Deep Creek Maryland

About a month ago, I was enjoying beautiful Maryland with a bunch of new photographer friends. We attended a workshop put on by Ann Monteith and Judy Grann

It was amazing! Taking photos is a tiny part of running a photography business, and the business part is huge. So that's what we focused on: business, numbers, marketing--all that fun stuff!

Kevin Kubota recommended this workshop to me, and I am so glad I listened to his advice! Now, I definitely recommend it to anyone in the business!

Here's our class photo at Ann's lake home in Deep Creek.

Our Digital Photography Workshop...

was a hit! I hope my students had as much fun as I did! We talked about visual artistry, technique, how to shoot in the "creative" modes, practiced, talked shop, and had a blast!

Here are some of the students at work!

Wedding Questions

If you have questions leave a comment or email me at alyssaflaten@mosaicphotography.net-- I love educating artists and if I can save you a few steps, I'm happy to do it.

Recently, I got a myriad of questions from an Ohio studio regarding Wedding Photography. Here are the questions and my answers are in all caps.

1. What 3 things would you tell me to look out for…..one of those….”if only I had known before hand”

IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF LIGHTING AND CAMERA SETTINGS OR DON'T KNOW HOW TO BEST APPROACH A SHOT--TAKE IT A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS. FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE THE VITAL SHOTS IN BOTH A PROGRAM MODE AND WHATEVER OTHER MODE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE (LIKE APERTURE PRIORITY OR SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITY) AND TAKE THE SHOT WITH AND WITHOUT FLASH IF YOU ARE UNSURE.

HAVE TWO SHOOTERS, AND/OR AT LEAST BACK UP CAMERAS. STUFF ALWAYS HAPPENS!

ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN FOR THE DAY INCLUDING A LIST OF ALL THE MUST TAKE SHOTS AND PLAN OUT WHICH ONES YOU ARE DOING WHEN AND COMMUNICATE THAT WITH YOUR COUPLE AND THE REST OF THE BRIDAL PARTY TO DECREASE YOUR CHANCE FORGETTING AN IMPORTANT SHOT. YOU CAN ALSO SET UP THE KEY MOMENTS AHEAD OF TIME JUST IN CASE YOU MISS IT DURING THE CEREMONY (LIKE EXCHANGING RINGS, LIGHTING UNITY CANDLE, DAD AND BRIDE WALKING DOWN AISLE, COUPLE KISSING).

BE SURE YOU HAVE A CLEAR CONTRACT THAT RELEASES YOU FROM ALL LIABILITY. PPA HAS GREAT RESOURCES ON THEIR SITE IF YOU ARE A MEMBER. IF YOU AREN'T A MEMBER BUT WANT TO OPERATE AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, YOU SHOULD JOIN A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION LIKE PPA OR WPPI.

I SHOOT APERTURE PRIORITY PRIMARILY BECAUSE I LOVE PLAYING WITH DEPTH OF FIELD AND BLURRING OUT BACKGROUNDS, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER TO BOOST YOUR APERTURE/F-STOP WHEN THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN THE IMAGE ON DIFFERENT PLANES. SO A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS THAT HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE PHOTO, THAT'S WHAT YOUR F/STOP SHOULD BE. FOR 8 PEOPLE F/8 WORKS GOOD. LOTS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS SAY F/16 IS GREAT FOR GROUP SHOTS, WHATEVER SIZE, AND THAT TOO, IS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB BUT MY BRAIN LIKES REMEMBERING TO ANALYZE HOW MANY ARE IN THE GROUP AND SETTING THE F/STOP ACCORDINGLY...I TEND TO FORGET TO DO THE EASY F/16.

2. How do I use a high ISO setting for low light and keep the picture from being too grainy?

I NEVER GO HIGHER THAN 800 ISO BECAUSE I DON'T CARE FOR GRAINY IMAGES, FOR THE MOST PART. FOR LOW LIGHTING I USE A CANON SPEEDLITE 480 FLASH OR SOMETIMES A VIDEO LIGHT (diffused by a reflector--someone else holds this near the dancing couple while the photographer takes the shot). I ALSO USE A 50 mm 1.8 f/stop LENS AND A 28mm 2.0 f/stop LENS WHICH ALLOWS MORE LIGHT INTO MY CAMERA WITH THAT LOW OF AN F/STOP. FOR THE CEREMONY I USE A TRIPOD IF THE LIGHTING IS LOW, BUT NOT USUALLY DURING A RECEPTION BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE MOVING AROUND TOO MUCH ANYWAY.

3. Do you use a tripod during the ceremony at any time?

I DO IF IT'S CANDLELIGHT, OR LOW-LIGHT

4. What do you set your internal camera custom settings at?

I DON'T SET ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY THAN HOW IT IS CALIBRATED FROM THE FACTORY (I DON'T MAKE THE COLOR MORE VIBRANT OR DO AN EXPOSURE COMPENSATION, ETC. INTERNALLY.....NOT SURE WHAT ALL THE NIKON TERMS ARE, I SHOOT CANON) I WILL USE THE APPROPRIATE WHITE BALANCE SETTING WHEN NECESSARY. TUNGSTEN IS USUALLY BETTER FOR THE RECEPTION, BUT IT COMPLETELY DEPENDS ON THE COLOR OF THE LIGHTS IN THE ROOM.

5. Do you ever count off to or pose your subjects (for the flower toss or the cake cutting or the first dance)

YES, WHEN NECESSARY, I COUNT OFF THE MOMENT. PEOPLE ARE COOL WITH THIS BECAUSE THEY HIRED ME TO GET THE SHOT. I TALK THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY AND THE PLAN FOR THE DAY WITH THE COUPLE BEFORE HAND AND EACH TIME WE MEET I AM LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEM, THEIR PREFERENCES, AND WHAT THEY ENVISION. BECAUSE OF MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE COUPLE SOMEONE ALWAYS COMES AND GETS ME DURING AN IMPORTANT MOMENT (MARRIAGE LICENSE SIGNING OR CAKE CUTTING, ETC.) IF I AM NOT ALREADY THERE. O AND I ALWAYS SHOOT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. IT RELIEVES PRESSURE AND INSURES THAT YOU WON'T MISS AS MUCH.

6. Or instead of counting off a pose or picture, do you just shoot when you feel the time is right?

I DO THIS TOO. A LOT DEPENDS ON THE COUPLE AND THEIR STYLE. SOME WANT NO INTRUSION FROM US AND OTHERS WANT SOME DIRECTION BUT NOT IN-YOUR-FACE, HANDS-ON DIRECTION. AND THIS IS WHERE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR PERSONAL STYLE AND BE SURE YOU ARE SHOWING THAT TO PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS. IF YOU HATE THE TRADITIONAL STUFF OR THE PHOTOJOURNALISTIC APPROACH DON'T SHOW IT--SHOW WHAT YOU LIKE SO YOU ATTRACT THE CUSTOMERS THAT ALREADY LIKE YOUR STYLE BEFORE YOU EVER TAKE THEIR PHOTO.

7. Do you repose your subject if you miss or blur the shot or is it just gone?

YES, IF YOU HAVE AN INKLING OF A DOUBT, GO WITH IT-DON'T IGNORE IT!! AND JUST CONFIDENTLY SAY, 'I WANT TO TRY A DIFFERENT CAMERA SETTING', OR 'I THINK SOMEONE BLINKED'. YOUR JOB IS TO GET THE SHOT NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES.

8. Do you use the gray card?

NO. I KNOW MY CAMERAS WELL ENOUGH THAT I KNOW WHEN I'M NOT GETTING THE CORRECT WHITE BALANCE AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. I HAVE NEVER USED A GRAY CARD. I NEVER USE A LIGHT METER EITHER. IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH A GRAY CARD OR LIGHT METER THAN DO IT. AGAIN, I KNOW MY CAMERAS WELL ENOUGH THAT I USUALLY KNOW WHEN I NEED TO ADJUST THE EXPOSURE.

A WEDDING ISN'T THE BEST TIME TO TRY A COMPLETELY NEW APPROACH OR METHOD (IN REGARDS TO LIGHTING AND EXPOSURE), SO USE THE METHODS YOU ALREADY KNOW. AND WHEN YOU DO TRY SOMETHING NEW, ALWAYS TAKE THE SHOT THE WAY YOU NORMALLY WOULD TOO AS BACK UP.

9. do you take lights along to the wedding?
YES, IF THEY WANT TRADITIONAL PHOTOS AT THE ALTAR, AND I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LIGHTING AT THE CEREMONY. I BRING ONE 800 STUDIO LIGHT WITH A LARGE SOFT BOX. OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T USE ANY STUDIO LIGHTING.

I WILL USE A FLASH AT THE RECEPTION AND CEREMONY (IF IT IS ALLOWED AND IF THE LIGHTING IS LOW). BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I SHOOT ALL NATURAL LIGHT.

AGAIN, WHEN YOU ARE JUST STARTING OUT THOUGH, YOU SHOULD DO WHAT YOU ARE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH--I HAVE NEVER BEEN A STUDIO/LOTS-OF-GEAR GIRL. I APPROACH A WEDDING DAY MORE LIKE A PHOTOJOURNALIST IN THAT REGARD.

10. Do you use a long lens for during the ceremony and just shoot at a distance or are you right up there?
THIS DEPENDS ON WHAT THE COUPLE WANTS. I LOVE WHEN THEY GIVE ME THE FREEDOM TO GO WHEREEVER BECAUSE THEN I CAN CAPTURE THOSE TRUE MOMENTS FROM THE BEST ANGLES. BUT WE HAVE 70-200 2.8 IS LENSES THAT WE USE WHEN WE ARE STASHED AWAY IN A BALCONY OR IN THE BACK OF A CHURCH DURING THE CEREMONY.

Venturing into Photoshop

I've had a few questions about editing software, what I use? what to get? etc.

I use good old Photoshop and Adobe LightRoom.

LightRoom is a great program to organize and color manage your images and is similar to Adobe Bridge, and Aperture.

Photoshop is limitless! But if you're wondering how to get started I encourage you to pick up Photoshop Elements to get your feet wet. When I taught digital photography at the High School level, I found that you can do a fair amount of things in Elements. I definitely would recommend downloading the free trial for Elements from Adobe's website. If you are ready to buy Elements you can order it online through B and H Photo for $89.95--make sure you get the appropriate software for your platform--Mac or Windows.

From there, I believe if you register your software and get on Adobe's mailing list, they will send you information how to upgrade to the full version of Photoshop (CS4). And upgrades are always less expensive than the full program.

Adobe also offers a trial version of LightRoom here.

Hope this helps! Have fun in the digi-world!

Our First Spring Digital Photography Workshop!

Hurray! We had so much fun at our workshop last weekend. What a wonderful, and talented bunch of ladies I got to work with. Enjoy their beautiful work!

Photographers and Extreme Home Makeover

I had the privilege of meeting Allison Rodgers in Phoenix at Imaging USA in January. Her and her husband were a huge inspiration to me.

Last Sunday, their work was a part of ABC'S Extreme HomeMakeover for the Jordan family. If you missed it you can view the episode online. (Technology is awesome!)

It's such a neat episode as it begins with people who have lost loved ones. As they honor and remember their loved ones they cling to something--PHOTOGRAPHS!!

As photographers, we have such valuable jobs! The value of a photograph the moment we take it is NOTHING compared to how valuable that image will be ten, twenty, fifty years from now!

Be sure to take a look at this episode and enjoy Allison and Jeff's generous hearts illustrated through the beautiful images of the Jordan family!