ShutterSpire is going into our second full year in business, and we really want to re-vamp our bridal portfolio. This is your chance to get a free bridal mini-session with us. Already married? Here is your opportunity to wear that beautiful dress one more time. Getting married? Let us show you how beautiful you are in your new gown.
You can try us on for size! If you are still looking to hire your wedding photographer, you can come out and have us do a mini-session with you. This is so much better than a consultation. You will get to see us in action.
This Saturday, April 3, we will be giving away bridal sessions around the Dallas area. You will get a 30-minute session and a disc of your images with printing rights, entirely free.
Please email us (info@shutterspire.com) or give us a call (214-516-5088) to schedule your time slot.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Aileen's Bridal
We had an interesting and fun bridal shoot today with Aileen. We were supposed to take pictures outside of SMU today, but the cold weather and rain changed our plans (for the better). This is the first time that Tim and I have used dramatic lighting for one of our shoots and the pictures came out SO NICE.
We started by taking pictures at Studio 1921 1/2 where Aileen had her make-up and hair done (Great job Tisha Corcoran from TC Makeup, BTW). Then, we had the opportunity to go to the SMU Student Center and took some more. This is where Aileen graduated.
We had so much fun and are looking forward to her and Drew's wedding on April 17! It will be here before we know it.
We started by taking pictures at Studio 1921 1/2 where Aileen had her make-up and hair done (Great job Tisha Corcoran from TC Makeup, BTW). Then, we had the opportunity to go to the SMU Student Center and took some more. This is where Aileen graduated.
We had so much fun and are looking forward to her and Drew's wedding on April 17! It will be here before we know it.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Be Careful Who You Hire
When choosing your wedding photographer, you need to know what to look for and what questions to ask. The bridal magazines attempt to help you with this to some degree, but even they aren't privy to all of the appropriate information.
The following clip shows the situation that, unfortunately, some brides find themselves in.
This photographer used a consumer-brand camera and kit lenses that you can purchase for $600. Additionally, she didn't have appropriate lighting equipment or knowledge to properly handle wedding situations. Worst yet, she wasn't charging 'budget' prices. This bride paid $1300 to have her team to cover the most important day of her life.
So what SHOULD you ask? (Besides what the package includes and payment terms)
1. What equipment do you use?
CANON - If the photographer is using Canon equipment, the camera bodies should be a 1D, 5D, 7D, or a 20/30/40/50D series. These are the only camera bodies that are of professional grade.
NIKON - The D3, D300, and D700 series cameras are the professional camera bodies that the photographer should be using.
LENSES - You should find out the speed of lenses your photographer is using. Speed is very important because many churches do not allow flash. A professional photographer will have at least one lens with an aperature (also called an F-Stop) number of 2.8 or lower. If they don't know the aperature of their lenses, they are not professional.
2. What kind of editing do you provide on your images?
You don't want a shoot-and-drop photographer. These are the people that take 1000-3000 images and just burn them to a disc. No sorting, no editing, and you are left to do everything on your own.
A professional will sort and edit each image. Different professionals have different levels of editing, but each image is looked at and tweeked to provide a nice outcome.
3. Where do you have your images printed?
If the answer is simply they give you the disc, or that their final product is printed at Walmart, Ritz/Wolf Camera, or any other place that you can go as well, walk away from the situation and go to a professional. Your wedding images are way too important.
A professional will go to a professional print lab such as BWC, Millers, WHCC, Black River Imaging, ACI, Nations, or many other reputable professional labs.
4. Do you have insurance?
An individual's home ownership insurance is not enough. A professional needs to have professional business liability insurance at a very minimum. Why is this important? What if one of the lights that the photographer is using bursts and creates a spark, causing your chapel to catch on fire. Who is responsible? That would be YOU, unless your photographer has liability insurance. I know that this is an extreme case, but anything can happen. You want to make sure your photographer is prepared.
I really hope that this list of questions and possible answers helps you as you head off to your many consultations. You invest so much time and money into planning your wedding, do not remember it by using a less-than-professional photographer.
The following clip shows the situation that, unfortunately, some brides find themselves in.
This photographer used a consumer-brand camera and kit lenses that you can purchase for $600. Additionally, she didn't have appropriate lighting equipment or knowledge to properly handle wedding situations. Worst yet, she wasn't charging 'budget' prices. This bride paid $1300 to have her team to cover the most important day of her life.
So what SHOULD you ask? (Besides what the package includes and payment terms)
1. What equipment do you use?
CANON - If the photographer is using Canon equipment, the camera bodies should be a 1D, 5D, 7D, or a 20/30/40/50D series. These are the only camera bodies that are of professional grade.
NIKON - The D3, D300, and D700 series cameras are the professional camera bodies that the photographer should be using.
LENSES - You should find out the speed of lenses your photographer is using. Speed is very important because many churches do not allow flash. A professional photographer will have at least one lens with an aperature (also called an F-Stop) number of 2.8 or lower. If they don't know the aperature of their lenses, they are not professional.
2. What kind of editing do you provide on your images?
You don't want a shoot-and-drop photographer. These are the people that take 1000-3000 images and just burn them to a disc. No sorting, no editing, and you are left to do everything on your own.
A professional will sort and edit each image. Different professionals have different levels of editing, but each image is looked at and tweeked to provide a nice outcome.
3. Where do you have your images printed?
If the answer is simply they give you the disc, or that their final product is printed at Walmart, Ritz/Wolf Camera, or any other place that you can go as well, walk away from the situation and go to a professional. Your wedding images are way too important.
A professional will go to a professional print lab such as BWC, Millers, WHCC, Black River Imaging, ACI, Nations, or many other reputable professional labs.
4. Do you have insurance?
An individual's home ownership insurance is not enough. A professional needs to have professional business liability insurance at a very minimum. Why is this important? What if one of the lights that the photographer is using bursts and creates a spark, causing your chapel to catch on fire. Who is responsible? That would be YOU, unless your photographer has liability insurance. I know that this is an extreme case, but anything can happen. You want to make sure your photographer is prepared.
I really hope that this list of questions and possible answers helps you as you head off to your many consultations. You invest so much time and money into planning your wedding, do not remember it by using a less-than-professional photographer.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Big Year for Us
It is getting late, but I wanted to share with you all a few things on my mind. This is an important year for Tim and I.
First, we turn 30 this year. We are not as upset about it as you may think. We are actually excited to forge into the next decade of our lives... together. We still haven't decided how we are going to celebrate yet, but we should come up with something soon! We have less than 2 months. Should we throw a bash at a restaurant here in Dallas or skip town to San Antonio. Please help us decide!
Second, this year will be our fifth wedding anniversary! On September 18, we will be married for five years. To all of my brides and grooms - never let people tell you that marriage stinks! They are completely wrong. The last five years have been nothing but wonderful for us. We have grown together and are stronger now than when we were merely dating. So, dont listen to the cynical ones out there. Marriage is great (and that is why we love our job so much!)
Anyway, I am going to be adding more features to this blog in the near future and want to get to know you all just a little bit more. Feel free to comment, add quotes, tell stories, or anything else you feel like sharing. I will do the same!
First, we turn 30 this year. We are not as upset about it as you may think. We are actually excited to forge into the next decade of our lives... together. We still haven't decided how we are going to celebrate yet, but we should come up with something soon! We have less than 2 months. Should we throw a bash at a restaurant here in Dallas or skip town to San Antonio. Please help us decide!
Second, this year will be our fifth wedding anniversary! On September 18, we will be married for five years. To all of my brides and grooms - never let people tell you that marriage stinks! They are completely wrong. The last five years have been nothing but wonderful for us. We have grown together and are stronger now than when we were merely dating. So, dont listen to the cynical ones out there. Marriage is great (and that is why we love our job so much!)
Anyway, I am going to be adding more features to this blog in the near future and want to get to know you all just a little bit more. Feel free to comment, add quotes, tell stories, or anything else you feel like sharing. I will do the same!
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