Monday, March 19, 2012

Leave Us A Review & Be Entered For a Chance to WIN A $50 Victoria's Secret Gift Card! Plus A Chance at $1000 From The Knot!



 If Crystal Image Photography photographed your wedding in the past year or even a few years ago take this opportunity to give us a shout out on The Knot and The Wedding Wire.com for your chance to win a $50 Victoria's Secret Gift Card from CIP and a chance at $1000 from The Knot!

From now until April 30, 2012 all of our wedding customers who leave us a review on theknot.com and weddingwire.com will be entered into the contest for $50 Victoria's Secret Gift.

The lucky winner of the portrait session will be announced on May 1, 2012.

Reviews help us know what we’re doing right and maybe what we’re not doing right. So, here is your chance brides and grooms. Give us your feedback and get a chance to win a portrait session with CIP and maybe some cool cash for The Knot!













Monday, March 12, 2012

Wedding Photography ~ Why Choose A Professional? It's the Personality, Customer Service, & Experience




It’s All In The Personality!

It's a wedding, not a photo shoot. Personality is important. You will spend more time with the photographer than anyone else during your wedding day. If you don't think he or she is relaxed, funny, or will get along with your guests, etc., keep looking. It's nothing personal; it's just all about you. When looking at a photographer's website, I go straight to the gallery. NOT THE PRICES. Look at the photos. If you like the style, the colors, the B&Ws, the feel of the photo, then go check out the rest of the site.
Always meet with the photographer and meet with more than one photographer. This way you can compare not only their styles but most importantly their personality. (The last thing you need on your wedding day is a bossy/rude photographer!


Remember, you’re being “interviewed” too. You are not only deciding if you can work with the photographer but the more often than not the photographer is also deciding if they can work with you!
It may sound mean but, I do not accept every wedding that comes in the door. I don’t do bridezillas!

It’s Not Just the Equipment!
The camera doesn't make the photo. The photographer does. Every year I see guests showing up with amazing cameras, (I love the ones who stand right next to me and say “you have the same camera I do”) Some guests are great photographers. But you're not hiring me for my camera. Because truth be known, I can pull off an award winning image with a $600 camera just as good as I can a $6,000. 

You're hiring me for how I see a wedding. For how I feel it. For how I edit it. For my experience in knowing the pace of what will happen next, for my patience when things don’t go off on time or as planned for you and the wedding party, and the ability to adjust without flinching when something unexpected turns into something amazing.

It’s About Customer Service!
Customer service is a huge thing for me and how I run Crystal Image Photography.
My simple philosophy: Treat your customers they way you would want to be treated if you were doing business with that company.  (Now, that doesn’t mean I agree with the “customer is always right” statement.) 
I have seen it time and time again and even experienced it first hand from several local businesses their rudeness toward customers.  It is my customers who have helped make Crystal Image Photography what it is today and that I never forget!

You Get What You Pay For!
Remember, you are not just purchasing a service from a wedding photographer you are also in most cases purchasing a product.

Be sure to ask your photographer how long it takes to get your images, albums, etc. Here at Crystal Image Photography our turnaround time from the time we photograph your wedding until you see your images is 1 to 2 weeks MAX!

It was just recently that I heard a horror story of a bride not even seeing her images until 5 months after the wedding. That’s just crazy. I’m here to tell you that it does not take months and months to edit and print images.

When I heard this story I felt so sad for the bride.  She chose not to have us photograph her wedding. Why? Because of the cost, we were “too expensive”.
Expense was a issue for another couple we talked with last year. They chose to have a friend photograph their wedding for free.  Three months after the wedding they finally see their images and the bride frantically puts out a request to anyone who was at the wedding to post any wedding images because their “professional” pictures were so bad.  

When dealing with your wedding images, remember you get what you pay for or in these cases want you don’t pay for!

When deciding on a wedding photographer and a photography budget, remember, a rude photographer will only make you and your wedding party uncomfortable and a cheap photographer will produce not so great images and/or poor customer service.

When your wedding day is over, the cake and food is gone, the flowers are dead, the guests are gone and all you have left are memoires and your photographs.  

Monday, March 5, 2012

Go Get The CIP Phone App! ~ We're Now on the Android Market!


In keeping with technology and social media, earlier this year we developed and launched an app for android devices. 

Now you can download the app and keep up to date with all of our Blog, Twitter and YouTube 
post all in one place!

We are currently working on getting our Facebook Feeds posted to the app as well. In the near future we hope to start featuring some of our favorite weddings each week. 
You can download the CIP App right from your phone, tablet or other device using the Android market. Just search Crystal Image Photography on the market, download it and you're all set!

So, what are you waiting for? GO GET IT! :) 


Engagement Photography Tips ~


Engagement Photography Tips ~

With the holidays now behind us here at Crystal Image Photography have begun to receive requests for engagement photography sessions. 

With that request always comes the questions of what to wear, where should we take them, what kind of poses will we do and the list goes on. 
Here's a few tips for our couples:

Newly engaged couples choose to capture the occasion in photos that they can cherish. Often, one of these photos is used as an announcement to family and friends and might even be published in the newspaper.
Engagement photos may be part of a package negotiated with the photographer who will be covering the wedding day.

When shopping around for a photographer, there are certain things couples should keep in mind. The first and most important is selecting a photographer you can relate to. If you don't feel a connection with the photographer, he or she will have trouble coaxing the shots that will produce the best results. He or she should also be a professional and have some experience working with posing couples. This way the photos don't look stiff or contrived. Here are some other tips that can lead to great photos.

* Find a photographer who fits your style. If you're a quirky couple, go with a quirky photographer. If you're reserved and a follow-the-book type of couple, then select a more traditional photographer. Some photographers out there forget that this is your moment and want to impart their idea of what you want.  My advice: Stay away from these photographers because in the end you will not get what you really want!  I believe when a couple chooses a photographer they should get the type of images THEY are looking for. After all who’s paying the bill?  

* Select one who is open to different shoot locations and brainstorming. Some of the best photos occur in natural settings, where things aren't entirely planned. If a photographer simply works out of a studio, you may want to select one who has more free reign with different locales.

* Choose your location wisely. Certain locations will stand out in your minds because they are visually stunning or are special places where you have spent moments as a couple. By choosing a place that offers a personal connection, there's a good chance you'll appreciate the photos in the long run. Also, be open to the fact that unplanned stops may offer a great background for the image. Be open to the unexpected.

* Try random poses and some candid shots. Although you might have a vision of the perfect photo in your mind, experimenting with different ideas can sometimes lead to a great photo you really love. Expect to take your share of kissing, nose-touching and portrait shots. But some fun poses, such as running or jumping (or rolling around on a beach full of waves) can produce candid shots that are truly masterpieces. Remember, sometimes photographers will pose you in positions that seem a bit awkward, but this is to get the best lines of the body and flattering images.

* Choose clothing that fits the mood. If time and budget allows, have several different wardrobe changes so that you can see which outfits work and which ones don't make for interesting engagement photos.
Avoid clothing that is too trendy or busy, which may take away from the actual images in the long run. Plus, you don't want to look back at these photos in the future and say, "What was I thinking?" 


For more info on Engagement and Wedding Photography contact us. crystalimagephoto.com