Lindsay Smith Photography Blog

One recent example of something I’ve changed is my website. I adore the colors gray and white. They are present in my old website, and also in my new website that will be debuting tomorrow. However, when I asked myself the question What words can be associated with my website?, my old website did fit the bill. So, instead of creating a brand from a website, I decided to re-invent my website to satisfy some of the words I wanted people to associate with my brand. Here are a few of those goals:

- In less than 10 seconds I want the website viewer to think of the following words: magazine, city, clean, fashion, authentic emotion.

- Upon entering the website, I want the view to see me before they see my images. I think it’s vital for a client to have a positive relationship with both the photographer AND the photography itself.

- I want the viewer to see a consistent theme that will complement our first in-person meeting. If they see a colorful website, and I’m a more reserved person, the website is misaligned to the photographer.

- I want the website to show off my portfolio in an efficient way. No viewer wants to spend 2 hours browsing a website just to evaluate someone’s style. It should be very obvious.

- Finally, I pulled inspiration from a variety of sources. Some of the main sources are displayed here:

And finally, a sneak preview of my new website splash page, front page, and my favorite things page. This new design should be live sometime within the next 48 hours, so check it out!

In fact, here’s a snippet of her bio from her website www.styleyourlifeblog.com to give you an idea of her outlook and experience with fashion:

Over the past 17 years, Jennifer has worked as a style expert in all facets of the fashion and retail industry, including merchandising, head department store buyer, owner of a children’s boutique and a seamstress extraordinaire. Today, as the founder and owner of Style Your Life, Jennifer’s greatest passion is helping her clients create stylish lives. Most women think it takes a lot of money and time to look fabulous. Jennifer shows them just the opposite. You don’t have to be in Prada from head to toe to look fabulous.

I am so excited to be partnering with Jennifer to provide you with style advice for an engagement or Love Shots photo shoot. Here’s a quick photo of Jennifer, the stylist behind the magic:

The most common question I receive after booking a photo shoot is What do we wear?! I’ve decided to share some expert advice with you. From Jennifer’s website I obtained the following His and Hers outfits, and paired them together in what is perfect examples of coordinating couples’ outfits.  Take a look!

I encourage you to take a look at Jennifer’s website and contact her if you have specific style questions. Investing and considering your outfits before a photo shoot will produce images that are both beautiful and fashionable!

I chose the colors pink, black, and white for all of the paper goods, and used both a script font and a sans serif font for all the typography. Specifically this means the table name cards, the seating chart, the invitations, and all the display signs are printed in the same colors and the same fonts.

During the process of choosing my color theme, I recognized I liked pink and it would pair well with my country club wedding. Some of the other colors I considered were eggplant purple and light teal. The way I knew which color to choose for my wedding was by determining the length of time I had liked each color. Knowing I was going to have a year and a half long engagement, I wanted to make my design decisions based on things I had a history of liking. That way I would be less likely to change my mind later and create double the work for myself.

Here are several tips for branding your wedding that might be useful as you plan for a memorable day:

1. There is such a thing as too many options, especially when it comes to weddings. When you choose a color or font that you like, stick with it. Otherwise, guests may feel like the wedding is an odd jumble of mixed styles and they will not see your wedding as a cohesive event.

2. Create a logo, color combination, or decoration style that fits you and your fiance. I knew Michael and I liked clean design, and we wanted guests to feel the country club vibe even as early as when they received their invitations. If you’re not design-inclined, go to a local print shop or browse the internet for logos and themes that you like.

3. Remember that your wedding is not a cheap themed party. When I say the word theme, I’m not implying your guests should arrive in hula grass skirts if you’re getting married in Hawaii. The best way to create a theme is by determining what the bridal party will be wearing, considering where the wedding venue is located, and letting an organic theme arise with your wedding decorations, favors, and paper goods.

4. Browse magazines for inspiration! Magazines are better than the internet for wedding design planning, because you can tear out pages and pictures and paste your ideas into your wedding planning book.

5. If you don’t have one, get a wedding planning book or binder. One with pockets for photos and magazine cut-outs are especially helpful.

Here’s a glimpse at my wedding invitation suite and some of my inspiration planning:

Good luck branding your wedding!

Today I welcomed a new addition to my lens family… the Canon 50mm f/1.2. Since I began shooting, the 50mm has been my focal length of choice, because I love the shallow space it puts between me and my clients. Generally I stand about 10 feet away when I’m shooting a couple with the 50mm lens, which is the perfect I’m-close-to-you-but-not-up-in-your-grill distance.

The main reason, however, that I prefer the 50mm lens, is because it has an editorial appeal. The style of images that can be obtained with this focus length have a richer magazine-quality about them. No close up shots or wide angle shots that scream PORTRAIT can be created. Instead, images rendered look more like something found in a magazine.

I have a personal policy that I don’t buy any piece of gear until I’m completely convinced it’s something I need, something that will help development my style more, and something that is an investment for my business. I knew from my previous 50mm lenses, that I loved this focal length. I also knew that by upgrading from my 50mm f/1.4 to a 50mm f/1.2L, I was investing in better image quality. The images I can obtain with this lens will have better contrast, sharper image elements, and lower light capabilities.

I love this lens already, but I’ll be showcasing its capabilities in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!