Making Faces ;-)

Family portraits should be fun... It's not easy getting good pictures of large groups of people, families are the similar-- especially with younger children. This may present a challenge to the photographer-- to capture a good expression on everyone's faces. A good way to do this is occasionally, just make it really cheesy, capture the most awkward family photos, have some fun and somewhere in between you'll end up with a well-balanced image.

The below images of the Pearson family were shot in south Germany on a grey, wet day. As you can imagine, this low-pressure zone reacted on everyone's moods a bit and also presented a lighting difficulty. We solved all these issues easily by having a good time and allowing everyone to just be themselves. The lighting was completed by my handy speedlights, an umbrella and a couple gels...

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Behind The Scenes Pictures From Germany (Summer 2010)

   Most of these pictures end up in an archive and are usually never seen again. Why not post a few of them here for people to see? This is just a small selection of the behind-the-scenes collection from a recent trip to Germany. Most of the final project images can be viewed either here on the blog or on their respective web-pages: http://www.kroghstudios.com and http://www.kroghweddings.com

World's Largest Pumpkin Festival and Pumpkin-Boat Regatta

   Held once a year in Ludwigsburg, Germany, this is the largest Pumpkin Festival in the world. Showing off hundreds of different varieties from all over the world. Traditionally, the largest pumpkins in the show are placed on the scale, in a competition for the heaviest pumpkin in the world. In 2008 the winner reached 604 kg, that's some 1,331.59 lb!!! These large pumpkins are also used for another purpose. They are hollowed out and used as boats in an annual race. This is not an easy thing because they tend to tip, turn and are extremely unstable-- but it is funny to watch. The food served at the festival is all pumpkin base, and extremely delicious! Statues and sculptures are also made, mostly using pumpkins for form, texture and color.

Venezianische Messe (Ludwigsburg, Germany)

   The Venezianische Messe (Venetian Market) in Ludwigsburg, Germany is the second largest masquerade ball in the world. Every two years, this event is held, in honor of the original market in Venice, Italy. A former Baron of Ludwigsburg traveled to Venice long time ago to see the masquerade ball and fell in love with it so much he decided to hold a festival of his own, closer to home. From Friday Sep. 10 through Sunday the 12, the town square boasts dancers, magicians, singers and other performers. Most of the costumes seen are crafted by the very people wearing them. It has become a tradition for these performers to create their own costumes for the event. The workmanship in these costumes is amazing, from the materials used to the stitching and selected colors, they prove that every detail counts. As the day progresses into night, light and fire performers begin to show their skill. On the final evening the festival is ended with a spectacle of fire-works centered around a metal sculpture thirty feet high.

Summer Solstice Celebration (Santa Barbara, CA)

   Summer is finally here! Solstice is that time of the year where the sun is at it's highest point. In the Northern Hemisphere it happens June 20, in the Southern Hemisphere this date falls on about December 21. It is a celebration of life, love and the healing power of the sun. This is the largest art event in the Santa Barbara County area and draws over 100,000 visitors to the town of Santa Barbara-- all in one day. It began it's humble beginnings in 1974 as a birthday celebration for a well known mime and artist by the name of Micheal Gonzales. In honor of him, these festivities have continued to grow over 35 years later.

   This year, the opportunity presented itself to be a part of this fresh experience. Southern Californians truly know how to put on a fun show and have a fantastic time doing it. This feeling is swiftly passed on to everyone around them and, before you know it- you have an entire local community hopping to the beats of summer. The atmosphere in Santa Barbara was quite wild, with a massively colorful parade boasting themes from 'Alice in Wounderland' to traveling Gypsies and, well, Elvis showed up too. The various bands and Salsa dancers were perfectly choreographed, not only in audio but also in either step or elaborate dance as they made their way up State Street. The show all ends at Alameda Park with live music on two stages, food, fun activities for the children and a large beer-garden (that ran out of brew nearly an hour before closing.) With all the dancing, laughter, colors and sunshine, absolutely nothing could go amiss. If these festivities mark the beginning of summer, then it would seem 2010 has a pretty hot one ahead!   

"Pandora Blues?"

   Did anyone catch that little bug that supposedly went around, when you finally came to the shocking realization that no matter what you do, you'll never get to experience such an exotic and exhilarating place as Pandora? Even after sitting through the 2:40 hour movie 15 times and waking up in the middle of the night, sweating, wishing you could hop on a space shuttle for a six year crio-sleep to that magical moon... Still feel like Earth doesn't offer the goods? Well, if this is you-- you may need to work out some personal issues!
   The visual journey that one was led on, excited and stimulated the creative juices. It didn't take long to figure out that most anything created for the big screen, began it's journey somewhere in our own 'Ehwa' (Mother Nature.) Starting the search for similarities, led to a bright and illuminating conclusion: Pandora is everywhere, you just need to pay attention! Look closely, listen & feel your surroundings... if it's concrete you see and feel, it may be time to road trip my friends!!!

FRESH AIR!!!

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   If you are like me and live close to a Metropolitan area, you may know how good it feels to get away and just be surrounded by fresh air and trees as far as the eye can see. It truly is a sensational feeling, almost as if months of stress and frustration just melt away. Find yourself a snug spot under or in ;-) a Redwood and have a seat, close your eyes and just listen-- wow!!! 

   These lyrics from a Willie Nelson song seemed appropriate, considering we always find someone singing it while on a road trip.

Formal? Or, So Very Not!!!

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  The age old question on whether or not to shoot your wedding day traditionally or conceptually has always been a topic of interest to us. At the beginning of the century, people were forced to sit still for very long periods of time. The film used in those eras, required longer exposure duration to capture a correctly exposed photograph. Since, these exposure times could run from minutes to some hours long, models wore metal 'supports' or strengthening devices that would help maintain a correct posture. Naturally, with an exposure lasting so long, one was not able to hold a smile-- thus, everyone seemed to be having such a 'fantastic' time in these classic images.
   Over the century and especially these past fifteen years with the release of high-quality digital capture, the photo-journalistic realm of wedding photography has become a popular and inviting view of such special events. No longer do the Bride and Groom need to sit still for long periods of time, but the photographer has the opportunity to shoot in the realms of 'All Things Are Possible.' Now, the possibility of combining tradition, formal, journalism and conceptual ideas into one project has made a wedding shoot far more dynamic, emotional and exciting to capture.
   At Krogh Wedding Productions, we love to entwine a wedding shoot with of all these aspects of photography. Some may enjoy the photo-journalistic realm more than the conceptual route. We believe a studio should be able to produce on any of those levels. The final decision on how the day is captured, rest purely with the Bride and Groom.
   The above project shows an example of 'serious' formal work and what can happen when you really just want to have some good laughs. Now, this is only an example of the difference and we do not expect all Brides and Grooms to go this far-- this couple just wanted to have some 'new-fashioned' fun!

Krogh Wedding Productions -- TEASER!!!

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   We thought you may enjoy a small teaser of what's to come. These are a few proof photographs from Ted & Ashley Dezembers' wedding in Leavenworth, Washington.

   Complete works will be available for viewing soon. Prints will also be available to order through www.kroghweddings.com beginning July 2010. Check back soon!

Hipstamatic Camera-- Wedding Project!

 

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   Recently, we traveled north to Leavenworth, Washington to capture an absolutely beautiful Wedding at the foot of the Cascade mountains. This little town was formed after the logging industry collapsed and locals were forced to find new means of income. The solution that arose was to erect a new town from scratch to attract tourism. They built a new town in the likeness of traditional Bavaria. Everyone local, work the stores, various restaurants and of-course the beer gardens.

   A new application was released for the Apple iPhone that allowed the photographer to capture images that strongly resembled an old Hipstamatic Camera with the cheap plastic lenses and cheesy flash bulbs. As, shooting with a phone was never considered a real option for 'professional,' safe for work material, it was never used-- until now. It opened a new vista of creative thought on location and thus we chose to shoot a wedding project, partly with this program. Naturally, we would only use this material to accent the final portfolio-- location shots, casual images and the such. Please enjoy some of these photographs in this post.

Check out www.kroghweddings.com soon for the final portfolio from this event. See you then!!!

COMING SOON!!!

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   We would like to thank you for visiting our newly started blog. Currently we are diligently working on going live with our new web-pages: www.kroghstudios.com & www.kroghweddings.com

Please visit us again very soon to enjoy behind the scenes footage and much more.