When I watched this video by Queensberry Albums, it reminded me of a documentary I saw recently on how a Rolls Royce automobile is built; one piece at a time by incredibly skilled craftsmen. Every detail is meticulously assembled and examined for perfection by an individual.
Queensberry is no different. These days we lose touch with many of the products and services we purchase. Transactions are handled online, not by visiting the workshop and meeting talented people face to face. With all the latest technology, we (I) usually assume whatever we're buying is mass-produced in a big factory in China.
Book binding is an age old craft, and when it comes to a hand made album, some techniques have changed very little if at all. Take a moment to watch this video. There's something strangely comforting about seeing real people working with their hands to create something so beautiful.
We proudly offer Queensberry albums as our "Rolls Royce" wedding album, because when it comes to something as priceless as your wedding memories, only the best will do.
9.03.2010
8.31.2010
Vintage Super 8mm Movie Filming in Arizona
We've got some exciting news! But first a recap: over the summer we launched Arizona Wedding Studio, a new division of f.ferguson photographers featuring an outstanding team of our best associates, offering great photography at a very affordable price. The response has been terrific!
Now, it's f.ferg's turn to unveil something new. This Fall we are rolling out a new set of wedding photography collections, designed for the ultimate in wedding day story telling. f.ferguson photographers is positioned to give our clients something no one else in Arizona can offer: a multimedia presentation of your wedding day with motion picture film by Ciné Vérité Films.
Ciné Vérité Films is the only cinematography studio in Arizona exclusively using real motion picture film to create artistic, vintage-style wedding films. Throughout your wedding day, we film beautiful moments using meticulously restored vintage movie cameras and Super 8mm film. The footage will be combined with your still photographs and music to create an emotional and moving story of your day. The production will be delivered on DVD, and you will also receive the original film reels to keep in your family archive.
This new addition is included in our Complete Coverage Collection, which also features:
Now, it's f.ferg's turn to unveil something new. This Fall we are rolling out a new set of wedding photography collections, designed for the ultimate in wedding day story telling. f.ferguson photographers is positioned to give our clients something no one else in Arizona can offer: a multimedia presentation of your wedding day with motion picture film by Ciné Vérité Films.
Ciné Vérité Films is the only cinematography studio in Arizona exclusively using real motion picture film to create artistic, vintage-style wedding films. Throughout your wedding day, we film beautiful moments using meticulously restored vintage movie cameras and Super 8mm film. The footage will be combined with your still photographs and music to create an emotional and moving story of your day. The production will be delivered on DVD, and you will also receive the original film reels to keep in your family archive.
This new addition is included in our Complete Coverage Collection, which also features:
- Pre-wedding photo shoot (fashion, bridal, engagement)
- Full day wedding coverage
- THREE photographers
- Three assistants to wait on us hand and foot (white gloves not included)
- The very special Cocktail Screening Party after the wedding
- ...and much more
8.13.2010
Are Digital Photographs Forever? Part 2
Thanks for reading part 1, or at least I hope you did! :) It was meant to get you thinking, and hopefully gave you some useful information. There are many ways to skin a cat, so the system you implement needs to work for YOU. In this post, I'm going to talk about the second most important thing to do with your photos after backing them up.......MAKE PRINTS!
We all get overwhelmed with the sheer number of images we take (and can't possibly delete) so the thought of deciding which few to make prints of may seem daunting. It's really not that bad, and I'm sure you'll know which ones are print worthy when you see them. The real challenge is just setting aside the time to do it. Again, just like backing up your images, prints are the tangible results of the memories you've been capturing. You'll want to have prints made to pass down the generations, and yes, you should remember to write who, when and where on the back.
Ordering prints online is so easy, my mom can do it! (but not my dad) You can shop around for your favorite lab, and set up a free user account. It's important to remember to set your camera to the correct resolution for prints. If you are using a point and shoot, I recommend putting it on the highest resolution, and least amount of compression. A good print resolution is 300 pixels per inch - a 4x6" print would be 1200x1800 pixels. I still have to point out to my mom that photos need to be much smaller for emails (72ppi) - a 4x6" image on the web would be 288x432 pixels.
Most image editing software will allow you to resize an image for print or internet, but not all are sophisticated enough to let you add keywords or metadata. As I mentioned in Part 1, The DAM Book has a wealth of information on organizing and storing digital images. The cool thing about software such as PhotoShop, Lightroom, and Aperture are that they allow you to edit the metadata of each image.
Metadata is information stored withing each digital image file, such as who created it, the date, location, contact and copyright information, and much more. There is also a section for adding keywords. These can be any words that describe the photograph, which will be useful when you have thousands and just want to find a few from the lake, for example. You might add key words separated by commas such as: lake, boat, water, summer, etc..... Then, when you catalog your images using a cataloging application such as Microsoft Expression Media, you can type your keyword as a search term and it will quickly pull up the few images you are looking for with those words. Another advantage to editing your metadata is that you can you can enter a description of who is in the photo, and any other relevent information - it's kinda like writing on the back of the photo!
I hope this information has been helpful, and got your gears turning. Please leave comments and/or email questions if you have any!
We all get overwhelmed with the sheer number of images we take (and can't possibly delete) so the thought of deciding which few to make prints of may seem daunting. It's really not that bad, and I'm sure you'll know which ones are print worthy when you see them. The real challenge is just setting aside the time to do it. Again, just like backing up your images, prints are the tangible results of the memories you've been capturing. You'll want to have prints made to pass down the generations, and yes, you should remember to write who, when and where on the back.
Ordering prints online is so easy, my mom can do it! (but not my dad) You can shop around for your favorite lab, and set up a free user account. It's important to remember to set your camera to the correct resolution for prints. If you are using a point and shoot, I recommend putting it on the highest resolution, and least amount of compression. A good print resolution is 300 pixels per inch - a 4x6" print would be 1200x1800 pixels. I still have to point out to my mom that photos need to be much smaller for emails (72ppi) - a 4x6" image on the web would be 288x432 pixels.
Most image editing software will allow you to resize an image for print or internet, but not all are sophisticated enough to let you add keywords or metadata. As I mentioned in Part 1, The DAM Book has a wealth of information on organizing and storing digital images. The cool thing about software such as PhotoShop, Lightroom, and Aperture are that they allow you to edit the metadata of each image.
Metadata is information stored withing each digital image file, such as who created it, the date, location, contact and copyright information, and much more. There is also a section for adding keywords. These can be any words that describe the photograph, which will be useful when you have thousands and just want to find a few from the lake, for example. You might add key words separated by commas such as: lake, boat, water, summer, etc..... Then, when you catalog your images using a cataloging application such as Microsoft Expression Media, you can type your keyword as a search term and it will quickly pull up the few images you are looking for with those words. Another advantage to editing your metadata is that you can you can enter a description of who is in the photo, and any other relevent information - it's kinda like writing on the back of the photo!
I hope this information has been helpful, and got your gears turning. Please leave comments and/or email questions if you have any!
8.03.2010
Are Digital Photographs Forever? Part 1
When was the last time you went digging around in your closet to find something, and came across that shoebox full of old photos passed down from your parents and grandparents? Did you forget what you were looking for and just sit down on the floor and leaf through the prints, revisiting fond memories? Hopefully grandmother was good about writing dates and names on the back!
Photographic prints are an integral piece of our family history, and serve as a great reminder of faces and places when memories grow dim. Most of us would consider these photos priceless, and list them among the top five things to grab from a burning house.
Now we find ourselves in the digital age, and we produce photos by the thousands, daisy-chaining hard drives to keep up with production. I'm sure you get the gist of where this is going......hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Data loss and equipment failure is eminent, and could strike at ANY moment.
As professional photographer, I am responsible for safeguarding against this, but after seeing how my parents manage their digital photos, I realize many people are not so diligent. Understandably, implementing a truly effective system for data backup can be confusing and expensive, but you owe it to yourself and your family to do something about it. If it's not already at the top of your to-do list, let's put it there now!
The bottom line here is that backing up your precious digital photography is an important responsibility you mustn't ignore. In my next post, I'll talk about making prints and key-wording images.
Photographic prints are an integral piece of our family history, and serve as a great reminder of faces and places when memories grow dim. Most of us would consider these photos priceless, and list them among the top five things to grab from a burning house.
Now we find ourselves in the digital age, and we produce photos by the thousands, daisy-chaining hard drives to keep up with production. I'm sure you get the gist of where this is going......hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Data loss and equipment failure is eminent, and could strike at ANY moment.
As professional photographer, I am responsible for safeguarding against this, but after seeing how my parents manage their digital photos, I realize many people are not so diligent. Understandably, implementing a truly effective system for data backup can be confusing and expensive, but you owe it to yourself and your family to do something about it. If it's not already at the top of your to-do list, let's put it there now!
- GET ORGANIZED: For extremists and professionals, I recommend The DAM Book to get an understanding of how to organize your file system so that it can easily grow over the years and make it easier to find files when you need them. A simple approach would be to place your family photos in a series of folders such as FAM_001, FAM_002, FAM_003 and so on, starting a new folder once it reaches about 4.5GB. By limiting the size of the folders, you can easily back them up to a DVD (which hols about 4.7GB) Once backed up, change the folder name to FAM_001_DVD, FAM_002_DVD.....so it will be easy to recognize that they have been backed up. It would be wise to make two copies of the DVD and keep one in another location, such as a safe deposit box at the bank
- BACK IT UP: Don't rely on yourself to remember when it's time to back up. For PC users you could try AllwaySync, and Mac users can use Time Machine and/or SuperSuper! You'll want to use a good quality external drive with plenty of space. I use Time Machine AND SuperDuper! in conjunction to back up my Mac. Time Machine is good if you just need to go back in time and undo some changes you've made, but SuperDuper! makes an exact BOOTABLE COPY of your system drive, so if your hard drive crashes, you'll be able to boot up from your external and keep on truckin'.
The bottom line here is that backing up your precious digital photography is an important responsibility you mustn't ignore. In my next post, I'll talk about making prints and key-wording images.
7.15.2010
Santa Monica California Engagement Photos
I drove over to Santa Monica last weekend and met up with Jessica and Brian to shoot their engagement photos. It's always fun to shoot in a new location, and get some fresh angles. Even though it was the middle of July, we were all pretty much freezing!
I highly recommend traveling somewhere with great scenery for your photographs if at all possible. Not only is it nice to just get away, but you'll have a good variety of images, and something unique to show your friends.
I highly recommend traveling somewhere with great scenery for your photographs if at all possible. Not only is it nice to just get away, but you'll have a good variety of images, and something unique to show your friends.
5.27.2010
Arizona Weddings Magazine
We spent the better part of three months trekking around the state to find iconic Arizona locations to feature the top contestants in the Miss Arizona Beauty Pageant 2010. We traveled south to Tombstone, Tubac, then back to Phoenix,Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, The Superstitions, and Glendale, finally finishing up in Sedona. Adam and I would go a day ahead of the crew and models to scout, then get everything set up and ready for their arrival.
Several of our scheduled shoots were canceled due to rain and snow, but we persevered and made it happen. The Sedona location with Brittany Brannon, and transportation by Pink Jeep Tours, was probably the coldest day of shooting, thanks to fresh snow and a howling wind. Brittany worked under the most extreme conditions of the project, and never once lost her smile. All of our models were fantastic to work with, and for some it was their first time.
We'd like to thank Arizona Weddings Magazine for allowing us the opportunity to create these beautiful images, and continue our long friendship with the magazine. To see more, please visit our Facebook page.
Several of our scheduled shoots were canceled due to rain and snow, but we persevered and made it happen. The Sedona location with Brittany Brannon, and transportation by Pink Jeep Tours, was probably the coldest day of shooting, thanks to fresh snow and a howling wind. Brittany worked under the most extreme conditions of the project, and never once lost her smile. All of our models were fantastic to work with, and for some it was their first time.
We'd like to thank Arizona Weddings Magazine for allowing us the opportunity to create these beautiful images, and continue our long friendship with the magazine. To see more, please visit our Facebook page.
'Sedona Rouge' won second place at the 2010 AzPPA print competition in the wedding division.
'Urban Chic' won third place at the 2010 AzPPA print competition in the wedding division.
'An Evening Affair' won first place in the wedding division at the 2010 AzPPA print competition, and the Kodak Gallery Award.
5.26.2010
New Logo and Rebranding
Good news! Our site has not been hacked! You've probably noticed a new logo in some of our online locations and new print advertising which has recently come out. We are rolling out a fresh new look, including new logos, new Facebook fan page, and a new web site.
Of course, timing events like these to happen all at the same time was our utmost intention. Regretfully, some things are just beyond of our control! Nonetheless, we will continue working day and night, and anxiously await the moment we can announce to you the launch of our new web site.
Of course, timing events like these to happen all at the same time was our utmost intention. Regretfully, some things are just beyond of our control! Nonetheless, we will continue working day and night, and anxiously await the moment we can announce to you the launch of our new web site.
3.26.2010
Wedding Chronicle Readers Poll
2.12.2010
Fox News Arizona Wedding Feature at Stonebridge Manor
Although Fox New forgot to give us credit, the images and album used in this feature are ours.
2.03.2010
Royal Palms Wedding Photography Phoenix
We've been anxious to share these photographs with everyone, but wanted to wait until Karen and Ken saw them first at their private Cocktail Reception in our studio. Needless to say, after two bottles of bubbly we were having a great time looking at their images on the big screen!
It's so much better to see your images for the first time when they are projected in high resolution on a giant screen, as compared to a low resolution computer screen on the internet. Join our Facebook Fan Page to see their album!
It's so much better to see your images for the first time when they are projected in high resolution on a giant screen, as compared to a low resolution computer screen on the internet. Join our Facebook Fan Page to see their album!
10.28.2009
Prescott Arizona Portraits
Want a change of scenery? Let's head out of town for your portraits. Arizona has some incredibly beautiful locations for photography. Let us help you plan your portraits - we're happy to offer tips on locations, styles, clothing, home décor and more....just ask us!
9.25.2009
Fall Family Portraits
It's time to schedule your family portrait session for holiday gift giving. Now through October 30th we are taking $50 off your portrait session! Remaining spaces are extremely limited, so call now to schedule.
If you'd like to receive our new packet with prices and detailed information, please send us your mailing address. Come in to the studio for a free design consultation and we'll help plan your session to coordinate color and style with your decor to create a beautiful piece of art to display in your home.
If you'd like to receive our new packet with prices and detailed information, please send us your mailing address. Come in to the studio for a free design consultation and we'll help plan your session to coordinate color and style with your decor to create a beautiful piece of art to display in your home.
8.27.2009
Queensberry Albums
At f.ferguson photographers we pride ourselves on offering only the finest albums and products available to the industry. It's a philosophy that we have lived by since the studio opened. We truly believe that the story of a beautiful life-changing event like a wedding should be told in an equally beautiful hand crafted album to be shared with future generations.
Our Premium line of Queensberry wedding albums, hand crafted in Auckland, New Zealand, are absolutely the best of the best! Turning the pages of one of these albums is like strolling through the halls of an art museum. The thick page leaves and sumptuous textures are nothing less than luxurious.
One of our favorite features by Queensberry is the Duo Album. Perfect for the indecisive bride or one who loves something a little different from the norm, it's the combination of a fine-art matted presentation with a modern twist of flush-mount style pages mixed in.
We could go on and on about these books, but you really should see one for yourself! Stop by sometime and we'll be delighted to show you. In the meantime, you can visit their web site for a taste of what's available.
Our Premium line of Queensberry wedding albums, hand crafted in Auckland, New Zealand, are absolutely the best of the best! Turning the pages of one of these albums is like strolling through the halls of an art museum. The thick page leaves and sumptuous textures are nothing less than luxurious.
One of our favorite features by Queensberry is the Duo Album. Perfect for the indecisive bride or one who loves something a little different from the norm, it's the combination of a fine-art matted presentation with a modern twist of flush-mount style pages mixed in.
We could go on and on about these books, but you really should see one for yourself! Stop by sometime and we'll be delighted to show you. In the meantime, you can visit their web site for a taste of what's available.
7.15.2009
Killer Wedding Reception Decor
Wow! This was an exciting wedding to shoot at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale! We love seeing a bold and creative use of color and design at the reception. As you can see, it makes for some very striking images.
The bride and groom's Sweetheart Table
Accents found at the roof top cocktail reception
The bride and groom's Sweetheart Table
Accents found at the roof top cocktail reception7.06.2009
Trista and Jason's Album v1.0
Here is the first version of Trista and Jason's album from their wedding at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. Please share any feedback with us, we love to hear what people are saying about our work!
5.18.2009
Competition Awards
We had a great time this weekend at this year's AzPPA Convention in Tempe at the Fiesta Inn. Professional photographers from all over the state met for seminars with some of the top names in the business, and to enter their best work from the year in the print and album competition.
As always, there were a lot of amazing images submitted. (glad I'm not a judge) For the second year in a row, Fred won Top 10 AZ Photographer (ranking #4 this time) and took first place in the album division. The images below are the winners.
"Krysti and Keith"
1st Place Open Wedding Division
"Trapped in the Inferno"
1st Place Open Illustrative Division, selected for the Traveling Loan Collection
1st Place Album Division - "Molly & Jeremy Lowden"
As always, there were a lot of amazing images submitted. (glad I'm not a judge) For the second year in a row, Fred won Top 10 AZ Photographer (ranking #4 this time) and took first place in the album division. The images below are the winners.
"Krysti and Keith"1st Place Open Wedding Division
"Trapped in the Inferno"1st Place Open Illustrative Division, selected for the Traveling Loan Collection
1st Place Album Division - "Molly & Jeremy Lowden"4.24.2009
Wedding Portraits at the Royal Palms Resort
Yolanda and Pablo contacted us recently to help them with a problem. The photographer they hired to photograph their wedding turned out to be inexperienced, and delivered very disappointing images which they were embarrassed to show their family and friends. We were very happy to help them out and create some impressive imagery that they would be proud to show off!
The bride and groom stayed at The Royal Palms on their wedding night, and hoped the first photographer could capture some of the ambiance of the resort, but it never happened. Thanks to The Royal Palms Resort in Scottsdale for so generously allowing us to re-create Pablo and Yolanda's wedding portraits.
In case you were curious, these portraits were created months after the wedding. It was necessary to purchase flowers and rent a tux again. Think of the time, money and heart-ache that would have been saved if the original photographer had done his job properly.
Note the beautiful edge lighting on the bride and groom. We pride ourselves on this type of attention to detail, and go out of our way to use studio lighting on location to add impact to our images.
Our use of background lighting here provides separation between the bride and the otherwise black hole behind her. The light on the palm and shadow on the wall add visual interest, and is reminiscent of Hollywood movie lighting.
f. ferguson photographers
Scottsdale Arizona Wedding Studio
The bride and groom stayed at The Royal Palms on their wedding night, and hoped the first photographer could capture some of the ambiance of the resort, but it never happened. Thanks to The Royal Palms Resort in Scottsdale for so generously allowing us to re-create Pablo and Yolanda's wedding portraits.
In case you were curious, these portraits were created months after the wedding. It was necessary to purchase flowers and rent a tux again. Think of the time, money and heart-ache that would have been saved if the original photographer had done his job properly.
Note the beautiful edge lighting on the bride and groom. We pride ourselves on this type of attention to detail, and go out of our way to use studio lighting on location to add impact to our images.
Our use of background lighting here provides separation between the bride and the otherwise black hole behind her. The light on the palm and shadow on the wall add visual interest, and is reminiscent of Hollywood movie lighting.
f. ferguson photographers
Scottsdale Arizona Wedding Studio
3.26.2009
Phoenix Engagement Session
Lighting is our specialty, and it really shows in this engagement session with Kimberly Byrne and Brendan Dekker. Our studio's team of photographers come from a background in commercial and fashion photography where auxiliary lighting is critical to creating a professional photograph. Many newcomers to the profession today are not equipped with this expertise, and are limited to using only available light.
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