Below are a few of the favorite photos from the evening…

All of our prints are printed on Kodak Endura Professional paper in the nation’s best photo labs. Kodak Endura Professional papers are trusted by professional photo labs around the world because Kodak Endura sets the standard for print longevity.   Their tested light keeping is equivalent to 100+ years before noticeable fading occurs in typical home display, or over 200 years in dark storage!  When you order your prints, expert lab technicians adjust and perfect the images using state-of-the-art techniques to make sure the final photographs are absolutely perfect. Each print is then hand inspected before being carefully packaged for delivery.

We strive for perfection in everything we do becuase we know these are your precious memories. We will always provide you with all of your images on DVD, but we want to make sure that when you share the photographs of your wedding day with your great-grandchildren, the photos will look just as good as when you received them!

If you’re getting married this year, now is the perfect time to have your engagement photos taken. There are dozens of beautiful locations right here in the SF Bay Area, all within a short drive or sometimes even a short walk.  

Besides having a beautiful photo in your home of your and your fiance, you can use these photos for your “save the date” cards (yes, we can produce those for you!) and your custom wedding photography registry cards to send with your invitations(see our main web site to read more about the registry).

Did you know most of our packages include a free engagement photo shoot?  Just want the engagement photo shoot for now? We can do that too! Contact us for for details and pricing.

Can’t wait to work with you!

I want to send a special thank you to my friends and family who helped along the way with the design process and my endless “can you check this out?” requests.

Watch for more announcements and promotions in the coming days!

Some of the changes that have been announced already:

• Social media - 
  • Facebook fan page
  • Twitter
  • This blog

Some of what’s coming very soon:

• A brand new, custom built website focusing on weddings and bridal photography
• Re-branding of the company image and products
• Marketing campaigns and promotions
• Wedding photography gift registry
• Redefined package lineup to focuses on what clients really want
• Separate website and blog for my non-wedding photography and personal photographic projects

I’ll have more specific announcements on each of these in the coming weeks.  If you you like to keep informed of the latest updates be sure to subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed by clicking the Subscribe link at the top of this webpage.

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Getting ready for your photo session:

Remember that planning goes a long way toward making your portrait session successful. The portrait is a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. Please take a few moments to look over the following suggestions to see how you may participate in the planning of your successful portrait. Feel free to discuss any questions or ideas you may have in advance of the session.

Try to get a good night’s sleep before the session and drink lots of water. Both will reduce puffy eyes.

Choose a color theme that simplifies the look of your portrait. Too many busy patterns and colors are especially distracting. Colors should be harmonious. Coordinate the clothing for all subjects in a group portrait so that one person will not dominate the scene. Color coordination lends harmony to the portrait.

Dark clothing tends to minimize body size, and light tones tend to emphasize body size. Most people look best in darker colors. Choosing solid colors is usually flattering to everyone. A busy pattern is distracting.

Shoes and socks are often overlooked as a significant aspect of portrait clothing. They should compliment, not contrast. Carefully consider your apparel from head to toe as a variety of full length and close up poses may be taken.

Dress for Small Children
While cute, play clothes detract from your professionally made portrait. Stick with the basic guidelines for adults.

Dress for Business Portraits
With “business attire”, a pure white shirt will emphasize your neck rather than your face. Pastel, thin striped or soft patterned shirt with a subtle tie is preferred. You may want to bring extra clothing and accessories “just in case”, and we will help you decide if something else would coordinate better,

Dress for Outdoor Portraits
As a background, the outdoors is very busy. It is important to choose only one or two theme colors. While blues are excellent all year, white, ivory, khaki and salmon are great against lush green foliage. Burgundy, brown, tan and gray are nice late in the season. Avoid all greens, as they clash with Mother Nature. The simplicity of two colors help separate the subject from the scenery. Busy backgrounds and busy clothes result in hard to find faces. Jeans and sweaters always look good outdoors. Please don’t wear any large broad-rim hats that might cast a shadow over the eyes.

Remember:

1) Simplicity is the best policy.
2) Avoid busy patterns, prints and bright colors.
3) Wear solid colors.
4) Avoid wearing yellow or green as they can adversely affect skin color.
5) Shoes and socks should match the rest of the outfit.
6) Teens and adults should wear long sleeves to cover elbows.
7) Women should not wear any prominent jewelry. Large earrings are especially distracting.
8 ) Women should apply standard makeup with a light foundation. Don’t overdo it.
9) Guys remember that a fresh shave is better than a 5’Oclock shadow.
10) Now is not the time to experiment with a new hair style. Keep it simple.
11) If you wear eyeglasses, consider asking your eye doctor for a pair of frames without lenses. This will cut down the glare that eyeglasses can cause if flash is used.
12) Everyone should avoid wearing short pants. Long pants are always most flattering in a portrait.
13) Guys make sure your collar is freshly pressed and wrinkle free.
14) Turtlenecks are always flattering.
15) When it doubt, stick with the classic styles. They will always look good.

When you follow these tips and coordinate your dress from head to toe, you are well on your way to a Perfect Portrait!

If you have any questions, call the studio for more information

This is one of my favorites of the whole shoot:

This was on the stairs outside of San Jose City Hall

I had to lay down across the light rail tracks to get St. Joseph’s Basilica into the background. That was good for a laugh or two and a few curious looks from people walking by.

From an upper walkway of the rotunda of San Jose City Hall.  It was 104 F in San Jose that day..can you tell?

My wife Tiffany & my kids Spencer & Taylor -  thanks for putting up with my long hours on the computer until the wee hours of the morning. Better yet, thanks for putting up with me in the morning!

Melissa, Andrea, & JulieAnn - thank you for being my right hand and adding your own special artistic views to the business. Not to mention helping carry the ton of equipment needed to pull off a wedding gig!

All my past wedding clients and models - thanks for putting up with the growing pains and technical glitches along the way!  I really could not have done it without you!

ShootQ.com – for making my business so easy to run – from CRM, contracts, to billing.

LensRentals.com and Borrowlenses.com - for making that 70-200mm f/2.8L IS and 85mm f/1.2L within my budget!

We’re looking to launch the new site in the winter of 2009/2010 so check back often or follow me on  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jimrandphoto and  join the fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fremont/Jim-Rand-Photography/133224038162

2010 is the year we go big!