As I announced before, my new delivery method for wedding photography clients is USB flash drives that are custom branded with my company logo. This is a more convenient and more presentable, and faster uploading option for my customers, not to mention the increasing obsolescence factor of discs. I successfully delivered wedding photos to my first client with the USB drive. I made it up of 3 folders. High resolution, low resolution for web, and info/print release. Smooth sailing. Perhaps because we are both Macintosh users. My last couple had issues. They only showed the high resolution folder, and some of the JPG’s were corrupt, all was good on my end.

I told my assistant what was going on, and he said it’s always a wise idea to format the drives before use, to prevent errors. They can be optimized for the wrong operating platform or partition, etc. This can be done on PC by right clicking on the device and formatting it, then upload your files. Mac, I went into settings and formatted it (avoid MS DOS option) and re added the same content, smooth sailing once again. I will make it a point to do this before adding a client’s photo on USB drives I issue out. Let this be a public service message to anyone out there using USB flash drives or photographer using this as a new form of file delivery for their clients D’OH!

I’m very excited to have given my photography studio a little makeover, which didn’t cost much, but made a huge difference in the overall look of the studio, and how much easier I can keep it clean, and organized. For those who have not been here for a shoot, my studio is a detached 2 car garage that’s a simple, but functional studio, with heat and air conditioning I love the high ceilings and rafters, makes clamping strobes easy, and opens up floor saving possibilities for rim and hair, and even background lighting. When I first moved into it, it had wood veneer paneling on the walls, and plain concrete floor. I decided to spruce it up and empty it out, paint and finish it, and organize it so I make better and more efficient use out of my space.

So I started with painting the 2 side walls flat dark gray, to add lighting contrast, where white can give a softer light when reflected, dark colors absorb light. I painted the front and back walls flat white. I scrubbed the concrete floor with muriatic acid and water, and when it dried, I applied a one part slate gray epoxy on the floor. It looks SO much better. Soon my friend will help me build a cyc / infinity wall on the back to allow for less use of seamless paper, and reduce setup time. I look forward to many more years of fantastic work and fun in my studio….it’s the place to come for modeling and commercial headshots, business headshots, boudoir photography, and other portrait work as well. Here is a rough copy before removing tape and touch ups

I met Barb and Joe last year, they explained to me that they wanted to have a simple church wedding ceremony.  They would also have a nice elegant reception under a tent in their spacious back yard at their Franklin TN. home in late April…complete with a dance floor, live band, bartender, and catering, but they did not want a cake, but rather cheesecake bites or ice cream to satisfy the sweet tooth! Sounded like a great time to me! They are both affluent business professionals and knew exactly what they wanted, and it would be the second marriage for both of them. They were looking for a wedding photographer who could tell the story of their day and capture their love and fun everyone would have at their wedding. Journalistic wedding photography coverage was their preference because they did want some group formal portraits with the wedding party but didn’t want that to monopolize too much of the time, so they wanted to rely mostly on candid and fun photos of the wedding party, family, and guests. And they made it an unplugged event so they got the best performance from us, it was wonderful. Just good and classy people having a great time, and leaving the work to the vendors Now for the photos! The ceremony was at the Grace Pointe Church in Franklin, TN. As you can see, the road in boasted some beautiful Spring flowers.

Now for the groom party and family portraits and candid photos at the church!

Now for the bride and the bridal party, as they anxiously await the ceremony!

Now time to move on to the ceremony!

Newly married and obviously delighted couple! Now we hightail it to their house, where the tent set up with the food and drinks, and live band await the couple and guests! First, some candid wedding party photos Congratulations Barb and Joe! The pleasure has been ours!

And of course some candid style bride and groom photos, to show their new commitment to one another and love for one another!

Now we go in the tent and capture the festivities….the first thing I better do is capture the elegant food presentation by Two Fat Men Catering, before guests devour it The caterer’s website is here http://www.twofatmencatering.com/

Now to capture some fun between the reception guests and the bride and groom! Mostly done documentary style. Hope you’ve enjoyed!

This time, I am referring to the greatest compliment, as a wedding photographer, I could receive from wedding guests. The couple books me based on my work and my ability to tell their story, as well as how well my personality would be a good fit for their event. The guests aren’t usually familiar with my work when we arrive. But what they do see is how well organized and efficient we are as the wedding photography providers. Also how polite and courteous we are. And fun and entertaining to work with. Most of the wedding guest compliments I get are because we are fun to work with and try our best to keep things together, even if others get frazzled. That’s one reason wedding photography is an art and a psychology. Also, if we are doing portraits, they always appreciate it when we are efficient with lighting setups, and don’t drag the process out. We work efficiently and don’t have to take 3 million photos to get a few good ones and waste the guests and couple’s time, and exhaust everyone….not to mention putting the event behind schedule. And perhaps the best compliment I can have, is when guests say they barely noticed us at times, and we were fun to work with. Great balance between not being invasive, but yet efficiently getting the photos for the client.

These things are also important to the couple……but those are the only things the guest sees, and that’s the impression we wedding photographers leave them with. Once they see organization and efficiency, they are confident the photos will be good. That alone gets me referral business from the guests sometimes, and I have no clue if they saw the couple’s wedding photos or not. That’s one reason it’s important to have good guest relations. I don’t even like to have to ask some guests to allow us to finish photographing the couple or groups before they do it themselves. Some you just do though, sadly. But if that’s what I have to do to preserve the product I provide the client and keep things on my end efficient, then we will do so as politely as possible….and most people understand.

It was a beautiful afternoon in April I met up with Chris and Lacey, and children, Bryson and Chris Jr to do their family portraits! They wanted to enjoy some scenic and serene countryside to have a taste of Americana in their family photos, and yet keep a casual mood. Chris’s grandparents live on some beautiful property outside of Gallatin, TN. which is maybe 45 minutes to an hour from Nashville, they were kind enough to let us take advantage of the beauty of their property with a stocked pond and barn, rolling hills, the whole shooting match When doing couples’ and family photography, I like to incorporate a natural mood, which includes some journalistic approach to the photos, mixed with some strategic posing and shaping of the groups of people. I’m a little biased towards the journalistic style family, engagement, and wedding photos, but that’s what helps people gravitate towards me I will start with Lacey and Chris as a couple, some intimate journalistic couples photos by the pond.

One cool idea we had, why not let Chris teach the young buck how to fish, and earn his keep in the country?

Let’s head down to the barn where we could take advantage of it’s textures and the shade. Textures are very important to my particular style of photography! Some journalistic mood photos mixed in with posed group family photography….hope you enjoy! I hope you will book your portrait session soon!

I guess this is a 2 part equation….if I am hired to do entertainer or recording artist photography for either merchandising use or for CD or website artwork, and they want to provide photo credits on the artist’s website, fabulous! That’s a nice thing and it shows they appreciate my part in the creative process. But as a photographer, if offered these exposure or photo credits for their albums etc., in lieu of payment…..it’s worthless. I’ve had these offers and declined. In the past, if I found the subject matter interesting, I did it a couple times….but only if I pick the person and the concept for my portfolio….but in hindsight….a professional photographer accepting this, is cutting their own throat. The artist plans to use the photos I provide to make money on merchandise or sell their music. They may not have the money as more established recording artists, but they have to invest in their image and business as well. Therefore, entertainment and portrait photographers need to be paid for their part.

I say the credits alone aren’t a viable form of compensation, because the promise made by the artist doesn’t always hold, if there is a design and production person who conveniently forgets….and even so. Many MP3′s which eliminates CD artwork. If it makes it in the CD, we’re relying on the marketing and distribution skills of that musician. That smells of a business partnership. Yuck. lol. And how many listeners are going to get as far as to read credits? Or look at it, and say….oh, we’ll hire that photographer? LOL. Just seems like a fair trade to pay the photographer and they keep their own earnings. My 2 cents, for what it’s worth. I love working with creative musicians and other artists. But it starts things off on a bad foot offering exposure for compensation, when most who would do that, don’t have it to offer. This is Curb artist Ronnie McDowell…..he hired me to photograph him, and in turn, uses the images I provide to sell his music, as well as merchandise, and it’s win win for both of us….I look forward to working with him again, great musician and great guy!

To a still photographer? I’ve shot stills for one independent film, and it was a fun experience…..but it wasn’t paid. But I’m glad I did it. I’d have to have some financial motive to do it again. It was about the experience, different portfolio material, and exposure through film credits that time, all of which was cool. So, besides the fun and experience of it…..from a photographer’s business standpoint, what are film credits worth to a photographer’s exposure and overall marketing? Suppose I was in LA and my goal was to be a still photographer for the movie industry….there would be value to the experience and list of credits. But I’m in Nashville, TN. and am a journalistic wedding photographer and portrait photographer primarily….so there isn’t any value to their version of exposure for me, from a business standpoint. Film credits roll for an average of 8 seconds. When you go to a movie, pay attention to how many people stay past the ending….some do stay for the cast listing. But almost everyone leaves before the still photographer credits would get rolled. Besides, who looks at film credits and says….oh, I think I will hire that photographer? No one? Safe bet, LOL! My usual rule of thumb is anyone who promises exposure in lieu of payment usually doesn’t provide quality exposure if they don’t have the budget to pay me. It’s a different story for the still photographer than it would be the actors, or filming crew. For what it’s worth

Boring business talk, but any wedding vendors considering listing their business on www.mywedding.com may find this interesting…..of course your mileage may vary. I started a free listing there over a year ago and shortly thereafter, I got a phone call from a sales rep. Of course, LOL! By now, I’ve heard every claim and pitch out there and am usually pretty good at weeding out crap. They do get traffic, and seem to have good SEO results for their own site, so I decided to purchase a premium listing for Nashville area wedding photographers. The rep told me they focus on slightly older couples and veer away from do it yourself in effort to protect the interest of their vendors who pay to advertise. The former, I’ve seen no evidence of. The latter is true…..well, because quite frankly, they don’t offer much of anything! LOL. I shouldn’t be laughing. But I try to stay positive.

There is no way to guarantee results with any form of marketing or advertising….especially when listed on a portal site with a sea of other vendors. So, let’s talk results. This may get a little ugly, but I will stay on point. I paid for the ad spot for a year, and it recently expired. Shortly after I signed up, I had a different rep who was a very sweet lady, and truly has a good intention, but lacks advertising and marketing knowledge. Probably because there is no vision and clear objective of how to get customers to find their advertisers, set by her company! So I was always nice to her, I believe in karma. Their answer to everything was creating a different avatar as main image, and that will magically draw people to my listing…..oh, and the senior marketing person suggested getting brides to sign up to their site and hit “love” on my page, similar to a facebook like. No review system. They do offer deals I can run….which I did several times. I also regularly updated my portfolio. Those lame suggestions really made me laugh so hard I nearly swallowed my own tongue. All I could think was….OMG, who the hell taught YOU marketing? How does this help anyone but your site? What a complete joke. Loves, really? Buwhaahhahahahaha!!!!

In the year period, I might have average  a whopping *2-3 hits per month* from my MyWedding page, to my website, as found in my Google Analytics reports. Never so much as one inquiry from any bride from there. I did talk to a supervisor at length, and he was nice….I thought, finally someone with a clue. They were nice and upgraded me to a spotlight listing which means added visibility and stand alone traffic for several months when they knew how infuriated I was with no results for my investment. But it was not any better in any way than my premium ad spot. When the time came to renew, the rep knew my answer. Thanks, you are very nice and I like you…..but….. “NO!” What an absolute waste of money. My 2 cents.

This mainly pertains to my role as a professional wedding photographer, and the conflict that sometimes arises….overzealous guests in every row of the ceremony sticking themselves out in the aisleways recording the action with their phones, cameras, tablets, and video cameras…..and without fail they get in some of the professional photographer’s photos. Or trying to photograph groups I arrange and stages I set, or photobomb at the reception. I have photos like that, but do not wish to make them public, out of respect for the couple. Though usually my events don’t have much problem in that regard, because I do my best to weed this out up front with the couples. My contract clause covers no other photographers working while I am, but no contract can govern guest behavior. This is where I encourage the couple to set that precedent with their family and guests.  Not to make my job easier, but to allow me to do a better job for them, that I am being paid a lot of money to do. And also I can stay the good guy if I’m not the one who has to ask them to refrain from photography until I am done working. (though during ceremonies I can’t say a word, only think to myself how freaking rude and disrespectful can people be) LOL.

Now, the two sided coin. Some might say, well who cares, as long as you are getting paid to photograph the wedding, who cares what they do? As long as your contract covers you against acts of God and disruptive guests, you’re legally covered, and at the end of the day, you got paid. Well, I can understand how some feel that way, but to me it’s short sighted. It works for low priced shooters who probably won’t be around in 2 years anyhow. I’m not super high priced, but am out of that price point bracket, and provide quality journalistic wedding photography, professional post production, and beautifully designed albums and coffee table books….not a here’s a pat on the butt and a CD of photos for you. I believe in providing customer service of a higher caliber, and taking ownership in the end product I provide for my clients. It’s a better representation of my work that way, and a better representation of the couple’s wedding. In turn, I get better quality referrals that I rely on. If the couple would rather let their event turn into a paparazzi circus, let them shoot the wedding, or hire the hobbyist from Craigslist. Sometimes there really is such a thing as bad money.

I recently had a lady call me about acting or theatrical headshots for a talent agency submission. She wasn’t quite in the senior bracket but her look caught the eye of a local casting director and they told her she could be used for a parental role in commercials or even be in pharmaceutical commercials. She had told me she never acted or did any modeling in the past and wasn’t too sure about all this just yet, LOL! But she decided, sure why not, let’s go for it! She was honest with the agency that she was referred to that she had no prior experience and didn’t have a lot of time or money to put into it. Her only investment was hiring a photographer for headshots and an agency listing fee to be featured on their website.

The agency told her they didn’t have many people in her age bracket and there was an opportunity for acting and commercials for the senior age bracket. She found my website and liked my style of headshots and portraiture, and after talking, we mutually determined we’d be a good fit to work together, and I could offer her what she needed. We did a friendly approachable look for an acting headshot, but I particularly enjoy this theatrical headshot with some mood to it.

Some great things are happening with my Facebook business page! I would encourage you to visit me there and click “Like” when you arrive at the page. The link is

http://www.facebook.com/jayfarrellphotography

I recently hired www.primesocialmarketing.com to assist with optimizing the Facebook business page and running 4 network builders a year. Those include contests that engage the users for a chance to win a portrait session, headshot, or receive a percentage or dollar discount on wedding photography packages….and perhaps even product credit /discount whether for prints, albums or coffee table books, sign in books, etc. They have also integrated my contact form with my website and all my other social media links have been posted there too. There will be other marketing benefits for me too, as far as gaining new business and meeting new people. They will also help provide Twitter and Google Plus / Places design and content. I enjoy being active with social media, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day for me to do my job, and do what it takes to do everything I need to do, so it made sense to recruit them for help and free up more of my time. I hope you will visit me on Facebook and engage in what’s going on there Thanks as always for your support and business!!

Jay

I know I’ve had similar discussions both here, and with clients in person. But I found a great article on a colleague’s Facebook page that I just had to share with everyone! It’s a writer for Huffington Post who shares her experience with viewing her parents’ wedding album from 40 years ago, and the value it holds to all of them today. And beyond that too. Digital technology comes and goes, but photos and albums never go out of style if done correctly and the quality of print is up to par. It’s a much more personal touch and tells the story more effectively. Really, with the different options available today, there’s no excuse not to have your wedding photographer provide you with an album or coffee table book to finish telling your story.

Digital copies only, in my opinion, are not “good enough” especially when I have affordable coffee table books in my packages. I don’t advise careless spending to any of my couples. It is about responsible budgeting though. And how to get the most of your investment. Also, things that are luxuries or less important, to cut, in order to free up money to make a better investment for services being provided. It’s hard to think of later sometimes when budgeting, but think of it like this. If you pay $1000-$1500 and only get digital copies for your wedding photography….or pay even $700-$1000.00 more and get a beautiful album or coffee table book (tangible goods) 20 years down the road, will you be glad you saved that money and really got nothing for it? Or would you actually begrudge spending a little more and actually getting something that future generations can have to look at?

Here is this lady’s take on it, very interesting, and I learned things too….interesting way to think about how printed photos are swapped out over the years, but not the album. Enjoy! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-trenske/the-case-against-good-enough_b_2967170.html

With the start of Spring, I recently took the motorcycle to my gym, LA Fitness, for a workout early on a Sunday afternoon. I finished and went to grab my backpack, gloves, jacket, and helmet. An older man, maybe mid to late 50′s approached me and asked if that was my Triumph outside the window. I said yes, and we talked for a bit. He was definitely an old school biker, long salt and pepper hair in a ponytail, scars, and loaded with tattoos. I really enjoyed the stories he was telling about his experiences in life, as well as on motorcycles. I was fascinated but had not yet figured out why. He was waiting for his wife to finish her workout, and they rode in on his Harley, which gets ridden in all weather. We went our separate ways…..after I got home, it hit me. All I could say was DAMNIT!!! Why didn’t I ask him to my studio to photograph him?

It’s very rare I will approach someone and ask them to allow me to take a portrait of them. But certain subjects I find interesting, and unique….so when it happens, I pick the person. I went to the gym a couple different times that week….no sign of them. So, I went at about the same time the next Sunday….towards the end of my workout, I saw his wife, but not him. I asked her if he was around and I had enjoyed talking to him. She said yes, he is outside in the car. I introduced myself as a professional photographer, and I really wanted to photograph him. She looked at me funny, and said, really? Why? Why would you want to photograph him? I said, well, an artist thinks differently, and we just know when we have the opportunity to create something powerful and I know I can do that with him. I got her attention. I talked to him on my way out…..his reaction was much the same. Surprised! LOL! I explained to both of them that I don’t mean to make them uncomfortable with this request, but his face has so much character and can really tell a story. And after talking to him and listening to his life experiences, gives me an even greater advantage to capture the character in his face.

I feel confident we can make this happen. It’s having these visions that help every artist evolve and avoid complacency. This brought back some fond memories of my time in Santa Fe, New Mexico, studying with Greg Gorman about capturing the soul of a portrait or headshot. One day our class went to the old Santa Fe prison, which was damaged in the 1980 massacre, and taken out of service after the new facility was built. This location remained for National Guard and law enforcement tactical training with paintball guns. One of the subjects was an older gentleman who had beaten cancer and had so much character. I still remember him asking….there are several pretty young female models here, why the hell are you guys photographing ME? LOL!! He thought it was cool, and funny! Sure, young beauty is nice! But character, age, flaws, and textures of skin are great as well…..and stories are told! Is it a coincidence that I like older buildings and textures in my wedding photography and portrait work? I think not Here is the man from Santa Fe, and also a horseback rider we met on the Santa Fe trail. Great stuff I will never forget….I photograph character any chance I get.

When photographing any inanimate objects or groups of people, using vanishing perspectives or dimensions of the subjects to create an interesting shape really makes those photos stand out. with any multiple object or human subject photo, we as photographers have to use shallow depth of field carefully but it can still be done if the objects or people are close together, and you want one in particular to be the focal point in that image. I like the challenge of these types of images…..it forces us to slow down and pay attention to where the subjects are at, where they are positioned, how we compose the shot, and what is in the background that could draw attention away from the intended subject….hence the composition reference. LOL. If one person is mostly hidden behind another to where it looks like the person in the foreground grew extra parts, that doesn’t qualify for the image I’m talking about. Or an object in the background that makes the person in the foreground look like they grew extra parts

That’s one challenge I enjoy about journalistic style portraits or journalistic wedding photography, I can capture a natural candid mood and it’s not posed or forced, (even if I stage it on occasion, LOL) It’s great when those perspectives and dimensions can work in my favor to make an interesting shape in that photo. One old portrait trick is to pose the group in a triangle shape, or have imaginary triangles in the photo between different subjects. If you look, you will see that in one of the images below It’s just psychology and how the eye notices a photograph, and what keeps a viewers’ attention. Here are a few photos with those interesting dimensions that stick out in my mind most, as far as human subject material at weddings

Nope, not an April fools joke Just a few months ago, the print lab who does my wedding albums and coffee table books came out with a brand new product. A continuous bind album. This means there is no gutter in the book….it’s a coffee table book with a hard photographic cover, and the pages are photographic paper instead of press printed, like standard coffee table books offered before were. Which is also an excellent yet affordable product, that’s how I was able to offer them in my wedding photography packages. But the new seamless bind books have seamless pages, which means when the book is open, it lays perfectly flat! A photo spread that spans across 2 pages is known as a double truck in the publishing industry….that means with this album, that scene is uninterrupted by a book gutter or seam! That alone is a HUGE upgrade! Plus the photographic paper surfaces are offered in semi lustre (my favorite) and metallic! Which means better durability and print quality, as well as color accuracy!

When I learned about this new product, I upgraded 2 of my customers this past Fall, to this design. I got to see it and personally deliver it….They LOVED it and I am also well pleased with this product! It is slightly higher cost than the standard or UV coated coffee table book, but well worth it. Therefore being a great representation of my work. For that reason, I am upgrading all wedding photography customers with a coffee table book in their package, to this design at no extra cost to them, at least for the remainder of this year!  It will be money well spent and a way to show my appreciation to my clients! I now have a semi lustre 10×10 continuous bind album ordered for my newest studio sample. In the meantime, here are a couple stock photos of this product, from it’s manufacturer. I’m very excited to bring you this wonderful upgrade, it’s a very high end product for an affordable price! Win win! A slipcase and presentation box will be included to preserve the albums!

This is slightly off topic, but there is a solid connection which relates to the photography business I know and love. Especially as it relates to giving and receiving critiques, and being accountable for our successes and failures alike. And being open to change, learning and growth, keeping an open mind. Those who are stubborn and emotionally attached to their work can’t look at it subjectively and are less likely to learn anything, grow, or make forward changes. This is pretty universal. I occasionally enjoy watching these shows on Food Network about the master chef and restauranteur going in and helping to revamp failing restaurants. The chef, Robert Irvine has to open many doors that the owners may not be ready for, and give them harsh realities not all take so well. Well…tough. You needed help, you get his opinion, lol.

I see some common links when watching it. Often the restaurant lacks leadership and has untrained staff, has inexperienced or rude servers, as well as substandard canned or frozen food, sanitary issues that make me never want to eat out, etc. All caused by owner complacency or clueless nature. The responsibility starts with them, and they are the cause of their failure, because they have not come to terms with them not knowing enough, or having the drive to make necessary changes to save their business. Sometimes that kick in the pants is what they need to see the situation for what it is.

Here is how this all relates to professional photographers. It’s healthy to seek out critique from respected peers. I do it all the time, and provide it for others. I am respectful of everyone when doing it, but I don’t water down the truth because it might hurt their little ego. Guess what….in the real world, the ones with the money to spend are the ones who decide. Them not coming to you hurts more than any critique. There is no, everyone gets a gold star. There are thousands of photographers in Nashville alone. Portrait photographers. Wedding photographers. All kinds. The ones who earn income from it have to have work that stands out, as well as good marketing and must run a business that evolves. That’s all part of basic customer service, changing and evolving to fit the clients’ needs and adapt to technology and how it changes business. Not every restaurant patron knows how to cook chicken parmigiana but when they go out and order it, they do know when it tastes great and when it doesn’t.

On location portrait photography is a great service to offer and I always enjoy challenges as far as lighting, using what is available, and traveling lightly equipment wise. Recently I went to visit my very dear friends Dave and Mary, and their 3 month old daughter (and my niece Caliece. The weather was cold and wet. They wanted a photograph of them together as a family, and some of her at 3 months old. And the baby had been a little sniffly so they didn’t want to load her in the car to my studio, this option of me going to their home only made sense. It’s one of things, if you wait until the weather is perfect etc. you miss major milestones. Sometimes you just have to make it happen. No one has ever regretted investing in quality portraiture, especially as a family, or as their kids are growing.

I don’t advertise myself as a childrens’ or baby photographer, I’m not. I can do it, and am happy to do it for existing customers I already know or people they know. But to make the claim as a specialist, you have to really know how to speak to children and babies, etc. and make them comfortable, the psychology etc. It’s almost like being the dog whisperer for children, lol. I rely on the parents to know their childrens’ least cranky or tired time, and this way they don’t get mad at me for not being able to work past their grumpiness etc. LOL. But when I do it, I enjoy it. It’s rewarding to see my clients enjoy family time and see their children grow, and it’s an honor for me to be a part of it.

The setup was as minimal as it gets, besides natural light as a sole light source. We just used their living room. They have white walls and ceiling, so I bounced my flash off the ceiling and used a white reflector for fill light at eye level, worked like a charm. I didn’t even have to bump my iso up past 200. I used as shallow a depth of field as I could get away with. 4.5 – 5.6 for a small group is about as wide as I want to go, so no one is out of focus. But the somewhat shallow depth of field creates some background blur and separation so the picture in the background isn’t the focal point of the image. Also, I was careful not to let the picture frame grow out of the center of anyone’s head, lol. This way, I can come in, not rearrange their home, get nice simple portraits and they have those memories. And Caliece’s 6 month photos can be done at the park or somewhere they like to go. But this shows a progression of her growth I liked the brush light the flash created when she was laying down, sometimes simple gets it done. Work smarter, not harder.

If there’s one thing I have a good track record for, it’s keeping my photography gear and camera bag organized, and not losing equipment. Though sooner or later we all have that oh shit moment, usually later on when we discover it, LOL! In my prior article, when I shot the band at The Boro Bar and Grill in Murfreesboro, TN. I brought my camera bag, and only used my main SLR body, one lens, a Speedlite, and a Gary Fong Lightsphere. I don’t use my Speedlites much, nor the Lightsphere. But I know my camera bag, and keep everything in a dedicated place. That’s the important reason to have a large enough camera bag, so each lens and triggers, all other accessories can easily be seen when the bag is open.

Well….you know where this is going. I thought I had everything packed up, and was also helping my friends load their band gear. A few days later I did my next photoshoot, a family portrait session. I opened my camera bag and looked inside, and had a creeping feeling in my gut. There was an open hole. I realized I left my Lightsphere behind a the bar a few days before then. I told my client what happened and she suggested I call the bar, I was thinking no way, it’s long gone. But I gave them a call and described the item, and the man said they have it in their lost and found behind the bar. I about jumped for joy! After my session, which was halfway to Murfreesboro as it was, I went down there to pick it up, placed some cash in their tip jar and thanked them a billion times, LOL! I am very grateful for their honesty. If they Googled it and saw it had a $100.00 value new, they could have easily made an easy 60 bucks or so and I’d never know it. They’re good people, and remain indebted to them for their honesty. http://www.theborobar.com/

Granted, it could have been far worse….I could have left an expensive lens or something. But still it would suck losing a $100.00 item too. In the past 9 or 10 years, the only piece of equipment I lost forever was a reflector, when doing an on location photoshoot with a model. Maybe 40 bucks. I was still bummed out, but we’re all human. But I quickly learned to keep my gear organized. This is especially critical for wedding photographers, event photographers, commercial photographers, and location portrait photographers who bring a lot of gear off site, and on location. I am very careful to remember what gear I used, and when packing up, do a spot check of the area. It also helps to keep the gear in one area, it eliminates the risk of having gear strewn all about, which would increase the risk of lost gear. On jobs where I have an assistant, it’s an easier process, because I have an experienced assistant who knows my gear and how I organize and transport it. Each of us manages our own part of the gear we use. Then 2 of us do spot checks. I usually have no issues, even if unassisted. Because I know where I keep everything, check the area, and recheck my bag. But something distracted me that night, or I’d have noticed something was missing from my bag. It never pays to get in a rush. I’m glad this mistake that I learned from, I didn’t have to learn the hard way.

Recently I had the pleasure of joining a longtime friend to see his band play in Murfreesboro, TN. at the Murfreesboro independent music fest, at The Boro Bar and Grill. They are a somewhat heavy metal band, their link is here, the band is called Omnivus http://www.reverbnation.com/omnivus The Boro Bar and Grill is a cozy dive bar type of place, and were really nice there, so I look forward to going back there to have a beer and listen to some local musicians play Their website is here http://www.theborobar.com/ . Like many photographers would, I snapped some of the bar ambiance and waited for the band to play…and even got there in time to take a couple photos of the band performing before them.

When I photograph performances on location, I always travel lightly and only bring my camera bag with lenses and flashes etc. and no other lighting. It’s easier to load in and out that way, and less gear to manage if I am unassisted as I was that night. I often like to use stage lighting and not use flash at all, but there wasn’t enough of it there. So I used a speedlite flash with a lightsphere modifier. Black ceilings or tall ceilings  etc. are not useful for bouncing flash so for a situation like that, to remain light and mobile, a speedlite with a bounce card or a Lightsphere is a good solution. I’m not a huge fan of on camera flash, but it works in situations like that or for outdoor fill, to fill in shadows. Most of all, was just fun to casually photograph the nightlife and the band for a brief while, hope you enjoy!

This is kindof one of those “how long is a piece of string” questions, but the answer is different for every couple planning their weddings. Lots of variables. Whether the bride knows this because she learned from those knowledgeable about wedding budgeting, or learns from her own mistakes, you don’t skimp on wedding photography because she wanted to over spend in other areas. Well, then you don’t skimp on a videographer either. Since both the photographer and videographer provide a product that remains long after the wedding is over. The two main goals of a wedding are these. The first being that the couple, wedding parties, and guests enjoy themselves. Also, to be left with quality memories of their big day, and time spent with those they love. As I know I have said before, if you look at your wedding photos (or videos) years from now, and remember the good times, and seeing photos of guests and family, some of whom have sadly passed on….you aren’t going to look back and wish you hired the cheaper photographer. I will go over a few key points about choosing wisely.

Photos and video have a very different feel. You can’t compare the importance of them, but they are both very sound investments if you choose wisely. Any couple that has it in their budget to hire a videographer, I definitely recommend it. BUT…..it’s one of those deals, if you are going to bother hiring one at all, hire an experienced and qualified videographer for your wedding. Your friend who has a pretty nice video camera who records his son’s baseball games is not a wedding and event videographer. A good wedding and event videographer knows how to work in low light and any other lighting condition….as wedding photographer need to have that skill too. But perhaps the most important thing a videographer does is knows the placement of their cameras, and how to stay out of the photographer’s shots. Any weddings where there is a videographer I meet them and go over those things with them, and it all works out great. We know the other’s field of view and how to capture the goods, and stay out of each other’s way. That’s when it’s an experienced videographer.

However, there is nothing more aggravating than dealing with an inexperienced or student videographer at weddings. They are just out to get everything, everywhere, and not be mindful of the fact that they are a disturbance while capturing the event….and getting the way of the photographer. The worst is when they follow me or make it a race to see who gets what first. No clue about the protocol or how to be stealth….and not work against the other vendors. Not to mention making it feel like a paparazzi circus. It’s a private event people pay good money for. Misbehavior of any film or camera crew can ruin the couples’ and guests’ overall experience….not to mention costing the client extra money when the photographer has to take the dork video person out of the background of many shots. All those are signs of amateurs. Being an amateur is fine, but you don’t do weddings without experience, under an established service provider. Having an unqualified video person do a wedding really is asking for trouble, and the couple has to be left accountable for that decision. I have examples of a low budget videographer getting in my way when I’m working, but out of respect for those clients, I am not posting photos of it. Those I have worked with and had video and hired me for photography, have always been happy with the end product and the story told. Not more footage, but better footage.