pizzuti studios photography » Pizzuti Studios Blog

It’s Time To Think About Holiday Portraits!

jimmy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:02:46 +0000

The holidays are upon us once again; if you’re not convinced, just look out your window! Mother nature couldn’t wait to get a jump-start on the season and neither should you: It’s time for family and holiday portraits. This year we have some wonderful new backdrops and fun, festive props that have joined the studio as well as some fresh and fun holiday card designs

STUDIO AND LOCATION SESSIONS

Our full sessions allow for multiple outfit changes, background and groupings within the family. 30+ proofs to choose from. Great for the yearly family photo, your holiday photo and individual photos of the kids all at once. are located in the new Appleton Mills artist community located in downtown Lowell. We have a variety of simple modern backdrops and props to choose from.

Location sessions can take place in your home, park or out doing an activity your family loves, like, bowling night or baking cookies together. We offer both posed and candid approach to our sessions or a mix of the both.

Studio Sessions are $150

Location Sessions $200

20% Holiday Cards until Dec 1, 2011

Click Here to book your Full Studio or Location Session

HOLIDAY CARD MINI SESSIONS

Our holiday card mini sessions are 20 min long with one background choice and 8-10 proofs to choose from.

24 flat, double-sided 5×7 Holiday Cards printed on a beautiful linen cardstock. Each additional card is $3 and envelops are always included.

OR 1 Digital File with printing rights to have your cards made anywhere you like.

$80 for Up to 2 people {$10 per additional person}

Sunday November 13 and Saturday November 19th

Can’t do it on either date? We have a few weekday sessions available between 11/14 and 11/17

Book your Holiday Mini Session by using the form below:

Lens Pro To Go, Thank You!

ash+rich — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:41:16 +0000

Canon 100mm L IS 2.8 Macro | ISO 320, 1/60th @ f/5.6

Lens Rentals Made Easy

Concord, MA – One of the most tortuous parts of the photography profession is the desire for more gear. Some of it is just for fun or convenience and some of it is necessary for a certain shot or look. A couple weeks back, we rented the Canon 100mm L IS 2.8 Macro lens basically to test it out for a possible future purchase. And the answer was clear, that this lens was a perfect fit for our camera bag… but we just might rent it a few more times before that happens

A big thanks to Lens Pro To Go!

Paul, Tony and Jenny, you guys have helped us move forward with our vision and we appreciate all the work you do. See you very soon- Rich and Ash

The Wedding Timeline and Your Photographer

ash+rich — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:49:53 +0000

Lowell, MA - In preparing for the beginning of the wedding season, I find myself studying the organizational timeline of Jen and Nate’s April 24th wedding,. The week before a wedding is similar to a week before a big game or an important test. As the photographers, we are present throughout the wedding and with each day being completely different than any other, it is important to know every detail before hand so there are no surprises.

As wedding photographers we are responsible for capturing moments and telling a story through our images. For us to do this properly we need to prepare for the expected and the unexpected. A well organized timeline of events, with corresponding dates, times and contact information for the involved parties is as essential to our job as our camera and lens. Anticipation, timing and positioning all affect our work and without knowing when or where certain details will occur we can miss important moments.

Things happen that are out of anyone’s control and wedding photographers need to be prepared for everything. Inclement weather could force the wedding party portrait indoors, do we have a 2nd and 3rd option? The church may not allow flash photography, is our equipment capable of handling the low-light situation? No matter the situation, we need to answer “yes” to these uncertainties because the bride and groom are counting on us, not just for our photography under perfect circumstances, but our ability to solve problems and create memorable images no matter the situation.

We are looking forward to a 2010 wedding season full of joy, love and happiness… and yes, we prepare for the good stuff too!

The Copyright

ash+rich — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:58:15 +0000

Reasoning for Copyright Protection

Why do photographers protect and enforce their copyrights?

Those with little appreciation or respect for the photographic process will assuredly feel that photographers are just trying to squeeze more money out of the client. For those that do appreciate the craft might understand that pro photographers work their tails off to gain the knowledge and experience to produce consistent quality images. Shouldn’t photographers be compensated when their work has been used or displayed? This is where the U.S. Copyright law greatly affects every photographer’s business. By granting the artist exclusive copyright, the federal law allows the artist to charge compensation for reprinting the work in order to make a living. It also allows the artist the opportunity to be compensated for unauthorized usage.

Is it honest to purchase a print, scan it, copy it and give the illegal copies to your friends/family as gifts. No. If you purchase a pair of jeans from a store, does that entitle you to the entire stock of that exact size and style? No. Is it right to copy an image off of a photography blog and use it without permission? Even if you commissioned the image? No, it is not. It is basically the same as ripping and burning a motion picture DVD or downloading a song without purchase, which unfortunately for most people is an ethical gray area.

Basics of ©

In essence, the copyright is protection of intellectual property against any unauthorized use. The 1976 U.S. Copyright Law grants exclusive copyright to the authors of any original artwork. Such rights include:

The right to reproduce or copy
The right to create derivative works from the original work
The right to sell, lease or rent copies of the work to the public
The right to perform the work publicly, such as a musical, dramatic or literary work
The right to display the work publicly

In regards to photography, as soon as a photographer creates an image it it copyrighted. That copyright is therefore granted to the photographer or the studio he or she was an employee. This holds true with commissioned photography such as wedding or portraits. A commissioned photographer is NOT an employee of the client and therefore the copyright remains with the artist unless otherwise negotiated.

Infringement of Copyright

Whether it is done in ignorance or blatant disrespect towards an artist’s original work, copyright infringement happens all the time.

Examples

Purchased Prints

scanning a print and saving as a digital file
reprinting an image that was illegally scanned

Purchased Digital Files

duplicating files and distributing to third parties
using digital files for anything other than personal reproduction, i.e. commercial usage

Website/Blog

copying the images from a photographers website or blog, including proofing sites
using stolen images and cropping out the watermark

Distribution

using a personal reproduction license to sell / distribute any images to third parties

Any infringer of copyright is liable for actual damages of the artist loss. So if you copy off a photographers blog, you have in essence bought a digital file and will be responsible for the cost of that file. If you scan a 5×7 print and blow it up to 11×14 and put it on your mantle, you will be responsible for the photographers price for that print.

Protection of the Subjects/Clients

Copyright can also offer protection for the subjects of the photographs as well. For example, a young family in Missouri recently found out that their annual family portrait had been illegally used on a billboard for a Czech Republic grocery store. The mother who commissioned the photograph had uploaded a large resolution image to a social networking site, which was subsequently able to be searched on Google Images. The creator of the billboard may have just found this large resolution image and copied it and put it in their ad, that simple. This is an example of copyright infringement that affects the photographer and subject alike, and also displays the seriousness of unauthorized usage. Photographers and clients should openly discuss copyright and image usage to avoid situations that may be harmful to either party. Here is a link to the Czech billboard story: http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/how-did-this-familys-facebook-picture-end-up-on-a-czech-poster.html

On a Personal Note

We as photographers take copyright law seriously because it protects our work and allows us fair compensation for any print and product derived from our skill, knowledge and experience. Please if you have any questions on usage of commissioned images, please contact your photographer; better safe than sorry.

It takes us how long?

ash+rich — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:57:14 +0000

As wedding photographers we get a bit busy this time of year so I decided to reflect on the amount of time (effort) we actually spend on one wedding presenting, preparing, photographing, editing and (again) presenting. I low-balled most of these estimates but I would say it takes at least 60 hours of work for us to produce a wedding and at least another 25 hours on album design. And probably half of our weddings exceed these time parameters. Wow, that seems like a lot of effort, however when you feel that your are putting out an exceptional product for great people it is well worth the effort.

We could probably cut our work flow in half by outsourcing post-production and album design, or by choosing to offer a lesser product to our clients. However, Ashley and I take great pride in our work and presenting that work to our clients, who, in turn, appreciate our efforts. That appreciation drives our efforts and in the end we enjoy all of it, no matter the late nights, early mornings and 10 hour shoots with nothing but a Red Bull and a banana in between.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we actually do for ALL of our clients.

30 min – Phone/Email Inquiry: Answering initial questions plus scheduling face to face appointment
1 hr – Initial Meeting & Consultation Preparation: This includes prepping the studio, sample albums, forms, brochures and contracts.
2 hr – Initial Meeting & Consultation: This will be our presentation to our prospective clients, plus question and answer.
1 hr – Contract Finalization
30 min – Logging client information/order information into our system
1 hr – Miscellaneous emails to set up Engagement Session
1 hr – Prep for Engagement Session
4 hr – Engagement Session w/ travel
5 hr – Post Production for Engagement session: upload, editing, archiving and preparation for viewing.
2 hr – E-session orders: Submit, log and package orders for shipment
1 hr – Miscellaneous communication regarding orders (phone or email).
2 hr – Meeting wedding coordinator and venue scouting
2 hr – Finalizing the bride’s information sheet, so we know the complete rundown of the day’ events
3 hr – Prepping for wedding: Gear prep, attire prep, logistics

26 hours on the wedding preparation

2 hr – Travel to and from the venue
8 hr – Photographing wedding
20 hr – Post production from upload to preview
2 hr – Preparation for preview meeting
2 hr – Preview meeting

34 hours on the actual wedding

60 hours minimum from initial contact until the images are ready for viewing

2 hr – Album meeting / Style selection
1 hr – Unarchiving selected images
3 hr – Retouching selected images
4 hr – Inital design and layout of album
1 hr – Preparing and sending initial preview for bride and groom approval
2 hr – Redesign and changes as requested
1 hr – Preparing and sending 2nd draft for approval
3 hr – Finalizing and proofing all pages, images and layouts
3 hr – Ordering/tracking/receiving/shipping of prints to the bookbinders
1 hr – Ordering album
1 hr – Receiving and inspecting album for errors
1 hr – Packaging album for delivery
2 hr – Personal delivery of album by Ashley and myself

25 hours on the album production

85 hours minimum from the initial meeting until the album is delivered

Long story short = we work a little more than the avg. person would expect ; )

- (Added since our original post) You can tack on another 20 hours (from prep to order) for those couples who choose to do the Rock-the-Dress session that is included in all our packages.

The Anticipation

ash+rich — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:37:28 +0000

Worcester, Ma – May 30, 2009.

Ashley and I had such a geat time at Tim and Cathleen’s wedding. Here are a few images from the anticipation of their wedding.

Castle Hill Wedding, The Crane Estate; Ipswich, MA

ash+rich — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:11:09 +0000

Ipswich, Ma – Castle Hill at the Crane Estate is a great backdrop for any wedding, especially on a beautiful afternoon in May. Truly one of New England’s most unique and picturesque wedding venues. Please visit their website for more information. This was one of the best times we’ve had working at a wedding; the bride and groom, family and friends were wonderful and the staff was efficient, courteous and professional.
Congratulations to Carol and Paul; thank you for inviting Ashley and I into your wedding day, we had a great time. – RP

Thank You !!! More pictures to come ; )

Where are the rest of the pictures?

ash+rich — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:09:13 +0000

Quantity Vs. Quality: The Photographers Edit

As portrait and wedding photographers we work with people who may not be accustomed to the professional workflow from the shoot to the presentation. So when we show just under 30 images for a portrait/engagement session we sometimes hear the question, “What happened to the rest of the pictures?” The short of it is that professional photographers are extremely selective of the images they show their clients and I’ve listed some reasons below:

Any commissioned photographer wants to WOW their clients, so only the best of the best make it to the presentation; any weak images in the collection take away from the stronger ones.
Any unflattering pose, facial expression or angle may be seen by the photographer only in post-production and will be immediately discarded.
During a session the photographer will take multiple variations of a single pose but may only show the absolute most stunning image. Any repetitive images in the presentation tend to clutter the group. Variety is key to an overall strong collection.
There are times when a photographer is trying a new technique or having fun with the subjects to keep them engaged in the shoot. These images may not turn out but they are still a productive part of the photographic experience, for the artist and the subject.

So when preparing for your photography session ask your photographer how many images to expect and you’ll most definitely get a ballpark figure. This may positively affect your immediate reaction to your images.

Photographers: How many images do you show for an average portrait or engagement session?

Comments are welcome and encouraged… thanks

~R & A

Pros Vs. Joes: The Wedding Photography Choice

ash+rich — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:11:41 +0000

You always have the option of cutting out the pro photographer and letting a novice or advanced amateur shoot it.

“My cousin/uncle/friend bought a digital SLR and they take pretty pictures so they will definitely be able to handle a wedding, right?”

“Maybe not.”

If you are not into photography in general then I’m guessing you don’t really want to invest the money in professional wedding photography, and that is ok. As long as there are limited expectations put on the amateur’s work, everything should fall into place. On the plus side, you will at least have some pictures of your wedding day and have saved a considerable amount of money. And what if your amateur turns out to be a natural talent, and ends up being sparked into greatness because of your wedding? There is always that possibility, but the odds are against it, and at the end of the day there can be NO complaints about your amateur photographer missing this shot or that shot. NO complaints about being handed a disk of images that are dark, out of focus and not properly sized. NO complaints about your “online print store” book that really didn’t come out that good. The adage “you get what you pay for” is usually spot on in this regard.

However, if you love pictures and really appreciate the art of story-telling photography, you are going to want to consider investing in professional services. A dedicated wedding photographer will have the sense of purpose necessary for anticipating moments, posing portraits and maintaining a high level of creativity throughout the day. Not to mention the hours a professional will spend preparing your images for preview, print and album design. Consider the overall experience that you receive from a true professional and that is a large part of the investment.

It is a matter of determining YOUR level of appreciation for photography. Every one places their own value on such a subjective experience; but in the wedding planning arena it is often viewed as just another commodity, that can be easily replicated by the inexperienced. So if you choose someone outside the industry please adjust your expectations to match their experience.

If anyone has used a cousin/uncle/friend as their main source of wedding photography, we’d love to hear how it turned out, good or bad, and please post a link to the pictures.