Photo Monday: March 31, 2014

"And they all lived happily ever after."

Something Borrowed, Something Blue: How to Plan for Shooting a Wedding

If you had told me a year ago that I would be shooting a wedding this coming weekend, I would have laughed. If you told me that today I still might laugh, but laughing or not, that is what this coming weekend holds.

When my Aunt approached me about being the photographer for their engagement and wedding photos, I knew next to nothing about wedding photography. Sure, I had taken portraits but never something so major. Over the past four months, I've searched the internet high and low for all the information I can find relating to wedding photography. Although I won't know everything until I actually shoot the wedding, I thought I would show you how I have prepared for this coming weekend in case you ever need to plan something like this.

The first thing that I did to prepare for the wedding was look at photos other people were taking. Pinterest was my top site for searching wedding photography. Thousands of photos were at my finger tips with just a few clicks of a button. One great thing about Pinterest is that each of the photos have been linked to the website that contains that photograph. Some of the best articles I found via Pinterest are 75 New Must-Have Photos With Your Groom, 200 Emotional Wedding Moments, and 20 Creative and Unique Wedding Photos; not to mention Junebug Weddings' Best of the Best.

After looking at countless photographs and pinning my favorites to a board, I took my favorites and made a Must Have Shots board. These were the photos that I knew I wanted to build off of. I also had my aunt find photographs that she liked and wanted in her wedding album. 

Scouting the location was the next important step. Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be the location and about a month ago my mom, grandfather and I traveled up there to check it out. As we drove though the park we timed how long it was taking us and looked all around for good photography locations. I already had in mind some of the shots I wanted to take so it was all about figuring out the best place for each.

After seeing the location it was time to merge my list of pictures and my aunts together so that I knew all the photos that needed to be take. I also added all the traditional photos (Bride and Father of the Bride, Groom and Groomsmen, etc.) plus any ideas I wanted to try. I made a huge list of all the shots and also added the amount of time I expected each to take. Since this wedding will be at Cades Cove and the whole park is one giant loop, the driving time also needed to be taken into consideration. 

I slimmed down the shot list even more and then made a checklist of each set up. Microsoft Word had a template that I used and within a few hours I had all the shots lined up. I divided all the pictures into three lists: before the wedding, during the wedding, and after the wedding. Below is a sample of one of my lists. Note that I have also included a few blank lines in case I need to add any shots after they have been printed.

Today I'll be checking all my gear and making sure that everything is charged and that everything is ready to go. Here is the list of gear that I will be bringing.

Canon T3 with 18-55 mm Lens (2)

Canon 55-250 mm Lens (2)

Neewer TT560 Speed Light (1)

Collapsible Soft Box for Speed Light (1)

Neewer 32 Inch Reflector (1)

Davis and Sanford Provista 7518 Tripod (1)

Canon Remote Switch (1)

Tiffen 58MM Circular Polarizer Glass Filter (1)

Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
4 foot Ladder
Duct Tape 

Next Thursday I'll be posting about all that I learned from shooting this wedding, so make sure you come back soon:)

Photo Monday: March 24, 2014

Last photo from this photo shoot. Next Sunday is my first wedding, so make sure and keep an eye out for those pictures!

Best of the Best

I've always been interested in photography. When I was nine, my brother and I would pretend that our room was a photography studio and we would take pictures of our parents, younger brother and our stuffed animals. Around the time I turned fourteen, my dad let me use his high end digital camera. Then for my sixteenth birthday I bought a DSLR camera. From that point on I have been reading books, talking to friends, watching YouTube videos, etc. to learn all about photography. Since some of you reading this may want to dive into the world of photography I wanted to list some of the resources that I have found most helpful in learning.

• The Digital Photography Book: Part 1-4 

                    If you are looking for a book that will teach you all about photography, look no further! The best book I have ever read on the subject, hands down. It's a fast read and great for looking back when you need some extra help. Written in everyday language, you won't need a dictionary to understand how to achieve.

• Adobe Photoshop CC

                    Yes, it's not cheap but it really is work the money. It can take your photos from really good to amazing. As I mentioned in an earlier post, for around a year I have been editing with Adobe Elements and the difference between the two are major when it comes to the freedom to edit a picture just how you like.

• YouTube Channels: Dave Dugdale (great for when you are looking to but new gear), SLR Lounge (tons of videos on gear, editing and shooting), Phlearn (good editing videos), Jana Williams (If you are interested in wedding and couple photography)

• Pinterest!

                    No better place  to look for inspiration that the best thing since sliced bread;) I've planned most of my recent photo shoots around ideas I've found while browsing. Check out my Photo Shoot board filled with all kinds of ideas and tips I've found and start following me:) If you are into weddings check out June Bug Weddings for ideas is great and iHeartFaces is nice for everything photography.

 All these resources have been great in advancing my photography skills but the best way to spend your time is by practicing. So turn off the computer, grab your camera bag and start shooting!

Photo Shoot in Downtown Chattanooga

For the past few months I have been wanted to add a city photography shoot to my portfolio. Last Tuesday, along with my photography assistant (aka my mom) and a friend, we traveled to downtown Chattanooga. The session was divided into two sections:  casually and formally dressed. I like how each turned out but I really love the formal pictures. Maybe it's because I play the violin. Anyways, we started at the Walnut Street Bridge and went on to the Hunter Museum of American Art. To finish out the session we took a few shots outside the Tivoli Theater.

One the the major challenges was working around the street signs. Who wants to see a stop sign or a parking meter in the background?

I really had fun editing these photos as it was the first time I had used Adobe Photoshop CC. I've used Adobe Elements for around a year and it was extremely easy to learn Photoshop. I fell in love with editing the eyes! It's so amazing the difference when you add some brightness and up the saturation. Adding texture was also a really exciting thing to learn to do.

Here are a few of my favorite shots!

Photo Monday: March 17, 2014

Each Monday I will be posting a photograph from a recent photo shoot.

This photograph was taken by the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga, TN, and is of a dear friend of mine that is an beautiful violinist.When I first took this photo, I was sure that it would never turn out! Well, I suppose I took it as a challenge and started editing it in Photoshop. First I edited the eyes to make them brighter, then I changed the saturation and curves to give more vibrant colors to the entire image. I've always wanted to add texture to an image so I decided to try it out for the first time with this photograph. I really love how it turned out:)

Just a Few Photos

Since I am just beginning this site there are very few pictures on this site. In the coming weeks you will be seeing many new photos, as I will be shooting a wedding on the 30th of March. But to whet your appetite, I thought it would be helpful to post a few of my favorite photos!

Welcome!

I'm so glad that you have visited my site. I hope you will stick around and enjoy the photographs.
I've been photographing for quite a few years now but over the past year I have started to focus on portraits. There is such excitement in trying to capture the thoughts and feelings of children and adults.

If you would like to schedule a photography session please contact me!

Find Jessica Anne Photography on Facebook for more information!