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.
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.
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.
As a vendor, I visit venues (or places to host an event) regularly for all different types of events, and just like any other industry, some venues go above and beyond to make sure you have a great experience. I can, unfortunately, say there are several places out there that treat their couple well, but not other wedding vendors. I have worked with these places, and it is not all that fun! BUT some places are an absolute pleasure to work with. So, I have compiled a list of 5 places in Salem/Keizer that are good not only for the couples to work with but also treat other wedding and event vendors well, making them some of my favorite places to work with! These are in no order, and all are places worth checking out if you are looking to hold a wedding or event in Salem/Keizer.
Log House Garden at Willow Lake
Log House Garden in Keizer is one of those not-so-hidden gems in the city. Run by the Blake’s, the grounds are immaculately kept, they have an orchard that makes for amazing photos, and if you are respectful of the property, they grant you full access for the time of your event. Lanora has been in the wedding and event business for many years and is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to making your event beautiful and successful. As a vendor, Lanora always treats you with respect and thinks about not only what is good for her, but what is good for you too. This is a wonderful venue that I absolutely love returning to again and again!
Deepwood Estate
This venue is well known in the area, and for good reason. The grounds are kept by dedicated volunteers who do an amazing job. The society that keeps the house and gives tours are focused on preservation and keeping this piece of history for generations to come, and the event staff is so delightful to work with! Besides its popularity (and subsequent days it is off-limits to those not part of the event) this place is a photographer’s dream and is just as dreamy to work with as to photograph. Their rules are strict, but for incredibly good reason. They do work with you, both as an event planner and as a vendor, to give you as much free reign as possible while maintaining the integrity of the site. Very much a place I love working with over and over.
Willamette Heritage Center
Third on the list is the Willamette Heritage Center, also known as Mission Mill. Staff is extremely helpful but unobtrusive, and they give lots of leeway. A perfect spot for vignettes and getting great photos.
Salem Convention Center
Amazing staff that always take care of you, and your vendors. They make sure vendors get lunch/dinner, and have a place set for your vendors to take break. It has gorgeous lighting, large, great for big events. They also make you so feel special. They may have 5 events going on at the same time, but you would never know it with the care and attention you receive.
Keizer Civic Center
This historic and beautiful venue is hidden in the middle of the city. It features incredible garden spots that you can use as well. The staff is truly kind and helpful, and fun to work with. They are very responsive and versatile with their large rooms and smaller rooms that are perfect for breakout areas during an event.
When you start considering wedding photography, knowing what is included in a package and how to compare wedding photographers can be a super stressful choice! In this episode, Karin and Kathryn discuss why photographers make packages the way they do, how the photography style you choose can affect your package needs, and what can be covered in different amounts of time. Check out this video to get some tips to help you pick your wedding photographer.
Feel free to reach out at any time! We would love to talk to you about your wedding photography. Email contact@photosbyorion.com with any questions.
There are many photographers out there to choose from for your wedding. There are many options to choose as well. One of those options is 1 photographer or 2. Two photographers who work together often are able to capture much more of your day. In this video Kathryn and Karin discuss why you may want to pay for 2 photographers at your wedding, the pros and cons, and how to compare photographer packages when looking at pricing. This is a hot topic in the wedding industry and one every couple wrestles with. Hopefully you will have more answers than questions after watching this video. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
With the world being effected by COVID-19 there have been many changes people have needed to make. This includes weddings being cancelled or postponed. With weddings beginning to take place again they are not happening the way they were before. Many guests are not able to attend in person for a variety of reasons. Live streaming your wedding is a wonderful option for those who can’t be there in person but still celebrate with you.
There are many things to consider when deciding if you want to live stream, including what we talk about in the video below. But for the quick overview of what to consider before livestreaming your wedding or event, here are 5 tips we cover in the video to help you get started:
Make sure you have enough internet bandwidth to stream well. The last thing you want at your wedding or event is to have the screen freezing, the audio cutting out, or worse, disconnection issues. How much internet speed do you need? We cover that in the video below.
Location, location, location – Where you put your camera matters Your camera is the eyes of your online participants, so where they “sit” matters a lot. To be sure they have a great view, make sure to set up in a close up space very near the front where all the action is so they can see it all happen!
Have a facilitator – Having a dedicated person there watching the stream feed, how your bandwidth is holding up, and making sure the sound is good is very important for making your event or wedding day go smoothly for those who attend virtually. You want to make sure they feel like they are there and appreciated for their attendence!
Sound will be vitally important, so plan ahead – Next to seeing everything happen, your sound quality will be the other big factor in giving you online guests the best experience possible. It doesn’t matter if they can see you standing there if they can’t hear you say “I Do!” Make sure that you plan for how your online guests will hear you, as well as what the experience will be like (for more tips in this category watch the video!)
Your online audience is still an audience, think from their perspective – Ultimately this is about having those who can’t attend in person feel like they are still there participating in your wedding or event. Taking some time to both think and experience it from their perspective will help you give them the best experience possible and let them know they matter to you!
To get all the info for having a successful live stream of your wedding check out the video below! Happy Planning
Keywords: photography, videography, live stream, wedding, wedding video, Salem, Oregon, Willamette Valley, salem oregon wedding photographer, salem oregon wedding videographer, drone wedding
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 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!
