if you've got something like this planned, let us know :)

if you are blog reader, you know how much we value the learning resources over at the strobist. however, the photographic learning never is fully complete without putting the theories and techniques into practice.... under a time pressure and in front of people whom you've just met that know much more than you about lighting. it's a kick in the pants.

last night about handful of photographers met on the rooftop of a random parking garage in boulder to test our mettle. we each had 30 minutes to try out an idea and explain our thought process and share the resulting image. we used each other as models. my self-assignment was inspired by john michael cooper's (and soon to be my) favorite technique of painting with light. he demonstrates the whole shebang here. there's a wild surprise at the very end :)

below is my best shot from tonight using a nikon d-80 with a nikon 28-70 f/2.8 lens at 28mm, 30 second exposure at f/4.8, iso 200 on tripod, incandescent white balance, lightpainted with two halogen flashlights, and a manual triggered off-camera nikon sb-800 flash in a small softbox (which revealed subtle asphalt texture and two cigarettes on the pavement, difficult to see on the web version of the image). photographer john heisel was the 'dead' model. running back to the camera near the end of my exposure, i drew a line on the pavement with my flashlight which created the circle and line of light near his left foot.

hey photographers! we'll be featured during the studio spotlight at the next denver pictage user group meeting (PUG) held on march 5, 2008 @ 6pm at the blake street tavern in denver. we're excited to share a little bit about what makes kern-photo, well, kern-photo.

complete details here.

for those non-pictage users, PUGs are basically a great networking opportunity for fellow wedding & portrait photographers in denver who just happen to use pictage. best of all they are free to pictage photographers. we come together once a month and share, learn, and network. the PUGS are wonderful and just happen to be listed #7 on our list of 10 reasons why we use pictage.

each month focuses on a different studio (thus the name, studio spotlight), and then something to help out with the business or creative aspect of photography. at the next meeting, there will be some a discussions about digital workflow in photography... the good, the bad, and the ugly.

this should be an interesting, as we'd rather be shooting than driving a desk :)

mark your calendars for coffee-shop class #3 on wednesday, march 26 @ 4:30!



who: those wanting to harness the power of bokeh (boke).

what: a hands-on approach to learning how to control the quality of your out-of-focus backgrounds when shooting, specifically the highlights and out-of-focus details. we'll cover how to pronounce the word, what it is, what it isn't, and more importantly, how it can add an elusive quality to your images that clients appreciate :)

when: wednesday, march 26, 2008 from 4:30 - 6:00 pm (we'll do 45 minutes inside, 45 minutes outside).

where: the starbucks inside the denver rei, take the 23rd street exit on I-25. come early to grab some coffee and a good seat.

why: to teach and learn and have fun, plus an opportunity to network with other fellow photographers

cost: *free*

what to bring: camera and an assortment of lenses (flash/tripod/reflectors/kitchen sink not needed)

RSVP: in the comments section of the blog below.

homework: familiarize yourself with the wikipedia's definition of bokeh, then glance at will castlman's comparisons for nikon and canon lenses. for extra credit and more technical articles on bokeh and background blur, check out the writings by bob atkins and harold merklinger's understanding boke. as always, bring questions.

to see a few of the images from coffee-shop class #2, check gino siller's posting here.
_____

to learn more about the kern-photo 'coffee-shop class,' click HERE.
if you are lost, call r. j. kern of kern-photo at 303.474.0983.
_____

carolyn & adam are getting married in april, just around the corner and we are looking forward to photographing their big day! they are both super genuine, down-to-earth, and excited to be in love. they had an awesome engagement session yesterday and we wanted to post a few of our favorite images. ladies first, here's carolyn:


introducing adam:


when carolyn & adam were dating they visited this vista of boulder's flatirons (appearing in the background) and got a few romantic snaps. they were both eager to return to capture the beauty of denver's front range mountains for their engagement shoot. we drove to a picnic spot off highway 36 with a panoramic view of the flatirons and the rocky mountains in the distance. this shots is reminiscent of a 1965 ford mustang ad.


a classic vintage car & shoe shot:


'shirley,' the name of adam's mom, appears on the driver's door. what an awesome momento!


carolyn is beautiful and could easily fit in the pages of a j-crew catalog.


carolyn & adam are a cute couple.


carolyn's beautiful coat was warm enough for two sets of hands :)


adam ensured he warmed up & stretched out well before carolyn jumped on his back (adam played some big time football for the cu-boulder buffs, so he knows the routine :)


this is my favorite shot from our shoot:



a little wide-angle view with the front range in the background.


super sweet:


we drove around and found a perfect little field just outside of boulder which set the stage for some more creative portraits. we lucked out since the weather was super nice (high in the 60s) and the lighting overcast. out-of-focus shots force viewers to use their imaginations... which we like :)



we ended up at this really rustic barn in boulder's open space. jesh de rox inspired the composition and urge to experiment in the next two shots:



the experience of emotion & love is a wonderful thing to photograph:



on a final note, i was dummy enough to lock my keys in the car (the first time.... ever). adam was kind enough to call AAA. and today we can now call ourselves proud new members, so that in the event it happens again, we are covered :)

nicole's huge birthday candle on lemon cookies at maggiano's last night drew a smile on nicole and the family. we were treated to a wonderful dinner by nicole's parents and it was great to spend quality time with family. since it is lent, we did ask for a one-day pardon to indulge in birthday treats like a small dessert, (read: two huge indulgent desserts) and a nice glass of vino. here's a sweet low-light shot from our little iphone camera:

post-event note: gino siller posted some of his favorite images here from the event. thanks, gino!



who: "starving photographers eager to light".

what: friendly-approach learning the basics of using gels on flashes. we will focus techniques of how to balance ambient light with flash. we'll also cover how to sprinkle with the creative lighting juice. borat won't be there, we promise. to learn more about the kern-photo 'coffee-shop class,' click HERE.

when: thursday, February 21, 2008 from 4:30 - 6:00 pm (we'll do 45 minutes inside, 45 minutes outside)

where: the press coffee company at 7150 w. alaska drive, in lakewood, 80226.

cost: *free*

what to bring: warm clothes, camera, flash (not all necessary)

RSVP below in the comments section of the blog.

homework: get inspired by a mayan trash the dress session article HERE. bring questions.

can't make it? our third coffee-shop class will be held on march 26, 2008 at 4:30 pm at the denver rei starbuck. topic: using bokeh to the fullest

extra credit: watch the movie below. take notes and let's share ideas.

tuesday evening we displayed our work and met engaged couples at superb red carpet bridal event sponsored by the fort collins country club, mountain avenue bridal, and simply elegant wedding and event planning. only 12 vendors were invited to this event, so we were tickled to be considered. we shared a captive audience of about 50 guests with photographer dave russell (fellow pictage user and nikonian). our display was simple: a few metallic prints and albums, our signature square marketing cards (think business cards on steroids), and a slideshow. spray-painted pvc pipe from home depot and cheapo black material from the seconds bin at walmart made our fancy 'pipe & drape' display economical and easy to set-up.... and it also expands to become a large seamless paper backdrop stand inspired by this article (another macgyver trick). we will graduate to bigger and better display in due time... but we like keeping things simple right now :)

it's been a year since i last shot ryan otto for his maximum talent agency portfolio. we've both grown in our creative outlets and while it is fun to look back at some of our old work here, we set out to photograph in a different mentality: photograph with the end result in mind. he wanted some shots to show off his triathlete-cut physique and i wanted to learn how to best to place such a model in the best light possible. a special thanks to his wife, jayme, for assisting with lighting, outfit changes, and reminding us how time flies when you're having fun (and how 68 degrees turns into 40 when the sun goes down :)




this shot was made possible using our newly developed mini-softbox-on-a-stick technology, inspired by the strobist and macgyver.



a classic american-crew shot.


jason hayes shared a cool lighting tricks of 'skimming the light' using a giant softbox positioned perpendicular and in front of the subject. this technique creates wrap-around lighting, adding dimensionality to the subject. learning this technique meet the requirement for goal #78 on my list of 101 photo goals in 1,001 days.

here's ryan's edgy euro look (color temperature lowered for effect):


and this was ryan's all-american, well-rounded look:


these were shot with a single beauty dish positioned in the upper left and a softbox reflection for the background on the right.


and here's our favorite shot of the whole shoot:

fellow wedding videographer brian martinez was in need of some new images for his modeling portfolio. brian is currently represented by donna baldwin modeling agency in denver and does quite a bit of commercial modeling for some cool companies. he is also a brand new papa for a 6-week-old baby boy. working with professional models is something we are new at and brian's confidence and willingness to be creative sealed the deal. we shot outside in 68 degree weather with available light using one lens (you guessed it, our 85 f/1.4) for as long as we could and were very pleased with the results.


we found a dark alley and put to use a new signature mini-softbox wireless ttl light-on-a-stick (stay tuned in a later post about the complete blueprint details)


our wedding photographer, jason hayes, lent us his sweeeet studio and was also kind enough to offer a mini-class in lighting. thanks, jason!


towards the end we busted out the ringlight, which offers a unique lighting effect often used in high-impact fashion photography. here are a few of my favorite first shots using a ring-flash (which also happens to be goal #81 on my list of 101 photo goals in 1,001 days.

we're not huge into the whole hallmark valentine's day. however, we do know our cupid's ears taste almost better than the dark chocolate and champagne we gave up for lent :)

we want to exceed your desires and wishes in photographing your wedding day. we realize wedding logistics do not have to be stressful and with a little planning, your day will go smooth. to assist you, we've compiled a list of 10 tips to help you get the best out of your wedding photography.

10. be comfy.
seriously. it's your day, why not enjoy it to the fullest? be sure you'll be comfy in your dress standing and sitting. during your wedding dress shopping, go with a friend that will tell you the truth about how your dress fits. consider packing a change of shoes for dancing and unwinding afterwards. avoid blisters on your honeymoon by choosing a comfy pair of dancing shoes. also consider scuffing the souls for extra traction.

9. dressing room prep.
pick a dressing room with lots of room and natural light. have bridesmaids clean up non-wedding messes like jeans and sneakers, but just don’t make it too sterile. place empty boxes and bags outside the dressing room and consider hanging the dresses and displaying the shoes on the floor. flowers look better in vases instead of cardboard florist boxes. cover ugly furniture with white sheets. in addition, good dressing room lighting is key. caution: bright sunlight streaming in may look great to the eyes, but extreme brightness in a dark room creates harsh lighting. blinds, drapes, or even a white sheet over the outside of the window creates nice diffusing light. north facing windows generally offer a bit softer light. if no windows are available, consider white lights or candles.

8. let us know.
if there are any particular shots you want, feel free to tell us. we work for you and want you to be happy with your images. you may want to designate an "event guide" to point out important individuals for informal or candid photographs. we prefer not to photograph from a “shot list” throughout your wedding day. long lists and frequent requests for posed photographs reduce the capability to explore and obtain photographs of genuinely occurring moments. that being said, we do have a mini-shot list in our head including: bride & groom, b & g with bride's extended family, b & g with groom's extended family, bridal party together, bride with bridesmaids (and individually), groom with groomsmen (and individually). we also plan to photograph the little details throughout the day.

7. plan alone time.
thoughtfully plan your day in advance, including 20-30 minutes of bride & groom alone time for your portrait session. private sessions also allow for greater creativity, minimize disruptions, and better enable us capture the intimacy of being newly married. competing with numerous flashes and suggestions to “look here” distracts from our efforts. exploring an old barn, a nearby park, a scenic vista, or even an urban alley can create an array of creative possibilities. plan extra time between your wedding events, as unexpected things may arise. we want you to reduce stress, relax, and enjoy your wedding day.

6. know 'where & when.'
preplanning with wedding couples is another key ingredient in capturing what you want. the next step can be challenging: getting everyone together at the same time and same place for the formals. after planning out the timing of your wedding thoughtful, create a 'where & when' sheet. print off copies and hand out at the rehearsal. emailing your 'where & when' sheet to the vendors is highly recommended to avoid surprises.

5. share the rules.
please let us know up-front any church restrictions. retrofitting photography needs to restrictions can be frustrating. to not break church rules, we have to know what they are. we choose not go near the alter to avoid interfering with ceremony.

4. face the crowd.
during the ceremony, if you intend to sit during your ceremony, sit together, not apart. intimate moments between the bride and groom are difficult to capture when separated. if possible, choose to face the crowd or at least face them at an angle. guests like to see a shared laugh or tear. we also want to capture those moments for you. we remember the joy on our wedding day looking out and seeing for the first time lots of family and friends all gathered together in one place at one time, which rarely happens. having your own mental snapshot of your occasion can be priceless.

3. don't 'say cheese.'
explain to your guests that our style is journalistic, which means we are with you during your wedding day and photograph actions in real time. many people are surprised to learn that they don’t have to look at the camera to get great shots. share your enthusiasm about your choice for photography to family and friends by sending an email to friends and family. you may want to include a link to www.kern-photo.com so they can get a feel for our style. in the email, remind them to ignore us as much as possible. that way they will understand our photography approach a bit better. to photograph natural shots, we prefer to blend in and be unobtrusive. preparing friends and family with that in mind will go a long way in making them feel more comfortable and won't be compelled to "smile." let kids be kids during the event, event though parents plead them to “say cheese.” kids do the darndest things at weddings and we love to shoot them :)

2. shoot formals first.
even if you have your heart set on not seeing each other until the ceremony, photographing the bulk of the family & group formals before ceremony is one ingredient for a smooth wedding day. after the ceremony, many brides would rather spend time with guests. in addition, gathering guests at the reception can be difficult and there's always the risk of spilling drinks on attire, especially with kids (young and old). we prefer about an hour and a half for portraits, including 20-30 minutes with bride & groom alone, 30 minutes with bridal party, and 30 minutes with family.

1. the 'first look.'
if you are in the early stages of wedding planning, consider a 'first look.' the extra time will be on your side and the images will be that much better with a 'first look.' why? bridal magazines often reference how a bride wants her images to look. two ingredients need for this photographic style include ample time before the ceremony and wonderful natural light. combined, these help set the stage for a more casual, relaxed approach in your wedding portraits. with a ‘first look,’ you have more control over location choice. your hair, makeup, and clothing will be in the best condition before ceremony anxiety, the hugs and kisses, and the rest of the craziness after the ceremony. you'll also have more romantic time for your groom to admire you in your wedding dress away from crowds. an added bonus: you will have more time with guests.

you'll also appreciate the difference of natural light makes in your photos. summer light lingers longer, giving a great chance at catching the warm light at a low angle. however, shorter days during winter months give little chance to photograph using natural, “pretty” light. if you are getting married in the evening where it is dark after the ceremony or during the months between november and april, we strongly suggest a ‘first look.’

even if you choose the traditional approach of shooting the portraits after the ceremony, time your ceremony so there is natural light available. ideally, plan the ceremony to end 2 hours before sunset to get the best out of natural light.

and finally,

trust in us.
you hired us because you trust us and we promise to do our best. trust us to cover all the photography details so you do not have to worry. above all, we want you to enjoy your day.

we've been using pictage since 2006 and we can safely say our buisness isn't the same without them! pictage is the premier online services for professional photographers and serves as a one-stop, online solution for viewing, purchasing, and printing professional images. once we learned the workflow and strengths of the system, pictage has become a key component in helping us stay successful. we are proud to be affiliated with pictage....and didn't pay us to say that! we actually pay them a good chuck of change each month for their services. our brides say it is worth it.

we like to do what we do best (photography) and delegate the rest. yes, at times, it is difficult to let things go. however, as a small-buisness owners, we realize the importance of maintaining a sustainable work-life balance. we love to shoot and would rather avoid the stuff that makes us grow old and weary like color correction, building online galleries, printing, billing, order processing, and shipping (pictage does these things well).

customer service is and will always be our #1 priority and we encourage clients to call and speak with us about questions. we promise your call won't be routed to india and you won't have to press # to speak with an operator :)

for brides and photographers interested in learning more, we've compiled a list of ten things we value about pictage (followed by five things we'd improve):

10. accounting made easy.
after pictage prints and ships products to our clients, they handle all the sales taxes and billing, take their commission, and send us a check in the mail each month. the simplicity of this is HUGE. we're no accountants and are glad pictage deals directly with the states, counties, and cities that collect sales tax. they follow-up with invalid credit cards numbers and so on. this is a big weight off our shoulders.

9. free color-correction.
brides know the color of their dress ('white' versus 'pristine champagne') and we want to ensure they remember that in their wedding photographs. same goes with facial complexion. subtle differences in color are important. which is why we ensure proper camera settings, monitor calibration, and print profiles deliver the most accurate color in the final print. the final print matters. we work with pictage to ensure the final print exceeds expectations, guaranteed.

8. archival printing with great products.
all photos are printed on kodak's finest endura professional papers, the industry standard for print longevity. clients can order prints in a range of sizes and paper surfaces. since pictage functions as our primary photo lab, we do not have to worry about print fulfillment, which can eat up an entire weekend sitting in front of the computer. we also offer clients products such as save-the-date cards, thank you notes, and dvds.

7. the PUGs.
the monthly pictage user groups are a great way to meet and greet other photographers and get our learning on. our monthly fee nearly justifies this single networking event. getting questions answered by people who have 'been there, done that' is critically valuable and helps us avoid re-inventing the wheel. each meeting is informal and focuses on a business practice discussion and a studio spotlight presentation, which is usually very inspirational. katie van buren is the denver pug organizer and does a good job of organizing the events. we usually meet at the blake street tavern on a wednesday night at 6:00 pm. best of all, the PUGs are free to attend! there are online community forums, live chats, training videos... but we usually opt out of those to minimize computer brain drain.

6. free album design.
our senior albums, engagement albums, and proof books are all designed by pictage designers. clients can go online, swap out pictures or entire page designs and order them directly. we still design our wedding albums because we give them the extra special kern-photo touch.

5. secure online purchasing.
knock on wood, we've never been burned by a hacker tapping into our website and stealing privacy information.... mainly because we do not offer an online storefront on our website. we cringe at the thought of explaining to someone that a devious cyber-hacker broke into a credit card system and stole private information. while it has happened to other photographers (remember those paypal?), we refuse to let it happen to us and our clients.

4. hands-free marketing.
pictage handles our online marketing for us, including event announcements, gift credits, 2-for-1 print sales, and friendly reminders about sales and event expirations. friends & family that pre-register to view the event before it is released will receive a special gift credit up to $20 with no strings attached. this is another way a bride can share her images without burdened by print fulfillment and dozens of trips to the lab (or.... gulp... walmart).


3. slick online proofing.
this is way easier and quicker than the 'old-skool' 4x6s in an album. hard proofs get mixed up, lost, and can be difficult to share with out-of-town family. now, family and friends all over the world can view your wedding photos at home (but only if you want them too!). for clients who want a tangible proof, we do offer offer hard and soft cover proof books.

2. online galleries, the easy way.
once we ftp the high-resolution digital negatives to pictage and the bride/groom release the event to friends & family, the mechanics of image processing is complete and ready to run smooth. pictage has an streamlined back-end workflow to build web-resized image galleries, check out carts, and the works. that means less time sitting in front of the computer and more time shooting (or playing).

1. pictage payment processing (for short, P3).
we have never paid a single credit card merchant fee with pictage! nada. zilch. with P3, pictage handles all of our credit card transactions online. that means we're not paying 3% to a credit card merchant for each transaction, which can add up when clients book a wedding for thousands of dollars. we can afford to pass the savings on to clients by offering lower priced packages :)

nothing is perfect. here are a few things we'd change about pictage:

1. apple's safari browsers not fully supported. what?!?! (fyi: it works fine on firefox and internet explorer)

2. slow ftp upload speeds. 50K/ second forces us into overnight uploading.

3. 'trusted by the world's happiest brides' .... not sure if we dig the slogan.

4. the P3 logo belongs in a chemistry text book.

5. the pictage training curve for brides & family can be steep. however, familiarizing clients with the process after the engagement session usually answers most questions.

a bunch of photographers geeked-out today at red rocks in an event sponsored by the newly-formed innovative imagemakers. there was no cost to shoot, the high school models were great sports, and i had another wonderful opportunity to meet and greet with other fellow photographers. i recognized a few familiar faces, but for the most i felt brand spankin' new to many. in between the rapid succession to clicks at candid grins, laughter broke the ice nicely and by the end of the shoot many photographers were on a first name basis with one another. and despite the plethora of canon shooters in the portrait and wedding photography world, i enjoyed mingling with the strong nikonian presence. yes, we know, cameras are just tools but we are proud to remain on the 'dark side' :)

the game plan was simple: each team for 4-6 photographers spent about 30 minutes with each model, experimenting with new ideas, exploring new poses and locations, and just having fun. several tourist passerby's wondered if the models were famous... my reply, 'you bet!' i think these high schoolers felt like super stars and were ready for act in america's next top model.

events like this remind me why 'new school photography' is so cool. there is no such thing in photography as magic tricks, just things we haven't learned yet. and 'new school' photographers are eager to share and play nicely with others :)

here are a few of the favorites:




and here's the paparazzi in action:

'imagine a photo shoot where each moment is a last moment, where there will be no second takes, where what you're doing means everything.'

this quote struck a powerful chord with me after reading it the website for 'now i lay me down to sleep,' a non-profit organization supports infant bereavement photography. named after the classic children's prayer from the 18th century, 'now i lay me down to sleep' has created a strong network of denver photographers dedicated to helping parents experiencing the pain and suffering of an early infant loss. click and HERE and HERE to read news stories of photographers and families they touched.i recently volunteered for the first time with 'now i lay me down to sleep.' it opened my eyes, to say the least. this powerful experience reminded me of the fragility of human condidition. the re-alignment of priorities comes easy when witnessing death.

on a personal level, my brother, peter, died when he was 10 days old. my parents have never shown me a photograph of him, and i do not know if one exists. while my parents rarely speak of him, i know it is difficult still for my parents talk about, let alone think about. my father, being an ob-gyn, witnesses such challenges on a regular basis with his patients. i spoke with my father about my recent experience with 'now i lay me down to sleep' and gained instant endorsement :) my father will be giving a presentation at an upcoming medical conference and plans to mention the potential power such a program plays in the infant bereavement process.

the parents, grandparents, and the family were very inviting and open to me being in their lives during this time of loss. as soon as we stepped into the hospital room, it seemed the parents were extremely grateful for that we were there, which was a big relief.

i shadowed photographer rosalyn sample at mountain hi photography since this was my first time photographing in a hospital under such conditions. rosalyn and the nurses were patient and helpful and were a valuable part of my experience. thank you! i felt honored and blessed to be gain access and i ensured i worked hard to ensure upmost respect with my interaction of the family. right off the bat, the father seemed excited for us being there. in conversation, he resonated a sense of warmth in describing how he intended to 'photoshop' the images so that they were a sentimental blend of color and black & white. i smiled and joined him in his enthusiasm. i was glad to offer up images :). fast forward to a few days later, i received a call from the family informing me that they would be using several of my images to print and display at the memorial service. i felt honored that i could be apart of that. i also knew the grace of God was with the child and the family.

i look forward to continued involvement with 'now i lay me down to sleep.' words can not describe the feeling of death, especially of an infant. however, i appreciate how the power of a simple photograph can help grieving parents.

if you are a photographer interested in participating, i encourage you to click here to apply. the approval process is rather simple, and once on-board, emails are sent as services are needed. it is completely voluntary to join. photographers do not charge for services and the clients receive all images on CD. such an assignment is not for the faint of heart, but totally worth it!

if you are not a photographer, but want to help, you may make a charitable-contribute and donate here.

to honor the couple's privacy, images will not be posted.

growing up 10 miles apart in rural nebraska, stephanie & jeff met through a friend and the rest is history. both are huge golf enthusiasts and their may wedding will be at the par 70 arrowhead golf course, designed by robert trent jones, jr (the only reason i know that is my litle cousin designs golf courses).

despite falling temperatures, these two were daring to have their engagment session in 30-degree temperatures. warm at heart, it didn't phase them much... they were pleasant, energetic, and very easy-going the entire shoot.

recently engaged, julie is a talented muscian and jru (pronounced "drew") is headed to the police academy. together they make a great couple. spirituality plays an important role in their relationship and witnessing their engagement giddiness was refreshing. with julie's violin and jru's collection of guns and cars, there'll be some mayhem to witness in their 'creatively-different' bridal portraits on june 27, 2008.

they became quickly confident and comfortable in front of the camera. 100% total photographic freedom ignited creative sparks bonfires and paved the road for photographic experimentation.




after hanging out near the denver rei, we headed to the downtown aquarium to explore.


a favorite shot of the day: