Review : From Katie B, Wedding 8/29/09

"She was amazing to work with and gave me everything I wanted in my pictures and more. We have a seperated family and she made it very easy to get pictures and make it comfortable for everyone. Thanks again for the great service. I have given everyone her number! Now we're expecting and I can't wait for her to do our pictures in the future!"

Thanks, Katie, and congratulations!  We loved photographing your beautiful wedding and meeting you, Nick and your families.

Happy Valentine's Day - But a Good Day for a Wedding?

When picking your wedding date, you should think about what also might be happening on that date - religious holidays, regional holidays, sporting events...even conventions!  For example, hotel rooms might be hard to find or pricey if you schedule your wedding in Chicago during the National Restaurant Show.  Do an online check for any huge local events or conventions on your proposed date and keep in mind that some holidays are more regional.

Here are some dates you might want to think twice about:

April 1 - April Fool's Day
Chinese New Year
Christmas and the days before/after
December 7 - Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Father's Day
Final Four - March Madness (your Groom might not even show!)
4th of July weekend
Friday the 13th (of any month)
Halloween - unless this is your theme!
March 15 - the Ides of March
March 17 - St. Patrick's Day (again, forget Chicago!)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and possibly the weekend before)
Mother's Day
New Year's Eve and Day
Oscar Night (Academy Awards)
September 11
Super Bowl Sunday
Thanksgiving Weekend
Valentine's Day (although, it's a popular day to get engaged!)
Weekend before or after April 15 (Tax Day)

This doesn't mean you can't pick any of these dates, but just consider the ramifications.

In Cincinnati, you might also want to think about some of our local events - Flying Pig Marathon, Cross Town Shoot Out, Oktoberfest, Reggae Run, etc.

Oh, and if your wedding falls over the weekend of Daylight Savings Time - be sure you send out LOTS of reminders about the time change.

New Lens, New Love

At every wedding, we take photos of the rings.  As soon as our Bride and Groom are seated and enjoying their meal, we quietly borrow their rings and the Bride's beautiful bouquet.  Next, we find a spot with decent lighting or a good setting, away from the wedding guests, and get set up to shoot. 

We always start out with the rings in the flowers - but I try to do something different and creative every time, too.  I've used black pianos to get gorgeous reflections.  I've tried the wedding favors.  Christmas ornaments.  Pillows.  Martini and Champagne glasses (one still had Champagne in it!  I did ask the Bride and Groom first, too).  Hmmm....what else?  Oh, part of a lamp!  (It was a cool lamp!)  And ribbons.  You never know until you try, right?

My favorite lens to use when I photograph rings is my Canon 100mm Macro lens.  It's a fabulous lens - and I love being able to fill the image with the rings and flowers.  You can capture amazing detail - sometimes too much!  (Note - I've learned to bring a cloth napkin and polish up the rings before photos and look for little pieces of lint.)

Recently, Canon upgraded this great lens - so, we upgraded, too.  That's one thing about me - I want the best and have invested heavily in my equipment.  My husband/second shooter, Andy, is in total agreement. 

In 2010, we have plans to pick up another top-of-the-line lens or two (can we say FISHEYE?) and really expand our lighting options.  It just means better and better photos!

But I digress.  All I can say is - this lens ROCKS!  I can't wait to use it for all of our upcoming weddings.  Gorgeous photos, here we come!