7 Ways to Dominate the Spotlight in Your Wedding Photos

It is the day you have dreamed of since you were young. Your wedding day is one that you will cherish for years to come. As the big day approaches, there are some things you can do to ensure you will dominate the spotlight when the big day arrives.

1. Get Rid of That Luggage
Makeup can do wonders. From completely concealing acne to adding a youthful glow to your skin, you will likely spend a good portion of time finding the shades that will best complement you on your wedding day. However, there is little magic makeup can do when it comes to bags under your eyes. This means you have to get to the root of the problem.

While heridity does play a part in the development of bags under the eyes, age is also a catalyst. As early as age 30, the development of dark circles is not uncommon. There are some prevention techniques that can help on the wedding day. First of all, ceasing smoking now can make a significant difference. You can also see your doctor to ask about prescription lotions such as tretinoin, which is high in vitamin.


2. Natural Oils
You will undoubtedly have some degree of anxiety during the course of the big day, and your skin will likely release sweat and oils after you have perfected your makeup. Unfortunately, a shiny face does not mix well with wedding photography. There is hope without having to constantly run to the bathroom to do a makeup touch-ups. Most retail stores sell blotting paper. These products are designed to quickly absorb oils that cause unwanted shine, and you can quickly fix your appearance at any time during the ceremony.


3. Experience Counts
It is important to spend adequate time researching your options when it comes to the selection of a photographer for your big day. Novices in wedding photography will normally not deliver you the quality of results that you are expecting. For example, they may be prone to taking a picture without proper warning when an experienced professional will give an adequate countdown. Make the competition work for you by meeting with numerous wedding photography professionals before making that final decision.


4. Understand Proper Posture
Your photographer will help you when it's time for a group shot, but there are other pictures of you in action, and you will be on your own regarding your stance and posture. The first rule is to never slouch. To ensure this, focus on keeping your neck elongated and your chin tilted up just a little bit. Also, avoid looking stiff by keeping your knees together and shoulders straight. Focus more on your posture than the position of the camera and you will look natural and elegant.


5. Window to the Soul
The eyes are the window to the soul, and, when your being natural, they can show people who you are and what you stand for. Unfortunately, many lose that natural glimmer the moment they pose for a photo. In wedding photography, this can make it seem as though you are apprehensive about the ceremony. To avoid this, try talking casually with your photographer. You can also close your eyes for a few seconds before the photo is taken or look away at friends and family momentarily.


6. Practice Makes Perfect
As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. It is good to stand in front of the mirror and rehearse how you will pose for various shots. You can also ask for help from a friend. Have them take sample pictures of you in different environments so you can better understand which poses and lighting scenarios enhance your best features. Your big day will only happen once, and this is a great way to ensure your pictures look their best.


7. Good Hydration
When skin is properly hydrated, it appears much more attractive on camera. While using a quality moisture is a good practice to get in the habit of months before the big day, there are a few other tips to enhance your appearance. First off, drinking around 2 litres of water a day supplies your body with the hydration it needs for proper functioning. Also, alcohol is known to dehydrate, so cease the use of alcoholic beverages several days before the wedding.


Worth a Thousand Words
Your wedding is an event that will be remembered for years to come, and future family and friends will likely want to relive your big moment. A picture is worth a thousand words, and they can tell the story much quicker than hours of reminiscing. By following these seven helpful tips, you will be ready to make lasting memories.

Viva Photography specialise in Wedding & Portrait Photography through out Perth and Melbourne.

Be careful in the storms

We can certainly say that 2014 has got off to an extremely stormy start with continuos weather warnings causing havoc across the country. In Cornwall we have the added threat of being surrounded by the sea and the storms haven't just been about the wind and rain but the added element of giant waves and surging spring tides.

It's bad enough getting a bit wind swept and soggy by the weather but adding giant waves into the mix can be a recipe for disaster. With another storm in full force today I wanted to share some of my recent images whilst out storm watching as a warning to people not to get to close to the breaking waves. I'm not trying to sound a bit wet and ruin peoples fun, but getting caught in a little sea spray is one thing, but getting sweep off your feet and sucked out to sea is not something I want to witness. I'm not condoning people not to go storm watching because I for one, want to witness the power of the ocean whilst it is so spectacular, I just want to say to people in Cornwall be safe! Be careful! and don't risk your life for a quick thrill or quick photograph that could risk your life and the life of others that might be drawn in to rescue you.

If the police have tapped off an area it means there is a danger so don't go tearing down the tape and entering areas at risk by the storms, the police and coastguards know the areas very well and are only looking out for our safety not ruining our fun!

With half term just around the corner Cornwall will be invaded by people that don't necessarily know the area or the dangers, and you may see people taking more risks. Hopefully the storms will subside before the tourists descend but in the mean time be safe, be flood aware and enjoying this beast that nature is throwing at us.

Portreath during the storms

At the end of 2013 when Cornwall was struck by a giant storm I was really excited, seeing these monstrous waves crashing into the coast. Waves that towered over the rugged Cornish cliffs, waves bursting with energy left me bursting with excitement.

I did not expect 2014 to continue with massive storms and more giant waves. As we left January behind and moved in February there has been no let up in the weather and therefore no let up in the photographs of giant waves!

Here are my photos from Saturday at Portreath when swells carrying waves up to 30ft high came crashing into the coast.

With more storms forecast this weekend and more again into the following week theres plenty more photo opportunities around the Cornish coast, I just hope the Cornish coastline can handle the consistent battering that mother nature is throwing at her.

The calm before the storm. Shocking pictures of the litter washed up on Cornwall's beaches

With a break in the weather and the sun making a brief appearance today it gives us time to see the real damage done around the coast before the next batch of storm weather and waves come crashing into our county. Over the last few days I have been out with my camera photographing the damage caused by the ocean I love so much, there has been extreme damage, costly damage and heartbreaking damage.

But one of the things that is really effecting the beaches is the amount of rubbish that is washed up on the shoreline. It will take many hours and lots of volunteers to help clean up the mess created by the litter, whilst the councils and governments go to work repairing the physical damage.

Together we will get Cornwall back on it's feet, but it will take hard work but we will get there and Cornwall will be beautiful once again, until then we all need to stay strong whilst the next storm comes in tonight and hope the coast doesn't get any worse.

This collection of images have been taken since the first storm in January 2014 until just this week and only cover Fistral, Perranporth, Mawgan Porth and Watergate Bay. With over 300 miles of coastline in Cornwall there is a lot of damage and a massive clean up will be needed in every beach, cove and harbour across the duchy.

To see more pictures of not just storm damage but Cornwall looking beautiful visit my Facebook page.

Essential Business Tips For Photographers

Even if you are the best photographer in the world, you will need to follow smart practices in order to boost your business. If you want to gain as much exposure as possible, you have to put in the work to get your name out there in the community. Here is a look at five of the best practices you can follow in order to boost your photography business.

1. Make Sure Your Business is Easy for Customers to Find

If you want to gain new customers, you have to make it as easy as possible for them to find you. Make sure to get your photography business listed in as many areas as possible. Be sure to get your business listed in the phone book as well as online search directories like Google Places and Yelp. In addition, you should try to get your business included on wedding sites to boost your chances of scoring wedding photography gigs. Never hesitate to list your photography company in a new directory. When you have as many listings as possible, it will increase your chances of getting new business.

2. Advertising Methods

Although you will get business simply by listing your company in directories, it will usually not be enough to get your business to the high level it deserves to be at. In order to get as much business as possible, it is important that you spend some money on advertising. National advertising campaigns do not make a lot of sense for a local photography business. Instead, you should focus your advertising budget on local media in order to gain as much local business as you can. Referrals will also help. If you can get a good relationship with local wedding dress shops and wedding planners, they will be able to shoot as much business your way as you can handle.

3. Satisfy You Customers

Once you start to get lots of customers using your photography company, you need to do everything possible to keep them satisfied. The key is to provide them with excellent customer service. Try to go above and beyond the call of duty whenever you can. Every opportunity you take to wow customers will increase the chances that they will rave about your business to others. Once you start to get a wave of positive word of mouth going, you will find that you get a lot of new business walking through the door that comes from customers’ recommendations.

4. Use the Power of Social Media

In the 21st century, business owners who want to thrive need to embrace the power of social media in order to grow their businesses. You need to create social media accounts for your business on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Once you have these accounts up and running, you need to make sure to utilize them to their fullest. In order to do this, you should be sure to update your social media accounts as frequently as possible. Daily updates are recommended, but weekly updates are the bare minimum you should make. These updates should showcase your beautiful photography as well as specials you are offering to attract customers.

5. Make Your Website Special

If you have an unprofessional looking website for your photography business, it will greatly reduce your chances of success. If you do not have web skills, then you need to hire a professional to design a website for your business. When customers check your website out, they should find a beautiful website that looks very professional. Your site should also be very easy to use for your clients. This will give them faith in your skills, and it will help to boost your business substantially. If you are insured, include that. If you are in any special trade organizations or community groups, let people know. Testimonials add great proof of value. 

They key to being a success in anything is never resting on your laurels. You should always keep looking for new ways to boost your photography business. When you are constantly driven to take steps to keep your customers satisfied as well as increase your business, you will help to ensure that your photography company will be a smash success. When you put in the time and effort to make your business succeed, you will be rewarded with a great deal of professional success as well as personal satisfaction.

Biggest waves in the world in Cornwall, the view from Perranporth.

It's still hard to believe the hype but after today's damage seen around the coast it is definitely believable that today the waves were bigger in Cornwall than anywhere else in the world. With the giant swell forecast I had to head out to the coast to see what was happening.

I headed to Perranporth this morning for high tide and was greeted by several other photographers, storm watchers and the police keeping everyone safe. Whilst more police and fire service worked to pump out the flood water at the Tywarnhayle pub everyone else was watching the encroaching tide.

Here's a few pictures from Perranporth this morning but i'm pleased to say that there was no damage caused and the flooding wasn't anywhere near as bad as previous swells with the waves held back by the southerly wind. This southerly wind that saved the north coast from destruction sadly caused mayhem on the south coast.

The north coast survived today's massive swell but with bigger waves forecast on Saturday and more wind and rain to follow who knows what will happen to Cornwall and quite honestly I don't think it can take any more!

To see more photo's of Perranporth this morning during the storm swell and lots more photographs from around Cornwall visit Photobrook Photography on Facebook.