
Help full Wedding, Photography & Video Related Tips
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- Consider doing all of the formal "alter" shots before the ceremony. Try not to give in to the old tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. Ask for "private time" before the ceremony to see each other. The day flows smoother, you are fresher and the photographs look much better, and the bride and the groom have time to have fun together before the wedding.
- Wear comfortable shoes! This is especially important for the bride. Consider wearing slippers or "dressy flats" !
- Don't put anything off until the last minute. There is no such thing as planning too far ahead! Make lists, especially of what you need to take to the church. Take an extra pair of stockings. Have an assigned place for the rings and the marriage licence.
- Don't panic if something doesn't go exactly as planned on the wedding day. Chances are that everything will work out well especially if you have hired skilled professionals to help you. Wedding professionals are very resourceful! Remember that the cheapest way is not always the best way! Touch base with everyone at least two weeks in advance.
- Think twice before you have family/friends do the photography and video. (I know this sounds like a plug for photographers but we get a fair number of last minute calls from brides in a panic). Not many amateur photographers have the opportunity to attend and participate in 200+ weddings.
- Do not be "super bride". Delegate the tasks on the day of the wedding. People are more than happy to help and are anxious to do so. Don't wait until your wedding day, though, to ask them.
- This tip is especially for the groom and groomsmen. DO NOT DRINK TOO MUCH and/or STAY OUT ALL NIGHT the night before the wedding! In order to appreciate and enjoy the day you need to be rested and sharp!
- Have light snacks available for you and the wedding party. Eat a good meal before going to the wedding. Don't over eat - just eat! Have bottled water available, leave the soda drinks at the reception site. Cola and sugar do not look good on bridal clothing.
- Everyone in the bridal party needs to try on everything no later than a day before the wedding. NO EXCEPTIONS! Get the groom and extra tuxedo shirt and buttons.
- If you have a dance, have the dollar/money dance start early in the evening. Older guests tend to leave early in the evening. Additionally, the dollar dance slows the party way down, it is better to get it done towards the first of the night.
- If your dress has a detachable train bring a small pair of needle nose pliers so that the hooks can be "crimped" so that the train doesn't come off going down the aisle! If your train does not detach make sure that your mother, attendant or other person knows how to bustle your dress and has practiced it before the rush comes to leave the church!
- Take a small "emergency" kit with you to the wedding site. Include band aids, antacid tablets, mints, aspirin, needle/thread, Kleenex, lint brush etc.
- If you are going to have a receiving line make sure everyone that is to be in the line knows where, when and the order you want them to be in. Consider the traffic flow of guests trying to get out of the sanctuary to get a drink of water, use the rest rooms or take care of a crying baby vs. going through the receiving line.
- Consider having the receiving line at the reception right before the dinner. If you are having a buffet, cut the cake first! That way your guests only have to go through one line. It saves your guests having to stand in lines all evening. Consider having the DJ or MC release tables so that everyone doesn't try to get in line all at once.
- Hire a professional bartender if you are serving alcohol one that is not afraid to "card" people or cut them off if needed. Remember you may be liable for alcohol related problems.
- Consider having two or more lines if you have a buffet. Additional lines allow your guests to get their food quicker. For really large dinners consider two separate serving tables. If you keep the evening moving more people will stay
Sometimes choosing the smallest or least expensive photography package is not the most cost-effective option. One bride chose the least expensive package and afterwards spent $700 to buy additional prints that were not included in her original package. A more comprehensive package would have cost her only an additional $250 more if purchased up front.
Choose a photography package rather than purchasing all of the items separately. If there is something that you really want that is not included in a package, ask the photographer if something can be swapped without increasing the price.
ALWAYS hire a professional. DON’T ask your friend who "takes good pictures" to photograph your wedding. Hire a professional and one that has experience photographing weddings. You’ve only got ONE chance to get it right – so don’t take chances.
Photographic Style - Are the images that you are shown, what you would like to see? Can you picture yourself photographed the same way? Is there a satisfactory mix in different styles? There are "buzz" words flying about everywhere about photojournalism, formal, classic contemporary, and so on. All colorful adjectives aside, do YOU like it?
About Digital Files vs. Film
Any image in film can be easily scanned into digital formats to allow the maximum amount of versatility and options. Digital files are logically preferred in many cases, but isn't’t it good to know that when that special image is captured that there is the opportunity to turn it into a crystal clear poster or an even larger presentation.
All photos can be touched up if needed by our experts.
All images can be converted to digital files for ease of handling and sharing
One first needs to define just what one is going to do with the photographs. For most things digital is far more convenient if you're shooting hundreds of images, making prints on home inkjet printers and posting on web sites and email. Film and digital do different things better and compliment each other. Neither is going away, although film will decline in areas where digital excels, like news. Film has already disappeared from professional newspaper use a year or so ago, although small town papers may still use it, and likewise, no digital capture system has come anywhere near replacing 8x10" large format film for huge exhibition prints that need to be hellaciously detailed.
And for other things like landscape photography for reproduction and large fine prints film is better.
Videography Wedding Tips:
Getting The Right Wedding Videographer
The beauty of video is that it is able to capture the whole day, from the small intimate details to the broadest spectrum of emotions. Improvements in technology, smaller cameras and the need for less artificial light can allow the right videographer to capture the day's events without actually being a part of it. In addition to being a precious keepsake of your wedding day, your wedding video is a great way to capture moments you may otherwise miss.
When considering a videographer, select the package that highlights the events that are most important to you.
When viewing a videographer's work, you will become aware of the many intangibles that become subjective through the eyepiece of the camera and in the mind of the videographer director/editor. You will instinctively know when a particular videographer's emotional style clicks with your own.
Tips for Selecting a Videographer
Look for a videographer who is experienced, creative and artistic.
When viewing examples of work, look at the clarity and quality of the video, the composition, as well as the details of shooting and editing.
Questions To Ask Your Videographer
- What type of lighting will the videographer use?
- How will the videographer be dressed at the wedding?
- Do you have sample videos I can see?
- How long have you been in business?
- What packages do you offer?
- Do you use Professional Quality equipment, accessories and supplies?
- How many cameras do you use?
- Do you have back-up equipment that is comparable in quality to the original?
- Do you use wireless microphones?
- Do you offer Non-Linear Digital Editing?
- Do you copy-protect or scramble the videotape?
- What are your guarantees and liabilities?
- Do you have a written contract?
- Are you unobtrusive?
- Will the shoot interfere with the proceedings in any way?
- How much do you charge for additional hours beyond the agreed contract?
- Do you work with the photographer to ensure mutual cooperation?
- Are you there throughout the entire reception?
- Will you go to a location (like the beach or a park) without additional charge?
- How much are additional copies of the wedding tapes?
- Do you have references that I can call?
A Professional Wedding Video isn't expensive, it's Priceless!
High Definition Verses Standard Definition Video Formats:
What Is High Definition Anyway?
High Definition (HD) is the highest level of picture quality available, offering increased image resolution and detail. With more than twice the pixels (or lines) of resolution than Digital Video (DV) offers, Hi-Def must be screened on a HDTV (High Definition TV) for viewers to appreciate the difference in quality. High Definition Video (HDV) is shot at 1080 pixels, while Standard Definition uses 480 pixels.
Can You Say That In English?
The easiest way to understand Hi-Def is to think of wide screen movies, the inspiration for HDV in the first place. You're at the megaplex watching a film on a wide screen, or rectangular-shaped screen. At home, if you have a traditional standard television set, you're watching a movie or show on a box, or square-shaped screen, therefore missing out on the extra action that takes place on the sides (because it has been clipped or "letterboxed" to fit the square shape). If you have a HDTV (the newer rectangular shaped TV), often when you view shows or movies, they are letterboxed (clipped with black on the sides) because they have not been shot in High Definition Video yet. One reason why movies at the theater are so much more captivating is because the screen occupies a greater field of view, especially peripherally, making you feel like you are actually there, experiencing the action.
A Little Perspective
While many shows are not yet shot in HD, they soon will be. In fact, by 2009, all analog transmissions of television will cease to operate in the United States. Translation? If you don't have a digital or Hi-Def TV (or at least a digital tuner), you won't be able to receive television broadcasts. Times they are a changing (the last time a major change in TV transmission standards took place was in the late 1950s, when color was added).
The Digital Dish
In a nutshell, anything preceding digital is considered analog, and there are three main types of digital TV. The first is Standard Definition (good), which offers basically the same resolution as the traditional analog system, followed by Enhanced Definition (better), and the third, High Definition (best). High Definition is quickly gaining acceptance and is the future industry standard, with many wedding videographers now offering it as an option alongside their Standard Definition videos.
What Are The Pros of High Definition Video?
Quite simply, clarity and detail. The resolution is outstanding and breathtaking, like looking through a window. The average resolution for VHS is 240 pixels, DVD is 430 pixels, Standard Television is 480 pixels, with HDTV surpassing them all at 1080 pixels. It is the best.
What Are The Cons of High Definition Video?
From a pure visual and aesthetic perspective, there are no cons. However, the equipment is still relatively more expensive for studios and consumers to acquire, even though it is becoming more and more affordable by the day. But because of this extra cost, many videographers have not yet adopted the new technology and do not yet know how to use the new equipment, as the HD cameras are far more advanced so there is a slight learning curve involved. Those who have, may not have mastered it yet. For instance, if a Videographers isn't that familiar with the technology yet, it can be harder for him/her to shoot in low light, but with proper and good lighting conditions, you can see significantly more detail from HD video than is possible from Standard Definition. Also, weddings shot with HDV cameras are normally distributed as traditional video on standard DVD's at this time, since HD-DVD's and HD-DVD players are just now becoming available (as of April 2006).
So Why Should You Consider It?
Essentially, because you may be future-proofing your wedding video. Imagine watching your parents' wedding video now. Do you even still have a VCR to play a VHS tape? Just as this format has all but become obsolete, Standard Definition might someday be as well. Those of us lucky enough to be getting married right now have landed in this awkward in-between technology phase. Many videography studios are starting to offer Hi-Def but many still aren't. If you have your wedding video shot in Standard Definition, you won't be able to take advantage of the higher resolution and detail, but a videographer may be easier to find. Ultimately, the decision is yours – and now that we’we have given you the skinny, you can make the best choice for you. |
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