Montage Video Productions

How to Pose for a Bridal Portrait...or any other kind of photo

2010-02-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Stress will kill your bridal photo. Posing for a bridal portrait and getting the picture you want is easy if you prepare the right way. There is one way to prepare for a portrait many people don’t give time and consideration to: RELAXATION. If you are stressed or nervous it will be evident in your photos. At first this may seem typical, given, and easy, but it’s not. Being relaxed is the best way to get the best bridal photo.

You may have come here expecting to see images of specific poses or ideas for background and lighting. But the advice I'm offering is far more valuable. Leave the technical aspects to your photographer. By focusing on what you can do, you are helping your photographer to get lots of great pictures. Here are some ways you can find the relaxing state of mind you need to get the picture you want.

Stay in your budget: People assume if they spend a lot of money on a photographer they are purchasing some magical skill that will transform their portrait into the next cover of Bridal Magazine, or Glamour (insert any other magazine you aspire to look like). The truth is, you don’t have to spend a lot of money for the right photographer. Thinking about how you’re going to cover the cost will keep you tense and this will come out in your picture.

Meet a few photographers: Simply looking at a photographer’s portfolio and going over costs is not an interview. After you decide you like a photographer’s style and price, the MAIN thing you need to focus on in the interview is your comfort level with them. Do you feel relaxed with them? Do you feel confident with them? Or, do you feel intimidated by them? What do you feel? Remember to make sure the person you meet is in fact the person taking the photos. If not, request to meet the photographer, or at the very least have them call you.

Plan to be EARLY to your photo session: Easier said than done! Hair appointments may start late or run over and other x factors will usually trip you up. Plan ahead for these. Use the extra time at the studio, or on-location, to implement the next tip...

Use Meditation, prayer, massage, or any other RELAXATION technique right before and during the shoot: Even seasoned performers tend to get nervous before they get in front of a camera, so accept the fact that you too will most likely get nervous. Arrive early to give yourself time to pause and BREATH deeply. Find a way to remove (at least temporarily) other daily pressures from your mind. A good photographer will know how to help their client relax, for example they may run through relaxation exercises together with the client.

Be real: Just be yourself and be fine with it. You are getting married because someone loves you just the way you are and that’s a wonderful thing. One good relaxation technique is to imagine your beloved behind the camera. Don’t go into the shoot wishing you had picked a different dress, or done your hair differently, or wish you had worn more (or less) make-up. Less stress = more beauty.

What’s more… you can use these tips on your wedding day and you’ll have the same great effect. There will be hundreds of pictures taken by all your friends and family and you will surely be perfectly peaceful and beautiful in every one.

A Leaf in the Mist

2010-02-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

A leaf in the mist is a lucky leaf. The sun reveals the veins that run like rivers, that give life, like veins that move blood, and rivers that move water. God's creation is a lovely thing to behold. Take time today to see the little things.

"Why Do Bugs Fascinate Me?

2009-09-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

I think I like bugs because my kids like bugs. They (kids & bugs) teach me that there is beauty in everything if you look with open curious eyes. I also like the challenge of taking macro photos. First there is the challenge of finding the insect... which when you have kids is not so hard because they do most of the finding.

Next, the challenge is getting as close as possible.

After that the bug is, of course, ALIVE and moving so focusing become a major skill set needed to get the best possible clarity (this one still eludes me).

Metering is another challenge because the darn thing is so small and the camera is metering on a very small object... and that most of my pictures go in the trash because they're over or underexposed.

Butterflies are my favorite bug subject. Always have been... always will be. They're absolutely gorgeous. Thanks God.

California Blue Wildflower, by Monique Talford

2009-08-09T17:27:00.001-07:00

I took a wonderful 5-week sabatical in Northern and Southern Califonia during the summer of 2009.

These wildflowers were in fact very small. This blue one is slightly smaller than a dime.

The pink ones below are smaller and grouped. Together they are about the size of a half-dollar.

"Orchid" and "Red Rose" by Monique Talford

2009-02-18T19:26:00.001-08:00

This post is dedicated to the part of me that is compelled by the extraordinary beauty of simple flowers.

I find myself compelled to capture a new flower's intimate details week after week which brought something to the forefront which was previously subconscious... simply put... I love flowers.

I took this photo of a Valentine's Red Rose at my friend Melissa's house this week. I will post a new flower photo every week. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!
Monique Talford

Welcome by Monique Talford

2009-02-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.montagevideos4you.com

This is the place where business meets pleasure for me... which few people have the fortune and blessing to find. This is the place where I do not have to think outside of the box because... there is no box. This is the place where I don't have to cater to the market... where I can be what I want to be and only those who are looking will find me. This is the place where Monique meets MVP.

Welcome,
Monique Talford, Creative Director
Montage Video Productions