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Photography, Arts and Life in San Diego

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Finding A Wedding Photographer

A wedding is one of the most important events that will occur in a person’s life. Hours and hours go into all of the planning for the wedding. Probably all of the list of things to do in wedding planning are frustrating, stressful, and time consuming. That is why it is so important to do some homework and find the right people for all of the jobs.  One of the most important jobs is that of the photographer. From my experience as a Southern California wedding photographer I’ll show you it can be a few simple steps away.

Hiring a Wedding Photographer


Trying to find a wedding photographer is huge responsibility and job. There are several things to take into account when trying to make this important decision. The photos that you take away from your wedding are going to be the most memorable keepsakes that you have. The photos will be all over your walls for the rest of yourlife. One of the important factors when trying to find a photographer is price. Most photographers do charge a price for a specific amount of time for the wedding. It is important to know what will be included with that price up front. When it comes to finding a wedding photographer, the biggest upside to pricing is there is a lot of competition. Remember, that a lot of photographers can and will negotiate their price a little bit to fit what you need.

Another thing to think about and consider when choosing is the experience a person may have. Is this their firs big wedding job, or have they done a few dozen or more? Their price might be an indication of how many years they have been in business as well. Just because someone has a lot of experience doesn’t always mean they will be better. Sometimes those people that are just starting out and trying to build a name for themselves will turn out to be excellent. The advantage of going with someone like that is you know you are going to get their best effort. In your search for a wedding photographer, you are going to find different levels of experience between them. When you do an interview of prospective photographers, it will give you a sense of what it will be like when you work with them.

A final thing to consider when making this decision is what type of personality the photographer has. Are they likely going to try call all the shots and decide on all your poses? Or are they going to let the bride and groom make some decisions? The other thing to think about is do you want to be the one to make the decisions on the photos. The bride and groom will have enough to think about the day of the wedding as it is. Take all of these factors into consideration when you choose your photographer. If you do, you are going to have a lot of wonderful pictures to cherish for the rest of your lives.

San Diego Photography – Hiring

Looking for a photographer for a special day?  Well my experience being a San Diego Photographer has given me some insight on how to make the best choice for that special occasion.  So don’t even think about popping open the yellow pages and picking any old photographer that you find.  Take it from my experience and follow these steps on choosing a good photographer.

When you know that a special day is coming up, most people want a way to remember those special moments, and most of the time it will be with pictures.  So it is critical that if you are going to hire a photographer to capture those moments, that you do your research, , especially if it is a wedding, I know from first hand experience as a San Diego Wedding Photographer.  Start by asking friends and family for any people they can refer you to.  With that list, you can start to put together some potential candidates.

After you have gathered that list from friends and family, you should see if they have a website and take a look at it.  Look at some of the work that they have done in the past.  Look to see if it is the type of shots and the style you want your pictures to be like.  If the photographers you have listed have their portfolios online, it will save you a lot of time because then you can narrow your list down even more by what you see.

Third, start to call up the photographers and conduct a phone interview.  Once you have narrowed your list of photographers down to about two or three you can call them up and begin your interviewing process.  You can then make an appointment to meet with the photographer and view their portfolios if you have not already viewed it online.  During these phone interviews it is important to ask questions.  The more specific you are with your question the better understanding you will get as to whether or not the photographer is the one you are looking for.  While on the phone you should ask the photographer to bring in his collection of coverage of one particular event so that you will know exactly what to expect from that photographer.

After you have met with your two or three possible photographers it is time to decide which one is right for you.  The key factors to remember when deciding on your photographer is to make sure your choosing the one that you like and the one that understands the vision you have about how you want your memories to be captured.  Before you make the commitment to the photographer make sure you have asked all the questions you had and have considered all the photographers policies carefully.  Once you feel you have found the perfect photographer for your event, then go right ahead and make the commitment.

Following these simple steps will benefit you in many ways.  It will allow you to get to know your photographer.  Having a connection is very important.  It will also allow you to see if his style is what you are looking for in the types of shots you want.  And most of all it will give you piece of mind.  Setting up a photo shoot for a special occasion usually means the event is very important.  With that in mind, you want that day to be as stress free as possible and following these steps will help accomplish that.

San Diego Wedding Photography

Being asked to be the photographer for a wedding is a big responsibility.If you’ve been approached to do it as a friend, or maybe asked to do it as a professional, here are 5 great tips to do the job right.

This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.  So whether you are seasoned pro, or a rank amateur, if you follow these tips, you will feel comfortable and not have to second guess yourself.Doing this you will be fully prepared come what may.

Our first tip is easy and that is to have the couple and maybe their families make a list of photos they want to take.With a day that can be as hectic and chaotic as a wedding day, doing this will help when you are trying to organize all the group and family shots later on in the day.  You will love it and when you can just go down the list and get everything without leaving anything out by accident.

The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots.  In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Even though they are great, it is also tempting since it is so easy, to delete a shot.  Don’t even look at the previews.  What makes a great shot in your mind could differ widely that what makes a great shot in the couples minds.  And who knows, they might appreciate the so called un “professional” shots.

A third tip to consider is making sure you get candid shots.A good wedding photographer doesn’t look to just take your typical shots, like group shots, or wedding shots or your standard newly married shots.  But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It may include the things that go wrong also, like a flower girl making a wrong turn or the ring bearer not wanting to walk down the aisle.Every photo matters.

The fourth one to consider, and something that can easily be overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras with several lenses as backup.  Do you even want to imagine having a camera stop working halfway through the day.Plan for the worst that could go wrong.Being prepared with more equipment will ensure that you avoid that awkward moment of not being able to finish the rest of the day because of a broken camera.

Finally, practice your lighting as well. There can be a huge difference between the lighting inside the wedding and outside, so make sure to practice for all the different possible conditions. You should try and see if you can scout the locations for the big day and try and find the best spots to shoot as well as gauging the lighting needs.

Taking these 5 tips into account will help you immensely.  It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be.  Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.

Math and English Students improve in San Diego

Overall students in San Diego made great strides in improving math and english skills. According to the results of the 09′ standardized testing and reporting program done by the stae showed that over 50% of San Diego students between the second grade and grade 11 scored advanced or proficient in english. This was a 47% increase from the year before.

For math results, it was very similar. From grades two to seven the percentage rate of students who scored high was up from a low 41% last year to a higher 45% this year. This is a great gain and students in San Diego should be proud of themselves. The hard work involved in the extra study time put in has definitely paid off.

The different school districts use these test results to see what schools are meeting the minimum requirements set in place by the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Not only in San Diego did score results increase. The state as a whole increased in both math and english. Once again, all students are to be commended and should give themselves a big pat on the back for a job well done.