What is a headshot? In the nutshell, it is where the face is clearly shown. But it doesn’t mean that image must be of the face only. Because even though the face will be most important aspect of the photo, everything around the face is equally important. For example if photographing a business headshot it is very vital to have proper clothes, hair and makeup done (which goes for both man and woman). Wearing the wrong clothing can take away the attention from the face and the subject will be lost in the photo. If the hair is not done properly on the subject, it can look like they don’t care about the photos. In business world all of this can make or break the deal for someone. So why it is important, well a good headshot for a business person is how prospective clients will identify you and can make a decision without the meeting, if they would like to work with that subject or not. Having a clear representation through a headshot  will speak volumes about the subject and his/her business.

Recently I have been photographing lots of headshot from real estate, to politicians, and medical doctors. And its very interesting to see how based on what they do can change from something like clothing to different hairstyle styles and of photos they require. So if you are of a need for business headshot, first look around what other successful people did in your area for their photos, then talk to your photographer if they can capture the same feel or style of photography for you.

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Shutter Avenue Photography offers Sacramento portrait photography coverage in the Sacramento metro area, including but not limited to San Francisco Bay Area and the surrounding areas. In addition, we also offer portrait photography coverage in Colorado and other states. Call for more information.

Looking for a Sacramento portrait photographer? Please be sure to consider us for your portrait photography and all your family photography needs in the Sacramento area.

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Recently I have photographed my first wedding for this year and as I mentioned on Facebook it all started in Bay Area. I was very excited, because Karina and Artur are a great couple, who are full of love, and even though they moved to Germany it was a privilege to photograph their wedding.

I have meet Karina first through a friend referral, had a great conversation with her, build a great connection that was later on importation for the photos. Later on I have meet Artur when he finally came here to the states, great guy, and it’s always interesting talking with people who are from different parts of the world . Yet the best part for me was to get to know them, and deliver great images for them. I loved how they interacted in photos and that I had the freedom to be creative.

Karina and Artur did their first look not far from San Francisco in Redwood Regional Park, which in my opinion is fantastic location for forest look in photos (and you can never tell that we are only 20 mins away from San Francisco).

The wedding was held in Alameda Ballroom. It was a hotel long ago but now is was converted into apartment building with wedding ballrooms. Beautiful location for wedding venue, because the architecture is from 1940’s with big windows and great ceiling details. Although I have to admit that the wedding was held in Alameda I was hoping to see some Mythbuster action but didn’t have the chance to make it to Alameda runway. =) But there was no time for that, I had a wedding to photograph and didn’t regret a moment of it.

I just want to say Thank you to Karina and Artur for choosing me as their photographer, I had pleasure of photographing your wedding.

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Service Information

Shutter Avenue Photography offers Sacramento and Denver wedding photography and portrait photography coverage in the Sacramento metro area, Denver Colorado area, including but not limited to San Francisco Bay Area and the surrounding areas. In addition, we also offer wedding photography coverage in Colorado and other states. Call for more information.

Looking for a Sacramento and Denver wedding photographer? Please be sure to consider us for your portrait photography and all your family photography needs in the Sacramento and Denver area.

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Expectations Should be Clearly Communicated: If you find the photographer whom you like but all images of the portfolio are summer photos take notice if your wedding will be in winter. This would not be photographers fault but you might be setting yourself for disappointment. Talk to your photographer about which photos are similar to photographers and make clear comparisons or at least good contrast with your wedding day plans. But also try not to rely on Pinterest for wedding photo ideas if you are using Pinterest. Tons of photos on Pinterest are staged for editorial purposes and are not from real weddings.

Give notice to your photographer about any special events that will take place during your wedding, because photographer are not mind readers or can’t predict the future. If there will be for example a family heirloom that will be passed at some point during your wedding day, don’t forget to tell that to your photographer! Also if you want special photos of family, especially if you want candid shots, you will need to point that out to your photographer. This applies to both experienced and not experienced wedding photographer. Don’t be afraid to make a wish list and pass it on to your photographer, especially to emerging wedding photographers.

The Numbers: Back in the day when wedding photographers shoot using only film, the norm would be to provide the clients with some kind of proof prints or small book with all the thumbnail images. Now a days in digital world 99% of photographer don’t do that, so be sure to have some kind of online gallery to view your images or a preview session. You will need to understand what does and what doesn’t come with the wedding package that you are choosing, talk to the photographer to get a better understanding what you are getting and how long will you need to wait to see your proof images. Digital images take less time than processing film so find out when, exactly, will you have access to them. Good question to ask is “Will I be getting a DVD of images or online gallery?” If online gallery will be provided, how long will you have to wait and for how long will be the online gallery online. As well as will you need to purchase all prints or could you just purchase few prints. Sometimes a contract outlying all of this is not really unheard of.

Second Shooters: Now you have found the photographer, who is your fit in budget and style of photography. Congradulations! YET, will there be second shooter with the package and what is second shooter? A second shooter is: someone who also takes picture during your wedding day, helps out photographer with lights and bags, as well as fills in the gaps with candid photos while photographer is focusing on the main subjects, and especially photographs from a different angle during ceremony or during prep photos. Second shooter is very important to main photographer, regardless of how big or small the wedding is. The second shooter is always on the side of the photographer which when things go awry they can run an errand or fixes lighting room while photographer is preparing to photograph the first dance as an example. If the photographer says that he can work without a second shooter, do ask to see an album of complete wedding of him/her working on their own. If the images look great then you can be at rest knowing that the photographer can handle the job by themselves. With that said, sometimes photographer bring assistant just to carry bags or hold the lights while its windy or for any other purposes but make sure to ask if the photographer will be bringing an assistant.

Aha Moment: Don’t forget that experienced photographers can be great resource of ideas and help.  If the photographer who is the right fit for you, then they will be enthusiastic about your wedding and would like to pass on the knowledge they have to you, which can be a golden nuggets of wisdom. But here are some example of what wedding photographer have advice in, which I myself heard of and also pass on to my clients as well:

– Tell and show the details about your wedding ahead of time so they can capture detail shoots which you actually want and incorporate into photography which capturing special moments.

– List your photographer as an attendee to your venue place. Seating them with the guest or at least in the same room assures that you will get the images of important and spontages moments. Don’t have them eat away from the party with the rest of the vendors.

– Do find out what the photographer is going to be wearing for your wedding day. You don’t want the photographer showing up in t-shirt just because it feels comfortable to photograph. When the photographer dress up (or at least business casual) for a wedding then everyone feels more at ease, as though it was a guest of a family who is taking pictures.

– When its time for group shots “formal” do ask someone who will be attending the wedding but will not be in pictures to bring snacks and drinks for the wedding party. This will make for much happier crew of people who are more willing to be patient while picture are taken. Also do ask someone to gather family member for immediate family photos not your photographer who does not know who is who and only meet them for the first time at the wedding.

– But most important thing is RELAX! Do expect things to go wrong, or out of schedule, and be candid with your photographer. If you are tense it will show in photos through your face and your body language.

Last thing, when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer, communication is the key. Just think about it, if you where the photographer, you would like to know as much as possible of information about the event. So pay that forward to the person who will be your photographer. This applies to newbie or a pro, and your photographer will thank you because it will make the day go much smoother.

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Enjoy this post by Sacramento wedding photographer provided by Shutter Avenue Photography offering Sacramento wedding photography in the Sacramento metro area.

Shutter Avenue Photography is not your regular Sacramento wedding photographer. Every wedding that Shutter Avenue Photography photographs is treated with care and creativity not found with any other Sacramento wedding photography studio. Shutter Avenue Photography captures your wedding day in a unique photography style in the Sacramento area.

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So this is part 2 of Choosing Wedding Photographer, and there is something I would like to talk about. Even though I have talked briefly about this in previous blogs yet I have had clients ask me more and more about what I will talk in this blog post. Somethings I will repeat if you don’t want to browse around and look for the other posts but lets start with newbies vs professional photographers.

Emerging Wedding Photographer vs Professional: Not only did I hear or it happend to my wedding but the horror stories of photography which has gone wrong and all because someone made a choice on cutting the budget rather than experience. Now it is alright to make sure you don’t go over your head with a photographer who can fit your budget. However, main point is to not underestimate the importance of wedding photography when trying to fit it with in your budget in the first place! Pictures is one of the investments what will bring you joy over the years to come comparing to flatware rentals, party favors and even flower arrangements. If you would have to make a choice go with the photographer whom you like and who can provide great art work after your wedding for your home (as well as for your loved ones).

Now how do photographers base their prices? Its in relation to their experience and on whether they have ironed out there workflow, by building a strong portfolio, personal style, and client testimonials. With that said, like I have mentioned in previous post some photographer do charge more and they are horrible photographer and some are great photographers but charge less (but you can read all about that by clicking here). But if you are hiring a wedding photographer who is higher than your budget, they should have confidence in what photos need to be taken, how to work in any lighting situation, and can help you to ease your process before or during your big day.

Professional wedding photographers don’t need to be babysat and guided throughout the wedding, they can create beautiful images of your day and be self-sufficient knowing what needs to be done. Comparing to emerging photographer who is just testing the waters can save you tons of money and if you are on very tight budget. But the plus that comes with newbie is that they will go above and beyond for their clients, wanting to encourage word-of-mouth marketing and very dynamic imagery to improve their portfolios. Few things to watch out for if picking an emerging wedding photographer would be: they make mistakes which from photography standpoint are just vital to grow in wedding photography business. They can also miss photos when photography needs to be done and also can do poorly executed photos. But if you are on a mission to save money for your wedding and do understand that newbies are not professional then this is for you.

But what are they ways to save money if you are on a tight budget: well then hire a photographer with little experience for maybe just ceremony, family, and wedding party formal shoots (so maybe for 3 hours only). But then do encourage your guests to capture the reception with their own cameras and ask them to send the digital files to you. Or provide some film cameras to your guest, but do be aware that when you buy 100 film cameras you might only get 10 rolls out of that, guests sometimes are notorious for not wanting to photograph at a wedding but just want to party.

Another way to keep your cost in photography is not hiring the second shooter (this is a big one so more about this later). Yet not every photographer would be willing to make that compromise, and if you understand that this will cut down on photos as well as missed shots then this might be the sacrifice to make in order to hire the photographer you like.

The most important is you want to steer clear of photographers who are doing this just to pay the bills and have no passion in wedding photography. In other words, make sure that the photographer has good amount of photography to prove that this is something they do because they love doing this and not just sample gallery with 5 images and bunch of other photography stuff in between. Now they are photographer who would do only 15-30 weddings a year because they like to photography other portrait photography (lets say editorial work), but be sure that their portfolio is something that stands out for you and this is what you would like for your big day.

In the next blog post I will be talking about “Expectations, Numbers, and Second Shooter” so come back next week for more on how to choose wedding photographer.

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Enjoy this post by Sacramento wedding photographer provided by Shutter Avenue Photography offering Sacramento wedding photography in the Sacramento metro area.

Shutter Avenue Photography is not your regular Sacramento wedding photographer. Every wedding that Shutter Avenue Photography photographs is treated with care and creativity not found with any other Sacramento wedding photography studio. Shutter Avenue Photography captures your wedding day in a unique photography style in the Sacramento area.

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Finding a Sacramento wedding photographer or anywhere in the world is not that easy as some people think. Especially if a photographer is looking for a photographer for their wedding or portrait session. Since I am a photographer and I have my own style I can be very picky about other photographers and their photos. But the process of picking a photographer for a wedding can be daunting. My friend who is also a wedding photographer got married last year and it was not fun for him to find a photographer even though I still photograph him and his wife. Because there are not just one style of photography but four different styles. So lets jump in and explore what are the styles are out there for weddings.

There are many photographers out there with particular styles and I mean ton of talented photographers. To find the the photographer that would document your wedding day you would need to look through their work and see what draws you to them. This will help you to narrow down your choices.

Traditional Photographers: They are heavier on posed photos with some kind of pre-planned shoot list. This is great for couple who don’t like surprises or who need the logistical organization of shoot list (very good for big parties). The plus side of it is that the wedding is well captured with traditional photographer.

Photojournalistic Photographers: This is a style of photographing with no to little pre-planning and great recording of the day. They stress more on moments, energy, and emotions of the wedding. Some rituals like cake-cutting, is skipped in favor of capturing a candid smile instead. Also they would focus on the couple sacrificing the wedding party as a whole.

Illustrative/Artistic Photographers: There are similarities with traditional photographers but with a spin/updated shooting style. The end result can vary from unorthodox posing, different to extreme angles, dramatic lighting and so on.

Film Photographers: This is coming back in style,  you could say a growing trend between wedding photographers. But many wedding photographer are leaving their DSLR’s and the bag and shooting with film only. There are drawbacks to this but if you are and your photographer have the constitution for this risk then the rewards are more than great.

With now narrowing the styles I would like to say that some and I mean many wedding photographers have a mix styles but don’t just assume this by looking at their photos. Talk to the photographer, for example a photojournalistic photographer might do some posed shots if you ask. Some will tell you no that is not my style but some will be more than happy to do so, just avoid the surprise and ask.

Photos Provided by Shutter Avenue Photography

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Enjoy this post by Sacramento wedding photographer provided by Shutter Avenue Photography offering Sacramento wedding photography in the Sacramento metro area.

Shutter Avenue Photography is not your regular Sacramento wedding photographer. Every wedding that Shutter Avenue Photography photographs is treated with care and creativity not found with any other Sacramento wedding photography studio. Shutter Avenue Photography captures your wedding day in a unique photography style in the Sacramento area.

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