Chicago Wedding Photography

If the wedding photographer you are considering hiring is extremely cheaply priced, it may be that his service is not up to scratch. A wedding photography specialist will use a professional print lab to process his work, and this is costly. You definitely do not want your wedding photos printed at a local drugstore that offers cheap discounts and produces poor-quality photos. If you see professional print lab photos against cheap drugstore photographs, you might be amazed at the difference. You really do not want your wedding photographs to have a blue tinge or green shadows; this may not matter if you have taken some snaps when you go on a day out on the beach, but it is very important that your wedding pictures are absolutely perfect, as they are a keepsake that you will want to show generations to come.A professional wedding photography studio will be able to show you samples of retouching. You cannot retouch a photograph properly by clicking one button with a mouse. It takes years and lots of practice to correctly learn photographic artistic retouching, and there is much more to it than simply adding contrast or sharpening the edges in Photoshop.Ask your wedding photographer how he will provide you with the end photographs. Anybody who says you will get them on a CD so you can print them out yourself is not a true wedding photography specialist. Printing the pictures professionally is an important job and not something that you could have done correctly in the local high street. If you are told you receive the pictures on a CD, you should look elsewhere for a professional photographer.Make sure your photographer shows you many different samples of his work. It should be in albums and not pictures on the Internet. You should also ask the photographer if the pictures were taken at an actual wedding. Some photographers may use pictures posed by models, and is as much easier to photograph these than it is to organize subjects at a real wedding.Make sure that your wedding photographer is planning on actually attending your wedding himself. If the studio has many wedding photographers, it may send a different photographer than the one you spoke too regarding your wishes for your wedding photos. This is not acceptable, so confirm in advance that you will definitely see the same person on your wedding day as the one you discuss your plans with.

Only when you get married do you realize how much detail there is for putting on an event such as a wedding. As a wedding photographer, Bridesmaid and as a Bride myself I have had the opportunity to see weddings from all angles.It's the day every girl has been dreaming about. There are some brides and grooms who want little to no stress and hire a wedding planner. Some couples are completely into the idea of planning out every detail themselves. Most times, from what I've seen, Brides are most happy when they've had a hand in the creation of their wedding day.But what happens when she comes across an aspect of the wedding she doesn't have much experience with? Well, it kind of puts a stop in the cog wheels doesn't it? In regards to your program most want it amazing. It's a keepsake for your guest and for your memory box. It is a well rounded item that embodies the precious moments of your wedding and your relationship. But you are stuck. You are out of ideas, or you aren't sure which path to take.

The Limits of Photo CamerasWe live in an age of amazing technological advancements in the visual technology fields. Photo camera models renew themselves each year with the promise of more mega-pixels and new features. And yet, if we think about it for a moment, the photo that comes out of each of our digital camera models most times has strengths and weaknesses that persist through all the successive models that go through our hands.Digital Cameras and in general all photographic cameras are, despite all of the marketing buzz, still very limited machines. For example, they register our world with sensors that can only capture a fraction of the tonal range that our eyes can perceive.Imagine yourself on a sunny day in front of a beautiful landscape.Below you, around your feet, you can see the rich lush green vegetation; above you, the bright blue skies. As we contemplate this scene, our eyes are able to perceive all its richness, the details in both the shadows and the bright clouds above. The dynamic range that our eyes can process, which goes from the darkest to the brightest areas, is enough to contain most of the rich detail in that scene.Now take your photo camera and snap a shot from your position including both the vegetation and the sky. The result is very telling. Depending on the parameters that either the camera or you choose, some detail of the scene will be gone from the result. Either parts of the vegetation will blend to black and lose all detail or parts of the sky will blend to white and lose all detail.In summary, the retina of the camera, its digital sensor, which captures the light of the scene, is not capable of dealing with a tonal range as large as our eyes can. It can only capture the full detail in a small range that can be positioned at different levels of brightness by the camera itself or us. Because of that, in a scene like the one described above that has a very large contrast, it ends up capturing the detail only at the highlights and mid-tones, or mainly at the mid-tones, or mainly at the shadows and mid-tones. It simply cannot capture simultaneously the full detail of the scene from the darkest to the brightest areas.This is of course a simplification of an scenario that we could describe in much more detail. But the conclusion is still the same. When we look at the final photo, we realize that what we remember seeing with our eyes is not what the photo shows. That richness of detail everywhere is gone. And this is just one of the limitations that all Photo cameras share. We could go on to describe many others related to color precision and other areas where cameras simply cannot cope with the depth and richness of the world around us.Photo Retouching comes to the rescue

Winter weddings are enchanted and often described as fairytale like events. With the snow cascading down encapsulating everything in pure white, visions of horse drawn carriages and dancing by the fireside - these are very romantic and rustic themes. Rustic fall and winter weddings have made a big comeback in 2011 and the elegant country charm will continue throughout 2012. If you are looking for winter wedding colors to go with your theme, you have several options - and some unique ways to select colors for your nuptials.If you are a traditional bride your winter wedding colors are:

Silvery light blue with white and silver accents (think of snowflakes)
White on white, with crystal accents
Red and white
Red, white and green if your wedding is close to the Christmas season
Ivory, Gold and Crystal accents

Oh the budget - the hardest part of planning a wedding! Once you come up with a figure that you can live with, you then have to figure out how to divide it up to cover all of the different wedding expenses. These are some tips on how to allocate your wedding budget.The first thing to know is the basic formula, in terms of what percentage of your wedding budget should be allotted to each category of expenditure. The second thing to know is that these guidelines are really only that - guidelines - and that the actual divisions of your resources will be based as much on your priorities as on a chart. The trick is to find a way to divide up your available funds so that you are not left without the money to pay for something in one of the categories that interests you less.In general, the reception is going to take up the biggest chunk of your wedding budget, normally about half. Within that 50%, though, it is entirely up to you how you want to break it down. For instance, if your top priority is having a venue with breathtaking views or a well-known name, you may spend more of that 50% allocation on the venue, and compromise by having a less expensive menu. Or if having top notch food is your main concern, you might spend more on the caterer, and less on the decorations and flowers.All of the wedding budgets advise allotting around 10% of your funds to go for attire and beauty. Personally, I have always thought that this number was unrealistically low, which I guess is an indication of my priorities! The wedding attire includes everything from the wedding gown to the bridal jewelry, the hair, the makeup, and so forth. Feel free to save in one area so that you can splurge in another. For instance, you can find beautiful crystal bridal jewelry online and put the savings towards a more elaborate gown or a great pair of designer wedding shoes.The music for your wedding should also be about 10% of your budget. If you are struggling to stay within this figure, you can often trim a little money from the music for the ceremony or the cocktail hour so that you can still afford great music for dancing at the reception. You can use recorded music or a solo musician for those times and put the bulk of your music budget towards a terrific band or d.j. when it matters the most.Photography is another 10% of your wedding cost, and this includes the videographer if you are having one. Many couples are tempted to save money by skipping the professional photographer, but this is a big mistake. Spend the money to hire a professional to capture your most precious memories - you will be very glad that you did!You can expect the rest of your wedding funds to be spent something like this: the ceremony, stationery, transportation, and gifts will each take up about 2-3% of your remaining wedding budget, leaving the last 8% for miscellaneous expenses (and there will be many!). The reality is that most couples end up going over their budget, so allow yourself a little extra cushion. If you make a list of your priorities in the beginning, it will be easier to shift your money around to stay within your wedding budget when all is said and done.

One of the easiest ways to learn anything is to just do it. When you make mistakes you learn from them. When it comes to wedding photography you really don't want to make many mistakes. Hopefully by the end of this article I will have provided you enough quality information for you to take better photos at your next wedding.Wedding photography is unlike most types of photography in that you only have one chance to capture a shot, there's no retakes once a shot is gone you will never be able to recapture that moment. So if you want a happy bride and groom, less stress and more money in your bank account then keep on reading because these handy tips will save your butt when it comes to shooting weddings.1. Create a shot listIf you're just starting out then a shot list is vital. Having a shot list will allow you to make sure that no shots have been missed. If you start shooting weddings on a regular basis then chances are that you won't need a shot list after a while but I believe it's always handy to have one as backup. Some of the shots I recommend taking include:

The wedding dress hanging up/leaning over a chair
The brides dress getting done up
Brides garter
Bride getting hair done/looking in the mirror
Bride/bridesmaids having makeup put on
Groom tying his tie
Groom hugging parents
Parents/best man straitening grooms tie
Bride and father arriving at ceremony
Family members being seated
Bridesmaids walking down the aisle
Groom waiting/checking his watch
Groom seeing bride for the first time
Bride before making her entrance
Father and bride walking down the aisle
The back of the father and bride walking down the aisle (if you have a second photographer)
Close up of bride and groom exchanging vows
Close up of the rings going onto hands
The first kiss as married couple
Walking up the aisle as a married couple
Bride and groom outside the location
Family throwing confetti at bride and groom

For wedding photography, Philadelphia is probably the best city in the country. It's urban, steeped in history and culture, filled with gardens and parks and dubbed the "city of love" for a reason. For five of the city's best wedding photography locations, keep reading.Longwood Gardens (longwoodgardens.org)Most Philadelphia wedding photographers will say you can't go wrong at Longwood Gardens. With its acres of flowers and fountains, Longwood is pristine, beautiful and a stunning backdrop for your wedding day photos.However, before you arrive at the Longwood gates with your wedding party, photographer and lights in tow, you should know the Gardens do allow photography, but there are policies you must follow. All attendees are required to pay the $16 entrance fee, and no tripods or lights can be used at any time. You may also be required to sign a permission form saying the photos are for personal, not commercial, use.JFK Plaza or LOVE ParkPhiladelphia's JFK Plaza is lovingly nicknamed LOVE Park thanks to the iconic LOVE statue made by Robert Indiana situated at the head of the park. It's an urban, Center City setting with a romantic fountain and a locale that simply embodies the city.While free and certainly romantic, it can serve as a popular wedding photography spot, particularly on a beautiful July Saturday. You may want to go early or allot extra time to wait for other wedding parties.Bartram's GardenAs one of the nation's oldest botanical gardens - Bartram's Gardens - are steeped in history and tradition. They're also incredibly beautiful, making them the perfect location for wedding photography. Philadelphia residents will instantly recognize the beautiful stone courtyard and classic coach house.

If  you have been wondering if you need a second photographer you are not alone. Initially we would say absolutely not; but there are more factors involved that need to help you make this decision. Any good wedding photographer should be able to handle up to a 250-300 guest wedding easily. When we hire photographers, we make sure that they are very experienced in taking large weddings. If you get an amateur photographer, you cannot expect to get the wedding photo coverage you deserve. A professional wedding photographer knows how to move around and get the different angled shots he needs. He or she also knows all of the important shots to get. This includes the wedding party group, the parents, the cake, the bouquet throwing, the garter tossing, alter shots, wedding ring shots, etc. The only time that we would really recommend getting a second photographer at your wedding, is if you are very concerned about the amount of guest coverage you will get. Remember, one photographer is only one photographer. He can't be in two places at the same time. This does not mean that he can't get pre-ceremony wedding photos of both the bride and the groom before the ceremony. If a bride is getting ready in a hotel in downtown Chicago, he/she will be there first to get the pictures of her getting ready as well as her shots when she is done. This is also the time when he will get pictures with her and her bridemaids and family. Then he will go over to the church or reception hall (wherever the ceremony will be held) and round up groom and the groomsmen and his family for pictures before the ceremony begins.Good & experienced photographers will always prioritize getting the important pictures of the bride & groom and their wedding party first.  This means that while he/she is focusing on you and your family and your wedding party, he won't be off taking pictures of your guests. After he gets the needed shots and and knows that he won't miss anything important, he or she can go get more pictures of your wedding guests. Don't get me wrong, if you have a good professional wedding ph you will always have wedding photographs of your guests no matter what.  Even if it is just one photographer. In fact most experienced  photographers are great at getting guest coverage. The question is; do you want more? If you want tons of pictures of your guests, then we would recommend getting a second photographer. Otherwise, one of our photographers will be able to cover your wedding perfectly.. Though it varies from  state to state, most photography studios here in Illinois will charge you a minimum of $1700.00 for 2 photographers! What I mean to say is, in the end it is up to you. How important is it to you? Do you want to pay the extra amount? Can you pay the extra amount? After all, this is your wedding, your day & your money!

The special day is supposed to be the most auspicious day in the life of the bride and the groom. The day also means a lot to the family and friends of the couple. Giving out plenty of invitations means that there will be a lot of guests during the occasion and means that the family should be prepared to cater for all of them and create an atmosphere whereby everyone has a pleasant time and bless the couple wholeheartedly. It can be quite difficult to organize big functions which usually involve hiring a wedding videographer or a videographer, food caterers, planners and decorators. However, there are many tips which families can use to make the special day a truly successful and outstanding one. These tips will also ensure that they do not undergo too much stress during the occasion and have a pleasant time for themselves as well.Time can be a stressful factor during big occasions and to avoid this stress, it is essential for families to manage time properly. This means that they should avoid doing last minute work such as shopping, decorating, getting the menu ready and making other arrangements. Planning well in advance and proper time management can save families a lot of money as they will get enough time to make good deals and get the best products. It is essential to write down everything that will need to be done. Making a list also includes making a financial plan and estimating the amount of time each task will take.Finance can be an issue when preparing for the special day. Therefore, it is essential for the family to talk about how much is going to be spent. If the budget is low, families can plan a small occasion where only important members of the family, friends and relatives will be present. They can have the menu in budget and cut down on things like hiring a professional for decoration, planning and photography. Family members can get together and do these tasks themselves which will save them a lot of money.Furthermore, the families, bride and groom should picture the special day and visualize all the details. They should stay focused and pay attention to all the things they need to do to make the occasion a really happy one. With a mental image, they should be able to decide how they plan the special day to be. Moreover, the family should not start panicking about the event. If they are unable to plan everything on their own, it is best to seek advice from close friends and families, especially those who have already done such a planning before.It is essential to pay attention to how many guest are invited and how their seating arrangement will be to make them most comfortable. It should be noted that in order to make the special day a success, families need to plan everything beforehand and do not take unwanted stress. They should also be able to enjoy the day while taking care of the guests.

Creating a successful wedding photography business can be more of a challenge than one would think. Just because you can take a picture doesn't mean that starting your own wedding photography business will be smooth sailing. However there are certain building blocks one can take that will assist in creating yourself a successful start to your wedding photography business. First and most important building block is to build an efficient and thorough business/creative plan. This is the foundation and should include your objectives, your mission, and your keys to success.Your foundation objectives will cover what it takes to produce the same outstanding quality results time after time, and what it will take to become recognized as a top wedding photographer. You mission should describe what you want to achieve and how you are going to do that. Your keys to success should include how you will fulfill your client's expectations and how you will accomplish this. How will you be competitive with your services offered? What kind of profits do you need to become successful competition?Before you start you're first step is to find your identity. Have you figured it out? Be true to yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses as a photographer. Are you ready to start this financially and technically? Do you know your style and identity, and do you do it well? You should know how to describe your photography and vision. Are you more of a photo journalistic photographer who relies on natural available light and candid moments? Do you pre-plan and pose portraits and incorporate technical lighting skills giving a classic look. Or, do you mix it up with both, showing a full range of capabilities that give you your own modern contemporary style?If you know what you want your photography and identity to look like but haven't achieved the look yet, maybe you need more work on your photography before you can establish your business.Take a look at your photography and decide what level of talent you have and what potential you possess. Be critical of your work, but also have others critique your work for you. Learn how to use constructive criticism to improve your photography. If your identity isn't where you want it, ask yourself, what needs to be improved? Do you know your equipment (camera, lighting, etc) well enough? Do you know how to read and meter your exposures? Do you have the right equipment, i.e.: hi resolution digital camera and Photoshop? You need a digital camera to stay up with your competition. It is also of great importance to be proficient in Photoshop and Lightroom and your digital workflow. It is up to you to overcome any weakness with proper education and practice before you take on photographing a wedding.Photographing a wedding is a big responsibility. Someone has paid a large amount of money and trust in you to document this special and personal day. This is why it is so important to be confident enough to step into any wedding that comes your way and do a solid job photographing it. Having your skills fine-tuned are just part of what it takes to build that foundation of confidence. The other huge part to building confidence is experience.We all start out somewhere. So once you have your photography skills and workflow down, it is now time to test yourself and your identity. The first step is to know your value. Do you think you're up to shooting a wedding solo for $2000.00? Wait, you don't have any wedding pictures for a portfolio. How are you going to sell yourself as a wedding photographer? Well either you get lucky with someone who trusts and likes your photography regardless that you have never photographed a wedding. Or you decide to build your portfolio through being a second or third shooter for a more established wedding photographer. This is a great way to get exposure and experience in the wedding photography scene. A great way to approach this route is to call all of the local wedding photographers in your area and ask if anyone is in need of a second or third shooter. Once you find some work ask questions and pay close attention to how they run their business and how they photograph weddings. Everyone has a system. How they shoot the wedding ceremony, portraits, reception, etc. Use this position to your advantage and build relationships within the wedding industry. The more you learn, the faster you will be on your way to becoming competition. Remember to save money for when you make your transition out on your own.Once you have some weddings under your belt your confidence will lead you at the right time to separate and become that competition that you have been working for. When you do choose, it should be all or nothing. Either stay on as a second shooter or take the risk and become competition.After you have taken the jump into the unknown and exciting world of being your own boss. Your confidence as a photographer has grown and you now possess an identity as a wedding photographer. You can now start your wedding photography business wherever and whenever.

Indian Wedding Photographers are ideal to take pictures of ceremonial Indian Weddings. The principal reason is that they have an understanding of all the traditions and customs that are associated with these events. These celebrations are reportedly a combination of serious customs and rituals combined with more fun and light moments and rituals.These very important ceremonies are indicative of new beginnings with respect to relationships. These relationships are not limited to the two people who are getting married but also to the two families and their extended families. Moments at these occasions are responsible for forging new relationships.Each community and caste has traditions and cultures, which are unique to them. It is interesting how this varies from community to community. This would be of much interest to any outsider that was invited to attend such an occasion.Hindu ceremonies have a tradition where the sister-in-law will hide the shoes of the brother-in-law. The shoes will only be returned if the jija or brother-in-law pays some money for the shoes. While this would most certainly frowned upon at any western marriage ceremony, it is considered a very enjoying and fun-filled activity.Other communities practice the ritual of covering the bride and groom's hands. This is done so that ill omens and the evil eye can be warded off during the pheras. Parsee ceremonies have a situation where the brother-in-law gives gifts to the sister-in-law. This is done during the ritual of Haath.Another tradition is where the groom puts his hands in water and may not remove the hands until money is paid. Dhovanu is where the groom is threatened to have milk thrown on his shoes. Chero chorvanu is where the couple is tied with seven strands of thread and these are removed when the couple is standing on the pavement.The mother-in-law of the groom will try to catch the groom's nose when the baraat arrives. This is so that he will always remember he took the parent's daughter away. Furthermore, he has to commit to being forever responsible for the bride's happiness.The Gujarati community practices a fun-filled ritual of mixing Vermillion, milk and water together. Then coins and a ring are thrown into the mixture. The bridal couple is then given seven chances to retrieve the ring from the dish. Who ever wins will be considered to be the dominating personality. The people will then declare that the winner will be in charge of the relationship. This is all done among much laughter and gaiety.The Punjabi sect have the bride wearing red and white bangles given to her by her maternal uncle. This is so that the bride will have good luck in her new home. The Punjabi also wears ornaments that are gold or silver-plated tied to the chudas. These are known as Kaleeres. The kaleeres have leaves on them and it is believed that the bride will have as many friends as there are leaves on the Kaleeres. As Indian Wedding Photographers are aware of these customs, they are deemed to be the best option to take the pictures.

Chinese weddings are often steeped in tradition. Thus, for Chinese wedding dresses, red is normally the traditional color and white is not recommended. The red color also applies to many Asian cultures. Red is preferred because it is central to most of their themes. From wedding favors, invitations to dresses, the color red always features prominently. From the decorations to the bride's dress, red must be visible.Chinese Wedding Dress
The traditional bridal dress is usually a one-piece frock referred to as Qi Pao, embroidered using elaborate silver and gold designs. Southern China brides normally wear a two-piece called Cheongsam or Qun Gua Kwa, which is also adorned, elaborately by golden dragon and phoenix. The dress is normally red in color because red is believed to be a strong good luck color keeping away evil spirits.Traditionally, a red veil piece was part of the bride's outfit for covering her face during the ceremony. Phoenix and dragon bridal dress designs symbolized the balance of female and male power. The bride is often seen with the red veil that covering her head and sometimes her face. Among the most prominent features in these weddings is the bridal gown. A majority of the brides wear up to six dresses in a single wedding night. Nothing matches the passion and charm of red Chinese wedding dresses in the ceremony.Choosing a Chinese Wedding Dress
Choosing the wedding gown is a very important decision. The dress sets the tone of the entire ceremony and therefore the bride should feel special and comfortable in the gown. It is vital to ensure this while choosing the dress. Thus, one is advised to shop at a renowned designer to ensure authenticity. However, one should consider their budgets before making a purchase. With this, one should also consider alternate options for instance, renting the wedding gown.Some prospective couples prefer a themed ceremony to complement their renaissance or medieval wedding dress. For them, nothing utters romance than traveling back in time. Whatever dresses a bride decides to allocate for their wedding, choosing a dress that exudes the beauty and aura of the bride in the best manner possible. A bride can choose a gown with traditional embellishments looking like a bell-shaped skirt with a modern fitting or lace made using satin and decorated with beautiful frills. Select long Chinese wedding dresses with mind-blowing decorations made of flower patterns. Some embroidery and beadwork can add up to the dress's beauty.