Today, it's all about the post processing!TRA: Describe your wedding workflow for us. Who does what, and in what order?
He & She: After a wedding, Erin goes through and
edits down the photographs in Lightroom. Once everything has been
edited, I start on the album design while she pulls the "favorites"
into Photoshop and adds some Totally Rad Actions love.
TRA: Totally Rad Actions! How divine! Any favorites?
He & She: We have our cocktail of favorite actions that we use on nearly every picture (i.e. Boutwell Magic Glasses, Get Faded Winter & Autumn, Pool Party, and Flare-up [golden & faded]).
TRA: Tell us a bit about your post-processing philosophy, won't you please?
He & She: Post processing is hugely important. Taking a well-composed photograph is only part of the process. We have a fun and funky style and we want to make sure that comes through with our editing. We typically will warm up our photographs and add a bit of vintage flare, but definitely try to avoid losing the imagery in a muddy mess of effects. Actions (like the fantastical Totally Rad Actions) are awesome tools to enhance and help define a picture as your own!
TRA: Well said. Now show us some post-processing recipes!
Pro Retouch - 75%
Flare up (Golden) - 5%
Contrast - 27%
Claire-ify - 30%
Warm it up Kris - 65%
Pool Party - 24%
Get Faded (Autumn) - 10%
Get Faded (Winter) - 20%
Vignette + Blur (standard) - 20%
Wish You Were Here - 30%
Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%
Flare up (Golden) - 10%
Flare up (Faded) - 12%
Warm it up Kris - 20%
Pool Party - 20%
Get Faded (Autumn) - 15%
Get Faded (Winter) - 10%
Wish You Were Here - 30%
Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%
4 comments so far
TRA: What do you do in the world of photography?
He & She: We are artists who happen to photograph weddings. I think that's the most honest way to look at what we do. We are inspired by the moments that unfold around us, and so we naturally lean towards a photojournalistic approach. In terms of translating what we observe into art, we put our creativity into play through our perspective, hoping to capture moments in ways other people don't see them. Or at least that's the goal, anyway
In art school (where I got my BFA in graphic design, and Erin in creative photography), there was a pressure for us to produce material with heavily weighted concepts, but Erin and I could never fall into making that kind of work. A professor once told me that "happy art" is the hardest art to produce successfully. I think that's why we were so intrigued by wedding photography. We saw an opportunity to make happy work, and it didn't hurt that we were both drawn to portraiture (or taking pictures of people... the word portrait bores me!) There's something to be said for work that makes you happy in the process.
When it comes to how our work is perceived, I think we're both more than slightly paranoid about creating imagery that is overly glamorous or dramatic imagery. I wouldn't use the word romantic to describe our work. We love beautiful imagery, of course, but it's the cliché, glowing, running arms wide spread in a field, gag me with a spoon wedding imagery we try to steer clear of And to do that, we try to keep influenced by images and designs that aren't wedding based.
TRA: What gets you two inspired? How do you realize your vision?
He & She:
He & She:
Pro Retouch - 75%
Flare up (Golden) - 10%
Yin/Yang -- 40%
Contrast - 27%
Warm it up Kris - 40%
Pool Party - 20%
Get Faded (Autumn) - 15%
Get Faded (Winter) - 20%
Vignette + Blur (standard) - 25%
Wish You Were Here - 30%
Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%
--
(Their recipe uses actions from both the Original Totally Rad Action Mix and TRA2: The Revenge.) Check back next week for more from He & She!
1 comments so far
Rob & Lauren's photography business was also meant to be, it seems. They've been shooting together for the past four years. Their business, which boasts remarkable branding courtesy of Lauren and extreme geekiness from Rob, has been blossoming ever since.
These two decided to get married after dating for years. But after spending so long in the wedding industry, they knew they couldn't 'do a wedding' in a big, bold, 18-months-of-planning way. So they "bought everything off of Etsy" and ran off to Greece. Lauren didn't even see her dress beforehand!When the duo looked into hiring their dream wedding photographer for a super-secret wedding in Santorini, though, the pricetag was over $20,000. So they did what any in-love-and-ambitious-but-slightly-crazy photography couple would: they packed up the tripod, the digital cameras, and a 4x5 monster to shoot their own not-so-Big Fat Greek Wedding photos. They trekked throughout the island on their wedding day, posing and planning. Creating their own images allowed Rob & Lauren to share photography on their big day in a very different way. (A downright rad way, I might add.)
The two of them have been experimenting with 4x5 format cameras and other film goodies for the past year. After learning photography on digital cameras, they found themselves drawn again and again to the timeless qualities of film. Rob shoots Instax polaroids, 4x5" positives, Holga snaps, and 35mm film during the portrait portion of the wedding day. He says, "shooting film has really been a fun way to add something unique to what we offer." He also describes the delight clients have when holding a huge positive piece of processed film. (Rob's iPad serves as a lightbox for viewing.)
"It [film] slows you down. It really requires you to be thoughtful and careful." - Lauren
As for why they go through the effort of shooting so many kinds of film? Rob & Lauren are drawn to images you can hold. Their clients delight in walking away from an engagement session with a Polaroid or two as well. Film also "looks very timeless," says Rob, and allows the couple to "reconnect with the foundations of great photography."
These two have their film processed locally and then scan it digitally themselves. (Yes, they're crazy. I thought you got that when we talked about wedding photos.) Once all the film captures have been digitized, they blend seamlessly with the other digital stills from a shoot. Each and every image is then processed using Lightroom, which Rob enjoys teaching here.
So, what's next for this DIY duo? Rob & Lauren are taking next year off of shooting weddings and are going to "see what happens." Whether that's travel assignments and commercial work, a boom in personal imagery, or shooting portraits all the live-long day is anyone's guess. But you can bet they'll be shooting whatever-it-is with the graceful quirkiness that makes their work sing.
You can view Rob & Lauren's work here, learn from them here, and commence blog-stalking here. To listen to our interview, click here.
2 comments so far
Just wanted to say a huge thanks to the Totally Rad team for this crazy awesome feature! You made us sound way cool, lol! :)
(06.14.10 @ 09:49 AM)how awesome and adorable are these too? thank you for profiling them. I am now blogstalking!
(06.11.10 @ 02:04 PM)
Since I generally have a recording of each interview, I enjoy going through the audio to glean words of wisdom at a snail's pace a few weeks after the fact. For Natalie Norton, I had a couch in my WPPI suite and a Starbucks Dark Cherry Mocha. I typically write up these conversations in the third person, so that some vague someone could be writing objective facts about the person being interviewed. This is a first-person interview. (My apologies to the journalists among you.) We did not talk about vendors or workflow secrets or Photoshop tips. We talked about life and death and love and what makes the world go 'round. Hawaii photographer Natalie Norton is known for her fresh and organic, bursting-with-life images. She is one of the beautiful people, talented and freckled and downright gorgeous. She hugs well and often, and her smile eats her face. You would like her.
At fifteen, Natalie started taking pictures on vacation. They are pictures of buildings that are "so bad" in retrospect -- but she learned to love the feel of a camera in her hands. After the sudden death of her brother in 2007, Natalie realized pictures were all she had left. She became "consumed by photography" following this revelation, and amped up her skills to become a professional photographer. She buried her grief in f/stops and shutter speeds, lenses and Photoshop. Her work came to focus on capturing other people's relationships, as well as those in her own family.
"I've always cared about relationships in my life. That's the core of what I do. I care to remember."
Norton attended WPPI by herself the following year. She was hungry for learning and for being around others who understood her obsession. Natalie shared a telling story from her first experience at WPPI: she was introduced to a group of people. When she asked the name of the guy next to her, he replied, "Don't you know who I am!?" Miffed, he handed over his business card and stormed away. To this day, she can't remember his name. But she can still tell you about other people she met on that trip and about photographers who have changed her life. (Natalie's not big on ego. I dig it.)
She describes Mike Colon as an open-hearted giver, and Jonathan Canlas as the person who challenges her not to settle for mediocrity. Her work is informed by Southern California shooters Amelia and Justin Lyon, as well as by the work of The Image is Found.
"How in the world are so many people in this industry so remarkable?"
As for those who admire Natalie...here are her words of wisdom for other photographers. Share only what you want to shoot. If you love weddings, show them. Same goes for dogs, horses, kids, commercial work, or abandoned buildings. If you love it, show it. If you don't, hide it from the light of day.
Define specifically what success means to you. Maybe it's having $3 million in the bank, but it's probably a little simpler than that. Spare time, ice cream whenever you'd like, travel a few times a year, or a timeshare by the ocean. Defining your success makes working toward it much easier, and you won't be stuck chasing someone else's dream.
Do what's best for you. In Natalie's case, this means no shooting on Sundays. Ever. For you, it might mean taking limited shoots throughout the week or hiring an assistant. Owning your own business means setting your own parameters -- take advantage of it!
Get to know your clients. Norton sends a questionnaire to the families she's about to work with, just because she'd like to more about them. This isn't posing information or style tips -- just questions about what each member of the family enjoys. Take a break from technology. Whether it's Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or email or blogging or MySpace or Formspring...let your mind and your heart lead you to a place that doesn't plug in. And enjoy your time in that place.
Finally...
"Use your talents to make people's lives better than they were yesterday."
To find out more about Natalie Norton, visit her blog. And please, leave her some love.
21 comments so far
I've known Natalie from the time she was a young teenager. She's always been loving and kind. She's always shared whatever she's had with someone who needed it, be it love, faith, laughter or wisdom and she does have an abundance of wisdom. Her Faith is what makes her strong. A beautiful person from tip to toe and from deep within her heart. I'm SO happy to see her successful, not because she needs to be, but because she wants to make other people happy. I Love Natalie... You Go Girl!
(04.05.10 @ 02:09 AM)After having a family photo shoot with Natalie, it's really impossible to settle for anyone else. We've never found another that even comes close.
(04.03.10 @ 06:41 PM)wow. Sorry Jon but I heard about her way before here =)
I first found Natalie thru another message board and was floored at the wealth of information she was willing to share for Free!! She taught me most of what I understand about Apeture Shutterspeed and Focus.
I wish I really knew her; cause she seems like a beautiful person inside. And REAL =)
We love Natalie so much and after we left our shoot with her we got in our van, looked at each other and just laughed because we were shocked at how easy it was. She made us feel at ease and have fun and didn't leave room for stress over posing or getting our toddler to behave. We were like, she really is a PRO. I'm so glad she is getting the recognition she deserves.
(04.02.10 @ 11:09 AM)I've been following Natalie at Digital Photography School. She is AMAZING! Thanks for this interview!
(04.02.10 @ 10:49 AM)What a great tribute to Natalie! You've captured her essence -- I love everything about Natalie Norton.
(04.02.10 @ 09:58 AM)I love reading Natalie's blog posts, looking at her pictures, hearing her stories. I'm drawn to the way she sees the world, her unbreakable faith and her humor. You can see this in her photographs and I'm such a big fan. Congrats, Natalie. You deserve countless of articles dedicated to you. Thank you for being a great teacher and an all-around awesome human being!
(04.02.10 @ 06:52 AM)Always a refreshing encounter for me to hear from Natalie - such inspiring perspective that can only come from experience and a good God.
(04.02.10 @ 05:17 AM)I love Natalie - she is the kindest sweetest person with such an amazing raw talent! Ahhh people like her are so inspiring!
(04.02.10 @ 02:49 AM)I have followed Natalie since the day I came into this industry. Every time I visit her blog, which is often, I am blown away. She is so good, its ridiculous. Her personality is so infectious, she makes me wants to live life fuller, and I dont even know her.
(04.01.10 @ 10:51 PM)Awesome article!! Thankyou for picking someone with a SUPER SOUL!! She is the coolest mom and seriously SOOO talented and somehow manages to balance it all. Wish I could spend an afternoon with her or a few:D
(04.01.10 @ 09:37 PM)Only one flaw in your blog ... you would not like her...YOU WOULD LOVE HER.
(04.01.10 @ 07:32 PM)Natalie IS amazing, not only for her skill but so much more importantly because of her Heart! So great seeing Natalie's images (especially with so many familiar faces!!) and allowing all of us to get to know her a little better!
Natalie has made a large difference in my life and photography. She's so uplifting and so adorable. I hope when I get as good as she is at photography someday, I'd love to meet her. I would feel tiny in regards to "RADness" in the art of photography compared to her wonderful ability to capture perfect moments.
(04.01.10 @ 05:00 PM)echoing what sarah said -- haven't met her YET but feel like I've known her forever! Can't wait to meet her this summer! She's going to take my family's pictures. I can't tell you how much I've learned from her about photography and also just about life from reading her blog. She is seriously TOTALLY RAD! :)
(04.01.10 @ 03:43 PM)Natalie is amazing, from her sharing of herself and life on her blog to sitting, chatting with a bite to eat--such a lovely, gifted person.
(04.01.10 @ 03:13 PM)Love this girl. She is down to earth, classy, the biggest sweetie...that is why her work screams all of these things. Love you Nat.
(04.01.10 @ 02:58 PM)Natalie has one of those amazing souls that you are just drawn too. I have never met Natalie (although I hope to one day) and yet the way she opens her heart and spreads love through her words and images, I feel as if I have known her for years. It is what makes her so inspiring to me as not only an aspiring photographer, but also to be an INSPIRING person to those around me. Thank you for sharing this RADTASTIC glimpse into Natalie and her passion for what she does and most importantly WHO SHE IS!
(04.01.10 @ 02:57 PM)seriously, she is amazing and has come a LONG way in this industry. watch out world, you heard about her here FIRST.
(04.01.10 @ 12:19 PM)Um, we would. The request wasn't a prank, but that reaction speaks to the reserved and low-key way Emilee goes about her business. Her pet photography business, which she runs from her home at the age of 18. Yes, one-eight. Eighteen. Before graduating from high school, Emilee has created and branded a business. (Oh, and coded her website, written her blog copy, mastered her camera, experimented with studio lighting, and fallen in love with Frank Sinatra.)
At age fifteen, Fuss' parents bought her a point and shoot camera. When she got around to using it, Emilee fell a wee bit in love. She started taking pictures of her dog and had fun doing it. When her parents noticed how much fun she was having, they ponied up for a D80 and a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. Those two elements form the backbone of Emilee's shooting today, proving that equipment does not a photographer make. Her use of consumer-grade lenses to turn out professional-grade, emotive and telling photographs is remarkable.
While in the studio -- her parents' living room makes a fabulous one -- Emilee breaks out her SB-800 with a 28x28" Westcott softbox and goes to town. She photographs dogs (or those seven cats, that one time) on a seamless gray roll of Savage background paper using her uber-simple setup. She admits to being embarrassed about her equipment specs when people ask what she uses to achieve such fabulous results, but Zack Arias would be nothing but proud. Emilee looks forward to graduating from high school so she can jump into her business full-time, and is ramping up her marketing efforts accordingly. Fuss has been visiting local pet businesses to create displays of her work. She's been dropping off business cards. She's been talking to strangers and networking like crazy. Since Fuss admits to being shy, I asked how she prepares for meeting with other, typically-much-older, business owners. She simply reminds herself that this is her business. This is what she wants to do. To make it succeed, she has to get out there and meet people.
"I gotta do it, whether I'm scared or not."
Fuss taught herself to shoot her camera manually, to write code for her website, and to shoot with artificial light. The only business resource Emilee has turned to has been Easy as Pie, Alicia Caine's guide to modern portrait pricing strategy. (Promo code: TRA saves you $30.) She credits the book with helping her to a.) create a sound strategy and b.) charge appropriately for her work. Fuss has also learned post-processing goodness from Scott Kelby's many books, and is currently taking classes with the New York Institute of Photography. When Fuss isn't completing schoolwork, shooting, or editing, she enjoys reading works of classic fiction, watching the Turner Classic Movie channel, and listening to the music of crooners like Frank Sinatra.
"My dentist told me I'm an 80-year-old in an 18-year-old's body."
In three years, Emilee Fuss hopes to be a better photographer and a better businessperson. She cites the work of Grace Chon, Sara Beth, and Claire's Rouxby as both inspirational and motivational. She also hopes to travel a bit more with her work, and is looking forward to seeing the world beyond Florida on a regular basis. Taking the world beyond Florida by storm, is more like it.
You can view the work of Emilee Fuss here, and her blog is located here. Listen to the full interview here.
4 comments so far
Emilee you are an inspiration. Gorgeous work and doing such a fabulous job with the business side of everything too. GO YOU! Good luck with your graduation and best of luck afterwards.. excited to see how far you go!
Emilee is a GREAt photographer, isn't she? Yeah! She truly connects with animals in her work and has so much patience (esp with those 7 cats! =)
These are GREAT! It's awesome to see someone other than the amazing Erin Vey and Anna Kuperberg who can take great pet photos. Kudos!
(03.18.10 @ 12:28 PM)
wow!! very romantic!
(07.22.10 @ 01:12 AM)wow!! very romantic!
(07.22.10 @ 01:10 AM)YAY!!! LOVE YOU GUYS :) Congrats on the 2 part interview!!!
(07.19.10 @ 12:36 PM)These images are fantastic!!! Thanks so much for sharing your vision and also your recipies. A quick question on how these are listed. Is the list to be tried top to bottom or bottom to top?
(07.08.10 @ 07:57 PM)Thanks again!!