Lindelle Studios Photographer

As a portrait photographer, you probably know how difficult it is sometimes when you try to improve your pictures with the right pose. Portrait photography can be most challenging sometimes, especially when your mind goes blank and your creative ideas run amuck. In contrast, action photos are much simpler to take. The mood of the subject is naturally expressed, captured on film forever, the background tells the viewer where the picture was taken and the whole photograph is as natural as it gets. It tells the whole story without speaking a word. Attempting to capture natural expressions and moods while posing your subject can prove to be an insurmountable task, especially for the beginner. Perhaps you can avoid the frustration by using posing cards, however you may be limited to the quantity of the cards you have for your requirements. It would take a much larger article than this to tell you everything about how to pose your subject, because one of the hardest pictures to take is one where you have to pose the human body. You want the portrait to be as captivating and natural as possible. Please consider the following points that will help to lift your portraiture to a higher standard. The best portraits are the ones that not only capture the physical likeness of a person, but his or her character as well. At least one element revealing the personality of the subject, or maybe his or her attitude, mannerisms or other features will make a super portrait, as it will tell us something about them. It is the portrait photographer who has never met the subject before that is presented with quite a challenge. He must work on the proficiency of studying people, their mannerisms, expressions, reactions, body language and anything else that can be presented in front of the camera. If you can develop a skill in understanding human nature, it would be a great asset to your photographic profession. Developing this skill mandates getting quickly involved in conversation with the subject, questioning their interests, perhaps evoking reactions, excitement and really bringing out his or her natural personality. This process results in a more relaxed presence in front of the camera for the subject, with a more at ease and natural attitude. At this point it is important to remember not to rush through the portrait session. Do your work, avoiding idle conversation that would take up your time and his or hers. Always boost confidence by telling the person that the session is going well. Be confident in yourself and portray your confidence at all times during the session. Be relaxed, however ready to photograph when the subject is ready. Remember that you are the person in control, and the subject needs to see you that way.

Lindelle Studios Picking a Photographer

Hiring a Photographer

A skillfully photographed wedding album will be one of the most adored and precious items that is kept and loved many years after your wedding day. As well as conveying the emotions, romance, humour of the day, and everything synonymous with you as a couple, they are a testament to your relationship. Needless to say, such an important part of your lives should be captured by a highly qualified professional photographer.

So, what do we need to know?

Establishing open communication and an honest, helpful relationship with your photographer is important because your photographer is an important part of the day. The better photographers do more for you than simply take photographs. They help with planning, timing and even with the fine details.

It is important to have an understanding of the industry and basic business practices before embarking on a search for a professional photographer. The following information provides a behind the scenes understanding and should be used as a guide to help you select your photographer.

How much should we budget?

When starting out, it is hard to know what wedding photography costs, because photographers are not prone to advertising their prices. An important factor to remember, is that any price quoted will be a starting coverage or package price only. Every wedding is unique, as is every couple. Generally, the prices between different photographers reflect their qualifications, experience, skill, and creative style. The quality of the overall product and level of service will also vary with price.
Basically, like many services, you generally get what you pay for. Therefore, the more paid, the greater the quality of photography and professionalism.

Most photographers will have a starting package or coverage which allows for the time that will be spent together on the day and will either include a basic amount of photographs in a basic album (package) or a credit that will go towards an album afterwards (coverage). Starting amounts are usually around $1700 and generally will provide only about 20 to 30 photographs. Remember these are basic or starting amounts only and generally do not include all the extras you will want. Also, generally 20 to 30 photographs is not enough photographs to tell a full story of your wedding day, so most couples want more and better than the basic album.

You won’t really know what and how many you will need until you see the images, so you need to budget for the extras of additional photographs and a better album. Prices can range anywhere up to $8000 for a full photography package.Great photographs are hard to resist. A decision to employ a photographer based purely on price however, and not skill, generally ends in heartbreak, so think carefully before choosing a cheaper option. You will invest a lot of money on a wedding and all will be for only that one day, except the photography. This will be the one thing that you will have forever that will bring all the wonderful memories of that one day back. If money is an issue however, organise to get a better photographer, but spend a little less time with them on the day and choose a few less photographs. It will be the quality photography you remember, not the cost.

Why does wedding photography cost this much?

Photography today is expensive today because of labor and material costs. Good professional photographers also use professional equipment, film, labs and albums and unlike amateur products, these are higher in cost. There is the photographers high overheads and their time to consider. Even though you may only see them for about 15 hours before, during and after the day, they will also spend at least 30 to 40 hours producing your album. You really though, are paying for the value of a photographers style, experience, qualifications and expertise and not just for time, materials and overheads.

How should we choose a photographer?

A referral from family or friends is a good starting point.

From these sources it is best to only choose two or three photographers to start with. Picking more at the beginning will only be confusing. A lot of studios are now single operations, meaning there is only one photographer and they are usually the owner. Some have more than one photographer, and some are fairly high volume studios that call in part-time photographers to shoot for them. When choosing a studio like this it is important to meet the person that will be photographing your wedding so you can establish a trust based relationship before you even book with the studio.

Make sure the work you are viewing is that photographers work and look at complete weddings and a full set of the original images and not just the best shots from various weddings.

You cannot pick a photographer based on a brochure or a phone call price inquiry. The only way to establish the value is to meet with them, so make an appointment with the studio. In the initial inquiry allow about an hour so you can base a decision on the style, creativity and quality of the photos and albums as well as the compatibility and qualifications of the photographer. As photographers work weekends and some have days as a break through the week, evening appointments can often be arranged.

All photographers are qualified aren’t they?

No, contrary to popular belief. In this industry anyone can set themselves up to photograph your wedding and no qualifications are needed to become a ‘so called’ professional wedding photographer, which is pretty scary really. There are however photographers who do possess qualifications and you should consider these people in your choice.Viewing the photographers images and their professional manner is the first step in the decision making process. It is then advisable to check out their qualifications and professional status.

Why should I even bother booking a photographer when my Uncle Harry has a great camera?

Remember, it’s not the great camera that takes the photo, it’s the photographer. Although a friend or family member may be a great amateur photographer, they will not have the experience, equipment or knowledge of a professional photographer. Quality wedding photography does not happen by chance. It is created by a specialised professional who has a creative eye and a genuine love of people and wedding photography. Your photographer will also need to co-ordinate the flow of the day, know all the types of shots that need taking and must be able to do all of this in variable weather and sometimes difficult time constraints.

A specialist wedding photographer can provide a fantastic story telling role and will be able to help you before during and after the day.Before you dismiss the thought of using a professional photographer for financial reasons, perhaps look at ways you may be able to afford one. You may be able to re-prioritise the wedding budget, or you could ask guests to provide money towards the photography as a gift. Some photographers have credit vouchers and you can include them on the bridal gift ideas register. Most photographers also offer payments for you.

LINDELLE STUDIOS PHOTOGRAPHY Light and shadow become important parts of work of art when competently incorporated, and should be your first contemplation before setting up to make a photograph. When lighting conditions have been assessed and the camera position chosen to take ultimate advantage of the light and subject matter relationship, the next step is composing the photograph. Composing a photograph is essentially an editing process, deciding what to put in and what to take out. There are basic accepted decisive factors for good composition that, when applied, will help you achieve visual synchronization or vibrant tension. Faithfully following all the rules of composition will not necessarily terminate in a good photograph. The rules are intended more as guidelines, but they will help you design well balanced images that are agreeable to the eye. While it may be the subject that attracts viewers to stop and look at images, it is the artistry of composition that holds them. STRONG FOCAL POINT It is usually best to have one main subject as the focal point because a photograph can successfully tell only one story. The main subject can be one object or several. Make sure nothing takes away from the focal point. Lacking a strong center of interest forces the viewer to search for something to observe. Always give the focal point sufficient prominence in the composition so that all other elements are secondary. Even if the focal point is small, it can be given prominence by composing empty space around it. RULES The exact center of any composition is not a satisfying place for the viewer's eye to come to rest. With the main subject placed in the center, the viewer is less likely to explore the rest of the photograph. It is preferable to keep the viewers eye moving. To create movement in your photographs and to avoid the static composition, use guidelines for off center placement. It is the traditional way to create a balanced composition and is used by artists. Using these rules not only helps to prevent distracting tension between the focal point and the edge of the frame MINIMALISM The best way to present a clear message in a photograph is to keep the composition simple. The fewer elements you have to work with, the easier it is to design a pleasing image. There are several ways to simplify a composition, but the primary method is to move in closer to the main subject. Whether you physically move the camera position closer or zoom in optically, getting closer allows you to fill the frame with the subject. It removes visual distractions from the edges of the frame and defocuses the background. LINES Another compositional technique to create energy and movement in a photograph is the use of lines. All lines should lead the viewer's eye to the focal point. But be careful with the use of lines. They can also work against you by directing the eye away from the subject. Let the lines in your composition decide if the scene should be shot horizontally or vertically. If the scene presents long vertical lines, compose vertically to take full advantage of them. When presented with strong horizontal lines, use a horizontal camera orientation. Be aware of white or light areas in your compositions. The viewer's eye will always go to the brightest part of a scene. Patterns create rhythm and motion in a composition. There are many other techniques that can lead you to visual harmony. But it is important to know and practice the basics before differing from them. After they have become second nature to you, begin to experiment. It's okay to break the rules, but do so intentionally.