Rapha Rides Oakland

Well, not literally.  But, Rapha shot by Alison and Adm rides Oakland!  OK, let me back up a moment.  Lately, Adm has really been into riding his bike, and lucky for him, we have a whole slew of friends who are hardcore cyclists.  One in particular, our friend and neighbor Rob, introduced us to Rapha a couple of years ago.  Rapha is a high-end bicycle clothing company based in Europe, and they produce catalogs that have amazingly beautiful photography.  Last year, we decided to do a Rapha-inspired photo shoot with Rob (in his Rapha gear) in our own Oakland hills, which in my opinion are just as beautiful as some of those European landscapes that are featured in the the real Rapha catalogs.

This was unlike any other shoot we've done, and it was just a personal shoot for us to have fun with.  We went up to the hills really early on a wet Sunday last February, when the roads were empty and slick with the rain.  Adm and I took turns driving the car in front of Rob, who rode behind us.  We each spent time hanging out of the back of our car (luckily it's a hatchback), gripping onto the sides while taking photos.  Katy, Rob's wife, acted as our stylist, and we all had a blast turning the Oakland hills into our studio.  There are so many other great rides in the Bay Area that we can't wait to go out again!  All of the photos in this set were taken by both Adm and me.

Helping One Another Grow

Every morning, it's as if there's some unknown force that wakes me up and leads me straight to the computer.  Next, I head to the kitchen to feed Kiki and then start answering emails even before I've had my coffee.  By the time the coffee is in my cup, but before Adm is out of bed, I am at work.  My mind is already racing far ahead of me, cataloging things that need to be done. Working from home has a lot of perks.  A fairly flexible schedule, being in pajamas all day long, endless cups of coffee, sleeping in every now and again.  It's so easy to "let yourself go" when you work in this kind of environment.  One day you forget to brush your teeth, and the next you're "working" from bed, under the covers.  It's also really easy to lose track of time and having a schedule.  I feel like I'm always moving from one task to another, always trying to check things off of my to-do list, and I've gotten to a point where I'm not comfortable just being still.

Since our working and living spaces are combined, Adm and I have to consciously make the effort to carve out personal time for each other.  We've also realized that with our work, we need to schedule time to check in with one other, in most work places, they call this having a meeting.  Not once since we've started photographing weddings full time have we scheduled a meeting with each other.  So, last Tuesday, we planned our first formal lunch meeting at Gather in Berkeley to assess where we are photographically and talk about the direction we want to move in for this upcoming wedding season.

It was nice.  Both of us actually got dressed and we had each prepared a set of our favorite images from last year's weddings so that we could review our styles, breaking down our strengths and weaknesses.  I also prepared a set of inspiration images shot by other photographers so that we could talk about what elements make those pictures successful and how we can incorporate them into our photography:  why the tilt works for this photo, what are the light sources in this image, why this pose fits perfectly for that couple, how this image has spot on layering, and so on.  Our goal in doing this is not to copy other photographers and the way they see things, but rather to expand our vision and add to our "toolbox" of different techniques.

As people drawn to the creative side, we're constantly thinking about new and different ways to do things.  We don't want to get stuck in a rut or burned out, two paths that are very easy to head down when you're photographing 20-25 weddings each year, and so we have to find ways to stay inspired and motivated to grow photographically.  After having such a successful "meeting" last week, we've resolved to de-brief after every wedding this year as a way to help keep one another on our toes, and to get out of the house every now and again.

Here I am working from the couch at home.  Photo by Adm.

The Benefits of Having Two Photographers at Your Wedding

"There is power in numbers."  Yes, it's true. Our wedding collection always includes both Adm and myself as photographers, or rather, there are always two photographers for every wedding that we photograph.  When couples are looking to save money on their wedding photography, they often tell me, "Well, we don't really need two photographers.  Can we just hire you and save a few hundred dollars?"  My answer is always, "No."  Even for the super small civil ceremony weddings that only last a couple of hours.  I follow up my answer with, "Trust me, your pictures will be so much better if both Adm and I are there."  With this in mind, I'd like to break down the photographic benefits of having two photographers (especially us two!) at your wedding:

1.  It's really hard to be in two places at the same time.

Nine times out of ten, the bride and groom get ready in separate spaces.  Sometimes, they're just down the hall from one another in the same hotel, and other times, they're at completely different locations, maybe even thirty minutes driving distance apart.  No matter how far apart they are, it's literally impossible for one photographer to make nice images of both the bride and groom getting ready.  To make sure that you have a complete set of photos of both sides, there has to be two photographers.  Furthermore, since we strive to be discreet documentarians, it's much easier for us to blend in and be ignored when we hang out with the same group of people for awhile.  This time allows us to really work a scene, making sure each shot has been perfected and finessed.  We're also able to key into how certain people relate to one another and thereby better anticipate special moments.  Imagine if, as a bride, you were in the middle of doing your hair, make-up, savoring your last moments as a single lady, and concentrating on remembering your vows, and in the midst of all this, you had a crazy photographer running back and forth between your room and your fiance's trying to rapidly fire off a few frames before scurrying back to your fiance's room.

So often people think that photography is just a matter of being there, holding the camera up to your face, and clicking the shutter.  To us, however, it's so much more.  It's about being there and observing - absorbing the tension in the room when a groom tries to hide his nervousness about being married with a few laughs and a round of shots or noticing the mother of the bride's overwhelming happiness that is only slightly undermined with a tinge of nostalgia because her little girl is all grown up.  These are the subtleties of emotion that we strive to capture, and in order to do this, we, as photographers need time to look, and you, as the subjects need time to relax and forget that we are there.

Here are a few of my favorite images that Adm has made while hanging out with the groom:

And here are a few of my favorites images from spending time with the ladies:

2.  We see things differently.

Adm and I independently discovered our passion for photography, and subsequently, we have each developed our own unique way of seeing things.  When we both photograph a wedding, we bring our own vision to the event so that our clients receive a set of images that reflect a mix of both of our styles, ones that I think complement each other quite well.  We are also able to be in different positions and photograph things at varying angles which adds more variety into the mix.  This seems pretty self-explanatory so I'll jump right into a few photo examples:

3.  The portrait sessions are so much better with two.

I've said this before, but I'm going to say it again: "Nobody wants to hang around waiting to have their picture taken when there's a fun cocktail hour and wedding reception waiting just around the corner."  This means that when it comes to the family, bridal party and couples portrait sessions, we have to be on our toes and move quickly and efficiently.  During the large group portraits, Adm is key when it comes to "corralling" family members and getting them lined up and organized.  If the group of people I need to photograph is ready and attentive, then the picture just takes a couple of minutes and the guests can be on their way.  Furthermore, having a second set of eyes to watch for things like sunglasses, purses, drinks in hand, pepper in your teeth (OK, maybe not that one, but you get my drift) is always helpful, and makes everyone in the photo appreciate a non-messy version of themselves so much more.

When it comes to the couples' portrait session, Adm and I usually split up.  We always do a walkthrough of the location beforehand so that we can map out our portrait shots and not waste any time when we have the bride and groom.  Adm is the lighting master of our duo, and so during the couples' portrait session, I'll first take the couple on my own, making portraits using natural light, while Adm is hurriedly setting up lights for the next situation, one that we had planned during our walkthrough.  This way, when I'm done with my part, the couple can step right into Adm's set up and we're pretty much ready to go.  We don't want to waste precious time setting up and testing lights while the couple is just standing around waiting and dreaming of the specialty cocktails that they're missing.  When we first started photographing weddings, we didn't light any of the portraits.  However, since we started planning and lighting our shots, I think the creativity and artistic quality of our images have improved immensely.  Our portrait session with the bride and groom is one area where we can really reveal our style and vision, and so it's been a huge leap for us to really take control of that opportunity and run with it.  This ability for us to realize our vision for a particular photo within a very short period of time can only happen when you have two photographers who know how to work together and communicate with one another.

Here are a few of our couples' portraits from real wedding days where we planned out our shots ahead of time and Adm created the light so the couple could just step in for a few photos:

There are many more benefits to having two photographers at your wedding, especially when it comes to supporting one another (whether it's taking shifts during meals or having one person download cards while the other keeps an eye on the reception), but I wanted to focus primarily on why photographically it's better to have two different photographers.  Plus, this post is already way longer than I initially intended so it's time for me to stop.

Picking the perfect location for engagement pictures

"Location, location, location." That's what my softball pitching coach used to emphasize over and over to me because I was, let's just say, more of a Sandy Koufax kind of pitcher, which means that my pitches were a little wild and all over the place.  I'm happy to say, (Mom, I hope you're reading!) now a full six years after my career as a softball pitcher, that I've finally realized the importance of location!  That is, when it comes to photography. In keeping with my recent theme of engagement session blog posts, I'll finish the week with another post about engagements.  A lot of my couples who book engagement sessions ask for advice about where to take their pictures.  So, let's talk about location.  Being in the Bay Area, we're lucky that there are so many beautiful natural spots and amazing landmarks, which means that many of my couples are (naturally) compelled to make use of these.  However, in doing so, you can also run the risk of having the pictures end up being more about the background or landmark, rather than about the two of you and your love.  For example, we've done lots of engagement sessions with the Golden Gate Bridge.  Now, I'm not saying that this is a bad thing because certainly, the Golden Gate Bridge is amazing, but, when we do portraits in front of the GGB, we have to pay extra special attention to making sure that the GGB doesn't overwhelm the photos and that we're still able to capture the essence of the couple, which makes the GGB more of an understated background element.  In other words, we still want the photos to be about the couple, not about the Golden Gate Bridge.

I love this photo of Alison and Bryan during their engagement session in front of the Golden Gate Bridge because the GGB is obviously still in the photograph, but it's not taking over, and instead, what shines through are their goofy and fun personalities.

You can downplay the "roles" of certain elements in photos through a number of ways.  In the above photo, I'm downplaying the "role" of the GGB by my composition and distance.  In the photo below, which was taken in Union Square, another San Francisco landmark, I'm downplaying "Union Square" with my use of light, which illuminates only Judith and Tom.

Similarly, in this photo of Aubra and Justin during their engagement session in the redwoods, another Bay Area specialty, I'm using light and composition to emphasize Aubra and Justin.  With this photo, I'm kind of going for a message along the lines of "ourloveissogreatwecantacklewhateverthisgreatbigworldthrowsourway."  And yes, my photo messages run as giant steams of consciousness when I'm creating them in my head.

So, what about when you have no clue where you want to take pictures?  Well, I always suggest places that are either meaningful to the two of you as a couple or somehow a reflection of your personalities and interests together.  This gets more into the photojournalism world.  As photojournalists, when we have portrait assignments, our goal is to try to reveal something about our subject in the photograph.  Ideally, something about their personality or interests that complement their story.  I bring this same approach to our portrait sessions.  Margee and Kate's recent engagement session is a perfect example.  These two are fun, goofy, self-proclaimed nerds, and ready to explore the world together.  They also love color and love to play, and so the Exploratorium in San Francisco could not have been a more perfect place for showcasing all of these elements.  Here are a couple of gems from their session that I didn't include in their main post.

As another example, I give you a photo from Hillary and Matt's engagement session.  Hillary is a winemaker, and she and Matt met while working for Gallo Winery and love drinking wine so photographing them in a vineyard was the perfect way to incorporate they're love for wine(making).

Some of my other couples opted to take pictures in the actual places where they got engaged.  This way when they look at these pictures, they'll think of the beautiful memory of the proposal, and these photos will really signify the start of their life together.

Above is a photo of Fenina and Hoang at Hayward Regional Park where Hoang proposed to Fenina.  Below is a photo taken in the spot in Half Moon Bay where Jake proposed to Joyce:

So, remember, when determining locations for your engagement session, you want to make sure that the place is special to you as a couple.  Sometimes even doing them at home, in your personal space that you created is the best place to create photos that reflect who you are and your style.  You don't have to pick the most gorgeous spot or best landmark to have beautiful pictures.  After all, these photos are more about you and your fiance, embarking on a new phase in life together.

Creating an Identity, Part III

How many times do you receive business cards and put them in your pocket only to find them crumpled and completely chewed up in the washing machine?  Well, that's happened to me so many times I've lost count.  I am notorious for forgetting to empty my pockets before doing laundry.  So, then, what's the point of spending money for nice business cards, you may ask?  Well, I wondered that same thing, and here's what I've come up with: my goal of giving someone a business card is to leave an impression with them.  I want them to remember that card that's in their pocket and go check out the information that's on the business card, i.e., pull up my web site next time they're on the computer.  I'm not leaving stacks of cards at coffee shops hoping that random people will pick them up.  I'm selectively giving cards out to prospective clients, other wedding vendors and hopefully wedding bloggers and editors.  This means that I need my card to stand out, not only to encourage people to remember it and use it, but also because it's often other people's first impression of my style and aesthetic, and we all know how important first impressions are.

Therefore, Emma and I decided to make a card so thick there's no way someone will forget about it in their pocket.  I also read that the more texture your card has, the more of an impression (literally and figuratively) it will make on someone just because they end up touching it more.  So, here they are.  They were created by Twig and Fig in Berkeley.  The back of the card is letterpress with Emma's hand sketched floral illustration, and the front is flat color printed, all on recycled paper stock with soy based inks.   Check 'em out:

I know I went a little overboard with all the photos, but they are really beautiful, and since most of you can't see them in person, I figured I'd overload you with images.  : )

Stationery is up next.  I send out handwritten cards to clients and other wedding vendors.  Since Emma had created such lovely paintings - the purple one is acrylic and the yellow is watercolor, it was pretty easy to use both as the fronts of my cards.  We used the purple painting for flat cards and the yellow painting for folded cards.  The cards were printed by Brandes Printing Company, also in Berkeley, and also printed on all recycled paper stock with soy-based inks.  I picked up the envelopes from Xpedex Paper Store in Berkeley, and again, they're 100% recycled - do you see a trend here?

Here are the mailing labels that Emma designed.  The smaller ones are for the stationery cards - they fold over so that my return address is on the back (Emma is so clever!), and the larger labels are for boxes that I send out.  I actually printed these at home on sticker paper and then cut them out.  Hooray for DIY!

Emma made some stamps for me.  You can never have too many stamps, right?  I'll use them for all different things - envelopes, labels, boxes, hang tags... there are endless possibilities!

For some reason, I knew from the beginning of this process that I wanted to use fabric flowers to adorn my print packaging.  I found a small piece of fabric with almost all of my colors at an independent store in Berkeley, and followed this tutorial on making fabric flowers from 100 Layer Cake.  The only missing color in the fabric was yellow, but some bright yellow buttons solved that problem.  Unfortunately, the fabric I have is not unlimited and so once I run out, I'll be on the hunt for different fabric.  But that's OK, searching for salvaged fabric is part of the fun, and I like that my look can be eclectic and evolving.  As an extra benefit, I glued on pin backings to the backs of the flowers so they can double as pins for sweaters, purses, hair pieces....

The photo boxes are probably the most boring part of my packaging.  They're 100% recycled Kraft photo boxes from here.  I scoured the internet for other interesting and *affordable* options, and to be honest, there's not really a whole lot out there!  However, it's more important to have my photos arrive safely and in perfect condition than to arrive bent but in a pretty box.  Hopefully with some creative accessorizing, I've spiced them up a bit.

To complete the look, I found beautiful natural wood hang tags that have each been stained by hand with an environmentally friendly wood stain and hand-dyed cotton from this amazing shop in Indiana called Olive Manna. I encourage all crafty brides to check out this shop as there are lots of ideas for DIY wedding pieces.

And that's it!  The only thing I didn't show is my DVD packaging, which I didn't get around to creating and photographing yet so I'll have to save that for a later post.  This is the last of my "identity" series.  Like I've said, I had a really fun time working with Emma, who is just so creative, and I can't wait to put my new look to use for clients!