Friday, February 29, 2008

Congratulations!

Congratulations go to Amanda Powell and Mitchell Vaughan of Millbrook on their upcoming wedding, December 27, 2008...AND for being so smart to book me as their wedding photographer!!

I met Amanda at the recent bridal show in Prattville last Sunday.

Their wedding is scheduled to be at the Coosada Baptist Church with the reception at the Legends Ballroom at The Legends Golf Resort in Prattville.

We will begin to take their engagement photographs soon, so I will post a picture of them here and link it to their session photos. So check back often!

Oh...almost forgot...click here to order a gift certificate for them, they will love you!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Photo Restorations

Just a reminder that we do photo restorations. If you have an old photo that needs restoring bring it in for us to look at.

It can be amazing how well some of them turn out. There have been a few I did not think would turn out, like the one above. Most of the time I can get it turned around in 1-2 weeks, but of course it just depends.

I get a lot of calls for pricing and, well...I can't do that unless I actually look at the photograph. Hope that makes sense. Even then it is an estimate. It can vary so much that it is, what it is...kinda thing.

I will have a few more samples posted on my website for you to see the before and after pictures, hopefully tomorrow. So check that out.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Bridal Show Today in Prattville

I Just got back from a Bridal Show today in Prattville and wanted to repost this Blog entry from a while back.

It is so unfortunate that some photographers (not all) will provide such terrible work to a bride.

Straight out of the camera photographs are NOT what you want for your wedding pictures. So many photographers THINK that giving you a disc with images that are straight out of the camera is a good deal...it is not, no matter how cheap it is. I have a tendency to believe that photographer's integrity is short-sighted, and you should avoid them at all costs.

You may think you are getting such a good deal, but you are not. It is a shame that some photographers think it is acceptable to provide such a low-level of professionalism.

The photograph on the left is straight out-of-the-camera and the one on the right shows a retouched and enhanced version. (Click on the picture to enlarge it) Quiet a difference!

Many photographers will shoot a wedding and only provide you with pictures (I call them snapshots) like that one on the left.

You may ask, "How do you know that?" Well, because I have had brides bring me their discs with their wedding photos on it and they have asked me to FIX them. They think the photos are horrible...that's how I know.

Many shoot-and-burn (to a CD/DVD) "photographers" will only provide you with photos like you see on the left. Heck, some will even provide you with prints from images that have not been retouched or enhanced.

Never, ever compromise your wedding photography to anyone that provides this level of service. You will regret it. You may THINK you are getting a good deal, but unfortunately, you are not.

One bride in particular received 288 pictures on a disc for $1000! Geezzzzuuuummmm. They were not only poorly composed, but they were straight out-of-the-camera. It looked like a 9 year old had snapped some pictures. Besides the quality, there were ONLY 288 pictures...TOTAL for her entire wedding! I will shoot that many before the wedding even starts!

I would never, ever give a bride (or anyone) something straight out-of-the-camera.

This is a very typical result of many part-time or novice wedding photographers and their standard operating procedures. I would say you get what you pay for, but for more than one bride, they did not even get that!

Just be aware and ask a lot of questions.

Want to say hello...

...to an old (not in age) and very, very special friend, Kimberly.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Ok...I Promise...Last Time to Post This

I want to invite you to a bridal show this coming Sunday at:

Marriott in Prattville
2500 Legions Drive
Prattville, AL
(Capital Hill Golf Course)

February 24, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Directions: Marriot

If you are getting married this year, this is the place to be. Come out and look over everything and let's talk.

I look forward to meeting everyone!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Something NEW!

Now you can order a Proof DVD of all your images! The interface is awesome. This is great for weddings but can be used for anything.

Since all wedding plans feature a-la-carte pricing, you get to choose exactly what you want. If you would like a DVD of all your images now you can get it.

Each DVD can hold up to 1500 images.

Dang It!!! Another One Gone.

It appears that Harry is dating Hermoine...another female off the market. It is a sad day. I am never in the right place at the right time.

News Article

The only thing I have to live for now is the Bridal Show this Sunday from 1-5 at the Marriot in Prattville!!! See the post below.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Don't Forget the Bridal Show!!!

I want to invite you to a bridal show this coming Sunday at:

Marriott in Prattville
2500 Legions Drive
Prattville, AL
(Capital Hill Golf Course)

February 24, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Directions: Marriot

If you are getting married this year, this is the place to be. Come out and look over everything and let's talk.

I look forward to meeting everyone!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Real Redneck Wedding...

I post these without comment...

The best lines are:

Bride: "I can't find my teeth."
Mom: "You want mine?"

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

New Phone for Michelle...


My oldest daughter Michelle, received a new phone for Valentines day from her husband Jeff...

(I want one...)

Let's all congratulate her on her new phone.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Live the Dream Forever!

Why not!!

When shopping for your wedding photographer, make sure they provide you with memories and NOT just a bunch of pictures.

Anyone can take snapshots of your wedding. If that is all you are looking for, then save some money and have a relative snap you some pictures.

To live the dream, forever, call me.

NEW WEDDING!!

Congratulations to Melanie Musgrave and Robert Taylor who are getting married Saturday, May 31, 2008, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Pics and details will follow!!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

OOOOPPS!!

If you tried to access my website earlier and could not...there was a major server crash up in Minnesota. It is now fixed.

Rachelle, you should be able to see it now.

Sorry for the problem...of all times for it to happen.

Friday, February 08, 2008

"Choosing Your Photographer" Lesson #6

So you are looking for a photographer for one of the most important days in your life. What should you expect from them?

I was just browsing one of the photographer forums that I belong to and one lady posted something that I thought would make an interesting and timely entry for my blog.

She related a very recent story that the bride and groom had met with her and looked over all her sample photographs, albums etc. Now I have highlighted those words because they will become significant. They booked her. She knew the family and gave them a 50% discount...Oops, first mistake.

Fast forward to the last couple of days. The wedding has been over for more than 2 months. The album is completed...I might add, with selections made by the bride and groom and enlargements printed and delivered (enlargements selected by the bride and her family...duh).

She has just received an email from the bride and her mom telling her they are very disappointed in the "style" of the photographs...(HUH??) and, they want their money back.

This makes absolutely no sense to me since:

  1. They reviewed her work before they signed-up;
  2. They viewed the images after the wedding to make their selections;
  3. They get together with the photographer to plan and design their album;
  4. Photographer delivers their album and other photographs;
  5. TWO (2) months later they EMAIL her to say how disappointed they are.
Unfortunately, some brides and their moms pull this to get part or all of their money back. I have heard it done so many times. They want to keep the pictures and album, but they want all their money back. But anyway, I want to address what I call the real secondary issues.

They had more than adequate time to evaluate the photographer BEFORE they even signed a contract. Even more time to, at least mention something, after the wedding, and additional time while they were designing the album and ordering prints...

Now, I will say that I can photograph 2 weddings at the same location and they will just turn out different. A lot of it is the personality of the bride and groom, the setting, or really, who knows what it is? They just "look" different.

Some weddings are more emotional while others are...well...no one really cares. Unfortunately, that emotion can get translated into the photographs. It happens all the time. Those that are magic, make it worth everything to me.

So, this is a very red flag going up for me. They want something for nothing. How many other vendors have they done this to?

The bottom line here is not to wait until everything is done, to voice a concern.

While looking at a photographer's samples, ask them if they have photographed your location and if yes, can you look at some samples from there. If they haven't, look at their overall style. Is it something you like? Do you have special requests? Tell them. Look at their website. VERY IMPORTANT! I have recently seen some photographer's websites that literally look like a 12 year old put it together. Great photographs on a website can give you a idea of how good the photographer is. Ask them if those photographs are standard for their wedding photography.

A photographer's style will hopefully just get better over time, so asking if they have photographed a specific location may not reflect any improvements in the photographer's work NOW.

When looking for your photographer, remember their time is NOT just the hours of the wedding day. For me the number of hours for every wedding, can be well over 200+.

All of the engagement photos, final fitting, bridal showers, tux fitting, pre-wedding shots, ceremony, reception and after wedding post processing, WebShow design and Album Showcase design involve a significant amount of time. Plus there is the issue of retouching and enhancing every photograph used in the WebShow and Album Showcase.

I had one fiance tell me he thought the pricing was way out-of-line for a couple of hours work...thus, a little education into the facts-of-life began.

Ask questions before you commit to anything. I am just going to throw this out there for giggles, READ THE CONTRACT. Asking relevant questions shows me you are concerned about your wedding photography and that you are NOT just looking for some "snapshots" of your wedding. A relative can get you some snapshots. Hopefully, I can give you a lasting memory.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Looking for a Cheap Wedding Photographer?

Amateur and Part-Time Wedding Photographer...really cheap!

Click the link then scroll down to watch the cheap wedding photographer in action...Oh, you get what you pay for, btw.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Superbowl Commercials Link

Open the link, then scroll down. The e-trade commercials are great.

Commercials

Sunday, February 03, 2008

First Dance...Oops!

Friday, February 01, 2008

Absolutely Useless Post...

But it is Friday...

There are 7 girls in a bus.
Each girl has 7 backpacks.
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.
For every big cat, there are 7 little cats.
Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

Don't even try to figure it out if you are on medication for nervousness or high blood pressure. Please consult your physician before attempting to solve.