Once of the best things about being a wedding photographer, is the opportunity to create beautiful images for the Bride that their families will enjoy for generations to come!   However, caught in the rush of planning for the wedding day, too many couples forget to take time to capture a formal bridal portrait with their wedding photographer.

Considering the amount of time and planning that goes into selecting the perfect gown, more couples should choose to schedule a bride portrait session.  I’m not referring to the “formal portraits” that the wedding photographer often takes of the wedding party in between the wedding ceremony and reception.  You see, there really isn’t time in between the wedding and ceremony to capture a true portrait.  I mean, real portraiture.  The type of portrait you would consider to be a piece of art to hang on your wall.  I’m speaking specifically of a dedicated 1 to 2 hour portrait session of just the Bride where time and attention can be given to every detail.

For couples that are interested in a bride portrait session, I recommend scheduling one around the time when she is having her last gown fitting a week of so before the wedding day.  Also, since I always recommend scheduling a test run with the hair stylist and makeup artist, it works out best when it can occur around the same time as the final fitting.  This allows for a portrait session in her gown along with the hair and makeup as it will look on the actual wedding day.  As a professional wedding photographer, I have found that this works best since the week before the wedding is hectic enough as it is and this ensures that separate hair stylist and makeup artist are not needed for the formal bridal portrait session.  Unfortunately, many brides tell me that their wedding photographer will not schedule a separate portrait session with them.

If you are recently engaged and searching for a wedding photographer in Metro Detroit, I would love the opportunity to photograph your wedding day along with a formal bride portrait.  Even if you have already selected another wedding photographer, I can still provide you with a formal portrait that you will be proud to hang on your wall as a piece of art!  Please contact me online or call 734-776-0497 to see if I am still available for your wedding date or for a special bride portrait photography session.

Livonia Wedding Photographer

Metro Detroit Wedding Photographer

Michigan Wedding Photographer

Your wedding photography will likely be the second largest investment for your wedding day (The reception is usually the single largest expense).  Professional Wedding planners typically suggest reserving 10-15% of your total wedding budget for the photography since, with the exception of the vows and rings, it is the only remaining item from your big day that you and your family will cherish for generations to come.

It is natural to want to save money, but there are better approaches than asking “Uncle Bob” to try out the new camera his wife bought him for Christmas on your wedding.  Here are Top 5 money saving ideas my wedding photography clients use:

Tip #1: Book as Soon as Possible – Don’t wait, book your photographer now at today’s prices!

Tip #2: Online Photography Gift Registry – Allow your friends and family to share in the investment!

Tip #3: Reduce the Coverage – Maximize the time you have and ensure your ceremony is covered by a professional!

Tip #4: Let Friends and Family Purchase Their Own Prints and Albums – Allow them to select the proofs they like the best, not ones that you think they will like.

Tip #5: Refer, Refer and Refer – Share your photographer with friends and family to save!

As you can see, there are a plenty of ways to save money on your professional photography in this economy.  Read the full article to get additional information about each of these best ways to save money.  There is no reason you should trust the memories of your Big Day to an amateur photographer.  What additional suggestions do you have to help couples save money on their wedding photography?

If you are recently engaged and planning a wedding in Metro Detroit or Southeast Michigan, please contact me online or call 734-776-0497.  I would love the opportunity to work with you!

Shannon O’Kelley, Owner and Creative Director at Southall Eden, said it best in one of her recent blog posts when she stated:

Let’s face it. Weddings are crazy expensive. I’m all about finding  ways to save money, and there are lots of ways you can do so. But if you  only splurge on one thing for your wedding, LET IT BE PHOTOGRAPHY.  That’s right, I’m a venue owner and a stationery designer and I’m not  telling you that your splurge item should not be one of those things,  but photography. Why? Because its true! Chances are you know someone who is a “photographer” and it’s tempting  to hire them for cheap or even have them shoot your wedding as a wedding  gift to you to save money, but hear me now and believe me later, DON’T  DO IT!!!

That’s right! Shannon O’Kelly is NOT a photographer.  Yes, as she stated in her blog post, the number one splurge item should be the wedding photography. As a venue owner, her reasoning is very simple. She has seen and heard too many brides complain about the bad photography they received when they thought they were getting a deal.

With all of Shannon’s professional wedding experience, I am confident she would be one of the first people to tell you why “cheap wedding photography” is inexpensive for a reason.

There are three common pitfalls that many couples fall into when considering wedding photographers for their big day that are usually driven by their budget. Trust me, it’s okay to have a budget. Professional wedding photographers will show you have to get them most of it without providing cut-rate quality.

1. You Only Plan the BIG WEDDING Once - Every girl dreams of being a princess and, unless you’re dating one  of the Windsors, this will likely be as close as the bride will come to  dressing like one and being treated like one, if even for a day.  Professional wedding photographer will be able to capture the emotion without missing a beat.

2. A Great Professional Wedding Photographer will Anticipate
- Only experienced wedding photographers will know where to be in order to capture the special  moments.

3. A Great Photographer will Turn the Ordinary into  EXTRAORDINARY! - On a tight budget? Great wedding photographers will be able to find the details in the details and capture the photos you didn’t think were possible.

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A true professional will help you understand the factors that go into  the wedding photography investment and will provide multiple options.   Remember: It is okay to ask question!  A pro will know how to work with limitations to provide the best memories for a specific budget.

I’m now one month into my 365 Project for 2010 and I am thoroughly enjoying it.  A 365 Project is one where you take post a single picture for each day of the year.  It has really forced me to expand my vision and capture common-day items from a new perspective. As I suggested in my Day 28 iPhone 365 Project post, I believe there are three keys to a successful 365 Project:

1. Always have a camera with you
2. Always look for interesting light
3. Always take the shot

If you’ve considered doing a 365 Project but haven’t yet started, what are you waiting for?  You don’t have to have an expensive camera for a 365 Project.  You only have to have a camera, film or digital.  In fact, I know one person that even does there’s with a Polaroid and his photos are absolutely fantastic.

I chose to use my iPhone because I always have it with me.  In addition, I can take photos with it anywhere (e.g. restaurants, at the mall, etc) and I just look like “some guy with a camera phone”.  My Canon DSLR would definitely draw attention in places where I’d rather blend in. By the end of the day I usually have multiple photos that I can filter through and select one to post on my 365 Project blog.

If you haven’t seen my iPhone 365 Project, please check it out and let me know what you think.  There’s a little something for everyone!  Here are 5 of my favorites from January:

iPhone 365 Project Day 13: Detroit, MI Sunset on I-75

iPhone 365 Project Day 14: Ford Field - Home of the Detroit Lions

iPhone 365 Project Day 19: Greek Orthodox Church Bell Tower

iPhone 365 Project Day 22: Livonia Observer and Eccentric Loading Dock

iPhone 365 Project Day 29: I-96 Sunrise in Detroit, Michigan

I have been recently inundated by local groups asking for donations of goods for the needy.  However, while most of them are worthy, I also believe the potential is somewhat limited.  That is, if you donate food or clothes, it is ultimately going to help to a single person (or two).  I have been seeking ways to reach out and help a broader group.

I have a special place in my heart for children’s organizations and am interested in working with local charities and non-profit organizations this holiday season to raise funds.  I believe one of the better ways to do this is through silent auctions.  Organizations that properly advertise and promote their silent auction have the best opportunity to raise the most captial from the largest audience.  In fact, auctioned items may bring in 2-3 times the face value of the item in many situations.  This money can then be used to help hundreds instead of tens.  Of course, other opportunities exist as well.

I want that to give back to the community this holiday season by donating my services as a professional photographer.  If you represent a charity or other non-profit organization in southeast Michigan, please contact me.  Let’s talk.

Best. There can be only one. WDIV Detroit 4 ran a contest this summer called 4 The Best to find the best businesses in southeast Michigan.  The contest drew a huge response and 180,490 votes were cast.

And the winner is …

Paul Manoian Photography has been voted Best Portrait Photography in Detroit for 2009!

I am completely overwhelmed right now as this has been such an amazing experience. It’s one thing for my clients to say I’m the best photographer, but to actually be voted the Best Photographer is a completely different experience!  I am so thankful that I was nominated for Best Portrait Photography let alone be voted #1!

Thank you!  THANK YOU!!

For me, as a professional photographer in Michigan, the best part has been reading the comments and recommendations from my wonderful clients!  Here’s what a few of them have had to say:

I’ve worked with a number of photographers before, and I’ve never seen anyone work so adeptly with lighting, texture, and creative composition as Paul does. He’s amazing with his subjects, puts them immediately at ease, and that comfort translates incredibly well into his portraits. His portfolio is the best I’ve ever seen, and he’s a young photographer, commercially-speaking. Paul has an incredibly bright future; his raw talent is more than obvious.  — J.V.

Paul is very technically talented, but is also incredible with children. He was consistently calm, patient and engaging even when my children became distant and unresponsive. He was able to pull their interest back to the photography session with his humor and kindness.   The photographs are beautiful and capture my children’s individual personalities perfectly.  — K.M.

Paul gets amazing, candid, images that show off the personality of each person perfectly!  — J.P.

Paul took pictures of my 3 year old triplets – he did a fantastic job. He picked a good setting, and we can’t be happier. Getting three 3 year olds to do anything is a feat – but to get some great pictures of them, showing their “natural” smiles was wonderful.  — E.R.

Paul is very talented and hard working. He is always trying to find the right shot for the right child. He is very patient and cares very much about the people he is photographing.  — C.M.

He is a true artist. When you see his final product, you can instantly tell they were taken by a professional. His prices are very reasonable and he has a great website. I have and will continue to recommend Paul to friends and family.  — P.J.

He has a way of capturing children in a way that almost allows you to see what they’re thinking. His poses are creative and his ability to capture the subject(s) at just the right moment is truly a gift!  G.T.

He is a wonderful photographer. Took fantastic pictures of our engagement and outdoor wedding. It was wonderful how he captured just the right moments and helped make our day perfect. Thank you. You will be our photographer for life. Thanks!  — P.R.

Ever since I started my photography blog, readers in other states regularly contact me to ask, “How do you select the best photographer?” While what makes one photographer better than another is subjective, I believe there are some universal items to be considered regardless of the specific photographer and subject.  As a professional photographer, my goal is to create art that my clients will cherish for generations.  They deserve nothing less.

In answering my readers’ questions, I’ve seen patterns that suggest there are four basic items to consider when looking to select the right photographer for you to create portraits for your family and children.  In order of importance, they are:

Approach and Style

The first and foremost consideration when looking to select the best photographer for you is their overall approach and style.  These can vary widely from “department store snapshots” with little to no creativity using a static backdrop and “recommend” you sit in a specific “pose” (that’s what the guidebook tells the clerk to do) all the way to a professional “lifestyle” photographer that will meet you at a selected location and capture you and your children being themselves in a familiar environment.  There are pros and cons to both: the results from the former tend to look unnatural while the latter truly allows your kids to be kids; however, the latter may also have to be rescheduled if the weather is not cooperating.  Similarly, places like “department stores” will try to get you in and out in 15 minutes because there are other people in line while professional photographers are willing to spend hours with you and your family to capture natural expressions.

You may not know which style is right for you, so take your time and browse the photographer’s online portrait and wedding gallery.  After deciding what you’re looking for, speak with the potential photographer in advance of scheduling anything.  Discuss a few shots that you have in mind and listen to what your photographer has to say.   But, stay flexible!  More times that not, the impromptu shots are the family favorites!

Bond and Trust

The second consideration when attempting to select the best photographer for you is a little more difficult to define.  To get photos that truly  exude joy, it is important for you and your family to be able to form a bond with your photographer over the long term.  If you are having younger children photographed, it is critical that they be able to trust your photographer.  If not, the discomfort will show on their young faces in each photo.  Watch how your children and family interact with the photographer.  How is the photographer’s tone?  Is he patient with everyone?  Is he comfortable around children and teenagers?  Is he truly able to form some level of trust with them?  If not, it will show in the photos.  Obviously, at “department stores” and other similar snapshot corners, you get what you get.

Schedule and Availability

The schedules of  newborns, young children, teenagers and working adults are extremes.  It is important that you work with a photographer that understands these differences and is willing to give your family the time and patience they deserve.  That is the third consideration when looking the select the best photographer for you.  Don’t settle for a photographer that schedules sessions back to back every 30 minutes.  You are only setting yourself up for second and third best.  A reputable professional photographer will allow time for the small disasters that can occur during a session without making you feel rushed.  Time to change diapers, bottles for newborns, snacks for kids and clothing changes should be allowed and even encouraged.  Similar to forming trust, if your family feels rushed, it will show in the photos.  A good photographer will set aside at least 1 to 2 hours for you during your session.  Take your time.  Your family deserves it!

Personal Investment

The photographer’s personal investment  in your photography is the final consideration when trying to select the best photographer for you.  The range of professional portraiture prices is as varied as there are styles.  When you are discussing rates with a professional photographer, be sure to ask about sitting fees, print finishing and mounting options, minimum order amounts and time frames for viewing/selecting proofs.  Remember, you are working with a professional and they are putting more time into your portraits than you realize.  This includes things like:

• Phone time with you to discuss ideas, locations, clothing, props, scheduling, pricing, etc.
• Session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour)
• Travel time to and from the session location
• Equipment setup and tear down time
• 90 minutes-2 hours with you and your family
• 30-60 minutes to download your digital proofs and back them up
• 2-4 hours to edit and white/color balance your proofs for your online gallery
• 30-60 minutes to process your order and send it to the lab
• 30-60 minutes to process your final prints and package them

In short, don’t select a photographer that doesn’t take your family’s portraits at least as seriously as you.  You are considering a professional because you realize the difference they can impart on your family portraits.  Don’t settle for less.

If you are looking for a photographer in the Metro Detroit area to capture your memories, please contact me online or call 734-776-0497.  I’m looking forward to working with you!

In the first and second posts on my series of Digital Photography Myths, I discussed two of the greatest myths I regularly see with digital photography: Myth #1 – Digital Photography is Cheaper Than Film and Myth #2 – Digital Photography is Easier Than Film.  The fact is, I disagree with both statements and belive they are both myths.  If you’d like to know why, I suggest you take a look back of the previous articles.  In this article I’m address the myth that digital photography is faster than film.

Of course, “faster than” is a relative thing.  There’s no arguing that plugging a digital camera directly into a printer (e.g. PictBridge) is extremely fast.  But, I’m not addressing the consumer aspects of at-home printing.  Rather, I’m talking about the process of actually taking photos, processing/editing them and creating real prints using a process that exposes light sensitive paper and runs it through a chemical process, not one using an inkjet printer.   The output from an inkjet printer is not a “photograph”, it’s a high resolution printed picture.

So, as I’m sure you’ve now quickly surmised, the process to create a photo from a developed film negative or processed digital file is the same.  Once they’re both given to the lab, the time until the final print is in your hands is practically the same.  If you go to a 1-hour photo place, you’ll get your prints in an hour; film or digital.  Likewise, if you send them off in the mail to a lab on the same day, you’ll get the prints back in the mail … on the same day.  Similar processes give you similar results.  Clearly, the difference is in the process of taking that actual photo and getting it ready to give to a lab.

In the film world, the process was quite straight forward.  Simply shoot a roll of film, rewind and remove it from the camera when the last exposure is taken, hand the roll to the guy behind the counter and the photo lab and wait for prints.  However, now you have a computer to deal with.  As I mentioned in my post regarding the myth that digital is easier than film, it is up to the photographer to white balance, color balance, crop and sharpen each photo.  If you are shooting in a RAW format, the above steps are mandatory.  Even if you are shooting your images in JPEG format, you still need to crop and sharpen each photo for optimal results.

On top of that, there’s the time to download the images from your camera’s SD/CF card, sorting through the digital “negatives”, cataloging and renaming them so you can find them again later, making a backup, etc.  All of these take time.  Once you get the prints back, you’re still going to review them in detail (whether digital or film) and separate the “keepers” from the “tossers”.  Sure, you may have more “tossers” with film at that point, but pulling out photos once they’re printed is a quick process.

The point of all of this is that digital really isn’t any faster than film.  I’m putting far more time into post production than I did with film. People expect instant results, but there are so many new steps the photographer must go through that don’t directly correlate to film, film really has digital beat.   The color/white balancing and exposure adjustment steps existing in the film world, but it was up to the lab to take care of it for you when they developed the prints.

Even with all that, I’m a control freak with the photos I take.  I want the absolute best for my clients!  Digital allows me the creative freedom to create exactly the type of heirloom they deserve.  But, let’s face it, the process is slower than it ever was with film.

What are your thoughts?

In the last post on my series of Digital Photography Myths, one of the greatest myths I regularly see with digital photography is that it is easier than film photography.  Unless you’re only referring to a situation where you are plugging your digital camera right into a printer (e.g. PictBridge) to make prints, it is simply is not so.

Long gone are the days of the little yellow huts in supermarket parking lots.  Even so, those huts represented the best of times for film processing.  Any consumer could simply shoot a roll of film and drop it off at “The Hut”.  Then, as if by magic, fresh prints would show up in your mailbox within a few days.  Simplicity defined.  As long as you could load a roll of film and lick an envelope, you could expect processed prints.

The actual magic happened at the film lab where technicians carefully tweaked the exposure for each print in the film development process.  Unfortunately, now that everything is digital, it is completely up to the photographer to ensure the exposure, white balance and color balance are correct for each print.

Similarly, ordering different size prints used to be as easy as putting an “X” in the appropriate checkbox on the film processing order form.  However, in the digital realm, the electronic file must be resized, resampled and sharpened for each print size to ensure optimal results.

So, how do you “resize, resample and sharpen” the electronic file you ask?  By using your trusty computer, of course!  You never needed to know a single thing about computers, software, etc before this whole digital thing, but now it is mandatory if you want to crop or tweak any of your digital files.  In fact, new skillsets are now required.  So much so, that Digital photography has been one of the driving forces behind the demand for Adobe Photoshop professionals and graphic artists around the world.

Hey!  But digital photography is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) isn’t it?!  Sure, you can see the photo you just captured on the 2.5″ LCD on the back of your camera.  You could even use the LCD to take the shot, but I do not recommend it for optimal results.  Unfortunately, nearly everything looks sharp on such a tiny LCD.  As a result, you will likely not know how blurry your images are until you transfer them to your computer and look at them.

A film camera is an extremely simply device.  A lens, aperture/shutter and a method to advance the film.  A digital camera has the same components, but it also has menu screens nested multiple levels deep.   Sure, a digital camera may have more controls over a film camera, but it is also much more complicated to master and get a professionally finished product.

What do you think?

As I wrote yesterday, one of the greatest myths I see with digital photography is that it is cheaper than film photography.  With digital, it is true that you can delete poor images only pay for those that you actually print. But, I’m not referring to just the cost of a film roll and its subsequent processing.  There is far more involved in digital photography than just the cost of the physical materials.

Today, you can buy an entry-level consumer digital SLR (DSLR) with a kit lens for around $700 where it’s possible to get a autofocusing 35mm SLR with lens for nearly half that.  You could buy and process a LOT of film for $350!

In addition, you can store your negatives and prints from your film SLR in an acid-free shoebox for a whopping ten bucks.  If you don’t want to erase your DSLR’s memory card (i.e. your digital “negatives”) each time you fill it up, you will need a computer to store the electronic files as well as the proper software to manipulate the digital images if desired (e.g. Adobe Photoshop is $700)

You will also likely need a LOT of available disk space to store the multi-megabyte files a digital camera is capable of generating.  While digital storage is easy and convenient, data preservation is not.  Ongoing backups and archives are needed to battle the expectedly short life of our current digital storage methods (approximately 10 years for CD ROMs and magnetic based systems like hard drives).

Microfilm has a life expectancy of 500 years and is used for archival purposes today.  While this makes sense for film, dumping digital data to an analog format does not since most of digital’s benefits would be lost.  A book or image printed on acid-free paper could easily last 500 years if properly stored … there is no digital equivalent.

Digital photography has revolutionized how we take and share photos with friends and family around the world.  But, it is not cheaper.