So Long, Farewell...

Gratitude, fun, inspiration. There are so many words that I could use to describe my journey, but this is not only my journey... This is our journey. You have all been there to watch us grow throughout the past few months. You've offered advice, left generous and amazing complements, and never failed to provide all of use here at MAD Photography with undying support.

This post is our final goodbye.

I have learned so much from all of you, and I know, without a doubt, that MAD Photography would not be where we are today without you. You make all of this possible. So, with that being said, we would like to thank you for everything you have done. For the next few weeks, up until Christmas Eve, MAD Photography is giving out 50% off ALL photo shoots!

This post is dedicated to my followers, fans, models, clients, and anyone who continuously supports MAD Photography. Keep an eye out for BIGGER and BETTER things coming your way soon!

Madison

We Want to Hear From YOU!

Here at MAD Photography, your opinion is very important to us! 

With that being said, we are pleased to announce that we have created our own profile on WeddingWire.com for you to share all of your experiences with us. 

If you are new to the site, it's SUPER easy. Simply create your own account, and you will be able to find our page and leave your thoughts and comments. You can browse through all sorts of vendors in your surrounding area, and read through comments that past customers have left for them. 

Make sure to visit our page and leave your review! We appreciate all of your kind words and stories. Our customers are the most important aspect of what we do. 

Supermodel Dream Vacation

Hi, Followers! If you have been following our social media accounts as of late (and we really hope that you have), then you will know that MAD Photography is hosting the BIGGEST contest of the season! Are you dreaming of escaping winter? Imagine this...

You're sent on a HUGE shopping spree in preparation for your trip to a destination of YOUR CHOICE* for your all expenses paid Supermodel Getaway for two! *Out of selected destinations

Interested yet?

The rules are simple:

1. Visit MAD Photography's Facebook page and "Like" it (if you haven't already)

2. Pick the destination that you would choose to go to (out of the predetermined getaway locations), and post it on our page detailing why you chose it. 

3. The person with the most "Likes" for their choice/story will WIN 

DON'T FORGET - Like, Follow, and WIN!

Make sure to keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, and this blog for the announcement of the WINNER TOMORROW

***Only one winner. Winner may choose one person to accompany them on the getaway. Not redeemable for cash value. Must be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident to apply. Must be a valid passport holder.  Must "Like" MAD Photography's Facebook page to win.***

Beards and Babies

If you have been following our social media pages, you may have noticed our recent posts all about No Shave November. We could NOT be more excited! This may be one of our favorite months of the year, and not just because we think stubble and photographs go together like peanut butter and jelly. Here at MAD Photography, we take on a huge role with the American Cancer Society. Not only do we sponsor some fundraisers, but we fully support every beard or mustache grown in honor of those who suffer.
The concept is simple: Go without shaving for the month of November, and donate any money you would have spent on hair removal to the ACS. Not only can you donate, but you can raise pledges and participate in team hair growth! We love this fundraiser SO much, that we have invented our own.
MAD Photography is proud to announce our newest competition, Beards and Babies! The rules are simple. Submit your bearded photos with your baby to our Facebook page, and you could win a photo shoot for the two of you! Check out these examples that we found on Pinterest...

We have also decided that for every photo shoot we do in November of this year, we will donate 50% of our profits to the American Cancer Society.

Find Your Niche!

MAD Photography has some EXCITING news for you all! We have been searching high and low for the perfect niche social network for us, and we FOUND it! Introducing... 

 https://500px.com

With it's stunning format and easy to use technology, it is the best balance of professionalism and simplicity. Photographers from all over the world are invited to share their images, purchase licenses, and browse thousands of incredible pictures. MAD Photography plans on capitalizing on the vast networking opportunities that come with developing a presence on this website. 

In order to help you fully understand exactly what 500px.com is, Madison has created a Jing presentation following her experience with this niche social network. Feel free to follow along, it's only 5 minutes and it will show you all of the amazing features! Simply click this link and your photographic journey begins: http://screencast.com/t/rhzJmJtJGwrA

Frosty Photos - Winter Engagement Session Ideas

Well, it's time to surrender to the inevitable... Winter is coming. The temperature is dropping, the air is brisk & blustery, and the faint sound of Christmas music serenades you while shopping. Here at MAD Photography, we like to bring out the beautiful in every season, and we know that Winter is one of the most romantic seasons of all. Sipping hot chocolate by the fire, warm cozy blankets, dreamy cinnamon scents all around; It's the perfect recipe for a Winter engagement! Here are our Top 3 Winter Engagement Photo Shoot Ideas:

1. Go Christmas Tree Shopping!
One of our favorite ideas here at MAD Photography, the setting is relaxed and a little more lighthearted, so have fun with it! There are endless opportunities for beautiful photos, not to mention the trees may help block a cold breeze.
TIP: Do not wear green! You will most likely blend into the trees.

2. Whimsical Winter Picnic
Who wouldn't want to have a picnic in the snow? This type of photo shoot is a photographer's dream. The white backdrop creates the perfect canvas for creating whatever look you can think off. Bring along some hot chocolate as a cute prop to sip while you cozy up to one another for some adorable photos!
TIP: Wear jewel tone colors that will really stand out from the pale white background to really make your photos pop.

3. Have a Snowball Fight!

This type of photo shoot is for the couple that loves to have FUN! This is a shoot where you can run around and totally be yourselves. There will be no need to force a fake smile because you will be laughing so hard! If you don't want to get too intense with it, just use the snow as your prop! Incorporate it into your photo shoot any way you'd like.

TIP: Bring mittens! Your hands will be freezing from all the action!

There are so many fun and inspirational ideas out there. We got ours from Pinterest! Check out our page and make sure to follow us.

*All photos found through Pinterest. I do not own the rights to these photos.

Oh, the Places I Want to Go

As a photographer, my mind is always turning and thinking about the best places for photo shoots. Everywhere I go, I am pondering the lighting; Every building I see speaks to me; Every face I look at I daydream about capturing on camera. I love angles, I love shadows, and I love character. This is why I am constantly being inspired by the beauty and magic that a new (or old) destination provides my eyes with.

For this post, I wanted to share with all of my followers the top three destinations that I would simply LOVE to photograph.

1. A European town covered in flowers. How stunning does this building look? The colors, the textures... It's a photographers dream. Does anyone know where this photo was taken?

2. A tranquil tropical island. How incredible does this look? I can only imagine the creativity that flows in places like this.

3. A breathtaking mountain range. After visiting the mountains in Alberta, Canada, I simply cannot get enough. Their sheer size is enough to cause wonder and amazement. 

The reason I do this job is because it is a passion for me. I am inspired everywhere I go. Where are you most inspired? Where is your favorite photo from? Comment below!

*All photos were found on WeHeartIt.com. I do not own them.*

Just One Click Away

It's official, MAD Photography's Facebook page is up and running! If you haven't already, feel free to check it out and "Like" it to follow up with us and learn more about MAD Photography. Also, don't forget to follow us on Twitter at @madphotoss for a behind the scenes look at everything we do.

Here at MAD Photography, we plan on utilizing our Facebook page to the fullest. Our goal is to maximize our fan base and share with the world everything that makes us so unique. Madison wants to be able to communicate with her fans in a more relaxed way, so be on the lookout for our page being hijacked by the artist herself occasionally! We want to expand our horizons, communicate with fans, and share our best photos with you. We crave your feedback and input. MAD Photography values what you all say more than anything else. We are excited to have a social media platform that will allow us to share multiple snapshots from photo shoots. Facebook will work as a mode of communication. We are looking forward to what this will do not only for us, but for the fans.

We appreciate all of our followers and fans and look forward to sharing our next post!

 

"Like" It or Not

Our class has recently been learning about something that we perceive to be extremely important in this technological age: Facebook Privacy. There is so much that we did not know that was going on behind the profile, so much that we didn't "Like".

Facebook Privacy settings have been a hot topic over the years. The privacy settings have been written and re-written, the rules and laws changed, but the concept remains the same. The things that we share on social media are a representation of our lives and our thoughts. They are a permanent record of every minor or major detail that we wish to share with our "friends". Unbeknownst to the majority of my classmates, many of these details were available to the World Wide Web, despite what privacy settings they believed were in place.

My current privacy settings were very strict. Most of the things we learned were already in place on my Facebook profile. Fortunately for me, my teacher was unable to discover any embarrassing photos of me. My parents always made sure to help me understand the consequences of posting details about my life on social media, so I have always been very diligent about what I am sharing. Although I have a few hundred friends, I have narrowed that down from almost 1,000 I had a few years ago. It amazes me how lax my generation is about letting people view intimate details of our lives on a daily basis. I never wanted something from my personal life to effect my professional life, so I am glad that my privacy settings are working.

There were a few changes that I will make to my privacy settings after this class session, including deleting all of the App information stored online. Other than that, most of my privacy settings will remain unchanged, due to the fact that I already have most of the more strict measures already put in place.

Overall, the class session about Facebook Privacy was a real eye-opener for the entire class. I believe that it is so important to educate current and future generations on these details.

 *Image obtained from Google search

The Rise of the "Insta" Photographer

The age of technology is upon us. With that being said, professional photographers are now facing a double-edged sword. On one end of the spectrum, new and exciting equipment is being developed at an incredibly fast pace; Camera models are being replaced and reinvented every year, photoshop is being utilized in more advanced ways, and new technology is being developed all the time. Photographers all over the world are reveling in not only the vast number of options for the camera model available to them, but the numerous ways in which their creativity can be expressed. With this rise in technology, however, comes the other end of the spectrum: The rise of the "insta" photographer. You may know one, you may even be one yourself. With cameras being carried in our pockets all day and all night, a much larger percentage of our population now possess the tools they need in order to practice taking a "good" photo. A picture of a chair is put on a form of social media with a black and white filter, and suddenly that person is flooded with comments about how they should "be a photographer."

 

*Image obtained from "Instagram Collage" Google Search. I do not own the rights to this photo.

What exactly does it mean, to be a photographer? Does it require a certain amount of experience? Does it only apply if you've been featured in a magazine? A store advertisement? A newspaper? Does the word "photographer" demand respect anymore? Or has it gained a negative connotation? 

Nowadays, everyone and their uncle is a "photographer". While we here at Mad Photography fully support anyone who is interested in chasing what they're passionate about, it is difficult when the rise of the "insta" photographer begins to erode the credibility of the professional. 

Where is the line? How do you let customers know to differentiate between the two?

To Tweet, or Not to Tweet?

Twitter is fascinating. As an entire social media platform dedicated entirely to microblogging, Twitter is without a doubt one of the easiest foundations for communicating with people all over the world. This form of social media provides each and every active member with small insights and information that they otherwise may not have known. MAD Photography has made the decision to utilize this incredible platform so that we can connect with the world surrounding us. We want to show you all WHO we are as a company, WHAT we do, and share the amazing places that we get to travel to. Twitter has opened up an entirely new way of communicating with our followers, and we look forward to sharing what goes on here at MAD Photography.

Here are a few different types of tweet examples:
1. Engage -

 

2. Entertain

3. Inform

4. EEI + Hashtag

5. EEI + Mention

MAD About Photography

Welcome to the blog of MAD Photography, the platform for sharing the work of world-renowned photographer Madison Mills. From professional model to professional photographer, Madison has knowledge of both sides of the camera, providing her with a unique perspective and a fresh eye for beauty. If you are new to Madison's work, stay tuned for posts detailing some of her favorite photos that she has taken over the years, and hear about her incredible experiences traveling all over the world for her passion: Photography.

Here at MAD Photography, the entire team is devoted to that one perfect image. We work together to produce excellent quality and capture your vision for your business. MAD Photography is a company built on creativity and inspiration. While Madison is the heart of the business, we all work together to aid her on her quest for photographic magic. Each member of the MAD Photography team has unique qualities that, when combined, produce amazing results.

Here at the MAD Photography blog, we will share photos, behind-the-scenes looks at photo shoots, and even the occasional post from the artist herself, Madison Mills. We look forward to sharing with all of you our passion for the art of the photograph. Thank you for visiting!