weds-day, part 7: photography

 

 // his jacket, Ben Sherman // her jacket, ASOS //

If you've been reading LRW for any amount of time, you know that photography is a subject near and dear to my heart. Raven is an amateur photographer whose love for the craft was just blossoming when we first started dating. He used to wake me up in his Brooklyn apartment to see the sunrise, and before he had a camera, he would snap as many pictures as he could on his phone.

A good chunk of my business is working with photographers - outfit posts, photoshoots, weddings, etc. So long before Raven popped the question, photography for the big day was on my mind.

My situation is unique because our photographer is my closest childhood friend. Our aesthetic is so similar and working together we always find ourselves in a groove. As this may not be your situation, I thought I would run through some of my tips for selecting a photographer for your big day:

1. Ask yourself what you want: Do you want sweet candids and natural photography? Or do you love portraits? Do you want to take your photographer on an adventure, leading them to your favorite spot in the woods, on the beach, etc? Or do you just want simple, beautiful photos that capture the essence of your day? Whatever the answer, make sure you read your photographer's bio (and if that's not good enough, hop on a call!) to make sure their vision jives with yours.

2. Leave the shot list at home: A good photographer has a shot list in their mind - they've captured many weddings before and know which pictures to get (the rings, your dress, venue details, etc). If you follow the tip above, you already love their aesthetic, so let them do what they do best so you can worry about getting married. Have a certain vision you want to capture for the day? Discuss with your photographer beforehand, to make sure they make a note of it.

3. Trust: I cannot stress how important this is. With any wedding vendor, it's crucial that you wholeheartedly trust them to do the job they were hired to do. With photography, that means trusting that your love will be captured in the way you dream. If you trust your photographer, there's no need for a shot list or aesthetic instruction. Let you photographer be inspired by your love, and trust that it will come through in their art.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

xoxo,

snow day escape

As much as I'm loving this snow storm right now…I know the majority of you are looking out the window and shaking your fist. So let's pretend we have a snow day and escape - just for a couple minutes.

Have you all heard of the photographer Gray Malin?

He's the artist behind the Prada Marfa pictures...

Gorgeous right?  Well he also does amazing arial shots of beaches...

Ahhhh…don't you just want to drop right in there?

Oh!  He's also doing a pop-up Valentine's day shop with J. Crew!

Pretty stellar, right?  His photos are whimsical and kitschy, and they make me want to hop on a plane.

So what do you think?  Do you like Gray Malin's work?

all images by Gray Malin.

dirt road

At long last, the final pictures from my shoot with the lovely Ashley of Ashley Caroline photography!!  

Faux Fur Scarf: ASOS (old, this is kind of cool) / Denim Shirt: Gap (similar option here) / Jeans: Rag and Bone (these are on sale!) / Necklace: Gift from my sister (similar here) / Hat: Borrowed from my beautiful friend Vicki  (see this post  for similar style) / Boots: Aldo (similar here)

A huge thank you to Ashley, again, for this incredible experience.  I'm begging you all, HIRE HER!  She has the most free, open spirit and is so fun to work with (and also she's just generally an awesome human being).

That's all, folks!

All images by Ashley Caroline Photography

FIVER: how to get sweet photos from your iPhone (advice from Craig!)

Something we realized when we started this little blog: good photography is hard.  Courtney and I don't own fancy cameras, so any shots on here that aren't taken by professionals, are snapped with our iPhones.  Is that even acceptable? Well, we figured we'd bring in the expert to weigh in.  Much of the exceptional photography you see on LRW (here and here) is Craig's handywork, so he and I sat down to chat about what our iPhone cameras can actually do for us...

1. Can my camera phone actually take decent pictures?

Absolutely. We all know how the technology has improved, but the real advantage is the technology combined with the portability. Our cameras are always on us. It's a misconception that quality can't be achieved without top-end tools. If YOU can take a decent picture (which you can), then your phone most definitely can.

2. What's your biggest piece of advice for a photography novice armed with only an iPhone?

Keep shooting. And I say that because it's the advice that I've always run into from everyone else. And it's true. You never see all the images that get scrapped by a photographer. There are far more of those than money shots.

Also, make sure your photography speaks to you. Soak in all the inspiration you can. But, once you're out there shooting, just listen to the environment and what it's bringing to you. You don't have to have a great shot in mind. You just have to be there and ready when it happens.

3. What photo apps should I be downloading besides Instagram?

I'm obsessed with VSCO. It's a beautifully designed app that emulates classic films. Used right, it is clean and captivating. You can upload your images to any social site or to your own VSCO Grid, which is free of any likes, comments, or followers. It's all about the images.

I still use Snapseed, too. It has some very deep, very intuitive tools that, if you have the patience and time to tinker with, can produce some outstanding results.

With any photo app, make sure you're not just putting some filter OVER your image. Use your editing to compliment qualities that are already there.

4. Any photography no-no's that I should be aware of (unflattering angles, etc)?

Well, lighting is key. It's also the essence of every image: Capturing light. So notice it. Use it to your advantage. Let it play a role in the image. Be wary of using your flash if it's not necessary. Cell phone flashes are notoriously cruddy and can drown out color.

Also, get as close to your subject as possible. This will give you the highest quality image. Most camera phones only have "digital zoom," which means that zooming in on your subject only zooms in on those pixels, blurring and distorting the image. If your phone has "optical zoom," go crazy.

Lastly, be conscious of your framing. Everything in the image says something. Your framing is your directing of the viewers' eyes. Simple tried and true guidelines like the rule of thirds (Don't place your subject right in the middle, but a third of the way in.) can really make your image stand out.

5. Okay I've got the iPhone stuff down, where can I learn more about photography in general?

Definitely check out the VSCO Journal on their website. It's full of photographer profiles, fantastic interviews, and helpful tips. Most importantly, there is a constant stream of gorgeous imagery to take inspiration from.

For more technical help, I'm reading a lot of Photo Argus right now. It features a lot of good articles on shooting in specific scenarios, as well as some great insight for anyone looking to take their photography the professional route.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules. Experiment and find out what speaks to you.

Thank you, Craig! Anyone else feel a little more inspired and creative after that?  Especially knowing that Craig shot all of the pictures in this post with his iPhone! How cool is that?

We would love to see what you can do with your iPhone, so this week, let us see what you've been shooting by tagging @littleredswell on Twitter and posting to our Facebook page! Click, click!

© Craig Hanson Photography | www.craig-hanson.com