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Winter Blues Special!! FREE Engagement or Rock the Dress Session!

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5 Tips For Excellent Wedding Photos

"Tips for me? Isn't that your job?"

Yes, it is! But if your photographs are among the most important bits of your big day, there's plenty of things you can do to ensure you get the best out of your photographers.

1. TIME OF DAY
Consider the time of day in relation to the light. Daytime weddings pose the problem of harsh, direct, often overhead sunlight. Just about every day wedding I've done some well-meaning helper will point me into the middle of barren fields and harsh sun and say "is that enough light?" It's too much! If you're looking at a day wedding, inquire about your venue's shady or covered areas for photographs. If you're going for a late afternoon/sunset wedding...congratulations, you've got happy photographers with lots of ambiance to play with!

NOTE: No matter what, a skilled photographer can make magic happen at any time, so if this makes you panic, relax. You won't be the first noontime wedding for an experienced pro! These are taken both in that harsh light, and then in shade later in the day.




2. UPLIGHTING!
Uplighting is my favorite wedding trend right now. Basically, lights are positioned around your wedding reception venue on the floor, splashing light (sometimes colored) up the walls. This transforms a dark hall into a ballroom and it makes the photographers happy because with nice background light, we can capture things without nuking you into next week with our strobes.





3. PLAN AHEAD!
Got a lot of family photos you want? Make a list! Don't worry about things like rings, the kiss, bridal party, etc...I'm talking about the combinations of cousins and uncles and college friends that might slip your mind on such an fast-paced day. It's also very helpful to assign someone who knows the people on your list to assist the photographer in rounding people up or pointing out important people. Your DJ can also call off your list.



4. BREAK TRADITION
Bear with me now...I'm about to blow some minds. What if you saw your future spouse BEFORE you walked down the aisle? In a (mostly) empty room, your future husband or wife is standing nervously with their back turned to you. You creep up and tap them on the shoulder, they turn around and see you...fabulous you...and think "I am the luckiest SOB in town". All the while, your photographers are quietly clicking away, catching the tears and smiles. This is called a "First Look" and it's a personal choice to toss tradition aside like this, but I love the intimacy of it. You don't have to share that first moment with a crowd and the photo potential is off the charts. You can also use this time to get your formal portraits out of the way, while you're fresher. Some couples do all their formals before the wedding so that they can enjoy their cocktail hour. (Hey, you're paying for it!)

For some wonderful info on the first look, check out one of our favorite wedding photographer's blog post about it here.

5. UNCLE BOB
Help us limit the Uncle Bob factor. I'll let you in on a little trade secret many photographers are afraid to bring up. Your dear uncle/aunt/cousin/bff(we call them "Uncle Bobs") who is a photographer is a wonderful person to have at your wedding. Likely they'll give you some fun shots and enjoy themselves in the process. But please...we beg you (we = all wedding photographers), don't be upset if we send them away. Uncle Bobs, next to obtrusive videographers, are most likely to ruin your hired photographer's shot at least a few times during the day. When they follow us through the formal shots, they're not just being an adorable pain...they're distracting the subjects. I can't tell you how many group shots I have bemoaned because one person was looking at Uncle Bob and not me. We know they mean well, and usually they're easy to shoot alongside (like the fellas down below, this picture just makes me laugh) but sometimes they just gotta scoot. Don't worry, we'll be polite!



With that said, Uncle Bobs have trained me well in closely inspecting the eyeballs of all subjects before sending them back to the bar! ;)

I will post more of these as I think of them. I hope you find them helpful, if you do...please share this post!

James' favorite 2010 shots!

OK so Pam has been pushing me (Like a nurturing wolverine) to finally get my feet wet and do my first Blog entry ever! I decided what better way to do that then with my picked favorites of 2010. Sure it sounds like a good idea at first, until I stare at the screen with sweat dripping down my face. So I apologize before hand if I stumble, get off track or just stop making sense ;)

I created a slide show of my flickr set as well for all of my 2010 favorites. I chose at random ten photos to share with everyone.

We'll start with Adrienne and Eric, We decided it was a gorgeous day out and what better to do than head to the beach cameras in hand. (I do love a random photo shoot)



Next was my first wedding with my new 50mm lens, John and Darlene were great!



We spent the weekend in Provincetown MA for a wedding we were shooting and decided to spend a night out on the town walking around taking pictures.


A shot of Jack Farley aka. Johnny Laundry, during his and Beth's engagement shoot.


One of the pictures I took of my sister got chosen as a finalist on the Pioneer Woman's Blog, which was a huge honor for me.


Now I know what you're thinking, a lot of Black and White have been chosen so far. It seems you're right and I just noticed it myself. My eye always seems to go towards that direction, which is another reason Pam rocks my world because her color photos are amazing. So let me see about pumping up the color if you will.

Sara and Josh's wedding was a lot of fun, it had everything from malfunctioning tiki torches to a butterfly release. Here was a shot I got of her during the formals, I was like a ninja and took it while Pam was shooting (I'm naughty I know)


However the year wasn't all work! There was definitely some play too :) Here are some shots I got while at the Salem Zombie Walk and the Rock and Shock Horror convention.


Rounding off the last one, is probably one of my favorites of the year. Not because of the technical quality, or the lighting, or even the processing. I chose this one of my Sister and her family (which was taken during light testing) because every time I look at it, it makes me smile. It truly shows the dynamic of her and her family. Which, have I mentioned is three boys!


For everyone who made it through my ramblings I congratulate you ;) I truly am a lucky guy and I couldn't ask for a better Girlfriend/ Partner/ Friend, than what I have in Pam. She pushes me in all the right ways and keeps me motivated to be a better person and artist. I look forward to what 2011 brings for both myself, Pam and Altared Visions and hope you enjoy the misadventures that come along as I know we do.

My 2010 Favorite Shots

It's a new year and I am so ready for it. I've been spending all of 2011 so far purging my apartment (as I usually spend the winter doing the kind of clean-out only months without sunshine can bring forth) and with that comes my annual re-visit of my work. Most photographers would agree this is a weird, sometimes miserable and incredibly enlightening experience. You see where you learned, where you triumphed and where you failed. Then you hit the ground running for a new year.

I've put together a slideshow and set on flickr of my favorite shots from my last year of professional and personal work, you can see that here.

Here's my top 10. In no order because that would be way too hard.

Adrienne on the beach.
This was taken on a random photoshoot, which happened a few times in the summer of photographers/models/make-up artists running together that was 2010. We used only a gold reflector and the high, bright sun.


Ashleypatra
Again, another day of play from the summer...this time with Ashley and a foxy gown we'd been wanting to shoot. But my favorite shot of the day has no dress and no color...just Ashley and her eyes.


Aiden's 2nd Birthday
Far from a technically perfect photo, this made the list for obvious cute factor.


Nicole's Trash The Dress
This photo spent some time in Flickr's Explore and got me the most views of the year. It was a last shot, after we'd started packing...often when I do my best work! "No, I lied...just ONE more."


Beth & Johnny in Little Italy
I love this picture. It's whimsical, it's dramatic and it's of two very awesome people who are expecting the future coolest kid in school this year! Congrats!!


James & I - Newport Self Portrait
It was a beautiful day, we had nothing to do except our favorite activity: hopping in the car and driving somewhere to take photos.


Maria
I took this shot with natural light and a reflector after a chaotic but successful and fun family shoot with James' beautiful sister Maria and her three boys.


Greatness in Dot
Shooting Greg is always fun, and we got some great stuff that day on the dirty trolley tracks in Dorchester, MA. I believe this one made the album cover. When Greg is famous and ballin', he's going to buy me a pony. You heard it here first.


John & Darlene's rehearsal dinner
Upon first impression, wedding photographers are often the source of extreme suspicion to children.


Keila at The Hideout New England's 1st Group Shoot
I chose this because not only is Keila beautiful and the light where I wanted it, but also because this was the first time I got to meet a couple Hideout cronies in person and shoot with them!


Alright! Now it's time for 2011! Bring it on!!

HUGE thanks to all my beautiful brides, models and friends who made 2010 so memorable. It was a tough start, but we all made it through! xox

Rockstar Couple: Nicole & Keith's New Year's Eve Wedding (Plymouth/Kingston MA)

Happy New Year!!



Nicole & Keith have been waiting forever for their big night. Nicole booked me shortly after she and Keith were engaged, before James and I teamed up, and put that long wait to work in planning one of the most gorgeous, festive and beautiful weddings we've seen. Every detail was perfect and thoughtful,the bride & groom bears Nicole left on their hotel bed, the Christmas ornament favors, New Year's Eve hats and Nicole's FABULOUS shoes with "I DO" and Keith's initials bedazzled on each sole...so sweet. Oh...and the venue, Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston, MA was absolutely amazing. We'd never been there and it was a real treat to photograph.







One of my favorite parts of this wedding was ringing in the New Year doing my dream job, with wonderful James and not one, not two, but three of our couple in attendance. Darlene & Chris from my first year shooting who apparently attend weddings professionally, Nicole & Keith of course, and future Rockstar Couple Kat & Eric whose cruise ship wedding we'll be shooting in May. We get the coolest, best-looking couples ever and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.



(jk...I'm a lover, not a fighter. Usually.)

Nicole and Keith: Thank you for choosing us to shoot your amazing, beautiful celebration! Happy new year, enjoy the honeymoon!







More to come!