The Jones Family Photos ~ Waikiki Beach

Below is a sneak peek from my time with Jones fam. This shoot was so much fun for me, for several reasons. First of all, I had 3 girls (two teenage) who weren't into having photos taken and felt totally awkward in front of the camera. *Queue Ricky Bobby "I'm not sure what to do with my hands" Then there was awesome Mr Jones, one of his girls wants to go to school for Photography and, well, become a photographer. That scared the crap out of him, he had spent lots of time googling facts on how much money the average photographer made and wasn't thrilled with the results.

Let me start by saying, I love it when my subjects feel awkward, and I actually try and make this happen at least once. Why on earth would I want that to happen? Well, there's honesty in awkardness, a funny thing happens, the moment we feel awkward and we're in the spotlight a little curtain is pulled back where the essence of oneself tends to shine through and then it is often followed by beautiful genuine smiles and laughter. 9 times of 10 it's the winning shot, the one the family absolutely  loves and wants to hang on the wall, because it can't be replicated. It was a rare genuine moment where that little thing, that sparkle, that makes this person who they are, and what you love about them but have a hard time putting in to words, and it has shone through and was captured for you to keep forever. It also is a great ice breaker, one the girls started to feel silly they opened up with me more and began to feel more comfortable with me. 

My conversation with Mr Jones, regarding his daughters passion and the realities of making a living in this industry is a whole other blog in itself, so stayed tuned for that because we had a really great talk.

Advice on How to plan a wedding without going crazy!

It's finally here, the day you've been dreaming about since you were a little girl. Twirling around in the mirror with your mama's high heels on, perhaps a Ken doll clutched to your chest. You've met your Prince Charming and he's popped the big questions but now what? Where do you go from here? With an overwhelming to-do list, I just want you to remember one thing, what you choose to focus on in the months to follow will make this either an amazing experience, or a stressful one. Like the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote "Life is a journey, not a destination" so to, is this your journey, with your man, for the biggest party of your lives! So have fun, laugh a little, love a little, find beauty in the imperfections, keep an open mind, and follow these tips to help keep your sanity.

• Planning Makes Perfect - Get a wedding binder to help keep you organized throughout the entire wedding process. There are also loads of great resources online to help brides out. Including awesome "To-Do" Lists: Including this one we love by Real Simple, as well as major wedding sites like the Knot who allow you to create your own wedding page, and has links to loads of other resources and goodies. 

• Don't be a Regretful Bride! There are 2 major regrets, I often hear from brides after their wedding day, The first, “I should have hired a better photographer” and  the second is “I should have hired a wedding coordinator” Because we're wedding photographers, let's touch on number one first. Let me start by saying, YES, you should have! Most brides are on some sort of budget, so who isn't trying to cut corners during planning to help them save a buck here or there. Your wedding photography, should be one of your biggest investments. After the cake has been eaten, and all of your guests have left, what do you have left to remember your big day (other than a fabulous new husband), your memories and your photographs. Ten years from now, heck even tomorrow, you and your girlfriends will be Ooohing and Aaahhing over your gorgeous images. These images will last your entire life, and will be the amazing memento you have to enjoy for always, to remember all of the hardwork- blood, sweat, and tears that went into your planning, to remember how crazy Uncle Morton got drunk and learned to twerk from your Maid of Honor Sheila, to remember the moment your groom first saw you and tears began to run down his face and yours, to remember that amazing wedding dress you HAD TO HAVE and paid a small fortune for, to remember and relive and share all of the amazing moments that made your day YOURS. So remember when your mom calls you up and says "My coworker Ann just bought a new camera and she takes really nice photos" or that crazy Uncle Morton calls you up, who's hobby I forgot to mention is photographing cats, that you get what you pay for  and on your big day, you deserve only the best. Most photographers have payment plans, you owe it to yourself to make a wise investment. “I should have hired a wedding coordinator” YES, we agree. There are so many details and coordination that’s involved in this amazing day, that YES, you owe it to yourself to hire a coordinator. After all of your hard work and planning, you should be able to relax on your wedding day, and just enjoy and be present in the day. The last thing you want to worry about is your dad being unable to find his “special wedding socks” (Yes, this happens.) or where the men's boutonnières are. A fabulous coordination team makes your day one for the books, and leaves you happy and stress free on your big day.  Looking for a fabulous coordination team in Hawaii? We highly recommend our friends over at Aloha Bridal Connections. Lauren Ellis and her team of ladies are absolutely fantastic and will make your day flow perfectly. www.alohabridalconnections.com

• Be an informed Bride. See what's Hot in the wedding industry by attending a Bridal Expo. You will learn so much about the who's who in the wedding industry, and the hottest wedding trends. Plus there are loads of prizes, samples, and giveaways. We love trade shows! This is a great way for us to have one on one face time with our brides and get to learn what and who are new in the industry. Looking for a bridal show in Hawaii? Brad Buckles and The Bride’s Club host Hawaii’s top bridal trade show twice a year in Honolulu at the Neal Blaisdell  Center. One in January and one in July. Get your tickets at www.bridesclub.com the January tradeshow is almost here!! Jan 16-18

• Make a list with deadlines. Keeping your planning organized with deadlines will make your life a lot easier. You’ll get important wedding tasks accomplished timely and won’t have a bunch of things hitting you at the last second. 

• Get to know your vendors! When it comes to your photographer, you want someone you feel comfortable with, who has a gorgeous portfolio. Your photographers energy will directly impact how you are in front of their lens, and thus your final images. Once you find wedding vendors you jive with, ask the for their industry recommendations. After all, who knows the wedding industry better than the professionals who work in that industry?

•  Ask for help. Help from friends and help from your family! Chances are they would love to help make your day special, they just don't know how to help you. So don't be afraid to ask.

• Don’t settle, dream big and keep an open mind. This is your day, don’t settle for anything less than what makes your heart dance. I was recently dress shopping with a dear friend and client, who had previously told me she was dreaming about a long strapless gown for her wedding. Due to the relatively short timeframe we had to find her a dress there weren’t a lot of options when we got to the dress store. She tried the first dress on and really liked it, “This could be it” she said spinning around in the mirror. “Well, that was easy I thought!” Although, I could tell she wasn’t in love with the dress. She tried on her other choice, “Ooo I think this is it” she said stepping into a pair of heels and doing a 360 in the mirror. “It’s not strapless… “ I kept thinking, she REALLY wanted strapless… I asked Irene, our friend over at The Princess Bride dress shop, if they had anything strapless and white in stock that would fit Cady (who is a cute little petite thang) Irene shook her head, “I don’t believe we do, nothing that I could have ready that soon” We walked around the store, Cady having settled on the dress she had on. At the end of a rack we saw a gown hanging it was a pearl/gold color, so we had previously bypassed it but it kept catching my eye. Cady had been envisioning pure white, “you  should try this dress on,” I encouraged.. a little reluctant due to the color she took the dress and disappeared into the dressing room. Irene walked her out and on to the step, as Cady’s eyes drifted upward toward her reflection, she immediately started crying wiping tears from her eyes Cady cried “This is DEFINITELY it” The tears were enough, we knew it was true.. and boy, was it stunning!

Jason & Andy ~ Honolulu Bridal Portraiture, Kahala, Oahu HI

Fun Family Photos in Waikiki ! ~ Oahu Family Photographer

The C family. How I adore this bunch. They recently moved to our beautiful island and I've had the pleasure of photographing them twice now! On Halloween I photographed a cute little mermaid named Faith and three adorably scary pirates Dylan, Ethan, and Channing. We had so much fun a couple of weeks later the whole family met me on the beach for family photos. What a fun family to photograph.

I love this location in Waikiki there's a beautiful park with nice greenery for natural light photos, a great stretch of beach that's relatively quiet (compared to the main stretch of Waikiki beach), beautiful views of Diamond Head, a great rock wall right on the water, and a gorgeous harbor. In 45 minutes, you end up with a huge variety of gorgeous and very diverse shots.

Jenna Lee's Top 10 tips (of the day) for photographing children

I'm constantly asked what my secret is to capturing little ones and how others can improve upon their photography of children.

So here it is, my 10 tips of the day for photographing little ones.

1) Get down on their level. When you get down and on their level you see them as they are in the world, and not just how you see them towering from above. They quickly begin to trust you more because you are far less intimidating at their size.

2) Listen to what they have to say and find a way to connect with them. Have a little guy that won't stop talking? PERFECT.. the best photographs are the ones that capture the personality of your subject. An animated subject enjoying a story is the perfect way to capture them and their little unique personalities. Perhaps they have a favorite toy they want to tell you about- GREAT! 20 years from now that's the story mom and dad will want to remember, what made their little ones unique at their different ages, what made them smile, their curiosities, and unique traits that make them, them.

3) Get them moving. I am about to tell you the three words that I live by, breathe by, shoot by, and swear by. .. Ready?..

MOTION CREATES EMOTION.

This is true regardless of what subject you are shooting. Get them moving and suddenly they forget about posing or what they look like in front of the camera. They get lost in the moment and this is the key to capturing real photographs regardless of subject.

4) Give them a task.  "Run up behind dad and throw your arms around his neck" "Run toward me really fast and smile" "On the count of 3 look at me and yell 'BOO!'" (This is a piggyback of #3) This not only keeps the energy up in the shoot, but it helps to create moments as well. My goal is to not just capture special moments but help create them.

5) Focus on the eyes. As with most of the time when you're photographing a person (unless the focus of the photo is elsewhere) you want to make sure and focus on the eyes. This is how your images will appear the sharpest. I do this by shooting in manual (but can be in AP or any mode other than Automatic) I then focus using the "back button focus" method and recompose my shot. Always focusing on the eyes and/or face (unless again, the focus of the image is purposely elsewhere.)

6)  Play a Game:
          • Follow the Leader. Have kiddos who are dragging their feet moving from one location to the next? Try a game of follow the leader. I've found this works best on kiddos between the ages of 3-11 Kids can't resist a game of follow the leader.  I hop, skip and jump while the kiddos trot along behind me. This keeps the energy of the shoot up and big smiles on their faces. It also helps to keep the photoshoot moving at a fast pace.
     • 1, 2, 3, BOO!!!!! Remember earlier when I referenced 1, 2, 3, BOO!!! ? Well, this is another     game I play with little ones. If I get a kiddo not wanting to smile or starting to get bored with the shoot, I start a game of 1, 2, 3, BOO!!! I count to 3 and on 3 direct them to yell "BOO!" as loud as they can! Kiddos love this one, it cracks them up, especially once they see how they've startled you. ;)

7) Let them be themselves. I personally never try and pose children. I will guide them through the shoots with recommendations and fun games. I will get them into the area I'm visualizing with the lighting and environment I want but I don't sit there and pose them. There are many reasons for this, to list a couple...
1) I don't want to lose their attention and have the shoot become stagnant. I like to keep the energy high (remember #3?)
2) I want to capture them as they are, not this perfect little posed imposter. Give me the crooked smile, the untied shoe, and the quirky little mannerisms. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I aim to capture moments and personality.

8) Ask the Parents to Leave.  If I have a defiant kiddo that keeps acting up, I ask the parent(s) to walk far enough away to where they are out of eyesight of the little one(s). Kids are smart little geniuses who push the limits with their parents and know exactly what kind of response they can expect to get from certain behavior. This changes with a stranger, suddenly with parents gone they morph into little angels happily listening and abiding by every request, after all they've never tried you before, so they don't know what kind of response they will get. (Dont believe me? Try it!!- Of course this works best if the kiddo(s) feel comfortable with you)

9) Stand back and observe from a distance. I love to follow little ones around and capture them exploring the world around them, capturing their many curiosities. Their eyes lighting up when they see or experience something new. Watching them interact with the world around them.
Here, little Aubree was picking flowers, she would then blow them into the air as if they were little fairies dancing away off the palm of her hand. I love the way her whole body is alive with she's focused on, the seriousness of her left (our right) hand with it's little fingers spread, and the gentlessness of which she hold the flower. This photo always makes me smile.

10) Show them praise for good behavior.  It's no secret that human nature dictates that acceptance makes you feel good. I immediately let my kiddos know when they're behaving or listening well that they're rockin the shoot. I gratuitously pass out high fives and give accolades where deserved. Kiddos LOVE high fives.

Hope you enjoyed this edition of tips and tricks for kiddo photography. Children are such a joy to shoot, honest little human beings, experiencing many things in the world for the first time. 

Start practicing these tips and tricks and your child photography should start improving in now time. 

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more awesome tips and photography tricks.

Aloha!

Jenna Lee

Ann & Derek ~ Bun in the oven

Meet beautiful Ann & Derek. Pregnant with their first kiddo, they are absolutely glowing with excitement as it gets closer to the birth of their little guy. We had a beautiful time in the park and they  were grinning nonstop ear to ear thinking about their little guy.  Can't wait to meet him myself at our newborn session!

The Janviere's Gorgeous Romance ~ Honolulu Engagement Photos

What a sweet couple these two are and Oh, so in love! We had a beautiful time on the beach together right at sunset. I so enjoy my time with my clients, learning about everyone's unique story... how they met, what they love about life, and love listening to them describe what makes Hawaii magical for them. Hawaii.. the islands of romance. I'm pretty sure we have more weddings and honeymoons here than anywhere else on the planet, but it's easy to see why. With Hawaii's gorgeous beaches, and stunning sunsets, she creates such magic for all who are lucky enough to step foot on her beaches. I feel so blessed to call this beautiful place home.

With our passion for photography, love for people & this amazing place we call home, it's easy to see why we love what we do. We're not just capturing beautiful images of people, we're creating artwork, bringing your love to life through images, capturing that essence that makes you, YOU, catching moments between you and those you love most- that look in his eye he gets when he stares into your eyes, the excitement she gets when he lights her up, those amazing moments that make life worth living for. That's what we love to capture, those little things we treasure about one another--- so much more than gorgeous portraits on the beach. You, enjoying this beautiful life, in one of the most amazing places on the planet, with those you love most. Gorgeous photography truly is priceless, it's something that will always be unique as no two photographers SEE the same, I can't think of a better place to have your love captured than the magical islands of Hawaii. Call us today, we'd love to capture you.