Full Armour Studios

Groundhog Day special

Bob Lockwood — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:30:35 +0000

Groundhog Day special for today $39 photo shoot
You receive the following
One location ( within 15 miles of Montgomery Illinois )
One hour
Unlimited outfit changes
Unlimited photos taken
A online gallery where you can purchase any of the photograph.

The after Cyber Monday special

Bob Lockwood — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:46:57 +0000

The after Cyber Monday special,
at Full Armour Studios

Special One
Photo Shoot
Great for anniversarys ,newborns ,family portraits ,
senior portraits, professional head shots, and model shots. The possibilities are endless!
Here’s what you get:
All the photos are put in an online gallery, which makes it easy for you to purchase the shots you like.
Unlimited people in the photos
Unlimited outfit changes
60 min. of photographer’s time
One location of your choice
2 edited photos
No travel charge under 20 miles from Montgomery

All for $39

Special Two
Do you love photography? Do you want to know more about photography? Did you get an SLR camera for Black Friday? Do you want to know what all those buttons do?
Get a three hour one-on-one lesson
with a photographer that works in the the business.
Start learning how to utilize your passion today.
No travel charge under 20 miles from Montgomery.

for only $89.00

Bonus special
if you had your photographs taken with FAS and you want more edits we have a deal for you . Get 6 edited photos for the price of five

New tool for Full Armor Studios

Bob Lockwood — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:26:42 +0000

I decided to go with an online service to deliver my photos.

It is a service called Smug Mug. I have been testing it out the past 14 days to see how I like the interface. Overall I’m pretty happy with the service. Now I must warn you the service is not free, however it does have a ton of features that the pro photographer, emerging pro or semi- pro photographer can definitely use. One of the features includes creating a custom gallery for different clients. Also the number one reason I went with the service is because everybody was asking if they can buy prints, so now I am able to offer my clients a place to download and print photos. You also have the ability to track to see how many people have been viewing your photos. The price structure is $8-$20 per month. I personally bought the $20 program because of some of the additional features such as offering your clients the opportunity to pay for a download, custom watermarks, and custom pricing on the prints. If this sounds like a service you would be interested in you use this coupon code sGXlSdUc6WCgs and you’ll save $5.00 on your purchase of Smug Mug services.

Photo scavenger hunt

Bob Lockwood — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:28:54 +0000

I’m going to be hosting my first photo scavenger hunt.

Everybody’s invited to come out! One lucky participant will win a gift certificate for Free Camera Cleaning from TC cameras.

We are going to Matthiessen State Park which is just a few minutes west of Starved Rock. This park is breathtaking! I think everybody will enjoy themselves! Make sure you dress warm and also make sure you wear shoes that you’re willing to climb in and do a little hiking. Invite all your friends!

November 12, 2011 we will meet in the parking lot of Panera Bread in Yorkville at 9:00am. It’s about an hour drive from Panera. just send me an e-mail so I know how many are coming blockwood@fullarmourstudios.com .

Also save the date for next month December 10. We will go into Chicago to photograph Christmas lights.

But for now download the list of things to find and have that ready for November 12 . Hope to see you all there

Hear is a link to Panera Bread, in Yorkville, IL

or if you want to meet us at Matthiessen Hear is the link

Weekend Special

Bob Lockwood — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:58:47 +0000

This package normally starts at $199
but for this weekend only you can get this package for only $99*
for event photography
This is perfect for first-time birthday party, special anniversaries, bachelorette party or any other event you can think of

You receive the following:

1 online gallery

2 hours with a Full Armour Studios photographer.

3 photograph touch ups of your choice

Two hours just not enough time to cover your event?
an extra hours is only $65

Send a email to book to day
blockwood@fullarmourstudios.com
or call 630.327.6573

* Price doesn’t include travel trip charge, package may not be used for a wedding

Trying to sell your house?

Bob Lockwood — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:22:53 +0000

Let Full Armour Studios take care of the photography & virtual tours for your home!
We have two packages

Package 1
Three virtual tours
Up to 10 sill photos
Basic retouching
One month of reporting
See what a our virtual tours look like http://rtvpix.com/RS-3910-X3YMDP-01

All for $298.00*

Package 2

Slide Show
Up to 30 still shotsBasic retouching
One month of reporting
See what a our Slide Show look like http://rtvpix.com/slideshow/13784

All for $198.00*

Some extras to think about:

Upgrade to HDR for $150
Read about HDR http://www.fullarmourstudios.com/blog/384

1 extra virtual tour $125.00

*Prices do not include a $40 trip charge if you are 20 miles or more from Montgomery, Illinois

Prices good until the end of October.

So call today 630.327.6573

Catalyst – Be Present

Bob Lockwood — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:02:20 +0000

Last week I went to a conference called Catalyst. If you are not familiar with Catalyst, it is a leadership conference. I learned a lot of great things on how to be a better leader. The theme of Catalyst this year was Be Present. Some of the speakers were Andy stanley , Jim collins , Dave ramsey, Blake Mycoskie , and Francis Chan just to name a few. One of the speakers I learned a great deal from was Mr. Jim Collins. His session can be summed up by this one common phrase slow and steady wins the race. Collins recounts the story of two explorers attempting to be the first to ever make it to the South Pole. The first explorer prepares for years and lived with eskimos to understand the South Pole.

The second explorer prepares for a year or so. This explorer had motor sledges and was able to go a longer distance at a time. The first explorer set up a plan in which he and his team would not go more then 20 miles at a time per day.

The second explorer would go 45 miles then stop for 2 or 3 days.

Well the bottom line is the first explorer and his team made it to the South Pole and back and the

second explorer and his team died. The saying is slow and steady wins the race. So let me ask you what is your 20 mile? What are you working on that you need to take 20 miles at a time instead of doing too much at once?

For more info on Mr. Jim Collins stop by JimCollins.com

For more info on Catalyst stop by catalystconference.com

Before it gets too cold special!!!

Bob Lockwood — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:41:03 +0000

Book Before it gets too cold out. You don’t want to miss moments like this one.

The 3 Sisters

The special includes the following.

* 90 min. with the photographer
* one location {but no worries will make that one location work for you}
* as many people as you want in the photos
* unlimited outfit changes
* you receive all the photographs
* to edit photos

All for $99*

This is normally $175

*Price does not include travel to charge of $40 for anything over 20 miles from Montgomery IL.

World Wide Photo Walk

Bob Lockwood — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:47:58 +0000

Late last Saturday my application was accepted to be a photo walk leader for Scott Kelby’s photo walk. This is a pretty awesome opportunity, and I’m very excited to do it. The photo walk will be on October 1, 2011, and the photo walk that I will be leading will be at 11:00 AM. We will meet at the Tap House Grill in Oswego and walk for about a mile returning back to the Tap House Grill. The cool thing is the walk is free. You are responsible for the cost of lunch, but there is no charge for the actual walk. There will be prizes too! Here’s a list of some of the prizes you can win.

Grand Prize:

Full Adobe CS5 Suite
Epson R3000 Printer
PhotoshopWorld Ticket
Full Library of Kelby Books
iPad (32GB)
$500 B&H Photo Gift Card
2 Light Kit w/Box Stands, Clamps & Case from Westcott
Nik Software Suite
OnOne Software Suite
One Year NAPP Membership
One Year Kelby Training Subscription

10 Finalists:

Nik Software Suite
OnOne Software Suite
One Year NAPP Membership
One Year Kelby Training Subscription
Scott Kelby’s Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It Book
$100 B&H Photo Gift Card

One person will win Scott Kelby’s new book . Here’s a link to sign up. There’s only room for 50 peoplel. I know it will be a great experience and a lot of fun. You don’t have to be a professional photographer. You can be an amateur person that just enjoys it as a hobby and you can bring your point-and-shoot cameras. So join me on October 1 at 11 o’clock at the Tap House Grill to come out and meet new people

Link to sing up http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/oswego-il-united-states

Speedway Race

Bob Lockwood — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:13:06 +0000

Here are the photos from the Speedway race that I was at this past Friday. I didn’t have pit side shots however I still think I got some pretty cool shots. This was my first time of photographing anything like this. I hope you enjoy the photos. I would like to give a special thanks to John Apodaca for allowing me to use his lens and a special thanks to my good friends at ChicagoFun.com for giving me access to the stadium.

To see all the photo stop by flickr.com/photos/boblockwood

So What’s the Big Deal about HDR?

Bob Lockwood — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:36:38 +0000

Have you taken a photograph and everything seems to be in focus but the windows are all blown out? Sometimes it is just the opposite where everything is super dark but thewindows are completely in focus? Well, I hate to ruin this for you,but the shots are HDR. HDR stands for high dynamic range. It is when you take

multiple images and combine all of them to get one extraordinary image. As you can see in some examples you can actually see through the window or see very clear details. Also colors can be much more vibrant. This type of photography is specifically good for real estate or magazine covers. HDR is also great for nighttime photography as well.

To see all my HDR work go to

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boblockwood/sets/72157626584165303

Extended 1-Day weekend only

Bob Lockwood — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:41:30 +0000

Extended 1-Day

This weekend only It’s make your own deal or special $50 off any purchase of 149.00 or more it’s limit one per customer so if you need some photography or training. This is special you been waiting for just sending me a

e-mail blockwood@fullarmourstudios.com or give me a call 630.327.6573 and mention this ad so I can book your shoot or training today and save.

The Worst Fire I Have Ever Seen

Bob Lockwood — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:58:28 +0000

The title pretty much sums it up. Last night I was headed to take some photos and got side tracked by a fire that I saw. This is the worst fire I have ever witnessed. I have seen quite a few car accidents and even back in the day I volunteered as an emergency management agent with the Naperville fire departments. I’ve seen a few fires, but I’ve never seen a fire that has burned a house completely to the ground. A lot of the firefighters were not sure what happened, but I was able to gather a few details. The way the fire started is still unknown, but my understanding is that the owner had several things that were highly explosive. He had several propane tanks along with ammunition and guns which they suspect had something to do with the fire. Any fire is beyond awful, but the owner of this home just recently returned home after doing a tour in Germany. The whole thing is very heartbreaking.

Click here on the link to see all the photos that I was able to capture.

A Deserving Senior

Bob Lockwood — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:22:17 +0000

I really enjoyed my experience shooting Senior Portraits and so I want to do something unique and special. This year Full Armour Studios is starting a new tradition. Full Armour Studios will select one male and one female student to receive a free Senior Portrait package. Full Armour Studios selected Joseph Jones as the male recipient and the female is in the process of being selected. Joseph Jones is one of the most down to earth young men I have ever met. He is a state winning athlete for Plano High School in Illinois. In addition to being a very talented athlete, he also maintains good grades. His talent and hard work is admirable, but what really impresses me about Joseph Jones is his faithfulness in serving at his church. He is always willing to help out. He is definitely a role model I want my son looking up to. It was an absolute joy and delight to work with Joseph Jones and take his Senior Portraits. Stay tuned for our female recipient. To kick off the season of senior portraits, we are running a special starting at only $49.
The $49 package includes one hour of photographer’s time, two photo touchups, one location and unlimited outfit changes. Normally this package goes for $100 but in honor of our first senior portraits, we are doing this package for only $49 as long as you book this session in August. The package can be purchased now and used later, but to receive the $49 package it must be purchased by August 31, 2011.

Take a look at some of Joseph Jones photos and don’t forget to ask for the Joseph Jones Special for only $49!

Guest Blogger Beth Ann Morgan

Bob Lockwood — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:59:49 +0000

How to Write an Effective Local Television Commercial

With only thirty seconds to sell an audience on the product or service, a writer

sweats drops of blood to condense oodles of details into a creative thirty-second

package. The ultimate three-step formula: (1) say it, (2) explain it, and (3) repeat.

In the opening line, the audio must peg the good/service in an appealing way. An

informative explanation follows, providing more product detail and perhaps some

brief history into the local advertiser. Finally, the spot concludes with a clever

rewording of the opening line with perhaps a location or website briefly mentioned

at the end. Watching several local commercials prior to writing a spot will enable

writers to develop a good sense for the basic structure needed to communicate a

clear and effective message. Being concise – not necessarily creative – is the key.

You can email Beth at beth@benardsvision.com

I now have a newfound respect for photojournalism.

Bob Lockwood — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:23:34 +0000

Last night was my first night as attempting photojournalism. I have done some of my own photojournalism before but never like this. I was actually commissioned by an online newspaper called Patch to take photos for the National Night Out all around Montgomery, Illinois. This was one of the neatest experiences I think I’ve ever had and probably one of my most challenging experiences as well. It was challenging because photojournalism doesn’t mean you just take photographs. You actually have to go up to the individual and ask them what their names are and identify yourself. Every photograph has to have a caption which I am responsible for writing. Now, I have no problem walking up to people and identifying myself and telling them what I’m using this photograph for and getting their names. The hard part is that in those moments when I’m getting their information I’m missing other photo opportunities. Last night I got some really great photographs, but it was the smallest amount of photographs I’ve ever taken. I know with time I will get better and I’m already working on new techniques to try with my next assignment. In the end, though I realize that photojournalism is a challenge. Of course trying something new is something I enjoy and I look forward to many more opportunities in giving photojournalism a try. I have a challenge for my readers. Whatever your profession is try a new aspect of that profession. I do a lot of events and I shoot for corporate clients but have never really done photo journalism and now I’m trying this out. I am still doing the same thing, still using the same gear, and still taking the same great shots. The difference? It is just a different aspect of photography.

You can see all the photo at http://patch.com/A-kKKq

Guest Blogger John Apodaca

Bob Lockwood — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:51:32 +0000

Working in church media can be challenging, especially when the standards can be as daunting as a Speilberg movie. The way we represent the church with media reflects our excellence in our personal spiritual walk with our Lord. Doing our best is not in competition with Hollywood’s expertise but an extension of our desire to please God. It is important however to not make media the focus. Media is just a tool to send a message and to package that message in a way for people to receive it. Anything that detracts from the message is waste and unnecessary. So how do we use media to send a message? Communication with the message giver is an all important step. You cannot communicate what you don’t understand. Once the main vision has been communicated you can then work with media to decide the best way to represent that vision. It is often times a back and forth process between the media team and the Pastor until the final product is refined. There is a fine balance between dictation and complete creative freedom. However, I personally think that somewhere in the middle can be a viable solution.

John Apodaca, (Videographer, Editor, Motion Graphics Designer) www.videoswordplay.com

award-winning photographer

Bob Lockwood — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:28:06 +0000

So now I’m an award-winning photographer. Last night I had the honor of accepting an award from the city of Montgomery. I received the first place award for my photography in the category of People and Activities. I’ve been published as a photographer and as a designer in the past, but I’ve never received an award. This is very exciting for me and a huge honor. In the short amount of time doing photography, I have worked for Illinois’ largest waterpark, Raging Waves, I have had my work published in the Beacon news online edition and now I received a first place award from the city of Montgomery. I truly appreciate the support of my family and friends. Of course, none of this would be possible without all of those that have given me the opportunity to do their photography work. As a thank you and to celebrate this award I am offering the opportunity to buy $100 gift certificate for only $50! Clink on the link below to purchase this offer today. This offer will expire on Friday, July 29, 2011.

Two new webinars

Bob Lockwood — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:42:02 +0000

Full Armour Studios is very excited about two new products we are launching! Both of them are webinars. Our first webinar will be August 3 and will be at 6 PM. During the first webinar we will cover the seven secrets to help you move from automatic mode to manual mode on your SLR.

And the second webinar be August 16 and will be at 6 PM we will cover seven indispensable secrets I discovered while starting my own photography business. Now for what is included with the webinars. For the webinars one you will receive a PDF file of all the notes plus there will be a question and answer session at the end of each webinar. All of this is backed with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied just let us know and we’ll return your money. Each webinar will go for about 90 minutes . This is including the question and answer session. Also each webinar is limited to only 25 people. Contact me via email with any additional questions or to sign up today!

Each webinar only 27.00

and as a bonus you’ll receive a 15 min. one-on-one phone call to go over your portfolio or any questions you might have.

7 secrets to help you move from automatic mode to manual mode on your SLR

Full Armour Studios is on Facebook

Bob Lockwood — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 23:20:01 +0000

Full Armour Studios is now on Facebook so please stop by and like us we would greatly appreciate it.

Stop and see what we are up to Facebook.com/FullArmourStudios