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T his post should be about one person, but it's not. But I think that's how most things in life work. Should and Shouldn't hardly ever agree. Yesterday evening a group of friends gathered to celebrate Jessica Claire's 30th birthday with a lively game of kickball along Balboa Beach. A ton of people showed up to celebrate Jessica's life and kick a big red ball in her honor...and it was pretty epic.
That's what this post should be about. But it's not.
This post is about Jessica's fiance, Jeff. He's been in the picture about a year, but it's as if he's been around forever. The minute he stepped foot in Jess' life, it's been perfect. No, really, it has. That's just the effect this guy has. He's caring, thoughtful, patient, and hilarious...and he loves Jessica's fiery personality. He planned and hosted the birthday bash and every detail was perfect...the jerseys, the headbands, the BBQ...everything. And I just have to point out that Jeff even remembered to buy soy hotdogs for me. See?! This guy is PERFECT! ;)
So, I guess this is what this post is about. A great guy loving a special girl on her birthday. And the many friends who celebrated their love.
The Birthday Girl... |
| Here's Jeff...he brought along a black sports pen to make us look extra mean.... |
| ...but I don't think it worked so much for Jessica... |
| JD snapped this photo and told me to look tough...I think I look more like a confused ninja... |
| My little marketing guru...JD decided J* cross-promotion was in order... |
| [b]ecker was our team pitcher and he was pretty awesome...although I did have to carry out refills of Diet Coke every inning! ;) |
| I'm pretty sure Jessica kicked a grand slam here... ;) |
| Okay, so I had one claim to fame last night. I was catcher (which is code for That Girl Runs Like She Has An Iron Lung), and pretty much just watched the game from the sidelines. One the best kickers from the other team kicked a pop foul and I miraculously caught it. Hold on...it bears repeating...I CAUGHT IT. Jessica captured this picture of Becker's reaction and I really just love it. Definitely my fav of the day... |
| I took this photo of the Spitting Llamas...aka the losers... |
| ...and Jessica took this picture of The Pink Fluffy Monsters...aka the WINNERS! |
    
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FAQ : How To Get a Wedding Published
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S o the story goes like this: During my first year of business, I was contacted by a fabulous bride. Nicole found my work and decided to book online after reading my blog and discovering we went to college together (though she graduated a couple years after me). Shortly after shooting her wedding, I received amazing news that she earned the position of assistant editor at Inside Weddings Magazine. I was beyond proud of her and we sent a flurry of emails back and forth with giddy excitement. I know I say this too often, but--really--I love my brides.
A couple months later, I shot Kasey and Nick's wedding in Seattle. Nicole--being the fabulous J* Bride that she is--still followed my blog (10,000 bonus cool points for her!)--so she dropped a line and suggested I submit the wedding for publication in Inside Weddings Magazine. There were no guarantees of publication, but she felt it'd be a good fit for the winter issue. Lo and behold, when I received news the wedding was published, I was through the roof with excitement!!
Since then, I've received emails from photographers asking how they can get published. Embarrassingly, I'm the first to admit, I'm no expert...in fact, I really don't have the best of suggestions. A bit ago, I was struck with the idea I should contact Inside Wedding Magazine's Senior Editor, Marilyn Oliviera, and pass along the questions I'm commonly asked. Nervously, I emailed her...with the tonality of Oliver Twist asking for more soup. I totally didn't think she'd respond (due to her busy schedule and uber fab life), but she carved out time for blog readers and I'm incredibly thankful. |
Photo Credit: Jay Lawrence Goldman
*What's the best piece of advice you can offer when submitting a wedding for publication?
When submitting to a magazine, send a lot of detail shots of the wedding. Often I'll receive dozens and dozens of beautiful images of people, and while they're lovely to look at, what I really need to see more of is the event itself. Amazing floral arrangements, unique decor, creative tabletop -- these are the things that give brides inspiration for their own weddings and end up composing most of a feature.
*What's one thing to avoid when submitting a wedding for publication?
Don't send more than one or two weddings at a time unless you already have a relationship with the editor and/or you've been specifically asked to do so. I've received as many as 20 (20!) disks at a time from a single submitter, and it's just too much time to devote to a single person. Narrow it down to your very best work on the most beautiful events, and submit those.
*What's something you wish everyone did when submitting a wedding for publication?
I wish everyone would include the following information with their submissions: the wedding date; the wedding location; and the couple's names and contact info. When and where a wedding took place are both important components of the consideration process, and once a wedding is selected, the editor will need to contact the bride and groom to get the process rolling. It may seem like basic info, but sometimes I'll get a disk with absolutely no references at all -- just a CD with a photographer's name on it -- and I have to hunt down the additional information before I can consider the wedding.
*How many images should a photographer include when submitting a wedding for publication? What's too many?
I personally prefer around 100-150 of the best images -- lots of detail shots! -- that cover everything from the bride and groom getting ready to dancing at the reception. That might be a lot for other editors, but I find that it holds up the process to have to ask for additional images to review and then wait for the photos to arrive. Anything over 250 tends to be too many -- I find myself sifting through a lot of people shots and images that all look the same. Whatever you do, do not send all of the photos for an entire wedding -- make sure you edit for fantastic shots and key parts of the event, and send the best images you have.
*How do you prefer receiving wedding submissions? Like, do you like contact sheets? A cover letter? A Q+A from the bride regarding the wedding details? What kind of CD case do you prefer? Etc.
A disk that is clearly labeled with the photographer's name, the couple's name, and the wedding date and location (Lisa Smith & Don Jones -- 12/21/08 -- Miami, FL -- Photos by Jasmine Star) is like gold to me; if it gets separated from its cover sheet, I can pick it up and know exactly what it is and where it came from immediately. Including a short cover letter is fine, and a full or partial vendor list is even better. Inside Weddings' submission policy requires that a member of our Editor's Circle make the submission, so we have a specific form that we distribute. If you aren't a member, you can contact an Editor's Circle member that also participated in the wedding for the form that allows you to submit the images on their behalf. Also, If there is a unique angle to the wedding or an interesting story re: the couple and/or how they met, by all means include it.
*Will editors feature a wedding that has been previously featured on a wedding blog? This is actually a topic that has come up a few times, and it really depends on the situation. If a short feature was published on the photographer's own blog, that isn't really a problem -- we understand that photogs want their best work to be seen. When a wedding has been picked up by multiple blogs and broadcast across the internet, however, that's a problem. It costs tens of thousands of dollars to produce and publish a single wedding feature, and we have to make difficult decisions about which events to feature because of the space limitations of a print publication. Devoting pages to an event that ends up making the blog rounds before the magazine hits newsstands is extremely frustrating and rather unfair to the other photographers whose work was in the running and had to be passed upon. Other publications may feel differently, but if you're looking to have a particular event published in print, a good rule of thumb is to do a round of print submissions and then make the weddings that were not picked up available to the web.
*What images do you wish were included in submissions, but hardly ever appear?
Again (and I can't repeat this enough), detail images. I would venture that approximately 80% of the submissions I receive require me to ask for additional detail shots. Keep in mind that Inside Weddings devotes multiple pages to each and every real wedding that we feature -- it's one of the aspects that sets us apart from other publications. There have to be enough amazing details for us to fill six-to-ten pages with photos. Oh, and I love photos of the father of the bride's first glimpse of his daughter, and of children looking fascinated, bored, or full of joy.
*Do you prefer working with wedding publicists? For someone who doesn't have a publicist, do you recommend hiring one?
Wedding publicists can be a great resource for photographers -- they may have relationships in place within the industry that are invaluable, and taking the coordination aspects off of a photographer's hands can be extremely helpful. We certainly don't mind working with publicists that are courteous professionals, and welcome the relationships -- just make sure that the person you choose to represent you comes highly recommended, has a good track record, and is someone whose personality and level of professionalism will help rather than hinder your goals.
*Should the same wedding be submitted to multiple magazines for publication? Why or why not? What's happened when the same wedding wanted to get picked up by multiple magazines?
If you have your heart set on one particular magazine, it makes sense to submit to them first; however, increasing your chances of getting a wedding picked up by submitting it to multiple publications is completely fair. What you don't want to do is to confirm with one magazine and then change your mind, or tell more than one publication that they can run the same wedding. If your first choice hasn't gotten back to you and someone else wants it, you can check in for a status update before confirming with the second title.
*When submitting a wedding, who should the package be addressed to?
The Editor-in-Chief typically isn't the best person for submissions. Some publications will have a "Weddings Editor" or an editor of another designation that is clearly linked to real weddings, but when in doubt, it doesn't hurt to call and inquire.
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Shannon and Matt : Wedding
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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S he was ready. She was a bride. And she was ready to be a bride. Shannon woke in the wee hours of Saturday morning knowing her wedding day arrived in full glory. Knowing the day wouldn't be perfect without a little Turbo Jam kickboxing, Shannon punched, jabbed, and upper-cutted her way through the sunrise and started the day surrounded by her bridesmaids, cute tote bags, and a DVD player busting with a kickboxing routine. But that's just Shannon...she's full of life and an abundance of energy. If you stand too close to her, it may rub off on you. She's gloriously contagious.
Shannon watched Matt from a distance. While tucked away in the bridal room of St. Maximillian Kolbe Church, she had a sneaky view of Matt greeting guests as they arrived. Matt was calm and collected, with a confidant demeanor of a man knowing his destiny. Little did he know Destiny was watching from the bridal room.
The day unfolded fabulously well and guests enjoyed the shade of the Malibu eucalyptus trees, while sipping on blackberry mojitos. Shannon and Matt floated from friend to friend and laughed the the day away. The twinkle lights illuminated their seats under the large oak tree of Calamigos Ranch as toasts were made and glasses raised in their honor. Throughout the night, the newly minted couple danced the night away. They're full of life and an abundance of energy. And, if you stood too close to them, it rubbed off on you. Together, they're gloriously contagious.
Shannon and Matt, thank you for being so fabulous. From the first time we met and bonded over cupcakes, I felt an instant connection with you and I'm incredibly blessed to have been your wedding photographer. Your friends and family are amazing (special shout out to my homie and father of the bride, Chuck!) and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my weekend. Hope you're enjoying Mexico and loving life as husband and wife. Much Love and Appreciation...J*
The wedding day started at Westlake Village Inn with the fabulous bridesmaids and the mother of the bride looking on... |
| Special thanks to bridesmaid extraordinaire, amazing baker, and overall fabulous girl, Amy of Vanilla Bake Shop. She referred Shannon my way and I was more than happy to offer my services as long as I was able to eat a thousand slices of cake at the wedding :) |
| Annnnnd, she's gorgeous. How could my day go wrong shooting this girl all day?! |
| Matt and Shannon chartered a party bus to shuttle guests and much to our surprise (okay, and delight) there was a dancer's pole in it! Com'on...on a wedding day?! Shannon decided to have a little fun.... ;) |
| Matt just moments before the ceremony.... |
| A little fabulousness in church never hurt. In fact, I think God likes it. Trust me. |
| Here the Deacon shared a private joke with Shannon and Matt, and I loved their reactions... |
| JD caught this moment just before the First Kiss... |
| One of my favorite recessional shots ever... |
| I'm not gonna lie...I was jealous JD captured this picture... |
| It was 104 degrees in Malibu and there were times throughout the day when I wanted to steal the tray of drinks and toast myself! ;) |
| A very special thanks must go to Lynda Mort of Romantic Moments for coordinating the day flawlessly and keeping everything smooth and relaxing. I love wedding coordinators who make my job so dreamy! :) |
| Amy of Vanilla Bake Shop provided the wedding favors...and they were so cute! Inside each box was delicious chocolate chip cookies....love it! |
| The ring bearer was the only child at the wedding, so when I saw him on this bench, I immediately snapped this photo. It's become one of my favorites of the day... |
| Shannon's sister and maid of honor delivered a funny speech... |
| JD captured this photo of the reception... |
| My angle of the First Dance... |
| JD's angle of the First Dance... |
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Feathered Hair and the Solar System
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I t was my senior year of college and I hadn't even stepped foot into the science building. The brown and beige linoleum led the way to what would be the first day of of fulfilling a mandatory science class. I loved my liberal arts college, but when it came to taking a classes ending with the letter Y (chemistrY, biologY, astronomY), I wanted to wave my index finger and be all, Ummm, I don't think so. And, really, the science building smelled funny. Like, chemicals, fossils, and smart kids. I missed business classes in Hoover Hall that smelled like finance, dusty chairs, and lacrosse.
In order to graduate I had to register for a science class, so when I came across In Search of Extraterrestrial Life taught by Dr. Glen Piner, I begrudgingly signed up. Afterall, it was the only science class that didn't end with a Y. On the first day of school, Dr. Piner showed up in loose cargo shorts, wearing socks with his sandals, and a t-shirt with the solar system emblazed on the front. His gold-rimmed glasses complimented his feathered hair, and as he paced the length of the room, I couldn't help but think Farrah Fawcet would be proud of his blond locks.
I started class determined to hate science, but as the semester progressed, Dr. Piner won my heart. I found myself excited to take notes and tried very hard to earn the highest marks in the class. He was one of the best professors I had in college and I realized it wasn't what he taught that I loved, it was how passionate he was about his studies. His students wanted to do well, merely as a byproduct of his love for science.
Yesterday I received an email from a blog reader and it made my day. She's not a photographer, but she reads this blog (including the technical and FAQ posts) because...well, to be honest, I don't know why she does. She reads this blog--maybe--the same reason I studied my science books....because she sees someone following their passion. Or maybe she thinks I have nice hair.
To the readers who follow this blog for the sake of following this blog, thank you. I'm absolutely in love with what I do and if I owned a t-shirt comprised of cameras and lenses, I'd proudly wear it. But I'd pass on the socks with sandals part. |
M y blood ran cold and the hair on my arms stood upright, like they were in the Marines and it was bunk inspection. My sister-in-law said it casually and didn't blink an eye, even after my mouth dropped open. My mouth remained in that state and my eyes glazed over. Then I let out a shriek because I'm dramatic like that. My sister-in-law told me my mother-in-law reads my blog. And just in case you didn't comprehend that last part, SHE READS MY BLOG. Shut up.
I panicked because my mind started thinking of all the many things I write on my blog that I'm okay with the world to know, but definitely not JD's mother. Umm, like, the time when I recounted tagging her out on her birthday?! The many nights I say I sprained my finger and I can't cook dinner...the work-a-holic admissions on the web...how I should have the desire to be knitting baby booties right now, but don't. Yes, Internet, all THAT is out on my blog. Except for the knitting part....I don't knit.
So, in attempts to make it up to my mother-in-law, I'm posting the following pictures of her grandson. I may not cook, clean, or knit as well as the ideal wife for her only son, but LOOK AT THE HAPPY PICTURES!! Dearest mother-in-law, please overlook my shortcomings as a wife and focus on my assets as an auntie with a nice camera! ;)
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