News: Large Groups, New Toys and More

As wedding season quickly approaches, my mind has been spinning with ideas on how to pose large groups differently.  I want to get away from having everyone scrunched together staring into the camera.  I'm thinking of going wide and using whatever surrounding are available like steps or around a limo, etc.  No examples to show as of yet, but I will be having a Spring Family special announced shortly so stay tuned for that.  I will definitely follow this up with some images.

For my upcoming clients, you will be happy to know that I have new on location lighting on the way to me as I type this.  This is going to be a highly portable set up that will enable me to give you that beautiful studio light inside the church, at the beach or the local park.  I can't wait to start using my new toys.

In personal news, I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can hit the bike trail.  If I'm going to be chasing brides around all summer, I'm gonna have to be in tip top shape!!  :)

Here is a non wedding group shot from last year.  Highland High School put on a nice rendition of South Pacific and I was there to capture the play as well as this photo of the entire cast plus teachers.

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Show Off!!

Looking for some cool and unique ways to show off your prints?!!  Check out Photojojo sometime. I have no sponsorship with them.  I just think they have some cool ideas.  I'm not so sure I'd show off the wedding prints with this stuff, but they are definitely fun doohickeys for family, kids, and wedding reception photographs.  Here's a few products for you to check out:

• If you have been to the studio before you may have noticed my Magnetic Photo Ropes where I show off different images I've taken over the years.  It's a low budget, easy way to hang a bunch of small prints.
• Polaroid Picture Frames are cheesy, but fun.  Best of all, you can get a dry erase marker and write your own captions and then hang them on the fridge.
• You can use your family shots in the board game Photo-opoly.  That's right, Monopoly starring your family!!
• Jelly Phone Filters attach to your cell phone camera and turn ordinary snapshots into wonderfully weird works of art.  Take this to the wedding reception and have fun!!

Adventures In Baby Wearing

I was out networking last Thursday night and met Stephanie, who runs a great blog called Adventures In Baby Wearing.  If you are already a parent or thinking of becoming one real soon, you will be entertained and enlightened with her musings on parenthood.

See what she has to say about guilt and taking kids to the dentist in this recent article at NWI Parent.

The image above is Tracie, Jeff (his hand anyway) and their son Justin from their newborn session at the studio last year.  A big thanks to them for being great clients!!

Wedding Genealogy

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Before I even shot my first wedding, I was restoring old photographs, designing collages and memory books.  The above image was displayed at Carolyn and Aaron's wedding last year along with several other old wedding photographs.  The line up of framed images were presented on a table as you entered the reception hall.  It culminated with a current engagement shot of the bride and groom.

How cool to present a genealogy of weddings of the bride and groom's families?!!  A restoration of a deteriorating image also makes a fantastic gift to parents and grandparents for all their help throughout the years.  

Consider having the retro photograph added to your own contemporary wedding album.  This may be the start of an ongoing tradition.