Before you read any further, get your mind out of the gutter.This is a list of 5 things I do to get me in the mood before I conduct a photo session with a couple. Just a few things that work for me. It's about a 5 min read...let me know your thoughts
1. Research other photographers techniques whether through books or online blogs. I love to study great images from photographers I most admire. But not to emulate, instead to challenge myself to shoot a different type of image from what is already out there.
2. Get inside the head of my favourite photographers through online interviews like Ron Dawson's F-Stop Beyond blog. Listening to topics like their background, beliefs and experiences from the photographers I most relate to enables me to channel that same positive energy throughout my photo session.
3. Get inspired through music and movies. I often play inspiring music or my favourite movie scenes leading up to the photo shoot. In fact, I make a point to find out the couples favourite type of songs to make sure I have it playing during the photo session. It's a great for inspiration and motivation.
4. Review notes from the initial consultation. I review the couples overall style; their likes and dislikes; and even topics like how they first met. Knowing this helps generate the look and feel of the photo session that will best resonates with the couple.
5. Finally review my personal photos of the family. In particular, I love, love, love reviewing my engagement photos and my wedding album. With every picture, I can honestly recapture the feeling I had at hat moment in time. Which is my true inspiration and goal for every photo session...the power to invoke a thousand words in every image. I know I know...shameless plug but it's true. That is the mood I'm aiming for...I want the clients to look at their picture and relive that feeling at that exact moment!
So let me know...how do you get in the mood?
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The CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival has just launched for 2009. And I just attended the Still Revolution: Suspended in Time exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA). I viewed some exquisite exhibits by some fantastic photographers. In particular, I loved the work from Mikhael Subotzky from South Africa and Stan Douglas from my home country Canada.
Also, I was able to add more images to my growing "one thousand words" gallery. Just to explain the concept behind my gallery briefly, it's images that invoke a unique descriptive word like "warmth" or "love" when viewing the images...more on that project later. With respect to the images from the gallery, I've captured genuine reactions of the attendees as they interpret the photographer's exhibits. When viewing my images words that come to mind are "curious", "shock" and even "comical".
Thank you to CONTACT and MOCCA for hosting this great festival. Enjoy and let me know what words come to mind for you.
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I'm trying to catch up on some of my reading and recently read an article called"Accounting for Taste"in PsychologyToday Mag from the writer EricGardner. Psychology to Photography??? I know I know where is the transition, right? My major in University was Psychology but the transition makes sense...maybe I'll explain one day.
Anyway...Eric went on to write a brilliant article about our choices in art and music and what that says about our personality.
I've took the liberty to paraphrase the article but keep in mind there are opposite sides to each of these styles that have both positive and negative attributes. I chose to just elaborate on the positive but you can read the article for more details.
The Taste Hunters, enjoy discovering new artistic material and influencing the taste of others. Their openness correlates to a great range of taste. And are constantly sampling new music, scouring movies and visiting art museums.
The Thrill Seekers, are extroverts that are lively, active and social people that crave sensory excitement in their art. They maybe attracted to abstract or surreal art from such artists like Jackson Pollock. They also enjoy music with vocals as they are drawn to human voice.
The Self-Medicators, feeds off raw emotional songs and gravitate to emotionally turbulent art. They utilize inspirational message as self affirmation and self medication and often focus on content rather than structure. Art can regulate their moods from melancholic or uplifting through music, books, movies or pictures.
While I don't like to assing myself into any one style, it begs the question "what style best describes me"??? Based on my own perception of my self I think I would be a "Taste Hunter". But if you ask my wife I would probably be a "Self Medicator" All said and done I think I would like others to see me as a "Thrill Seeker" but I'm not sure why.
Based on the Camera Cruise Photog Mentors and their pics, what style fits them best? The Taste Hunter, the Thrill Seeker or the Self Medicator. Then let me know what style fits you and why. Who knows maybe the Photog Mentors will offer their own opinion of their style as well.
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Wow, you do so much to prepare... I feel lame because I don't really do much more than maybe look at my notes from the meetings I've had with the couples. I pretty much rely on having a goodtime and just going in blind to see what spontaniously happens.
Maybe I should try prepping a bit more.
(06.23.09 @ 06:29 AM)You are a very wise man Carl. ;) Thanks for all the support.
(06.23.09 @ 05:01 PM)Sweet blog, mate. Love it.
(06.23.09 @ 05:48 PM)Cool new blog! Looks awesome.
(06.24.09 @ 10:06 PM)this shot has a sweet fashion edge to it, I dig it. The part I would add that to these great suggestions is to have a freakin blast while shooting, I get the best images when I am having a good time, and I can engage my couples and work with them so they are having fun as well!
(06.25.09 @ 06:05 PM)Great new blog. Very unique.
(06.26.09 @ 04:43 PM)Good ideas here Carl. I try and focus on pre-visualizing the images I want to create.
(06.30.09 @ 10:37 AM)Hey all. Thanks for the love and sharing your way to get in the mood.
(07.03.09 @ 05:00 AM)Awesome image Carl, its totally cool that you focus so much time ahead of time getting yourself ready for the shoot. I should probably start spending some more time preparing myself mentally before running off to shoot
(07.03.09 @ 11:29 AM)valuable information and excellent design you got here! I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts and time into the stuff you post!! Thumbs up!
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