Wedding Photograph How-to
March 19, 2010 by Stacy42 · 5 Comments
A co-worker has asked you to take pictures at her wedding, and you want to do the best job possible. They may have decided a professional photographer is too expensive and instead are relying on you to document this most important day for them.
You feel the pressure, and want to make sure you don’t mess up. Here are the top guidelines to help you from Jim Whitesell, a wedding photographer in Edmonton:
1. Use the best equipment possible
A small point-and-shoot camera is fine for capturing family memories, but doesn’t do as well as a digital SLR with an external flash. The focus time, shutter delay, and limited reach of the small built-in flash will all cause problems for you. If you do not own or have access to a digital SLR camera and external flash, you can probably rent them from a camera store. Be sure to test and practice with the camera before the wedding day! A professional will likely have multiple lenses as well, but this is often beyond the ability of a casual shooter.
2. Take at least two memory cards
Although it doesn’t happen often, memory cards can fail. Keeping an extra card with you is cheap insurance that will keep you shooting if your card does quit working. Be sure the cards are of ample size so you don’t run out of space half-way through the night. 4GB is the minimum size you should have with you.
3. Batteries, batteries, batteries
Be sure to charge the camera batteries the night before, and preferably have a second battery charged and ready. Most external flash units use AA batteries so have a couple extra sets of these, too.
4. Attend the rehearsal
Taking pictures at the rehearsal is the best way to be prepared for the pictures you’ll take at the actual ceremony. You’ll have a feel for where to position yourself for the best shots. While a professional wedding photographer won’t usually shoot at the rehearsal, they will often show up to not only reassure the bride and groom that they are prepared for the next day but also to scope out the building. Their experience will enable them to know where the best shots are just by seeing the facility.
5. Posing the bridal party
When taking formal pictures of the bridal party, pay attention to the details. Make sure everyone’s face is visible, and note the placement of hands and feet. Pleasing poses are important.
6. Photographing the ceremony
If the wedding will take place inside a church, you’ll need to shoot the ceremony without flash. Use a tripod to hold the camera steady or camera shake caused by longer exposure times will likely ruin the pictures.
7. Shooting the reception
If possible, try to get a shot or two of the reception hall before everyone arrives. Takes some shots of other details, too – like the head table decorations, cake, etc. Once things are underway, it’s always nice to go table-to-table and get pictures of all the guests.
8. Shoot the details
Take pictures of the little details. The rings, bridal bouquet, ring bearer, flower girl, bride’s shoes, etc. are all great details to capture and the bride will be quite pleased to have these.
9. Capture the fun
There are always fun, unplanned moments that make each wedding unique and memorable. Always have your camera ready to capture the moment!
10. Back up the photos
As soon as possible after the wedding, burn all the original images to a CD or DVD for safekeeping. Do this before you make any changes to them. If you accidentally delete an important picture or have a computer failure you’ll still have the originals to fall back on. Even a professional discount wedding photographer will make backups.
You have been given a very important task. The pictures are the best way to remember the wedding and all the fun details. While a professional wedding photographer will do a better job, those on a budget may not have the ability to pay for one.
If you aren’t ready to take the pictures yourself, why not offer to pay for all or part of a professional photographer’s fee as your gift to the couple? And if you just happen to be near Edmonton, Alberta, please check out Jim Whitesell’s site for Edmonton wedding pictures.
Why you should UseHTML Web Design
September 17, 2009 by Stacy42 · 5 Comments
Web design is an valuable visual aspect of this, but what good is a flashing logo if no one can find the information or product they are looking for? Web design is not book design, it is not poster design, it is not illustration, and the highest achievements of those disciplines are not what web design shoots for. Although websites can be delivery systems for games and videos, and although those delivery systems can be great to look at, such sites are exemplars of game design and video storytelling, not of web design. Web Design Schools Guide is your home for finding the best web design schools and web design program for your needs. We maintain one of the most extensive sets of reviews of web design degree programs and online web design schools as well as a regularly updated web design school ranking.
Web design is normally the first stage of a project. At this point, the project is not a web site at all, but layers of pixels within a graphics package. Web designers CT for real estate advertising online dental practice sites re-designs. Web design companies will be able to handle images, their size and placement.
Flash should not be used to jazz up a page. If your content is boring, rewrite text to make it more interesting and hire a professional photographer to shoot better photos. Flash is not a standard produced by a vendor-neutral standards organization like most of the core protocols and formats on the Internet. Flash is much more self-contained than the open HTML format as it does not integrate with web browser UI features.
Search engines cannot read flash. They cannot read javascript, or images. Search Engines use extremely complicated algorithms to calculate their interpretation of the suitability of web pages to display when a search is requested. These algorithms are not known to anyone outside of the Search Engine’s highest echelons and cannot accurately be predicted or foreseen, as they are also regularly changed or adjusted.
HTML web design needs to factor both different resolution sizes and browser types, as different web browsers interpret HTML and CSS differently. For example, Firefox and Internet Explorer do not agree on the size of a pixel. HTML web design templates’ sole drawback is their modification can be rather complicated for normal users. A great site can be accomplished using web templates, and free downloads are available on the web.
Selecting Your Photographer To Shoot Your Most Important Day
August 20, 2009 by Stacy42 · 6 Comments
One of the most important choices a bride and groom will make is the selection of their wedding photographer.
There are so many important choices to make like the dress, decor, food, location, music, etc. But the choice of your photographer is one of the most important since your pictures will be one of the most lasting and cherished memories from the most important day of your life.
We’ve all heard dissapointing stories about studios doing a less than perfect job, or not delivering anything at all. By taking the time to do some research you can be assured of choosing someone who will not only deliver great pictures, but who can make you feel good about your choice and remove at least one worry from an event filled with stresses.
If any of your friends have been married in recent years , so find out who shot their wedding and if they were happy with the results. You’ll probably discover good references this way, so contact the photographers who did a great job for your friends.
It also pays to check out several photographers. Do an internet search for local wedding photographers – here in the capital city of Alberta Canada, you would search for Edmonton Wedding Photographers. You can also do a search for something like Edmonton photography. Either way, you’ll get hundreds of results, so concentrate on those shown on the first few pages. When you visit the different websites, you’ll get a feel for each photographer’s style. Contact those who stand out. How they answer is a good indication of how professional they are. Are the replies professional and clearly written? Have they provided any other examples or references?
Next, make appointments with the photographers who seem like they’ll shoot the kind of pictures you want and who are in your budget. When you meet with the photographer, they’ll show you sample pictures and albums. How the photographer treats you during this interview (when they are trying to sell you on their services) is a good example of what you can expect if you hire them. Are they friendly, or are they condescending? Do they seem warm, or are you uncomfortable with how they treat you?
They should have an agreement for you to sign. Take your time to read it, because it outlines what is expected of you and them. The agreement is for your benefit, too. While it commits you to pay them, it also commits them to provide the services you have agreed to.
Here are a few additional ideas that will help your photographer get the best shots for you:
1. Make a list of the must-have shots you want and provide it to the photographer before the wedding.
2. Make sure you know WHO is going to photograph your wedding. If the main photographer isn’t going to be the actual photographer at your wedding, find out who will – and be sure to see their personal portfolio before you commit to anything.
3. Assign a family member or close friend to be the photographer’s liason who can point out all the important family members who you want to be sure to get pictures of.
4. Ask the photographer to attend the rehearsal so they will know where they can get the best shots without getting in the way.
5. Pre-plan where the formal and informal photographs will be taken.
6. Find out if the photographer provides finished prints, albums, thank-you cards and similar services after the wedding. A professional photographer can provide these additional services that will enhance your wedding day memories and many photographers have excellent resources for these items that are of higher quality than the public can get.
By following these suggestions you won’t need to worry about your wedding photography. Just enjoy your wedding day knowing you’ll have many wonderful images from your wedding day to enjoy for the rest of your life.
The author is an accomplished professional photographer who specializes in wedding and portrait photography in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Beauty Of High Definition Cameras
June 28, 2009 by Stacy42 · 3 Comments
Millions of people around the world own cameras, so you are probably aware of the huge range that there are to choose from. In years gone by, the pictures produced were black and white; a product that is now sought after again as an art form in many cases. Some scenes just lend themselves so well to an absence of colour.
As cameras evolved, they developed the capability to produce colour images. The colour from the earliest colour cameras left a lot to be desired. Looking at pictures produced from cameras of those days leads one to imagine that the subjects were all seriously ill, judging by the tone of their skin.
More recently, with the advent of the digital age, we now have the ability to put pictures on our home computers and on the Internet. And instead of having the rolls of film developed, you can take your images to a store on a memory card or stick, and get them professionally printed. These days you can even print your images out at home and still produce excellent results.
These days, high definition video cameras dominate the marketplace. Not only can you capture beautiful still pictures, but HD cameras can also produce good quality video as well, courtesy of the huge amounts of memory that these cameras now hold on board.
HD video cameras come with great capabilities these days. Zooming to 10x or greater are no longer unusual. This allows everyone to capture images or video that were once only in the domain of the professional photographer. In fact many of the cameras that are available and considered standard fare in this day and age would have graced the work places of many famous photographers of bygone eras.
The quality of the images produces are often quite stunning. With very little photographic skill, you can produce professional quality pictures. This is why so many people try their hand at wedding photography, with excellent results. The on board computers of these cameras can correct lighting conditions and can counteract hand shaking. They really are very clever pieces of equipment.
With any technology, the goal posts keep changing. Science improves, and these improvements are quickly reflected in the marketplace. HD cameras are no exception to this rule. Take a careful look around what is on offer. If you really want the top of the range HD cameras, then you will have to expect to pay a premium for this privilege.
If however, you are willing to wait a little while, prices on exceptional cameras will drop as the new recruits arrive. You can buy top quality high definition cameras at knockdown prices. In my view, this is the way to go for the best value for money in HD cameras.
Some of the best value cameras on the market today are from Canon. The Canon Digital Rebel XSi is certainly one that stands out as a top quality SLR camera. Another good camera is from Nikon. Check the Nikon D90 price and see its value. In terms of top compact cameras, then Panasonic DMC TZ5 is probably the best travel digital camera on the market.