45 Years ago.
Feb 20, 2017 19:30:10 #
Yet another.
Feb 21, 2017 17:18:17 #
Again, sorry for the poor reproduction quality, folks! Prints were hurriedly copied (on my I-phone) from a 45 year old wedding album that I produced way back in the day. As I mention in my last post, the clients brought it back for re-binding in leather as an anniversary keepsake.
I just wanted to make a few points. Obviously, given their apparent age in the pictures, the parents and the grandparent are all no longer with us. All theses years later, the couple have emotional and elegant images of theses folks to cherish for a lifetime. The images were printed in high quality material and carefully processed and preserved and well presented in a high quality album which accounts for their longevity and present-ability. Nowadays, with the popularity of DVDs and electronic imaging, who know where the photographer we make will be 45 years or more form now? Screen images are fun and cool to view but what about permanence and the availability of play-back gear in the future. Theses are the reasons I still encourage ALBUMS.
I also want to make the case for including portraits of parents and elders in wedding coverages, that is, taking out the time to make flattering and emotionally charged images showing family relationships. Also it's important to make sure that important relatives, friends and family are captured in your candid coverages as well. I oftentimes find that great impromptu expressions can be captured just after the ceremony when the receiving line is formed and lost of congratulatory hugs, kisses and handshakes take place spontaneously.
It may sound like something out of the distant past, but we are STILL selling PARENT'S ALBUMS, The sale of multiple albums can make quite the difference in your bottom line at the end of your fiscal year. If you shoot the right material- theses things will SELL!
Theses are the kind of customer benefits the INSTAGRAM and low-ball shooters can't provide or don't even think about.
With kindest regards, Ed
I just wanted to make a few points. Obviously, given their apparent age in the pictures, the parents and the grandparent are all no longer with us. All theses years later, the couple have emotional and elegant images of theses folks to cherish for a lifetime. The images were printed in high quality material and carefully processed and preserved and well presented in a high quality album which accounts for their longevity and present-ability. Nowadays, with the popularity of DVDs and electronic imaging, who know where the photographer we make will be 45 years or more form now? Screen images are fun and cool to view but what about permanence and the availability of play-back gear in the future. Theses are the reasons I still encourage ALBUMS.
I also want to make the case for including portraits of parents and elders in wedding coverages, that is, taking out the time to make flattering and emotionally charged images showing family relationships. Also it's important to make sure that important relatives, friends and family are captured in your candid coverages as well. I oftentimes find that great impromptu expressions can be captured just after the ceremony when the receiving line is formed and lost of congratulatory hugs, kisses and handshakes take place spontaneously.
It may sound like something out of the distant past, but we are STILL selling PARENT'S ALBUMS, The sale of multiple albums can make quite the difference in your bottom line at the end of your fiscal year. If you shoot the right material- theses things will SELL!
Theses are the kind of customer benefits the INSTAGRAM and low-ball shooters can't provide or don't even think about.
With kindest regards, Ed
Feb 22, 2017 20:22:55 #
Re. parent and elders: I routinely make a point to attend the rehearsal of the ceremony; to introduce myself to the officiant, to "coach" the bridal party on the processional, and to get a feel for the next day. One of the most poignant shots that I have taken I had noticed the bride had her recently departed mother's photograph placed in the proper position in the pew. I shot a "quicky" of it and moved on. It turned out to be one of the most appreciated by the bride.
Feb 22, 2017 22:06:15 #
Ed, those are beautiful images and really shows your skill being able to capture those interactions. Well, I suspect your skill in anticipating/coordinating the interactions and having your camera where it needs to be.
Feb 22, 2017 22:21:10 #
Doing that kind of preliminary work and planning is a great policy, Tim!
Keeping an eye out for those kinds of poignant moments is what professionalism and customer care is all about. Anticipating the action and fast shooting techniques are important skills to master.
KUDOS, Ed
Keeping an eye out for those kinds of poignant moments is what professionalism and customer care is all about. Anticipating the action and fast shooting techniques are important skills to master.
KUDOS, Ed
Feb 22, 2017 23:55:35 #
Feb 23, 2017 09:44:54 #
Ed,
Continuing the topic of family relationships, that has always been a priority for me. It started with my first wedding. That is another story how that came about and it was only 5 years ago. When after all the pics were delivered the bride's mom asked if I got any pics of aunt Mary. She was in a wheel chair and didn't make it to any of the group or candid photos. I still feel horrible about that even though no one introduced me to this person. Ever since, I make sure I spend enough time with the bride & groom to become a short term member of their family and know all the relationships and special people. I actually ask who the "special people" are. Everyone is special, but it is important to know the bride & groom's viewpoint on that. Sometimes they warn me about uncle Joe who will get drunk and be obnoxious. That is good to know too, because I will get to know uncle Joe and he will become a member of my team. Then the planning begins or maybe visualizing is a better term. Visualizing when I can incorporate people into the poses that show emotion and tell the story of the day. That piece of wedding photography is one that I hope to continually improve each wedding, because it does take practice. That is why I so much admire what you did with your images 45 years ago with film nonetheless.
Continuing the topic of family relationships, that has always been a priority for me. It started with my first wedding. That is another story how that came about and it was only 5 years ago. When after all the pics were delivered the bride's mom asked if I got any pics of aunt Mary. She was in a wheel chair and didn't make it to any of the group or candid photos. I still feel horrible about that even though no one introduced me to this person. Ever since, I make sure I spend enough time with the bride & groom to become a short term member of their family and know all the relationships and special people. I actually ask who the "special people" are. Everyone is special, but it is important to know the bride & groom's viewpoint on that. Sometimes they warn me about uncle Joe who will get drunk and be obnoxious. That is good to know too, because I will get to know uncle Joe and he will become a member of my team. Then the planning begins or maybe visualizing is a better term. Visualizing when I can incorporate people into the poses that show emotion and tell the story of the day. That piece of wedding photography is one that I hope to continually improve each wedding, because it does take practice. That is why I so much admire what you did with your images 45 years ago with film nonetheless.
Feb 24, 2017 10:08:14 #
Following up on Time's post...
To insure that I don't inadvertently miss photographing an important family member, close friend or guest, part of my contract and planning form has a WHO'S WHO section, so I have a check list to work from.
Nowadays, especially with all kind of different family configurations, divorced folks, step parents, and folks who may not be on the best of terms, it is good to carefully plan so that things like family group shots go smoothly, pleasantly and comprehensively.
Just another way to head off Murphy's Law!đ
To insure that I don't inadvertently miss photographing an important family member, close friend or guest, part of my contract and planning form has a WHO'S WHO section, so I have a check list to work from.
Nowadays, especially with all kind of different family configurations, divorced folks, step parents, and folks who may not be on the best of terms, it is good to carefully plan so that things like family group shots go smoothly, pleasantly and comprehensively.
Just another way to head off Murphy's Law!đ
Feb 27, 2017 16:29:40 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
Following up on Time's post... br br To insure th... (show quote)
Amen, on top of that, I always stipulate that I want one person as a "wrangler" (someone who knows both sides of the family, and most of the friends that we rely on to help keep "uncle Charlie" from wandering off.) Wranglers can save up to 1/2 the time during the after the ceremony photos, because they can help keep people on the list nearby.
I still get out my parent's wedding album from time to time, and enjoy seeing how young they were, just as my grandkids get out my wedding photos and tease me relentlessly about all the hair I had HAD.
Sharing stories like this (true) also helps to convince brides that albums are important. Ed's point about "who will be able to print from a CD or DVD once those become obsolete. After all, how do you watch all those VHS tapes if your old player breaks?
Feb 27, 2017 20:29:49 #
It comes to mind something that I read: "this is the most photographed generation in history. But in ten years, they will be nothing to show for it." In my opinion, that is why prints and albums are so important. Something tangible to be held in hand, to be seen by our great grandchildren. My step children's father passed away just over a year ago. Thankfully there was a shoe box of photos and negatives for them to remember a part of his life that they are too young to remember.
Feb 28, 2017 11:28:02 #
I still encourage ALBUMS! Over the years, I have seen many fads and trends in wedding photography presentations come and go. In the New York City Metropolitan Area, where I started out, back in the late 1950s, most professional wedding photography was done in black and white. Color photography had been around for a very long time prior to that era, however, fading and poor stability of color prints was a prevalent issue. Many films were slow had little or no latitude and processing and printing was a major endeavor. The proliferation of professional color labs started in the mid 1960s.
Wedding are colorful occasions, what with pretty flowers, bridesmaid gowns, ornate churches and all of that so there was always a desire for color photography, on the part of the customers, but many studios discouraged this. To cater to the interest in color wedding pictures, some studios would âshoot a roll of colorâ in addition to the black and white coverage- some of the more colorful shots and highlights of the day.
There were other trends as well. 3-D Kodachrome slides were the rage for a while. There was even a rig that âpiggy-backedâ a 35mm Stereo Realist camera atop a Speed Graphic 4x5 press camera so that the photographer could shoot black and white and 3-D slides
singlehandedly. There was even a half-frame 35mm camera that could produce âView Masterâ 3-D images- who remembers that? Some clients, because of budgetary reasons, opted for 3-D slide coverage only- I never thought that was a good idea and my reluctance to do that, without a black and white album as a backup, seem to become justified later on.
For those who are unfamiliar with theses slides, the were shot on Kodachrome and specially mounted, 2-up, in cardboard slide mounts. Most folks viewed them on a binocular viewer- they would past the thing around at family gatherings. The effect was quite impressive in that the stereoscopic images were âjust like being thereâ and the color rendition of Kodachrome was rather impressive, even back in the day. Problem was, the viewing process was rather tedious, there was a lot of handling of the slides which oftentimes resulted in damage. Some customer, who were avid stereo photography enthusiasts themselves, protected their wedding slides in glass mounts but in time, theses developed Newtons rings or were attacked my fungus (like old lenses). There were projectors for theses slides but projection was super tedious, frankly, a real pain in the backside! There were no slide trays, each slide had to be placed, one by one, in the projector. Each slide had to the be aligned- there were two lenses that never seemed to converge properly! There projectors were poorly ventilated or heat-convicted and many of the slides would melt, become deformed or burn. Folks viewing the screen would have to sit in an almost co-axial alignment with the projector's beam or they would not get the stereo effect. Nonetheless,theses slides were enormously popular among wedding clients. So much so, that album manufactures began to make fancy upholstered slide cases that resembled and were engraved like album covers. As a rookie studio guy, one of my first chores was to drive from Brooklyn to Fairlawn, New Jersey, to the Kodak processing plant, with dozens of rolls of Kodachrome, at 6:00 AM every Monday Morning. I would stay there for lunch, read a couple of photography magazines, hang around and then pick up the slides at the end of business that same day. We did not trust the Postal Service or UPS with all those wedding pictures. I wonder how many of those thousands of slides still exist. Many of the customers later remarked that they viewed the albums all the time but the slides were languishing away somewhere in a closet or attic. Oh- the Type-R prints from theses slides were awful and the Cibachrome prints were even worse!
Of course there were 8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm movies, sound movies and then videos. Again there are similar storage and projection issues. Iron-oxide magnetic tape does deteriorate or flake off in time, reels of movie film stick together and fade in certain atmospheric conditions. Slide show and âhome moviesâ can be rather boring for the guests, even if the are viewed on a high resolution giant flat screen! DVDs are certainly convenient, cool and fun but who knows exactly how long their image quality will last? I have images stored on DVDs that are only 10 years old and the ain't lookin' too good! I also have well processed black and white color prints that are over 45 years old, are still in albums and in perfect shape.
Albums provide âdark storageâ so exposure to ultraviolet is minimized. Over the decades, I produced my black and white prints on fiber based papers and used archival processing techniques. All of my color portraits were made in house so I could maintain aesthetic and chemical quality control. All of my wall and display portraits were either lacquered or presented in archival mattes, glass and framing materials so things are holding up well- well as far as I know- ain't had too many complaints!
Based my the experience I have written about here is how I advise my clients. If they want slide shows on DVDs, video coverage or whatever is trending out there, I still strongly advises that the main coverage should be represented in a comprehensive selection of prints in a leather bound album. Most of them take my advice.
I want the best for my clients but the fact is, it 's 2017, not 1960! We live in a disposable world- fast foods, slap together IKEA furniture, instant photography, instant gratification and a 50% divorce rate. Chances are, our pictures will outlast many of the marriages we photograph. We used to trade in out old cars and cameras EVERY FEW YEARS, nowadays SOME folks âtrade inâ their spouses on a regular basis! I sometimes joke that we should off er a 'wedding photography club cardsâ like a McDonald's coffee card- after the 4th weddings, the 5th coverage is on the house!
OK- Call me OLD FASHIONED- or just OLD!
Wedding are colorful occasions, what with pretty flowers, bridesmaid gowns, ornate churches and all of that so there was always a desire for color photography, on the part of the customers, but many studios discouraged this. To cater to the interest in color wedding pictures, some studios would âshoot a roll of colorâ in addition to the black and white coverage- some of the more colorful shots and highlights of the day.
There were other trends as well. 3-D Kodachrome slides were the rage for a while. There was even a rig that âpiggy-backedâ a 35mm Stereo Realist camera atop a Speed Graphic 4x5 press camera so that the photographer could shoot black and white and 3-D slides
singlehandedly. There was even a half-frame 35mm camera that could produce âView Masterâ 3-D images- who remembers that? Some clients, because of budgetary reasons, opted for 3-D slide coverage only- I never thought that was a good idea and my reluctance to do that, without a black and white album as a backup, seem to become justified later on.
For those who are unfamiliar with theses slides, the were shot on Kodachrome and specially mounted, 2-up, in cardboard slide mounts. Most folks viewed them on a binocular viewer- they would past the thing around at family gatherings. The effect was quite impressive in that the stereoscopic images were âjust like being thereâ and the color rendition of Kodachrome was rather impressive, even back in the day. Problem was, the viewing process was rather tedious, there was a lot of handling of the slides which oftentimes resulted in damage. Some customer, who were avid stereo photography enthusiasts themselves, protected their wedding slides in glass mounts but in time, theses developed Newtons rings or were attacked my fungus (like old lenses). There were projectors for theses slides but projection was super tedious, frankly, a real pain in the backside! There were no slide trays, each slide had to be placed, one by one, in the projector. Each slide had to the be aligned- there were two lenses that never seemed to converge properly! There projectors were poorly ventilated or heat-convicted and many of the slides would melt, become deformed or burn. Folks viewing the screen would have to sit in an almost co-axial alignment with the projector's beam or they would not get the stereo effect. Nonetheless,theses slides were enormously popular among wedding clients. So much so, that album manufactures began to make fancy upholstered slide cases that resembled and were engraved like album covers. As a rookie studio guy, one of my first chores was to drive from Brooklyn to Fairlawn, New Jersey, to the Kodak processing plant, with dozens of rolls of Kodachrome, at 6:00 AM every Monday Morning. I would stay there for lunch, read a couple of photography magazines, hang around and then pick up the slides at the end of business that same day. We did not trust the Postal Service or UPS with all those wedding pictures. I wonder how many of those thousands of slides still exist. Many of the customers later remarked that they viewed the albums all the time but the slides were languishing away somewhere in a closet or attic. Oh- the Type-R prints from theses slides were awful and the Cibachrome prints were even worse!
Of course there were 8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm movies, sound movies and then videos. Again there are similar storage and projection issues. Iron-oxide magnetic tape does deteriorate or flake off in time, reels of movie film stick together and fade in certain atmospheric conditions. Slide show and âhome moviesâ can be rather boring for the guests, even if the are viewed on a high resolution giant flat screen! DVDs are certainly convenient, cool and fun but who knows exactly how long their image quality will last? I have images stored on DVDs that are only 10 years old and the ain't lookin' too good! I also have well processed black and white color prints that are over 45 years old, are still in albums and in perfect shape.
Albums provide âdark storageâ so exposure to ultraviolet is minimized. Over the decades, I produced my black and white prints on fiber based papers and used archival processing techniques. All of my color portraits were made in house so I could maintain aesthetic and chemical quality control. All of my wall and display portraits were either lacquered or presented in archival mattes, glass and framing materials so things are holding up well- well as far as I know- ain't had too many complaints!
Based my the experience I have written about here is how I advise my clients. If they want slide shows on DVDs, video coverage or whatever is trending out there, I still strongly advises that the main coverage should be represented in a comprehensive selection of prints in a leather bound album. Most of them take my advice.
I want the best for my clients but the fact is, it 's 2017, not 1960! We live in a disposable world- fast foods, slap together IKEA furniture, instant photography, instant gratification and a 50% divorce rate. Chances are, our pictures will outlast many of the marriages we photograph. We used to trade in out old cars and cameras EVERY FEW YEARS, nowadays SOME folks âtrade inâ their spouses on a regular basis! I sometimes joke that we should off er a 'wedding photography club cardsâ like a McDonald's coffee card- after the 4th weddings, the 5th coverage is on the house!
OK- Call me OLD FASHIONED- or just OLD!
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.