Krystle and Freddy - Classic High School Sweethearts

There is something unmistakably special about a wedding where the couple has been together since high school. Krystle and Freddy’s wedding was one of those occasions. Surrounded by family and long-time friends, the couple’s ceremony was held close to where the two of them grew up. The Hawaiian theme was complemented by a fortunate break in the weather, making it a very comfortable day for all.

Following a simple, elegant ceremony at Central Peninsula Church, the festivities moved to the Foster City Recreation Center, located on the shoreline of one of the many canals that thread through the city. Classmates and friends did a fantastic job of decorating the spacious hall, and the backdrop of the shoreline was spectacular.

We went to a lighting technique that used much more indirect lighting, giving most of the images a much softer look. The engagement session we did earlier in the year paid big dividends with a much more relaxed groom in front of the camera as Freddy played into Krystle’s playful, mischievous side. The resulting images were outstanding. We’re still working on the Animoto slide show for the day.

We’re also checking out a new online proofing site. So far, I really like what I see from Collages.net. The display for viewers in the webshow is quite an improvement over our previous site. The sample site isn’t available there yet. Meanwhile, check out a small collection from the day at our Image Gallery.

Read more!

A new name, but not really

You'll notice new images on the banner. You'll also notice the not so subtle name change. To some degree, it reflects a return to the original name I used for this venture when I began a long time ago. It also makes it easier for friends and associates to find my work, when they can't think of the umbrella company name, Exclusive Productions.

The production company still exists as an umbrella for all the activities. However, the photography is a personal expression of my artistic view. It's time to go back to branding it that way. Anyway, whether it's Exclusive Productions or James Adams Photography, it's still me, with the same standards of quality and service.

Read more!

Catching up.......

Wow. It's been far too long since I updated the blog. We've been watching our grandson Jaiden grow, while working on some new things and preparing to start the art show season. I attended my first WPPI convention and came back with a lot of new product offering ideas, all of which are ready to go. All our clients from the past year will be receiving pilot samples as we fold the new stuff into the portfolio.

My first, wedding album supplier is located right here in Hayward, California. I've purchased the traditional leather-bound albums with the preset inserts, frames, and mats from them since the late 1970's. I paid a visit to their shop a couple months ago to look for some custom sized frames and discovered they had expanded their services to include printing and book binding.

We just got our sample album back from them and were completely blown away. They offer a wide variety of sizes and cover options, outstanding print quality, quick turnaround, and best of all, they're just 10 minutes from our studio! For wedding albums up to 60 pages they are now our primary supplier for wedding albums, and our first choice for large prints, including canvas. Did I mention their price point beats all of our other suppliers, allowing us to offer a superior product at a lower cost that we can pass along to our customers?

We finally have a DVD slideshow offering that we're happy with and feel will be appeal to clients. We're using Animoto to produce these very innovative presentations that may be emailed, posted on websites, rendered onto DVD, or downloaded to mobile devices. These look absolutely fantastic. I'll be sharing some of those here soon.

That's it for now. Watch this space for some new posts with a lot more detail on what we're up to.

Read more!

Engagement Photo Sessions

Of all the services we offer, the one least used is our Engagement Photo sessions. Like a number of other photographers in the area, we offer these to any couple considering hiring us to cover their wedding. In our case, it comes with no cost, and is available (currently) whether or not you book us for the wedding. The couple is not obligated to make any purchases from the session. Personally, I believe the value in this proposition is lost on most young couples.

There are a couple of reasons for offering this as a service. None of the reasons has anything to do with selling more prints. The obvious one is the likelihood the couple will retain us after seeing our work. Another is the chance for us to try new techniques and approaches under realistic scenarios, where the results are non-critical. For couples that have already booked our services, this gives us a chance to get the couple used to working with us. We learn more about their personalities and their reactions to each other. An added benefit is a more relaxed couple in front of the camera on their wedding day.

For the couple, there are tremendous benefits from taking advantage of these services. This is a great opportunity to “try before you buy”. You get answers to any questions about a particular photographer’s personality, style, professionalism, etc., over the course of a 1-2 hour session. Before you see what the photographer’s work looks like, you’ll have a good idea if you can work with this person over the course of one of the most stressful days of your life. You also get the chance to practice being in front of the camera for an extended period. You can try different looks and different poses. You get to see just how creative you can be, all while learning how to be comfortable in the presence of the camera.

Naturally, this intent is more than a practice run. The session you have with the photographer you ultimately hire will provide additional images for your families, and your wedding album. Both sets of parents and grandparents will want images of you before you truly set out to begin life as a new family-to-be. You will also likely want “before” images. Even if you don’t make prints to frame, these images make a wonderful addition to your wedding album.

Pay attention to the no-cost engagement photo offers, but only if they come with no purchase obligation. They aren’t exactly free, as the photographer retains the right to use any images from the session for promotional purposes. If you’re not comfortable with that, then don’t take the offer. If you are, then take advantage of the offer, and the situation. Give the photographer and their talents a test run. Give yourself a test run in front of the camera. If you do nothing else, have fun.

Read more!