Results tagged “photographer” from International Destination Wedding Photographer - San Francisco, Napa, Lake Tahoe, and Beyond
Every girl loves to shop. And as a total tech geek it doesn't get much better than this. I can't wait to get to work with the great equipment I've chosen, all from industry leaders in the world of lighting technology. Here's what I'm getting to launch my lighting learning:
Strobe - I was immediately drawn to Profoto because of
their incredible reputation as a leader in the industry. Their products are
consistent (with both color balance and burst power), durable and reliable.
Most important for me: Profoto is known for shaping and creating absolutely
gorgeous light.
Reflectors - My first exposure to California Sunbounce
was at a Greg Gorman workshop in Mendocino - btw - his workshops are
AWESOME. I have always admired Greg more than any other living
photographer for his ability to manipulate and capture extraordinary light. At
the workshop I saw that Greg really utilizes California Sunbounce to create his
dramatic portraits. So, I decided to learn from the best and work with their
products too. Plus, California Sunbounce offers tons of great options and is
known for helping many leading photographers emphasize light to create the
right effect in an image.
Lighting Supports - I choose these from Manfrotto for
several reasons. Since I am constantly moving around quickly during shoots, I
need stands that are reliable, durable, and easy to manipulate (I don't want to
lose my awesome, brand new equipment because of tripping over a stand!). Since
these Manfrotto supports are incredibly well designed I know that they will be
practical and easy to use during shoots.
Photography Support - I have owned a Gitzo since age
16 and have never looked back or even considered anything else. I have always
depended on their cutting edge products and finally decided it was time to
upgrade from the durable tripod I purchased in college ten years ago (am I
dating myself?).
Continuous Light - I noticed that many professionals
are using Lite Panels for both video and still photography. I have heard a
lot of impressive things about their products and am really excited to take
work with this fairly new technology. The Lite Panels products very well made,
light weight (very important for me) and eco-friendly making them a perfect
piece of equipment. Plus, they are also cable free, reducing the number of
possible things to trip over at a shoot!
All of these products are made by great brands and I'm
very excited to get started working with all this high quality equipment.
Lighting Journey Blog series sponsored by: Profoto, California Sunbounce, Manfrotto and Gitzo
So much of my passion and photographic style stems from my first encounter with Steve McCurry's imagery. Seeing his work for the first time, I experienced a calming realization that I had encountered my ultimate inspiration. This connection defined a place of belonging, revealing stylistic interests that were not being stimulated by my more traditional photography education.
Steve's work truly resonated with me. I felt a connection, an inexplicable understanding in a way I have never felt with any other artist. His worked allowed me to envision where I wanted to go and instilled confidence that pursuing a similarly inspired style was possible.
Motivated about photography and eager to find my true photographic passion, I set out for India on a six week trip of self-exploration with Steve's Portraits book in hand. I spent evenings pouring over his work. His inspiration stirred something within me, and my style began to develop out of this desire to create imagery that like his profoundly impacts people in many ways.
I returned from India determined to pursue photography and moved to New York jobless, friendless and penniless. I did the inevitable, something I had to do if only to say I tried, and pursued a position with Steve McCurry. Astonished, I landed an internship position that influenced my photographic journey in intangible ways.
Working with such a talented photographer was absolutely extraordinary experience that opened the way for the flourishing career I have today. I learned to ask for the impossible and to follow your true sense of purpose. Steve was my teacher before we met and continues to be an invaluable inspiration and an extraordinary mentor to this day.
I recently read my blog and realized that while its
chalk full of accomplishments it doesn't really say anything about ME but rather
only talks about what I do. In
fact with the exception of a few photographic highlights (thanks to my
clients!) it is pretty boring. It almost reads like a visual resume.
As a perfectionist, I have only wanted to share my
"perfect" side. A laundry list of
my accomplishments and basically a self-promoting bore, my blog lacks
substance, it lacks personality, it lacks me.
Things are going to change. No more self-gloating manuscript I am
ready to share not just my work and accomplishments, but also what makes me
tick, my strengths, my weaknesses, and well anything relevant to my career and
life.
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Looking back, I think I was a little crazy. Why else would I have naively believed that transitioning my business from New York City to San Francisco would be a piece of cake? Sure, San Francisco had more potential for longevity than New York, and sure, I did miss my family. But my enthusiasm to return to the Bay overshadowed some important points--like the fact that all of my clients were on the East Coast--and I found that my expectations were dramatically different than reality. I hope sharing my transition experience will give those thinking of relocating some food for thought, and everyone else some great business building tips.
1. Expect the transition to be hard.
One of the biggest mistakes I made was assuming that transitioning would be easy. I thought I could just hop on a plane to San Francisco and have plenty of work upon landing. In reality, I had to start over completely. I spent the first year flying back to New York about once a month to maintain my clientele (and income!) while I became established in the Bay Area. I should have controlled my expectations and been prepared for the transition to be a journey, rather than a quick fix.
2. Research, research, research!
If you do nothing else, research the industry in your chosen location before you arrive! Find out who can help you get access to the clients you want. Use your connections as much as possible. Do you have an aunt who's a florist? A friend from high school who's now an event planner? I talked to family friends and scoured the Internet and Here Comes the Guide to find wedding coordinators who would have the type of clients I wanted, whose work I admire, and who would be a good fit to work with. I also researched venues that would attract the type of bride I was looking for, and other photographers at my price point.
3. Seek out networking opportunities.
After researching, I began contacting as many people as possible. I wrote letters to the wedding and venue coordinators introducing myself and asking for face-to-face meetings. I explained that while I was new to the area, I was not new to the industry, and needed help becoming established in a new area. I also asked for recommendations of other people to speak with and attended networking events hosted by Bay Area Wedding Network (BAWN) and the International Special Events Society (ISES). Before long, I had a list of vendors willing to help me, brides who were eager to work with me, and some great industry friends. It was also a HUGE help (and fun) having friends in the industry that offered me (and still provide) support, advice, and good company in a new area.
4. Play up your strengths.
Always try to highlight and use your best qualities. Are you a Web 2.0 guru? An expert blogger? Great at social interactions? Better in one-on-one settings? Figure out in what environment you really shine and use that knowledge to your advantage. For example, I'm a social person. I love talking with people and found that attending meetings, lunches, and networking events was a great way for me to strengthen industry relationships and meet new people.
5. Maintain the integrity of yourself, your products, and your service.
Sometimes when entering a new market, people lose sight of who they are and what they truly want. In their quest to fit in and gain clients, they may compromise the quality of their products or their level of service. However, long-term success depends on the way you treat everyone involved (brides, venue representatives, coordinators, etc.) and the product you deliver. I kept my overhead low (vs. cutting prices and sacrificing quality) so I could continue to deliver the quality that clients had come to expect of Catherine Hall Studios. It wasn't fun keeping overhead low, but it was a sacrifice well worth the struggle.
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Catherine will be one of our speakers at Wedding 360 PRO, together with Gene Higawho was named one of the top 10 photographers in the world!
Journal entry #15 - The People of Tasmania
As I sit on the plane returning to SF I feel deeply saddened as though a
part of my heart has been left in Tasmania. My love for this island does not
route from the expected such as sensational landscapes, magical forests, exotic
wildlife, but lies in the extraordinary people that I was blessed to meet.
My love of travel is fueled by exposure to various cultures and my love
of a country is dependent upon the nature of its people. In my life I have
never found a place full of such beautiful people that made me feel safe,
welcome, comfortable and embraced. I felt accepted without reservation,
judgement or suspicion, which is not always the case when you have a huge
camera hanging around your neck. Tasmanians are open people who are kind,
generous and willing to share their lives. There is a pureness to them that I
haven't been able to find anywhere in the world. They give because they want
to, because they have open hearts and minds and they expect nothing in return.
The nature of those I was fortunate to meet has truly affected my life and will
undoubtfully have a profound affect on me and the way I live my life.
YOU ARE INVITED TO VIEW MY TASMANIA
IMAGES (click here) that placed 1st Place at WPPI album competition.
You may also find out more about my Tassy work and other Adventure
Photographers in Rangefinder
Magazine, O'Reilly
websites, Adobe
Lightroom Book by Mikkel Aaland, PDN,
TWiT with Leo Laporte, Rangefinder
Radio, Adobe
Lightroom Gallery Site and by visiting my Blog.
Thank you Mikkel Aaland and all the Lightroom Adventure Sponsors (Adobe,
Tourism Tasmania, Epson, Lowepro, O'Reilly and Qantas) for making this
trip possible.
One of my gorgeous brides, Lucy McClennan, is going to be featured as an "Elegant Bride", in Elegant Bride Magazine. I look forward to sharing the feature when it hits the press!
Photography by: MARCUS BELL
As a photographer, I look to other photographers for inspiration. When I need a little inspiration for weddings, I often turn to Marcus Bell. I admire Marcus's work because of its purist nature and the way his love of photography shines through. He has an amazing ability to capture both the beauty of his subjects and the scope of their environment.
I'll never forget the first time I met Marcus. I was very new to photography and a bit star-struck by some of the leading photographers. We were at WPPI and he introduced himself and I had to pause a minute--"THE Marcus Bell?" I was surprised by his down-to-earth nature and humble attitude. He has a wonderful spirit and does amazing work.
You may view Marcus's work at www.marcusbell.com.
I was looking through the 2008 BRIDES & WPJA contest winners for inspiration and realized that I got 2nd Place in the Parents Category. I wonder how many times I have won an award or been published without knowing it??? I guess I should probably pay closer attention!All winners are published on the WPJA website and in BRIDES magazine.
One of my favorite 2008 weddings has been selected to be published in the summer edition of Modern Bride. Keisha Martin and Troy Dixon's wedding was absolutely amazing and I look forward to sharing the images with everyone! 
in the
2009 Awards of Excellence 16x20 Print Competition
I received special honors in the WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL (WPPI) 2009 Awards of Excellence 16x20 Print Competition. Designed to recognize outstanding photographers, the judging was held in Las Vegas, NV on February 14 and 15, 2009.
Hall competed against an international field of photographers to win such honors. The Awards of Excellence 16x20 Print Competition awards are presented each year at the largest trade show, educational platform and convention in the United States for professional photographers. The 2009 competition included 2717 prints in 19 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world.
For more information please visit WPPI Website
The 2008 'Best Of' Series
Photographer and author Mikkel Aaland needed both creative and logistical skills to assemble a team of world-class photographers for two weeks of intense shooting and image editing on Australia's Tasmania archipelago. Long days spent with cameras and long nights with computers produced a remarkable wealth of images and technical tips. Aaland and team built on the success of the earlier Lightroom Adventure Iceland trek to garner governmental appreciation, widespread media attention and over 2 million hits to multiple adventure Web sites within the first week of their return.
Kim Baker was a dream bride - beautiful, sweet, down to earth, full of taste, and not afraid to go anywhere in her dress! And as for the groom, Kevin was full of life, creative, spontaneous, handsome and a lot of fun. I had a smile on my face throughout the whole wedding!The ceremony took place in front of Lake Tahoe and concluded with lakefront cocktails and reception. The wedding coordinator, Kimberly Mitchell Zinn, did a fantastic job which made everything run smoothly and allowed us all to get the most out of such a great day.
This wedding will soon be featured at TheKnot.com - specific details to follow.
Kim's Incredible Vendors:
Florist: A Bud and Beyond, Christina Averkin
Caterer & Cake Designer: The Hyatt
Hair & Makeup: Linda Coyle
Coordinator : Kimberly Mitchell Zinn
I was extremely fortunate to be included in Ron Dawson's F-Stop Beyond Series. He has interviewed many of our industries top professionals such as the Woods, Michelle Celentano, Jim Garner, Joe Photo, etc. He is an incredible artist himself and did and amazing job. Below is his interview description and link to the show.What do a massage therapist and a wedding and portrait photographer
have in common? Well, you gotta listen if you want to find out. Perhaps
it was Catherine Hall's
experience as the former that contributed to her being such a terrific
photographer. Or, maybe it was the nationally acclaimed skiing she used to
do that gave her the competitive edge to rise above the rest. Or,
perhaps, despite the fact that she was a middle child, instead of
embracing a "Jan Brady" ("Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!") attitude, Catherine
always saw herself AS Marcia. Whatever the secret, Catherine's
experience as an editorial, portrait, and wedding photographer have
made her creme of the crop in the industry (she was one of only a few
women selected as "Young Guns" earlier this year at WPPI). This is one
of those episodes that will make you laugh as well as give you
inspiration. We cover a whole host of topics: childhood; massage
therapy; skiing; west coast vs. east coast (she's bi-coastal, "not that there's anything wrong with that.");
and, at the end, she gives us her take on two of the most oft-asked
questions she gets as a speaker and instructor: how do you get sponsors
and how do you get to charge high fees? We cover such a variety of
topics, I've crowned Catherine "The Tangent Queen."
Please enjoy the SHOW.
