There is a funny story regarding this wedding. I know from being involved and shooting weddings that if you are a bridesmaid or groomsmen, do not lock your legs during the wedding. If you do, blood will not properly flow to your head and it can cause you to pass out. Such as the case in the wedding, as one of the groomsmen passed out during the ceremony. Needless to say no one was expecting it. He was ok, but it really got everyone out of sorts. Lucky I edited the whole thing out which pleased the bride. It just goes to show you, it doesn’t matter how much you plan, something will always happen good or bad that you weren’t expecting.

As part of our Blast from the Past series I would like to present you with Chris and Tracey’s photo montage video. Chris and Tracey were another great couple to work with. I had the unique privilege of showing them their wedding video for the first time surrounded by their entire family. They were really great to work with, and we all watched the videos together. I got to see their reactions to the video face to face, which was very cool.  Anyway, here is their montage video showing their life growing up, and then their life together.

What is “Blast from the Past?”

I have filled up the gallery with more videos (currently 16) to appease the need to view more content. I will continue to add more and more video as we complete new weddings, and as time permits. My server can take the video load, so I figure I will add as many as I have time to place online. These videos are in chronological order beginning at the top left. You will notice right off the bat that our style has changed a bit over the years. If you are viewing our videos for the first time, start with the videos at the top left. Those videos tend to represent our editing style currently.

I will continue to post information about each clip here in the blog as well as repost each video for users who subscribe for our feed. This way everyone can get a feel for the entire scope of each wedding. Note, the videos in the gallery are not representative of our entire collection of wedding videos. These are simply our favorites and and ones that we have great memories attached to. Each of these couples were such a pleasure to work with, and we thank each one of them for allowing us to be apart of their weddings.

About this wedding

You are about to view the wedding video highlights for Arash and Brandi’s wedding. This wedding and reception was held at the Waxahachie Civic Center. The entire day went off without a hitch thanks to the superior wedding planning of Teresa Choate. Photography was from Kevin Bowens, and catering by The Doves Nest.

UPDATE: I got a question regarding the music on the video. I did not choose the music for this video the couple chose the music.

I thought it was about time to polish the old design and add some additional content to the site. The site now has a fresher look as well as expanded functionality on all the pages. The biggest change is our homepage. It now gives you more information about what other features can be found on the rest of the site. I am also very pleased to now have a featured video on the homepage. Believe it or not we actually get a lot of frequently repeating visitors. Now they can checkout the changes and updates to the site right by visiting the homepage.

The next area where me made some major changes is our wedding video gallery. Before the gallery hosted older videos that took a long time to load as well and opened each video on a separate page. Now we have made it very convenient to view videos on our site. All videos are now hosted on one single page. You should now experience snappier load times as well as a very spiffy navigation style. I will be adding more videos this weekend and also hope to have a video RSS feed up and running soon. I haven’t decided if I want to place the feed in iTunes or not. I must weigh out the pro’s and con’s. However if I decide to add the feed to iTunes, you are able to easily subscribe to it and have iTunes automagically download the newest video each time one is available.

But, it really doesn’t matter what I think, what do you think of the new design? Comments, suggestions, questions, bring ‘em on!

The unfinished parts are the gallery’s as well as the packages and pricing. I have already done several weddings, but have not formally decided on a pricing scheme. Right now would be a great time to book since these prices are not set in stone yet. I can tell you what my packages will entail. All package will include private online proofing with an easy to remember URL. The proofing gallery looks elegant and has a sideshow feature so you can send it to family and friends. Next one of the most popular traditions is digitally designed wedding album. Each package will include a wedding album of varying length. If you want to take a look at what one of these albums look like head on over to Victor Sizemore’s blog. Next each package includes a framed picture of your choice. Each wedding shoot includes 2 professional photographers. Right now we do not offer wedding video and photography combined. Maybe in the future. Again I am still finalizing all our offerings, so more info is coming soon.

I wanted to post some of the images from some of the weddings we shot. I really want our work to speak for itself, so here it is just a little taste. Click each image for a larger view.

I have very strong opinions on DVD cover design. I like to use simple, clean layouts that let the images speak for themselves. I avoid background images, neon backgrounds or crazy designs. I just don’t want my wedding DVD’s to look dated in 20 years. Thus, I decided to simplify my designs and challenge myself to shoot images worthy of a simple layout.

The cover below is from Ben & Kezia’s wedding. I usually shoot the images for the cover myself, however we were just too busy shooting video that we didn’t have the extra time to take some snaps. These images were graciously provided by Ivey Photography. As you can see I did a little photoshop magic to them. I think the overall look turned out well. The couple was pleased which means I was pleased.

Enough about other weddings, lets talk about Ben and Kezia’s big day. Ben and Kezia were such a great couple to work with. They were very easy going and we had a blast at their wedding. The day went very smoothly thanks to our favorite wedding planner Teresa Choate. Photography was done by Ivey Photography. Kezia and Ben’s wedding was held at the Waxahachie Bible Church, and the reception was held at the Waxahachie Civic Center.

It was a beautiful wedding from front to back. Without further ado, here it is:

Ivey Photography is located in Midlothian, Texas just a short drive south of Dallas. Their primary focus is Bridal & Wedding Portraiture; Individual, Family & Children Portraiture; and High School Seniors. I have known many of the photographers for many years, and I can absolutely vouch for their professionalism and quality. This company brings over twenty-eight years experience to every shoot. The studio also provides a custom and ready-made frame shop for the convenience of their clients.

Below is their mission statement:

Our mission as professional portrait artists is to provide our clients the highest quality images possible, while maintaining a comfortable environment and dedication to complete customer satisfaction. We understand that life passes quickly, and professional photography is the timeless way of securing the moments that are priceless. Capturing the moments that become your memories is our area of expertise. We take that responsibility very serious. Your memories will last a lifetime.

Ivey Photography has provided some of the shots from the last wedding we worked together. I think these turned out great. You can also view more of their great work at their website.

I am currently deciding which HD camera to bring home. I am strongly looking at the Canon XH G1, or the XH A1, but this Sony XDCAM ES. Izzy Video is a great place for reviews and knowledge surrounding videography. I subscribe to his podcast and never miss a show. This review discusses all of the features that the Sony XDCAM ES has. You can find his review below:

My new camcorder is the Sony XDCAM EX. Although this seems to be what everyone’s calling it, the actual model number is Sony PMW-EX1. In this installment of Izzy Video, I give a miniature video review of the new camera.

If you haven’t heard of this camera before, I should let you know that it’s pretty revolutionary.

You can get Izzy Video 75 here.

So I get asked from time to time by very knowledgeable clients, "what are you using for production"? While I would love to add the systems, programs, and equipment I use, to our FAQ’s page it really wouldn’t work because I find I am constantly upgrading my equipment. I will however give you a quick list of what I am using right at the moment. I’m sure this list will be outdated in a month (Christmas is almost here).

If you have read any of my other blogs you realize that I am a proclaimed Apple fan-boy. I am actually writing this post from my iPhone :). So of course our studio is a 100% Mac production house. I have a Mac Pro, a Power Mac G4 (fully upgraded, it still runs good), and a Mac Book. I have dual screen setups on both towers. I use Xgrid to help with rendering projects quickly. At the heart of it all is Final Cut Studio 2. The programs I mainly stick to are Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro. I haven’t really used Color that much as I love Magic Bullet Colorista, and Magic Bullet Look Suite. I love it.

The cameras I use are two Canon GL2, and one Sony (who’s model number escapes me). These cameras have been perfect for me as they are identical to the XL 1S but without the option to change lenses, and the GL2 has a LCD screen. I have shot lots of weddings and have never really found an instance where I needed a longer local length. Other people’s experiences may vary. Of course we have a Canon light w/ a diffuser, Canon WD-58H wide-angle adapter with hood, an extreme fisheye lens, and remote controllers. I love Canon products like I love Apple products, so I am planning to upgrade my cameras soon to either the Canon XH G1, or the XH A1. Once this whole format war is figured out. However I am in the Blu-Ray camp right now. I use Sennheiser Wireless mics. I have 2 fluid head tripods. Lastly I also bring along My Canon 400D Digital Camera. We take great DVD cover shots that we include all stills in any package. If I start going into my digital camera equipment we will be here all day. I’m probably missing a gadget or two but this is a good rough estimate.

If you are looking to get into videography I suggest getting a decent 3CCD camera, a tripod, and a wireless mic to start out. Do your editing in iMovie or Final Cut Express. With a eye for detail and great shots you can get your start. Then start to upgrade everything.