Helping the Economy

It was a trade show, I had to buy something! but I entered the two large exhibition halls, filled to the gill with vendors, with caution. I took my own advice and kept a close watch on the goodies I purchased.

1) two new songs for my website

2) a great sample album to broaden the spectrum I offer to brides

3) an R strap

The first two were for the company, the third was just for me. It's a nifty, heavy duty re-adaptation of a regular camera strap. What is different is that you screw into the trip socket, and sling the strap around your head and one shoulder, floating the camera on your tush. Then...when you are ready to photograph...you grab and swing the camera up to your eye, your finger on the release, in one fluid motion. Bang! You have the photograph.

Reasonable Expectations

A few nights ago I had my usual pre-wedding meeting with a bride although she had a few unusual requests:

She had a list of poses (which I usually love; I know exactly what is expected and make sure we don't miss an important shot) but with a 20+ bridal party, 225 guests and a large family, her stipulation for no "before the ceremony" photo time? whew! Let's just say we had a long talk about the length of time it takes to make beautiful photograph. How and what she wanted would slow the process and could prevent her from enjoying the day.

My bride also brought in a number of magazine clippings as examples of what she wanted. As far as poses are concerned I was delighted, however I felt it necessary to make sure she was clear Bridal magazines are just like any other book on the stands. Those women are models to begin with. Then the photos are manipulated to trim the upper arms and make their skin shine like the top of the Chrysler building.

Not sure what to do with her request for her own personal photographer to follow around my team and duplicate our shots but I think we made ample progress.

Reminiscing WPPI

I returned early Thursday morning from the fabulous Las Vegas, and fabulous it was. The WPPI Convention has certainly become the premier teaching and trade show for the wedding and portrait photographers of America. There were lectures and vendors for everything! I personally spoke at the ImageQuix booth, doing my "Studio Start up on a Shoestring" mini-class.

So much information. So much inspiration! I am ready and raring for the new wedding season.

Do you know the way to San Jose?

I took the opportunity of my westerly excursion to the WPPI convention in Las Vegas to visit an old friend. Colonel Nguyen Van Vien was my counterpart in the Vietnam War. His five children have all married and had children of their own, so I stopped into San Jose to meet the family of 18!

Vien's wife, BA, passed on a few years ago but Mai, the oldest daughter, Vien, and I decorated her grave and lit incense in her memory. It was a hard trip. The wounds are still open and it is not easy to pick at them.

Jaime's Bat Mitzvah

Yakov's straight on approach ^
 my more modern perspective^

...or "An exercise in two shooters"

an entry by Staff Photographer Rachel Fus

When Don sends out Yakov and I on shoots together he always gives the same instructions:

1) synchronize your time clocks

2) put your shutters on single servo

3) DON'T SHOOT THE SAME THING

The first two make perfect sense: time sync is important for combining the frames from both cameras into one fluid shoot. The single servo is because we both shoot like fiends and he doesn't like it when we come home when 2000 images when 1000 would do. 

His last request is always rather puzzling at first glance, though.  When a bride is throwing a bouquet, or in this case, a 13 year old is lighting her candles, when all eyes are on a single event, shouldn't we be paying attention too? 

The answer is yes, but he doesn't pay the both of us so that we can come home with the same 400 photos. So when Yakov is taking the straight on, getting the "money" shot, I go crazy. I'm the lucky one who gets to be creative. I take the side angle or find the balcony. Slow down the shutter for blur, letting the ambient light in. Get low, get high, get wide, get tight...then turn the camera in the opposite direction and start all over again.

But our job splits in other ways as well. I didn't realise until I was integrating the job today that while I was concentrating on the kids in the ballroom, Yakov was capturing a whole other party with the adults at the bar. Later, when we were taking family portraits, Yakov arranged the bigger picture (making sure all heads were visable) while it was my duty to catch the details (the clasp of mom's necklace, Jaime's stray lock of hair, the aunt still clutching a napkin). 

Together, Yakov and I produced, what I think, is some of our best work to date. It's about trust, anticipation, and teamwork. "It's all about the experience"...? I think Don just made a new believer out of me.

What happens in Vegas

On Feb 13th, I am jet setting off to fabulous Las Vegas for possibly the largest meeting of wedding photographers in the world! Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) is hosting their annual convention from the 14th (I'm stopping off in San Jose to meet a friend and his family from Vietnam from my combat photography days) through the 19th at the MGM Grand.

In addition to the classes and seminars I'll be taking, I'll be giving a presentation myself, three presentations to be exact. ImageQuix, is one of three companies who sponsor me as a speaker. ImageQuix is where I post my wedding images for online viewing and purchase. They asked me to present my seminar "Studio Start up on a Shoestring" at their booth.

The lecture takes my business survival experiences and gears them toward new or young photographers. It takes the classic principles of business start up, combines them with our modern technology, and the implications of today's economy to create a comprehensive, successful business survival strategy. It's as high a level as you can get and I am really excited!

More info on where and when to find the booth to come!

A Real Show Stopper

We (two company photographers and myself) set up our booth near the runway with our two Event Realities (Wedding Professional Group) associates. We laid out albums, put poster-sized framed enlargements on easels, and had a video playing our latest and greatest images. It was the zip screen (on the right), however, that was the "show stopper." Patrons stopped to watch the images scroll and other exhibitors came by to ask where we got it.

Still, the flow of brides was slower than years past. Was it the Super Bowl that evening that had turned brides off (unlikely)? Was the recession making an impact (most likely)? The reduced pace meant we could really talk to the brides and show them our work. We booked THREE weddings that day alone! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth!