Portrait Shoot with Susana and Laura

I took photographs for Susana and Laura today, and they turned out really well! 

MY FAVORITE!:

I couldn't make up my mind about which of these pictures I liked best:

The Girls:

Kevin Keefer: Wedding Photography Workshop

Yesterday I attended Kevin Keefer's wedding photography workshop, and it was wonderful! I learned so much, and now feel more confident about being able to capture those special moments. Needless to say, if you're getting married and are in Ohio, I'm available :).

We all had the opportunity to photograph a recently engaged couple Kira and Jason (I hope I'm spelling those correctly!), and they were stunningly gorgeous and did an incredible job. I tried to focus on the environment more, and I also experimented with black and white, something I NEVER do because color is so beautiful, but I thought that for some of these shots it added a layer of emotion.

 

 Major things he covered:

-Create pricing structure based on time and talent, and keep the focus away from prints. Prints, on some level, are dying out and we can't expect to make a living on them.

-Expression, Gesture, and Environment together make up the ideal image

-Get to know the client before hand, especially for weddings. The couple needs to feel comfortable around the photographer in order for genuine moments to present themselves in front of the camera.

-Pre-visualization is key-when possible, view location and make detailed sketches beforehand in order to create the best composition, and plan camera controls. 

-Shade is your friend: find it and use it as much as possible.

-Study your work frequently and learn from your mistakes. 

Although I already knew a good amount of what he was saying, especially about shooting outside/on location, It was still great to have a refresher and to just get out there and shoot a little (6 gigs worth, to be exact). I am really looking forward to having my first real wedding gig as a professional, mainly because I have this sappy obsession with weddings, and also because it will fit perfectly into what I already love to do.

The most important thing I got out of it however, is a renewed desire to push my work, and continue to grow and learn from my mistakes.  I want to be a stronger photographer who makes people feel beautiful and give them images that last them a lifetime.