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!

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....

Michelle & Scott :: Kenosha Wedding Photography

My neighbor, my friend and a beautiful bride.

Michelle's Dad made a beautiful speech at the reception, speaking to second chances...everyone deserves one, including these two!

There are a million cliches and analogies out there, but I'm not feeling particularly articulate this evening, so I will  just say - Scott and Michelle travelled the paths necessary to bring them together and while at the time, they may have preferred an easier route, it got them here - which is absolutely, without a doubt, the place they were meant to be. Together.

Since I have the inside scoop, I can tell you I witnessed them work, for weeks on all the little details that made this day special.  From the tea stained invitations that had a tiny sprig of baby's breath, all the way to the elaborate candy table and CUPCAKE STAND! DON'T FORGET THE CUPCAKE STAND!! (It was first-time-not-so-good-lets-make-another-one type project).

The ceremony was at Hawthorn Hollow  in Kenosha. While the bugs were a (little) pesty, the thoughtful duo had a basket of bug spray for guests to use before taking their seat - which was adorned with a raffia fan that could also be used to keep any bugs away.
Back to the ceremony - they included their three children in the ceremony with a rope braiding tradition. It was such a special moment for all of them, symbolizing the union of not just two people, but all five of them.

Following the ceremony, guests went to the Italian American Club in Kenosha; which was decorated with beautiful handmade centerpieces and a very popular candy bar.   A photo booth was available for guests to stay entertained (I LOVE these!) and each table had a bottle of syrup from Hawthorn Hallow for a lucky guest to take home with them.

All in all, it was a romantic, rustic, intimate and love-filled day!

So you get paid what?? To take pictures for one day??

Nobody actually says this to me, but I'm sure they think it.  I know I did before I got into wedding photography...heck, that was one of the enticing elements that led me to where I am today.

But man, oh man, was I wrong!

When I first started my photography business in 2009 I was thirsty for knowledge. I wanted to absorb everything photography related as quickly as I could because I was in a rush to get to the top.  It's in my nature to want to be the best first time around...I've got no patience for perfecting anything. I just want perfect all the time.

In hindsight I can't say if that was the right or wrong attitude to have, after all, if I didn't strive to be the best, then I probably wouldn't have had any desire to learn from my mistakes. I would have just kept on making the same mistakes over and over.

Learning is extremely time consuming...especially when you're doing it on your own. Countless hours on photography forums and blogs.  Google was (and still is) my best friend. I researched photographers from all over my area and the world searching for inspirational photographs that spoke to me, then dissected them to decide what exactly it was that I liked about it.  The color? The composition? The emotion? How can I get that kind of connection? What equipment did they use?

It is a process that I continue even today. I hope that I never know everything there is to know about photography, because the learning something new is what keeps me going! From lens selection to off camera lighting (my new love) it has all been a part of the journey that led me to the point I'm at now. My career. 

That word is so foreign on my tongue - career - but alas, I have actually built my business up to the point that it is now quite successful and paying my bills.

So...to the title of my post....yes, I arrive at a wedding, take photos then go home, and get paid a significant amount of money to do that.  However the investment that my clients make is not in "my nice camera that takes nice pictures" - it is in the countless hours I've spent educating myself in preparation to be able to handle something as precious and delicate as a wedding day. The value can be found in the experience that I have from shooting over 70 weddings - providing me with the ability to anticipate moments, be flexible in undesirable (or nearly non-existent) lighting conditions, to handle large groups of children or family for beautiful formal portraits. 

My clients sometimes come to me a year or more before their wedding day and I want them to feel important to me for the duration of that year. They are not just a paycheck to me - they are trusting me with memories and there is value in that!

Following the wedding day, as most people probably know by now, there is a great deal of time that goes into preparing the images for viewing. I go through each and every one to make sure they meet the quality I expect from myself.

Lastly, there is something to be said about creativity. I am a huge proponent of other photographers. I have made some wonderful connections with local photographers whom I can call upon to help me in a pinch. I am a fan of their work and LOVE looking at others photos.  The point at which I felt like I "made it" was when I realized that my photos were distinguishable from other people's work. This is a personal accomplishment, but one that I think just adds to the value of what I have to offer my clients.  When I see photos pop up in my news feed on facebook, I love it when I can recognize the artist before even looking to see who posted it.  THAT is incredible...and I feel like looking through my own portfolio, I've managed to sync myself into that beautiful place of "me-ness" that I've admired in others for many years.

Happy shooting!!

Lake Geneva Wedding Photographer :: Brie & Phil's wedding

Brie and I only spoke over the phone, so needless to say when I first met her I was blown away with how beautiful of a bride she made!!! 
Brie & Phil had a traditional Catholic wedding in a church with close family over the week-end, but decided to have their dream ceremony & reception out at The Abbey Resort  in Fontana, WI. 

With rain in the forecast, we were working hard on getting the photos done before the ceremony, and as soon as we were done and Brie was safely on the boat headed around the lake to make her entrance, the clouds disappeared and the sun came out! It was a gorgeous day.

The ceremony was beautiful, with all Phil's twin brother & his wife standing up as the best man and maid of honor as well as all of their nieces and nephews.  Brie was brought over to the ceremony site via boat, and walked along the lake front with her Dad before finally meeting her groom at the gazebo.

Following the ceremony, guests continued to enjoy the weather on the patio before being ushered in to an extravagant purple and white set up in the reception hall. 

Flowers were provided by Crazy For You Flowers  and the cake was provided by Moscato's in Belvidere, WI and DJ services were provided by Kevin Burns of Good Vibrations.
Our Wedding Day Forever provided the video services.