Creating a Mood...

One of things that makes wedding photography so interesting and fun to shoot is the fact that each one I do is always so unique. From the venue I'm shooting at, to the mood of the bride, to the light on that particular day... it's always fresh and new. I had the opportunity to shoot Christine and Mark's wedding last week on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The light was perfect, everyone's mood was upbeat, and it just really came together in a magical way.

One of things I strive to do with each photograph I take is to think about the end result. The emotion that will shine through by the use of light, composition, expression etc. Elizabeth, the little girl in this photograph was watching me take pictures of the bride. When I paused to change my camera settings, she ran over and gave her aunty a hug. I looked up and saw it happening and quickly snapped away. I love the light spilling on the pink bouquet and the backlight on their hair. It adds a romantic splash to the image that I love.
This wedding dress was shot in the hotel room using the curtains as a backdrop. I added the Vintage action from Pioneer Women to give the image a bit more drama.
Details are so important when shooting a wedding. It's all the little moments you capture that add up to one lovely and unique story.

The dreamy mood in this photograph was created by adding a subtle vignette to the image, darkening the background so that the couple "pops" more and then I did a soft focus on the area behind them - again to make the couple really stand out in the image. I love her smile. It really makes the photo.

Water always makes things interesting in movies and photographs

Water is such a fascinating thing to photograph. It reflects light which is one of the reasons why when you watch movies, the streets are always slick and gleaming - even when it hasn't rained in months. It makes things visually interesting and is so much prettier. I love photographing it, and finding the many different ways it can evoke a mood. The above image was taken on an overcast day when the sky was especially bright. Great for capturing the glassy waters edge.

This image was shot at a bit of a slower shutter speed to catch the droplets as they fell. Doesn't it make you want to jump in for a little singing and splashing in the rain?

Okay, I knew I had a money shot when I got this one off. This was shot about 12:30 am when there weren't a lot of cars on the road. I grabbed my tripod and did a long exposure to make sure to capture as much detail as I could in the sky and in the background. I can't wait for another rainy day. I have some ideas of where I want to shoot next.

Monochromatic is cool ~

Fall has come to spend a few weeks with us and I for one am glad. So many emotions can be expressed with the camera by the changing seasons, but my favorite will always be Fall. On a trip to New York I took in December, I experienced overcast skies and cold flat lighting. Normally great for shooting portraits, but not so wonderful for capturing dramatic architecture. (no light and shadow or lovely shades of gray)
Using the weather as a friend rather than a foe, I decided to embrace the monochrome light and throw a little curve ball at it. I used the tall trees in the first image to create visual chaos with a little room to breathe. This above image was meant to just be a lonely tree, on a cold and lonely day, near a lonely pond.
In the evening I went window shopping and found more monochromatic images. This time in the shop windows. What a theme I happened to have stumbled upon. Each image in their own way has become dreamy and a little ethereal. Which one is your favorite?

I saw a beautiful movie a few days ago directed by Jane Campion called Bright Star. It was such a moving experience that I wanted to share it with anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog. The story takes place in London in 1818 and follows the secret love affair between 23 year-old English poet, John Keats (Ben Whishaw), and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). This pair begin at odds, but soon an impassioned love affair begins.
What makes this such a delightful cinematic experience is Jane's ability to create visual beauty to match Keats' verbal beauty. Each scene is like a little painting. The use of light, and the whimsical romantic colors she chooses to underscore the emotion in the film...She lets her scenes breathe with quiet confidence which is a rare treat. You don't just watch this film, you're in this film, feeling the sun on your face, smelling the rows and rows of heather and feeling the damp grass beneath your bum.
When Keats fell ill a year later, the two young lovers became separated when he decided to travel to Italy to try and recover. He never did. He died at the age of twenty-five believing his name and work would be utterly forgotten.
This film is a treat for all romantics who have day-dreamed about lines such as this... "Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam - Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.".

Sexy One-of-a-kind Gifts

A couple of days ago I was asked if I could do a Boudoir photo session and my answer was of course YES! Boudoir photography is making a serious comeback these days, and it’s about time! The new contemporary boudoir is truly for any and everyone who wants beautiful, artistic, sensual photographs of themselves.

The first and most important thing to think about is the environment. Whatever is the most comfortable place for your client. It's all about her feeling relaxed and confidant which will come across in all the images you take.

The 2nd important thing is the lingeree. What color material will stand out over others, which pieces are more flattering etc. That way you're on the same page before you get started shooting.
I suggest also getting your client to go through a few fashion magazines and pull out poses they like. It is a great jumping off point - and a fun way to come up with new ideas maybe you hadn't already thought of -- making it a truly fun and collaborative effort.

Will You Marry Me?

What's great about shooting portraits, is getting to meet so many different kinds of people from all different walks of life. This week it was Christine and Mark whose wedding I will be shooting later this month. Mark is a quiet, friendly guy, eager to do whatever necessary for a fun photo shoot. Christine is a peach. Really fun-loving, excited to be getting married, and to have some whimsical engagement photos she can send to her friends and family. This will be the first marriage for both of them. Congrats Mark and Christine!

These images were shot at the Wind and Sea beach in La Jolla. It was nearing 5:00 pm and I knew I had 40 good minutes before the clouds were going to roll in. So we started shooting right away on the elevated rocks. The sun was hitting the little pools of water and it was just perfect for the first location.

As the sun began to drop, I took advantage of the great light I still had, and concentrated on doing some tight portraits.


We ended with a walk along the shore - and one last embrace. I decide a new vantage point would spice things up - so I shot this from atop another rock. One thing to remember when shooting late in the day - you always have a bit more time on your side when you're at the waters edge. It's the softest most flattering light, and everything you shoot will have that languid, romantic quality that is just what you want for couples portraits.

The Toy Camera Look

As I have been culling through dozens of my pictures from Italy, I have been thinking about how to give them a fresh perspective. One of the fun things about shooting digitally is the photo shop actions you can find by just Googling. About a month ago I found one such action called "Toy Camera" which is the digital way to give your images an old fashioned, dreamy look. I have only had experience doing this with my old school Diana camera which I got on Ebay years ago. So it's been a blast to discover it can be achieved this way.

All of these images were shot in color - then after sharpening and adding contrast with levels and curves, I used my "Toy Action" which automatically gives it a sepia color and border. I took it one step further and added a blue split tone color on top of it. It's fun discovering new ways to give an old subject a new look.