Archive for the 'Weddings' Category

Old School Meets New School. Getting an edge:

SEN1061 b43 Old School Meets New School. Getting an edge:

by Barry Howell: I have been a professional photographer since the early 80’s and am in the throws of embracing change like I never could have imagined. I have photographed hundreds of weddings and thousands of high school seniors. I was honored with the first ever Haga Wedding Album award for the best wedding album in Minnesota, and have entered many competition prints over the years. I began shooting weddings for a couple of studios, worked part time on my own for several years, and bought a very large studio operation in 1995.   My first digital camera was a Fuji S2 and that is where my journey into the digital world really began. A good friend (and former employee) encouraged me to take a look at Lightroom and then Gavin’s presets from Seim Effects.

My years of experience (and significant volume) causes me to very careful how much “post production” we commit to. Having studied with the likes of Monte Zucker, Frank Cricchio  Don Blair, David Ziser and others, I learned to produce near perfect images in the camera. There just wasn’t much editing we could do with our C-41 in-house lab printing from medium format Hasselblad negatives. I am the “techie” guy that loves everything shiny, new and cool, but I didn’t jump into digital until I felt the cameras and output options rivaled film quality.  My journey from film to digital has been a long and at times very frustrating path. If you are just starting out (i.e. have never shot a roll of film-I know you’re out there), appreciate my story and be glad you can develop a workflow without  transitioning from anything else. Take the time to think about ways you can do it right from image capture to customer delivery.

Continue reading ‘Old School Meets New School. Getting an edge:’

Photo Couch Podcast, Episodes… 04, 05, 06, 07, 08

itunesbadge Pro Photo Photography Podcasts:
Or.. Direct podcast feed

by Gavin Seim: Here’s the latest episodes of the new Photo Couch podcast. Short quick bursts of photo ideas and information. If you want to get them as they come out, you can subscribe in iTunes or use the direct feed in any podcatcher.

There’s a bunch of topics in these five episodes, all no more than five minutes long. Give a listen and get some ideas. If you have thoughts you’d like to discuss in depth, visit the Photo Couch board on the forums.

PC #008 MP3. 11/11/09 Seeing Your Site with Client Eyes.

PC #007 MP3. 09/30/09 Branding Your Prints

PC #006 MP3. 09/04/09 Proofs & Sales

PC #005 MP3. 08/18/09 Live Shoot Follow Up & Proofing

PC #004 MP3. 08/13/09 Senior Session Live Shoot

wedding photography Photo Couch Podcast, Episodes... 04, 05, 06, 07, 08

Great Photojournalism is Not Just a Numbers Game

Last minute nerves - Wedding Photography from Alan Hutchison Photography

by Alan Hutchison. In this age of rapid-fire digital cameras and almost endless supplies of memory, I am seeing more and more photographers who seem to simply capture as many images in a day as they can, and then pick out the winners later – as if it’s a numbers game – the more I take, the more winners I’ll get, surely. It’s luck almost.  Isn’t it?

Sure, luck has a hand in most things in life, but when it comes to photography there are a lot more variables to play with.  How about composition for one thing?

I was recently very lucky to be in the company of two of my great photography heroes, Jeff Ascough and George Weir (a fellow Scot who is now based in New York). Last month I attended their joint seminar on wedding photojournalism and came away very inspired and have since completely changed my approach to wedding photography.

For one thing they made me slow down and think. Continue reading ‘Great Photojournalism is Not Just a Numbers Game’

Teeny Tiny Photography Tips 2009:

little photographer seim 300x207 Teeny Tiny Photography Tips 2009:by Gavin Seim updated 10.18.09:
I like quick bursts of information and chat frequently as @gavinseimtwitter2 Teeny Tiny Photography Tips 2009: on twitter.  I’ve made this list of my favorite tips and ideas. I plan to update it throughout the year. You can add your favorite photo tweets and tips in the comments with your twitter name. I might even RT them myself.

I give credit when I can, using names in parenthesis. Some of these are my own little musings based on what I’ve learned, so I’ve indicated myself with an (S). If there’s no name then I probably don’t know the source. Remember that these are not always exact quotes, but ideas I’ve re-formed to fit in under 140 characters. Feel free to tweet them yourself. You can RT @gavinseim or link to this post with http://bit.ly/phototip.

Things to think on:

  • Don’t wait for the photography establishment to try and stand out, because if you do, you won’t (S)
  • I’m not afraid to change my opinion, but I am afraid of not having one. (S)
  • It seems that by giving away knowledge we only get more of it. (S)
  • Competition. A powerful tool that makes you stronger. Complaints about it are often cop outs from photographers not motivated enough to excel (S)
  • Art is not about money. But it really really helps. (S)
  • In photography rules mean conformity, and to conform is the opposite of creativity. (Whitmire)
  • I’m tired of the industry telling photographers what a standard size is. My print size will be what I decide to make it. (S)
  • Photography is painting with light. So if light is paint, why do we spend more time pressing buttons than mixing our paint? (S)
  • Be Positive. It’s not just a blood type. (S)
  • Each time I think I’m really good, I learn that I’m not as great as I thought. Then I actually start getting really good (S)
  • Always do the best you can with what you have, but always push yourself to the next level. (S)
  • A unique style is no longer unique once everyone is using it. (S)
  • As photographers we often overlook the power of just practicing. It’s like giving ourselves our own workshop for free. (S)
  • If a “picture” is worth a thousand words. A “photograph” is worth ten thousand. (S)
  • Photography is painting with light. So if light is paint, why do we spend more time pressing buttons than mixing our paint? (S)
  • It’s not the location you take your photos in. It’s the photos you take in your location. Anything can be a good background. (S)

Posing n more:

  • Portraits. Guys tilt the head towards the low shoulder = macho. Girls tilt head towards high shoulder = pretty (Celentano)
  • Bridal Portraits, Hold that bouquet on the hip to look thinner. Hands (and bouquets) held in front from make the bride look bigger. (Celentano)
  • Group portrait. Just before the shot have everyone lift up their shoulders and lean towards the center. (Celentano)
  • Portrait Tip: Look for triangles in your group poses. Use bodies, sitting, head position etc to form triangles. (Celentano)
  • If posture pose and light is correct it does not matter where the camera sits. The pose is still set. (Gardener)
  • Posing tip: If it bends, bend it. Play around with joints, elbows, fingers, everything.
  • Posing tip: Leave some open space between those bent elbows and the waist. Helps make your subject slim n trim. (S)

Continue reading ‘Teeny Tiny Photography Tips 2009:’

How to deal with bright sunlight on portrait shoots

Pre-Wedding Photoshoot - by Alan Hutchison Photography

by Alan Hutchison: More and more pro photographers these days are breaking out of their nice clean controlled studios to offer environmental portrait shoots.

Whilst the studio offers perfectly controlled lighting conditions, the big bad real world can throw up all sorts of challenges in your way. One of them is bright sunlight (ironically something I don’t actually have to worry about too much in my local area of Central Scotland).

But sunlight is easy to deal with, right? Weren’t we all told to keep the sun over our shoulder – i.e. ensure the light is falling on your subject.  Whilst this is all well and good, with harsh bright sunlight you are going to get subjects with squinting eyes – not the most photogenic of looks. Continue reading ‘How to deal with bright sunlight on portrait shoots’

Being a Professional Wedding Photographer:

seim wedding caveb photo 40 650x434 Being a Professional Wedding Photographer:

Get the essentials: Thinking outside the box works, Just remember to get the MUST have's. Walking down the isle, standing at the alter, the first dance and many more. What's important to each couple can vary, so communication is important.

Where to start, how to get there, how to stay there. Secrets for professional and aspiring wedding photographers from Gavin & others. (forum thread is here)

by Gavin Seim: How do I handle my first wedding? How do I become a pro? I get these type of questions fairly often. Weddings aren’t for everyone but most aspiring and pro photographers will photograph a wedding sometime in their career. There’s much to be learned from what’s demanded of us at a wedding. While this article is aimed at those getting started, seasoned pro’s will get ideas too.

Today I’ll give some I’ll talk the basics of how I see and think when I photograph a wedding. Tips 1-6 will focus on getting great images. Then we’ll talk a bit about a  post production and business (which is every bit as important). As we go thru them I’ll post some favorite images and share some thoughts.

The first wedding is daunting. Let me say that I won’t be talking about extreme photography basics in this article. If you’re at that stage there’s no shame in it, but you should gain some experience before tacking a wedding on your own. It’s a one time event and if you get it wrong you will be, at best, a sore spot in the eyes of your client. That’s not good for getting new clients and both you and your client deserve better.

If you can, second shoot aside an experienced photographer it’s a great way to learn, gain better portfolio and get more confidence. In my case that never happened. Though got serious about photography at age 12, my first wedding was cold turkey. I photographed for fun at a wedding and the couple loved them. That pushed me forward and my first paid wedding came awhile after. The rest is… Well the rest is below.

seim wedding caveb photo 46 650x434 Being a Professional Wedding Photographer:

Try new things: This shot is the result of the first time I used off camera wireless flash (with Radio Poppers) at a wedding. I was just learning them, but made the choice to push myself to get great light in this scene. It paid off and my final image has a neat cinematic feel that fits my style.

Before my first wedding I absorbed the information in at least three wedding photography books. That helped me get a feel for what should happen. Without that study I would have missed a lot of important things. Resources like this are great (I wish I had had them) but a book can help you get perspective and have a reference to review. I’ll list few good books to get you rolling at the bottom of this post.

My first paid gig was back in the film days. I was about eighteen. Armed with my Canon EOS3, a cheap flash, a cheap zoom lens and an old monolight strobe handed down from Doug Miller, a real local pro, I became a wedding photographer. Was I good? No, but I was enthusiastic.

Continue reading ‘Being a Professional Wedding Photographer:’




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