Nails are important!

Recently a man was setting near where a TV was turned on to one of those 24 hour news channels when a commercial was aired advertising one of the stairway lift chairs. During the commercial an elderly man says something to the effect that it was embarrassing to admit that he had not slept next to is wife in their bed for over three years because he could not get up the stairs. But now that had all changed due to the installing of their new stairway chair lift. The man in question started counting on his figures for a moment and then announce that he had been married multiple times for a collective number of years and had only slept next to his wifes for at total of about 25% of those years. He went on to say how sad he was that maybe that all could have been fixed if he had installed one of those chair lifts even though he never lived in a home with any stairs with any of his former wives. Laughter reportedly broke out with the man but there was still a deep look of pain reportedly in his eyes. I can't prove this story has any validity to it but it has still haunted me since I was made aware of it several days ago. I got to tell you that I can't help but feel bad not only for the guy but more importantly for the marriages themselves. What happened? Something has changed. Not to get rude or anything but in most relationship going around today most folks can't seem to keep from wanting to sleep next to each other or at least something like that. What has made the difference. I have given that a great deal of thought and the answer I have landed on ties back to something I said in part in an earlier posting. It goes back to the wedding thing. What is a wedding and why do we have them. I guess the stock answers are they are there as a celebration of a couples love they share or to serve as a public commitment that a couple is making toward one another. Maybe it the celebration of the start of this couples new life together. Maybe it just this legal thing we have to do to get recognized by the government to get a better tax rate. No matter which you care to choose I would like to contend that while all of these may have some truth to them, I think that maybe the most important reason we have weddings is being forgotten and left out. The very thing that may make the difference between a longer happy one bedroom marriages and the ones that this poor fellow I mentioned earlier seems to have had.

During my studies as a photographer, the one thing that most people include in the reason we need pictures in our world is for the memories. We are taught that during a wedding or other important event our heads must be on a swivel in order to capture the whole story of the day. Each picture is to be a mere sampling of the whole with enough information (story) attached that when viewed years from now it triggers our memories that we have in our brains so that we can recall the entire event surrounding the image being viewed. Memories are stored in our brains not in our digital images. Those images are there as triggers to unlock those memories. It's those memories that make up who we are or have become. They help us to form our responses in given situations which is where I thing lies the answers to my question I've been talking about. Have you ever looked at a picture that you are in and wonder where it was taken and who are those people in the picture with you and what were we doing? Sure you have. The picture did not do it's job! I failed to unlock the memory of that event which was seemingly important enough for someone to take a picture of it to preserve the memory and didn't! The memory isn't lost, just not recalled or unlocked enough to be remembered. Did you get that? Since the memory is in your brain it's not lost, JUST NOT RECALLED OR REMEMBERED!

As wonderful and exciting wedding days are I afraid they have the potential of creating some unintended consequences. Why? Glad you asked! Because I am afraid that we focus all of our attention on the we're married now and now we start our life together thing that we with all the planning and importance we put on the saying of the phrase "I do" and the expectations of the future that we start to loose touch as to why we have made the decision to to "I do" in the first place. Marriage is not when you started your lives together. That happened on the day you met! As the days pasted and with each date you went on your love for each other was forming, growing into a powerful bond! The phone calls, parties, walks in the park or by the lake, and all the other so special moments is were the life together was forming. They maybe moments that were only a moment in duration but the feelings that were generated were so powerful that the love grew to the point were you decided to ask the question or give an answer of "yes" when it was asked of you. But when we get to the "I do" part it seems that everything up to that point is all forgotten and becomes like events that happened in a previous life. I know you've heard someone make a comment like "I don't know why I ever married you in the first place!" I know I've heard it! You know why they don't know? It's because there has been nothing done to preserve the events of the previous life! All those oh so important moments, special pet names, first date, kiss, dance, embarrassing moments, flowers, walks on the shore, have been moved to the mothball room never to be brought out in the light of day again. On the day of the wedding those things were still very fresh in the mind of the bride and groom but by the wedding day plus one those memories are rapidly being put behind.

Guys, marriage is much like building a house. The house just doesn't magically appear when you say "I do". From the day you first met the foundation of the house is poured. With each precious moment that follow we nail another board to the house. Each board added is the love that is being built and the nails represent the memory and importance placed on that event. That love grows from a "puppy love" (which I believe would be about the size of a dog house.......you had to know that was going to make it in here somehow, right) to going steady (a living room and kitchen) on up to the engagement thing (where you add the bedrooms and furniture and two car garage). When you say "I do" it's like getting to take possession of the house that the two of you have so loving built. But when you start viewing your lives together as starting at the "I do" when you got the keys to the house thing and forgetting about the building of the house, it's like going through the entire structure and pulling all the nails out of all the boards. In most cases that makes the story I related to you in the beginning just a matter of time. What I'm saying is that if we don't take the steps necessary to keep the "why we got married in the first place" thing in the forefront of our memories then the marriage is nothing more than a house of cards with no nails to bond our memories of the why we love each other and why we CHOOSE to get married in the first place.

At 2C Photography, we suggest that our clients do as a part of their wedding packages a short but in depth DVD containing how you came to this moment in your lives covering the complete dating experience when your marriage house was being built with your growing love for each other. We will include still photos, videos, and audio as part of the presentation and then recommend you play it during the reception time so others will not only know that you married each other but why as well. But more importantly it will also serve your marriage to each other well as it will be there on those occasions when one or both of you may need a little reminder so you can answer that question "Why did I marry you in the first place?" Marriages need to not only be a celebration of the future but also the immortalizing the love that brought you to the marriage in the first place. In doing so I really hope that the stories like that at the beginning of this post will become things of the past. That is my hope for everyone!

Have a great day everyone!

Richard

Off the wall and off the cuff!

Hi everyone! In a minute I well bring another of my World Renown (or it least in my mind) Pro Pix Tips, but first I would like to just ramble for a minute. I know, I know, thats kind of like going to what you hoped would be the greatest party of the year and someone drags out the old Super 8 reel to reel projector to show movies of their trip to Lake Fallainagettawetta (got to work at it people cause when you get it, it will be kind of funny) which they took in 1975. That was the year Aunt Flausey claimed a 3 pound Trout ripped her 1.5 carat diamond engagement ring off her finger and swam off with it in its mouth. Lucky it was insured or she would never have been able to get the new Ferrari with the rest of the money she received from the life insurance she got after uncle Benny choked to death on a bowl of chicken soup she made for him when he got back home after the long business trip with his secretary. OK! So it's not as riveting as Snoopys' "It was a dark and stormy night" intro but on short notice what do you expect? But at least I made my point that rambling sometimes is boring and maybe even a little waist of time, and if so you have my permission to jump to the PPT.

So is it just me or does the world seem a little bit of a pain lately? Money is tight, people are grumpy, nothing is very certain, and it seems that there are a lot of people who seem to have forgotten a few principles that I personal think helped to make this country great. Appreciation, trust, respect, honor, loyalty, kindness, and just good old fashion love at first glance might all seem to have taken a extended vacation. It's just not in others either, no! I have trouble finding them in me from time to time. It doesn't mean that there not there, just not as easy to drag them up and show them off as much. I like everyone else can find some excuse for it that will justify the absences, to pin the blame on others or at last resort on a Bush! But even if all those could be justified or proven beyond a reasonable doubt, well does that make it right? Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about Government or anything political. I'm talking on a more person to person level. There was a time in this great country of ours when people couldn't survive without those neighbors around them. No one was an island having the ability to do everything needed to survive. Oh, yes there where a few mountain men types if you want to call that living or surviving, but let just say that they were exceptions to the rule. With technology, we have been able to be more self sufficient with the help of Walmarts and credit. With that has come the thought (and I believe a false one) people just don't need each other anymore. They are out for them selves and will do anything they want to if it betters them. Nothing personal they will always say like that is some kind of get out of jail free card. Yes, it maybe legal, but how does it stack up on the what's right meter. Folks we have enough working against each and everyone of us, we don't need to start eating our own! Now more than ever we need to be working with those around us in our personal lives as well as in business so we can all reach the other side of this raging torrent we know as life. Folks, it's hard to circle the wagons when your the only wagon in the wagon train. Not making any remarks against anyone or any people with that analogy except for the person driving the wagon.

The good news is that there are folks out there who are working hard to do exactly what I am saying. There is also a few one wagon wagon trains out there that maybe we should all be avoiding if they choose to go it alone. I don't like their chances as well as I do those who choose to join their efforts and skills with others. Hey, it's worked over and over again throughout history. If it ain't broke......right?

On a personal note, I am fortunate enough to have people currently and from my past around to give me a word of encouragement when I need it, a helping hand when it's needed, and a poke in the nose (and that's not easy to miss) when all of the above is met with a little resistance from you know who. I like to compare them to the E.L.F.S. from the original "Santa Clause" movie. You remember the answer they gave to the local police officer at the station house when he asked them who they were? "Your worst nightmare, Elves with attitude!"

To all you little and big Elves out there who against all the crap and unnecessary bird droppings that your fellow (and I use the term loosely) human beings are "nothing personal" dumping on you and still able to hold true to what you know is the best and right thing to do, I stand and, in honor, salute you. For those like myself who seem to find it an exhausting challenge to keep up with your wonderfully good nature you still bring encouragement and sanity to worlds like mine! This company has found its self so blessed to be associated with some outstanding business. Many folks who know the importance of working in harmony and the many good benefits that come with that effort. My prayer if you will permit me the moment to say one is that all of you are bless beyond measure and that your efforts return a hundred fold and more. To those who never were, thanks for being! And to those driving in the one wagon wagon trains, well I hope you wagon has rack and pinion steering and your horse can go really really fast!

Ok! All you who didn't want to watch the pictures from the 1975 trip to Lake Fallainagettawetta, the rambling is over and we are going to start the Pro Pix Tips now!

Pro Pix Tips: When you are using a flash of any kind, on or off camera (preferably off but thats a whole different PPT) watch how much shadow you are making behind your subject. If the shadow is dark and well defined the chances are that the flash is producing to bright of light for the settings that the camera is using. The object is to produce a soft natural shadow if any at all. Hard shadows usually means you will have hot spots on your subject and that is not good especially in portrait photos. To correct the situation you have three basic choices. First you can adjust the power settings on the flash you're using. If you're on full power than try dropping the power down 1/2 F stop and try the shot again. Continue until you have a balance between the shadow and your subject. Second, you can adjust the aperture of the lens by raising the f stop setting to a higher number thereby closing down the lens opening letting in less light. Raising or lowering the shutter speed will not effect the lighting from the flash at all. Only the ambient lighting. Continue adjusting the f stop until you get the results you want. Or, third, you can just cheat and pull the light source back away from your subject, but where's challenge in that? If the shadow is showing up way to far to either side of your subject the picture will not appear natural and therefore not very eye appealing. To correct this either the placement of the flash (light source) or camera must be moved. Try placing your light source at either a 4 o'clock or 8 o'clock position with the camera at the 6 o'clock position and you subject at 12 noon. Raise the light source up so it is point toward the subject from about a 45 degree angle. In most cases this is a rule of thumb to get a natural looking light onto your subject. Give it a try and keep working at it to improve your skills especially if you use a digital camera cause all it cost is your time.

Well that's all for the day guy. Have a great day everyone!

Richard

Adventures with Chris the graphics guy!

Hi everyone! Busy, busy! We have been vary active with new work projects and a few just opportunity shoots involving several widely known entertainers. It's kind of wild when you have the opportunity to photograph several well know stars in the same picture, print them and put them in photo sleeves, give them to each of the stars and then set back as they look at your pictures of them and then take turns autographing each others photos. While I can't use names I can say that one of them tends to fly around the stage a lot during their performance and several others dress funny but collectively sing real pretty.

We are still waiting on the completion of the "History of Branson" movie. Mike from Bear Creek Production tells me that the editing is coming right along and I plan to visit their production facility in the next few days. I have always found video production fascinating and Mike has been kind enough to allow me the opportunity to come by and annoy him. I am looking forward to that visit.

I have in the past talked about the guys who work for and with me. Jackie has been working on her photo skills and during a recent post wedding shoot and the impromptu star shoot she captured some great shots. She also was the backup for a wedding we shoot and those turned out great as well. Chris our graphics guy got an opportunity to do the old on location assistant thing the other day. It was a tad windy to say the least. Now in order to appreciate the rest of this story it would be appropriate for me to have another Pro Pix Tips inserted here and then give you the rest of the story.

Pro Pix Tips: I'd like to remind you that photography is all about how you control and capture the light. Sometimes we need only use position to get the light to be our friend and illuminate our subject as we need. Other times the light causes too harsh of light (commonly referred to as a hard light source) which produces to heavy of a shadow area on our subject or will be at such an angle as to cause a deep shadow around the subjects eyes commonly referred to as Raccoon eyes. There are several different kinds of tools we as photographers use to control the light and they all have funny little names. Anything that is placed between the subject and a light source whether it be a flash/strobe, room or spot lights, or the sun itself is called a GOBO. Some GOBOs are designed to prevent the light from illuminating part of the area you want to photograph. These are called "flags" and are usually black in color to help prevent any unwanted reflections of the light. Others are designed to allow light to pass through them thereby softening the light so as to reduce the harsh shadows. These are called "scrims" and are usually white in color so as to not project an unwanted color onto your subject. The ones we use are home made out of a light weight frame and a white bed sheet. The size depends on how big of area your trying to cover or illuminate. The bigger the scrim the softer the light because the scrim when placed between the subject and the light source actually becomes the light source and generally increase the overall size of the light source (yes the sun is very big but at the distance we are from it, while very bright, is still is a relative small dot in the sky). Depending on the area it covers the scrim cause the light to spread out over the entire surface of the scrim and then over the subject allowing the light to more readily wrap around the subject and reducing the hardness of the shadows caused by a small light source like the small dot sun in the sky. This allows your pictures to have softer contrast to your subject and give a nicer more three D effect for your pictures. Try it out for your self. Find a toy or another none flat subject to photograph. To light up light your subject us a strong flashlight pointed directly at your subject. Note the hard shadows caused by the small light source. It's small light sources that cause hard light. Now find a small sheet to place between the subject and the light source (flashlight). Make sure that the flashlight is back about three or four feet from the sheet. Note how much softer or less harsh the shadows are and how much more of the subject is illuminated. Just remember that any time you place something like a scrim between your subject and light source the strength of the light is diminished and so you will need to move your light source closer or adjust the shutter speed and lens opening to accommodate for the light reduction. Play with that and see if it doesn't make your pictures look a lot better especially those taken outside.

Now to continue my story about the adventures with Chris the graphics guy. Chris was holding one of our scrims up and over the heads of our bride and groom placing great light onto our subjects. Now there is one small detail that I left out of the Tips. If you will remember what they are made of you might notice a similarity to a sail on a ship. Please recall it was a windy day. While I'm looking through my view finder, one of the many things I don't want to see is any part of that scrim so it and Chris our out of my view. Just as I am about to take my picture I hear Chris start saying "Oh! Oh! Oh!". Then I hear Jackie yell for Chris to hold on as she runs in front of me and my camera toward Chris. It's only then I realize that the wind has caught the scrim and is wiping it around coming very close to hitting my bride and groom who was looking at the camera and unaware of the events unfolding inches from their heads. With the help of Jackie the scrim was brought back under control and we were able to complete the shoot without any more incidents and the bride and groom alive to tell the tail. And to think my mom wanted me to be a brain surgeon. Where I ask you is the adventure in that?

Got to run guys. Have a great day everyone!

Richard

Where did June go?

Wow! Is this summer flying by or what? If you frequently visit our website you will have noted some of the additions we have made to our services and galleries. You might have especially noted the wedding pictures taken at the newly opened Shrine of the Holy Spirit next to the Mansion out on Gretna Rd. These pictures were taken to promote the Mansions new wedding services at the Shrine which they will be introducing very soon. Boy, is this place a beautiful spot to tie the knot. The chapel seats 85 people and as you can tell in some of the photos it is just simply beautiful inside. And there are so many great angles for pictures. It's nice during the day but when the sun goes down and the lights are low (sounds kinda like a song, doesn't it) the place just explodes in color and that color is constantly changing and you can see for your self just how gorgeous the location is. But it doesn't stop there. There's a garden and gazebo area very close by and reception facilities on the grounds. And as far as the wedding packages are concerned well I got a sneak peak at them and let me say they're going to be tough to beat. Watch for the official announcement soon as well as the brochures that I believe will be put out. If you or someone you know is looking to get a great deal on a wedding chapel and service, then this just might be the answer. As soon as we can post a website link to this service we will do it and let you know.

Hey, the "History of Branson" movie is really taking shape and is it final stretch of editing. We are so excited and just can't hide it ( is someone playing a radio out there) due to the fact that our contribution in photos seem to be increasing week to week and that just alright with me (there's that radio again). In fact, I have taken a break from some editing and going through some additional photographs that the director/producer Mike Johnson asked for just today! I can't wait for the release cause I have seen some of the finished sections of the movie and wow, the music, sound, color, and quality is just outstanding, And besides, some of our pictures are in it!

I know I keep building this movie up a lot. I don't want to do to it what happened to the movie "Poseidon Adventure" when I was just a kid and went to see it. All of the kids at school were talking about it and saying how cool it was and how you "just gotta see it" thing. So I went and did the "just gotta see it" thing and was so disappointed because it had been built up so much that in my view I was expecting something like "Gone With the Wind" or "Doctor Shavago". Don't get me wrong. The movie was good but just got overly reviewed and bragged on. So I don't want that to happen here, but the movie is really awesome! More photos are coming and I hope to get them up this week.

Well I guess I ought to get back to work, but before I do I like to make another offer to anyone out there who would like the opportunity to work with us at 2C Photography. Yes, it does start out in our souvenir division and yes, it does mean working with tourist but hey, if you can handle that you can probable handle all the other stuff that goes with the territory of the photographer. If your a great worker than we are looking for you!

See ya next time and have a great day everyone!

Richard