I have a lot of pictures on SmugMugPro which gives me peace of mind in case something ever happens to my DroboPro. Because I could use a cool program and download the images.

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It’s been like a micro-blog for me to talk about mostly photography and some other things. Now there’s @JarvieU for those Just wanting photography

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Well as much as I enjoyed yesterday… which I did a lot. I think weddings are actually a lot more exciting adventure and are more apt towards exploring artistic avenues. I’ll be sticking with weddings for now. That and travel photography.

See the Full gallery here

I have (i think) a good aptitude and personality for a political photographer and the realms of photojournalism it touches. After years as an All Day wedding photographer the days aren’t even that long. I shot 8-5 for this campaign today along with plenty of editing to get done. Par for the course, except it appears post-process stuff is even a bit faster because I don’t feel inclined to any “fancy” edits.

Meeting the great fun people and creating even stronger connections that even at most weddings is very appealing. The challenge of making something repetitive (like speeches and rallies) and greetings and pomp look new and to bring originality into it is an interesting challenge that I do happen to like.

However in the end of it all I have my guess that campaign/political photographer is kind of like an area of service, something I’d like to feel is beneficial to Scott Jarvie the citizen and probably isn’t in the cards for JarvieDigital the creative photographer. That being said I bet you, you’ll see a lot more political type pictures in the months to come, when I can fit them in. I believe it will really help to hone my skills. It will also help me to be around more of this stuff and get me a nice education about our government along with lots of great connections.

Finally put into practice

I’ve heard of and had the idea for years now, but this was the first time I’ve actually done it. I printed and set out cards at a wedding with pictures of the bride and groom, with information about where they’ll be able to see their prints later.

I created a URL on SmugMug where they’d be able to go easy enough to anticipate that traffic. I used a local vendor to print (which I won’t recommend as they were a bit to expensive and many online systems have amazing web enabled card designer software) I recomend gotprints.net or overnightprints.com both have great online design that would make it easy to change up cards quickly and even save and use previous cards for new orders.

The way it went down

I feel the best benefit is to print several different options. I printed 11 different fronts. Meaning same back with 11 different pictures for the front.
My fealing was correct some cards appealed a ton more to some people than others, everyone was able to find something they liked. If they were a friend of the bride they picked a picture of the bride. If they were a friend of both. If they wanted a more generic card of just the flowers or one with the temple. Of if they wanted one of the engagement pictures.

People enjoyed selecting their cards. I printed 330 and at the end there were about 50 left, which I gave to the couple whom were excited to get them printed.

The pictures also added a lot to the print display they had.

I was able to do a discount coupon associated with the card giving them 7 days to get a 20% discount on the prints.

Setting them up and making them work into the presentation without taking away from the presentation is something to consider. You want them to take the cards but you don’t want them to be obnoxiously in your face. Like I said mold them into the visual presentaiton of the reception. That’s why having multiple pictures came in handy once again. I was able to make a small display using many of the pictures together in a row.

In the future

I won’t do this for all weddings, specially not on weddings that I haven’t done engagements and bridals. I’m also more apt to do it for weddings that I’ve done formals.

I see it as a Win-Win – they get to hand out pictures to all their guests, they get hundreds of free pictures. I get to spread my name just a bit more with the hope that they might print but at least that 200-300 more people will know who i am and perhaps even keep that business card and use it later down the line.

I know a few photographers who do this pretty consistently at their weddings… this was my first time, I can’t per-se tell you the real world results just yet after 2 days.

(Below: Some more of the pictures I chose to print.)

When: Saturday March 27, 2010 at 12-7pm
Where: Krishna Temple, 8628 S Main St., Spanish Fork, Utah
What: COLORS – There will be 50,000 bags of Colors for sell.

They will do the event TWICE this year 12pm and 4pm
The initial start of the throwing will happen about 1 hour into each event so about 1pm and 5pm

What happens? Throwing of colors, dancing, chanting, body surfing, indian cuisine, people watching etc…

FB Event with about 9,000 people going and another 4k maybe going + Another FB Event

FB Event for the PHOTOGRAPHERS going to the event – to discuss stuff

Photography

I will be there from before sunrise until after sunset. I will have about 12 other photographers there helping out. (See bottom or contact me for details)
Anyone is invited to come and take pictures, they love having you there and seeing your pictures.

Last year I wrote a post that dealt more with the philosophy of being smart with your camera. It still applies.

This year while I would go without any protection to the camera… I will also be buying underwater bag so I can get a little more crazy and closer.

Key Suggestions:

Stay away from people that are throwing if you don’t want to be thrown on.
Consider a long telephoto lens to shoot from far.
Consider staying in no throw areas. (If you’re more worried)
Use an internal focus, internal zoom lens… or a prime.
Pro lenses will handle the dust better than cheap lenses.
Use lens filters.
Consider a lens hood.
Don’t change lenses, specially not anywhere near the action.
Don’t change memory cards, specially not anywhere near the action, dust can be even more dangerous than water to a memory card.
This means get a big memory card.
Bag them cameras and lenses up… get some tap and cover any openings.

Wear a jacket and tuck the camera inside when not being used.
Make it known you’re not part of the action and they’ll tend to be nicer.

This festival is meant for the throwing of colors, what do you expect? You’ll probably get stuff thrown at you. If at once you involve yourself you become part of the crowd and you’re probably fair game to everyone. If you’re clean you could either be a target to some or a keep-clean-sign to others that this person isn’t here to be thrown at.

People in the middle of the fray are way into this and expect anything and do anything.
People on the outskirts tend to do a little throwing hear and there but aren’t as hard core as the center.

Watch out for un-savory characters who don’t care that you’re carrying a nice camera. 99% will respect the fact the other 1% don’t care.

My 1st time experience

I took my brand new DSLR and didn’t cover it with bags or anything. I had a jacket which helped. I kept it under the jacket most of the time until all of a sudden i needed to take a pictures and I pulled it out fast took a picture and put it back inside. When I was in an safe spot I didn’t worry as much. More so when going through the crowds.

I even changed lenses and used an external focus and external zoom lens along with a prime 50mm.

Result: I was fine! The camera bag I was carrying was the hardest thing to clean. (Washer in delicate mode was best) The bag got hit hardest because from behind no one knew I was carrying a camera.
I made a lot of eye contact and was always vigilant of people with bags of colors ready to throw. I avoided areas that might be problematic

Safe Zones – and Crazy Zones

There will be areas (on or in the temple) where throwing will not be allowed for those wanting refuge.
The closer to the throng of people the more you should not have problems with claustrophobia and the ability to hold your breath when the initial throwing happens.

Colored corn maze gets inside the camera and you need to take the camera to Kew’s in Provo and for $135 he cleans a large DSLR, meaning he opens it up and cleans out the intire insides.
He’s done a lot over the years after Holi

Photography for the more adventurous or the more paranoid.

Get an underwater casing. They can cost $1500 and up or perhaps get an ewa-marine bag. B&H sells them. for $300-400
They’ll make it a bit harder to navigate your controls but you shouldn’t have any problems taking pictures.

You can even use a point an click made for underwater.
I’ll have an EWA bag for one of my D-SLRs and my G-11 will be in the underwater casing.
Then I’ll probably have another 1 or 2 DSLRs that I’ll prep with bags and tape the night before.

I’m mounting a camera for time lapse pictures right above the stage.

Join JarvieU photographing the event

We will have about 12 photographers shooting the event.
We will have our own safe and clean staging area.
We will have an area for people to come and get portraits done quickly.
We’re syncing our cameras, they’re all getting sorted and edited at once (each photog can use their own pics at home As Well)
We’re printing up 10,000+ business cards with the link to the pictures photos.jarviedigital.com/holi
We’re donating half of the enlargement profits to the krishna temple
We’re using other of the money (if there is any) for future JarvieU events and projects.
We’re contacting newspapers and national media outlets to tell them about the event and offer our pictures for use.
If we can get it done in time we could even do banners they said.
We’re trying to get them all done and online in one day.
We’re experienced on how to edit them well. (But we’ll take as much help as we can that next day)
We’re having a prep our cameras party the night before.

This really isn’t a photo-making event… for me it’s a labor of love.
So if you’re thinking of joining us because you want to make money… sorry think again. You’re free to go on your own and do your own thing.

I do need some help on some of these things.

Let me know what you have to offer.

On my way to WPPI in Las Vegas I spent the night at Bryce Canyon and woke up early to do sunrise picutres. Spent a couple of hours there doing all the stops and then drove through Zion’s and on towards Vegas by night fall.

Here’s a bit of what I did. See the gallery of some of my favorites here

To see all each of the galleries go here – Including the SmugMug Slumber party

Give me feedback on the new layout where I’m putting matching images next to eachother.

I really do Love SmugMug as much as you think I do!

Glad I offered to help them out this week at WPPI in Las Vegas.

The party was way fun… and I’m not a huge party guy.

I lasted way longer than most parties at the MGM suites.

People seemed to be having a lot of fun.

People flipped about the Jarvie Window… I’m serious, like they were floored… and frankly I was flattered often.

And this is a party of hundreds of professional and mostly Full time photographers.

(You guys are all awesome)

I’m just happy that I can share it all with you. Hope to see the awesome things some of you do with it.

So true to fashion the full gallery will be uploaded to a SmugMug gallery.

Please be patient with MGM internet for all 300+ pics to upload. Later tonight.

Not only I give you permission but 1000% encourage you to make Facebook galleries or email or blog or Avatar them (Many have asked)

So have at them and tag these people… because frankly I can’t remember everyone and it’ll be a while before I can get the time to get them on facebook.

Those coming by the SmugMug booth today at WPPI will get pictures like these.
Just ask for Jarvie – or even Wade.

We’ll get them posted the next day.

You folks from yesterday… check out your pictures here

Don’t forget the SmugMug Slumber party tonight -
I’ll be there… you’ll recognize me because I’ll have the funny looking thing on my camera.

Scott Bourne was in heaven me thinks.

OK so maybe this one wasn’t as creative or funny… but she’s gorgeous.

And the guy below had awesome eyes.

see them all here

Yes Daisy is a rockstar… look at that composure with a big huge flash and lens right up in her face just an inch away and lights going off like crazy.
She didn’t even flinch.

WHAT ELSE NEW WITH THE JARVIE WINDOW?

I went to pick up the model in SLC and then we drove down to near delta to the Little Sahara Sand Dunes.

We didn’t have a lot of time to think, we were on a tight schedule to get the model back in time for work at 10am.
Meaning we shot for just over an hour.
And yes we got her back in time.

There are about 300 more pictures I might post sooner or later. But for now this will have to suffice.