Wedding Ceremony/Reception Sites - No Comments » - Posted on September, 26 at 5:54 am
I think one of the best kept wedding venue and reception sites secrets in Riverside (Inland Empire) is Thatcher Manor in 
Gavilin Hills, Riverside, California. This southern colonial estate home is wrapped with gardens and greenery that provide many opportunities for great wedding photography. From the front facade of the colonial home to it’s interior and spiral staircase and the gardens where the bride and groom walk the isle, you can’t go wrong here.
Thatcher Manor is one of my favorite wedding locations to photograph. I think any photographer would actually fall in love with the location. I don’t think you can go wrong. And no, I wasn’t paid to write this blog. I truly think the location provides the bride and groom great photo opportunities. I’ve included some sample images from Thatcher Manor from a recent wedding I photographed.
The only disadvantage to the location is the amount of time they allocate. It’s about five hours of time they offer for the site. So it’s best to hire a wedding photographer who is familiar with the site to get the most out of your wedding pictures.
California Wedding Photographer, Alyn Stafford Riverside, Orange County, Inland Empire, Garden Weddings
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Photography Articles, Tutorials/Tips - No Comments » - Posted on September, 25 at 4:00 am
While Southern California is home to many wedding venues and reception sites, one can
‘t forget the time tested tradition of California wedding churches. Well, churches chapels in general. Regardless of your denomination (Catholic, Christian, SDA, LDS, Buddhist, Hindi, Baptist, etc), you will find many churches in Southern California that have very pleasing and beautiful backdrops as well as interiors that make your wedding photos shine!
However, while most of the churches I have photographed in (see the partial list of churchs I have worked with below) Southern California have been liberal in how they deal with photographers, there are some tips for the bride and wedding photographer when it comes to shooting in a church.
Since I have photographed in different denomination and cultural churches, I have compiled a general list of tips that may help you when selecting a church or photographer. While every church is different, even within it’s own sect, you should consult the church or chapel you plan on having your wedding at for their wedding photographer guidelines. Most will provide you with one, while others will just tell you verbally.
Wedding Church Policies and Photography Tips:
- Work with a photographer who has experience working in low light situations. Most churches, especially Catholic Churches, have dark interiors. Flash photography is sometimes not allowed, so working with a photographer who has the equipment and experience will guarantee good photo results in the low light environment.
- Check your churches lighting policy. Flash photography is typically prohibited during the ceremony or prayer session, but this varies from church to church and may also depend on the priest.
- Respect the “house rules”. I have spoke with some church wedding coordinators and the stories they tell me about how some photographers pose brides on the alter is quite interesting.
- Be prepared for a quick family photo session right after the ceremony. Churches tend to double and triple book weddings or baptisims. They may only give you 15 to 30 minutes to take your family photos after your ceremony. Be prepared to get the important family members for the portrait session.
- Make sure your photographer has a coat jacket. Some Catholic churches I have worked in in San Diego have required me to wear a sport coat or suit coat. I was lucky to have one in my car.
- Dress appropriately. Some churches may require a collared shirt. And keep your shirts tucked in. I can recall working with a videogropapher who was told by the priest to tuck his shirt in. Again, it all depends on the church, so it’s best to just dress appropriately
- Don’t just focus on the alter for photographs. There are plenty of places around and in the church. A creative photographer will be able to spot them. You can view samples of my church wedding photography by clicking here.
- Be prepared for anything. I have been in churches during wedding ceremonies when non-wedding guests have entered the church to pray. It happens, so just be prepared. It makes for some interesting photography.
- Stay off the alter unless the priest says it’s ok. And still approach with caution. Ceremonies in a church can be very quiet. You can hear a pin drop sometimes. Be aware of the silence and as a photographer, don’t add to the noise by fiddling with your equipment.
To view more church wedding photos, please visit my Church Wedding Photography Gallery.
Wedding Photography Southern California
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Photography Articles, Tutorials/Tips - No Comments » - Posted on September, 21 at 7:15 am
While the majority of my wedding photography in California are “traditional” wedding ceremonies, I do cater to ethnic wedding ceremonies as well. From Chinese to Persian, Sikh or Hindi, to Kyrgze, I have photographed them all. In a later blog (after my December weddings) I will write more about ethnic wedding photography. However, in this blog, I wanted to share images from a Sikh wedding I had photographed in Orange County, California.
Just a few tips when it comes to photographing cultural weddings:
1.Inform your photographer about the culture of the ceremony. They may not have photographed a cultural wedding in the past and especially one form your culture. You want to inform your wedding photographer so they know what to expect.
2.Ask them if they have any issues with photographing the culture. If they seem hesitant, you may want to seek a photographer more comfortable photographing your cultural event or one who has the past experience doing cultural weddings.
3. Be up front with your wedding photographer about what they should expect as far as how much time is involved, cultural norms and customs and any cultural norms that they may need to adhere to while working with you, your family, or your wedding site if it’s a cultural church.
4. Give them a list of all of the cultural events/ceremony events that will be taking place. Some cultural weddings have a lot of neat events that happen during the wedding. If a photographer is not informed or not familiar, they may miss some great photo opportunities.
The bottome line is, communicate with your photographer and make sure they feel comfortable with what is expected of them and that you feel comfortable with working with the photographer.
Wedding photography Southern California, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Diego, Catalina Island, Riverside, Orange County, Palm Springs, Ethnic Weddings, Destination Weddings. Cultural Weddings, Hindi, Sikh, Persian, Chinese
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