It was my first time participating in a bridal show, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. With the doors slated to open at 1pm, I couldn’t believe how many excited brides and grooms were lined up as early as 11am. I’m waiting to hear how many brides came to the show, but I would guess over 700!

Our booth got a lot of attention, with many couples looking for 2013 and even 2014 availability. It was so nice talking to all of the brides and grooms about their upcoming weddings. Everyone seemed to have a great time at the show, with the cake tastings and chocolate fountains, being as always, a big hit.

It was also nice to see some vendors who I’ve worked with before. In addition, it was nice to meet some new vendors. Our booth was between Sprinkles Custom Cakes of Winter Park and DJ Live Productions. I have to say, it was hard sticking to New Year’s resolutions with cupcakes staring at me the entire day!

Thanks again to everyone that came out, and please contact us if you have any follow-up questions!

It’s my first bridal show and I’m so excited to participate in such a great event!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to spend two days with legendary wedding photographer, David Ziser. David has been shooting weddings in the Cincinnati, Ohio area for over 40 years. His lectures at the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International pull in over 800 attendees.

This Saturday, I had the honor being his assistant at a wedding in Tampa, Florida. It was a smaller size wedding of about 70 guests held at the Heritage United Methodist Church in Clearwater, Florida with a reception immediately following at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

Working with David was a fantastic learning experience for me. It was also the first time I’ve been an assistant at a wedding, so the responsibilities were a little different than I was used to.

The bride (Becky) and groom (Paul) wanted to have a “first look” before the ceremony. So, we photographed the couple when they first saw each other on their wedding day. We then visited different locations around the sanctuary at Heritage United Methodist Church. It’s a beautiful modern church with many angles and leading lines that make for great photographs.

From there, David found a great area on the grounds of the church where we took all of the family and bridal party portraits. We also had some fun taking photos with the bridal party at the pumpkin patch that the church had going on. A wedding day is generally on a tight schedule, so it was nice to have all of these portraits complete before the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we headed across town to the Florida Aquarium at Channelside in Tampa, Florida. David does some amazing environmental portraits and being able to take photographs in this gorgeous room (complete with sharks and sea turtles swimming by) offered some fantastic photo opportunities. I assisted David with the lighting as not only did we have to light up the bride and groom; we also had to light up the room which was very dark and we had to light the fish in the aquarium! It was a very tricky photo, but David pulled it off. You can see a photo from before the reception on David’s blog (here).

It was a fun reception complete with a visit by two ADORABLE penguins. The guests all seemed to have had a great time in a very cool venue.

Being able to work for David was an amazing learning experience, something I’ll never forget. I learned many new technical techniques from him during the day. I also witnessed how he worked the event with the utmost in class and professionalism. David is famous for his amazing images. But, David Ziser’s 30 years of success in the wedding photography industry is because of the level of service he provides his clients.

—-

Two days later, I headed back to Tampa to attend a workshop that David was teaching. The class is part of the Dave Cross Workshops held at Studio 3 in Oldsmar, Florida. It was an intimate class that allowed us to ask a lot of questions and to be involved in the class. It was nice to see Tony, a fellow photographer, who was a participant in my photo walk, in attendance at David Ziser’s class.

We spent the morning reviewing different lighting techniques and how to make lighting exciting. We also had some informal portfolio reviews by LaDawn Ziser, which were great.

In the afternoon, we headed over to Phillipe Park in Oldsmar, Florida. Our beautiful model, Liz, was a great sport as we hiked around the park.

I took some pictures throughout the day, but my focus was more on the directions given to the model. It was very interesting how a simple gesture change could turn a good pose in to a great pose.

We headed back to the studio to review the pictures taken at the park and we had some additional time to touch on various topics.

Between the wedding on Saturday and the class on Monday, I feel great right now about all that I have learned. I also can’t wait until my next event to use some of these new found techniques. David and LaDawn Ziser are two amazing individuals and it humbles me to have had the opportunity to work with both of them.

Also, this is my second time heading to the Dave Cross Workshops. Dave has brought hosted workshops with some of the biggest names in the photography industry. It’s a rare opportunity that someone can have access like that. If you are looking to excel your photography or design skills, I strongly recommend you check out his workshops.

In closure, I wanted to include some of the photos I took at the workshop. It shows what a great job David does at finding an ideal backdrop and posing the model in a way that is very beautiful. I also included a quick photo of David in action with some of the students photographing as well.

I hope you enjoy.

I am pleased to announce a very special fall promotion. If you book a wedding package before December 21st, I will include a makeup artist for your engagement photo session. Makeup will be provided by Makeup by Rae of Orlando. I had the chance to work with Rae on some recent work, and she does a fabulous job.

This promotion is limited to engagement sessions in the Orlando area. For more details, please contact us.

Trash the Dress photography has only really been around for 10 years. For those that may not know, it’s a style of wedding photography where the bride and groom go an unusual location dressed in their wedding attire. Often times, they’ll go to a place where the wedding dress may get a little dirty or wet to create very dramatic and gorgeous photos. There are so many interesting places where a session like this can happen – the beach, city streets, and open fields are just a few of the more popular locations.

The workshop was held just south of Daytona Beach in Ponce Inlet. We started well before sunset and didn’t finish until after there was very little light left in the sky. We had plenty of time for shooting, so I tried out some new techniques that worked out very well – I can’t wait to use them again in the future!

There were four models for the workshop — two brides (Rebecca and Kelsey) and two bridesmaids (Lindsey and Ashley). I would have liked to have had a “groom” represented as well to get ideas for couples’ shots, but there was still plenty to photograph.

The class had a nice mixture of students – some of us were wedding photographers, some were fashion photographers, and the rest were photo enthusiasts who came out to try something new.

There were also two other sessions happening at the beach – an engagement session and a wedding – so I felt a little sorry for those photographers. I’m not sure how they felt when a class of 35 descended upon their prime photo spots.

Overall, I had a great time. It’s always nice to talk to other photographers and I think I got some great photos out of the day. I’m looking forward to my upcoming Trash the Dress photo shoots, and sharing those pictures with everyone via my blog!

Here are some of the photos from the workshop, including a “behind the scenes” shot of the class.

The wedding and reception were held at the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, not too far from the University of Georgia campus. On the way there, we even drove by a pasture of baby lambs – very fitting for Easter weekend.

Before the ceremony, there was time to explore the gardens, and it was a fabulous place for a wedding. I also had the chance to talk with the photographers a bit – Chad & Tina Pritchard, a fun husband and wife team from Atlanta. They did a wonderful job and we enjoyed “talking shop” for a bit. You don’t get to do that at weddings very often!

The bride and groom looked fantastic and we were so happy to be included in their special wedding weekend. Congratulations, Scott and Grace, and best wishes for a wonderful marriage!

It is a great way to enjoy and share images from your special day.

I put together this slideshow for Maria and Blake’s wedding last year.

Photographs were taken at:
· Hilton Bonnet Creek
· The grounds of Waldorf Astoria Orlando
· First Baptist Church of Orlando – Marie Williams Chapel
· Cypress Grove Park

The music is Valentine by Cary Judd.

I hope you enjoy!

They were a fantastic couple to work for and the wedding was a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Both the ceremony and reception took place at the River Palm Cottages along the Indian River.

Kelly and Brett’s four dogs were staying in the cottages where the bride and groom got ready. Buster, Kelly’s 10-year-old miniature Pinscher even stopped by the reception for a bit.

The weather was gorgeous that day, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the purple sunset during the bridal portraits.

Kelly and Brett added many cool details, too – from the seashell cake to the personalized wine bottles (with wine made by the groom’s family). Perfect for a wedding on the beach!

Congratulations Kelly and Brett! Thank you for letting me be part of your day!

Although it is great that there are so many resources, it’s sometimes hard to separate the good opportunities from the bad. Based on my experiences, I wanted to share a list of some of my preferred methods for education, along with some specific recommendations.

Blogs

Blogs are a great source for free information. While they may be difficult to keep up with on a regular basis, blogs can also be good places to search for specific topics. For example, there was some buzz last week about the “Supermoon.” I’ve photographed the moon in the past, but it’s not something I do routinely. So, it was nice to quickly search some of my favorite blogs to find articles on “taking pictures of the moon.”

Another favorite aspect to blogs is being able to look at images posted by other photographers that I greatly admire. Just like an actor learns by watching other movies, there is so much to learn by looking at other photographers’ work.

Although I regularly read about 20 different blog sites, there are three that I strongly recommend to others:

Scott Kelby is the president of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). More than anything, he is one of the best educators out there on all things related to imagery. His three part book series on digital photography is an industry standard. His daily blog is always a quick and fun read, supplying lots of little nuggets of information. Every Wednesday, he has a guest blogger that leads to some of the more interesting and talked about posts.

David Ziser is one of the more recognized names in the wedding photography industry. He runs a blog dedicated to wedding and event photography with two posts a day. David writes in a conversational, casual tone that sounds like he is talking directly to you. The text posts are full of great tips and pointers and the image posts contain samples of his most recent work, which are great for inspiration.

Jasmine Star is one of the top 10 wedding photographers right now. Her work is fantastic. But, more importantly, it’s her personality that shines on this blog. I can’t imagine how many weddings she has booked purely on her candidness, charm and style.

Workshops

Workshops are another great way of learning. Generally, there is a lecture/demonstration followed by some hands-on opportunity. I’m definitely a hands-on person and I find it much easier to learn by doing than listening.

However, it is very important to make sure that workshops that include an opportunity to take pictures have a cap on the number of students. It can be frustrating being elbow to elbow with 50+ other photographers in a small space trying to take a photo of a single model.

That’s not to say there aren’t some very good workshops out there:

A couple years ago, Gray Photography presented their In Camera Workshop in Jacksonville Beach, and I was extremely impressed. While, at the time, Zack and Jody only had a couple years of experience, they definitely knew their craft and had some great vision. I was also sold on the class because it was limited to only 10 students. Since then, their business has grown immensely, and unfortunately so has their prices. Even so, it is still worth it, as it was some of the best education I’ve ever received.

John and Susan from the Harmon School of Photography operate their photography school out of Harmon Photo in downtown Orlando. They teach a wide range of classes from how to use your camera to studio lighting to HDR (High Dynamic Range). Many of their classes are quite affordable, and they are very helpful to people of all skill sets. Having them in town is a perk limited to us in Orlando, but I’m sure there are similar educational opportunities out there. So don’t discount your local camera stores!

If you want to know how to take a picture and use a flash, this is THE workshop to attend. Joe is one of the best photographers on this planet, and he’s also one heck of an educator. He has taught several workshops under different titles. He is currently touring the country as part of The Flash Bus tour with another great photographer, David Hobby. If this tour comes near your town, I would strongly recommend you attend.

Podcasts

Podcasts have essentially replaced radio for me these days. I’m constantly listening to a diverse group of podcasts, many of which are geared towards photography. Some of these podcasts have been around for years, and thus have accumulated quite a library of episodes in the archives. That makes podcasts, like blogs, a wonderful source for searching topics. I should also mention that each of these podcasts also have associated websites with a wealth of additional knowledge.

There are three different podcasts that jump out to me:

This weekly podcast is a great mixture of photo industry news, interviews, tips, and Q&A. It is generally hosted by a panel of 3-5 different photographers.

Scott Bourne runs this Q&A based podcast that comes out the 5th, 15th, and 25th of every month. The episodes can run the full gamut of photography topics as the listeners ask the questions. Many of the lessons learned can be applied to all disciplines. Scott generally has another photographer on as a co-host and he’s fantastic at explaining complicated issues in a way that is easy to understand. If you are frugal minded, you might want to close your ears sometimes as Scott has no qualms in recommending a $6000 lens.

Chris Marquardt is based out of Tübingen, Germany and recently crossed the 500 episode mark. He is also a regular contributor to The Tech Guy nationwide radio show. I do strongly recommend this show, but some episodes can be hit or miss based on the subject matter. For example lately he is focused more on the use of film photography.

Books

In trying to narrow down my favorites, books were by far the hardest. There are so many fantastic books out there on photography. I’m constantly finding great new books on Amazon. The diagrams and explanations of a setup are especially useful in the books, along with some of the behind the scenes stories of the images.

There are three books that are a must-have for any photographer:

Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 – Okay, I cheated a little as it’s a three book set. I previously discussed Scott Kelby’s phenomenal ability to educate, and this book series does not disappoint. This three part series is fantastic; covering almost all aspects photography from “What is an f-stop” to “How do I photograph lightning.” I have read each book in the series so many times that the bindings are starting to fray.

Captured by the Light by David Ziser – David took many of his lessons from Digital Pro Talk and his workshops and put out the ultimate wedding photography book. While it is more specific to wedding photography, I’d recommend it for non-wedding photographers too due to so many great lessons on lighting, posing, and choice of equipment.

The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally – This is one book that perfectly balances amazing photos with amazing stories. Joe has photographed many fascinating people and places over the years, and in The Moment It Clicks, he shares the stories behind the images. This book is more about the emotion of the image than the technical aspects.

Video Training

With video training, I tend to shy away from conventional DVDs as there is limited re-watch value. I prefer video training that has an ever growing collection of material. In other words, I prefer the Netflix membership model as opposed to picking and choosing specific video training opportunities.

This is the third time Scott Kelby’s name has appeared in this article (I said he was the best educator out there). His group runs a site that has many different training videos, generally about an hour in length. There are constant updates as new videos are added. For an annual fee, you have access to the entire library — Photoshop, design, photography and web development are a few of the topics covered. It should be noted that the videos need to be watched over the Internet (no offline option) and they don’t work on the iPhone or iPad (Adobe Flash). Regardless, Kelby Training is a great value.

When the concept for free education was introduced, I was curious as to how this business would sustain. They have periodic in-depth workshops (2, 3 or more days). The content is very similar to what you’d find on higher priced DVDs, but it is broadcast live on the Internet completely free! If you enjoy the courses, you can also buy them for about $100 each. The advantages of buying the courses is that you don’t have to be glued to the website all weekend long and the download quality is much better than the live streaming version. Also, once you download these videos, you are able to copy them to an iPad or smartphone and watch them anytime, anywhere.

Photo Vision is essentially a video magazine. For a very affordable subscription, you receive a DVD four times a year. The DVD consists of about 8 segments (ranging from 10-30 minutes) of small training exercises by great photographers. One disappointment I find is that sometimes the training content may be in areas that I may not be as interested in. That’s one of the advantage of CreativeLive or Kelby Training, as you can pick to choose what areas you are most interested in seeing.

Conferences

I posted about the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographer International) Road Show last year. It’s a well organized presentation by photographers and industry leaders, but it is a bit heavy on the sales and marketing side.

Photoshop World is held twice a year (generally in Orlando and Las Vegas) and is by far my favorite educational resource. Three days of small workshops, lectures, presentations by some of the leading photographers and designers in the industry, and amazing network opportunities with other photographers make this an annual must do. Unlike WPPI, which is a mix of photography and business, Photoshop World is purely about delivering the best image possible by using the tools available today.

Photoshop World 2011 kicks off next week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. I’ll be attending the event and will try to post daily blog entries about what’s happening. So, please come back for updates!

I was asked by one of my assistant photographers to photograph her sister-in-law’s wedding and I was happy to help out considering all of the great work she has been able to contribute to DSWfoto over the years.

Mary and Eugene’s wedding took place at the Lake Mary Events Center in downtown Lake Mary, Florida. The downtown area was recently redeveloped and this beautiful new facility was a great addition. The outdoor ceremony was held on the event lawn while the sun set over Crystal Lake. The reception was held in the rotunda room.

Since it was a December wedding, there were several hints of the holidays. The outdoor trellises were decked out in Christmas greens and red carnations. The gorgeous wedding cake looked like a pile of gifts ready to open with ribbons and sugar poinsettias attached. There was also a cookie table, which is a tradition of the groom’s family.

Thank you Mary and Eugene for including me in your day and best wishes!