70% of people believe they look better in person than photographs

Now we happen to be Canon people, but Nikon released an interesting survey recently that's worth passing along. The survey reveals some interesting things about the way people view themselves. The survey was conducted using random telephone dialing, and sampled 1000 Americans 18 and older.

Some of the items they found were:

25% would choose to retake a family photo if they could turn back time
92% of adults had at least one photograph taken of them so far this year
79% believe they look better in person than in photographs (do you? if so, we'd like to show you how the right photography setup and environment can change that for you!)
26% chose weight as the feature they dislike the most in photos
Men have an average of 73 photos taken of them, while women have only 38

The last point was pretty interesting!

Brent Deitrich, Live View Studios

Snappy Lube Site Redesign, Joomla Content Management System

We went live with the new design of Snappy Lube this past week. Snappy Lube is an oil change and automative repair corporate franchise with locations throughout Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Their design incorporates a custom Joomla content management system as well as various other functions like a store location finder integrated with Google maps driving directions. We are working with them to develop some custom email newsletter functionality that will also work through their new website.

Stop by the site and check it out, we think it turned out pretty sharp!

We're also working on a complete overhaul of Live View Studios' own website - this one is going to be pretty slick and we can't wait to show it off!

Brent Deitrich, Live View Studios

"What about less expensive photographers?"

Q: What about the studios at malls and department stores? They're much cheaper!

Answer: Most of the mall and chain store studios lose money. In 2007, a major retailer closed 500 of their portrait studios because of the financial drain they were putting on the company. Chain stores count on the fact that you'll come in for some quick and cheap photos, and then while you're there, you'll also spend $200 on other things. They don't have to make money, they are just there to get you in the door.

Let's also make a comparison: Going to such a studio means a very limited amount of time with their photographer (Who ever heard of spending 2 hours there?), common backgrounds and props just like every one else has, and the inability to capture genuine and unposed expressions (Say 'Cheese' everybody!).

A one-on-one portrait photographer gives you the ability to have your session indoors or out in a place where you and/or your child is more comfortable. Care is taken to create unique settings and looks. For children, we run and play with them, making their sessions fun and capturing beautiful, natural expressions.

As with all things in life, you get what you pay for.

"But I can buy a camera with what you charge for photographing a wedding!"

Over the next few blog posts, we're going to address a few commonly asked questions or reactions in regards to professional photography. We're seeing more and more businesses pop up from people who claim to be professional photographers, yet their work does not reflect it. Being professional involves so much more than just owning a DSLR camera. When choosing your photographer for your special day, you need them to be prepared for all situations that could arise (bad weather, camera failure, etc). Through these frequently asked questions, we hope to give you ideas of how to determine if the person you're looking at hiring is truly a pro photographer or just someone who's flying by the seat of their pants.

Q: With what you charge for a wedding, I might as well go out and buy my own DSLR camera and have my good friend take our wedding pictures!

Answer: Not a good idea. For one thing, a good camera is not all that is required to take pictures. Expertise in knowing how to use the camera and its settings, which is aquired from experience, plays a huge role in how the photographs turn out. Has your friend shot with a DSLR before? Are they prepared with backup equipment if their camera/lighting/memory cards fail?

Furthermore, additional equipment besides a camera body is necessary to photograph weddings. Lenses that function well in low light settings (as most ceremony locations are), as well as wide angle lenses, external flashes, strobes, etc. are equipment we use to ensure that every capture of your special day is a clear and vibrant one. Also, it is our practice to carry additional camera bodies that in the event one of our cameras stops functioning, there is another to use in its place. We also backup your photographs throughout the day to ensure that there is no data loss.

Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, yet the day goes by in a heartbeat. All that you'll have to remember it by are photos. The amount of time or money that you spend on your wedding photography is directly proportional to the quality of memories you will receive from it.

Brent Deitrich, Live View Studios

Expressively You 2010 Promo Spot

A quick glance at the Live View Studios High School photography program and our models who can give you a discount off your photo session!

If you want the coolest high school photos this year and know these models, you can find out from them how to get a nice discount off a photo session with us!

This year, graduate from being just another face in the yearbook to being "Expressively You" - our pictures are a live view into who you really are as a person - no cheesy backgrounds or balding men with stuffed monkeys on their cameras will be found here. We are hip, modern, and fun!

For more information, contact us at http://LiveViewStudios.com




Brent Deitrich, Live View Studios