People, before I start remember this:

1. It’s Monday morning, and I’m feeling hyperactive.

and

2. A DVD alone is NOT a substitute for a wedding album.

Here’s why recording the most important day in your life on a DVD alone sucks:

• Optical media can have a lifespan of less than 5 years, which may suck if you’ve planned on staying married for longer than that. PS: most so-called “wedding photographers” who offer shoot-and-burn DVD services won’t be around in 5 years to provide you another copy.
• Digital images alone cannot alone effectively tell the story of your wedding day, which sucks if a few years from now you’re hoping to remember the true emotion from the day.
• Harvey Norman 15c prints (which suck IMHO) in DIY albums (which have varying levels of suck) do not constitute wedding albums, nor will they do the memories of your wedding day justice.
• It would just really suck to give your grandkids a DVD of wedding images for them to just say “that’s a pretty coaster grandma, but what’s a DVD?!?” (and that’s even if DVD players still exist in a few decades).

Now that I’ve had a chance to clear my throat, here’s some good news from THIA Photography:

You might be asking, “but don’t you provide DVDs?”. Yes, I do acknowledge the importance of the DVD (that’s exactly why I offer them as part of a well balanced diet wedding package), but only in so far as a supplement to the all-encompassing, all-powerful wedding album. The DVD is solely designed to provide the couple with another source of their images. It’s album first, online album second, online photo presentation third, and then the DVD.

But, I’ll tell you what really surprises me the most about the DVDs that I see from other wedding photographers… it’s well… they suck. I’ve seen misaligned sticker labels, hand-written labels, and inkjet labels that have a serious case of the runs. So as part of my continuing effort to drive THIA Photography to the leading edge of the wedding photography industry, I’ve invested in some new hardware to make the delivery of digital images that much more yummy.

Supplemental DVDs are now going to be sporting customised laser engraved labels. These labels can contain any combination of image or text you can dream of. Yes, here at THIA Photography it’s all about the details!

Laser engraved DVD labels: Just another indiciation that THIA Photography is working hard to offer wedding couples a service that is truly unique.

Just a quick (but amazing*) offer to all of you out there:

In addition to colour correcting, editing and cropping the images that go into wedding albums, I also sometimes do some level of cosmetic touch ups when required. Usually, it’s just small things like removing a wedding-stress-induced-zit or some other small skin imperfection. However, I have gone as far as opening someone’s eyes! But generally I try not to go any further than basic modifications because as a wedding photojournalist the photos I produce should be an accurate portrayal of the day, with minimal postproduction.

BUT, I’m looking to do more freelance glamour retouching work. How does that differ? Well it means additional (very intensive) work such as airbrushing skin, fixing hair, colour changes, body shape alterations, etc, etc… think magazine cover.

So here’s the offer:

1. Get an image of yourself or a friend (with their permission of course!) that you’d like to get spruced up with a bit of some serious TLC.
2. Send it into me here at paul@thiaphotography.com
3. In a week or so I’ll choose the photo with the best potential, put it up on the weblog as a before/after, and you’ll get a FREE glamour retouched picture to keep!

Why did I say that this was an “amazing” offer? Well, I’ll be charging between $50-75 per hour for this work, as soon as I iron out the final details of the service. Want to see a quick sample? Here’s and example I prepared earlier (well actually just tonight):

roll your mouse over the image to see the original

What’s been done?

• Removed wrinkles (the most obvious)
• Improved skin tone
• Tamed stray hairs
• Added hair to even coverage
• Whitened teeth
• Added catch light to right eye, to match left eye
• Added vignetting to suppress the bright contrasting background and highlight her face
• Added an amber filter to warm the image
• Mild sharpening
• Levels

This is an extreme example of what can be achieved, with the subject looking about 20 years younger than she actually is. The extent of the alterations can of course be toned down if you wish, or can be dialled up for that FHM cover look!

A couple travels a long journey leading up to their wedding day, and one of the most significant days along that journey is the day they get engaged. It’s the day where everything that they know in their hearts begins to be formalised in a public expression of commitment to each other.

A few weeks ago, my golfing buddy Jeff let me know that he was considering taking this journey with his girlfriend Melanie. While I could have guessed that this was on the cards considering the way he’d been talking about her, I was still a little gob smacked (in a good way of course – as is usual when I find out this sort of news from friends).

Always the consummate showman, Jeff started immediately toying with some pretty big ideas for the proposal, and it all came together yesterday on The Order of Melbourne’s rooftop terrace.

Yesterday, while taking a stroll around the city with Melanie, Jeff just-so-happened to find a reason to temporarily depart her side and make his way to The Order of Melbourne. Waiting for him there was a funky ten-piece band called Soul Contention. So, with microphone in one hand, Jeff carried out the final task of his elaborate ruse – a SMS asking Melanie to join him.

Obviously to her extreme surprise (and happiness), Melanie was greeted at the top of the stairs to the sounds of Jeff belting out a soulful rendition of Frankie Valli’s classic Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

The rest they say is history… or should we say in this case, just the start of a wonderful journey.

Because I’m a much better photographer than writer, I’ve prepared a photo presentation of yesterday. Click below to see it. 

>>>click here to see a photo presentation of Melanie and Jeff’s engagement<<<
(turn on your speakers)

Here’s just a few images taken from the above photo presentation:

The Order of Melbourne

M A R R Y   M E

Surprised…

…the surprise really kicking in

“Can’t take my eyes off you”

The proposal

The (really big) ring

Their mutual friend Paul took over the singing while Jeff was busy proposing

Touching

Fiancé and fiancée

THIA Photography is going to be releasing a package soon to offer couples photographic coverage of their ACTUAL engagement. So guys (and gals) if you’re planning to surprise your special someone with a marriage proposal and would like to live (and love) that moment forever, drop me an e-mail!

Doctors are busy people. Caught up in saving or improving the quality of other people’s lives, they barely have time to live their own. That’s why it was particularly special to see my brother-in-law Daniel marry his wonderful fiancée Aylin on Monday. Both of them are doctors early in their careers, meaning that over the past few years they’ve had to spend many months apart while training and studying in different parts of the country. Considering their long and often inconvenient work hours, and the fact that they’ve just finished purchasing and renovating their new house, it’s so incredible that they managed to put on such a spectacular wedding.

Check out some of the photos below…

Specially made paper cones of rose petals were handed out to guests.

The maid-of-honour looking stunning.

Aylin’s face as she walked down the isle said it all.

They held hands for most of the ceremony, sweet eh?

Aylin and Daniel almost ran down the isle after the ceremony
(I would be too if I were being pelted with rose petals!).

Token artsy shot.

Aylin’s so photogenic

More hand holding.

They had the most beautiful three-tier wedding cake, with a cake topper that matched the bridesmaids’ bouquets (see? Guys do notice details!).

Butleigh Wooton has a crazy staircase.
I had the idea for this shot as soon as I walked into the room.

Aylin’s brother (who’s a professional dancer) gave Aylin and Daniel a few pointers for their first dance.

I’ve experienced a lot of wedding entertainers over the years, but guys are simply one of the best singing duo I’ve ever heard. I’ll have to post their names here when I find out their details.

The food looked amazing and tasted equally good.

Aylin looking radiant and content…

…same can be said for Daniel.

Aylin having a dance with her father.

The night was capped off with some raucous Turkish dancing…

…and more dancing.

The warmest congratulations to Aylin and Daniel on their wonderful wedding!