Wanted: Wedding Photographer with The Credentials of Annie Leibovitz and the Price Tag Of Wal-Mart

A Great Way To Carry Your Equipment

Have you ever looked through camera and equipment bags? Sure they are functional. You can get many styles and sizes, great for many types of shoots.

But most are boring. They come in standard black, and they just blend into the surroundings.

But what if you have a certain style with the way you dress, the way you present yourself, and you’re branding?

I just found jill-e designs, and you’re going to love it.

jill-e bags

These bags are anything but boring. Get a variety of sizes, and a variety of colors to match any mood. Plus they have unique features just for us girls. Like a detachable pouch to carry your personal items (I always hated fishing around at the bottom of my bag looking for my lipstick.)

Check out jill.e designs

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Filed Under: Blog, Camera Equipment, Studio Equipment Tagged With: camera bags, jill-e designs, photography bags, photography equipment

Telling Stories With Your Photographs

by Virtual Photography 2 Comments

Take a look at your last photograph. What does it say?

What separates a picture from true artwork is the ability to tell a story.

unclaimed

image source striatic

It makes you think about the situation. It makes you wonder what’s happening outside of the picture.

image source Ben

It’s about being patient – being in the right place at the right time to capture things a special way.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Taking Better Photographs Tagged With: tell stories with your photography

10 Photography Tips for Better Outdoor Portraits

by Virtual Photography 23 Comments

I’ve been a professional photographer for over 20 years. Even though I have a ton of ideas and styles, sometimes I find going back to the basics creates portraits that clients truly love. Here are some simple solutions that everyone can benefit from when capturing your next outdoor portrait session.

Select a location
Locations are very important and should be thought out in advance. Look for locations that bring interest and enhance your session. Parks, lakes and other open spaces offer natural scenery and tend to be the first places people think of. But don’t forget about architecture. Buildings and other structures bring warm elements into a portrait. Doors, windows, walls, a staircase or pillars will bring wonderful life to a portrait.

Choose a location that is not busy and bustling with activity. A quiet area will allow a client to be more focused, and allow them to be able to listen to your posing instructions without distractions or loud noises that would otherwise interfere.

Repeating lines
A great way to add depth is to find a location with repeating lines. Columns, pillars or other structures add interest to a portrait and create a portrait that stands apart from others.

Use a longer lens
By selecting a longer lens, you can put the focus on your subject, leaving your background soft and out of focus. This adds to the drama of the portrait, and can give you a unique look and style. One of my favorite lens to use is a 70-200mm F2.8. Use your longer focal length (150mm – 200mm) to separate your subject from the background. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Portrait Photography, Taking Better Photographs Tagged With: photography tips, photography tips for better outdoor portraits, taking environmental images

A Cold Snowy Morning at 4am

by Virtual Photography 2 Comments

What does your world look like at 4am?

We were intrigued by the 4am Project, and had to participate. So this morning we set our alarm for 3:45, and headed out to photograph.

We live right by the Cherry Creek Reservoir, and walk, bike, hike, and boat there all the time. So that’s the first place we thought of at 4 am. Especially with it being cold and blowing snow.

This is our view, and the path we start out on almost every day. The city lights of other neighborhoods and shopping is several miles in the distance; but its amazing at how much light there really is at 4 am.

What does your world look like at 4am? I’d love to see your photos; just post links in our comments.

4amproject2

Filed Under: Blog, Get Inspired Photography, Just For Fun Tagged With: 040409 photography project, 4am project, having fun with photography

Wanted: Wedding Photographer with The Credentials of Annie Leibovitz and the Price Tag Of Wal-Mart

by Virtual Photography 33 Comments

wedding photography 1 Hiring Photographers – Amateurs Can Work was the title of the section on photographers in a newly released wedding planning book I found on the shelves of my local library. I picked up the book, well, just out of curiosity. Being in the wedding industry for as long as I have, I still pick up a ton of wedding resources, just to see what people are talking about and to find new and interesting resources.

Anyway, I read the section on photographers. And the more I read, the angrier I became.

Hiring Photographers – Amateurs Can Work
If you have friends or relatives who are good with a camera, you can save a lot of money by hiring them to document your wedding. If you have a friend or multiple friends take pictures, you can upload all of them onto a site like Kodak Gallery and let everyone buy the prints they want for just pennies apiece. If you do hire a photographer, give him or her a list of the pictures you would like taken, and be sure to include the rights to the images in the contract. Most photographers charge outrageous prices for printing and do not let you keep the negatives or digital files. You should also consider hiring a professional photographer who does weddings on the side. If the photographer has another source of income, he or she may be more willing to negotiate the contract price and image rights.

I won’t mention what book this came from, because it could be from a variety of sources. I’ve read things like this more than once.

As a wedding photographer that easily commanded five figure prices, I can tell you wedding photography is one of the most difficult forms of photography.

You’re dealing with dozens of personalities, all on a frenzied day.
You’re dealing with a ton of vendors all with a different purpose in mind.
You’re dealing with a ton of family that all have their own idea of a perfect photograph.
You have to create a perfect photograph in a hundred different locations. (From the back of a hairdressing studio, to a small dressing room with 25 females trying to get ready, to the great outdoors under blaring sunlight, to a dark dance floor with one spotlight.)

Yet again, thanks to books like this, brides head out into the ranks of their family and friends, trying to cut corners and hire a person with a camera who’s taken a few photographs.

Let’s actually analyze what this “bridal expert” said.