Video Preview: Tim & Erin

This weekend I lucked into working with a 5DmkII, the latest version of the camera that I usually have on hand for weddings. Like all god Canon photographers I had been lusting after this body since rumors about it were circulating the Internet.

Thankfully this past weekend I was free to experiment with its capabilities at a wedding (don't worry, I never use clients for experimentation). My college roommate Tim was getting married and they already had their photographers, so I decided to switch into video mode and kick the tires.

Blog, VideoRyan RichardsonOctober 14, 2009Video, confessions of a wedding photographer, multimedia, wedding videoComment

Sometimes it just works out...

It's amazing how one phone call can really lift up your week. As I was sitting in my car the other day, heading toward a meeting of the Professional Photographers of Cape Cod, I got one such call.

But first a diversion.

My business plan is based on complex actuarial tables, some tea leaf readings conducted in a cozy little room above an antiques dealer and some wild guesses. The core principal, apart from charging an amount of money that reflects the true value and cost of services is that I shouldn't buy things until the business can actually afford them.

One problem with start-ups is that when they get that first jolt of funding they want to go wild and buy everything in sight. After all you need an office building, thre server farms and an old Pac-Man arcade cabinet right away. However, businesses aren't based so much on the ownership of tools but the creation of products and businesses that lose track of this run into trouble.

Photography is partly selling the invisible. It isn't just about getting some 8x10 photographs into the client's hands but creating relationships, and capturing moments that reveal emotion and story in away that few others can.

Like most photographers (male photographers it seems are especially prone to this) I have this incredible desire to own the latest and greatest equipment to support my business. What I actually own is a lot less impressive, so I rent (as I wait to hit milestones marked out by my accountant/astrologer that say it's right to buy that new body or lens).

Blog, Customer ServiceRyan RichardsonOctober 6, 2009camera rental, photography equipment, pro photo rental, review, service reviewComment

The Garrahy Reception

It was the last weekend of the summer, a season that felt increasingly miscategorized as it wore on in New England.

The weather had alternated between blustery and cold and simply wet. There was a break in August where it felt like the world was going to melt, but those days were few and soon replaced by something that felt a lot more like Fall. It was as if the world had forgotten entirely about this whole global warming thing.

September 19, on the other hand, was gorgeous. The sky was a brilliant blue and the air was warm and crisp without too much of a breeze to whip around hair and tablecloths.

Ed and Katie had already married on the West Coast, closer to their Seattle home. Of course not everyone could make it out there in February and Ed had long ago promised his father a wedding at the lake house, so they planned out a beautiful little reception to recreate the social feel of a wedding without having to bring in a minister and bridal gown.

Ready for your closeup?

The autumn is here. There's a crisp and cool feeling in the air and the leaves are getting ready to turn brilliant shades of orange, gold, red and brown (why yes, there is a brilliant shade of brown).

You could spend your time kicking through the leaves and picking apples for pies. You could be shopping for Halloween costumes or pre-gaming for Thanksgiving dinner (food scientists are still divided over whether you should fast or feast to get ready for the big day). Or you could get a few portraits done.

For many Fall is the time to go back to school or start new projects. The summer is over and the winter is looming, it's a good time to evaluate what you're doing before you're trapped in the ice for a few months. It's a time of transition that should be commemorated with a sitting whether it's your last year of high school, the lead up to a wedding, maybe you want to have a photo for your Christmas cards, or you want to see how you really look in that Patriot's face paint.

As I get ready for portrait season I thought that I might like to offer a few suggestions for clients to get the most out of their session.

You want to ask yourself one question when you get a portrait. What does this picture say about me?

With that question in mind you can find an answer for where you should be, what you should wear, and maybe even how you should pose.

Blog, Customer Service, PhotosRyan RichardsonSeptember 22, 2009confessions of a wedding photographer, photography tips, portraitsComment

Touching Up Part I: Death to the Intruder

I recently revisited an engagement session that I did last month with the intent of sending the client some high resolution versions of their top five images. Their wedding is next year, so I thought they might like some images to share with their friends that wouldn't worsen anyone's cataracts.

Personally, the images they chose were some of my favorites as well (and isn't it great when a couple and their photographer are in synch?) but they needed a little bit of punch up.

When people say that a picture is worth a thousand words, they are describing all of the little technical and artistic elements that make up an image. Part of that story is how your eye moves through a photograph and where it comes to rest. Normally, you want the eye to rest on your subject and not some incidental object that found its way into the frame in spite of your best efforts. Unless you're setting up a hunt and find photo for a live version of Where's Waldo, these intruders have to go make an okay image great.