A Non-Pro's Experience

[My sister and brother-in-law acting silly at their 8-14-09 wedding in New York City]

It's good to be back. Did you miss me?

As some of you know from following this blog, my sister asked me to be the photographer at her wedding. Am I a professional photographer? No. Can I use Photoshop very well? Not really. Did I have a good camera? Does my point and shoot count?

After I told her that I wasn't confident I'd be a sufficient replacement to a professional, she agreed to buy me a new camera. When I still asked "are you suuuure?" she told me that she'd much rather have me take pictures, with a camera she knows I'd use many more days than the wedding, than a stranger she has no relationship with. So I agreed.

For anyone considering having a friend/sister take the pictures, I just want to let you know that I made it out of there alive. I took 850 pictures. Nothing broke. I have no horror stories to tell you about my camera shutting down on me in the middle of the ceremony. And I say this because in the blog world, I rarely read successful stories about friends or relatives taking pictures. Even in the real world, I had someone tell me that they had a friend take the pictures, and that she somehow lost all of them.

It made it even worse when I read this, posted by Jenna Cole/Mrs. Avocado on Weddingbee. I understand why the post was written--pros are talented people with a lot of expertise that can't be instanteously replicated by the average jane. And believe me, I totally understand that, seeing as how I am using a pro for my own wedding. But, I just wanted to emphasize to anyone taking a chance on a student or a relative or a friend that my experience turned out a-okay. The pictures might not be taken by a pro or be pro-quality, but my sister just wanted a documentation of the day (blurb book on its way!) and a few good ones she could frame, and that's what she's getting.

I think the big advantage that I had being a non-pro but sister to the bride is that I knew almost everyone there. If I didn't know them, they knew I was the little sister, and I think that made people feel more at ease with me taking their picture. It also made it easy during group photos to tell people what to do. I got a lot of good smiles out of yelling "look alive people!" when you could tell everyone was nodding off from too many group shots.

I promise tons of pictures soon, but I have soooo much to edit. I've been editing all day and I'm still only halfway through!

It was so much fun, and despite going nuts almost all day from getting centerpieces/decor ready and the right lighting in the venue, I had a fantastic time.

Would you take a chance on a student/friend/relative like my sister did?

emera camera bags

[Images from *emera]

I took about a 1,000 pictures this week for my work's event. All week I have been editing pictures for a slide show that they played tonight, and I am really proud of my work! I had a lot of fun playing photographer, and this work assignment has inspired me to learn more about taking pictures.

It was also great practice since I am going to be the only photographer at my sister's wedding in a couple of weeks!! Ahhh!

Sister 1 bought me a great little camera bag from Etsy for my birthday, which I've had on my shoulder all week and is just big enough for my camera, my flash, my USB cord, some batteries, and my charger.

Just today my cousin sent me to this link to *emera, a new line of camera bags that look like sleek handbags. They are so so pretty and look rather spacious inside! Perhaps once I gain more gear and learn more about my dSLR will I purchase one. I'm still in training mode and don't feel like I deserve such a nice bag yet.

Do you have a hobby you'd like to push to the next level? Do you like the emera bags?

Playing with My Camera: Quail Botanical Gardens

I spent a couple hours today at the beautiful Quail Botanical Gardens playing around with my camera. Since I want to learn the manual settings before my sister's big day, there was a lot of trial and error, especially with all of the glaring sunlight. Thankfully I came out with some non-blurry pictures.

These were some of my favorites!

[I loved the chalky white color of this plant]

[This is the oddest plant I saw in there--it's called a sapphire tower, and it was GORGEOUS!]

[This yellow flower was huge!]

For any San Diego brides without a venue, the garden also does weddings in this cute gazebo! You'll feel like you're surrounded by a tropical rain forest.


Hope everyone had a good weekend. Next time I play with my camera I might be ready for things that actually move!

Cute Library at One Love Photo

[All images by One Love Photo]

Heather of One Love Photo posted these pictures of an adorable library. Oh to have those windows to sit by! And that gorgeous scenery!

Can I work in a library by a lake once I graduate? Please?

Etsy Finds: Camera Bags

My camera came this morning! I'm a little frightened of it. I hope to play with it this weekend so I can be the best amateur at my sister's wedding.

In the meantime, I need to find something to carry it in for the plane ride to New York. Here are some fun camera bags I found on Etsy.

[Small messenger camera bag by wickedstitchdesigns]

[Grab and Go Photographer Bag by xcessrize]

[For those in need of a cute bag for your itty bitty cameras: Rainbow Turtle March by simbiosisbyjulia]

Any advice for
1) camera bags
2) books about digital slr cameras
3) traveling with a camera without breaking it

?

Dreamy Self-Portrait Station

[Photos found via Snippet and Ink, unfortunately I couldn't find a photo credit, but you can view the entire Flickr set of K and B's wedding here]

I am in love with this wedding, found via Snippet and Ink. It just looks like such a cozy, genuine wedding with a lot of love and fun, creative people.

I'm especially in love with their self-portrait booth!
We will be having a self-portrait photo booth, and right now I feel like marrying the twinkle lights+vintage fabric backdrop so that I can have them at my wedding. Swoon!
I'm adding this to my "want" list.

Anyone else having a photo station with a fabric backdrop?

We Found Our Photographer

[All images (c) Jessamyn Harris Photography]

I have to admit--I've been looking at wedding photographer sites/blogs for a very long time. Embarrassingly long for someone who was not engaged until this past winter. I can't even count how many wedding photographer portfolios I've looked through online. Sometimes I recognize that I've already been to someone's site based on the music that starts playing! {By the way, Punam Bean and Natalie Moser---love the music on your websites.}

I would try and justify it by telling myself that it was helpful to my work as a picture editor--not that I would ever need pictures from a wedding photographer, but hey--ya never know!
So in short, since this was the one time, and probably one of the only times, I would be researching and choosing a photographer for myself and not for a work-related project, I put a whole lot of thought into it far before the proposal. My eagerness spanned the world wide web and many sleepless nights of surfing.

After being thrilled with our engagement pictures, I'm happy to announce that we've decided to book Jessamyn Harris! I've been a long-time fan of Jessamyn's style, and I am so excited that she will be photographing such a special day for us. She's also super nice and laid back, which I think will be key for any stress/madness/insanity/baggage floating around on the big day. {Not to scare you, Jessamyn, if you are reading this.}

So, let's see...venue, check! Photographer, check!

It's starting to look a lot like a wedding.

Nice Legs

[Image from Sarah and Dan's engagement session by Max Wanger]

Love the skirt. Love the engagement photos. Max just seems unstoppable, doesn't he?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Teaching Kids Photography

[Quincy, the Hobby Photographer by J. Otto Seibold, image from Harcourt Books; image of child taking photo and image of cameras from Photojojo]

One of the best jobs, if not the best job I ever had, was teaching art at a summer camp in San Francisco. So today's Photojojo newsletter was of particular interest to me: Turn Your Kid Into a Photographer. I had no idea these cameras existed for the wee ones! What a great idea for a holiday present. I don't think I have any little ones who would benefit from one of these cameras (my niece is far too young at 4 months,) but I think, not being biased at all being a photo editor, that it would be a FANTASTIC gift for 3-7 year olds. Pair it with J. Otto Seibold's Quincy, the Hobby Photographer, and you've got the makings of a future William Christenberry.

Thomas Allen

[Limited Edition print from Aperture Foundation, Suspended by Thomas Allen, 2008]

The newest limited edition print at Aperture is this incredible Thomas Allen print, an amazing photographer that melds his love of pop-up books with vintage pulp fiction novels. I love the playfulness, the drama, the precise and skillful book art. I wonder if his work ever goes on display as book arts and not photography?
Check out Thomas Allen's print here and the book here, both available from Aperture Foundation.

3191: A Year of Mornings

[July 22, 2008; July 30, 2008; August 5, 2008; Cover image from Princeton Architectural Press; all photography by Stephanie Congdon Barnes and Maria Alexandra Vettese]

Mark your calendars for September 3, which is when 3191: A Year of Mornings is available! 3191 was originally a blog which I would regularly visit while checking my work email in 2007. I am so happy it is now available in beautiful book form.

If you are unfamiliar with the story, this is an artist collaboration between Stephanie Congdon Barnes (from Portland) and Maria Alexandra Vettese (from Maine.) They spent an entire year taking photographs of their mornings, before 10 AM, while on separate coasts. They have only met once.

Each photo makes me want to quit my job, move to Portland or Maine, and drink lots of tea while surrounded by mountains of gorgeously illustrated books. Sigh.

The photos above are taken from Stephanie and MAV's venture for 2008, 3191: A Year of Evenings. Totally beautiful, no? Go check out 3191 and escape to Maine or Portland with me. It'll be fun.

Print Free Postcards Through Facebook

[Image from Hippopost]

I have a few applications on Facebook. I'm addicted to Scramble. I have a pet through Fluff Friends. And I like painting on graffiti walls when a birthday rolls around.

But none of those applications are really practical. They don't provide me with any sort of service...just pure entertainment and a slightly better vocabulary and typing speed.

Enter Hippopost! Props to hyperartpro for sending me a link to Hippopost, an application that allows you to send postcards FOR FREE using images you've posted on Facebook. I don't post many pictures on Facebook, but I know some people who use it exclusively to store their photos. And now they can send me all sorts of postcards with their pretty faces FOR FREE. These would be great when traveling. You can send a personalized postcard with a photo of you on your travels instead of a generic one from the gift shop. Great application idea. If someone has sent one, let me know what kind of paper they are using.

Think outside the box, but show us the box too.

[Uploaded by: Anonymous. Niki In the Garden exhibit at the Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago, IL.]

[Uploaded by: Carl. This is the view from 225 N. Michigan Ave.]

[Uploaded by: Alberto Aleman.]

[All photos from Wired.com's Photo Contest, Squares; title of blog posting from text written by the Wired Photo Department]

I just discovered the photo contests over at Wired.com, which makes me very happy because I like easily accessible eye candy like this. Anyone can upload a photo (a photo they took of course,) and then visitors to the website vote on their favorites and the winner gets a super cool prize and total authority to gloat that their photo won a Wired photo contest. Photographers? Start posting!

Here are my favorites out of the current top 10 of this month's contest, Squares.

The Big Picture

[Photos from Olympic Preparations on The Big Picture:
Chinese paramilitary police practise a performance for the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on May 7, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images);
Kenyan athletes train at Eldoret's Chepkoilel stadium on May 30, 2008 in preparation for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games 2008. Recently the Kenyan athletics federation announced the setting up of two training camps in Eldoret and Nairobi to cater for a selected team of 120 athletes ahead of the Beijing Olympic trials on July 4-5. (TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images);
Minxia Wu of China takes part in the Women's 3m final on the second day of the 2nd FINA Diving World Series in Sheffield , May 25, 2008. Coming three months before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the FINA event will attract the best divers in the world with competitors set to prove their worth to their national teams. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)]

I am really loving Photojojo, a photo newsletter that I look forward to every week. If you haven't subscribed, you should because they have such handy tips and news about all things photo that you can then pass onto your friends who will think you're super cool and with it.
Today's entry was a great find. The Boston Globe has a photo blog called "The Big Picture" in which super large photo essays are posted to illustrate the news. I love how these photos are so big and beautiful. It really fills up my screen and forces your eyes to see details you might have never seen before. Go check out the blog for some visual inspiration and a daily dose of the news.