Stunning Ben Franklin Bridge Photography Session

Capture the Magic: A Couture Session on the Ben Franklin Bridge

Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden
Photo credit: Shooting Star Photography LLC
Date: 05/02/2023

As the golden sunset painted the sky a canvas of vibrant hues, we embarked on a truly enchanting photography session on the iconic Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden. A picturesque setting that seemed alive with possibilities and filled with a sense of grandeur, this bridge became the perfect backdrop for our young model's journey through the lens.

Little beauty. She’s such a wonderful little lady!

NJ Birthday Portraits

Gently swaying in the breeze, our lovely subject, a graceful seven-year-old, chose to wear a stunning black dress that seamlessly complemented the ethereal atmosphere. The contrast of her dress against the surrounding urban landscape evoked a timeless elegance and added a dash of mystery to her innocent charm.

To elevate the whimsy and bring an extra touch of magic to the day, we decided to incorporate a bouquet of vibrant balloons. These delightful pops of color exuded joy, playfulness, and added an element of surprise to an already enchanting scene. With each click of the camera, the balloons became symbolic of the pure joy and innocence that defines childhood. These Bridge sessions are HUGELY Popular for Birthday Portraits.

Photographing sessions on the Ben Franklin Bridge has proven time and time again to be a stroke of genius. This impressive architectural masterpiece stands tall, connecting the vibrant cities of Philadelphia and Camden, and provides a unique and inviting canvas for capturing memorable moments. Its towering presence serves as a stunning testament to the power of human ingenuity, while the rushing Delaware River below adds a serene and fluid element to the composition.

Trying to not let the balloons go away!

At Shooting Star Photography LLC, I firmly believe in creating unforgettable experiences, and our couture sessions on the Ben Franklin Bridge are designed to make dreams come to life. Whether it's the naturally flattering light that bathes the bridge or the breathtaking views that unfold in every direction, this location offers a multitude of enchanting possibilities for our clients.

From spontaneous laughter to serene introspection, the Ben Franklin Bridge allows our photographers to capture emotions, relationships, and the essence of our subjects in a truly unique setting. The resulting images are nothing short of awe-inspiring, encapsulating the magic and beauty that lie within each individual.

NJ Magical Couture Sessions

Join us on the Ben Franklin Bridge, where dreams are transformed into breathtaking realities. Allow us to create a couture session that captures your essence, celebrates your uniqueness, and immortalizes your precious moments in a way that will leave you spellbound.

Contact Shooting Star Photography LLC today and unlock the treasure trove of possibilities that await you on the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Beauty on the Ben. Can’t get better than this!

The Ben Franklin Bridge.

Oh my lawwwwd. Check out this gorgeous session of this lady lady on the Ben Franklin Bridge! It was her birthday photo session and boy, we did not want to disappoint or let this family down.

We met at the foot of the bridge and she picked BLACK. I LOVE THAT. Most little gals want to go with pink. Nope, not this little lady! I am so glad she did as the black dress choice POPS at this location. I mean, look at this with the balloons and everything.

I am all about history and I love this place. It is one of my favorites to shoot at so check out some history insight below!

The Ben Franklin Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Delaware River, connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. It was named after Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a prominent citizen of Philadelphia.

The bridge was designed by the renowned engineer Paul Philippe Cret and opened to the public on July 1, 1926. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, with a total length of 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers).

The Ben Rocks!

The construction of the bridge was a massive undertaking that took more than five years to complete. It required the cooperation of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the financial backing of a group of investors led by the city of Philadelphia.

During its construction, the bridge was a major source of employment for the local population, providing jobs for thousands of workers. It was also the site of several tragic accidents, including a collapse of the scaffolding that killed 16 workers in 1925.

Today, the Ben Franklin Bridge is an important transportation link for the Philadelphia metropolitan area, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles and pedestrians every day. It has undergone several renovations and upgrades over the years to maintain its structural integrity and ensure its continued usefulness.

It’s also one of my favorite places to shoot, today!

Posing on the bridge!

Fun facts about Ben Franklin.. this bridge’s namesake!

Now… onto fun facts about Ben Franklin! Our Philadelphia treasure. There is going to be a mini series on Ben Franklin coming out in a bit. Played by Michael Douglas. I can’t wait!

Some fun facts about Ben Franklin:

1. Franklin was an inventor and scientist who is credited with many discoveries, including the lightning rod and bifocal glasses.

2. He also invented a musical instrument called the glass armonica, which used rotating glass bowls to produce music.

3. Franklin was a prolific writer and printer, and he started several newspapers and magazines, including the Pennsylvania Gazette.

4. He was also a diplomat and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War.

5. Franklin was known for his wit and humor, and he wrote a book called "Poor Richard's Almanack," which included many aphorisms and sayings that are still quoted today.

6. He was a vegetarian and believed that eating meat was unhealthy.

7. Franklin was a strong advocate for education, and he helped establish the University of Pennsylvania.

8. He was a member of several secret societies, including the Freemasons and the Hellfire Club.

9. Franklin was the first postmaster general of the United States, and he helped establish the postal system that is still in use today.

10. He once wrote an essay called "Fart Proudly," in which he argued that farting was a natural and healthy bodily function.

I actually joke with the kids about the fart essay. You know kids and farts.. it always gets out a hearty smile too!

Up close beauty shot!

As you can see the bridge and Ben (that’s why I call it the Ben photo shoot series), is always a fun and unique portrait session. We can bring balloons. It adds to the magic and we truly love these sessions. They are one of our favorites!

I love how this whole session came out. Mom and dad were happy too! It was such a great day and as you can see, we got some FANTASTIC portraits out of this. I am award-worthy work!

Look at this lady lady? Don’t you want a rocking session here? It’s fabulous!

If you would like to book your magical Ben Franklin Bridge Photo session, contact us today!

Happy Shooting, my friends!

Dee Giumetti

Shooting Star Photography

Photographer-Marketing Tips

I teach photography to all kinds of photographers around the globe. You can be the most talented photographer and creator out there on your skill set, but if you don’t have any business acumen, nor knowledge of how to market or to coordinate a web page, you may find yourself in trouble finding work. I see it so much in our field. Most think the work will bring people in based on talent alone, but that is not the case.

Your work alone won’t get you clients, no matter how good you are!

Here are some of my…

Marketing Tips For Photographers

You’ll need to generate high-quality, informative content: Focus on creating high-quality, informative content that provides value to the users. The content should be well-written and formatted, with proper use of headings, subheadings, and bullet points.

1. Voice search optimization: With the increasing use of smart assistants and voice search, it is essential to optimize the website for voice search. This includes using long-tail keywords and natural language.

2. Mobile optimization: More and more users are accessing the internet through mobile devices, so it's crucial to optimize the website for mobile. This includes using responsive design and optimizing page load speed.

3. User experience: Search engines value user experience, so make sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and has a clear call-to-action.

4. Semantic search: In 2023, search engines are likely to focus more on semantic search, which means understanding the meaning behind the search query rather than just matching keywords. To optimize for this, focus on creating content that answers specific questions and provides comprehensive information on a topic.

5. Social media engagement: Social media engagement can also help with SEO, as it increases visibility and drives traffic to the website. So, create engaging social media posts and share your content on social media platforms.

Overall, SEO in 2023 will require a focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to the users and optimizing the website for mobile and voice search, semantic search, and user experience.

Beautiful garden session with this cutie!

One of my favorite butterfly dresses.

If you're a photographer looking to improve your SEO, here are some resources that you might find helpful:

1. SEO for Photographers by The Modern Tog: This is an online course that teaches photographers how to optimize their websites for search engines. The course covers topics such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.

2. Photography SEO Community: This is a Facebook group where photographers can share their SEO strategies and ask for advice. The group has over 13,000 members and is a great place to connect with other photographers who are working on their SEO.

3. Google's SEO Starter Guide: This is a free guide provided by Google that explains the basics of SEO. It covers topics such as creating high-quality content, using keywords effectively, and optimizing images.

4. Moz Blog: Moz is a popular SEO tool provider, and their blog is a great resource for learning about SEO. They have a section specifically for photography SEO, which covers topics such as optimizing images and building links.

5. Yoast SEO for WordPress: If you're using WordPress to build your website, the Yoast SEO plugin can help you optimize your content for search engines. They have a specific section for photographers, which includes tips on optimizing image alt tags and meta descriptions.

6. Photography Spark: This website provides resources and tools specifically for photographers, including a section on SEO. They have articles on topics such as creating location-specific landing pages and optimizing for mobile devices.

By utilizing these resources, photographers can gain a better understanding of SEO and how to optimize their websites to rank higher in search engine results. Which will help to market and generate business. I started out in 2015 writing on this blog. It helped to get the word out on my business and helped to develop a strong client base. It is a lot of work. You just need to keep pushing on! You got this.

Happy Shooting, My Friends!

Dee Giumetti

Shooting Star Photography

New Jersey Fine Art Photographer

Color, color, color, everywhere! Defining your style... What's it going to be?

I love the summer and spring and the colors of the lush greens, blooming flowers and trees.... the long sunny days!  The pastels and lots and lots of color! I love sunlight! This is my style. Bright, vibrant and colorful!Let me tell you how long it has taken me to get to where I currently am... I can't tell you how hard it is to be a photographer... It really truly is!  I had NO CLUE what I was in for. None, whatsoever.  I knew editing was involved. I knew you needed to know your camera settings and how to work in certain scenarios... and I knew poses.. but I have learned a lot since them!Within the last few months, I have truly tried to define MY STYLE.  It took a ton of practice and hard work. I live and breathe photography. It's really sad. I know.On a typical day.. say I don't have clients... I will probably go out and shoot for an hour, I usually edit for 1-2 hours on old photographs to brush up on skills and keep them fresh, and then I top the night off with about an hour of learning from the greats by watching videos... and/or reading... that's a regular day. Now, when it is busy, like now... I may spend up to 3-4 hours editing a night... with about an hour of education... Still.  Not to mention, back and forth communication with clients. Scheduling session days and times.

Kids having fun in a peony field.

Little tongue pusher!

An engagement session I did a looong time ago.

 Confirming and consulting on locations, what to wear, props and the business side of things. It can be a full 12-14 hour day that you put into this.My greatest asset thus far in this photography journey has been education, education, education.. hands down!  Whether it be a new technique in camera or learning how to edit.. It has been the best investment in this journey... NOT CAMERA EQUIPMENT.  In fact, I just upgraded AGAIN... My third camera upgrade within about 8 months and I've barely taken it out yet. I'm still comfortable with my old one and will gradually ease my way into the new with photo sessions... The new camera is technically the more "superior" camera... cost three times more than the one I am replacing it with... but you see I know my old camera much better... so until I start practicing a bit more with the new one and it becomes an extension of my body, like my old one.. then I will start to utilize it more.

Anywho, in terms of finding your style as a photographer... Honestly, it's all practice.  I would say try not to emulate what you see out there and try doing your own thing... you don't want to look like everyone else. Just learn to perfect your own thing...I use to play it safe and then realized I wasn't happy. I did clean edits. It was just blah to me and it kind of sucked my creativity and joy. Once I started to just not care what others thought or should I do this or that... basically, not second guessing yourself... Is when you will see your style to emerge. It's about breaking your barriers.Your style is going to take some time and probably at least 200-500 hours of just work. Then all of a sudden one day... it hits you like bam! Then you have it!I look back at some of my older work and I can see the direction I wanted to go, but it was difficult  for me to fully execute.  I saw the "look" I wanted to go in my head, but I just couldn't figure it totally out in Photoshop.  I didn't have a clear sense in what I wanted from beginning to end.. from the first click.. to the end.   Now, I can shoot from start to finish with the look I want.  I go into every shoot knowing what I want to do and how I want it to look.

Thus far, it's been a great year and I look back and see the growth I have done in just a short amount of time, but I finally feel that I have a style... My style.  There's honestly no looking back. Business is busy and I'm enjoying what I do.. I'm enjoying learning (as I always will) and I genuinely feel warm and fuzzy inside when folks want me to capture their engagement sessions, weddings, maternity photos... They trust me to be behind the camera. I feel honored and blessed to do those things for them.So here is my style... I don't like staged cheesy smiles... I will do some of these from time to time... however, I like natural poses... natural smiles, I like when someone naturally sits... or when someone looks at their significant either with just "that look".. in what I call the look of love.  My style is playful..

In terms of children, I capture childhood.. In terms of when I work with adults, I capture true moments, their hearts, their personalities.. their dreams.I love bokeh.. and my style is all about it... If there is not bokeh... there's probably something wrong with me that day.I get everything right in camera.I love sunlight... I have a way of capturing it...and I love color.. vibrancy, warmth, pastels.and once in awhile... that dark and moody edit...and I love skies.. colorful gorgeous skies.And that's it.. that's me!What's your style!?!?! Are you a clean edit type... or are you bold and daring?! What is it that you will offer to the table.. that others in your area don't?!Aha.. you see that right there!! All my blabbering got you here! Take that last question in right now.. seriously take it in...It's going to be your aha moment!  As it was for me!

Happy Shooting, my friends!-Dee