Group of 10 unveiled - NJ wedding photographers » Uncategorized

Twitter? Naah… it’s just another ’status updates’ thing, isn’t it?

David M — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:53:57 +0000

Well… not really! At least not anymore. I am so sorry if this is going to sound harsh to anyone but if you are one of those people who say “I don’t get Twitter” then… you may as well say “I don’t get internet”. We live in the world where technology changes fast, new things come around before you even know it. Twitter is one of them. Twitter is just the next step in our evolution, in the way we communicate. It’s not just another clone of facebook or social media application that will be fogotten in a few months. Here’s why:

1. WHAT’S GOT YOUR ATTENTION?

Yes, it did start with status updates. Then, at some point the leading ‘Twitter question’ transformed into something a lot more meaningful. Instead of informing the world about what you are having for lunch Twitter users started posting a lot more valuable content. Tweets about how the excessive amount of mayo is spilling beyond your sandwich – indeed, have no value. Tweets about new design resources online, wordpress blog tutorials, exciting photography, current events around the world – just the opposite, they are amazing eye openers and very often carry more value than any other social media connection you make out there.

2. IT’S LIVE!

Yes, you can use google and find information about pretty much ANYTHING online. There is however one important difference between searching Twitter and searching web content. Twitter is a live stream of information. Whatever you search for online had to be composed by someone, posted and indexed to come up in web searches. Nowadays it is faster than before yet Twitter is even faster than that – it’s instant, immediate without any delay. I have recently almost completely switched to searching Twitter over Google for information online. It’s amazing what and how fast you can find out as soon as you realize how powerful of a tool Twitter can really be.

3. CONNECTIONS

What seems to be another misconception about Twitter among those who are not using it is that what you ‘tweet’ about is only visible to those who follow you. This is only partially true. Add a ‘#’ tag right before the word that desribes the topic you are talking about and it will be visible to anyone who searches for that particular topic (any other word in your tweets is of course searchable too). The list of currently trending topics is always visible on your Twitter home page. You can join any conversation you want at any time. For example the trending topics at the time of writing this article are: #Sept11 #Facebook Lite #Jay-Z #God Bless America #TGIF #CoastGuard #Michael Jordan. Click one of them on your Twitter home page and you will see what people are saying about the given topic AT THE MOMENT. Reply to any of the users who’s tweet you find interesting. You just made your first connection. This is how I found out that you can buy the new Canon 7D at Circuit City for 15% less than anywhere else. It’s how I increased my knowledge about using word press blog from zero to confident within one afternoon. It’s how I connected with some amazing photographers out there, found new friends in other areas of life but most of all…

4. BOOKED MY FIRST WEDDING via TWITTER!

Have you heard yet that it pays off to use twitter for your business? You keep hearing that a lot of companies are on Twitter and are ‘using Twitter for business’ but you also keep wondering whether they have any measurable gains from wasting so much time on this new social media phenomenon. Well… it did pay off for me and my story is only a drop in the ocean. There’s of course plenty more significant stories out there but for us – wedding photographers this is what’s important right now. We spend a lot of our time breaking our heads about how to reach this ideal client that we are looking for, how to get noticed and put our wonderful work in front of the eyes of those who need to see it. Yet, there is a wonderful new tool out there that is based on the same principle any successful business uses – relationships between people! If you haven’t managed to appreciate it yet – it might just be worth exploring!

Some of us, members of G10 are active on Twitter. Follow us! David, Neil, Josh, Zlatko.

Erica & Billy’s E-session in Hoboken, NJ

Berit — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:49:15 +0000

What a great day we had!! A brightly sunlit day on the Hudson River in Hoboken can be fantastic lighting for engagement photos. There is always something new to do, and places that are meaningful to my clients. For instance, one of these locations was where Billy proposed to Erica Love this couple – can’t wait to photograph their wedding at The Palace at Somerset Park next year!

Life moves pretty fast!

Scott Bush — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:06:25 +0000

If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Ferris Bueller said this. More importantly, the late John Hughes wrote, directed and produced the movie.

This quote reminds me of all that I am lucky to have, a loving and caring wife, two adorable, smart, funny and healthy children, a home that is ours and a business that is my passion. But with all of this, it is easy to get caught up in life (bills, work, taking out the trash, running errands, etc.) and miss the important parts that mean the most to you. For me, that is my family.

Family portraiture is a growing part of my business. A photograph is a perfect way to ‘look around’, not miss life and what matters most.

Why we charge what we charge.

David M — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:25:22 +0000

All of us in Group of 10 are wedding photographers with some considerable experience. While I cannot compare my own to George Weir’s or my flash photography knowledge to Neil van Niekerk’s – we all bring something to the table when it comes to wedding photography. Each and every one of us has photographed enough weddings to be well familiar with the “do’s and don’ts” of the industry, the wedding etiquette, the cultural differences and traditions of different weddings, the proper equipment we need to get the job done, the lighting challenges we may encounter while photographing brides in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and actually all over the rest of the World. We studied our craft for years, developed our technique, shaped our styles, gave our hearts to what we do. Yes, all of us. Therefore, it’s no surprise that we are constantly trying to bring it to our client’s attention how important it is to hire someone who is not only a good salesman but actually a true photographer (with all the absolutely necessary skills and experience) for their wedding.

Most of this blog is about the art of our images. We love sharing our work with all of you and will continue to do so. We hardly ever reference other photographers and – correct me if I am wrong – never repost articles from other blogs. Today however, I would like to reference an article that in my humble opinion is an excellent testimony to WHY… please read: “PHOTOGRAPHY” by Cody Ellerd.

Recent Favorites!

Monika Broz — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:16:46 +0000

Few recent favorites!

Getting Ready:

Couples:

Ceremony:

Reception:

Kids:

Wedding Photography, And A Little Help From Your Friends.

Steve Burns — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:20:50 +0000

The phone rings and the words you hear are, “Help me, please.”

The Group of 10 was founded in part as a support group of friends, for friends. All of the members are friends whom happen to be independent photographers, and all of whom are very active in the wedding photography industry.

We’ve been a support to each other so as to bounce creative ideas off of each other, act as a sounding board for each other, and get honest feed back from each other. We support each other in our marketing and creative endeavors.

Most importantly though, we are there for each other in times of need.

There have been times, and I’m sure there will be others, when we have loaned each other significant equipment in emergencies. We have taken on the role of “highly qualified responsible” second photographers for the other’s wedding coverage’s. And most significantly we are willing, if available, to step in for one another as the principal photographer doing the other’s wedding coverage should an emergency arise.

As a bride, you invest heavily in your wedding day, and you should be aware that we are there to support not only each other, but to support you as well.

So in times of need, who are you going to call? ( Hint: Call your friends, they are your best back up. )

Bellow are some images I’ve created for others, and I thank you all for the oppertunity to work with you!

For George Weir…

For Neil van Niekerk…

For David Mielcarek…

For Berit Bizjak…

Steve Burns

Let the season begin!

Josh Lynn — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Being a wedding photographer we are often driven by the seasons, Just like the opening day of baseball we look forward to our first “wedding weekend” Sure I had a few weddings in January-March but April is really the start.

Last Friday I started with a pretty awesome wedding at Terrace on the Park in Queens, T.O.P has an awesome view of the location of the world fair.

The groom (who admitted he only uses an electric shaver) asked me some tips on using a regular razor.

Tons of great details at this wedding.

Belly Dancers

Let the season begin! I am looking forward to some amazing weddings all over the east coast

Josh

www.joshlynn.com

Iphone, L’Amour, My love, My Weapon

Monika Broz — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:59:51 +0000

As visual artists, we tend to carry our ‘professional eyes’ with us at all times. I travel a lot, and often find myself guilty of not always having my ‘real’ camera on me.. that’s when I truly appreciate the technology, and thank the ingenuity of the Iphone! Enjoy a few – captured between NYC through Beverly Hills, San Diego, Carefree AZ, Florida and Jersey .. The first image is (how fitting!) the Apple store in Manhattan!

Winter Favorites

Monika Broz — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:09:35 +0000

Just sharing a few images from my few last weddings of the season! Enjoy!

Art and Commerce

Steve Burns — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:31:03 +0000

This has nothing to do with wedding photography, and then again it has everything to do about it.

Art is the skill that is acquired by experience, study and observation. It is the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects or works. Art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power. It is a power that needs to be nurtured deeply on a personal level. (Taken loosely from Merriam-Webster)

Commerce, amongst other definitions, is the exchange or buying and selling of goods or commodities. In short it is doing business. Some aspects of doing commerce enliven, while some requirements are numbing.

The value of doing personal creative work, “art”, can never be stressed enough for any creative soul. Personal artwork is the food of the creative soul. You find it discussed through out “The Artist’s Way”, by Julia Cameron.

It is a vital experience, or activity for the creative soul to partake in. With out it one’s creative soul would die. Ian Summers’ uses the motto of “Grow or Die!” for his Heartstorming workshops. Truer words have never been spoken.

Through out my personal photographic life, I’ve always carried a camera with me be it to record my experiences, document what I’ve seen, or create what is in my soul. There have been times in my life when I’ve allowed the needs of commerce to get in the way of pursuing personal work. Too much of that and I begin to feel as if a part of my soul has been taken away from me in very short order.

This past December I was heavily involved in commercial work. On December 21’st, I sat somewhat brain numbed at the computer doing just that. It was snowing out side, and as dusk approached the light, and snowfall was particularly beautiful. I heard my soul calling out to me… “Get up, get away from what you are doing right now, and FEED ME!”

After putting on some warm clothes, and gathering some camera gear, I walked out my front door into the storm, to be greeted by the sight of a young marine walking down the street in the storm. A quick few snaps and he was along side of me. I stopped him, asking him if he would allow me to do a few quick portraits of him in exchange for a few prints?

Down the street there is a GAP store that was acting like a big soft box bathing the sidewalk in its light. I asked him to go down there with me, which he did. The rest is now history.

My creative soul was fed.

There is also another thing in life that is important to me, that being giving back to the world. I know that this young marine is willing to give something very dear for me, and I’m willing to give something to him and his family. They will be getting a nice large print.

Thank you Sir! Steve Burns