Doggie Poop Happens.

If you’re like many of my clients, you probably want to include your four-legged fur kids in your wedding or engagement session. I have a four-legged friend of my own and involving him in a shoot sounds great in theory. I love my dog but he’s not the easiest to photograph. So I want to share with you a couple things keep in mind when you start planning a session with your pet.

Think about it…

First, and most important, ask your photographer if he or she will work with you and your pet. Unfortunately, some photographers won’t photograph pets. I am sure you understand some people just aren’t pet people. Some photographer’s may get frustrated with pets during shoots, or heck - they may simply just have a pet allergy and can’t be around them. Please don’t take offence to this.

If Puggles is truly that important to you and your session maybe you should just consider a different photographer. If you LOVE your photographer’s work though, consider hiring a pet photographer. This shouldn’t be a deal breaker, just have your choice photographer do your wedding and non-pet engagement photos. Then I would just ask your photographer they can recommend a pet photographer.

So, is there an extra charge to include pets? Well… I don’t, but other photographer’s might. It’s like having a small child, it takes time and patience to work with a pet. There is also extra editing and time that goes along with adding another person… or fur-person… Think about this, if you were asked to do something extra (well above and beyond your regular job) you would expect proper compensation, right? Well, your photographer may feel the same way so don’t be surprised if some photographers do have an extra charge for pets.

Speaking of extra time, yes, doing an entire engagement session with you AND you’re your pet(s) will probably take a little longer than a normal non-pet session. Let’s say your photographer typically needs 2 hours for your engagement session.  To include your friend Fido it’s pretty safe to say you can tack on at least an extra 1-2 hours depending on the dog. I’ve had sessions take an extra 2.5 hours before so keep this in mind.

Think about it, you know your pet best, is your pet hyper like mine? Is he sensitive to different noises or deferent scents? Does he get nervous around new people, easily distracted, etc. If so, consider booking a second session just for everyone’ sanity.

Another noteworthy thing you might not think about is that instead of having 50 – 100 photos to choose from you unfortunately may have end up with about 10-15 because of expected movements, potty breaks, or what-have-you . If you’re ok with less shots/options – that’s great and I say go for it. However if you’re looking for some variety in poses, consider booking two sessions one with and one without you pet.

Realistic Expectations…

Know your pet – As a photographer (and pet owner), I know my clients just want the best possible end result. Trust me, I get it, and after all that’s my job. My goal is ALWAYS to get the best photograph – the perfect sunset, perfect day, with perfect person. Just keep in mind that your pet is sensitive and you know them best. They may hot, cold, hear odd sounds, smell strange scents. As awkward as you may feel in some of your poses it’s important that you know your pet and can make him feel safe, comfortable, and happy.

Introduce your pet to the process – Here’s a little test you can do at home. Do a mini photo session with your pet, cat, dog, bird, etc. Try to pose them and take a photo of them. Did you succeed? If so, do you have more than one pet? Try posing them together. Were you still successful? If you were, great! Now try having someone else (a friend or neighbor) try taking a photo of them with you and without you. Did you have to stand with your impromptu photographer to get them to look at the camera? If your four-legged friend did ok and you’d consider it a success, your pet is a candidate for a photo shoot. However if you had to try a few times, took some extra coaxing or felt you ‘got lucky’, then your pet is among the majority, consider a second session.

Have realistic expectations - The short of it is, most pets are just that, pets. They are our friends, play buddies, and furry companions. They are not working animals nor are they humans so realistically they may not cooperate exactly how you want them too. They may not look at the camera or hold a prop in their mouth. Remember, like children, they get bored quickly and will just want to be done and go back to being a pet.

So when you see all those Pinterest perfect photos, remember not all the people are in real situations, those people could be professional models, maybe those pets aren’t even their pets. Those Pinterest perfect pets could be working animals like you see in a movie, or on TV, or in commercials. They may be trained to ignore distractions and take hand signals, we really don’t know, so have some realistic expectations for your session and pet. Remember those Pinterest perfect photos may or may not be possible with your pet so be realistic.

So what can you do…?

·         Bring a friend/leash holder/assistant - Most people want their pet in one or two photos of their engagement session but not all of them. Your photographer may have an assistant to help them out but assistants are paid for their time so your photographer may tack on the cost for their assistant’s time as well so think about bringing someone along on your shoot that the pet is already familiar with and that can assist as needed with your pet.

·         Bring treats!!! If there is ever a day you want to spoil your pet this is it! Your photographer is not your pet’s boss, you are and it’s your responsibility to keep your pets attention while you or your photographer want them to, it may require some special treats and extra loving.

·         Poop happens – don’t forget your poo-poo bags! It’s a no brainer but don’t forget.

·         Expect a more casual shoot – Yes, there are always exceptions but my recommendation is that you keep it somewhat casual. Like I said earlier, you know your pet best but the majority of the time you can expect the shoot with your pet will be on the casual sit. Maybe skip the stilettos and suit coats or bring a change of clothes.

·         Go somewhere familiar – Do the shoot somewhere that’s familiar to the animal or at least do it somewhere they are comfortable being. A quite park, your backyards, or inside your home.

Wondering about the cute picture I have attached to this blog post? Well this is Bandit. He was a great dog to work with but what you don’t know is, that took about 25-35 shots to get that one. We originally wanted Bandit to face the camera but he decided to keep an eye on his mommy and daddy instead. Not what we had planned but with some realistic expectations and patience we ended up with a great photo and at the end of the day my clients were happy and that’s really all that matters! 

Carol Chadwell

Not looking forward to your child's photo shoot?

Not looking forward to your child’s photo shoot?

When photographing children no matter their age, it is completely different from any other type of photography. Whether they are newborn, toddler, teenager, or even during a family shoot. It’s important to plan ahead to make your experience the best one possible.

The most important thing to know about most children (even your own), is that they don’t want to be photographed. To them it’s boring and not fun. Any child can tell you a MILLION things they would rather be doing than be at a photo shoot. So how do you handle this?

It’s very simple, make your photo shoot fun! There are a lot of simple steps that you can take to ensure that your child has fun during the shoot AND look great in their photos.

·         Hire a kid friendly photographer: You need someone with patience and knowledge of how children work. Having two children of my own I know how to get the reaction I want from most children. Often times I have parents who want their children to “behave,” just sit still, and “look pretty”. In my experience, that doesn’t work. Parents who let me direct usually get happy faces, why? Because I let the kids be kids. I tell them to jump on mom and dad, run around, throw a rock into the water, whatever it takes for him/her to feel like their having fun and then they give me good smiles. In the end that’s what you want right? Happy beautiful photos of your child.

·         It’s going to take a lot of shots with only a few positive results: Be prepared that even though you may have spent hours on your shoot there may only be a handful of good photos to show for it.

·         Bring along toys and things that your child likes to play with: Yes, even teenagers bring their phone, iPad, skateboards, or bikes. Incorporating things that your child already likes will get them involved and make for happy photos. If you want a photo without the gadgets and toys, have them put the iPad down, take a couple photos, and then back to the fun.

·         Sunset or sunrise is by far the best time of day for photos: However, that may not be a good time for your child. Keeping them up late, adjusting nap schedules – probably not a good idea… (I know) it’s challenging. So you want the best result? Consider sacrificing the perfect setting so we can get that happy face.

·         Let them pick a couple poses to try: They may be goofy, and you might not select them, but your child feels involved.

·         Dress for the weather: Children’s faces are often very animated. If you got that cute little dress for you daughter or that awesome suit for you son, and it’s too cold or too hot, you child’s photos will reflect just that. Nobody likes grumpy face photos, especially mom.

·         Reschedule: It happens, if your child is having a really rough day, ask your photographer if you can reschedule. Some photographers do charge a fee but there is no worse feeling then knowing you have to reshoot anyway because your little one was just having a tough day.

I will give you a couple examples of success and failure with children shoots. Both of these are my shoots and although in some cases I cannot be blamed for what happened, I still consider them ‘my failures’. I could have advised parents better or simply asked to reschedule the shoot.

My first example was for a single mom and her daughter. Let’s call the mom Lynn and her daughter Sue. It was Sue’s birthday. Lynn really wanted to have the shoot take place on her birthday, very specifically. It was an unusually cool summer and on that particular day it was 55-60 degrees outside.  Lynn had gotten her daughter a beautiful spring/summer dress. And as you’ve probably guessed, this session did not go very well. Sue was cold and grumpy, and it showed in every photo. When she did smile, it looked forced. After the shoot I set up a viewing for Lynn and as expected she did not like the photos.

The next example was on a family shoot. I had told the family ahead to bring some toys for entertainment. As with almost every child he did not want to be there, acted out, and just wanted to go home.  I used a couple of different tricks. While checking the settings on my camera, I had the little boy push the shutter button on my camera aimed at his dad. The photo was clearly too dark, but to further involve him I asked his opinion and he agreed. Instead of telling the boy about my camera settings, I told him to get in the frame with his dad and took another at proper exposure. Again, I showed him and told him “look the picture turned out better by just having you in it.” It then turned into a game for him. Finally I was set-up and it was time to pose for the family photo. The boy again became grumpy and didn’t want to participate. Little did mom and dad know, I had a solution! I had him stand by me then run and jump on dads lap. Once again it wasn’t a photoshoot it was a game. It took several shots and about four takes but we got the phot they wanted for their wall.  

All it takes for a successful shoot with children is a little planning, patience, and creative thinking. Their clothes might get a little dirty, you might have to sacrifice a little lap jumping, but your photos are forever. You’ll also have a little story to tell about the photo that hangs on your wall… to boot!

Justin Duff

A First Look at A First Look Session

Before reading this, many of you may have never even heard of a first look session.  Let this be your guide. This will give you some of the pros and cons of a first look session. As a wedding photographer, time is my enemy on your wedding day. I typically only get a very small window of one-on-one time with the couple and bridal party. Sometimes that hour or two before your reception is literally the only time during the entire day your photographer gets to capture all the formal photos, family photos and your photos as newlyweds.

I bet you’ve seen some of those fun and creative photos on Pinterest? Then wondered how in the world did their photographer have the time to do those shots? If you haven’t, you should. There is a real rush to get in all the ‘must have’s’ so you don’t leave your guests hungry and sitting for hours awaiting your arrival. Trust everyone that says your wedding day will go by much faster than you ever imagined - because it will! Normally there’s only a very narrow amount of time for you to cram in all your formal photos so how can you find the time for the fun ones too?

A first look session may be the solution for you! This offers you and your photographer more time to focus on getting your formal photos taken care of and get those fun Pinterest shots before the ceremony.  Yes, it’s understood that your wedding day isn’t all about just the photographs but how do you balance that time between your ceremony and reception without having bored guests?

The solution is a first look session.

Yes, you can delay your entrance and just offer hors d'oeuvres and open the bar to occupy your guests but keep in mind the party really can’t get started until the bride and groom arrive. Do I have your attention yet? Good. So… What exactly is a first look session?

Some consider it a separate photo session within your wedding day. It takes place prior to the wedding ceremony and reception. This is where the bride, groom, and wedding party can take some of those fun creative photos you imagined when you started planning your wedding. Let’s look at the pros and cons of having a first look session.

Yes, you are breaking the tradition. Traditionally, the first time the groom will see his beautiful bride is when she’s walking down the aisle on the arm of her father that’s giving her away. So breaking tradition is typically considered the biggest con. Where did this tradition come from anyways? Centuries ago when these traditions were created, larger weddings used to only be for the wealthy, since they were the only ones that could afford such an extravagant event. Also back then, arranged marriages were also much more common. In that time it wasn’t unheard of for a groom to see his bride until after he lifted the veil and yes, again, that’s after walking down the aisle.

Now-a-days, everyone has a wedding ceremony and a big fancy reception. Let’s be real, you met your groom and fell in love all on your own. You see the love of your life every single day so… (no surprise) he already knows what you look like – duh! These day’s veils are usually worn by brides to accent their wedding dress or is just part of the wedding attire and not used to hide their faces.

Another thing to consider, years ago having a wedding photographer wasn’t part of the tradition at all. Cameras weren’t even evolved enough to be a proper medium to record such an event.  I say, get with the times folks!

I understand, some mothers and grandparents may not agree with a first look session. It appears like every generation seems to change tradition just a little bit. From dresses to ceremony locations and photography is no exception! The other drawback (which really isn’t that much of a drawback) is getting ready a bit earlier. Most brides plan to serve lunch to the wedding party while getting hair and make-up done anyways and there is some chill-time before the ceremony. So between getting ready until the actual ceremony you schedule in a sliver of time for a first look session. This way you can still have some down time, get great photos and have some private time with your future main squeeze.  

I always present this as an option to my bride and grooms. Hear me out, first it gets all of your bridal party and bride/groom photos taken care of, it allows time for some fun shots that may require set-up, and relaxes you before the ceremony and general craziness of the day. Oh and I almost forgot, this also lessens the gap after the ceremony to your reception so you don’t have starving guests. You could even invite some of your close family members to the first look session too so they can see both of you seeing each other for the first time. It’s honestly one of the most amazing experiences for everyone. 

Once the first look happens, it then gives your photographer an opportunity to get creative and try to re-create some of those fun wedding photos that you have pinned on your Pinterest wall. Who knows, maybe your unique and fun bridal party pics will get re-pined around the world on Pinterest too! Another cool thing about a first look session is having people around you during your first look. During your first look session your photographer could capture the expression of other close friends and relatives along with yours as they could be seeing you for the first time too – BONUS! Although you could do the first look session with nobody around too, that’s entirely up to you so it’s important to talk through these details with your photographer.

So not only have you given you photographer creative-time and given you and your groom a special moment but you’ve also broken away from the typical wedding environment. Yes trust me, it’s inevitable at every wedding photo session there is a person (typically a Mother, Grandma or Aunt) trying to give their own direction on who gets photographed and when, but some photographers have passive personalities,  they may not want to upset the apple cart, so they will just play along. Remember, you are the boss of your wedding day, not Aunt Cheryl. Keep in mind, that you hired your photographer, you got to know him or her during your engagement session, and you already love their work. Let them do the job you hired them to do.

I strongly suggest a first look session, because some men only show a little tiny bit of emotional reaction and it allows your photographer to capture that emotion or that joyous look on your groom’s face when he sees you for the first time in your dress. After all, when you are walking down the aisle all eyes are on you - including your photographer’s. With your photographer concentrated on you that look may be gone by the time he/she turns to capture it. A first look session allows your photographer to concentrate on both of your reactions.

 This is a fantastic way to allow you and your groom to have a private moment together before your crazy wedding day begins.

Here's to a Bubbly wedding exit..

You’re leaving the church and you gave your bridal party and guests those little bottles of bubbles to blow as you’re whisked away in our chariot. It like a glistening wonderland of bubbles! You’ve pinned this moment on Pinterest and you just can’t wait to see what your photos look like. So you get your photos from your photographer and there are very few to little bubbles visible. What happened? You remember all of the bubbles surrounding you.

Well, from a photographer’s perspective, the issue is pretty simple - it’s the size of your bubbles. When you purchased those little bottles of bubbles you may not realize how tiny those bubbles really are. So even though your eyes could see every bubble in the moment the camera can’t.

But you really want to have bubbles, how do you get that effect? The answer is as simple as the problem, get bigger bubbles. Well, as a budget conscience bride that’s right where your mind goes to the bottom line. No one wants to waste money on little unnecessary novelties and trinkets. So bubbles, are they worth the money or should you nix it? Well let’s do some math.

If you have 150 guests and you decide to go with the inexpensive bottles of larger bubbles at $1.10 each that’s $165.00. The tiny bubbles will cost you $5.00 for 50 bottles or for 150 guests that’s only $15 so that’s reasonable so I understand why you would choose the tiny bottles. So we go back to the original question, how can we get the photo you want without blowing the budget on bubbles?  

Give your bridal party the big bubbles, five bridesmaids + five groomsmen = $11.00. Your bridal party is your wedding day gang. They will be the closest people to you during most of the evening so spend a little bit of money and get the big bubbles for just them. You’re not breaking the bank but you can still get the shoots you pinned on Pinterest.

I know I stress this point a lot but it really is that important, talk to your photographer about your plans. They may have to make adjustments to get the shot right for you.

Keep in mind the same concept applies to confetti, streamers, and flower petals. If they are too small you may not see them in your photos. These are important details you need to tell your photographer. Run your ideas by your photographer - they may be able to share tips that will help you make your photos into the bubblicious photos of your dreams!

Justin Duff

Other end of the lens

What to wear for your engagement photos!!

 

“What am I going to wear!?!” You’re getting ready for your engagement photos and you start to freak out. Many future brides are not only deciding their own outfit but their groom’s as well. Have no fear we are here with helpful tips on what to wear… or what not to wear.

Matching or contrasting? Matching can mean matching your future spouse or your environment. Contrasting is (obviously) the opposite. From a photographer perspective it’s the base of the photos and an important decision you and your future hubby need to decide.

Matching your fiancée:

I give you some words of caution when choosing to match. Don’t end up on the awkward family photos list this year, strive for the best dressed. Yes, I agree, there are some couples that are genuinely really goofy and want cheesy photo and that’s completely fine. Cheesy is wearing ugly Christmas sweaters or wearing the same exact khaki pants and red shirt… awwwwkward. Think before you buy matching outfits, is this going to be an engagement shoot or do you both just work at Target? Just trying to help you put it in perspective! As a photographer though I say - let your personality shine!

But in my experience, the majority of engaged couples don’t wear ugly Christmas sweaters. If you really want to ‘match’ your fiancée (I’m using this loosely of course) try building one cohesive outfit instead of two individual outfits. Think in same color palette, just not the exact same thing so you don’t look like Target employees, does that make sense?! Ok so I guess there is one major exception to this rule. It’s pretty safe to say that almost every woman will look good in a little black dress standing next to a man in a black suit.

Matching your location or surroundings too closely:

Too much matching - You almost never want to match your environment.  For example, you want decide you want to do an outdoor wintertime shoot. All the beautiful white snow makes it look like a winter wonderland. DON’T wear your new full length beautiful white peacoat, why you ask? From the other end of the lens, you end up looking like you have a floating head and a couple random hands and twig legs.

As we know, there are always exceptions. For an outdoor springtime shoot it is ok to wear colors that match flowers just make sure there is enough green foliage to contrast you and your clothing. This brings us to contrasting.

Contrasting your fiancée: 

What do you mean contrasting your fiancée? Well, you can contrast your fiancé, your environment or surroundings or both! Contrasting is typically a good thing, but there is such thing as too much of a ‘good thing’. For example, wearing your same white peacoat, if you are wearing a white coat and standing against a dark background your coat will become so beamingly white and it may distract the eye from your photograph. The same if true if you are standing with someone wearing very dark clothing keep in mind you don’t want too much distraction to the eye. Wearing shades (not colors) that are close to your surroundings and your fiancée is much easier on the eye and helps your photographer capture the best of side of you and your future hubby. Contrast doesn’t always have to mean dark and light though.

The Blend:

There is a way to blend contrasting and matching to get what you had in mind. You typically see this best displayed with sports jerseys. One person will wear the home jersey and the other the away jersey. You could also get creative with styles having a beautiful girl paired with a guy with a more rugged appearance. A beauty and the beast if you follow…

One final thing to think about is wearing complimentary colors like a red shirt while sitting on the green grass or a navy blue sweater against a brick wall. They are opposite on the color wheel but complimentary at the same time. It’s ok to stand out, just do it in a tasteful way! Just communicate with your photographer, that’s the best way to get what you want out of your session.

Wardrobe Changes:

The next question you may have is “should I change my clothes”? Most photographers don’t mind if you change your outfit during a session.  It’s actually great because it gives you variety and gives a different feel to some of your photos almost, like it were multiple engagement sessions.

When you’re choosing your location think about where you may (or may not) be able to change your clothes. You may not have a changing room available but ask your photographer if they have a portable changing room. Believe it or not some photographers have a portable changing room, it’s not glamorous but it’s still somewhere you can change.  

Don’t forget about Mother Nature, she may have a lot to do with your clothing choices. If it is going to be chilly you definitely want to choose someplace with a public restroom nearby. If you don’t have access to change somewhere indoors or your photographer doesn’t have a portable changing space, I recommend wearing a thin white tighter fitting tank top and white spandex shorts so you can change in a discrete area without feeling too uncomfortable.

Let’s also talk about shoes. It is very important to wear proper shoes. By proper, I don’t mean necessarily matching your outfit. Don’t go hiking in your heels ladies. If you’re taking pictures in the mountains, a photograph isn’t worth a broken ankle, I promise. Carry your matching strappy shoes and wait to put them on when you get to your location so you don’t hurt yourself please. If it has been raining and the grass is wet, your heels WILL get stuck, I’m a guy and I know this. Try to wear flat shoes or at least have them as a back up to heels just in case. Wearing open toed shoes in the snow, another example please don’t risk frostbitten toes for photographs. Be reasonable ladies.

Really short skirts or dresses: now most of the time this is not an issue, but there may be a photo of you sitting down and the photographer may get an accidental up-the-dress shot that’s so minor that you or your photographer may look over it but it can happen. What if you accidentally posted it online and before you know it you’re going viral. I recommend crossing your ankles, not only does it make a pretty pose but it also helps prevent potentially embarrassing photographs.

So in general ladies, be smart, bring proper clothing for the weather and temperature. Even if it is just a jacket to wear as you travel location to location. Again, no one wants you ill or hurt during your engagement session.

Just remember that no matter how you choose to dress your fianceé chose you and showing your happiness is the best part of your ensemble.

Justin Duff

Other End Of The Lens

What is a composite?

Believe it or not you’ve seen composites before. Many people just don’t know they have seen a composite or know what it really is. All you have to do is open a newspaper or magazine. Composites are everywhere and they come in all different forms: advertisements, magazine covers, posters, billboards, etc.

So what exactly is a composite? Simply put, it’s merging together multiple photographs in to one final photograph (or composite). Have you ever cut out a photo of your head and put it on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body? Or turned your son into the karate kid? You created a composite. Yes, most people can look at it and know it is not real but with modern digital photography, composites can make those very unreal photos into a very realistic possibility.

Many times Art Directors or Marketing Firms will send out different photographers to take photographs of models, landscapes, food, etc. Well, many of these photos aren’t even taken on the same day! One could be taken on Monday, a different photographer could take a different picture on Wednesday, and then the final product is assembled on Friday.

No, we get it, you’re not an Art Director so who cares? Well, how about those earlier thoughts of having Schwarzenegger arms? With some swift Photoshop skills and an experienced photographer you can make Schwarzeneggar arms actually happen. It’s a blend of photography, some graphic design work and your ideas and the possibilities become endless. I’m here to tell you yes, you CAN be a Jedi Knight, a wizard from Harry Potter, or even fly like Superman.

Composites open up a world of possibilities - perhaps you have your own unique ideas? Let’s turn your engagement photo into a playful battle as samurais, or turn your family portrait into a family of angry birds. You can make your composite as unique as you are and all you have to do is open up your imagination and the sky’s the limit!