Desert Trends Photography - Mesa AZ

Blog Moved

2010-11-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

This blog has been moved to http://www.deserttrendsphoto.net

Please update your bookmarks accordingly

Thanks!

Tips for Hiring A Wedding Photographer

2009-09-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

I recently read a newlyweds horror story about her photographer. You can read the full story on the Photo.net forums. Basically her wedding planner 'hired' a photographer for them and they were very disappointed in the 37 photos that they received in a cheap Wal-Mart album. They never met the photographer in advance and had only a vague contract through the planner

While I'm sorry to hear the bride is in this situation and certainly upset that a 'photographer' would act this way, I can't help feel the bride is partly responsible for not taking an active role in vetting her wedding vendors. A good wedding planner can be a great resource and is great for tying together all the pieces of the puzzle, but I think it is your responsibility to meet with each vendor and discuss what they will or won't do.

Here's a few things to ask when interviewing a photographer

-Will you be the actual photographer at my wedding?

Some large studios contract out to "associate photographers". I would

only speak with the actual photographer, not a salesman for the studio.

-Are the albums you're showing me the same style I can expect with my package?

-Were all the pictures in the albums shot by you?

-We want only candids, or we want only non-traditional? Can you do that?

Little changes in style are possible, but even if they promise they can, don't expect vastly different pictures from what you see in their portfolio.

-Ask to see a complete wedding or two.

Frankly, anyone can put a dozen decent photos on a website out of thousands. When you

look at a complete event you'll get a better idea of the pictures you can expect to receive.

Get it in writing!

A vendors contract should be as important to you as it is to the photographer. And here's a little secret -- the contract IS almost always negotiable. A photography contract should always include the name of the photographer expected to be at the event, the exact hours services will be performed, the exact deliverables (detailed album specs, DVD, proofs, etc), delivery deadlines, cancellation policy, and a copyright policy.

Neglected Blog

2009-09-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog recently because I'm planning a redesign of my website and blog. But it's taking a bit longer than expected. In the mean time, here's some pictures of me in the Fun In A Flash photo booth at the East Valley Bridal Show!

BIG Pictures!!!

2009-07-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

I always thought the standard blog picture size was way to small. Afterall, I have thousands of dollars in lens designed to create huge images! Well, I finally figured out how to increase the size and I have doubled the pictures on our blog! Now you can see even more of the fabulous detail from Desert Trends Photography

To celebrate this monumental acheievement, I'm going to give away two free engagement photos sessions! The first two people that leave a comment to this post will win a 1-2 hour engagement photo shoot absolutely free!

Mehndi/ Henna Body Art

2009-07-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

We flew to Chicago for a 3-day shoot of the Wedding of Ian and Soumya. As soon as we arrived in Rockford after an overnight flight, we began documenting the Bride receiving her henna design. The henna is applied several days before the wedding to allow it to darken properly.

The groom initials are hidden in the pattern, and the groom is supposed to find them on the wedding night or he has to give a gift to the bride.

Soumya's Henna was quite elaborate and took over five hours to complete. The designs go almost to the elbow. The bride cannot move much or do any work while the henna is being applied.

The feet are also done, though not as elaborate as the hands.

After the bride, each of the bridesmaids received Henna designs on their hands and arms. While the brides took hours, each of these designs was done in 20 minutes or less.

Later that night all the ladies gathered for a traditional Sangeet, a party with lots of Indian dancing, singing, and lots of delicious Indian foods!

The bride and her mother at the Sangeet.

All the ladies wore traditional Indian sarees. They are so colorful - I love to photograph them!

Becky & Tudor Are Engaged!

2009-07-06T20:39:00.001-07:00

Becky & Tudor were winners of a free engagement session drawing at our Bridal show both. We headed out to the Scottsdale Civic Center to take some pictures in the park. A few sprinkles of rain hit the windshield on the way there, but we managed to have a dry, but cloudy day!

Here's a few shots of the newly engaged couple. Hopefully they'll invite us to photograph their wedding this winter. Becky says they're expecting 800 people! WOW, that's going to be a big wedding.

Trash The Dress - Final Selection

2009-07-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I never added any more pictures from the Trash the Dress shoot I did a while back. I created a 40 page book from the shoot. Below are some of my favorite pages. If you'd like to see the full book in person, just let me know!

Want to be our next Trash the Dress victim, I mean model? Shoot me an email and we'll set up a creative shoot for you. Grooms welcome too!

Bridal Fashion Debut

2009-06-16T19:46:00.001-07:00

After months of planning, we headed to the Bridal Fashion Debut last weekend. So far, it has been a great success! We talked to hundreds of brides. Even some interior designers stopped by to compliment our great looking booth.

If you where one of the brides that stopped by and filled out a contact form, you qualify for our promotional 1/2 off engagement photo session through the end of this month. When you book your wedding with us, we'll apply the engagement session fee toward your full wedding backage!

Ruben and Victoria's Wedding

2009-05-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulation to Ruben and Tory! They were married at the Old Town Wedding Center in Peoria on an overcast Friday afternoon. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day. All the pictures will be available on our web gallery in a few weeks.

Trash the Dress - Part 1

2009-05-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

In April we shot a creative "trash the dress" bridal
session with three beautiful ladies. Well, I've finally had
some time to begin editing them. This first part contains
the 'glamour' shots before we did any real dress trashing.

I'd like to thank Cortney, Stacey, and Nisha for coming out
and looking fabulous! And a special thank you to Julia Venegas
for doing makeup and hair.

(Don't forget you can click on the photos to open a larger version)

Next Week: The "Dirty" Pictures!

Camp Sparky Silent Auction

2009-04-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the Camp Sparky silent auction at the Grace Inn in Phoenix. We sold pictures in front of the 'A Taste of Hollywood' backdrop. This annual event auctions artwork, food, sports stuff and more donated by artists and local business to benefit at-risk youth in the Phoenix area.

Here's a taste of what went down:

New Web Pics!

2009-04-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Today I've added some new pictures to my website. Here's a taste:

Stay tuned for 'Trash the Dress' pictures later this week!

Carol & Jacob

2009-04-09T03:26:00.000-07:00

Carol and Jacob tied the knot at The Groves in Mesa. Jacob was
forced to get dressed in the chicken coop, while the ladies had
better accomodations!

The guys where sporting black converse shoes.

Jacob entertaining the kids with fresh oranges from the Grove

Real smiles always look better than the fake kind!

I do...

Check out that sweet ride.

Carol and Jacob show of their mad dance skills for

their first dance as husband and wife.

The Rings with a "Kiss"

Congratulations to Carol and Jacob!

More photos from this event will be in our gallery in a few weeks.
http://deserttrends.smugmug.com /

Tasha & Patrick

2009-03-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Tasha and Patrick were wed on St. Patrick's Day at the beautiful Shenandoah Mill in Gilbert, AZ.

New Blog!

2009-03-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today we are launching the new Desert Trends Photography blog. I'm excited to be able to tell you more about my photography work. Please check back often - my goal is to post exciting pictures and stories at least once per week.