Fresh New Look for Alice Sokoloff Photography

Now that the blog is really taking off and I am publishing regularly, it felt like the right time to give it a little more visibility on the Alice Sokoloff Photography homepage (http://www.alicesokoloffphotography.com/). Here's our stylish new front page:



More changes to the website to come as I am adding exciting new images to my portfolio. As always, I welcome all comments and suggestions!

Until next time!
www.alicesokoloffphotography.com

An Engagement Session with Lera & Sasha (San Jose, CA)

Yesterday I had a very exciting engagement session with Lera and Sasha. With their wedding only a week away, we got it done just in the nick of time. ;-) Special thank you to Stas Ushomirsky of Sky Creative for assisting with the session!

We started out in San***a Row in San Jose, and had a great time there, until we were literally chased off by mall police. (Hence the asterisks--wouldn't want to get into trouble for this...) Apparently shooting there is prohibited without a special permit, and by shooting, I mean with a camera, not a fully-automatic machine gun! So I don't know what their problem is--it's just a phenomenal spot, why not share it with the world! We then moved out to downtown San Jose and took photos against the setting sun.

I was very happy with how the session went and Lera and Sasha were such great troopers. As anyone who has worked with me before knows, it may require some acrobatics. But they did a fantastic job and didn't complain one bit! :-) Their reward is the awesome photos that have come out from our session. Below are some favorites:



























































Until next time!
www.alicesokoloffphotography.com

Bride Tip: Preparing for your engagement session

Every time I schedule an engagement session, I try to think of useful advice to give to the couple I am working with to maximize both their experience at the engagement session and the quality of the resulting photos. After all, these are often the first professional portraits that these couples have had taken in their lives, not counting their high school senior portraits, of course. To avoid repeating myself and to help out anyone who is anxious about their upcoming engagement session, I've decided to memorialize my general thoughts and advice here.

Scheduling
The great thing about engagement sessions (and one that differentiates them from wedding photography) is the flexibility that the couple and the photographer have with setting the day and time for the photo session. While many, if not most, weddings are scheduled for weekends, an engagement session can (and if possible, should) be scheduled on a weekday, when there are fewer people outside that can get in your shots. Engagement sessions can also be scheduled when the light is best, usually in the afternoon, an hour to an hour an a half before sundown. This time is called the "golden hour" and it's when the light is warmest and most complimentary to portraits. It's also when you can experiment with fun sunset images, like the one below.



Think Strategically About Your Wardrobe
The goal is not to match but to coordinate your clothing. Choose colors that complement each other and avoid patterns that clash. Below is a great example of coordinating, but not matching outfits.



If you wear black and white, I can work with that. If you wear bright colors that pop or interesting patterns, we're going to have a blast! Outfits that you bought because you thought they would look really cool (maybe even like something out of a magazine) but never had the occasion to wear--this is the time. Outfits that are thematic (think retro) are great, especially if we can find a location to match the theme. As you are thinking about bright and fun clothes, do avoid clothing that has busy logos or designs--those can detract from your facial expressions.



Be careful to balance comfort with style. You don't want to be so fashionable that you can barely move because the 5 inch stilettos and the skin-tight leather pants that you've got on for the shoot are not your everyday wear. On the other hand, your most comfy sweats and a tank top may not do you justice either. Always bring a few alternative outfits to change into during the session just in case. You can use them if your first choice outfit doesn't work out or if you want to add a little diversity to your session.

Accessorize
In continuation of the prior topic, you may consider having an accent piece of clothing or an accessory, such as shoes in a bright color or a purse that stands out. Accents that are unique to you will make your photos more special to you and more interesting. Even if an accessory is not special to you on its own, but you think it will complement your wardrobe or the location of the photo shoot, it's worth to bring it just in case. Before your engagement session, think of items you could bring that could serve as accents and give your photographer something interesting to work with. What about a fun umbrella (especially if it's overcast and threatening to rain)? If you and your fiance are kids at heart, maybe bring a bouquet of brightly-colored balloons or even cotton candy to your photo session. If you are incorrigible romantics--a bouquet of your favorite flowers. If you love your pet bulldog, bring him for a few shots of your whole "family." Are you a musician? Let's see those instruments! If the accessories don't work, the photographer will tell you so (please don't be offended), but chances are, they will work and they will make you appreciate your photos even more. As we all know, the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. So don't flake on preparing for your photo session!



Have Some Fun and Show Your Personality
Your engagement photos are meant to capture your personalities as individuals and as a couple. Find a way to show that in your setting, activities, or expressions. Are you both complete goofballs? Pose with your eyes crossed and tongues sticking out. Are you avid surfers? Ask your photographer to schedule your session for the beach. To get the most out of your photos, you need to interact with each other while the photographer snaps away. So, kissing, laughing, hugging and tickling are all encouraged. Don't be shy in front of the camera. Any time the photographer is not directing you, try to forget that she is there and just have fun with one another. One piece of advice that I inevitably give couples is, you should always be touching one another, even if it's in some small way, even if all he is doing is holding on to her pinkie as they are looking out at the expanse of the ocean. That's what's going to differentiate romantic "engagement" images from just pretty but emotion-less photos. :-)



Until next time!
www.alicesokoloffphotography.com

Alissa's Twin Boys are Here!

You forget how tiny infants are, you really do. And when you are around them, after the initial shock wears off, they don't seem so small anymore. And they certainly don't seem small on the photos. On Saturday I was reminded again of how tiny, fragile and beautiful newborns are and what a miracle it is to hold one in your arms.

Infants are supposed to be notorious for being difficult to photograph. After all, they are not persuaded by your best arguments about posing and they get hungry and cry just when you are ready to capture that perfect shot.

Well, this may be true for other infants, but not for Alissa's twin boys Oliver and Ryan, who were 10 days old on the day of our session. You may remember Alissa from an earlier blog post where we featured her maternity photos (and if not, you can see them here). Not to be outdone by their mom, Oliver and Ryan were perfect little models. They slept peacefully through most of the session, and even let me contort their bodies into all the "right" infant poses.

It's a nightmare having to pick only a few favorite photos for the blog--I love them all! But here goes:



















































Until next time!
www.alicesokoloffphotography.com