GREAT First Dance - Baby Got Back!

This is an older video, but it's still a lot of fun! If you plan something like this, be SURE to tell your photographer, so they don't miss any of the action! I've had something like this sprung on me, and although we got the photos, it would have been nice to get a little warning....enjoy!



Baby Got Back Wedding Dance

Inspiration : Greeting Cards?

Last night, I did an engagement shoot for Katie & Nick – what a wonderful couple! We met at Devou Park at the overlook (behind the Drees Pavilion) for an early evening shoot. This part of the park isn’t really positioned right for a sunset, but there is some fabulous lighting to be had as the sun sets behind the tall trees. The sun went behind the clouds for a little bit, too, and the lighting was studio quality – if only I could get natural light that amazing all the time!

Nick and Katie brought along Whitney, Nick’s daughter, and we took a variety of shots – with Whitney, without Whitney, just Whitney…you get the idea. All three had on white tops, jeans and cowboy boots. Katie did a spectacular job of coordinating their outfits!

We got so many great shots – and then, Katie asks me if we can try something. I had already planned to do some photos with everyone in the grass on their bellies. I also shoot on my belly, and I love how these look. But Katie had a special shot in mind. It was based on a greeting card she had received from Nick – and she loved this card. The card had a couple tangled in sheets, their feet the only thing visible. I didn’t actually see the card, but Katie explained it to me, and I got a visual.

Katie and Nick removed their boots and socks – Nick was definitely wondering where this was going when Katie first asked him to take off his shoes! The first photos were of just the feet, but then I got down low, and that’s when the magic started. The resulting photos were FABULOUS! I may just have to get every couple to play footsy in the grass and see how it goes. Or I may have to start spending some time in the greeting card department at my local Target!

THANK YOU Katie for your wonderful inspiration! We are so excited for your August 29 wedding and can’t wait to see all of you again and meet the rest of your clan.

Great Places : Devou Park

Tonight, I'm doing an engagement/family shoot at Devou Park. It's for my August 29 Bride and Groom - very last minute, but they want a photo for the mat for their reception. They are bringing the Groom's daughter, too, so we plan to get a variety of shots, and they can pick their favorite.

I'm looking forward to meeting Katie and Nick, since we've only handled things via telephone or email. I have yet to meet them! I met Katie's grandmother at Devou Park while shooting another wedding, and she passed my information onto Katie.

I am also excited about shooting at Devou - the view of downtown Cincinnati is fabulous! I'm hoping the weather will cooperate, and we'll get some good light. I'll post photos soon!

More information on Devou Park: http://www.cincinnati.com/visitorsguide/parks/061400_devoupark.html

Be sure to ask about our special DISCOUNTS for weddings at Devou Park! The first wedding we shoot at select venues will often get select discounts - and the Drees Pavilion at Devou Park is still on the list!

Tweetin' in Style

This week, I made two big changes in regards to Twitter. First, I downloaded TweetDeck, so I could manage my Twitter and Facebook posts better. Check it out - tweetdeck.com.

View larger size: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gotbaby/3812733772/sizes/o/

Secondly, I changed the look of my Twitter home page - no more templates for me! I created a new design to match my new website. Want to fly along with me? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gardner_photo. Let me know what you think of the new design!

Behind the Scenes

It's bound to happen - you have two (or more!) photographers, and you sometimes get in each others way. And next thing you know, one of you is in the background of the other person's photo!

My second shooter (who is also my husband!) and I have mostly worked this out. We have our "positions" for different points in the ceremony and reception, and we try to time our photos, so that the other person can move out of the way.

For example, he might be at the end of the aisle shooting people as they walk down it. Since I tend to stick with my bride, I am often at the other end of the aisle getting them before they enter the church or ceremony site. And I get photos of the back of people as they walk down and the candids of the Bride before she enters.

We try to make sure we've positioned ourselves, so we can duck out of the way or hide when the other person is taking their photo. I will see his flash go, and then he will get out of the way, so I can take a photo without him in it. Takes a little coordination, but come on, nobody wants a bunch of photos with US in them!

Since I am the primary photographer, I am often the one in the way....but hey, I need to make sure I'm getting all the photos the Bride and Groom have requested. Sometimes, it's just not really possible to get the photo without one of us in it....here I am shooting Beth and Dan at their recent July 4th wedding...

Countdown Calendar Worksheet

Here is a great resource for brides: http://www.engagedmagazine.com/images/stories/Worksheets/Countdown%20Calendar%20Worksheet.pdf.

I came across this information while checking out another photographer's blog. The Engaged! Magazine looks interesting, so check it out if you're a bride-to-be.

To Stock or Not to Stock...?

I've been selling stock photography online for the last year or so. I make some money - was really hoping to make more, but my library is pretty limited. It's somewhat of a pain to upload images, especially at istockphoto.com! Others allow more batch processing, but istockphoto.com is a slow, painful, one-at-a-time process.

However, I decided I would try uploading some new ones that I thought might meet the uber strict requirements of istockphoto. It's the only site where I sell much of anything, so I have decided to focus on them and try and become an exclusive photographer. I almost have enough downloads (250) and am super close on my acceptance rate. Maybe these latest uploads will get me over these humps, and I can move everything to istockphoto!