Contests Archives

Jan

Badges & Bouquets Wedding Giveaway 2015

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I am proud to announce that I will be participating in a sponsored wedding giveaway—Badges & Bouquets. Everything… I repeat every THING necessary for a wedding day is donated from local and San Antonio wedding professionals. The dress. The cake. The venue. Yes, everything. I’ll be working alongside top wedding professionals like Moonstruck Weddings, Delux Event Services, Griffith Photography and Destiny Bridal. This will be a superb wedding giveaway for one lucky couple and 150 of their closest friends!! I will be donating the bridal portrait session. Included with my donation will also be a 24″x 30″ canvas wrap and a 8×8, 20 page Italian-made album; the total value of my donation is $1090. I can’t wait to meet the deserving winner for this wedding giveaway!

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The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day and the wedding giveaway will take place this year on September 11th at the gorgeous Marquardt Rand in Boerne, Texas. Qualified applicants must either be a policeman/woman, firefighter or an EMT… see the official rules here. Deadline for entry in January 31, 2015. Sharpen your pencils and good luck!

**The images contained in this post were shot by Tammy Blalock under the direction and for assignment of Cristina Young Wedding & Portraiture. The images are copyrighted by Cristina Young Wedding & Portraiture, but are used herein with permission.

Until next time, be positive, happy, healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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I am a professional wedding and senior photographer based in South Texas near San Antonio. I pride my business in offering a premier and personal service coupled with an unforgettable photography experience. I cater to clients who appreciate quality photography and help them to create family heirlooms that will last for generations. As a full-time professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide amazing, memorable and full-service photography.

I started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. I enjoy documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I love being a part of people’s journey and consider myself privileged to document their legacies.

When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I love to spend my spare time hiking, cycling, reading, listening to Elvis and Prince. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents would be proud of!

The post, Badges & Bouquets Wedding Giveaway 2015, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Dec

Results of the WPPI Second Half Print Competition (2014)

I’m still chasing that 80! I deliberately chose a whole different set of images with different lighting techniques, different emotions and images that completely broke some posing rules hoping to get a different perspective on the judging. I still didn’t reach an 80 on the scoring. In fact, my images scored lower, on average, than they ever have. My images scored between 72 and 74.

70-75: Below Professional Average—Requires improvement in technique: Anything below a 70 is not even required at a professional level. So, while my work didn’t score exactly where I wanted it to, the good news (happy face) is that all of the work I submitted is considered to be of a professional standard—just below a professional average. Above each image, I will post the score I received, along with the judges’ comments.

74: Watch horizon lines through subject

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74: Lighting/exposure needs work; Lighting and posing need improvement

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72: Posing needs refinement; Lighting and posing need improvement

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72: Watch horizon line through subject; Lighting and composition need improvement

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72: Posing needs refinement; Need a stronger story and emotional connection

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72: Posing needs refinement; Need a stronger story and emotional connection

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72: Posing needs refinement; Lighting and posing need improvement

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I’m not sure that I’ll ever reach this personal goal, but it remains to be important to me. I don’t even think this is important to my clients, but it’s important to prove to myself that my photography skills and techniques are viewed as professional by other professionals in the industry. In a world where there are photographers at virtually every corner, I’m constantly looking for ways to set myself apart from them. I don’t want to be average. I don’t want run-of-the-mill skills. I want to offer a service to my clients that is above-average, quality, unforgettable and undeniably professional. I view this process as a way to achieve that—to advance my skills and understanding of photography and to be able to offer the a top-notch service, product and experience to my customers.

Now begins my preparation for the 16X20 print competition in Vegas next year! Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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I am a San Antonio-based wedding and senior photographer who started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. As one of the up-and-coming San Antonio wedding photographers, I am also available to shoot in Austin, Houston and Dallas and the surrounding areas. I am also available for destination weddings worldwide. Ata-Girl Photography Co. offers an amazing wedding photography service that you won’t soon forget. As a professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide you the absolute best photography experience.

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I love hiking, cycling, reading, listening to Elvis and most importantly, I enjoy seeing my daughters happy!

The post, Results of the WPPI Second Half Print Competition (2014), first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Oct

Sports Photography: Photo District News Competition

Primarily, I am a wedding and high school senior photographer! I occasionally capture lifestyle family sessions. I love to be able to capture very important times in people’s lives, but I also thoroughly enjoy capturing the millisecond successes and memories made by an athlete. These are photos that can’t be staged, posed or retaken. You either capture the moment or you don’t. I believe that sports photography keeps you on your toes, teaches you to learn and use your equipment better than any other photography discipline, and lends the most hands-on, real life experience to all other genres of photography. I love weddings, seniors and family memories, but I also LOVE sports photography!

I am submitting five images to the The Shot—a sports + action photography contest by the Photo District News. This contest won’t earn me any points toward my bid for the WPPI master certification (2014 First Half, 2014 Second Half), but it will put my work in front of some very good eyes. The Sports Illustrated Director of Photography, the Art Director for the NFL, Photo Editor for Outside Magazine, and the Photography Director for Sport Diver magazine will all look over my submissions to decide whether or not they are good enough to advance to the second round. I submitted to two categories: On the Court and On the Field. (Other categories were: On the Mountain, In the Water, On the Road, In the Sky, and In the Studio.) It was really tough narrowing down to only five images, but I think I’m pretty confident with my selections. If these don’t do well, I do have many, many more to choose from next year.

Ultimately, I have a shot at a $2,000 cash prize, a $500 gift card to Adorama, and a chance to be published in the February 2015 issue of PDN. As with all professional photography contests, the competition is always super competitive. Here is a link to the winners’ gallery from last year.

These first two images were taken in the open division at the Motherlode Volleyball Tournament in Aspen, Colorado over Labor Day Weekend this year. The top image is Skylar Del Sol and his partner, at the net, Cody Kessel. I picked this image because Cody has so much hang time. Actually, it’s unbelievable. The second Motherlode image is pro beach bad boy, Dana Camacho. Dana has a very unorthodox way of defensive ball handling, but many say that he’s the best defensive player in the world. Coincidentally, the two teams faced each other in the championship game.

This image was taken at a high school football game this year. This school is my high school alma mater. I just love how excited coach and player are! The image is especially noteworthy to me because the player was injured pretty badly in one of his last football games of his junior year. In fact, that was the worst sports-related injury I have ever personally witnessed! Bravo to him for being back on the field so soon!

Here’s another image from my alma mater! I love that the blocker is so calm and relaxed that she appears to be resting.

This is probably my favorite sports image of all time. This is the only image I submitted to the competition that was not taken this year. This was actually taken in 2012 during my daughter’s sophomore softball season. This image isn’t bad for someone taking photos while simultaneously keeping the team’s book. Actually, I was very lucky to capture this precise moment. I’m so glad that I did because now it hangs on a 24″ x 36″ gallery-wrapped canvas in her bedroom.

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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The post, Sports Photography: Photo District News Competition, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Jun

WPPI’s First Half Print Competition (2014)

Today, I will reveal the nine images I’m submitting for WPPI’s First Half Print Competition. It took me about two months to decide which images to enter. Only images taken within the last two years were eligible. There are three different divisions: Wedding, Portrait and Creative. Each division has six sub-categories. I chose to only enter in two categories. Wedding/Wedding Photojournalism and Portrait/High School Seniors.

Although this is a contest, in my mind I’m only competing with myself. For now, my initial goal is for one image to score at least an 80. This is a chance to grow as an artist. This is the beginning of fulfilling a goal to become a Master Photographer. In order to reach that goal, I have to accumulate 20 points. By scoring an 80 on one image, I will receive one point towards my Honors of Excellence. If five points are received within four consecutive years, I will become an Associate of WPPI. As soon as five points are received, I will have an additional six consecutive years to receive 15 more points. If I accomplish that, I am a Master Photographer. Easy, right? No, it’s not easy. WPPI’s web site only lists 60 Master Photographers. They also list 11 Double Master Photographer, two Triple Master Photographers, and two Grand Master Photographers. These are the photographers who will be judging my work.

Entries for Print Competition

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

**Some of the images contained in this post were shot under the direction and for assignment of Cristina Young Wedding & Portraiture. The images are copyrighted by Cristina Young Wedding & Portraiture, but are used herein with permission.

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The post, WPPI’s First Half Competition (2014), first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Jun

The Importance of Competition

Early last week, I made my final decision on the images I would enter into WPPI’s First Half Members Only Competition. I had selected nine images and was trying to narrow it down to eight, but in the end, I just submitted all nine. My goal for entering is to eventually… maybe… one day… become a Master Photographer. The journey will allow me to gain knowledge and growth, and to be judged by my peers while receiving valuable feedback from them. I’ve never wanted to become rich or famous from photography, but I have ALWAYS wanted to be able to create the most stunning images of and for people. This is but one step to help me achieve that.

This is only the second such competition I’ve entered. The first competition was last year’s Second Half Competition. I only had enough confidence to experiment with one submission (image below). I thought the image was spectacular, and to be honest, I still think it’s pretty great. I LOVE all the leading lines, the implied movement and I think the short, but not too harsh, shadows are spot on. William’s expression is one of pure freedom and I think the bridge is a symbol of this important transition in his life.

When I first opened up the email with the results, my heart sank a little. I was hoping for at least an 80 (Above Average; Good standard of professional skill, creativity and technique). This image scored a 75. A score of 75 is considered to be below average and requires improvement in technique. However, after a little thinking, I realized that the image didn’t score in the bottom category (Below Average; Not up to Professional Standards). AND, my score was at the high end of the range (70-75), and not the low end. Had I scored a 69 or below, the judges wouldn’t even have considered my work to be of a professional standard.

So this was great news! This image was considered to be of a professional standard, just below a professional average. This is exactly where many of the greats have also started. According to the feedback, I needed to work on my rule of thirds. I celebrated the critique and started working to make better images!

This isn’t the local talent show. This is an international stage and my work is being looked at and critiqued by the very best wedding and portrait professionals in the world. I am in good company and I am in good hands. How can I not improve?

photography competition

Stay tuned in tomorrow to see which nine images I selected to enter into the competition!

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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The post, The Importance of a Competition, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Jan

IHF: Best Face of 2012

I am pretty sure I haven’t entered a photo contest sponsored by I Heart Faces since 2011, but when I saw this week’s category, I knew I had to enter this one! This photo shoot was somewhat of a train wreck. I had two 10-15 minute mini sessions with seniors and I invited a fellow photog with me. When we got to the location, I realized I had left my memory cards in the reader at home. I had a backup but it was only a 64mb memory card and I don’t even know where it came from. With my D7000, I could have fit a total of about about 4 images on the card. Fred let me use his D700 without even flinching an eye and I wound up with this beauty!

Ata-Girl Photography Co. | I Heart Faces Photo Challenge Submission

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I started Ata-Girl Photography Co. in 2010 and I am a San Antonio based wedding photographer who is available for destination weddings. In addition to wedding photography, I also specialize in San Antonio senior portraits and senior portraits for high school seniors in the surrounding areas. I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling and listening to Elvis!

Oct

I Can’t Take You to Paris, but…

This original blog post was made on October 11th, but today I’d like to edit it to add the following information:

1 – The deadline has been extended to November 2, 2012.

2 – I am pleased to announced that the Friends & Family Salon has agreed to join my in this venture. Claudia Reyes and her team of beauty professionals have generously agreed to add BONUS! to this promotion for Breast Cancer Awareness. They are going to throw in the services of a hairstylist, makeup artist and nail technician to make someone feel EXTRA! special. If you Facebook, please follow this link and “like” their page.

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I have been struggling with updating my blog with this week. I was looking for inspiration and trolling around some other photographers’ websites and then it hit me! Hard! It just so happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness month and I was reading Sue Bryce’s blog about Jill, a breast cancer survivor. Not only was I reading Sue’s blog, I also got the opportunity to see and hear the “Australian Portrait Photographer of the Year for 2011 & 2012” this past weekend at an I Heart Faces workshop in Dallas, Texas. Duh! Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

Sue Bryce at the I Heart Faces Photography Workshop | Ata-Girl Photography Co.

Jill and Sue are telling a story to the world—a story about Jill’s fight against breast cancer. They flew to Paris to put together a documentary and photo shoot. Jill was 32-years-old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. That ended in a double-mastectomy. She’s now fighting bone cancer. Jill’s goal is to help women—even if only one woman.

Having had many of my own loved ones afflicted with this horrendous disease, I decided that I too could follow Sue’s lead and tell someone’s story to help promote awareness. I want to share my talent and make someone feel special. So today, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I’m inviting anyone who has had breast cancer to fill out the questionnaire below. Based on the answers, I’ll pick someone to give a FREE photo shoot to. I’ll accept submissions through ~~October 25, 2012~~ November 2, 2012. Good luck! Let’s rid the planet of this awful disease!

If you can, please stop by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. and make a monetary donation.

(Now, please keep in mind, I can’t take you to Paris to hold this photo shoot. We’ll have to do this somewhere relatively close to where I live. Also, please only fill out as much of this questionnaire as you are comfortable with. There are no right and wrong answers.)

"*" indicates required fields

Name*

Phone*

Email*

If you are NOT one of the people tying the knot, please describe your relationship...

What is your partner's name (or both if someone else is filling out this form)?*

Where is the wedding and reception venue? (Please indicate if they are in two separate places.)*

When is the wedding date?*

How did you hear about Ata-Girl?*

If you answered "client, former client, or wedding pro," who I should thank?

How important is your wedding day photography to you?*

Do you have any specific questions? What else should I know?*

Favorite vacation spot? (This one's just for fun! Mine is Havasu Falls, AZ.)*

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Sep

Magazine Giveaway!

If any of you have ever driven by my dad’s house, you might have noticed he likes to save things… EVERYthing. Some might refer to it as hoarding, but he likes to refer to it as “his retirement plan.” Because of the strange way that genetics work, I too have this addiction to saving things. Although, my saving is not nearly progressed as my dad’s. 🙂

If you are interested in photography, the fact that I save things can benefit you. I want to share with you (and recycle) my copies of Popular Photography from 2011. I have the February through December issues. I love flipping through the pages looking at all the equipment, reading all the educational articles and looking at other people’s images. I think you will too.

These “gently-used” issues will be the prize in the following contest. You can enter multiple ways: you can like Ata-Girl on Facebook, follow Ata-Girl on Twitter, tweet about this contest, and also leave a comment here on my blog. Good luck! The contest ends on September 7, 2012.

Ata-Girl Photography Co. | Magazine Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Feb

IHF – Red Photo Challenge

When I’m not shooting a job as one of the San Antonio wedding photographers, I enjoy entering photo challenges. This week is another I Heart Faces contest. To honor the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women, the theme is red.

I Heart Faces: Red

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I am a San Antonio-based wedding and senior photographer who started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. As one of the up-and-coming San Antonio wedding photographers, I am also available to shoot in Austin, Houston and Dallas and the surrounding areas. I am also available for destination weddings worldwide. Ata-Girl Photography Co. offers an amazing wedding photography service that you won’t soon forget. As professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide you the absolute best photography experience.

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, IHF – Red Photo Challenge, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Jan

IHF – Photo Challenge

This is not only my first photo challenge for I Heart Faces, but my first photo challenge ever. I’m probably posting too late to get many votes, but I’ll join in nonetheless.

I Heart Faces: Best Face

I snapped this picture of this little girl in January on a camping trip to Abilene State Park. I had to bribe, terrorize, and make lots of promises to get her to sit still for me each time I thought I had a photo op. I snapped this one as we ate a picnic lunch in Lake Colorado City State Park. One month later, she’s still telling me I’m on Santa’s Naughty List.

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I am a San Antonio-based wedding and senior photographer who started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. As one of the up-and-coming San Antonio wedding photographers, I am also available to shoot in Austin, Houston and Dallas and the surrounding areas. I am also available for destination weddings worldwide. Ata-Girl Photography Co. offers an amazing wedding photography service that you won’t soon forget. As professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide you the absolute best photography experience.

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, IHF – Photo Challenge, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Hi, I’m Tammy.
I'm a San Antonio-based wedding photographer for outdoor-loving couples who value real moments.

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

Since 2010, I have excelled in helping each of my couples plan for one of the very best days of their lives! I’d love to share my very personalized wedding experience, my super-human organizational abilities, and my U. S. Army combat skills (when needed) with you too.

I want your wedding day to be as perfect as you do! I am all in with my whole heart!