Free Wedding Photography & Videography Giveaway

The talented Nicole Chan & Promessa Film is giving away $10,000 worth of photo and video! The deadline is Feb 21st, 2012! Click on the link for more info

Nicole Chan Photography

Review: Metal Photo Print

We ordered our mental print from Full Metal Photos over a month ago with a Groupon purchase but because of the holiday rush and the overwhelming popularity of the Groupon discount, the production time and delivery period took longer than usual. However, it was well worth the wait.


Pictures on my camera phone doesn't do the actual product any justice but it does show the thinness of the metal photo print

Metal prints are ultra modern and they are water proof, fade proof, and scratch resistant. They make a great archival piece of art without the glass. The product itself is a thin light weight aluminium material with the picture heat infused on the surface. I love that the details are sharp and the colors are vibrant. The resolution is also impressive. Overall quality is very nice. The only drawback is that they are pricey compared to traditional canvas prints. However metal prints are a great investment because they are guaranteed to stand the test of time.


Professional shot of a Metal photo print by EZ Photo Templates

Other popular photo labs that offer metal photo prints with different styles and surfaces are Metal Murals and Image Wizards. Bay Photo also gets good reviews too. They offer a great product line of metal photos including ornaments.

Picture Perfect Prints

Photography starts with an artist and a camera but it ends with a beautiful image captured in time. So in this digital age where all our memories are stored away in a electronic device, it is so wonderful to actually hold something as tangible as a photograph. The nostalgia is in the physical prints. They preserve a special piece of the day that a digital image simply can't replicate.

We recently took advantage of a special offer by Kodak Gallery to have 200 premium prints (matte or glossy) printed for pennies. We paid close to $3.00 for all of the pictures plus free shipping. The pictures will be sent along with our Thank You cards to friends and family. I also ordered some professional prints from a couple of online photo labs to compare the difference between the Kodak Metallic Endura and the Fuji Crystal Archive Pearl. The metallic has a nice glossy finish and of course metallic appearance. The paper creates images with exceptional visual depth. In addition to delivering rich, vibrant colors and flattering flesh tones, this paper also offers century-plus image stability. The pearl paper is equally beautiful. It has a more softer subtle opalescent shimmer than the metallic paper - hence the "pearl" in the name. I love how neutral and well balance the black and white photos look with the pearl paper. The pictures have the same high gloss as the metallic but with a milky iridescence. I had a combo of both types of photo paper printed to display pictures in our home. The nearest Home Goods store provided professional matte frames for a inexpensive price (starting at $7.99 for 5 X 7). I also took advantage of a Groupon deal to have a metal photo printed. Yes, metal! The metal is heat infused with an image to a specially coated aluminum surface giving the photo a luminescence sheen. It is definitely a great way of preserving and displaying an image. According to the companies that offer metal photo printing, they are scratch proof and are impervious to water. The metal photos are more expensive than the traditional canvas prints but with the deal, I wanted to see for myself what a metal photo looked like. I recently placed an order so I'll be back to write a review on the final product. Also be on the look out for Groupon and Living Social deals for Print to Canvas products as well as other photo print friendly offers.

As for our wedding album, I decided not to go the professional route because it really isn't in our budget. Pro albums can cost thousands of dollars. Plus we also don't care for the traditional flushmounts. They are definitely beautiful but we like the more modern and simple but sophisticated look of the press books. I'm currently working on the parent album with a pre-made designer template on adobe. It is definitely a lot of work but worth it.

Lovelies

It's been a few months since the wedding and I have already let most of the details slip away. I wish I was more diligent with writing down all the tid bits but I was so busy before and after the wedding that I never really found the time. I did soak up every moment of our day like a sponge. My husband looked so swoon worthy in his suit and tie, it was Love at Second Sight :)


Sneaking in a "few" faves of the day. There are just so many beautiful photos that I could fill multiple blog posts with pictures alone.

Blog Worthy

Last week the mister and I received our wedding photos and a cinematic dvd from our photographers. Today we made it on their blog roll. We are in total awe at the artistic composition and cohesive narrative they created with our photos. They were absolutely worth the wait! Thank you Konrad, Piotr and Monika for such amazing pictures.

Visit our online wedding gallery

Moni & Aaron

Prince of Providence

By popular request, our little love had some wonderful shots at our e-session too.

First Look Favorites

Our photographers, Visual-Obsession delivered us some stunning shots from our Night Escapade session. Pepe and I are in total awe. We are not the most photogenic people. In fact we are pretty camera shy but our photographers made us feel so comfortable they completely put us at ease. They also gave us plenty of direction when it came to taking photos. They even took turn watching our dog, who was a bit of a handful at times. The night was a bit nippy and after the long day we were tired. However, it was all worth it.

Visual-Obsession

Check!

We booked our photographer(YAY!!! We narrowed it down to two photographers, Visual-Obsession and Tyra Bleek Photography but it was the chemistry we had with Piotr and Konrad of Visual-Obsession that made them our first pick. The benefit of having two photographers was a big plus for us too. Pepe and I are really excited to have a night escapade session with them in the near future!

Photographer Wanted

It's been a real challenge for me to find a photographer that offers full day (unlimited) wedding coverage, complimentary engagement session and the rights to digital negatives/high resolution files within my modest budget of $3500. I am also looking for a certain style of photography - fine art and editorial, which equals expensive. I want a photographer who will do post production and digital enhancements. Of course the pictures don't determine everything. I also have to click with my photographer, my wedding day memory keeper. So where do I find one that will fit the bill? Well I have a short list of potential photographers but my favorites are slightly over my budget and one photography team charges hourly rates. I am keeping my options open to all areas of New England. If anyone has any recs to add to my list, let me know!

The Roll Call
(List complied based on basic coverage rates)

1. Mandy Mayberry MA - $850
www.MandyMayberry.com

2. Kelly Prizel CT - $2,100
www.kellyprizel.com

3. Kevin Trimmer RI - $2,200
www.KevinTrimmer.com

4. Sweet Jane Photography MA - $2,800
www.SweetJanephotography.com


$3500 and above range

5. Avenna Studios MA (hourly rates)
www.Avennastudios.com

6. Val McCormick CT
www.ValMcCormick.com

7. Public Image Photography R.I
www.publicimagephotography.com

8. Lisa Rigby MA (over budget)
www.lisarigbyphotography.com

9. Raw Photo Design Studio CT (over budget)
www.rawphotoimage.com

Behind the Lens

You know when you hear a song that you really love, and it makes you feel a certain way? Well, that is how I feel when I look at this photographer's beautiful collection of pictures. Photographs are like music for the eyes. So when I see an image that moves me the same way my favorite song does, I know I am looking at something very special. And while I feel a strong connection with the photos, I'm not sure I click with the person behind the lens of the camera. It's too bad. We could have been a perfect match made in photography heaven.

Snap! Happy! Photography!

I believe meeting the right photographer should feel as powerful as finding the perfect dress. When I look at photographer's website, I need to feel a connection with their work. I also feel chemistry is important. FI and I want someone who will understand our vision. After all the person we choose to be behind the lens on our wedding day will be by our side for the good, the beautiful, the unforeseen, and the deeply intimate - like those last anxious moments before I walk down the aisle.

The fact is our wedding day will lasts just a day but our photos will endure for generations. So we are willing to splurge a bit and cut back in other areas. Of course finding the right photographer proves to be a challenging task for us. There is an amazing pool of talent in our area. And while we don't want to skimp on our visual memories, we don't want to go over the budget we set aside for photography. FI and I made a list to help us decide on potential photographers.

1. The Rights to our images - It's important we own our wedding pictures especially since we plan on printing them ourselves to save on cost.

2. All images on CD retouched/edited high resolution files- post production is just as important as shooting style and technique.

3. One main photographer and an assistant - Since we have a good size wedding, we want to make sure all the angles are covered so no one is left out.

4. Complimentary slide show of images to view online for friends and family

5. Engagement Session - We are going to use the pictures for our guest book and at the same time see our photographers in action

6. Style - Photojournalism with an artistic edge. We want a more modern approach to wedding photography. I want the formal portraits too but I prefer the candid moments, they truly tell the story.

As for our current picks of photographers, these are the ones that best match what we want within our budget. Listed in no particular order.

1. Avenna Studio

www.avennastudios.com

2. Joshua Behan

www.joshuabehanphoto.com

3. Sweet Jane

www.SweetJanePhotography.com

4. Erica Lyn

www.ericalynphotography.com

5. Lisa Rigby

www.lisarigbyphotography.com

6. Shang Chen

www.Shangchen.com
7. Brad Smith Wedding
http://www.smithbrad.com/
8. Birch Blaze Photography
http://www.birchblaze.com