A bit ago, Andree & I were driving to a wedding we were shooting together, discussing some of the traditions we tend to see at our weddings. The white gown, the cake, the first dance, where did they originate, why do they continue to exist & stand the test of time?
One of the traditions we spoke about were the flowers, more specifically, the bouquet.

Why the bundles of colorful flowers for the bride & her gals, what’s the reasoning behind it?
Well, I did a little reading to find out the why.

The history of the bouquet began many moons ago, like set your way back machine to way way way back.

In ancient Greece & Rome, the couple would wear a garland about their necks as a symbol of new life, fertility and hope. Celtic tradition (rah rah!) found use of thistle, ivy & heather in their arrangements. The garlands were a combination of strong smelling herbs & spices, meant to ward off evil spirits & thought to contain mystical powers.

Eventually the tradition of using only herbs & spices transitioned into incorporating other flowers, especially those of the edible variety. Dill, known as the herb of lust, was to be eaten by the couple and their wedding guests at the reception, the herb was meant to increase sexual desire. Me-yow.

Around the Victorian time, flowers were being used based on their significant meanings, creating bouquets of secret messages. Back in the day, it wasn’t proper to blurt out how you felt about Candy, the lovely lass that volunteered at your local library. Sure, you might want to say ‘Candy, you look so sweet you’re giving me a toothache!‘, yet in those days, that would be frowned upon.

In come the flowers, let them do the flirting .. I mean, talking!

Roses are quite well known to be a great symbol for love, it was said that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, presented a rose to Eros, the god of love. Roses aren’t the only flowers infused with that lovin’ feelin’. Sunflowers (one of my favorites) their faces always to the sun, symbolize longevity and pure love. Where as the Daisy is seen by Roman Catholics as a symbol for the Virgin Mary and a love that conquers all. Sprigs of ivy can be translated as a lifetime of wedded love ahead. The four leaf clover, the elusive little flower, represents faith, hope, love and luck. Passing it onto a beloved tells them that good luck abounds and if accepted, means you belong together. (Silly side note about me: I have found handfuls of four leaf clovers since childhood. I have a knack for finding them.)

Current trends now lean more towards flower combinations that fit within a couple’s theme, using flowers to bring that pop of bright color into the wedding. Some couples may have given their own personal meaning to a particular flower, maybe it was the one presented on the first date, maybe it was in the garden where they first kissed. I adore knowing the meanings behind traditions, yet I also love infusing traditions with your own unique personal spin.

Whatever your choice, it’s fun knowing where & how some of these traditions came about. Do you have anything to add? Feel free to comment away!

Flower on

“Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you” ~ Richard Brinsely Sheridan

What is this Twitter thing all about? Some people are still asking that question, and with good reason.
On the surface, it just looks like another computerized internet time suck. And it can be, if you aren’t careful.

Much like any of the other networking-type sites out there, from Facebook to profession specific forums, you’ve got to be sure that you are using the site as a tool to help streamline or bring in business, not just flush productive time down the intra-webs commode.

I am not claiming to be a Twitter expert, not by a long shot. Therefore, I will not write about how one can gain more followers, how you can create business from Twitter. Sure, I have had my fair share of great connections and jobs that have come from Twitter and therefore do not see it as a waste or a novelty. But others have written far superior pieces on the techniques you can take to gain biz & influence those in your Twitter Stream.

Examples of these would be Twitter tips for bloggers by @ProBlogger and Twitterquette via TwitterTips.org

I will say, it’s an honest to goodness great way to connect with others in your professional circle and in turn connect with their circle. Quickly and easily, literally with the click of the ‘follow’ button.

But following a whole bunch of folks does not a true and lucrative connection make. Twitter is more than just a ticker of info, sports updates and embarrassing quotes from the wee hours of your party night. Twitter is meant to be interactive, if you truly want to expand your network.

You have the opportunity to showcase your talents, your thoughts, your offerings to the Twitterverse. However, to be the one that constantly says ‘Look what I can do’ will annoy your fellow Twits.

How to combat that? Aim to share.

In the Twitter world, that means RT (ReTweet). If someone you follow tweets about an exciting new workshop or informative blog post, RT it! Retweeting goes a long way in forging solid connections within Twitter.

Find interesting articles based on your profession of choice, inspirational posts, fun quotes, and link to them.
While some accounts are based strictly on talking business, the way I use my account is to post a bit of everything. I love to share great blog posts by other photographers & artists, as well as links to YouTube videos & other creative sites that may add a spark of inspiration to some one’s day.

If you come from a place of sharing, others in turn will share for you. It’s the whole ‘if you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ approach.

And in this world of high tech connections & Twitter terminology, it’s nice to be a part of that sharing circle.

You could make it all about your celebrity obsessions or you could follow those that you admire in your field or those that inspire you and create your own custom community. It’s a very quick way to compile a network of folks from far or near, whose advice & expertise you may admire, possibly aspiring to one day emulate.

Those you may not have fathomed would ever speak to you through average communication avenues may now tweet you back and say ‘hi.’ A personal example, one of my most favorite artists, @BrianAndreas of @StoryPeople ’spoke’ to me one day after I RT one of his posts. It sent my heart a twitter (ahem) and most certainly made me an even bigger fan just because he took a few seconds to ‘tweet me’ back.

You have no idea who is following you, you have no idea who is reading what you tweet. This may sound like a precursor to a scary stalker film. Alas no, nothing so sinister. I like to view Twitter as a place of possibility, of potential, and of sharing. In 140 characters or less.

RT @ShootStyle: If you follow me on Twitter, b sure 2 say ‘HI’. Would luv 2 know u r out there! @staceydoyle

you want the eyes to ’speak’ to the viewer, drawing them in. making them think, ‘yes, i do want to know more about this person!’ sort of a visual calling card. actors, business professionals, models … practically anyone with a head could one day need or want a headshot.

so what are some tips we could offer you when heading out to shoot images like this? first, find out the way in which the client will be using the headshot, is it for commercial filming, theatre, professional marketing purposes? each of these may require a different approach. for instance, when photographing someone that may need a shot for theatre work, you may want to create a shot with controlled studio lighting and a simple black backdrop.

commercial uses, i have found now-a-days, rely on color images created in natural environmental settings. typically i’ll take a client to a nearby park or down a city street to capture a laid back relaxed image of them. i’ve had moments where the out of doors just won’t work, for instance when it’s pouring rain out (like New England likes to do time & again). i do use my studio and the space within my building in times like this.

however, if you do not have a studio space available to you, try contacting a local hotel. lots of the providence area hotels are quite accommodating, as are some of the cafes in the area. a number of the lobbies have a great amount of natural lighting and interesting furniture & artwork you can incorporate into the scene.

for corporate pieces, i will create an image of the client in their own environment, closer to a portrait. utilizing their everyday surroundings that will help illustrate to those viewing what type of work they are involved in. for instance, a banker, i may set up an image within the lobby of their bank. a chef, maybe somewhere within the kitchen of their restaurant. anything that best illustrates their daily goings on.

when creating headshots, i tend not to just jump right in and start shooting. i like to talk with the client first, not fiddle with equipment. a lot of folks are not comfortable in front of a camera. to just start snapping away may make them nervous. which will translate into the image.

make eye contact, ask about their work, their field, what they did that day. become comfortable with conversing with them. be aware of when they seem stiff, when they are holding their breath. that’s a cue to take the camera away from your face and reconnect with the person in front of you. tell them to take a break. make them aware of the fact that they can say ‘ i need a time out’ at any point during the shoot.

let them ease into the shoot, know that the first few frames (or more) may only be practice. that’s okay. no one is counting. what’s important is making certain that your client can breathe easily once you really start to create an image for them and that they trust in you and your abilities to not only produce a working photo of them, yet also trust that you care about the process + outcome.

share with us some of your tips when creating headshots. we’d love to hear from you!

The approach could have been anything from a photojournalistic exercise to an artistic construction. We left it up to the photographers to define the phrase and how they interpreted it.

The most creative entries won (see below) Actually, everyone did!!

Our assignment series is open to all photographers, professional, semi-pro and rank amateur.

What a fun collection of Beginnings images, from the cute babies (and almost babies) to the beautiful flowers and the unique & quirky interpretations.

Thank you for playing and now …. The Winners!!!

1st Place is Michele Stapleton’s Graduation image:

2nd Place is Rachel Worrall’s Toilet Paper Roll:

3rd place is Renee Thompson’s Basketball image:

Congrats and thank you to everyone that played along!!!

Until then, here are a few of the ‘behind the scenes’ images to whet your appetites.

Thanks all!!

Stay tuned!!

Every season I believe I am going to stumble upon the best pair of shoes for shooting weddings.

Able to cushion my feet for up to 10+ hours of: shooting, crouching, running, squatting, jumping, climbing, you name it.

As well as, dare I ask, I want them to look cute!

And every season I seem to stamp a big FAIL onto my sore tootsies (and

back).

I’ve tried the Dansko route, which I know many many praise. I used the Dansko clogs for one season. Unfortunately, they caused my feet to go numb, as well as make the fashion diva that dwells inside puke a bit.

(okay okay, the colorful mary janes I will admit are cute. I’m just a bit shy what with the whole toes going numb situation)

I’ve tried cheap yet super cute flats from Old Navy. Stick a gel insert in there and I almost found a great solution that made the frugalista in me jump for joy.

Alas, the quality of the shoes tends towards creating blisters and other such aching nonsense. So while a great solution while shooting engagement sessions, portraits and shorter weddings; for the long haul = not so great.

Every year this question seems to pop up on some forum or other. So I decided to send the question out into the intrawebs and see what suggestions others had.

[Warning: this post will lean more towards the female side. However, fells, feel free to chime in under the comment section]

Michelle Carpenter of Main Event Weddings says she swears by her MBT’s. I will admit they do have a very funktastic vibe to them, and she says since starting to wear them, she’s lost 10 pounds!!

Fashion friendly shooting shoes + weight loss = heck yea!!

Kristin Cioffi of Picture Everything has only lovely things to say about her Merrells They are quite well known to be a fabulous shoe, especially for the outdoorsy flavored humans. And tho I saw a couple of styles wink at me, most just won’t cut it when it comes to the cute factor I’m trying to find.

I’ve heard others talk of the Cole Haan with Nike technology, Mootsie Tootsies, and Rockport.

Checking the current collection of Cole Haan Air, I can see why many would sway that way. They are quite stylish, and if the comfort factor is in effect, seems like a great choice for many.

However, while I am a big fan of heels, and have in fact shot successfully in them, there will be times when that sort of shoe just won’t cute it (like racing backwards across a lawn right after the couple walks happily wed down the aisle).

So I again pose the question: have you found the perfect shoe? Who are they buy? What do they look like? Share a link, share your story.

And tell me, why can’t I shoot barefoot??

Stacey D

When shooting, my preference is to use prime lenses.

When I first started shooting, my camera was the Nikon FM2, black body, all manual bay-bee! Yeah, even the focusing was manual!  At that time, primes were easier and faster for me for me to adjust exposure and focus. If I had added zooms to the mix, I’m sure a hand cramp would have prevented me from pressing the shutter as that award-winning moment unfolded in front of me!

I like to keep things simple. When I over-complicate, I over-think. When I over-think, I forget to see.  When I stop feeling a scene, I start dissecting it.  For me, that just doesn’t work.

Primes are lighter than zooms, so it’s easy for me to carry around my tried and true arsenal. Typically I shoot with two lenses on two separate bodies: the 24mm 2.8 (though recently it’s been the 28 1.4 for Nikon) and the 85mm 1.8.  I typically switch to the 50 1.4 during the first dance to capture the available light and bokeh the background.  I also use the 105 macro while the bride is getting ready to capture the details of the dress, shoes, and makeup application and then again while capturing the details of the reception. Those lenses combined with a few flashes, pocket wizards and a light stand are all that I carry.

Zooms make me feel like I am all thumbs. Half the time when I’ve tried a zoom, I space out and it stays at the same focal length the whole day.

I am not nor will I ever be a highly technical person. Folks can sit around and start talking iso, frames per second, or crop factors and my mind will just start to wander. Of course I know it– knowing your gear is essential to creating the images you want. But it’s not something I find very interesting to talk about or delve into for long periods of time. I’d talk about the things + moments that inspire you + ignite that fire that drives you to create.

I know some out there may have all sorts of technical reasons why zooms are highly advanced and exceptional pieces of glass. I don’t doubt that for one minute.

What I do know is that they aren’t for me. Primes work for me. They are simple and they are light, and I value that over all else.

Use what you know best. Shoot with what feels right to you. There is no wrong or right– there is only getting the shot or missing it!

~Stacey

Below is a brief re-cap from my portion of the talk. You can see Michelle’s posing tips + techniques here.

Documenting an event isn’t just aiming your camera at a few choice moments and snapping away. There are certain approaches you should take to create a clean and inviting image, even in the midst of a fast moving scene.

As you learn to hone these tips, they will eventually become second nature, so that when a moment strikes, you will be prepared, not only to capture the action but also create a clutter free image that doesn’t compete for the viewers attention.

Below I have touched on a few of the ways in which you can approach a scene and certain rules you can incorporate while shooting.

Pay close attention to what is going on behind and around your subject.
Are there other people or objects that will add or detract from the scene?
Choosing to include or exclude particular elements can make or break an image.

What’s going on in the four corners of your image? Is it clean or is it pulling your eye away from your subject?
The eye tends to stray to the brightest part of an image, so watch that you haven’t got a large glowing light or bright hot spot in one of the corners of your image. If so, the viewer will be distracted and leave the scene.

While shooting, constantly be aware of what is around your subject’s body. Watch for objects sticking out of some ones head or body. If you can use your subject to block out something distracting, do it!

As you are shooting, keep moving. As you are moving, keep shooting. Continuing to adjust while shooting will help bring you closer to a cleaner, more eye pleasing image.

Eye level:

Constantly vary the height of your camera while you’re shooting. There are a few reasons for this. Staying out of the line of sight of
your subject means they will be less likely to focus on you, helping to make you ‘invisible’. This can help you to create images without the subject being camera aware.

Another reason to change up your eye level is most clients with cameras tend to shoot as seen, meaning they are creating average images with out any interest.

Cropping:

Most, if not all, images can be cropped. Remember about clean backgrounds and removing distracting elements from images? Well when you are shooting, things are happening fast.
When all else fails, get the shot!

You may end up with some clutter in the background or a composition that could be cleaned up by just cropping a bit of non-information out of the image.

Take a few of your images and play with them in PS. Hit the ‘Front Image’ button when in crop mode to retain your dimensions, and play with the cropping.See how much better your image could be if you crop out some of the distracting elements that may be exhausting your eye.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Framing:

Sometimes using objects or people within a scene can draw the eye into the action while simultaneously cropping out distracting elements. It’s
a great way to create interest within the frame. You can shoot through a crook of an arm, or a chair back.

Another method of framing is  to place a subject within a frame, like a bright window, in order to make that element stand out.

Layering:

Layering is using multiple elements within the frame to draw the eye in and keep it moving within the scene.

It creates depth and is used to add to the story within the image. When done properly, it is not seen as clutter, but as a flowing part of the visual narrative.

If you have any tips, tricks or would like to elaborate on anything above, please feel free to use the comments section. And of course, any questions, by all means, ask away!

A large portion of my learning is due, in large part, to the caring + sharing of communities and workshops such as these:

FWF Forum

Art of the moment workshop by Tyler Wirken + Brooks Whittington

Foundation Workshops

Any questions on the above, please feel free to touch base. I would love to share my experiences!

Ciao + Love ~ Stacey D

The approach could have been anything from a photojournalistic exercise to an artistic construction. We left it up to the photographers to define the phrase and how they interpreted it.

The most creative entries won (see below) Actually, everyone did. We posted all of the entries on our facebook page, and posted a few of our favorites on our blog, complete with a link back to the photographer’s blog or website.

Our assignment series is open to all photographers, professional, semi-pro and rank amateur. What a fantastic collection of Cheer! we received from so many of you!

Thank you for playing and now …. The Winners!!!

First place is Melissa Mullin's girl with leaves

Second place is Jocelyn Mathewes' smilie faced boy

Third place is Cory Ann Ellis's girl in pink jumping off chair

Stay tuned for our next assignment coming soon!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
-Marianne Williamson

~Stacey