Why Choose A Wedding Photojournalist? (Part 2/2)

WHAT'S A WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST? (Part 2/2)
Unlike traditional photographers who focus on posed pictures, staged shots, and formal portraits, the wedding photojournalist focuses on capturing the spontaneous, natural moments of the wedding: capturing the personality of the bride and groom, and the unique story of their wedding

By Larry Brunt

Click here to read Part 1

IF YOU CAN GET A GOOD SENSE OF THE PERSONALITY OF THE COUPLE, AND A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THEIR
WEDDING DAY WAS LIKE, YOU ARE PROBABLY DEALING WITH ABONA FIDE WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST.

On the other hand, many photographers will "spice up" a picture with tricks in Photoshop, like vignette-ing (which is darkening the edges of an image) or color-select (where an image is black and white except for one part, such as the bouquet), or toning (sepia-toning being most common).

A high percentage of obviously processed images is an indication that the photographer doesn't approach the wedding as a photojournalist.

Finally, interview the photographer. Find out about the photographer's philosophy in approaching a wedding. Ask the photographer how often he/she speaks to the bride and groom, and what kinds of things are said (a photojournalist, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, says little beyond what is necessary and/or polite).

Find out how the photographer handles things at the reception (the photojournalist will do no orchestration of events at the reception, but let the reception unfold naturally).

But again, above all, look at the pictures.

Because the wedding photojournalist is focused on capturing the couple, each set of wedding pictures will have a completely different look and feel. No two weddings will look alike.

If you can get a good sense of the personality of the bride and groom, and a good idea of what their wedding day was like, then you are probably dealing with a bona fide wedding photojournalist.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Larry Brunt is a wedding photojournalist. His company, Essential Moments Photography, is located in Spokane, WA, and Larry photographs weddings throughout the United States. Visit his website at www.EssentialMomentsPhotos.com or drop by his blog http://www.essentialmomentsphotos.com/blog/.

Source: Why Choose A Wedding Photojournalist? (Part 2/2)

Why Choose A Wedding Photojournalist? (Part 1/2)

WHAT'S A WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST? (Part 1/2)
Unlike traditional photographers who focus on posed pictures, staged shots, and formal portraits, the wedding photojournalist focuses on capturing the spontaneous, natural moments of the wedding -- capturing the personality of the bride and groom, and the unique story of their wedding

By Larry Brunt

IN SHOTS TAKEN BY A WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST, THE SUBJECT WILL LOOK LIKE THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE CAMERA

ONE of the big buzzwords in wedding photography is "wedding photojournalism." Many photographers claim to have a photojournalistic approach. Surprisingly, real wedding photojournalists are hard to find.

But first, what is a wedding photojournalist?

Unlike traditional wedding photography, which focuses on posed pictures, staged shots, and formal portraits, the wedding photojournalist focuses on capturing the spontaneous, natural moments of the wedding: capturing the personality of the bride and groom, and the unique story of their wedding.

The photojournalist will remain as inconspicuous as possible, and the only time he/she will set up a shot is during the portrait session, which tend to be relaxed and brief (and little as 10 to 15 minutes).

It's an idea that appeals to many, but just because a photographer claims to be a wedding photojournalist doesn't make it so.

So, how can you tell if your photographer really is a wedding photojournalist?

First, a growing number of newspaper photojournalists are leaving their jobs as the newspaper business declines and getting into wedding photography.

If your photographer has been a photojournalist at a newspaper, the chances are good that he/she uses a photojournalistic approach at the wedding: he/she is used to documenting events without interfering.

Second, the pictures themselves will give you a good idea of the approach of the photographer. When looking at a photographer's portfolio or website, what percentage of the pictures are "camera-aware" -- that is, that the person being photographed is aware of the camera?

A guideline is that about 80% of one's images should be spontaneous, natural, un-posed pictures with the subjects unaware of the camera. Keep that guideline in mind when you look at websites. In how many pictures is the person looking at the camera? How many pictures look posed?

Third, the aim of wedding photojournalism is to capture what really happened. It documents the day, rather than creates an illusion of the day. Therefore, wedding photojournalists tend to avoid overly processing the images in Photoshop.

When looking at a portfolio, pay attention to how "natural" the images are. Photojournalistic shots tend to be crisp, clear, well-composed, but above all, natural.

Click here to read Part 2

Source: Why Choose A Wedding Photojournalist? (Part 1/2)

Create your own Cinematic Masterpiece: The New Canon LEGRIA HV40 Camcorder

The New Canon LEGRIA HV40 Camcorder

Canon’s new High-Definition MiniDV LEGRIA gives consumers the power to create cinema-grade movies at home

BLENDING high-definition (HD) cinematic quality video, superb still images, and advanced features, Canon’s new LEGRIA HV40 is the HD camcorder designed with the budding video enthusiast or independent filmmaker in mind. Featuring Canon’s full-HD CMOS sensor and a set of comprehensive controls, the LEGRIA HV40 gives users plenty of room to exercise their creative clout.

LEGRIA HV40 aims to inspire people with its professional video quality and film-like recording,” says Andrew Koh, Director and General Manager, Consumer Imaging and Information Division, Canon Singapore. “With its exceptional HD capability and cinematic effects, consumers can create professional looking movies with a big cinema-like feel. We believe this will inspire more people to make films that are powerful enough to take to the big screen.”

Canon Legria's Key features

• Canon’s True Full HD CMOS Sensor 1920 x 1080( DIGIC DV II)

• 10x Optical Zoom and 200x digital zoom

• DIGIC DV II Imaging Processor

• Super Range Optical Image Stabilizer

• Instant AF

• Advanced Accessory Shoe

• 25P CINE Mode recording

Read more about Canon LEGRIA HV40 Camcorder

Makeup Artist Liren Neo

“During our overseas shoot, she helped us in more ways than just putting on make-up…she made our experience pain-free and enjoyable.” — Karen Liew, future bride

SOON-to-be-bride Karen Liew has done the rounds of suppliers for her upcoming wedding, and one of her finds is professional makeup artist Liren Neo. “I have found her not only a good make-up artist but also a very helpful, knowledgeable and IT-oriented person,” says Karen, who also notes Liren’s punctuality and helpfulness. “She’s an artist who never fails in her service.”

Read more about this recommendation for makeup artist, Liren Neo.

Vote For The Best Cover Child & Parent

SMS to 77688 who you want to appear on the cover of Today’s Parents magazine — plus, a bunch of family activities on 13 July

FOR six weekends in a row last March and April, Today’s Parents magazine scoured the island for the most infectious smile, and the most endearing father-and-child or mother-and-child pairs.

Those participants have now been shortlisted to 18 finalists and you can now help the magazine decide on who will be named the CANON Cover Child, Cherie Hearts Cover Mother & Child, and OCBC Cover Father & Child. They are looking for one grand winner per category to put on the cover.

Read more about how to vote for the best cover child and parent.

Canon Enters Fashion Fray

New IXUS and PowerShot models available in different colours

CANON, a favourite among amateur and professional photographers, is about to gain a new fan base with its new IXUS and PowerShot models that come in colours other than standard-issue silver. The IXUS 80 IS comes in pink, blue, two shades of brown, and silver, while the Powershot A470 are available in yellow, green, red, blue and grey.

Canon harnessed the latest technologies to pack the diminutive IXUS 80 IS with a host of features including Canon’s DIGIC III imaging processor, 3x zoom and 8 megapixel CMOS sensor, which support high-resolution prints up to A2 size. The brand new Motion Detection Technology and high-speed ISO 1600 means an end to blurred images.

Read more about the new Canon digital cameras.

Canon Promises Cinema-quality Video with HV30

New camcorder sets new standards for movie making with new features in a handy and user friendly design, says manufacturer

DISCERNING video enthusiasts can now share their stories in high definition with the launch of the Canon HV30 high definition camcorder. Featuring powerful functions in a stylish form that delivers cutting edge visuals, the HV30 camcorder goes beyond the needs of moviemakers who want to make an impact with a high-definition production.

Building on the success of the highly acclaimed Canon HV20 camcorder, the Canon HV30 offers cinema-quality video recording with a resolution up to four times more details than standard definition cameras, along with a host of advanced professional features and controls that are powered by the advances of Canon’s unrivalled expertise in video technology. Based on the HDV standard that records on MiniDV tapes, the Canon HV30 offers the highest possible super-sharp video quality that will do full justice to HDTVs.

Read more on the review of Canon HV20.

New Canon Compact Printer Out This Weekend

Whether it is at home or on the move, Canon’s new SELPHY ES2 and ES20 photo printers deliver high-quality prints while offering a host of exciting and user-friendly photo editing features

WE received a press release the other day from Canon, which is rolling out two new compact photo printers this weekend that, if the company’s publicists are to be believed, could be the next big thing in home accessories. We sure would like to get one as a Christmas gift.

“Finished in cool cappuccino and elegant white,” the press release wrote, “the SELPHY ES2 and ES20 are compact enough to fit on a coffee table or bookshelf and are a must-have addition to any modern living room.”

Read more on the New Canon Compact Printer Out This Weekend.

8 Methods To Shoot Professional-Looking Digital Photos

Better Photos with your Digital Camera
By Kelly Paal

Everyone has a digital camera today and we all take a lot of photos. But if your photos still have trees coming out of your father’s head, mom has red eye, and your beloved pet is never facing the camera then here are some tips on how to take better photos.

Read more on the 8 Methods To Shoot Professional-Looking Digital Photos.

9 Minutes of Sex and Gore

Is the director's cut of Lust, Caution worth seeing?

THE NC-16 version released last month was 148 minutes long. Any individual resourceful enough to check IMDB would have known that the movie’s full running time was 157 minutes.

So where did the other nine minutes go? Wasn’t most of the talk surrounding Ang Lee’s latest masterpiece about supposedly controversial sex scenes that some said bordered on being pornographic? Caution was definitely exercised with the censored release.

So after much flak that characterized an earlier Ang Lee-tamed (the director himself did the edits, hence, this too was an ‘original’) version of Lust, Caution, the Singapore’s movie goers above 21 years of age can finally view the ‘full-uncut’ version of the film – all 157 minutes.

To read more about this movie review, visit 88DB Lifestyle now!