1) 11x14, two (2) 8x10, four (4) 5x7, four (4) 4x5, and one (1) Soft Cover Memory Book. Our images are printed at a pro lab that uses Kodak Professional Endura photographic paper. Endura has an Standard Archival value of 100 years, if displayed properly, and 200 years in dark storage. The Memory book contains a mix of images from your session. The Memory book is a high quality design option, with a chic appeal and is a great value.

Examples of you Memory Book options!

The Chic is an an hour and half portrait session at a single location. This package contains: one (1) 16x20, three (3) 8x10, four (4) 5x7, four (4) 4x5, and a (1) Soft Cover Memory Book.

The Exquisite Session two hour portrait session at a single location. This package like its name suggests a beautiful option with wonderful upgrades! This package offers a (1) 16x20 mounted Fine Art Print, four (4) 8x10, four(4) 5x7, eight (8) 4x5, a (1) Hardcover Coffee Table Style Book, and an (1) USB containing (10) of your favorite High Quality Digital Negatives with personal reprinting rights.

The Fine Art Print has a similar look and feel as watercolor paper. Since these prints should be handled with care, we have the professional lab mount them on foam board for you. This heirloom will be the centerpiece of any room it is displayed in.