The bride and groom were two of the coolest people that I have worked with to date. They wanted to do a first look at the chapel of the University of Maryland College Park. After the first look, the couple got in two separate limousines to meet each other later at the church for the ceremony. Little did the groom and the entire bridal party know the bride was heading back to the hotel to change into a completely different dress, jewelry and SHOES! Because of my background in fashion photography, when my brides give me incredible details like breath taking venues, exquisite jewelry, beautiful bouquets and or shoes that simply make you say WOW, I can’t help but to get into photo shoot mode and take the images some place special. Here is one of my favorite images from the wedding day. Yes, these are the shoes that she changed into for the ceremony…

A SPECIAL NOTE: Brides, if you have some killer details like I mentioned above, I have something special for you…

Once makeup was done, it was time for me to have some fun with the couple. We walked around Old Town and captured some images to celebrate their engagement. Below are a few images from today. I know their wedding is going to be special and Kelley and I are both looking forward to being a part of it!

Last week I traveled to Los Angeles to photograph the FICWFM conference. FICWFM (Fellowship of International Word of Faith Ministries) was started just over 20 years ago by Apostle Frederick K.C. Price. This year, my pastor Dr. Michael Freeman would be installed as the new president of the organization and I would have the pleasure of documenting the entire event.  This was my second year covering the conference at the Faith Dome and I have to say that I enjoy it more and more each time. From the dynamic speakers to the awesome recording artist that perform, it is truly an incredible experience.

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I had checked in and paid for our checked bags the night before. When I arrived at the TSA station, I asked the guy was I in the correct place to drop off my luggage and he said “Oh you are flying with Virgin, drop your bags with them, they check their own bags downstairs.” That was the first wow moment. After that I turned around and just took it all in and thats when I noticed their electronic kiosk (pictured below) and the fact that their employees were dressed different than all of the other airline workers. They had a coolness factor that was on 100.

I have included a few descriptions with the photos so you can understand a little bit more about the experience. Needless to day, Virgin America is now my airline of choice and I will by flying with them whenever possible.

The e-ticket desk for Virgin America. As you can see the other airlines have nothing like this set up for their customers.

On weekends, Virgin America employees are allowed to wear these cool t-shirts! Sorry for the blurry shot.

This was the place you could pick up headphones before your flight. They have Clark his on complimentary pair.

You can’t really tell from the photo but the vents on the right with the purple lights passed a mist through them while we were on the runway which added a cool look to the cabin. The mist didn’t enter the cabin, just rolled through the visible vented area.

I love the ambiance of the cabin. Just like the photos on the website. I felt like I was in a limo.

This was were the flight attendants kept the water for when passengers needed them. Very cool.

Thirsty or hungry? Just order something from your seat and they bring it to you right away. This same RED system was used for in-flight entertainment.

The tail of a sister plane waiting to push back from the gate.

We went with a complete studio shoot, nothing on location this time. Here are a few images from the shoot, we are saving the others for the release date.

Makeup Arist: Kelley Woods
Wardrobe Stylist: Corey Smith & Jamie Wilson
Hair Stylist: Shannon Whren

OK so over the past 2 weeks, Apple has gotten slammed over its latest and “greatest” release of Final Cut Pro. The industry has been buzzing with “IT’S AMAZING” to “IT’S HORRIBLE”. Being a self proclaimed Mac Addict, I started really trying to understand Apple’s position.

Most of the major complaints have been from the “pro” users. Those folks who have been using Final Cut Pro for years and years. They are saying things like “There are some things that are missing, its not organized, it doesn’t make sense” and so on and so on. Being a photographer, things really started becoming more clear. The photography industry has just gone through (and in many cases is still going through) a similar transition regarding digital. The major complaint has been that there are so many new photographers in the market and the camera manufacturers are making it so easy for anyone to pick up a camera and call themselves a professional photographer. Many of the complaints came from seasoned veteran photographers who cut their teeth during the film era. A time when there was a certain mystique to their processes and business. Starting to sound familiar?

I think that the major concern for the legacy users of Final Cut Pro is that there will be so much more competition. So what that the feel of FCPX reminds people of  iMovie. Apple is obviously targeting what they feel is a more appealing market. They are catering to the masses. They are watching our industry and seeing where things are going with the Canon 5D Mark 2 and the other quality digital image and video cameras that are recording in 1080P HD.  It’s actually a very smart move and like many other big technological pushes, the focus is becoming less and less on the gear but instead is turning it’s head towards who can be the most creative.

Apple is also introducing a very interesting business model. In years past, they had a reputation for focusing their products to the high end market and to users who were often called “Apple Snobs”. Now things are changing. A company that was interested in just computers is now including affordable iOS devices and ground breaking digital software delivery in the Apple Mac store into its line of products. Through the Mac store, they are able to offer lower prices on software and entice people with a “get it now” mentality. With Apple being recently voted as one of the most recognizable brands, is this where the future is going?

Like with the new age of digital photography, Final Cut Pro X (now only $299) will really be beneficial to those who are not only the most creative but have a fantastic story to tell. This is definitely going to be an interesting ride!

MAKEUP ARTIST: Kelley Woods

]]> http://www.clarkbailey.net/off-camera-lighting/the-yacht-club/feed/ 11 http://www.clarkbailey.net/weddings/timelines-sunsets/ http://www.clarkbailey.net/weddings/timelines-sunsets/#comments Thu, 12 May 2011 10:00:57 +0000 TROY http://www.clarkbaileyblog.com/?p=1425 If I could be a superhero and choose my superhero power, I would choose the ability to control the sun. But since I know that won’t happen (unless I am cast in the next Marvel comic movie) I have resorted to helping my couples determine the best time of day for capturing their photographs. Much of this is determined by the season but overall photographing the couple in the most flattering light is always my number one goal. I am so grateful to have couples who truly value my style of photography and often plan their wedding day around the best times to capture their photographs. They realize that their photos are all they will have to remember after their wedding. During the development of their timeline, they make sure to allot at least 45 minutes to an hour to take photographs after the ceremony and before the reception.

Sometimes things happen that can and will affect the timeline but I always try to prepare and plan post ceremony photographs to take advantage of every second that I have the couple to myself. This is when I really try to let my creativity run wild. Those are the moments that photographs are created that really show the love and emotion between two people that have decided to share the rest of their lives with each other.

One very important aspect that is often put off and sometimes even overlooked is bridal makeup. As  a photographer, I can say that makeup should be prioritized in the same category as the venue, photographer and dress. Some may ask why and the answer is simple, the bride is the center of attention for the entire day and makeup can make or break a photograph. Can you imagine looking at a photograph and saying the scenery is beautiful and the bride looks so happy, but what is that shiny spot on her forehead or why does her face and neck look to be two different shades. Believe it or not, I have seen this happen. Sometimes I wish that I could fix it for them before I capture the image but I am just the photographer.

I would encourage brides to ALWAYS hire a professional makeup aritst. Looking at the big picture (pun intended), it is an investment that will be worthwhile each time you look through your wedding book. I recently asked my wife Kelley Woods, one of the most talented makeup artists that I have worked with, in all of her years of experience working with brides, what are a few pieces of advise she could share with a prospective bride who may read this post and she responded by saying,

1. BE VOCAL! Don’t be shy in discussing what you want. Your makeup Artist can’t make it perfect if you don’t tell them what you like and what you dislike.  It’s YOUR wedding day!

2. BE HONEST! about the results. Let him/her know what you liked and what you disliked. You want to look and feel like you, only better.

3. ENJOY being pampered! This should not be a stressful event, it should be relaxing, and assuring that your Wedding Day look  is achieved. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about what brand and type of make-up that works for you.

4. Your make-up should look natural to the naked eye and flawless in photographs. Yes, you may need more than you normally wear… but it shouldn’t feel or look as if it has been caked on. I always ask my brides how their skin feels when I am done with foundation. It should feel light and airy, not heavy.

5. Drink a lot of water! It will hydrate your skin, and your make-up will wear so much better. Don’t start the week before the wedding! Start NOW… 8 to 10 glasses a day.

6. Try to schedule your preview in the morning or early afternoon so you can really see how your makeup will hold up for the rest of the day. This will help you determine if it’s enough coverage and just how well your makeup will withstand the weather.You should only need to touch up with powder and lipstick. Also try to schedule your preview on a day where you will be meeting with someone, or will be around someone who can give you an honest opinion.

Below Photograph Details:

Makeup Artist: Kelley Woods
Bride: Shante Calloway
Location: Sandals Resort, Antigua