Monthly Archives: May 2014

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Photographer

Posted on May 28, 2014 by

Wedding PhotographerLong after the flowers have wilted, the dress and tux have been cleaned and stored, and the thank you notes have been written, the photos from your wedding will remind you of what a special day it was. To ensure you not only like but absolutely love your photos, here are 6 tips to help you choose the perfect wedding photographer:
 

Know your style

 

Before you even talk to a photographer, you need to determine the photography styles that you prefer. Most photographers will shoot a mix of candid, spontaneous photos of your guests, the décor, and small moments that are easy to miss and classic, posed portraits of your wedding party. They’ll also do a mix of black and white and color photos. If you want all color or all candid, you’ll need to let the photographer know.
 

Research, research, and research some more

 

Ask friends for recommendations and browse online reviews of local photographers. Look through their website, blog, and social media accounts for samples of their work and to get a feel for their personality and style.
 
Continue reading →

6 Easy Ways to Take Your Food Photos from “Eh” to “Wow”

Posted on May 22, 2014 by

Food photos, taking better picturesWith more and more filters – and filtering apps – making their way onto our smart phones, it’s getting easier and more fun to take beautiful photos of food. Whether you like to shoot your own mouthwatering kitchen creations, raw ingredients at the farmer’s market, gorgeously plated meals in restaurants, or all of the above, here are some photo tips from a top food stylist that will take your photos from “eh” to “wow:”
 

Get the lighting right

 

We covered lighting extensively in a previous blog post, and many of those tips apply to food as well:
 

  1. Use natural light from a window when you can

    2.  

  2. If possible, shut off bright overhead lights

    3.  

  3. Low light? Because the flash on your phone will ruin the photo, skip it. Alternatively, ask a friend to turn on his flashlight app to illuminate the dish while you snap the photo.

 
Continue reading →

Divorce, Photos, and Procrastination: Why Waiting 20 Years Saves the Day

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

ScanMyPhotos customer Trudy Arnold faced the same awful choice as many parents when she got divorced: What to do with all of those cherished family photos?
 

As it turns out – nothing, at least, not for a long, long time. As she explained, “Twenty years ago when my children’s father and I divorced, it got down to the family photos, and neither of us could go through them at that moment. We put it in the terms of our agreement that’d we’d revisit them at a different time.”
 

Well, procrastination worked in her favor. Fast forward to last summer when she bought a ScanMyPhotos Groupon. Trudy knew she had 6 months to get her photos together, and that deadline turned out to be the best thing ever. Her 3 grown children, their dad and Trudy all got all of the photos.
 
Continue reading →

6 Photography Lighting Tricks Everyone Needs to Know

Posted on May 9, 2014 by

dramatic_lighting_outsideAsk any professional photographer what the key to great photos is, and you are guaranteed to hear: “Lighting.” Proper lighting separates awful photos from good ones, and it elevates good photos to outstanding.
 

Up the quality of your photos by following these 6 photography lighting tricks that everyone needs to know:
 

Look for broad light

 

Broad light is soft and reduces shadows and harsh contrast. It hits your subject from many angles and illuminates a scene. Think of broad light as indirect light flooding through a big window. (Narrow light, on the other hand, is really harsh – think of a spotlight on a stage.)
 
Continue reading →