I introduce to you: Lori & Erin Photography!

Light+Ink has officially merged with Perrotta Creative to bring you better service, better products and a better experience. Erin and I have been working together for over two years, offering many of the same services. We felt it was in the best interest of our clients and ourselves to join forces and create one business dedicated to serving families and couples.

So what has changed? In a nutshell, just the name and website. We’re still the same people offering the same great service you are used to.
Wedding Clients: You still get the two of us, nothing changes there. Erin will be handling all wedding inquiries and planning, but I’ll be here for meetings and shooting!
Portrait Clients: You will now have the option of choosing your photographer if you so desire. In some cases you’ll get both of us!
Restoration & Design Clients: No changes, these services will still be performed under Light+Ink for the time being.

By combining forces, we are able to help more people get great imagery. Behind the scenes, Erin will handle all things relating to weddings, while I, Lori, will be in charge of the portrait side of things.

Have more questions? We’d love to talk with you and discuss any questions, concerns or comments you may have. Our number is the same, so you can still reach us at 585.678.1905, or just send me an email and I’ll get right back to you.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!
Lori Coleman and Erin Perrotta
www.lorianderin.com

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Some more links to Check Out:

Welcome to Lori & Erin Photography
How We’re Different
How We’re Giving Back
Our Promise to Engaged Couples

Lori & Erin: Business Partners as of January 2013!

We’d love to here your feedback on the new site, so please check us out and leave a note!

It was my freshman year of high school when I met Lisa. We played JV softball together, and then we both participated in the school musical, Grease. I was a chorus member, you know those people who sway in the back and don’t have any lines. Yeah, that was my first and last time on stage. Lisa, however, played Rizzo– one of the lead characters, and she was only a sophomore. I later watched her take the lead roll in several other performances, including that of Dorothy in The Wiz. She was a natural, and though her grades would have gotten her into near any program, she followed her passion for the arts and studied theatre at the University of Buffalo.

Lisa and I have always appreciated each other’s work as artists, even though we use different mediums. She would visit me at RIT so I could practice some new lighting techniques for my portraits, and she would get new head shots for her portfolio. She modeled for me on several assignments, and we would catch up on college and life while at it. Broadway or Hollywood, we knew she was headed for one of them. Turns out, it’s Hollywood!

After several years on the Buffalo Theatre circuit, with several commercials, movies, and modeling gigs under her belt, Lisa prepared for the next big thing: California. She and James, her awesomely supportive husband, packed up their two fur-babies, Pepper and Tessa, sold their house and began the great adventure to Hollywood! But before they left, we had one more photo shoot so Lisa would be prepared to take Hollywood by storm with up-to-date head shots.

Head shots for models, actors, actresses and other business professionals, are not something I do a lot of. I focus my energy on families and couples, and the interaction between them. So photographing one person looking straight at the camera is a little different than my average assignment. However, Lisa really showed her professionalism because we were able to get dozens of different looks, expressions and moods in little more than half an hour. Whether its sexy, sweet, serious or seductive, Lisa can pull it off.

As usual with my BFF, we had lots of fun on this shoot and I am really pleased with the options that came from it.

Lisa: I’m so happy you are continuing to follow your dreams, and I cannot WAIT to see you on the big screen! I’d wish you luck, but I know you don’t need it, so just go get ‘em! Muah

Blending Artistic Sensibilities with Technical Capabilities

Thats a mouthful. In other words, I have a vision and I can make it happen. Here’s an example, which comes from Giulia’s Baptism. At the viewing appointment, Giulia’s mom expressed interest in a Storyboard, one of our collage products. We sat together and choose the people and images she wanted to feature on her wall. I then took those images and created several arrangements and possible layouts.

Problem

The best layout featured all of the requested people, with the best expressions and fit the final size. But something wasn’t right. All of the lines were straight, photos evenly spaced, even head sizes were appropriate. But it didn’t look right. Four of the photos were taken in the same room with roughly the same light. The others were different: one in a different room and one outside, but they still fit. The final image jumped out at me because it was so much brighter than the other images. It was Giulia in her crib, one of the few images with her eyes open. It had to stay.

The brightest part of the image, the yellow blanket, is drawing attention away from the other photographs.

Solution

I do not use Photoshop to add rainbows and unicorns and fancy effects. Its just not my style. Thats not to say I can’t, however, use Photoshop to enhance my images. I prefer people not to notice when I have made modifications in post production. This modification was not typical, but necessary. The yellow blanket in Giulia’s crib was taking away from the other images in the collage. It was a visual thing that I probably noticed because of my art training (thank you RIT). My plan was to use a neutral tone that was more consistent with the other images in the collage, in this case, a soft brown.

Using selective color techniques, I was able to change the bed sheet from yellow to brown. The yellow reflected into her white dress, so I also had to whiten her dress a bit to get it back to neutral looking. This resulted in a more harmonious collage, and the Photoshop work could have gone unnoticed (had I not pointed it out to you, of course).

By changing the blanket from yellow to brown, we even out the weight of the piece so all of the photos works together.

Other Solutions

The often used phrase amongst photographers “get it right in the camera” doesn’t really apply here. There was nothing wrong with the photograph on its own, its just that it didn’t fit well in the collage. Had we known in advance these images would be put in a collage, maybe we could have photographed the two girls on the same comforter. But that conflicts with candid nature of this assignment. I honestly think this was the best solution.

What makes me different?

So to answer that old question, I don’t think it is my photoshop skills, or my photography skills even. I think its how I look at things. It may look like a simple collage to you, but to me I see harmony, balance and family. Its visually pleasing because I paid attention to size, spacing, and orientation. The direction people are looking within the frames.The direction their bodies are facing. The family portrait is the largest because it is the most important. The two girls are each laying down in a similar way and act as nice bookends to the piece. Both sets of grandparents are together.

I’m proud to have produced this piece, and I smile knowing it is bringing happiness to the family I created it for.

Being a photographer, there are many things that I do without thinking. I’ve come to realize that these are the things that make me different and make me unique.

Alex and family live in Pittsburgh, so by the time I was able to get there, this little man was 17 days old. I think he liked having his picture taken, he was so alert! We took photos with mom, dad, and both grandma’s too! It was a great pleasure to be there with my friends and their family as everything changes. Guys, I wish you the best of luck in parenthood, but I know you won’t need it. Congrats on baby Alex, he is just precious!

Just checking things out...

Must be a deep thought...

Shy and sleepy...

Loving some mommy and daddy time.

I love how he is giving himself a little mustache with his finger! So cute!

Alex with the ladies of his life: mom and grandma's!

Looking forward to watching Alex grow! Love this little man.

All the Best,

Lori

Getting ready for our photo session!

Every time we put her on her tummy, she just rolled herself right over. So cute.

As you can see, it was very not very difficult to document this little one’s cuteness! So precious. Thank you so much for letting me in to capture these moments for you!

Meet Clara Jane!

Born 8 pounds and 13 ounces to the most excited parents in the world. Her mother is also an October baby, and Clara’s parents celebrate their anniversary that month as well! October will be the month to beat for this growing family!

Clara has an elephant themed, blue, gray and yellow nursery. It had to stay neutral as Kerry and Jake were one of the very few couples I know these days that actually choose not to find out the gender in advance. Well, Clara, or CJH as she is also known, was worth the anticipation! We love her and can’t wait to watch her grow! Welcome to the family baby girl!

Love, your most favorite Auntie, Lori

I absolutely adore this last image of family snuggle time. I am a huge fan of the environmental portrait, and loved using the bassinet as a framing device. Add some sweet little window light, ahh, I could live in this moment.

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Interested in a newborn session? Call me, Lori, at 585-678-1905 to set up your session ASAP! Newborns are best photographed between 1-2 weeks of age, so its best to plan ahead.

With our new cameras now recording HD video in additional to stills, we have started adding a little something extra to our portrait sessions. Next year, we will be producing something with a similar style for their wedding, but for now, we hope you enjoy this fusion engagement film!

Film by Lori A Coleman and Erin Perrotta
Location: Letchworth State Park

For more about Andrea and Tom, and the still photography side of this shoot, be sure to check out Erin’s blog post!

We’re so excited for your wedding, congratulations Andrea and Tom!

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Note: All of our wedding packages now include both Lori and Erin as your photographers. For more information about weddings or fusion, please contact us!

I caught up with Landon at grandma’s house, where we played inside and outside, and of course, prepped him for his volleyball days ahead! Check out some of the fun we had below, and if you don’t think this little man is seriously cute, well then I don’t think we can be friends

“I know it will fit!”

We love photographing families in their environment!! Looking for something out of the studio box? Call us today for a custom session for you and your family.