by Judy | May 9, 2009 | Weddings
Dropping the pro photographer is a recipe for Heartache (Part I)
Even before Vivid Visions got involved in wedding photography services, I would cringe when I heard of brides planning to forego the hiring of a professional wedding photographer in order to save money. The photographs of your big day are the record of what is one of the most important days of your life. I know it is easy to underestimate how valuable these photos will become to your family as you travel through life. But do you really want to count on your guests to capture those once in a lifetime shots of your first kiss as Mr. & Mrs, the bride dancing with her father or the mother of the groom brushing a stray hair off the forehead of the man who will always be her little boy?
Yes, professional photography services can cost a few bucks, but be careful that you are not mistaking cost for value. Pro photographers make their living capturing beautiful images and preparing them for presentation. We spent countless hours preparing for the shoot, and have made a considerable investment in quality gear that will help get the job done. We are continually training to keep up with the latest techniques and trends, so we can work seamlessly with the other professionals you have hired to make your special day uniquely yours. Plus, our only reason to be at your wedding is to provide the photography services. We won’t be distracted by seeing Cousin Emma for the first time in 15 years, and be in the ladies room for the wedding party introductions. We’ll be capturing the festivities so you will have a record of your day. When we take a break, we will tell you, so you will know where to find us if you need us.
The price a pro photographer quotes you reflects the cost for materials such as photo prints and proof albums, the time it takes to capture the images and then the studio work later to sort and select the keepers, plus the layout, design and printing of the photobook, album and enlargements you have ordered. Very often if you express early in the consultation that you truly are working on a tight budget, we at Vivid Visions (and other studios too) will help you customize a package to fit your budget. That might mean reducing the amount time spent at the wedding, or waiting until your finances are better to purchase an album.
You only get one chance to properly record your wedding on film. Do you think it is wise to gamble on the photography skills of your friends and family? In part II next week, We’ll compare the cost savings of a “Friends and Family” approach to the value you receive when you hire a pro. In the meantime, here is a sample of the type of images you can expect from a pro photographer’s portfolio:
Adrianne & John were blessed with a beautiful September day at Martha Clara Vineyards in Jamesport.
by Judy | May 7, 2009 | Weddings
We’re ready for anything!
April showers bring May flowers, and for photographers, May flowers also means the start of the wedding season. Vivid Visions is gearing up for Rebecca and Ben in a couple of weeks. They are planning a beautiful ceremony and reception at Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard. I really am looking forward to capturing their special day because Rebecca and Ben are animal lovers, in particular horses, and they are incorporating equine elements in many aspects of the wedding. I don’t want to give away any surprises, so we’ll wait until after the wedding to post some preview shots.
The preparation work for a wedding begins in our studio several weeks prior to the big day. We use the information forms that the couples have completed to provide important details planned for the day so we can incorporate these elements into the shot list. Then a few days before the wedding, as we polish our lenses and test the gear, we also track down the invitation, and review the planned shots so we can arrive ready to begin shooting. It is important that we capture the details and the unguarded moments because that is where we capture the true emotions, and record the photos that become the family treasures in years to come.
Sometimes things don’t go as planned-it’s the nature of weddings really. A rainy June day or a sweltering July afternoon are common occurrences. So the Vivid Visions team plans for the worst and hopes for the best. Usually we get the best. Mother Nature likes a happy bride too!
But the law of averages being what they are, sometimes the weather does get in the way. And in 2009 Vivid Visions had a chance to experience the extremes of nature. Bridget and Scott were married in 90 plus degree weather, and although it was an indoor setting, the reception hall’s air conditioner just couldn’t keep up with the heat. Everyone wilted early, including the flowers. But we still found a way to capture the moments that mattered.
And, Sherri and Russell planned a beautiful New Year’s Eve celebration for their wedding to ring in 2009. It was a wonderful ceremony and reception-once everyone battled through the Blizzard! The weather did severely limit the photo opportunities out of doors, but we managed to capture a few snaps to remember how the last snow storm of 2008 and the first of 2009 was an uninvited guest to the wedding.
So, the moral of this story is to be ready to activate a “Plan B” in case forces beyond your control insist on having their way. Vivid Visions will be ready, and we’ll do our best to make sure you are too!
by Judy | May 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
by Judy | May 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
Our discussion about image and exposure correction have used the correction tools right on the layer, so you have to get it right BEFORE you commit to the change. Adjustment Layers, on the other hand, use image masks—those little white squares you see in the layer pallete next to the layer thumbnail. For such a small little box, they are very powerful things indeed. The layer mask, presented in white, covers the layer below it, so the adjustment that you have made with the adjustment layer is applied evenly to all visible parts of the all the layers below it. When the layer mask is all white, it is like merged all of the layers together, and applied your adjustment.
But what happens when you only want to adjust a part of the image, and not the whole thing? For instance, perhaps you have a nicely exposed photo, but the subject’s face is too dark. If you were to do a levels correction so that the face is properly exposed, you would over-expose the rest of the image. Let’s take a look at this photo of Hogan. One side of his face is very nicely exposed, with his left eye visible. But his right eye is completely lost in the shadow.
Now let’s take a look at what happens with the levels corrected so his right eye looks good:
See how washed out the rest of the image is? In other image editing programs, or straight out the camera, neither image is a Grade A winner, but both are usable. However, Elements gives you the power to tweak the adjustments so they are nearly perfect!
This image is properly exposed, like the first one, but the adjustment layer allowed us to use a “dodge and burn” technique to open up the really dark shadows of Hogan’s right eye, while keeping everything that we liked still in place.
How did we do it? It’s so simple! With an Levels Adjustment layer, of course!
- With your background layer selected, click on the little 1/2 white, 1/2 black circle in the tools section of your layers palette, and when the pop-up menu appears, select “Levels.” You will see a levels adjustment dialog box open just like when you make a levels adjustment on a layer.
- Adjust the levels by pulling the white slider on the right over to where the “mountain” of info begins, and then drag the grey mid tone slider over to the left of the screen until his eye is visible they way you like it. Don’t worry about how the rest of the image looks. We just care about how good the eye looks. Click ok to commit the adjustment.
- Now to make sure your color well is set to black and white, type “D” on your keyboard, which will put your colors in the default black foreground and white background. If you want to swap the colors, just type “X,” and the foreground will switch to white and the back ground will switch to black.
- Click on the layer mask thumbnail in the layers palette to select it. You will know you selected it properly when you see a box around it.
- Select the Paint Bucket tool in the tool palette, and click in the image. You should see the entire image go back to the settings it had before you applied the adjustment layer. The layer mask will now be black. If it isn’t, make sure the foreground color is black, and repeat steps 4 and 5.
- Select the paint brush tool, type “X” to swap the foreground color to white, and make sure the layer mask is still selected.
- Lower the opacity of the brush to about 20%, and begin painting in white on the image where you want to apply the lighter exposure. You will notice that the areas of the image you are painting are shown in the layer mask thumbnail as variations of white and grey depending on how much you have painted over an area. You are using a lower opacity so you can build up the effect until it is just right. If you think you have gone too far, just switch the foreground color to black, and paint over the area until it is right.
An easy way to remember which color to use is a little slogan many Photoshop pros learned with:
WHITE CONCEALS, AND BLACK REVEALS.
So, if you want to hide the features of the layers below, keep the layer mask white. When you want to reveal or show features of the layers below, just add some black and open up the mask.
by Judy | Apr 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
