Brides have so much to be thankful for…

Brides planning weddings are fortunate there are so many possibilities. No one style is considered de rigor these days which allows each woman to plan her wedding in a way that best reflects her personal style. There are an abundance of great choices available to every bride in every budget category.

PHOTOGRAPHY: The creativity and quality of today’s photographers is a source of continuous amazement. Whether it is a sepia toned portrait, a time delayed light show or a reflective moment captured for posterity, the professional photographer offers today’s bride so many options for preserving the wonder of her wedding. Bound books, on-line albums and Hollywood style videos bring the wedding to life over and over.

How do you become a VIP?

For those of you looking for something special – you’ve found it!  This offer is in select places such as with our Preferred Vendor Partners, this BLOG, etc.  You can only receive this offer if you mention that you saw it here!

Recipients will receive a Complimentary Engagement Session and 1 8×10 in. professional print (with the purchase of any wedding package)!  (One hour of shooting time on location with both Jeff & Jewels, Online Proofing, and 1 8×10 professional print on your choice of paper i.e. Metallic, Linen, or Photographic Lustre.)

We appreciate your business as it allows us to continue to do what we love…

Don’t gamble on your wedding day!

www.jeffgrayart.com

Speaking of this economy…

I have run into many couples that are going to have their cousin, sister, or aspiring Photographer friend shoot their wedding.   I think there is a mis-conception in the industry that people think “it’s easy” and “anyone can do it”.  The truth is, anyone could do it, but if your wedding day photos are important to you, I HIGHLY advise spending the money and hiring a professional!  There is a lot of truth in the saying, “Your wedding is one day – your wedding photographs are forever”

I’m not just saying this because Jeff and I are Professional Photographers.  After our own experience and hearing the “horror stories” of so many others, it is my belief that, “YOU CANNOT GAMBLE WITH YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS”!  Don’t take the chance that your cousin knows what their doing, unless they are a Pro and they shoot weddings regularly.  There are so many factors to consider on such a big day such as:

1.  Lighting (probably the biggest) – inside, outside, daytime, sunlight, nighttime, party atmosphere, flash, whatever…in Wedding Photography, it’s ALL ABOUT THE LIGHTING, and what is going to flatter you the best in every situation.  What happens if they only have an “on camera flash” and it’s super dark in the church or reception site?

2.  Equipment – do they have a back up camera, flash, etc.?  Are they going to be prepared for ANY situation?  What happens if their batteries die mid-way through the ceremony?

3.  Organization and coordinating people – you don’t want to piss off the mother of the bride right before you take 10 Formal Portraits of her and her family.  How will they know which shots YOU want?

4.  Being unobtrusive while capturing the special moments – are they going to know where to stand to get the most flattering angles?

5.  Are you going to get your photos/negatives within a reasonable amount of time?  What about enlargements or other products like albums or canvas wrap prints?

We have had clients hire us for the Ceremony only and then had the brother of the Groom do the reception.  After the event, they wished they would have come up with the extra money to have us for the entire event.  Why?  Because the brother’s photos weren’t ANYWHERE near as good as the ones we took.  The styles didn’t match and therefore, their album suffers.  Unfortunately, there’s nothing they can do about it now…

There is a reason Professional Photographers charge what they do, for what they do.  Do you want Professional and artistic looking photos or snapshots than anyone could have taken?

If you have questions, comments, or your own “horror story”, please share it here for others to see, or email me at jewels@jeffgrayart.com.

Formal Portraits at Weddings

The Formal Shots are great to document who was in your bridal party and what you all looked like, and they are great for relatives, since the whole family is together.  If you decide to include these photographs as part of your day, keep in mind some simple tips to help this flow as smoothly as possible.

If your plans include a substantial wedding party, or the expected attendance of a large number of family members, you may want to consider hiring an assistant to the photographer.  This assistant should know everyone in both families by sight and be able to gather members together.  An assistant allows the photographer to concentrate on delivering a superior product, as well as freeing you and your fiance from searching for family members or trying to remember what portraits have and haven’t been taken.  Don’t forget to inform your photographer (and any assistant) of sensitive family situations, such as recently divorced parents and the like.  A cautioned word ahead of time will help the process move along smoothly.

Remember to discuss where and when you would like the formal portraits taken.  Traditionally, these pictures are taken after the ceremony and receiving line, but before the reception begins.  There is a growing trend however, of taking formal portraits before the weddingcremremony, which often serves to relieve much of the tension , pressure, and general whirlwind of activities experienced by the newlyweds in the post-ceremony rush.  Taking portraits before the nuptials also gives you and your new spouse additional time to spend with guests after the ceremony.  See what your photographer suggests.

We give our couples a sheet to fill out that has the Bride’s name with her side, the Groom’s name with his side, and them together.  They fill out each line with the name and relation of the person(s) they want their photograph taken with.  This allows us to be super organized and personable with everyone, helping them to feel more relaxed and at ease with us.  We start with the largest group and whittle it down to just the Bride & Groom.  Then we take them off for 10 minutes or so and that allows them to catch their breath between all the madness.  This is when we try to get some really intimate and romantic shots of the couple, both posed and candid.

Photography – one of your most important wedding day decisions!

www.jeffgrayart.com

Choosing a professional photographer is one of the most important decisions – if not THE most important decision – you will make when planning your wedding.  When interviewing professional Photographers, make sure to examine several portfolios showing a wide range of captured moments from wedding s and other receptions.  The images they will take may serve as one of the only means of sharing this special day in the years to come, so consider your options carefully.  Interview several Photographers, review portfolios, and explain your vision of ideal wedding pictures.

It’s important to share with your photographer the type of wedding being planned, the church and facility involved, and also the time of year.  These items might provide for some more creative photographic settings, or require special equipment.  Make sure the photographer is aware of any lighting restrictions imposed during the ceremony or reception – you may even want to contact the facilities ahead of time and double-check on lighting regulations.  For all of the Photographers’ techniques and skills, proper lighting remains a basic element of good pictures and should never be left to chance.

When determining a budget for Photography, you’ll need to include the cost of additional prints you plan to give as gifts.  Figure on creating a wedding album for both sides of the family, in addition to the one that you and your new spouse will have.  It helps to mention if you are interested in black and white pictures for the album – some photographers can distill these photographs from color proofs, other may want to take separate black and white pictures using slightly different equipment.

A photography contract can be complicated, so it pays to have all items down in writing to prevent misunderstandings.  make sure that the photographer knkows how many prints you want and of what size.  you may want o inquire how long they plan to keep the negatives (some Photographers will sell the negatives to you, on request), or if the studio is allowed to use duplicates for their own advertising.  Determine the payment schedule up front.

14 Tips for perfect photos

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1. Hire a professional qualified wedding photographer. Don’t be tempted to hire “Uncle Harry” to do your wedding photos. Focus on quality wedding photography. At the end in won’t matter how much you save or spend if you end up with bad photos or no photos at all.

2. Take the time to select the best wedding photographer that you can have. Make sure that you are in agreement regarding the style of photography.

3. Don’t give your wedding photographer a long list of must have photos that you printed from the Internet. You will only hinder the photographer’s creativity and the capture of true spontaneous photographs. Hire a photographer with a style that you like and then give him or her artistic freedom to capture your wedding day photography.

4. Try to have an engagement session with the same photographer that will photograph your wedding. It will allow you to interact with the photographer before your wedding day and will help the photographer evaluate your best angles.

5. Plan enough time for your photographic session. Even if the wedding photographer is good he or she won’t be able to give you wonderful photos in just five minutes.

6.  Take your time to do your hair and make up and to take care of all the details so you look good and fresh. If possible hire a professional hair and makeup artist and have a trial session before the wedding.

7. Plan your photo session for shaded areas, afternoon or evening light unless it is an overcast day. The light will be better and you will end up with beautiful photos. Contrary to popular belief midday sunny time is the worst time to take photos.

8. Please don’t forget to rest well the day before the wedding and eat and stay hydrated during the day. If you are tired, thirsty or hungry it will show up in your photos.

9. Don’t make photography of groups the entire focus of your wedding day. A few group photos are ok to record the friends and relatives at the wedding. There is nothing more boring that a wedding album full of group photos.

10. Be yourself. The goal of the wedding photographer is to capture the true you. If the photos are nice but show a fake person you won’t be happy.

11. Have fun and treat the photographer like a human being. Enjoy your day, smile a lot and relax.

14. Don’t let the weather ruin your wedding day — use it to your advantage! If it rains, grab two big umbrellas, go outside, and shoot pictures in the rain. Black-and-white shots of a couple kissing under one umbrella with delicate raindrops creating puddles at their feet are very romantic. Plan ahead and have classic black over-sized umbrellas on hand.

13. Plain and simple, black-and-white photography is preferred for documenting emotional moments. The fewer colors your eyes have to process, the cleaner and easier an image is to absorb when viewing. The result? The subject shines through!

14. There is a misconception that wedding photographers makes a lot of money working only 1 day/week, but in addition to the actual day of shooting, there is usually at least 25 hrs. of back end work involved in each wedding.