Shoot of The Week

So I know this was taken back in November, but since I am starting a Shoot of the Week and it's been slow, I'm sharing this one. Plus, who can resist penguins?

Pinterest for Wedding Planning

There a lot of things to think about when planning a wedding and not all of us are effective about explaining what we have in our heads. This is why I recommend Pinterest. Pinterest for those of you who haven't heard of it, is a pinning sight for photographs of almost anything you could possibly be looking for. It's like having a digital cork board. You can put any picture up there you want and organize them by categories, or boards. I have been using it to keep inspiration, studio ideas and examples of my work. But I also have a wedding ideas board. It's a place to keep all you visual ideas together so you can share with friends, vendors, and family while planning your special day.

If you haven't joined Pinterest, you should.

In Thinking About What I Love

I have been thinking about taking photographs for myself a little more, but unlike college, it's hard to find time to do so. Since I love taking pictures of people it also makes it difficult to get people involved. So I make a plea to all my readers, I am looking for anyone who is about to wear a wedding dress, and those who can still fit into their dress. I would like to do a series of Glamor/Trash the Dress shoots. I am looking for 20 women willing to work with me. I also need a willing hair stylist/make-up artist willing to volunteer their time. If anyone should know of someone wo fits these descriptions pass along my info, or email me at liz@lizlefebvre.com

The Devils in the details

Details, details, details.... Having a wedding can be overwhelming. There is so many things to think about and decide. The dress, the flowers, when, where, how many guests, DJ, food, decorations, photography, video. How is a couple to remember everything?

Well there are some great wedding plan guides available for the happy couple. First one is the Valley Advocate does an I Do guide for the area about 2-3 times a year. In that guide is a planning guide that is very well set up for organizing your plans. It also has lists of vendors in the area for hire. Very useful resource.

Now, I think Martha Stewart can be a little over the top, but the woman knows her stuff. On her website is a planning guide that is spectacular. It have a seating chart, music planning, flowers, and much more. The pages are easily duplicated so you can have as many pages of each section as you need.

There is also many books you can buy in Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and other retailers. I have not discovered my favorite yet, but there are plenty out there to choose from. With so many details to planning, have a guide is highly recommended.

OK, here is a small bit of advice when getting ready for a portrait shoot.

Clothing says a lot about a person. Even though many of us would like to think we look deeper than what one looks like before we form an opinion, we can't help but get an initial reaction from the first glance. This is why clothing is so important in showing who you are in a photo.

First thing to think about is who is going to see these photos. If you are doing a senior portrait, most likely your whole family with be treasuring these photos for years to come, not to mention it will be immortalized in your high school year book forever. Now, showing who you are and what makes you unique is important. It's a time in your life when you starting to figure out who you are, but are you always going to want to be remembered as the girl in barely any clothes?

That said, here are some things to avoid; yellow is a really bright color so people will instantly be drawn to the yellow in your shirt. I do not suggest yellow as a good color. Loud patterns take attention away from the subject, similar to what the color uses. Stripes don't make anyone look that good so avoid those as well.

Even after saying all this, there is always times when breaking these rules works really well. I always advise talking to your photographer before you go to a shoot and bring several options.

Weddings are a colaborative effort. True that the happy couple coes up with an idea; their ideal day. Then they take this concept to vendors; reception halls, photographers, caterers, tec. These people or companies work hard to make the couple's dream a reality. Some do it better than others, and some try to make the couple aware of when they are being unrealistic. I am not here to bad mouth other vendors, I prefer to focus on the one who are doing a great job. I want to help Couples find the best people to help them create thier dream day.

Now all of that said, I also want to share any tips or clues to help plan for your wedding day. Also please share anything that might have helped you on your wedding day.

Liz Lefebvre