Your Special Day, Gorgeous, Romantic & Fun in Northern Michigan. Venues in and around Traverse City and the Grand Traverse reigon, beaches and more…
TimberLee Hills
http://www.timberleehills.com
The Homestead Resort
http://thehomesteadresort.com
The Park Place Inn
http://www.park-place-hotel.com
Wellington Inn
http://www.wellingtoninn.com
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
http://www.grandtraverseresort.com
Frog Pond Village
http://www.frogpondvillage.com
Great Wolf Lodge
http://www.greatwolf.com
Ranch Rudolf
http://www.ranchrudolf.com
The Willowbrook Mill http://thewillowbrookmill.com
Holiday Inn
http://www.tcwestbay.com
Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos
http://www.casino2win.com
Traverse City area has many Beaches available for your Wedding Day plans.
The past 30 years I have been working to develop a unique appreciation for the real nature of life, which has incorporated my own style of Photojournalistic Photography.
As an entertainer in my younger years I have had the opportunity to meet with many personalities and I find most of us are positive and want to be happy. I bring these experiences every time I go for my camera. As a member of the ISP (International Society of Photography), I have been honored with two awards in 2003 and 2005 in Washington D.C., for best achievement in Outdoor Photography. My passion for Wedding Photography is a passion of love and creativity that captures your images for a lifetime. As a skilled photojournalist, I will capture your story as it unfolds naturally, capture every moment you expect, and even some you don’t. If you are looking for the pure essence of artistically creative photography, this my forte.
Your wedding day is one of the most significant days of your life. Once the guests have left and dress packed away, your photos will be a connection to your friends, family, and most importantly, your love for each other. Steven Blair has captured thousands of special moments in a relaxed and professional manner.
“My camera is
an extension of my personality and the poetry of the moment. read more…
“The Grand Hotel” on Mackinac Island.
Begin your lives together surrounded by romance.
The fact that you arrive on Mackinac Island by boat or plane starts your Wedding day in a special way.
Mackinac Island is forever romantic. This is a landscape characterized by high limestone bluffs, beautiful bodies of great lakes water, vibrant forests, flower gardens, turtles, and mystical geological formations. Elegant hotels, fine restaurants, and even horse and buggy transportation further enhance this romantic atmosphere. It’s not surprising that the classic romance “Somewhere in Time” was filmed on Mackinac Island. Begin your lives together on Mackinac Island, a place where, according to the Ojibwa and Odawa Indian Tribes, “Life first began”. Your Destination Wedding is waiting for you on Mackinac Island at the “Grand Hotel”.
A Few Kind Words from Season 2009
Karra & Ryan Goddard
12/3/09 – This client said “Yes – I would recommend this studio.”
Steven Blair did a wonderful job of capturing the perfect moments that were shared between us, as well as between family and friends on are Wedding day! He has an excellent way of making sure he is not in the way and capturing the candid moments of your wedding day! He was very easy to talk with, work with, and he got back to us on all occasions in a timely fashion. He has an extraordinary eye for beauty and capturing the special moments of your special day! We have received so many compliments from everyone who has seen our storybook wedding album and movie. We felt very comfortable putting the most important job of our wedding in the hands of a professional, knowing in 20 years we can look back at our wedding album and watch our movie to re-live our enchanting day. We could not be happier with the pictures that were taken on our wedding day. You can tell that Steven Blair has a passion and love for his work. We would absolutely recommend Steven Blair to anyone who wants professional, candid and breath-taking photos to last a life time; photos you can be proud of. Mr. & Mrs. Goddard / 8-28-09
Everyone is sensitive. Everyone. The person that we love and that we have chosen to be with is sensitive, and they need to be reminded of how wonderful they are, how sweet they are. How sweet it is for us to look upon them. How much we admire them and what they have done, and who they are, and how they speak, and how they smile.
If you are thinking of sunset pictures the times below could be helpful.
April 1st…………………………..8:12 pm
May 1st…………………………….8:47 pm
June 1st……………………………9:22 pm
July 1st…………………………….9:33 pm
Aug 1st…………………………….9:09 pm
Sept 1st…………………………….8:19 pm
Oct 1st………………………………7:21 pm
Nov 1st………………………………6:57 pm
Mackinac Island Wedding Vendor List
Voted one of the top 10 Destination
Wedding Islands in the World. read more…
Three things to say everyday to each other.
Number one is “I Love You.” And there is no limit to how many times one should say I love you. There is no occasion where I love you is not an appropriate thing to say.
Number two, almost as important, has to be said at least one time a day is “I Appreciate You.” And that can be said in different ways. It could be said by describing how good you’re looking, or how wonderfully you did something. It’s nice to slip in the world appreciation, it sort of has a magic tone to it, but you should definitely acknowledge your appreciation of your mate.
The third thing is “Honey, you look so beautiful today.” Or “Sweetheart I don’t think I ever remember you ever being so handsome as you are today, you get better looking every day.” So those are the three things that will definitely help.
Are you thinking of a magical place for your event and just don’t know how to find it? A fantastic setting that’s beyond your wildest dreams? A grand ballroom… romantic castle… manicured garden… an elegant yacht… or a beachside resort?
Traverse City has many different wedding locations to choose from. Whether planning your wedding in a church, chapel, hotel, mansion, estate, or outdoor venue, Traverse City has the perfect place for your wedding ceremony or wedding reception. Make sure to pick a wedding site that has all the right meeting space for your special day. Book your wedding reception site in advance as well; if you wait, it may not be available when you need it. read more…
Contact www.timberleehills.com for more information.
Located just minutes from downtown Traverse City, this scenic country setting is the perfect location for your upcoming wedding celebration! With breathtaking natural beauty, your guests can enjoy the relaxed feel of the ambiance lighting indoors, or create new memories mingling amongst our flower beds and fountains on our grass covered patio, or enjoy the sound of rushing water in our ceremonial garden beside a flowing waterfall. Our lovely views of Lake Leelanau and the Grand Traverse Bay elaborate the colorful sunsets, while the rolling hills surrounding us envelop you in a cascade of our natural essence. read more…
There are three stylish sites for weddings and receptions. In settings as fresh as a flower, they meld the mystique of Leelanau with the majesty of Lake Michigan. Each is uniquely beautiful. Each is equipped and staffed to provide exceptional service. Choose one and views will beguile, flavors will swirl and wines will sparkle. Laughter will meld with the sounds of the water. And the day, the unique day…the perfect day…the day of which you’ve dreamed, will be made.
Suggestions for writing your own wedding vows.
Now a healthy dose of writer’s block (not to mention fear of embarrassing yourself) has hit you squarely on the head. Don’t know how to transform your heavy, life-altering, feelings into a string of coherent words? You’re not alone — but don’t worry, your goal is within reach: Just take it one word at a time. Here’s the homework you need to do (and the questions you should ask) to make your wedding vows perfect.
Mackinac Bridge 2005
I have driven across the Mackinac Bridge 100′s of times and walked it once.
Once a year the Bridge is open for the Labor Day Walk.
The Mackinac Bridge is currently the third longest suspension bridge in the world. In 1998, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan became the longest with a total suspension of 12,826 feet. The Great Belt Bridge in Halsskov-Sprogoe, Denmark, which also opened in 1998, is the second longest suspension bridge in the world with a total suspension of 8,921 feet. The Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. read more…
Shadows
I shoot a lot of outside winter venues so when I’m venturing out with my camera to capture the snow, I’m reminded of how tricky it can be to shoot for good results.I thought I’d share one simple tip for getting better photos in snow.
So here goes…
Obviously, we all know that snow is bright and white. Your camera, however, responds to the brightness by averaging everything out to give an overall “middle gray” picture. That’s why, with bright white snow, you’ll often end up with an under-exposed, or dark, photo.
To compensate, tell your camera to over-expose. With snow, I typically over-expose at least one full stop and, sometimes, as much as two. Some factors that will determine how much you over-expose include the amount of snow in the shot, the time of day, and anything else of different shades and colors in the composition.
Now, there’s some subjectivity involved in all photography, of course, where personal taste and style play a major role… and snow is no exception.
But, if the photographer wanted to get a brighter shot, telling the camera to over-expose will result in a more professional image…
As I mentioned earlier, there’s always some subjectivity in how bright or dark you’ll want your shots to be. But simply learning how to understand your camera and using it to create the desired outcome is critical.
When shooting in snow, the general rule of thumb is to over-expose anywhere from one to two stops.
And, if your camera has a mode specifically for snow, go ahead and use it — it’ll take
the guesswork out for you.
Whispering
So what does fast mean?
Fast, when talking about a lens, actually refers to the greatest amount of light the lens will let in.
Think of it this way…
If your camera needs more light to hit the digital sensor in order to make a correctly exposed image, then it has three choices:
1) It can open up your aperture and let more light in through the lens…
2) It can slow down your shutter speed and let the light that’s coming in from your lens sit on the digital sensor for a longer amount of time…
3) It can speed up the “film speed” or ISO on digital cameras.
So if your camera measures the light in the room and thinks it needs an aperture reading of 1.4 but your lens only opens to 5.6, it’ll slow your shutter speed to get the shot. And a slow shutter speed — if you’re hand holding your camera — will give you a blurry image.
Most photographers consider a fast lens to be one that will open up to at least f-2.8.
| Wedding Planning List |
This checklist will help you in planning the most important day of your life. Feel free to print it out and give copies to those helping to plan your wedding.
6-12 Months
- Choose the kind of wedding you will have, date and time.
- Discuss the budget, and who will pay for what.
- Consider hiring a wedding coordinator.
- Make arrangements with the officiator.
- Reserve the wedding and reception locations.
- Select your wedding dress, veil and accessories.
- Choose the bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, and honored roles.
- Have a formal black/white photo sitting for announcements.
- Send announcements of your engagement to your fiancé’s and your local and hometown newspapers.
- Meet with the florist, photographer, caterer, videographer, and D.J. or entertainment to discuss budgets and options.
- Discuss the guest list with fiancé and families.
- Plan reception music.
- Contact a rental coordinator for equipment reservations.
- Discuss honeymoon and reservations. (Traditionally the groom makes all the honeymoon arrangements.)
- Arrange for time off work, if necessary.
- Buy a wedding planner and envelopes to store brochures and notes.
- Develop record-keeping system for invitations, gifts, and thank-you notes.
Wedding Planner Checklist.
Officiant:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Deposit amount:
Final payment due date:
Arrival time:
Notes:
Photographer:
Name: Steven Blair
Email: info@photosbyblair.com
Phone: 231-631-2002
Reservation fee: $500.00
Final payment & due date:
Arrival time:
Notes:
If you are considering a Destination Wedding, Mackinac Island is one of the top 10 locations in the U.S., and the top three in Michigan. I have had the pleasure of photographing over 400+ Weddings on Mackinac Island since 1997. The venues are spectacular and the views are breathtaking. As I look back at the last 13 years there is not one wedding that was uneventful. The atmosphere and the anticipation from the brides make for a beautiful celebration. It truly is a
“Somewhere in Time” destination.
Steven Blair, We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating the most perfect wedding memories. Being out of state, we searched high and low for the best photographer for our wedding on Mackinac Island. We went to the wedding expo on the island, clicked through so many websites, and thumbed through a plethora of brochures. When we saw your site, we knew you were “our photographer.” We chose you because we could see the thought and the love shine through every picture that you took. Your passion for photography comes through each and every photo that you take. During the entire process (planning, and executing the photos), your demeanor, professionalism, and overall personality made you a pleasure to work with. Everyone who sees our wedding album comments how beautiful the pictures are and how they look like they could be stills from a movie. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Most of the time your camera is fairly accurate. But what happens if you have a once-in-a-lifetime shot that’s underexposed? Is there a way to save it? The basic answer is yes – or you can at least make it better.
Obviously, you’d rather get the exposure correct — or as close to perfection as possible — before you take the picture. But today, we are assuming that isn’t possible. So let’s look at how you can fix the shot in Photoshop for better results.
In this case, the fix is simple and uses the same tools I recommend using for all your pictures (for more information about digitally developing all of your photos.
A quick Levels and Curves adjustment should solve the exposure issue in the shot. Here’s how:
I have four generations from Mackianc Island. The LaPine Family. My mother Dr. Mercedes A. LaPine N.D.was the last to be born on my side of the family on the Island. I have spent every summer on the Island since I was two years old. My summers now are spent photographing Weddings on the Island. Below are some facts about:
Mackinac or Mackinaw?
The name Michilimackinac, the place of the “Great Turtle”, was first given to Mackinac Island for its shape and was eventually given to the entire Straits of Mackinac region. In time, certainly by the 1820s, it was shortened to Mackinac. The founders of Mackinaw City opted for the phonetic “aw” spelling, probably as a way to distinguish their town from Mackinac Island for confused postal carriers.
Today Mackinaw City retains the “aw” spelling while the bridge, straits and island steadfastly cling to the “ac” spelling. No matter how it is spelled, however, it is always pronounced Mackinaw!
