'trash the dress, 'the day after session,' and 'hitched to haute' are all terms that have surfaced to describe the experience of a bride / groom putting wedding attire back on after the wedding. while the trend continues to grow here are now websites dedicated and may fade, the intent is to create beautiful photographs that will stand the test of time and will also be fun to look back in 50 years :)

sara & eric's trash the dress session rocked! they both had a wonderful experience and wanted to share their experience with other brides considering doing the same. here's what she wrote:

Before my wedding I don’t think I would have considered a “trash the dress” photo session. I thought of my bridal dress as a pristine object to be cherished. At our wedding we danced hard and truly enjoyed ourselves. My dress ended up soaked in sweat. The underneath was filthy from being drug around the reception all night. Tidbits of food and drink had been spilt on it, and there were footprints on the train left behind by guests. It still looked great, but I was definitely going to have to get it cleaned. When R. J. suggested a “trash the dress” photo shoot, I figured “Why not get it a bit dirtier before I get it cleaned?” He also explained to me that the name isn’t truly fitting of the essence of the photo shoot. It’s not about destroying a dress. It is about capturing the bride and groom in a unique and natural situation doing something different and perhaps wild. If the dress gets a little dirty along the way, don’t worry about it! I loved the idea of being more free for some photos and figured despite what R. J. said that my dress would end up truly filthy. Surprisingly it didn’t get much worse than it already looked. The sand from the beach brushed right off.

Looking back I am so grateful that my husband and I did this extra photo session after our wedding. Our pictures from the wedding day are beautiful (different photographer) but they are also very stiff. On our wedding day, as the bride and groom, we were preoccupied with the stress and emotions of the “big day.” Our time was very restricted with all of the events, the guests, and the celebration. Our focus wasn’t on capturing quality photos with everything else going on. A “trash the dress” photo session was a chance for us to relax, just to focus on each other, to feel beautiful and to have fun getting our photos taken. We weren’t thinking about anything else. My husband and I chose a six hour package. We are so glad we went with such a large package because the time flew by so quickly. We ended up with a great variety of shots even after the sun went down.

R. J. is very friendly and really comfortable to work with. He’s the kind of guy you feel like you’ve known for years. He is full of energy and extremely enthusiastic about his work. He made my husband and I feel very pampered and appreciated. The photo shoot is a whole experience and not just about the end product. He truly made us feel like models, and I have never felt more beautiful. We have wonderful memories from the day of our shoot, along with all the gorgeous photos.
________

want to learn more? contact us to learn about pricing and availability. also, be sure to check out trash the dress, a website dedicated to sharing some of the great work in this growing niche of progressive wedding photography & portraiture.

back in the days of film photography, the negative was the starting point for a good photograph. a good negative was important for a good print, but the photographer had to work 'darkroom magic' to ensure the final print was worth hanging. these skills often took years of practice to perfect. a good print often relied upon 'behind-the-scene' techniques like re-touching dust specs, selective lighting (dodging) or darkening (burning), contrast adjustment, sharpening, and cropping. these techniques allowed the photographer to create an image reflecting his/her creative intention just before the shutter was clicked.

with digital photography, while the technical processes of picture-taking hasn't changed much, but the workflow has. just because a photo is taken, doesn't mean it is ready for printing. our creative post-processing techniques are an important component of our 'fresh. modern. fun.' style. any final print undergoes scrutiny before headed to the printer. that means stray hair removal, minor blemish retouching, contrast-adjustment, color-correction, sharpening, etc are all completed before a final print is made.

each image is different and requires a different artistic touch to refine. similar to food, if you put the same amount of salt on every dish, sometimes it might taste better, while other times it might taste awful. same goes with photography. we take care in every print to ensure it represents our best work. not everyone 'gets' digital photography, so we wanted to share a little bit of the behind-the-scenes magic of what makes your kern-photo print special.

vivid, sharp, bright images is what we love... and there is potential in every photo to bring out the best. however, we have a few tricks to really make the images pop. apart of our digital workflow helps streamline the process. we start with a digital 'raw' negative (step 1.) which becomes a corrected proof (step 2.) before a print-ready image (step 3). when you receive your digital negatives, they will be in the corrected proof stage (step 2). if you order prints from us, rest assured you'll get images that meets (step 3) the kern-photo highest standards.

stay tuned for a more in depth look at how we use the latest photoshop technology (adobe cs3) and custom built processing techniques (actions) to obtain our signature look.

but for now, here are a few examples of the general steps taken to process an image:

step 1. the digital 'raw' negative (straight out of the camera)


step 2. the corrected proof (color-corrected, exposure increased, contrast added)


step 3. the final print-ready image (skin re-touched, a bit of warming, eye-pop, and magic sharpening)


step 1. the digital 'raw' negative (straight out of the camera)


step 2. the corrected proof (color-corrected, slight contrast added)


step 3. the final print-ready image (skin re-touched, eye-pop, a bit of warmth, and magic sharpening)


step 1. the digital 'raw' negative (straight out of the camera)


step 2. the corrected proof (color-corrected, slight contrast added)


step 3. the final print-ready image (skin re-touched, eye-pop, and magic sharpening)

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

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.

we're tickled that pictage has finished their 100% re-design of their e-commerce site. what does this mean for you? good looks + easy to use + simple registrations + easier event sharing + simpler navigation + bigger images + album preview + faster checkout + more. yeah. check it:

ps- safari browsers are not fully supported, so you may be redirected to the old website. pc users, this doesn't affect you. if you are a mac user, we recommend firefox.

we love to meet clients in local coffee shops. why? here are our top ten reasons.

10. caffeine gets those creative synapses firing

9. cool decor, super comfy chairs, and great big tables make for productive work spaces

8. clean, public restrooms

7. free parking

6. safe, comfortable, and (usually) easy to find

5. it's the bar of, like, the 2000s

4. art displayed on the walls... very cool inspiration

3. you can tell a lot about a person by what they order. nicole's favorite: grande no water 2% chai. r. j.'s top three favorite: 1) standard drip 2) quad shot espresso/americano 3) the biggest skinny mocha w/half the amount of chocolate pumps. all of r.j.'s aforementioned included splenda and/or half& half seasoned to taste.

2. free wi-fi

1. happy-hour priced drinks all day or night long! our clients are encouraged to order WHATEVER they want, without feeling guilty.