Don't just take family vacation photos, BE the family vacation photos

Everyone takes photos while they are on vacation. They are the best way to capture all the wonderful memories you make. But did you ever look back at your pictures and notice that all your vacation photos are missing one key element: YOU?

This picture probably looks familiar to you. You may even have one from your last vacation. It is beautiful, and if it ever makes it out of your computer it would look great on the wall, but it isn't really capturing you haveing a great time on vacation.

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, fun, and a great way to recharge. If you are constantly stuck behind a camera that can be hard to do. Ok, so I know you are expecting a pitch right now on how you should hire us to take your vacation pictures (which is a service we offer), but really there is more to it. Don't miss out on your vacation because you are too busy documenting your vacation!
My father-in-law is notorious for this, and it is very easy to see when you look back at vacations my husband took as a child with his family. There are plenty of him, his brother, and his mother in various formations and places, but almost no pictures of his father. The question then becomes, was he even there? Don't be like him!! Enjoy the vacation and spending time with your family because it will make you a happier person.

OK, so now you are probably thinking "but if I don't take the pictures then how will we remember later?" and that is a great question. There are a few options, all of which are fairly simple and some of which won't cost you anything.

1. Ask Someone to take a picture for you - I am not talking about handing your camera over to a stranger and having them click the picture. While this can work and you are welcome to try it, it can also backfire with fingers in the way, heads cut off, or worse, a stolen camera. I am actually talking about when you go with more than just your family. Ask one of your party to take pictures. This also works well with #2.

2. Share Pictures with your group - Most of the family vacations I take are not just me, my husband, and our kids. Frequently we have a set of grandparents or friends that we are traveling with. These situations are a great opportunity to share in picture taking responsibilities. Make a deal with whomever you are traveling with to trade off days. You take the pictures one day and they take pictures the next. Then trade pictures at the end. You can get a great variety of pictures and be included in more of the activities. If you are traveling just with your family, this works also to trade with your spouse or child (if they are older), or it may help you make some new friends on your trip.

3. Use local photo opportunities - This is easier to do if where you are going is a touristy place. They will frequently have places to stop and have your picture taken. The downside to this is that you usually have to purchase the pictures and they are not cheap.

4. Hire someone to take pictures for you - Yes, there are some photographers who offer this service. It is a photojournalistic approach and is a great way to be involved in everything on your vacation. I highly recommend a local photographer (you don't want to spend the money to bring someone with you). You would get lots of great pictures and not miss out on anything, but this will be an expensive option so I would call ahead of time and get pricing from a couple places. This really works best if you know you are going to be going somewhere like an aquarium, zoo, or playing on the beach for a length of time or having a big adventure like riding ziplines in Mexico and really don't want to miss out on the fun.

All of these suggestions can be used together to help get you out from behind the camera and into the action and fun of your vacation! Happy People take better pictures!

Lyssabeth's Wedding Officiants: Acknowledge the things you DON'T care about

Lyssabeth's always has some wonderful wedding advice, and their newest post doesn't dissapoint! Check it out here

Lyssabeth's Wedding Officiants: Acknowledge the things you DON'T care about

I know not everyone thinks that wedding photos are a necessity, and even more don't put them into the "important" category. If you fall into one of these categories, it is important to acknowledge that at the beginning so you can consider lower cost or alternatives to a photographer. We have a base package of $650 just for this reason!

Happy Valentines Day!

Valentines day is a wonderful time to stop and say I love you to all those special people in your life. Please take the time today to say those three special words to your loved ones. You really can't hear it enough.

To all of our clients and fans, WE LOVE YOU GUYS YOU ARE THE BEST!

And just in case you are still looking for a gift, you can always give the gift of memories. Check out our website today for our Valentines Day special, valid only till Friday!

Using the information you get at a bridal or wedding show to choose vendors

Most engaged couples will visit at least one bridal or wedding show while they are engaged and almost all of those will choose at least one of their vendors from those they met at the show. This is an article I wrote recently to give to those couples we met at the Oregon Wedding Showcase in January. The article is meant to help couples get organized and use all of the information they gain when going to a bridal show or wedding show to help choose their vendor(s).

So you just got back from a bridal or wedding show. You have tons of materials from all sorts of vendors and you are on wedding overload! You are probably asking now what do I do?!? If you read our previous article Bridal Shows: 5 tips for couples then you are prepared for this moment and I recommend you skip to step 3 and take a week or two off! If you haven’t read that article that is ok, there are a couple steps to do right away before you take your time off...Read More

Three Oregon Coastal Bridges

Black and White views of three well know bridges along the Oregon coast.

These images were taken on two short photo safaris. The Astoria-Megler Bridge was photographed on Christmas weekend December 26th, 2010. The other was a day trip on January 19th, 2011.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge is 4 miles long and spans the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington on the extreme northern Oregon coast.

These next two bridges are found on the central Oregon coast.

The Alsea Bay Bridge is located in Waldport, Oregon.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge is in Newport, Oregon.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Heceta Head Lighthouse is located on the Oregon Coast 13 miles (21 km) north of Florence, Oregon and 13 miles (21 km) south of Yachats, Oregon, USA.

Built in 1894, the 56-foot (17 m) tall lighthouse shines a beam visible for 21 miles (34 km), making it the strongest light on the Oregon Coast.

The lighthouse is an operating navigation beam which still has its original 1st order Fresnel lens. Its oil burning wick has been replaced with two incandescent bulbs. The Fresnel lens rotates on gears to direct a rotating beam of light out to sea.

Heceta Head is named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who explored the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century.

Why family portraits are important

This is a link to our educational blog on why family portraits are important to do. It is a short but very personal look at why they are important to me and encourages all readers to get portraits done. This is NOT a sales pitch for readers to purchase more pictures from me (though I welcome the business) because, for the reasons written in the post, family portraits are much more important than one little photography business. Please read it and consider how often you get family portraits done. I hope it will help save some families the heartbreak my family recently went through.

To get to the post, click the title of this post or go to:
http://photosbyorion.com/www.photosbyorion.com/blog/2010/03/family-portraits-why-are-they-important/

Change in format

Changing this blog up a bit. I am hoping this blog will be an outlet for our creative photographic energies. At the same time, all of our educational materials which will help you get the most from your photography sessions or to learn more about photography, please see our other blog located on our website. I will continue to include links to our educational posts though so you don't have to look to hard to find them.

Photography in the Digital Age

Film photographers used to agonize over minute details in a shot in order to capture what they are expecting on film. This is still a requirement for great photography, but the rules can be relaxed a little in this digital age. Each shot can be instantly reviewed to make sure that the next shot is exactly what the photographer is expecting, however the improvement doesn’t stop there. Most photographers are also using software to enhance their photos after the shoot is over.

I personally use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to make shot will be a great print or look great on a computer monitor for viewing. I use Lightroom to choose the best photos from a shoot and organize them for easy access later. I can make minor adjustments in lighting, contrast, sharpness or blurriness. I can easily convert photos to black and white, sepia or perform selective desaturations. At this point, a photo is usually complete, but I don’t have to stop processing a photo there. Lightroom works seamlessly with Adobe Photoshop, where many more options are available as needed. With all these options available, even an average photo can be improved dramatically. However, if the photo is captured well in the camera, this great photo can be even better after processing in the computer. This is what I strive for every time the shutter closes on my camera.

Our new Blog

Hello Everyone!

Photos By Orion now has a blog. Check back here for photography tips, great photography deals, and vendor recommendations for those vendors we love to work with!

Lets get things rolling with a great wedding photography tip:

When choosing your wedding photographer, it is important to meet with multiple photographers for a consultation. Most photographers offer these consultations for free. This meeting allows you to get to know the photographer and see if their personality is a good match for you. You definately want to choose a photographer you makes you feel comfortable because, besides your mother, they will probably be the person with you the most on your wedding day. It is definately worth a little price difference to get someone who will make you confortable on your wedding day. All you should have to do on your wedding day is get married, the vendors you choose should do the rest!