I’ll let you in on a secret: when we go to the weddings we cover we take many, many pictures. Shots of the wedding, of course, but once in a while we’ll also grab a quick shot or two of each other. We just can’t resist taking a photo if one of us looks particularly cute. Or especially funny. Or just plain ridiculous! :)

So here are some photos of us in action and behind-the-scene shots from last year. The good, the bad, and the funny:

The hardest thing during this shoot was not not to get my gear completely soaked:

Mike showing our couple exactly how he wants them to walk:

Getting in my way :)

It’s not a proper Mexico wedding without a sombrero, isn’t it?

I loove photographing babies, it’s the best workout ever! :)

Sometimes I get carried away with all the wedding details:

Trash the Dress session in the Mexican ruins:

I never can get enough of photographing pretty shoes:

Mike, making sure he properly documents all the reception details and food­­:

Covering the preparations in Hawaii:

Getting eaten alive by mosquitoes during a trash-the-dress shoot in the Hawaiian jungles:

MIke sporting his beloved crocs:

Testing the light at the De Young Museum:

Hope you enjoyed it :) We are currently still at WPPI, enjoying classes, inspiration, and great networking with our photo friends. The trade show with all the new albums, canvas prints, and more opens tomorrow and we look forward to checking it out.

Happy Monday everybody!

We are off to Vegas tomorrow! Mike and I are thrilled to once again be attending the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers International, a week-long photography convention! The best of the best in the industry are going to be there to teach workshops and classes and we are super excited to learn from them. We’ll also be attending the trade show, meeting many new people, and partying a bit (although the classes start at 8 in the morning, so I don’t have much hope for a lot of sleep there :)

We’ll be back in the office on Friday, March 12th. We should be available by phone, but the best way to reach as during this time is through email.

And here’s a little reminder that spring is truly on its way:

Stay dry!

As some of you might already know, Mike introduced me to snowboarding last winter. For the longest time I couldn’t understand why would anybody want to exchange the warmth and comfort of Bay Area for the cold, snow, and bruises of snowboarding, so it took Mike quite a few seasons to make me go up to Tahoe and try :)

Well… now, despite sometimes nasty weather and a few bruises, there’s no stopping me. Even though I still have a long way to learn and all my attempts to jump end up with me landing on my back, I absolutely fell in love with this sport. We try to go up to Tahoe (Kirkwood Resort is our favorite) every chance we get and enjoy the snow while it lasts.

So here’s my thought: if you are an adventurous couple who loves playing in the snow, we would love to photograph your engagement session in Tahoe! Snow covered nature is so beautiful, we can shoot anywhere in the South Lake Tahoe area.

We would also be excited to learn of any couples who want get married in Tahoe and need a wedding photographer. Would be awesome to shoot a wedding on top of the mountain :)

Here are some favorites from our last week’s visit:

Per everybody’s request we’ll be posting the best behind-the-scenes 2009 pictures next on our blog. I’m sorting through a lot of these pictures right now, trying to understand how much we are willing to embarrass ourselves :)

Next week we are leaving to Vegas for the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers convention. We’re very excited for this opportunity to learn and network, and we’ll share it all on this blog.

Natasha

We were flattered when Northern California Brides magazine recently contacted us to ask for advice on how to book a wedding photographer and what should be included in the contract. We helped to break down what a typical wedding photography contract should include and how to spot some common red flags.

This issue is currently on the newsstands through Springtime, so check it out! We’ve included some of our favorite tips below the image:

Northern California Brides Magazine article – How to read a photography contract:

“The process of finding the right photographer eventually leads to signing a contract to seal the deal. But before you put pen to paper, make sure that the document includes the specifics of what you and your photographer have agreed to, and that you understand what you’re getting and how you’re being charged.

The fine print: In case of illness or a sudden event out of control of both parties, Choco Studio will substitute a photographer at no extra cost to the client.

Explanation: The contract should state the photographer’s emergency policy. Make sure that he or she belongs to a reputable network, so you’ll get photographs of similar quality if a substitution needs to be made.

The fine print: Choco Studio will deliver 75 images per each hour of photography coverage.

Explanation: It helps to know how many images you can expect. Some photographers provide a total of 200 while others give up to 2,000. You don’t wont to be disappointed with fewer images than you expected, or overwhelmed by repetitious shots.

The fine print: The client will be asked to select images for the albums and will have up to six months after the delivery of the photographs to make the selections.

Explanation: If your photographer is going to design the album, the contract should include the processing and delivery timeline. In our contract, we have a deadline for receiving image selections, because when clients take too long to select images and approve album layouts, it really affects a photographer’s workload and schedule.

Continued in the magazine…”

Hope this helps some of you better understand the basics of a wedding photography contract and find the right wedding photographer!