To provide our readers with the best possible viewing experience while visiting Vividvisionspix, we are migrating to WordPress. Please forgive our appearance while this migration is in process. We plan to be up and running very soon.
In the meantime, please visit our main site at www.vividvisionsphoto.com and the gallery at www.vividvisionsgallery.com.
Thanks for visiting!
He popped the question, she said yes, the diamond is gorgeous and the wedding will be spectacular! The caterer is top-notch, the gown is divine, the music is perfect and the photographer wants HOW MUCH?
But Uncle Joe has a nice camera and he is always showing off his photos at every holiday. Maybe he can do the photography, and then there will be enough money to add the Viennese Table to the reception.
STOP RIGHT THERE (please).
Think about the last wedding you attended. Remember the mountains of food? You were stuffed before the cocktail hour ended, and the band was good, but do you remember their name? They certainly weren’t U2, or even Glenn Miller for that matter.
Now think about the photography. Did you receive a photo with the thank you notes? Maybe you visited the couple’s wedding blog and saw a beautiful sunset image with them walking through the park or down the beach. And maybe one image of the bride and her father just before they walked down the aisle brought a tear to your own eye as you dreamed of your own wedding day. Oh and the flower girl and ring bearer were just precious!
Long after the food is nothing but a stain on your favorite dress, and you have found a new favorite band, the only record of your wedding day-that most special day of days-will be your photographs. Do you think Uncle Joe is up to the task to capturing the memories you hope to treasure forever?
When you hire a professional photographer, you are paying for professional quality images, captured in a professional manner-respecting the sanctity of the ceremony, the comfort of your guests, and the contract for services you both signed.
When you hire a professional photographer, you are buying more than a person to take pictures during your wedding, or any other event for that matter. You are investing in a priceless record of a once in a lifetime occasion. There are no retakes in wedding photography. Your photographer only gets one shot to get it right.
If ever there were a time to hire a professional, wedding photography is that time.
Part II in next week’s post-Find out exactly what your investment in a pro photo package pays for.
Comments welcome!
Tell us what you think about the value of professional wedding photography. Did you learn the hard way by having Uncle Joe take the pictures? Did you have an unpleasant experience with a pro? Post your comments here.
At some point in every budding photographer’s life, the realization dawns that the techniques and technology in use just don’t go far enough to bring what is visualized to life. Certainly, when you are starting out, the simplicity of the bundled software that came with the camera makes learning the basics easier. You don’t have to sift through confusing menus and icons that mean nothing to you-yet. But then you begin to find that the current tools at your disposal fall short in helping you create what you know the photograph could be.
That’s the time for Photoshop Elements.
Elements, now in version 7.0, is a streamlined version of full-scale Photoshop, and much less intimidating than the big daddy. But to the uninitiated, Elements can still be daunting. It doesn’t have to be, and to prove it, I will be leading another Elements beginner’s class for the Southold Recreation Dept. The class runs from April 1 through May 13th on Wednesday nights, and registration is still open. Register now through the Southold Recreation Dept. to register. (Info)
The class will cover the simple tasks of correcting exposure, retouching (including red eye removal that WORKS) and then sample some techniques that will make your pictures sing. To get the most out of the class, it is best to be comfortable with a computer, and familiar with your camera.
I hope to see there!
One of the main reasons I jumped on the digital photography bandwagon so early on was the simplicity of making photo edits. Before the digital age brought Photoshop down to the consumer level, like the rest of you, I had to rely on my camera to get it right, and I had to wait until the film was developed to know for sure. So many of my “experiments” turned out to be good for nothing more than lining for the trash bin.
But a little knowledge of Photoshop, or other similar photo-editing software allowed me to fix exposure, adjust color casts and remove red eye. It became evident to me very quickly that the possibilities of photo editing and enhancement could be endless! All I needed was time to develop my skills, and a vision to see the project through to the end.
I searched everywhere for tips and techniques, and experienced teachers to show me the way. Unfortunately, the Southold community didn’t have many resources, and so I taught myself by scouring the photography message boards, spending a small fortune on tutorial books, and devoting more time than I care to admit going through the process of trial and error.
Here are two of m
y own photos:
The first one was my very first attempt at cloning. I was attempting to make it look as though Arty was eating my purple gorilla mascot. Not a bad effort, but clearly not my best work!
The second photo is actually a photo that I manipulated in Photoshop to look like a watercolor painting. What a difference some training makes, doesn’t it?
Soon I found others asking me for help on fixing their photos, and so I offered my services to the Southold Recreation Dept. This partnership is now in its third year, and the next six-week session of Cameras, Computers and Cyberspace is set to begin on April 1st and will run every Wednesday evening through May 13th. So, if you are ready to take your photo editing to the next level, then contact the Southold Recreation Dept. to register now!
If Weds. nights are inconvenient for you, contact Vivid Visions directly to schedule a private lesson.
As in any profession, to stay on top of their game, pro photograghers participate in seminars and workshops to enhance their skills and learn from their peers. Today, I had a wonderful opportunity to learn from renowned wedding photographer Denis Reggie, known for his work with the Kennedy family. You may not recognize his name, but there is no doubt you have seen his work, unless you have been truly living under a rock for the last 20 years. Remember that wonderful photo of JFK, Jr. and his bride Carolyn Bissette as they left the chapel right after tying the knot? The photographer was Denis Reggie just doing his job.
Denis is in a class by himself, and his fees are beyond the reach of most. But, since he so willingly shares his technique with other photographers, we can replicate his lighting style for our own clients. The bottom line, as any half way decent photographer knows, is that a great photo needs to be properly lit, and properly focused. The trick that separates the pros from the wannabes is getting consistent results with available light and flash photography.
The techniques Denis shared showed me that I really only need to tweak my workflow a bit to get the consistently well lit results that Denis has become famous for. So, armed with this knowledge, Vivid Visions will be creating images lit in the Denis Reggie style, but offering it at down-to-earth prices so you don’t have to be a Kennedy to have beautiful wedding photos. 
