November 2014 – The Good Photographer Blog

November 27, 2014

3 Wedding Photo Secrets

It’s your wedding day and your attention is where it should be–You. Your most important day should be captured in your wedding photos. It doesn’t stop in just the photo shoot, there are many elements that need to come together to ensure the bride and groom can share their most memorable moments in wedding photos.

The special day should be captured by a professional that knows what he or she is doing. The bride and groom place their trust in someone who can seize every special moment and convert it into a lifelong memory through photos.

We want to give you three Wedding Photo Secrets to help on your wedding day:

Hire the right wedding photographer. Planning is the key. Of course, as it should be when it’s an important day. When you are working with a budget, consider reducing the number of hours you want the photographer to shoot. Have the photographer capture the bridal preparations, the ceremony and the bride and grooms’ interactions. This will allow the photographer to focus more on the couple and take good shots, rather than trying to stretch their time for the entire wedding. Plan ahead and let them know exactly what you want and expect from them.
Hire a stylist that knows how to make you look your best in a photo. A professional stylist knows how much make up a bride should wear for the perfect photos, taking the lighting and wedding venue into consideration.
Be ready and prepared. Go over your list before the wedding to ensure everything has been taken care of. Remember to relax and accept that small things may go wrong but stay relaxed. Planning ahead allows you to have everything ready before your wedding day, keeping you stress-free. Photos do not lie and a stressed bride and groom will be one memory you may not want to relive.

The main secret in Wedding Photo Secrets is—Have Fun!

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November 20, 2014

5 Outdoor Wedding Photo Ideas In Los Angeles

The Scenic Spots of Los Angeles

Los Angeles is home to wonderful sights for engaged couples hoping to document their wedding. Professional wedding photographers will know all the best spots. However, there are places you can go to take your own photos if you’re camera savvy. If you have a friend who’s a skilled photographer, call them up for a favor, or offer a rate that will benefit all by saving you money while they earn supplemental income. Whether you use a professional or not, these are some of the best spots to take outdoor wedding photos in Los Angeles.

The most obvious spot for outdoor wedding photos in California is the beach. Not all beaches are equal, so you’ll need to do some hunting for the perfect spot. The best recommendation we have for beach photos is at El Matador State Beach. Located in Malibu, this beach is a perfect blend of ocean, sand, and magnificent rock caves to bring enchantment to your wedding photos. It’s accessible every day from 8 a.m. until the sun goes down. Photos of the sunset at El Matador will be unforgettable and bring the beauty you’ve been searching for.

The Griffith Observatory is another great spot to take wedding photos. I know what you’re thinking, “Really? An observatory?” Yes! This observatory has beautiful architecture and is truly a great spectacle. Not to mention it’s higher than 1,300 feet in elevation and provides one of the best views of Los Angeles anyone could hope for. With the entire city below you, and a top notch display of open sky above, you’ll have wedding photos that capture the magnitude of earth and heaven.

The city has places that create ambiance as well. Perhaps you’d like a nighttime, city photoshoot in addition to your beach and auditorium shots. The Urban Lights at LACMA seems like the setting of a modern fairytale. It’s a hotspot for local photographers and provides more than adequate lighting to illuminate your wedding photos. With 202 antique streetlamps this urban spectacle is marvelous.

If you’re looking for a foreign flavor in your photos, you can visit the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden to appear well traveled. The garden is a very popular venue for wedding photos. The price to take photos varies depending on how many people will be on location, including your hired photographers and their staff.

Finally there’s the Exposition Rose Garden. Nothing says romance like an abundance of roses in the backdrop of your wedding photos. There are tons of vibrant colors to choose from, especially in Spring, Summer, and Fall. The architecture of the Natural History Museum, and the surrounding array of beautiful roses, make this a prime spot for forging memories.

Those are my top five favorite places in Los Angeles to take wedding photos. I don have a few honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the list. The first is the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This building’s architecture is unique, contorted, and brings a modern twist to your photos. The honorable mention for California culture is Venice Beach. If growing up around Venice Beach is something you’re proud, or if you just love its culture, there are plenty of great spots to take high quality wedding photos.

November 13, 2014

How To Plan a Wedding In Los Angeles

Your wedding day should be perfect. It’s a day you will always remember and cherish. Planning a wedding in Los Angeles can be overwhelming and frustrating. The best thing you can do to avoid the frustration is to take it one step at a time.

The Minister…

To become legally married you will need someone to officiate your vows. Finding a minister can be quite a task. If you are a member of a church then obviously you should ask your own minister, but if you are not it’s a good idea to call around. Contact churches in your area.

Location…

After you’ve found your minister you’ll need to figure out where you will be getting married. If you regularly go to church of course you’ll want to have your wedding there. If you don’t you’ll need to find a church or other special location. Again, call your local churches. Another idea is to get married somewhere that is special to both of you.

Set the Date and Time…

After you’ve figured out who will marry you, and where you will be married you need to secure both with a set wedding date. Arrange the date and time you choose with both the minister, and with the location.

The Guest List…

Once you have set your wedding date you should begin compiling a list of people you want to invite. This will include your friends and family, and his friends and family. Create the list according to how many people your wedding location can accommodate. Write all of the names, numbers, and addresses of the people you want to invite down.

The Reception…

Wedding receptions are usually held at a different location than the wedding itself. You’ll need to figure out where you want you reception to take place. Plan the location of your reception according to your guest list. The place you choose to hold it will have to have enough seating to accommodate everyone who will attend. Use your set wedding date to reserve your reception location. Plan on the reception beginning one hour after the ceremony.

Invitations…

After you’ve chosen your locations and have created you guest lists you can start ordering invitations. Include your wedding date, contact information, the time of the ceremony, the time of the reception, the address of the ceremony, and the address of the reception. When people receive your invitations they will know exactly when and where they will need to go and will be able to let you know if they will be attending or not.

The Dress and the Tux…

The next thing both you and your soon to be spouse will want to do is find the perfect dress and tux for the occasion. Most women purchase their dresses, and usually men rent their tuxedos. Plan to pick up the tux a day or two before the wedding that way it doesn’t have to be done at the last minute.

Best Man, Maid of Honor, and Bridesmaids…

Next it’s time to figure out who your best man, maid of honor, and bridesmaids will be. Ask them, and when they accept begin shopping for the dresses and planning to rent another tuxedo.

Food and Drinks…

Most often food and beverages are served at wedding receptions. Choose a caterer and hire them for the specific date and time of your reception.

Flowers and Decorations…

The groom will need a flower for his lapel, and the bride will need a bouquet. You’ll want to plan to decorate both the location of your ceremony, and the location of your reception.

November 6, 2014

Tips on Portrait Photography in Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles is the capital of the movie industry. Sooner or later all of the inspiring actors and actresses will need to get their own portfolio done with professionally made portrait photos. The city has more than its fair share of intriguing outdoor locations for the perfect portrait picture. Beautiful portraits can be taken with the city skyline in the background, especially when it is illuminated at night. If you visit the Griffith Observatory you will get particularly picturesque views of the city of Los Angeles. The city itself can be observed from many different vantage points, all of which can be used to create great pictures.

People that are interested in taking portrait photographs of Los Angeles throughout the city should take into account some of the unique features of Los Angeles. Outdoor activities are popular in a city that tends to enjoy warm weather all year long. In many restaurants, the patrons primarily eat outside. There are plenty of music events or theater events where everything is staged outdoors. These kinds of locations can be excellent photography subjects for photographers that are interested in capturing the nightlife of Los Angeles, or at least aspects of that nightlife.

The Getty Center of Los Angeles has some truly beautiful landscaping, and the building itself should be very interesting for photographers. The area is a mixture of very modern architecture and styling, as well as traditional architecture and styling, which can make for an appealing dichotomy. Photographers can get some excellent shots of the area in all sorts of weather conditions. While Los Angeles is a city that is known for its sun, the Getty Center would actually look particularly lovely on an overcast day with a muted sun, which is hardly uncommon in Los Angeles.

Sunset Boulevard has plenty of locations throughout that can make for excellent photographs. Many people that visit Los Angeles are eager to get to Sunset Boulevard in order to commemorate the trip. Sometimes, it is the quieter places on Sunset Boulevard that make for the best photography subjects, of course. The Chateau Marmont can serve as a beautifully tranquil backdrop for a Los Angeles photograph. The area has rich, green vegetation and is paved with red bricks, making it easy to create a photograph with a good mix of colors.

Photographers that are interested in photographing natural subjects should drive along the Pacific Coast highway. As they drive along, they should be able to see some original natural subjects that grab their attention. There will be some truly lovely ocean scenery to look at along the beaches, with the rich, deep blue Pacific Ocean to serve as a photography subject. Many people take pictures of the landmarks at the Point Dume State Preserve, which can include enormous and imposing rock formations. Some people enjoy getting away from all of the artificiality of urban environments and commemorating the natural world, while other people enjoy capturing a mixture of the two worlds. Los Angeles is able to offer photographers both subject categories, which is one reason that it has inspired photographers for generations, and it will continue to inspire generations of photographers.