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WPPI Promo Video
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I don't know how to sum up last night's presentation. It was a complete mix of emotion for me, but one thing I do know is that I'm BLOWN AWAY by this industry's support and love. The energy in the room was palpable and I was incredibly honored to stand in front of such an amazing group. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
My apologies to those who were turned away at the door....the good news is that WPPI asked me to give the presentation again today at 11am. I know it's totally last minute, but if you'd like to join, I'll be in room 319-320. For those of you who can't make it, I'd love to share the intro video my good friend Anton Lorimer made to debut at WPPI... Due to the unexpected added presentation, my schedule for speaking at the tradeshow may be slightly askew, so please forgive me in advance. I will definitely still be at the Leather Craftsmen Booth at 1:15pm and the Kubota Booth at 2:40pm. Please stop by and say hi! :) |
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Jasmine of Tuesday Morning
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O kay, so I was going to blog something else today. But I decided against it because I just wanted to get this off my chest. I'm so nervous at this very moment. So nervous I could throw up at any second. I woke up multiple times last with shocks of adrenaline. You'd think I was competing for the Olympics or something. Give me a break!
It's Monday morning and I'm sitting in my hotel room in Las Vegas. I'm speaking tonight at WPPI to about 1,000 people (that is, of course, if people even come), and while I'm trying to shake these nerves, I'm hunkered down reviewing for tonight. Basically this post is just for me. For me to document how I feel at this moment and not to be overcome with fear. Because, really, all I want to do is crawl under the covers and wait for Tuesday morning to appear. Dear Jasmine of Tuesday Morning... You might have failed last night. You might have bombed. Badly. You might have said something you regretted (okay, let's be real, with your mouth, this will definitely happen), but keep in mind you gave it your best shot. You practiced and put together something that will hopefully help a few people. And if it doesn't...well...if it doesn't, you gave it a good shot. Failure isn't new in your life, and it takes a lot of failures to get to success, so learn and let it go. Besides, you can always wallow in self-loathing surrounding by pints of Ben&Jerry's...and convince JD to buy you that Canon 35mm, 1.4 you want from the tradeshow floor out of sheer pity. Love, Jasmine of Monday Morning |
| And here's a sneak peek of yesterday's engagement session in Las Vegas' Red Rocks...it was an adventure, but more on that next week! :) |
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Happy Birthday, My Love
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T oday is a good day. In fact, today is a lot better than yesterday. Oh, yeah, the day I decided to drain my battery. IN THE RAIN. I was running around trying to take care of loose ends before our big trip to Las Vegas, and I guess I did something that made the car die. Oh, like wrapping JD's present in the car so he wouldn't see me.
In some parallel universe this makes sense. Trust me. When I walked inside the house, the first thing I said was, Okay, so promise not to get mad... For the next few minutes I tried explaining, but JD had a hard time following. You were what?! Why? Who wraps presents in the car? For an hour?! And you HAD to listen Lady Gaga?!?! Like I said, this makes total sense. To me. But--like always--JD brought out jumper cables and set out in the rain to fix my mistake. That's just how he rolls. I drive him absolutely, positively nuts, but I know he loves me. And I love him. And as we celebrate his birthday tonight in Las Vegas (hopefully before the madness of WPPI settles in), I'm sure I'll thank him for sharing his life with me. And for not questioning why I listen to Lady Gaga. |
| Happy Birthday, my love. |
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Rangefinder Radio : Podcast
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O h, it hit me. Hard. In two days JD will be turning another year older. While this is exciting in it and of itself, it also presented a whole new set of challenges. Oh, like, BUYING HIM A GIFT. Umm, yeah, should've thought a little in advance about this, but I work well under pressure.
Of said pressure, if you saw me running around the Irvine Spectrum today with mangled hair, wearing workout pants, and huffing along, I'm sorry. I'm sure it was a sight no one should be subjected to. I saw myself in a window reflection and I apologized. To the window. When I walked into stores, sales people weren't sure if they should help me...or call for professional help. Someone call the Fashion Police...stat! A couple weeks ago--when I wasn't running around like a deranged wife--I was interviewed for Rangefinder Radio. I enjoyed the weekly podcast with Scott Sheppard and we ended up talking about the Food Network just as much as photography...which is juuuuust fine with me. Get me talking about food, and all is right with the world. If you'd like to listen to the 02.01.10 podcast with me, feel free to CLICK HERE. And here's a sneak peek of a shoot I'm working on for next week.... |
| Happy Friday! |
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Stargazing : Crash Taylor
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W hen I first heard his name I was kinda jealous. Like, really, who's THAT cool to have "Crash" be your name? Uh-uh, no way. Better yet, after hearing of all the ways he was helping photographers, I was totally blown away. I checked out his websites and I realized he was the real deal. Crash Taylor is a photographer who loves helping, sharing, and connecting and he's doing it in such a straight-forward way.
I few months ago, I was interviewed by Crash and I got to know him personally. Since then he's done even greater things to help others. He recently started another site to help photographers and then I had enough. That's it! I wanted to turn the table and interview him for my Stargazing series. I hope you find Crash as helpful and inspiring as I do.... |
| *When and how did the Interviews with Crash Taylor Blog begin?
I started the interviews in September 08. I was lying in bed one night when I thought how cool it would be to interview the finest photographers in the business and explore their viewpoints, techniques and talents, as well as explore the amazing imagery they were creating. *What's been the highlight of orchestrating the interviews with photographers? The highlight of orchestrating the interviews has been the overwhelming response from viewers, who have responded enthusiastically to the unique, candid, interesting and informative responses from those being interviewed. I'm constantly getting emails from folks about how much they've learnt and been inspired by the interviews. That definitely makes me smile. *What's your goal? My goal quite simply was to promote the talents and wisdom of the world's finest photographers and share this with the global public. *What do you think is the best way for people to help each other? Without question, the best way people can help each other is to share their insights, ideas, and skills with others who share a passion for photography. *Why are you so passionate about helping others? There is a biblical phrase, which truly answers the question. To paraphrase "That which ye sow, so shall ye reap". In other words the more you give others; the more will be given to you. *What the best piece of advice you've ever received? Follow your dreams and remember great talent is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration... Take care, keep shootin' and lovin' life. Crash Taylor For more information on Crash's photography websites, check out... Interviews by Crash Taylor The Still Image CrashTaylor.com |
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Hawppy.
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W e sat around my dining room table and made fun of my father. Lovingly, but still. We laughed at his expense. He pointed a brown, knobby finger in my direction and asked, Wull, were shu hawppy?! I didn't have to respond because everyone already knew the answer.
Was I happy? That was his question, but I made fun of him because he's raised me to be a full-fledged quitter. I've quit more things in my life than I haven't. And I entirely blame my dad. Most parents raise their children to find the value in perseverence and dedication, but my dad? He finds value in happiness. My entire life if I wasn't happy doing something, he'd tell me to quit. He told me he spent his entire life dedicating himself to things he didn't want to do and persevere through bleak situations so his children wouldn't have to. When I told my dad I quit law school to pursue photography he merely asked a question: Are shu hawppy? Through tears I told him I thought so. The first year I decided to attend WPPI in Las Vegas, I was so scared and unsure of my decision, but I went in faith. Besides, if I didn't like it, I'd just quit. Duh. I've attended WPPI every year since then and I'm stoked to say I'm hawppy. And I honesty wish the same for you if you'll be there. More than that, I'd love to meet you. Of course, I'll be going to presentations throughout the week, but here's some places I'm locked in to be: Monday, March 8, 2010 Platform Presentation @ 6:30-8:30pm in Room 319-320. Party at The Pool hosted by WPPI (I'll be headed there after my presentation) Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Tradeshow Floor: 12-12:30pm ... Fast Track Photographer Lounge for a recorded interview. 1:15-1:45pm ... Hosting a FREE Companion Album Giveaway at the Leather Craftsmen Booth. Stop by for a ticket and the winner will be announced at 1:45pm (winner must be present). I'll be chatting how I use the Companion albums for my engagement albums and have samples to share. 2:40-3pm ... Speaking at Kubota Imaging Tools Booth for a Photoshop demonstration. Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11am-12pm ... Private Q+A session for future Showit user group leaders with myself, Dane Sanders, David Jay. So excited for this! 12-5pm ... Showit Genius Bar. Here you can stop by and learn how to customize your website and learn more about Showit. (JD and I will be here on and off throughout the day). I sincerely hope we get the chance to connect and if you see me walking the halls, please stop and say hi. Sometimes I'm overbearing and loud, but other than that, I play well with others. |
| We took this picture while in New York last week...self-timer, so don't hate! ;)
Speaking of New York, I'm airing on an episode of The Knot LIVE tomorrow at 1pm EST. I'm so nervous to see the segment...It was my first time being interviewed on camera, so let's hope I don't look foolish! :) |
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FAQ : Shooting Family Formal Photos at Weddings
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I often get asked about shooting family formal photos at weddings. To be honest, I don't know how to answer most these questions because it's something that varies from wedding to wedding. What I can say is that I try keeping them as simple as possible to move things as quickly as possible. When I first started, I lacked direction so the family portraits on the wedding day would take way too long.
As time passed, I made the decision to chat with my clients in advance about their expectations and the best way to approach family formals. I encourage my brides to have a conversation with their family in advance about photos to avoid confusion on the wedding day and then explain an optimal scenario: Starting with a large group and peeling back people in layers. By this I mean we start the photo with a very large family group of the bride's family, then peel away aunts/uncles/cousins, then peel away grandparents, then peel away siblings, so we're left with just the parents. Then I shoot just parents with the bride and groom, then just the siblings, then just grandparents. Then I shoot both sets of parents with bride and groom. Then I repeat the process with the groom's side of the family. If everything goes well, I can shoot all formals in about 30 minutes. If family formal photos take longer than 40-45 minutes, I feel like it's frustrating for all parties involved. Family members want to be at cocktail hour, the bride and groom get tired of standing and posing for so long, and the overall experience becomes laborious. And, really, who wants that on a wedding day? I, of course, will shoot anything and everything I'm asked to shoot, but I think the best way to find the best fit for everyone involved is educating clients based on their needs, explaining the photographer's perspective, and encourage pre-wedding communication with family members. Here are a few samples of family formal photos from recent weddings...I keep them straight-forward and classic in order to optimize the experience for the bride and groom... |
| Finding a location with soft, natural light is always preferred for best results... |
| I usually snap a quick photo with the groom and his parent as the groups are swapping out for another photo. Shooting while JD is organizing other group formals is a great way to maximize our time together. I'll shoot the same photo with the bride and each photo with each parent takes just a few seconds to snap. |
| As I'm shooting formals with kids in the shot, I usually ask JD to stand over my right shoulder and call in the direction of the camera to make sure they know where to look... |
| I don't always get back light like this, but when I do, I'll always shoot in it! :) |
| Like always, these FAQ Posts are merely meant to help one person...if it didn't help, so sorry! I'll see if I can make it up to you in the near future! ;)
Happy Monday! |
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| © 2010 Jasmine Star Photography | Blog by Infinet Design |
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