james christianson - the blog

my last post...but don't be sad

this blog here at typepad has served me well.  but i needed something a little more!  something easier to use, something that matched my branding and style a little better. 

introducing the new and oh so rad blog done by FLOSITES these guys are amazing and if you are looking for a new website or blog check them out.

don't spend another second here...go to the new blog RIGHT NOW www.jameschristianson.net and send me some comment lovin'.  be sure to change your bookmarks or better yet, just click the RSS feed button on the new blog. 

WOOHOO!

2nd second to last post : )

okay, this isn't an idle threat...i'm really going to put my last post on here soon.  until i do, here is another little hint about things to come. so rad!

this is my second to last post

change is in the wind.  can you smell it?  for those of you who follow my blog, you may have noticed things slowly changing over the past couple of months.  new colors.  new logo.  what might be the next step in a series of changes?  here is a small clue:

this little collage and the fact that this is my second to last post should give you a pretty good idea of at least the next change...if not all of them.  keep checking back to see how we are shaking things up.  i have a lot of new shoots to show you.

get your FREE wedding website!

i recently received an invitation in the mail from one of my clients Ashley and Nils they are getting married in Cancun, Mexico in april and i'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding.  inside there invitation was an info. page and on that info page was a website.  being webby geek that i am, i had to check it out.  the website was with a company called eWedding and they provide free websites to couples for their wedding...SCHWEET!  anyhow, since i have been booking quite a few new weddings, i thought i would make everyone aware of this.  it's a great way to tell your story and get your information out to all your family and friends...did i mention it's FREE!  oh, and don't forget to put in your photographer under the vendors section.  : ) 

Here's a quick articled from eWedding.com about their websites.

Keeping your friends, family and wedding party in the loop of your upcoming wedding can be very time consuming and burdensome. But not anymore. Having your own Personal Wedding Website will take care of all that, plus much more.

Having a professional wedding site is a great way to share all the news and events on your upcoming wedding. You can post the date, location, time and directions to your Stag, Shower, Rehearsal and other events. You can post your Registry and add items to a personal Wish List, list local attractions for friends and family that are visiting and collect best wishes with your Guest Book.

Getting the word out about your site is as easy as including your web address on your invitations. We have seen many invitations with 'For more information, and directions, please visit www.your-wedding.com.' This way, everyone invited to your wedding, including those who can't make it, can go to your wedding website to get up to date information. You can edit any of the information on your site, even the style, to keep it updated and reflect any changes you have made. Another great benefit of a web address is the ability to put it on wedding favors, wedding bulletins or for posting at the reception. This way people will come back to see your wonderful wedding day photos.

Keeping track of those coming to your wedding has never been easier either. Offering online RSVP is one of the most popular features of a wedding website. It saves you time and money, no extra envelopes or stamps required, and long waits for getting back the RSVP's in the mail. Just put a simple link to your site in the invitation and your friends can RSVP at your website and you will be sent a message right away. Your site will also keep the RSVP's in memory so you can manage your list and know who you didn't hear back from yet.

The above features, along with many more, will really make planning a wedding, and sharing it with friends and family around the world, a pleasurable experience. A Personal Wedding Website, let everyone share the joy of your big day.

photoshop users TV

this is for all the photographers out there.  i am constantly watching tutorials, reading photoshop books, etc. because i am so fascinated by this incredible software.  yes, i am a geek, but i prefer to embrace my geekiness.   anyhow, i came across Photoshop Users TV with Scott Kelby that has tons of tips on photoshop and cool interviews with photographers.  they have an incredible 116 episodes...i might just watch them all.  don't laugh, it's what i do while you are watching American Idol  anyhow, check it out!

 

UPDATE:  I just watched Episode 114 and it is a must see for any Photoshop User.  These guys go over 51 easy tips that will speed up your use of photoshop dramatically.  so awesome...if you are a geek!   Oh, and don't forget to hit the Subscribe through iTunes button.

Picture Social - a new network for photographers

as many of you know, i used to be a high school photography and physical education teacher.  well, one of my old students started this great website awhile back called Picture Correct it has great reviews for cameras and articles on lost of things related to photography. 

well, he just started a new website called Picture Social it's a new photography forum.  PictureSocial is a place where photographers can share their knowledge and learn from others. At PictureSocial, you can display and critique photos, blog about your experiences, ask and answer questions, discuss camera equipment and more...so i thought i would give him some blog love.  get over to PICTURE SOCIAL and check it out.

blood, sweat and tears = apple's iphone

i saw this posted on my good friend and colleague Chris Humphreys blog and found the article very interesting, so i thought i would pass it along.  this article featured on Wired Magazine is all about Steve Jobs innovative step into the wireless world with his creation of the revolutionary Apple iPhone. 

click here to read the article.  The Untold Story:  How the iPhone Blew Up the Wirless Industry

Catherine & Nathan - Maine engagement

after spending two days in New York, it was time to fly to Portland, Maine.  unfortunately, i didn't get to see much of beautiful Maine because i flew in, rented a car, drove an hour north, photographed Catherine & Nathan then got back in the car, turned it back in and got on another plane for a long connection home to Denver.

once i started to photograph Nate and Cat though, i knew that all the crazy traveling was going to be worth it.  Cat said she was nervous, but i couldn't tell.  these two are soooo cute together.  they are one of those couples that you see and say to yourself "man, i wish i could be in a relationship like that." (at least i used to say that until i met my wife Charlene)! 

i always let my clients choose where they want to have the engagement session.  i do this because it makes them more comfortable to be in a familiar place and it allows me to be constantly shooting in new places.  this couple chose the college campus where they met, dated and where Nate popped the question.  we had a ton of fun and i can't wait to photograph this couple's wedding in Montana this summer.

just to set the scene i took this picture specifically for the blog, so that everyone knew the conditions we were working with!  this was the warmest part of the day right around 1 pm...yes it says 21 degrees.

i saw this colorful barn across the street from where we had lunch and knew i just had to use it.  so while Nate and Cat were finishing up I went and knocked on the door and had the nicest conversation with a 90 year old man named George.  he was gracious enough to let us shoot on his property...thanks George!

the snow here was knee deep and Catherine had high heels on.  when she went tromping through the snow regardless, i knew they were my kind of client!  : )

the university campus.

the campus had these great x-country skiing trails all around the forest on campus...and we used.

i love this series

of course with all this snow, we had to build a snowman.

see what i mean about them being a cute couple?!?!

i love this one of Cat hiding behind Nate.

it was so cold, my trigger finger just about got frost bite, so when i saw this old barbeque sitting in the snow, it made me think of warmth...so we had some fun with it.

these are so beautiful...you see the sparks flying.

my absolute favorite from the day.

adding to the arsenal

well, i have finally done it.  i broke down and bought the Canon 5D.  i know there have been rumors about a new replacement for the 5D but i think it is a great camera now.  the two things i like best about the 5D are 1. the full frame sensor!  i haven't had full frame since my Canon A2 film days.  man my 16mm lens is going to look amazing again.  2.  the great sensor for reproducing great skin tones and great quality in low light.  it comes in the mail today and i can't wait.  woo! hoo!  if you want to check out the review on this camera click here:  5D Review from DPREVIEW.COM

i will now be getting rid of my good ol' 20D back up camera, so if anyone once to buy it...send me a comment.

here she is in all her glory, i think i will call her Sophia...she's so sleek and sexy

Roxy & Doug - engagement...happy new year

first let me say "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to everyone.  i can only hope that yours was as a fun as mine...more on that later.

i have been doing a lot of travelling and a lot of shooting.  since December 17 i have been in 5 airports, shot in 5 cities, plus managed to have Christmas and New Years with my family in there somewhere.  first in the many blog posts this month is Roxy and Doug.  i flew to New York city to photograph these two amazing people.  they were such gracious hosts, showing me around the city, taking me to dinner and even letting me crash in one of their apartments.  there's a lot of photos in this post because we shot in soooo many locations, literally all over manhattan.  so without further delay, here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

this little restaurant was just around the corner from their apartment.  i love all the color and the happy suns.  : )

new york has all these cool old buildings to shoot with...i loved shooting in a new place.

i love these shots in the meat packing district

this one is my favorite from the shoot.

Doug and some fun cropping.

this series is so fun...but i can't take credit for the idea. i saw a series of taxi cab shots on Jessica Claire's blog and thought they were so fun...so while i didn't exactly duplicate her images, i wanted to make sure and give her credit.

things got pretty hot and steamy.

keep in mind that these shots were taken on the big round about, right in front of central park, it couldn't have been more public...these two were brave though and just went for it!  fun stuff

into central park we went and found this great bridge.

how gorgeous does Roxy look in this shot...she is going to be an amazing bride to photograph.

love the light filtering through the trees here.

a little off camera flash

poet's walk.

Check out how Roxy is standing in this shot...she is as elegant as Grace Kelly.  It's so great when this kind of thing happens, because it's just not something i know how to set up to look natural.

we went to the Museum of Modern Art in New York...to shoot some.  Doug loves the museum so we made sure we got some of his favorite art. 

i couldn't really be in the museum of modern art and not create some modern art of my own.  i call this one  "coat faces"

and this one is called "tangerine dream" or something like that.

we finished up by using some of the great architecture at the museum and then some dancing in the subway...whew, i'm exhausted just blogging about it.

Roxy and Doug will be married in the Outer Banks North Carolina and I can't wait to shoot their fun, stylish wedding.  WOW!  I HAVE SUCH AWESOME CLIENTS!!