Mansi + Jason. Sneak Peek.

Couldn't resist posting a sneak peek of Mansi's mom getting dressed in the exact Sari she wore at her very own wedding more than thirty years ago. I'm having such an amazing experience working with Alison Bank of First Comes Love Wedding Photography that I can't stand it. This particular wedding took place at the San Francisco Zoo, and the groom walked down the aisle to the song "Paper Planes" from the Slum Dog Millionaire soundtrack. Really, not only is it a blessing to be working along side a beautiful and talented person like Alison, but I get to experience moments like these. It's a blessing all the way around the cake, no matter how you slice it. Can't wait to show you a few more. But for now, I need to scoot.

Happy Wednesday!

5 Reasons Why Photographers Charge Big Bucks

I recently spoke with a bride who had a very slim photography budget, and I encouraged her to consider what she values most about executing her wedding day and make a list from greatest to least. If photography is something she ultimately truly values, she may want to figure a way to adjust what she's allotted for the other components. If she shaves off 10% here, 20% there, she may find that she does have the budget for a her photographer of choice and she can still have a stunning wedding. 

Here are five reasons why photographers charge big bucks in order to provide our clients with beautiful portraits. It's not as simple as point and shoot… (but I bet you knew that already, didn't you?)

1. Keeping up with the Jones's. That doesn't mean photographers are trying to be something we're not or doing what others are doing just because - it means that we must research, invest and reinvest in ourselves creatively, mentally, and physically if we want to stay current and remain in the competitive game of professional photography. We must keep the creative juices flowing and that takes time, determination, ambition and discipline. The creative aspect of what we do can not be measured, but it must be nurtured and is therefore priceless and necessary if we want to continue to grow as an artist and in our craft.

2. Preparation. Time equals money. Before a shoot, there is front end work that is required: communicating with our clients and the wedding coordinator, scouting locations, emails, phone calls, weather checking, facts checking, rental equipment pick up, etc. We put time and effort into preparing for the shoot to enhance the experience. Being well organized allows us to feel confident and mentally prepared for the portrait session or the wedding day. It's just like an athlete. In between games or seasons, a football player is not likely sitting around on his rear eating bon bons. On the contrary, he's training, practicing strategies, conducting interviews, traveling, etc. (thanks dad for always comparing life to football…. look what I've gone and done - I worked a "Sal-ism" into my blog post.)

3. Investing. No, we're not keeping tabs on the Nasdaq, or maybe some of us are… but we're definitely spending thousands of dollars on equipment, software, computers, hard drives, memory cards, packaging materials, office supplies, essentially everything it takes to run the business. Photography is an expensive hobby, so imagine what it would mean if it were your vocation. When building our price lists, we have to factor in all of the non-variables: our website, cost of prints, cell phone bill, etc. The list is long, but I think you're catching on. 

4. Cost of Production. This is what a typical A to Z wedding assignment looks like and as you can see, we can easily work up to 100 hours on one wedding alone not to mention all we have to do to juggle the upkeep of the office and business in general: 

• client inquires - 15  to 30 minutes
• client books, and client and photog communicate logistics - 30 minutes to 2 hours pending event
• photo prep - 1 to 2  hours
• travel time to and from location - 15 minutes to 6 hours or more. 
• photo session takes place - 6 hours to 10 hours pending which package client chooses
• post processing - one day to three days
• album design - 4 hours
• print orders - 1 to 2 hours
• packaging - 1 to 2 hours
• post office  - 30 minutes if there's no line!
• follow up communication - 15 to 30 minutes
• To make all of the above happen, we need 2nd shooters, assistants, computers, vehicles, gadgets, hard drives, discs, CD cases, etc, etc.

5. Talent. Yes, we need to consider that we must be compensated for our God given talent. It's that little something about us that makes you trust us, want to put your most precious memories and moments in our hands to document and cherish for generations to come.

I'll put it this way: my husband and I are in the process of redecorating our house. We're only half way there, because we have a budget for this project and we want to stretch it out as best we can. Throughout the process we specifically choose each item based on its value to us. Do we want to spend $800 on the Ikea couch or $2500 on the Joe Ruggiero sofa that's half off at the Sofa Outlet store? Do we want to spend $1,000 on the World Market Provence dining table set that's currently on sale or $2000 on the designer dining table alone and $200 each on four or six chairs? 

The point is there is no wrong answer. The ultimate decision relies on what you value and where you want to spend your money. 

I hope this was a little helpful to at least understand why photographers charge what they do and what we go through as we strive to deliver beautiful, meaningful work to our clients. ; ) 

Noah

It would be any other ordinary day for Noah. He slides downstairs, lego catalog in hand, sits at the kitchen counter to a bowl of cereal lovingly prepared for him by his dad. He eats lazily, more interested in his next mega lego creation than filling his belly. But today, he's running a fever and a small crew is coming to photograph lingerie. This is the scene I walked in on the morning of the Janine Robin shoot. Rosy's son is pretty extraordinary. For a nine year old, he's already winning awards for his talents in short stories. Plus, he speaks Italian, Russian and English - to boast just a touch.

Suffice it to say, he's hip in my book, and I feel like these photos display his character so well.  I am glad I snapped a few for his mom as a thank you, because she inspires me (and many others) to no end.

Abbraccio, Rosy!!!! Your package should arrive to you soon!

Blue, Blue or Blue?

The shower pours down like an east coast thunderstorm while I toss in bed pretending it's not 7am and the sun light isn't creeping into the room groping for my attention. My calculations give me another ten minutes while Alessandro finishes primping before I must peel myself away from my favorite spot on earth. I wait there for him to appear with the sheets pulled up to my neck and one foot peeking out from the covers. Finally, the loud hot air from the hair dryer simmers down, and he saunters around the corner. His back faces me while he stands in front of his closet door, arms folded across his clean white crew neck t-shirt deciphering which button-down to wear. My lips curl up into a grin as I imagine what he must be thinking. My voice cracks, "Hmmm quale dovrei scegliare - quello blu, blu…. oppuurrreeee la blu?!" (Hmmm, which one should I choose, the blue, blue ooorrrr, the blue?!) It perplexes me every time. All of his shirts are mainly some form of blue, so really, why does it take a year to figure out which one to wear each morning?! He spins around and attacks me, smothering me with his weight and we hug and kiss. Just the reaction I was hoping for. : )

Alessandro has been away on work for a long weekend in Pebble Beach, and I've been pretty busy myself.  Thank goodness for homecomings.

Happy Tuesday.

Janine Robin. French Lingerie.

This week I had the pleasure of shooting for the french lingerie brand, Janine Robin. In preparation for the shoot, I pulled together some swipe that inspired me - the light, the poses, the colors, the sensuality, the romance. The client had mixed reactions to the swipe: she swooned over it, but she also knew she needed to focus on the product and prefers when the model's face is in full view. I think the result of the final images is a good example of how often times client directive requires a more simple approach to the aspirational ideas we creatives have in our heads. After-all, per the client, customers really need to see the product. (Only a chosen few have the luxury of shooting for Anthropology!) BUT all that being said, had we not set the tone prior to the shoot, we may not have come up with, what I feel turned out to be, a happy compromise. Right?

Client: Janine Robin, France  Producer: Sandra Jones  Photographer: Sandra Fazzino  Model: Nicole G, LOOK  Hair + Make Up: Tamra, LOOK  Location: Rosy + Yanic's, San Francisco

Inspirational swipe pulled from Pinterest:

Final promotional piece client chose to launch their new product line, "Paris", at the Las Vegas International Lingerie Show this weekend. 

Libby + Phil. Dawn Ranch. Wedding.

Another beautiful wedding at Dawn Ranch 2nd shooting for First Comes Love Wedding Photography by Alison Bank. There are so many reasons why I'm falling madly in love with photographing weddings, and one reason is witnessing the kind of love that Libby, Phil and their families have for one another. The joy was tangible, the speeches were heartfelt, and the bride and groom were simply beautiful as were the venue and all the details… as you'll see here…. 

Happy Tuesday.

Megan + James. Wedding. Monte Rio.

These are a few photos of Megan and James that I took last month while second shooting for Alison Bank of First Comes Love Wedding Photography. While processing the files, I was reminiscing on how I landed here, in this moment. 

The question that kept creeping up was - will self discovery be a constant quest? My answer is an astounding, "Yes." Last year at this time, I had been out of the 9 to 5 task force for three months determined to be my own boss as a portrait photographer and to work hard for myself from a home office equipped with two cats, a Nikon D80, a very old iMac, and enough savings to get me through six months. If you're cringing here, you understand how crazy I was! Sure, I proved that I was a hard worker. As a photo producer I managed two to three week commercial print shoots on location managing 100+ models and creative staff making sure everyone was happy. I enjoyed what I did (because the bigger the fire the better I perform), but I also felt a constant nagging to be behind the camera as I was trained to do oh-so-many- years-ago. 

This is what I'm learning about my path to self discovery:

1. I wasn't ready to be a business owner until now. I had other big ticket items that needed my attention both financially and personally. So, a steady paycheck was really important to me. I'm glad for my past and excited about the present.

2. Humility is the foundation for growth. This doesn't mean humiliation, putting my head in the sand, oh-always-me. To the contrary, it means that by being truthful with myself, I can recognize I don't know it all, more will be revealed. I have to keep an open heart, no matter how painful the lessons are.

3. It's more scary to not take a risk. If I sit here and do nothing to pursue my dreams, I'll gain nothing. If I sit here and make an effort to reach out to others, do something different, invest in my business, then something will happen. Good or bad. Shifts will take place and again, more will be revealed. 

4. I may take good photos, but that doesn't mean I'm an excellent photographer! Consistency and wisdom come with continual and constant practice, thoughtfulness and a game plan. I'm learning this lesson by shooting for Alison.

5. What I thought I should be isn't what I am. Going through a four year photography program at RIT set me up to work in the commercial industry which is what I did, but the only rewarding aspect of my job was the relationships I made on set, not the creative work we did. I don't regret it, because I learned alot and made a great income. Only, when I'm done shooting a wedding, not only am I stoked about hanging out with Alison, but we're dancing and singing on the way back to our car at the end of the night. And I've just help create images that are going to last for generations, not be tossed in the recycling bin. This is the biggest piece to my puzzle and one of the values that is the foundation for my business.

And with all that said, I experimented with the post processing of these photos… again, took some risks, played a little, and had some fun. 

Happy Monday!