It’s easy for me to write photo tips. I’ve done it pretty much every day since November 1, 1998 when I published the first edition of Photofocus online. But it’s harder when I constrain myself and don’t talk gear or technique. This is the meaty stuff that actually makes you think. Some of my audience don’t like these tips as much because they require you to stop and invest your soul into a photo. It’s much easier to hope for a magic button to press to get a great shot. Well sorry, this isn’t a magic button kind of post – so get your thinking caps on!

Tip #1. Aim for quality over quantity. What if you limited yourself on your next outing to just one photograph? You couldn’t shoot more than one subject. You couldn’t shoot with more than one lens or in one location. If you did that, you’d be photographing to make a point – to tell a story. Try to FEEL your next photograph. Limit yourself. Think about it. Plan it. Work hard to research where and when you’ll make that image. Get to know your subject. In this scenario, you literally only get one shot.

Tip #2. Keep a notebook handy at all times. I love to keep a little Moleskine Notebookwith me most of the time so that I can write down notes about things that visually inspire me. Whenever I get into a rut, I start paging through my notes to see if I can find something that shakes some fruit out of the tree. A more modern-day equivalent would be an audio recording device such as the voice recorder on an iPhone. I do think however that there is some additional value in being forced to write something down. It sticks better.

Tip #3. Start teaching. No matter where you are in your photographic journey, you know at least one more thing than someone else does about photography. Find someone who you can help and go do it. I spend more time teaching these days than shooting, yet, I am convinced my work is actually improving. One of the reasons is that the old adage is true – if you really want to learn how to do something, agree to teach it.

Tip #4 Shoot for yourself. No, I mean really shoot for yourself. Think of a photo project you’ve always wanted to do. Only this time, think of it as a private project. YOU are the audience. You have to make a pact with yourself. You will NEVER, EVER show the images from this project to ANYONE. In fact, you will delete the images once the project is over – all except for one which you will use as a reminder that shooting from the heart makes the best photograph.

Tip #5 Avoid cliches. Think about the current “trends” in photography. How many times will I be forced to look at a beautiful model standing in the lake with her head just above water at sunset – lit in “strobist” fashion? I see hundreds of these shots. Joe McNally really made this concept popular by putting this shot on the cover of one of his great books. But you going out to duplicate that shot isn’t really you shooting. It’s you imitating. Don’t get me wrong, there’s value there. You can learn how it was done. But what I really hope you can do is find your true self in your next big image. You don’t have to concentrate on breaking the rules or being gaudy for shock value (Thank you Lady GaGa) – but try to focus on what you really want to say with your camera. Do you want to make images that last? Do you want to make images that really stand the test of time? Then be yourself. Shoot for yourself. Shoot what your heart wants you to shoot. Don’t just try to be cool for being cool’s sake. Be true.

Avoiding Videographer Hassles-John Mireles

Is there a photographer out there who hasn’t had a problem with a videographer running amok at a wedding? Any photographer who’s been in this business for more than a day no doubt has a horror story or two about a video crew getting in every shot or overpowering the romantic reception lighting with a WWII searchlight.

Not only can the video crew ruin a great shot, it’s stressful dealing with uncooperative or even hostile vendors while you’re trying to do your job and enjoy yourself. I’ve actually had videographers physically threaten me on two separate occasions. (Yikes!) Not fun!

Unfortunately, dealing with videographers is not getting any easier. As more videographers give up their old video cams and adopt the DSLR as their shooting platform, the style and way they’re working is changed. Increasingly, videographers are acting as cinematographers seeking to create a stylized movie rather than act as more passive observers as they did in the past.

The downside for photographers is that, more than ever, videographers seek to get in close – which means in your frame – for the shot to take advantage of their new capabilities. Although that shallow depth of field looks great, it also means that more shots will be out of focus so now the videographer needs a second shooter with a wider lens to make sure nothing is missed. So now you not only have more people around, they’re getting in closer too – which means more shots ruined. Sound familiar?

All is not lost however. There’s a lot you can do to make sure that things go right. Here are my suggestions for a wedding day devoid of vendor fisticuffs.

So as You Sow…
If you act thoughtlessly and inconsiderately towards the video crew, you’re going to get the same treatment in return. Be considerate to the needs of the people working alongside you. Be aware of the placement of the video crew so that you don’t needlessly block their shots. Know that the video crew needs continuous and unobstructed views of the vows, readings, and toasts. Be especially aware of your positioning during these key moments.

Never once have I heard a photographer begin their videographer rant with “I was a complete inconsiderate jerk” yet I’ll bet there are plenty of knucklehead photographer horror stories making the rounds among videographers. The more aware you are of how your actions impact those around you, the better relationships you’ll have with everyone you’re working with.

The Best Defense if a Good Offense
The best way to deal with a problem is to make sure it never has the opportunity to occur. Instead of just leaving it to the client to hire some nightmare video company, make it a point to recommend a company that you like and work well with. Clients generally hire a photographer long before they hire a videographer so use that to your advantage.

Before recommending a videography company, take a look at their finished work to see if it meets your standards. Then promote that company exclusively to all of your clients. You’ll find that when you are the referral for the job, the videographer is going to take very good care of you and make sure to not step on your toes.

One word of advice, be sure to pick a videographer with competitive rates. Any money that a client spends on the videographer is money that may not get spent on photography. Sure, you may want to refer the super-high-end guy, but that stack of money to book him is a stack that may get taken away from your album upgrade or parent albums.

Set the Ground Rules
You’ll notice that a common theme with much of my advice is to avoid problems before they occur. In that vein, bring up the potential for “challenges” with the bride and groom before the wedding. Discuss with the client the potential issues that may occur and how it can affect not only the photos you’ll deliver, but can negatively affect their experience on the wedding day.

I explain how videographers are becoming ever more intrusive, that there is the potential for shots to be ruined and it’s frustrating to have to compete for the best angle. The main thing I like to ask is, “What is more important to you? The video or the photography?” If it’s the photography, then I ask if I have permission to act as air traffic control on the wedding day.

The key is that I want the clients to be aware of the potential issues and have them on my side if/when they do arise. Usually, the photography is far more important to the client, (a fact that is reflected in their budget,) so they don’t want the video guy screwing up my work. If I have the client on my side, I can then be more authoritative in my directions to the videographer.

Get on the Same Page
All too often the photographer and videographer will warily eye each other at the wedding without ever getting to know each other. Big mistake! Instead, I suggest that before the two teams start shooting on the wedding day, you make it a point to introduce yourself and make a plan for the day. Opening up communication and establishing rapport makes it much easier for you to avoid and correct problems.

In this little introductory meeting, I like to ask questions about how the video team operates. What lights they use. Where they are going to set up during the ceremony. If there are specific shots they want. How they handle prep and formals etc. I ask if there’s anything they need from me. Again, the idea is to get the communication going and eliminate surprises.

I like to keep the meeting light and friendly. I don’t proclaim myself to be the boss-man, but I do make it be known that I won’t tolerate being stepped on or over. There’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence; I try to keep it on the side of the latter so as to not make enemies.

One Person Rule
Everybody wants to be in with the bride when she’s getting ready and other special moments. No surprise there. But when you have the photographer and her assistant plus a videographer and his assistants, you end up with a frustrating cluster mess and everyone in each other’s shots. Plus, it kills the moment.

To deal with this, I’ve adopted the “one-person per team” rule, which means that only one photographer and one videographer are allowed in the room while the bride is getting ready. I recommend getting the bride’s okay on this when you talk to her in advance and then getting everyone’s buy-in during the pre-shoot meeting with the videographer.

If the video team has a problem with this, you can say that you’ve discussed this with the bride and groom so any change has to be agreed to by them.

Work as a Team
Instead of trying to fight each other, think of how you can work together to get better results for the both of you. During the first dance, I’ll sometimes offer to have my assistant hold the video light for the videographer so that we both can use it off-axis.

I used to get frustrated when a videographer would try to step in and shoot formals. Now, I welcome it. I let the videographer know that they’re welcome to shoot formals at any point. I use that as an excuse to second shoot and get angles that I might not ordinarily. It’s a welcome break when someone else is doing the directing and it allows me to think of new and different ideas for my shots.

Once you start working collaboratively, the mood changes, everyone has a better time and the end product is better too.

Be Prepared
The bride and groom are seconds from cutting the cake and you’re all set. There’s beautiful rim lighting coming from above and gentle ambient lighting bouncing in from the sides. It’s a gorgeous moment until… the video guy turns on his monster video light and blasts the scene with more light than a nuclear explosion.

Sometimes there’s no substitute for being prepared. Have a secondary setting on your camera set for automatic mode so that you can quickly switch to it. Have another camera with a flash so you can overpower whatever the video guy throws at you.

Better yet, ask beforehand how the video guy intends to cover the a given event so you’re not surprised at the last second. Remember, the difference between the newbie and the experienced photographer is that the latter is always thinking two steps ahead and not just reacting at the last second.

If All Else Fails
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you’ve still got the videographer in everyone’s face or setting up in the middle of the aisle during the ceremony. What most photographers do is ignore it, bitch about it afterward then ask what they can write into their contract to prevent it from happening again. I’m sorry but that’s the wrong approach.

The solution is to firmly but nicely, let the videographer know that he’s blocking your shot and getting in your way. If you’ve got buy-in from the bride, you know that your work is more important the video so you can more confidently direct the videographer. (On the other hand, if the video is more important, then it’s you that needs to work around the videographer. At least you know where you stand.)

If the video guy is creeping into every shot, photograph him. I realize that the tendency is to crop him out – and you should for some of the shots, but also keep him in since he’s part of the day. If nothing else, you can use these images as part of a friendly notice you send to your clients about the hazards of obnoxious videographers along with a list of who not to hire. This photographic evidence serves as all the more reason for the client to hire your recommended videographer.

The key to all of this is to think ahead and plan to avoid the potential for problems long before the videographer steps in front of you as the bride is walking down the aisle.

John Mireles

Enjoy the slideshow!

I am very open to suggestions and I would love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to call or email me with questions or ideas for our PUGS!

For our August PUG, we will be meeting at Pictureline (305 West 700 South in SLC) on Wednesday, August 25th from 4:00-5:00 p.m. Leslie Nielsen is going to be teaching a class all about lenses.

Lens Class Outline:

The only thing between your subject and your sensor is your lens, it affects the “look” of your picture more than any other accessory. In this class we will unravel the mystery of camera lenses so you will be able to select and use them more effectively.

We will specifically discuss:

The language of lenses – What do all the numbers mean.

Lens selection – which lens to use for the look you want.

Primes vs Zooms – building a lens kit.

This class is limited to 25 people, so please RSVP!

Cheers,
Andrea

As always, here is a killer slideshow for you to enjoy!

I was one of four photographers with media credentials for  Snoop Dogg’s concert in Park City, Utah this year.   I have found that most people either love or hate him.  Either way,  there is no argument saying that he is a huge superstar, and I was there as a photographer for the event.   Enjoy the slideshow!

*We’re ALL thinking it, but Becca, aka OBT member bmwbzz, finally came out with it. Since looking at photographer’s websites is part of our jobs here at Offbeat Bride, we ALL feel Becca’s pain.

Dear wedding photographers,

I think you’re swell but, as a whole, your websites suck.

First of all, turn the freaking music off. Seriously. I’m probably looking at your site at work and it’s hard to find the off button and I probably don’t like the music you picked nor do I care since I didn’t come to you for music. Don’t do it — it’s downright annoying!

Secondly, it should not take 100 years for your site or gallery to load. The best way to ensure this is to NOT USE FLASH! And while we’re on the subject of the gallery, how to move from one picture to another should be obvious to my grandmother and I should be able to peruse the thumbnails. I should also be able to use the keyboard or the scroller on my mouse to move through the pictures (which is another reason NOT TO USE FLASH!) Also, I’m pretty sure 75% of you all have the exact same Flash site re-branded. Stop it. Want something inexpensive? Try WordPress with a custom template design. [Editor's note: or even just a good pre-made theme.] And do NOT have your gallery or site pop-up! EVER!

Thirdly, don’t have your blog header take up the entire screen. I get confused and think there are no posts or something. And if you don’t have a blog with most of your current wedding previews, make one.

Fourthly, tell me how much you cost. I don’t care if you do “custom” packages, tell me how much your typical package is and what it includes.

Fifth, I’m probably going to post the photos on facebook. If you have a problem with this, the best way to handle it is to give me lo-res versions of all pictures with your watermark. Then everyone is happy.

Lastly, tell me WHERE YOU LIVE. I totally get that you want to travel and stuff but I’m not looking to pay for that so make it really obvious where you live and shoot weddings generally. Don’t make me look up your area code on google. Instead how about say “Chicago Wedding Photographer” instead of just “Wedding Photographer.”

Seriously I love you guys but weddings are stressful and photography is expensive, so make it a bit easier on us! True I’m already married and had an awesome photographer (with a great website!) but since I have three good friends getting married next year, I now have to look at all the sites again… and it’s annoying. It is also true that I develop web sites for a living and am probably more critical than most but really I’m trying to help!

Sincerely,
Becca [and Offbeat Bride]

*After reading this letter and having some time to think about it, I decided to search out what the world’s top photographers are doing with their websites and this is what I found!

Bambi Cantrell-Flash and Music, Ben Chrisman-Flash and No Music, David Beckstead-Flash and Music, Dennis Reggie-Flash and No Music, Jim Garner-Flash and Music, Jose Villa-Flash and No Music, Sara France-Flash and Music, Karen Wise-Flash and No Music, Elizabeth Messina-Flash and No Music. To sum up my discovery, hands down ALL of these top photographers have Flash websites. It is almost half and half that have music and that don’t have music. I think that I am not going to worry so much about the letter and just keep on creating great images. I am however, going to take to heart the fact that I need to put where I am based out of! That is a great tip! I do have my prices listed and like anything in life, you have to do what works for you and your business!

Since I found photography two and a half years ago I have learned different things which I would like to share with you today. These lessons have made me richer and I hope that you will find them refreshing and inspiring on your journey with the camera, too.

1. Never do photography to become a rock-star.
2. Enjoy what you are shooting.
3. Prepare well for your shooting, realizing that your battery isn’t charge when you’re setting up for that sunrise shoot is too late!
4. Always take one warm garment more than you actually need with you
5. Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions while you are shooting
6. Set goals you can achieve
7. Write tips about photography, because writing is also learning
8. Never go shooting without a tripod
9. Be pleased with the little prosperities
10. Build relationships with potential photo buddies
11. Watch the place you want to shoot first with your heart then with the camera
12. Always stay calm
13. Know that you tend to overestimate yourself
14. Perspective is the killer
15. Dedicate yourself to photography, but never browbeat yourself too much
16. Take part in a photography community
17. Keep your camera clean
18. Never compare yourself to others in a better or worse context
19. Find your own style of photography
20. Try to compose more and to hit the shutter less
21. Seek out and learn to accept critique on your images
22. Do something different to recover creativity
23. Get inspiration from the work of other photographers
24. Criticize honestly but respectfully
25. Get feedback from your lady
26. Don’t copy other photographer’s style
27. Be bold
28. Take care of the golden ratio
29. 10mm rocks!
30. Take selfportraits
31. Read books about photography
32. To give a landscapephotograph the extra boost, integrate a person (maybe yourself)
33. Every shooting situation is different than you expect
34. Pay attention to s-curves and lines
35. Always shoot in RAW
36. Keep your sensor clean, so you can save some work cleaning your image in post production
37. Discover the things you think are beautiful
38. It takes time to become a good photographer
39. The best equipment is that what you have now
40. You can’t take photographs of everything
41. Break the rules of photography knowingly, but not your camera
42. Pay attention to the different way that light falls on different parts of your scene
43. The eye moves to the point of contrast
44. Clouds increase the atmosphere of a landscape
45. Start a photoblog
46. Accept praise and say “thank you”
47. ‘Nice Shot’ is not a very useful comment to write
48. ‘Amazing!’ isn’t useful either. Try to describe specifically what you like or don’t like about an image.
49. You are not your camera
50. Ask a question at the end of your comment on a photo to get a ping-pong conversation with the photographer
51. Do a review of your archives on a regular basis, the longer you photograph – the more diamonds are hidden there
52. Always clarify what the eyecatcher (focal point) will be in your image
53. No image is better than a bad one
54. Everyone has to start little
55. Your opinion about photography is important!
56. Leave a funny but thoughtful comment
57. Speak about your experiences with your photo buddies
58. Limit your photograph to the substance
59. Participate in Photocontests
60. Post processing = Optimizing your image to the best result
61. Shoot exposure latitudes as often as possible
62. Use photomatix as seldom as possible, HDR’s always have a synthetic flavor
63. Always remember what brought you to photography
64. Never shoot a person who doensn’t want to be photographed
65. Always turn arround, sometimes the better image is behind you
66. It’s who’s behind the camera, not the camera
67. Mistakes are allowed! The more mistakes you make, the more you learn!
68. If you have an idea and immediately you think : No, this is not going to work – Do it anyway. When in doubt – always shoot.
69. Understand and look to your histogramm while shooting. It delivers very important information about your image
70. Know your camera, because searching the menu button in the night is time you don’t want to waste
71. Shoot as often as possible
72. Believe in yourself
73. Don’t be afraid of getting dirty
74. Pay attention to qualitiy in your image
75. Your photographs are a personal map of your psyche
76. Re-check your ISO-Settings. It’s aweful to detect the wrong settings on your screen.
77. Be thankful for long and thoughtful comments on your images
78. Never trust your LCD. Normally it is brighter and sharper as the original image.
79. Provide for enough disc space, because it’s cheap and you will need it.
80. Learn to enjoy beautful moments when you don’t have a camera with you.
81. Always arrive at least half an hour earlier before sunrise / sundown, composing in a hurry is a bad thing.
82. Try to amplify your mental and physical limits. Takes some extra shots when you think “it’s enough”
83. Pay attention to structures in the sky and wait until they fit into structures in the foreground
84. Visit the same place as often as possible. Light never shows the same mountain.
85. Print your images in big size. You will love it.
86. Calibrate your monitor. Working with a monitor that is not accurate is like being together with someone you can’t trust. It always ends badly.
87. Don’t think about what others may say about your image. If you like it, it’s worth publishing.
88. Never address reproaches to yourself. Learn from your mistakes and look forward, not backward.
89. Fight your laziness ! Creativitiy comes after discipline.
90. Ask yourself : What do you want to express in your images ?
91. Always try to think outside the box, collect new ideas about photographs you could do and ask yourself : Why not?
92. Search for a mentor.
93. Photography is never a waste of time.
94. Every community has it’s downsides. Don’t leave it out of an emotional response.
95. There will always be people who will not like what you are doing.
96. Henri Cartier-Bresson was right when he said that “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
97. A better camera doesn’t guarantee better images.
98. Always have printing in mind when you postprocess your images.
99. Photography is fair : You gain publicity with the quality of your images. Unless the images are stolen, there is no way of cheating yourself higher.
100. Write a 100 things list

The Wedding LuncheonThe TempleThe Reception

As a photographer, the one thing I think that makes me LOVE my job more than anything is the way I feel after working with a couple from the first time I meet them all the way to watching them (sometimes with teary eyes) leave in the getaway car.  This couple was no exception, but enough about what I think…without further ado here is their bio on their wedding experience.

The one thing I learned……

I learned many things in planning my wedding.  One of which was that everything lies in the details.  It sure didn’t seem too difficult when planning the basic things like what food to have, who to invite, etc.  However when it came down to actually getting things done, there were so many details that we hadn’t even considered, and these details were important and time consuming.

It is so important to think of all the little details so that you aren’t scrambling around the week of, or even the day of the wedding, trying to finish things up.  So while you may be used to procrastinating in school work or other things, do not procrastinate with the detailed wedding plans…you want to be able to relax and enjoy this special day, not stress over things that aren’t complete.

How I came up with the theme…..

I have always enjoyed things that are a vintage or classic.  So, when it came to the theme of our wedding, it was pretty simple.  I was lucky enough to find my dream dress the first time I went looking.  The color was great and with just a few alterations, it was perfect.  Along with the perfect dress, I chose to incorporate beautiful peacock feathers, which are definitely classic/vintage and went perfect with my wedding colors.  We decided to keep everything else fairly simple since our family would be doing most everything for the reception.

My favorite part of the wedding……

Our favorite part of the wedding was a special few minutes we were able to spend together before the ceremony in the temple.  We just relaxed, enjoyed each others company and pondered on the importance of what was about to take place.

A few other highlights of this special day were: the photo/video shoot with Andrea Hanks and Nate Pickett (they did such a great job making us feel so important), being surrounded by people who care so much about us and support us, and, of course, dancing together at the end of the beautiful day.  Oh and I guess I shouldn’t leave out the sweet tender mercy of good weather when we needed it (it stormed right after our luncheon up until a couple hours prior to the start of our reception).

How Nick and I met……

Nick and I met at a summer activity of a student singles ward.  I had just returned from a mission to Costa Rica and one of my best friends invited me to her ward camping activity at Lava Hot Springs…….

Shortly after the campout we started dating and nine months later Nick took me to The Needles restaurant at the top of Snowbasin and proposed in front of a huge fireplace.

Our proposal story…go to http://ononekneememories.blogspot.com/ for our full proposal story.

What I would do differently……

Plan for the worst.  Some things didn’t work out how I planned and then I was scrambling at the last minute because there wasn’t enough time.  Case in point:  the dress alterations.  The seamstress hired to do the alterations didn’t pull through and I had two days until my bridal pics!!!  Luckily my amazing mother put my dress back together and it all worked out. I wish my mom would have done the alteration in the first place.  We would have saved all the stress and money we wasted.

Vendors

Cake – Bowman’s Market Bakery
Food – Pennie Whipple (mom)
Wedding Dress – David’s Bridal w/ alternations by Pennie Whipple
Tuxes – Stuft Shirt Tuxedo Emporium
Flower Girl Dresses – Stewarts
Photographer – Andrea Hanks
Make-up – Bride
Hair – Cultures Salon
Ceremony – Bountiful Temple
Luncheon –The Canterbury
Reception – Tuscan Ridge courtyard in South Ogden