Entries Tagged 'planning' ↓

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? I wish it had existed when I was planning my wedding…

Its a fantastic place to pin anything and everything you think you might want to incorporate into your own wedding, and its SOOO much easier than adding a website or a link to your shortcuts or favourites list! I don’t know about you but half the time when I am looking for something I’ve seen- I go to Google, not my “Favourites”. Using Pinterest you can immediately see a picture showing you why you pinned it to your board, and clicking on the picture will take you back to the link you liked in the first place!

Its awesome!

I now have several wedding-related boards on Pinterest. It started out with just one, but I’m gradually splitting them up so they’re easier to look at… Here they are:

First and foremost- wasting money! The wedding industry is just that- an industry. The people in that industry are there to make money- so whether you’ve hired a wedding planner and a caterer and a coordinator and a dressmaker and… and… and… or you’re doing it yourself- don’t let anyone con you into spending money where it’s not necessary! Being a sucker and being open to suggestions are two very different things!

The second very common blunder, is forgetting the meaning of the word “budget”. Remember how you calculated everything ever so carefully when you started planning- make a budget and stick to it! Don’t overspend on your dress or the bridesmaids’ outfits and then throw costs put the window when you run short on the catering budget!

The third thing is losing perspective. Keep in mind what’s really important to you. So don’t sweat the small stuff- I mean, how vital is it to have pink arum lilies if only white is available… will your day really be totally ruined?

Fourth on my list is a “lack of personality” on the day! By this I mean that the whole wedding is completely devoid of the couple’s own personalities! I’m not saying you HAVE to have a themed wedding… but it happens especially when the couple hires a planner to do EVERYTHING for them without any input from the couple. This is after all one of the most important days in your life as a couple- it should reflect your life.

Fifth- not involving your groom to be! To some people it sounds a bit silly, but more and more husbands-to-be actually want to be involved in the planning, especially so it can be special for both of you! Its important to talk to each other regularly about what you’d both like for your big day.

Sixth… the wrong master of ceremonies! Just because great aunt Agnes is footing the bill for the caterer as a wedding gift doesn’t mean her Wesley should be made MC as a thank you! Being the MC is a very important job, and the person to handle it should be someone responsible and someone who can handle public speaking! Hiring a professional MC is a very good idea.

Number seven. Being inconsiderate, and yes, I’m very serious! Think about what you’re expecting your wedding party to do for example, have you been clear about your expectations about level of commitment? Are you going to make your guests stand and wait for you for hours after the ceremony because the park that’s just perfect for your pictures is a forty minute drive away?

Number eight is a BIG no-no (and this is especially for the groom-to-be since he’ll probably be with close friends), getting trashed the night before! Make sure that whoever is planning the bachelorette or bachelors party understands that the night before is out of the question. Believe me- the last thing you need is to wake up with a headache, puffy skin, fuzzy head, or worse, an upset stomach.

Ninth on my list is forgetting what a wedding really is. Most couples want a church wedding even if they’re not regular church goers, often a church wedding is wanted or organised for mommy and daddy’s sake… but the thing to keep in mind is that the ceremony is the most important part of the day!

Last but definitely not least, is number ten- thinking that “it will never happen“! Have a plan B! Make sure you have a contingency plan in place for if things go wrong- for example, if you’re getting married in South Africa’s wedding season there’s a good chance for rain, so make sure there’s an alternate venue if you want to get married outside! If you aren’t using a professional planner, then make sure someone you trust has a list of telephone numbers to follow up with the caterers or the florist at the last minute… you can even give someone a list of things to check, simply to put your own mind at ease if you’d like!

This week I got to interview Alana of Alana Meyer Photography. I have been lucky enough to meet her in real life and I like her a lot, and then I found her blog and you know how I love wedding photographers blogs! I am sure you will be as impressed with her work as I have been.

She has a blog, she’s on Facebook, and she’s on Twitter as @alanameyerphoto.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. I was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe which some people don’t know and then went to Rhodes University and studied a Fine Arts degree majoring in photography, which was always a passion of mine. I decided to move to Johannesburg where my husband-to-be was working at the time. I worked for Gallo Images for several years, which again sparked my interest to pursue photography as a career. I am now a wedding and portrait photographer, following my dream of building a brand, growing a business and loving taking photos.

Where are you based? Johannesburg, South Africa

How did you get into photography? I was given a Kodak point and shoot camera when I was eight years old, and ever since then I loved being behind the camera. My Barbie dolls were my first models at that stage- they were quite stiff though! I now have real live people as my models!

How do you describe your photographic style? I would describe my style as very natural, modern and elegant. I love letting people be themselves with a little direction from myself and then we just have fun during the shoot.

How long have you been photographing weddings? I have been second shooting weddings since 2009 and I took the plunge to go on my own seven months ago.

What type of camera do you use? I shoot with a Canon 7D and my back up camera is a Canon 50D.

How do you market yourself? Through my website, social media, The Pretty Blog and word of mouth.

What advice do you have for photographers who are just starting out? Keep at it & practise, practise, practise. You will have busy times and you will have quiet times but you’ll get through it. Interact with other photographers as well, because it can be a lonely business.

How do you put nervous or camera shy brides and couples at ease? I tell them how beautiful they look and I physically show them how they look on camera. I get excited about how gorgeous they are and it gets them excited too.

What is your biggest challenge as a wedding photographer? I would say the biggest challenge is being the time keeper. If the bride is running late, it means I can’t get the bridal photos of her before the ceremony. Also if the sun is setting and everything is running late it puts pressure on me to rush them.

What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer? There’s no real moment, but the highlights of being a wedding photographer is definitely the response I get from satisfied clients. I just love to see their faces or hear in their voices how happy they are with the photos. I also love it when they tell me how much fun they had during the shoot.

Which of the wedding photographs you have taken are your favourite?

I love this shot- it is so typical to be the last thing to do before leaving for the church- to spritz oneself with perfume.

I love the series of photos as the colouring and lighting was so beautiful and they were so natural.

I love catching people as they go through their day and catching their emotion and love.

This is quite a dramatic shot which I love. It has the gritty cityscape behind this beautiful couple.

This is such an intimate moment- I love the emotion.

This one is so classic of the men scrambling for the garter!

How important is a tool like Photoshop in your work, and do you retouch at all? I use Lightroom and I would say it is a vital tool. It streamlines my processing, enabling me to choose the top photographs and edit through them quickly. It has tools which let me retouch easily and quickly. If there are specific areas that I need to work on, I will then take the photo into Photoshop and work on it there.

Do you have an assistant, or invite second shooters to assist at your weddings? I usually use a second shooter if the wedding is large (over 100 people) It is also great to have second shooters to help with getting different angles & holding reflectors & bags.

Which of your photographs would you use to show off your creative and artistic side?

I love this sunflare on her bare tummy.

I shot this through a hole in the wall & just love how it turned out.

Totally love quirky shots like this especially if there are gorgeous shoes featured.

This shot turned out so awesome.

This shot was spontaneous and the word laugh really evoked the models character as she was smiling and laughing all through the shoot.

This shot – although posed- is quite a quiet & natural moment between the two of them.

What would you love to add to your equipment? I have a photographic wish list a mile long But the main ones would be Canon 70-200 L 2.8, Canon Macro 100mm L 2.8 and the Canon 85mm 1.2 lens.

Where would you love to do a wedding shoot? Oh my gosh. I would absolutely LOVE to do a shoot in New York City. The skyscrapers, the yellow taxies, the coffee shops on the side of the road, the billboards- there is SO much to work with!!

What is your work-flow after a wedding? I upload the images, back them up on an external hard drive and then import them into Lightroom. I select the best images and then start to edit & retouch them.

How many images do you average for a wedding, and how many do you deliver to your clients? I usually take about 2000 images at a full day wedding. It will depend on the package, but the average I deliver is 500 photos.

Is there a wedding photographer you admire? There are lots, but I would have to say Christine Meintjes. She inspires me with her photography and with her business mind. I also am totally in love with Simply Bloom Photography’s style!

Whether its animals, landscapes, nature or portraits, most photographers seem have a penchant for a particular subject. What is yours? I do love couple portraits, although if I am somewhere beautiful with no models, then it has got to be landscapes or animals.

If you could be invisible- with your camera- for a day, you would… go all around Johannesburg and take photos of landscapes, cityscapes, streetscenes, &just take photos of people going about their everyday activities & not being aware of the camera.

If you could photograph any musician, who would it be? Adele – she has some striking features and her 1920s style is pretty awesome

Is there anything you’re learning to do? I find I am learning something new about business and photography every day.

What will you be up to in 2011? I will be doing my first international wedding this year. One in July and one in December, both in Zimbabwe. I can’t wait. I am nearly completely booked up for the end of the year so you’d better book soon if you’d like me as your wedding photographer. 

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the bride’s survival kit for her wedding day? Well, a wedding planner also has a kit that she- or he- has with her on a wedding day! Its chock-a-block with a long list of things to cover every possible emergency!

Here’s the list of things I have in my kit:

• Wall plug adapter
• Spare plugs- two and three prong
• 5M extension chord
• Torch
• Tape measure
• Insulation tape
• Small hammer
• Small screwdrivers- phillips and flat
• Cable ties
• Pliers
• Bulldog clips- small and large
• Sellotape (on a dispenser)
• Postit notes
• Ballpoint pens
• Roller ball
• Fine liner
• Stapler and staples
• Ruler
• Clutch pencils & refills
• Eraser
• Sharpener
• Tippex
• Highlighters
• Prestik
• Bostik
• Pritt
• Drawing pins
• String
• Superglue
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Lip gloss/ lip ice
• Breath mints/ gum
• Small first aid kit
• Rescue remedy
• Toothpicks
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Mouthwash
• Dental floss
• Tampons
• Panty liners
• Earbuds
• Sewing kit & pins
• Heel tips
• Lighter/ matches
• Business cards
• Batteries
• Clipboard
• Calculator
• Rubber bands
• Tissues
• Stockings
• Deodorant/ roll on
• Wet wipes
• Hair clips/ slides
• Hairspray
• Shoe liners/ inner soles
• Painkillers
• Nail glue & file (or manicure kit)
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton wool
• Clear nail polish
• Eyeliner
• Mascara
• Blush
• Sweets/ Energy Bar
• Small mirror
• Earring butterflies
• Hand sanitizer
• Pretty pen for register signing
• False eyelashes
• Big umbrella
• A4 paper
• Penknife
• Lost filling/ crown repair kit
• Bioplus (or some such energy booster)
• Throat lozenges
• Peaceful sleep
• Shoe laces
• Hair elastics
• Permanent marker

This week I am interviewing Stefan Steenkamp of ZaraZoo Exclusive Wedding Photography fame.

I’m sure once you read the interview and spend some time on their galleries you’ll see why I nagged for so long to be able to interview him! You can find ZaraZoo on Facebook and you can follow them on Twitter too.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. I am an idea man. Even as a kid I came up with the most wonderful business ideas and schemes. It started at 6 when I made paper South African flags and then flaunting them on the street corner to passers-by. Since then, my ventures have become a lot more refined though.  At Stellenbosch University I ended up all but studying art or photography and walked away with a degree in financial accounting in 1997.  From there I endeavoured on a 10 year stint in London.  In 2000, after doing about 3 years of boring banking, I made a life switch to videography and outlet to my creative side.  Creativity runs deeply through my veins.  Our family, especially on my mother’s side is riddled with artists and that includes both my sisters; a painter and a creative writer respectively.  In 2006, after starting a wedding photography and video business in London in 2003, we moved back to South Africa.  The mix of being back on home turf and experience helped our business to flourish, to a point where ZaraZoo Photography is now regarded as one of the premier photography outfits in South Africa.

Where are you based? We are based in Durbanville.  This is the perfect base – it takes us about 30 minutes to get to most of the wedding venues we often shoot at.

How did you get into photography? I was a relative late starter.  I dabbled with video since childhood but only got my first stills camera at University.  It was my mom’s old Kodak Instamatik she had used at college… I bought my first proper film camera in 1997 and in 1999 bought my first digital, semi-professional body.  At that stage, the 2.5 megapixel sensor was the best you could get!  In 2005, after doing professional video for 5 years, I made the move over to stills photography and have not looked back since.

How do you describe your photographic style? In short, reportage with a very small posed element. The less you interfere with the run of the wedding, the better you will capture the raw emotions and the natural stuff.  It might sound corny, but I can’t get enough of happy smiley faces and blue skies!

How long have you been photographing weddings? I shot my first wedding in September 2005, so that makes it nearly 6 years now.

What type of camera do you use? We shoot Canon and have the whole range:  1D mk4, 1D mk3, 5D mk2, 7D 5D mk1.  I shoot with the 1D mk4 most of the time but still love the crisp images that comes out of the 5D mk1.  The two full frame 5D’s in our arsenal is great for a predicted and static environment, but for moving objects and fast situations the two 1D’s with their superior focusing systems are essential

How do you market yourself? For print media, we advertise in the Little Pink Book as well as Engaged Magazine.  Apart from that, we are blog & social media junkies! We find that by loyally doing a few blog posts a week, we have now achieved an amazing web presence in Google and other search engines.  By staying active on Facebook, we have built up the Wedding Photography Page with the biggest fan base in South Africa!  We made a late entry to Twitter, but even here, out follower base is growing at a phenomenal speed.  Another crucial aspect of our marketing strategy is to do physical networking with people in the wedding industry – not just photographers.  Al lot of our work come from these relationships that we have built up over the years.

What advice do you have for photographers who are just starting out? Get out there and network with people in the industry.  Do freebies to build up your portfolio.   Work your butt off for the first year and you will reap the rewards for the rest of your career.

How do you put nervous or camera shy brides and couples at ease? Take a good photo of her and show it on the Camera LCD.  Most brides are worried that they do not look good.  If it is a good photo she will be at ease automatically.  If this does not work, make her laugh by making a fool of yourself.  Good spontaneous laughter is the key!

What is your biggest challenge as a wedding photographer? I like to play out the day and plan my shots before it happens.  This enables me to focus on the creative side of the photo – because I have planned the framing and know the lighting conditions.  I get thrown out when the bride or coordinator change things at the last moment.   By doing an E-session before the wedding, I get to know the bride and groom and rarely have difficulty on the day with brides being stroppy.

What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer? I cannot single out one, but shooting weddings in New York, London, Paris and Thailand is definitely right up there.

Which of the wedding photographs you have taken are your favourite?

The light, white tone of the image together with the shallow depth of field and beautiful bride is I think they way every bride wants to see herself on her wedding day.

Nothing beats the emotion you get from a bride on her way to the church.  the image below was taken in London and got a bronze award at the Sony ProFoto awards.

Again, the focus, and deep thought of this bride just before she enters the church is a classic moment.  She seems totally unaware of everything else around her – just deep thought of what is about to happen.

The deep intimacy and concentration in this photo makes it one of my all time favourites.  It is blown up on a huge canvas in our studio.  It won a silver award at the ProFoto awards of 2009.

The intimacy and shy infatuation of each other, a real romantic moment.  This photo won a bronze award at the 2010 ProFoto awards.

The total jubilation as this couple enters the reception venue was amazing.  Photos like these is a window into an experience.  It is more than just a moment.

The 3 images below reflect our aim to push the boundaries of “normal” wedding photography, to explore and provoke reaction.  Even though our style is normally very photo-journalistic and unobtrusive, we still love to produce images that make people ask WHY?

How important is a tool like Photoshop in your work, and do you retouch at all? Adobe Lightroom is used for RAW conversion and 75% of the editing.  Then Photoshop is used for retouching and correction of blemishes.

Do you have an assistant, or invite second shooters to assist at your weddings? We always work with assistants/ second shooters.  Apart from helping with the kit, these guys get the most interesting, unobtrusive shots.

Which of your photographs would you use to show off your creative and artistic side?

An effective silhouette is very powerful.  Knowing when to underexpose to get this type of shot as opposed to flashing the subject comes with experience.

By altering the level of the lens, you will achieve different results.  This photo would not have been good at all if it was taken from a standing-up position.

Framing makes all the difference.  Even though it appears that the girl in the shot was cut off, it creates an exaggerated effect of the height of the girl swinging.

In the photo below we went “alternative”.  This shows that we can think out of the box when it is required.

A slower shutter speed at the right time – See how the blurred waiter with plates creates movement in the image.

Juxtaposition. Put a bride or any subject in an environment that you will not normally see it and you have created something different that will get attention.

Symmetry and sex appeal – this picture is a bit of both… ooh-la-la!

Effective use of depth of field created an interesting photo of the elephant. Quite scary as well.

What would you love to add to your equipment? What I want to add, I am afraid Canon has not developed yet!  I want a trusty low f-stop 50mm prime & a 24-70mm with an image stabiliser!

Where would you love to do a wedding shoot? Italy, the Colosseum!  Have you seen the Lavazza calendars shot by Annie Liebovitz?  I love dramatic architectural backdrops…  the Inca Temple in Peru also comes to mind!

What is your work-flow after a wedding? Download – choose 1000 best shots – edit in Lightroom and cull off weaker shots. Output 400-500 in JPEG and these shots are then retouched in Photoshop – blog the best 50-80 shots.

How many images do you average for a wedding, and how many do you deliver to your clients? I would say about 1000 unique images – you know there is sometimes a lot of the same thing.  My clients get between 300 and 500 photos in high res on disk.

Is there a wedding photographer you admire? I admire elements of the work of certain big name photographers but have made the decision 2 years ago to find my own inspiration, rather than idolising a photographer and inadvertently ending up as a copycat of his or her style.

Whether its animals, landscapes, nature or portraits, most photographers seem have a penchant for a particular subject. What is yours? I have a love of taking portraits of people- interesting people that the average Joe might not encounter in his life.  The portraits of the people in the images below give the viewer a risk free peek into other worlds!

If you could be invisible- with your camera- for a day, you would… Go into a township and document the poor conditions some of the people have to live in.  Cooking on a paraffin stove; the mulling around the communal tap; bathtime in a zinc bath and just general everyday living in the shacks.

If you could photograph any musician, who would it be? Flamboyant, self-loving, over the top, Liberace – he’s dead now, but I think this guy would have been so interesting to shoot!

Is there anything you’re learning to do? All the time! The moment you think you know it all is the moment you will start stagnating!  In the information age one cannot afford to stop learning or life will pass you by!

What will you be up to in 2011? Apart from having shoots lined up in Paris and Greece, Zarazoo is opening an academy for photography.  We are also involved in the launch of a new Magazine for the wedding industry, Engaged Magazine.