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| Last week, Stephen and I flew to GORGEOUS Oahu, Hawaii. Umm... could I complain about shooting a wedding in Hawaii? I don't think so! Without any hesitation or gripping complaints, I flew out to paradise to document Jillienne and Brandon's engagement session and wedding. If you remember my post last week, Jillienne and Brandon were of course beautiful subjects to photograph. We had an absolute blast running along the ocean shore, looking through our camera lenses at each other laughing, because we just couldn't believe we were actually in Hawaii! After spending the day preparing during our pre-wedding shoot, I knew the wedding would be calm and simple. That's exactly how both Jillienne and Brandon are. Simple, beautiful and two big huge hearts of gold. I was overwhelmed with joy after meeting Jillienne for the first time. She is one of the NICEST gals around. A gorgeous green eyed blonde, who is a beautiful model to photograph. I couldn't be happier to have her behind my lens! I met Brandon in college. Everytime I saw Brandon, he had a mini coke can in one hand and his other hand wrapped around the keyboard typing diligently to get his work done. He's always been smart and collective and I think that's why I've always enjoyed time spent with him. Brandon is a genuine servant willing to help anyone in need. I definitely see why both Jillienne and Brandon have fallen in love with each other. The ceremony was held on a white beach on the north shore of Oahu. A gorgeous private beach next to the popular location known to most surfers as Pipeline . The ceremony was perfect. Both families gathered around and joined hearts as they were now connected as one family. It was intimate, serene and beautiful. The clouds hung low, but left a bit of room for the sun to join us during our last few moments at the beach. As the day began to unwind, Jillienne and Brandon were kind enough to invite us to dinner at fabulous Haleiwa Joe's on the North shore. We both felt so privileged to be part of such an intimate family gathering. We look at our jobs and still feel undeserving to spend such private and irreplaceable time with amazing families like Jillienne and Brandon's. I have said it many times but I'll say it again.... I love my job and I LOVE the people I get to work with. My clients are who make this job worthwhile. Thank you Jillienne and Brandon! I wish you two the very best! To see a slideshow of the rest of the day, click HERE. |
I have been overwhelmed with excitement after receiving so many kind e-mails from amazing photographers around the world. I LOVE meeting new people and learning how other photographers work. More and more, I think it's extremely important to get to know photographers in your surrounding area (and beyond.) You never know when you might need some help shooting a wedding or need some extra referrals. Networking is what gets your name around the block and sends new friends your way. It's a way to learn and and a way to teach others. Lets learn from each other!! I extend this to ANYONE that reads my blog. I would love to hear from EVERYONE. Whether it be a comment or an e-mail... send me a hello and lets chat!! You don't have to be a photographer, you can simply be a blog reader who wants to say hello or learn more about photography. Lets ask each other questions! How often do we read each other blogs and not leave a comment? Im definitely guilty of that! I think its important to encourage each other and learn from how we all work. We shouldn't see this industry as a competition (although there always is competiton) we should see this industry as a way to learn from each other and do things better. There is plenty of business in the world for all of us and we can only do better if we refer each other and learn from how differently we do things. We all charge differently for numerous reasons and we all provide different things. Lets talk about what works the best for us and learn from each other. Lets be friends via my Twitter and Facebook account. These websites are great ways for us to keep up with each other and stay informed with what's going on in our area. I think its so important to know those in your industry. Think about what really sets you a part from other photographers and lets chat.
I am still currently out of town and WISHING I was in front of my home computer to post this wedding but thought I would leave you with a photo.... enjoy!
In the meantime, Ill be flying home on a 6 hour boring flight. Happy Tuesday! |
| Although I SOOOO want to post yesterdays wedding... I thought it was better to leave a teaser. Mr. turtle showed up just in time for the wedding and I joined him for a photo. As for these next few days, I will be enjoying the sun, the waves and the beautiful lush green mountains before heading back to the sweltering desert. Wouldn't it be great if we all lived in Hawaii? We would always have perfect backdrops for photos :) |
| Yesterday, I spent the evening with Jillienne and Brandon on the coast of gorgeous Oahu, Hawaii. We made our first stop beyond sandy beach and admired the beauty of the lush green mountains and volcanic red soil that held the stark black rocks we stood on. Jillienne and Brandon will be exchanging vows this afternoon and I am more than excited to watch the day unfold. I decided to keep this blog entry short as I will be posting their wedding photos in a few days .... but as for now, enjoy our hawaiian adventure around the island discovering God's creation. |
| I LOVE this photo of them! You can't help but smile while looking at it... |
| Jillienne is stunning. One of the most photogenic girls I've ever shot! |
| Brandon is a really great photographer and brought along his old vintage polaroid camera .. it made for an awesome prop and we had a blast using it!! |
| Don't you just wish everything was this instant?!!!!! |
| I have received a few e-mails wondering "whats in my bag"... well.... this is it! The lenses at least. What lens do I LOVE to shoot with? The 50 mm. 1.2. I swear, it is a phenomenal lens that makes everything look a little bit better :) I shoot with the "L" series lenses and I have been building my bag up slowly. I first started with the 24-105 lens. If you are a beginner photographer, this is a lens that is a must. I highly suggest purchasing this lens (if you don't mind spending the money) because its a great wide angle lens that you can also use to zoom with. After feeling confident I could become a photographer, I then purchased the 70-200 lens for those distance shots I need to take during the ceremony. It really pays to shoot up close and steal those gorgeous expressions the bride and groom give to each other. After shooting with those two lenses for a bit of time, I wanted something to jazz up my work. I bought the 15mm (fish eye lens). At the time, I LOVED the lens and used it a little bit at almost every shoot. After a while, I begin to realize, I don't hardly ever use the fish eye because my style has just simply changed. I do though enjoy the funky photos it creates every once in a while but I wouldn't say this is a necessary lens to buy in the beginning of your business. After really feeling confident I could shoot more weddings, I purchased the macro 100mm and the 50mm. The macro is a lens I mostly use for ring shots. Its also a great zoom lens that a second shooter could use on the side. The 50mm of course is my little baby I use almost all the time. I just LOVE the prime lenses. I love the focus and the sharpness of all the images. There is just something different about them. These aren't lenses you NEED because the prices are quite expensive but they are a lens I suggest adding to your bag down the road. Im finding that my style is going more towards all prime lenses. After thinking about whether to buy a new camera or a new lens, I decided to buy a lens since my cameras are still in great shape. What did I just HAVE to buy? ..... |
The 24 mm of course! Its right up there next the 50mm. The 50mm and the 24mm will now be my two hand in hand lenses I shoot with at every wedding and engagement. If I could give any suggestion to a new photographer or any fellow photographer that is enjoying photography, it would be to remain patient. It definitely takes time to grow your business and by growing I mean, clients, portfolio, and equipment. Its taken me a few years to gain these lenses and a lot of money but in the end it pays off! You have to spend money to make money right? Another tip? Have fun! Take your friends out and do some fun shoots with them. I have found that branding is another important aspect of any photography business that costs money. I hired Infinet Design to design my blog and it was DEFINITELY worth every penny. I had to really decide if it was worth the cost but after working with them and viewing my design, I definitely don't regret spending the money. I branded my blog based on my "style" of photography. I felt that by doing so, I would attract those brides that loved my design and style. And THOSE are the brides I really want to work with. It's best to show off your personality before the clients actually meet you. I know this all seems like a lot but it definitely takes time to become a better photographer. It takes a lot of learning to become a better photographer, so don't go weary! I read other photographer's blogs, compare them to mine, and always feel like my photos could definitely be better. In this instance, I'm not quite being fair to myself because I'm a totally different photographer and am constantly growing. Be proud of your work because I'm sure other people are.
The last thing I want to talk about are cameras and flash equipment. I did not take any photos of my cameras and flashes but my bag consists of four cameras. Two 5ds, a 30d and a 40d. I actually have hardly touched the 30d and the 40d (im selling them) because they just don't quite fit in with my style of photography. I have them as backups, but until I can afford to buy another 5d, they are not getting much use. It's REALLY important to always have a back up camera in case one fails on you. How embarrassing would it be to have your camera fail on you at a wedding with no backup? SCARY! If you have to rent an extra... I definitely suggest to do so or bring a second camera, even if it is not as nice as your first. If you needed another one it would be worth it. Invest in a camera body... in my opinion it will enhance your work more than a lens will. Flash equipment is definitely necessary when the lights go down. I just recently invested in off camera lighting equipment that adds a flare to my photos. The off camera equipment is definitely not necessary but is something that enhances what you already have. I use three 580 II flashes with pocket wizards. You can read more about my off camera lighting HERE.
Sorry for babbling! I just want to encourage all those photographers that feel they are in a rut to get out and do some challenging things. Make your own photoshoots and have fun!! The only way you will learn is by trying new things and experimenting with what you have. |
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