Wedding Photography: Lenses That Professionals Use

Weddings are momentous occasions that need a lot of expertise and poise from professional photographers for capturing the best moments. Every photographer has his own preference for the models of cameras, lenses and accessories that he chooses to use. However, there are some standard lenses that all professionals swear by for wedding shoots. The mid-range zoom, fast prime and telephoto are the basic lenses every wedding photographer should have.

Zoom Lenses

• Medium Range Zoom Lens - This is the most common lens that is a necessity for wedding photography. It is a standard lens that can give good results in all kinds of situations regarding lighting. If using a full frame digital camera, the mid-range lens is between 24-70 mm. If not full frame or 35mm lens, this lens will be around the 17-55 mm range. All camera brands have put out their own versions of this kind of lens because of its wide applicability. This lens is ideal for all kinds of shots: from wide group photos from a distance to single portrait shots nearer by. Focus is good since with a high shutter speed less lighting can be exploited.


• Telephoto Zoom Lens - According to the brand a photographer prefers, this lens will be 70-200 mm. This lens is the best for taking zoomed photos of individuals, especially from a single location. It is especially useful during church marriage ceremonies. The aperture is quite wide so darker areas can be successfully captured at a high-speed with minimum blur or shake.

Other Important Lenses

• Fast Prime Lens - This is the most effective type of photographic lens for minimum light areas or for photographers who want to experiment with depth in their photos. Having a fast prime lens makes dark shots come out perfect since the wider aperture reduces blurring and vibration with its fast shutter speed. The aperture needs to be at f/1.8 or even faster for optimum results. 50 mm f/1.8 is the standard for fast prime, and costs the least among this lens type from most manufacturing brands.


• Wide angle lenses are the forte of some wedding photographers and they cannot compensate for a lack of them with an array of medium range, telephoto and prime. They are highly suitable for close up shots by putting heavy focus on a particular object you wish to bring to the forefront. A photographer knows how to use it well though without causing unnatural distortion of people's features.

Start A Family Tradition On May Day

We all have memories from childhood that we love. Some of my favorite memories involve our family traditions. I'm often not sure where these traditions started or why we did them (like holding your breath when passing a cemetery) but they are traditions I love so much that I want to pass them on to my own children (like stuffing the Easter Ham - yes, ham...with spinach, green onions, and hot peppers!).

Traditions create anticipation and excitement in families, especially children. They also give a sense of stability and security. There is a feeling of connection to the past that helps bond families together, generation after generation. Traditions are important in my family because we live all over the United States and they bring us together over the miles. I call each of my four sisters, from California to Chicago, every Easter Sunday to find out if their ham was "the hottest ham ever" this year.

Even if you don't have generations of traditions to bring into your family, it's never too late to start. A simple, fast, and fun tradition is the May Day basket. It is customary on May 1st to leave a May Day basket on your friends and neighbors' doorknob. A simple "basket" can be made with colorful construction paper stapled in a cone shape, with some yarn or ribbon strung through two holes punched into the top for the "handle". Pick some spring flowers out of your garden, or make them with more construction paper, tissue paper, or coffee filters!

Not only is this a great opportunity to start a family tradition, but it can also be a great way for you and your children to meet new friends in the neighborhood. Make it a point for you and your children to select one neighbor each year you have never met or don't know very well to deliver a special basket to.

If you don't have the desire to create May Day baskets, why not spend some time with your family in the garden? Start a planting tradition and spend a few hours on May 1st planting flowers. After all, May Day began as a festive day to celebrate the first spring planting and as a reminder of the renewal of nature.

Whether you use May Day to begin a family tradition, plant a flower garden, or meet new friends, it is a great opportunity to gather your family together and spend some quality time with them. The juggling of work schedules and school activities combined with the amount of time kids spend watching TV, on the computer and playing video games has lead to a drastic decrease in quality family time over the past 15 years. Use a family tradition to slow down the day or, as my Dad always says, "take time to smell the flowers."

Choosing the Location For Your Wedding Reception

The most expensive and often the most fun part of a wedding comes after the vows have been exchanged. Between emotional toasts from family members to dancing and great food - the wedding reception holds some of the dearest memories after your big day is over. It is important that you feel comfortable in the venue you choose for your celebration and that it is able to accommodate you and your guests adequately. Before you can reserve your dream banquet hall, bed and breakfast, garden or church, you must know your budget, and how many guests you expect to attend. Having this estimate is crucial for purchasing food, beverages, flowers and a cake as well as booking a photographer, band or other entertainment. It will assist you in your venue decision making as well, as some locations are more suited for smaller or larger groups.

Describing and understanding your wedding style is also important in this process, as it will be the first thing your guests see as they arrive. Whether you envision bright colors and playful centerpieces or black and white linens with sophisticated decorations, the evening should represent you and your partner as you venture out as a newly married couple. This style will also be present in the cake decoration, the music chosen and overall atmosphere. However, finding that style can be just as tricky as finding your venue.

Organizing such an important event can feel overwhelming, and sometimes this means enlisting the help of professionals in your area to assist you and ensure you have a flawless and memorable wedding day. Visiting many venues is often part of this process, and it can take months to find your perfect spot. Staying organized, taking notes when visiting a location, and asking questions are the keys to making your final decision.

Many times, your concerns have been shared by other brides and grooms, and these professionals will have answers for you which may ease your mind or help you realize it may not be the perfect place for you. Beyond asking questions, it is also crucial that you clearly voice your desires and explain your style to the representatives from locations you are visiting; unless they know what you are looking for, they will not be able to help you achieve your dream.

Working with the owners or managers of your reception hall can be quite helpful; as they offer professional advice and can help you narrow down your preferences. Often, these places also provide packages to make the planning process a bit smoother. Whether you want a small reception with a few of your closest family and friends, or a party with three hundred people, finding the perfect place to hold your celebration is the first step to making your dream come true.

Photo DVD Professional Service - Wedding Photo DVD

For a superb alternative to a traditional Wedding album or Wedding video, consider the services of a Photo DVD Professional to produce a personalized movie from the very best selection of your Wedding photographs. Photographs are carefully selected and combined with romantic music, title, special effects and captions to create a unique movie to enjoy on DVD. A totally custom-built Wedding Photo DVD product!

Your Wedding Day is one of the most important and joyous days of your life. Imagine reliving the day by transferring all of those wonderful memories onto a DVD that will do your photographs justice. Create so much more than a photo slide show - bring your treasured photos to life with the help of a Photo DVD Professional who will combine your perfect moments with perfect music to create an absolutely unique movie experience.

For most Weddings, guests usually bring their own digital cameras and between them there could be hundreds of photos taken. Wedding photos are so special! Ask your friends and family to send you their photographs on CD or memory stick. Choose the photographs that you want to use in the creation of your special keepsake. Pick and choose all the pictures you like best; a combination of your Professional Wedding Photographer's pictures, plus all the best photos taken by your Wedding guests during the day. Think of it as a way of capturing all of the wonderful magical moments of your Wedding Day.

A Photo DVD Professional Service takes care of all the choreography involved in generating a unique movie for you that is superior to any photo slide show. A Professional DVD movie disc is digitally processed using the most up-to-date computer technology, using the most amazing transition effects, with customizable pan and zoom.

The result will be an incredible story of your Wedding Day that you can share with friends and family. The photo DVD disc will play right on your TV with a DVD player. Imagine your Wedding displayed in full color on a large flat screen TV for all the family to enjoy! Watching the resulting movie on DVD promises to bring back all the special memories and emotion felt on the day.

A photo DVD makes an incredible Wedding gift that could be prepared for a Bride and Groom before they even return from their honeymoon. Copies of the DVD can be ordered for friends and family. A DVD is so much more durable and lighter than any Wedding album and can be enjoyed for years! A photo DVD or CD is also a great way of backing up all of your very best Wedding photographs.

For couples who have been married for a while, consider using the services of a Photo DVD Professional to produce a very special Anniversary gift. Bring all those old wedding memories into the digital age by gathering slides, negatives and old photographs that can be enhanced and restored with present-day technology. A modern day DVD is a great present for any special couple celebrating a Wedding Anniversary. What a great way to recollect and enjoy all of those precious memories!

A professional photo DVD is in fact the perfect souvenir for any special occasion, including birthdays, honeymoons, holidays; even for capturing the important moments of a child growing up. Whatever the occasion, turn your photograph collection into stunning movies on DVD, with the help of a Photo DVD Professional Service.

History of Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is very much part and parcel of the modern couple's couple big day. Soon-to-be-married couples are willing to spend small fortunes in order to have a beautiful wedding album. But wedding photography is not a new phenomenon as even the Victorians also liked having pictures taken of their wedding days.

Wedding photography dates back to the 1840s. Because photography was only in its infancy there were serious technical limitations on the kind of pictures that could be taken. There were none of the pictures taken outside that are popular today. The photos were not even taken at the church or in the reception. The happy couple had to pose, before or after the event, in the photographers studio. They wore their best clothes for the shoot, which meant no pictures of the bridal gown. Also, the idea of a wedding photograph was only the preserve of the better off during this period.

Some twenty years later, during the 1860s, couples had started posing in their actual wedding clothes, which meant there would be a record of the bride in her beautiful white wedding gown. Also during this period some couples were hiring a photographer to actually come to the church to take a formal photo. But because cameras and photography equipment at this time was very bulky, and not easily portable, most wedding photography remained the preserve of the photographer's studio.

By the early years of the twentieth century colour photography was available, but for at least the next 50 years it was far too expensive and unreliable to be used for all but the most exclusive wedding photography. The development of the film roll, better lighting and the introduction of flash photography led to a change in the whole concept of wedding photography. Instead of the standard picture of the bride and groom, the scope was extended to include photographs from the wedding service and the reception. This meant that the traditional wedding photographer could no longer rely on couples coming to him to have their wedding photos taken, he had to be prepared to give up a few hours and go to the wedding itself.

Photographic equipment remained bulky, with off the cuff, candid photographs impossible to take. Even photos from the period which appear to be candid had, in reality, being posed. But, by the 1970s we saw wedding photography becoming more like it is today, with pictures taken throughout the happy couple's big day.

The advance of technology, with the advent of the digital camera, has seen wedding photograph develop further and couples can bring the whole day even more alive with a DVD movie of the event.

Wedding Guest Etiquette: Some Tips From a Photographer

At this point in my career I've been to and worked my fair share of weddings, and I've seen and experienced a wide variety of things. On more than one occasion I've run into overly excited guests who've caused one (or more) issues below. I understand how exciting and fun photography is and the joy that can be found in helping a friend capture their special day! I truly do! But I also understand that the camera enthusiast might not understand the hired professional's perspective... thus the reason for this article.

Now let me preface this by saying - if you've been guilty of one or more of these things don't fret! But now you know - so you can't say that you don't. And I'll be the first to admit - when I'm a wedding guest I make sure to abide by these rules too! I'm not saying you can't use your nice camera and I'm not telling you that you can't take pictures. Just try to be mindful of the hired professional and not interfere - after all, the professional photographer has been paid a lot of money to capture the happy couples day.

So here are just a few do's and don'ts as a wedding guest regarding taking pictures and interacting with the wedding photographer.

Aisle Duckers - These are the guests who duck out into the aisle as the bride (or bridal party) are walking down the aisle. I understand that you are just trying to quickly get your shot, but as the bride is walking down the aisle the only people who should be in the aisle are the bride, her father, and me. It's my job to capture that look of joy on her face as she's walking towards the love her life. If I've got guests ducking out into the aisle to 'snap a quick pic' it hinders my ability to capture that special moment for her. So please - if you're going to photograph the bride processing in - do it from your seat.

Flash Photographers - I'm not a huge fan of flash in general as I much prefer natural light, but there are definitely situations where it's necessary such as dimly lit reception halls. Long story short - when you use your camera's flash it ruins the professionals photos. All it takes is for the perfect moment to arise and for you to flash off a shot at the same time we do. With my camera set to be properly exposed for my flash - the extra light from your flash will over-expose my photo and ruin what could have been a great shot. So help the pro not miss out on those special moments by avoiding using your flash as much as possible.

Look Over Here - In addition to flash ruining moments, wedding guests who call the bride and groom to look at them on the dance floor, during the cake cutting, etc kill those intimate moments. I totally understand that you want to get a photo and I by no means want to stop you from getting one, but when you say, "Look over here!" - you're pulling them out of their moment so that you can have your photo - it becomes about you and not them. I always try to be mindful of wedding guests with cameras too and I will often make sure to have the couple pause for a moment before cutting the cake or tossing the bouquet so you can get your shot. My main point is - please don't call their attention away from each other or their moments but capture them IN the moment instead.

Shop Talkers - There seems to be at least one guest at every wedding who is super excited about photography! And believe me - I understand that excitement! But when I'm at a wedding - I'm working. I don't have time to stop and help you figure out why your pictures are coming out blurry or how to fix the shutter speed on your camera. I love talking about cameras and photography as much as the next photography enthusiast, but there is so much to keep track of on a wedding day. I can't be distracted by a guests photo-related questions when there is a very important event coming up that I need to be ready for.

Over the Shoulder Shooters - More than once I've been working a wedding and turned to get a lens out of my bag and literally bonked my head on a guest's lens as they hovered over my shoulder to take their photo the same time I did. I'll be honest - this is incredibly distracting and very frustrating! What's worse is when these guests try to direct the bridal party! As mentioned before I'm being paid a lot of money by the bride and groom to take amazing photos for them. Having someone over my shoulder while I'm trying to work is not only distracting but rude. It's also technically a copyright infringement and can cause all kinds of problems. And when these guests start trying to direct the group or bridal party - it creates confusion as to who they should be looking at for these photos. We've run into enough problems with these guests that we actually have it written into our contracts that no guests are allowed to take photos while we are doing formals so as to avoid this confusion and frustration. We've found it creates for a more stress-free environment for our brides and grooms and helps guests to enjoy the day rather than feeling the need to constantly document it. After all, that's what we are being paid to be there for!

Who's the Boss - I would think this one is self-explanatory but just in case... at the end of the day, the bride is my boss! We may have covered 100 different ideas for what she wants to photograph on her wedding day, but when the day arrives if she changes her mind I'm going to follow her direction. Granted if mom and dad are paying for the wedding and want a couple shots - we will definitely work them in. But ultimately the Bride gets to call the shots.

So there you have it... Just a few tips for being an exceptional wedding guest. Again my goal is not to point fingers at anyone or to make anyone feel bad. My hope is simply to give you some insight into what we are dealing with on a wedding day and what our goals and perspectives are. So hopefully you found this at least a little informative and insightful. Wedding photography is a big job and with the rise of digital cameras (and camera phones) it seems everywhere you look there's a camera. So my hope is that these tips will help you to still have fun taking photos on the wedding day without interfering with the hired professional.

3 Ways to Ensure That Your Website is Customer Friendly

Running a successful website involves more than merely ranking high for your chosen keyword and getting traffic. How your site looks and behaves is also an essential part of making a successful website. Tons of research has been done on finding out the best way to convert visitors into long lasting customers. A customer friendly website is the most important thing in the arsenal of anybody trying to sell anything online.

Here are a few tips to making a customer friendly website:

1. Hire a Professional Web Designer
Your 12 year nephew who knows a bit of HTML isn't exactly the best person to turn to if you want a professional looking website. Professional webdesigners can not only make your site look good (which is essential for evoking trust in your customers), but also know all the ins and outs of placing different elements in the right place. When starting off in the online business, trust only a professional webdesigner.

2. Pick a Quality Host
What could be worse than spending hundreds of hours building your website, spending hundreds of dollars in marketing, and when the traffic finally starts to trickle in, finding that your host has a downtime and your site is not reachable. A reliable host should have 99.9% downtime. Don't go with mom-and-pop hosting companies; pick only the top ones like Hostgator, MediaTemple, Dreamhost, etc.

3. Have a Contact Form and Privacy Policy
A contact form is a must. Make it easy for your customers to get in touch with you by including your email address or putting up a simple form. Same goes for a privacy policy. Have a well written privacy policy that tells your customers about any information that you collect. It will put them at ease and save you a lot of trouble later.

Where to Find Cheap Wedding Photographers

Photographers are very much in demand as all the occasions are becoming commercial and a means of increasing PR. The need of a great professional photographer for shooting the entire wedding function is not just desirable, but is also very important for a memorable wedding.

Weddings have now become so commercial and expensive that most people have next to nothing left moneywise for their honeymoon after a grand wedding celebration. Starting from the wedding dresses, gowns, renting out halls, decorations and serving guests, little is left for a very important part of the wedding, which is wedding photography. Most couples want those memorable moments photographed, so they can look on them for years ahead.

The question is how to get a great wedding photographer to make your event more memorable, while still staying in budget?

The task may be difficult, but if you have done advanced and detailed research on cheap wedding photographers, then you are that much closer to finding yours.

1. First of all, you have to make your wedding budget and allocate funding to prevent any potential problems or issues later.

2. The next step is to search while using all your resources to look for a professional but cheap wedding photographer in your locality (it is better to look for a photographer in your area, so that you don't have to pay them travel expenses and also it becomes easier for you to access them anytime). Look online and your phone book.

3. You can look on internet for affordable and professional wedding photographers in your area or city.

4. You can also take the help of your friends and family if they know any professional wedding photographer.

5. After you have found your desired photographer, negotiate over the price of wedding pictures and portraits, while staying in your budget.

6. Affordable photographers are hard to find, so make sure you sign an agreement with them to confirm their availability on your wedding day.

7. In order to make sure, you have chosen a good photographer, it is always advised to see previous photos or work for reference.

8. In order to make your wedding pictures memorable, always discuss in detail with your photographer about your demands and wishes so that he can take desired photos.

A wedding is a once in life event and it is totally in your hands to make it the most wonderful and unforgettable event of your life and of your partner's life. Just a little planning, research and hard-work is required and then you can plan the best wedding of your life! So make sure, while taking care of other arrangements, you don't miss your wedding photographer.

All the best for your wedding!

10 Pieces Of MAC Software To Help A Wedding Photographer

Being a full time wedding photographer, I rely heavily on my computer and software. Below are 10 Mac applications that make the job easier.

Adobe Photoshop

What can be said about this product that hasn't already been said. It's the industry standard, and has more features than you could imagine or use.

Adobe Lightroom

Image management software that is perfect when handling lots of images. Useful for re-touching. A bit slow at times, but saves a massive amount of time in the long run.

Transmit

A neat little FTP programme, that comes with a reasonable price tag and performs well and looks kinda cool too!

ChronoSync

Another beautifully engineered piece of software, this programme allows you to keep your drives or folders synchronised with each other. I use it to keep my off site backup hard-disks synchronised with my desktop.

Bento

Made by the same folks who develop filemaker, it's easy to use, works flawlessly and even syncs with your iphone. Great as a booking database, to record contacts or pretty much anything.

PhotoJunction

Free software from album company Queensbury, I use this software to layout my traditional albums. There are a lot of pre-loaded templates for a range of album manufacturers. It's not a perfect piece of software, but all in all its pretty decent.

Cinch

Cinch is a tiny application that makes your Mac do an old Windows 7 trick. When you drag a window to the left or right of the screen it automatically resizes to be half the screen size. Its so simple, but now that I've got used to it, it's a must have. It makes comparing things easy - and theres also a handy maximise function.

1Password

1Password stores all this information securely and can automatically fill the information on websites. No more forgetting all the different passwords you have for each website! Nicely made software too.

Dropsend

Great for emailing large files, though the downside is it's a subscription service. Works perfectly though.

Spotify

Excellent way to listen to music for (kinda) free. Not available everywhere, but if you can you should. Quality is surprisingly good - its what accompanies my album creation!

Mozy

Perhaps more of a web service than a piece of software, but Mozy is a client which backs up everything on your computer to a remote location. You pay per Gb, I use it to back up my webserver every day. It works great - most of the UK's broadband is too slow for backing up your desktop - but some day!

Tips For Finding a Wedding Photographer

Your wedding day will pass in a hectic blur. Finding the right photographer to capture all the moments you'll want to remember - such as the bride's walk down the aisle, the father-daughter dance, the best man's toast, and all the rest - is important. A professional wedding photographer can capture the most heartfelt and genuine moments, and make it possible for you and your family to relive your wedding day every time you look at the pictures.

Choosing the right wedding photographer can seem difficult, not to mention expensive. A good rule of thumb is to realize that the most expensive photographer doesn't necessarily mean your pictures will be the best. Look for a photographer that has many sample pictures, as well as one with a list of satisfied references. It can also help to ask family and friends if they can recommend anyone.

Be sure to let the photographer know any specific pictures you want to take beforehand. There are usually a standard set of pictures that wedding photographers take - groomsmen, bride and mother, etc. Anything out of the ordinary should be discussed with the photographer beforehand to make sure the taking of the picture can be worked into the photo shoot. Also let the photographer know of any pictures that you do not want him or her to take. Letting your photographer know this before the wedding will give him or her time to plan and schedule a set of pictures so the wedding day photo shoot goes quickly and smoothly.

Find out exactly what is included in the photographer's price. How will the pictures be sent to you and when can you expect to receive them? Many photographers offer wedding packages, some including pre-assembled photo albums. Look through the packages and decide which you'd like best. A professional photographer can also customize a package to better suit your needs.

You may want to ask your wedding photographer if you can purchase or have a CD or DVD of the original photographs, or the original negatives if the photos were taken on film. This will make it easier for you to make extra prints in the future.

Make sure your photographer has first hand knowledge of the venue before the wedding day. Some photographers will go to the rehearsal to get a feel for the setting and plan out certain shots. This is also a good time to let the photographer know of any aspects of the venue that you do not want to see in photographs.

Finally, make sure your photographer and you enter into an agreement - or contract - that includes all the services that he/she is providing, as well as the price and cancellation policy.

Finding the right photographer and having a specific picture-taking plan will help you enjoy your special day. With the right wedding photographer, you'll be able to enjoy the moments for many years in shots that capture the excitement, love, and sentimentality of your wedding.

Wedding Photography Tips For Amateur Photographers, Article 7 - Dealing With Divorced Parents

Photographers: Dealing With Divorced Parents at the Wedding

I had a beginning photographer send me an e-mail with this question:

"I am photographing a wedding this month and will be dealing with divorced parents/step-parents. There is animosity between the divorced parents and the children involved. When doing the formal photos how do you deal with this type of situation. The bride says she only wants a picture of her and her mother. She does not want the mother in the formal family pictures. Suggestions???"

Divorces are tragic and heart-rending. A wedding is a celebration of two becoming one, and most weddings with a history of family divorce will be a bit more complicated than one without. Not only may the bride/groom have to deal with emotions and feelings that have perhaps been buried for years, but the divorcee's will have challenging emotions to also address:

• perhaps the wedding will remind them of happier days


• perhaps seeing a former spouse at the wedding will be difficult for them.

If you are going to be photographing your first wedding and will have divorced parents in attendance, my first bit of advice is to be sensitive.Don't make a bad situation worse!

Secondly: map out all the formal photos and groupings ahead of time.

This is the practical approach I take at a wedding that involves divorced parents:

• I'm there for the bride and groom. The parents have made their decisions and have to live with them. If there are hard feelings and the bride/groom don't want photos with a certain relative, I'm not going to force them to.


• On the other hand, if the bride/groom invite their parents (or the parents' new spouses) to the wedding, I'll usually end up taking pictures of them because they are there.


• I try to be as conciliatory as possible during the photos. As I alluded to earlier: I don't want to be the one making a bad situation worse. I want to be known as the person who tried to make the best of any situation!


• It has been very common at the weddings I've done which involve divorced parents for the divorced parents to be willing to be in a combined photo with the couple, one parent on each side of the couple. Without fail, the parents will then ask for a separate photo with the couple and I'll usually do it because it is quick/easy.


• It helps to know who the divorced parents are so that you don't accidentally ask them to stand together!

As to the specific situation you mentioned when the bride doesn't want the mother in the formal family photo - you'll have to work to make sure that happens without causing a situation. I would be careful to not announce "OK, all the Bride's family come up now" because the mother will likely come at that time. I would specifically call up those that are needed.

Depending upon how obvious you were being with the photography you could call up some, take the shot, then add the mother in and take another shot. The bride could then choose which photo she wanted to have printed later on.

In summary, the key is to know exactly who should be in which photo ahead of time and arrange the group photos so you are adding people to the grouping and taking shots, and then perhaps subtracting people and taking shots.

Beautiful Wedding Centerpieces For Rent

When you enter a wedding reception venue, you probably first will notice the tables. For this reason, the bride and/or the wedding designer should carefully select the wedding centerpieces. Fortunately, rental stores carry the right equipment to create personalized, wedding centerpieces. Renting wedding centerpieces instead of buying them can save money and eliminate the hassle of having to find a place for the centerpieces after the wedding.

Look at all that rented wedding table pieces can do for you:

繚 Match your wedding colors. Why limit your color theme to the ceremony only? Rented centerpieces holding colored candles can carry your colors through the wedding reception.

繚 Reflect the season. A rented centerpiece vase can bring the outdoors inside when filled with a seasonal arrangement, such as willow branches or sunflowers in the fall and tulip or hyacinth blooms in the spring.

繚 Make a social statement. For example, what better way to tell your wedding guests about your concern for the environment than to have a rented bowl filled with edible vegetable greens or fruit for your wedding centerpiece?

繚 Expand on a theme. Rented palm tree candlesticks might be an appropriate centerpiece for a wedding reception that has a tropical theme. Whereas, a centerpiece vase that reflects a desired culture might work best for a wedding that has an ethnic theme.

繚 Display food. When table space is limited, a rented tiered food display can hold appetizers or desserts for your guests, while doubling as a table center item.

Contact your local, ARA-affiliated, rental store for information on available rental products and services to meet your wedding centerpiece needs. To locate the rental store nearest you, use the Rental Store Quick Locator above.

http://www.rentalhq.com/Article.asp?artid=201&cat=wedding

Why Fine Art Wedding Photography Matters?

In the past, photography has been looked at as a very boring and limited way of expressing your idea through pictures, especially when it came to wedding photography. Talking about models and media, you see their pictures have an absolutely different flavor, brightness, color and flamboyance which were never really there in the ordinary wedding photographs. It was however realized by some photographers that they need to put some life to wedding photography and the result of those efforts was fine art wedding photography. The ways pictures are taken and edited in this form of photography make it a completely different thing than the conventional photography that has been done in the past.

Fine art wedding photography is the use of coloration, discoloration, blurriness, prominence, dimness and a number of other effects that are used to make the pictures look special. This is a completely different way of taking pictures and the photographer who takes such pictures works in an entirely different way as opposed to how conventional photographers used to do. It is not about telling the family to stand together, asking the short ones to come forward and taller ones to go in the back and taking the picture. It is not about telling the couple to stand hand in hand, look towards the camera and give a cute smile. These things have gotten old and photography has moved on.

In fine art wedding photography the photographer makes use of everything that comes into the camera lens and even those that don't. He will make use of shadows, reflections, deflections and elevations to come up with a photo that speaks for itself. What difference did it make in the conventional and old photography whether you were laughing or crying because the pictures looked all the same? In the modern photography techniques, every expression on your face changes the whole look of the picture. For example, the photographer will make use of some black & white colors, dry leaves and dark shadows in a picture where the bride has tears in her eyes just to make the impact of the picture powerful.

Use of bright colors, greenery, birds and flowers in the pictures where the couple is laughing and smiling makes the pictures memorable. Modern softwares and tools are used for editing to enhance the pictures. Hundreds of new effects are used to make the pictures look more than wedding pictures and fine art wedding photography is thus the best choice in today's weddings. At the same time, you will notice that these modern techniques don't focus faces only. Wedding is not all about faces and if it was, why would people buy the most expensive dresses they can to wear on the weddings? So if you have spent thousands of dollars on your wedding dress, jewelry, shoes, venue and preparation, why not giving them some highlight in the pictures as well? This is only possible through the new fine art photography

Promotional Tips For a Wedding Photography Studio

One of the most essential elements of a wedding is the photography. This element preserves the memory of the couple's special day forever. Wedding photos record every detail of that day beginning with pre-wedding preparation, ceremony, reception, and the couple's send-off. Wedding photography also involves a wide range of photographic skills and equipment. Skills involved include a keen sense of timing as photographers must watch out for the ideal lighting condition, a heartfelt moment, an unforgettable expression, and the perfect shot of the bride and groom.

Wedding studio promotion can encounter several challenges due to competition with numerous other photographers. Studios need to learn how to stand out from the rest using effective marketing materials and strategies. Since the product or service sold is photographs, printed marketing materials are essential in conveying the concept and philosophy behind the studio's style.

The following are examples of printed promotional materials for wedding photography studios.

Booklets - Booklets are practical and handy marketing materials for a wedding photography studio. These materials can feature a collection of photos and captions illustrating the studio's concept. For studios with several wedding photographers, booklets can feature sections of the photographers' work including profiles, a list of services, equipment used, and field of expertise. Bulk orders of booklets can easily be printed through online commercial printing companies.

Catalogs - Catalogs can be used as helpful, in-house informational and promotional materials for a wedding studio. Studio owners can print them with larger photo prints accompanied by descriptions of suggested themes and details such as type of wedding, equipment used, venue, and date of wedding. A catalog can also be used to show several profiles of photographers in a wedding studio. Customized catalogs can be printed through the services of online printing companies.

Posters - Poster printing can serve as large-format, in-house promotional materials for a wedding studio. They can feature the studio's best wedding photos combined with powerful taglines. They can also be used to promote the studio at wedding fairs, trade shows, and exhibits. Online poster printing companies offer customized poster printing using digital or offset printers.

Why Are Wedding Photographers So Expensive?

The ceremony and reception venues are booked. You have an idea of the style of dress you want, colors and who will be your maid of honor and best man. The excitement is building! Next up is photography. You know you're going to want wonderful pictures of your big day. But a cursory glance at wedding photographers and their prices can be an exercise in sticker shock. Photography without a doubt is expensive. But why? They're just pictures for pete's sake!

Here are eight reasons good wedding photographers are so expensive:

1. 
   They are qualified -
   
   When considering photographers and their fees it helps to remember you are not paying for merely a photographer's time on your wedding day. You are paying for the ten, 15, or 20 years of commitment which is required to create wonderful images in the handful of hours they will shoot pictures during your wedding day.
   
   By paying more than you might have expected for a qualified, experienced photographer you are granting yourselves the extra reassurance you will enjoy your wedding memories for years to come.
   
   Like most professions, becoming a consistent quality professional photographer requires years of hard work. Many photographers attended college in photography, cut their teeth working for years as assistants or as newspaper staff photographers. They also spent countless nights surfing online forums talking about the latest and newest ways to improve their work. They are always networking and reading countless books just to keep up to date. They have shot many millions of pictures of a myriad of subjects.
   
   Your wedding shouldn't be a long slog up a steep learning curve for your photographer. Your wedding pictures and overall experience ultimately will suffer.



2. 
   Important one-time events require serious responsibility -
   
   This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that is a culmination of months or years of work. There is no chance for a reshoot, not with so many important people in your lives coming from so many far away places to be with you and your future spouse for this one day.
   
   What happens if your photographer drops their camera? What happens if one of their camera disks is corrupted? What happens if your photographer breaks their ankle two days before your wedding?
   
   At each wedding, a truly professional wedding photographer has to be prepared for the risks of covering a one-chance event. That means keeping multiple disks on hand, image recovery software, multiple good quality cameras and a list of contacts that can fill in for them in the event they can't shoot. The contingencies are numerous. Such preparedness can be costly and time consuming to maintain, hence the higher fees for clients.



3. 
   Seasonal nature of work -
   
   Photographers can only reasonably expect to have one wedding per week. These almost always take place on a Saturday. For many markets, including the market my business serves here in Kansas City, the winter months are not a popular time to hold a wedding. Weather can be very unpleasant and make travel downright hazardous. Hence photographers outside of the Sun Belt can expect to be busy only seven to eight months of the year.
   
   A photographer is having a very solid year if they have 20 to 25 weddings. In order to provide you and future clients an excellent service, photographers have to protect their business' margins for the entire year with those 20 to 25 weddings.



4. 
   A single wedding represents a major time commitment -
   
   Your wedding is more than a commitment by your photographer for working the day of the wedding. They will pour many hours into the planning, editing, processing, presentation and shipping of the pictures, not to mention albums and other photography products included in their quoted packages. Your wedding will easily require 80 hours of your photographer's time if not more.



5. 
   Tools are expensive -
   
   A qualified photographer will be carrying $10,000 or more in equipment on their person during your wedding. The digital camera gear will usually have to be replaced every few years. That's expensive, considering professional caliber camera bodies cost more than $2,500 to replace. The photographer must also upgrade computers and software just as frequently. Add to that burden the normal wear and tear on all equipment and the costs become eye popping.



6. 
   Commitment to you -
   
   As a wedding photographer I can tell you it is much more pleasant to explain prices to clients once rather than apologize for the quality of their pictures forever. Ten years from now when viewing your wedding album, you will not be concerned with how much the photographer cost but you will be concerned with the quality of their work.
   Good is almost never cheap and cheap is seldom good. A good photographer understands this and builds their business with a priority placed on a commitment to your pictures and experience first and foremost.



7. 
   Growing the business is costly -
   
   A wedding photographer does not receive much repeat business from our clients. If we did that would mean a lot of failed marriages! Referrals to family and friends are not uncommon but there are only so many friends and family about to be married.
   Word-of-mouth business from happy clients is important, but it rarely is sufficient to fill a photographer's calendar. Photographers, more so than other businesses, have to invest more into marketing plans that introduce their businesses to new potential clients. Many of these advertising efforts are expensive. A page 1 placement on The Knot's photographers website listing costs more than $5,000 annually. That's not cheap.



8. 
   Integrity -
   
   Imagine trying to decide between two photographers for your wedding, one photographer plays by the rules and doesn't cut corners to save a few extra bucks but they have a higher price. Another photographer has a lower price but cheats the rules and cuts corners so they can low ball the competition. Which one is more likely to have your back when you need it?
   
   For some photographers integrity is sacred. They understand the long-term success of their business is impossible without it. Integrity requires them to deliver on their promises on time and exceed expectations. Their internal business affairs are conducted with integrity also. They pay their fair share of income taxes like you do and carry adequate liability insurance. Integrity requires them to collect sales taxes and pay them to state governments in their entirety on time. Such ethical practices are not always easy to maintain and often require us to pass on some of those costs to clients.
   
   Unfortunately for some integrity is seen as an inconvenience or an impediment. While these issues may not seem relevant to your decision in photographers, a person or a business which honors all of their obligations is much more likely to honor their obligations to you.
   
   A more expensive photographer doesn't guarantee such integrity but it makes it far more likely.

Wedding photography is expensive. No one can disagree. There are a myriad of reasons a photographer has to charge such rates to ensure their survival over the long haul. As you ponder your options and choices don't lose sight of how important your memories from this day will be to you. They shouldn't be trusted with just anyone. The photographers may cost more than you originally expected but ask yourself a question: Is it better to pay more than you expected or less than you should?

Why Do We Throw Confetti at a Wedding?

From a wedding Photographers point of view one of the most important shots of the day is an excellent confetti shot. And it's easy to achieve this with a little bit of organisation and help from the photographer.

Buy why do we throw confetti at the bride and groom, and where did the custom originate? The word confetti originates from the Italian word for confectionary and it was very likely to consist of sweets and almonds. We use sweets and almonds as wedding favours today, and at Jewish weddings it is common to throw sweets at the bride and groom.

The Assyrians believed that rice, grain and other seeds thrown over the newly married couple would mean that the marriage would be as fruitful as the grain. The Egyptians also believed this and threw rice in the hope that not only would the marriage produce children, but also success in married life. The Hebrews would also throw grain and seeds, and depending on the social status of the couple they would throw more exotic material such as petals if the couple were wealthy or had wealthy parents.

The Italians also believed that 'coriandoli' or coriander seeds would wish the couple well and help produce many children, particularly boys, from the marriage.

Throwing rice was a pagan tradition in many ancient cultures, and today we also throw petals, paper, silver and gold foil, shredded coconut and in some modern cultures folded paper airplanes.

Throwing confetti at weddings is a great way to signify the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the party. Most Registry Offices encourage brides and grooms to have their guests throw confetti outside, and by the end of a busy Saturday the steps are almost ankle deep in rose petals and coloured paper and foil. Some churches are a little more strict on what they have to end up sweeping up after the wedding guests have left, and often make an announcement at the beginning of the ceremony about what is allowed. In my experience dried petals are generally ok.

For the best confetti photographs get your guests to line up either side of you and ask them to throw it up into the air not directly at the bride and groom. Get the throwers to throw several handfuls at 5-10 second intervals but not the whole bag at once!

For more information on Weddings and Wedding photography go to http://www.weddingphotographerslondon.uk.com/

Starting Your Own Wedding Photography Business

So, you've decided that you are interested in becoming a wedding photographer. You have a nice camera and you love taking pictures of family and friends. So, you have everything you need to quit your job and become a wedding photographer. If only it was that easy. I think that is one of the biggest problems with the wedding photography industry today. You have too many photographers who think because they have a camera that they can call themselves a wedding photographer. There is a lot more than just taking great pictures to succeed in running a wedding photography business. If you have the talent, but feel a little uneasy about starting a wedding photography business. I've come up with a few tips that should help you get your wedding photography business off the ground.

The biggest challenge in getting any business off the ground is start-up cost. A camera would be a good start. The problem is that the majority of professional quality cameras start at about $1,800. Why that might not sound like a lot. That's just the camera body and does not include any lenses you will need. The lenses you will need to start can vary in price range, but a good start would be around $500.00. This would be the bare necessities to get started. Flash equipment and off camera lighting are a need, but not from the start. You can work on building up your equipment as you grow.

Setting up a home office is very important. This is where you will keep tracking of your clients as well as other important paperwork. For tax purposes you will need to keep all of your receipts. A home office provides a centralized location to keep it all together. It also provides you a place to edit your photos and meet potential clients. I will get into editing your photos a little bit later.

You will need to apply for a business license. Check the area you are in to see if a business license is even required. It's not really difficult to get one and in most cases can be done online. You just have to make sure that if you shoot a wedding in another city or state to obtain a business license in those locations as well. It gives you credibility as well as protects you from fines if you are caught doing business without a license.

You will need to open up a business checking and savings account at a bank. It's best to keep your personal and business accounts separate. For one it makes it difficult to keep up with personal and business expenditures. It also can cause major headaches if a tax audit is accessed against your business. The fees are usually minimal so that shouldn't discourage you from opening one up. Shop around and see if the banks have free business checking or some other programs for small businesses.

You will need to obtain insurance. This will cover you from any liability and malpractice suits. Malpractice would come from a client suing you for not full filling your obligations. Liability will protect you from any damage that may occur while you are shooting a wedding. You never know when your equipment could start a fire or someone trips over your equipment. These are things you don't think about until it's too late. There are many professional photography organizations out there that offer very inexpensive insurance.

In the past you could get by with a business card and word of mouth. The reality is that today the internet and social media marketing are an important part of any wedding photography business. You will need to have a website setup and make sure you have e-mail as well. You don't want to use a yahoo or g-mail account as your business e-mail. This doesn't look professional for one and also may scare aware potential clients.

Put together a marketing plan that includes sites that you want to advertise with. There are wedding sites that cater to brides looking for wedding photographers. These sites do charge you to advertise, but your return on investment can be rewarding in the long run. If you haven't already joined twitter or Facebook you should. This is a great way to drive potential clients to your website and give you even more exposure for free. You should also familiarize yourself with linking your website to other wedding professionals. This will also get you out in front over potential brides for little to no cost.

Part of your marketing plan and one of the most important parts or having a profitable wedding photography business is referrals. You probably haven't shot any weddings or if you have your portfolio probably doesn't contain much material. So, you are going to have to take advantage of each wedding you do have by making your customers happy. This will allow you to get referrals and even obtain repeat business. You would think making your customers happy would be obvious, but not all wedding photographers care. In most cases quantity over quality is the norm. Your quality will translate into happy customers and repeat business.

One of the last items you will need to start your wedding photography business is part of the quality process I just spoke about. Computer software is a must in today's wedding photography. Software such as Photoshop will allow you to take a raw image and make adjustments to them. You can use these programs to fix a spot on a dress or adjust tones in the photo. You have the ability to crop out unwanted parts of a picture with this software. The software can't be run without a computer. So, you'll need to purchase a computer that has the specs to handle your software. If you already have a computer you want to use. Make sure you check with the software maker to see if your computer specs will allow you to run their software.

The most important aspect you have to keep in mind after starting a wedding photography business. It took you awhile to develop your photographic skill. So, it's also going to take you awhile for your business to get going. If you ask anyone who has started a business the first thing they will tell you is that it takes lots of hard work. You may fail even after all your hard work, but it will definitely fail if you don't put any hard work into at all. If having a wedding photography business is your dream then you have to give it all you have from the start. There are probably a lot of areas that will be new to you. Just take it as part of your learning curve and doing everything you can to make it work. If you give it all you have and work hard. Your reward will be a successful and profitable wedding photography business.

How to Market Wedding Photography Business and Positively Increase Your Income

How to market wedding photography business and beat your competitors? Here you will find the answer for that question. Wedding photography is paid awesomely but not many businesses in this field can survive. Plus, there are many competitors right now so you really need to market your business greatly. Thus, how are you going to market your business? Let's find out.

1. Networking!

This is your business and it is your responsibility to get as many customers as you can. Improve your social skills and make sure everyone that knows you, know your job. It is pointless if you know many people but they don't know what you are doing. How to market wedding photography business if people think photography is not your serious job?

Make sure everyone knows wedding photography is your serious job.

In any successful business, communication is the key. Always be polite to your clients and they will recommend you to their friends.

2. Bring freshness to your pictures.

Are you using the same techniques while taking your photos for years? Hopefully not. In order to survive in photography business, you need to always improving your techniques and learn new thing.
It will give freshness to your pictures and your clients definitely will love them. Are you updated with the latest poses for wedding? Always check out what are the poses the bride and groom really asking for.

3. Understand customer psychology

Not many wedding photographer will send thank you letter to their clients. Do you know that a simple thank you letter will make them feel appreciated and happy with your service?

Happy customer brings another customer. If they are fully satisfied with your service, surely they will recommend you to their friends and family.

You also need to listen to their ideas as it is their wedding day. Ask them what they want and make them believe you will make it come true. Capture those beautiful moments and they will generously pay you an awesome check.

Wedding Photo Retouching for Wedding Photographers

Not having an outstanding wedding photography portfolio could be the make or break for any photographer. Business is hard in today's economic climate and every job counts, losing one job mid wedding season, could easily put a wedding photographer out of business. It is imperative therefore for the wedding photographer to have a first class portfolio.

To ensure that you have a first class wedding portfolio there are two things you can do. The first is by taking good photos. It goes without saying that every photographer will try their best to take the best possible photos for their clients, it is in their interests to do so and it's their job. The second is to ensure that these pictures go one better than the other wedding photographers out there. How? The answer is to have the images retouched by a wedding retoucher.

Wedding photo retouching is not new but few use the service as many prefer to do retouch their photos themselves. The problem with this is the wedding photographer must devote much of his time to learning the techniques, when he needs to be concentrating on finding new business. In the unlikely event that finding new business is not needed the wedding retouching should be left to a professional who has developed their skills over time. The photo retoucher can structure the work to produce the shots that 'wow' the clients and gain their business and trust.

The wedding photo retoucher can improve your photos by removing fly away hair or stray confetti. People can be removed from the foreground or back ground. New compositions can be made from two or more photos to form new photos. This can save the embarrassment to the photographer should he forget to take an important group photo, two or more photos can be merged to make a wedding group with all the right people standing together.

Further techniques used to improve wedding photos are smoothing creases in clothes and removing unwanted shadows. For the close up portraits of the bride and groom a magazine make over or studio style background could be added. With your imagination and communication with the wedding photo retoucher, anything is possible.

If you want to stay ahead of the wedding photographers out there then make the smart move to a wedding photo retoucher and get your photos to the very best standard they can be. Impress your clients with outstanding photos with that glitzy magazine look, contemporary feel or classy candid. Ensure you 'wow' potential customers into choosing you above the rest.

It may be the best decision you make to get your wedding photos retouched by a wedding photo retoucher.

Photographers' Guide to Wedding Photography - Ghosting

As an experienced wedding photographer in Liverpool and Manchester, I have found ghosting to be a major problem that arises on a regular basis. It is caused when light is reflected from either inside the lens barrel or elements.

When photographing a wedding, it can often occur as strong light sources such as huge windows (Often seen in fantastic Tudor style buildings used for weddings), are a favourite haunt for photographers wanting to make the most out of the surroundings. Liverpool, Merseyside and Manchester are littered with venues like this and are regular haunts for me on a daily and weekly basis.

It is often the case that as soon as the camera is pointed towards the subject (Let say the bride - sitting on a medieval seat right in front of the window), the risk of 'Ghosting' will be dramatically increased.

Doing little or nothing about this could potentially destroy what would be a fantastic photograph. However, some simple techniques can solve the problem...

Firstly, good lenses 'Claim' to reduce the risk of ghosting, although I have yet to find one that completely stops this. Secondly, using a good UV filter will also help, but again, these can only 'Help reduce' the risk and it is often the case that shooting directly towards will still result in slight ghosting. Using packages like photo shop can also help, as spending time darkening the problem area will help reduce the negative effect ghosting gives.

The best and simplest way I have found is to step sideways away from the window and angle the camera till no ghosting can be seen. Take a photograph, check it, move further sideways, take another and so on until no ghosting occurs.

Many of the images I take are on angles anyway and so if I move away from 'Straight on' towards the window, lets say left, angle the camera to add a funky look to the image and then press the shutter, ghosting is minimized and a cool looking photograph is captured.

When photographing weddings, one of the most important elements is that you do not keep the bride waiting. Photographers who are standing around for too long attempting to get the perfect shot will only cause concern for the bride and cause negative feeling towards you. I find as a photographer that its best to play it safe. That is why funky angles are common place in many of the photographs I take. Should you as a photographer REALLY want the straight on image in front of the window, then either get the lens, filter and spend time editing or simply use the angled option, thus helping reduce the time in post production.

An after thought... Ghosting can be a desirable effect... Shoot a few straight on and they may just work. Remember photographers are (Meant to be) artists, there is no right or wrong way. It is not maths... This is just a guide...

Tips for Shooting a Vintage Wedding

Retro-themed weddings seem to be growing in popularity by the day (even celebrities are getting in on the act), and so demand for specialist vintage wedding photographers with relevant knowledge and experience is growing with it. While there's no substitute for rolling up your bloomers and testing the vintage waters yourself, it helps to be armed with some ideas so you don't feel like a bemused Marty McFly stepping out of the DeLorean for the first time when you dive into the shoot's planning stage. Here are some tips that will hopefully stand the test of time travel...

Polaroids are People-Pleasers!

If there's anything that makes a vintage-themed wedding more authentic, it's dead technology. Sure, if the wedding is '20's themed, then sourcing a camera from that era is probably out of the question, but Polaroids are still old-timey enough to delight the happy couple and wedding guests alike regardless of the wedding theme's decade.

The trick is to take people by surprise; start by taking Polaroids of people before and during the wedding service and if anyone asks, tell them they'll be in the official wedding photo album. Then, once the ceremony's over and you've snapped the bejesus out of the newlyweds, race on ahead to the reception venue and hang the Polaroids up in an attractive display so people can see pictures of themselves and their friends as they arrive. The delight on guests' faces will make the extra effort worthwhile.

Location, Location, Location

Sometimes the couple will have a location in mind for the post-service photos but often they'll be looking for guidance from the professional (that's you!). Here are a few thought-starters:

• Heritage-listed buildings - check with your local heritage association or tourist board for suitable places close to the wedding venue.


• Parks with bandstands - hell, you could even hire a couple of violinists to play while the couple embrace in matrimonial bliss!


• Old farmhouses and barns - these timeless buildings work for any era.


• Virtually any building with a weatherboard exterior - a touch of wear and tear on the wood is a bonus.


• Abandoned buildings - for the more adventurous couples, a disused school or hotel could provide an unbeatable backdrop by tying into the whole time-warp theme. It's not everyone's cup of tea though, so approach with caution!

Don't be afraid to think outside the box but be sure to scout the location ahead of time and for outdoor shoots, make sure you have an indoor fallback in case of inclement weather. Always remember that the couple's interests and opinions are what counts; no matter how in love you are with that old sandstone brewery down the street, it's no use pushing it as a location if the bride's strictly teetotal!

Props Mean Props

Once you have your location locked in, you may just need to throw in something extra to finish off that killer shot. Many companies specialise in hiring out retro gear from a huge range of eras, and you may even be lucky enough to stumble across a bicycle from the right decade (just make sure it fits in your car!). Try propping the bike up against a wall in the background with fresh flowers filling the basket but be mindful of choosing the right colours to complement the shot. If you plan to make a long-term commitment to shooting vintage weddings, maybe even scour local junk shops for a fixer-upper - the added bonus is you get to ride it around in your spare time!

Wedding Day Photo Booths - From I Do to I Remember

If there is one day that you want to remember forever, it is your wedding day. You spend months if not years planning this one day, and when it is over you will want to go back in time so you can relive it all over again. Even if things don't go exactly as you planned, it will remain one of the most important days of your life.

Most people hire videographers and photographers to capture their wedding day, but those services do not capture the true magic of the day. The magic comes from your guests. They have loved and supported you throughout your lifetime, and now they will come together to share tears of happiness as you walk down the aisle and say "I do" to the love of your life. They are just as important as the elaborate cake, the table centerpieces, and the flowers.

A photo booth hire will allow your guests to take center stage at your wedding. They can climb into the booth alone to record sentimental videos that you will later receive compiled onto one DVD for your enjoyment. They can also climb into the booth in small groups of two to six people, posing for fun pictures that will later be compiled into an album for your memories. The best booths also expand so you can take large group photos.

You can still have a photographer and videographer to capture your wedding ceremony and all the fun at the reception. The photo booth is more of an opportunity for your guests to contribute to your wedding in a sentimental and fun manner.

The perfectly posed pictures captured by your photographer will hold a special place in your heart forever, but the images that your guests capture in the booth will serve as heartwarming memories that remind you why your big day was so special. These images will capture the personality and spirit of every guest at your wedding.

Incorporating the Photo Booth

Everyone will want to get into the photo booth once guests realize it is there, so make sure there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to take their turn. One way to incorporate the booth is to place it right at the entrance of the reception hall. If your reception is being held right after the wedding ceremony, guests will have some time to wait while the wedding party takes pictures with the photographer. This time can easily be filled with time in the photo booth.

All of your guests may not get through the line for the photo booth before wedding party pictures are over and you make your grand entrance to the reception, but there will be time for them to finish up later in the reception. Guests should be asked to step out of line to watch your entrance and perhaps eat, then they should be free to dance and live it up while going into the booth in different groups to record video messages and snap pictures.

You may also choose to create a door prize for the silliest picture snapped in the booth. This encourages all of your guests to go into the booth. It also encourages them to think creatively when taking their pictures, so you have better memories to look back at later on.

Your wedding day is all about the "I do," but the photo booth will make the "I remember" that comes years later much easier.

Wedding Photography Tips for Amateur Photographers, Article 1

So - you love photography and have been asked by a friend to take pictures at their wedding. Why is it that it seems like every professional photographer will recommend you don't do it? Are they a bit biased? Maybe they don't want to be blamed for encouraging you to take the photos if you make mistakes and ruin the wedding photos...

I'm a wedding photographer that realizes every professional started out by photographing a "first wedding" at some point. While I will still recommend you give the couple a monetary gift so they can hire a professional photographer, if you are going to go ahead and do the photography yourself, I want to help you do the best job possible!

I remember spending more than a hundred hours working HARD to prepare for my first wedding. Learning as much as I could online. Buying wedding photography books. Taking practice photos (indoors and outdoors). Visiting the church and reception site. Taking more practice photos. Begging people (family members, relatives, friends) to pose for me so I could practice arranging...

IT IS possible for an amateur to successfully photograph a wedding - but you have to be willing to work really, really hard. And be willing to dedicate a lot of time to preparing for the wedding! And make sure the couple knows it is your first wedding so that they have low expectations. Then you can blow them away with your good results!

LEARN ABOUT LIGHTING

Do you know how to take well-lit photos in a variety of settings? Can you take nicely-lit photos that primarily use natural light while indoors? Or do you use "blast-flash" on all your subjects?

There are three basic settings on the camera that control exposure. Do you know what those three are? If you are a student of photography you should immediately know the three I am referring and should know how they interact!

#1 - Do you know what ISO refers to and what settings work best for various lighting conditions? If you stepped outside for some photos at a wedding, what would you move your ISO to? If you are indoors, what ISO setting will give you a good mixture of quality and light capture? At what ISO setting does your camera begin to take grainy photos? On my Nikon D300 I will shoot indoors at ISO 400 all day and end up with beautiful, grain-free results. If needed, I can go up to ISO 800. I try to avoid going higher than ISO 800 - but will do it if needed (there are tons of Photoshop plug-ins, free and paid, that can be used to lessen the grain).

#2 - Do you know what shutter speed you can comfortably shoot at without taking blurred photos? Four bits of advice relating to this one:

The first bit of advice is to hold the camera as still as possible while taking photos. Sound simple, but it's important! Don't jam the button down, press it gently.

Second bit of advice is to use a tripod whenever possible. I almost always use a tripod during wedding ceremonies that are indoors. Most of the time it is the only way I am able to get natural-lit shots of the wedding ceremony (due to the slow shutter speeds and dim lighting).

Third bit of advice is that, if you can't use a tripod, try to brace yourself on whatever is handy. Lean against a wall. Set the camera on the back of a pew as a stabilizer.

The fourth bit of advice is the industry-wide rule of thumb regarding shutter speeds: you generally shouldn't shoot at a shutter speed "faster" than the zoom of your lens. If you have a 50mm lens (don't forget about digital magnification factors) you would want to shoot at 1/50th or faster. A 200mm zoom would be best shot with 1/200th of a second or faster. But this is why PRACTICE is so important: over the years I have found I can shoot with a slower shutter speed if I am using flash (to find out about my flash lighting techniques, visit my web site which I link to below). I've successfully taken non-blurred images while indoors with extremely dim lighting using ISO 520, f2.8, 1/30th of a second exposure with a 70mm lens and some bounce flash.

#3 - Do you know what aperture setting is best for indoor photos? For outdoor photos? For achieving a blurred-background effect (shooting "wide open", which means a low-numbered aperture, for example f2.8 - with a zoom lens is all that is needed)? For having as much of the photo in focus as possible (a high-numbered aperture, for example f11 or f16)?

Best Places For Wedding Photography in Toronto

Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life and your photographs taken that day should show it so you have the memories to share for year to come. While weddings can be expensive and you may be tempted to skimp on some areas, your photographer should not be one of them. These are memories that you cannot get back.

If you decide to get married in Toronto you have an overwhelming number of photographers who will be willing to cater to your needs during your big day so it can be hard to choose which one will do the best job. The location of your wedding is also going to directly show in your photographs and may help the mood to be set. You want to have the best photographs possible on your special day.

One of the best places for wedding photography in Toronto is at the Queen's Landing. It is a hotel featured right on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. It is a very scenic location offering fruit orchards and vineyards along with golf courses and a gazebo. The hotel is a mansion style with beautiful stained glass ceilings, marble flooring, and spiral staircases which will work fabulously during your day to allow you to capture those moments in the most elegant setting possible. Your wedding will have a very romantic setting for the event which will come across in your photos as well.

Another location that you may consider is the King's Garden Banquet Hall for your wedding. This should be a focus if you want to have a wedding that is mainly indoors. It is a very low key and intimate setting that will offer you privacy and elegance all in one place. The ambience provided will come across in your photographs and allow you to remember the memories of that day when you look back years from now.

If you enjoy being the center of attention, and you should on your wedding, you ought to keep the Waterside Inn in the front of your mind as a location to consider for your big day. They only host your wedding that day to ensure that you are the top and only priority to make the day as best as it can be for you and this is directly seen in the photographs you will bring home from the event. Everything from the votive candles to the crisp white linens along with the lighting will help shine elegance on your big day as you say "I do" and commit yourself to the one that you love.

When you decide that you are going to get married choosing a photographer is one big thing that you have to decide on but it's not the only one. Your photographer and the location of your wedding both work together to set the scene and mood for the pictures that are taken during your big day. Be sure that you choose the best setting for your wedding that will allow you to capture your big day in the best way possible.

Finding Beautiful 3 Tier Wedding Cake Stands

Tier cake stands are designed to support different levels of a cake. This kind of stand comes in various numbers of tiers. 3 tier wedding cake stands usually are the most popular in the market. If you have decided to buy a 3 tier stand, there are plenty of them available in different finishes. Below you will find some popular choices.

For people who want to get elegant stands for their cakes, 3 tier stands made with glass and metal should be good choices. They usually feature sculptured metal and frosted glass and look quite simple yet can display your cake beautifully. Besides, this type of stand does not cost much money. It is perfect for couples who want to get nice cake stands on a budget.

Another stand that is good-looking yet inexpensive is one that is made of glass. This type of stand can be an elegant addition to your tableware collection after the wedding ceremony. It comes with many different shapes for you to choose from, like round and square styles. Various colors are also available, ranging from simple clear glass to ruby red coloring.

Of course, a 3 tier wedding bead stand is great for couples who want to incorporate cake designs from contemporary to traditional. This stand goes perfect with a jewelry or artwork design and add a stylish touch to the display of cakes of various styles and sizes. It costs a little higher than the former two but surely will make an elegant statement at your wedding reception.

How to Photograph a Wedding - Groups

Many wedding photographers avoid taking large groups. You should never refuse to shoot a large group, there is always a demand for groups if you pose them correctly.

Most photographers who say there is little money to made with large groups, usually do not have the creativity to pose the groups.

In fact the opposite is true, you will get many reorders for groups shots if you take the time and effort to ensure that your customers are happy with the shot.

You often see wedding photography where the photographer has posed the group in a long straight line. In order to get the group to fit the frame they then have to walk backwards or use a very wide angle lens. The effect of walking backwards to make the group fit the frame is that you end up with lots of sky, lots of ground and an unattractive looking group somewhere across the middle of the frame.

There are two methods I advise you to use when shooting big groups.

The first is to shoot from a high angle, for example from a first floor window above the group. This can often be achieved at the hotel. Directing the group from here is not easy, but you will gain the advantage of a group which can be five or six deep and whose faces can all be seen.

The other method is to use a set of stairs, often available at the church or at the hotel. Ensure the bride and groom are at the foot of the stairs and get arrange everyone else in an ascending manner from there. Before you press the shutter check quickly that you can see everyone's face.

Also beware of your depth of field when using stairs, you will probably be shooting at least f8 if not f16.

So, don't be afraid of the big groups!

Legal Issues for a Destination Wedding Photographer

Shooting wedding photos on a foreign location is fascinating. The out of the ordinary scenes and locations can really make the creative juices ebb and flow. However, whenever you are photographing outside your country of residence, you have to take care of ALL the legal issues connected with photographing on a foreign land.

If you are a new destination wedding photographer, here are a few things you will require to address while planning such a foreign assignment.

Passport and Visa

It is obvious that you need to carry a valid passport that is definitely not close to expiry. Visa applications can take really long time depending upon the destination. You will have to apply for a business visa. Hence, make sure you have sufficient time to get your visa ready. For other passport and visa requirements, contact your embassy in the destination country.

License/Work Permit

Some destination wedding resorts require that the outside vendor carry a license for the services he or she is providing. For more information, clarify with the resort your clients have chosen and also with the tourist information center at the destination.

Some destinations, such as Mexico require that you obtain a work permit as a freelance photographer (even if only for a few weeks). The best place to clarify such doubts is to call the local embassy of that country (For example, calling up Mexican embassy situated in the USA for more details).

Insurance

These days it is always better to be equipped with cover-all travel insurance. While travelling, a photographer will have to carry equipments that cost thousands of dollars. Unless you insure them against damage and theft, you cannot be at peace. Make sure your insurance agent covers the theft, loss or damage on a foreign land as well. Thus, you need to look for travel insurance, which not only covers medical problems, but also extends the insurance to personal belongings.

Usually a small fee is involved in all of these. You might want to include all the legal fees in the final bill that you present your clients. Inform your clients before hand on what additional charges you will include apart from the photography charge.

Once you have taken care of these legal issues, everything else is just easy. You might still have to consider whether or not to take assistants with you. If yes, then all the above is applicable for them too. You must make sure to ask your clients regarding your travel, transportation and stay arrangements. If there are chances that you might have to fend for yourself with regard to transport or travel, you might have to look for budget transport options.

A destination wedding photographer needs to be prepared in every way to make the experience memorable for the clients and an incredible work experience for oneself.

Wedding Photo Collage Ideas

A wedding photo collage is an interesting idea with lots of great possibilities. You can create them for yourself or for family, friends and anyone else you want to share your memories with. Here are just a few ideas for those looking to share their big day in a special way:

1. You might want to make a photo collage of your wedding for your parents or grandparents.   You can do this as a special gift shortly after your wedding day using pictures that you have selected from the photographer or someone else who took pictures at the event.  Try to select ones that the recipient would like, making it as personal as it can be.  For example, your grandparents will probably like a collage of just family, whereas your folks might prefer a mix of family and close friends.

2. You can combine photos from your wedding with others such as your first date, destination vacations and other special occasions and give them to your husband or wife as an anniversary gift.  This will have much more meaning than the usual anniversary presents, and you can take a trip down memory lane together.

3. If you want to do something really unique, make your photo collage into a jigsaw puzzle.  You can take your favorite shots from your big day, e.g. the first dance, cutting the cake, family table pictures, and upload these to an online service that will turn them into a unique wedding photo collage puzzle.  These can be great for everyone, as they combine the memory of your special day with a fun activity for kids and adults alike. After all, who doesn't like a jigsaw puzzle?

Whatever you decide, make sure it's done right.  Look online for companies that specialize in digital wedding photo collages, and choose one that offers a wide selection of options. Most good online stores will have some of their past work displayed so you can get an idea of what the photo collage may look like. If you can't decide what to choose, they will suggest a photo collage for you.

If you go the puzzle route, there are only a select few companies that do this, at least professionally. You want to  make sure the company you choose specializes in digital photo jigsaw puzzles.  It shouldn't be too difficult to determine this. You can order them in a variety of puzzle sizes depending on skill level, from 35 pieces all the way up to 1500 pieces.  Prices usually range from  around $80 to $250.

So don't just throw those wedding photos in a boring old album, make a photo collage today.  Better yet, make a wedding photo collage jigsaw puzzle!

Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Questions are GOOD! The more questions you ask, the more involved you become, the more informed both you and your photographer are, the smoother the process will be.

I love it when I get 'fussy' brides. It means that I know exactly what they want, they feel assured I know what they want - the more demanding the bride before the day, the better I like it!

So here's my top ten questions to ask:

1 - Will you adjust your style to suit what I want?

Answer - within reason. Any professional photographer would rather pass a non-fitting client on to a more-suited colleague than try and be something they are not, just to keep a job. But flexibility is of course essential, too! Be sure before you meet that the photographer's style is what you are looking for - and if you change your mind whilst viewing more of their work, do not be afraid to say so. It saves everyone time!

2 - What is your method of working on the day?

Answer - there is no right answer to this, but your photographer should have a very clear and experienced idea of the layout of a wedding day, how they will cover each part, which parts they will control and which parts they will allow to flow around them. As long as they're not hesitating and fudging over what actually will happen, it is down to your judgement to decide whether their answer matches your wishes.

3 - What is your back up plan?

Ask for details - its easy to say 'oh, don't worry, I have it covered', but really, what will they do if they break their leg the day before your wedding? You need to believe they have genuine back up available. Working with other good local photographers also means they are respected professionally, which is a great testimonial in itself.

4 - How long does the photographer anticipate the family formals and the bridal formals will take?

Answer - Again, there is no right or wrong answer to this - just a matching of your own expectations. There is no point in hiring a photographer who takes the most beautiful bridal portrait images if it takes them over an hour of posing to get them, when you only want to leave your guests for 15 minutes. Equally, if those posed beautiful images are what you desire, don't choose a pure photojournalist photographer who will only take 5 minutes.

5 - How many weddings have you shot?

There are no guarantees of course, but do a job often enough and you can't help but learn it well. And how many as opposed to how long is a far better indicator - your photographer could have been a brilliant studio photographer for 20 years, but only shot 10 weddings in that time. Meaning they're a great photographer, but very inexperienced at wedding photography.

There is also the practice of 'second shooting' which is where photographers gain experience by tagging along at a wedding and assisting a 'main' photographer. It's a great way to create a fab portfolio of wedding images, but working your own wedding as a main photographer is an entirely different experience.

6 - Will there be a contract of the services to be provided?

Answer - should be an emphatic yes! You should require a contract from your photographer that details what services they will be providing, pricing, cancellation policy, delivery expectations etc. A contract is created for your protection, and for the wedding photographer's protection. Be wary of investing your cash in photographers that "don't usually bother with a formal contract."

7 - Do you have insurance?

Answer - It may seem an insignificant thing now, but professional wedding photographers should have the proper insurance for their business. Insurance means that if anything hideous occurs, the photographer is insured to restage the photographs for you. It also protects the photographer against equipment theft, of course. But most importantly to you it provides liability protection in case Aunty Mildred trips over the photographer's bag and breaks her hip. If a wedding photographer does not have insurance, chances are that they are either new to the industry, or simply aren't taking their business seriously.

8 - How long do you work on the day?

Answer - again, no right or wrong answer, but one you need to weigh up in importance to you personally. Many photographers charge extra for the evening, some have strict hour limits, some will work on to their own discretion. It doesn't really matter, you just need to know in advance.

9 - What about the pictures?

Answer - When you ask to see a sample of wedding albums, makes sure you see a complete album of photographs from one wedding, rather than a collection of good pictures from a selection of weddings. Look carefully at the photos to check how shots are set up - can you see a selection of tidy, well organised group shots, and are all of the group positioned in the shot, or have people been missed off at the edges? Do the people in the photographs look relaxed, happy and comfortable? It is helpful to check not only the bride and groom but also the friends and relations in the photos.

10 - Would you feel happy owning your version of the pictures you are shown?

A question that only you can answer. If the answer is "yes" then you have probably found your perfect wedding photographer.

Put Together A Stunning Wedding Album

Whilst there's no denying the fact that the average wedding photographer will be a seasoned professional, and will therefore turn out a collection of highly polished, very well taken photographs, it's also true that the photographs taken at weddings tend to be somewhat predictable. In some ways it's a side effect of the traditionalism inherent in a big wedding. Almost every element of the day, from the service, through the decorations and onto the speeches given at the reception, will be arranged along lines which have been replicated a thousand times before in countless other weddings. The same is true of the photographs taken. Convention dictates that every wedding album should feature a familiar roster of shots - the bride and groom signing the register, the first dance, the bouquet being tossed, the cake being cut and so on. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, and if you're having a traditional wedding then the chances are that you have rather traditional tastes in general, but digital technology means that it is possible to create your wedding albums on your own terms, perhaps putting together a companion piece to the 'official' album which captures a quicker and more individual view of the day.

It's almost certain that more or less every person who attends your wedding will spend the entire day taking photographs. The fact that you can now use a smart phone or tablet to capture images means that your guests won't even necessarily have to bring a camera with them. The upshot of this is that, at the end of the day, a huge selection of images will have been amassed. The advanced nature of the technology not only makes it easy to take these photographs, but it also means that the vast majority of the images captured will be of an extremely high standard. In the past, you might have merely glanced at these images when visiting friends and family, but now you can collect the best of them together between the covers of a bespoke hardback book, one which will be produced to the same glossy high standard as any wedding photo books ordered from a photographer's studio.

Once you've gathered all of the images together you just have to select your favorites and then upload them to the website which you're using. Actually making the selection and choosing which images to leave out may prove tricky. The process might be simplified by imposing a theme upon your images. For example, you might wish to have them laid out in chronological order, progressing from the bride getting ready in the morning to the newlyweds driving away to their honeymoon. Alternatively, you might order it by subject matter, with a section for the bride and her bridesmaids, another for the groom, best men and page boys, a chapter dedicated to the action on the dance floor at the reception and so on. Once you've decided upon your format, actually designing the album is extremely simple. The software has been designed to be used by beginners, with the process broken down to a series of small, simple, logical steps. You're able to choose the size and shape of your book and the color, design and make-up of the front and back cover. Actually laying out the images on each page is a simple click and drag process, and the fact that you can add text, frames and backgrounds means that you can make your album utterly personal. Even if you're not a part of the happy couple, albums of this kind make wonderful wedding gifts or wonderfully touching items to create for a special anniversary. When you've finished having fun designing your book, it will be printed using the finest materials and state of the art techniques, meaning that it will be more than a match for the efforts of the professionals.

All About Wedding Lighting

Lighting is often overlooked when discussing wedding decor. This is unfortunate because lighting can have a significant impact on the look and feel of your wedding for a relatively small investment. The proper lighting can transform an ordinary room into a stunning work of art. In addition to transforming the room, different types and colors of lighting can create different atmospheres and moods throughout the course of the evening.

The first step in lighting for a wedding is to turn off any fluorescent lighting in the room; you are at a wedding, not in an office building! After the fluorescents are gone it is time to create your elegant lighting design using gobos, uplights, pin spots and intelligent lighting.

Gobos

When using lighting as part of your wedding decor the first element you should consider is having your name in lights. Having your wedding monogram or names projected onto the dance floor or a backdrop has the biggest "wow" effect for the least expense. It is a very chic and glamorous decoration that will amaze your guests as they first walk into the room and it makes for great pictures.

This is done through the use of a specialized lighting fixture and a gobo. A gobo is a special metal or glass disc that goes into the light fixture to produce the desired pattern wherever the light is projected. Gobos come in pre-made patterns or you can have one custom made for you with whatever artwork you would like. In addition to having your names projected gobos can be used to project patterns corresponding to your wedding theme onto the dance floor or the walls. Read more about gobos for your wedding here.

Uplighting

The second element in wedding lighting is usually uplighting. Uplighting consists of placing lighting fixtures around the perimeter of the room pointing up onto the walls or other architectural fixtures. The uplights create columns of light going up the wall and bathe the room in a beautiful glow. The uplights are color coordinated with your wedding color scheme to tie everything together. The amount of uplights required depends on the size of the room and the desired effect.

There are two major categories of uplighting fixtures; Conventional par cans and LED. LED uplights are the newest technology and offer several advantages over traditional conventional fixtures.

LED fixtures consume far less power than the old-fashioned par cans. Many times all of the uplights can be run off of a single electrical outlet which is very important in venues with limited power supply. Traditional uplighting fixtures can become hot and pose a risk to small children who like to touch the lights. LED lights remain cool to the touch throughout the entire event. LED lighting is often "intelligent" which means it can be programmed to produce millions of colors from a single unit and can be controlled to vary color, intensity, speed of color fade, etc throughout the course of the night to create different moods. This can create some truly dramatic effects as the walls of your venue change from one color to another as cocktails end and dinner begins and then again when the dancing starts. The downside to LED lighting is that it is often more expensive to rent as the lighting fixtures cost substantially more than traditional ones. Another drawback is that LED fixtures have trouble producing some colors well.

The two biggest factors in determining which type of uplighting is right for you are; which colors are you using and how much power is available at your venue. Contact a lighting expert and give them an idea of what you are looking for and they will be able to tell you which type of lighting would work best for you.

Color Wash

Another popular effect is to use a pattern gobo on the dance floor and wash the dance floor in coordinating color. A wash is a lighting term that means to fill an area with light. Washing your dance floor will make it really stand out and a focal point of the celebration. You may also wash walls, ceilings, entryways or any areas you want to highlight.

Pin Spots

If you have elaborate floral arrangements or centerpieces on the tables, pin spotting is usually a great idea. Pin spotting is where light fixtures are put up throughout the room to provide "mini spotlights" for the centerpieces. Pin spotting is a very dramatic effect and will really accentuate your centerpieces and show them in their full magnificence. Your florist will love it and it makes for great pictures!

Intelligent Lighting

If you are planning for a wild party later on in the evening and want more of a contemporary edge to your wedding you should consider intelligent dance floor lighting.

Many DJ companies carry intelligent lighting but the quality varies greatly so you should always ask to see at least a video of their lighting system in action. Intelligent lighting is a step above your normal DJ lighting. The light fixtures can be programmed either by a special controller or using computer software. The functionality and abilities of intelligent lighting go far beyond that of ordinary lighting and are only limited by the users imagination. With the use of the controller the lighting designer can control the patterns, speed, color and many other functions of the light fixtures. In addition, they are often brighter and have more vivid color and more color combinations than ordinary lighting. Intelligent lighting is the type of lighting you would see at nightclubs and concerts. These lights can add a lot of energy and a real "wow factor" to your event.

There are a wide variety of other lighting options available to make your wedding truly stunning and unique. For more information contact the Chicago wedding lighting professionals at MDM Special Event Lighting.