Photo Tips
Tip #1 - Take the largest photo possible
This should be "RULE 1" because of how often it is not followed - to great disappointment to our customers. We can't emphasize the following fact enough:
A 6.0 Mega Pixel (MP) camera can be set to take 0.3 MP photos!
Just because you (or your friend) have just bought a nice new high-mega-pixel camera, doesn't mean you will be taking photos with it that will be worth beans (in terms of resolution).
Let's take the example of a current point-and-shoot camera on the market, a Canon A480. It can be set to take photos that are 3648 x 2736 pixels, all the way down to 320 x 240 pixels.
When you multiply 3648 x 2736, you get 9,980,928 pixels. Round that up to 10 million, and you get a 10 Mega (million) Pixel camera. If you multiply 320 x 240, you get almost 77 thousand pixels! That is less than 1% of 10 MP image it can take at full setting. And it is basically too small for even the smallest photos on an invitation.
Why do people make this mistake? The card in your camera can only hold so many photos. Smaller photos take up less room. That leaves more room for more photos! "Yeah! I can now take thousands of photos instead of just a hundred or so!" -- That is what people think, not knowing the photos are now poorer in quality.
Also, choose the highest quality (usually called "fine") to make sure the camera doesn't soften it to also save space.
Tip#2 - Match the photos you are going to replace
If you want to have your invitation match a design, have the photos match our photos in the following ways:
- Match horizontal and vertical shots. If the design calls for a vertical photo of the two of you, match it. That is, if you want the design to be the same.
- Match background placement. If the photo has a lot of background (for words to go over), you should match that placement and amount of background. Most of our examples that are like this have the couple off to one side. If that is what you are trying to match, make sure you match it. If you want wording and small photos to appear over the background, chances are that the couple will only take up 1/3 or less of the frame.
- Match "zoomed in." If it is a small photo, you might notice that it is zoomed in on you (so you aren't too small in the small photos). However, do give some breathing room (see Tip# 3).
Please print out our examples and take them with you on the shoot. We encourage you to copy our photos if you want to.
Tip# 3 - Give some "breathing room" when you zoom
If you are trying to match a photo, don't zoom in quite as much as you think you want to. Give it some extra cropping space.
It is much easier to crop in a little than wish you could zoom out after the fact. Of course it does go back to having your camera set to the highest resolution (so you can crop because there are plenty of pixels). So please leave some room for cropping in.
Also, DON'T CROP IT YOURSELF. We want to be able to do that. If you think the photo (after it is taken) is way too zoomed out, just tell us that you want it cropped in, but let us do that, please.
Tip# 4 - Shoot in the shade if you need a place
The full sun isn't a horrible place to shoot, but in the shade the couple isn't squinting and the light is soft and even.
Tip# 5 - Don't shoot in the dark
The shade is a good place, but don't go where it is very dark either. If you do, your photos will either be blurry (from slow shutter speeds) or have a stronger flash than you might like. Flash is okay, even a great addition at times (it lights up the eyes), so don't be afraid to use a flash either.
Tip# 6 - Relax! And shoot a lot!
If you are nervous, the couple won't be relaxed. Take a deep breath, have fun, and shoot a ton! Know that if you take a hundred or more photos in various places and settings, that the chances of getting a dozen good (or at least acceptable) photos is pretty good.
It takes a pro to get 100 awesome photos. You just need 10 good ones and a couple great ones. You can probably do that if you relax, enjoy the process, and let sheer volume be your safety-net. Then you can go through all of them and pick out the good and even okay ones for them to choose from.
Only take out the horrible, pathetic ones. They make you look bad. But leave the okay ones because they are decent (they might choose some) and they make the good ones look even better.
Tip# 7 - Help the couple relax (posing)
Posing can be your worst nightmare (at least in your head). Poses look good when they don't look stiff or forced, so it follows that the best poses are often the ones that look natural and relaxed. So is also follows that if the couple is relaxed, then it probably is a good pose.
Regardless of their position (standing, sitting, laying on their stomachs, just holding hands, etc.) get them to cuddle up to each other and tell them to get comfortable and act like they actually love each other. With that you are half-way there.
Then you might have to have them face you more (with their face, not their body), and have them tilt the head, etc. But being close and showing they love each other is the first step.
About the head position: you might have to have them point their nose at you a lot. Couples always turn their heads away from you when cuddling. They might still be looking at you, but their head is turned away (more toward the other person). This looks weird. They are basically looking at the camera out of the side of their face (because the face is turned away).
Have them turn the head toward you (point their nose at you). The reason they always turn their head away is they want to be cuddled and close, so they turn to their partner (it is a natural response, but looks funny in photos). They can acheive the closeness by looking at you, but then bringing the sides of their heads togther (while still looking at the camera).
This, of course, is a non-issue when the pose is of them kissing or facing each other. So if they face the camera, they need to face the camera. Otherwise they can look at each other. And not being stiff while facing the camera still applies.
In the end, just help them look like they 1) Are having fun/ happy to be there. 2) They love each other, and aren't afraid to touch. 3) They aren't stiff and contorted, or look like they are sitting on a tac.