Photography in Nashville's Backyard - Locations!

As a native from Los Angeles I have to say, photography in Nashville's backyard has been quite exciting!

So, for today, I am going to share some locations for any other photographer roaming Nashville. If you would like more detail, please feel free to contact me!

I've used this location many times for fashion, artist portraits and for test shots and I am never let down. It's off Gay street just west of Downtown.  The best part about this location is that it has low car traffic and you can shoot in the middle of the street. It has tunnels, cool walls and just a lot of pockets that make it look like you are changing location but you are just making the most out of this spot. The con is that it's not heavily populated with traffic so always bring extra people with you if you can. Lock your car doors.

The next location is a spot just south of Downtown. There are train tracks that are just down Division street. So take Division across 8th Ave past the Pour House and make the last left. The is a great spot there with again, a variety of locations. It has an urban feel and it's also not too heavily populated with traffic. It is an area where homeless to use as a back road but as long as you have a crew with you or a man to kind of 'baby sit' you should be fine. I shot there with a fashion designer and a model (so three gals) and we weren't bothered. Just fair warning.

If you kind of drive not too far from this area around Fogg st you will find some more pockets of fun.

If you are looking for a 'timeless' location that is more on the private or vacant side try out Fort Negly. It's south of Downtown, close to both the Science Museum and the Sounds Stadium I believe off of Wedgewood. Whats great about this location is that it's on a high hill that over looks Downtown. Also, you can get a lot of shots with no phone wire or what not in the way. It is a great location for sunsets. Just down the street is a great view of the highway and you can see a sample of that below as well. 

And lastly another fruitful space is where the Marathon Music Works is. With all of these locations you really just gotta walk around and scout due to no exact address. And really with any location, just scout around for your shots. You will be happy you did! 

Please feel free to contact me if you have locations you want share!

Getting Close to Wedding Time - The Photographer Point of View

We must all be aware of Bridezilla if there is a show appropriately titled as such. I am pretty sure the groom goes through a few moments where he looks down and finds his fists filled with his own hair. Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life. Mix in excitement and rush it's fully understandable that one might get frazzled over small things close to the wedding day.  For venders, it might be the same. Getting close to wedding time is pretty important. You have to get your ducks in a row. As a wedding vender, whether you are the wedding planner, the wedding singer, the wedding photographer or, or, or you have to be prepared. You don't want to be the one that messes up someones big day. I know I don't! Here are some helpful and easy tips to make your end of the deal run a lot smoother.

1. Make a list of things to do or that need to get done prior to the wedding date. Anything from making sure you have the right tools to deliver or making sure you are well groomed (hair cuts, roots died, dry cleaning) make sure you put that on your list to do. I would give your self a full week. This will save you from making a mad rush around town the day before and getting stuck in rush hour traffic trying to make it to a store that is closing in 10 minutes. Just not worth it.

If you are depending on  the mail system, like mailing a check or getting something delivered to your home try to plan for that no later than a week away from when you need it.

2. Do a test run if you can. If it is possible for you, be at the wedding rehearsal.  I understand that a catering company might just not be able to do this, but if you map out the wedding day with your employees this just might make things run easier. If you are a photographer or make up artists make sure you get your tools prepared for take off the day before.

3. Know the route to the venue. If you haven't been there before, make sure you know the route. Don't depend only on your GPS.  Again, getting lost can add to that stress as mentioned above. Don't let this happen to you!

4. This will at least help with any 'stress' try to keep in a healthy diet and get good sleep. This will help you maintain energy. As a wedding vendor, you are probably going to have to last at most 10 hours. The proper energy will help you survive that. That's why you get paid the big bucks!

I hope this helped. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me!

-Sally

Wedding Photography: Where to start

When you are getting married one of the most important aspects to the event itself, among the dress and location is the photography. Every photographer has their own style, their own service and their own price. Where do you start? 

Nail down your budget. How much are you willing to spend? If you don't have much of a budget, that is fine, you can still find a photographer that meets your needs. First thing you can do is ask your friends and family. You will be quite surprised at how many budding photographers there are out there and how amazing their work really is. The plus point is that the cost wont be as high as professionals and willing to do a bit more and give you a bit more bang for your buck since they are trying to build a portfolio. This is a wise choice regardless of your budget, you never know what you might find.  If you like their work, you will like what they do for you. Don't worry if you find a photographer this route that you LOVE but see they haven't done a wedding. Check and see if they are willing to do a wedding. They might be looking for such an opportunity. Keep in mind that weddings don't happen everyday for an up and coming photographer so it's a bit hard for a budding photographer to getting weddings into their portfolio. At a bare minimum you might get an amazing bridal portrait!  

If you have no luck that route, the next step you can do is look for local photographers in your area. This might raise the cost a bit, it might not. The plus point on this is they know the area and quite possibly might have shot at the location of your wedding. The more prepared your photographer is the better your shots will be. A photographer who's never been to the location can be just as prepared by simply checking out the location and finding out how the ceremony will be set up. Shopping locally may still bring you some up and coming artist that that might have decent prices and you might find some professional that is very familiar with wedding photography. The prices will vary greatly.

Then if you have a budget that you can spend more freely than others you might be able to fly in a photographer if you know of one or find one from LA or New York. 

Key points to look for:

1. Look through a lot of their work, don't just pick ones you like.  If you find that the style you like is consistent throughout their photos chances are, you are going to get the shots you need and want from the photographer. Picking a photographer because he gets great beach shots but mediocre shots in places similar to your location, might not prove to be the best choice. Look for what would be similar to your wedding. See if he is consistently getting the shots you like and the detail shots you like.  Don't waste your time on a photographer that gets shots of things you won't care about. 

2. What does the photographer offer. There are many ways of operation. A photographer can just go and shoot and offer no prints of any kind. There could be extra charges for prints. There could be extra charges for editing. Look through the packages and see what the wedding photographer offers. Be sure to pay attention to time as well. Some will only do 3-5 hours and ask for extra beyond that and some will have packages for the whole day. 

3. Is their communication prompt? When you find the top three picks and you are writing for your estimates or bids, do they reply to you within 24 hours? Are they courteous? Do they ask detailed questions? If they are slow to get to you or when they do are brief, I, myself, would take that as a red flag. It's a business and you are a customer. To me, it's very important to show that the bride/groom is important. A wedding is one of the biggest days of one's life and it just shows lack of professionalism to not show you care about their business. Sure, there are unique situations but if it's consistent realize that might echo through out their service including delivery of the product. 

4. When you choose a photographer make sure they find out all that is needed and wanted. Get out all your expectations out bar none.  If there is no effort to find out who the Brides Maids are or if it's indoor or outdoor or if you'd prefer certain angles of the ceremony you chances are you are going to be dissatisfied with your photos. 

There are some basic tips to help start you off with your wedding photography. Good luck! If you have any additional questions feel free to ask!  www.toyelephantphotography.com

Nashville: The 'Love' Wall

As a photographer, I find Nashville is pretty fruitful for locations. It is filled with all kinds of artists so you never know what you will find and you never know what you will miss!

This wall was visible from the I40 going into Nashville. I drove by it many days before I decided to embark on my photography endeavors here in Nashville. I always thought 'That would be a GREAT photo shoot!' About two years later, I started my photography company and got involved with wedding photography and of course, engagement portraits. The first couple that agreed to use the 'LOVE' wall was a young, in love and fun couple. They were completely excited to utilize the location. We took a bunch of playful shots and the one above got the most attention.  I received comments such as 'Created emotional response', 'This makes me love 'LOVE'. It was even showcased at local art shows throughout Nashville. There were many that still communicated how silly they were and how in love they were. 

I am quite proud of this series. It was extremely fun to work with these two and I never got an opportunity to go back with another couple. As a photographer, I am always scouting locations. I was driving down the Nashville interstate and noticed that the wall is now painted over! A new picture will be painted there and I am excited to see what it is. Slightly sad, as I loved the 'LOVE' wall. It always made me smile when I passed it. Also happy as a photographer as now I have a piece of Nashville that is highly aesthetic and very much enjoyed. The couple let me know that they hung a huge print of it in their new home. That is joy to any photographers ears!