E-Sessions

One of my favorite types of session to shoot is engagement sessions. I love getting to know a couple and their story (because I love a good story), and then creating a custom session to fit that couple's relationship. Some are fun and flirty, some intimate and serious, some are laid back and casual, and some are just plain crazy. However, they are all happy and in love.

As a photographer, I think it's fascinating to see all of the different ways of expressing love, and believe that we have failed if we don't capture that unique style of love. Mel and I have taken couples that were very comfortable holding and hugging and kissing, and other that were very shy and uncomfortable with kissing for the camera. The images we captured were good, but you could tell that kissing in public just wasn't them. However, the shots that we got of them walking hand in hand were a perfect expression of the love that they share.

Before going into a sit, I often look at the work of other photographers who have taken similar sits. Mel and I have the honor of shooting an engagement session this weekend, so I am checking out some of the engagement work of different photographers. In this research stage I check out local, national, and international photography in order to get a sense of what is out there and glean some inspiration. I'm finding that there are some great photographers out there with work that is both original and captivating. I can get a feel for the relationship of the couple just by looking at their pictures. Friends, that is what engagement photography should be. On the other hand, I'm seeing a lot of form photography also, which speaks for itself.

Form photography, to my mind, is when I can go through a photographers portfolio and find the same poses over and over again. They are unoriginal, boring, and say nothing about the couple. Many like to label these as 'traditional' images, and some of them are. They are the images that grandma wants to put up in her living room. Personally, I have a taste for the creative side of photography, so these are the shots my wife has to remind me about and enforce. I'll admit that these 'standard' images have their place, but that shouldn't be the content of your portfolio (in my opinion). I want to see what makes you different. I want to see your unique point of view. In the words of my good friend Mr. Steve, I want FRESH!

I know what many of you are thinking, but this blog is not just me getting up on my soap box. My purpose is to challenge you as a photographer to take that second look. How can you see the scene before you in a different way that is unique to you? Do your engagement sessions say something about the couple, or are they just 'good pictures?' Don't sell yourself short, and don't get in a rush. Get to know the couple and their story and craft your session around that information. I challenge you to raise the standard.

North Carolina Bound

On the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again. Mel and I are so excited to be heading off to North Carolina for an extended weekend to visit some of our dearest friends. While there, we will also be taking an engagement session in the beautiful fall foliage! This week can't go by fast enough.

I love the overall atmosphere of North Carolina anyway, but especially in the fall. When the air is cool and crisp and the leaves begin to turn from vivid greens to the wonderfully warm colors of fall. As a photographer, I love the different color schemes and textures that come with the season. I'm so excited to add more diversity to our portfolio, not to mention more beautiful people.

I hope you all are having a wonderful week. God bless!

Justin

The Photographer's Perspective

Photography is all about perspective.

It's not what you see, but how you see it. Perspective is what separates the good photographers from the great ones. A great photographer's work should show you the world from his or her point of view, which should be somewhat original and unique.

Recently, my wife and I went on vacation with her family to north Georgia, and while there we visited Amicolola Falls (http://www.amicalolafalls.com/). The 729 foot falls are a photographer's dream for beautiful landscape photography; however 99% of the photographs that I have seen are exactly the same. They have all been taken straight on looking up at the falls from the wooden observation deck. I know this because, while there, I was able to replicate the exact shot that is shown in the brochures.

While this may be a beautiful picture, does this really represent you? How could this shot be taken differently? These are the questions that a good photographer will ask in order to get a signature shot.

Personally, I shot from the trail and framed the falls with leaves out of focus in the foreground and the falls in focus in the background. This gives the picture an intimate, secluded feel. I shot the same waterfalls with a twist that makes it my own. Framing is also something of a signature style for me, so it fit very well.

A beautiful shot makes a nice picture, but a beautiful shot that is unique and easily identified as your own is the artistic touch that sets you apart from everyone else. Next time you find yourself peering through the viewfinder, think about the shot that you are about to take. Is it standard? What makes it standard? How can I change this shot to make it unique and an expression of my style? Think before you shoot.

Don't have a unique perspective or style? I highly recommend looking for one. I look through other photographer's work (old and new), watch movies, travel to new places, and talk to people. I am constantly saying, "That would make an awesome picture." Just this past weekend a friend called me a nerd for saying this, but I don't mind. Photography is the way I see things; my perspective on life, and if that makes me a nerd, then I'm OK with that.

Happy shooting!

Welcome.

Hello all, and welcome to Moments of Bliss Photography's Blogsite. While I am a highly experienced writer, blogging is not a written style that is currently in my resume. I imagine that this written style of communication will take some getting used to, so please humor me. Like any new endeavor that I set my mind to take on, I have spent the past few months researching blogs and frequenting numerous blogsites in order to gain a better understanding of my own goals. The following is what I have discovered over the last several months:

1. A blog can quite simply be absolutely anything that the writer desires it to be. I have come across blogs about the daily life of a teenage girl, informative blogs, how to blogs, news blogs, opinion blogs, photo blogs, and many others.

2. There are some very strange people in this world, and they are highly entertaining at times.

3. I prefer blogs that are a mixture of personal struggle and experience mixed with great information on a topic. My favorite so far has been http://justcreativedesign.com/. I also greatly enjoy photo blogs, being a photographer/photo critic.

Therefore, I have decided to start a blog. My desire is that this blog is a valuable resource to my followers in the field of photography, a place to find beautiful photographs and the stories that go with them, and a source of entertainment for those following my crazy, blessed, and overall wonderful life. God bless, and stay tuned!