Wednesday, March 26, 2014

October 5th, 2013 vintage themed wedding and beach ceremony in Delray Beach, Florida by Couture Bridal Photography

              Couture Bridal Photography wedding Delray Beach, Florida October 2013

   I was contacted to photograph a vintage themed beach wedding in Delray Beach, Florida. The bride had found me, Couture Bridal Photography (Alfredo Valentine) during a google search and loved my photography. I consulted with her and the soon to be groom and she explained to me how she wished to make her wedding and wedding photo's have a vintage old world feel.

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Bride with Sliding door and window light from right rear
   On the wedding day the bride chose to hire me for the whole day to capture her transformation with make up hair and dress. I met with the bride to be at her hotel room and arranged the room for the best possible lighting which at the time was window light coming from a west slide glass window. I love window light for its soft, yet dramatic qualities. The light complemented the brides complexion and added depth to the images.
Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Bride sliding glass door behind her

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Window light creates shadows and depth. The Bride looks amazing

The goal was to photograph the groom as well, but he chose at the last minute to stay in Plantation, Florida, so I wasn't able to capture images of him getting ready for his big wedding day. I continued to spend time with the bride and capture various details such as the rings, dress and shoes.
Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Rings Photographed using a macro lens

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Another image of the rings on a mirror using a macro lens

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
The dress in front of the window to show the dress details


    I photographed the rings on various surfaces to give the bride photo options for her GraphiStudio photo book she had already decided she would purchase. The dress was placed in front of the window and I over exposed the image, so that in post production, I could bring back the dress details. The bride loved the creativity I used to show how beautiful her vintage styled dress was.

   When the brides make up was done we then took to the lobby of the Marriott Hotel Delray Beach for some fun photos and the challenge was to give the images a vintage feel. I explained to the bride that she had to try and feel like she was in the 30's and 40's when she posed. I also directed her and I used off camera flash and various window light for the images throughout the lobby on the way to the  beach ceremony.
Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Lobby image Marriott


Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Marriott Delray Beach

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Marriott Delray Beach

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Lobby Marriott Delray Beach

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Lobby Marriott Delray Beach

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Main entrance driveway Delray Marriott

Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Drive way Marriott Delray Beach




Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Lobby Bar Delray Beach Marriott
Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Lobby Bar Delray Beach Marriott


On the way to the Beach ceremony with the Bride the groom made his appearance. It didn't leave me much time to photography him in great detail, but I photographed what I could to make sure he made an appearance in the couples GraphiStudio Album.


Wedding Delray Beach Marriott Florida by Couture Bridal Photography Alfredo Valentine
Groom in lobby of Marriott Delray Beach, FL



The wedding ceremony and reception photography by Alfredo Valentine, Principal Photographer and Owner of Couture Bridal Photography can be viewed at www.CoutureBridalPhotography.com or www.Facebook.Com/CoutureBridalPhotography


Couture Bridal Photography is available for engagement and wedding photography throughout the United States with special rates for Puerto Rico and New York City.











Sunday, September 8, 2013

Craigslist isn't always the best place to find a photographer! You get what you pay for.........

Craigslist isn't always the best place to find a photographer! You get what you pay for!

   I want to discuss the pros and cons of using Craigslist for your engagement and wedding photography. Craigslist has become the go to site to find everything from free items to wedding photographers. This seems to have opened the flood gates for anyone with a Canon Rebel and a kit lens to advertise as photographers. Granted there are probably great photographers advertising on Craigslist, you really need to be careful. I for one have and still do advertise on Craigslist. It seems to help me fill my weekends with photography work when things are slow, so I make a few bucks and my clients get a bargain. 
   The problem is that there are lots of people out there that will shoot and burn your wedding and not care about the outcome of your images. By the time you realize your images are totally unusable, they are gone never to be found. I for one spent almost 2 months working on a co-workers Jpg's from here wedding. The color was off, the images had noise, some were dark, skin tones were wrong, and the list goes on and on. I was able to salvage the majority of her images, but it wasn't easy and they would never be able to be blown up or put in a photo book.
    There are also some people that don't regard photography as something that requires specialized training or equipment and don't feel they should have to pay for it. It's not to say that they are cheap, they just don't realize the value of a good photography, good photography and the fact that a wedding day is a really special day with lots on important memories some of which they will never see until after they get their photos. They may also believe that the SLR camera they see in Walmart is more than capable or that the photographer that shows up with an SLR camera knows what he or she is doing.
Now to the important stuff! How do you know if the photographer your talking to actually knows what he or she is doing,

  • Ask for a portfolio of work - Couture Bridal Photography has an extensive portfolio and we bring our GraphiStudio photo books to every consultation so you can see what our photographs look like in print.
  • What kind of camera? Type of camera? lenses? Lighting? You want to ask your photographer these questions. Are the camera's crop sensor camera or full frame, Are your lenses capable of low light photography apertures of 4.0, 2.8 - 1.2, Is the lighting from a  flash on the camera or off camera. Couture Bridal Photography uses full frame Canon cameras, and all our lenses are 4.0 or less, there is no on camera flash or lighting, the lighting is always off camera with an assistant lighting the subjects to add depth and proper lighting for every scene in any lighting conditions.
  • Does the photographer shoot in Manual mode? This may sound silly but if you have the photographer meet you and bring his camera or you do an engagement session see how he shoots the photos and ask to see his screen. Couture Bridal Photography we all shoot manual for several reasons, mainly consistency from image to image, sharpness, and a deep understanding of light.
  • How many weddings have they photographed? How long have they been involved in Photography? Couture Bridal Photography has photographed way of 50 weddings and I have lost count. I never did intern with a wedding photographer and struck out my own. I was able to do this because I had been involved with photography since the age of 16 and had attended and photographed weddings for family and friends for free. It also allowed me to create my own style of photography that didn't look like everyone else's.
  • How good are they at posing? Many photographers that don't truly know what they are doing have no clue how to pose a couple, let alone when one of the clients are extremely tall, or short, or heavy. It's important to Couture Bridal Photography to make you look your best. We want to emphasize all your positive physical aspects and we want to diminish any negative whether its your weight, height or skin. Couture Bridal Photography believes everyone is absolutely beautiful, yet no one is perfect.
  • Do they have a website? This is a sign of whether they are really making the attempt to be professional but not entirely critical. Couture Bridal Photography has an extensive website with client access of their images, sharing as well as for ordering prints.
  • Do they design photo books? Im not talking about Shutterfly or other open to the public book making sites. Many high end quality photo book companies require high end work, Professional associations and a certain level of photography before they allow a photographer to design and sell their books. Couture Bridal Photography is a GraphiStudio Dealer and designer. GraphiStudio is known around the world as the finest albums hand made in Arba, Italy of the finest materials and leathers. GraphiStudio is extremely selective about the photographers they allow to design and sell their books.
   In a nutshell be careful about finding photographers on Craigslist, although there are quality photographers on there. This isn't a total list of things to look for in a  photographer, but it will lead you in the right direction. Also its worth the money to get priceless images and products from a reputable photographer. 
Here is an example of some images I found on the internet and through Facebook of photographers that really should have not been taking engagement photos, let alone a wedding. The images are poorly lit, badly posed, grainy and noisy, over saturated or under saturated, blurry, have bad skin tones or improper color balance.


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Couture Bridal Photography is a high end engagement and wedding photographer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Couture Bridal Photography provide wedding coverage throughout the United States and offers special rates for wedding in New York City and Puerto Rico
www.CoutureBridalPhotography.com and www.Facebook.com/CoutureBridalPhotography

Monday, August 5, 2013

HIRING A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER... WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE AND WHAT AM I PAYING FOR?


FACTS ABOUT THE COST OF PHOTOGRAPHY... 

A photographer doesn’t mean that we wake up in the morning, photograph a wedding for 8 hours and then go home and our job is done. Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to support ourselves as full time photographers don’t just work as photographers. We are also small business owners, which also comes with the job of doing all of our own marketing, sales, accounting, scouting, art directing, managing our offices and studios, being our own webmasters, doing our own post production, designing, blogging, being students, being mentors, researching, etc…

That being said, We are a small business owner, so we pay all of our taxes.
We pay rent for an apartment just large enough to be able to store and work on your wedding pictures in an environment suitable for photo editing.
Then we have cars, which we use to get me to and from your wedding, and we have to pay insurance on said vehicles.
To get to your (and my other brides) wedding consultation, second wedding pre-consultation, the wedding itself, and to and from the printers we use gas which is not cheap
We also have $500/year insurance in case you sue me, or if any of your drunk guests would happen to break any of my equipment. 
You also probably found us through our website, which we pay $30/month for hosting, and another $30/month so that you can view your photos online and share the images with your friends and family.
Or perhaps you found us through our advertisements in the newspaper or local bridal magazines, or a bridal show that you attended that we paid to have a booth at.
We also pay $250/month for our own health insurance in case I were to get hurt at your wedding.
We pay a wedding photography assistant for your wedding, so that you can have more images and different angles, as to make sure you get the best images possible at your wedding.
You are also getting 2 photographers to cover your wedding, for the same price you would only get one photographer for and still less expensive.
We also need to have a new pair of shoes ($100) every season because our shoes get worn out and dirty from season to season. 
We need high speed internet so I can upload all of your images online, our home phone for our business and our cell phones, so we can communicate with you. 
Oh yes, and we also pay a lawyer to make sure our contracts are iron clad and an accountant to make sure that we are paying all of the taxes we need. 
Sometimes we attend workshops and seminars to teach us how to better my business, and make our clients happier (that would be you), as well as keep up on the trends and learn new techniques so that we can make sure you have the best quality images available.
We still have to feed ourselves, buy groceries, pay for heat and electricity, clothe ourselves, etc. But, We usually I end up reinvesting whatever we make photographing a wedding on upgrades and new equipment:

During your wedding, We bring my professional equipment that we use so that we can make sure you have the highest quality images.
We have 2Canon 6D Mark II cameraS, and 1 Canon 5D Mark II, which cost at least $2,000/camera = $6,000
We also have quality lenses which can capture your special moments in low light situations:
Canon 24-70 f/2.8 lens = $1,200
Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens = $2,300
Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens = $500
Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro = $600
…and we have speed lights to catch the fun moments at your reception:
2 x Canon 580EX II = $1,200
Also multiple battery backups and memory cards, lens filters, light stands, umbrellas, light boxes, external battery packs and a bag to carry everything in = $3,000+
Because this is equipment, sometimes we need to have it serviced or cleaned to make sure it is all working properly = $200
After spending 8-10 hours at your wedding, we then go home to our home office and spend about 20-25 hours editing your images, creating your album, blogging about your wedding, posting pictures on Facebook, ordering you prints and burning your DVDs.
We edit your photographs using a 27-inch iMac computer = $2,500.
We edit your photographs on Adobe Lightroom ($200) and Adobe CS5 ($400 for the upgrade and $900 for the new program).
We print your DVDs on a printer which costs $300 and which uses $200/year in ink.
We buy the DVDs and jewel cases you’re getting printed for $300/year
We archive all of your photographs on 2 x 2TB external hard drives = $500.
We also back up all of my photographs online so if there was ever a fire in my office, you would never lose your photographs = $400/year.
We also have office expenses as far as buying paper, staples, envelopes, packaging, filing cabinets and files, etc…

We also spend time and money ordering your prints and albums, paying for shipping, going to the post office etc.
 All of that being said, We're usually in the hole at the end of the year, and take on many family portraits, senior portraits and corporate jobs in order to make ends meet.
Photography is our passion and my livelihood, and it is also expensive. Yes, it seems like a lot of money for one day, but one day isn’t all we spend on your photographs or on our business. You will spend thousands of dollars on a wedding dress or flowers or a venue or on catering which you are going to have for only one day, but your photographs will be the only thing you have to remember that one day for the rest of your lives.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

How effective is it to offer your services on trade

   As a photographer I advertise my service like everyone else on Craigslist. Craigslist is much like fishing, you post and ad, much like casting your hook and bait and you wait for something to bite. Its very passive, but it seems to be a good way to advertise and pull in customers every now and then.
The problem is you will get bombarded by girls from god knows where in the world sending you scantily clad photos and asking to meet up and see their website... The other pit fall is theres people out there that want something for free. They will post an ad that they need their daughters birthday party photographed and they will do it on trade for my portfolio and maybe, KEYWORD "MAYBE" lead to paid work in the future.
  I've been fortunate enough to be born and raised in New York City and I didn't fall off a turnip truck, so I turned things around. I do work in exchange for goods and services that work for me. For example, I live in South Florida as I already stated, and I recently made it a point to get my Wedding Photography business off the ground but it was driving my girlfriend nuts. Im also a Firefighter/Paramedic in Fort Lauderdale, and I work as a paramedic in an emergency room a few nights a week in Boca Raton, so Im always working and stay up all hours of the night working on pictures, placing ads, SEO, building my website and etc. Soooo needless to say she was feeling neglected. Well, I was contacted by a spa that is a new start up, but part of a chain in Plantation, Florida called Planet Beach. I gave it some thought and told them I would be willing to photography a little trunk show they were holding in there store. I gave it some thought and asked, well I don't offer my services cheap or free, but my girlfriend would definitely love to have access to your spa. They said sure, you'll both be VIP members. I said, Ill be there.
   Well the date rolls up and I go to this trunk show and they have someone selling jewelry and they are offering raffles and the like and serving some light snacks. There wasn't a lot of people, but I took some great photos of the staff, and displays and the like. I spent a total of 2 1/2 hours there and I leave to process the photos and I email them and create a disc for them which my girlfriend personally drops off on a visit... Well a week later, Hey Alfredo, we loved the photos and we are doing a Model Cover search for the company and we would love for you to do the photography on trade, please, I was asked.. I asked where it would be held and I said, I would think about it...
   Later on during the week the Planet Beach told me that the Model Search would be held, at the Broward Mall, in Plantation Florida on a Saturday. I advised I would sleep on it and let them know.
I thought about the various positives and negatives of doing this photography work again for free, but now it would be much more intense and time consuming having to process potentially thousands of images. I also thought, well it will be in a mall with an audience, people will see me doing what I love, Photography, they will see the high end gear I use, and I will be at a venue where I can really give out cards, and push my business. I decided to do the job.
   I get to the mall an hour early and I meet with the staff of Planet Beach, who happen to be authentically nice people. and I start shooting the models that are already there, Im giving out cards and introducing myself and the show starts. I took some of the most incredible photos yet. I gave out almost 250 cards to people as they watched the show or walked by and it was just a fun good day of shooting.
Now the finally to this modeling contest my name and what Im doing is announced throughout the mall, and Im names one of the sponsors of the event... All is good
    I get home later that evening and begin to process amazing images, and I post them on my Facebook and Flickr page. I check my stats and now my facebook and website are blowing up with new likes and people sharing my page and talking about my pictures.
The result of this was I have a more captive audience, I have established a repetoire with the model, their families and friends, and Ive shown the quality of my work. These are all little things that make a big difference in growing your business. Unlike doing free photos for a person, doing free photos in this situation benefited me by exposing me to the masses.
   So Im looking for other opportunities like this in order to boost business and awareness of my business and in the end, its more to my portfolio and practice...
Thanks

Friday, July 26, 2013

What I offer as a wedding Photographer and What I posted on my www.Facebook.com/CoutureBridalPhotography Page



 Couture Bridal Photography images are creative, clean and crisp. They’re romantic, fun, and emotional. The Couture Bridal Photography name is known for developing a unique style of wedding photography that is deeply rooted in wedding photojournalism while influenced by fine-art and fashion photography. I pride myself on not just being photographer, but rather an artist creating unique and expressive imagery.
What exactly does all of this mean? Well, let’s get into the specifics of what makes our style unique. Here are the 10 main differentiation factors and techniques that differentiate Couture Bridal Photography from the rest.
CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS
Always in search of reflections, silhouettes, foregrounds, perfect symmetry, and juxtapositions, my style is deeply rooted in creativity. As we’re shooting, you’ll see me sneaking behind objects, shooting off mirrors, and running around to achieve different perspectives.
The idea is to turn ordinary into extraordinary through finding the interest of the composition in a scene that the average eye may not notice.

PHOTOJOURNALISM

Wedding Photojournalism takes awareness of surroundings, knowledge of human tendencies, and patience. Each image I take serves a purpose and has a point. Each image captures an emotion, tells a story, or portrays a mood or feeling. That’s why you won’t see me taking random images, for example, you stuffing your face with food or staring off into space.
I'm always paying close attention to environment, listening in on conversations and anticipating that smile, laugh, tear, or hug. I have my crop in mind, my lighting set up perfectly, and I'm waiting for that expression.
HDR WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
“Save the skies!” is one of the themes of my photography. Instead of the white, blown-out skies that you might see in the work of other photographers, I put an emphasis on bringing out those beautiful sunsets, clouds, and backgrounds.
One of the methods I use is called HDR (High Dynamic Range), an advanced technique that involves taking three consecutive exposures and layering them in post production. I have developed a unique style of HDR wedding photography that maintains a natural feel, while producing dramatic effects and capturing all of the detail.
NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
My passion for understanding lighting and camera equipment has helped me develop a style of night photography that exposes for stunning backgrounds, creates a dramatic effect, and maintains a natural feel to the image.
Notice that we’re not creating harsh, flash lighting on our subjects. Furthermore, the backgrounds and lights in dark scenes are not only visible, but play an integral part in the composition of the images.
NATURAL POSING
Whether you’re stiff as a board or used to being in front of the camera, I'll make sure we give you as much direction as you need to create natural, comfortable poses.
I'm always paying attention to things like overly puckered lips, unflattering angles, and other awkward expressions. At the same time, I'm creating an environment where you’re comfortable and your personalities and affection are the focal point of the image. I'll also be sure to come up with poses that focus on your positive physical aspects.
ADVANCED FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
I also use flash photography to create interest in daytime and nighttime scenes. For example, sometimes I’ll introduce a flash flare into the scene to add interest to a first dance or a toast.
Other times I’ll introduce intentional mixed lighting to create interesting effects. And another method I use to “save the skies” is using daytime flash techniques to bring out the subjects while exposing properly for the dramatic backgrounds.
WE HAVE FUN
I love setting up scenes where you and your family/friends can be silly, fun, and playful. Whether you’re jumping, doing silly poses, or expressing some inside jokes between you and your friends, I’ll be sure to have a great time during our couples session and our wedding party session.
In some scenes, the idea sometimes is to get you out of your comfort zone by getting you to do something silly, ridiculous, or even inappropriate. During those moments, and especially in between, I'm snapping away to get those smiles and natural emotions.

ADVANCED POST PRODUCTION

Whether it’s adding textures, adding grain, removing blemishes, or any other advanced Photoshop and Lightroom effects, I've studied and mastered these techniques and applied it to my wedding photography. While my preference is to have the majority of my images remain natural, vibrant and colorful, once in a while I’ll throw in a certain effect to complete our artistic vision of the image.
DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS
You’ve spent thousands of dollars on the details of your wedding like the rings, floral arrangements, centerpieces, venues, candy bars, etc. I'm not going to let it slip past me!
I will capture the details of your wedding with the same attention and with many of the same techniques as I've described above. Your day moves quickly and while you may not have the time to sit back and fully appreciate your cake, I’ll be sure to have gorgeous pictures of it.
And don’t forget, I take some pretty cool ring shots.
My Client Service Philosophy
I believe that in hiring a professional wedding photographer, clients deserve a professional that is able to use his or her technological expertise and creative vision to create a product that clients and amateur photographers could not on their own. With digital SLR cameras becoming more and more affordable, there are many amateur photographers out there posing as professionals. My goal (Couture Bridal Photography) is to educate our clients on the differences, and provide artistic imagery that far surpasses other top notch wedding photography businesses.
Therefore, my wedding photography philosophy has three primary parts as follows:
Wedding photographers are artists and therefore must have a deep understanding of artistic theory including concepts on composition, lighting, color, design, balance, etc.
Wedding photographers should be using professional grade camera(Canon) and lighting equipment.
Wedding photographers are constantly in unusual lighting situations with significant time constraints, thus wedding photographers must be masters of their equipment. Being able to quickly adjust camera settings, anticipate lenses needed for each scene, use on and off-camera lighting techniques, etc. are crucial to being able to consistently create a professional product.
MY CLIENT SERVICE PHILOSOPHY
My photography is focused on providing you with a true Couture Bridal Photography Experience. I will start by helping decide what fits your individual needs and desires. I will assist you in planning your wedding day photography by giving you some “best practice” ideas based on my experience. When I shoot your event, I will capture each moment with my artistic vision. Finally, I will deliver to you an artistic product worthy of the Couture Bridal Photography name.
In the end, My philosophy on client service creates wonderful friendships with each and every one of my clients that goes far beyond the day of your wedding. I pride myself on always being available to my client/friends, so if you have any questions or would like to reach your me, please visit my website LauderdalePhotography.Com or call me 954-399-0741.

Making the Personal Connection: Sell yourself not what you offer.

   I have a background in sales, way back when before I moved to South Florida and became a Police Officer and now Firefighter/Paramedic, I work for a Scuba Equipment and teaching business and I had the honor of working for 2 major motorcycle dealerships. I learned that people looking for a product had many choices of where to go and find said product. I learned that when someone goes looking to buy a service or product they want to make the purchase from someone they feel deserves their hard earned money.
   When a potential customer approaches you for a product or service, they want to know what they are obviously getting for their money. I can go on and on about how I have top of the line Canon Camera's and lenses, and how great my photos come out, and how I process the photos I take and yada, yada, yada. Guess what? There are thousands upon thousands of photographers that offer the same thing. 
Actually, theres a million photographers that are better then me and worse than me. The difference is how each photographer interacts with the potential customer face to face, over the phone or through email exchanges.
   I close most of the sale inquiries, I get because I happen to be personable. Im a people person and I can talk about a million things other than photography. When People approach me I make sure I take the time to answer all their questions, and offer advice when needed. I also make sure they feel at ease with me. When it comes to photography, especially wedding photography, people are letting you into their world on their special day, they want to feel as if your their friend and that you catch every perfect moment for them.
   A potential customer also has expectations. Its very important to explain what can and cant be done and be honest. I cant stress it more how educated consumers are becoming and trying to fool one is a huge mistake. Don't ever promise what you cant deliver. Its funny but I learned this from an employer of mine years ago in New York City. "If you treat a customer right they wont tell anyone, if you treat a customer wrong, they'll tell the world". This is a fact I live by. I want my customers to feel confident they can refer me to their family and friends, and I often remind them after a job to please let anyone know about me if they are happy with my services. 
   I make it a good practice to listen to my customers needs. You cant always assume that every wedding is going to be the same or that every engagement session is going to be the same, etc. You have to pay attention to the customers needs, and being photography listen to their creative input. Although, I may be the photographer, they might actually play the role of director and want a certain feel or look to their photos. I always make the effort to try and give the customer exactly what they want within reason, when I cant I explain why and usually the customer will agree.
    In conclusion, in whatever business your in, you have to make a personal connection with your potential customer, make every attempt to satisfy your customers needs and provide him or her with the best services you can provide, but also the best possible experience as well.

Alfredo V.
Maternity Photo on the Beach in Pompano Beach across the street from my home.
LauderdalePhotography.Com, Couture Bridal Photography, Alfredo V. Photography








Thursday, July 25, 2013

The hardships of starting a photography business

   I am Alfredo V. Im an avid photographer and have been for 20 plus years. Im 2009 I decided to turn my passion into a business. I never new a photography business would be so hard to start. I launched a website, I posted pictures, and I used craigslist as a way to advertise inexpensively. I've also done many a free photo shoot to build my portfolio. What I have found is through time and SEO, the business will slowly take shape. Ive met many people willing to help and as well as a few people with equipment and the ability to add to my product, such as a videographer.
   Im going to be sharing my experiences and pictures in my blog as a way to motivate others who wish to get into the photography business. It is definitely a challenge, but with time your business will succeed. I will be posting how I've managed to get my business Couture Bridal Photography, off the ground and share the tips and tricks I've used to attract customers, get great equipment, and take better photos. Photography is something that you really cant master, there is always something to learn and always a better or different way to do things. I hope that my insight will help you create or better your business. I also think that this may apply to various other businesses.

So here we go.
To better improve the types of images I get and to further increase my knowledge or give me ideas, I began educating myself with different types of lighting I might encounter at a wedding. Ive also found photographers, I wish to emulate and create my own style with. I have found 3 photographers who I find are incredibly talented and which I can learn from. I have found the Jerry Ghionis, Syl Arena, and Cliff Moutner are epic wedding photographers, each with there own styles. I found they have done seminars for various photography businesses and they are posted online. So here are the links if your interested.

Jerry Ghionis - In camera Artistry: Using any Light source
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2nNxaBA6ss

Syl Arena- Getting the most out of Canon Speed lights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5byuHJ9uBns

Cliff Moutner- Shooting around the clock 3 12 noon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A17wFD_0So

Ill be posting more, but I hope that this helps anyone by leading in the right direction.
Please feel free to Like my Facebook page.
Couture Bridal Photography
and visit my website.
LauderdalePhotography.Com
 I will leave you with a random Photo I took on Monday just walking around.
Homeless Man LauderdalePhotography.Com
Couture Bridal Photography