Online photography lessons & affordable photograhpy seminars for photographers of all skill levels

Hello fellow inLIGHTin’ed Ones,

Man, I never expected my workshops to go so well last year. The feedback has been so great and I got to meet a ton of amazing up and coming photographers. It is always great being able to share knowledge with others and I know that I have learned so much since 2009 and how I can better “inLIGHTin” future students of mine.

The only downside is that these workshops have really had me booked solid without any breathing room. My workshops and my photo business (www.ParamourPhoto.com) made it so that I really had no free time with my wife and child. I still love doing what I do but the photo business is my main priority. The only way to really make things work is for me to raise my workshop prices for 2010. Prices last year were VERY affordable and you got years of knowledge in a 6 hour seminar. Now, prices will remain on the affordable side, unlike other workshops, with only a $100 price increase for my one-on-one workshops.

I would really like to do more group workshops. This will be another way for me to get you all the most bang for your buck. I can keep prices lower when multiple people attend and I can reach more people in one day as opposed to individual sessions so it is a big win-win situation.

I also want to branch out past Buffalo, NY so if you aren’t a Buffalo native and would like to host a workshop in your town then be sure to get in touch with me and to set something up. Those who host a workshop get a lot of perks such as a free admission, complimentary phone consultation and other special goodies.

Thank you all for such a great 2009. I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010 and hope to see you all very soon at one of my workshops.
~Michael

Download Skype:
Mac: http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/
PC: http://www.skype.com/download/skype/macosx/

For more information on how to use Skype click here:
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This is a FREE webinar! Register quick because it is limited to only 25 seats.

I will be available from 7pm (till whenever) Eastern Time to talk with you all, answer any questions you may have. I plan on talking a tiny bit about photography and how to take your photos to the next level no matter if you just picked up a camera or if you have your own studio and do this for a living.

The conference call is limited to 25 people so first come first serve. Email me at mike@inlightinworkshop.com and pre-register for the webinar.

Once again, thank you for your support and I hope to see you there!
Michael

To pose, or not to pose: That is the question. A question all modern day wedding photographers have to face. Today’s bride is all about “photo journalism.” It’s getting to the point where they turn their head anytime someone mentions the word “pose”. However, do they really know what this term means or did they just see that buzz word in a bridal magazine?

Photojournalism, documentary, and lifestyle photography are all synonyms. They all mean that the photographer will be unobtrusive and capture those special, candid moments as they unfold. But what does a photographer do when these special moments are few and far in-between? What do you do when the story unfolding in front of you is the bride’s father not approving of his future son-in-law, or when the groom is having second thoughts or when the couple is getting married for all the wrong reasons? This may seem far-fetched but I can guarantee that it’s happened before.

A true “photo journalistic” photographer should be capturing these fights and lack of love in each other’s eyes the same way true photo journalists do when in the heart of war zones. However, do you think the bride will be happy to see these moments in her wedding album? Me either. So what do we do as photo journalistic wedding photographers? We’re damned if we do and we’re damned if we don’t.

If we don’t hang that shingle out there saying we shoot in a photo journalistic style then we won’t get many bookings. Brides want what the magazines tell them because posed photos are old fashioned and dated. However, if they see their true wedding then they may not like what they see. No one wants a wedding album with a spread of the groom sweating bullets and getting ready to flee to Mexico minutes before the ceremony or the couple just going through the movements without any love in either of their eyes.

My solution is to create a happy medium between the two.

First, I think it is absolutely essential to educate the couple when you meet with them. All of this can be very new to them and most of their information comes from recently married friends of theirs or from magazines. I’ve seen brides asking for photo journalism one minute, yet taking out their plan book and showing me a handful of images that are nothing of the sort. The photos she takes out have been posed shots brides on gondolas in Venice or on a secluded beach in Hawaii. Yes they look amazing but they were most likely taken by a fashion photographer and are very farfetched from the norm. This just goes to show you how no matter what, every bride wants to look like a princess and they want their day to be like it was out of a fairy tale. Educating the bride will let them know how weddings typically run and to let them know that powerful images like the one’s she is showing require a large amount of pre-planning. It probably isn’t in their budget to fly everyone down to Venice or Hawaii but amazing photos can be taken really quite anywhere. It just takes a lot of grunt work, scouting and planning to find a place that is elegant and unique.

Secondly, I tell them how I photograph a wedding. This is where I mention how I “coach” the couples to create these memorable photos. I tell the couple how I offer them tips and pointers throughout the day to make the best images possible. This could mean telling them to sit by a tree together and just talk and be cuddly or even to just tell them to keep doing what they are doing, just a couple steps over so they can be in better light.
Lastly, I strongly recommend that they book my engagement portrait session. Here, I explain that it is a learning experience for both of us. I am seeing what works and what doesn’t and I get to know the best ways to photograph the two of them. On the same token, they get a chance to warm up in front of the camera and to get comfortable with it so that it will all be second nature on their big day.

When it comes to the shoot, I do exactly the things I mentioned to them and really try to keep them engaged and involved in the whole process. I treat things more like an experience than anything. I want them to feel just like they left an amusement park when I am done with them.

This coaching technique can lead one to “machine gun shooting” if you aren’t careful. Over time however, you begin to hone in on your technique and you begin to anticipate the moment that is essentially just how a photojournalist would… The only difference is that our photos will be taken in better light.