“The team at The Ring has known Carolyn Pongracz of In Bloom Photography for years. And apart from her immense talent for capturing timeless images that couples will truly cherish forever, we’ve simply loved working with such a passionate, fun and kind photographer.”

“I think I can speak for everyone who has seen our wedding pictures and say that she caught every moment perfectly. We had asked if she could make the pictures look like they were more in the moment than anything else. And of course she did an awesome job of that.”

“…she’s very down-to-earth, funny and instantly puts you at ease. Not only would I recommend In Bloom Photography to another couple planning their wedding, I would recommend In Bloom Photography to anyone looking for a photographer for any of their special moments in life. We can’t wait to work with Carolyn again!”

“She is incredibly creative and we were so happy with her work!”

CLICK HERE  to read the entire review, and be sure to hit the “LOVE IT” button while you’re there!

* * * Special thanks to all the brides that replied to The Wedding Ring’s questions about me.  You guys are so sweet!  xoxo

]]> http://inbloomphotos.com/blog/latest-wedding-ring-review-in-bloom-photography/feed/ 0 http://inbloomphotos.com/blog/weekly-favorite-we-did-it/ http://inbloomphotos.com/blog/weekly-favorite-we-did-it/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 01:16:50 +0000 inbloom http://inbloomphotos.com/blog/?p=1670 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Oh my gosh guys, I am SO excited to show you some awesome new wedding photos I’m in the process of editing!  They are coming to the blog soon and they are stunning.  In the meantime, I wanted to share another equally gorgeous (and cute!) image from a different wedding last summer.  This week’s favorite is the bride & groom right after their ceremony in the back of their limo… “We Did It!”

The awards results are in!  In Bloom Photography has won the award for “Best Photographer in Brantford – 2013″ and it’s all thanks to you guys who supported me.  I’m humbled by how many people voted for me and sent me their best wishes!  You can see how I ranked in the rest of the Wedding Industry Experts Awards this year below.  Seriously guys, wow.  Thank you for everything.  :)

You’ve probably heard photographers talk about “editing” or “retouching” the pictures they take.  But what does that mean?  Every photographer’s definition is completely different, so there’s no one correct answer.  When you have a session with In Bloom Photography, your photos go through 3 different phases.  To explain it a little better, here’s a quick reference of what I do to your photos after a session.

RAW IMAGE:  

This first image is straight out of my camera and it’s just as it’s described:  completely “raw”;  no adjustments have been made, it’s just as it was taken in my camera.  Without getting too technical, this is a Nikon .NEF file, and it’s only readable with specialized computer software.  These files are enormous because they contain huge amounts of information and detail about each image.  Unfortunately, these .NEF raw files can not be printed as is and there are no photo labs that will be able to accommodate them.  These images need to go through some Photoshop processing to convert them into a file that all computers can read.

So my first job is to go through all of these raw images, and cull the ones that are worth keeping.  All of the “outtakes” are deleted and only the best shots end up making the cut.

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COLOUR CORRECTED IMAGE:

All of the remaining images are then put through a program where I adjust the colour, sharpness, brightness and contrast.

In this example, you can see how the bride’s dress and skin have been brightened up while the groom’s vest is less saturated with pink.  The blue wall in the background has had the colour adjusted slightly.  The blacks are “blacker” and the whites are “whiter”.  But none of this is considered “retouching” in my view.  These are simple corrections done to give the photo a bit more of a lively “POP!” in the colours and contrast.   And they are then converted into .JPG files, which any computer or photo lab is capable of viewing and printing.

These colour corrected .JPG files are what everyone receives on their disc after their photo session — they are in high resolution format and perfect for making prints or archiving your special memories.

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FULLY RETOUCHED IMAGE:

Once you receive your disc of images, there may be a few shots that you’d like retouched further.  These can be ordered through your online viewing gallery.  Things like cropping, more creative colour work, skin & hair retouching, body reshaping or removal of distractions can all be done at this point.

In this example, the cracks in the blue wood were removed.  The bride and groom’s skin was retouched to be a little smoother in tone, especially around the eyes.  Teeth were whitened.  Some wrinkles from the groom’s pants were removed.  Colours are given more of a “POP!” and there is a slight dark vignette around the edges of the photo.  All of the finite little details are enhanced to make a great photo an amazing photo!

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See how many differences you can spot in this close-up comparison of the Colour Corrected image vs. the Fully Retouched image!  Notice things like flyaway hairs have either been curled or erased… eyes and teeth have been whitened… skin looks smooth but not plastic.  These are all traits of a fully retouched image!

Some people are perfectly happy with the colour corrected images they receive on their disc and that’s great!  Others want some extra work done and that’s when I really get into the retouching process.  But either way, I hope that explains the editing process that I use after every photo session!

CLICK ON THE BOX BELOW AND CAST YOUR VOTE!

Here’s another awesome photo from the wedding I was showcasing last week.  I love, love, LOVE the fact that the bride wanted all of her guests to encircle the couple during their first dance with sparklers!  So romantic!  It was amazing to see everyone swaying back and forth with the music holding their sparklers as the newlywed couple spun around the dance floor.  Such a great idea — that’s why this is my Weekly Favorite this week!  If your venue can accommodate this for your first dance, I totally recommend it!  This particular wedding was held at the Fire Rock Golf and Country Club outside of London Ontario.

Each week I’ll try to post a favorite shot from one of my sessions.  This week’s is a beautiful one from a wedding I shot at Fire Rock Golf Club in London last fall.  The bride & groom’s first dance was held on the outdoor patio in the cool breeze of that evening.  They just look so happy with all of their loved ones circled around watching!  Hope you like it!

Be sure to pick up a copy of the Hamilton/Halton Weddings magazine while you’re there.  Have a great time and happy wedding planning!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COUPON!  (Right click & save it to your computer, then print!)

… is new again!  I love going through last year’s weddings and finding new shots that catch my eye.  Don’t you?

Leave me a comment below and let me know what YOU would prefer!