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Some thoughts on photography services available in Switzerland

You may spent months preparing for your wedding, but the day itself will pass in a heartbeat. You will be able to re-live the joy and romance of it by looking through your wedding album. So don't take chances with your wedding photographer. You need a professional, whose work you admire, who understands your vision and whose style reflects your own. 

·       Expertise & style

 You may be searching for a wedding photographer for your wedding that will take place in Switzerland or a professional in destination weddings that will come to the place of your choice, or if you are looking for a family in-home session or for a studio staged photo shoot – in any case, I would recommend to choose a photographer, who is experienced in the area and, what is even more important, whose style resonates with your personality. Photographer’s portfolio speaks better than all the words about the style and expertise, so spend some significant time looking through the pictures. Photographers are creative people and happy to experiment, but even trying something new we will stay true to our personal taste and style. 

·       Packages & hidden costs

Most photographers offer a selection of packages. Packages may vary in coverage, number of photos edited, number of images printed, quality of printed pictures and photo albums, etc. So, before making a decision, be sure to find out what is included in a package and which services are available at extra cost. Check for hidden costs, you may be surprised, but sometimes family and portrait photo packages don’t include digital images, the price of a photo session covers just time and talent of the photographer, while products, either digital files or prints, are purchased separately. It's important that right from the beginning you are absolutely clear on how you are being charged, ask your prospective photographer what their policy is. All my collections include full-resolution digital images with a release for personal use (sharing, printing and posting on social media). If you need the pictures for commercial use, please contact me first. Photographers often use password-protected online galleries that are very convenient for displaying  pictures from the wedding celebration/photo shoot. I would also recommend to check, if you or your guests will have to pay additionally to be able to download the pictures and how much. The nice thing about the online galleries is that you as a wedding couple or family on the portraits can regulate who may have the access to the pictures as well as which exactly pictures you want to have accessible.  

·       Duration of a photo session & coverage

The duration of time when the pictures are taken is certainly a very important factor. Don’t fall for longer coverage all other things being equal, except price, while choosing a family photographer – you don’t need 3 hours of a family photo shoot, since your children will be not willing to cooperate after certain time. At the same time, don't expect a variety of pictures, if you book a one hour photo shoot at one location. As my experience shows, 2 hours is the ideal time, we will be able to change the outfits as well as locations. Regarding wedding photography, you do need at least 6-hour coverage for a wedding session and even more, if you want to have the memories of the different stages of the day. We are all different, think what will have more value for you - portraits of you while getting ready, pictures of your dress, shoes, rings and flower bouquet or rather shots from the dancing floor? Formal portraits of the guests are regarded to be essential part of the wedding photo coverage, but are these pictures really so necessary? Why not to limit the formal group pictures to maximum 1-2 and better assign one hour to couple portraits? If you plan your photographer to be present at the Apero, ask her (or ok, him :) to make portraits of the guests (couples, separate small groups of friends), this will be a nicer memory from the artistic point of view! :)

You can’t get what you want until you know exactly what you are searching for, right? :) So be specific. Also, be prepared to ask right questions for getting comprehensive answers that will help you choose the best photographer for your needs.

Family Photo Shoot in Switzerland: How to Get Prepared?

What do you feel when looking through family photo albums? A blend of sweet nostalgia, gentle sadness and warmth of memories... Family photos seal the most important moments, significant events and small life pleasures in our memory. That’s why family photography is one of the most vibrant types of sessions though featuring some peculiarities. When being with close people, we experience the most sincere and warm emotions, which can turn the pictures to real magic – and a professional family photographer in Switzerland just has to create an appropriate atmosphere, add some entourage and capture right moments.

But how to achieve this in the real world? Any family photographer in Zurich will tell you that a successful photo shoot is a result of photographer and models’ joint work. The process begins long before a photo shoot, when you discuss and search for places, ideas, clothes and other details. But when the big day comes, try to follow these simple recommendations:

Have a good sleep, relax and eat well. These are the key factors for matching with "a sound mind in a sound body" rule, which is especially true for families with small children. Even if you plan to arrange a kind of picnic in the process of shooting, have a snack prior to the photo session.

If your family photographer in Zurich offers to choose morning or evening time for your photo session, consider his opinion - natural light is the most favorable during these hours for shooting outdoor. Besides, your younger kids will be full of energy after a night sleep or nap.

Manage your time. Often, mothers are so engaged in getting the whole family ready for a session, that they have no time left for their own hairstyle and makeup. Don’t try to put this away for later, as at the last moment some emergencies may happen preventing mother from brushing up. Make sure that you have enough time for yourself, since mother is usually the glue of the family.

Take some time to cheer up a daddy. As an experienced family photographer in Switzerland, I learnt that in most cases the initiative of arranging a family photo shoot belongs to a wife and mother, while men tend to take such ideas with suspicion. Do try to convince your spouse and father that for a successful family photo shoot you need more that just his presence, but his love, support and an ingenuous smile :)

The 4 Most Common Questions About Photography

Today we will discuss and answer the most common questions about photography in Zurich to help new shooters start your journey in the world of photography.

1. What is “manual mode”?

The name speaks for itself. Using this mode, the photographer is able to control the process of taking a photo. Everything should be set manually: ISO, aperture, white balance, shutter speed etc.  Manual mode can be very productive and effective if you use it properly. Photos made in manual mode can be more clear and pleasant to the eye. Just take more photos, try different combinations of settings and analyze your results.

2. Is it so necessary to edit all of your photos?

All in all, yes you should. Of course, the first and the main step is to take a good photo but the second one is editing which will improve your image and make it the finished product. Some photographers prefer to make their photos more artistic and expressive with editing while others - just make them more clear and colorful. The choice how to improve your image depends on you.

3. What gear is the best to take great photos?

First of all, you should define what type of photography you like. But for beginners, it is recommended to start with 50mm lens as they give good opportunities to discover the world of photography. It's the best starter, obviously.  Then, you will be able to change your preferences to wide lenses. If you like zoom, you will find many lenses with it as well. We have listed some lens examples: 200mm, 132mm, 100mm (macro), 50mm, 35mm, 24mm.

4.  What are JPG and RAW? Do they differ?

JPG is considered to be the most common file format for digital photographs. Different sizes of JPG can be stored on your camera as well as your camera can be set to shoot various size of JPG. The negative side of JPG is that much detail is lost when the photo is taken this way. While taking JPG images, the camera does some automatic processing which ends that when you edit your image you don't have as much data to work with as it should be. This might make hard to recover improperly exposed parts of photos which leads to bad photography. But, it doesn't happen often, so don't worry.

Photos having taken with RAW file format save all of the detail available to the camera sensor, so RAW format allows to take uncompressed and unprocessed shots. That's why RAW files are absolutely unedited and should be post-processed.

Best 10 Pieces Of Advice For Bride And Groom

If you are going to become husband and wife these pieces of advice are for you.

1. If you want to have a happy and long-term marriage, you have to be accountable for your part in the relationship — good or bad one.

2. Be flexible. Learn how to agree when you know you have been wrong. Learn how to disagree and prove you are right without a squabble.

3. Advice for men: women need to be listened to. Listening itself is a very important gift. But you can learn how to listen to your woman too. Advice for women: men need time for themselves. Give your man a space to be on his own and don't take it personally; allow him to reconnect with his desire for you and this will increase his commitment to your relationship.

4. One of the most common problems in relationships is trying to change your lover. Nobody will be happy to hear that he or she isn't the one you expected. Find reasons for such judgment in yourself first.

5. General problems such as boredom in the bedroom or resentment can be solved by talking and finding a solution that will satisfy you both. Just don't stop talking with each other and sharing your thoughts about everything that concerns you.

6. Never forget what being fair means. Have you been fair with your groom or bride till marriage? Are you going to be fair with your lover after the marriage day? If not, how can you start your family life? If yes, try always to be fair with your spouse.

7. Nothing is more important in a marriage than the love between a wife and husband. You will have children, careers, hobbies, trouble sets etc. But you have to remember that relationship is your top priority. Only in this case your marriage flourishes.

8. Never start talking with the word 'you', it's better to start with 'I' or 'we'. Share your emotions and feelings, always be open. It's not so easy as it sounds, but it gets easier to do with time. The proper beginning is vitally important.

9. Never stop dating. Regular going-outs with your spouse can rekindle the magic of your relationship. Dating will help you keep in mind why you first fell in love.

10. Don't forget to make compliments to your spouse! A compliment gives a feeling that you are acknowledged and appreciated. Making compliment isn't a hard thing, right? Especially for the person you love... So, make an effort to affirm your lover's value in your life, give him or her a little of your attention and love every day.