OFF TO MEXICO

I’m looking forward to photographing the Peschel Ackerman wedding in Mexico in three weeks.  Riviera Maya will be beautiful - as always, it is a wonderful backdrop for a wedding - the water always looks spectacular!  We are bringing the kids with and spending a few days so I’ll be gone from June 4th - 9th.  If you have any questions or just miss me when I’m gone - please write here in my BLOG or e-mail me and I’ll check in as often as I can while I am out.  Otherwise, I’ll follow up with everyone as soon as I’m back on the 10th of June.  Great way to kick off the Summer season… photos to follow soon.

Jeanine

Master Series Collection

We have opened invitation for 2008 for members in our Master Series portrait collection!  Each year we limit our Master Series collection to only 20 clients.  We have opened the invitation for membership in this limited collection, but because space is limited it is on a first call basis.  With the Master Series collection you receive 3 studio portrait sessions over 12  months, a complementary location portrait session, and 3-5×5 Art prints.  Please feel free to e-mail us at info@fototails.com or call us at 720-566-9770 for further details or to join the limited collection!

New addition to the family

Our 2nd son Jace made his appearance 3 weeks early on February 12th, 2008.  It has made quite a busy household the past 3 weeks as we are getting adjusted to managing two boys.  Eric is excited about having a baby brother… however, doesn’t quite understand why he is not running around and playing with him yet.  Eric watches over Jace every time he hears a noise he runs to check him out.    So Eric is 13 months old and Jace is 3 weeks old and what a juggling act!  They are both beautiful boys and we are so happy and thankful to have them around.

Wedding photography Q & A

Every bride that I meet with has so many questions about their wedding photography.  Here are a few of the most frequent questions with answers, or suggestions for you to make everything go just right for your wedding day!

What style of photography is important, and what style of photography do I want for my wedding?  Each bridal couple will definitely find photographic styles that are more pleasing to their eye.  It is so important to know what you like visually, but it is also very important that you know what is going to be important to you in the future when you are pouring over photographs of your wedding day.  We suggest a photography style that will combine photojounalism of all those candid moments with a photographer that is also a professional portrait photographer so that you get proper group shots as well.  While the group portraits can be fun and outgoing (not just stand up  in a straight line), you want a photographer that can photograph with proper lighting to make everyone look their best too. 

Black & White vs. Color?  While most of my wedding clients come in wanting the photojounalistic b&w images that look fine art… when I poll them after their wedding I have had about 90% return feedback that although they still loved some b&w images for their wedding album, they actually preferred most of the images in color.  Many bridal couples love the b&w artistic looking images… but when you have spent all of your time planning your wedding & decorations… picking your colors… and venue - it is very important to have a good representation of that.  This isn’t coming from me as a photographer - this is what I have received in feedback from actual wedding clients year after year.

Is liking your photographer important?  MOST DEFINITELY!  Although it is just as important to find a photographer that is good at what they do… natural expressions don’t always just happen.  When you can smile and laugh with your photographer and feel comfortable being with them it is going to make it so much easier on your wedding day.  If your photographer will fit in well with family and friends they will be able to get all of those candid moments much easier giving your images a more “insider” feel.

 I don’t really need a wedding album do I?  Many bridal couples will pass on a wedding album thinking that they will have a DVD of images and put something together themself.  Most of the time, unfortunately, those images sit on DVD and never make it to an album at all.  Professional wedding album layouts can really tell the story of your wedding day and is something that becomes an heirloom for future generations.  We have a 99% return of clients that didn’t order album within 3 years coming back to ask us to do an album for them for this very reason.  Our suggestion… do an album with your wedding photography package, it will save you money in the long run.

What time of day should I do my wedding?  Many clients see album/photography samples and fall in love with the photographers’ work.  Then they plan their wedding only to get their images back and wonder what went wrong.  If you tend to enjoy images with soft lighting and scenic panoramas, then plan your wedding time with your photographer to capture these images.  The same goes for the wedding reception… if you don’t want dark images, it may be a better plan to do your wedding earlier in the day.  Sunset photos?  The same applies…. while official sunset time may be 7pm on a given day…. that doesn’t mean that is the best time for sunset shots.  Typically for the photographer, sunset images are actually better captured and hour or two before sunset - so plan your wedding accordingly if that is what is most important to you. 

 Backing up files - what is important?  Digital photography has made leaps and bounds and is definitely the choice of most photographers as well as clients as you get so many more images and coverage of your wedding day.  Make sure your photographer is protecting your investment.  Backing up files on-site before leaving the wedding site is very important… it puts you and your photographer at ease.  Then knowing that images are also backed up off-site from the photographers location is another really good idea… the more places they are the more assured you can be that your images are safe!

 More questions?  leave us a comment and we will be happy to answer all of your wedding planning & photography questions!!!

Happy Holidays

Everyone Needs Someone

People need people and friends need friends
And we all need love, for a full life depends
Not on vast riches or great acclaim
Not on success or worldly fame
But just in knowing that someone cares
And holds us close in their thoughts and prayers
For only the knowledge that we’re understood
Makes everyday living, feel wonderfully good
And we rob ourselves of life’s greatest need
When we “lock up our hearts” and fail to heed
The outstretched hand reaching to find
A kindred spirit whose heart and mind
Are lonely and longing to somehow share
Our joys and our sorrows and to make us aware
That life’s completeness and richness depends
On the things we share with our loved ones and friends- Helen Steiner Rice

A few days of rest over the holidays, Mance and I spend our 11th Christmas together this year, and our first with our son Eric who is 11 months old.  He is still lacking the gift bug that his mother has… but I’m sure by next year he will be all over it.  So now at 6:30am, he still sleeps soundly while I am awake just waiting for him to wake up so that we can show him how to open presents.  We have gone years without doing gifts for each other (Mance & I at least), because they weren’t important.  But I have to say it is really fun picking out things for your little boy.  In the new year we will also be blessed with our 2nd son - so we have so much to look forward to in 2008.   My brother Allen & his wife Tiffany should also be having their child any day… it will be a suprise so we don’t know if it is a boy or girl yet… but maybe even before the new year.  My other brother Aaron & his fiance Kara are getting married in 2008…. what a year to come.   We are also heading back to Riviera Maya for another beautiful beach wedding in June of 2008 and are lucky enough to have my mother come along to spend a few days with the children too.   We are very thankful to all of our family and friends who are there for us and thinking of us all year!

Maternity and Newborn Portraits

It doesn’t matter if you’re shy or outgoing, I create a warm, comfortable environment where you may wear as much or as little clothing as you like. Children, husbands, partners and pets are optional. I love photographing them all.

Plan your maternity session between 6 and 10 weeks before your due date. If you’re closer, call and I’ll fit you in.  The session is done in the comfort of your own home… so set out some clothing selections or props that you would like to use and I’ll take care of the rest.  The session takes about 1 hour or so.

Plan your newborn session to happen between 0-4 weeks after your child is born.  Give me a call as soon as you can after your child is born and we will fit you in!

Hello Everyone!

Hello everyone!  It’s the end of 2007 and what a great year…. with so much to look forward to in 2008.  I’m looking forward to so many things… family… friends… and photographing for all of my clients. It is wonderful seeing all of your families grow and grow up!  Please post often, we love to hear from everyone.

Visit my website at www.fototails.com for galleries of images!