Lighting

I had a double wedding-weekend, and I just got to the dancing photos of Friday's wedding, and remembered that I took a couple photos for a blog post....so here it goes!!

Lighting.

It's scary, intimidating, amazing and can make or break a photo.

I REALLY believe that my career took a drastic turn for the better when I came out of my hiding spot, and faced the fear of light head on. There are a lot of fantastic resources out there, and I read books, watched videos and purchased classes on-line to learn as much as I could.
Zach and Jody Gray are absolutely fantastic. Here is a video explaining their choices of lighting and some technique. I'm sure there are a ton more out there, I specifically purchased their class on Creative Live that covered weddings, and it CHANGED MY GAME! So worth it.

I feel like I have a million more miles to travel before I'm completely satisfied with the technique, but I can tell you that I'm confident I can handle nearly any situation come wedding/reception day.

I started off with my speedlights and umbrellas. But like any photographer I WANTED more. :) So I purchased a Flashpoint with a 24x32 soft box. This set up requires a vagabond mini battery pack, and all together, it's quite heavy, so an assistant is extremely helpful.

During the first dance, I use the flashpoint, with a beauty dish (not sure the dims) and then a speedlight on a light stand (with no modifier). Not sure of my settings, I usually just wing it! I think that my flashpoint was at 3/4 power and my speedlight (canon 580exii) was at 1/4 power. My camera is on manual at iso 320, 1/125th and f5.6. Depending on the reception, my shutter speed will go up or down. If there are a lot of really cool lights in the background, I'll drop my shutter speed down a bit to get them in there too.  Here are three photos from Friday. Can you tell which one I took without the lights? And WHY it's so important to learn to use lighting to your advantage?? :)

(these photos have minimal editing in lightroom, otherwise they're straight out of camera)
Happy Shooting!

Overcoming false confidence as a photographer

As a self-taught photographer, I’ve learned many things over the last 5 years. Some because I had questions and actively researched the topic, some because I made a mistake on the job and realized I needed to do things differently.

The most important lesson of all? NEVER believe you’re done learning.

This is an incredibly difficult, yet humbling lesson to embrace. Difficult, because as artists, we want to own our artistry. Sit comfortably in our little slice of photographer heaven where every time we click the shutter button, we’ve created a masterpiece.

Humbling, because the reality is that doesn’t always happen. And we should be able to accept that and push ourselves to achieve greatness, knowing that greatness doesn’t truly exists as a tangible thing. That we will forever search for the next best subject/project/light source/angle/landscape/whatever….learning new things along the way. And NEVER thinking “okay, now I’m the best I can be.”

As a newbie, my false confidence got in my way. And I’ve seen it in the industry many times. Photographers who have recently started out, or have been in business for many years but can’t seem to get “there” (wherever there is). They have what I had. That sense of “I can do this, I am good enough, you have hired me because you like my work, and you can’t complain, because I’m a professional!” These ideals come from many sources, forums, blogs, photography articles and motivational speakers. YES this can be true!! BUT only if you have the experience/consistency to back it up. Because behind closed doors, I (you) shouldn’t be stalking every other photographer out there, thinking of reasons why I’m better, or not understanding why I don’t have as many ‘likes’ on facebook, or why I don’t seem to have the volume they do. This sure does take A LOT of energy, energy that could be put to better use such as:

What is it about “so and so photographer’s” work? Is it the editing process? The way they pose their subjects? The way they use light?

More importantly….how can I apply it to my work? How can I achieve that greatness? (the greatness that isn’t tangible but will get you out of the false confidence and into a comfort zone which will make you soar.)

It is okay to open your mind, let down your guard and be willing to learn new things. No matter what stage you’re at in your photography. You aren’t doing it because you suck, you’re doing it because you’re awesome and you want to be even more awesome. Change is good.

More importantly, in this industry, change (or at least flexibility) is necessary.

Happy shooting!

Chicago Wedding Photographer :: Stephanie & David are married!

Revisiting a wedding from the summer of 2014, I just have to share a few images with you all.
This wedding was absolutely stunning! Stephanie and David were such a pleasure to work with, and their attention to detail and organization made the day go perfectly smooth, despite the heat!

Starting off at the Hotel Lincoln in downtown Chicago, I was able to spend a few minutes with David and his boys in the lobby for some fun and awesome shots before moving on with the girls in their hotel room. The lobby is a photographer's dream come true, and we lucked out with our timing. For a Friday in August, we had little to no traffic for our shoot.

Moving on, Stephanie planned a beautiful first look. They each held a bouquet of helium balloons in front of them for a countdown release so they could see each other at the same time. The very moment they began the countdown, the Chicago air show flew overhead making it impossible to hear...and making it a laughable memory for both. No worries though, David was breathless when he saw his bride to be.

We spent some time with the bridal party, walking through Lincoln park and hitting up all the beautiful landmarks it has to offer. Finishing up, we made it to Cafe Brauer for the ceremony.  Cocktail hour on the rooftop and reception in the gorgeous ballroom rounded out a wedding day to remember. Stephanie hand picked the play-list for dancing - which was awesome - and the couple danced the night away with an enthusiastic group of friends and family.

Milwaukee Wedding Photography :: Jenni & Chris

This past June, I had the pleasure of working with these two on their wedding day. Jenni was so detailed and prepared, putting in an incredible amount of effort to make sure her day was perfect.

I first met with Jenni a full year before her wedding, and she was excited about their venue at The Coast in Milwaukee since both she and Chris share a love of the city and definitely wanted photos that reflected that.  No better place than this!!

When I arrived on the big day, Jenni was working hard with her florist Sarah from The Flower Garden and family members setting up the centerpieces and table decorations.  A lot of which Jenni made herself.

 

 The cake, from Simma's Bakery was a perfect addition to the reception area, completing the look!

Jenni had a gorgeous dress and shoes (which she had her bridesmaids sign the bottom of!! Cute!!) and we had a little fun with the getting dressed shots...

After everyone was ready, we set out for the first look.  I loved Jenni's vision for this, and I think that it worked out perfectly.

We then moved on to some beautiful portraits of Chris & Jenni together...

Then brought in the wedding party for some more...

Once we got through the photos, they were all able to get back to refresh before the ceremony, which took place overlooking the beautiful Lake Michigan.  It was such a perfect day!

After the first dance - which they took dancing lessons for!! - we snuck out for a few sunset photos, which are among my favorite photos to do!

Hope you enjoy!

Wedding Photography!!

So here is the scoop!!!

I'm happy to provide complimentary wedding photography coverage for one couple in need who will be getting married in 2015 or 2016.  I just need to know why you (or the couple you nominate) deserves it!! Once all submissions are in, I - with the help of a friend - will go over them and decide who is the most deserving.  For example "I'm poor and photography is expensive" isn't really what I'm looking for. :)

I do have some requirements / parameters that the wedding must fall under. If you don't meet the criteria, or if your date is already booked, I apologize in advance. I gain nothing more than the joy of making someone's wedding a little more special (and affordable!) than what they may have had before.  If you already have a wedding photographer booked....please don't cancel with them; that isn't what this is about.  Instead consider nominating someone else!

Here is what it includes:
- retouched images on USB
- 6 hours of coverage (extra hours are available at an hourly rate)
- same quality of care and attention to detail that all SZP brides receive

Here are the stipulations:
- you don't already have your wedding booked with me. 
- wedding is on a date in 2015 or 2016 that I don't already have booked (you will need to sign a contract)
- during the submission timeline, I will continue to book weddings with other clients, even if it is on your date, making your submission invalid. It's a risk, but you have nothing to loose!
- you must tell me WHY the particular couple deserves this gift. Pull at my heart strings!!!
- you can nominate yourself but I will need a reference to verify your reasons as to why you deserve it
- submit your story to me via email at shannonzastoupil@hotmail.com and include a photo of the couple
- weddings outside 25 miles from Kenosha will be subject to travel fees ($.56/mile round trip)
-submit your story/nomination by December 15th 2014. Winner will be announced that week.

Thanks to all my clients, past, present and future! I'm so thankful to do what I love and be able to give back like this.

This is what the winner from last year, Jessica, had to say:

"In the midst of the the craziness after the wedding, I wanted to take a quick moment to do a review for Shannon Z photography. A year and a half ago my fiance proposed and we started looking for photographers for our wedding. We looked into several, Shannon being one of them. I "liked" her page on facebook and we decided to wait to decide on which photographer we would go with.

In the mean time, a chronic illness of mine, got worse and I was very ill, bed bound and home bound for many months. I had to stop working and our "dream" wedding seemed like an impossible dream both for the physical and financial aspects. You see, I know alot about weddings, vendors, pricing and the one thing I never really balk at is the price of photography because not only do I believe you pay for what you get, but after the day is over (and yes, it really does go fast) what is left is memories and photography.

On Shannon's facebook, I saw that she was graciously giving away a wedding photography package to a couple as a way to show her gratitude for her photography success. I wrote a letter explaining why I thought my fiance (husband) and I deserved a wedding. I'm not sure i've ever won anything before, but when she choose us, I was over the moon! We decided to move forward with a wedding, but because of medical bills and such, we were on a very limited budget, which wouldn't have allowed for us to have the kind of professional photography that she was offering us!

Because we weren't paying for her services, one would have thought and I wouldn't have expected her to treat us as a "regular" paying customer. But let me tell you, she did, and she was so gracious about it! We received several sweet notes from her leading up to the day of the wedding. She also met with us ahead of time so we could discuss pictures etc.

One of the things that Shannon did for us ahead of time that was VERY helpful was give us a timeline of the day regarding pictures. I was able to add to it and base my entire timeline of my day around it. It really helped to make sure everyone was where they were suppose to be and ready when she needed to take specific pictures of each of us.

The day of the wedding, she was laid back, easy to be around and that really helped us relax. She was also open to going where ever we wanted to get pictures and she utilized our ceremony venue for some great shots. Within days she got us some sneak peaks and within 2 weeks we had our pictures back! Everyone comments on how great the pictures are, how she used lighting and her artistry to get some really beautiful and timeless shots.

I'm forever grateful for her generosity, we honestly would not have been able to have a wedding or her caliber of photography had we not received this awesome gift! I recommend Shannon to anyone for any occasion! In the meantime, my health has improved some and i'm just so blessed that I got to have a day to remember and that I'll have her photos to look on for years to come!"

Giving Back

So last year, I wanted to show my gratitude for the success I feel as a business owner by providing complimentary wedding photography coverage to someone deserving.   I posted on my facebook page what I was looking for and received a few submissions.

One in particular stuck out for me, and ended up being the one chosen.

Without going too deep into the back story of it all, Jessica has been through some pretty intense health issues as well as emotional ups and downs before finally finding someone who loves her wholly and completely.  Jess & Gene are so deserving of each other and I was honored to have been able to capture the love they shared this past week-end.  The emotion on their faces before and during the ceremony says it all. Pure. Love.

We started the day off at Moda Bella salon in Kenosha, where she and the girls had their hair and make-up done by the fabulous staff there. 

Jessica had been planning her wedding for quite some time, and one of her dreams was to get married at the Coast Guard station here in Kenosha, however with the forecast promising an 80% chance of rain, it was moved into the historical Women's Club of Kenosha.

Following the ceremony - SUN BLAZING - we went down to the beautiful lakefront to capture some photos by the beach before making a pit stop at Petrifying Springs park and then to our final destination, Fountain Hall in Racine. 

The adorable cake was provided by sSmarty Cakes , DJ services by Source 1 DJ and flowers by Strobbes Flower Cart in Kenosha.

These two are so easy to be around. They're simply happy, sweet & kind people and I'm truly blessed to have met them and been a part of their day. I'm looking forward to see what the future has in store for them.

So the big announcement that I had alluded to earlier this week is that I will be doing another complimentary wedding next year to one deserving couple.  The details will follow in another blog post, but for now....enjoy the beauty of Jess & Gene's day....