Today’s brides and grooms not only look for the memories of their special day to be captured, they also want great portraits – candid and artistic for the most part. We constantly meet with new couples and they all seem to have one phrase in common, “We want photos like the ones we see in your portfolio!” While we work very hard to produce every photo we take, there is that crucial element of timing that can make or break your wedding portrait session.

Let’s consider the wedding portraits on our portfolio website (excluding ceremony, reception)… some of these couples had a specific block of time scheduled in their day just for us. Sometimes this was an hour, other cases up to 2 hours – some agreed to see each other before the wedding and others had the time scheduled between the ceremony and reception. All had the same common goal – to have great wedding portraits.

Do we have a preference regarding taking pictures before or after the ceremony? Not necessarily because we’ve had success both ways and we respect those couples who honor the tradition of not seeing each other beforehand. But there are some great benefits to pre-ceremony portraits. Let’s examine two simple schedules:

The biggest difference you notice is the start time of the reception, rather the time when the bride and groom arrive to the reception. In either instance, it goes a long way to plan out your day and notify your guests far in advance of your tentative schedule should they have a waiting period in between events.

What if we do not have time in our day? We’ve worked with some pretty tight schedules which had very minimal time for the photographer. Some time constraints are enforced by the wedding venue, but most time constraints are inadvertently created when the bride and groom or wedding coordinator simply forget about the photographer… it happens! However, there are opportunities during the reception where we can sneak away with the bride and groom in order to get some additional portrait time.

What about the time of day? We prefer natural lighting for our photographs. For clients living in Texas, the natural lighting comes with a bit of a downer called natural heat. When planning your wedding, consider the time of day you want your portrait session. Late afternoon to early evening hours usually provides the best natural lighting as you get a soft golden glow instead of the harsh brightness. In the spring and fall we can push the limits much more than in the Texas summer and Wisconsin winter. Consider padding your time a little more in the summer to account for water and A/C breaks.

We have more questions regarding timing, what do we do? Contact us. We would love to provide you our insight from our experiences. We want nothing more than to provide you an amazing photography experience by capturing the types of photographs you desire. Cheers!!!

Many times when meeting with new wedding clients we are asked this question. Simple answer, YES! Although not mandatory, the engagement session is a very critical part of the wedding photography process which is why we include it in all our collections. You’ve already met us during our initial consultation, now you’ll get to know us behind the camera and begin developing our working relationship. For the majority of clients, it’s the first time for them being professionally captured in a photograph so having this session prior to your wedding will help to alleviate any camera anxieties.

Personally, we love photographing engagement sessions as it is a great way for us to get to know you better as a couple. We get to see your personalities and how you interact with each other. In the end, the engagement session will help with your overall comfort level in front of the camera which helps us with taking the best photographs of you. And aside from getting some awesome shots, engagement photos can be used for invitations, save-the-date cards, announcements and sharing on social networking sites like Facebook.

Where should we shoot our engagement session?

We try to make each engagement session as unique to the couple as possible. We have quite a few favorite locations of our own that we really like, but we like to allow for your input as well. We like rustic scenery, bright colored walls and fun textures, but if you would prefer doing a session in your home (you two cooking dinner, cuddling on the couch, etc.) or you want to head out for an evening at a local carnival, we are all for that too. The location where we shoot your engagement session is going to set the initial tone, so make it a place where you can be comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera. Try to consider places that will compliment your personalities or the theme of your wedding. Wherever we shoot, just have fun!

We’re sorry to tell you that there is no special meaning behind the name other than the fact that we feel it represents us. Christopher was given the nickname Lucky back in his college days, most likely because he could go into class and ace an exam without even studying. Our business started out with a focus on graphic design and web development and went by the name of Lucky Productions, later to be shortened to Lucky Pro… add Photography to the end and voilà.

What equipment do you use?

We are nuts about Canon gear! We shoot with Canon DSLR and Canon L Series (professional series) lenses. Our cameras range from 21 megapixels to 15 megapixels providing you very high-resolution photographs. We always carry backup cameras, lenses, memory cards, batteries… you name it. Our equipment allows us to capture photographs in low-light conditions without the use of artificial flash lighting for most cases. When necessary, we do use diffused flashes and remote light umbrellas.Here’s a list of some of the items in our gear bags:

• Canon 5D MK II & Canon 50D Camera Bodies
• L Series 70-200 F2.8 and 24-105 F4 Zoom Lens
• L Series 50mm, 24mm  and 35mm Prime Lenses
• 15mm Fisheye Lens & more…

What do we get if we book our wedding with Lucky Pro Photography?

With us you always get two photographers, Angela and Chris. We cover your wedding in a documentary style allowing for all those natural moments to take place. We provide digital editing and correction of all photographs along with online proofing and ordering for you and your guests. All our wedding packages include a High-Resolution DVD with all photos with printing rights for the bride and groom.  Also, depending on the package, we custom design guest books (from the pre-wedding shoot) and photo journals which storybook or highlight your wedding day. Other products and services available – please inquire.

What are your expectations from your clients?

Let’s start with some of the phrases we hear from new and potential clients: “Your photo sessions look like so much fun!” “I love how natural your photos look.” “We prefer to be captured in the moment, just like your photos on your portfolio and blog.” We love to hear all these phrases and more, but we cannot take all the credit for the awesome photos we take. The subjects of  our work play a critical role in whether or not we capture who they really are. If a couple wants us to capture their love, then consider the fact that they must put your love on display. You will have to be affectionate and romantic toward each other. We do not expect you to do anything outside your comfort level, but there has to be an “open window” for us to really see you! If you’re the couple who puts your foreheads together and rub noses, or the couple who picnics in the park feeding each other fruit, those are the moments we want to capture. Opening up to us and being real in front of the camera will help ensure we capture you in a way that reflects who you really are.

How far in advance should I reserve my wedding date with Lucky Pro Photography?

There are no set rules for scheduling your day. If we are available, we can cover your wedding with short notice. To ensure your wedding day a success, we recommend you schedule your day 6 months or more in advance. This way we have at least 1 to 2 consultations and get to know about each other as much as possible. A few other things to consider in this process is whether or not you will have additional pre-wedding shoots such as a bridal or engagement portrait session

Does Lucky Pro Photography photograph with film or digital? Color or Black & White?

Digital, Digital, Digital! Digital SLR’s gives us a much wider range of flexibility and options when photographing weddings and portraits. The biggest advantage to shooting digital is the instant access to preview the captured photograph. We primarily shoot in color. Digital files allow us the post-editing options of converting files to black and white, sepia and our signature artistic styles. If you prefer a complete black & white wedding or portrait session, just let us know and we will process accordingly.

Tips On How To Look Your Best and Get The Style of Photos You Want

Great portraits are the result of great collaboration between the photographer and the client. Our goal is to make you feel relaxed and comfortable in whatever environment we are working in, be it studio, on location, etc.

Hopefully at this point you have already booked your portraits session – you now need to prepare for your session to get the best possible results. Some things you should consider include:

• Clothing Choices (Colors, Patterns)
• Accessories
• Make Up
• Hair Style, Cut, Color
• Personal Grooming

Your Look! It is the single most important part of any portrait and Lucky Pro Photography is here to provide you tips and considerations to help you look your BEST!

Clothing Choices: Probably the stressful part of the preparation process is deciding on which outfit to wear. When making you selection(s), consider the surroundings in which the photos will be taken whether in a room, outdoors or against one of our backdrops. Try to keep clothing patterns and designs as simple as possible. Large patterns, logos and big stripes can be distracting in the photo. Solid colors work best for black and white photography. Make sure your clothing is relaxing and comfortable…and wrinkle free! If you have additional people in your portrait session, make sure all your clothing are in the same tonal range and coordinate properly. Women should try to avoid sleeveless shirts or spaghetti strap tops – this inadvertently causes your face to compete with your upper arms.

Accessories: Feel free to bring items along that help define who you are and don’t be afraid to be a little creative. One caution is with large jewelry which can distract the overall photo. Consider scarves, hats, instruments – we’ll have some fun. If you wear eyeglasses, please consider changing to contacts or a pair of rims with no lenses. Glasses will pick up glare from the lights and will also distort your eyes slightly.

Make Up: For a more natural look try to keep make up application to a happy medium. Too little make up can make your skin appear dull or tired while too much make up can make your face appear painted. Make up should appear smooth and should blend into your skin evenly. If you are going for a particular look whether it be something funky or artistic, no problem – just let us know – we love creativity! Bring your make along with you for modifications that may arise.

Hair Style, Cut, Color: When should you get your hair cut or styled. For men, between 4 and 7 days before your session. This will give the hair time to even out and eliminate any stress on the scalp that may have been caused. Women, please use your best judgment when having your hair done. Most women know their hair well enough to understand how long it takes to adjust to the desired look. Are you tempted to go for a drastic change in hair style before your session? This could have horrible drawbacks and is not suggested by Lucky Pro Photography.

Personal Grooming: Some of the best details in portraits can be ruined by the smallest imperfections such as dirty fingernails, long toenails, chipped polish and uneven eybrows or facial hair. Please make sure you pay extra, careful attention to your personal grooming as it will show in closeup shots. Also, get plenty of rest the night before to eliminate bags under the eyes.

That’s it, at least for now! Following these tips will help you in getting the style of portraits you are wanting. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or if you need to book your portraits session.