Los Angeles Wedding Photography Blog

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The Wedding Bootcamp

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Monday, March 1st, 2010

Hansen's Cakes

1072 S. Fairfax Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90019

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Come visit Tiffany Photography this weekend at the Festival of Bride show at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena! Meet a ton of vendors and find everything from wedding flowers to wedding photography. Email me for free tickets.

Come see the Tiffany Photography booth this weekend, January 16th and 17th from 10-4 at the Brideworld wedding fair to be held at the Los Angeles Convention center! This is a great opportunity for you to meet Tiffany in person and other great wedding vendors. We will have magazine style wedding albums - coffee table wedding albums, traditional wedding albums, proof books and engagement sessions on display at the show.

Boudoir Engagement Sessions - Los Angeles Wedding Photographer

Having spent years working as an editorial photographer and shooting for magazines like Elle, Cosmopolitan and Angelino, I developed a unique style. In addition to my standard engagement sessions which generally last about an hour I offer extended Luxe sessions.

During a Luxe sitting the couple usually rents a room at a hotel and we spend several hours on the photoshoot. I bring in professional lighting and do wardrobe consultation with the couple prior to the shoot. On a Luxe session we can set up complex lighting to add drama to the images. This lighting set up is far different from what wedding photographers use on the day of the wedding.

These sessions are amazingly fun and unique. I enlist the same set of skills and lighting set ups that are seen in magazines. The Luxe session is not for everyone. If you are less comfortable in front of the camera and are not a huge fan of having your picture taken then a standard session is the way to go. However, if you have always dreamed of having your own personal fashion shoot that the Luxe session is for you!

I refer to these portraits as a couples boudoir session as they are far more intimate that the standard session. The couple generally does several wardrobe changes and the outfits tend to be more edgy and seductive.

The first couple was shot at the W hotel in Westwood, CA . This sexy couple opted to do many of their images nude or partially nude. Don't let the nudity scare you off, I can still create visually stunning images even if you are not comfortable in the buff! ;-)

The second session was shot at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, CA . The couple got an amazing suite and were a joy to work with. The hotel is predominantly white with a touch black, both modern and retro at the same time. The groom to be was looking for a roughed James Bond look so we went with the roughed up tuxedo shirt and cigar.

Book any wedding photography package with Tiffany Photography before January 15th and receive a free standard engagement session or 50% off a Luxe session.

There are a lot of big photography chains out there leaving people to wonder if they should go big or boutique. Here are some things to consider before signing up with a photography chain.

Quality control - In large photography chains, the decisions on the quality of the images taken comes from the top and many require the photographer to shoot in .jpg (resulting in lower quality files that are easer for the large company to store) At Tiffany Photography we always shoot in RAW format leaving you with the best possibly quality wedding images.

Continuity - At a smaller studio you get to know the photographer personally and have a relationship with one person from start to end. In a larger studio, you may fall in love with the sales person and end up with a photographer you can't relate to.

Get to know your vision- Photography is an art and to delivering images that please, you must know your audience. When you interact with one photographer, they get to know your personality and are better able to take images that reflect your vision. From our consultation and subsequent contact prior to the wedding I will be able to determine if a couple is shy, outgoing, funny, conservative or edgy. Delivering edgy images to a conservative person would be as disastrous as delivering conservative images to a couple looking for edgy creative images.

Creative control -A huge part of photography is the post production. At Tiffany Photography I create custom effects for each couple based on the style of their wedding and their personality. I go through every single wedding image and correct for color, brightness, contrast, cropping and determine if there is any additional work that needs to be done on the image. In a larger studio the images are sent off to a central location and the editor has no contact or direction from you or the photographer.

Album design - By the time we get to the album design, I know my couples very well and designing a stunning album is made very easy.

Package/Pricing - Many people have the misconception that booking with a big studio will result in a more reasonable price. This is not always the case. At Tiffany Photography every package is costum created to insure you get exactly what you do want without paying for extras you don't need. At a large corporation, the sales person has little or not control over the packages offered. At Tiffany Photography the pricing always includes the original digital files on DVD so you won't be stuck paying a premium for prints. While we are happy to make prints of images for you, you are free to use any professional photography lab. (By professional lab we do not mean Wal-Mart or 1 - hour photo. The files are very large and may require professional attention)

Call now to set up a consultation! 310.877.7054

You might not realize it but being a bridesmaid can run upwards of $1000. Times are tough and the economy is tougher, take your bridal party's budget into account when planning your wedding. Your bridesmaids love you and are eager to please. As a bride and a hostess you can ease the pressure off of some of the most important guests at the wedding! Your nearest and dearest will be more relaxed and able to enjoy your wedding if they are not suffering from sticker shock.

Continue reading "Southern California wedding photographer's tips on how to be a gracious bride" »

As a wedding photographer I have heard my fair share of wedding speeches. It is okay to make the whole room laugh or cry, but you want to avoid making them cringe. The speeches are very important and memorable. People frequently note the quality of speeches when looking back on the wedding day.

• Focus on the couple - While you may have a relationship with the bride or groom that spans 20 or 30 years, the crowd is interested in the couples relationship, not yours. It is okay to do a brief account of how you know the bride or groom but the speech should focus on the couple.
• Keep it short and sweet - You don't want to rush however, a short speech is always appreciated, no longer than 2 or 3 minutes at most
• Avoid raunchy stories - the bride and grooms grandparents should be spared from crude or extremely embarrassing situations
• Better to limit the number of drinks one has before the speech - Trust me, the crowd can tell if you have had one too many drinks.
• Have fun and smile!
• Don't forget to thank the last speaker and do a toast at the end of the speech.
• Make eye contact with the couple and look around the room while speaking.

Sarah and Daniel got married at Kehillat Israel temple in the Pacific Palisades. The Jewish wedding ceremony was officiated by the wonderful Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben. Rabbi Reuben is a pleasure to work with and always delivers heart felt ceremony speeches with a hint of humor. Sara and Daniel's chuppah (a canopy traditionally used in Jewish weddings) was of particular sentiment because it was handing down and used in wedding ceremonies of their family members. Sarah's Chuppah and bouquet are made of calla lilies.

Sarah and Daniel opted to see each other before the wedding so they could take care of the wedding photography before the ceremony. Seeing each other before the wedding is highly recommended for several reasons.

1. It cuts down on the time your guest have to wait and extends the time you get to celebrate at your wedding ceremony

2. It allows for an amazing photo op we call the 1st look. The 1st look is when the bride and groom see each other for the first time. The first look is extremely romantic because the bride and groom really get to enjoy the moment. Seeing each other when you walk down the aisle is also romantic but you don't get to revel in the moment quite the same way as when the 1st look is done.

3. Most couples really enjoy taking pictures before the wedding. However, after the ceremony, most couples are not as relaxed because they are anxious to get to the reception making it more difficult to get artistic shots.

Several of Daniel's friend and family flew in from Johannesburg South Africa to join in the wedding festivities. The tish and hora at this wedding were amazing!

You will notice how the reception room is professionally lit. Nothing sets the ambiance of a wedding reception like professional up lighting. Sarah's wedding cake was adorned with orchids and her wedding flower centerpieces were made from orchids as well.

Specialty wedding drinks are a cost effective way to give your wedding a unique flair. You can hire a professional 'mixologist' to create a costume drink for your wedding or you can pick from a list on drinksecret.com. Specialty wedding drinks are always crowd pleasers, a great way to dress up your event while cutting down the bar expense and always look nice in your wedding photos. A great alternative to open bar, serve your guests beer and wine, and then one special cocktail.

Tips for creating your wedding signature drinks.

Garnish - A great garnish looks pretty and adds flavor to the drink. Sugar flavored rims on margarita glasses work well with fruity drinks. Flowers and fruit also make a great addition to the summer time cocktail.

Keep it simple - Make your drinks with a ready-made mix so your bartenders can server your guest fast.

Theme- Your drink can match the theme of your wedding, color scheme or honeymoon destination. Start by choosing the color of the drink then deiced on the liquor base and a cocktail type.

Name - Pick a name for your drink and have the name and recipe for your drink printed on cocktail napkins.

Alcohol free version - Remember to include an alcohol free version for your guest who don't drink or are under age.

Tiffany Photography has offered eco friendly wedding photography solutions for years. We were one of the first wedding photography studios to go all digital. Digital wedding photography allows us to use memory cards and eliminate the toxic process of developing film. Unlike some photography studios we do not make proof prints of every image from the wedding day. This allows us to cut down on cost and waste. You will, however, get a high resolution copy of all wedding images on DVD for your personal use.

All packages include Tiffany as the lead photographer, at least 5 hours of coverage, and the high resolution files on DVD. Almost all packages include a photography assistant and wedding album.

Wedding photography packages are custom created for each couple to insure you get exactly what you want without paying for extras you don't need.

For our clients looking for eco friendly wedding albums, we offer the Magnolia Album in addition to our other albums that may all be ordered in leather alternatives for the PETA friendly bride.

We just purchased our first energy efficient/eco-friendly 1 terabyte external hard drive.".

I love displaying at The Wedding Salon Los Angeles because it allows me to meet great vendors. This years show was held that the London Hotel in West Hollywood. At the show I met Josh Kafka from Blisscape. Blisscape is a travel agency that specializes in hip romantic travel and will help you put together an amazing honeymoon.

Continue reading "Plan the ultimate honeymoon" »