Love – Любов4, Любов, Amor, 爱 ,愛, الحب, Ljubav, Láska, Liefde, Αγάπη, प्यार, Dragoste, Kärlek
A note for Wedding Vendors
In the wedding industry referrals are so important. I think when you refer someone it has a direct reflection on you and your business. Which is why simply liking a persons personality isn’t reason enough to refer them.
Here is why we’re the best…
– I produce consistent results consistently. Consistency is the mark of a true professional photographer. A photographer should have a style that is consistent throughout their portfolio. When someone hires a photographer they hire him or her for their style. Many times I go through a photographers website and find that every single photograph looks like completely different. Which means you really have no idea what you’re going to get when you hire that photographer. Many professional photographers shoot in auto settings and auto color correct. I shoot with manual settings and I hand color correct. If someone is going to simply work in auto you might as well hire your uncle to shoot the wedding.
– People always say, “Being a wedding photographer must be stressful? (What if something happen)” I usually reply with “Yes, I think it can be.” I take the stress out of my job by doing a lot of up front planning with my clients, researching locations and making sure that I’m backup. Back up is essential when it comes to being a wedding photographer. I bring 3 professional cameras to every wedding. I always say I have to have a back up for my back up. People don’t realize how important back up is until something happens. In my opinion cameras fail, hard drives fail and my goal/job is to make sure that when they fail no body knows about it because I’m prepared and backed up.
– On the big day my team is always on time and dressed professionally.
When it comes to my sales strategy… I hate being pressured, I hate up sales, and I hate fine print. I want my reputation and quality of work to speak for its self.
I believe when you have your own business you should love what you do, and exceed client expectations. Your business should be a direct reflection of your heart. (I’m so cheesy but you have to be in this business. lol)
Men vs. Female Photographer
Professional photographers have traditionally been men and jobs within photography has always seemed a little like a boys club. I can remember talking with a professional wedding photographer while I was still in school at Brooks in Santa Barbara. He was explaining to me how male photographers should be worried that more women are becoming photographers. He said, “women are better at capturing moments and they have better intuition than men.” (This came from a male wedding photographer) I think he is right when it comes to wedding photography. I would think a bride would rather have a woman capturing her day because women get how important weddings are, not that men don’t but it’s different.
I can remember when I first got out of school and I was assisting for professional fashion and celebrity photographers. I always felt like being a girl assisting is like a woman trying to be a fireman. As an assistant, you spend most of your days lifting heavy equipment. For a short time, I assisted photographers for Play Boy Magazine. (I’m not a pervert; at the time it was the best job in town.) While assisting these photographers I realized that a man is much better naturally at shooting a naked woman because they can relate to what a man finds sexy. I think the same is true when it comes to wedding photography. A female photographer knows what is important to a bride because she can relate. She can also be in the bride’s room while she’s changing and getting ready. She gets the importance of capturing the simple things that are meaningful to a girl.
Sometimes things happen at weddings that only a girl is going to understand why it’s important and know that it needs to be captured. My opinion on woman photographing weddings comes from my own personal experience from hiring men, knowing many male wedding photographers. I know there are exceptions but in general, I feel like my statements are true.
*Plus so much of photography is about color and 70% of men are colorblind to some extent.
Queen Mary Weddings
They were married aboard the RMS Queen Mary. Long Beach, Ca
“Following the light of the sun, we left the old world.” -Christopher Columbus
Toilet Paper over or under?
I usually don’t blog about things I read but… This story is so perfect it is really hard not to. The story is about the little things that drive you crazy in a relationship and how people choose to battle them.
The story is from Wesley Goo’s blog. Wesley is an amazing motivational speaker, that has a lot to share with the world.
I hope you enjoy….
“I’ve never been a big fan of bathroom humor.”
It’s just never been my brand of humor. I’m much more conservative when it comes to bathroom etiquette. For some reason, that bothers people. I’ve been in endless discussions about whether it’s “ok” to, in an intimate relationship, use the bathroom with the door open. I’ve always been against an “open door policy” with regard to bathroom activities.
Since I’ve never been given to any discussion of bathroom activities, this subject is going to come off quite odd, especially for people that know me. Lessons can be learned in the oddest places and at the oddest times and while there is, I’m sure, a more refined (and clearer) way to share what I’m about to say … this is what came to my mind this evening so bear with me.
We’ve all, at some point, used up the toilet paper and have had to replace the roll. When installing a new roll of toilet paper, do you place it with the open leaf in the back (hence, pulling down from behind the roll) or with the open leaf in front (hence, pulling down in front of the roll)? Over or under?
I know what you’re thinking: “Who thinks about this kinda stuff?” Right? I know! I know! Just humor me for a moment. Usually, I just go with the flow as I’m sure many of you do. Whatever way it is upon arrival is the way you replace it. My girlfriend was raised placing the new roll with the open leaf behind the roll (under) whereas I was raised with the open leaf in front of the roll (over). She will place the roll the way she was raised every time. I will place the new roll the way I was raised every time.
We are products of our environment and how we were each raised by our parents. The smallest things can be a shining example of the differences b/w two people in a relationship. What is apparently so trivial can often be quite the conundrum. Which way do we place the new roll???
YOUR way or MY way?
Stew on that for a minute.
There are three options, as I see it.
1. The way we’ve always done it. Upon placing a new roll, I will continue to do what I’ve always done because it benefits me and she will do the same. Upon seeing the roll the way our partner does it, each of us will … just slightly… be annoyed.
2. Agree to a one way. We can agree – if we’re ever crazy enough to have this discussion – on a certain direction … but who’s way would we choose? I suppose the answer would be the person who’s less attached to the outcome would bend to meet the other person’s wishes. This is thoughtful and selfless for the person less attached but doesn’t really teach the person who is attached a lesson (let alone that the person has major issues if they’re THAT attached to the outcome of which way one’s toilet paper faces).
3. Do it the way your partner likes. Always place it whichever way your partner likes it. This is a selfless act for both parties and also demonstrates, to the other, that their partner has THEIR best interest in mind and not simply their own needs.
I don’t think I even need to relate how this connects to a relationship but to close the open loop I’ve created, I’ll continue.
There are three kinds of relationships that we often observe. Which one do you and your partner participate in?
1. It’s all about YOU. You do what’s best for you and they do what’s best for them. This is the most common as it comprises about 90% of all relationships. This is the most selfish approach to a relationship and will create massive problems now AND later. These are most marriages you see. You know the ones. You’d never want your relationship modeled after people who do this.
2. You both compromise. Sometimes we’ll do it your way, other times my way. This is definitely a step up from the first stage. Here, you spend your life in compromise feeling okay at times and frustrated at other times because you never know when it’s going to be YOUR turn to compromise.
3. Your needs ARE my needs. Here, you both have a service mentality. This is the highest form of relationship in which you do what’s best for the other person at all times. You do whatever it takes to love and serve them honoring them as a gift from God. If both parties train themselves to take this approach, no needs go unmet because each partner reaches out to meet their partner’s needs first.
So how did she and I resolve this matter? We didn’t … consciously, at least. She instinctively began turning the roll MY way and I began turning the roll HER way. It became automatic. We do what’s best for each other because we know, in doing so; in honoring the other person, our own needs are met and we continue to be blessed.
Why did I need toilet paper to make this point? I didn’t. Toilet paper is not the point. At the end of the day, the toilet paper issue is completely unimportant in relation to what IS important in life. It was simply what triggered this thought about relationships.
But next time you stare at that roll of toilet paper, think about what type of partner, friend, roommate, family member or guest you yourself are.”
Wesley Goo
www.wesleygoo.com
http://www.facebook.com/wesleygoo
Love all alike, no season knows, nor clime, not hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
– John Donne
Love all alike, no season knows, nor clime, not hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
– John Donne
Hey Jewelers! Modern Design Jewelry
These are a couple shots from yesterdays shoot with Modern Design Inc. If your looking to update your advertising or build a new catalog there is no time like the present to make new changes. Get professional photographs now.
Tips to hire a Wedding Photographer
I’ve been working on a video to help people to hire event photographers. Here is a copy of the script I’ve created.
Event photographers don’t have a chance to reshoot an event so you really want to be careful whom you choose.
When looking for an event photographer you want someone that can do more than just take a great photo. You want someone to show up on time and dress appropriately. Brings professional backup equipment, and take care to back up files after an event. They need have booth experience as an event photographer and an education on top of all that they need to have a great report with people.
Event photography is very different from other types of photography. Event photographers have to be able to shoot in every lighting situation without strobes and be able to shoot everything relatively quickly. I’m always telling my team if you’re a good event photographer you can shoot everything photojournalism, portraits, food, architecture, details….
I think when you’re looking for a photographer you should look at their portfolio as if it were one event, and ask yourself do I love all of these photos? Do all the photos look like they go together? A professional photographer with both education and experience will have a certain style and that style should be consistent. I think a professional event photographer shouldn’t have to overly use Photoshop to make a great photo, great photos should happen in camera.
When looking for an event photographer you need someone that will get involved in the planning process. When I meet with clients I like to go over their event in detail. As far as the location and the time line. If a bride comes to me with a winter wedding and is planning to have her ceremony at sunset, I explain to her that sunset in the winter and summer are very different. If you have a sunset wedding in the winter there won’t be a lot of light after the ceremony to shoot the formals. So we either need to start their ceremony a little earlier, or do a first-look and shoot formals at that time. When I like to go over the location I tend to show clients photos that have similar lighting scenarios so that they know exactly what their photos are going to look like before they book me.
As a professional photographer, people are always sharing their nightmare stories about their wedding photographer. A story I hear over and over is that my photographer lost my photos. When it comes to events you don’t have a second chance so part of my job as a photographer is to prepare for cameras and hard drives to go down. Cameras break like computers, which is why I bring 3 professional cameras to every event. After an event, I back up all my files to two external hard drives, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an online gallery and a disc.
Finally, I think you need to do a little research before hiring an event photographer and the best way I know is to ask for references and read their yelp reviews. I find yelp is the most trusted site when it comes to reviews.
Love at first sight. Cupid.
When Valentine’s Day rolls around each year in February, we see candies and chocolates in heart-shaped boxes and Valentine’s Day cards all adorned with the cute little cherub we loving call Cupid..
Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of beauty, and Jupiter, the god of commerce and wrestling. To the ancient Romans, Cupid, otherwise known as Amor, was known as the God of Love. It is said that once you were shot with an arrow from Cupid’s bow, you would fall madly in love with the next person you meet. But, Cupid did not always have good intentions, at times Cupid was just plain cruel. Sometimes, Cupid would mischievously toy with others affections by matching up couples with complete opposite qualities just to see what would happen.