Stuff Justin Loves: Shooting from the Hip & the Olympus Pen
The past few days have been good for me. Mary and I have changed the pace of how we usually travel. Where we would normally blitz in and out of a city barely catching a blur of what it's all about, this time we made the call to switch up some of our travel plans to make time to stay in Sydney and just be. And I've been forcing myself to do the same with my shooting. To slow down and not be so rushed. As we've been walking around exploring side streets and taking time to do a little people watching, I've been taking my Olympus EP-1 with us just about every where that we go. I love it because it's small and lightweight, and easy to take with us. Which means that I actually get to document our lives for a change too.
Plus it has a really fun B&W filter that is about 180 degrees from the way we usually process our black and whites... but I love it! I love the extreme contrast. I love the heavy grain. And what I probably love most about this camera is that I can shoot from the hip and catch moments when people aren't "on" for the camera. I love that it's wide angle and tells a bigger story. And I love that we can catch some of this life as it's passing us by. When you think about it, that's really why most of us got into photography in the first place, to tell a story and document life. And for the past few days, I'm just really glad that the story I've been able to tell has been ours.
**We got the EP1 a couple years back now, but if you're looking for a really great point and shoot to take with you when you travel I highly recommend the updated Olympus EP-3. It's small. It has interchangeable lenses. It has super fast focusing. And it just looks plain cool while you're walking around a new city! :-)
Last week, I woke up promptly at 3:30 in the morning.
It was partly the jet lag, and partly the nerves. But either way, I was wide awake at dark o'clock in the morning.
I edited a wedding. And then I wrote a blog post. I tied ribbons on an endless supply of Max Brenner chocolates that would be gifts for our attendees. And then I flossed my teeth. Twice.
I was dressed and ready to go over two hours before the first people started arriving. It was maybe the most prepared I've ever felt for a Walk Through. And at the same time....the least.
I had no idea what to expect when the first Aussie photographers started arriving. But two very full days (and one Vegemite sandwich) later, and I realized I officially have a crush on the people from a land down under. They are among the kindest, warmest, most welcoming people on the PLANET. And they say things like "chewie" and "jumper" that make me smile. So trust me when I say, if I ever catch anybody messing with my new friends....
they better run, they better take cover. :)
With so much thanks & gratitude to the incredible Australian photographers who came from all over to make our trip possible, we cannot thank you enough for your grace, love and encouragement. But most of all, for your great big hearts and for sharing your stories. Honestly. It is a history that matters to somebody...it matters to us. We are so, so lucky to call you friends!
So much love,
J&M
Logistics diplomat and global miracle worker: Julia J. Gargano Venue: Ripples of Chowder Bay Styling & Coordination: we cannot thank Kathy of Nightingales enough for taking the reigns on styling this workshop and absolutely BLOWING us away with all that she came up with! Kathy everything was absolutely flawless!
Our fantastic models: Kelly & Nick
Chocolates for attendees: Max Brenner Blooms & Paper: Kathy of Nightingales Photography: Justin & Mary
** And a HUGE thanks to Janine Kaye & Lauren Condon for sitting with us by a pool in Cabo and saying "What If" you came to Australia. We will never be the same because of it. Ever. Love you girls! xoxo
**If you'd like to join us at a future Walk Through, you can find all the info for our upcoming June workshop HERE!
When I was little, my favorite song, was Inch by Inch. My mom and I would sing it as we worked in the garden and she would sing me to sleep with its gentle rhythm at night. And when I first saw the song performed by John Denver and his singing muppet plants, I'm pretty sure it changed my life.
Fast forward 20 something years later, and Inch by Inch, is still a song that echoes through my head every Spring as I plant, weed, and water my garden beds. And after all this time, I still think there is a small part of me, that waits for the day when one of my plants will burst into song. And I'm pretty sure, if any of my flowers are going to start singing, it would be my ranunculus. It's a fun word to say, a crazy looking bulb before it's in the ground, and an absolutely gorgeous flower once it blooms. At the risk of making my other plants jealous, I think it might just be my favorite flower of them all!
So because it's Monday, and my renunculus are in full bloom, I thought I would share a little of the fun with you! Leave a comment below... name your favorite flower, your favorite springtime activity... anything really! And I'll send one lucky commenter a $25 dollar gift certificate to Home Depot, so you can buy some flowers of your own! And if you figure out how to make them sing... let me know! :)
She stood at the front of a long hallway with just her and her dad, and waited until it was their turn. They were the last ones left to go, just the two of them together, as a parade of pink had already made their way out into the warm Floridian sun. And now in the quiet, in this one moment they both tried to hold on to just a little longer, the only thing left to do was to take that next step. He looked at her often, this daughter of his. So proud of the person she had become. And somewhere behind those eyes, if you looked just close enough....you could swear you could see an entire lifetime flash by in an instant.
They stood together at the end of a long hallway and waited until it was their turn. They would be the last ones left to go, just the two of them starting this life together, as a parade of pink was introduced one by one out on to the dance floor. And there in the quiet, in one of many moments they both tried to hold on to just a little longer, the only thing left to do was to take that next step. As they swayed to the music surrounded by family and friends, he looked at her often. This new wife of his. So proud of the person he had always known her to be. He looked at her, looking back at him. And somewhere behind those eyes, if you looked just close enough....
you could swear you could see an entire lifetime together flash by in an instant.
Married: Tricia & Josh
Tricia & Josh were married last week at The Boardwalk Inn on an extra warm Floridian day. There had bright blue skies and even brighter smiles from their closest friends and family, as these two started a life together. Tricia, being the true Pinterest savvy bride that she is, put together some of the sweetest little details you ever did see. From the straws in the signature drink to the parasols on the beach, everything fit together perfectly. Just like Tricia & Josh. :) T&J I think at this point, it goes without saying how we feel about you. But I'm going to say it anyway! From day one, you have always treated us like friends. But on your wedding day, we felt like we were part of the family. Tricia, I have no idea what I'm going to do without our regular email love fests...so I'm just going to put it out there that those have to keep happening! It was truly in every way our honor. And we are so, so thankful for the both of you. I hope you're living it up mai tai style in Hawaii!
So much love!
J&M
Venue: The Beach Club & The Boardwalk Inn
Dress: Pronovias
Baker: Grand Floridian Pastry Shop
Beauty: Beaute Speciale
Photography: Justin & Mary
**and a HUGE thanks goes out to the AMAZING Rene Tate who came along to second shoot with us on this one. All of the pretty pictures are hers! :) Rene you seriously rocked my world. You were ON it, my friend! You went above & beyond anything we could have ever asked for. You can be our wingman anytime. :)
Pancake Session: Promise Tangeman on Defining a Brand
**Continuing in our guest blogger extravaganza while we are out on the road, I am SOO unbelievably excited to tell you that today to have on the amazing (super hip, absolutely gorgeous, and way cooler than I could ever hope to be! Seriously, the girl just oozes style!) Promise Tangeman to guest blog for us all about how to create a brand. Promise is an expert in all things branding. So grab a pencil. Pay attention. And I know she's going to rock your world! :) Enjoy!
****************************************
Hello everyone! I am so excited to be Justin & Mary's guest while they are…uh… down under… is that how you say it??! Haha! My name is Promise Tangeman, I am a graphic designer with a passion for marketing. I have big hair, I laugh a lot, I ate cookie dough all day today, and I love helping creative businesses succeed while they look DANG GOOD doin it! A few of my recent clients have been TLC's Randy Fenoli (from Say Yes To The Dress), wedding photographer Jasmine Star, and American Idol top-5 finalist, Brooke White. All of which have been really fun and amazing to work with! And today I am here to share the first 3 steps towards identifying YOUR brand. Here it goes!
Everything you do in your business is a representation of your brand. How you respond to emails, how you post processes your images, or how you conduct your client meeting can all be a representation of your "brand". And your visual identity (which is your logo, website, or print materials) will help showcase that brand and tell a brand's story. So, before you jump straight into the designing phase… you first need to define what your brand IS!! Most people never think to start the process with DEFINING the brand first, and instead start designing blindly almost like attempting to design a book cover before the book has even been written. What happens is the design won't be a true reflection of the book at all. You will just be shooting in the dark and may end up with a visual identity that represents other people's expectations, fluff, and trends, rather than encompassing the nitty gritty of who YOU are. So here are my top 3 tips for avoiding that!
1 // STUDY YOUR BUSINESS The first step towards identifying a brand is studying your business. And to study your business you must get experience doing it! Shoot, shoot, shoot, develop a process, work with different types of clients, learn who you are and how you work. You will learn what you love and what you hate about your new business. And all of this information is so important and valuable as you move forward, and you will learn all kinds of things that you would have never guessed otherwise. My main point here is to encourage you to get experience doing what you do, and take however long you need to. In the meantime you'll still need a way to present your work. So I would suggest a very simple website that puts the focus on your work and not on any particular graphics.
2 // COME UP WITH A GAME PLAN Now that you have gained experience and studied your business. You have learned all kinds of things about your self and about your business. So, USE those things to your advantage. Identify and decide upon the key components in your business that make you unique and different. This is where your "brand" starts to take shape. Here are a few questions that might help you articulate your unique point of view: What are you passionate about in your business? What makes you different from your competitors? What are you most confident in in your business? Now, how can you creatively push that forward or up a notch? Can you specialize in any of these things? Take some of these traits and make them the focus in your business. For example: If you are most confident in your interactions with your clients… why not flip over to video mode and capture some of the fun you are having at each shoot?!? Make these short videos a fun staple in your business for clients to look forward too. That way you are building upon your strength and pushing it forward and up a notch for people to really take notice.
3 // SHOWCASE IT Now this is where the visual fun comes in. Obviously my favorite part….because I'm a designer. Now that you have done all the hard work, you have gained experience, and written the book… you are now ready to design the book cover. The main goal here is to showcase everything you learned in phase 2 while representing your personal style and attracting your dream clients. Start this step by collecting visual inspiration that represents YOU and your personal style. And when you are ready… send everything to your hired professional designer. Be sure to collect and curate items that mean something to you… not just random items that you found on Pinterest. Pinterest is a great resource for inspiration… but I would encourage you to know what you are looking for when you log on! Here are several ways to curate items that are unique to YOU! 1 // Browse your closet for suggested color schemes, patterns, and overall style. Jot them down then hit Pinterest with your list. 2 // Create a personal profile that includes everything about you and pull out words that have visuals associated with them. For Example: Let's say you love making crafts. Explore the different craft supplies that you use on a regular basis. Feathers? glitter? fabric? lace? buttons? etc. Jot those down and then hit Pinterest with that list as well.
I hope some of these tips have helped! You will find that your brand will always be changing, evolving, and growing. And that's what you want and need from your business. By approaching your brand by defining it before you try to design it, you can make sure that brand is always a reflection of you as you grow & evolve with it.
Loves
-Promise
**To top off today I would love to give-away a designer website from the company that I started called SiteHouse! These designs kind of make me giddy because they are completely customizable in every way BY DRAG AND DROP!!!! No coding necessary. EEEK!! And they work exclusively with Showit software! OOH!!! Justin & Mary customized one and it looks BOMB!! Here is their site: http://www.walkthroughawedding.com/ and here is what the site looked like before: http://lesimore.promisetangeman.com/
To get entered to win your very own SiteHouse design, just leave us a comment in the box below with one word unique to YOU that you are going to use to start defining your brand. This contest will close at 5pm on Friday, and we will be announcing the winner early next week!! And....GO!!
Stuff we Love
