Category: Portraits

A Snapshot Look at 2023

The wedding season is slowing down, but we may have a whole new way of looking at wedding photography to push us into the new year. Here now 5 trends people will focusing in on.

1. Wedding Highlights

Gone our the days of watching the whole ceremony. Now we are really seeing a movement towards shorter versions to play on social media and give a glimpse to those who could not make it.

2. Realistic Video Edits

  • Wedding Ceremony at the Oregon Gardens by Photos By Orion
    Wedding ceremony at the Oregon Gardens.

At Photos By Orion creativity and storytelling is one of the best part of our jobs. Now many people turning to using actual clips of sound from the wedding accompanied by music bringing out the true emotions of your big day.

3. Veil Shots

Veil shots remain a classic favorite. They represent the grace and elegance of brides. We are always finding creative ways to showcase these treasured trophies.

4. Black and White Photography

Its timeless, versatile, distraction-free, and subtle. Black and white photography can evoke a mood – from nostalgia to sadness to yearning, black and white pictures somehow convey emotion in a way that color images simply can’t

5. Candid Pictures during the Ceremony

Then there is that magical moment that only comes once, but reveals a split second shot of emotion. From the vows, father and daughter march, and that picture perfect portrait seconds after your “I Do’s.” These are the picture of perfection recaptured in all there glory for everyone to reminisce and rewind in the days after the wedding. We are Photos By Orion, and for over 15 years we have been telling stories with star quality photography, videography, drone, and 360. Feel free to email or call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Laurelhurst Club I Do’s

A sweeter couple you have never seen than Daniel and Natalie. We very much enjoyed working with them on their beautiful, though very hot, wedding day! They were married at the beautiful Laurelhurst Club (https://www.thelaurelhurstclub.com/) across from the oh so picturesque Laurelhurst Park (https://www.portland.gov/parks/laurelhurst-park) near East Burnside in Portland Oregon.

The ceremony begins at 4:05, and ends at 22:22

We can’t wait to come back here and be able to take photos in the park’s beauty. We even got to work with our friends at NW Mobile DJ for this wedding, which always makes for a great wedding day. So excited to share their day with you in this video, enjoy!

Beautiful Wedding at Eola Hills Winery

Laurie and Adam were married in a unique and sweet ceremony performed by one of their good friends. The love they have for each other shows, and it was a fun evening all the way around! Congratulations Laurie and Adam, we loved preserving your beautiful day!

We are Photos By Orion. Telling wedding stories with Star Quality Photography, Videography, 360, and Drone. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435.

Beautiful Log House Garden Wedding

This sweet couple said “I Do” at the Log House Gardens in Keizer, Oregon, which is a beautiful wedding venue we love working with each year! In case you want to skip around

End of ceremony:

13:29 End of speeches:

33:50SHOW LESS

Telling wedding stories with Star Quality Photography, Videography, Drone, and 360. Email or Call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Bloomin’ Bride

Love blooms brightly in this backyard wedding. The vows for Macy and Bret in West Salem went off without a hitch, and see all those bouquets of flowers believe it or not they are all made of wood. That’s right wooden flowers.

Too the naked eye and through are camera lens it’s hard to imagine that they are not real. The vibrant colors and details are incredible. The bride, Marcy, handcrafted all these pieces from scratch.

The flowers are made from Sola wood. Sola is very lightweight and soft and flexible. Marcy used the shavings of the wood, reshaping them, then using 15-20 pieces per flower to capture the elegance of the centerpieces.

Even the boutonnieres were carefully constructed, colored, and then covered with lacquer to keep them stable. Marcy’s time and energy were well worth it. She saved big and the best part like the sign says they last forever. Show us some of the creative ways you save. Send them into us at photosbyorion.com, or feel free to email or call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Songs of Love

The sounds of love are in full swing this spring. Musical anthems ringing out loud and clear for this wedding season.

The classics still the optimal choice by couples for their first song. Looking at the list two names really stand out, and that’s Ed Sheeran and of course the legend of love hits, John Legend. Legend’s “All of Me”, continues to top the dance floors, but also strutting his stuff is Sheeran with “Perfect.”

Rounding out the top 5 of those first songs are “At Last”, Etta James, “Your Song”, Elton John, “A Thousand Years”, Christina Perri.

Six through 10 includes.

  • “Marry Me” – Train
  • “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You) – James Taylor
  • “Songbird” – Fleetwood Mac
  • “Crazy Love” – Van Morrison
  • “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley

The perfect song does not come easy to select. The number one thing to be sure on is both of you like the song. Another be mindful of your guests and use music that will captivate your audience. Plus keep that first song to 3-4 minutes tops, you are kicking off this party not closing it.

The Wedding Boom is on, so we would love to see your playlists. What’s your favorites? Send them into us at photosbyorion.com, or feel free to email or call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Simple Ways to Say I Do to Sustainability

The eco boom is exploding onto the Wedding Spring Season. Couples are being more and more conscientious of waste and taking great measures to protect the environment. In fact In fact, The Knot guesstimates more than two-thirds of their subscriber’s plan or did use some form of sustainability on their wedding day.

Pinterest reports searches on their site for thrifted weddings has tripled. The shopping site, Poshmark, says demand for used wedding dresses $500 or more is reaching new heights.

That same trend is also taken in the planning. Karin Webster, owner of Blue Bonsai Printing uses only recyclable paper for her wedding invitations. Other ideas being put in place is scrapping paper all together and going digital, silk flowers rather than freshly cut flowers, compostable utensils, bowls, and plates, and even skipping those favors for the end.

When it comes to the food there are many things you can do to support sustainability; choose meals that are in season to cut transportation costs, deliver leftovers to a shelter, or let guests take the extras home in recyclable containers.

We talked about using silk flowers, but the other things you can do is work with your florist to see if there were any other events where you could possibly use flowers, reuse the bridal bouquets as centerpieces, or use a potted plant that can be taken home. Finally, donate flowers to a church or hospital.

You can even save energy by reserving a local venue and looking for a place that is LEED certified. You will be surprised how a little saving can go without putting a strain on your pockets, or wedding plans.

We would like to hear and see how you are showcasing sustainability. We are Photos By Orion. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435. We are Photos By Orion. Telling stories with star quality photography, videography, 360, and drone.

Fallin’ in Love

Did you know there are 238 waterfalls in our state. These “Water Wonders” are an amazing place to get portraits. In today’s blog here is a look at our Top 3 spots where you can be “fallin’ in love” with these incredible displays of nature’s magic.

Multnomah Falls

Number 1 on our list is Multnomah Falls. This is also the largest water fall in the state and 434th tallest in the world. This showcase is super easy to get to and requires very little hiking. The only thing standing in your way could be the crowds. Multnomah Falls cannot be missed in either direction on I-84, which makes it one of the most popular attractions. Fun fact Multnomah Falls was featured in the popular “Twilight Series”

Silver Falls

Number 2 is the South Falls in Silver Falls State Park, which is located in Silverton just about 15 minutes from Salem. The South Falls is the largest of the 10 waterfalls in the area. South Falls is very easy to get to, and requires little hiking. The best part is it is situated on a ring trail, so you can get a variety of shots. You can get a look underneath the falls and then you are able to stand above the falls, which is a fantastic place to take photos.

Abiqua Falls

Now if you like a little adventure then our third spot, Abiqua Falls in the is just for you. It is located about a half-hour from Silverton east of Silver Falls. What’s so special is the water fall sits between columns of columnar rock, and dips into a vast basin. Abiqua Falls requires some work to get there. It’s about a mile hike and there is one little part that does take some maneuvering, but we have taken multiple clients there with no problem.

What’s your favorite water fall? Please send us some pictures, and we will feature them on our website, and social media. If you would like to see more please check out our YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/user/PhotosByOrion/videos. We are Photos By Orion. Telling stories with Star Quality Photography, Videography, 360, and Drone. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435.

Conquer Your Video Fear

It is estimated by the end of 2022, 1 million videos will be watched per second. In fact, online video is predicted to represent 82.5% of all web traffic. Still for some it’s the fear of video that stops them from hitting record. In today’s blog here are some simple ways to make you a shooting star.

Tip #1 – WHO, WHAT, and WHY are you making the video in the first place

For any video project, start by writing down your goal, and then list at least 3 key take-aways you want the viewer to remember. Knowing your key points lessens the chance you’ll ramble and go off on tangents.

Tip #2 – Imagine you’re having a conversation

Identifying a specific person you want to talk to takes away all that pressure.

Even if no one’s watching your at first, still imagine how connecting conversationally with just one person would make it all worth it.

Also, don’t assume you’re reaching no one. Remember, lots of people watch videos constantly so it’s better to never assume.

Tip #3 – Shift the Focus

Too often we get caught up on our own fears and insecurities that we forget that we have a chance to provide a service, make a difference, or teach with our video.

When you shift your focus to doing whatever you can to help someone else, your nervousness and apprehension fades.

Tip #4 – Content is King

That means you don’t need a fancy set, fancy camera, or fancy wardrobe to show up and deliver something your audience will enjoy. Because if what you share is truly helpful or entertaining, people overlook all of that because they like you and are genuinely interested in what you have to say.

Plus, with video there’s less expectation for it to look super polished anyway because people know when you’re on your phone.

Girl with guitar
Portraits should reflect you and what you love!

Tip #5 – Confidence and Consistency

When you’re first starting out, give yourself at least a dozen videos to get comfortable and hone your style. Analyzing stats can come later once you have videos to review.

So there you have it! Here again are the 5 tips to get over your fear of live video:

  1. Know WHO, WHAT, and WHY you’re making the video.
  2. Be Conversational
  3. Shift the Focus from yourself to how you can help others
  4. Content is King

We would like to see some of your videos. We are Photos By Orion. Telling stories with Star Quality Photography, Videography, 360, and Drone. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435.

Let Them See You Smile

Did you know there are 19 different types of smiles? What’s even more surprising is that only 6 of them are when you are having a good time, or most importantly the relief and enjoyment we all are feeling right now being mask free. 

Smiles don’t only make you feel good, but According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, nearly half, or 48% of people will remember your smile, only 25% will recall the first thing you said.

And did you realize you can actually hear a smile over the phone?  You can even tell the type of smile you’re showing! This acts as a cue to help people on the other end of the line interpret the meaning behind what you’re saying.

And chew on this, one smile delivers the same thrill as you get from the thought of 2,000 chocolate bars. Just as sweet as the excitement we get every time we are able to tell your story.

  • Two children hugging

It’s been a long time coming, so let them see you smile. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435.