Is a Tripod Necessary for Wedding Photographers?

It doesn't take much more than a blurry photo, for photographers to realise that this outcome is far from ideal. The traditional method of keeping the camera still has involved the use of a tripod, a cumbersome three-legged contraption weighing more than the camera, lens and flash combined. Innovation has all but done away with the tripod, much to the joy of wedding photographers. Techniques for steadying the camera during wedding photography vary as much as the photographers themselves. Here are some of the popular options wedding photographers choose, to replace the tripod.

A popular alternative to the tripod, is the ubiquitous monopod. It has one leg, and can be fitted with any of the camera support systems available for tripods. Monopods offer a number of advantages. They are very light. Some weigh less than a zoom lens. Titanium or carbon fibre monopods weigh just 300 grams. Saving weight by using a lighter camera support means that wedding photographers can be more agile during shooting. They are able to change vantage points quicker, and respond to photo opportunities sooner, because their equipment weight does not slow them down.

There are some limitations with monopods.

The support of one leg is not as stable as a tripod. Wedding photographers who use a monopod should anticipate their shots very carefully, and try to time low-light image capture for moments when the subject is as still as possible. If the camera shutter calls for a speed slower than 1/30th of a second, subject movement can blur the picture just as easily as not having a proper camera support system in place.

If the photographer has no camera support whatsoever, and there is an unexpected drop in light level, all is not lost. Many churches and chapels have columns throughout the interior which can be used to steady the camera during shooting. Simply rest the lens of the camera against the column and squeeze the shutter gently. If there are no columns available, a pew or chair can be used as a makeshift camera support.

Photographers who resort to shooting without a tripod need to be mindful of movement. Camera movement produces blur, and subject movement produces blur. If a higher ISO setting is selected, the camera calls for a faster shutter speed. The same is true if a wider lens aperture is selected. Use a high ISO and shoot with the lens set at maximum aperture, and you'll be doing everything possible to produce images with no signs of movement.

There is a growing trend among wedding photographers to shoot without using a tripod, and with high ISO images showing less noise, this trend is set to continue.

The tripod has seen its day. Wedding photographers are embracing lightweight, mobile camera equipment that encourages a more responsive style of photography. The clients are loving the images too.

Places You Will Love For Your Honolulu, Hawaii Wedding Photos

It should be made clear that there are many, many beautiful places in Honolulu to have wedding photos taken. This is not a definitive list by any means. You should also understand that the most important thing about your wedding photos isn't that you hit the Most Popular backdrops. The primary goal should be that your wedding photos fit your personality and your desires for your Special Day.

That said, here are a few sites that might give you some ideas if you're looking to do some out and about photo taking as part of your Honolulu, Hawaii wedding -

1. Waikiki Beach - The beaches in Waikiki are criss-crossed every day by newly married couples. The beach here is justly famous for its beauty and the curve of the sand that goes into Diamond Head one way and beautiful hotels the other, provides a stunning backdrop no matter which direction you go.

Plus it's easily accessed at a time when you don't want to trek to far in that beautiful dress. Lastly, it faces the perfect direction to capture that tropical beach sunset you just might want to have in your photo album.

2. Pali Lookout - A more unusual choice since the wind can blow pretty hard here at times. However, the view of the Windward Side of Oahu is unbeatable. You look down at a huge expanse of green land and blue ocean that's a highlight for any visit to Honolulu, whether you're there for a wedding or not.

3. Ali'iolani Hale - This beautiful building was built in the 1870's and was originally the seat of the Hawaiian Government. It's a stunning example of Renaissance revival architecture and is one of the most recognizable buildings in the Islands.

You might also want to have your picture in front of the even more famous statue of King Kamehameha that stands in front. Clothed in gold native Hawaiian garb, King Kamehameha stands with his arm outstretched welcoming all. A great touch for your photos that truly says 'Hawaii'.

4. Magic Island - This piece of land juts out into the ocean to serve as the eastern border of Ala Moana Beach. What it offers is not only a beautiful backdrop of ocean and sand, but also a clear view of Diamond Head standing proudly in the distance. There are also boats sailing by all the time as they go in and out of the Ala Wai Docks.

In other words, plenty of great potential for pictures with interesting backdrops and elements. What more could you want?

As we said, this is just a taste of the stunning views and settings for your wedding photography. What matters most is that you get pictures you're happy with and that truly capture who you are together. That is what goes into a successful wedding photo shoot in Honolulu or anywhere else.

What is a Wedding Story Book?

If you are looking at different ways to showcase your wedding photographs you may have come across the term wedding story book when you've searched online and wondered what they are. Fads come and go in weddings, but this relatively new phenomenon looks set to stay. Wedding story books are becoming increasingly popular with couples looking at a more contemporary way of creating a wedding album.

A wedding story book is exactly what it says - a book rather than an album. Instead of having prints created of your wedding photographs and then stuck into loose-leaf binders, your photographs are digitally produced in books, with the flexibility to incorporate interesting and unusual design layouts and backgrounds.

Wedding story books came about with the revolution in digital publishing and have become incredibly popular with professional wedding photographers who want to create something with a little more artistic content than a traditional album can offer.

Nearly all wedding photographers now shoot on digital format and can create a high-resolution disk, which they may offer you as part of your wedding package. The great thing about this is you can have more control about how you use your photographs and, should you wish, you can create your own wedding story book with one of the many online book publishers offering a photo book service.

You need to shop around to look at the style of books these online publishers produce. Some products are purely photo books; others offer you the option of adding text to your photos, which may be worth the extra effort. Details fade with memory, but not when your wedding storybook includes a narrative flowing beautifully through the images. You will be able to look back in years to come and relive your special day again and again. A written story, to accompany your photographs, is a great way to ensure that those memories never fade and your wedding storybook is just that, a lasting book about your wedding.

What is a TFP Photo Session Or How to Get Awesome Free Photos

TFP, it means Time For Prints. Before the digital photography revolution it really was the photographer trading his time with a model in exchange for prints. These days the trading is for files on a CD or DVD.

This practice was started as an agreement between beginning photographers and models. The models wants to build their portfolio and so does the photographer and since neither could afford to hire an experienced photographer or model a deal was agreed on where the model would trade her time for the photographers skills.

Many times a MUA or make up artist would get involved and donate their skills in exchange for files too.

In the last few years there has been an explosion of this concept. There are now many websites that cater to photographers, models, MUA's. These sites have also attracted agents and talent agencies and have developed in large communities with tens of thousand of participants.

I am often asked "How do I get a job modeling" by those just starting out. Well, I explain there really is no such profession as "modeling" its really advertising. You are an element, a part of the scene that is created in order to sell a product.

Being a model does not mean you have to be drop dead gorgeous. Look in any magazine and you will see that most of the people are more or less ordinary looking. They get the job because they have a look that the art director was looking for.

So can you expect to get work from doing TFP and joining an online forum? Maybe, in many ways modeling
is like acting and there are a lot of out of work actors. What many people do is TFP for fun. It really is a blast and if you like having photos of yourself you will get some amazing shots that you would otherwise never get. These are not the kind of shots you will get at sears.

The real people who benefit from TFP session are the beginning photographers, they are getting access to beautiful people that they could never afford to pay for. There are a lot of people calling themselves photographers these days that are producing very poor work,and there are a lot of real good photographers to. Yes I know art is in the eye of the beholder and all of that but once you get involved and see what others are doing I think you will agree.

A word of caution! There are a lot of weirdos out there. NEVER go to a shoot by yourself. Check the person out by looking at their profile and messaging other that have shot with the person.

Don't get scammed. If you are approached by an agency that tells you that you have a lot of potential and then asks you to pay for classes or photo sessions with their exclusive photographer then you are most likely being taken. If you have what an agency can sell they will market you and take a percent of what the job pays.

By the way, there are many amazing photographers and world class models on these sites. You can see a wide range of talent.

Here are two good site that will give you a good idea of the world of TFP modeling.

http://www.modelmayhem.com/
http://www.onemodelplace.com/

You can join both of these sites for free and get a small portfolio page.

I do have profile on both of these sites but I am not connected with them in any other way.

Wedding Photography: Tops Tips for the Best Wedding Photograph Composition

Hire a wedding photographer on your wedding day if you want to capture that memorable moment in your life. Your photographer can also advise you how to pose pleasingly and attractively. Therefore, an array of good poses should be suggested to the bride and groom to produce the best pictures. Composition is important in photography.

For many hobbyists, photography has evolved into a rewarding business because today, brides and bridegrooms are willing to pay just to have their wedding pictures perfectly taken. Wedding photo specialists will stay in business because weddings happen so often nowadays. Time-honoured occasions like weddings need to have some professional wedding photographer to immortalize the images as the memorable moments happen.

Some people say there are no rules in photography but your photographer should know better than them. Your photographer would surely know that photographic composition must be applied to any scene. Therefore, you must hire an experienced wedding photographer. Visual impact makes a picture memorable and it involves composing the image in the camera to make a natural balance of the images. Your pictures must draw attention and lead the viewer's eye to the photograph. Wedding compositions, just like in any other photographs, are planned and thought off. One of the composition tips is the rule of thirds which positions the most central elements in your scene along the lines intersecting 1/3 of the frame, vertically or horizontally. The best photograph compositions depend on the skill of the photographer and the cooperation of the bride and groom.

Balancing elements would make a fascinating photo or leading lines towards the couple that may produce a great picture. Photographers at weddings may use symmetry and patterns to catch the viewer's eye. At a certain viewpoint, the wedding photographer may shoot from high above, or below at ground level or from any angle side, back, close up or use a telephoto lens to get the desired portrait. Also, the key to perfect wedding images are the background, depth-of-field, framing say for example with archways and plants, and cropping to remove what is not needed in the picture.

Wedding photographers are good in experimentation because of their vast experience in the profession. In addition, digital cameras have given the wedding photographer the flexibility to experiment, unlike before when expensive films were being used. So trust your wedding photographer to do the job for you on your wedding day.

Valuable Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Wedding Photographer

One of the most important decisions for couples who are interested in preserving the memorable moments of their wedding day is to hire a professional wedding photographer.

But it is quite typical for the bride and groom to prioritize about all other things except who will be their official wedding photographer. Everything else comes first, the dress and tux, the bouquet, the reception. It is at their bottom of the list who will be in charged of the photography.

Most couples believe that they can just choose any photographer to record the ceremony and have their pictures done. A big mistake is when the groom and bride ask a member of their family or a friend to be their wedding photographer. It may work at times but it may not be a wise decision. There are many reasons why couples should think about acquiring expert wedding photography providers. Factors such as professionalism, their ability to provide different photography solutions and experience are simply some important reasons for considering hiring the services of a professional wedding practitioner.

One of the many benefits of hiring a professional is professionalism. Needless to say, professionalism do come at a price. The cost of wedding is on the rise and have become very expensive. In some cases, couples decide to reduce costs by keeping away from using professional services like for their wedding photography. The bride and the groom would like to believe that their friends and family members can take care of the photography on their wedding day at the hope of saving money from hiring someone who is a professional wedding services provider. Even if this appears to be an affordable solution, the result may not always be what is expected. Hiring a professional wedding photographer means top quality service. They come prepared to take photos all throughout your wedding. It is usually hard to expect the same level of professionalism from your friends and family. Your family and friends have a lot of personal connection to the wedding for them to efficiently take the photographs they are supposed to do. A highly qualified wedding photographer is focused on the job which results in better pictures done in a professional manner.

An additional advantage associated with hiring a professional is track record which can be verifiable and proven. Most if not all wedding photographers have their works preserved and well documented which shows their capability of providing excellent photography services for different types of occasions. Numerous photographers now have their portfolio or proof of work online aside from the traditional physical albums showing their best photos. This permits the wedding couple to have a better understanding of how capable a wedding photographer is. Moreover, several wedding photographers can even show memberships in their local photography clubs which offers a way to even further verify the wedding photographer's qualifications. Past clients can also be a source of verifiable testimonials. These testimonials can help wedding couples make an informed decision about which wedding photographer can best preserve the memories of their wedding day.

Finally, professional wedding service providers can offer couples various photography solutions in preserving the memories from their wedding. Wedding couples can select from a wide variety of wedding packages. From traditional photo albums to the more advanced digital platforms such as photos on CD or DVD, slide shows and wedding photo galleries that can be viewed online. An excellent way to show your wedding pictures to your friends and family.

Obtaining high quality wedding photography services from a professional wedding photographer should be on the top of the list of wedding couples who are thinking of preserving all those memorable moments of their wedding. These benefits include professional service, experience and ability to create different wedding packages that will suit a wedding couple's own preferences.

Naked Wedding

In Chinese culture, a wedding usually consists of a registration of the wedding at a local counsel for a formal and law biding ceremony. Then afterwards, it will follow with a traditional ceremony which usually involve the two families and a wedding diner.

There are the differences between Chinese and western culture for the tie the knot ceremony. Most of the time, the ceremony itself will cost lot of money and has become a burden for a young couple nowadays in this modern world. Wedding dress, wedding diner, honeymoon vacation, wedding photo and all the preparation, all needed money and the amount usually is not small.

Naked wedding has become a trend and it does not mean not wearing anything for your big day. Naked wedding simply means the wedding you are having is as simple as registration only. There was no wedding dresses, ceremony or wedding photo. It is just plain commitment that a couple makes towards their love.

It has become more popular nowadays and can see the drastic changes especially in the Chinese culture as more and more people are doing it. This is unacceptable in the Chinese society in the past but time has change people and thinking. When couples decide to live together, housing is a must. So, there must be a budget for it and usually they will put the house in priority and I certainly agree with it.

There is the term naked wedding transform from; a simple wedding. Do you agree with this new revolution of wedding? Anyhow, I do still think of a simple corset wedding dress is a must. A few snap shots of photo for yourselves in the wedding dress is not too much to ask for and is a memorable experience.

One Gift Idea for Your First Wedding Anniversary

A wedding anniversary is the annual celebration that occurs on the day and month of subsequent years to the wedding ritual. The first anniversary is a very important one because this milestone is your first opportunity to commemorate and reminisce your first full year together as husband and wife. My wife and I recently experienced the joy of celebrating our first wedding anniversary. I have heard the saying "The first year is the hardest." I believe this adage to be related to experiences, as for me I feel this was one of the best years of my life. Needless to say, I wanted our first wedding anniversary to be a memorable event. After much thought many search queries and agonizing greatly over gift choices I am sure the gift I gave my beloved wife will be cherished forever.

For each year anniversary there is a specific material and gift type to be associated with the particular wedding anniversary you are celebrating. One of the first things you need to decide when gift shopping is whether you will be buying from a traditional or modern list of possibilities. In general, there are two types of gifts associated with each anniversary - a traditional gift and a modern gift. This is often a somewhat simple decision to make and all it really takes is to know your significant others preferences.

One Year Wedding Anniversary:

Traditional Gift (Paper) / Modern Gift (Clocks)

For me this part of the decision process was easy, and somewhat predetermined because I felt that we already had enough clocks in the house, so a traditional gift paper it was. Now the decision process begins to get a bit more involved. The possibilities for gifts of paper are practically unlimited, from paper flowers to plane tickets and everything in between. The challenge here is to give the most wonderful and thoughtful gift you can out of such an elementary material, it's your imagination and creativity that transform something as simple as paper into something to be cherished. With so many gift possibilities to choose from it can be difficult to decide which choice to make. If you are having trouble selecting a great gift for your anniversary the internet can be a valuable source yet confusing at the same time with all the great gift ideas presented to you. This is where creativity and knowledge of you spouses preferences lead the way. As I thought back over the first year of marriage that's when my gift idea occurred to me and it was right in front of me the whole time. It occurred to me the moments that always made her smile and how when friends and family visit usually the first item grabbed was the photo album from our wedding day. During those moments she and the girls could talk for hours over those photos.

Sticking with the theme of paper for my choice in gifts, I decided to have two of our favorite wedding photos transferred to a canvas print; this gift was an absolute winner. The process was quiet simple and there are many online art and poster sites to accommodate this, easily found with search engine query "photos to canvas", the hardest part was deciding on the frames. Here are a few points to remember for a quality end product when transferring photos to canvas.

• For the canvas print use photos taken with higher resolution for best results, the higher the resolution the larger the print can be.


• Size canvas prints accordingly, the ideal viewing distance for artwork is approximately twice the diagonal of the frame size.


• Typically larger prints work better when displayed in a large wall space and a smaller print works best on smaller narrower walls.


• If using black and white photos go with black frame and white mat for stronger contrast.

The canvas print turned out magnificent and she has prominently displayed them in the most viewable part of the home. Of course this gift was accompanied by the traditional bouquet of carnation flowers and heartfelt card, also made of paper, but the most cherished was definitely the wedding photos transferred to canvas print, she absolutely loved them. Knowing the simple things that make your beloved smile the most goes along way in gift giving. Paper is such a simple material yet has such a diverse range of possibilities. For my first anniversary I went with a simple subtle approach and have had no second thoughts. Hope this article helps someone with an approaching first anniversary, but whatever gift you decide congratulations on making your first milestone together.

Four Fantastic 70th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Wedding anniversaries are nice to celebrate. Some years are more momentous than others - but I think that we can all agree that a 70th wedding anniversary is quite the anniversary celebration. If you are privileged enough to know a couple about to commemorate this anniversary you will know that it can be hard to figure out what kind of gift to get them.

To celebrate 70 years of marriage would be a miracle and a feat. Choose something that celebrates that 70-journey and all the fruit of it. Enlist all the descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandkids, cousins, etc) to submit memories, photographs, drawings, newspaper headlines on scrapbook paper and I would compile a "This Is Your Life" type of memory book for the couple. Also give them a DVD, a retrospective on their life before and throughout their marriage with family members speaking of and to them. A gift like this acknowledges the anniversary couple respectfully.

A great 70th wedding anniversary gift for a couple is a photo or story quilt designed and sewn by a family member. The quilt could represent the highlights of the couples achievements and memories. Have a few favorite photos or appliqued symbols to represent them. Using pieces of favorite old and outgrown items of clothing that contain special memories will add a nice personal touch.

A special gift for a special couple. Try to find one of these: Pictures now that from a certain angle change to another picture. It would be neat to have the couples original wedding picture and then what they look like today. What a keepsake! Your gift should be memorable item, something that shows how uncommon a 70 year anniversary is.

Getting together the family for a dinner would make a nice 70 year anniversary present. Somebody from the family will prepare a video with the history of the family included the sad and the happy moments. At the end of the video saying does not matter how hard or how easy the life have been, whats really matter is that the couple have been together for 70 years and will be until the end.

These ideas for 70th wedding anniversary gifts are only the beginning. Try to think of some yourself to trying pay tribute to the couple celebrating 70 years of marriage.

Different Ideas for Photo Wedding Thank You Cards

After a grand wedding, all will agree that the most interesting part of the wedding is the gifts that you receive from the guests. The excitement soon starts to go down when it comes to writing thank you cards. In this article we will talk about some handy tips that will make writing photo wedding thank you cards fun.

Personalization is the key to making fabulous thank you cards. First of all you can begin with browsing the online stores for the cards of your choice. There are many options available to you when it comes to selecting the theme, layout or background color of the cards. Once you have finalized on the designs, upload the photo of your choice and you are ready to send these off to the guests.

Secondly have your wedding photographer take some shots of you and your spouse holding thank you sign boards so that it becomes easier for you to print them onto your thank you cards. Another great idea would be to have the photographers take photo of you and the guests at their table so that each guest feels special.

The more personal your thank you cards are the more they will stay in the minds of the guests. Magnets these days are gaining a lot of popularity since they can be placed on shelves, drawers, refrigerators and leave the guests with nostalgic feelings about your wedding. You can even add different borders or frames to the thank you cards.

Thank you cards will definitely not be complete without any words or appreciation from your side. The wordings for your photo wedding thank you cards need to be kept precise and to the point. The cards should reflect the theme or style of your wedding. Ensure that the notes inside the thank you cards are handwritten and not fill in the blanks or in pre printed format.

Many might wonder who should exactly write the thank you notes. These cards can be written by both the bride and the groom. A better idea would be to share the task since the gifts were offered for both of you. You can even take the assistance of your relatives or friends if your guest list is too long. Once the task of writing the thank you cards with photo is over, you can treat yourselves to a nice dinner at your favorite restaurant.

Different gifts demand different messages to be written onto the cards. In case of monetary gifts ensure that you acknowledge the amount received and how well you plan to use it in buying new furniture, cupboards or anything specific. You might also not want to forget the guests who sent the gifts but could not make it to your wedding.

In short we can conclude that photo wedding thank you cards are a great way to strengthen the bonds with your near and dear ones. These cards must be sent at least 3 - 4 weeks after your wedding since this is considered an appropriate etiquette.

Update Your Old Wedding Photographs

Wedding photographs and wedding photo albums can become damaged even when looked after properly and cared for over the years. Light and other natural conditions can cause the pictures to fade and discolour while even occasional leafing through an album can lead to torn, frayed, and creased pictures. However, that doesn't mean that you should avoid looking through your wedding photographs - after all, that's what they're printed for; to be enjoyed time and time again. With personalised photo albums and photo books you can update your existing wedding photo album or create a new one.

An Updated Photo Album

The modern photo album is, generally speaking, more robust than its earlier counterpart. You do still need to add the photographs yourself by using the supplied backing but the pages and the cover are far more resilient. What's more, a personalised wedding photo album can be completely customised to include a favourite photograph on the cover as well as a text caption such as your names and the date of your wedding.

Filling Your Own Album

A lot of people still enjoy the process of filling their own photo albums, and customised wedding photo albums allow for this to take place while also offering a professional finish and a durable quality. Regardless of whether you got married one or twenty years ago, if your wedding album is due for an update or if you have a collection of photographs that never made it to the album then now is the perfect time to order a new one and get adding your pictures.

A Customised Photo Book

A photo book is a great alternative to the photo album. Pictures are printed directly onto both sides of the personalised photo book and, dimensions allowing, are printed with no border or frames on the pages. The glossy finish makes the pictures look even better while the provided display or storage box or tin allows you to keep the pages in superb condition. You can still take your personalised photo book out to relive the memories but without fear that doing so will cause irreparable damage to the book or the pictures.

Using Paper Prints

You don't have to have digital copies of your pictures in order to have a photo book created. A good photo service can work with paper prints, carefully scan them, and then return the pictures back to you with the completed book. Alternatively, if you would rather not risk posting the pictures then you can scan them yourself and send the digital file to the company who will again print your customised photo book and return it to you.

Ideal As Anniversary Gifts

A photo album or photo book is a great way to store memories from the happiest day of your life. Other items like the photo canvas can be used to create incredible looking display items and pieces of wall art using one or more of your favourite photos; whatever option you decide on, this can be an ideal way to update your own wedding photographs or to give somebody else as a personalised anniversary gift.

Bridal Boudoir Photography As a Wedding Present

Wedding Present Ideas

Bridal Boudoir Photography as a wedding present.

Boudoir photography is a growing trend and more and more women of all shapes and sizes are having these photo shoots. Bridal boudoir photography makes a truly unique wedding present and one of the best times to go for a photo shoot is a few weeks before your wedding day. You can then have the photos printed in a display box or made into an album. This left with a cheeky note to your husband to be saying "Meet me at the altar" will make the best present he is ever likely to get.

So what exactly is Boudoir?

Boudoir photography is more than just showing flesh, it is the art of flirtation through photography. And like many other art forms it allows the viewer to explore the unknown, use their imagination and leave them wanting more. It must not be confused with Glamour and certainly is not pornographic! Your photographer should be an expert in the use of props, lighting and positioning to get the most from your body and accentuate your best features.

What can I expect from the photo shoot?

All photographers conduct their photo shoots differently. They may range in timescale from maybe 1 hour to half a day. It really does depend on who you've booked. My advice would be to chat to the photographer either over the phone or in person before booking the shoot. You will then get a feel for how it will all go and importantly how relaxed you feel and how well you will get on with your photographer. A typical photo shoot at my studio will start with a cup of tea or even a glass of fizz together with chat to go over some ideas and themes for the shoot. You will then spend about an hour or so with Laura, my hair and makeup artist, who will completely transform you. The photo shoot itself should take between 1 and 2 hours using a number of outfit changes, props, furniture and backgrounds. You can then go home still looking stunning with your hair and makeup done or hit the town with your girlfriends. A couple of weeks later after the photo's have been fully edited, you will return to the studio to view your pictures to decide which ones you want and which products you may want to use to display your photographs.

Choosing the best photographer.

This can be a big decision and you want to get it right because as this is for a wedding present you only really have one chance. I would firstly consider if you are happy with either a male or female photographer because this could rule out half of the options straight away. Most importantly you should look at the photographer's website. This will give you examples of their style of boudoir photography, their props and backdrops and also their hair and makeup.

Tips for More Relaxed Wedding Photography Poses

We've all seen those stereotypical wedding photography poses a thousand times. After the ceremony, all the guests line up in different groups and have their picture taken. With a professional in charge, a scenic background is selected, and flattering lighting is ensured. Given all the different aspects the photographer has to think about, it's no easy task. They've got their mind on the technical, creative and social considerations, all at the same time. It's not as if there's no pressure either. Time is limited, and the outcome is crucial. It's a job for the true professional, and nerves of steel are needed. You certainly don't want to make it more complicated, but those standard line-ups of people always look so stiff. If you want to make your wedding photographs a little bit different, here are a couple of things to think about.

There are two main aspects to wedding photography, the formal and the informal. We'll talk about the formal photographs first. The key to this is planning. It's worth spending some time with your photographer beforehand to work things out, and maybe involve some other suppliers too. Decide on a location for the formal groups, that'll give the photographer a big advantage. To stop people from standing stiffly in a row, they're going to need help. To enhance their poses, give them something to work with. You might want to consider building a little stage area with some props. There's no stock solution to this, but a couple of chairs and a sofa are a good starting point. You can hire these for the day, so you can choose something as opulent as you like. Having people both standing and sitting beaks up the line, and it puts everyone in a more relaxed mood. Their poses will naturally reflect this, and it lends the photographer more scope to work with when they're giving direction. Another thing to consider is laying on some refreshments, and maybe some entertainment. A drink and a bite to eat will give the waiting guests something to do, and a small musical ensemble or some jugglers will help create a party atmosphere. This might not affect the photographs directly, but it will make people more relaxed, and a smile will come more naturally. It'll also buy you more time, so you can work on those poses and make sure everyone looks glamorous.

For the informal aspect, brief your wedding photographer to go looking for spontaneous photo opportunities. This could be happening at the same time as the formal groups, in which case you'll need a second photographer, but it's a worthwhile investment. Often, these are the most memorable images. They can be candid, or partly set up. The aim is to capture people at their most relaxed, posing as it comes most naturally to them, and distracted by the joy of the occasion. It might sound like an easier job, but it requires just as much skill. It's another task for the professional.

By achieving more relaxed wedding photography poses, you'll make sure your day looks quite different from your Granny's. Future generations will appreciate your efforts too, as they look at your pictures and feel some of the happiness of the moment. The key is to work with your photographer, and let them know what you want. They'll be only too happy to help.

Print Yearly Calendar Designs Using Digital Photos

Making The Most Of Your Digital Photo Collection

Digital cameras have completely changed the face of home photography. Gone are the days of being limited to the taking of a couple of dozen pictures, and gone too are the days of having to have a film developed before you can use the pictures. Digital cameras enable us to take and keep hundreds of photos and because they also enable us the opportunity to instantly view resulting pictures it means that we can get rid of those we don't like and replace them with better quality, better looking pictures.

Print Yearly Calendar Designs Using Any Pictures

There are many ways to benefit from the surge in digital photography and one such way is to use your photos in order to personalise any of a wide range of different photo gifts or personalised items. You can even print a yearly calendar using family photos, holiday photos, or pictures of yourself. In fact, whatever your taste in photo you can use your pictures in order to print the best looking yearly calendar.

Individual Photos - Use photos of yourself to create a personal picture calendar, or use pictures of somebody else in order to print a yearly calendar as a beautiful and highly unique gift idea. When cropping individual photos try to ensure that you use a landscape shaped crop because pictures are shrunk to fit the calendar dimensions and portrait style pictures will be printed with a small white border around them.

Family Photos - Group family photos or a series of individual family member photos can also be combined in a single, beautiful photo calendar design. In fact, with the opportunity to add 13 of your favourite family photos you can easily combine group shots and individual portrait shots for incredible results.

Holiday Photos - Holiday photos are perhaps the biggest gain, in terms of the number of pictures we are now able to take. You don't need to stock up on film before you go away and with most memory cards being able to store hundreds or even thousands of pictures there's every opportunity of finding 13 photos from your last holiday alone.

Wedding Pictures - Weddings are a very special day and a very special and memorable time in a couple's life. Use your own wedding pictures to help you remember every minute of the day, or use the opportunity to scan and update old paper print wedding pictures to create a beautiful reminder of the happiest day of your life. You can also create wedding calendars or anniversary calendars using wedding photos as gifts for other people - all you need are the appropriate photos.

Top 10 Wedding Photography Myths: Wedding Photographers and Brides, Oh My!

You might be getting married (congrats, by the way) and trying to decide whether or not to even hire a wedding photographer. You might be trying to decide now on which photography professional to choose for your wedding day. You might be a wedding photographer, trying to understand the delicate and confounding psyche of those who engage in wedding planning.

Whoever you are, for your reading pleasure, check out the top 10 myths of wedding photography as relayed by a photographer who still loves taking pictures. These are broken in to three categories: a. Myths about not hiring a professional at all; b. Myths about the selection process; and c. Myths about how the photography should be done.

CATEGORY A: I don't need/want a wedding photographer because:

1. My cousin's roommate from college just got the new Canon 999D and a plethora of 'L ' professional series lenses; it will be great (and, did I mention, FREE!).

Is it impossible to find a good free photographer? No. Is it likely? No. Is it a good idea? Almost never. But hey, it is your wedding day. You can chance it on the stranger who could very well be overly intrigued by the bridesmaid who has just a little bit too much to drink at the reception and starts to dance provocatively. That way, the bulk of your photos could be of her. Perfect, right? And free. In this situation, you can just point out to your kids, twenty years down the road, that the photographer did take these photos with really cutting edge technology, which is why you can see just so much detail of the lewd woman at your wedding with, how shall we say... 'perky' breasts. No, she isn't the bride, but doesn't she look like she is having fun?

2. Why would I get a photographer? Everybody and their dog has a camera (even cell phones pictures are creeping up in the 'megapixel' race). The snapshots from guests will suffice.

Yes, it is true to state that most of us now carry a camera on our body at all times (on our phone at the very least). Moreover, at a wedding, many if not most guests bring some type of additional camera to memorialize the event (particularly things that go wrong, if they don't like you; tears from the groom if they do). However, rigorous double blind studies have been done on the data stream to which we are referring, and they all show one thing. These pictures have a 99.9982% chance of sucking. Really badly. There might be one great photo of the bunch, of a dog at the end of the aisle that meant so much to Great Aunt Esther. It will be perfectly exposed, focused, and display Sparky with a beautiful stance using great composition.

3. Wedding photography is too expensive - why would I support an industry of so-called 'professionals' who really only work a few hours a week. I don't know whether to be angry or jealous.

You can be angry if you would like. You can even be jealous, since we have a job that (hopefully) we love, and take great pride in. If you think we work a few hours for a single wedding, you are fooling yourself. Those are the hours that you see us at the wedding; suffice it to say, many hours of preparation went in to that particular wedding, countless hours will proceed upon the end of wedding day in post-production. When done correctly, the work is extensive, fun, and pays decent.

CATEGORY B: I do need/want a wedding photographer, but the selection process should be limited:

4. I'll hire my photographer after all the other planning is done. I'll select the flowers, the venue, the dj or band, the bridesmaid dresses, the honeymoon hotel, and more. Then I'll think photography.

Of course you will wait till the last few months to hire a photographer. Why would you want a wedding professional like a great photographer to help you with smart referrals for all the other services you will be seeking? While a good photographer will have worked with a spectacular cake business in previous weddings and gladly suggest that you check them out, you can spend forty-seven hours pouring over brochures featuring batman shaped carrot cakes (a theme which will certainly to take off when new brides really stop and think about it). Really, though, consider this - waiting will only limit your choices. Photographers contract for specific dates. When your arch enemy plans her wedding on the same day as you (out of spite), she will also try to wrap up the services of the best photographer in town. Beat her to that photographer for years of bragging rights.

5. I don't want recommendations - why would I care what some other couple says about this photographer? I love her website; it is shiny, happy, and new. It makes me smile on the inside.

Classy websites abound among wedding photographers, for all of the obvious reasons. You are considering paying them money for an art, so the designs they use for marketing and information delivery, then, should be equally artistic. However, take a quick look at the photographers in your location, and I'll bet that you find one with an impressive website, with dramatic motion and animated vines growing out of the monitor and instant chat functionality with on demand videos... and other cool technological things I don't even know about. However, you may also find that this particular photographer has acceptable photographs, and nothing more. Then, I hope, you will realize that you deserve more than acceptable photography from a marketing guru who dabbles in photography.

6. I'm looking for a photographer who can take pictures - that is ALL. Give me the product, and then keep on your merry way, Mr. Camera Man.

Well, it is not the case that I am going to suggest you develop a relationship with your photographer that you would develop with, say, the groom. However, the talent or skill of taking good photographs really is only part of the package. A photographer ought to also be able to show up on time, dressed appropriately, converse with the guests, corral the wedding party, and so on. Otherwise, you will have the photographer who shows up at the wrong location, late, wearing her parka in the Florida summer because of her 'extreme anti-social' nature and a desire to photograph only the frogs near the wading pool. Again, the frog photos might be great. But you will have to reminisce about your wedding without any visual evidence to support the memories.

7. I want a photographer who does the latest post-processing fad, and proudly displays it. An absurdly heavy vignette with color spot and 'double exposure'? Groovy.

Some photographers, myself included, groan just a little bit on the inside when clients request a particular photographic fad that jeopardizes the timeless nature of photography. What we typically shoot for are photographs that will speak to the event itself, and not serve as an indication of the era. Granted, some of the content of the photo - the people and places photographed - will pick out clothing styles, automotive or architectural design, and the like. But the photography itself - the image - should fail to scream 'This happened in 1984 - no one superimposes a ghost-like image of the grooms head over the bride praying anymore.'

CATEGORY C: I've got a photographer, and here is what is going to happen:

8. I want ONLY [formal or candid] shots. Any shots other than [formal or candid] are stupid, make me cry, and give me stomach pain.

Use antacid and just stop it already! No, really. Virtually every wedding photography professional practices the craft in a way that utilizes the benefit of multiple 'styles' of wedding photography. Some photographers emphasize one over the other - mostly heavily posed fashion shots, say, with only a few candid shots from the ceremony and reception. However, understand that both styles, and so both sets of images, will tell the story of the day, whereas the absence of one of those sets would yield a collection that isn't as rich or descriptive.

As you select your photographer(s), you will take a look at the collection of photographs that he or she chooses to display prominently, and these will speak volumes about the style of photography that is most important to that person. However, it is perfectly reasonable to expect (dare I say, assume) a certain amount of variety in the final collection of images.

9. I've got a shot list. It is important to me. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Deviation from this list will result in a world of pain. To the photographer who dares to cross me.

Please understand, it is the opinion of this author that certain wedding planning resources overstate the rigid and unyielding nature of wedding planning, which can be far more organic and fun than you might otherwise believe. That is right, I just claimed that wedding planning can be fun. So that means that you don't need to hang your head in shame when you haven't selected the caterer by the 18th planning day when the moon is in decent. THERE AREN'T STRICT RULES ABOUT THIS STUFF.

Nor is there a strict rule about the beloved (alternatively: dreaded) shot list. Such a list can be quite useful in many situations, particularly when family members in attendance are especially important (for whatever reason) and certain shots are needed of them prior to, say, their imminent demise. (This happens to photographers, unfortunately, with some regularity. The groom will pull us aside midway through the reception, and mention the fact the we should really try to get some great shots of the brides father who "will not be with us much longer.")

For those that can't resist looking over typical shot lists, your best bet will be to print out one that you like, highlight a few that are especially important ('a few' in English means three or so; I didn't write 'highlight all of them'), and hand it to your photographer. Nicely state that, while you are sure that she would capture these regardless of the list, the highlighted shots are REALLY important to you. Message sent, right?

10. I will direct my photographer throughout my wedding day like the pitiful waif that he is. (Alternatively, the photographer will direct me throughout my wedding day and I'll obey every command.)

Neither of these options will occur; no one should allow it. Your wedding day is YOURS in every sense, and you are given enormous powers to direct the vendors you hire. However, the vendors you hire, including your wedding photographer, are professionals and know what they are doing. While this may very well be your third wedding day, presumably your photographer has had even more.

The service provided by wedding photographers is one best performed in the presence of open communication. There may be a situation where your photographer has an idea, pitches it to you, and you decline (nicely, of course, but firmly). "No," you say. "I will not place that stuffed animal under my arm while humming the Battle Hymn of the Republic, gazing thoughtfully towards the east." Similarly, there may be a case where you suggest a shot and your photographer says 'no thanks.' "No," he says. "I will not take that photo; it makes me uncomfortable and I have never worked for Larry Flynt, so I don't have that kind of training." This type of open communication is the best (and only) way to conduct business for a photographer, and we expect it of our brides as well!

And there you have it. 10 myths of wedding photography, laid plain in all of their deserved glory.

5 Wedding Photography Tips For A Shy Bride

If you're looking for stunning wedding photography but find it difficult to feel photogenic in front of the camera here's a few tips from a professional wedding photographer.

1. Wedding photography is all about relaxation and confidence. You'll get this confidence by focusing less on trying to get great photos and more on having a fun time with your loved one and the friends in your bridal party. Have a chat with your photographer and emphasise your keenness to enjoy the wedding photography shoot. A professional wedding photographer will know how to help you laugh and stay comfortable. After all that's what creates impeccable imagery.


2. Forget about the photographer without really forgetting about them. OK sounds a little crazy. But be conscious that they're there and listen to their instructions, while concentrating on enjoying your photo shoot with your partner and best friends. The photo shoot time can be the most enjoyable part of the wedding with your favourite people. Or it can be a ball of nerves and tension trying to get 'the perfect pose' for the wedding photographer.


3. Get an engagement photography shoot before your big day. We'll often do engagement shoots with shy brides a few months before the wedding. It helps you get to know your photographer and quickly teaches you how to take professional instruction without it imposing on the fun of the shoot.


4. Don't be too serious. Every bride really wants stunning photos to remember their perfect day. That's completely expected and achievable. The wedding photos only come at risk when a bride or member of the bridal party is 'dead set' serious on getting 'the perfect image', causing a trail of grumpiness around them. Remember that you will get amazing photos if you've chosen a great wedding photographer, communicate well together and can trust them to make the wedding photos look stunning. If you're shy this is particularly important as you may find the photo shoot a little more tense than others.


5. Think about what you'd love before your big day. Browse through magazines or photographer's blogs. If you get a little passion for photography before the big day you won't be so put off by it. Everyone is more confident when they know a little more about the game they're going to play.

Why You Should Go For Pre-Made Wedding Websites

There are actually two options to making a wedding website. It's either you create your own website from scratch or you simply customize a wedding website template. If you want some advice on how to create your own website to help you plan for you big day, pre-made websites are your best option for creation. Here are just some of the reasons why:

1. Less time to create

With a pre-made wedding website, practically all you have to do is upload pictures and text information. This is made possible through a website's user-friendly content management system (CMS). Compare this to creating a website from scratch: you have to register the domain and get a hosting account before you can create your pages. And unless if you are already familiar with CMS programs or web page design, creating a wedding website from the ground up can take a long time, probably longer than the time it will take you to plan your wedding.

2. Costs are minimal

Costs can be very minimal with pre-made wedding websites, sometimes there are even no costs if you have an account with one of those free wedding websites. Of course, you'll have to trade off some of your web space for some website advertisements, but it's only fair trade since you are using the website for free.

3. The most important features are already in place

In a wedding website, the most important features are the RSVP form, event calendar and photo album. If you want to do a DIY on your website, it may - and will - take you some time to learn how to create an RSVP form, an event calendar and photo album and incorporate them to the wedding website. Your learning curve might be even longer if you are not at all technical to begin with.

4. Wedding planning tools

Since they are already incorporated with very important wedding planning tools (for the guest list, seating arrangement, check list and budget), you simply cannot go wrong with pre-made wedding websites.

In all, buying pre-made websites are the better option because they take away some of the stresses of planning your wedding, without burdening you at all with the hassles of website building.

Ideal Wedding Colors for Spring

Spring weddings are full of flowers like roses, tulips, daisies and peonies. Are you fond of one in particular? A great way to get inspiration for your spring wedding colors is from your favorite flowers or other spring scenery. Find a photograph of some spring scene that you really enjoy - the key is to pay close attention to detail of it. Take note of colors that aren't obvious in a photo or setting and use them as accents for the bolder shades that stand out.

Take, for example, a sunflower. The main color that pops up in your mind is yellow, right? Well you can pair it with a soft color like ivory to make it pop, and accent it with a dark brown to pull the look together. Don't go overboard with the brown, though! Use it as an accent colors in things like shoe colors for you and your bridesmaids or the ribbons used to tie the bouquets. Also great as an accent color for your table scapes, centerpieces and favors.

Still stumped? Here are some different spring wedding color ideas to help get you started. Pair either of these with a bright white or a soft ivory for the perfect look on your special day.

-Pink and Garden Green

-Periwinkle and Yellow

-Peach and Orange

-Hot Pink and Orange

-Fuchsia and Yellow

-Indigo and Light Pink

-Rose, Blush, and Chocolate Brown

-Ivory, Lavender, Pastel Green

- Ivory, Pink, Sage

-White, Chocolate, Pink

-Light Grey, Yellow, Teal

There are so many different things that you can choose from. Take a trip to your local park, botanical garden or flower shop and look for something that stands out to you! Browse the area for flowers that are going to be flowering at the time of your wedding. Look for things with bright, pretty colors that stand out and make sure they smell nice, as well! You can even pull your colors into the food, drinks and favors you give out for your wedding as well. Here's another opportunity to play up your colors such as: pink lemonade, green tea, lemon drops, citrus-colored drinks, fruit punch. Embellish your ice-cubes with edible flowers such as pansies, chamomile, basil, nasturtiums, orchids. Give something with a matching flower or ribbon to help your guests remember your special day as the bright and beautiful day it is. Be creative and inventive with it!

Wedding Photography - The Benefits of a First Look

When I discuss the timeline for wedding day with a bride, I always ask if she is interested in doing a First Look. Some brides know what a First Look is, others ask for an explanation. A First Look is when the bride and groom opt to see each other before the ceremony and just spend some time alone...the two of them.

First Looks are a wonderful opportunity for the bride and groom to actually experience seeing each other for the first time. When you wait to see each other until the ceremony, you can't really be in the moment. You make it to the end of the aisle and the service starts immediately. But with a First Look, the moment is totally your own. You have the ability to react to the emotions, reach out, hug, kiss...whatever you're feeling. It's a very intimate pause in your day to revel in the fact that you are shortly going to be husband and wife.

As a bride, I remember how special and perfect that moment in our day was. I remember the way my husband looked at me, the tears that creeped up in his eyes, and the big smile that spread across his face. It was the only time we had all day for the two of us. The pictures from our First Look also happened to be the best pictures of us on our wedding day. They were filled with true genuine emotions.

Some brides still feel hesitant to let go of the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. As someone who had a first look I truly didn't feel it lessened how special walking down aisle to my husband was. It was so nice to have already experienced that emotional rush and be able to take in seeing all our guests and having my dad give me away.

The other benefit of a First Look is that it helps with the timeline for your wedding day significantly. If you and your husband-to-be decide to see each other before the ceremony, it provides you with an excellent opportunity to also do your family and bridal party pictures. Taking your formal photos before the ceremony allows you to move straight from your ceremony into your reception without an hour or two between for photo taking.

When asked for my opinion on First Looks, I encourage my couples to really consider doing one and explain why I feel so strongly about it. In the end though, it really is up to the couple to decide what they want to do. After all, this one day is all about you. So you should do whatever is going to make you happy and feel more relaxed on that day.

How to Make Your Wedding Photography WordPress Blog Super Fast!

When starting a Photography WordPress site many of your posts will include images of weddings you have shot and may also include a dynamic photo scroller to make the blog more interesting to your followers.

Your main goal is the obvious to build a great blog which is popular and is informative to your viewers. Once you have established yourself as credible in your niche you can become extremely popular. This sounds exciting but there will be a problem when this arises. Your Web Server will begin to slow causing your blog page to load like a fully laden freight train.

Increase in traffic spikes can sound great, but having your blog post load in longer periods will cause your viewers to flick channels before your page loads.

There is a great solution to avoid this which is simple and takes a few minutes of your time to optimise your blog site. Thank god for the tech savvy gurus online who have dedicated their cause to making technology more efficient and in this case creating super dynamic WordPress Plugins to avoid slow load up times.

After experimenting and some research on Google we have narrowed down the list of plugins that will make your blog page speed up like the bullet train in Japan.

Plugins to Make Your Wedding Photography WordPress Blog Lightning Fast

Below are four WordPress plugins which is very easy to install and will increase the loading time of your blog substantially.

• WP Super Cache by Donncha O Caoimh- " A very fast caching plugin for WordPress. Excellent for increases in traffic spikes which will slow down your WordPress blog. In a nutshell WP Super Cache caches a static (one time generated) copy of that webpage, and then every time a new visitor comes, it preferentially gives them the cached version of the page. Hence, reduced Blog loading times. "

• GZIP Output by Austin Matzko- "This plugin automatically compresses CSS, Javascript and HTML output, allowing it to travel faster from your blog to a visitor's browser. "Gzipping generally reduces the response size by about 70%. Approximately 90% of today's Internet traffic travels through browsers that claim to support gzip."

• WP Minify by Thaya Kareeson- "This plugin uses the Minify engine to combine and compress JS and CSS files to improve page load time. Like the previous plugin, it also automatically shrinks the size of your files without you having to do anything. Goto the plugin file and upload it to your server."

• Free CDN by Phoenixheart- "If you have static files (images, javascript, css) taking a long time to load and slowing your site down, you may benefit by installing Free CDN. "Briefly, a CDN is a content delivery network. Static files are cached on the CDN and pulled from their servers instead of your own - which means that your server has to do less work, and potentially can serve more people at once, faster."

Optimising your blog page is so important to keep your blog loading time to a minimum. You will find that people trying to load a website which takes a long period of time will leave that site in a jippy. Installing the plugins shown above will significantly increase the speed of your blog loading time.

Wedding Photojournalism Photography - Storybook Photography Defined

Just as the term "Google it" and Facebook have become common household phrases in today's world, wedding photojournalism is becoming the same way. Over the years, photography has evolved and changed, moving away from the more traditional style photos to a candid unposed style of shooting that catches the individuals in action, living life, and experiencing reality.

Photojournalism Defined

To understand what wedding photojournalism is, it is better to explain what photojournalism is in general. With photojournalistic photography, it is almost as if you can feel the breath that the person is breathing. You can see the flicker in his or her eyes. The laughter looks as if you can actually hear it ringing in your ears.The style of photojournalism tells the story through the images, unposed and unplanned. The pictures are raw, real, and natural. It is almost as if you are watching a documentary where a specific tone is set and the events are relatable to the person looking at the images.

Evolution of Wedding Photojournalism

Over the years, people began to waiver from the traditional direction from the photographers. Instead, the moments were allowed to unfold as natural and organically as possible. The term "wedding photojournalism" was actually penned by Denis Reggie, a former sports photographer, in 1980. He, along with others in the genre felt that this style of photography was more memorable and precious. However, each photographer has his or her own opinion of photojournalism and looks at the style very objectively. Although content is the most important element in shooting in a wedding photojournalistic style, choosing what to take pictures of, how to correctly expose it, the way the image should be cropped, and editing techniques are always debated. Because in the photojournalistic photography style the interpretation is up to the viewer, it is rare that two photographers will ever interpret the same scene or the same photo the same way.

Wedding Photojournalism Techniques

Photojournalistic wedding photographers always do their best to somewhat melt into the background when shooting a wedding. The goal is to stay unnoticed and be as inconspicuous as possible. While photographers do put together and gather groups for wedding group photos and formal portraits, the main style centers around the photojournalistic feel. The key method of delivering wedding and engagement photos to the clients is in chronological order - with wedding photojournalism and engagement photojournalism, it is very important that the images be viewed in order. Photojournalism embodies the telling of a story and this way, the viewer can see and experience the day moment to moment.

The Standard of Wedding Photojournalism

Shooting in a photojournalistic style requires the skill, talent, and experience necessary to view a scene and interpret it in a photojournalistic and creative way. While many amateur and professional photographers can shoot a wedding in a semi-photojournalistic style, the experience increases the value of your photography, assuring clients that in this genre, you truly have the training and background to portray this style of wedding photojournalism. I encourage ambitious and motivated photographers to apply to shoot with a photojournalistic wedding photographer and shadow photographers working out in the field. Photojournalistic photographers have worked hard to hone their skills over the years and are most are more than willing to share their knowledge of photojournalism with others who desire to learn!

4 Photographers and a Wedding Album (A Great Wedding Photo Album) Part 1

Here in the UK the 2010 Wedding season is fast approaching. All the wedding fares are being promoted in the hotels up and down the country, the event hosts and service suppliers will be looking to fill the empty slots with the the last minute "Brides and Grooms" that want to do it this year.

I think those "Last minute" Brides and Grooms will have the pick of the crop when it comes to choosing where and when they would like get married. Often the case was them having to sync everything, usually starting with booking the Church location for the wedding then finding the other services to fit in. but in light of the recent financial climate, I don't think all the wedding service providers will be booked up.

Regarding the wedding photographer and wedding photography things have changed considerably in recent years.

This is partially due to the style of the photos. The "Traditional" wedding photos are no longer the main shots the couples go for. They want informal snaps (or to be posh and glamorise them, they want "Reportage" or "Paparazzi" shots.) Not to take away from the skill of the photographer as I think there is often more skill in getting or creating the reportage style of shots than the traditional ones, but the thing is, the casual shots, just happen any way!, and that's the whole idea, to capture the event as it unfolds and not to create it, the photographer just has to capture it. This opens the door for literally Anyone to take wedding photos in this style - and armed with a new digital camera with all the "Anti Shake" "low light" "face detection" scene select" "portrait mode" "people mode" 12mp camera, the person operating the camera can't really get it wrong! Can they?

Well, if the camera takes care of the settings, and lets face it, the Big camera companies are investing £10,000's in research and development to ensure the camera get's great results (so you don't have to) you can be confident that the photos will be right, all you need to concentrate on is how you take them!... coming next article.

Wedding Photography Tips for Beginners - Correctly Cropping Your Subject

Cropping your subject correctly is an important aspect of taking a great portrait. There are different standard portrait lengths: full body, the face and upper part of the body, close up of the face, etc. How do we decide what to leave in frame and what to crop out? I am going to talk about different ways to crop a portrait to make the finished image look more professional, and more pleasing to the eye.

There are two methods to crop a photo: cropping in camera, and cropping in post production. The first method, cropping in camera, is the preferred method of cropping, as it takes advantage of your camera's maximum resolution per image. As you take a picture, you decide what to leave in what to leave out by properly framing your subject. So if you want to take a picture of just your subjects face, you are just focusing on the face, not the whole body with the plan of later cropping the picture on the computer. This way your image has the original resolution that your camera recorded.

Unfortunately, sometimes this isn't possible, and that is why we also have the second method of cropping, cropping during post production. Sometimes you may find yourself, shooting pictures of a very fast event at a wedding; things may be happening so quickly that you don't have the time to properly compose the image. Examples of this might be many people fast dancing at the reception, or people jumping to catch the bouquet or garter. This is ok. Just shoot and try to capture the moment, then later you can crop your image with Photoshop or another similar photo editing program. But, as stated earlier, you lose some resolution quality to your final image.

So, now that we know the different methods of cropping, how do we crop correctly? Which parts of the body do we cut off (leave out of frame)? First, lets start with where not to crop. Never crop a human subject at the joints, i.e., do not cut off your subject at the ankles, knees, or waist. We all know the full length shot, which is the whole body of the subject with nothing cut off, the next type of portrait is the 3/4 length. This is a portrait where you have the subject's thigh as the bottom edge of the photo, and a small space above the subject's head as the upper edge. Next, there is the head and shoulders length portrait. The bottom edge of the photo in this portrait will be the upper chest of your subject, and again a small space above the head as the limit for the upper edge. Lastly, and most complicated, there are close-ups of the face. Portraits of a subject's face you might have seen online or in print tend to be more artistic, and therefore the rules for cropping are not as rigid. For facial close-ups, I suggest you take a look at different examples, and decide which type of cropping goes best with your style of photography.

If you are new to wedding photography keep with it! I hope this tip helps you out at your next wedding. Good Luck.

Designing the iPad Wedding Album - Useful iPad Apps to Spruce Up Your Wedding Photos

A wedding album is like a piece of art. In your case, it is your masterpiece. Thus, just editing hundreds of photo and arranging them one after another in an album is not sufficient. To make your iPad wedding album even more interesting, it is better if you spice them up a bit with different effects.

Types of Effects for your wedding photos

There is a plethora of effects to create and equal number of apps to choose from to get the desired effect. Some popular effects are making black and white or sepia versions of the color wedding photos to bring out the emotions better or add bit of nostalgia, maybe. Another commonly used effect is collage. Gathering the important milestones of a wedding and turning that into a collage can act like a 'wedding summary'!

Therefore, as you can see, the photos can be mixed-matched to produce different effects, which in turn make your iPad wedding album interesting. This, however, needs lot of creativity and time. If editing took 10 hours in total, designing the photos may take more than 15 - 20 hours easily.

Here are some apps that do not have the tools for full-fledged editing, but are perfect for creating creative effects on your edited wedding photos.

Masque

This multi touch iPad app is fantastic for applying effects such as B&W, blur, saturation, photo temperature, etc. You can create a lovely gradient of the effect by using your fingers. This multi touch gradient is the unique feature of Masque. You can blur the background, thereby drawing attention on to the subject (in this case, the wedding couple). You can add the effects with great precision using Masque.

You can increase and decrease the intensities of the effects by changing the number of fingers used to create the effect. One finger gives the least intensive effect, while four fingers give the maximum intensity.

ColorSplash

As the name suggests, this app is exclusively for color. You can make your wedding photos pop by saturating or by going B&W. There are no complex tools involved, which make the editing a piece of cake. You can change the size and opacity of the brush to get variable effect. With a semi-transparent brush you will get different results with first, second and third treatment.

Crop Suey

This app is solely for cropping, flipping, rotating and resizing. Nothing fancy. However, this no-frills app is very handy and easy to use when it comes to cropping or flipping or rotating your wedding photos for your iPad wedding album.

MoodBoard

Remember the collage effect mentioned earlier in the article? Moodboard is one such app that enables a user to select photos from their iPad albums and the internet to create collage of their photos. You can add frames to the photos choosing from the wide in-built options. You can add text anywhere on the collage, change its color, font and size.

If you wish to create more than one collage, then you might want to work with similar colors, in which case you have the option to save your own custom palettes (can save up to 5 colors). You can share your creation directly through email, Twitter and Facebook.

Touch FX

This is another simple editing app. None of the other apps mentioned here give you the effects such as sepia, darkroom, night vision, dots, solarize and inverted. Touch FX gives your photos a nice twist with one-of-a-kind effects. The best part is it can save full sized images (hi-res photos).

Wedding Photo Frames - A Perfect Place to Capture That Special Moment

Every married couple will always cherish the day they got married. Such beautiful memory can only be captured and showcased in the most unique manner by using beautiful and elegant wedding picture frames. Before you set in search for these beautiful picture frames, it's best to have some knowledge on the various types of picture casing available in the market. Finding the perfect one without any prior knowledge can be very tricky. Some of them are mentioned below.

These wedding photo frames come in a wide variety of elegant design of classic finishes that will surely sweep you off your feet. Whether you are an individual who has an interest for cases, crafted from authentic silver, glass enamel and adorned with jewels or gold leaf pictorial, rest assured because you will definitely love these wedding photo frames. These frames are popular as gifts given to the newlywed couple.

The other type of wedding photo frames which you can give are the collage casings. In this the couple can put several pictures in one casing. It really doesn't matter whether the photos you use for this frame are reserved, outspoken or just fun pictures taken at the reception. They are all bound to attract attention from any onlooker. These picture casings can also be easily personalized by adding ornamental mats printed with adorable messages, poems, marriage vows or notes inscribed on them.

Scrapbook wedding photo frames are also very popular as gifts. You can use this picture casing to showcase some of your favorite marriage pages in a stylish way. With these casings you can create a collection of unforgettable moments and awesome reminders like cake napkins, invitations, vows and much more. In comparison to these photo frames, you have to use picture frames when you want your art to be displayed. Whether you enjoy painting or taking excellent photographs, you will need this type of frame to display your art work.

There are many varieties of picture frames available in the market which will further enhance your art work. If you are an artist and are searching for the perfect frame then you can go for ready-made, metal or custom-made picture frames depending on the artwork and your preference. The type of frame you choose will depend on your artwork. Usually, photographers favor metal frames while painters may select wooden frames.

Ready-made picture frames are available both in metal and wood varieties whereas for custom frames, sky is the limit. If you have visited a museum or any art gallery where photographs are displayed, you will notice that the artwork is framed in slender black metal frames with broad white mat board. This white board is used to edge the photograph especially when black and white photos are on display. This is because the wide white mat helps to focus the viewer's eye on the center of the picture frames where the pictures are displayed. The white and black colors do not divert the viewer's attention from the artwork. Painters often use wooden frames for their paintings because wood can be molded with different colors which allow the artist to select a shade which complements their artwork.

Destination Wedding Photography

Couples that are looking for something very different from their usual surroundings are now considering the option of a destination wedding package. Part of this package includes the services of a professional photographer. In the west these photographs are usually taken on the day during the ceremony, be it in a 13th century gothic church or a shimmering white sandy beach in Australia.

In Asia the phenomenon known as destination wedding photography has a slight twist. Instead of the photographs been taken on the wedding day they are usually taken weeks or months in advance of the big day. This fashion of shooting pre wedding photographs in exotic locations is more popular in Asian countries like Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Malaysia than anywhere else in the world.

Many Asian couples are looking for exciting romantic fairytale European towns and cities to have their pre wedding destination photographs taken.

Central and Eastern Europe offer an unparalleled choice of romantic fairytale settings. With centuries of history behind them cities like Budapest in Hungary, Prague in the Czech Republic, Vienna in Austria and Krakow in Poland have magnificent castles and cathedrals which provide the perfect backdrop for pre wedding photographs. Budapest in particular is a fantastic city at the heart of Eastern Europe; known as the Paris of the east it has an amazing array of architectural styles including gothic, baroque and art nouveau.

Aside from the photographer and assistant most overseas pre wedding photography packages include the services of a professional makeup artist. The makeup artist plays an essential role in insuring that the couples look their very best for their pre wedding photographs. Usually the bride and groom bring their own wedding clothes of choice for the shoot although some photography packages also include the option of hiring wedding dresses and suits from a local wedding specialist. However in the end it's the professional photographer who's the dream maker creating memories the couple will look back on and treasure for a lifetime.

I have recently begun shooting overseas pre wedding photographs mainly for the Asian market in Budapest Hungary and surrounding Central European countries. Budapest in particular offers couples unparalleled opportunities to shoot their dream like photos in numerous fairytale settings around the city such as at the Buda Castle, Fishermen's Bastion, the Chain Bridge, the Parliament and the Freedom monument just to name a few. Couples who have had their pre wedding destination photographs shot in Budapest have all agreed that this beautiful city far exceeded their wildest expectations.

Best Places For Wedding Photography in Toronto

Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life and your photographs taken that day should show it so you have the memories to share for year to come. While weddings can be expensive and you may be tempted to skimp on some areas, your photographer should not be one of them. These are memories that you cannot get back.

If you decide to get married in Toronto you have an overwhelming number of photographers who will be willing to cater to your needs during your big day so it can be hard to choose which one will do the best job. The location of your wedding is also going to directly show in your photographs and may help the mood to be set. You want to have the best photographs possible on your special day.

One of the best places for wedding photography in Toronto is at the Queen's Landing. It is a hotel featured right on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. It is a very scenic location offering fruit orchards and vineyards along with golf courses and a gazebo. The hotel is a mansion style with beautiful stained glass ceilings, marble flooring, and spiral staircases which will work fabulously during your day to allow you to capture those moments in the most elegant setting possible. Your wedding will have a very romantic setting for the event which will come across in your photos as well.

Another location that you may consider is the King's Garden Banquet Hall for your wedding. This should be a focus if you want to have a wedding that is mainly indoors. It is a very low key and intimate setting that will offer you privacy and elegance all in one place. The ambience provided will come across in your photographs and allow you to remember the memories of that day when you look back years from now.

If you enjoy being the center of attention, and you should on your wedding, you ought to keep the Waterside Inn in the front of your mind as a location to consider for your big day. They only host your wedding that day to ensure that you are the top and only priority to make the day as best as it can be for you and this is directly seen in the photographs you will bring home from the event. Everything from the votive candles to the crisp white linens along with the lighting will help shine elegance on your big day as you say "I do" and commit yourself to the one that you love.

When you decide that you are going to get married choosing a photographer is one big thing that you have to decide on but it's not the only one. Your photographer and the location of your wedding both work together to set the scene and mood for the pictures that are taken during your big day. Be sure that you choose the best setting for your wedding that will allow you to capture your big day in the best way possible.

Will You Be Getting Your Wedding Photos on A USB Flash Drive?

If you're planning to get married this year and you're using the services of a professional wedding photographer then you might want to think about the best way to take delivery of your wedding day portfolio.

When the day is over and all you have left are some fabulous memories (and hopefully your partner!) then it's your photo's that will help bring the day back to life and help you enjoy and celebrate the day all over again with your family and friends.

Tradition dictates your wedding photos are supplied in a professionally produced Album that reflects the day. Most specialist wedding photographers will have their own portfolio of Albums that you can choose from with price breaks to reflect the quality and size of the Album. But, given that most photographers now use digital cameras for their shoots and then edit the digital images after the day it's not unusual to be offered a CD or DVD with your wedding photographs on as well (typically for an extra fee).

The digital images supplied on the CD/DVD will typically be high resolution.jpg that are viewable on most PC's and Macs. Because they are "high resolution" images each image can be quite a large file and this is one of the reasons why photographers have historically chosen CD's and DVD's over other products like USB flash Drives. Flash drives (whilst available with large amounts of storage) have been comparatively much more expensive than a CD and it's been easier to get hold of CD's and DVD's locally and print a label for it before they hand it out to their clients.

But, things are changing:

• Storage capacities on USB flash drives are increasing all the time and a typical USB flash drive has between 4GB - 16GB of storage - more than enough to store hundreds of high quality photographs on!


• Costs are falling - only a year ago an 8GB USB flash drive would have costs around 瞿15, today it's less than half of this.


• Less PC's and Macs are shipping with a CD or DVD player because the technology is now considered "old" and unfashionable.


• Data transfer speeds for USB flash drives have taken a massive step forward with the introduction of USB 3.0 (which also works with PC's running USB 1.x and 2.0) - this means it will be quicker for photographers to load their images onto a flash drive and it'll be faster for you to view your photos.


• Professional Wedding Photographers are gradually moving towards printed USB flash drives in snazzy presentation (gift boxes) - these look so much better than a CD/DVD and they make great gifts if you wanted to order a few to hand out to friends and family. You might even think about using some of them as wedding favours (pre-loaded with images of your courtship, things about you, the hen and stag night photos etc.)

If, like lots of couples you're looking to post your wedding photos on Social Networking sites like Facebook, Google+ and Twitter then you'll definitely want your photos supplied digitally. If you're going to get them supplied digitally then don't be surprised to be offered them on a printed USB flash drive.

How to Preserve Your Wedding Photos

Everything was perfect! The dress, the venue, the food, the cake--even the place card holders at the guest tables were a smash hit; and you have it all on film. Everybody you care about was in attendance and there are some very entertaining moments that the camera happened to capture. Now you've got pictures of your parents on the dance floor, your new husband with a face full of wedding cake, and your friends arranged in all sorts of interesting poses. What is the best way to keep these Wedding Photos safe and in the most pristine condition possible so that one day you will be able to share them with your children and grandchildren? Digital photography has revolutionized the way we store our visual memories and you can take advantage of this wonderful technology for your upcoming wedding.

In the age of information, the internet is a powerful resource that can help you every step of the way in your quest to Preserve Your Wedding Photos. You can search for a reputable professional wedding photographer to hire, or you can learn how to take your own high quality pictures; you can email digital photos to out-of-state friends and family or you can create an online Wedding Photo Album that can be accessed from just about any computer! The Online Photo Album is an excellent option to consider because of its versatility and affordability. Imagine how much it would cost to develop all of your Wedding Pictures, create an album, make copies for everyone on your guest list, and then ship those albums out to your friends and family. The cost would be astronomical! Even if you had money to burn, this would be a painstakingly long and wasteful process. The Online Wedding Album lets you safely store your precious memories in one central location and share them with all of your loved ones. You and your guests will be able to relive that wonderful day with the click of a button, whenever you like, wherever you like.

If you prefer traditional printed pictures, there are a number of ways to store your Wedding Photos in a manner that will preserve them for many generations. Even if you do decide to create an album online, you will still want to have something tangible, like a scrapbook, which you can enjoy on the couch with your spouse or pass around during family functions. Scrapbooking is fun because you can use your creativity to personalize and beautify your album however you like. Include actual items from your wedding day to accompany the photos (i.e. pieces of fabric, ribbon, dried flowers from the centerpieces or bouquets, etc.), making your album unique and adding to its sentimental value. It is VERY important to use the proper adhesive when matting a photo onto a background. Glue dots and glue spray work great, as well as mounting squares; just make sure everything you use is Acid-Free to prevent any premature deterioration of your pictures.

You do not necessarily have to spend a fortune on scrapbooking supplies in order to build an amazing album. Be creative, be resourceful, and remember that these memories are priceless and you should take the proper steps to protect them. Digital technology will give you a great deal of creative control and flexibility when it comes to Storing and Sharing Your Wedding Pictures, but computers are not perfect. You should always keep multiple backup copies just in case something happens. It is a good idea to have your pictures saved on your hard drive as well as a CD or DVD. If anything should happen to your printed photos, then you will have the electronic files as a backup, and vice versa. Saving Your Wedding Photos is an essential part of successful wedding planning, so enjoy yourself and take the time to do it right. These photos will last through many lifetimes if stored properly, and will be a blessing to your children, your grandchildren, and beyond. One day, your great, great grandchildren may look at your Wedding Album and be inspired to make one of their own!

Wedding Ideas for Brides: 5 Ways To Capture Your Wedding Memories Forever

As far back as a girl can remember, she dreams of her wedding day. She imagines - to every last detail - things like: what type of wedding dress she will wear, what color the bridesmaids' dresses will be and even more importantly, who that perfect man will be who becomes her husband. When that day finally arrives, it is the most important day of the bride's life - a day she wants to look back on with fond memories for years to come. For more and more brides, one of the most perfect ways to capture their wedding is to create an Instant Photo Guest Book similar to the one created by Adesso Albums. Having such a keepsake, scrapbook or photo album to open up and share with your spouse, family and friends is the best way to capture the wedding day's memory forever.

Instant Photo Guest Books are a unique "marriage" of a photo album and a guest book. To create a photo guest book at a wedding, simply take Polaroid pictures, slip them into your guest book and have the guests write their personalized messages to you the bride and your groom on the guest book pages. This will capture your wedding event instantly in pictures and words--and you won't even have to wait weeks to get your photographs returned from your wedding photographer. You'll be able to enjoy it as soon as it's over. However, the beauty of these keepsake albums is that it can be used for all parts of your wedding event: engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, wedding, reception and even the honeymoon.

Here are 5 other great ideas to capture your wedding moments:

1. Wish Bowl

Here's an idea, that won't even cost you a dime. The purpose of a wedding Wish Bowl is to provide an opportunity for guests to wish good fortunes to follow the Bride and Groom wherever they go. The idea is to have your guests write their wishes for love and life on little slips of paper and place them into a crystal or decorative glass bowl or vase. You don't even have to buy one if you have a nice vase or bowl at home already. For a more formal presentation, the slips of paper can be placed into little matching wedding stationary envelopes. The stationary paper and envelopes should match the Bride's color theme and/or wedding stationary. After the wedding events are over, the notes can be read and placed into a wedding album or scrapbook while the bowl or vase can be used for the home or decoration.

2. Wish Tree

The Wish Tree theme, similar to the Wish Bowl, is for guests at the wedding to write down their wishes for love and life to the Bride and Groom - except instead of the bowl, a tree is used to collect the wishes. There are many types of Wish Trees - your can purchase metal ones, or fashion your own using blooming branches from a garden or florist, or even use a live potted plant such as a fichus tree. Gift boxes can be hung from the tree of your choice and your guests can take a box off the tree in exchange for their wishes. After the wedding events are over, the wishes can be taken off the tree and placed in a keepsake box, scrapbook or album.

3. Signature Platter

Wedding Signature Platters or plates make a unique alternative to traditional wedding guest books. The platter can be plain, decorative or even custom designed and ordered online or from a wedding stationary store. Guests simply sign the platter during the wedding event with a special ceramic marker and after the wedding events are over, the platter is fired in your home oven. The special signature platter can be used for serving favorite dishes at future dinner parties as husband and wife or just as a decorative memento of the special gathering.

4. Framed Signature Mat

Similar to the Signature Platter, the Signature Mat is another alternative to the traditional wedding guest book. A photo of the Bride and Groom - often a "before" wedding photo (like an engagement photo) - is placed in an acid free matte and mounted either on an easel or table in the entry area of the wedding reception. Guests sign their name and well wishes to the Bride and Groom on the mat surrounding the picture. The Signature Mat is then framed for the newlywed's new home. The "before wedding" photo can be replaced with a wedding photo of the couple before framing.

5. Typewriter Guest Book

The Typewriter Guest Book is Martha Stewart's latest discovery for a guest book alternative. Look for an old-fashioned, inexpensive typewriter either online, from a flea market or thrift shop - but make SURE it works - and set it out on a table in the entry area of the wedding reception. Load the typewriter with long sheets of paper for guests to type in good wishes to the Bride and Groom along with their name and any sentiment that comes to mind. After the wedding, the page can be tied into a scroll with ribbon or framed along with pictures taken at the wedding.

The above 5 unique ways to capture your wedding moments will help you and your loved ones relive your wedding memories over and over again.

Best 50th Wedding Anniversary Gift Baskets

Celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary is such a fantastic achievement! Since it is a special anniversary, a special gift is needed and that's where a golden anniversary gift basket comes in! Below are several different themes you could use for your 50th wedding anniversary gift basket, from hobbies to highlighting the year they were married!

Create a gardening 50th gift basket from gardening catalogs, seeds of plants you particularly like, tools, and a stepping stone with a suitable thought. There are actually kits to make your own stones found at craft and variety stores. You could put a favorite tender quote of theirs on it colored gold to match this golden anniversary gift basket, or the date of their wedding. This would make a beautiful 50th basket that would combine functional and sentimental items. Each glance out their window seeing the beautiful blooms or vegetables would remind them of you and your precious gift. And as they walk the garden path, looking down at those wonderful stones you've made, they will remember all the fantastic years they've spent together! There is no greater enchanting, yet also sensible, of wonderful 50th baskets!

You could make a large tote bag a picture tote bag by getting one with clear pockets on the side and slipping in a couple favorite copies of photos in the pockets. You can also buy tote bags made with those picture slots. This would make the greatest of practical baskets as they use the tote time and again! To complete the theme, add different sized pictures in different frames to the bag. You can put a wedding photo in a gold frame to complete that golden anniversary basket! Add photos of the family they've made together over the years and you'll have the most unique and treasured gift.

Is square dancing an interest of that special couple? You could take a galvanized tub and fill it with a couple colorful, full petticoats that are worn under the women's skirts. You could include in the 50th wedding anniversary gift basket a couple string ties, something popular with the men! A matched pair of his and her cowboy hats would add a nice touch to the 50th anniversary gift basket with a square dance theme. And when they're not actually dancing they could wear the t-shirts that proclaim their love of square dancing that you've included in this most unique of 50th anniversary gift baskets! If it's something they've expressed in an interest in, make it a beginners square dancing golden anniversary gift basket with an instructional DVD or two or even a membership to a local square dance club.

Or you could buy a ready made 50th anniversary gift basket. Some of the special items you might want in it would be things from the year they were married. Something very different and special would be adding a set of circulated coins, like a penny, dime, quarter and half dollar from that year. Perhaps a picture frame with the year and a sentiment on it and a DVD of the events of that year added into the 50th wedding anniversary gift basket would add to the highlights of that year they were married. There are many interesting things that could be included in the 50th anniversary gift basket like a CD of music from that year, candies that were popular the year they were married or trivia playing cards.

A simple, but fantastic 50th wedding anniversary idea is one with a culinary theme. Add several gift certificates from restaurants in the area. Team the style of cuisine of the restaurants with a cook book so they can try out that cuisine at home! Many towns now offer a variety of cuisines in their restaurants. You can find different types of Asian, French, down home style and even BBQ with books to match! This most extraordinary of 50th anniversary gift baskets creates an adventure in dining that will be a most welcomed present!