I have been around weddings. A LOT of weddings. From dropping petals as a flower girl, (and yes, I can remember being embarrassed when the bride and groom kissed!) to bridesmaid, bride, cake baker, directing, photographer and as a bride. Through all of this I have noticed a thing or two. Or three. Or eleven. Most of the time brides are stressed and worried over every little detail. And believe me, if you think you won't be THAT bride, then think again. You will be exactly that bride. You have worked hard up until this day to have everything just the way you want it, because let's be real, if you're not hoping this will be the only time your doing this, then you might want to reconsider your options.
So here you are, you have worked tirelessly, for months or even a year or more, to pick just the right flowers, colors, dress, shoes, food, church, and reception hall. You have probably begged and pleaded for the groom to finalize his guest list, pick his groomsmen, pick his tux and to pahleese, tell his Uncle Ernie, that he can NOT bring his hunting dog as his +1. You have reached this big day with anticipation and full of glee. (The emotion, not the TV show.) These are just the tips I have come up with. But I can tell you none of them will hurt you or taste bad. I am sure as time goes on I will add to this list. But, here is what I have compiled so far.
IT IS always better TO BE slightly UNDERDRESSED.....COCO CHANEL I always thought the opposite was true! But, the more I think about it, Coco had right. Being slightly underdressed means you are probably more comfortable. And comfort is key when posing for pictures. Picking your outfit for pictures is often a daunting task. Pinterest and polyvore are full of searchable tips and ideas. There are some good suggestions all over the internet. I am going to try to give you my best tips and suggestions. 1. Think about the look you want your portraits to have. If your standing in a hay field with your favorite horse, you may not want to wear an evening gown. Do you want some casual shots or do you want more formal posed shots? This is the time to remind you that you CAN be TOO underdressed. Arm holes that are too big or necklines too low may show more skin than you want in pictures that are going to hang on Grandma's parlor wall. Also, if you don't want to look like you just came from the playground for family portraits, then don't wear your playground clothes. 2. Wear comfortable clothes that fit well. Too tight? It's just going to make you look like you've gained a few pounds. After she sees the picture, Grandma may call and ask if the wedding needs to be moved up a month or two. Too big, kind of the same thing. You won't have a shape to your body that you will be happy with. You will appreciate comfort when the photographer is having you get up and down of the ground and turn half around to shoot different poses. 3. Avoid big allover prints and multiple prints. Well most of the time. You could temper a print dress with a solid color blazer. But, as a general rule you want the focus on you and your face or the faces of everyone in the picture. Not on the big paisley print mumu that Grandma bought you for your bridal shower. (Yes, my Grandma did that. To me. But, that's a story for another day.) 4. Colors should coordinate. Look at the color wheel. I'm not going to get too in depth here, but colors should be beside each other, directly opposite from each other, or on the triangle. I like the one below because it shows multiple shades and tones. 5. Coordinate your styles. One dressed for a run in the park with one dressed for dinner at the governor's mansion will look a little strange.
6. Less is more. More and more flashy jewelry will distract from the actual subject of the photo; you! Really, if your doing your engagement shoot, keep other jewelry simple. Some poses will probably be "all about the ring" and you don't want to change the focus. You don't want jewelry to be a distraction in other types of portraits either. Those are just my suggestions. I have a Pinterest board to help with this as well. So I have spent hours and hours on this website and still have to tweak and twist it! It really has been an undertaking to try to start a business. I will say I have had some nice encounters with people though. When I called the State office about business licensing and tax ID's, I got some of the nicest people! Shocking since it was a state department! Much better than dealing with the DMV, that's for sure! This is more of a diary posting at this point, but maybe one day someone will find some solace from me sharing my experiences. Trying to balance the work that still needs to be done on the business end, with trying to finish post processing on a wedding, and entertain a 6 year old nephew who is spending the day has been fun, maybe? My tips when trying to start a photography business: Allow plenty of time. You can't do everything in a day, a week, or even a month. Take one thing at a time. (I need to use my own advice here). 1. Find out about the legal stuff. Call your state business licensing office. They can walk you through it all. North Carolina requires a business registration and tax ID. They also require a "privilege" license for photographers that is renewed each year. 2. Develop a system for tracking expenses, invoicing, and tracking receipts at the beginning before you have your first paying customer. 3. Develop a system for cataloging and tracking photos. 4. Have a backup of all your files (external hard drives). I have had too many times when the PC crashes and I think I am not going to be able to retrieve data. I have learned my lesson. 5. Make sure you have a pricing structure set, and do a lot of research about your policies and how you want to run your business. While your policies can change and be added to, you don't want to make it all up as you go along. I have found a lot of good information about what to include by reading other blogs, participating in discussion on FaceBook groups and looking at others' photography contracts. During all this I have been building my portfolio, shooting, shooting, shooting. Here are some shots I have had a lot of fun with over the past couple of months. So Mr Mostly Prince Charming and I rode the bikes up to the Blue Ridge Parkway today. Some friends went with us and I was able to have fun with my camera! Mabry Mill is a beautiful location for taking lots of pictures! We were expecting and hoping for more vibrant fall colors, but I think with all the rain the past couple of weeks, the colors were a bit muted. It was a cool crisp fall day, however. Sunny and clear. Perfect for riding.
It was a busy day at the mill, and getting shots without other visitors in them took a lot of patience! Some may show up hidden behind bushes and trees! My advice for shooting in crowded areas: 1. Be patient, don't get in a hurry. Realize those folks are enjoying their day as well. Many folks are nice and try to stay out of the way when they see a camera. But others, are focused on what they are doing and don't notice you and your camera. It's okay. 2. Ajdust your timing. Go early to avoid crowds or go late when people are leaving. Those are often better lighting situations anyway for morning light and evening light. 3. Posistion yourself. Take time to walk around and scope out what the best shootting positions. When you are in a busy, highly photographed spot like Mabry Mill, try shooting somewhere different. Look for opportunities to position yourself where crowds are to the side and can be cropped out! So, here we are! At this point for Blog post #1, you probably know me already. But, just in case you stumbled along my website by accident, or maybe semi on purpose, I'll give you a brief peak into who I am in a nutshell. I have been a nurse for nearly 18 years, just finished my bachelor's degree, and am applying to graduate school. I have been married to a wonderful guy for 16 years. We have two dogs, and like to spoil them. We spend free time on two wheels, you may have seen the pictures of our motorcycles in Nature Landscapes and Fun gallery. I love to cook, and LOVE photography. There is something therapeutic to me to stand in the kitchen and know I have made something good. I thrive on feeding people. There is also a sense of peace when I get to see a beautiful picture that I took or learn something new with my camera. Both are a continuous learning process. Shooting photos was for fun, but now I really want to make a go of a business. Extra income to pay student loans, another profession where I can love what I am doing. My Blog posts will probably be about my photography journey, tips and tricks, new recipes, and what ever else my brain comes up with! Join me on my journey! My first tip for new photographers: When shooting in a public garden, always ask about the timing of sprinklers! Otherwise you end up cussing like a drunk sailor as you run to save your equipment! At least if you me, that's what you do! Not a pretty site, I'm sure! |
JenniLeighWife, daughter, aunt, nurse, biker chic, aspiring photographer, pretend gourmet chef. That's me! I'm living the Just Peachy Life. This Blog will now be more dedicated to photography and the art form that speaks to me the most. I am moving the lifestyle and home-life posts to the Living the Just Peachy Life Blog to separate the two! Read more about me and _Living the Just Peachy Life! Archives
March 2016
Categories
All
|
Copyright © 2015 JenniLeigh Asbury Shores Photography retains all copywrite and applicable reproduction rights. The use of images on this site are strictly prohibited without written consent from JenniLeigh Asbury Shores Photography. Images and content are the sole property of JenniLeigh Asbury Shores Photography unless individually noted. Images may not be shared, copied, screen shot or reproduced an any digital, web based, or product form without express written permission of Jennileigh Asbury Shores Photography. Images may not be sold or used for advertising, altered, edited or changed without express written consent of JenniLeigh Asbury Shores Photography.