Brainstorms for Baby Cinematography

Nikhil crawls at 7 months

If the above video doesn't work for you on mobile, please see it here.

Being a new mom, I clearly succumb to the "everything my baby does is photogenic" mindset. Well, everything babies do is photogenic - everyone knows babies grow like weeds and their milestones are short lived, fast upcoming, and quickly passing. Plus, they're just so dang CUTE, how can you bypass such eye candy? As a capturer of moments, I greatly value the joy of making these moments special with multimedia keepsakes. Cinematography adds so much dynamism to photography. Space. Music. Movement. So special. PS - I term my style "cinematography" versus "videography" because anyone can make a video, but it takes artistry to make a storytelling cinematic motion picture.

As mentioned in recent newsletters, I've lately revisited my roots in cinematography and have been dabbling in hobbyist cinematography a little more now that I've got a little one (a crawler!). I haven't the space in my schedule to consider wedding cinematography, but I am certainly considering it for baby moments.

I'd like some feedback! Many previous clients are now having babies, and I'm curious on input regarding keepsake cinematography. I haven't yet considered how I'd package such a service, but I'd like to know what clients think of having these moving moments captured creatively. I'd also involve some still portraits as well (to be used in the movie or otherwise). Some angles to consider:

• Would you purchase a baby milestone cinematography service?
• How much would you invest in capturing those moments?
• What milestones would you definitely want covered? Birth? Crawling? Walking? First birthday?
• How would you like such media stored for keepsake purposes? Weblinks? Digital only? DVD in keepsake packaging?

Other things to consider: 

Obviously you can't plan a shoot around baby's actual first steps because you never know when they may occur. The design of the video would lead into the appearance that the milestone is first taking place that very moment. In the above video of my son, he was on his hands and knees with some movement a couple days before this was shot. In two days' time, he was crawling in the real sense of the term, but I highlighted some of his slow-to-start moments (hand and feet closeups) to show his journey from trial to execution.

Music. For me it's a huge sentimentality factor, and it can really make or break a motion picture. Creating videos has long since given slideshow-creating photographers headaches because the cool music (anything popular and created in the past 90 years) is all copyrighted and simply cannot [lawfully] be used for commercial purposes. I'd have to explore some royalty free options and collect some cool ones for clients to choose from. It's not the same as that really special-to-you piece you have in mind, I know. I'd have to research what's doable here. I'm clearly not selling the video I posted here, but I've used a piece from the Amelie soundtrack which just jolts me with childhood nostalgia every time I hear it, so I had to use it.. but I wouldn't be able to if this was something I'm selling to a client. Mainly Facebook and YouTube (and probably other sites - but not Blogger!) won't allow copyrighted music to be posted, so you wouldn't be able to share your video there if you didn't use the not-as-cool royalty free music.

Anyway, some thoughts! I'd love your feedback on this brainstorm. Please comment!

"Unplugging" Your Wedding: Are Guests Going to Ruin Your Photos?

Great shot! If that guest's flash wasn't hogging the limelight. Thanks, guest!

This is a very modern and heavily debatable topic I've seen posed by other photogs a lot lately, so I thought it of note to discuss here even if it hasn't much affected my work (yet). There are two parts to the matter: Guest flash interference and guest phone-face showing up in backgrounds. Truly, what are the odds that guest interference will happen to land on the very same critical shot I'm taking? If that potential is critical to you, then this topic is worth discussing.

Although guest flash- or phone-face bombs haven't happend to me in excess, I have anyway (comically) started a Pinterest board highlighting occasions when this actually has happened to me. It's a unique wedding concern born from the fact that everyone partaking in a wedding these days is overly connected to multimedia and also thinks they have the right of way in capturing events, even if that means stepping in front of a pro to do so. These media crashers are beginning to fill wedding backgrounds not with beaming smiles or tearing eyes, but instead with phones or cameras in front of their faces. I've seen it in excess even from parents of the couple, and that does bother me. "Screen face" versus "emotional face" is what I see here when I review the images. It kinda gets to me.

Particularly, I'm borrowing this topic from this Huffington Post article written by Corey Ann, an award winning Ohio wedding photographer, which I thought was very well written to the degree that brides must now consider this factor when it comes to photography. All images in this blog are borrowed from Corey Ann Photography, who collected this amalgamation of guest mishaps during her 6 years of shooting weddings.

Nice. There's no way you can 'shop out that guest.

I never have personal issues with guests at weddings I cover. I more so just figure that people jumping in the way is part of the territory and up to the photographer to clamber around them or position herself so that the camera-faced guest does not appear in the background of a poignant shot. That, OR it's just photojournalism; if that's how your family is, then that's how your photos will portray them. To a degree, certain mishaps are avoidable. But some (above) are not avoidable, and for the paranoia of a guest screwing up shots like this, I'm lead to urge clients to consider this modern topic. Dear Client: How much leeway should your guests have? It really is up to you (not me)!

Here's what your average congregation guest now looks like.

I wish I could say this was taken by a second photog and that guy is the prime photog, but.. you know. Guests gotta get their shots.

As a professional, it is not on my tact-ometer to fend off my clients' guests as would be required in those scenarios. In truth, it is up to the bride and groom to announce an "unplugged" wedding and to take initiative to focus their guests on their moment of marriage rather than capturing everything and posting it to social media before the couple even knows about it. According to Corey Ann, many a first look has been thwarted by the update-happy guest who posts the moment to Facebook before the bride and groom even step off the altar!

Hey, Grandpa! I actually do see this a lot.

For real, many of these reception guest mishaps can be avoided by the photographer, or Photoshopped out, but [to save editing time] it takes your photog extra effort to position herself on the dance floor, or to jump to the other side of it within the duration of a 3-4 minute song and try to fit in the best moments while on time constraint plus guest constraint! I can also say the same challenge is true of having two photographers and/or a videographer (one always gets in some shots). Just sayin'. But I'm a photographer and I like emotional, magazine-type moments and "gear" in shots really bugs me. It kills me when I see my own tripod darkening a doorway somewhere.

This made me cry a little inside. Even a second photog would have a botched shot (from the other side!).

Red light on her shoulder is a digital camera's low light focus beam.

Some couples probably don't mind too much with guest interference, and as a client-driven service provider I say that if the couple doesn't mind, I don't mind. But couples who have issue with the visual "litter" of people jumping into professional shots to get their own non-professional shots should honestly consider instigating an "unplugged" wedding. Sometimes recording something with your eyes and with your heart is really the best way to remember a moment. Here's a quote from Corey Ann's article, a minister preceded one ceremony by saying (at the request of the couple): 

"Please, turn off your cell phones and put down your cameras. The photographer will capture how this moment looks -- I encourage you all to capture how it feels with your hearts, without the distraction of technology."

Hear hear!

Deconstructing the "First Look"

A vineyard scape first look approached from multiple angles by two photographers. The bride coordinates with a preliminary phone call to her groom.

To date, 35% of my wedding couples are doing an off-altar, pre-ceremony "first look". The rest are sticking to tradition and seeing each other for the first time at their ceremony. However, it does appear that the occurrence of "first-looking" is increasing, as well as a rising preference for what you get with such an event. This article highlights some things to consider regarding the benefits of a first look and different methods of choreographing one with your photographer.

A carefully positioned first look (with the burst of sunset behind). His smile upon seeing her was classic!

Benefits of "First Looking"

Really the only non-benefit of doing a first look is relinquishing the tradition of seeing each other for the first time as you walk down the aisle. If that's significant to you, don't feel pressured to do a first look. If you're otherwise open to doing something a little different, consider the following:

• If your reception follows your ceremony immediately and there isn't much time (or daylight) for bridal party and couple portraits, staging an earlier first look allows as much time as needed for photos.
• Seeing each other for the first time in a private setting rather than stared down by your ceremony congregation allows for much more authentic, natural emotions to be captured.
• The locale, timing and space granted by most first look scenes allows many more shots and angles to be captured of both your expressions than most at-ceremony first looks.

One of my favorite first look encounters, they both just had so much emotion and excitement about each other. I love how bashful and giggly she looks in the bottom middle image as he exclaims about her gown, and how he "models" his suit for her in the next shot.

Types of First Looks

Keep in mind that the peak emotion of a first look is often a very brief moment. First looks are most photographically successful with careful planning on when and where they happen. Space, perspective and time of day are all specific factors. If you recruit two photographers for your event you'll obviously get more angles of your first look; however, the following scenarios were figured taking just one photog into consideration. I've invented the titles of these first look types to simplify them.

The "Creeping Bride" first look is the most common and easiest to coordinate with one photographer. Photographer faces groom, bride approaches from behind groom, bride often taps groom on shoulder (or other personalized interaction), photographer moves around them, not interfering, capturing as much as possible from as many angles as possible. Choreography could be reversed for a "Creeping Groom", but most brides wish to see their groom before he sees his bride.

A "Creeping Bride" first look. I love when a groom can't get enough of his bride's fashion.

The "Each Perspective" first look requires more interference from the photographer (if only one photog is used). Choreography can follow the same course of action as the "Creeping Bride", but the photog approaches each the bride and groom separately, stopping them at some points to move between them and capture perspectives from each respectively.

An "Each Perspective" first look: Hers from behind and his from front not knowing when she'll reach him. This was shot by two photographers in a vineyard (a first look locale where I recommend two photogs).

Another "Each Perspective" first look capturing her thoughtful emotions as she approaches.

The "Blind Encounter" is an outside-of-the-box first look in which the bride and groom encounter each other and may even stand side by side, but remain eyes-closed, blindfolded or face-blocked by a bouquet, hands or other props. They can choose thereafter to look upon each other OR to resist and still not actually see each other until the ceremony. The latter may be a good option for those mod/traditional mixers who want the best of both worlds. I have yet to stage the following, but full bridal party as well as couple photos could even be done without the bride and groom even seeing each other. Intimate shots would just have to be done with their eyes closed! I think it'd be cute. Different! Intimate.

A "Blind Encounter" first look. They actually still did not see each other until the ceremony. (Their portrait and kissing shots above were done post-ceremony.)

The "Item Dividing" first look is one in which an item such as a door (both holding on to the knobs), raised bouquet, veil or other item of interest divides the couple and is lifted or peeked around for the reveal.

Tips

• Make sure bouquets and rings are present at the first look scene. Formal shots require these items.
• Bad weather happens, but if forced to be indoors for a first look, choose as non-public a space as is available. It's tacky for tourists and passersby to watch you and show up in the background of your intimate moment (passersby happen most often in hotels or popular sections of historic locales).
• Plan ahead and specify your ideal first look choreography with your photographer to allow for the best capture of the event. This may include scouting the locale together.
• Choose a first look locale that has significance to you or has a backdrop that suits your wedding day style. Consult with your photographer for ideas.
• Plan on your first look moment, couple portraits and bridal party portraits all taking at least an hour (in one location, not considering any travel time if applicable).

I hope this gives a good perspective on what to expect with first looks. Thanks again to Brittni (one of my autumn brides) for inquiring about first look visuals and giving me the topic for this blog. I hope these first look composites are helpful!

Location Crusade: Indoor "Outdoor" Spots

As the date of a portrait session approaches, the most common question I get is "Do you have backup ideas in case of rain (or cold)?" Of course I do! My job is to locate stuff like this for you. As a matter of fact, I'm always on the lookout, and I occasionally update my location crusade blogs. I actually have an agenda now, as I begin encouraging engagement couples to shoot more in cold months to spread out the workload which overlaps spring and autumn weddings.

Digressing from my Indoor Downtown St. Louis post, my new indoor location preference highlights spaces I don't have to bring so much lighting equipment for, because these spaces are already lit by the outdoors: Greenhouses! Bringing the outdoors indoors. What a novelty. Here are my favorite ones.

Botanical Gardens: Linnean House

($8 garden admission, $4 if you're a St. Louis city resident)

Also, here's a family session and a baby session I shot at Linnean House. It's so colorful; great place for kids.

Botanical Gardens: Climatron

($8 garden admission, $4 if you're a St. Louis city resident)

About a block's walk from Linnean House. There are waterfalls! Temperature ranges 70-80 degrees during daytime, year round.

 Faust Park: Butterfly House

($6 admission)

There are butterflies! And waterfalls!

Faust Park: Carousel

($2 admission, separate from Butterfly House)

In case the butterflies freak you out.

Greenhouses are top choice indoor locales in my opinion, but I prefer nature and soft, diffused outdoor lighting. A thing to keep in mind, however, is that these spaces are not very private for the intimate appeal of engagement sessions, especially on weekends when floods of families are present. If that's a thought which affects you, I highly recommend shooting here on weekdays when you'd more or less have the whole place to yourself, save for a few elderly folks or an infrequent school field trip.

These locales can also work for bridal parties, although Botanical Gardens' policy won't allow parties or even bridal couples in for photography unless their wedding is booked at the gardens. Faust Park also offers wedding venue services, but I'm not sure what their policy is on bridal photography if your event is not held there.

Food for thought. Now we can beat Mother Nature during cold months and go for the greenhouse effect!

Make YOU Come Through: Engagement Ideas

One of the most exciting things about photographing people is when they have a clear and unique idea how to express themselves for a portrait. You can have a hum drum sit-and-smile photo session, or you can incorporate nuances about yourselves that crack you up, make you blush, or otherwise open you up to authentically being yourself with your other half. Plus, a personalized idea can be enhanced tenfold by the location you choose. Get inspired and check out these couples' unique engagement session ideas!

1940's Vintage Airplane

He's a pilot. She's vintageously creative. Bam. My most memorable engagement to date. See more from their session here.

Chicagoans Unite

A healthy dose of the Bears and 'staches from this couple who now call Chi Town their home. See more from their session here.

World's Fair-ness

This couple has a 1904 World's Fair themed wedding; they thought they'd incorporate it into their engagement portraits as well. Enhanced with aged photo effects. See more from their session here.

Car-noisseurs

They share a passion for muscle cars. So I took them to a field and shot them enjoying their vrooms. See more from their session here.

Tap into what locations and themes speak to you as a couple. Touch on things you enjoy doing together and get creative. Go against the grain! And have fun doing it.

More Ideas

Do you enjoy wine? Take your shoot to a vineyard for some spectacular landscapes and grape themes.

Are you outdoorsy? Trek somewhere you can both engage in adventurous activities together.

Recreate your proposal. Same place, same time, same reaction if you can!

Love hanging out in a particular spot in town? Take your shoot there and do what you love doing.

Movie nerds? Re-create the semblance of your favorite movie scene. Dress the part if it suits!

Where did you first meet? Maybe it makes a great backdrop for a re-creation of when you first laid eyes on each other.

I love when couples have different and unique ideas, and I'm always willing to try what you have in mind. But if you're not a creative person, ask me for some thoughts on what will make your engagement session memorable. I'll be stoked to brainstorm with you!

Amkar Promo Video Premiere!

My promo video is finally complete! I'm so excited to share it with you all, and so proud of myself for completing it this year before my baby's birth (due date is less than a week away as of this blog post!).

Concepting began in spring this year, and shooting was spread out between April and August. I recruited my own clients who were excited to model for me, and I enjoyed working with them again! This was such a fun project, and I'm glad they all had so much fun too. They're not actors, and you can see the fun in their faces. This is a glimpse of what it feels like to work with me :). I do hope I'll have a future need to create other videos for Amkar, because this was a great experience!

Thanks so much to all who helped out with production, including my models (Hannah and Brandon Smith, Irene Chou, Lily Van Dillen, Jenny and Aaron Albritton), my assistant photographers (Kara Proehl, Anindeep Kar, Elizabeth Correnti, Joseph Correnti), my venues (Laumeier Sculpture Park, Tower Grove Park, Ameristar Casino Hotel, Peabody Opera House), my florist (Schnucks Florist) and my music assistant (Jonathan Meek). Very pleased with the experience in working with all of you!

16 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer Before Booking

Google this topic and you'll pull up a load of question lists compiled by wedding planners, brides and photographers. I have personally composed this list from my own experience with clients and photogs to assist you in making informed and satisfactory decisions on photographers. These questions focus on what I feel are the most significant "big picture" things to consider when interviewing photographers regarding customer service, artistry, personality and professionalism - all of which should be expected in high quality from The Right Photographer. I've also provided some rationale as to why it's important to ask these questions. This is a long article, but there is some creamy information here.
Click here to read my own answers to these.

Definitive List: 16 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer Before Booking
Consider it a red flag if your photog refuses or avoids answering any of these or does not provide a sufficient enough response for you.

1. How long have you been shooting weddings? It's a simple calculation of experience and allows you to sum your photog's intuitiveness for handling unpredictable situations with management or artistic challenges. However, mind that having shot 5 weddings in 5 years is different from having shot 20 weddings in 2 years. Since "how long" is relative, a better question would be:

2. How many weddings do you shoot in an average year? In a month? In a weekend? A well-seasoned photographer shoots about 15-25+ weddings per year. Narrowing it down to how many they shoot in a month will give you an idea how many clients your photog works with during any given wedding season. If yours is a Sept/October or April/May wedding (heaviest wedding seasons), it'd behoove you to know how many other clients your photog is working with during your season, which in turn may indicate how much personalized time they can particularly give you as a client. Be aware that some photogs are client hungry, and the more clients a photog picks up, the more likely it may cause extreme turnaround times for your stuff, or lack of personalized attention to you. Likewise, if a single photog books more than 1 or 2 weddings in a single weekend for top wedding months, they're more likely to get burned out creatively, hire some other photog to shoot for you, or be less able to manage your images efficiently due to workflow overload.

3. What degrees or certifications do you hold? Although this is a creative business, you're still the Interviewer and your potential photog is your candidate for employment. It's perfectly acceptable to ask corporate style interview questions. Obviously, you're looking for qualifications which relate to photography. These may also include degrees in mass media, filmmaking, art/design or even business degrees. A mixture well-rounds your candidate. All art and no customer service skills can backfire on you too.

4. What's the most difficult challenge you've ever had to resolve when working with clients or wedding guests? This answer will give you an idea how well your photog can effectively manage situations and people (bridezillas!), which is a large part of being an effective event photographer. Find out their goals on customer service and client satisfaction.

5. What's the most difficult photographic challenge you've ever had to resolve? Ever had equipment malfunction? Resourcefulness and problem solving success are top qualities. Ask about lighting with this question, because that's the number one technical issue amateur photogs come up against and often screw up quite easily.

6. What equipment do you use? Do you have backup equipment? It helps if you have a vague idea of professional camera equipment - which models capture best versus which are considered more "hobbyist" models. The backup gear question is insurance for your own paranoia if something should go wrong. All good photogs will be well prepared without any prompt. Knowing what other equipment they use also prepares you what to expect on your wedding day so you're not thrown off schedule by how much time it may take them to set up a lighting ensemble, or so you're not surprised and blinded by a super bright spotlight in your face.

7. What happens if you can't shoot? Do you have a backup photographer? The worst case scenario hardly ever happens with photographers who are truly dedicated to their business. Most problems which would delay any diligent, trustworthy photographer or cause a no show would be extremely few and far between (car accidents, Acts of God, extreme illness). Still, it will ease your mind to know who your photog would have lined up to take his or her place in case something prevents them from covering your event. You have little reason to be overly concerned about this if you trust your photographer, but if you're paranoid, see if you can meet with your photog's backup ahead of time. In a last minute situation, you would not be able to meet the other person and that could freak you out.

8. Can I see some of your client work from one entire event? This is a really good question which will prompt your photog to show you something they haven't sifted out as "home page best" to give you an idea what an average wedding they've captured looks like. Home pages and portfolios can often be deceiving as they are amalgamations of the artist's top work spanning select weddings, select couples, select situations. Not everyone's wedding will look like those, so be diligent and ask to see RECENT work from a wedding which may have similar locations to your wedding day venues. You should also request to see album designs from those "average" weddings too. Trust me, I've seen some amazing home pages alongside some extremely marginal client galleries, so beware!

9. Is this your full time job? This question gives you an idea how much commitment a photog has to their business and towards their customers. Not to say that a photog who works part time doing something else can't also be great and trustworthy (maybe the economy just wasn't kind to them?). But beware if you have a weekday wedding or holiday weekend wedding and they work retail or corporate jobs on the side (hope they can get the day off!).

10. What are your interests outside of photography? If you care to really relate to your photog beyond just expecting some dude to cover your event whom you'll never care to see again, it's good to ask personality questions. When you're considering a handful of great photogs, and maybe they all offer you a great package, sometimes the personality angle will lean your decision toward one over another. It's good to find things you and your photog have in common; it's a "bonding" aspect which makes you feel that this person is a good fit for you and is someone you'll enjoy working with. Mind that your photographer is the one vendor you'll continue to work with past your wedding date!

11. What sets you apart from other photographers? Another personality assessment question, this gives your photog the opportunity to state what makes them unique or what matters most to them in their business. Consider this answer as it applies to what you're looking for. Is their unique factor about the artwork (is your priority the artistry)? Is their unique factor about their astute client attention (is your priority the customer experience)? Lots of things to weigh here. Look for answers that really move you or impress you.

12. What are your turnaround times for images? For products? Good to know what to expect! Ungodly turnaround times, I'd say longer than a month for services OR products, is an indicator that this photog either has too many clients going on at once or is not organized enough to streamline their workflow system. Even if you love their work, this could turn sour for you in the end.

13. How long do you keep my images on file? Most couples barely touch their disc of images after about a year into marriage, but what if something happens to it and you need access to your memories? Losing that information is a scary concept, especially if you're unsure the ins and outs of digital storage. If your photog has time limits on long term storage, make sure you are aware of them.

14. What print quality can I expect from images on my disc? DO ask if images on disc have a  resolution good enough for you to make your own prints. Some photogs are still not hip to giving clients this privilege. Proper resolution for printing 4x6 up to 8x10 should have at least 200 dpi with the long side of an image being 800 pixels or more (the more the merrier). Also ask if there is a watermark that would be slathered all over the center of your image, because that is their method of making you order prints through them instead.

15. What are the most efficient ways to reach you? And hopefully their answer is actually an efficient means of reaching them, rather than efficiently reaching a recording or an email that says they'll respond to you in the next 24-48 hours. Ask if they prefer email, phone, texting, Facebook messaging or online chatting. Everyone's gotta have some one method they prefer best. Might be a red flag if it takes too long for someone to get back to you. You'll probably already figure this out before you even consult!

16. Are you licensed and insured? Being licensed by the city in which your photog does business means that the business is legitimate. Any business owner with a true commitment to their business will be licensed. Ask to see their business license if you'd like hard proof. Liability insurance is significant to you because if your photog is not insured, you may be held liable for damages to a venue or to a person caused by your photographer or their equipment. Insurance is something all responsible photographers should have, but if they are not covered it doesn't mean they aren't trustworthy... doesn't mean they're not accident prone either. However, unpredictable things can happen and you never know what could go wrong on site, so it's good to have a photographer who is insured for that slight possibility that something could go wrong. If your photog seems really awesome and totally trustworthy and you LOVE them, but they are not licensed nor have insurance, it may assist any paranoia you may have by seeking out references in the form of online reviews your photog has received. See if they have a Google, WeddingWire or Knot listing where you can check out client statements made about them.