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You must be very careful as a photographer when considering photographing a bachelor party outing.  I have photographed many through the years and so far I have enjoyed them all.  I just returned from a weekend bachelor party in Grand Rapids. It was a super weekend.  Started Friday afternoon in the backyard of the grooms house playing Frisbee and Baseball, then to a baseball game at 5th 3rd Ballpark Friday night.   The weather was perfect for outside activities.

Bachelor Gifts in these cases: Watches

5th 3rd Ballpark

The Groomsmen

Saturday morning tee-off time at 9:30am was just the start of the day.

The Ball and Chain.

The boys had 3 trick golf balls, (1) a smoke ball, (2) a streamer and (3) a sand ball.  When you hit the sand ball it never moved in a straight line.  Great gags. Click on the link below to watch the smoke ball.

Nick & Chalice BH Party SBlair (302)

Groom, Groomsmen, and Users.

Then off to Paintball in the afternoon.

Paint Ball mania.

Click on link below to see video.

Nick’s Bachelor Paintball Party SBlair (425)

Groom in white as Paintball Man

The day ended with dinner and a party at the Grooms house.  I’ll save those pictures for the Bride & Groom’s porfolio.

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One of the most significant events in any woman’s life is her engagement, a time when she accepts a proposal of marriage from her beloved. As a sign of his love and commitment to her, she can expect to receive an engagement ring, a sparkler that she will cherish the rest of her life.

Your engagement photography session with your photographer should be giggles of fun.  It’s a time that you can reflect on your courtship and the personality’s you two have created together.  I so much enjoy photographing couples that are ready to just have fun and let the camera work with your relationship.   The time we spend together during this session helps me learn more about you two so I can better understand your inspirations for your Wedding day.  All the decisions you make  planning your special day, your photographer is the one who will capture all the beauty, your  emotions, the romance,  joy and the art of your Wedding day that will last for a life time.  Your engagement pictures can be the start of the your celebration for your family and friends.

Engagement Photoshoot

80% of the Weddings I photograph are destination Weddings so most of the engagement sessions are a place that most Bride and Grooms have never been before. It’s so important the the photographer know the venue so you feel as relaxed as possible.  The photographer should set the mood to help the couple feel like there at home. I travel all over Michigan but mostly the Bride & Groom will travel north to  Traverse City, Petoskey, Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan, to take advantage of the Great Lake beaches and sunsets.

Engagement Pictures

I so much enjoy photographing couples that are ready to just have fun and let the camera work with your relationship.

Engagement Pictures

Sunrises to Sunsets: I will work with you at any time of the day.

Engagement Pictures

Engagement Pictures

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It may seem obvious but it is so very important for a model to choose the right photographer.  Most photographers have a certain style to which they always stay true to so, for the model to do this research is essential.  Simply reviewing the photographer’s portfolio and trusting that gut feeling about what is there can be a great guide.  Personality for me is one of the the most important bonds between the photographer and model.  Without that bond it will be very hard to feel comfortable in front of the lens and it will show in the photographs.

Communication and Planning Between Model and Photographer

Even a quick casual meeting before the shoot builds chemistry and trust or provides the warning signs to cancel for either of the participants.  With communication the model has a better idea about the photo shoot, more ideas to contribute and a chance to rehearse.

Planning is equally important to the photographer to ensure fresh new images and less dependency to find inspiration for every picture during the shoot.  Some plans are never carried out, some plans become great photo shoot ideas or even evolve into something unexpected through improvisation.

Model Release – Ownership and the Use of the Photographs

This is not a cut and dry issue but one thing is certain: the photographer automatically owns all photos taken.

The future use of the photos can be determined by the type of release signed. Most importantly who can sell the photos and the possible changes in ownership of the photos.
There can be as many types of releases as photo shoots. It is up to the model and the photographer to agree on the terms. If a model refuses to sign a release the photographer has every right and a very good reason not to photograph that model.
Most photographers do not do photo shoots without a model release. The model release is not written to take advantage of the model, it is there to protect the interests of both parties.

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Wedding cakes can be a wonderful, exciting, colorful and magical addition to your special day.  I will capture not only the cake cutting but all your additional joys, many of them I hope to be surprises you will cherish the rest of your life.   Below are samples of a few Wedding cakes I have photographed through the years and some history of the “Wedding Cake”

One of my favorite Pastry Chief’s, Kim Sperl, her work is below.

Kim can be contacted at Bella e Dolce   /   231-625-8232

Exquisite Cakes & Pastries

http://www.bellaedolce.com

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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.

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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

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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

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.

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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.

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