Sam's Senior Pictures 2012

How can I begin a post about Sam and the Strech family?  There is so much to say... this family has welcomed us with open arms since the very first time we spent Christmas with them back in 2007.  It was our second Christmas in California, and our new friends Paul and Sara invited us to spend it with their family.       It was just Dustin and I out here at the time, and we were missing the big holiday get-togethers with our own families, so we decided it sounded like fun.  This family is big, and very close-knit, but somehow we didn't feel like outsiders, even on that first visit.  This picture below is from that Christmas.  That's Sam in the snowman hat reading The Polar Express to his cousins on the beach in Canyon Lake.

Now, four and a half years have flown by, and Sam is graduating high school.  I was so excited when Aunt Lu asked me to take his senior photos.  We planned to meet at Santa Rosa Plateau, and like all things Strech, the photo shoot was a family affair :)  Aunt Lu, Sam, Susan, Sara, Paul, Gracie, Dustin, Ansel, Emerson and me.  Thankfully Sam isn't shy and can pose for the camera like a pro despite having several people coaching / heckling him.  Plus the extra helpers were nice since Sara had the great idea to bring along a cool looking chair--something I'd been wanting to do for some time.  I like the idea of something out of place.  The photos turned out amazing thanks to all who were involved.  I am proud to show them off, and I'm also proud to call myself a part of this wonderful family!  Without further ado, here's Sam all grown up...

Sam is off to UC Davis in the fall, and we're so excited for him!

Sara's Senior Portraits 2012

I shot a series of senior portraits recently for some of my students, and Sara was the first.  It is such an honor to have a fellow photographer ask you to do their portraits.  Sara has been up to her eyeballs taking and editing photos for everyone else, so it was my pleasure to give her a chance to be in front of the lens for a change.  Sara has been in my photography class for three years now, and I am so honored to have witnessed her love for photography develop and flourish.  Over this past year specifically I've gotten to hear Sara excitedly tell me about job after job that she'd booked.  I think one of my favorites was the "Coming Home" shoot she did for a soldier who was meeting his new baby for the first time.  Such beautiful photos with so much emotion in them. Now she's graduating and really pursuing her dream of doing photography, and I couldn't be more proud :)  Sara, I told you that you were my "project" for this year, and I have to say I think it was successful.  I can see that you have gained a confidence in your talent and that is what I was after.  I've seen you direct a photo shoot with the ease of someone who has been doing it many more years than you have.  You are truly awesome and though I will definitely miss having you in class I know that we'll stay in touch.  Plus, you're way better than me at updating your blog so I get to see your work all the time :)

So you want to shoot a wedding? Part I

The recent wedding I shot was only my third ever, but I feel like sharing some of the lessons I learned and wisdom I gained in the process.  I'm far from an expert, but maybe some of these tips can save you some time or stress.  Part I is all about the pre-wedding stuff through the actual wedding day.  I'll do a Part II later with my editing tips.

• Create a contract.  There are tons online and you can modify them to fit your needs.  A wedding is a big deal, so it's a good idea to get everything in writing.  Figure out how much time you'll be spending on driving, shooting, and editing and be realistic before quoting a price.  Thinking about doing a freebie or doing the photos as your wedding gift to a friend?  This can be an excellent learning experience and an amazing wedding gift.  Just make sure you and the bride and groom are on the same page.
• Visit the location(s) at the time of day you'll be shooting.  Get a feel for what you're in for.  Is there enough light?  Where will you be able to stand?  What backgrounds are available to you?
• Get a BIG memory card and have several smaller ones available.  We used 8GB cards and though we never filled them it was still nice to have a backup just in case.
• Lens choice is a tough one.  Shooting inside?  Think about getting a lens with a really wide aperture.  We bought a 50mm f/1.8 and it was very helpful.  A telephoto is helpful so you can get a variety of shots without moving too much, but you'll lose a lot of light.  It's kind of a toss up.  I used two prime lenses (85mm & 50mm) and used my feet as my zoom.
• If possible have two camera bodies so you don't have to switch lenses.  Not essential and not exactly feasible for everyone, but very convenient if you can make it happen.
• If you can, get a second shooter.  It's a nice confidence boost to have someone on your team, plus you can divide up the work.
• Sync up any cameras with your computer's time and date stamp.  This is one piece of advice I did not follow and I regretted it.  Here's why you should:  When you download from several cameras you can sort the pictures by time so that everything is aligned.  That way when you're going through the photos they're all in order.
• Make a plan.  Where will you stand for which parts of the ceremony?  Who will be in charge of which pictures?  Even figuring out where you'll store your camera bag and extra gear ahead of time is a good idea, so you don't have to worry about it the day of the wedding.
• Get a "Must Have" list from the bride (she's the boss.)  Make sure you're on the same page about what she wants.  BUT, make sure you're clear about the fact that you might not be able to get all the shots she wants.
• Buy extra batteries and make sure they're charged.  Enough said.
• Get plenty of sleep the night before.  This advice applies to so many situations, and sometimes when you're nervous or excited it's hard advice to follow, but do your best.  Shooting a wedding is a workout.
• Dress nice and wear quiet shoes.  Your clothes should look professional if you want to be considered a professional.  However, this is no place for the clicking and clacking of high heels.  You'll be crouching, kneeling, and likely sneaking around a quiet church, so wear something you can move around in a bit.
• Pack a snack.  It might be a long day.
• JPEG or RAW or both?  It's really up to you.  We shot both--used the JPEGs for easy viewing when going through the photos, and used the RAW files for editing.
• Don't forget about the details.  Yes, the group pics and the kiss and the walk down the aisle are the real meat and potatoes of the day.  But a lot of work went into making the scene beautiful, and that should be documented as well.  Flowers, decorations, details like the bride's shoes or jewelry, etc can all make for beautiful photos.
• Find a good balance between getting in people's way and staying on the sidelines completely.  Remember, the bride and groom hired you to get good photographs, but you don't want to ruin the entire experience for grandma, because you stood in front of her the whole time.  I guess just be considerate.  I found that crouching down up front was a good way to get close but still stay out of the way.  Watch for appropriate spots in the service to do your moving--people shaking hands,  songs, or other transitions.
• Turn your camera on the audience once in a while.  Reaction shots can be very emotional.
•  Stop down your aperture for any group photos to increase your depth of field.  You want the people in the back row in focus too, right?
• Remember that most cameras shoot an aspect ratio of 3:2, which is like a 4x6 print.  No big deal if your bride will only be printing 4x6s, however, that's not very likely.  Wedding photos are often blown up and this means it's likely you (or your bride and groom) will be doing some cropping.  So, shoot with some wiggle room at the sides just in case.  I've even heard of putting some tape on your camera's monitor so that in playback you'll see if you've left enough room.
• Try to squeeze in a some creative shots.  That sounds terrible, but the reality is you'll be very busy documenting the day and you don't want to forget why you love photography in the first place.  One of my very favorite photos from the recent wedding was a silhouette, and it was the last shot before we rushed out of the church. I could have easily missed it, because we were rushing, but I'm so glad I said, "Ok, just one more shot..."