jana w.

I like typepad.com. You can change how you want your images to upload (click thumbnail for larger picture or post large photo in the text. I think it is 5.99/month.

I was referred to Tara Andrysiak by a fellow photographer <tara_andrysiak@yahoo.com> . She is really affordable ($50) and has a really good turn around time.

I have been with them for 8 months now. I was lucky enough to get a 1/2 price website (if they don't update the blog daily and you catch it and email them, you get a 1/2 off an $800 site). So I was pretty estatic but I had also heard bad things about their support. I was surpised because I had no problems with them at all. I also do submit a support ticket with either "urgent" or "911" marked when I need help. I usually get a response with in hours. Go to the link below to sumit a support ticket.

http://www.blusupport.com/tickets/add?section=Support

OH and a side note, I don't stamp my stuff so much anymore. I use White House Custom Color (www.whcc.com) Print Fulfill option which stamps the back of the prints with my name and ship the contents directly to my customer in a while plain box (so they can't go the lab website and know my cost). The cost for Print Fulfill is the same at MPIX and the shipping is only $5.

I was going to recomment Rexton brand that I got from B&H last year ( a whole kit for $19!) but it says they can't ship the stuff due to shipping regulations. I must have slipped through the cracks somehow because mine was shipped.

Hi, I found 5x5 boxes in 2 sizes depth (1 1/2 inch and 3 inches) at Michels Company. You have to sign up for an account. I don't have my catalog price list on me but I am sure they aren't more than a few dollars each.

Here is the link:

http://www.michelcompany.com/presentation_boxes/gold_or_black.html

Hi Matt,

Sorry about your photographer issues. I know it stinks to have to go through this! May I ask what the photographer charged and how much experience they had? Yes, $50 is very little to compensate for no formal photos. It sounds like the photographer did try to make up for the error with the extras but it wasn't what you desired. Is there ANY salvaging the images even if the are way over/under exposed? If there isn't, the only option is to do a re-shoot at the photographers cost for the bride's hair and makeup and for your tux/suit rental. Hopefully close family isn't far away so they can be involved in the photos. They may not be willing to budge on a refund (money isn't really what you wanted in the first place, it was the actual photos, right??) Even though it is a huge pain to get all dressed up again, this may be the only option to get those photos. OH, and ask to see the photos on the camera before the photographer leaves the shoot. Most photographers don't like to show unedited pics but at least you can see if they are usable! Hope this helps!

I upload my own design and use Vistaprint.

Oh yeah, you said she wanted to get save the date magnets as well. I use vista print and upload my own layout. They are REALLY affordable, $12 for 25. And good quality!

For the magazine style albums, does she want an ablum or a book? An actual album might be hard to come by for you. Shutteryfly or Mpix are good options for what I call "Story Books". Another option is a self-mount album. The one I have used in the past is a Reniassance self-mount album from Michel Company, price starts off at $55 for 8x10 album (the have small and larger size albums in this style) and then you get the printed layouts from a lab. Candid2000 have tons of good templates and are a good price. So the cost for the smallest 8x10 album with the layouts is around $120. Candid2000 offers albums as well. One I saw in a magaine is $200 but I haven't used them for albums before. The looked pretty good from the ad though. You don't have to have a studio or a tax ID for Michels or Candid2000.

Thanks everyone. I have decided to scratch the logo and hire a pro as suggested. After looking at it more, it really doesn't fit with my style anyway. So for now I have a generic logo on the site until I can get a nice one.

 

Dennis Vargas, I will definetely be contacting Tara. I didn't know that logo design would be that inexpensive. Most places I have seen advertised are $200+. I can deal with fifty bucks! Thanks again!

REPLY: I agree that it doesn't work well for business cards or invoices. The scale is too small. I just planned to use it for the splash page on my new blu site. It be quite large scale for that purpose and I don't think I will be using it on anything else.

Well, congrads on the pregnancy! I have been in the exact spot you are at. I think you will be ok for the New Years but have several back up photographers that you could call if for some reason you can't make it. You might even consider altering your wedding contracts so that you are covered in case this does happen. Honestly, the last 2 months are the hardest because you just want it over with already! I would consider the last two months to be the "maternity leave".

Sorry, I corrected the cetering of the flower but didn't save it!<div></div>

I saw someone else post about logo design and I have been stuck in the same

spot for a while. Being the "do-it-yourself" person that I am, I wanted to give

the logo design a try before I hired someone. Just wanted to know what your

thoughts are on what I came up. The logo would be on the splash page only with

a white background.<div></div>

I agree with you about not investing in a large setup for only a few shots. I think a collapsible backdrop is a good idea. I have used a backdrop under a covered porch area and used my flash for just a tiny bit of fill. Natural light kicks artificial light's butt any day of the week!

I have in my contract the "no other hired photographer". But also, to avoid the couple saying they didn't pay him anything so therefore he isn't hired, I also put "no SLR (professional-type) cameras". It voids the contract and I am released from any further obligations if the the SLR-shooter doesn't cease immeadetly. I am perfectly fine with guests using point-and-shoot cameras except for during formals and also if they do not cause a distraction for me. I had my first unwanted SLR shooter a few months ago and he was a pain (getting in many of my shots, causing confusion with the subjects). I didn't have the "no-SLRs" in my contract with the couple so I couldn't really say anything for that wedding. I learned my lesson and changed my contract!

I am ordering the SB800 for my main flash. I already have a SB600 but it is

lacking power so I am going to use it for my secondary camera. My question is,

does the Nikon diffuser that comes with the SB800 work on the SB600? It kinda

looks like an omnibounce. I am not sure if they are the same phyiscal size. I

don't want to order a omnibouce if it will fit the SB600. All I need is more

crap taking up space!! I already have a Lightsphere that I love but carrying

two cameras with two lightspheres on them would be a little much for me!

I use foliosnap right now until I can save up for blu domain. They don't offer online proofing so I use pictology for proofing. The lowest package is $19/mo and no set up fees or contracts. You can have a flash homepage (like mine). It is no website to be oohed or ahhed by but it works for now.

I am looking into getting some studio gear in the next few months. I know I

want to go with White Lighting. I have thought about getting 1 x1600 light

(main light), and 3 X800 lights (for fill, hair, and background lights). I on

using these in a studio 90% of the time. However, if I needed to use them

outside the studio, is this enough power to light most situations? Also, I have

heard that the WL stands are not all that great (cheaply made). Should I go

with another brand and should I go with air-cushioned? Are thier softboxes ok

to use? Should I invest in a beauty dish or would softboxes be better? WL has

come out with foldable softboxes with a recessed lip to attach grids and

lourves (when they come out). Should I get a medium box (24x36") with grid for

hair light or just a grid that goes onto the reflector? I plan on buying

umbrellas as well (3). Should I go with a silver/white reversable, gold/silver

reversable, or a shoot-thru umbrella that can be used as a white bouce if the

black cover is put on?

 

OK, second issue. I am planning on getting a SB800 flash (currently have the

SB600 flash) to start using the CLS for weddings. I plan to use CLS only during

formals and during the reception. I plan on leaving the SB800 on my main camera

(D200) and the SB600 on my second camera (D70s) for everything else. Should I

use an umbrella on a lightstand with the SB600 for the formals and reception?

I obsessivly manually power down my flash. In most cases the TTL mode is just

too strong of output. For the CLS should I just let the TTL do its thing and

not manually power it down?

 

THANKS in advance

Hi, Dara. I am from the Nashville area (raised in Hoptown about 1 1/2 hour away) so I feel your pain about the tough market area. Luckily I moved before really decided to push forward with the photography! I think your work is nice and your prices are right for the area. I know it probably seems low to alot of other people in the country but those prices are suited for the region. I too had problems loading the site. I am not sure if you designed it yourself or hired someone but it needs help! Not that my website is superfantastic but it is cheap and decent! I use foliosnap.com and their lowest package ($19/mo) and it had no set up fees. You can add on more pages than I have on mine. A client may not wait for your current pages to load. There are oodles of other photogs whos pages don't take so long. I hope this help and I wish you all the luck in the world!!!

Yes, the shots of each attendant with the bride or groom is a standard shots list. I actually get several of those. I also get shots with the mom and bride together. The aunt or "anyone at the family table" needs to be requested by the bride. That is not your fault if no one spoke up and requested a formal shot with the bride. I don't do table shots unless requested but I do have the question listed on the info sheet the bride is required to fill out a few weeks before the wedding. Please don't feel bad though, my second wedding I forgot to get shots of the bride alone!!! YIKES! Luckily she was awesome and said she had plenty of shots with her hubby and didn't care (I offered to reshoot her at my cost). Point is we all make mistakes and that is how we learn. I am not sure what can be done to make up to the bride for this. If you are digital, perhaps do some PS cropping and get the bride with the person next to them. And then the same with the groom. I do this quite a bit if somone is the photo doesn't look right but some of the other people do.

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The father-daughter dance. It is usually an emotional moment and I even get a little "misty" but I cover it up by not pulling my camera away from my face! What can I say, I am a big cry baby!

Hi, just wondering what color of blankets others use for outdoor family shots.

I live in KY and the grass is an amazing color but a lot of people don't want

to sit in the grass. So I usually have a large dark green towel on hand but it

is too small in most cases. I didn't know if I should go with another color

other than dark green. Thanks!