London Winter Bridal Show- Fashion Show

This weekend I headed to the London winter bridal show to see how it all worked as I will be presenting my work for brides at 3 bridal expos held at lovely venues coming up in March and April. You can check out the details here- http://www.upcomingweddingshows.ca/ShowHome.aspx

The fashion show was a highlight for me and the below photographs are just a small selection of the show which featured the following desigeners/stores.

Nicholas & Elizabeth Bridal 

Bud Gowan Formal Wear

Ross Mayer

Petrov Bridal

Joseph Clothiers

David's Bridal

Moores Clothing for Men

Once Upon A Time Weddings

Collins Formal Wear

Ballett's The Wedding Specialists

Photokina 2012

I know this post is about 3 weeks overdue but hey, better late than never! This photokina post isn't going to tell you about all the latest gadgets from the biggest companies (Canon, Nikon etc) but it will focus on the things that made me happiest at the trade show in Cologne, Germany.

First stop was Lomography, unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to sign up for the DIY La Sardinia workshop where they were giving away free cameras (I can't be too greedy, I do already have one , below) but was very happy to have a 1 on 1 tutorial with a Lomokino camera (shown above) and be able to play around with all the fun props they had to go with their circus theme. 

Next stop was up the stairs to Samsung and although I've never really liked their cameras I did really like all their displays- breakdancers, waterfalls and lego boats! We also stood in line for 45 minutes to get a photo on a vespa printed on a mug for free but the camera they were using was having problems connecting to wifi and the in camera editing looked very slow going anyway so we abandoned it.

Sony had lots of models to try out their cameras on

The Impossible project was doing demonstrations of their latest technology basically being able to use and Iphone to take a picture, put it on their device and make it an instant polaroid like picture. I'm still not sure how I feel about this- Glad that it opens up more ways for people to use analogue technology but I always loved the feeling of that a Polaroid is like a negative, there is only one of them. 

We also stood in line for about an hour to get these photographs taken of us by photographer Walter M Rammler for a project faces@photokina on a hassleblad camera then printed on an Epson fine art printer. 

I used a CeWe instant print machine to make these glossy prints and was surprised with actually how nice they came out.

On the opposite end of the scale, Polaroids new digital instant camera disappointed me, with a much smaller amount of megapixels than all cameras on the market and poor printing quality, I feel like this machine could have been made so much better had a little more time and money gone into it. (See printed example of me using one above)

And lastly, my next big purchase is going to be an Epson scanner so while I was chatting to the reps about them I got this print done on one of their printers, and I was again surprised at the quality it came out with. Maybe my 'anything printed not in a lab on wet lab paper is crap' mentality was slightly changed. Maybe. 

Wedding Photography Etiquette for Guests

This is a re-blog of a great set of tips I read last night that I thought went right in with what I had been writing about for the last few weeks. These tips were written by Casey Fatchett and can be found here, I simply don't think I could have put it better myself!

- All photography by me :)

• With the explosion of digital photography and social media, more and more guests are taking photos at weddings. They have camera phones and DSLRs and they really, really want to take pictures. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as they follow some very simple rules:
• 1. Do NOT Tweet, Facebook, or share in any way pictures of the bride before the ceremony!
• You would think this would be pretty obvious, but this year alone, I’ve heard nearly a dozen people tell me that the groom saw a picture of the bride posted somewhere. As a recent groom and a wedding photographer, I can tell you that guys generally have a bit of downtime before the ceremony and it is not unusual for them to check their phone. “Oh look, my fiancé was tagged in a photo...”
• I know you want to be the first person to post a photo of the bride in her wedding dress, but just hold off until after the ceremony – because, even if the groom HAS seen the dress, all the other guests haven't and it is kind of an important moment.
• 
• 2. Don't stand (or jump) in front of the professional photographer
• I know you want to get a shot of the first kiss at the ceremony, or the bride and groom cutting the wedding cake. But remember, the couple paid the photographer to be there and perform a service, so don't waste their money by infringing on the pro’s ability to capture the perfect shot. This also holds true for the “I'm just going to stick my arm out into the aisle and take a photo” move. I can't tell you how many great shots this move has spoiled over the years.
• There's plenty of room for all of us to take pictures, and I personally don't mind if someone stands right next to me. Just don't block the shot – this isn't the NBA!
• 
• 3. Don't engage the photographer in a long discussion about photography
• I love talking to people about cameras, lenses, photography, etc. - just ask my wife. Most wedding photographers probably won't mind talking to you quickly if they have some down time. However, we don't want to come off as impolite trying to get out of that conversation because we need to get back to doing our job. So take their business card, and continue the discussion via email, Facebook or Twitter.
• 
• 4. Don't mess with the camera in the photo booth
• If the couple or photographer has set up an unmanned photo booth, it’s best not to touch the camera. Please resist the urge to check out that awesome photo you just took or to change the settings on the camera. You might mess things up for everyone after you. And if you think there’s a problem, let the person who set it up know about it.
• 
• 5. Put the camera down and have a good time!
• This is advice I need to take myself, because I am totally guilty of it on occasion. Unless the couple did not hire a photographer, or the photographer is not around or left because their contracted time was up – you do not need to be taking tons of pictures. Get out from behind the camera and enjoy yourself! It is a celebration.

Engagement Photography session helpful hints

When it comes to having engagement photos taken, a lot of people can be a little lost as they may have not had professional photos taken since they were kids, if at all. These are some helpful hints Ive put together to help you get the most out of your engagement session. The same hints can mostly be said for any couple shoot :)

1. Talk to your photographer about what sort of images you are after. You've heard me say this one before but it is very important. This could mean you have a specific place in mind for the photo, that you are wanting something printed on canvas, you really want a close up of the ring, you mainly like black and white photos or simply that you like traditional photos (everyone looking at the camera) or contemporary photos (more casual style of photography).

2. Wear something that you feel comfortable in. If it isn't something you would normally wear or you are too over dressed or under dressed for the conditions then it will come across in the photos and you might wish you'd just worn your converse instead of trying to balance in those 6 inch heels! If you wouldn't normally wear matching white shirts and jeans down the street, you probably wont want them up on the wall for life.

3. Pick the right location, this could be a place that means a lot to you and your partner or just a place that you know has a lot of nice scenery that you enjoy.

4. Bring some makeup and a brush to touch up between shots, changing outfits is also a good idea to get variety out of your shoot.

5. I love having themes in my portrait sessions- check out this couple shoot with an Up! theme. If you have a theme you would like o incorporate, or even just a special prop let's talk about how to make it work!

Pet Photography session helpful hints

Hey everyone, I've decided to start a new helpful blog series for anyone looking at booking a photography session and that would like to know some insider tips so that the session goes smoothly.

Today were starting with Pet Photography. They say never work with children and animals but I love both. Even better when it is together. The major thing is just having patience, understanding and the optimism that things can only get better!

1. Talk to your photographer about what sort of images you are after. This could mean you have a specific place in mind for the photo, that you are wanting something printed on canvas, you really want a close up of their nose, you mainly like black and white photos or simply that you like traditional photos (everyone looking at the camera) or contemporary photos (more casual style of photography).

2. Pick the right location. Somewhere that is familiar to you and your pet can be a good idea. You might want to have somewhere that will give you a variety of different looks (see this previous pet photography session in a park) or somewhere that all of the images have a similar kind of background which can be great for building a story out of your images.

3. If you want to bring a prop or something to keep the pet occupied, don't introduce it straight away. For example, if your dog is obsessed with playing fetch, don't introduce a ball straight away as then it could become a distraction.

4. Bring treats. Nothing can be said as to how much these can help during a shoot.

5. Have your pet groomed before the shoot. Your wouldn't go to a photography shoot without brushing your hair, your pet doesn't want to either.

Special- Pet Photography session in the location of your choice just $100 if you book this week only. Great idea for a Christmas gift voucher!