Mastering Digital Wedding Photography - A Book

Well it is official TriCoast and our work will be in an soon to be released wedding book, which you can now PREORDER on Amazon.com along with amazing wedding photographer from Canada Mark Ridout.

Here is a little write up on the book which I got directly from the author today, James Karney.

More information on the publisher's website can be found HERE
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Introduction

Why This Book

Welcome to Mastering Digital Wedding Photography, a practical guide to the art, craft, and business. Perhaps you are just beginning a photographic career, maybe a seasoned professional looking for new ideas, or a film photographer making the change to digital. This book was written with all of you in mind. This book covers the entire endeavor, from setting up shop and choosing gear, through the event, to keeping the client happy and referring new customers after the prints are delivered.

It goes beyond just the basics. I’ve had the help of some really outstanding wedding photographers who have contributed both images and insights into their style or work and photographic vision. These are examples, based on years of experience, on how to gauge exposure, see and use lighting, pose subjects, and play with the image once it is captured.

I’ve been covering weddings since my days as a studio apprentice in high school. For over 30 years as a professional, weddings have always been a part of my income and passion. When I made the transition from film in 2002, it seemed simple. Big name cameras worked with my film lenses and offered familiar controls, PhotoShop was already on my computer, and all the other required photographic equipment (strobes, meters, etc.) still worked the same. And I had the advantage of ready access to expert advice and software updates as a computer book author frequent writer for PC Magazine. How hard could it be?

Well… This new medium requires different shooting styles to get the most from the technology. The digital sensor is not film. It responds to light differently and are much more sensitive to white balance and color temperature variations. There may be magnification ratios due to a smaller image area compared to 35mm film, which turns a normal 50mm lens into a mild telephoto. The early cameras had small buffers that made timing a shot like the bouquet toss imperative.

The initial joy of instant feedback from the camera and the power of computer editing gave way to shock with the realization of the increased level of effort required by workflow issues and file management demands resulting from the mass of images taken at each wedding. In the days of roll film, we took perhaps 200 pictures; with digital a two-photographer wedding can easy result in five times the exposure. Multiply that by say, 20 weddings a year and you better have a system.

It’s one thing to take 15 or 20 minutes (maybe a day) editing a really fine image for fun, but multiply that by a hundred or so and a big wedding fee becomes slave wages fast. And that’s only one aspect of change. Printed proofs are becoming an endangered species, and the proof book album with them. That’s because it’s too easy for clients to scan and pirate the images. Enter online proofing and DVD-based slide shows. Masked albums have given way to digitally-creates flush mount designs and short run four-color press books.

The market is still shifting. We are in the third phase of a revolution. The technology is mature enough to rival film, and now the best photographers are raising client expectations with outstanding work. While much of the basic event coverage is the same, the style has shifted to a more fashion magazine style, accompanied by sophisticated DVD multimedia shows.

With all of this activity in the profession, the shelves in bookstores lacked a comprehensive guide. So, with a combination on my personal experience, and the help of several friends who are masters in their own right, the project was born. This book is a series of discussions and lesions that span the entire topic of wedding photography, from setting up the business, through covering the event, and on to processing the images, proofing, printing, and album design. And now a word…

About the Contributors

Four dedicated wedding photographers; Ontario-based Canadian Mark Ridout, TriCoast Photography Texans Mike Fulton and Cody Clinton, and Nikki McLeod of Scotland have joined with me to provide the photographs that brighten the pages. Mark, Mike, and Cody are also active on the photographic workshop circuits, and we are considering a combined short-course road show when our combined schedules permit. Here are short biographies on each of us…

-James Karney
James Karney has a unique viewpoint on wedding photography developed through many years as an award-winning professional photographer and teacher. He started his career as a wedding apprentice in high school and has covered weddings full and part-time for over three decades. He as also served as a Marine Corps photographer, newspaper photojournalist, medical photographer, and developed and taught the 18-month photography certificate program at South Georgia Tech.

He is an accomplished computer writer, whose work has appeared in PC Magazine, Windows Magazine, Computer Shopper and Internet World. His books include the Golden-Lee best-seller “Upgrade and Maintain Your PC”, “Discovering LightZone”, “The Power of CorelDRAW” and the Microsoft Press “Training Kit for A+ Certification”.

He is a graduate of the US Navy Photographic School, and holds a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Excelsior College as well as a Master of Science in Computer Technology from Nova Southeastern University.

-Mike Fulton
Born and raised just south of Houston in Brazoria County, Mike Fulton stared his career in photography as teenager with his father’s camera. The hobby continued through his high school years and on into college while studying Criminal Justice. The passion for the art of photography grew and he made the switch to professional shortly after graduating. Starting work fashion and glamour, Mike soon found his work being published publications ranging from art magazines to calendars.

After a short tour in the motion picture industry, he found his true passion in wedding photography. His work blends his love for fashion and glamour styles with a eye for capturing the beauty of the wedding day with an editorial flair. Mike is an instructor for Photography Allstars, a high quality one on one mentoring website as well is one of the instructors on his Illuminations Workshop which specializes in wireless flash and video light techniques and is taught around the United States. He is also offering a variety of editing tools and learning materials at his other website, FindingColor.com with his business partner…

–Cody Clinton
Cody is another native of the Texas gulf coast. Like his TriCoast partner, his love for photography began at a young age and began developing his skills photographing friends and co-workers local sporting events, family reunions and weddings. By Cody found his true passion, the art of wedding photography, and uses his high natural energy, artistic personal style and uniqueness, as well as his one of a kind personality, these key aspects to create special moments for the brides, grooms and their family and friends.

Both Mike and Cody offer photographic workshops and a collection of learning materials and PhotoShop add-ons focused on the needs of the wedding photographer.

-Mark Ridout
Mark Ridout is a creative photographer whose expertise extends to a range of mediums and formats. He has worked as a photo journalist for major newspapers and magazines, with major advertising agencies on corporate accounts and on special assignment for corporate clients. Mark has been the principal photographer on contract shoots in the United States, France, England, Cuba the Dominican Republic, and locations throughout his native Canada.

He has an aptitude for staging exceptional posed compositions as well as putting people at ease for more informal style portraits. Mark has photographed Richard Petty for STP,Al Jarreau, Sheila E and sipped champagne from the Stanley Cup after photographing it for a New York Rangers hockey player. His wedding business started with a couple of weddings a year, and has now grown to over 20 weddings per year