There are times

I talk to a lot of photographers, it seems those that enjoy weddings are a rare breed. Most consider them something they have to do. We don't see wedding this way, we enjoy being with the wonderful people we meet, seeing them get married. We enjoy meeting their parents, their friends and family, and sharing their stories with them.

Of course like with anything there are times I question if this is something I want to continue, There is a lot of work not releated directly to photography involved with our part of the weddings. All the paperwork involved and then keeping up with orders and the like during our busy seasons. There is a lot involved with weddings too, I spend about 3 hours doing equipment checks, verifying everything is loaded in the car. The wedding itself is the fun part where we do what we really enjoy. After the wedding it takes time to get all the pictures ready for presentation, in most cases about as long as the wedding and reception it's self. I do this because I refuse to simply give our clients RAW work. If there is an album involved it can take even more work and time, depending on the number of changes they require.

Sure this is the reason most photographys don't want to do weddings, but for me, I can't wait to get home and in front of my computer to see the images we captured, and when and album comes together the feeling is great. Next is my favorite part, delievering the prints to the customer and getting their feedback. It makes all the other work we do totally worth while.

In 10+ years it's all been good, I've had one issue with one bride that took a long time to get her album approved, and with some changes made to it that went wrong where I sent the lab my original copy of the album to print and had to get it back from the customer to have repaired which took a while. She loved her Prints, and got the Digital Images very early on so I guess she wasn't in a big hurry to review the album and then got impatient. I guess with all the bad news about fly by night photographers assumed she had been taken and wasn't getting her album or something.

Anyway one complaint in 10 years from someone that loved her pictures and is taken care of. I guess 1 out of all the wedding over the last 10 years that we have done isn't bad.

Even with all that is involved, we both still love shooting weddings, and always have a good time with them, and capture lots of nice images. The image above is just one of many cake portraits we do, we cover weddings totally and gets several different views of most shots, we never know what will look best to a clients in their album until everything comes together.

I try to add something personal to my blogs from time to time, not just all business and my rantings about different things. Here is my son, as he was standing on 1st base saturday at his first T-Ball game of the season. If you have met with me before and seen some of my portfolio work you will now that his pictures is the last page in one of them that I love to show people. I keep his picture there to remind me why I do this, besides the point that we like it, it does help pay for the extras in his life.

Family is important and we believe this and we really do like being part of your family for a day.

Thank you to the brides I've delievered work to over the last month, it's your kind words that keep us motivated to keep doing this!

Parties

This is the season for family get togethers and Christmas Parties and like anyone else we have our own families and friends. We are not available the weekend of Thanksgiving nor the weekend of Christmas. We have had a lot of request for those times, however, we place our families first. We have some dates open the week after Christmas for those family portraits.

Babies... We are getting a lot of babies... and women ready to have them.. This is great and we love it.

Loving the Colors

Another beautiful Weekend, I love this time of year. The fall colors are great this year. Sharon Woods in Sharonville Ohio (Northern Cincinnati area)is beautiful up by the lake, This weekend should be even better. It makes a great setting for Family Christmas portraits. Be sure to book your session early, be sure to also order your cards soon to avoid the rush that always happens right around Thanksgiving.

The last couple years it’s been a busy wedding season to boot, and this year is no different. We are getting request already for Next October, so booking quickly will ensure you get the date you desire.

We’ve added some new albums to our galleries over the last couple weeks, take a look and let us know what you think. http://starrphotos.net/galleries.htm


Okay, a little business, The Photoreflect web site we use for previewing pictures has been undergoing some upgrades and changes. As a reminder, when you submit your order directly to me, I need the image name and number, not just the order number from the web site, and I can not order for you from your favorite’s or albums. Proof prints are not selectable by you, these are to show you the images we think you are most likely to want for an album or to order for enlargements. We do a pretty good job of selecting them for you. Due to the large number that is included we can not let you select them. You are more than free to order 4x6’s as part of your package prints though, each 8x10 print is the same as four 4x6’s. In addition all your proofs are available for online viewing. This helps keep the price of our packages down, as hand selecting 200-300 proofs would add hours onto your order and I have no way of automating this process.

If you need a larger number of regular prints(proof prints excluded), we can meet and you can select them using our laptop or if you give me a list I can work from. Discounts are available for large orders.

Size and Effects

It was a little wet Sunday, but Saturday was a great day for a wedding. Over the weekend I heard an interesting collection of wedding songs. The one that I heard that I had to laugh at was “The Big Bopper’s Wedding” You have to be a little older to really know who I’m talking about, and remember “Chantilly Lace” but if you get the chance check out the song. Before you ask, it was not played at a wedding, but I could see it being played at one with a real sense of humor. I’ll have to blog sometime on a few other funny songs, and serious ones that we’ve heard. Being in the wedding party (sort in it at least) we hear things, and one of the father/daughter dances we heard this season the father composed the song for, which we thought was really neat.

We just took a large order for prints and got asked the old age question. How Big is an 8x10, now before you laugh, you would be surprised how may times I get asked that question. To set the record straight, one side of the print is eight (8) inches long and the other is ten (10) inches long. Another thing I get asked is about cropping, All the images we take are in format you are used to seeing that dates from the 35 mm film days, you can call it 2:3 ratio or a 4x6 size for this example. An 8x10 no matter how you will not perfectly fit into this ratio, the math would mean you would have to go to a 8x12 size print to have a full frame print. This is where cropping comes into play. You have to lose 2 inches to fit onto an 8x10 sheet. If you look at a lot of our proofs you will notice that there is extra room at the top and bottom, this is why. Same goes for 11x14’s and 5x7’s, the math just does not equal up. Every now and then a picture will just not crop to a different ratio and fit the way someone would like onto the page.

Okay now for another fun thing which we like to do is meet with you to show you your pictures before you order, now we can’t always do this, and the web is a good thing for that. But what we can do in person is actually show you how the pictures will crop, and some of the effect we can offer. If you look through our galleries you can get an idea of this. If you can’t meet up again that is fine, we will do the best we can to select the best cropping for your images. One thing people ask, do we charge extra for effects, the answer is no, however we ask that you do accept the fact that we only do those effect on 5x7 or larger images only because they don’t show up as well. Collages are only available on 8x10’s or larger and limited to 3 images on one sheet for this same reason.

I love it that people are reading my blog, I would like to take this chance to ask you to make a comment or two about what you read so I can get a little input about what you like.

The above images is an album page taken from a wedding where the young daughter or the bride was given a ring along with a set of vows pledging to be a good father and to cherish her like she was his own. A very touching scene to witness, she was so excited!!

Exciting stuff in the works!

This weekend we did some networking and formed a little bit of a partnership with a Mary Kay Reprehensive. It really isn’t a partnership as you would think of it, just a more help for each other’s clients. She is offering some very nice gifts along with training you how to put on your makeup for you and your girls/mothers and friends.

Being a photographer we see a lot of need for a few tips, especially in the area we covered in out last week’s photo tip section. Learning how to stay dry, and keeping reflections down is something everyone really needs to know. Don’t ask me any questions about make up, you can contact her directly at (859) 866-6514 or her web site at www.marykay.com/cbleier her name is Catherine Bleir If you call her tell her I sent you. If you book a party with her and are one of our wedding clients I’ll give you a 50$ credit towards prints.

This is a selfish thing for me to do, I want to see your pictures turn out their best.

I would love to find a wedding planner or two that would like to trade referrals, working with a planner can help a bride maintain sanity on her wedding day, and help a lot with getting people where they need to be.

The image above is an image from the past. A fun image from one of our past brides.. Funny thing with weddings is the fact that we get these shoots a year or better down the road, and then we get to photography the babies. I love watching our wedding families grow. This one was taken in their home where they were comfortable, using our backdrops and lights for the Studio look and feel.

We have clients that start their photography with us with and Engagement session, some do a Boudoir session, then their wedding, maternity, baby portraits and family portraits with us. It's great to become a small part of their family in this way and watch them grow.

Wonderfull weekend

Had a wonderful time at a wedding out in Goshen this Saturday afternoon and into the evening. Sure it was a little on the warm side, but that is to be expected this time of the year. When we got to the wedding location I was worried a little, it was in bright sunlight which any photographer will tell you can be really harsh for pictures. Well by the time the actual cermony came around the sun moved just enough to shade the area and provide a wonderful light.

We've shot a lot of wedding cermonies and very few warm the heart the way this one did, There was a little bridesmaid (daughter of the bride) and right after the cermony she was given her own ring by the groom and the hug she gave him could melt anyones heart.

I'm working on a new project for the new brides (and grooms) out there, it will be a small book on selecting a photographer and then getting the most from your pictures. No, I don't mean the most pictures, I mean the best quality, and the images you really want. It started out to be a flyer for out customers but I determined that brides to be would like it also, It will be made available to out customers as well as to new brides. It should be ready in a few weeks. It is my first attempt at writing something this complex, so be kind.

It's been a busy week, and I had a nice long tip typed up and then the internet ate it. Next week look for a really good tip on lighting when there are mirrors and shiney surfaces around.

On a really sad note... Next week our son starts Kindergarten... He is growing up way too fast. I think his first wedding to shoot will be this fall if he has his way. Actually, I'd perfer him to be at least in the first grade before he shoot a wedding with me.

Shooting Tips, Time off, and shout out's

The weekend was another great time, a little wet but nothing too bad.

This week I’m going to talk a little business. Our special of getting a free upgrade with any package booked has been a success, but it’ll be over come Thursday and won’t be back for a long time. Our regular price are a great deal, with this special some of our brides got a super great deal.

Its been a great summer so far. We are taking a little time off over the next couple weeks. All the orders we have received so far are completed, any new orders will be delayed by about a week, but shouldn’t be a real issue since those brides have all asked for more time to select their pictures. If you order from the web site your orders will be processed automatically.

Photo Tip: Since a little over a week ago when we were forced indoors at a wedding and not really a lot of time to set up the lights and all, I thought I would mention what we did to compensate for it. For some of the portraits we did we bounced our on camera (actually on a bracket that it and the camera are mounted to) off the ceiling and walls. Yes walls, one of my favorite photographs was taken with the flash pointed behind me, and bouncing off a white wall and ceiling. Using the wall like that was like using a huge soft box to provide a really soft flattering light to our bride. For some of the photographs where we bounced off the wall we also used the small white reflector that is standard on our Canon 580II flash. This little reflector also helped a lot while shooting under the tents where we were bouncing off the top of the tent. We were even forced to shoot straight on for a lot of the pictures but they turned out good. Something else I insist on for my photographers (self included) is shooting in RAW mode, that way I can use Abobe Lightroom and set a custom white balance with ease. Shooting in JPG mode does not even come close in giving me the latitude of changes we can do to the images that RAW mode does.

I’d like to take the time to compliment my team of second photographers.

Rose my wife who is a big help and someone I depend on for a lot of help at weddings and had become a great photographer know exactly what shots we need as well as a great assistant knowing what shots we need to get and making sure we don’t forget any shots. I wouldn’t call her an assistant photographer but a CO-Lead photographer.

Jeni and Terri who some of you may have meet at your wedding or may meet. They are great photographers, hard working women who both go beyond what can be expected of a photographer.

Good team members are hard to find, and harder to keep because they are good. I wouldn’t be able to provide the quality of service that we do without them. Also I’d probably be embarrassed a little going into the bridal party’s changing room.

A Wet Wedding but a GREAT TIME

The wedding this weekend was RAINED on but not rained out. It was a great time, there was great food, great music, and dancing in the rain. The couple had a great time, we had a great time, granted it was a lot of extra work keeping the equipmennt dry with three tents but it was fun. Photography wise it was a challange, granted there was no harsh sunlight to deal with, but the rain affected things to some degree. I just finished the editing on the pictures, and they turned out great, I'm sure the couple will love them. Of course not all the pictures were taken outdoors, the one above is of the bride looking out watching guests arrive.

Dancing in the rain and having a blast at a July 4th Wedding..

Busy but Very fun Weekend

Two weddings over this holiday weekend, Both were very fun, and we got a lot of good pictures. Plus my don had his graduation from preschool last Friday. I've been busy working on the pictures from the weddings, trying to get both done before this coming weekend when we have another wedding. Got some great pictures from a country club, even more from a church wedding! Above is one taken from the Beckett Ridge Country club. The weather both days were just fantastic for weddings. We were pretty uneventful this weekend compared to last weekend, no flat tires or any other events to hold things up.

One note: We were asked about something that I really don't get asked much, Another photographer did a wedding for one of our brides sisters, and they didn't get their album and the pictures were so-so, I was asked if we could help with the pictures and to create an album. The answere is Of course we can.. We don't market to that field, but when it is needed by one of our clients we are glad to help out.

Pre-School graduation was cute.. My son did wonderful, with their performances.. Some of the kids you just wanted to go hug.. one little boy sit in the front row in his cap and gown with the cap pulled down over his eyes.. I guess it was "If I can't see you then you can't see me". Now on to kindergarten in the fall.

Of course we had some rain on Monday, that cause a party to have to be moved, but the rain quit and the grilling and games worked out great.

We've added a few options for prints, We've added Canvas Gallery Wraps, and Press Printed books. More info to come.

It’s been a busy week, meeting with new brides, delivering albums, ordering prints, and getting images ready for people to view. I got an 11x14 print of the Tiger on last weeks blog printed for myself; It looks sharp and will find a place on my walls. It’s not listed in or images for sale yet, but like most prints it is available to purchase.

I had a great Mother Day with my wife and son and a good weekend in general. I took the weekend off from any weddings or appointments and we just had a good time.

I’ve started some work on a website redesign. Redesigning the site is hard because I really like what I have now and replacing it will be like saying goodbye to a good friend.

We have 3 wedding in the next week so you might not see a blog next week, although, I wouldn’t bet on that. The blog is a fun part of the business for me and I love getting comments on it.

With the website redesign there will be some package changes coming along, We’ll be eliminating our low end package (no one ever buys it anyway) off the web site. Adding another tier of offerings. For examples, a Photo Guest book, Press Printed proof books, and Multiple Volume albums. Before you laugh about multiple albums think about the idea of having a separate album for family formals, the reception, Bride and groom, engagement photos, etc.) From my research it’s a growing trend, as is giving your mate a small album (little black book style) of Boudoir photographs.

PHOTO TIP:
This one isn’t really for everyone, more for the person doing a portrait. You’ve noticed portraits where the subject is in focus but the background is blurred. This is a nice effect and highlights the subject and not where they are. After all a portrait is a picture of a person, not the room or their surroundings. The best way of obtaining this is to have a decent lens in the telephoto or slightly telephoto ranges (80mm + lens), you will need to step back from your subject so you can get a good composition, zooming in, you will notice that the background blurs out. This is caused the Depth of Field, which I won’t go into too much here, but basically it defines the area of a picture that is in focus. If you have any control over your shutter speed and aperture, use the largest aperture you can and set the shutter accordingly, (or use AV mode and let the camera do it). Main thing is to play with it, find out what works, what doesn’t.. the same principle applies in Macro Photography, just on another scale.

Family Time

Okay - Here's the deal... Weekends are family time.. Weddings are on the weekends.. Well When I'm out doing a wedding, or other shoots I always make time to do something my Son wants on the weekend days I have off. Well this Saturday morning (Wedding in the evening) We went to tothe Zoo for about 2-3 hours (at 4 and a half thats about all he wants of the zoo) We both normally take a camera this time around we shared one. After riding the Merry-go-round, and the train and a short detour to the play area in the childrens zoo where he met a cute little girl and they ran and played together for a while. Well we made it around to where the Tigers was and he didn't want to go there, he wanted to go see the elephants, so we compromised and after taking a few shots like this one it was off to see the elephants, and of course the garaffes.

We both really love the zoo and as far as number of pictures we took it was rather lacking.. but this one shot made it worth carrying the camera around for a little while. Now you might say, whats the big deal, well remember, I'm a photographer and BIG lenses are a standard thing to carry around, The lens I really love for this is my canon 100-400L with IS, the only drawback is it alone weighs three pounds, add to that a camera body and a monopod and the weight adds up quickly.

Anyway, got some great pictures that evening(wedding) and everything went well for the rest of the weekend.. Sunday he enjoyed riding his bike for a while, playing with the computer, and he helped me cook breakfest and later grill out.

PHOTO TIP - People ask me what I do to process my images to get the great prints that I do. Well you would be suprised, the first step comes to getting the image right in the camera. I use Adobe lightroom for a little cropping and some adjustments if needed. I shoot only in RAW mode because the photographs just simply turn out better.

Gearing up and Adding Boudoir

Gearing up for a busy season, April and May are always busy months with weddings and we are looking forward to shooting in a lot of nice Churches and locations in the upcoming weeks. This weekend we are going down around Georgetown Kentucky, for a much anticipated wedding. Two weddings are scheduled for the next weeknd and several in May.

We’ve started offering Boudoir Sessions a while back but really never promoted them before now. If you read our web site you will find a link for http://starrphotos.net/boudoirphotography.htm On the page it list some questions you might have about Boudoir Photography, what to expect, costs, and a limited time offer for a select few people that want to Model for some samples that will appear on the website. We do have samples available upon request from previous models that requested not to be placed on a web site that is open to the public but are fine with them upon request. We do have releases for the pictures we display and your pictures will never be shown to anyone that you don’t show them to.

Boudoir photography makes a great gift for that special person. Over the years these images have become a popular to be given as a wedding or anniversary gift. Our limits are your limits as long as it is legal and not pornographic. We are open to Individuals, Girls Night Parties, and Couples. If there is something special you need we can probably help you. We do Mini-BLACK book albums and custom prints.

The Weekend is here

All the pictures are ordered from the week... Prints are packaged to mail.. And it's time to relax.. for the weekend wedding.. Even order duplicates of the prints for an album I did that I really like.

It's looking like rain for an outdoor wedding.. Hopefully it will hold off.

I added a link on Starrphotos.net to this blog so people can actually read it if they care to..


I got most of my training guides done for "Wedding Photographer Assistant Photographer" Added samples shots to the end of it along with poses. Of course unless you are one of our assistants you will never see this document.

Revised our contract and policies a little bit.. Preparing for a price increase for next year, we should see our low tier package disappear, and our middle packages prices go up, and number of paper proofs go down in the higher packages. (It takes so long to select 400 proofs to submit to the lab is the real reason for this.)