Shooting for the Book

The wedding season hits in June and we at PhotoHand expect a rise in custom photo books design orders. Most of our clients have been in the wedding photography business for a while but there are a lot of talented young beginners who have been asking us to give them some tips on how to be prepared so that they are in the right place at the right moment and shoot enough material for a lively photo story.

We looked at the weddings albums that we have created so far and came up with this cheat sheet. A bride can also use this list when giving directions to her photographer.

A spread from a wedding book designed and photo retouched by PhotoHand prosfessionals.

A wedding is a celebration of a tradition and traditions by their nature adhere to certain scripts. Below are the points general to any wedding but if the wedding is to include some ethnic traditions or special family customs, that photographer must be notified of all such details beforehand so that he or she is able to capture every key moment.

Behind the Scene
The dress on a hanger
close-ups of any remarkable details on the dress
Accessories: flowers, shoes, jewelry, the rings
The bride getting ready (makeup, hair, jewelry, dress,shoes)
Family and bridesmaids assisting the bride
Others getting ready
Portrait of the bride
The groom getting ready (adjusting the ties tie or cuff links)
Portrait of the groom
Waiting for the Ceremony
The wide-angle view of the location
The groom waiting for the bride
The groom, the best man and the officiator
The ring bearer and flower girl
General view of the seated guests
Arrival of the bride

The Ceremony
The best man and maid of honor coming down the aisle
Each groomsman and bridesmaid coming down the aisle
The bride coming down the aisle
Wide-angle view of the ceremony
The vow and ring exchange
Signing of the marriage license
The kiss
The bride and groom coming down the aisle
Any special musician, singer, speaker, etc.

Formal Photos
Hands with the wedding bands
Formal group photos
Romantic bride and groom photos

The Reception
Details: centerpieces, the cake, decor
The wedding party entering the reception
Toasts
Cutting of the cake
The first dance
Dances with parents
Bouquet toss
Garter removal
Guests at each table
Dancing guests

Final Scene
The newlyweds waiving or walking away
Departing Limo

That’s it! Have a great shoot!

Primp Up Your Indie Image On a Budget

Indie is trendy. If you hear this for the first time, you’ve been out of touch for quite a while and should hurry to Etsy.com to catch up. Whether it’s shoes, clothes, cosmetics, jewelry, bags, gift items, perfume… indie companies are guaranteed to provide innovative offbeat products that will spice up your image.

Innovation is the key to indie success as small companies are faster on their feet than large brands. They also tend to be greener, organic and more conscious of waste.

PhotoHand is a strong supporter of indies and we have a lot of them among our clients. Indies do not have the promotion budgets of big brands but they must have the big brand image quality to sell.

Indie companies on a budget (and most of them are) do not have the resources to hire professional photographers at $100-150/hr to shoot their new products, especially as they introduce one-two new products at a time. Instead they buy professional or semi-professional photo cameras that are becoming cheaper and more powerful and take promotional photos at their make-shift corner studios.

This is a prudent approaching taking into account that even professionally shot photos still need to be photoshopped to bring out the best in the image.

A perfume bottle shot in a make-shift setup with a non-professional camera was color-corrected and photo-retouched by PhotoHand professionals. Complex level - $11.95/photo

PhotoHand has been assisting indie companies with this task for quite a while and we keep getting the same question from our clients: How to set up the photo shoot for the best results.

We did some research, consulted several photographers and came up with the basic set of rules that will set you on the right track.

How to set up lighting for a home photo shoot?

Lighting is of paramount importance in photography. Photographing with natural light will deliver natural colors but only if you shoot on an overcast day that is still bright. You can wait for such a day or imitate these conditions by using easily available elements:

1) A spotlight lamp with a white light bulb. A yellow light bulb will tint the original color of the product;
2) Frosted paper that will be used as a screen to diffuse the light shining on the product and this way prevent the “hot spots” in the photo;
3) A flowing background, preferably stiff paper that won’t crinkle;
4) A sheet of white paper to reflect the diffused light from the spotlight lamp and partially illuminate the other side or the front of the product. This is necessary to avoid sharp light/shade contrast (unless you want it for some artistic effect).

This diagram shows how to arrange these items for the photoshoot setup at home.

How to set your camera for the product photo shoot?

Turn off the Flash. Flash glare on objects is very hard to photo retouch because it means loss of digital information. A photo retoucher would have to fill up the blanks by using his/her imagination.

Set your camera to MACRO for the close-up view.

That’s it.  Happy shooting!  And remember, PhotoHand is always there for you to glam up your image.

I Can Get No Photo Satisfaction:-)

Hoping this never happens to you…

Citizen Paparazzi Cash in on the Celebrity Craze

One of PhotoHanders with Paris Hilton at the launch of her new line of sunglasses

Crowdsourcing is cutting into the paparazzi business. Some time ago we reported on how amateur photographers can sell their photos online and now another kind of photographers gets upstaged by amateurs.

In recent years, more tabloid magazines have begun accepting picture submissions from non-professionals which lead to a growing number of citizen paparazzi agencies that act as intermediaries. Here are some of them: peoplepaparazzi.com, Cash4yourpics.com, Scoopt.com, Spymedia.com, and Thesnitcherdesk.com. Gawker.com incorporates more amateur photo submissions as a way of enhancing its popular “Gawker Stalker Map,” which maps out celebrity sightings around the city each day.

A lucky shot can make you rich. The snapshot of Britney Spears Las Vegas nuptials that ended in annulment was sold for $150,000 by a couple who also got married there that night. But keep in mind that if you act like a papparazzo, you are at risk of being treated like one by body guards.

Photography Against Dogfighting

The Humane Society of the United States’ End Dogfighting in Chicago campaign sponsored a photography project in which members of the campaign’s Pit Bull Training Team were given disposable cameras and asked to document a day in the life of their pit bull. The result was “Pit·ography,” a 33-photo exhibition showcasing the beauty of the urban pit bull that took place at Chicago’s Carroll Center. Some of the photos are online here. And the dogs and their owners were serenaded with violins.

Anthony Pickett, a member of the PBTT and Pitography photographer, says his favorite photo in his collection is the one of his two-year old pit bull, “Nino,” on his back: “I like it because it shows how loving and gentle he is.”

This event is part of the community outreach component of The Humane Society of the United States’ End Dogfighting in Chicago campaign. The program strikes at the core of urban dogfighting by using proven preventative methods such as youth anti-violence intervention, dog training classes, humane education, community outreach and law enforcement partnerships.

“The beauty of ‘Pit·ography’ is that it portrays pit bulls in a new light,” said Sandy DeLisle, End Dogfighting in Chicago campaign coordinator. “In this season of rebirth and renewal, this project shows us the pit bull is not a fighter, but a loving companion.”

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.

Click here to watch the photography slideshow.

I Saw the Future of Contemporary Photography

Yes, I did and it looked great. That was last spring. And this year a bunch of us from the PhotoHand team – those residing in New York – will see it too. We’ll be hanging out at the New York Photo Festival to see what’s new in the Art of Photography for inspiration and to pick up a few tricks that we could use for art effects in our photo design work.

If you like Photography and if you are in the NYC area, I would recommend you to see the exhibits. If you are a Photographer, I would attend the seminars too. Below is the official announcement describing the event. You can get more info by clicking on the event title. The event calendar hasn’t been published of this date.

THE NEW YORK PHOTO FESTIVAL – 2nd Edition, May 13-17, 2009
Event Calendar>>

Following up on its successful debut in May 2008, the New York Photo Festival is pleased to announce the exhibition dates for 2009 and its Festival Curators. The inaugural event in May 2008 was a surprise hit, and it delivered on the promise of presenting the “future of contemporary photography” through the efforts of world-class curators and the selected artists. The NYPH’08 Festival Curators—Kathy Ryan, Martin Parr, Lesley A. Martin, and Tim Barber—created four stunning exhibitions focusing on the ubiquity of images in digital and daily life, sculptural tendencies in contemporary photography, ground-breaking paths in formal photographic documentation and representation, and a formal yet whimsical approach to the democratic presentation of artistic representation. The New York Photo Festival’s debut run in 2008 answered critics’ lament that the world’s capital of photography could never compile a festival of its own. It also affirmatively resolved the quandary of whether contemporary photography could ever stand on its own, apart and distinct from its historical antecedents of greatest hits and exotic depiction.

A New Source of Imagery – Every Man and Woman

In 1953, the Time magazine reported amateur photographers were taking estimated 2 billion pictures a year. In our Digital Lifestyle age, when there is no cost of film and development associated with clicks, one enthusiast might account for this number.

AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER: Every man his own artist. Time Magazine - Nov 2, 1953

Photography today is the national pastime. People seem to be carrying cameras at all times in hopes of one day being at the right place at the right moment. Well, they might get lucky. After all, some amateur pictures made history like the shots of the sinking of the Vestris in 1928, the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937, or the Hotel Winecoff fire in 1946. Can amateur photos compare in artistry and technical quality to the professional photos? Artistic quality is largely in the eye of the beholder and even Robert Capa himself once observed: “Most of the people in this country take pictures, and most of them take better ones than I do.” And now most amateurs are walking around heavily armed with semi-professional and professional cameras that become more and more affordable with every year. Professional-grade cameras now cost less than $1,000 The borderline between professional and amateur photographers is beginning to blur. Back in 1953, selling your lucky shots means a lot of legwork. These days, all you have to do is open an account at one of the photography microstock websites that serve as marketplaces for images, and you can proudly claim yourself a professional once you have sold. One of such sites iStockphoto’s clients now include bulk photo purchasers like IBM and United Way, as well as the small design firms that used to buy from expensive agencies like Corbis and Getty. As a matter of fact, Getty Images – one of the world’s largest stock and editorial photo vendors has made a deal with Flickr to add a hand-picked set of Flickr users’ photos to its catalog. The deal will almost certainly cut further into the market for professional stock photography. You won’t make too much cash selling your photos though. Thanks to the collective effort of millions of you, stock photos are no longer scarce and the going rate for royalty-free photos is $1. But who knows, you might produce a photo that will be hugely in demand. So, click away for extra cash or maybe fame! Here is the list of some of the microstock websites to consider with an overview in their own words:

ShutterStock is the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world.

Dreamstime is a distinguished leader in stock photography and a major supplier of high quality digital images at unbelievable prices.

BigStockPhoto provides designers with an alternative to high-priced stock photography, in addition to providing photographers with a marketplace to sell their work.

123 Royalty Free is your one-stop royalty-free photo library offering stunning, practical stock photos at the most affordable price!

Crestock – stock photo & image bank that has the stock photography industry’s highest standard in royalty free stock photos & images.

iStockPhoto is the Internet’s original member-generated image and design community. We offer millions of royalty-free stock images for as little as $1 each.

YAY Micro claims to be the best creative and editorial microstock agency in terms of quality, turn-over, reputation and satisfaction. Our vision is to be the leading digital content provider.

CanStockPhoto is one of the world’s largest microstock photography agencies.

FeaturePics is an Internet tool for the realization of the free market; where an Artist is responsible for a product and supervises its price, and a Buyer completes this market by buying the Art.

Fotolia offers the largest image bank of free and affordable royalty free photos and illustrations perfect for any medium, web or print.

Cutcaster is a dynamic, licensing exchange where members buy, sell and request the rights to use digital photos, vector illustrations and images.

PantherMedia is an online marketplace for royalty-free photography. Buyers and sellers of royalty-free images meet on one common platform.

Zymmetrical – the site’s moto is ‘Digital Art to Go!’, but they let our Artists determine the prices of their files – you may find some files to be cheaper than you’d expect, some may seem expensive; however you can always be sure the quality is top-notch.

Fotomind is a royalty-free stock photography agency delivering high quality photos under affordable prices.

Albumo is the Royalty Free Photo Stock – where everyone can sell or buy desired images.

ImageCatalog is a Royalty-Free stock photography web site with the goal of providing exceptionally high quality images at micro prices.

ThePhotoStorage – a royalty-free stock photography website where anyone can purchase photos or vector illustrations for less than $1.00

MostPhotos is a democratic marketplace for stock photos and images.

Perfect Memories of a Perfect Day

The Wedding Day! You spend months and thousands of dollars planning it: choosing the perfect theme and colors, the perfect wedding dress and shoes, the perfect venue, the perfect menu… the list goes on, not mentioning the preselected perfect groom who must at least look perfect for the day. His best men are the lost cause and you just hope for the best.

With all the gargantuan efforts that you put into this production that will fly by like one moment, what do you still have years after? I mean besides your husband?

You have your great memories of that perfect day and your photos. Especially today, when wedding photography has gone journalistic style and you can relive that perfect day in all its excitement. That, of course, if the photos turn out well.

This rarely happens and you can’t always blame your wedding photographer because things like unfavorable angle shots, smudged makeup, bunched up clothing, squinting eyes, ominous shadows, glare on eyeglasses can and do occur.

The truth is that all photos need some correction. And luckily these days photo retouching is quite affordable. For example, PhotoHand offers such services at $3.50 for complete cosmetic retouching that includes fixing your hair and makeup, removing the appearance of any skin imperfections or double chins, or wipe the perspiration off the groom’s forehead. For a little bit extra we’ll slim you down, adjust your wedding dress or “open” squinting eyes. At $11.95, we’ll remove any annoying objects or your sister’s ex-boyfriend from the picture.

We’ll keep your memories of that day perfect. After all, this is how you remember it.

‘Tis the Headshot Season

MyActingSite.com: Headshots on Actor's Gallery Page

An actor needs at least two headshot photos – one for commercials and one for for film and theater. The commercial image has to be very natural and relatable. When we retouch such images we make sure they have the “everyday look”. Such images will get you a part in a commercial but will not help you stand out when considered for a role in a movie. To make your image really pop, we apply cinematic effects to infuse a dose of magnetism in them. (The fee for both types of retouching stays the same – $3.50 per shot.)

When applying for a role you submit the headshot that is appropriate for the situation, but your contact information should include your web page that gives the full impression of your range.

MyActingSite.com: Headshot Gallery

Online casting is still in its infant stages, and casting agents will hardly search the web to find you today. But the web address on your submitted headshot will lead them to your extended virtual resume showing them the full range of your talent through dozens of headshots and still shots from film and theater shows. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and then you can post your video clips…

Setting up your website is easy. There are online services for that as easy to use as an email application. Take MyActingSite.com. They let you use your own web address like YourName.com. You can post as many photos as you want and they will be well presented to a casting person in a thumbnail and enlarged clickable gallery view. We usually recommend this service to our clients and actor friends because it gives a good presentation of our retouching work and includes the mass emailing application that lets actors invite all the friends and fans to their shows at once. And we do like being invited

First I was Myself… Then I Was an Image of Myself…

Our recorded images are playing an increasing role in our lives. Virtual Memory and the Random Generator, a documentary created by Artifact Pictures explores this subject. Here is the synopsis of this intriguing film that you can view in parts on YouTube.

“As we approach the end of analog television in 2009, and enter a new era in the evolution of digital media, our experience of images and information becomes increasingly intangible. One part history and one part poetry, Virtual Memory is a meditation on the essence of mechanical image-making and its impact on human consciousness, from the physical process of photography and film, to the alternate universe created by computers and virtual reality. Using a compilation of found material, the film bids a kind of fond farewell to the 20th century.”