Here’s a great article on photography that illustrates some very important points. Alert! Alert! No direct flash!!! Why? It will add 7 years to your age…
Don’t be Ugly by Accident
This is the best part, in our opinion:
Soft light can hide wrinkles, blemishes, devil eyes. The hard light of a flash often brings them out. As I illustrate with the dotted lines below, you can calculate the equivalent “aging” effects of a flash by counting years horizontally between the ‘flash’ and ‘no flash’ lines. For example, a 28 year-old who used a flash is as attractive as a 35 year-old who didn’t.
And then even better…
One thing we observed is that most flash exposures—even from SLR’s—appeared to be direct flash. That’s where the flash was fired directly at the subject, producing harsh shadows. If you have access to a flash that can bounce off the ceiling or walls, that could work much better.
Guess who uses indirect flash already!
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I had the pleasure of doing a portrait session for Lisa today and she surprised me with a little box o’ heaven from her hubby Mike. Two huge chocolate chip cookies from the bakery he and his mom own. Check out Nancy B’s Bakery for your wedding cookies, shower favors, or whenever you’re craving the very best chocolate chip cookie on the planet!
Nancy B's signature chocolate chip cookie
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We always appreciate feedback and here’s a great way to give it and get a gift certificate in return! Just click this link to go to Wedding Wire and post your review.
And if you’re a newly engaged bride, Wedding Wire is a fantastic place to research wedding vendors as well…And we’re not just saying that because we’re Wedding Wire Rated for 2010!
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Here’s a great article from The Knot about the Top 20 wedding photography mistakes.
Top 20 Wedding Photography Mistakes
My biggie: When people stop what they are doing to look at the camera. Paul and I are normally drawn to the action of the day, so when a person stops their activity, like putting on earrings to give a smile, it blows the purpose of the shot. Just tell your family to ignore us and we’ll capture more of their real personality that way.
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Our couples are some of the most creative people out there. Don’t just take our word for it, check out the Trib’s article about couples who personalize their wedding. Hey, maybe I’m a little biased being a two-time Penn State grad myself!
Link to Tribune-Review website
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One of our recent brides surprised us with some great news. Kelly – married in April of 2009 - was chosen to be a Maggie Bride and have one of her wedding photos on the Maggie Sottero website! Excellent!
Our Maggie Sottero Bride
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Here’s a handly little article from Bride and Bloom magazine on how to lower your stress during the wedding planning. While BandB may not be as well known in our area, they have a great publication with some really helpful topics. Definitely worth checking out!
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Go away for a week!
When you return, you’ll find hundreds of emails from people who need you.
Paul and I just returned from the warmth of the Caribbean where we had the pleasure of photographing newlyweds Ben and Vicki. Ben and Vicki were married in San Francisco and then took a week long cruise to celebrate their new marriage. It was quite a thrill for us to step onto the deck and do some unique location photography that we don’t normally get to do here in Pittsburgh. Here are just a few taken on the ship:
Don’t get me wrong, the Gateway Clipper is nice, but it doesn’t compare to the sheer size and luxury of a 950-foot, 11,3500-ton ocean vessel named the Crown Princess.
But, as Paul is pointing out, sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective…
Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I’m a big fan of cruising, you unpack your bags once and the hotel moves to different locations. As I see it, you spend months planning every detail of the wedding, stressing over tux measurements, napkin colors, and favors. It’s so relaxing to go to a place where the crew focuses 100% on YOU and your complete enjoyment. Plus the food can’t be beat!
On one of our previous cruises, we met a couple that had their entire wedding on board a Princess cruise ship. They invited 40 of their closest friends and spent the entire week in celebration. For those who could not attend, the ship provided a “Chapel Cam” link to broadcast the wedding ceremony over the internet so no one would miss out on the I Do’s. What a unique way to hang out with your loved ones and have a truly spectacular multi-day reception. Did I mention, the food is phenomenal? After the cruise ended, the guests disembarked and the couple remainded onboard to complete a second week’s worth of honeymooning by themselves. I’ll tell you, we were jealous of their photographer!
Paul and I did get a chance to do some personal photography as well. We found these cute little beach huts on Princess Cays and thougth they were too colorful to pass up!
Now back to work in snowy Pittsburgh…
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When most brides think of a wedding in Oakland, the usual spots to look at are Heinz Chapel, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Phipps Conservatory. All three are incredibly popular and book up quickly.
However, there are two hidden gems in Oakland that I believe are worthy of a visit.
The first is First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh on Bellefield Avenue, just around the corner from the CMU columns. I really like this church! Among it’s many charms:
- Four, count them, four balconies. Front, both sides, and back
- The nicest wedding coordinators you will ever meet
- A private parking lot for the church
- Convenient parking garage for any overflow
- Magestic nooks, crannies, and Gothic arches for photos
- Off the beaten path by only one block
- The ability to bring in a guest minister
The second of my hidden treasures is the Twentieth Century Club. Located just down the street from First Baptist Church, TCC is on Bigelow Blvd. The outside doesn’t give you one tenth of a glimpse of the grandeur of the inside of the facilities. Founded as an all womans’ club, the TCC does not advertise in the traditional wedding magazines for our area. TCC relies on word of mouth from past brides, photographers, DJs and other guests who visit the site.
I won’t be able to sum up all of the charming features here but these are some of my favorite characteristics of TCC:
- Wonderful catering!
- The ballroom layout and it’s unique Art Deco feel. Very classy!
- The diningroom is a pleasure to photograph guests in
- The large floor to ceiling window on the second story is great for photos (especially useful if the weather is not cooperating)
- Charming salon-style rooms (also great for photography)
- Exceptional value (one of my brides told me that the TCC was very affordably priced for a reception)
- Super nice employees who are very attentive to the bride, groom, attendants of the wedding and even vendors!
So if you’re considering Oakland for a wedding and reception, I highly recommend First Baptist and the Twentieth Century Club.
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A special thanks to Patricia Boudrot at Filene’s Basement for passing on this valuable information!
Brides To Battle for Bargains in Cleveland
The annual “Running of the Brides,” Filene’s Basement’s legendary sale of designer and famous label wedding gowns, will take place Friday, October 17, 2008 at its store just outside Cleveland. The selection of over 2300 gowns, sizes 2 to 30, will be priced between $249 and $699, a real bargain compared to the $900 to $10,000 these dresses would cost in a bridal salon.
Recently named the number one “sale worth waiting for” by WalletPop.com, brides who take advantage of the once a year sale will save a ton of money and make great memories in the process.
Filene’s Basement’s Running of the Brides
Friday, October 17, 2008 — 8:00am to 9:00pm
Richmond Road and I-271
Warrensville Heights, OH
Cash, checks and credit cards accepted. All sales are final.
www.filenesbasement.com/bridal.jsp
Win a Free Wedding Dress!
WeddingWire.com and Filene’s Basement are giving away gift certificates towards a wedding dress of your choice at the Running of the Brides. Enter at http://filenes.weddingwire.com. Entries accepted until 5:00pm EDT on 10/14/08.
Marriott Cleveland East (just yards from Filene’s Basement) is offering a discounted rate for the night of Thursday, October 16, 2008 for $99 plus applicable state and local taxes. To reserve a room call 800-533-0162 or go to http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/cleem?groupCode=runruna&app=resvlink&fromDate=10/16/08&toDate=10/17/08
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