My public service announcements.
So I made myself some promo material and yes it contains bad spelling, sometimes grammar and punctuation flaps. But here it is in all it's glory, my public service announcements.
Bad spelling, grammar included. Enjoy.
Europe - Barcelona for the day.
A full day in Barcelona with everyone's favorite wedding photographer Mike Hendrickson.
Spent most of the day shooting street photography and the sites. I'm exhausted but want to make sure I get this post and photos out before I leave tomorrow morning for Paris.
So i'm preemptively starting this blog to tell about my day.
So far i've woken up and decided yes, I want to leave the hostel and walk around.
My bunk mates are from France, China and Omaha Nebraska and we had fun conversations before bed, for some it was their first time in Europe.
So today it's a bit cloudy which is nice because it gets hot here and quick. I'm thinking about trying the bus system or just doing a lot of walking today. I don't know if i'll get to go swimming, I think I would rather a more relaxed beach scene than they have to offer. I hope that was the correct than,then?
I started the day by walking next door to the hostel to rent a bicycle for the entire day. After the lengthy contract process to borrow a $100 dollar bicycle I ventured off. I set up a mount for my iPhone so I could make a time lapse video, it worked and then failed. The mount for the iPhone felt a little too loose and then upon tightening it I was able to, with my super human strength pull the mount off. I checked directions on my Iphone so that I could head to the beach, I want to get some shots of all the people there. After a few hours and getting very close I gave up. I'll look up the directions tonight, it's very easy to get turned around on some of the side streets.
The traffic in this city is composed of bicycles, human traffic, scooters, car and truck and motorcycle. Everyone follows the walk, don't walk signs and all traffic. The city is consistently swept and cleaned and cleared of dead leaves and trash from what I could tell daily.
So I took a shower when I got back to my hostel today and then headed out with the Sigma 150-500. My aim for today was to get some really stunning photos of the people of Barcelona and some of the sights. I couldn't be happier with what I got. This lens is amazing for street photography. So with street photography it's best not to be seen I believe so that you can maintain those moments of spontaneity between people. I set up all my shots, crossed streets, hid, pretended to be shooting past people and at other things. When I had the subject completely unaware that's when I would strike. I cannot wait to show everyone my photos from today. I plan on doing this style of shooting even more when I hit Paris in a day or so. I do need to find a lighter, smaller bag to travel with while on bike or foot.
Now i'm back at the hostel and i've decided to call it a night. Just some snacks from the vending machine and maybe a soda before bed. Last night I was the first person in the room to come home and go to bed which meant I was the first to get woken up and the first to wake up in the morning. I have to return the bicycle I rented by 10am tomorrow morning. Going to try and take the Canon EOS M and a bike ride around the city when I wake up. I'm all ready packed up for the most part, can't open all my stuff around everyone at the hostel and pack properly. While i'm writing this there is a table of hot German girls talking and drinking.
So now I am going to finish working on my photos and present them at the bottom of the page. That part will be added in post though, for now you will have to just read.
Europe - Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain
So here's my most recent travels, Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain and this is only the beginning. Hope you enjoy reading about my most recent travels. I'll be going to a few more countries in the next few days.
So I hope everyone has been having a great week. I sure have been.
So let me start from the beginning of the trip. I arrived in Rome and quickly realized how hard it is to rent a car without a credit card. I brought my ATM card and license, I have plenty of money so I didn't need to bring my credit card and also I haven't used it for a single thing in 2 years. Sixt car rental was able to help me out, I just had to lock up $2500 on my bank account. So a minor hiccup to the beginning of my trip. The airport was absolutely mental, signs were hard to figure out and pointed to random places where there was nothing. Regardless I found my car which to my surprise was a diesel which gets 70mpg or some weird kph estimate, a Fiat 500L Diesel.
I left the airport and didn't care where I ended up, I just didn't want to be at the airport anymore. I started following signs for Roma and ended up in the center of Rome. Crazy traffic patterns and scooters zipping in and out among the cars as well on the other main roads leading into the city. The city itself is history married into a beautiful manicured painting. Old ruins mix with more modern buildings and ancient trees dot the area. I quickly found Vatican city and as you may have guessed thousands upon thousands of people and nowhere to park. I drove around for a bit and followed the blue signs for parking, P. These led to full parking lots or parking for Vespas. Eventually after an hour and a half I called it quits and headed out of the city. I really needed a good nap and decided on coming back and returning the car early and spending lots of time wandering. Part of my plan though is to have no plan at all.
So now I'm heading up to Geneva which is a long ways away. I take the long drive up the Italian Coastline and stop at many different rest stops to get fuel for the car and myself. I did have some very italian food it just happened to be very packaged.
So a very notable name popped up as I drove north, Pisa. I know that name and I know what it's all about. I headed for the leaning tower of Pisa. When I arrived I was ushered into a empty spot on an area of free parking by an African gentlemen selling umbrellas. He stood by my window as I tried to ignore him. He tapped and offered an umbrella, it was raining. I declined and he then asked for money to watch my car. I declined again and he started mumbling under his breath and so I decided a Euro wouldn't hurt me in the long run so I didn't have my car keyed, peed on or cursed. I gave the man a Euro and he scoffed at me, only one euro. To which I replied yes, i'm giving you one euro for free; i'm going to be back in 20 minutes. So I walked to the tower and glanced back a few times to make sure that he wasn't on top of the car. The most exciting part of visiting the tower of Pisa was being able to use the bathroom. I paid .50 Euro and it was totally worth it. I took a few photos while dodging everyone else's photos as they mockingly held up the tower. There was no way to get a nice clean shot of the tower without a sea of tourists in the photo. When I got to my car I did a quick visual inspection and found nothing out of place. I threw my bag on the seat and drove down the road, a few second later my check engine light triggered!!! That guy from earlier did something and I know it. I had been driving my car now for 30 seconds so whatever damage was done, on top of that my seatbelt light was blinking and the car thinks my camera bag is heavy enough to be a person. I turned off the car and opened the hood to see any funny business and also checked the gas tank for any debris or random liquids outside of it that didn't belong. Turned the car back on and everything works again, no light. Damn crazy voodoo that man did scared me pretty badly.
Driving up to the alps was pretty impressive, you could see the sun setting to the left of them from where I was and I eventually was able to snap a few photos. By the time the end of the day wrapped up I was at the Swiss border, I drove up to the pay station to go thru and only the commercial truck opening was open so I turned around and parked at a truck stop a few kilometers down the mountain. I pulled myself into the back of the seat and then attempted to go to bed. It was creepy that first night. I was at a small truck stop near the top of a mountain and the bathroom was a complete nightmare to begin with. It had those creepy places to stand and squat to go to the bathroom. I went to bed and used my bath towel as a blanket. Keep in mind that there is snow on this mountain and it got pretty cold very quickly. I started the car a few times to warm me up. When I woke up I took a few things into the bathroom and took a handi-wipe shower with those tiny cleaning pads. I changed clothes, reorganized the car and played with photos for a few minutes. Now that I was all packed I could head out.
Headed up to the mountain pass and paid the toll to go thru the mountain, I believe it was around thirty euro to enter. For about thirty minutes I drove through an endlessly straight tunnel with yellow lights reflecting against the dash and irritating my eyes. Eventually I could see the tunnel ending and I emerged into mountain roads winding down, across the sides of the alps.
So every turn was more breathtaking than the last, some of the bridges that crossed the valley that opened up in front of me as waterfalls dotted the mountainside. Eventually I came to a much needed gas station. I purchased some cheese, chocolate, sandwich and a blanket as well as some coca cola light. My aim was Geneva and I seemed so close. Eventually after what seemed forever I arrived and was able to find parking fairly quickly. I decided on a street photography approach to the city and shot around with my super telephoto and eventually switched to a few other lenses. I swear to you while walking around the main tourist area by Lake Geneva that two ladies walked by me and literally smelled like hot chocolate. I bought some chocolate and headed back to my car, rain was periodical and not good for my camera even though it's sealed. I criss crossed through an older part of the city and bought some macaroons for my troubles. Made it to my car and eventually made it halfway out of the city when I saw my weakness, McDonalds. Now theres a reason I like McDonalds while I travel. I know what i'm going to get and it's like a little piece of home that happens to have WIFI. Did I mention that almost nowhere has free wifi. I paid for four hours and literally sat there inside McDonalds and out in my car with my laptop using those four hours of WIFI usage. I said hello to everyone back at home and uploaded some photos. Eventually I decided to make a run for my next place which was suggested by the girl at McCafe "Mc'Donalds. A little village in France which was very close, only 30 minutes away. I drove to this special little village which has a beautiful lake and couldn't see anything because of the rain and fog and general miserableness that the weather seemed me due.
I started on my way to Barcelona now which was eight hours away. I decide that I could make a serious run for it. It's actually easier to drive at night over here because no one is trying to pass you or vice versa. I made it a few hours into the trip and eventually caved and took a long nap at a rest stop. I decided I couldn't sleep and made another go at it. I kept making it thirty or forty minutes before I negotiated with myself to stop again for any other random reasons, bathroom, stretching or I was hungry and tired. I found an amazing rest stop and made my claim on it. When I pulled up there were people sleeping on the ground next to their vehicles and on the sidewalk with clothes bundled under their heads as a make shift pillow. I quickly turned off my lights and cracked my window and slept in the most comfortable position that I come up with. I woke up at eight in the morning and most of my fellow hotel car patriots had left. I cleaned up my car and heading into the rest stop and had some breakfast.
I continued the day by stopped at many rest stops to break up the day as well as a picnic with my new blanket that I bought. The next notable rest stop was just over the border of Spain. There was a small grove of trees where people were parking and hanging out. I parked and took a nap under a tree for about an hour or so. Eventually I made my way to Barcelona and couldn't find affordable parking. I decided on a different route. So tonight I am staying in a hostel that has parking for fifteen euro. Had some local food and now i'm sitting in a room with thirty plus kids from other countries. I am staying in a room with a Chinese kid and a pair of guys from France, it's fair to say that i'm the toughest / coolest person in the room. So that's my trip so far.
Part One - Prep - The four part wedding photographer.
The four part wedding. Don't look at it as a whole, break it into pieces and work on those pieces one at a time. Here's my first part of the blog, prep.
So shooting a wedding sounds like a lot of work, partly because it is. I break my clients wedding day down into four different sections which help me concentrate on the moments and not the entirety of the day at all times. Included in this breakdown are some awesome tips which will help your clients fall in love with you.
First part: Prep
This is where everyone is getting ready, getting prepped for the day. The brides maids are first on the docket, getting hair and make-up done. Mimosas and bagels are usually plenty if not sandwiches and cheese platters. The details are still in the air, who's swinging by this place and picking up that or who has the keys to the hotel room and lots of fun hectic stuff.
I like to use this time to hang out and get to know the bridesmaids better, after all we'll be spending the day together. I typically set up my laptop in a corner or somewhere out of the way (I'll talk about this more soon). I bring in my camera equipment and take a walk around the location. I usually give everyone a heads up that I'll be taking photos. Typically everyone will say to me that they don't have make up on and to wait, I usually shoot them down by telling them about how good the before and after is going to be. The ladies usually look just fine, in the case that they don't it's usually because they've had a wild night.
I like to ask how everyone knows the bride and typically parents are there too and will sometimes have fun and embarrassing stories to keep the mood light and fun. I always accept food offered and you should too. Imagine if you made some awesome sandwiches or cookies and offered it to someone and they looked at it and then back at you and said no. I know we're not always in the mode for certain foods but this is a nice little gesture that they are giving you so run with it. So if there are kids in the wedding which commonly they are then I suggest giving them a little bit of attention. I usually let them use my small mirror less camera for a little bit or hold my big camera if they are sitting down. Once I let them play with my camera they are usually more apt to give me those smiles later in the day.
So I'm shooting candids of the the ladies getting ready and chatting. I'm taking photos of the kids that are running around or the mother who's making phone calls to make sure everyone is on their way or other details. Once I have enough photos I go back to my laptop. I download my current photos and pick through them for a few minutes. Now I get to show the bride and bridesmaids and family some previews. I'm showing them how awesome they look and once that happens everyone starts to relax a bit more because they now have the understanding that I kick ass with a camera.
So all this controlled chaos is happening and there are only so many photos you can take of everyone before it starts to feel invasive. This is a great opportunity to get those wonderful detail shots. The dress is usually near by as well as shoes, flowers and the rings sometimes.
I'll take the shoes and dress somewhere more pleasing to the eye, a tree or more groomed room of the house or location. The rings I take macro shots of and the trick to never losing them is using my pinky finger, I'm not always the prettiest ring model but I've never lost any rings in my care. The flowers I typically place in a tree or on a stone wall or sometimes just a nice table in the backyard. The shoes I will sometimes pair with the dress and can be hung anywhere.
So the bridesmaids should be wrapping up with hair and make-up. The bride is always final when it comes to that stuff, we want her makeup and hair to be nice, fresh and ready for the big moment. So I usually get photos of the hair process which is done first and then make-up. I like close-up photos of lipstick being applied and eye liner being dressed on as well as photos of her hair. The hair dresser usually likes having these photos too as well as the make-up artist. Now is the moment of truth, you need photos of the guys!!!
So I've saved the guys section for last and theres a very good reason for it, it only takes them a few minutes to get ready. I usually save them for last or get to them first. I don't do the whole relaxed thing of sitting around and waiting for them. The guys aren't into the entire photo process sometimes so it's much easier to stage them. I'll have the guys get dressed and then they can always take off the clothes afterwards if time allows.
So here's a list of shots that I like to cover. I sit the groom down and have him get his shoes on, this of course is after he has his pants on. I have the groomsmen help each other with ties, bow ties, shirts and jackets. These allow for some tender moments between everyone. I'll also do some of them joking around and then maybe some photos of them on their front steps if it's at their houses or some photos with mom and dad. This all happens very quick because it's all staged. My main focus is on the bride because it's her big day and her moms big day as well because she's been waiting for this for a long time. This is fairy tale time and we're part of it.
So thats the first part of the photos, make sure to get photos of all the chaos too. Next part is the ceremony and i'll have that posted soon.
The unseen unheard photographer
Are you that photographer who only uses natural light, shoots on P and won't talk to his bride and groom or interact with them at the wedding. You are paid to be awesome, you spend the day with the bride and groom and you're tasked with giving them an awesome experience.
This message is for you photographers who are going to say "I don't do it that way".
These photographers are also the same people who say I only shoot natural light. That's the equivalent of saying "oh.. I only drive automatic cars" or "I only put the camera on auto because of how good it is and I want to just focus on the moment". The photographer you hire is going to rock in soo many ways and one of them is being able to shoot manual and also use lights (that's a blog for a different day). This is for those who decide to not give the bride and groom that full experience. This particular blog is about you and your ability to direct and fix things so that they are in the bride and groom's favor. If you are one of these photographers who doesn't interact then you are lazy. Some of you photographers are awesome and can justify this shooting style, but the majority of you are not that.
So some of the photographers out there are saying in their head "I only shoot candid and I don't move anything and I'm not going to pose you and I only do journalistic style and try not to interact with the bridal party at all". You are dumb. So now that I've insulted you let's continue from there. This is a one shot deal, one go at the photos, one photo to rule them all. Do you want to be boring and take the same old shots or to look at each wedding as a marathon of photos that push you past where you were. Sure, take photos of where everything is if you want, don't touch anything or don't pose people, don't say anything to that person who has their tie crooked or the tag hanging out of the armpit of a dress. But then take those damn photos, be a person and interact with everyone. I assure you that ten, twenty years down the line they will appreciate some really tasteful images from their wedding. No one wants a photo of a pair of shoes in a box or their wedding dress hanging up in your brothers old room because that's where they had the space or the flowers in the fridge.
I shoot candids and that doesn't mean I can't add a little bit of pizaz to that photo "hey can you do that again but this time look that way". Okay so you're still not won over maybe, you're still thinking they hired me to just shoot the one way I do and I should just be quiet and take the easy photos. Are you the one shooting the weddings all the time or them? The bride and groom want amazing photos and they really aren't going to be upset if you adjust a few things to make sure that happens.
If you hire a wedding photographer they should be able to rock your wedding, you should know they're there at some points. I'm not talking about being four feet away during the ceremony, that's a different animal altogether. You want them to be the one getting everyone in line for formals or telling your Uncle Jerry that he needs to get out of the way. Your professional photographer is going to point out the flask of whiskey in the groomsmen's pocket. Your wedding photographer is also your personal cheerleader and that random guy who can and most likely will run an errand for you or do something above and beyond just because they are awesome.
I know some of you out there are saying but I'm out of the way and I do awesome. That may be so but eventually you will have that bride that calls you out and says "why didn't you tell me I had makeup on my teeth" or "Tim's zipper was down the whole time". So interact and earn that sweet wedding paycheck that we make. There's a reason why we do so good at a wedding, it's because it's a lot of work and not hiding in the shadows.
A good wedding photographer will be remembered for his images and his great personality during the wedding, everyone's going to tell the bride and groom how much they loved their experience with you too.
Europe - Airport and on my way
Sitting in an airport is kinda boring, unless you're with me and I have my phone, iPad and macbook. Killing time is easy now here in the future. My flying car still isn't here though.
So I'm at Logan International Airport right now. I'm tired from running around and getting everything situated and ready for my trip. I have that groggy, might be on the verge of a cold feeling. I happen to get sick before, during any trip I ever take. I don't know if by saying this out loud is some sort of willing it upon myself, but it happens regardless. I get excited, I get anxious, I get sick.
So far I've had some Chinese food, replaced my watch band and discovered that good internet wifi costs you $7.95. I'm currently making a time lapse of the tarmac and about to crack open a new magazine. The next leg of my journey is to JFK International Airport in NJ and then onwards to Rome, Italy. I'm sure i'll have plenty of photos soon enough to start posting, but most likely not in the airport. It's not that I'm shy, it's just my bag is really packed and hard to zip up.
Stay tuned.
LB Wheaton, Sigma 150-500
So if you're thinking about buying a lens or want to check out some cool equipment then head down to LB Wheaton. I stopped in and had no idea that I would be walking out with a super telephoto lens. Being able to hold it in my hands and experience it was enough to put me over the edge. Great experience at LB Wheaton.
So i've been eyeing the Sigma 150-500 lens for quite some time. I always talk myself out of buying it. I have to wait a few days and buyers remorse and not being able to test it prior to buying it, easy to talk myself out of it.
Two weeks ago I wandered into LB Wheaton just killing some time before a wedding meeting (I landed it.) I saw the gigantic lens sitting on the shelf and asked if I could check it out. I was quickly handed this heavy lens and a Canon T5i. I paired them together and set it to manual and f/10 at 1/30th of a second and shot a few shots out the window. I wanted to see what this lens was made out of. 2 out of 3 photos were crispy and clear and the stabilization held true. I changed the settings to something a bit more relaxed and shot thru the windows a bit more at local shops and urban landscapes to see how invasive I could be with this new zoom. The answer is, very invasive; this lens is friggin awesome! I found out from the gentlemen behind the counter that this lens had an instant rebate, I didn't need much more twisting of my arm. I told LB Wheaton that I was heading to a meeting and if I did good at the meeting I would be back to purchase the lens. One hour later I came back and pulled out my money and now I can't put this very heavy lens down.
If not for LB Wheaton, I don't think I would have such a cool toy. Two weeks prior I stopped in and also bought a small collapsable tripod. This is such a great place to try out equipment and ask questions. You can also buy backdrop paper rolls here as well as lenses, bags, lighting and anything in-between. Very happy to have such a great store a few miles away.
Here's a few photos that I've taken over the past week or two. I also have some wedding photos that I shot with this lens which came out amazing. Being able to zoom in instead of cropping in post would be so amazing.
Make sure to LIKE LB Wheaton Camera Shop Facebook page.
Europe, me, camera, car
Mike, camera, car, Europe, 2 weeks. What could go wrong.
Traveling alone everywhere I can via car in Europe. Exploring and taking photos. I'll be documenting as much as I can via Iphone, Canon 5d and regular uploads to my blog. 12 countries in under 2 weeks sounds pretty damn awesome to me for a vacation.
I bought a plane ticket.
Flying to Italy (July 28th)
Picking up a car.
Driving all over Europe. (Italy, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Germany, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Slovakia and any other place I can squeeze in.
Taking photos everywhere. (I'm even tempted with a Ukraine selfie)
Flying home (August 11th).
So now the logistics of what I'm going to do. Everyone keeps saying that this is a bit mental. But what better way to showcase that I'm a destination wedding photographer than to visit all the places I want to shoot at. How can I visit so many places in such a short amount of time.. and alone! I'm planning on doing a bit of driving and enjoying some alone time. Some places in Europe only take an hour or several to get to, Amsterdam to Brussels is under an hour and you can drive from Paris to Germany in under 5 hours. I've been researching a route to take and I plan on make a small route of my trip before I go so everyone can follow me on here. Some places are 5-7 hours apart which sounds like a lot, but consider this. Imagine driving from Worcester to Boston, not bad right. Now drive to Providence, not the worse right; hop out and explore a bit for a few hours. Next would be Hartford CT. So you arrive and now you've been driving for a few hours and the end of the world didn't happen. Even though the places are many hours apart that won't mean that I have to stay in the car and on route. This trip is all about stops, detours and taking it in.
I've also been to Europe before, several times. I rock.
I plan to blog everything while i'm there, videos, pictures and audio. Unlocking my AT&T Iphone to be a bit more compatible with VodaPhone and purchasing a prepaid card. I also plan on visiting many Starbucks and internet cafes. I'll have my MacBook with me and be uploading photos and videos daily.
So I can't possibly enjoy my time because it's going to take so long driving and finding hostels, hotels or bed and breakfasts. I found an easier way and much more economical way to explore Europe. By sleeping in the backseat of my rental i'll be able to cut out many hours of checking in and out and making sure I didn't lose anything. I do plan on staying a few nights in a hotel (A man's gotta shower). By not doing a hotel it will also save me countless dollars which can better be spent on gas and delicious meals.
If I find that I love Portugal or Slovakia and i'm having a blast there then i'll stay longer. My goal though is to experience as much as I can in a short amount of time. (My part time job is being awesome and allowing me to take 2 weeks off this summer for this trip as well as 17 dates for weddings and other shoots).
I'll be traveling with two Pelican cases. One will be full of camera equipment, planning on bringing my Canon 16-35 and 24-70, 70-200 and a 50mm to compliment my 5d MKII. I'll also have my Canon EOS M in tow. I've actually already started to assemble some of what i'm bringing. I famously get sick before any big trip because I worry about mis-packing equipment. I'll be using a power inverter so I can charge everything that I need to in the car and negate any power adapters or need to stop moving.
To people who doubt how awesome this is I say this. I love to travel, it's something that makes me happy. I love photography and the chance to take photos where everything is alien to me is rare. I also love adventure and living my life to the most exciting ends possible.
Wachusett Mountain never gets old.
Sure, i've hiked Mt. Wachusett hundreds of times but it still doesn't get old. Trails are maintained and updated as well as the new road to the top which was laid this past year. The summit touts a new updated tower and base station as well as more spring cleaning i'm sure to come. Here's some of my photos from my past trip with Tommy G. Haran
So I happen to love hiking this mountain and today I took along fellow photography Tommy G. Haran and we walked all the way around the mountain. Hit up the Jack Frost trail and the Meadow. I love the path that goes straight up the Mountain, only takes a few minutes but decided for something a bit longer. We saw some wildlife, birds.... squirrels (A red one or two as well). Anyway's here's a bit of the photos from that day last week. Oh yes... don't forget to bring bug spray, they are fierce.
Fire in Worcester, 43 Bowdoin St & 40 Williams
April 24th, 2014. Fire at Bowdoin Street and building behind house on Williams Street. I happened to be in my car with some equipment and headed over to get some photos. When I arrived and made my way around the area to various angles I could see that the Worcester Fire Department had the fire well under control. Police blocked off the streets and neighbors watched. A few residents from the building were in the area and we're easy to spot. I wish them the best and hope family and friends can help them out like I was helped with my apartment fire a few years ago.
Today there was a fire at 43 Bowdoin St & 40 Williams St in Worcester, Massachusetts. From talking to a neighbor across the street I found out a few details. The man that I talked to was across the street a ways and on the 3rd floor when he watched the fire starting. He believes it was started from a grill that was on a stairway and the fire had caught onto the building and traveled to the attic and adjacent building.
When I arrived the fire had been contained from what I could tell. Multiple companies on site and special services. Fire fighters on the roof of the Williams Street location and also on the Bowdoin Street address as well. The fire was poking out from the roof in the front of the building as firefighters used two hoses on it. A better account of the progression can be found at ScanWorcester on Twitter and at The Telegram & Gazette. If you're from Worcester i'm sure you'll also be able to find a friend or three that have photos, videos and stories. Hopefully everyone can help these families out who are displaced by this terrible accident.
How to own that Maid of Honor speech.
The Maid of Honor has a very important role, to pour out all the nice things they could ever say in a 3-4 minute speech as well as tease the bride a bit. This is a companion blog to my Best Man Speech blog that i've posted previously. I hope you read and enjoy this. These are just a few pointers from the dozen or so weddings that I attend a year.
So I previously wrote about the Best Mans speech. The advice from that still stands.
Please read what I wrote in that blog.
So a few different points of advice for the ladies
1. Pull on those heart strings. Okay, you are posed to make us teary eyed. You're most likely going to tear up and get the bride to tear up. You happen to feel emotions sometimes a bit more deeply then our Call of duty, beer drinking, what are feelings type of guys that we can be. So with that being said we know you're going to say something very heartfelt and deep. My advice here is to keep it at the beginning of the speech or at the end, for god sakes I don't want to cry during your entire speech because of how sweet you are on each other. :)
2. Keep it funny. You're going to be pulling on those heart strings so make us laugh to, nothing is better than that akward laugh/tearing up. Tell us what you really thought about the groom and his friends. Tell us about when you knew he was the right one, did you do the cliche "you better not break my friends heart" speech to him?
3. Remind everyone. Remind everyone why we're all here, these two people, this beautiful wedding, how much fun you've had today. The bride knows everything that went wrong today, misorders, mistakes and small mishaps that took part throughout the day. Remind her that this is one kick ass day.
4. Take advantage. You have the floor, ask that single guy out that you've been checking out all day. (This goes for the guys too, ask her out. Mention all the pretty ladies that are in the room). You have the floor and everyones attention, be bold. Take advantage of the day and the fact that you're all at one big giant party and meet that special someone.
5. Always end up with a hug. Theres no better way then to end a heartfelt speech then with a hug. This doesn't really need to apply to the guys. The best mans speech is literally a verbal hug from the best man to the groom. This is also an awesome time to snap a great couple photos for the photographer.
I hope that this has made you smile, laugh and I hope to see you at a wedding soon.
The infamous Best Man's speech.
Sure, you're going to roast your best friend, he deserves it after all. Thats the best part of a friend's wedding is the chance to throw him under the bus, to give payback for all those years of your friendship. Here's a few pointers on how to make your best man's wedding speech shine a bit. You want to make your speech a mix of comedy, heart and entertainment.
Enjoy and feel free to comment, what was the best speech you've ever heard at a wedding?
One of my favorite things about a wedding would be the best man speech. It's always the shining moment to throw your friend under the bus in front of all his friends and family.
I didn't realize this till this past year how much fun it was to watch the best man get up and roast his best friend. Often I would get to watch the groom sink in his chair, the bride bury her face in her hands and the parents give awkward smiles. One of the big things that I never realize is how much emotion is poured into these speeches (the bridesmaids speech is equally potent). I will say that the majority of the times I am glad I have a camera in front of my face, I often get teary eyed at weddings, either the vows or the speeches.
So a few words of advice for the best man during his 3 minutes of fame.
1. Whatever you say can't be unheard. While it might be funny to throw your friend under the bus, don't screw him over royally. No mentioning of ex's, drug usage or how much porn he has on his computer. While you are trying to embarrass him a bit you don't want to make his family cringe. You also don't know if he's told his wife about the time he.... (you get the drift).
2. Keep it short. If you have a mind blowing story that takes 4 minutes, sure. If you're just talking to hear your self talk, don't. Think SNL monologue, they get out the information that needs to be heard; they usually avoid rambling. Try to keep it around 2-3 minutes and try to keep it funny or heartfelt.
3. Bonus points. A good speech at a wedding is usually because it's heartfelt, something we didn't know about the person and maybe incredibly insightful. It's also great when you get some serious laughter out of that wedding crowd. Make sure to thank the ramies for coming and also do some name dropping of people in the crowd. (Seinfeld is funny because he involves us in his stories, things and people we can relate to) If your story just involves random people that no ones met from college or his work then it might seem a bit boring to everyone.
4. Format is everything. Don't ramble, whatever you do don't ramble. So i'm going to list a simple writing format for your speech. (Excuse the words) The crap sandwich, okay very simple format this way.
You start off with the bread (something easy).
Congrats to Mr. ******. I never thought I would see the day.. ect
(keep it at a minute or so). Now you can roast him a bit. (the crap)
So not a lot of people know about this but ******* once thought that... (story begins).
(keep that 1 to 2 minutes)
But you know, I couldn't believe that ******** met someone so perfect for him.
(The last piece of bread, now you pepper the
conclusion with lots of compliments about the bride and groom).
So here's another way to do it. Start off with the roast right away, throw the friend off the bridge, destroy! But then at the end you say twice the amount of nice things or at least try to.
A big smile and long pause at the beginning of your speech while looking at the groom goes a long way. I know I have a few good friends who's secrets I'm holding onto for such a day. You want to make that groom sweat.
5. Talking points. The main things to concentrate on would be the story, your speech. If you've never heard of this, it's simple. When you see David Letterman interviewing someone and he looks at cards every once and awhile, those are his talking points. While i'm sure he would love to have a mini wikipedia page printed out for every single guest that would be a little tiresome. Talking points are a few words or a sentence to help jog your memory.
Your talking points for best and speech would look something like this.
a. Congratulations
b. How we became friends
c. Getting in trouble together
d. When you met your future bride
e. How happy he's been since meeting the wifey
f. When he got in trouble with the wifey
g. Thank the families for raising two lovely people
h. What a beautiful wedding.. so far, we still haven't seen ****** and ****** dance
i. You've never seen two people so happy
(BTW, totally getting teary eyed even writing this. I've sat through a lot of speeches the past couple years and they've all been pretty awesome.)
6. Silver linings. The silver lining would be for the groom, no matter how bad you've embarrassed him or tormented him in the past few minutes you have to remember one thing. He's going to get you back someday. He will have the same opportunity at his wedding or april foods or a random Tuesday,
Give him hell but also don't forget to make him shine, this is his day after all.
Government Center closing for 2 years
Government center is closed now (March 22nd, 2014), this is a final trip for me before the reopening in 2 years. Visited this MBTA location a day before it's closing with Michael Stepien, Stacy Bouley, Tom Haran. We had a run in with a MBTA employee who was not versed in the MBTA photography policy, I helped him out a bit using their own website.
You'll be able to see all the construction rearing to take place, little by little over the past few weeks and months they've been getting ready. Can't wait to see the finished product.
So on March 21st I believe we visited Government Center to get some final photos. My friends Michael Stepien, Stacey Hellzaboppin, Tommy Haran came with me on this trip. We shot all around the city and one of our final stops being here. We found ceiling tiles missing, spray paint marking the walls and floors where construction was to take place.
While we were taking photos we had a MBTA worker stop us and ask us for our photo permit and why we were taking photos and what it was for. We informed him that it's a public space and that we are allowed to take photos. The MBTA worker said "not since 9/11 you can't take photos". The MBTA worker then asked for our permit again and said that he could get someone down here to help verify our information. We were also told that we were in restricted areas (we had one foot on the yellow tred area), keep in mind that around 8 people had their foot on the yellow safety tred at this time. While he got more forceful and louder and started arguing with my friends I calmly looked up the MBTA photography policy via the MBTA Website. I then proceeded to aim the phone towards him and read aloud their own policy, after that he left,
We moved to a different area and documented a bit more. Win for photography.
My favorite place to work.
It's hard working from home sometimes, instead I choose Starbucks. While i'm there I pay for the coffee, wifi usage and I have a time limit to work before I'm that creepy guy on his Facebook in the corner. I always tell my friends, peers, clients about my chosen work place.
So being a wedding photographer means I don't usually have a studio. Most of my work is done on site or at a church. So my office is my home, my apartment, sometimes sitting on my bed. So while being home for so much time working on things I am presented with many distractions. There is the awesome Tostino's frozen pizzas that I love to cook, hot showers to be taken, my cat that needs to be played with and cleaning to be done.
So most of the time when there is work to be done, I choose to go elsewhere. My choice is usually Barnes & Noble or Starbucks. I like these places because It feels like I have a time limit of sorts, i'm paying to be here. it works like this, I pay around $5 an hour to sit and work on my computer. That price of course comes from the delicious fancy coffee drinks that I love to consume.
In fact, right now.. I'm sitting in a Starbucks in a very comfy brown leather chair writing several blogs. So if Starbucks reads this, I am open to endorsement deals.
Word of mouth marketing
How do you advertise? I stick to word of mouth and Facebook. Do I make $200k a year, no. But am I shooting weddings and loving what I do. I'll always have people brag to me about how much money they spent on their marketing campaigns, online and print. I don't worry about that right now, for now word of mouth is amazing.
So powerful is word of mouth marketing. Now, that's not to say that I wouldn't love to have billboards and TV ad's and radio marketing. It's just that it can be an unknown when investing in different types of advertising. I could spend $2000 on advertisements in a wedding magazine or put my ad on a placemat in a local restaurant. The problem is I don't know if thats the route for me yet.
Right now I spend a few hours setting up automated posts for my Facebook and some paid ads on Facebook. The total cost is usually $10 a month at most. In the past 3 weeks i've successfully booked 6 weddings! All of this has been from referrals and friends of friends seeing this in their news feeds. I've gotten this many weddings at roughly no cost to myself but my time. Most of my weddings also come from friends, family and people I meet along the way.
I do have my friends who pay to have advertisements and marketing campaigns and kudos to them. I just can't swing a few thousand dollars on a hunch or some data. For now I will stick with the tried to true of word of mouth and Facebook.
There's no better advertisement than a friend or someone you know saying to someone else "you gotta talk to my friend Mike, he's an amazing photographer"
B.T's smokehouse
One of my favorite spots for brisket and pulled pork. It's worth the 25 minute trip from Worcester down the Mass Pike for this treat. I usually visit when I can bring a new comer so that I have an excuse to pig out (no pun intended). Make sure to get an order of fries and onion rings if you go, the carrot slaw is out of this world. B.T's will put your BBQ place to shame :).
Had another wonderful meal at B.T's SmokeHouse.
If you've never been then go and google it and get directions and get there.
Here's the MENU
Took a few pictures, nothing that glamorous. I just felt like sharing a few.
Went with my friend Nick Hovan. We had a cup of Brisket, Pulled Pork, Carrot Slaw, Potato Salad, Onion rings, French Fries, Cheesy Balls of Love, Half rack of pork ribs.
Project and the lack of.
I'm looking for new projects to do, maybe a 365 project or maybe just a 30 day project. It's hard to pick something and stick with it while theres so much out there to do. This is my kick in the butt to do something, I want to show you something interesting.
So i'm trying to figure out something meaningful for me. I love photography, I love capturing weddings and families and providing a real attachment to those memories. But on the flip side I haven't done anything for myself lately in the artistic side of things. I want to put together something just for me.
So hopefully sometime soon, in the next few months i'll be posting about my new project. I'm just writing this now in the hopes that I guilt myself and pressure myself into some artistic sort of project. :)
It's very tempting to do a 365 day project but what of. I'm trying to make more time for my photography, sometimes my day job gets in the way. Recently I have been making more time though for it and getting out to shoot.
(Update from 1 month later, still no word on an awesome project haha)
What camera should I buy?
So you've decided on buying a camera and now you're trying to figure out which one.
Theres a lot of questions to ask before you decide on this big purchase. Used or new, DSLR or Mirrorless, professional or amateur, money maker or hobby. In the end you're still taking a step in the right direction. Hope my ramblings help you out a bit more.
A few times a year I get this question posed to me. What should I buy?
What are you using the camera for, do you plan to make money with it? Are you willing to learn how to shoot manual? Do you need something thats water resistant. A million other questions you can ask yourself as well.
If you plan on making money with the camera (weddings, portraits, ext) then you have to consider quality of camera and durability and a number of other factors. Should you choose Canon or Nikon, it doesn't matter. You do what to choose Canon or Nikon though because we know that they will be around in 5-10-20 years, also lots and lots of accessories. You're going to spend between $1000-$3000 on a good DSLR. Anything under that price range you start to risk image quality and sensitivity of the sensor. There is a million youtube videos out there on choosing your first DSLR, i'm not going to copy that info or post any different. I agree with most of the info out there on choosing your first dslr.
If you just want a camera to take photos of your cat, dog, kid; you are limitless in your choices. Depending on the quality you can pay anywhere from $40-$600 for a basic camera or DSLR. Nikon & Canon offer very affordable entry level DSLRs that will get you started on the right foot.
Before you buy anything though you should do lots of research. SnapSort.com offers a great comparison between different cameras and usually will tell you which is better at the beginning of the page.
Paying it forward.
Pay it forward with your photography.
So most everyone should know this phrase. The phrase is actually the title of a book which later became a movie and Kevin Spacey is bad ass.
Basically doing good for the sake of doing good and an inventible chain reaction of niceness ensues. So this also happens with photographers as well, we pay it forward. Most of us (photographers) don't just pick up a camera and learn everything by ourselves. There are teachers for every one of us. When I say teacher, it could be someone who's uploaded some of their own photos online, made a book of techniques, wrote a blog on some aspect of photography or showed someone how to fix their camera settings.
Most of my friends who are photographers have taken time out of their lives to meet up with someone, go on adventures and generally teach someone a few new things. I of course do the same. Sometime's it's helping someone build a photography website, fix photos, fix setting and general advice on different aspects of photography.
So if you're out there, if you're a photographer; pay it forward. Teaching someone about photography is opening a door to so much more in life. (Okay, you can make fun of me for that last sentence)
A little photo of myself.
Why wedding photography.
So wedding photography is the bane of photography, according to some of my photographer friends. No so, it's an olympic challenge of sorts. You have one day to get everything captured and to put on a wonderful show. You are the bride and groom's cheerleader for the day whether you know it or not. You're going to be the one telling them how awesome they look or how good the food was as well as how to cut the cake or pinning a boutonniere.
I will also mention that you get to spend the day with two people having one of the best, most memorable days they will ever have. I can't remember a wedding that i've shot where I haven't laughed or gotten a tear from someones speech. There's also the kids that you get to know and hang with at the wedding, they're the best. By the end of the wedding sometimes i'm getting hugs from them which always surprises me. Kids hug if they like you and you forget that if you're not around them normally.
There's also the whole thing of being a technical mastermind and artist for an entire day, two families depending on you for documenting everything. You're going to run into lighting issues and logistical problems but at the end of the day if you kept your head on a swivel and had lots of memory cards and batteries then you probably did pretty damn good. All my past English teachers are rolling over in their grave at that run on sentence. :)