Lyn & Allen’s Steam Punk Wedding
Jason & Ken got Hitched!
Adriana & Jason Are Engaged!!!
Adrianna and Jason are both active military. Adrianna lives in DC, Jason is stationed in Japan and their getting married at the La Coast Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA. My husband and I have a place in DC and it just worked out that I’d be in DC the same time as Jason, so we scheduled an engagement session. It was such a treat to shoot their engagement session on the east coast on a beautiful Fall afternoon.
My Quick Tips For Engagement photos
- Don’t wear clothes the wrinkle
- Don’t wear clothes that shine
- Try to stay away from bold clothing
- Down play parts of your body that aren’t flattering
- Highlight your attributes
- Bring lots of clothing options
- Make sure you’re both on the same page. Meaning dress for the same occasion and complement each other.
Erin and Scott’s Album
Erin and Scott were married at the Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, Ca. Here is their custom Queensberry wedding album.
What to consider when Hiring a wedding Photographer
There is a lot to consider when looking for an event photographer. Event photography is very different from other types of photography. A good event photographer should be able to shoot everything, in every lighting situation, relatively quickly.
If I were looking for a photographer to capture my once in a lifetime event I’d do my research because there are no second chances.
First, you want a professional who shows up on time and dresses appropriately.
You want to find out about their experience level how many years have they’ve been shooting events? Did they go to school for this? And is this their full-time job?
You want to read their yelp reviews and ask for references. Yelp is uncensored resources when it comes to reviews and any professional photographer should be able to give out a handful of past clients that will speak on their behalf.
You need to find out if they bring professional backup equipment and what steps do they take to back up their work after an event.
You want to find a photographer that will get involved in your event. Someone that will show you weddings with similar lighting situations, someone that will scout the venue before the event and someone that will help you lay out your timeline relative to light.
When looking at a photographer’s portfolio you need to consider their portfolio as a whole and look for a consistency in their style. You want to fall in love with all the images, not just a few. In general, overly photo-shopped portfolios are red-flag.
I’ve been shooting events for years. I graduated from brooks institute of photography. I think part of a being an event photographer is to plan for cameras to fail so that when they do know body knows about it because you’re backed up. My motto is that I keep a back up for my back up. After an event, I back up all my files to my desktop, laptop, two external hard drives, and online gallery and a disc. I have a 5-start rating on yelp because I take care of my clients. I get involved with my events. Before I meet with clients I research their venue and show them images from a wedding I’ve shot with similar lighting situations so they know what their wedding photos are going to look like before their event. I also go over timelines and advise clients as far as lighting. When you look at my portfolio know that nothing has been photoshopped. I believe part of being a professional photographer is not having to rely on Photoshop to make great photos; you should be able to do it in camera.
I recently read that the number one regret most brides have is their wedding photographer because after the cake’s been eaten, the dress has been boxed and guest have all gone home all you have is your photos. Most brides don’t consider that when choosing their wedding photographer.
Wee Kirk O’The Heather Wedding
Wedding Rings
Wedding Shoes
If I were looking for a photographer… (Read This)
They say about half of all brides are really unhappy with their wedding photographer. Most don’t realize THE IMPORTANCE OF a wedding photographer. The truth is THAT once the cake’s been eaten, the guestS have gone home and the dress has been boxed, all you have are the pictures. Here are 10 insider tips to help you find someone qualified to capture your big day.
•Hire a professional wedding photographer.
•You need to look at a photographer’s portfolio and love most, if not all, of their work. Stay away from photographers that overly photoshop their images.
• Read the photographer’s Yelp reviews. Yelp is an uncensored resource for reviews. Yelp does not allow businessES to take down bad reviews.
•Know who will be photographing your wedding before you sign a contract. Trust me. You’re smart enough to hire your own photographer… you don’t need anyone else to do it for you.
•Find out about their formal training. Did they go to school for photography?
•Ask how long they’ve been shooting weddings.
•Ask about professional backup gear. Do they bring a backup for their backup?
•Ask how they save the photos after the event.
• (Very Important!) You want a photographer that is going to get involved in your wedding. Someone WHO will research the venue. Someone WHO will help you lay out your timeline so that you get the best photos.
•Ask how long THEY SHOOT, THE TOTAL COST and everything else you can imagine…then ask again!
I’ve been shooting weddings since 2004. I graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography. After school, I worked with several of the top celebrity and fashion photographers. I got into weddings because I love them. As a professional wedding photographer, I know I have to be prepared for anything, which is why I bring at least 3 professional cameras to every wedding. (I bring a backup for my backup) After a wedding, I download all the images to two external hard drives, two computers, an online gallery, and a disc. I have a 5-star rating on Yelp because I get involved with my events.
Top 2017 Wedding Venue
The Los Angles Athletic Club located in downtown is the hottest place to get married in 2013. This private social club was created in 1880 by a group of distinguished Angelinos. The venue has gone through some major style renovations over the last couple years but has kept its vintage flair. I find myself marveling at all the different textures, colors, fabrics, and carpeting their incredible interior designer used in the design. If I could describe this club I’d say it embodies class, a unique style, history, and so much more.Here is why the LAAC is a no brainer…
In general Hotels are easiest places to plan weddings, because everything is already there catering, hotel rooms, parking, linens, tables, and chairs. You have hotel rooms for out of town guests to stay and a place to get ready so you don’t have to worry about traffic when it comes to planning your wedding day. However, most hotels are sort of boring as far as a wedding venue. In general, the ceremony sites are mediocre at best, the ballrooms are sort of plain and they cater to corporate clients. Which is why brides tend to choose private estates, historical parks, beaches and golf course for their nuptials.
The Los Angles Athletic Club ceremony site is located on the roof of the club, which means breath-taking views overlooking downtown Los Angeles. Their Ballroom is vintage and amazing. They have an amazing chef and 72 boutique style hotel rooms. The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the best location for the high fashion bride with unique taste who wants a no fuss wedding.
Photographer notes: This venue is unique that being the case you want a high skilled photographer that can overcome its many lighting challenges. First of all most photographers rely on bounce light to shoot a wedding. With this venue, you cannot rely on bounce light outdoors. I know that this seems like an obvious point but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen photographers make this mistake with outdoor event venues like this. Secondly, the ballrooms vaulted ceilings make bouncing light nearly impossible. So what photographers will tend to do is point the flash right toward the couple, which in most cases is not going to look good. I’ve seen many photographers struggle with venues like this one and it’s mostly because this is a unique venue requires a technical photographer with tons of experience. You cannot rely on the bounce formula instead you have to have low light gear and balance the light.
