Thursday, March 31, 2011
From way down South - Maternity
Breanna and Adam came all the way from Warner Robins to have a maternity shoot with me. Kadyn is so lucky to have such lovely parents. Breanna also has the most gorgeous pregnant belly I have ever seen! I'm excited for you guys to meet your precious new bundle!
When Brides Become Friends - Engagement
When I met Misty and Stephen for their wedding consultation, I knew some wedding details and their names, after a while I found out that our sisters were best friends and her sister always talked to me about taking Misty and Stephens pictures, but I didn't know it was them who I was meeting. We figured out everything a little down the road and it was funny how much we had in common and never met before. Their engagement session was a complete blast. Misty wanted to take some pictures having a mud fight, and I believe that was the highlight of the session. Im so excited to photograph this beautiful couples wedding. I love their chemistry, it shows on camera and off. Congratulations Misty and Stephen! You guys are going to make a great life together!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Catching up - Family
I had a great time catching up with the Snyder's, well Brooke and Eden. Since they were in town, and I needed some more time to get to know my new camera, we did a little photoshoot. I thought it would be neat to shoot in the same place were I did Brooke and Dave's maternity pictures, and then we did some cute shots with Eden in the basket just like her newborn photographs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Problem with Hiring "Uncle Joe" As your Wedding Photographer
A great post I wanted to share, its very real and I have experienced it a lot recently.
FICTIONAL STORY BASED ON REAL EVENTS
While the names and locations in this story are fictional, it is based on real and unfortunate wedding photography horror stories that we have heard first hand from friends, contacts, wedding guests, clients, etc.
IT ALWAYS STARTS WITH THE SAME LINE
“My Uncle Joe has an amazing camera, I think I am going to just pay him $500 to shoot my wedding.” While Uncle Joe may be very good, here are a few reasons to go with the professional.
As we have previously said in the “How to Choose a Wedding Photographer” section, wedding photography is so much more than just having a nice camera. Uncle Joe may have a nice camera, in fact, let’s say Uncle Joe is a lawyer and photography is his passion. So, not only does he have a nice camera, but he has the best camera money can buy at the moment, the Canon 5D Mark II ($2,700). Even more so, Uncle Joe loves shooting in his spare time so much that he even bought a full set of Canon L Series lenses and accessories ($15,000).
Already, we are assuming that this Uncle Joe is much more prepared than 99% of the Uncle Joe’s out there. Now let’s assume that Uncle Joe frequently goes out, once or twice a month and shoots nature and urban scenes with all of his great equipment. Uncle Joe even had some of his work published.
Wedding time comes, and Uncle Joe is feeling great and confident that he is going to do an awesome job. Uncle Joe starts with some outside shots of the preparation location and everything is looking good. Then Uncle Joe steps inside where the preparation is taking place. Uncle Joe doesn’t like manually exposing his pictures, so he shoots with the cameras help. Unfortunately, the camera is only so smart.
Uncle Joe starts snapping preparation shots and notices that his lens isn’t wide enough. So, he quickly goes out to the car to swap out his lenses since he wasn’t anticipating this problem. When he gets back, the bride’s makeup is done, and now they are working on the hair. Uncle Joe didn’t take any time to check out the lighting prior to the shoot, so he has no off camera lighting, or any additional lighting equipment. So, Uncle Joe figures that he can just raise his ISO settings super high so that he can capture enough light to properly expose the scene. This works, however, little does he know, that every picture shot will be too grainy to blow up beyond a 4×6 print.
Uncle Joe now heads over to shoot the groom. Uncle Joe looks at the scene and adjusts his camera settings based on what the camera reads. Unfortunately, because there was so much black in the scene from the suits, the camera was over exposing all of the shots to compensate. Uncle Joe didn’t realize though, and just kept chugging away.
Let’s say this is a simple wedding and now it’s time for the ceremony. Uncle Joe scopes out a great spot, pops on his zoom lens, and waits. The groom makes his way in, and Joe shoots him like a pro snapping 50 shots as the groom is coming down the aisle. The only problem is that all 50 shots are out of focus because the subject was walking towards Uncle Joe, and his focus settings were not set for moving subjects.
The father and bride begin coming down the aisle, and just the same, Uncle Joe fires away taking 50 more shots. Again, none of which are crisp and in focus.
The wedding ceremony is going great, and Joe grabs several great shots. But Uncle Joe realizes again, that his camera lens isn’t wide enough, so Uncle Joe runs to his bag to grab a different lens. On his way back, he sees the couple just as they kiss for the first time. Uncle Joe missed it. He also didn’t think to shoot any of the bride or grooms family during the ceremony, as he was trying not to miss anything in the ceremony.
After the ceremony, it’s time for formals. Uncle Joe guides everyone to his favorite spot outdoors where he has a beautiful shot of the view. The subjects are facing away from the sun, so that he can capture the grandeur of the scene. Because the formals are being shot in the bright noon-day sun, Uncle Joe doesn’t realize that the camera is under exposing the entire scene since the background is so bright.
Uncle Joe takes only a few family formal shots, and only one shot of each set. Little to Joe’s knowledge, every shot is coming out too dark and completely underexposed
Reception time has arrived, and Uncle Joe has already worked 10 hours! He figures that he should relax and enjoy the wedding too since he is family. So, he gives his camera to his young son who loves photography and tells him to shoot.
Uncle Joe is so exhausted that he doesn’t shoot for the rest of the night. I mean, he is helping out the bride and groom so much by saving them money, and doing it for so cheap that he figures it shouldn’t matter anyway.
Since Uncle Joe doesn’t have the software, or even know how to post produce images. He simply gives the bride and groom a DVD with all of the images burned to it. The bride and groom sit down, dying with anticipation and pop the DVD into the computer to start looking through their uncles beautiful work!
100 pictures into the 2,000 pictures Uncle Joe shot, the bride is already in tears, as every photo is too dark, too bright, blurry, or just not that good. Furthermore, the bride and groom notice that there is no shot of their first kiss, and the only reception shots were of Uncle Joe’s son shooting all of the kids at the reception.
While this story in particular is fictional, each one of the events and outcomes are from real situations that we wedding photographers hear about all of the time. In fact, so many of our client’s guests have approached us during a shoot to tell us about their “Uncle Joe” experience, and how they wish they had hired a professional to shoot the wedding. So, why does this happen to Uncle Joe? Because the bottom line is, while Joe had all the professional gear (which is unlikely in the first place), and experience shooting nature and outdoors scenes he doesn’t have the following:
The ability to quickly adjust his camera settings based on different lighting scenes. Most of the time wedding photographers have 2-3 seconds to adjust settings on the fly, any more than that, and the wedding photographer is almost guaranteed to miss something.
The knowledge of how his camera reads and interprets light in order to compensate for under or over exposure. In these situations the wedding photographer must rely on his experience rather than the camera’s readings.
The foresight to be prepared for each situation with a secondary camera prepped with a different type of lens. Professional wedding photographers will always scope out the wedding venue and scenes prior to the wedding and plan ahead.
The carrying cases needed to always have his necessary equipment and accessories on him at all times. Professional wedding photographers will always have their equipment readily available on their person, or nearby.
Experience shooting fleeting moments that you only have one chance to capture. A first kiss typically only lasts 1-2 seconds, and you don’t necessarily know exactly when it is going to happen. The wedding photographer must be staring through his lens, ready and prepared for this moment to happen.
Experience and knowledge required to anticipate angles and approaches to each scene. Knowing where to stand, and what angles to shoot is something that only comes from experience.
The energy to work non-stop for 12-18 hours without breaks. This is a wedding photographer’s job, they don’t rest or take breaks. Our team staggers their breaks during non-crucial moments of the day.
The ability to create unique lighting scenes, and supplement natural light with his own lighting. Understanding light and lighting is something that comes from study, training and experience. Being a master of lighting is impossible unless you have tried shooting in every possible lighting situation.
Experience in guiding and directing large group formals. This is where the wedding photographer’s personality and tact are so important. How do they interact with the bride, groom and their family.
The knowledge of advanced focus techniques.
Experience in taking extra shots of crucial pictures such as during formals in case of blinking, awkward expressions, etc.
In addition to all of this, there is so much more that Uncle Joe would need in order to take professional quality wedding photographs from start to finish.
While are there a lot of areas in your wedding budget that you can save money on, wedding photography should not be one of them. If you want to have professional- quality, creative imagery of your wedding day that will be timeless heirlooms to be shown and handed down to your generations to come, you will need a professional wedding photographer.
Often times, wedding photography studios such as our own, will work with clients in customizing their packages in order to fit within their budget. If that is the case, choose quality over products. We understand that newlyweds are often on a budget, as they are starting their new lives together. So, wait on the products until later in your life. Three, four, even five years from now when you and your family is well established, go ahead and order that album, or those large prints. It might be better to wait to buy gorgeous and real imagery, than to have low quality photography slapped into an album and ready for you when you get back from your honeymoon.
To sum it up, while you can always order products later, you can never order better quality and more creative imagery after your event.
by Lin and Jirsa
FICTIONAL STORY BASED ON REAL EVENTS
While the names and locations in this story are fictional, it is based on real and unfortunate wedding photography horror stories that we have heard first hand from friends, contacts, wedding guests, clients, etc.
IT ALWAYS STARTS WITH THE SAME LINE
“My Uncle Joe has an amazing camera, I think I am going to just pay him $500 to shoot my wedding.” While Uncle Joe may be very good, here are a few reasons to go with the professional.
As we have previously said in the “How to Choose a Wedding Photographer” section, wedding photography is so much more than just having a nice camera. Uncle Joe may have a nice camera, in fact, let’s say Uncle Joe is a lawyer and photography is his passion. So, not only does he have a nice camera, but he has the best camera money can buy at the moment, the Canon 5D Mark II ($2,700). Even more so, Uncle Joe loves shooting in his spare time so much that he even bought a full set of Canon L Series lenses and accessories ($15,000).
Already, we are assuming that this Uncle Joe is much more prepared than 99% of the Uncle Joe’s out there. Now let’s assume that Uncle Joe frequently goes out, once or twice a month and shoots nature and urban scenes with all of his great equipment. Uncle Joe even had some of his work published.
Wedding time comes, and Uncle Joe is feeling great and confident that he is going to do an awesome job. Uncle Joe starts with some outside shots of the preparation location and everything is looking good. Then Uncle Joe steps inside where the preparation is taking place. Uncle Joe doesn’t like manually exposing his pictures, so he shoots with the cameras help. Unfortunately, the camera is only so smart.
Uncle Joe starts snapping preparation shots and notices that his lens isn’t wide enough. So, he quickly goes out to the car to swap out his lenses since he wasn’t anticipating this problem. When he gets back, the bride’s makeup is done, and now they are working on the hair. Uncle Joe didn’t take any time to check out the lighting prior to the shoot, so he has no off camera lighting, or any additional lighting equipment. So, Uncle Joe figures that he can just raise his ISO settings super high so that he can capture enough light to properly expose the scene. This works, however, little does he know, that every picture shot will be too grainy to blow up beyond a 4×6 print.
Uncle Joe now heads over to shoot the groom. Uncle Joe looks at the scene and adjusts his camera settings based on what the camera reads. Unfortunately, because there was so much black in the scene from the suits, the camera was over exposing all of the shots to compensate. Uncle Joe didn’t realize though, and just kept chugging away.
Let’s say this is a simple wedding and now it’s time for the ceremony. Uncle Joe scopes out a great spot, pops on his zoom lens, and waits. The groom makes his way in, and Joe shoots him like a pro snapping 50 shots as the groom is coming down the aisle. The only problem is that all 50 shots are out of focus because the subject was walking towards Uncle Joe, and his focus settings were not set for moving subjects.
The father and bride begin coming down the aisle, and just the same, Uncle Joe fires away taking 50 more shots. Again, none of which are crisp and in focus.
The wedding ceremony is going great, and Joe grabs several great shots. But Uncle Joe realizes again, that his camera lens isn’t wide enough, so Uncle Joe runs to his bag to grab a different lens. On his way back, he sees the couple just as they kiss for the first time. Uncle Joe missed it. He also didn’t think to shoot any of the bride or grooms family during the ceremony, as he was trying not to miss anything in the ceremony.
After the ceremony, it’s time for formals. Uncle Joe guides everyone to his favorite spot outdoors where he has a beautiful shot of the view. The subjects are facing away from the sun, so that he can capture the grandeur of the scene. Because the formals are being shot in the bright noon-day sun, Uncle Joe doesn’t realize that the camera is under exposing the entire scene since the background is so bright.
Uncle Joe takes only a few family formal shots, and only one shot of each set. Little to Joe’s knowledge, every shot is coming out too dark and completely underexposed
Reception time has arrived, and Uncle Joe has already worked 10 hours! He figures that he should relax and enjoy the wedding too since he is family. So, he gives his camera to his young son who loves photography and tells him to shoot.
Uncle Joe is so exhausted that he doesn’t shoot for the rest of the night. I mean, he is helping out the bride and groom so much by saving them money, and doing it for so cheap that he figures it shouldn’t matter anyway.
Since Uncle Joe doesn’t have the software, or even know how to post produce images. He simply gives the bride and groom a DVD with all of the images burned to it. The bride and groom sit down, dying with anticipation and pop the DVD into the computer to start looking through their uncles beautiful work!
100 pictures into the 2,000 pictures Uncle Joe shot, the bride is already in tears, as every photo is too dark, too bright, blurry, or just not that good. Furthermore, the bride and groom notice that there is no shot of their first kiss, and the only reception shots were of Uncle Joe’s son shooting all of the kids at the reception.
While this story in particular is fictional, each one of the events and outcomes are from real situations that we wedding photographers hear about all of the time. In fact, so many of our client’s guests have approached us during a shoot to tell us about their “Uncle Joe” experience, and how they wish they had hired a professional to shoot the wedding. So, why does this happen to Uncle Joe? Because the bottom line is, while Joe had all the professional gear (which is unlikely in the first place), and experience shooting nature and outdoors scenes he doesn’t have the following:
The ability to quickly adjust his camera settings based on different lighting scenes. Most of the time wedding photographers have 2-3 seconds to adjust settings on the fly, any more than that, and the wedding photographer is almost guaranteed to miss something.
The knowledge of how his camera reads and interprets light in order to compensate for under or over exposure. In these situations the wedding photographer must rely on his experience rather than the camera’s readings.
The foresight to be prepared for each situation with a secondary camera prepped with a different type of lens. Professional wedding photographers will always scope out the wedding venue and scenes prior to the wedding and plan ahead.
The carrying cases needed to always have his necessary equipment and accessories on him at all times. Professional wedding photographers will always have their equipment readily available on their person, or nearby.
Experience shooting fleeting moments that you only have one chance to capture. A first kiss typically only lasts 1-2 seconds, and you don’t necessarily know exactly when it is going to happen. The wedding photographer must be staring through his lens, ready and prepared for this moment to happen.
Experience and knowledge required to anticipate angles and approaches to each scene. Knowing where to stand, and what angles to shoot is something that only comes from experience.
The energy to work non-stop for 12-18 hours without breaks. This is a wedding photographer’s job, they don’t rest or take breaks. Our team staggers their breaks during non-crucial moments of the day.
The ability to create unique lighting scenes, and supplement natural light with his own lighting. Understanding light and lighting is something that comes from study, training and experience. Being a master of lighting is impossible unless you have tried shooting in every possible lighting situation.
Experience in guiding and directing large group formals. This is where the wedding photographer’s personality and tact are so important. How do they interact with the bride, groom and their family.
The knowledge of advanced focus techniques.
Experience in taking extra shots of crucial pictures such as during formals in case of blinking, awkward expressions, etc.
In addition to all of this, there is so much more that Uncle Joe would need in order to take professional quality wedding photographs from start to finish.
While are there a lot of areas in your wedding budget that you can save money on, wedding photography should not be one of them. If you want to have professional- quality, creative imagery of your wedding day that will be timeless heirlooms to be shown and handed down to your generations to come, you will need a professional wedding photographer.
Often times, wedding photography studios such as our own, will work with clients in customizing their packages in order to fit within their budget. If that is the case, choose quality over products. We understand that newlyweds are often on a budget, as they are starting their new lives together. So, wait on the products until later in your life. Three, four, even five years from now when you and your family is well established, go ahead and order that album, or those large prints. It might be better to wait to buy gorgeous and real imagery, than to have low quality photography slapped into an album and ready for you when you get back from your honeymoon.
To sum it up, while you can always order products later, you can never order better quality and more creative imagery after your event.
by Lin and Jirsa
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Welcoming Baby Luca - Newborn
Luca was welcomed into the world on February 24 by his amazing parents. I love spending time with my clients and getting to know them and just from the few hours I spent with this family I could feel their love and how much their children mean to them. Newborn session are always a fun adventure and there are some great shots. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Emily and James
So this week I got a new camera, big upgrade to my previous one. Emily is my sister and James is her boyfriend. I decided they would make good testers :] Everything went well! Got some awesome shots too!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Tillman Wedding
So here is a sneak peak of the Tillman wedding that I photographed on 2-18-11. Erik and Marybeth are truly one of the sweetest and kindest people I have met. Their wedding was small, quaint, and beautiful. It was simple, yet elegant, and truly fit their personalities. Below is a little collage from the reception, im editing backwards on this one. More to come soon!!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Miss Michaela
Cute as a button and she did so good! Even though it was past her nap time, she fought well to keep smiling and being cute while we put her in many bows, and changed her outfits. I have been photographing Michaela since she was about two weeks old. Im so looking forward to her 1st birthday and getting some fun and dirty cake shots!... and of course more bows :]
Wedding Day Schedule Planning and Strategy
What time should I start my wedding day? How long should I spend at the hair salon? Should I take formal posed portraits before or after the wedding ceremony? When should the wedding party arrive? These are only some of the important questions to consider as your special day approaches. A well thought out and planned schedule will go a long way to making your wedding day a smooth one.
As you start to plan your wedding day, try to begin by working backwards. One common strategy is to plan your day according to the starting time of your ceremony. When planning backwards, take into consideration of travel time, loading your car, time to eat, etc. Your plan should leave considerable room for slack time ; you would rather have too much time to spend with your friends and family then be rushing around and feeling stressed. If you wish to take a shortcut, a common recommendation for contingency reserve is between 15% to 30% of the time you anticipate for each event.
The Wedding Day Master Schedule
Creating a master schedule is an extremely helpful approach. You may use a variety of common software (Microsoft Excel) to achieve this. The schedule should list all of the tasks that need to be done and at what time. This is not only helpful for the bride and groom, but for all of the staff involved in your wedding .
The schedule should be very detailed, illustrating every single task for the wedding, down to the very minute. The timeline begins several hours before the wedding ceremony, and ends after the last song of the reception. Include directions to the ceremony, hotels, reception and even a local pharmacy. Attach all forms of contact information: home, work and cell phone numbers, and email addresses. Make multiple copies for the entire wedding staff, caterers, photographer, florist, etc. Once the master schedule is complete, you can focus on the wedding sequence timeline to create another version of the master schedule for everyone else. Don’t forget to constantly update your schedules and make sure everyone has the latest version. For an sample of worksheet, please refer to our online wedding day schedule planning template.
Wedding Day Hair and Makeup Planning
As you continue to create the schedule of your wedding day, one thing that you can count on is that your appointment at the hair salon will ALWAYS take longer then you think it will. From our experience, we recommend scheduling your hair appointment approximately seven hours before your ceremony if you will have formal posed portraits beforehand and four hours before your ceremony, or if you are having your formals afterwards. One to two weeks before the big day, have a dry run and have your hair done the way you plan to wear it. This way you are not experimenting on the wedding day. Remember to leave nothing to chance.
Planning Ahead for Wedding Photography
The biggest question that you will face will be, "Do I take formal portraits before or after our ceremony?" This one decision will determine how your entire wedding day FLOWS. The primary reason that we hear for taking photographs after the ceremony is the long standing tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding. This tradition came from the era of mail-order brides: they were afraid that if the groom saw her before the wedding, he would not marry her. We hear that it's often the dream of the bride or groom to experience that special moment walking down the aisle. However, many couples may not remember the experience in detail. There are so many emotions that overcome you in that moment. While distracted, you may easily forget to look up to make eye contact with your groom. The groom also may have a difficult time expressing emotions as his nerves may be getting the best of him.
This tradition is often strong for many families. If this is the desired approach, make sure to allow enough time after the ceremony for your formal portraits. This will determine when you will arrive at the reception. Planning for at least two hours between the end of your ceremony and the start of your reception helps to ensure the wedding photographer does not need to rush; possibly forgetting some important poses in the process. More time also means that everyone is more relaxed. The photographer will have more time to be creative to produce higher quality photos.
Benefits of Formal Portraits Before the Ceremony
There are many advantages to seeing each other before the wedding. Wedding photographers often suggest this approach because it makes their job easier, but this is also when the bride, groom, bridal party and family are at their best: the bride and bridesmaids' hair and makeup are fresh, while the groom and groomsmen are not anxious to get out of their tuxes yet. Best of all, your family and wedding party are not at all distracted to rush to the reception, or to participate in the wedding day's festivities. This healthy pre-ceremony atmosphere creates a smooth tempo to sound the drum of the event's opening.
If you do take the pre-ceremony formal portrait approach, it is recommended that you set aside 15 minutes of private time that is designated for just the two of you. These moments, before you start taking posed portraits, are often the most precious for the bride and groom. The groom is given allocated time to express his feelings to you. You are able to say a prayer together, or exchange meaningful gifts. This time also serves as a break to calm your nerves. When a bride and groom choose to wait until the ceremony to see each other for the first time, they typically do not have time alone until their wedding day has ended.
After the private time together, you should proceed with formal portraits. During this time, the wedding photographer can take unobtrusive photographs of the couple, family, and wedding party. A typically photo shoot schedule usually lasts two hours. The final advantage achieved through this approach is having the formals before the wedding allows you to enjoy the rest of your day without any schedules or timelines to meet.
With plenty of experience documenting weddings, your photographer is a great resource to help you in outlining how your day should flow. Take advantage of your photographers' experiences and trust that they have your best interest at heart. When you are relaxed your photographs will look their best. There are many other things to consider as you plan your wedding day. It’s important that you and your groom discuss it thoroughly, and make a plan that works best for you as a couple. Most of all, enjoy the day; one that will be one of the most special days in your lives.
by Heather Nelson, KS
As you start to plan your wedding day, try to begin by working backwards. One common strategy is to plan your day according to the starting time of your ceremony. When planning backwards, take into consideration of travel time, loading your car, time to eat, etc. Your plan should leave considerable room for slack time ; you would rather have too much time to spend with your friends and family then be rushing around and feeling stressed. If you wish to take a shortcut, a common recommendation for contingency reserve is between 15% to 30% of the time you anticipate for each event.
The Wedding Day Master Schedule
Creating a master schedule is an extremely helpful approach. You may use a variety of common software (Microsoft Excel) to achieve this. The schedule should list all of the tasks that need to be done and at what time. This is not only helpful for the bride and groom, but for all of the staff involved in your wedding .
The schedule should be very detailed, illustrating every single task for the wedding, down to the very minute. The timeline begins several hours before the wedding ceremony, and ends after the last song of the reception. Include directions to the ceremony, hotels, reception and even a local pharmacy. Attach all forms of contact information: home, work and cell phone numbers, and email addresses. Make multiple copies for the entire wedding staff, caterers, photographer, florist, etc. Once the master schedule is complete, you can focus on the wedding sequence timeline to create another version of the master schedule for everyone else. Don’t forget to constantly update your schedules and make sure everyone has the latest version. For an sample of worksheet, please refer to our online wedding day schedule planning template.
Wedding Day Hair and Makeup Planning
As you continue to create the schedule of your wedding day, one thing that you can count on is that your appointment at the hair salon will ALWAYS take longer then you think it will. From our experience, we recommend scheduling your hair appointment approximately seven hours before your ceremony if you will have formal posed portraits beforehand and four hours before your ceremony, or if you are having your formals afterwards. One to two weeks before the big day, have a dry run and have your hair done the way you plan to wear it. This way you are not experimenting on the wedding day. Remember to leave nothing to chance.
Planning Ahead for Wedding Photography
The biggest question that you will face will be, "Do I take formal portraits before or after our ceremony?" This one decision will determine how your entire wedding day FLOWS. The primary reason that we hear for taking photographs after the ceremony is the long standing tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding. This tradition came from the era of mail-order brides: they were afraid that if the groom saw her before the wedding, he would not marry her. We hear that it's often the dream of the bride or groom to experience that special moment walking down the aisle. However, many couples may not remember the experience in detail. There are so many emotions that overcome you in that moment. While distracted, you may easily forget to look up to make eye contact with your groom. The groom also may have a difficult time expressing emotions as his nerves may be getting the best of him.
This tradition is often strong for many families. If this is the desired approach, make sure to allow enough time after the ceremony for your formal portraits. This will determine when you will arrive at the reception. Planning for at least two hours between the end of your ceremony and the start of your reception helps to ensure the wedding photographer does not need to rush; possibly forgetting some important poses in the process. More time also means that everyone is more relaxed. The photographer will have more time to be creative to produce higher quality photos.
Benefits of Formal Portraits Before the Ceremony
There are many advantages to seeing each other before the wedding. Wedding photographers often suggest this approach because it makes their job easier, but this is also when the bride, groom, bridal party and family are at their best: the bride and bridesmaids' hair and makeup are fresh, while the groom and groomsmen are not anxious to get out of their tuxes yet. Best of all, your family and wedding party are not at all distracted to rush to the reception, or to participate in the wedding day's festivities. This healthy pre-ceremony atmosphere creates a smooth tempo to sound the drum of the event's opening.
If you do take the pre-ceremony formal portrait approach, it is recommended that you set aside 15 minutes of private time that is designated for just the two of you. These moments, before you start taking posed portraits, are often the most precious for the bride and groom. The groom is given allocated time to express his feelings to you. You are able to say a prayer together, or exchange meaningful gifts. This time also serves as a break to calm your nerves. When a bride and groom choose to wait until the ceremony to see each other for the first time, they typically do not have time alone until their wedding day has ended.
After the private time together, you should proceed with formal portraits. During this time, the wedding photographer can take unobtrusive photographs of the couple, family, and wedding party. A typically photo shoot schedule usually lasts two hours. The final advantage achieved through this approach is having the formals before the wedding allows you to enjoy the rest of your day without any schedules or timelines to meet.
With plenty of experience documenting weddings, your photographer is a great resource to help you in outlining how your day should flow. Take advantage of your photographers' experiences and trust that they have your best interest at heart. When you are relaxed your photographs will look their best. There are many other things to consider as you plan your wedding day. It’s important that you and your groom discuss it thoroughly, and make a plan that works best for you as a couple. Most of all, enjoy the day; one that will be one of the most special days in your lives.
by Heather Nelson, KS
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Soakie and Saul - Engaged!
I had the privilege to photograph Soakie and Saul for their engagement session. Soakie and I have been friends for a while and she got engaged shortly after I got married. Together as a pair they are very fun. This is only part one of their engagement session, and we decided to shoot at Piedmont Park. This gave them the fun and romantic feel to their pictures, and it really expresses them as a couple. Im so happy for you guys and im looking forward to photographing you wedding in only a few short months!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Kristen and Justin - Engaged!
Kristin and Justin got engaged on Christmas morning. How cute is that? They decided to do their pictures in downtown Hiram. We started in Hiram then decided to go to a new location. On my way to Hiram, I saw this old abandoned house and thought it would be really cool to photograph there, so thats what we did for the second half of the session. As a couple, they are very photogenic and have this quite romantic vibe to them. There was lots of snuggling and kissing going on and I loved capturing every bit! Thank you guys, and im looking forward to your spring wedding!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Wedding Photography Guide
Choosing your Wedding Photographer:
After the excitement of the proposal, it's time to get down to business about planning the biggest day of your life. One of your biggest priorities should be picking out your wedding photographer, because once the flowers have wilted and the big day is over, all that's left is your marriage and photographs that tell the story of the day.
Some things you should consider:
Before you start contacting photographers and getting price quotes, start looking at wedding photography. Notice that all black and whites don't look the same, colors can be more vibrant or muted, and the positioning of the couples can vary. Doing this detailed searching will help you more confidently pick the right photographer . If you consistently like a photographer's work on multiple subjects, you should be more than happy with the work that they will produce with your event.
Although most photographers can create any look and feel, we often change the style based upon how we view our clients. Some examples would be if I notice a couple is more fun and upbeat, I would make their images more vibrant in color and incorporate really fun poses. If I feel a couple's theme is more romantic and sensual, I would do more black and whites and create more romantic poses like the one below.
Creating your budget:
Most professional photographers charge anywhere from $500-$3000+ for wedding photography. The difference in pricing has many different factors. Don't have the notion that you are just having some one run around and take pictures for eight hours. A professional photographer spends a lot of time prepping for your day. Deciding on what specific shots they want to walk away with, putting all the equipment together (don't forget the cost of the equipment they have purchased), managing the time space that you have allotted them, and possibly hiring an assistant for an extra set of hands and eyes. Not only this, but consider the HOURS and hours it takes to edit and select through hundreds (maybe thousands) of pictures. There is also the cost of printing. Most photographers offer an album.
Depending on the photographer, these can be custom-designed or in a template, but they are still very expensive even for the photographer (they can cost $450+). If they are custom-designed, the photographer is also spending a lot of time putting all the images together and making sure the album flows the same way the wedding did.
So when you are comparing quotes from photographers you mainly want to consider the photographer's unique style, the product that you are receiving from them, and how established their business is. It can not be stressed enough that choosing your photographer is one of the most important parts of planning your wedding. If there is any part of your wedding planning that you want to invest in, it is your photographer because the pictures will last forever aside from everything else.
Tips For Planning:
- When picking out your location, keep in mind anywhere near the area that would be a good setting for photographs, whether it be outside or indoors. Once you have decided on your venue, your photographer can help you select what location might be best for your style and image composition.
- Place aside an amount of time after your ceremony and before the reception where you can have some one-on-one time with your photographer. This should be at least an hour. Discuss this subject with your photographer as they may need more time than usual, depending on the number of people in your bridal party. Take into consideration if you need to travel to separate location.
- Take some time to think of special people that you will want in your photographs that the photographer wouldn't naturally think of. It's always good to have a list so that you get what you want.
- Make sure some type of contract is written out between you and your photographer. It should specify what you will be receiving from them, what you are paying, and it should guarantee they will show up for your day.
Booking with Snap Life Photography:
With Snap Life Photography, we customize our wedding packages. You first set up an appointment with the photographer where we discuss what you are looking for print-wise, and all the little details of your day. Once we gather all the information we need, we will start building your package. All our wedding packages include a free engagement session, 20 prints, and an album custom-designed to your liking.
After the excitement of the proposal, it's time to get down to business about planning the biggest day of your life. One of your biggest priorities should be picking out your wedding photographer, because once the flowers have wilted and the big day is over, all that's left is your marriage and photographs that tell the story of the day.
Some things you should consider:
Before you start contacting photographers and getting price quotes, start looking at wedding photography. Notice that all black and whites don't look the same, colors can be more vibrant or muted, and the positioning of the couples can vary. Doing this detailed searching will help you more confidently pick the right photographer . If you consistently like a photographer's work on multiple subjects, you should be more than happy with the work that they will produce with your event.
Although most photographers can create any look and feel, we often change the style based upon how we view our clients. Some examples would be if I notice a couple is more fun and upbeat, I would make their images more vibrant in color and incorporate really fun poses. If I feel a couple's theme is more romantic and sensual, I would do more black and whites and create more romantic poses like the one below.
Creating your budget:
Most professional photographers charge anywhere from $500-$3000+ for wedding photography. The difference in pricing has many different factors. Don't have the notion that you are just having some one run around and take pictures for eight hours. A professional photographer spends a lot of time prepping for your day. Deciding on what specific shots they want to walk away with, putting all the equipment together (don't forget the cost of the equipment they have purchased), managing the time space that you have allotted them, and possibly hiring an assistant for an extra set of hands and eyes. Not only this, but consider the HOURS and hours it takes to edit and select through hundreds (maybe thousands) of pictures. There is also the cost of printing. Most photographers offer an album.
Depending on the photographer, these can be custom-designed or in a template, but they are still very expensive even for the photographer (they can cost $450+). If they are custom-designed, the photographer is also spending a lot of time putting all the images together and making sure the album flows the same way the wedding did.
So when you are comparing quotes from photographers you mainly want to consider the photographer's unique style, the product that you are receiving from them, and how established their business is. It can not be stressed enough that choosing your photographer is one of the most important parts of planning your wedding. If there is any part of your wedding planning that you want to invest in, it is your photographer because the pictures will last forever aside from everything else.
Tips For Planning:
- When picking out your location, keep in mind anywhere near the area that would be a good setting for photographs, whether it be outside or indoors. Once you have decided on your venue, your photographer can help you select what location might be best for your style and image composition.
- Place aside an amount of time after your ceremony and before the reception where you can have some one-on-one time with your photographer. This should be at least an hour. Discuss this subject with your photographer as they may need more time than usual, depending on the number of people in your bridal party. Take into consideration if you need to travel to separate location.
- Take some time to think of special people that you will want in your photographs that the photographer wouldn't naturally think of. It's always good to have a list so that you get what you want.
- Make sure some type of contract is written out between you and your photographer. It should specify what you will be receiving from them, what you are paying, and it should guarantee they will show up for your day.
Booking with Snap Life Photography:
With Snap Life Photography, we customize our wedding packages. You first set up an appointment with the photographer where we discuss what you are looking for print-wise, and all the little details of your day. Once we gather all the information we need, we will start building your package. All our wedding packages include a free engagement session, 20 prints, and an album custom-designed to your liking.
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