**DISTRACTIONS**

Do you find the title of this post a little distracting?  Like someone is yelling at you?  Well, it's supposed to.  Just like this title, sometimes pictures are distracting because something pulls your eyes away from the main subject.  Take the first picture below for example. What is distracting to you?

If you're like me, the twigs coming in from the left side almost ruin the photograph because they pull your eye away from our beautiful bride and her mother.

The same picture is shown below with the twigs removed.  Do you like it better?  We do. Much better. You will also notice the digital post-processing in the second image to enhance colors and make the Bride and her mother "pop" more in the photo.  (See our older posts on digital post-processing.)

Of course, it is best to avoid distractions like this all together by not including them in the image, but that's not always possible.  In this case, we were not going to prune any vegetation in the church's courtyard, and this was one of the few places in the area offering acceptable light, and we made the best of it.  We think it was worth the extra time in Photoshop removing the twigs.  Don't you?

As we've said before, every single image we make is inspected for color, contrast, composition, exposure, and many other things including distractions.

Pre-Event Equipment Checks

OK, I know the title of this post doesn't sound very interesting, but our pre-event equipment check is a very important part of your wedding photography package.  We go step-by-step through every menu of each camera and flash a few days before your event and check functionality of all flashes on each camera to ensure proper operation.  Why do we do this?  Because we want everything to run as smoothly as possible on your wedding day and not miss a single photo opportunity because of an incorrect setting or equipment malfunction.

If you've never been through the menus of a modern professional digital camera, realize that there are 50+ menu items, many with sub-menus.  The professional flash units we use have another 10 menu items each.  All said, we check 250+ menu settings in the equipment that will be used for your wedding.

If you're wondering how menu items can change between photo shoots, it can happen for a number of reasons: equipment resets to default settings (we use customized settings), we experiment with our cameras and flashes between events trying out different photography techniques and may inadvertently leave settings in experimental mode, we change settings during events as sunlight changes so our initial settings correspond to the time of day your event begins, and there are many other scenarios.

In addition to our equipment checks, I read the owner's manual for each piece of equipment at least twice per year.  When you read a 150 page technical manual cover to cover, you either learn something new or remember something you had forgotten regardless of the number of times you've read it before.  We take lots of pride in knowing our equipment inside and out.

Why am I telling you this?  Our goal is for you to have a stress-free wedding day. Knowing that your photographers understand their equipment inside and out and have checked all settings, buttons, and dials before your wedding day will hopefully go a long way towards you having less stress.

Details, Details, Details

One key piece of our wedding photography is capturing detail shots of the decorations, rings, bouquet, wedding gown, cake, venue, and other interesting images of the day's surroundings.  Catrina is especially good at arranging items in a visually pleasing way to make unique images.  At your wedding, we will be on the lookout for the little details that add up to help to make your wedding day special so they will never be forgotten.

Here are a handful of examples to give you a flavor of what we do.  Click on a picture to see a larger version.  Enjoy!

Digital Post-Processing, Part 2

One of the first blog posts I made was about the importance of digital post-processing, in other words working on a digital image with Photoshop or other equivalent program to improve the overall image quality.  I want to show you another example of why it's important for your wedding images to undergo digital post-processing and why you should be wary of any photographer that is willing to give you images straight out of the camera.  (Hint: This is usually done by photographers who give you a disk of images within a few days of your wedding for about $500.)

One issue that wedding photographers regularly encounter is the green cast produced when a photo is taken outside in the shade under a tree.  First, you should know that the best light for portraits is in the shade for a few reasons: no "hot spots" created by direct sunlight, no eye squinting, and even lighting.  Plus, it gives photographers the option of using a flash to add a catchlight in the subject's eyes.  Direct sunlight is usually the worst light for portraits.

The first image below was taken in a grassy area in the shade of a large tree in July.  Can you see the green cast?  This comes from sunlight reflected off of grass and leaves that picks up the green color.  When you look at someone in this situation with your eyes, your brain adjusts for it, and you don't see the green cast.  However, cameras do not adjust for it, and when you look at an image taken in this situation, the green cast is very apparent.

Before Digital Post-Processing

Here is the same image after digital post-processing with the green cast removed.  What a difference!

After Digital Post-Processing

We think it's important for all of your images to be individually inspected and improved with digital post-processing.  Some photographers take a short-cut and don't do it because of the time commitment, but we can't imagine giving our clients images without this important step.

Wedding Portraits at the University of Virginia

Catrina and I had the opportunity to photograph a wedding in late March in Charlottesville, VA.  Our couple came to the U.S. from Thailand a few years ago.  This was exciting because their wedding ceremony was quite different from what we're used to, as one might expect, and they wore traditional dress for the wedding.

As you can see in the images below, we were able to take advantage of the University of Virginia's beautiful campus which is nestled below Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate in downtown Charlottesville at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains for some creative shots. Enjoy!

Catrina took the shot above using a column on the steps of UVA's School of Medicine.

Taken on the quad; flowering tree blurred in the background.

We found this row of arches outside an old dormitory.  We added light using an umbrella to simulate evening light.  This shot was actually taken in the middle of the afternoon.

Using steps for a backdrop and a long telephoto lens, Catrina created a simple composition for a beautiful shot of our couple.

A parting shot of our couple imaging their future.

Bollywood a Huge Success

Catrina and I had a great time shooting the Bollywood event at the India Center in South Charleston, WV on March 26th.  We learned a lot about Indian culture and diversity and were completely wowed by the dancing we saw.  I've posted some pictures from the event below for you to see.  Most important, a significant amount of money was raised for the YWCA of Charleston.

Several of the dancers wanted formal portraits, so we set up a make-shift studio in the basement.  We chose a white background because of its timeless look.  If you observe a magazine rack, you'll notice that about 50% of the covers are shot against a white background, so it's a great skill to have.  We have the ability to create this set-up just about anywhere.

I've also included two images from one of the dance performances.  I think they capture the essence of the event: colorful, dynamic, and exciting.  Enjoy!

Shooting Bollywood Tonight at the India Center

Catrina and I are privileged to be shooting the Bollywood fund-raiser event for the Charleston YWCA at the India Center in South Charleston tonight.  If you saw the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire a few years ago, you'll probably recall the dance scene at the end which is a great example of Bollywood: elaborate clothing and beautiful dancing.  We'll be posting pictures from the event over the next few weeks.

Creative Catrina (as I call her), the master of creative details, decided she had to have some henna work done for tonight's event and, of course, did it herself.  When it comes to artistry, Catrina is a natural.  Flower arrangements, make-up, table arrangements, and even henna tattoos.  She can do it all.  That's why she focuses on the detail shots at wedding events.  It's not uncommon for her to help brides get ready, and I've seen her come to the rescue of many brides with last minute emergencies.  For example, one bride didn't want to use her actual bouquet for the bouquet toss, so Catrina whipped up a second bouquet for that using table flowers.  The bride thought it looked as good as her original bouquet.  Catrina brings her creative expertise to every wedding we do, and it shows in the quality of her images.  It might even show up in a few other places where you least expect it.