Shooting Star : Digital files + Same Day Slideshows
01.31.11
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ately I've been on a folk music kick. Anything that sounds like it was recorded in a field of wheat, with banjos, and dancing gnomes is just my style. Makes me feel like I'm back in college and studying to my most favorite weepy soundtrack. My brain sighs when folk is playing and the deep breaths put me at ease, like a reminder life is okay. When JD gives me a sideways glance upon the umpteenth time playing Alexi Murdoch, I simply turn to him and proudly announce: MY BRAIN IS BREATHING, OKAY?!
Maybe all this breathing has put me in a talkative mood or something because today is another installment of Shooting Star. And though I've said in in the past, thank you for the feedback. We're still trying to figure everything out and your support means the world. F'realsies.
In this video I'll be discussing...
*How to improve photography skills in spite of being discouraged.
*How I design wedding albums. (And here's a link referencing my album outsourcing).
*Whether I include digital files with my wedding photography services.
*How I create same-day wedding slideshows (I forgot to mention that I display the slideshow on my laptop via iPhoto, but one can easily use Lightroom or screensaver mode to achieve the same result).
Like always, you can submit questions for future FAQs on Facebook!
He Beckons
01.28.11
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hen I started the year, I decided to take more risks. 2011 was all about getting crazy. For some people, crazy late nights, rock and roll, and dancing on tables, but my sort of crazy is adding a banana to my protein shake. Oh! The! Risk! I'm such a ledge-walker sometimes I scare myself.
One of my goals for this year was to write more. To go out of my way, sit down, and write. I made the commitment (along with my friend Gail) to write everyday for the entire month of January and the process has been much harder than I anticipated. There were nights when I pounded my head on the keyboard because I couldn't find the words, but I'm incredibly proud to say I didn't miss a day. The end of the month is on Sunday and when I complete my writing assignment, I plan to get crazy. Not bananas, but dance on a table. Preferably a low one because I have a tendency to fall.
JD has been extraordinarily supportive through this process and even though there were some late nights involved, he was the force that pushed me through. In addition to offering valuable insight, he snapped photos of the work progression. Most were on a polaroid camera, but he captured this a few nights ago...
It was late and I just got home from a meeting, but I needed to finish my writing assignment. I laid on the floor and wrote until Polo lost his patience and brought me his ball to play. In that moment, we--all three of us--were happy.
Songs of the {Heart}
01.27.11
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he gentleman sitting next to me had his earphone placed deeply in the crevice of his ear, but I still heard the music. I mean, who doesn't love a little Chicago in the morning? He reminded me of my father, a man who expressed himself with music when he sometimes lost the words. He dreams in spanish, my father. And counts in his native tongue as well. Uno, dos, tres... His records spoke what he felt and he shared it with us.
Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Hall&Oates, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane. He blared these records during my childhood from a pink player while he repaired the car or organized the garage, and my mother shook her head in disapproval from the kitchen window. She doubted the sweet Lord Almighty approved of his music choices, but he told her they were given talents from God for us to enjoy. She shut the window tightly and my sister and I danced barefoot on the asphalt driveway, our soles covered in black. Our souls covered in joy. When I asked my dad why Roxanne didn't have to put on her Red Light tonight, he wiped his hands on his grimy jeans and changed the record.
Years later I sit next to a gentleman who listened to Chicago on an airplane, and I think of my father. The way he counts, the way he closes his eyes and plays Jimi's air guitar, the way he instills a love for music. And--every so often--I find myself counting to the the beat of one of my father's favorite records.
Uno, dos, tres...
Leather Craftsmen : WPPI
01.26.11
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e comes on Wednesdays, if albums are set to arrive. The Leather Craftsmen courier rings my doorbell and I'm greeted with a few black boxes. I squeal like a dolphin when I open each album because it's flipping through the pages makes me feel like I'm crossing a client's wedding finish line. All the hard work they put into planning their wedding? THIS is proof of its fabulousness.
I'll be hosting a contest at the Leather Craftsmen booth at WPPI next month, so if you're in Vegas, you should stop by for a chance to win one of three Companion Albums or one 10x10 20-page Print+Bind Album! I'll be there on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 3pm showcasing a few of my albums and choosing the winners, so be sure to grab a raffle ticket. Here's a sneak peek of what's in store with many thanks to Albumesque for the album designs...
Here's a guest sign in album from Jami+Joel's engagement session. The album usually has 15-17 images in the 10-page (20-side) album...and guests sign in the white margins of the album.
The beauty of working with Amy from Albumesque is I trust her. Implicitly. I inform my clients in advance that I work with a graphic designer on their album layout because--quite frankly--she's better at it. I don't enjoy album design, so I outsource the design and vision to her. The clients choose their images, I ensure they're edited with continuity, then FTP them to Albumesque...this workflow makes me LOVE designing albums now! ;)
I prefer clean, straight-forward designs without photo clutter on the pages, and I'm thrilled with how these wedding photo albums came out!
I took a picture of this album spread because JD took both these pictures...sometimes he makes me jealous! ;)
To read more about how I use Leather Craftsmen and get discounts, feel free to check out THIS POST!
Hope to see you in Vegas! Happy Wednesday!
All My Issues...And Texas.
01.25.11
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t was 4a.m. when my alarm blared, and I jerked awake trying to remember where I was. Oh yeah, my bedroom. And it's dark out. JD moved around the room in a comfortable silence and at 4:45a.m. we headed to the airport to catch our flight to Texas. JD mentioned something about me arriving too early to the airport and I simply replied I'm a responsible traveler. More like crazy traveler, JD corrected me. And then I was all, Huh? Which led to a litany of other questions and left me asking, Oooooh, really? Well, then, tell me what my issues are...
And here's where any husband reading this post will yell at his computer screen: It's a trap! No! RUN THE OTHER WAY!
There we were, driving along the 405 freeway and JD said...
*You can't eat left-overs.
*You can only write with a fine-point pen.
*You leave drawers and cupboards open.
*You're obsessive compulsive.
*You looked me in the face and said you were allergic to doing laundry. Allergic?!
Hey there Mr. Self-Realization-Before-Sunrise! Would you like a side of Truth with your plate of Honesty? Yummmmm.
As we boarded our flight an hour later, I reminded JD of that one time I ate left-over pizza that one night. And, I'm pretty sure I did get hives that one time when I touched Tide With Bleach. Last night--after meeting with hundreds of photographers in College Station, Texas--I crawled into bed. I was exhausted, but I heard JD shutting the drawers I left open in the bathroom.
Okay, so maybe I have issues, but I'm incredibly happy to travel with man who deals with them all. And takes pictures of our adventures.
Last night I had the pleasure of speaking to Brazos Valley PPA group at the Hilton Conference Center and I couldn't have been more welcome. The board embraced us with open arms and it was an honor sharing the night with such a fabulous group of people.
Is it just me or do I point alot when I talk?
Okay. During the presentation the ever fab crew at Showit donated three FREE websites to give away to a few lucky winners. On whim I decided to give a website to the person wearing the cutest cowboy boots. The crowd voted and an amazing pair of tan and turquoise boots won the website. Now, if that ain't Texas, I don't know what is! ;)
I absolutely love what I do. I'm blessed to share this industry with the people I have the chance to meet on the road. I feel a distinct change in the culture of the photo world and I'm honored to hang on for the ride with truly awesome people I can now call friends.
