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FAQ : Design, Photography + Publishing a Wedding
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T he conversation occurred on a sandy beach in the Cayman Islands. As I spoke with wedding designer, Calder Clark, and Southern Weddings Magazine Editor, Lara Casey, I realized we expressed similar sentiment, but came from different angles. The story: A wedding designer spends forever and a day creating a spectacular wedding. Then the photographer doesn't pay attention to the timeline and misses his opportunity to get the detail photos. Then the magazine editor is left with a lackluster wedding submission because the detail photos are...well...lackluster. When they truly could have been spectacular.
What went wrong? And could this situation been avoided? Calder, Lara, and I collaborated on the following blog post to offer insight as to best prepare yourself for the ideal approach if you (the photographer) and the bride are interested in submitting the wedding for magazine publication. This is merely just three girls offering our opinion. Of course, there are hundreds of ways to get it done right, but if you'd like to join our conversation, you're more than welcome to. The comment box is yours at the end. |
| Rockstar photographer? That's you. Wedding Designer in the mix? I'm in. Together: a shoo-in for the glossy mag? Hardly.
We know you're gonna nail the first waltz and the sugary wedge of cake. But what about a shot of the entire stationery suite? Not without a plan, Stan. Rewind, and let's have a little pow-wow. I've been slaving over the details for a year. Now, the exhaustive agenda is in place and I have sky-high expectations that you'll clone yourself and be in 4 places at once. Obviously, we need to chat. Do we want the same thing? I'd love to see this in a magazine, would you? I have painstaking details ready to shoot; all I need is your talent on site to capture. How can we capture the details without destroying the fabric of the evening? I'm armed with the timeline and you have a second shooter. How can we put our heads together to serve the bride (first and foremost) and snag the pretty little nuances before night falls? Here's a gameplan: Be aggressive about being collaborative Team up with the planner to hash out the agenda and detail shot lists. The wedding is designed for flow, but you can talk us through where your editorial prep-work fits in best. Share your second shooter Divide and conquer to cover all your bases. Perhaps, you can stop by to take tight shots and then retreat to the bride while your second shooter stays behind to capture the broader scope. Think like a commercial photographer Surfaces, props, lighting, juxtaposition: all of them matter. I can gather her old, new, borrowed, and blue if you can shoot it in the afternoon light on a reclaimed wood console. In a nutshell? Communicate and anticipate together......then capture. Better yet, hear it from a world class photographer next. |
| I'll keep this short. The only thing I need from a wedding planner is time. I just need time. I recently had a conversation with a planner and explained that there was no way I could capture the bridal party, the family (immediate and extended), the cocktail hour, the bride+groom, and reception details in the 55 minutes she allotted in the schedule.
Having the conversation opened the doors for open communication, got us on the same page, and she happily reworked the schedule to accommodate my requests. At the end of the day, the planner and I are on the same team...creating conversations in advance help ensure we work together for seamless execution, which creates a stronger wedding submission. And, of course, I'll take this chance to remind brides of the benefits of having a First Look. Oh, com'on...you know I wasn't going to talk about the best thing on the wedding day besides the First Kiss! ;) For more on this subject from an editorial perspective, here's the ever talented Lara Casey... |
| Brides, if your first sentence to your planner or photographer is "Which magazines will you be submitting me to?" then, Houston, we have a problem. Planners, if in your first consultation with a bride you are talking glossies, it's time to refocus. Photographers, If you miss an important moment because you are getting a detail shot that will look great in a spread, back up. Marriage is sacred. Photographers are paid the big bucks because they are artists hired to capture sacred moments for the couple and their family to treasure... Not for press. Having said that, yes, you are running a business. Yes, press can aid said business. I happen to publish a magazine and, like any editor, I want your best work in its pages. If you choose to submit your work, there is a way to do it well... and lots of ways to shoot yourself in the foot.
After countless conversations with fellow editors, it's clear that, while our submission requirements may be vastly different, we share much of the same perspective on how to do it right. What I need from the photographer is simple in concept but sometimes harder in practice. A sampling of the many things editors will thank you for: • Rule #1 to getting published on major wedding blogs and magazines: read them. Know what they want, style, image format, who they target. Do your research and follow the rules. Every publication has a unique system for submissions. I repeat: follow the rules. Check FAQ pages before asking a question. • Use Two Bright Lights. It is the solution to most submissions woes. You create great images, Two Bright Lights gives you the tools to get them seen in the best light. We love it and use it every day to accept work for publication. • Make sure your brides WANT to be published. Many times we have a feature done but the bride won't return an interview. Feature lost. • When you do submit, put your company name in the image file name. I went through 867 image submissions last week and had to have an intern spend two hours downloading and renaming files for me to sift through. Help a girl out! "amazingweddingphotographer_rad_couple.jpg" Easy. • For editorial, don't over-process. Trust your images and hone your craft in the camera. I can't stress this enough. You will rarely see heavily processed images in a magazine because we need consistency. Most editors want true-to-life color to inspire brides. Clean, crisp, clear editorial images publishable. • Photographers, study commercial and food photography to learn how to shoot details. Brides love seeing them, we love publishing them. For our brand, we love details that have meaning and they have to be realistic to inspire brides. On that note, brides, don't create details because they'll look great in pictures. Create them because they reflect who you are. • Deliver. If you want to get published, be a responsible business owner and, like I always say, just make it happen. Bottom line, no matter which role you play, be a professional. Be aware of all the players' needs. And most of all, do your job. Take care of that couple and produce, capture, design, execute, unfold that perfect love story that is just waiting to be told. Glossies are great. Love is all that really matters. I'm doing an online intensive on how to get published on August 24th. Too much to say in a single blog post. If you read this post, send me a twitter message and I'll give you a special discount code for registration since I love Jasmine so much. I'm always happy to answer submission and publication questions because I want your work to shine. I want that great love story to change people, to inspire and to heighten the level of quality and integrity in our industry. Selfishly, I want to be changed by the love story you tell, too. I'm a sucker for great photography. I know for a fact we could never touch on all the aspects of publication in a single post, so this is just the start of the conversation. We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions. |
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FAQ : Shooting Wedding Details
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Y esterday I had the distinct honor of having a wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. Like always, I love working with Abby and the SMP crew, so when Emily and D.J.'s Montage Laguna Beach wedding was featured, I was thrilled. It was awesome to revisit their wedding, so as I perused their wedding details, I thought I'd post a few more pictures...and include the metadata.
After posting the Dark Church and Ceremony FAQ post, a few photographers emailed and asked for more metadata posts. I usually shy away from these posts because they take f.o.r.e.v.e.r, but I'll try to make more of an effort to share. Like usual, I'm not inferring my way is the best (or the right) way to shoot..I'm merely sharing how I do it. I hope it's cool... |
| This post contains photos that weren't included in the original wedding blog post, to better focus on their wedding details... |
| Emily made a truly stunning bride and her wedding remains one of my favorites still to this day... |
| This photo isn't really a detail, but, just look at this pretty much grainless photo...shot at 3200iso...seriously, I love my Canon 5DMII. |
| Cocktail hour and lounge... |
| The decor and design was created by Square Root Designs...and I loved it! |
| Many thanks to Patty Burns and Jaime Puffer of the Montage Laguna Beach Events and Catering department...they're simply divine. |
| Happy Thursday! |
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FAQ : Churches + Dark Ceremony Photos
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Y esterday on the j* Facebook page, I was asked by Amy McFarland how I dealt with dark ceremonies and/or churches. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I don't face that particular issue as--perhaps--other photographers around the United States. I'm lucky enough to live in a state where outdoor weddings are preferred, and I believe it plays to my strengths. Thankfully. Like most photographers, I prefer outdoor weddings, but I embrace the fact that it isn't always the case. Happily.
I get asked a variation of Amy's question quite often, so I decided to blog a few ceremony photos in dark locations and post my settings for today's FAQ Post. Yes, I had to dig a little through the archives, but I hope they'll show what I do...and please note...I do NOT think I'm doing things the right way. Quite the contrary. I'm merely showing my way. There are a few of you who might think I'm crazy and I'm okay with that. In fact, I'd be the first to welcome you to the club! Most churches don't allow flash during the ceremony, so this is where prime lenses come in extra handy. Using a wide aperture offers a unparalleled luxury and I'm hooked... f/1.2 1/25 85mm, 1.2 1600iso |
| f/1.4 1/125 50mm,1.4 1000iso |
| f/3.5 1/50, 1.4 50mm 1600iso |
| Most churches won't allow photographers past a certain point during the ceremony, so here's where the 70-200, 2.8 comes in to save the day and capture candid moments from a distance...
f/2.8 1/50 70-200mm, 2.8 1600iso |
| Now here's a random bit of info: The first three pictures were shot in the same church as the following two pictures. The difference? I used the Canon 5DMII in the following shots and lah-lah-lahved the higher iso capabilities. So amazing!
f/2.8 1/40 70-200, 2.8 2500iso |
| f/2.8 1/40 70-200, 2.8 1600iso |
| f/2.8 1/40 70-200, 2.8 1250iso |
| f/2.8 1/40 70-200, 2.8 1250iso |
| As I've stated before, I'm not the biggest fan of flash. Don't get me wrong...I use it...I embrace it...it's a great additive to low-light situations. But in the same vein, I also think it takes away the natural setting of the photograph. When possible, I try to shoot both with flash, and without. In the following photo, I was able to get a few photos of the bride and her dad walking down the aisle illuminated with flash. Once I knew I had the safe shot, I turned off my flash, and changed my settings. I prefer this photo to any of the flash photos...hands down.
f/1.2 1/100 50mm, 1.2 1600iso |
| I love using candle light for illumination when possible. This church was dark. So, so dark. There's no way I could've shot this photo at f/2.8 (I wanted both subjects in focus as much as possible) had it not been for the candle compensation...
f/2.8 1/40 85mm, 1.2 1600iso |
| f/2.8 1/80 85mm, 1.2 1600iso |
| Hope this helps and, if not, I'll try again soon! :)
Happy Tuesday! |
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FAQ : Reader Questions XIII
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W ell, it's Monday. The day after the 4th of July, making it the 5th of July. Duh. And I saw the best fireworks show last night at the St. Regis Monarch Beach. My ears? They're STILL ringing and the hummmmm that's persisting reminds me of this awesome country, how blessed I am to live here, and soy hot dogs. Of course.
I thought today might be a good day for another found of FAQs... Joshua asked: Your pictures have a warm desaturated feel to them. I am amusing you manually set your white balance but I was wondering if you would be kind enough to reveal what settings you use in your picture style. It doesn't look like you use a default mode. What do you set your contrast, sharpness, saturation, and color tone to? Like I mentioned in this post, I shoot exclusively in Auto White Balance. And, yes, my picture setting is in default mode. I don't customize contrast, saturation, or color tone in-camera as I feel the Canon 5DMII does a great job capturing images just the way I like them. Shauna asked: I'm trying to get my husband to shoot weddings with me. He has a great eye, but I feel like I have to literally push him out the door when it's time to shoot. How did you get JD to shoot with you? Let me start off by saying working with your spouse is definitely not for everyone. I think the main thing is to ask yourself whether your husband wants to shoot on his own volition. Having a good eye or simply liking photography isn't enough. Weddings are some of the most difficult and stressful events to document, so a person needs more than just talent. A wedding photographer has to want to shoot weddings. And, yes, I know this sounds like common sense, but it bears referencing because if a second photographer doesn't reeeeeeally want to be there, it may add more stress to the day. I'd suggest asking your husband what he wants to do, and support his response regardless of your desire. It'll alleviate future frustration and allow you to build your business making long-term decisions. Martin asked: There are so many Kubota action sets. Can you please recommend one I should start with? I'm new to this and I am a little overwhelmed. Thx. Overwhelmed? You want to talk about being overwhelmed? Why, yes, let's go THERE. When I first attended WPPI a few years ago, I sat in Kevin Kubota's platform class and I was blown away. By him, by his neon shirt, by everything. He gave such a stellar presentation and I walked away inspired and ready to start my photography business. Then I walked straight to his vendor table and bought EVERY KUBOTA ACTION EVER CREATED. I wish I was lying. What can I say? Kevin knows how to sell! ;) I came home with so many actions I didn't know where or how to start. Over time, however, I found actions that I really liked and most of them can be found in Kubota Artistic Tools One...it has Fuji Snappit, B/W 70/20/10, and Kex X-Process Combo...some of my favs! I also love the Kubota Production Tools for the Magic Sharp action...it's my favorite. Hands down. And if you're feeling extra wild, check out Kubota Artistic Tools V3 for cool actions like my personal rawr action, Fashion Passion. Cassidy asked: But do you blog all your sessions? I sometimes shoot things that I'm not at all excited to blog about but I feel obligated to. Ever have that? Yes. And yes. I blog every wedding and engagement session. And here's why... It's too easy to sit back and coast along shooting well. You show up to a session, you know you can do a good job, and--bam!--you do. Then there are some shoots that aren't as easy. Sure, you can think to yourself you don't have to blog the session if you don't want to, but I think that's weak sauce. Truly. Because I know I want to blog each photo session, I have to challenge myself to produce the type of work I'm proud to showcase. There's no taking-it-easy...the light isn't good today...I'm-in-a-funk...he blinks too much. There's no room for mistakes or excuses and I think my clients benefit from this notion. I won't leave the session without knowing I have photos I'm proud of. I might be totally alone of this matter, but I believe it's helped me push myself in ways I couldn't before. Erin asked: I was wondering if you could tell me more of how you got started, or maybe point me to an autobiography? Also, I have noticed that a lot of pro photographers use Canon. Do you have a reason why you use Canon? And have you ever used Nikon? You can find my entire photo journey from the beginning documented HERE, on my old blog. It's a little random and all over the place, but--ehh--it's really who I am. I shoot with Canon for the following reasons: 1. My first film camera was Canon, so it started at a young age. 2. My wedding photographer (and first huge inspiration) shot Canon. 3. JD bought me a Canon 20D when I first started, so he pretty much decided it for me. 4. It's the best. Duh. Happy Monday! |
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FAQ : Previsualization
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P art of what I do as a photographer--what we do as photographers--is create an image. Some prefer to place an emphasis at different points in the process (before, during, after), but I think we'd all agree it's a culmination process. I, however, have been thinking lately how much I work on the before component to what I do. Namely, thinking/dreaming/creating an image before I'm even in front of clients, specifically during engagement sessions.
On a wedding day, things unfold naturally and while there's a bit of time for posing of the bride and groom, most of what I capture is photojournalistic in nature (candid, unposed pictures). Engagement sessions are an entirely different thing though. For an hour and half, my clients expect me to create a fun, fresh, and fabulous environment at a location of their choice. Uhhh, this is hard. Very hard. And it takes a lot of thinking in advance. Previsualization is the idea of thinking of a photo far before you're even holding a camera. Thinking of poses and photos in advance make you feel more confident when approaching a long photo session. Of course, so much of what I do is created on the spot (and depends on location, light, and client interaction), but having a mental library of some-day photos allows me the freedom to create a photo...with confidence. How to Previsualize? Well, I don't have a concrete answer, but I can tell you what I do... 1. Sketch out photos in your mind on note paper. This helps me remember what I want to do later. 2. Collect magazine ads for inspiration. 3. Study photos and truly dissect what each person in the photo is doing, and later instruct your clients to do the same. 4. Practice the pose in advance. Yes, this sounds so lame. But, whatever, deal with it. It's better for you to practice with a spouse, roommate, Cute Boy in Class, and get it right than having to make it work later...and using your clients as guinea pigs. 5. Keep all your inspiration in one place, so you can easily access it before a shoot. Here's a recent photo I previsualized (this shoot is getting blogged soon!) and I'm happy to see my idea come to life... |
| The following photos are all photos that were planned in advance to the shoot and I challenged myself come to life when given the opportunity... |
| Just to clarify...there are some shoots when I don't create a previsualized picture. However, when you think of ideas in advance to deal with and work in an environmental element (say, a car), it helps make you feel less intimidated having to create an image around it. |
| I didn't previsualze a couple sitting in front of a white picket fence (although it is quite cute), but I did practice/envision the idea of me shooting almost at ground level and how I'd position my clients in such a situation. I then practiced with JD. Lots a lots of practice. Kissing is hard work. |
| One of my favs... |
| Happy Thursday! :) |
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| © 2010 Jasmine Star Photography | Blog by infinet design |
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