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A Different Bridal Image Jul 02nd | Weddings

I've been so excited about sharing this image because it something just a little different and whimiscal. I took this image at Emily's bridal session, just for me, and just for fun. It has a fantasy feel to it that I just love. Enjoy!

-Whitney Carlson

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Photography Tips: RAW vs. JPG Jul 01st | Photo Tips

Today I am going to try to briefly explain the difference between RAW files vs. JPG files and help you decide what is best for you! Again, this is another heavily debated area, and there are great photographers that shoot RAW, and great photographers that shoot Jpg.

So, what is a RAW file? If you look this up on the internet, you will get some very good, very technical definitions that include phrases such as "wide-gamut internal color space" and "16 bit workspace" But what does this all mean for you as a photographer? Do you need to know all these details? I would say no, you really don't unless you just want to know. The easiest way to explain a RAW file is that it includes ALL the data that you photographed. There is nothing missing, and nothing compressed. By shooting RAW, you get everything the camera sees, and even a little more. What this means for you is that the files are a lot bigger than jpg, and they contain a lot more information to work with. So, if you overexpose an image, you have more info in the photograph to make the exposure correct. You can pull out more detail and can easily fix photographs that are not exposed correctly.

What is a jpg? It is basically a compressed version of the photograph that you are taking. It does not contain as much information as the RAW file does, thus making the file size smaller. However, to the naked eye, an unedited RAW and JPG file will not look much different. The biggest problem with shooting jpg is that if you mess up an exposure on a JPG, it will be harder to fix after the fact.

Now, which one should you use? It depends on a lot of factors. If you are consistent in getting exposures correct while shooting, then there may not be much reason for you to shoot RAW. JPG processes faster in the camera, and takes a lot less space on your card. For the most part, if you are shooting manual, you will be more likely to get correct exposures. If you are still not consistent in your exposures, I suggest you use RAW. Also, it is good to use RAW if you are in a very difficult lighting situation. But remember, depending on your camera, if you are shooting a lot, really fast, sometimes RAW can bog down the camera.

What do we use? Right now, we are mostly shooting JPG. However, this was a switch we made just a few months ago when we purchased new cameras. We used to shoot all RAW. I am consistent in my exposures and I love being able to shoot quickly. I also do not want to worry about switching out cards as much as I do when I shoot RAW. However, when I get into a difficult lighting situation, I will switch to RAW. We still debate if we want to switch back to RAW. I will let you know if we do! Does shooting jpg diminish the quality of your photographs? When you shoot correctly, absolutely not! The gigantic canvases in our studio were printed from JPG files, and they are beautiful. Here are details from similar photos, one shot in RAW, and one in JPG. Can tell the difference? If you are still unsure how you should shoot, I encourage you to do some research and talk with some other photographers to make the right decision for you.
Whitney Carlson
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Harlow: Music Row's Salon Jun 30th | Vendors We Love!

Whitney and I recently had the opportunity to photograph one of the coolest salons in town. Harlow is a hip salon on music row that has a taste for very classic and retro styles. They also have a knack for having fun.

We first met a few of the ladies of Harlow at a recent fashion shoot for Premier Bride Magazine. We were really excited once we found out we have similar tastes and styles. We also found out that we are business neighbors. We both love the Midtown/Music Row neighborhood.

Harlow has some great packages for weddings. They will take care of your hair and makeup needs and will treat you right on your wedding day.


So, here is what happened when Dove and Harlow got together for a shoot at the salon.

Not everything was serious. This crew knows how to have a lot of fun together.

You probably have already noticed that the look of these photos are a bit different from our normal use of natural light. We loved getting creative with our off-camera lighting. I have to admit, being I was busy moving strobes around, I felt a little left out because I did not have the time to pick up a camera. However, I am very proud of Whitney’s shots and glad that we can make a great team when we do projects together.

Owners Eva Marie Clarke and Shana Dyer have a great vision for their business and have definitely created one of the most unique salons around.

Heather & Chris

Stacey

Katie & John

Jodi & Julianne

Thanks Harlow for letting us be creative with you!

- Peter

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Weddings The Bridal Show: Ticket Giveaway Jun 26th | Announcements


July is quickly approaching and with that comes Weddings The Bridal Show on July 12, from 11:00-4:00. Dove is going to be there and we hope that you will stop by to say hello and meet our newest photographer, Erin Lee.

We would like to give away a few tickets to the show! Two lucky winners will each receive two free tickets to the show and one winner will receive one free ticket to the show.

Here is what you need to do to be eligible to win:

Leave a comment on this blog post telling us why you read our blog. Is it the amazing photographs that you love, the new art inspiration posts, the new photography tips or do you just like us and want to keep up with what we are doing? Be creative!

Please make sure and leave your comment before July 6th, as we will hold the drawing and announce the winners that day.

We look forward to reading all the comments and hopefully meeting you at the Bridal Show.

Cheers!

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Art Inspiration: Inventor of Oil Paintings Jun 29th | Art Inspiration

Jan van Eyck

Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami

Oil on Wood, 1434

(images from artchive.com)

I'm so excited about sharing this painting with you guys! It is one of my favorites for so many reasons. The artist is Jan van Eyck, and the title of it is Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami. There is so much detail in this painting, and so much to be said about it that I will not be able to get to it all. Also, I want to clarify that there is a lot of debate about the meaning and circumstances of the painting, so you may find different information out there than what I have shared.

What I love most about this painting is all the detail and symbolism that has gone into it. Many art historians speculate that this is a wedding portrait of sorts, that they are taking an oath to each other. The artist signed the painting, "Jan van Eyck was here" which suggests that it might even be a sort of legal document of an important oath, which you can also see in the position of their hands. There are other symbols that point towards an oath of marriage. The dog in the front, which is a symbol of fidelity, and the shoes that have been removed which represents holy ground that they are standing on.


There are also witnesses to this oath which are reflected in the mirror behind them. There is even more evidence that this is a religious ceremony of sorts by the image of the rosary and the passion of Christ which is shown in the circles around the mirror.

When I look at this painting and I think of my own work, I am reminded that there is much that can be said in a traditional portrait. Each detail should be important, each object you decide to include in an image has the ability to tell a story. What is important to the bride? What can you include that will give viewers a hint of what is going on at an event that you are photographing? Are there things that should be excluded? What does the pose say about this person? Think about this the next time you photograph someone, and see if you can add just a little something extra that can make the viewer see deeper into who they are looking at.

-Whitney Carlson

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