What is Lomography?

Lomographic photography stems from the first LOMO cameras which were created in the 1980s. Lomography is characterized by vivid and often unexpected colors, along with vignetting and the occasional bout of slight blurriness. The unpredictability of LOMO cameras made them a favorite among artistic photographers, and several of the results from LOMO cameras have been exhibited at art galleries around the world. Thanks to the advent of Photoshop, it is no longer necessary to look for the right camera or for photographers to purchase multiple different cameras. Today you can achieve the lomography effect by simply using any camera and then editing the image in Photoshop. Sometimes there are even iPhone apps that achieve this look.

Special note: Photoshop Elements 8 was used in the creation of this tutorial, but all modern Photoshop programs can create this effect and will do so with virtually identical steps and wording.

Step by Step Process

1.) Upload a photo of anything into Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. The lomography technique tends to work best with photos of an artistic nature but it can be used with any photography.

2.) Click on Filter, then click on Correct Lens Distortion.

3.) In the Vignette Amount box, type a number. You can experiment with it, but for this example use -55, the click OK.

4.) Click on Enhance, then go down to Adjust Color and select Adjust Color Curves.

5.) Experiment with the four sliders. Using the sliders to create an S-curve provides the best results. Once you’re satisfied, click OK.

6.) Click on Layers and go down to New Adjustment Layer. Then select Levels and click OK.

7.) Click the Channels drop down and select Red.

8.) Fill in the first and third boxes provided. You can experiment with these numbers, but for now put 50 in the first box and 220 in the third box. Leave the middle box as it is.

9.) Next you’ll need to merge the layers, by clicking on Layers and selecting Merge Visible.

10.) Now select Enhance and go down to Unsharp Mask.

11.) Yet again, you’ll be able to experiment with the numbers that need to be populated. For this example, I selected Amount 40, Radius 40 and Threshold 0. Once you’ve entered your selections, click OK.

The Results

The image that you have now has been lomographied!  The really fun part about editing photographs in the lomography style is that you’re able to experiment with colors and vignetting a lot without compromising the feel that you’re going for. All of the numbers listed above can be tweaked by several points in both directions and the end result will still adhere to the general feel of lomography.

Have you experimented with lomography before, either via a LOMO camera or Photoshop? Leave a comment discussing your results.

April A. Taylor, the guest writer for this article, is a Dark Art/Horror and Fine Art Photographer from Detroit, MI. Her award-winning work has been published and exhibited internationally in over 100 different art galleries, magazines, books, and movies.

Are you wondering how to get creamy newborn skin and edit baby images in Photoshop? It all starts in camera with proper lighting.  Nice, diffused, even lighting will help even out skin tones. Many babies have red or yellow coloring and bumpy or textured skin.

There are a few tricks you can do in Photoshop to help even texture and tones for a creamy newborn skin.

Step 1: Duplicated the background layer and then use the Patch Tool in between the eyes and left eyelid to smooth the skin. Adjusted the layer opacity to taste.

Step 2: Used the Lasso Tool to select her hands, set a light feather 1st so there is in a jump in toning.  Then used a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. For this image, Hue to +4 and the Saturation to -5. She still looked red all over. In a second Hue and Saturation adjustment layer, this time all over rather than just on the hands,  set the Hue to +2 and Saturation to -3. This will vary based on the image and color issues.

Step 3: Next, used MCP’s Magic Skin Action set – specifically the Powder Your Nose skin smoothing Photoshop action which is great for newborns and set the opacity to 50%.  Brushed all over her face except lips, eyelashes and hair.

Step 4: Flatten Image. Made a duplicate layer and chose MULTIPLY as my blending mode. I set the opacity to 29%.

Step 5: Made another new layer and chose SCREEN as my blending mode and set the opacity to 50%. Amounts will vary based on your image.

Step 6: Added a layer mask to the SCREEN layer and used a black brush on the green blanket to darken it back. The mask icon is the tiny circle in a square at the bottom of the layer’s palette.

Step 7: Next, used MCP’s Crackle – a Photoshop action to add mid-tone contrast in the Quickie Collection.

Step 8: Lastly, used MCP’s Free Magic Dark action at 17% opacity and darkened the edges.

Katie Hardy is the owner of Katie O Hardy Photography located in Augusta, Georgia. She specializes in studio and natural light photography. Her work is described as clean and simple.

There I sat at the end of October feeling drained and useless.  Shoot, shoot, shoot… edit, edit, edit is all that seemed to be going through my head.  Lacking inspiration and feeling like something was missing I started browsing blogs and Facebook pages of other photographers.

While surfing, I’d found my remedy, “I just need to go vintage! I love looking at vintage photographs and I love the look of film photography.”  I put together a vintage style shoot and I was excited and inspired.  I came home from the shoot and started editing them.  Something felt wrong.  Those pictures weren’t me.

I was trying to feel better about myself by imitating looks I liked.  It didn’t work and I felt more discouraged.  After some late night soul searching, I realized I won’t ever feel good about my work by comparing it to other artists and photographers.

Here are 4 ways I came up with to be more confident about my photography while still pushing myself. Try them and let us know what works for you.

1. Set Goals.  Setting goals for yourself and your business gives you something to strive for.
2. Evaluate those goals.  Evaluating your goals every few months gives you the ability to see if you are progressing.
3. Base your progress of YOU not others.  Comparing your 2010 images to your 2011 images is a much better way to chart progress then comparing your photographs to Jane Doe Photography’s photos
4. Keep it real.  I don’t think newer photographers know their style right away. It is fine to get inspiration from the work of others, without actually copying.  Stick to what feel right and fits you rather than trying to duplicate every detail.

This article was written by Kristin Wilkerson, a Utah based photographer. You can find her on Facebook too.

Learn my photo editing process from beginning to end for a bridal image.

I use Photoshop for all of my editing – starting with the RAW images from my Nikon D700 in Adobe Bridge to completion in Photoshop.

In Adobe Bridge:

• Turn the Brightness down to +40 (I tweak until the histogram is more evenly distributed). There is a little more bright than dark to begin within this photo, so it won’t be completely equal, but you don’t want anything climbing the right side of the histogram.
• Under “Detail” I pulled luminance up to +5 under noise reduction. It’s­ very effective for both reducing noise and softening. Next I open the photo in Photoshop to complete the editing process.

In Photoshop:

Step 1 (Cropping): I don’t like the column on the left or the way she is centered completely in the photo, so I’m going to re-crop. Generally it’s a good idea to get your crop right in camera so you can maintain the most information possible. Sometimes, however, it’s just not as easy as others. This picture for instance was taken while I was 2nd shooting at a wedding. So the main photographer was directing the bride, and I am literally just shooting a 2nd perspective. The bride may never look at me, and in this case was only standing here for about 30 seconds.

Step 2 (Cloning): Now we have our basic composition to where we like it. I do NOT however, like the big gaudy black hand rail running through the pretty white column. So that has to go. We’re going to get rid of it by cloning. Be precise when cloning, and always do it on a separate layer. Once you clone, you delete the data that was in that spot. Duplicate your background layer. You should always do this before editing so that you can always undo whatever you have edited. I named this layer “Handrail Clone.” This fix is all I will do on this layer.

Click on your “clone” tool from your tool selection.  We’re going to start on the column and work our way left. You want to do this in as few and correct motions as possible. So make your clone tool the size of the rail. You’ll find the sizing selection at the top left corner of your screen.  Also make sure your opacity is at 100% for this. So you don’t have to go over and over to get the desired look. Once this is done, find the spot on your photo you want to replace the rail with and click on it while holding ALT.  You can see the preview of that you’re going to move over when you hover. Just make sure any lines, or designs match up how you want them to.

So far we’ve gotten rid of the bar completely that was on the column. All of our lines match and you can’t tell it was ever there!  Finish your cloning. Try not to clone using the exact same place as your source the whole time. It will look good as you go, but when you finish and look at the whole photo you’ll see an undesired pattern or repeat in your photo, and it won’t look natural.  Just to make sure all of my bushes blend together, I’m going to select my blur tool, which is under the little button that looks like a tear drop. Select about 50% opacity, and blur my bushes a little.  I also cloned the small portion of the white column that remained on the left side of my photo. I wanted to keep this size, but don’t want the column.

As of now, this is what we are working with.       

Step 3 (The Eyes): I want to make her eyes a little more clear. For me, in a portrait, the eyes should always be the focal point.  I use the MCP Photoshop Action “Spark” from MCP Fusion set. It also automatically creates a new layer which I love. After running this action, I painted on her eyes to activate at 50%.

Step 4 (Teeth): I like for everyone to look their best in photos, so I generally whiten teeth and clear up and skin issues as well.  MCP has an action called Eye Doctor and Dentist  and another called Magic Skin so check those out for action based retouching.  For teeth, I do it manually by duplicating my last layer and call it “teeth.” I like to just use the DODGE tool. I put it at about 17% opacity, and on midtones to start. zoom in close enough to see the teeth, and make your brush about the size of one tooth.

Step 4 (Lightening and Darkening): Now I want my subject to pop a little more off of the backdrop, so I want to darken behind her, just a LITTLE. To do this I’m going to use the MCP Fix Overexposure Photoshop action in Fusion. It automatically defaults at 0% opacity, so you just increase it to suit your needs. In this case I’m going with about 30%. Remember this layer is masked, so you only want to judge it based on the area you want darker, were going to erase this action over the rest of the photo. So now just use the mask, (a soft black paint brush, while the fix overexposure layer mask is clicked on).

Step 5 (Enhancements): I like to do as little as possible. LESS IS MORE! For this photo, I ran the Sentimental and the Fantasy actions in Fusion, but turned off One Click Color. I added a mask over the Sentimental layer and turned the opacity up to 57%. I used masking so that it only affected the surroundings and not the skin tones.

Below is the before and after bridal image:

Jenn Kelley is a VA Wedding and Lifestyle Portraiture photographer in Chesapeake Virginia. In business for 2 years and studying photography for 8. More info on Jenn and her photography can be found on her website/blog at WWW.JennKelleyPhotography.com.

There are so many great photography props out there. If you don’t know where to start you can end up spending LOTS of money without much reward. I recommend starting simple. Here are a few inexpensive props that can add a nice flair to your photos.

Chalk Board
Find a small chalk board that will fit into your camera bag and keep it there for all your photo session! One of my favorite things to do is to pull out the chalk board mid-session and ask my subjects to write something. People always come up with something meaningful to write. I’ve had people write everything from their last name, Merry Christmas, wedding date, expressive phrases, and I even had a little guy draw me a turkey (it was a few days before Thanksgiving). During almost all of my engagement and family sessions I do a series of photos where my subjects write on the board and hold up their works of art. I purchased my chalk board from my local Goodwill, but there are also tons of variations available on Etsy.

Bubbles
Every little kid loves bubbles! If you are having trouble getting the little ones to warm up to you, pull out a can of bubbles (or even better, a bubble gun) and there is a good chance you will get at least one real smile. I’ve also learned that some dogs like bubbles even more then children.

Sun Glasses
For some reason, putting on a pair of sun glasses gives people a little more confidence. Go to your local dollar store and purchase a half dozen of them and put them in your photo bag. I like to give my stubborn non-smiling groomsmen (yes grown men) sun glasses for the first few shots and this tends to loosen them us. They also come in handy when you have a great shot/location but everyone is squinting because they are staring into the sun.

Picture Frame
So the whole picture frame thing may be a little overdone. However, it is so fun and if people are having fun, you get to see real similes! Just about any size picture frame will do (I bet you have some stashed around your house that you can use). Plop large frames on the ground and let the little ones crawl in and out, or have a couple hold the frame and make funny faces at each other. The sky is the limit here.

Scrabble Pieces
There are so many ways you can use scrabble pieces – have your subjects hold up the letters, lay them flat without any people in the photos, have your subjects blurry in the background with the letters standing up in focus, etc. So go and raid or your game closet or pick up a set from Amazon and start taking pictures!

This blog post is brought to you by KristeenMarie Photography. Be sure to check her out on Facebook.

Kristeen is an Indianapolis, IN Photographer who loves ice tea, the color purple, technology, and small children. She loves many other things in life that, though there are not many that she loves more then photography. She loves life and wants to capture every bit of it using her camera.

Do you wish you had better photos of the inside of your home? Photographing an interior sounds like a fairly easy task, however, creating a successful photo is actually much harder than one would think.  It takes practice to convert a three dimensional space to a two-dimensional photograph. Here are five tips that I’ve learned over the years as a photo art director that might help your process:

1. Choose a focal point in the room inside your home

The biggest mistake a designer or photographer can make is to try to squeeze too many points of emphasis into one photo. This can make a photo look crowded and leave the viewer unsure of what they should be paying attention to in the first place.

Magazines tend to be successful with imagery because they compose their shots around one object or structure. There is a difference between documenting a space and photographing it with graphic focal points. Instead of stuffing an image full of furniture or other design elements, try to choose one main space to focus composition. For example, this could be a bed, fireplace, or a window.

Here, the doors leading outside are the focal point. The furniture on the sides help direct your attention to the back of the image. Designed by Barbara Schmidt, bstyle, inc.

2. Edit yourself

Interior photography is about taking a room and turning it into an image that makes visual sense. De-clutter the space so the camera can see enough of what is there to enable the viewer to recognize the objects. Be careful to watch what happens when furniture or décor comes close to the camera because they can bend and expand into strange shapes. Try taking away items and then putting them back to see what the camera sees. Remember that a photo is not real representation of space; it is a representation of what the camera sees.

In this photo, the kitchen table was removed so the camera could take the perfect shot. If the table hadn't been moved, parts of the stools would have been blocked and a portion of the table would been awkwardly shown at the bottom of the image. Photo from CliqStudios.com.

3. Incorporate patterns inside your home when photographing

One of the tricks art directors and photo editors use to enhance the graphic quality of a photo is utilizing pattern. Patterned wall covering or fabrics offer an opportunity to add interest and framing for the photo. The eye sees pattern as a background and everything that is against it stands out and visa versa. Patterns frame solid objects just like solids frame patterned objects. Patterns are also on trend right now in interior design and the use of these keeps interior shots fresh and modern.

Notice the patterns on the floor and the ceiling. These help frame the attention on the painted cabinets. Photo from CliqStudios.com.

4. Include directional lighting

Lighting techniques trend just like room styles do. A popular trend in interior photography today is to use as much natural light as possible and to limit the use of strobe lighting. Natural light has a greater variance in density which influences subtle highlights and low lights to appear as they would in real life.

Over lighting a room is another very common problem with interior photos. When the light is not directional and is allowed to fill every shadow, the room becomes flat and uninteresting. Try using highlights and lowlights to help create a more real, unique look. Purposely creating shadows in the photograph also adds dimension, contrast, and a focal point for the viewer (see the included photo).

Natural light is difficult to mimic and over the years, I’ve only seen a handful of photographers able to trick the viewer into thinking a shot was natural lit. Remember that natural light always has a directional source.

Natural lighting coming from the left side of the picture adds depth and realness to this photo. Notice the shadows on the cabinets and flooring. Photo from CliqStudios.com.

5. Shoot at eye level

When photographing a room, the most natural viewpoint is to shoot it at eye-level, meaning anywhere in the human range of motion. For example, standing, kneeling, or sitting positions are all great angles to shoot from.

Shooting from too low of an angle or too high of an angle can immediately make the shot look unnatural and awkward.  As soon as you start climbing up a ladder to take a photo, you’ll notice that you’ve never seen the room that way before, and neither has anyone else. All of sudden the angle of the shot is the focal point and not the subject matter itself. Keeping a shot eye-level makes the photograph seem natural and livable.

This photo shows how an image can look great from within any range of human motion. This image could be from a kneeling adult or the eyes of a child. It does a great job of showcasing the beautiful countertop surface. Photo from CliqStudios.com

Barbara Schmidt works with a number of national manufacturers including CliqStudios.com, online suppliers of kitchen cabinets, and is a nationally recognized interior designer for bstyle, inc., photo art director, and author whose work is featured in numerous publications, social media, and television.

One of my favorite types of photography is photographing silhouettes.  They are easy to photograph, create beautiful images, and my twins enjoy being “silhouette” models. Though Ellie and Jenna are not quick to volunteer as subjects for most photos these days, they enjoy posing for these since they do not need to smile, I let them jump in the air, and they can be silly without it showing.

Every year when we vacation in Northern Michigan, I try to photograph one evening sunset in this style.  This year was more challenging since the weather forecast would say sunny or partly cloudy and then the sky was full of clouds each night. But after going to the beach, night after night, I finally caught a great sunset.

ISO 1000, f14, 1/400

Three keys to amazing silhouettes:

1. Locate a bright background. Make sure your background is brighter than your foreground and model. Sunrise and sunsets work perfect for this. Any natural or artificial back lighting can work.

2. Make sure your subjects are interesting shapes. Imagine the person as a solid black shape.  Is it interesting?  I prefer photograph people from a profile view (side view) for silhouettes.  Look for props with eye-catching shapes where they are very easy to identify, for example, bicycles.

3. Pay attention to clothing (shape and color).

• Shape: Ideally, have your subject(s) wear form-fitted clothing. As in point 2, shape is very important since that is all you will see against the colors of the background. For example, Ellie wore a black cardigan tied in front.  In most photos it was obviously a jacket, but in some images it appears as a lump coming out of her at an unflattering position.
• Color: Dark clothing works much better than light – and void white clothing if at all possible.

How I did it… Here are the setups used for the following images.  Camera settings are below each image.

In this photo below, I used a wide angle lens, Canon 16-35 2.8.  I was at a focal length of 20mm.  I used an aperture of f14 to get a starburst effect. I was laying on the ground with my lens angled up.  I used all point focus since my eye was not looking into the lens.  I would say “1, 2, 3, jump.”  As I shouted “3″ I would hold down the shutter for 3-4 shots.  Then stop, look at the images, access what needed to change, and do it again.  My twins have fun jumping so they often will give me a good 10 minutes of jumping before they quit.

ISO 1000, f14, 1/400

I love this shot.  I had Ellie and Jenna raise their hands until they were touching just below the sun. It almost appears as if they are lifting the sun.

ISO 1000, f14, 1/400

This photo below is a perfect example of tip #2.  Unintentionally, Jenna’s jacket went to the side.  This shot reminds me of Charlie’s Angels. It looks like she has a gun on her side, when in fact it is just extra material.

ISO 1000, f16, 1/400

This image was shot with my Canon 70-200. I call this the “ultrasound shot” because Jenna’s profile is exactly the same as then (minus the hair).

ISO 1000, f16, 1/400

Years ago, I photographed my husband lifting my daughter in the air.  I wanted to replicate the shot.  The challenge… she weighs about 20 pounds more than back then and is about a foot taller.  So it was not quite what I had hoped since he was in pain trying to hold her.  But it was still pretty fun because of the sun flare.

ISO 1000 f16 1/400

Though not a profile, her hair and hands make this one interesting. I also like the added dimension of her bracelets.

ISO 1000, f16 1/400

The photo below was taken the day prior to the one above.  It was very cloudy and you can see the sunset itself was basically covered by the blanket of clouds. But I still captured some fun images.  Since the sun was not a focal point, I shot closer to wide open at 5.6 to let some light in.  I could have opened up even more.  I used a speed of 1/500 to catch the motion.

ISO 800, f5.6, 1/500

Here are some past articles about photographing silhouettes:

Controlling Light and Getting Interesting Silhouettes

Sunset Silhouettes

Photographing and Editing Silhouettes: Part 1

Photographing and Editing Silhouettes: Part 2

Using Silhouettes in Maternity Photography

The word paparazzi sends dreaded chills down the backs of celebrities.  Paparazzi photographers invade the lives of well-known people and expose their every day lifestyle and rituals.  When you look on a gossip style website or magazine or the tabloids, you may enjoy seeing your favorite star up close.  You may think “that is the price of fame.”  Or you may feel it is invasion of privacy, something everyone deserves at their own home, eating a meal, shopping, or in their personal time.

I never thought much about it until my husband said, “check out these websites.” As instructed, I looked up “Miley Cyrus Orchard Lake” on Google and dozens or articles appeared.  At first I had no idea why he wanted me to see these bikini clad pictures of Miley.  My kids no longer are into “Hannah Montana” or “Miley Cyrus.” Though Orchard Lake is five minutes from my house, I still was unsure of his point. As I looked at Celebuzz, Memi Support, Celebrity Gossip, and many more websites, I thought “a boat, a jet ski, Miley in a bikini, and a boyfriend, so what.” I am guessing these same images are also in print magazines and tabloids.

Then my husband explained, “those pictures were taken at our friend’s backyard.” Miley is friends with one of our friends and was on her boat, jet ski, and raft this past summer. But these pictures were not snapshots that they took of each other having fun.  Photographers took these photos without their permission and without them even knowing!

Once I heard this, I was freaked out.  What a violation.  What an invasion of privacy.  I cannot imagine if pictures of me were blasted everywhere while I was enjoying a day at the lake. Of course Miley Cyrus is used to it, but it does not make it right.

What can we learn from the paparazzi?

At first you may think, “who would look to the paparazzi to learn about photography?” But there are many lessons that can help us grow. We can build stronger photography businesses from observing this style of photography.

Learn from what they do well:

• Persevere: Get the picture you want. If you have something you want to photograph, go for it!
• Lifestyle: Get photos of people in their element doing the things they love. When you capture these every day moments alongside posed pictures and portraits, you will broaden your offerings and appeal to a wider range of clientele. A mix of these images can also increase sales, especially of collages and storyboards, as well as albums.
• Stand back: Use a longer telephoto lens to capture shots at a distance.  This works especially well with siblings and families.  You can capture them interacting in ways they may not if you are in their faces.

Learn from what they do not do well:

• Ask permission: As you know, the paparazzi rarely asks if they can take photos.  Celebrities often do not know the photographers are even there.  Learn from this.  Ask before you snap a shot of a stranger or on private property.  If you get the correct permission, you will not need to worry later.  Also, get model releases on everyone you photograph to protect yourself and your business.
• Interact: While it can be good to stand back from your subject(s) at times, it is also important to get in closer.  Photographers have more control over poses, the look of the session, and the mood when they are interacting with their customer(s).
• Get pictures people want: Clearly the photos that end up in the media are not the ones most of these star would want for their photo albums, frames or walls. Aim to not only satisfy your artistic side but the desires of your customers. Satisfied clients will spend more than unsatisfied ones.

If you are a wedding photographer considering shooting destination weddings, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to marketing, booking and traveling for weddings! From what to pack, to what to expect – destination weddings can be both exhausting and highly rewarding. This is Kristen Weaver’s take on her experiences as a destination wedding photographer.

For all intents and purposes, my very first wedding that I shot was a destination wedding. I was living in Orlando, and one of my closest friends got married on Anna Maria Island on Florida’s gulf coast. In April, I felt like my career has gone full circle, shooting my long-time best friend’s wedding in Los Angeles at the world-famous Wayfarer’s Chapel and the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica.

See Candice and Kevin’s full wedding post on Style Me Pretty

Three years later, I’ve logged thousands of miles for weddings, going to places like Jamaica, the Bahamas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Cleveland – and have weddings coming up in Australia, Mexico, Hawaii, Chicago, and Connecticut.

I’m not sure what initially made me a destination wedding photographer, because I actually love shooting weddings in my hometown of Orlando, FL. But I have loved the unexpected surprises that have come with my travels. At the very least, it’s nothing like what I was expecting!

My first true destination wedding was in October in Jamaica. My bride, a photographer from New Jersey, booked me within 24 hours of her first contact. I decided to bring my fiancé and shot the wedding for a minimal fee, with all travel covered. It was a business decision at the time, because I wanted to break in to the international wedding market. Not to mention, the wedding was at a Sandals, where all of my expenses would be entirely covered.

How to Market

There are so many ways to market yourself in the destination arena. The best way is to blog an actual destination wedding (if you’ve shot one). This will lead more brides to your website who are looking to hold their own destination events. You can also check forums for destination weddings and post advice about hiring a photographer. Don’t be a creeper and openly post that you’ll shoot their wedding – unsolicited sales attempts could make you look less than reputable. Be an expert in photography and establish a relationship and open communication with these brides. Don’t be desperate – I’ve heard horror stories of brides offering “free advertising” to photographers in exchange for them shooting their destination wedding. And when I say “free advertising” – I mean they’re going to stamp your name on a t-shirt that they give out to guests. Hardly worthy of your time to shoot and edit. Another great way to market is to connect with local vendors – especially coordinators – where you’d like to shoot! Send out emails introducing yourself and let them know you’re willing to branch out of your own market.

Pricing

As I found myself getting more and more wedding inquiries everywhere from Turks and Caicos to Egypt, I started becoming more discriminating with my pricing. Depending on the location and what accommodations I would need, I priced accordingly. Decide what extras you want to charge for, and how to bill them out (before or after you go) – like cab fare, checked baggage fees and wi-fi at the hotel. I also started to take in to consideration that while I was away from home, my business was literally put on hold. This, in itself, cost me valuable lessons as I budgeted each month. Not only did it mean I couldn’t book what I normally would (because my response time was much slower while out of town), but it also meant I wasn’t there for my current clients if they had an emergency (anything from time-lines to needing an image quick). Pricing became a major factor when I started traveling with my second shooter/assistant as well. I covered all of her costs, plus I’m still paying her a set salary while we’re gone in addition to her fees second shooting.

What to bring

Besides simply pricing, there is so much more you have to think about when you’re traveling for events. First, your equipment. Proper equipment insurance and back-up plans are a must. As always, I recommend travel insurance for every flight, as well as a plan for flying in and out of locations. In Florida, bad weather is common (and hurricane season is the worst), so we plan accordingly, requiring to fly in several days before we’re needed to ensure there aren’t any glitches with our flights. You also have to take in to consideration flight times, time-zone changes and the potential for jet-lag with cross country or international flights. Always carry on your equipment (I use the ThinkTank for mine), and have a laptop with you that you can edit on, communicate with or back up files to. I also bring an external hard drive that I can use to back up in a secondary location from my laptop. If you’re traveling internationally, always check for outlet converters and currency exchanges. If you have an iPad – look up some travel apps to help you navigate the area.

I can’t stress this part enough – bring suncreen and bug spray wherever you go! We also carry little packs of medicine (Pepto, Advil, etc) and always try to stay stocked up on bottled water.

Location Scouting

Location scouting for destination weddings can be a challenge, but can also be one of the highlights to shooting in places you’ve never been! I encourage you to feel out your location, keeping in mind that lighting during different times of the day and seasons may be different than what you’re used to (I’m especially concerned about this on my own trip out to Australia for a wedding in January!) Be excited to see new things and try to bring in the details of the location as much as the details of the wedding. Utilize backdrops like the ocean, mountains, and different types of fields and cityscapes to add interest to your normal posing. Make sure you get full benefit from the location by suggesting to your couples that you have plenty of time for photos. What’s the benefit of shooting a destination wedding if you’re stuck in a hotel for the whole day? Be especially conscious of this as you plan the timeline for the day – in unfamiliar territory you have to consider things like different traffic, waiting for cabs, busses, subways or valet. For instance, driving 10 miles means totally different things in Ohio (10 minutes), Orlando (30 minutes) and Los Angeles (60 minutes).

See Rachel and Matt’s full wedding post on Destination I Do

Contracts and Expectations

Agreeing to a destination wedding can be stressful if you’re not clear about your contract to the couple. My pricing is set up so that I’m always in attendance at the rehearsal dinner (even if I’m not scheduled to shoot it) so I can meet the family and get to know the key players for the wedding.  I will often do a set 8 hours of event photography for the wedding (more if they convince me about awesome locations we can go for pictures) and will sometimes do a Day After session with the bride and groom for some more photo-ops. I love this session because it’s my chance to use the location to get creative shots that I want for my website. If you’re invited to other wedding events during the time you’re there – clarify expectations with them. They may be inviting you to hang out – but they may also be expecting you to shoot while you’re there. If you’re not clear, you could end up working a lot more than what you bargained for. No one wants to argue about contracts and time while you’re there – so be clear about this in advance.

Communication

In most cases, I haven’t even met the bride and groom, so I’ll schedule a pre-wedding dinner when we arrive so we can sit down and chat. Communication is key when you’re working with brides from another state (or country), so I frequently email, Skype and Facebook my couples so that they’re used to me (as much as someone can get used to me J). My most recent destination wedding was one of my favorites – learning to communicate with a bride, groom and half a wedding party that was all deaf, while being in a new state, presented it’s own challenges for me! Luckily, I had spent a lot of time chatting online with my bride ahead of time and could easily communicate with her from simple hand movements and a pre-established relationship.

It’s not always rainbows

Not to say there haven’t been tears along the way – I always miss my family, my fiancé and my cat (yes, my cat), I’m sometimes stuck without transportation, have been put in last-minute (change-of-plans) accommodations, have had hundreds of infected bug bites (at once), bad sunburn, dehydration, and even had to push golf carts with ALL of my equipment up a hill to get back to my room; but I always stay focused for my brides, trying to bring the best out of each wedding! They are a constant reminder of how lucky I’ve been to follow my dreams as a photographer.

Unexpected Happiness

The unexpected part of shooting destination weddings is the relationship you’ll develop with your bride, groom and their family and friends. I’ve walked away from each of my destination events with such an amazing bond. I cried on my way back from Vegas, got chills when my Bahamas bride put on her gown, and frequently keep in touch with both of my Jamaica brides and their families! Spending 5 days with someone else’s family will either make or break you, and you’ll quickly find out if shooting a destination wedding is for you – but in my business, it has been one of the most amazing experiences!

In a nutshell:

• Always carry on your equipment when flying
• Make sure your couple knows exactly what and when you’re scheduled to shoot during their events. Set ground rules.
• Understand airline, customs and travel laws before flying out of the country! Oversized bins can be smaller and airlines may have different weight restrictions for bags.
• Unexpected costs when traveling can include taxis, food, checked baggage fees, hotel wi-fi (oddly NOT always included, even in business-based hotels).
• I highly recommend against traveling alone – bring an assistant or second shooter with you if possible
• Price according to your business model. If you want to travel, start with lower all-inclusive destination packages to start booking, and gradually increase your prices with your experience until you’re charging what you’d like to make.
• If the client is making your travel reservations, put in the contract (and discuss with the bride) that you must approve the accommodations before they’re booked.
• Fly non-stop when possible
• Have travel insurance and equipment insurance that covers you wherever you are shooting
• Location scout for the best location opportunities!

Kristen Weaver is an international and destination wedding photographer based out of Orlando, FL. Kristen has been featured in some of the most esteemed wedding publications and blogs, including Southern Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and Style Me Pretty. She has started her own online social website, KWP Online, where she trains, discusses and shares with others. She has also started the international photography organization, Images for a Cure, which has raised nearly $30,000 for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn the secrets to perfect wedding photography.

It is no secret – Weddings are crazy!  But they are a good crazy- full of moments that truly capture the change in generations as mothers watch their daughters marry, to couples starting new families, and friends celebrating with one another.  Combining all of these emotions with a group of people, location changes, dinner schedules and unpredictable weather can make for a logistical nightmare. It is your job as a professional to help guide your bride and groom plan a perfect wedding day. Not only will it allow you to effectively plan for your staff and necessary equipment but it will also alter the type of images you can capture. Imagine the moments you can capture from a bride who is able to enjoy her carefully planned wedding day versus the bride who is rushing to try to keep up with her wedding day.

As the photographer, much of our job becomes an issue of timing. We base our package prices around the amount of time that it takes to effectively capture a wedding day. Here are 5 tips to help walk your couples through their wedding day logistics so they are planned and prepared, as well as helping you to get some amazing images by creating an adequate schedule!

1. Plan everything in at least 15 minute increments.

• A typical wedding takes about 8 hours and those moments pass by super quickly. Break down your events in a 15-minute time block so that you know what you need to cover within that amount of time. Now you may need more or less time depending on your shooting style, but working within a time frame will help ensure that you can cover things in a successful manner. When you are creating your shot list make sure you can cover all that you need for that day by breaking it up within the timing you feel comfortable with.

2. Set yourself up for success.

• A lot of what we need to cover relies on the help of other vendors. It may be helpful to talk to these vendors to correlate the timing of events. For example, you might not want to start the bridal shots before her flowers arrive.  Ask questions of the bride and vendors to effectively plan when you should photograph certain events and avoid rushing around trying to get details like the cake or table decorations. Set a time to shoot events when you know all the important details will be in place. It’s especially important to communicate with make up and hair vendors so that the bride can be ready on time as well.

• When at all possible try to schedule a first look for the bride and groom. From my experience this drastically changes the type of emotions that are created on a wedding day. Not only does it allow the bride and groom a time to calm their nerves before the ceremony but helps avoid the inevitable rush post ceremony that affects the couple. Plus, after the ceremony its time to party! Taking an hour afterwards to take photographs puts you between the bridal party and their time to hit the dance floor!

3. Plan for transition.

• When you are working with large groups of people make sure you plan for the time it may take to move them to a different location. For example, getting a bridal party of 12 from the chapel, to the limo and to the reception hall is going to take some time. Plan for that transition within your schedule. A good safeguard is to add 10 extra minutes for car loading to allow for the bridesmaid who forgot her flowers or the groomsmen who needs a bathroom break. The few extra minutes will allow the time to take care of those things without throwing off the schedule. One of the biggest factors is post the ceremony. It’s important for you to plan the transition of the bridal party away from the ceremony. A lot of time can be lost if they are in the path of the guests exiting the ceremony. When the guests see the happy couple, they will want to congratulate them. Those are special moments  but let that happen at the reception when you are not on a tight schedule for coverage.

4. Plan for light.

• As a photographer it is your job to capture light and create light when you need it to ensure that every image is exposed properly. Keep in mind the setting of the sun so that you can take advantage of that natural beauty. Nothing can replace the beauty of twilight and a couple that is in love. If possible, arrange some time in the reception to steal them for a few moments to create beautiful images in perfect light.

5. Be prepared to throw the schedule out the window.

• All this planning makes for a confident couple and a confident photographer. Sometimes there are situations that may cause the day to go into complete chaos. If you have a schedule planned, you will know what fluff you can cut out or arrange within the drop of the hat. Having a complete schedule will prepare you for whatever comes your way!

• Lastly, make sure your wedding schedule fits you and your shooting style so that you can successfully prepares your couples for a great wedding day! Remember , you set the tone for their wedding day so start the day off right with preparation and planning so you can have amazing images to show your clients.

Here is a sample photography schedule for a wedding:

This guest article was written by Kimberly of KimBe Photography/Kimberly on Facebook.

*** Also check out this article on hiring or becoming a second shooter at a wedding.