Armstrong Family

The third family at the Laguna Beach shoot on Sunday, November 23rd was the Armstrong's. I have known Trent since back in my High School days at my Church's youth group. Jacque, his wife, has been chomping at the bit to do another family photo session with me this year and I was glad to oblige. It was fun to be back in Orange County were I grew up.

Paris Family

I photographed the Paris Family Last Sunday at Laguna Beach. I shot three families back to back and it worked out nicely! The Paris Family has six, yes, six girls! Sorry, dad, you are quite outnumbered. I love shooting this family because the girls are so beautiful and all look so different. Again, sorry dad, not much hope for you and the boyfriend front in the future! lol

Membrila - Luong Family

Last Sunday I photographed the family of an old High School friend, Chi Luong (now Membrila) down in Laguna Beach. It was PACKED! If I wasn't getting other families in the background, I was getting other photographers! Such a crack up! Here are some of my favorites from the session.

Me and Jake on Thanksgiving

Another timed shot. No chance of a smile, but at least it is in focus! I was asked the other day by a client that said it must be nice to have a husband who is so into photography in reference to all the photos I have of me and Jake. Sadly, almost every shot I have with Jake is with my camera on a tripod with the timer set. There have been a few good shots from Tim, but he is VERY stingy. He will only snap off two or three if I am lucky. I wish he were more into it, because he is quite good at taking photographs Here is to your first Thanksgiving little man!

Happy Thanksgiving

What a beautiful way to bring on Thanksgiving 2008... a rainy Wednesday to clean the earth. I love the smell of the world right after an intense rain storm. Today is sure to be a great beautiful day; one to be thankful for. It finally feels a little like winter and I am so looking forward to lazy days in Mammoth. We were unable to use our season passes even once last year because of our new addition, Jake, but this year we are gearing up for those beautiful little snowflakes to come falling down around us. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Photo 101: Printers

If your in the market for a printer (a good photo printer) you will undoubtedly be overwhelmed by the numerous products out there. As a photographer and bookmaker it is hugely important to have the best print quality and longevity available. I have done extensive tests (not joking) with papers, printers, inks, sunlight exposure, indelibility (water proofness,) and just plain old wow factor with the final image in my hand. Epson far outshines every manufacturer on the market including Canon (sorry guys!) Canon is a great glossy print product, but to get unbelievable matte surface velvety prints with absolutely no banding in solid color washes such as a beautiful blue sky, Epson is, hands down the best.
Here are a few options to consider:
The best ink technology is the K3 inks found in the Epson Photo R2880. This is a 13inch wide printer with 8 different inks that will run you $650 with a $150 worth of mail in rebates. Normally $800.

If this is too big of an option for you right now then you can go with the Ultra High Definition Printer called the Epson Photo Stylus R280 with Claria Ink for a mere $100 bucks. This printer does beautiful glossy prints but is not that great with matte printing as is so desirable with the R2880. It still does a pretty good job and I know you will love this printer for the cost. Make sure you buy the high capacity inks as you will run through them quickly!
Happy printing!

The Photo Booth

The hot new thing when it comes to events is to have a "photo booth" at the event. Most people think back to the old school cram-as-many-people-in-as-you-can type box booths that spit out 4 black and white photos. While fun and nostalgic, this is a bit too limiting for us here at Save The Date Photo. Our photo booth is really not a booth at all, but rather, a full blown portrait studio complete with a backdrop big enough to fit a dozen people and a large portrait strobe light. One of my trusty assistants snaps away while you and your guests take as many photos as you want. The are then loaded to the internet for easy ordering of professional quality prints ready to be framed (not the throw-away kind you now see in many photo booths). And, best of all... it is free to any of my wedding clients!
Here is how you set one up if you are a photographer trying to figure it all out:
Equipment needs:
Calumet Travelite 750ws One-Head Umbrella Kit from Calumet in Los Angeles. It is a perfect starter kit for $680.
Backdrop Stand (On Site Portable Stand) for $130
Muslin for $60

So, for under $1000 you can have yourself an "up in seconds" studio!

Go to my post on lighting for extra tips on how to use the strobe kit.

PRESS RELEASE

Santa Clarita Local Named myfoxla HOTLIST’s 2008 Best Wedding Photographer
Jen O’Sullivan’s Unique Photography Style Takes Top Honor on LA’S HOTLIST!

Santa Clarita, CA November 20, 2008 – Santa Clarita resident and local business owner, Jen O’Sullivan of Save The Date Photo has won first place in myfoxla HOTLIST’s contest for the Best Wedding Photographer in Los Angeles. The winners were announced on November 21st and can be found on the myfoxla HOTLIST’s website. The contest, held from September 8, 2008 to November 7, 2008 allows consumers to vote via the web for their favorite service provider in individual categories. Nominated by her clients, Save The Date Photo, was selected out of an estimated 159 local Los Angeles area wedding photographers vying for the award.

“I am honored and feel extremely blessed to have been chosen as this year’s “Best Wedding Photographer” by my clients and fans in a contest that has some of the most sought after photographers in Southern California.” states Jen O’Sullivan. “It means a lot to be recognized by myfoxla’s HOTLIST, and to have such a loyal clientèle!”

Save The Date Photo’s unique ability to capture the magic, happiness, and romance of each wedding day in an unobtrusive way have made Jen O’Sullivan’s work popular among Los Angeles consumers. Save The Date Photo is a strong community supporter – offering free services to the Boy Scouts of America, Crossroads Community Church, the Battered Women's Shelter, Saugus Union School District and many other of the Santa Clarita’s small businesses.

Save The Date Photo is a full service wedding and portrait photography studio specializing in captured moments with a story book feel. Go to www.savethedatephoto.com to see more of Jen’s work. Contact Jen directly at jen@savethedatephoto.com or call 661-513-0253.

VOTED BEST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN LA!

It's official! Save The Date Photography has been voted the Best Wedding Photographer in Los Angeles through My Fox LA. Words cannot express how much everyone's support and dedication to my success means to me. I am blessed beyond my own imagination. Thank you all for making it happen! In celebration I would like to extend to all brides a free photo booth upgrade with their booked package. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here is to a wonderfully beautiful and magical 2009 season!

Orphan Works: Meta Tagging

Don't let your images become orphans! Orphan Works as defined by Public Knowledge are "copyrighted works — books, music, records, films, etc — whose owner cannot be located. " This means that if you post your imagery on the web without tagging it and someone else copies it, and then another person copies that person's copy, you are out of luck and have just let go of the proverbial balloon. Bye bye...
Tagging your imagery BEFORE you put it on the web is crucial! How, you might ask, does one do this? Any RAW processing software such as Aperture or Lightroom can do this as can PhotoShop. In PhotoShop you can find it under "File -- File Info." You will want to at least tag every image with your name, contact info, and copyright notice. Copyright notice? What should be written there, you might ask.
Simply: Copyrighted Image. All Rights Reserved.
More Thouroughly: Copyrighted Image. All Rights Reserved. Photo copyright © by Jen O’Sullivan and Save The Date Photography. The client only is granted limited usage for an unlimited amount of time of all photographs for private and personal use only. Image files are non-transferable and cannot be given, shared, or sold to any third party. Commercial use is strictly prohibited and punishable by a fine of no less than three times the commercial usage worth of the photo which is unlawfully used. Web sharing of low resolution imagery is okay but must contain photo credit and the file size must be no bigger than 4x6 inch at 72dpi. Credit must read: "Photo by Jen O'Sullivan of Save The Date Photo" Please contact Jen O'Sullivan at jen@savethedatephoto.com for inquiries.

That is how my images are tagged. If you have not tagged your images before I suggest starting now. To back tag hundreds of imagery might seem overwhelming so you might just tag the "money" shots: those shots that everyone seems to like the most. You know which ones they are! You can also easily batch tag thousands of imagery in Lightroom, PhotoShop, or Aperture.

Tag your stuff. We don't want a bunch of Olivers out there!

Great Idea

At practically every wedding I shoot that has a garter toss, there is always, and I mean ALWAYS, a little boy who catches the garter. My guess: no man actually wants to catch it and the little boy is the most eager. If you watch the garter fly through the air you will miss the comedy happening with the clump of men that quickly turns into the parting of the sea revealing the lone boy poised and ready. Marcy and Miguel, one of my couple's who got married at the end of October had a great idea. They did a pre-toss for the kids. The girls got a cute stuffed animal toss, and the boys, Sponge Bob, of course. Great idea to get the men into the game!

The Right Person For The Job

Back in August when the earthquake hit, our home was rolling. We live up on a hill that overlooks a valley and my husband said it felt like we were on the ocean. Just a few short weeks later our 9 month old son ripped our master bedroom door right off the hinges. We had to assume we did not have a mini hulk on our hands but rather the earthquake helped him along. Two days later the coat closet rack tumbled to the floor. Is our home falling apart? We think the earthquake took its shot and made its mark. Ever since then we have had no door and woe to the person who opens the coat closet! We have been on the lookout for a GOOD handy man. We got burned when we had two shady landscapers rip us off, so we are now more cautious and are looking for a referral. As a full time photographer, my business has not slowed down in this crazy market and I have to attribute it to the fact that 100 percent of my business comes from social networking and straight referrals. People are more likely to spend their hard earned dollar on a verified guarantee rather than an impersonal advertisement and wishful thinking.
Here are some people I recommend if you are looking for a good referral! (These are my ladies... guys, I'll do one for you next week!)

Annaliese Avergara - Lunch Salon (Stylist)
626-355-1481 http://www.lunchsalon.com/ avergara@altrionet.com

Susan Babson - Visual Illuminations (artist of paintings and cards)
artmakr@visualilluminations.com http://www.visualilluminations.com

Christina Belardinelli – Medicine Ways
production@medicineways.tv

Paula Bradley – Picasso’s Playmates (art classes for everyone!)
Studio_me@sbcglobal.net

Leticia Glenchur – Juice Plus+
661-268-1760 http://www.bktobasics.com tish@socal.rr.com

Elaine Giftos Wright – The Wright Way of Feng Shui
661-799-0607 http://www.way2fengshui.com egwright@way2fengshui.com

Rochelle Goff – Customized Administrative Services
661-313-6820 rcg36@att.net

Trish Grinnell – Melaleuca (Green, chemical free products)
661-259-4715 healthnwellness@sbcglobal.net

Caroline Halili - Graphic Designer
carolinehalili@mac.com

Dawn Happoldt – Above All Appraisal (Real Estate Appraiser)
661-305-9000 jhappoldt@sbcglobal.net

Cindy Headerson – YTB Travel Network (Travel Agent)
818-402-4921 http://www.etravelscape.com cindy@etravelscape.com

Candice Hirst – Silpada Jewelry
661-295-8651 http://www.mysilpada.com/candicehirst candy564@gmail.com

Wendy Hunter - Text Sure (copy writer)
(818) 269-2566 http://www.textsureonline.com textsure@mac.com

Dina Huffman – Docs Ready Sign (Notary)
661-607-8151 huffman_dina@yahoo.com

Cheryl Jablow - Social Frog Designs (event coordination and invitation design)
661-722-9966 http://www.socialfrog.com cjablow@socialfrog.com

Marcy James – Rock Creek Mortgage (Mortgage Broker)
661-755-4883 http://www.rockcreekmortage.com marcy@rockcreekmortgage.com

Frances Jimenez – In Home Wine Consultant
franniejimenez@yahoo.com

Tami Lindahl – Certified Personal Trainer
661-312-4239 http://www.healthyscv.com livelifefit@sbcglobal.net

Amira Mendias – Total Financial Solutions (Financial Planner)
661-753-9683 http://www.tfswealth.com amendias@tfswealth.com

Jen O'Sullivan - Save The Date Photo (gotta include myself!)
661-513-0253 http://www.savethedatephoto.com jen@savethedatephoto.com

Angela Palmer - Brow Bar Spa
661-295-2056 http://www.browbarspa.com info@browbarspa.com

Debbie Penny – Legacy Real Estate Group (Real Estate Agent)
661-313-7243 http://www.debbiepenny.com debbie@debbiepenny.com

Denise Plummer – Massage Therapist
661-714-6637 savvysence@aol.com

Pamela Sorlagas – A Floral Affair (Wedding Florist)
661-607-8339 afloralaffair@hotmail.com

Katie Trebilcock – Tuscan Interiors (Interior Designer)
661-433-5274 tuscanme8@yahoo.com

Denise Van Arsdale-West, Pick up the Pieces Life Coaching
661-714-9404 http://www.pickupthepieceslifecoaching.com denisewest888@yahoo.com

So... anyone know of a GREAT handyman! : )

Kara & Sri

Shay Thomason, one of my principal shooters, shot a beautiful double ceremony Hindu wedding on Saturday. While I was fighting traffic to get out of town with the fires to get to Santa Maria, Shay was fighting traffic road blocks to get to Santa Monica. It took him 3 hours to get 40 miles finally finding a route through the Angeles National Forest. Once there, he worked his magic and captured some truly beautiful imagery. Kara and Sri were married through a Hindu ceremony in an intimate backyard setting and then re-married in a not-so-traditional American ceremony at The Broad Stage in the Santa Monica Performing Arts Center. Congrats Kara & Sri!