tips

Key Ways We Capture Genuine Emotion

by

Whether its your wedding day, portrait session, or milestone event, we strive to capture emotive images that tells the story. To accomplish this we have to make sure our clients are happy and comfortable to be able to capture their pure and natural emotions. Over the years we’ve gathered a lot of experienced and came up with a few ways we achieve this goal.

  1. We get to know our clients– We aren’t just a shoot and burn business. We are a professional full time photography company, so it’s important to us that we get to know who we are working with and that they get to know us. It’s a partnership. Some of the ways we accomplish this is through phone calls, meeting, in person sessions, questionairres, just to name a few. The more we interact with each other, the easier it is to relax and capture emotive images.
  2. Sometimes it’s good to be a wall flower– If someone doesn’t feel comfortabe you can’t capture their true and raw emotions. We approach our clients and their guests in a very gentle way. We act like wall flowers. We move around each event in a delicate way, never forcing someone to take a picture or make them feel uncomfortable. This way everyone can enjoy the event and we can capture their genuine smiles and laughs.
  3. We encourage you to enjoy yourselves and have fun– We use our humor to make our clients laugh and feel relaxed. This may seem like a given, though this extends much farther than you may think. Being able to make small talk with each other can relax the clients and help them feel comfortable during the session, which is very helpful with the comfortability of our clients.
  4. Directing the couple in a gentle way– This helps us pose our clients in a way that feels natural and comfortable for them. Posing makes or breaks an image. So while it is important for our clients to pose in a natural way, sometimes we may need to push them slightly out of their comfort zones, but in an inviting and comforting way. We try to ease our clients into posing by complimenting them or saying something comforting.
  5. We are prepared to capture spontaneous moments– Anything can happen during a session so we are ready to capture everything, which is the biggest reason why we usually have two photographers at our jobs. We encourage spontaneous moments by having the couple or the group look at each other and talk amongst themselves, which generally makes everyone laugh and smile.
  6. Use natural light to enhance the warmth and seritonin– It is said to be true that daylight and natural light releases more seritonin into our brain. So we try to incorporate as much natural lighting into our sessions as we can to help our clients feel happy and more secure. Fresh air and warmth is always fulfilling and makes our clients feel content.

Things to think about for Planning a Spectacular Event

by

This is just a disclaimer that information may not pertain to some events like wedding, this is more meant for events like baby showers, birthdays, family reuinions and similar events.

Planning events can sometimes be daunting due to just how much there is to think about. These tips are meant to help ease the process or give you some things to keep in mind while planning.

1)Plan on what you would want to do: This is most likely a given but plan the event with things the person of honor would like to do. If it’s a family reunion or something similar, then gear your activities more to the general audience of people attending.

2) Keeping things simple: Keep in mind that every game and decoration you add an event, you would need to supervize which can be overwhelming when you could be enjoying your event. Keeping things on the simplier side can both elevate your event and reduce the amount of stress on the person planning the event. The same thing goes for decorations. If the venue is cluttered with a lot of decorations, it can get in the way and look messy in photos. Sometimes simple is better.

3) Choosing vendors and venues: When choosing a place to host events or picking vendors to provide a service, there is a few things to think about. The first thing that comes to mind is if they have experience doing events, checking online reviews can help give an insight. The second thing is how well you and your vendor’s personalities mesh because if you don’t go well together the planning process and the event won’t go as smoothly. A way for this to happen is to meet all your venders before hand via in person or on Zoom so you get to know their personalities more. It’s especially important to meet your key venders (ex. event planner, photography, DJ, etc.) before hand so they can be involved in the planning process and you know everything will flow smoothly.

For picking venues it would be best while to find some time to personally visit the location before the event takes place, this way you can have a visual understanding of the space you have to work with. Apart from that, when speaking to either vendors or the person who runs the venues, watch how they speak to you, their tones and choice of words could be a big hint in how they will treat you day of and throughout the whole process.

4) Time: When you plan to have multiple activities you may want to space them out from each other to give some downtime in between. This can help make the event flow smoother and can even help the vendors with how they work. Making a timeline is a fantastic idea to help keep track of things and can be shared with vendors.

Extra Tips

1) Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and Quinceaneras:

For the child of honor it’s important to take individaul images & family images before the party. This leaves more time to capture other images and it will be less stressful on everyone.

It’s important to know that some temples don’t allow photography during the ceremony, but you can take family & individual images after. Before the party, take a few more image of the child of honor, so they can enjoy their party the rest of the night.

For quinceraneras, going to a local park before the event gives time for immediate family images as well as images of the child of honor. It’s easier to do this away from the party and crowd so everyone feels more relaxed, as it’s hard to pose in front of a crowd.

2) Reunions and Vow Renewals:

With reunions there is often a lot of people, so having a timeline will help you stay organized so there isn’t a lot of stress on you and your guests. Work with your venders to complete this so on the day of, you can have time catching up with everyone attending. Vow renewals are similar to weddings. If you want a more elegant event, make a dress guide for your guests to follow. Rememember the day of is all about the couple, so plan it to their liking!

3) Surprise Parties and Anniversaries:

Arriving early for surprise parties is important to make sure your ready to go whenever the person of honor arrives. This can also apply to anniversaries if your looking to do it as a surprise. Arriving at least 30 minutes early gives you the opportunity for the element of suprise because suprise parties almost never start on time due to the person you’re suprising coming early or late.

4) Showers/parties (Bridal, baby, engagement):

It’s important to know what the person you’re showering would want for their dream shower. This includes the types of decorations, gifts, games and activities. Finding out what kind of games they would like, or if they want any, is very important since they’re a big part of the party and keep everyone engaged. Before inviting the guests, collaborate with the person you’re throwing the shower for and write a gift restristry so they only get gifts that you will use in the future. This way you won’t get anything they won’t use or need. Keeping this in mind makes for a joyful and eventful party. Here is a link to a blog post about a baby shower that we had recently done https://everchangingphotography.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=5728&action=edit

Proven Tips for Stunning Proposals

by

Congratulations on your upcoming proposal!

We all know planning a romantic and meaningful proposal can be a daunting task, however with a little creativity and planning, it can be a truly special moment. Here are some of our best tips to get you started:

  1. Think about your partner’s interests: What are your partner’s passions, hobbies, and favorite things? Incorporating them into your proposal will make it extra meaningful.
  2. Be mindful of the time of day: If you choose mid day the lighting is harsh and not flattering compared to an hr after sunrise or an hr before sunset. Mid day sun causes harsh shadows espcailly around the eyes.
  3. Get creative with the location: Choose a spot that has special meaning to your relationship, the place you two first met or your favorite spot in town are great choices.
  4. Posing: side shots are best as you want to see the ring and both of you. You’ll be able to get a reaction shot as well as long as you follow #6.
  5. Don’t forget the ring: Make sure to have the ring on hand before planning the proposal. You don’t want to ruin the surprise by forgetting it!
  6. Plan 1-2 mins for the actual proposal so we have time to capture a wide shot, up close, and their reaction….No two second proposals please.
  7. Personalize it: Keep your partner in mind when you’re planning. Consider adding a personal touch to your proposal, like incorporating a favorite song or poem.
  8. Limit the props: simple is better and way less stressful for you. No need to add extra stress worrying about props, you have enough on your plate.
  9. Flower petals are pretty but they BLOW AWAY. If you want to use them, use them in shots after the proposal.
  10. Dont mention getting nails done: this is the BIGGEST giveaway that something is coming and their reaction may not be as emotional as it could be. If you know they would want their nails done in the images, purchase some presh-on nails (with nail glue or nail stickers) for your soon to be fiance to put on after being proposed to. Don’t know what to buy, remember your family and friends are here to help!
  11. Giving us a photo of you and your partner is HIGHLY recommended: We need to know who to be on the lookout for especially if it’s in public.
  12. When in public, there may be people in your shot: A few ways around this is picking a less traveled spot, weekday verses weekend, or cold weather verses warm.
  13. Do NOT have your proposal in bad weather: Freezing rain is the WORST! It’s hard to focus, it could affect our cameras or our hands, and it’s hard to get sharp images. If the weather doesn’t look good and you can’t be indoors, please pick another day, a backup day for your proposal. It’s such an important moment to waste on bad weather and subpar images when you could get stunning images on a better day.

I hope these tips help you create a truly special proposal for your partner! Need more help or would like us to capture your proposal, feel free to reach out to us. We love capturing this wonderful time for couples and would love to capture yours.

Here’s a few links to some of previous engagement sessions:https://everchangingphotography.com/boston-common-sneak-peek/ https://everchangingphotography.com/boston-fan-pier-sneak-peek/

Top 7 Photos With Your Bridesmaids That You Absolutely Need to Take

by

There are plenty of photos you have probably considered taking on your wedding day. From getting ready, the ceremony to pictures with your family and of course with the groom but what about the ladies that are helping you and have helped throughout the entire wedding planning process? While you know you’ll have some time to take group shots of the entire bridal party you’ll want to make sure you have these photos with your bridesmaids as you get ready on your big day.

1. Showcase The Back of Your Wedding Dress

The back of a wedding dress is hidden with beautiful details you’ll want to capture. You can pose with all of the bridesmaids to show off their dresses as well or have some great close ups of the bridesmaids helping button, zipper or lace up the back of your dress.

2. First Look With Your Bridesmaids

You have heard about the first look for the bride and groom but what about when the bridal party sees the bride for the first time? The bride’s first reveal to her bridal party can result in some emotional and memorable photo opportunities.

3. Having Fun

As you are getting ready everyone’s nerves are a little on edge because everyone wants to look their best. There will be moments when you just need to let loose to relax a little and having a little dance party, jumping on the bed or just being silly are moments that can make for great photo opportunities.

4. Matching Robes or Shirts

Most brides will have getting ready attire for their bridesmaids and you’ll want to capture everyone in their cute and thoughtful pre-wedding wear.

5. Bouquets and Bridesmaids Dresses

Bouquets won’t last a lifetime but the pictures you have of them will. The bridesmaids and bride bouquet photos are ones that you will definitely want to have. There are many ways you can showcase the bouquets as well as the bridesmaid’s dresses. From lining everyone up and holding their bouquets out to the camera or hiding their faces to forming a circle around the bride; this is another shot that you can get creative with

6. The Shoe Shot

You can’t forget about the shoes and what about those pedicures? You’ll want to get a group shot that showcases everyone’s shoes.

7. Celebrating Shot

You’re getting married! There is bound to be a bottle or two of champagne being opened in the bride’s honor. Take a minute to pause as you toast away your single life with your bridesmaids for a picture-perfect shot.

Wedding Photography Style Explained

by

When it comes to choosing your wedding photographer before you even begin searching you will want to know just how you want your wedding to be photographed. Each photographer will specialize in a specific style so knowing what style you prefer can make finding a photographer a little easier. Most wedding photography will fall into one of these 5 styles.

  • Classic

When you choose a classic photography style the results are images that stand the test of time. These are the traditional black and white images, carefully posed and meticulously planned out. Most often the photographer specializes in capturing ordinary moments in a beautiful and elegant way. This style tends to be a bit more formal but can always be given a modern twist.

  • Artistic

If you want something that is more personal for you then an artistic style may be your ideal choice. Artistic images will capture unique, special moments and tend to utilize a lot more of the space around the couple instead of just capturing the couple full frame and up close. If you are open and willing to having a bit of fun with your photographer, you will be amazed by the results.

  • Lifestyle

Lifestyle is a type of photojournalism photography with a bit of a twist. Most images will appear to be candid, and most often they are. This style is a mix of candid, natural shots and images with some direction and staging provided to get the perfect shot.

  • Dramatic

While all styles will use different types of lighting, dramatic images make it a key component. This style will showcase a variety of different lighting techniques that the photographer has mastered to create truly breathtaking portraits.

  • Documentary

If you are not into the traditional posing or styling of shots, then a documentary wedding photographer is probably one you will want to consider. The documentary style focuses on candid and spontaneous images that truly capture the entire essence of you wedding day.

5 Things You Should Trust Your Wedding Photographer With

by

Trust is the key ingredient to any relationship and this is true for the relationship you have with your wedding photographer. There’s a reason you chose them to capture the most important day of your life. While you may have a vision of how you want some of your images to turn out, for the most part, you are going to have to put a lot of trust in your photographer. Trusting your photographer a little more in these main areas will not only result in better images for you to remember your big day by but will also relieve you of some stress as well.

            1. Choosing the Location of the Shot

You wedding photographer will have taken the time to familiarize themselves with your reception location or areas around your ceremony site to find the best places to photograph. They’ll know where gets the best light and where the best scenery is.

            2. Time of Day to Shoot

Lighting is key to creating beautiful images and using the natural light of the sun will produce the best lighting setting but that doesn’t mean any time of the day will give you the same results. Your photographer will know what time of day will be best to take those gorgeous outdoor shots that won’t leave harsh shadows on your face or when to sneak outside to take some night inspired shots.

            3. Poses

Trust your photographer to know what pose is the most flattering for you. They can see how the light is illuminating you and what is in the background. While some photographers will take into consideration your picture ideas, you shouldn’t be offended if they shoot down your ideas. Most times you’ll be working with limited time and light and you don’t want to waste much of either on your big day.

            4. Editing Your Photos

Trust your photographer’s creative eye during the editing process. They will know which images will look best in black and white, color, cropped and which ones to add special effects to, if any. Part of the editing process is a part of their style and this is one of the reasons you hired them. Trust them to use their skills to make each image stunning.

          5. Handling Printing Your Photos

Your photographer knows where to get prints made and probably has a long-term relationship with a reputable printing company. The worst thing you can do is have a stunning image, order a large print and find the colors are off, the image is blurred or it simply looks dull. Knowing where to get your prints made, what size they should be done in and which ones will look best in your albums, wall art or thank you cards is part of the package you get when you hired a professional photographer. Trust them and listen to what they think will look best for what you want.

La Belle Lights Proposal

by

“I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you.”

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Proposals are one of my favorite types of sessions to capture. It’s such a happy occasion that is filled with so much love, one can’t help but love these sessions.

Proposals isn’t something you can plan quickly. To ensure the session goes smoothly we need to plan it together. Once I am booked, we set up a time to go over the day in details, answer any questions, and make sure we have a game plan. I go over the location, weather, timing, lighting (especially if you are doing a nighttime proposal), props, and more. You’re nervous enough already, so I try to relieve the stress as much as possible, making sure the only thing you have to worry about it is popping the question. Having photographed over 50 proposals, I’ve mastered the art of proposals.

Two days before Christmas, I photographed a proposal at a new light show in NH. La Belle Winery light show offers a unique in the season option for a proposals. This event goes well into the new year ending in late February. There’s still plenty of time to check it out. https://labellewinery.com/lights/

Timing and communication is key with proposals. So I waited for Jonathan to finish dinner and head to the light show. Since it closed at 9pm, he made his way around 8:30pm. Without realizing it, we had the entire place pretty much to ourselves. Once he proposed we were able to have fun exploring the light show and celebrating this special time for them. Below are some of my favorite images from Jonathan’s proposal.