The good guys over at Elevation have officially launched a new idea called Album Exposure.  It’s something Gary ran by me a while ago and as I told him, I think it’s a great idea and product. 

AE is an online album proofing option that photographers can use to showcase album designs to their clients.  It’s much more organized, user friendly, and adds things like comment boxes that can aid in creating clearer communication on design changes. 

Photographers check it out!  Brides… look for my designs in the future to be through AE :)  Here are a couple screen shots from the website.  I was happy to donate some of my stuff for them to use, but it was cluttered by the work of some guy named Dane.  Have you ever heard of him?  Yea me neither.  Just kidding bro! :)

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There has been a game of "blog tag" going around lately and I have been tagged by Autumn Thomes over at Autumn Photography :)  From what I understand I have to list 8 random facts about myself so blog readers learn a little more about my personal side.  It’s actually a pretty cool little game to be quite honest as I’ve read some of what other people have written and definitely learned some funny little quirks about some people!  Here goes…

8. I took Photography 1 back in High School.  While that isn’t all that interesting, the fact that I FAILED that class is!  I actually failed Photography back in high school and wasn’t permitted to take Photography 2 because "it was too advanced."  It’s not quite the same as Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school basketball team, but it’s still funny.

7. I am an avid Detroit Lions fan.  I’m not from Detroit, never been there other than in the airport, but still follow that team with an unhealthy obsession.  I remember growing up and idolizing Barry Sanders, the great Lions running back.  I can specifically remember piling up the pillows in the living room on Thanksgiving and running around them like Barry did, making juke moves, and diving into the large pile at the end of the living room.  I have his jersey, his highlights saved on YouTube, and watching the Lion games are practically sacred on Sundays.

6. I used to be in love with the band Phish.  I still like them and listen to them and they’ll always have a place in my heart, but I used to follow them around and tour with them when I could.  I have seen 20 something shows in 6 different states and in 2 countries, know the lyrics to almost every song (and 20 years produces a lot of songs), and used to have an old Subaru covered in Phish stickers when I was a teen.  I still listen to www.livephish.com sometimes here in the office just to bring back some awesome memories.

5. I have spent at least a portion of every summer of my life on a lake.  I am from the Finger Lakes region of NY (even though most people think NYC covers the whole state) and love, love, love the water.  I have a jetski (which I was just on the other day), spend at least a couple weeks a year at a lakehouse, and could swim everyday of my life.  I was told a while ago that there is a culture that believes water cleanses the soul, and while that sounds crazy I definitely can connect with that on some level.  One of my last memories of my brother was a day him and I spent on the old pontoon boat on Skaneateles Lake. 

4. I’ve always had a thing for video, and still to this day think I will end up incorporating video somehow and someway into the business or my life.  It can be such a cool medium and I’d still love to learn more about it.  I strongly considered buying a Canon professional video camera even a month ago and had added it to my cart online at B&H, but decided I already had enough on my plate right now. 

3. This will make some of you who know me real well laugh….I have to have clean hands.  Not I prefer to have clean hands, not I like clean hands, I have to have clean hands.   I’m anal about not having anything on my hands.  I wash my hands constantly and it bothers me to no end if I have something on my hands.  I admit it.

2. I get asked a lot how Alisha and I met, so I’ll use this as the chance to tell anyone who wants to know but doesn’t want to ask (and we don’t mind!).  Ali and I were both photographers before we fell in love and met at a photography conference in Los Angeles and the attraction wasn’t immediate, but fairly close.  We played nice at first but soon found ourselves in limos at the wee hours of the night having the time of our lives everytime we were around each other. 

1. This is sort of an extension of #2, but still a good one on it’s own… I actually didn’t think I’d marry in my lifetime.  While Ali and I aren’t married, it’s only a matter of time before that changes.  Weddings were always special to me because there was just such a great vibe around them and they represented such a beautiful subject to photograph, but falling in love myself has definitely changed the experience for me a little.  I really enjoyed the single lifestyle for a long time, being on my own, doing what I wanted when I wanted and just thought I’d probably never give that up.  Many of my long time friends know what I’m talking about.  However sometimes things come around in life that you aren’t ready for, maybe you don’t even want, but they can be the best things as well.  I often hear people say they aren’t ready for something life changing, but can we ever be ready?  Marriage, children, moving across the country, don’t fight change you aren’t ready for if it can be an amazing thing.

Anyway, I’d like to tag friends Brian Dorsey and Lina Jang to inspire them to make some more blog entries that I can read :)

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I finished up an album design tonight and thought I’d post some of the spreads.  One thing Nicole did different was she had us incorporate some rehearsal dinner shots into the beginning of the album.  I though it turned out beautifully, and really added a personal touch.  I think it also represents the weekend a little more accurately in my mind as well since it was such a weekend event and not just a wedding.  That’s my mantra and number 1 piece of advice always…. add as much of yourself as you can to your wedding!

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I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that Alisha and I will both be together in NY after Labor Day for a long stretch, at least until the Mexico wedding in November.  I know most people who want boudoir done want Ali and I as a team, and we love shooting it together, so if you’d like boudoir done by us we are offering a special rate if it’s done in NY between Labor Day and Halloween.  Here is a picture of Ali to get you inspired!

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I wanted to share a picture of the month this week while I had a chance.  This picture is a great example of how I generally like to work with my couples.  We set them up against a textured wall in lower Manhattan, in an area with some soft diffuse light, and let them be themselves.  One of the great things about being a wedding photographer is you work with people in a situation in which they are with the person in life they are most comfortable with.  Back in fashion where you are often times shooting in an over-crowded studio, or on location where strangers can see you and the spotlight is soley on you, being in front of the camera has got to be brutally tough.  Anytime a person is in front of the camera it can be tough, but at least couples are doing it with the person they love in my situation.  I like to get people in a general position that I think will work or look pleasing to them, set them up in light that I like, and then let them do their thing.  Sometimes that’s kissing a lot, sometimes that’s smiling at each other, sometimes it’s resting heads together, and my favorite…. all of the above :)  I’m happy to pose more if some couples need it, or just get out of the way if the situation calls for it as well, but I think for the average couple a little placement in the right light and some suggestions on potential poses is a great start, then just let them get comfortable with each other, make each other laugh, and act as if they were on a date.

I know a lot of younger or greener photographers always want to know technical information.  This is of course extremely important, but it’s just as important (at least in my opinion, which is all that counts since it’s my blog) to be able to get your couples to give expressions like this one on a consistent basis, week after week.

 

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I had the pleasure of going into the city this weekend to meet up with Palak and Arvind for an engagement shoot in Central Park.  I am greatly looking forward to their wedding in a couple weeks, so it meant a lot to start things off beautifully :)  Mother Nature gave us the absolute perfect day for our engagement shoot and we were able to meet early in the evening to catch some sweet light.  You know what that means…. great light + great weather + a great couple =

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The newsletter has been sent out!  If you were a slacker and didn’t sign up in time here is the link.  Thank you to everyone who sent a nice email after the newsletter blast, it really meant a lot and made the time I spent on it well worth it.  I realize not everyone can be a blog stalker (shocking I realize), and it’s nice to be able to reach people in other ways than the blog.

Thanks so much for all the friendships and support, it means a lot to me!

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The first newsletter is just about done and ready to go out, so this is your last chance to sign up and receive edition 1.0.  There is an easy sign up button on your right, just enter your email to get the 411. 

It will go out by the end of the day Thursday, so enjoy!

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To all of the photographers out there, I want to let you know of the hot new workshop just announced that I think is going to kick some ass.  Jason Groupp, Chris+Lynn Jaksa, and TJ Cameron are teaming up to host Revolution in Manhattan on Oct. 15th-17th.  Jason, who is my studio partner and one of my best friends for several years now, is based in NYC while TJ is based on the West Coast and Chris+Lynn are based in Vancouver so I’m excited to see how much of a different perspective is going to be brought to the table.

I’ll be around the city those dates as well and hope to spend as much time around the workshop as possible.  I highly recommend it to anyone out there looking for some inspiration and a shot in the arm for your business.

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One of my favorite parts of the wedding day is the morning.  Each wedding is different and unless we’ve talked about the details at length beforehand, I’m always excited to see what details the bride has picked out.  What designer is she going to be wearing, who’s shoes, what color flowers, etc.  Often times the morning sets the tone for the whole day to me. 

It’s funny though because I spend some time in the morning making sure I not only document the details, but also try and photograph them in a way that they almost get their own artistic portrait.  Weddings are all about details, details, details, and I like my photography to reflect that. 

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