Recently I had the chance to work on engagement photos with Katie and Josh.
One of my favorites from the day was in the old barn.
Being an animal love I of course love working their dogs into a few shots.
of course once they caught the scent of something in the bushes they had ideas of their own.
For the most part on your wedding day you don’t have to worry too much about the pictures, if you’ve hired a professional wedding photographer they they’ll do their job and you’ll have wonderful images. But for one important picture there’s one simple thing you as a couple can do to help your photographer along.
The crescendo of the wedding ceremony is often, The Kiss. This is the moment where every aunt, uncle and cousin is firing their cameras. Now to help those pictures come out here’s a simple tip, don’t rush it. That’s right just savor the moment, that first kiss as husband and wife.
I’ve seen a couple or two over the years just peck each other, snap – it’s gone. Granted I still get my shot but I don’t have the luxury of a few shots to choose from and of course if your mom has a point and shoot she’ll never get it to focus and fire that quick.
So it’s your moment, just enjoy it, and don’t rush it.
Until next time,
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
Getting ready to pull these off to the archive drive and while I’ll do a bigger post next week I wanted to share a few more special photos from Joe and Audrey’s recent wedding at the Phipps Mansion Tennis Pavilion.
Of course one of the greatest things about my job is some of the wonderful people I get to work with that are also in the wedding photography business. Dain Linder of Photography by Dain always being one of my favorites. He’s a shot of my friend and more often than not shooting partner knocking out a few shots of the bride and her father.
Now despite my love of black and white photography there are some images that just need to be in color. This amazing wedding cake with rings of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries is among the later.
During the ceremony when the focus is often on the bride and groom there’s often a wonderful shot just waiting on the sidelines. Here the father and mother of the groom look on at the start of the ceremony.
Earlier this year I had the amazing privilege to attend a talk in Denver hosted by one of my greatest photographic inspirations, Joe Buissink. He gave a quote during that discussion that really had me thinking. This probably isn’t exact but it was along the lines of “It’s not about the perfect image, it’s about the perfect moment”. And it’s these moments that I love the most.
Here Audrey and her father during the father daughter dance. Only the two of them know what was said to make her laugh so, but when she looks at this image ten years from now she’ll be brought back to that moment.
Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory.”
This above all else is what I strive to give my clients on their wedding day, not just the beautifully posed portraits but more importantly capturing the fleeting moments and emotions of the day.
Until next time,
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
It’s Friday morning and as I get ready to go into the studio today I’m thinking back over a few notes I’ve received lately from last years senior session clients. All those great kids who where at the brink of adulthood are graduating over the next few weeks and now thinking about the next stage of their lives.
I love the fact that as a photographer I got a chance to meet these wonderful people and capture a moment that is a true turning point in their lives. It’s really what this job is all about.
Of course I’m also now looking at what I’m going to be offering for senior photos this year, while it’s not a big part of my business – I usually do less than a dozen select senior shoots a season – I do enjoy it.
But, before I talk about what I’m doing this year for senior photos I want to plug what some other photographers are doing and what in my opinion is the best, the most original, and the out and out coolest “Senior Photo” special going on in Denver this season.
Billed as “The Ultimate Senior PHotography Experience” I don’t think they are stretching the truth at all on this.
20 Seniors. 5 Photography Studios. 5 different locations all over town. Party Limo to transport everyone from spot to spot.
This truly will be an experience and not just a photo session. I’m urging everyone interested in a unique and one of a kind senior session to go check this out. If you decide this really isn’t you – come on back and I’ll take care of you.
Now I know at this point a lot of you out there are scratching your heads, “Before I even talk about my own senior sessions I’m pushing people towards my competitions senior sessions”. Doesn’t seem to make a lot of business sense does it. Well it might not make much business sense but to me it makes a lot of people sense.
See this is the coolest idea I’ve seen in a long time. Treated like a rock star for a day and getting photos from 5 different studios. If I where 17 this is the session I’d want to do. If I had kids (or even nieces and nephews) that where seniors this year, sure I’d go out with them and do some cool stuff for them, and then I’d sign them up for this tour. This is just such a fun idea, it’s going to be a great experience for these kids to carry with them, and that’s the big thing. It’s the experience. I can do the photos, I can’t match that experience through my sessions.
Also for me senior photos isn’t a big part of my business. I do only a handful of select sessions a season. I don’t make a lot of these sessions, but I have fun. If I do half the sessions this year from last because the others booked the tour, at the end of the year it’s not going to affect my bottom line that much.
So go check out the Senior Rock Star Tour.
Now if they’re booked up, it doesn’t quite fit your budget, you don’t think it’s your style and you’d rather have something more suited to you, here’s what I can do for you.
I’m doing senior photos this year as part of my “Anytime Sessions”. There’s two different levels. The short session at $200 and the extended session at $500. Both include a memory book, softcover for the short, hardcover for the long, and both include print pricing at our special lab print prices. ($5 5×7, $10 8×10, $4 4/wallets). This season we’re having you pay more for the session, but then let you get all the prints you want at a super deal on the prints.
As an added bonus for the first 6 sessions booked this year I’ll include a $50 print credit with the extended session. With that the $500 session fee gets you everything you’ll need, shoot, book, and prints.
Our new online host also allows digital downloads of small images perfect for use on your phone (they look awesome on my iPhone), facebook, myspace, etc. For just .99 an image you can download your favorites.
Of course before you do that add us as a friend on Facebook and we’ll post a few of my favorites from the shoot and tag you with them, so you can then use those on facebook free of charge.
So if you’re interested use the contact form above and we’ll get back in touch.
I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite senior photos from 2008.
Here’s a copy of our spring newsletter.
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