Choosing a wedding photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer. Planning a wedding is exciting and sometime exhausting. There are so many decisions to make. However one of the most important is choosing your wedding photographer. This will be the single most important vendor you will hire. All those memories, beautiful decorations and flowers etc will only be in your memory unless you have the photographs to remind you.
Wedding photography is some of the most difficult photography to undertake. Your photographer is shooting in a wide variety of conditions: dark church or event center, outside in daylight or night lights, portraits, group photos, photos of flowers and decorations, dancing photographs, action shots like tossing a bouquet, to name just a few.  And of course you want everything to look spontaneous. And you have never done this before so how do you choose your wedding photographer? Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Do they have experience? Someone right out of a university may know to operate a camera but wedding photography is about dealing with people. The camera is the easy part.
• Are they mature and easy to talk to? A wedding photographer will be dealing with grandma and your cousins baby and everyone in between. They need to be able to connect with people and get them to follow instructions in a kind manner. They can't be pushy or abrupt. 
• Are the curious about what you want? You want a photographer that listens to you and does not come in with a preconceived idea about how the photos should be taken. They can suggest but you are the one to determine the style.
• Do they have a pleasing personality? You will be spending the day with your photographer. You need to like them. Hiring a pre-madonna or a social introvert, male or female, can create a miserable experience. 
• Will they meet with you before the wedding? I really suggest that you start with a phone call, followed by a personal visit. Texting and emails give you information. But you are dealing with a person. You need to talk to them and meet them.
• Do they have samples for you to look at? This may seem obvious but albums and photographs tell you a lot about the photographers style. 
• Do their sample images have variety? This relates to the last question. Look at the group photos and the photos of the couple. Do they look natural and happy or stilted? Expression says a lot.
• How do they do their pricing? Many couples ask immediately "what will it cost?" Of course you want to know if you can afford the photographer but pricing has lots of variability. If the photographer has only set packages, beware. I always work with a couple to create what they actually need not what they "think" they want. Most pricing is about time: more time more cost. Unless you have a huge budget you do not need a professional photographer for hours and hours or the entire wedding start to finish. For instance your reception may be 4 - 5 hours long or more. Think about it: How many dancing shots do you want? Generally people want the following: getting ready photos, ceremony, portraits of couple and family, exiting or entering the church or reception, cutting the cake, toasts, the first dance. father/daughter, son/mother dance and party photos like bouquet toss. For most weddings the can all be done in 3 - 4 hours sometimes less. You don't need 100 photos of your friends dancing and drinking. A few will do. 

If you use these guidelines for choosing your wedding photographer you will be well on your way to having wonderful photographic memories of you wedding. Give me a call if you would like to discuss this more.  And look at the samples on this website under the "wedding" heading. Charlotte 512 447 2150

One Window light

Some of the most beautiful photographs use only one window light. Seems simple and in many ways it is. However you do need to train your eye to see correctly and understand the light source. Here are some samples.
This works so well when photographing women. You can almost feel the softness of their skin. There is an interplay between light, the angle of light, the type of light being used, and size of light. all combined with the pose, angle of pose and all things “posed”….
To begin place your subject close to the window and see how the light hits her skin. Make sure there are no sharp shadows. You want to place your subject in a window where there is no direct sunlight only diffused. Try it out. You'll love the results.
See samples of this technique on my blog. http://charlottebell.com/blog-page/

Headshot photography tips

A professional head shot is necessary for every business. Some people say put your best "foot forward" I would say put your best "face forward". We have all seen a business card or website where the photo of the person a awful. I always wonder why that person thought a bad photo would increase people seeking their product or services. So here are some headshot photography tips. By the way you can do this yourself with a friend. First, wear clothing you generally would wear to work. Then...

1. LIGHTING:  The most important element. I would suggest you take the photo outside. Find a place where your face is in the shade but the sun is at the photographers back. You want your face properly lit.

2. BACKGROUND: Use a simple background. This could be poster board or a  stone wall. Remember this is just your head from the top of the shoulders up. Do not stand too close to the back ground.

3. POSITION: Stand your body at a 45 degree angle to the camera. Then rotate your face toward the camera. Make sure your shoulders are back. No slouching. 

4. HEIGHT: Have your friend stand a little above where you are. This is especially helpful if you have a double thick chin. 

5. NUMBER: Take lots of photos. Have fun. Don't hold a smile. Keep it spontaneous. Try some with smiles some without a smile. Think pleasant thoughts. It shows on your face. 

After you take 20 or 30 shots look at them and learn. You can then do it again. You may find that there is a particular expression you like. Try to repeat this look the second time around. Now you have a photo you can be proud of to place on your website, facebook, linkedin or business cards. 

Dull looking photographs

Do you photographs sometimes look dull and lifeless? Maybe you shot the photo during a grey day. The lightness and shadow overall is great but the image lacks punch. There is an easy fix to this. Try shifting the color and the contrast. Just by adding yellow to your photograph you can see the entire image come to life. Then if you up the contrast the images will really start to pop. Try it on one of those gray photos and see what happens.