Photos In Maui | Maui Wedding Photographer

Getting started in Wedding Photography

Jun 17
2009

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Getting Started in Wedding Photography Many people may not consider wedding photography as one of many categories to explore when getting into the field of photography. Shooting weddings should not be considered to be anything less than a serious form. In fact it is one of the most demanding disciplines of professional photography. If you are an aspiring wedding photographer, then there are certain areas you will have to develop to be successful. One of the key areas is strategy. Before you can think about mastering the camera, the lighting and the background, you need to work on a strategy. The word, strategy, is a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. As a wedding photographer you will have to not only look at the technical side but, also take a look into the business side. In this article I will focus on getting you pointed into the right direction. Then in future articles, I will discuss the business side. The first place to start is working on your technical skills. When I first began photography, I started with a basic manual 35mm camera, a Pentax K2000 and a few fixed lenses, a 28mm, 50mm and 135mm. I took pictures everyday and practically ran my parents bank account dry developing all the film. In this digital age, you can see the results right after taking a photo and you can easily delete bad results. What your going to need as far as basic equipment is a decent Digital 35mm SLR and a few good lenses. I would recommend a 28-105mm, but 70-200 mm might be a good range to start with. You will also need a good computer and editing software. Most photographers use Mac based computers. However, a good PC will work just fine. As far as computer software, if you are just starting off and on a limited budget, I might suggest beginning with Adobe Lightroom as an editing software. It’s fairly affordable and easy to learn. Presently, I begin the editing process in Lightroom and then finalize in Adobe Photoshop. The photography profession is not a cheap investment. The tools of the trade are very expensive, so my advice is to purchase a decent camera body and invest in great lenses. I recall one of my first internships was with an Orange County Newspaper and I had the privilege of working with the paper’s lead photographer at the time. One of the things he taught me is that it’s not the camera but, it’s the lens you need to invest in. You can have an inexpensive camera body to begin with and then later upgrade. Now days, you can purchase a decent 35mm Digital Slr for about $600. and then your lens are going to be about double that depending on the size lens you purchase. I buy most of my equipment on–line through B&H Photo located in New York and various other pieces from my local camera shop on Maui. To get started I would recommend you start shooting to work on your technical side. I would begin shooting friends, family, candids of people on the street and use natural lighting. The time to shoot is early morning hours just after sun rise and then just before sunsets. A photo editor from the Orange County Register once told me when I was beginning to shoot everyday for at least two hours. His advice to me was to shoot ten rolls of film a week. So, my advice to you is to fill a 4 gig card a week and spend at least six hours a week practicing your editing techniques. Once you begin to get a collection of good images, the next step is to work on your portfolio. Building your photography portfolio. As a photographer there is no greater joy than being recognized for what you love doing. One way to ensure you get that recognition is to create a photography portfolio, which is second to none. Step 1) Choosing your theme You may already have the pictures to create a themed portfolio or you may be planning on capturing them over a period of time. Either way, your portfolio, like a well written book, should have some unifying themes. This theme can be conceptual or it can be technical. For example, your theme could be about courage, love, urban life, fear or something else you create. Alternatively you can create a theme based on photographic technicalities. For example, you could create a portfolio showcasing all of your best wide angle work or one which displays your best black and white work. The themes for creating a portfolio are only limited by your own imagination. So take your time and create a themed portfolio which means something to you. Step 2) Choosing the photos Choosing the right photographs to put in your portfolio will be a time consuming process. By the nature of the portfolio itself, only your best pieces should be placed within the portfolio. If you don’t’ have too many top picks spend some more time photographing until you get those desired results. Your portfolio is something you should be proud of and not something thrown together out of impatience and haste. Your portfolio should be manageable for the viewer to get through. Too often photographers fill pages and pages with photographs that the viewer will skim through to get to the end. The key is not to take it personally when someone reviews it. Everyone’s eye is different and the key to a good portfolio is choosing your best work, which includes classic as well as avant-garde work. The one thing I recall when working with the photo editors in my past is they would say the picture must tell the story without words. When your images can say something or tell a story, without your having to share a story about it, you’ve done something right. Narrow your portfolio down to 20-50 photographs. There is no hard set number you need to follow, but this seems to be the range that most audiences would prefer. Step 3) Showing your work Now that you have put together your portfolio, it’s time to show it off. Begin by sharing it with your friends and family. Next, display your work on-line, there is many on-line photo sharing sites, where other photographers can share their comments with you about your work. Take your time putting it together, but make sure you complete your project. Too many photographers shoot all day long and fail to present their work properly. If you have one of your friends that is getting married, ask if they mind if you take some photos for them. Once your feeling comfortable with your work, the next step is to get out there and work under a professional photographer. If you are going to school, ask your school counselor about internship programs. If they don’t have any presently maybe it’s time they did. Most schools are happy to give you school credit for internships and will even let you out of school early to do it. Contact local photographers in your area and ask them if they are open to internships. You’ll be surprised at what can happen and what you will learn just by asking. I will discuss internships more in a later article. However; I have to tell you persistence also goes along long way. If I had not bugged a photo editor at a major Orange County Newspaper when I was in college, I never would have gotten to work as an intern there. Because of my persistence, I was chosen first over 2,300 other people wanting an internship, due to my continuous calls and showing up with rolls of film to be critiqued.

Photography, Maui

Mar 27
2009

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Planning Advice for Photography Poses
1) Prepare For The Event
Prepare for the event by thinking about every photograph you want to take and what kind of photography pose(s) you would like to capture. Consider who, where, how, and the type of environment. Thinking about it beforehand will always produce better results.

2) Take Multiple Photographs
Take multiple shots of each pose (remember, digital memory is reusable, a.k.a. “free”). Regardless of what you say or do, people will blink. And don’t count on spotting small problems on the tiny camera LCD screen (even on full magnification); which leads to…

3) Check the LCD Screen
Check the digital camera’s LCD screen only for general framing of the picture, extreme movements, confirmation that all faces can be seen, and the histogram.

Do not use the LCD screen for any fine review of the picture! (That is what your computer is for.)

Note that you can have a fantastic photography pose; arrange everyone perfectly; and, have the photograph “frozen” (no blinking, and no shaking of the camera)…but, when you check it out in the LCD, you see 2 drunks fighting in the background!

4) Funny Phrases
Have some funny phrases (or something humorously appropriate to your group) handy to use just before you take the photo.

Don’t use them when setting up for the shot. And, don’t use the same phrase all the time. Throw in funny anecdotes, phrases, names, words that you know your family will find more amusing than “cheese.” A natural smile looks four times better than a fake one.

Our second category is…

Location Advice for Photography Poses
Taking INDOOR family photography, is very different than OUTDOOR family photograph (duh!). For INDOOR pictures…

1) Wide Angle
You will tend to use the wide angle more often than your telephoto setting. Pay particular attention to your “end people” (those farthest to the right and the left in your viewfinder). There is one specific tip to insure that if cropping is eventually required for your picture, the end people won’t have to lose a limb.

2) The Flash
Flash considerations are critical. Do not be outside your “flash range.” For example, if at ISO 100, your flash can properly illuminate 12 feet, don’t attempt a pose that requires anyone to stand at 14 feet (unless, of course, it’s evil cousin Ira who you want to appear in darkness).

3) Plan “B”
If you need to be further away than your on-camera flash allows, here are 4 things you can try…

1. Consider purchasing an external flash unit for your camera.

2. Increase the ISO setting so that a flash may not be necessary. However, don’t increase the ISO so much that you produce “noise.”

3. Use a tripod, and increase the exposure time enough to properly expose the image WITHOUT USING A FLASH.

4. Physically move to a significantly brighter location.

4) Watch Your Background
If there are distracting (or competing) features, change the background. The best photography pose in the world won’t look right with a distracting background. And finally…

5) Mirror, Mirror, on The Wall
If there are mirrors or reflective surfaces in the background and you can’t find a different location, only take the picture in such a way that the flash is not perpendicular to the surface, but at an angle (unless you want a nice photo of your flash).

Outdoor photography addresses different issues…
6) The Sun
Avoid photographing in direct sunlight, or in mixed light and shade, especially faces. Optimal lighting for almost any photography pose, results from a slightly overcast sky.

7) Shade
When photographing in shade, use fill-flash when necessary. And, really finally…

Beauty
If practical, take the picture at one of the beautiful natural settings near you. Imagine the result of a creative photography pose captured in a stunning environment. Can you say: “over the mantle!”?

Written by nicole in: Maui Photography | Tags: Childrens Portraits Maui, FAMILY MAUI, FAMILY PORTRAIT IN MAUI, family portraits, HAWAII PORTRAITS, HOLIDAY PORTRATIS, Maui, Maui family portraits, maui hawaii portraits, Maui Photographer, Maui photography, MAUI PICTURES, PHOTOGRAPHER FOR HOLIDAY PORTRIATS, photography in maui, Photos in maui, PORTAITS MAUI, PORTRAITS, PORTRAITS IN MAUI

Portraits, what to wear

Dec 22
2008

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Jewelry And Accessories
Keep it simple is the best advice here. Remember, the part played by accessories and jewelry, the same as with clothing, is simply to flatter the subject, not steal attention from the subject: you. Unless an accessory or piece of jewelry is essential to the look or feel you want in the portrait, or is something you wear all the time, or has special meaning to you, leave it out.

On the other hand, if something is important to you such as your great aunt’s locket, or great granddad’s walking stick, or plays an integral part of your life such as a stethoscope, or a canoe paddle, talk with your photographer about how to include it in some of your portraits.

Makeup
Men will tend to skip right over this while women will zoom in…MEN: before by-passing this whole topic, look in a mirror at your face. What color is your skin? How’s the complexion? Circles under the eyes? Are your nose and forehead shiny? You want to look your best in your portrait, and it’s perfectly OK for men to blotter the forehead, put a little powder on for portraits. Even a little lightener under the eyes or blush on the cheeks! Even Arnold, and Steven Segal wear makeup when on camera!

Now, Ladies, just do what you do normally in applying your makeup, as if preparing for an evening at a benefit gala: tastefully a little stronger than for daytime. It’s a good idea to bring all your makeup to the session along with some tissues and cold cream. Your photographer may have some suggestions for color changes or additions.

Hair
Real basic here: Make sure your hair is clean and styled the way you want it when you get to the session. And bring your brush, comb, spray, gel, whatever you might need to re-do it! If your hair needs to be cut before the session, have it done at least a week prior to having your portraits made. If you are having your hair styled specifically for the session, have it done just before going to the studio.

Posing
Whether your portrait style will be literal or interpretive, if you give some thought to posing before going into your session, it’ll be easier to work with your photographer, and you will look more natural and relaxed in your portraits. In the weeks or days preceding your portrait session be particularly aware of people you see in commercials, movies, magazines, TV shows, at the park, at home, at a friends house. Try to see poses of individuals, or groups, which look good, and portray a quality of feeling or emotion as in a good painting. Imagine yourself or your group in the same or similar pose.

When we see ourselves in a photograph, or portrait, we don’t always look the way we think we do, or should. Fact is all faces are asymmetrical to a greater or lesser degree, and we can present different looks from different angles. It’s a good idea to look at your face in a mirror and ‘practice’ looks that you think are flattering to you. Check your smile from different angles. Look at your nose and chin from different angles. What looks best to you? Work on reproducing two or three looks that you like. When you get to your portrait session show your photographer what you like, and ask for help if you think you can use it. Remember, the lighting your photographer uses wont be the same as you have in your bathroom or hallway where your mirror is, so if he knows what you like, he’ll be able to reproduce it for you with his lighting.