Ian Lozada: Wedding, Lifestyle & Commercial Photography for New York, NY and Lexington, KY » E-Sessions

Did you get engaged this weekend? (Plus new e-session options!)

Ian — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:56:57 +0000

Tell us your engagement story to win a free e-session!

Well, congratulations then! I love hearing the stories about how couples find each other and how their engagements came together… so much so that I’m going to have a contest.

Pop over to our Contact Page and send us your engagement story– include all those details and fun moments, and don’t forget all the reactions and the rash of phone calls that broke out afterwards.

Get it in before February 28th, and we’ll put you in for a free, special engagement session, and your choice of a free 11×14 print or a 12×12 square print of your favorite image from the session! We’ll also share your story here on the blog with your photos.

We’re offering two new types of specialty portrait sessions, and you can be the first to try them out!

Find out more after the jump…

Option 1: The Film Session. I’ve always shot weddings 100% digitally… with one exception– my first wedding, I shot primarily digital, but also with a touch of film as well, shot on an antique rangefinder camera. It was this great old Canon Canonet, made in the 1960s, and the seals have eroded on it, which means I sometimes get these little leaks of light that create cool vignettes and dark edges. I’ve always been in love with the look, but it takes too much time to the way I do at weddings with film cameras.

However, on an e-session, we have a lot more time to set things up, read the light with the meters, load film, set up additional lighting, things like that. Now, I can do all those things with a digital camera too, but some of those organic things that come out of using film in old or lo-fi cameras are lost in the process.

So here’s how I want to do it: First off, I’m not going to use the standard color film that you can buy anywhere that looks exactly like real life, assuming you get the lighting right. We’re going to use black and white film or color slide film. When we use the color slide film, we’re going to “cross process” it, running slide film through the chemicals used to develop normal color negative film. This gives it this cool oversaturated look.

On top of that, we’re not going to use the usual SLR type cameras that I’ll use at a wedding. I’ll use one of my rangefinders like the Canonet, or a lo-fi camera like a Holga or a Blackbird (these shoot square pictures, by the way) that also are known for cool distortion effects.

Over 3 hours time, we’ll shoot 5 rolls of 35mm film (Canonet, Blackbird) or 6 rolls of 120 film (Holga) on one of these sessions, with additional rolls at $30 each for film and processing. You’ll get proof prints and a DVD of all finished images, plus one 11×14 or 12×12 of your favorite image. For those not lucky enough to win this session, I’m pricing this at $400. Don’t feel like you have to do it as an engagement session either– I’m happy to do this for personal or family portrait sessions too!

Option 2: The Streetlight Session. I’m limiting this one to certain city environments (New York, Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati) only for the obvious reasons– we’re shooting by available light at twilight and at night. I’m doing this as almost entirely black and white, but color is an option, as the low light will require me to use digital cameras for this one. The goal is to shoot a different type of romantic image. I’m planning one of these soon with an upcoming bride and groom, so keep an eye out here for samples! This session, like our stand alone engagement sessions, will go for $35o, including online proofing and an 11×14 or 12×12 print of your favorite image. Please set aside 3 hours for shooting.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LoveUnscripted

If you win the contest and you don’t feel up to trying one of the adventurous options, you’re still welcome to go with our standard e-session. Good luck, and I can’t wait to read your stories!

contest open to residents of Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey or Connecticut.

Snowy Save The Dates: Michelle and Kris, Lexington, Kentucky

Ian — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:20:15 +0000

I had a pretty good feeling Michelle and Kris were going to sign with me after our first meeting. I mean, when you discover you’ve been chatting for two hours, it’s a sign you’ve definitely made a connection. We just spent the entire time laughing and occasionally even talking about wedding photography.

On Saturday, we went out to the Lexington Country Club, where they’ll be having their reception this summer. Now, the grounds didn’t look anything like they will at the wedding, what with the fresh blanket of snow on the ground. We thought it would be fun to show their guests what the place they’re going to get married at looks like at this time of year.

Of course the first thing I did as soon as I got out there was to realize I’d planted a flash in the snow. Didn’t keep it from working, but did keep my hands frozen solid anytime I held the thing. We ended up taking about 45 minutes worth of shots before the battery died– in frigid temperatures, batteries drain faster. (The guys who shoot Green Bay Packers games usually tape those chemical handwarmer packets to their battery grips so that they can shoot the whole game.)

We took some by some classic Kentucky stone fencing , then moved to the back and went out on to the golf course in the open space, to take a few walking and talking images, some shots on a stone bench, you get the idea. Afterwards, we went into the clubhouse so that they could show me the space. When I saw the ballroom, I was in heaven. It was still set up from the night before, but what I immediately saw was floods of beautiful, focused lights coming in from the big arched windows on the left. I quickly got them into the center of the room and squeezed off a few last frames with the last juice in the battery.

We’re talking about doing a shoot out of town with them for their real engagement session, as Kris lives in Boston these days, and we might even be able to get some of those night shots I’ve been dying to do. I can’t wait to take more images with this fun and engaging couple!

Making e-session magic…

Ian — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:08:29 +0000

E-session guestbooks are a great way to display your photos! Click the photo to see inside one...

As spring approaches, many of you will be looking forward to getting engagement pictures done. Engagement sessions (or e-sessions for short) are a great way for you and your groom to get used to being in front of the camera. Let’s face it: very few of us are used to being in front of that big 77 milimeter eye, and it can be intimidating. Having an e-session helps you settle down, build confidence, and eventually let your guard down more on your wedding day.

Here are some things that I’ve found help you be at your best at your session:

Have your hair and makeup done professionally that day. It’s amazing how often this gets overlooked. Also, it’s a great way to start solidifying a relationship with makeup artists you’re looking at for your big day.
Block out lots of time. I never book anything else on the same day as an e-session, because I want my attention to be solely on you. If you’re rushing straight from work, it’s hard to refocus and get into a mood for romantic scenes. In addition, try and start early enough that we get good light, but not so late that we have to rush to beat the sunset. Also, arrive well-rested from the night before, and well-fed– the less stress on your body, the better looking the expressions, and the happier you’ll be with the way you look.
Have multiple locations in mind. I always prefer to have you choose locations that mean something to you– maybe it’s where you first met, or where he proposed, or a place that you spent tons of time together. Put a few of those places together, plus a spot or two that fits your style, and you have a short list to start from. Keep in mind that not all of them are necessarily at their peak when you’re getting your portraits done, however– last year, one bride picked the Arboretum in March and the flowers hadn’t started to bloom at all yet! Oh, and I get asked all the time for the same place. Triangle Park. Or Keeneland. Nothing against them, but if you pick them, add something else with a different feel altogether as well. It’ll add some energy to your shoot.
In addition to multiple locations, I recommend multiple outfits for both of you. I’m not going to rush you–I’ve had one or two e-sessions that went 4 hours– so go for it with extra outfits. I tell people to wear clothes that make them feel comfortable but confident. Talk about the clothes beforehand with your fiance so that you wear things that go together at the right times in the shoot. You don’t have to dress like twins (hey, I’m a twinparent and I don’t dress my twins like twins!) but try and think on the same lines.
Try something different: Most of my shoots are late afternoon. It’s when the light’s prettiest. But it’s just as pretty in the morning, and it has a peaceful feeling, especially around things like ponds and other water effects. I’m dying to do a romantic night shoot downtown this year. If you’re up for it, I might even be persuaded to do one with you even if you booked a coverage that includes an e-session.

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By the way, don’t forget that a guestbook of your engagement photos (20 pages, 8×10 size, $125) is a great way to use these photos beyond the usual gifts. Ask me how we can customize a book for your wedding to get the best responses from your guests.

Looking Back: Favorite images from 2009-Engagements

Ian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:04:27 +0000

As I was going through some of my recent work this year to make prints to show in my latest bridal show booth, I thought it would be a great time to show you some of my favorites from last year– for the sake of brevity in my storytelling in the booth, I didn’t use the engagement images, but I wanted to get them out there all the same…

E-session slideshow: Mary and Donnie, Midway, Kentucky

Ian — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:44:26 +0000

Mary grew up in Midway, and we really had glorious, warm weather, considering we’d had two absolutely frigid days before this. Downtown Midway is a really cute town, full of little upscale restaurants and boutiques. In short, a great place to take some romantic photos. The other location was by the local mill, and with the recent rains, the little waterfall next to it was more powerful than usual.

Most of these images were captured within a two block radius, but when you pick a place that’s both meaningful to you and has strong visual resonance, you can make a lot out a rather small area.

Recent engagements…

Ian — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:20:36 +0000

Been working on getting some of the fall engagement shoots edited this week, and I’ve got another one coming up Sunday, after I do Lacey and Justin’s wedding on Saturday.

Just thought you might want to see a shot or two from what I’ve been getting recently.

More to come soon!