Holy cow! One of my labs is having a HUGE sale on 16×20 prints this week – how awesome is that?! I love passing on the savings to my customers.
To take advantage of this amazing offer, find your gallery by clicking the EVENTS tab above, and order the “SPECIAL 16×20″ print (heck, why not – order two or three!) It’s a limited time offer until April 30th. Unlike my regular prints, this one will not be mounted – but you can’t beat the price at a huge $60 discount! I’m ordering a few for myself

Welcome to the MEGA post which is all about hair and beauty and skin care for your wedding day! My special guest today is the super talented Sara Lovell, Rochester MUA/Hair Stylist for fabulous brides – thank you Sara for such informative answers to all our questions. Hopefully this will help our brides get some good ideas and better prepare to look fabulous on the big day!

First, meet Sara:
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HAIR

Braided updo (photo by Photo Impressions)

How should I take care of my hair in preparation for my wedding? It’s a good idea to have your color touched up about a week before the big day. Early on the day before the wedding, wash and style your hair as you normally would.  Day-old hair holds a style much better than fresh, clean hair does. The morning of the wedding, shower but DO NOT wash or even wet your hair.  Even if you are on the oily side, I have special products that will soak up any greasiness.
What are some updo styles that are popular and how do you make each request unique? Bridal styles are usually very timeless and classic, but I’d say that the last few seasons I have had more brides wearing their hair half-up with loose, romantic waves or curls. Other than that, soft updos with lots of texture are still popular.  I like to take a few things into consideraton, like the neckline of the dress, type of jewlery, and personal preferences while working with the bride to achieve the look she is dreaming of.

flower hair piece and curls (photo by PhotoKisses)

What are some of your favorite accessories for bridal hair? Last season, fascinators were very popular, along with birdcage style veils.  I personally love the vintage inspiration with those, but it’s not a look for everyone. There are classic accessories like fresh flowers that will always look appropriate and tasteful for a bride.
Any specific brands or types of hair products you like? I use a lot of Kenra, Rusk, and Surface styling products for my bridal parties and studio work.  I have tried many, many products that don’t deliver what the bottle says it will, and I need reliable products that are priced well… Kenra seems to have cornered the market for that.
Any no nos?  Two major tips: 1.   Look like yourself.   I am all for changing up your look and doing something different, but your wedding day is not the day to do it.  You should look like a really awesome version of yourself for the day, and you want your new husband to recognize you as your walking down the aisle.  2.  Stay away from glitter!  Glitter will get all over everything and everyone. When lit up by flash lighting, it looks like dandruff in photos.  Soft,suble shimmer is great, but glitter is best left for little girls.
Priscilla asks – My hair is very fine and brittle, what kind of products should I get and are there any tips you can give me to avoid flyaways in an updo? For fine and brittle hair I highly recommend a strengthening regimen to bring back some integrity to the hair so that it can hold up to styling better.  Surface Trinity Shampoo, conditoner and leave in tonic will protect color treated hair, strengthen your strands, and has built in styling protection so that you don’t have to worry about as many hair products that may weigh your hair down.  I like to finish dry, styled hair with Surface Push powder which adds texture and makes your hair feel thicker, followed my a good finishing spray like Kenra Volume Spray.  Spray it on your hair brush before teasing to help build volume and mist over your finished style and smooth any flyways down with your hands before it dries.

MAKE UP

What kind of preparation can a bride do a week or two before the wedding to get ready for make up? A facial is great to have done, usually you’d want to have of series of these done over the course of a few months, with the last one being no sooner than a week before the wedding.  The night before, I recommend using your normal skin care routine, with a rich and hydrating eye cream.
How about the morning of?  Use your normal skin care routine, including a moisturizer, even if you have oily skin. Use a light eye cream to reduce puffiness and smooth fine lines.  Make sure you eat something for breakfast, no matter how nervous or excited you may be! Any specific brands or types of makeup you like? Among my favorites in my kit, I like Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Makeup Forever Professional, Mehron, and Smashbox.  I use a little bit of everything; many lines have great products for different needs and I haven’t yet found one single line that meets all of my needs as an artist.
Most unusual request? I had a bride that had a tattoo on the back of her neck that her mom didn’t like!  I have a special tattoo concealer that did the trick, it was gone for the day until she washed the makeup off.
I heard about airbrush make up, is that something I should consider? It is the lightest, most natural-lookng coverage you can get possible that offers a feather-light feel with full coverage and lasts ALL DAY, making it my favorite for brides.  The water-based formula and fine spray-dot pattern it lays blends with your skin’s tone and texture seamlessly which is why it is my favorite choice. I  really love the airbrush makeup system by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.  There is no brush, sponge or any other tool that can duplicate the “spray dot” pattern that the airbrush creates, which is why it’s the preferred modality for artists like me, working with photographers shooting hi-def digital images and videos.  It makes a huge difference and offer durability unlike anything else.

Brooke asks – I am not sure how I should do my makeup for the big day. I do a pretty good job with my day-to-day makeup… would you recommend a more natural look? It’s always a good idea to take your everyday look into consideration when planning your bridal look.  If glam is your usual look, you don’t want to stray too far away from that, same as if you are more of a fan of the natural look.  With that said, I do find that the most timeless makeup look is a natural, “glowing” one… just make it yours!
What brand of lipstick do you recommend? How do I find the perfect shade that works for me? I HATE buying lipstick only to find it looks HORRIBLE and I can’t return it! Whether you prefer lipstick, gloss, stain or pencil, I highly recommend shopping for your lip color at a shop like Sephora or Ulta, where there are hygenic ways to sample the products before you buy them.  My favorites for brides are stains or long-wearing liquid colors that won’t “kiss off” like NYX semi-permanent lip color or ColorStay Overtime by Revlon.

daytime wedding make up

How do I know my makeup will last through tears, oil, and sweat? Prepping the skin with appropriate skin care products and primers is crucial before any makeup goes on.  High quality & highly pigmented makeup expertly applied to suit your skin type followed by appropriate setting powders and/or fixers.  It may seem like a lot, but it makes a difference in the durability of your makeup!

EYES

Christine asks – hi Sara! i have almond shaped eyes… how do i make them appear bigger and still pop? Almond-shaped eyes are beautiful and exotic and you can easily make them pop by lining the inner lower lid and tear duct area with white or very light shimmer, then smudging darker brown or black eyeliner into the outer corners of the lower and upper lash line. smudge out the liner from the middle of each eye out towards the corner and blend well.  Curling your lashes and adding lots of black mascara will also make your eyes pop.

airbrush make up and strip eye lashes (photo by Photo Impressions)

My natural lashes suck!  Is there a natural-looking lash option? Yes!  False eyelash inserts are very natural-looking and comfortable.  The extra strong adhesive holds up to water and tears very well, when latex-based adhesives may fail when exposed to moisture.

lash inserts

Should I do a hair and makeup trial?  There are many schools of thought on this one, this just happens to be mine. it’s not always practical for every bride to have done before she chooses to book with me if they live out of town, but they have seen my portfolio and reviews and that makes them feel comfortable in my ability.  I think many brides-to-be think that this is their deciding factor when booking a beauty artist, when I think trials are most appropriate when used as a planning tool closer to the day of your wedding.  Its a great way to plan your look for the day, and even better when done before an engagement session, (to see how your look reads on camera) or before a dress fitting, (to see if your entire look is cohesive and what you want it to be) Ultimately, you should do what makes the most sense for you.    What I consider more important is the consultation, which is always free, whether its done in person , over the phone or using video chat.

And most importantly… get as much rest as possible, avoid drinking too much alcohol so you will feel great and look well rested in the morning!

Thanks so much Sara!

…soon you will have answers!

As a wedding photographer, I am keenly aware of how people look. Especially how brides and grooms look (and feel) on their wedding day. A long time ago it became apparent to me that the more put-together the couple looks (the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, the perfect hair, etc) the more confident and beautiful they will feel, and with that, they will have the perfect day! So with that in mind -

Sara Lovell, a Rochester MUA/hair stylist has agreed to an interview with me in an effort to educate and help brides prepare and look gorgeous on their wedding day. Sara has a huge list of tips already, but we are still interested in getting more questions so that the interview can be more productive and more informative for you! So, ask away – and in two weeks, your questions will be answered! Use the Facebook comments tab, or the native blog comments, and please please please also share this with your friends/girlfriends/family/coworkers – we want A LOT of questions, so we can have a GREAT interview, so it can ultimately help you have the wedding day you always dreamed of!

I am still wayyyy behind in blogging weddings (I just got through August’s) but I couldn’t resist showing you a few images from Sarah’s Trash The Dress session we did not too long ago. I had a few crazy ideas (where crazy = awesome, obviously ) and Sarah stepped right up and volunteered to help me carry them out. I wanted crazy hair and crazy makeup, and being the amazing make up artist she is (hey Sarah, will you do my makeup for my wedding?!) we got some stunning photos. These were all shot in the final hour before sunset, I loved how saturated the colors became when the light reflected off her big white wedding dress.

Sarah would make a stunning silent movie star, don’tcha think? (left image processed with a B&W film filter)

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Sarah’s hubby provided shade, courtesy of my winter jacket (so high tech!) and then I filled in the shadows with a tiny bit of flash.

Yay for cowboy boots!

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Will I find similarly fabulous leafy locations in Orlando next year? Methinks not.  Sigh.

For all of you Black Friday shoppers who already had their fill of shoving and elbowing to get that perfect TV or electronic thingamajig or toy thingamabob, it’s time to relax and spend some time shopping online (that’s what I’m doing today!) It is also the perfect time to remember that your family would LOVE a print from your engagement, or even better, wedding day, for Christmas. With that in mind, I offer you: 40% OFF ALL ORDERS OVER $100. Just enter code “SMOOCHES” when you check out and VOILA, you’ve saved mega bucks! Oh, and I should also mention that shipping is only $0.01 when you spend $100, so add a few more items to your cart, also at 40% off, and enjoy the savings! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

* offer valid 11/25-11/28
* minimum purchase $100
* one coupon per order
* can be combined with any credit you have in your account

Wendy and Matt’s wedding blog post contest has ended! With 71 LIKES and 15 comments no less – THANKS! They have won $25 account credit for receiving over 50 likes. Unfortunately there is no comment winner this time around – but maybe next time!

Attention – wedding package structure changing on July 1st!!! So if you’ve inquired, met with, or are otherwise considering PhotoKisses for your wedding photography, you may want to book now to lock in current rates.

Carrie and Sean had a horse and carriage take them to their reception at the Irondequoit Country Club – and they looked better than Will and Kate!

This is something that has been a concern of mine in the past, and of other photographers I know as well. The issue of image credit has come up almost every time right after  I posted a new blog or a new images to Facebook. We photographers put a lot of work into our images and when we post it online for everyone to see it is like displaying the best of the best in our portfolio – so why do clients still think it’s OK to strip the image of any identifying marks (logos) when they repost it on their own social media sites?

Drew is an awesome wedding photographer down in Orange County couldn’t have said it any better, so here it is verbatim:

“I get asked a lot by both photographers and clients what my policy is on letting my clients post their images to their blogs and facebook account. I personally love it when my clients post their family pictures on their blogs, facebook, etc. It shows me that they truly love their images! I encourage my clients to “steal” their pictures from my blog to use on the internet. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that you should think about when reposting your images:

1) DO ask your photographer what their specific policy is on taking pictures off of their blogs. Some photographers encourage it and some don’t allow it. If this is important to you this is something you should ask BEFORE you hire your photographer!

2) DO include your photographer’s name and website under the images (a link would be super nice!). That’s just the polite thing to do

3) DON’T crop out their logo. Unless you have paid for the digital negatives don’t alter the files in anyway. Most photographers use their blogs to advertise their work and do so as a courtesy to give their clients a sneak peek. If a client crops out the logo then how will other people know who took the picture?

4) DON’T edit the picture in any way. Taking the pictures is only half of a photographers job. The other half is editing. If you think you can do a better job or want to edit out some of your wrinkles or use selective coloring please don’t show and/or tell your photographer. That is super insulting. If you don’t like your photographers editing enough to want to edit it yourself than maybe you need to find another photographer next year.

5) DON’T try to print from the files on the blog. For me specifically I know that the files I upload to my blog are too small to be printed in a 4×6 size. It’s not cool to invest in a family session and then print the images off of the blog and not pay for prints. Make sure you know how much the prints cost before the session to avoid sticker shock. Same goes for scanning prints that you already bought. Not cool! Some of my family members are guilty of printing images off of my blog. It makes me cringe when I see them FRAMED in their homes with my logo still on there! To be fair, I’m also not great at emailing them the file when they ask for it ”

Thanks Drew, I couldn’t have said it any better!

Please respect your photographer.

*Photographers, you can re-post this information, just as long as you give Drew credit. (http://www.drewbphotography.com/)

* If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at kristina [at] photokisses [dot] com

Happy holidays everyone! Hope you had a nice time with your families and friends.

I was bored today, because I decided to be sane and not go shopping – but I didn’t want to do any actual photo work. So, for one more day, I’m ignoring album and announcement design, and instead poking around the internet for yummy recipes and playing Bejewelled   However, because I *am* a photographer, and I *do* feel guilty about not doing anything photography-related, I decided to show you a TTD (except I call it Time After Time) session I did last fall with Naomi and Kyle at Letchworth State Park. Just a few images for your enjoyment, and no hard work involved on my part

Love the fall colors at Letchworth, and the painterly feel of this shot

My favorite shot of the day, taken on the steps at Woolf Creek

I was extremely proud of Naomi for going into freezing cold water (hello autumn in upstate New York!)