Photography Shawn Smith Photography Shawn Smith

5 Benefits Of Drone Photography At Your Wedding | New Jersey Photographer

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Drones are as popular in travel photography…

as they are often used to take captivating 360-degree shots of beaches, hilltops, and more. However, drones are fast becoming a staple in commemorating modern celebrations too. Picture drone footage of the entire wedding venue while guests start pouring in, or the bride making her way down the aisle. Stunning, right? It certainly elevates traditional wedding photography and makes your special day that much more memorable.

 

If you’ve been considering drone photography at your wedding, here are some more benefits to keep in mind.

Drones showcase the wedding venue

 

The venue is a major consideration when planning a wedding, so it would be a shame not to capture its entire splendor. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about that if you hire a drone photographer. Whether it’s a beach wedding or a garden wedding, drones can capture breathtaking visuals to clearly showcase the grandeur of your wedding’s location. These shots also work quite well for the videography, as they show an overview of the day’s proceedings.

 

Drones complement traditional photography

 

There are shots that can only be taken via drone and vice-versa. Drones are ideal for wide aerial shots — especially since most of them are equipped with GPS-controlled accuracy for precision and stability in the air. However, traditional cameras are more useful for capturing close-ups and intimate moments — which are incredibly important in a wedding shoot. So, if you want to cover all your bases, it’s wise to have both a traditional camera setup and a drone camera for your wedding. That way, you get the best of both worlds.

 

Drones capture stunning and creative angles

 

One advantage of drones is that they can shoot from angles that are unreachable through normal camera setups. This allows photographers to be more creative and playful with their shots. For those looking to take gorgeous slow-motion clips and breathtaking panoramas, the high-end DJI Mavic 3 featured on Amazon can offer just that. Thanks to its SmartPhoto feature and advanced panorama mode, it can capture vivid colors in dynamic high definition. On the other hand, some drones like the Yuneec Typhoon H Plus are built to withstand strong winds. Its 3-axis gimbal-mounted camera offers excellent stability, all while shooting high-quality photos of your wedding day. With these advanced features, drones are well-equipped to cover your wedding day.

 

Drones give your wedding some flair

 

Hiring a drone photographer shows guests that you’re going all out on your big day. Aside from that, drones can also serve as a form of entertainment because of their novelty; it’s not every day you get to see a high-end drone covering a big event. Of course, drones should be interesting, but not enough to be a distraction from your big day. Thankfully, drones are constantly undergoing redesigns to make them quieter and more unobtrusive, like the DJI Mini 3 Pro.

 

Drones are excellent for group shots

 

It’s sometimes frustrating to find the perfect angle for a group shot. This is especially true if you have a large crowd — such as wedding guests — posing for the photo. However, the solution can be as simple as using a drone to take an overhead shot. This removes the need to crouch down or stand on tiptoe just to get everyone in the frame. As you can see, there are many advantages to getting a drone for your wedding.

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Photography Shawn Smith Photography Shawn Smith

What To Consider When Booking A Mini Session | New Jersey Photographer

Minis are super popular in the summer. But, are they right for you? Here’s a quick pros and cons list to help you decide!

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With the weather warming up and interest in mini’s growing, I wanted to sit down and give a simple list of some of the pros and cons to these sessions so that everyone can know what to expect and whether it is a perfect fit for them. Hopefully this list will help you decide if mini sessions are the best option for you.

 

Pros

  • They are short! Generally a mini session will run 30 minutes depending on the type of shoot. Whether it's the fact that you don't want to invest the time in a full session or it's simply just easier on your busy schedule, mini sessions make it a quick and easy option for you when it comes to time.

  • Price! Due to the short length, limited amount of photos, and streamlined process we are able to bring down the cost. Add in the fact most mini sessions have intricate themes and props to create amazing and unique images, only adds to the value even more.

  • It's a great and affordable way to keep your family photos up to date throughout the year.

  • They are a great way to give a photographer you've been considering a "tryout". They give you a hands on approach to a photographers style and just how he/she interacts with and works with your family.

 

Cons

  • They're short! Sometimes something that is a pro can also be a con and this is the case here. Some children can have a hard time warming up to the camera and can take a little longer than others, the shortness of mini sessions can prove to be a challenge in these situations. There is also the fact that due to the short time you just don't quite get the full personalization and creative planning that full length sessions can give you.

  • You don't get as many images. Typically our mini sessions range from 20-40 useable images that you get from the session and a full session can easily double those amounts.

  • The location is at a set place and time which doesn't give you the opportunity to choose a location that may have a special meaning or a place you just simply love.

  • They sell out quickly! Most of the time one day of mini sessions leaves only 8 open spots for that day and they tend to go extremely fast.

  • Session sizes can be limited for the amount of people you can have involved. Unfortunately, time is a big restraint and large party sizes can't be accommodated for mini session. 

 

With that being said we ultimately love shooting and delivering these amazing images to our clients. From the colorful fall sessions to the bright and warm summer ones, we offer options and choices that you can love throughout the year by giving everyone the opportunity to get professional photos at a great price. We love hearing from each of our clients after our shoots on just how much joy these sessions bring to them and their family each time. We hope to see many more new and old faces in the years to come! Keep a watch for more mini sessions coming in the future and make sure to get a spot before they sell out!

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Photography Shawn Smith Photography Shawn Smith

The Pros & Cons of Mini Sessions | New Jersey Photographer

I wanted to break down some of the pros and cons to a mini session. Is it right for you? Click here to find out!

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With our recent Summer and Beach Minis announcement and the amount of interest and bookings, we have been hit with many questions and we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to list some of the pros and cons of minis!

 

The Pros to a Mini Session

  • For those who don’t have a photographer they exclusively use, mini sessions offer a little peek and a chance to work with that photographer to “try them out” and just see how it goes.

  • Everything is essentially taken care of, the props and location - you just need to show up!

  • If you have kiddos with particularly short attention spans, sometimes mini sessions and the shorter times can be helpful! You get their best attitudes and attention for 20 minutes and they are all done. Of course, this could be a con as some kids need some warmup time (we will talk about that later).

  • It fits busier schedules and are usually held on weekends. Weekend schedules for photographers fill up quickly and as long as you can snag a spot in time, you’re good to go!

  • They are much cheaper than a photographer’s regular rate and usually have a theme! Since we can stack multiple sessions back-to-back, there’s no travel cost so we can eliminate that off the top which makes it a third of the price!

  • It’s a great way to keep your family photos updated through the year.

  • This one mainly is for photographers, but minis are a great way to build your clientele. Usually once you post one sneak peek of a family from your minis, their family and friends will also see your work and may contact you also!

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The Cons to a Mini Session

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  • They are short! Going back to one of the pros with the kids, if it takes a while for your child to come out of their shell - it could be tough and a little challenging.

  • You won’t receive as many images. Typically, our full sessions yield 60-80 images with a wide variety of looks. With our Minis, you can expect anywhere from 10-20 images.

  • Sometimes there’s a limit on the amount of people. With large groups, it can eat up a lot of time posing and swapping out the groups which can decrease the number of images you will get.
    They aren’t as personalized as full sessions. We really like to give each client their own photo shoot and find ideas they love or even a place that is meaningful to them. Mini sessions don’t allow a lot of time for those fun and more artistic photos, though we do the best we can!

  • If you’re late, it will severely cut into your time and the outcome of your shoot. Bouncing off that, we’ve known photographers and heard stories of those who won’t allow you to come if you’re late or won’t refund your money if you can’t make it. It’s important to get that information beforehand so you are at least aware of their policies.

  • They are super limited and sometimes fill up before even getting a chance, so keep an eye out if you’re holding off for an event!

 
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Those are the main points of the pros and cons, as you can see much of it deals with time. I like to be sure mini sessions fit for those potential clients we haven’t worked with so we can be sure you are going to have a great experience in our short time and beautiful images you’ll love. We love Mini Sessions as photographers, sometimes we catch up with the families we work with all the time or we meet new families that end up being fantastic clients and friends!

We are so excited to meet our new clients this go around and cannot wait to catch up with our friends!

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