Photos By Orion – Oregon photography and videography from Photos By Orion

3 Tips for taking portraits with your pet

Senior portrait with his golden retriever — A boy and his dog, what a great pair!

As a family photographer, I am privileged to work with many diverse types of families. Many times we work with children, and young children need special attention for getting great photos with them. But young children aren’t the only kids that need special consideration in photography. I am talking of course about your fur babies!

Over the years I have worked with dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, horses, and even chickens in portraits with my clients. I love to see the interactions and love that is very obvious when these fur babies come in.

I have found over the years that there are few things that will make the portrait experience more enjoyable when your fur babies join you. So here are 3 tips for making portraits with your pets easier on them and you!

Tip #1: Don’t go against your pets personality
You know your fur baby best. And just like any 2 or 3-year-old, working with their personality not against it will make the whole process much easier.

Dog and girl look sad at getting a photo taken — Sometimes the picture just isn’t going to happen

If your dog is always on the go, it is best not to try and get him to sit still.
If your cat doesn’t usually get held, chances are someone will end up bleeding if you try to hold her for a photo.

Plan to work with your pet’s personality and your result will be better.

Tip #2: Communicate info about your pet to the photographer

Photographers will do their best to work with you and your pet, but any help you can give them will make things go smoother. For example, if your pet always comes to the sound of their name, then it is probably not good for the photographer to continually call their name and have them walk out of frame. If you have a dog that gets aggressive if someone gets too close, let the photographer know so that they can keep their distance. Anything that will help is important to communicate to your photographer.

Tip #3: Keep an open mind and reasonable expectations

Just like working with toddlers, pets will have good and bad days in front of the camera and that’s ok! The important part is that they are there, not that they are perfect. Sometimes it is the quirky imperfections that make a memory endearing, like this kitten who only wanted to be on his dad’s back! Sometimes, that is what makes the cutest photos.

I hope these tips help you the next time you have a family portrait scheduled and you want to include the whole family!

Come Celebrate with Us

Photos By Orion's new studio space in Salem, Oregon — The New Studio!

This Friday, August 19th, marks the grand re-opening of the Photos By Orion studio in our new location, and the grand opening of Purple Kat Business Development, my newest brain-child. We are going to have a big event! I hope you can make time to come out and help us celebrate between 2:00 and 6:00 pm. Our official ribbon cutting is at 3:00 pm and I can’t wait! Hope to see you there! Our new address is 2416 13th St SE Suite A Salem, OR 97302.

Cherry Blossoms, Camas, and Japanese Wisteria…oh my!

Beautiful family portraits and preserving them for the future

That special time of year has arrived again! The cherry blossoms are here and that means the camas and wisteria are not far behind. Each year these 3 beautiful flowers offer their blossoms up and families want to take advantage of their beauty for family photos like these:

I always love this time of year because I know the kinds of amazing photos I can give my clients. But it is also a bittersweet time because every year I also see destruction left by those photographers and budding photographers (pun intended) when they take a client or model to these places and knock cherry blossoms off or stamp down the wild camas so their subject can be “among the flowers.” Every year when we take clients to do photos, well anywhere really but especially these one a year treasure places, we always make it our goal to leave the place just like we found it (and sometimes better!).

Sometimes the ends don’t justify the means

There are always ways to get the photo without destruction. For example, To get the falling blossom effect we pick up blossoms off the ground or wait for the wind to knock them down (as it would do whether we were there or not). For the wild camas, we try to put our clients on paths where we look over the camas to them, or use places that have only grass, to get the same effect as planting them on the camas.

Beautiful woman's portrait among the camas flowers of Salem, OR — It is all about perception

So if you are going to be looking into booking a family session to take advantage of these rare opportunities, it is worth taking the opportunity to tell the photographer you choose (though I would love it to be me!) that you want to conserve the natural beauty as much as possible and save the flowers. Our community and your children will thank you!!

Everything You Need to Know About Hiring A Drone for Your Wedding

Guest blog from Dronethusiast.com

Everyone wants their wedding to be a special occasion – a source of wonderful, happy memories that last a lifetime. And of course, you need a photographer (and/or videographer) to capture those memories so that you can revisit them again and again.

Many couples are now choosing drone photography as a way to make their wedding videos more dynamic and instantly unique. But this technology – and its adoption by the consumer mainstream – is still fairly new, so it’s understandable that you might have questions about what drone wedding photography looks like. Well we at Dronethusiast – the premier source for drone news and reviews online – are thrilled to partner with the Photos by Orion Blog to share some insight into hiring a drone for your wedding.

Wedding family walking on Beach — Wedding couple walking down beach with their family

1. Why You Should Hire A Drone Photographer

As Orion recently covered in more detail, style is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a wedding photographer. Drone photographers and videographers are mainly hired because they bring a unique perspective (quite literally!) to their work.

Aerial photography used to be extremely expensive – it involved hiring not only a professional photographer with an expensive specialized camera, but also a helicopter for them to fly in. Now that drones with cameras are more readily available, their main advantage is that they can provide beautiful aerial photography for a fraction of the cost – and they can do so in areas that a helicopter or airplane can’t reach!

2. Discussion Points

Here are some basic things to ask when hiring a drone photographer:

Are you licensed? In the United States, commercial drone pilots are legally required to have an FAA certification. Never hire an unlicensed drone pilot or a pilot who tries to convince you that a license isn’t necessary.
Are you insured? Even a skilled drone pilot can lose control of a drone due to equipment malfunction or inclement weather. Such incidents are rare, but you still want to make sure your photographer has liability insurance, just in case.
Can I see samples of your work? A portfolio will give you a good idea of the photographer’s style, which will help you see whether or not it matches your vision for your wedding. A good drone photographer will provide stable video with a unique, polished look thanks to a good editing skills.
What is your availability? For obvious reasons, you need to make sure the photographer you hire is available at the time and day you want your pictures taken.
Do you provide interior work? Some drones can only be flown outdoors, while others are small enough to be flown inside as well. If you’re interested in interior photographs, you need to make sure that’s something your photographer provides before hiring.

3. How Much to Pay

Drone photography price will vary by location, by contractor, and depending on the type of work you’re looking for. For photography itself, you generally don’t want to pay more than $500 an hour. For an entire wedding photography package which includes drone photography along with other services, you can often expect to pay between $2000 and $6000 depending on how many photos and what type of video you want.

4. The Hiring Process

The process of hiring a drone wedding photographer usually looks something like this:

Look for a photographer online and find someone who suits your needs.
Reach out to them over Email or phone and bring up your discussion points. An in-person meeting is always ideal if you can manage it.
Choose a photography package and pay the photographer accordingly.
Integrate your photographer into your wedding plan. When do they need to show up? When are you taking your photos with the wedding party? Will you be going through a “Traditional” or “First Look” schedule? Make sure you and the photographer both understand each other’s needs and responsibilities.
After the wedding, you should receive your photos digitally or in the mail at a time specified by the photographer beforehand.

5. Think Outside of The Box

Sometimes what makes your day extra special is your imagination

A good drone photographer can do more than just take videos of your wedding, although this will most likely be their primary role. Be sure to think outside the box and speak to potential candidates about what they can do to make your special day even more special.

We hope this article has helped you understand what to look for in a drone wedding photographer and videographer. For more information on the ever-expanding drone industry, visit our website at Dronethusiast.com.

This article is published in conjunction with our friends at Dronethusiast.com. If you are thinking about drones or purchasing a drone it is a great website to consult. Our thanks to Mike and his great team!

5 of the best spots for senior and family portraits in the Salem area

The Willamette Valley is full of great outdoor locations for Fall family portraits or Senior shoots. Here are 5 of my favorite:

Minto-Brown Park

Minto-Brown park is located minutes from downtown Salem, Oregon. It is the largest park in Salem. Numerous fields and paved paths abound in Minto-Brown Park, providing a variety of locations to choose from which makes it a favorite location for me because it has a good variety of location types. There are old stumps with vibrant green foliage, grass fields and river views that can be taken advantage for excellent backdrops. During a few weeks in the fall, there’s even a little-known road along the slew that has fall leaves everywhere. I tend to take clients to the first parking area near the entrance to the park. From here, there’s a paved pathway that leads around a large field of tall grass (which makes for a great backdrop), past a fallen tree and on towards a new bridge that connects Minto-Brown park with Salem’s Riverfront park. I really enjoy the lighting amongst some of the evenly spaced trees.

There’s a second parking lot that is reached by continuing past the first lot. Near the second lot is a small park with toys for kids to play on and a covered area. From here a path takes a turn towards the river with tranquil views of the water. Proceeding down an alternative path will lead to quiet lakes, some with small viewing platforms.

Any of these locations make for nice backdrops or quiet locations for photos.

Deepwood/Bush Park

Deepwood and Bush park are just south of the downtown area in Salem, Oregon.The parks are separated by a small stream, so I tend to stay

in one of the two locations during a single photoshoot. Both locations have numerous great locations to take photos. Deepwood is situated on a street corner and the original house for the property is a historic location featuring daytime tours for those interested. I often use the house as a backdrop for clients, especially family shoots. Surrounding the house are several gardens. The formal garden has nice gated sections that make for great locations. Continuing around the house there is a tennis court that is used for wedding receptions. Around the court are short trails that are quiet and not often walked. I enjoy taking photos along the creek or gather the giant leaves that fall in the Fall to use in portraits. It’s not difficult to find shade on bright days or a quiet location beside the creek.

Keizer Rapids Park

Keizer Rapids park is located in Keizer, Oregon, which is north of Salem, Oregon. This park seems to be going through changes every year. They currently have a large playground called The Big Toy that can be used as an excellent opportunity for kids to play on. There is a boat down with a large field surrounding it. I’ve taken photos of families at the amphitheater that boarders a treed area. In the trees is a Frisbee golf course and if you want to explore further, a wide bend in the Willamette river has fields of rocks where the river floods in the winter. I’ve often seen small rivulets that would make excellent backdrops.

Riverfront Park

Salem’s Riverfront park has become an increasingly popular place for senior photos. Riverfront park is located along the Willamette River and is situated right next to downtown Salem. Many events and carnivals can be found here at various times of the year. As for photo locations, there are two walking bridges at each end of the park that cross over the river. The one to the north is an old train tressle made into a walking bridge. I’ve taken many photos here using the bridge pattern as a backdrop. The park has nice grassy fields and a splash park that kids love, even when it’s not on. I find it a good place for photos featuring smaller kids. The main feature of the park is a carousel which can be used for photos. If your photoshoot is during the winter, the park also features a temporary ice skating rink!

For the seniors, I usually walk across the street from the park to capture those cool brick-walled backgrounds. It’s not uncommon to find someone has written on the wall the graduating year, which I like to take advantage of in pictures.

Downtown Salem

Downtown Salem, Oregon is ripe with old and new buildings. Between many of the streets are neat little alleys that people often use for photos. From arched alleys to wide steps to twisty trees, a short walk easily brings together a variety of brick locations and quiet spots available for your photo session.

Hopefully any of these locations spark your interest in outdoor photography locations. If you’re wanting outdoor photos but aren’t sure where to choose, we will work with you to take advantage of the best each location has to offer at the time of your photoshoot.

The best weather conditions for portraits

My favorite weather conditions to take portraits in is when it’s cloudy. Can you believe it? Bright sun definitely makes for a boost in morale, but it’s really the days when it’s cloudy that I prefer to take portraits in.

Why is that, you ask?

When it’s cloudy, the light is spread out better and colors are more even. If you’ve ever been in a photo studio, you might have noticed those large white screens. Those screens are small versions of clouds. Light is bounced around and reduces shadows, leaving your photos looking better. Fortunately for me, I primarily shoot in the Pacific Northwest where clouds abound. I feel very luck in this respect. I have even nicknamed Oregon the “land of diffuse light”. =-)

Don’t get me wrong about sunlight though. I love to shoot on the sunniest of days as well. Sometimes I’ll position you in the sun for shots, but on these kinds of days, I will usually have the light blocked with either a scrim or I will just position you in the shade.

So don’t worry about scheduling your outdoor photo shoot with me during the fall, winter or spring in the Pacific Northwest. I will keep tabs on the weather so that we can get great images for you!

3 Posing Tips for Your Portrait Session

Part of the reason why I love photography is because I don’t have to be in front of the camera =-).

If that sounds like you too, then I have some important advice for you that I’ve learned from being in front of the camera that can make your portrait session much more rewarding.

Be yourself

One of the best things you can do to improve your portrait shoot is to be yourself. Really! From behind the camera, it’s very obvious when my subject is uncomfortable because they are not acting like themselves. Stiff body lines, pasted grins and body language translate to photos that are not comfortable and whoever sees those photos will understand the same thing. It’s those moments where your happiness are captured and frozen in time that you will see every time you look at that photo that make it a great experience.

Trust your photographer

I want to take photos of my portrait sessions as perfectly as I can. I want you to go home with your photos feeling and looking your best because I have a happy client and because I can use that photo to promote my photography business. If you come to the session knowing that I am there to make you look your absolute best, then you can feel safe that how I direct you is helping you look great. Trusting your photographer helps you both have a great session experience and get great portraits.

Come prepared

There are many things you can do to come prepared to your photo shoot. It all depends on what you want to get out of it. A few things that I recommend thinking about prior to your shoot are your clothing and color choices and bring props or an activity that you enjoy. It will make your session more relaxing and fun.

– Photos By Orion

3 Things to Know Before Scheduling Your Spring Portraits

7B4A3750-Edit — Alexis and the Cherry Blossoms

Natural light is your friend

Have you ever had a photoshoot scheduled and it looks like it’s going to rain shortly before your outdoor-Oregon family photo session? Don’t worry too much about it, call your photographer up and see if they think it’ll still be a good time to take photos. If the weather is like many Spring days in Oregon are, there is likely a chance that that dull gray sky will actually enhance your photos. I like to think of those dull gray clouds as a gigantic light diffuser. Talk to your photographer to see if the weather will be good or not, you may be surprised.

Great foliage backdrops

Spring time is the best time to go out and capture family photos with excellent greenery and flowers. The grass is vibrant green and the flowers are usually plentiful and colorful. If you don’t have a special place in mind for your photoshoot, your photographer will. I have several places around the Willamette Valley that I enjoy taking clients to and I typically try to schedule photoshoots around the times when those flowers and trees look their best. A personal favorite are the Japanese Wisteria in Bush Park.

Clothing Choices

The weather in Oregon during the Spring is a time of change and your clothing choices should follow suit. =-) I recommend being prepared for both rain and sun. If you happen to have a new jacket, bring it along. It may go great with the background. Not every photoshoot needs to be formal.

Props

Sometimes, props can be great add-ons to a session. Here in Oregon, an umbrella may not get used in the rain, but it can make a great prop for photos! Giving it a little thought and grabbing a couple things that are special to you can take a good photo session to great in a flash.

From your photography team at Photos By Orion

What does a typical wedding ceremony look like?

You’re engaged, planning your wedding, checking out dresses, and are super excited to start meeting with vendors. They ask you about your ceremony and you suddenly realize you have no idea how to put together a wedding ceremony! You start to freak out as you add yet another thing to your list of to-do’s that is already a mile long, but take a deep breath and relax for a minute.

A wedding ceremony can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Realistically, the list I have compiled below is what happens in a typical American ceremony. Different cultures will change this accordingly. I have tried to keep this list as bare-bones as possible, just the things that are typical and/or necessary, and labeled everything else optional. If you follow this simple formula you can have a ceremony plan in a few short minutes!

Wedding Ceremony Elements

Processionals – where the wedding party and parents of the couple walk in. Typically the parents are seated by ushers or groomsmen/attendants (attendants = the people standing with the couple up front, not the guests) first, then the groom/partner#1 walks in with the officiant, then bridesmaids/groomsmen/attendants walk in, followed by the ring bearer. Finally, the flower girls/grandmas/people walk in just ahead of the bride/partner #2.

Bride/Partner entrance

Officiant opening remarks – These are typically short comments welcome, of what makes a marriage work.

Charge to the couple – This is the remark about the couple coming together seeking a committed relationship and that they are here to take the other person as their husband/wife/partner.

Vows – These are your promises to each other. They can be the same to each other or completely different. They can be repeated after the officiant or read from a paper. However and whatever you choose to promise to your soon to be spouse, this is the important part of the ceremony as it is what will bring you together. Spend time on your vows, be honest and committed to what you say here.

Ring exchanges

Unity event – (optional) I have included this because about half of all weddings have some sort of unity event. Some examples I have seen are unity candles, hand-fastenings, and sand/bead/candy ceremonies, although this could truly be anything that brings two things together into one.

Pronouncement of marriage – “…By the power vested in me…”

The Kiss

Closing Remarks and presentation of couple – “May I be the first to present…”

Recessionals – wedding party walks back in reverse order.

There are many ways to make the wedding ceremony all your own, but as long as you start with this framework you will be good to go.

Comment below to let me know if I missed anything. These are the elements I have noticed in my wedding photography career as going into a typical ceremony.

Getting started on your wedding photo “Must Have” list

Your “Must Have” list is a very important part of your wedding planning. It not only determines the amount of time you need for your photography, but it also helps you with your timeline planning, with the order of events, with knowing if you need one or two photographers, and if there are other options like bridal portraits that will help you keep your wedding on track and on budget.

The list given below is a general list that I have used to help my clients over the past 10 years plan their wedding day photography. It is by no means completely inclusive, but I have found it helps my clients start the process of making their own list. While the list is written in “Bride and Groom” language, the ideas and concepts can be used for any wedding couple!

For planning purposes, plan to set aside 3-5 minutes per pose/picture on your list. This is a great starting time reference.

“Must have” wedding photo list ideas

Pre-wedding/Getting Ready

Rehearsal area before guests have arrived/details

Prep Shots – Bride & Groom getting ready

The Dress – Hanging or Draped

The Rings – with invitation, bouquet, etc.

Zipping Dress

Bride Applying Make Up

Groom Fixing Hair

Attaching Boutonnière to grooms lapel

Ceremony

Groom waiting at altar

Church Wide Shot (with & without guests)

Bride walking down aisle ( Side Profile & Front )

Father giving away bride

Groom over the shoulder shot of bride ( & Vis Versa)

Holding hands – Bride and Groom

Bride & Groom Kiss

Bride & Groom Leaving Church ( Receiving Line)

Reception

Reception/Banquet Hall Outside shot

Food Shots (Cocktail Hour, Drinks, etc.)

Shot of each table full of guests

Bride and Groom Hand & Ring Portraits

First Dance

Bride & Father Dance

Groom & Mother Dance

Bouquet Toss

Guarder Belt Toss

Cake Cutting

Bride and Groom Feeding each other

Misc. Guests Dancing

Best Man & Maid of Honor Toast/Speeches

Bride & Groom Toast/Speeches

Centerpieces & Flower/Decorations

Guestbook Signatures

Bride & Groom “Just Married” Vehicle – Driving Away

Thank you picture (if doing one)

Posed Photography

Bride alone

Groom alone

Bride and Groom

Bride and Groom at alter

Bride and Groom with Officient

Bride and Groom kissing

Bridesmaids/Flower Girl(s)

Groomsmen/Ring bearer

Bridal Party

Bride with Groomsmen

Groom with Bridesmaids

Bride with Bridesmaids

Groom with Groomsmen

Bride with flower girl(s)

Groom with ring bearer

Bride and Groom with bridal party

Bride with parents

Groom with parents

Bride and Groom with bride’s parents

Bride and Groom with groom’s parents

Bride and Groom with both sets of parents

Bride and Groom with bride’s grandparents

Bride and Groom with groom’s grandparents

Bride’s parents alone

Groom’s parents alone