Christopher Kijowski Photography- Monday Musings March 10, 2010[…]Christopher
- Monday Musings March 10, 2010This past week was a good week. It was busy, but it was good. There were quite a few highlights. Nothing big or over-the-top, it just felt like one of those weeks where everything clicked The Olympics have come to an end. I love watching the games and love even more hearing the stories of the [...] […]Christopher
- Kristina & Jason: The Engagement Session March 10, 2010Kristina and Jason met in April 2007. Jason was living in Binghamton, NY and was planning a weekend return home to Utica, NY. Kristina had just returned home to Utica from Pittsburgh. Unbeknownst to each of them the brother/sister matchmaking pair of Roseanne and Dickie were hard at work behind the scenes. Â The couple had [...] […]Christopher
- Monday Musings March 10, 2010Monday, Monday, Monday. Some people refer to Monday in a negative way. We say things like, “I have the Monday morning blues.” I’m not the biggest fan of Monday but I don’t hate them either. For me, Monday is the start of many things, the least of which is a new week. One of my [...] […]Christopher
- Mardi Gras 2010 March 10, 2010The Mardi Gras parade in Buffalo, NY sponsored by Artvoice. I rode with the crew from the OB/GYN department at Northwest Buffalo Community Health Care Center in Buffalo. it was a very cold but fun time. Diana, Joyce and Yaritza. Three great people to hang out with in the back of a pickup truck throwing out [...] […]Christopher
- Monday Musings March 10, 2010It’s Monday again. For me this new week begins after a three-day weekend. This week moved by rapidly, not as rapidly as the previous week but rapidly nonetheless. For the most part it was uneventful. In many ways it was a “normal” week. typical with its many ups and downs. Normal for me means more ups [...] […]Christopher
- Happy Valentine’s Day March 10, 2010Valentine’s Day is here. It has been celebrated since the third century in Rome when Valentine, who was thought to be a priest was put to death by Emperor Claudius II. This, after Valentine defied Claudius when Claudius outlawed marriage of young men as he thought single men made better soldiers than did married men. [...] […]Christopher
- Sara and EJ: A Preview of the Engagement session. Part II March 10, 2010I met with Sara and EJ Sunday morning to complete what has become affectionately known by me as “Part II” of the couple’s engagement session. If you recall the couple’s first or originally scheduled engagement session began with rain and was eventually rained out after just 30-minutes of shooting. I still can’t believe it… […]Christopher
- Monday Musings March 10, 2010This past week was mostly a blur. I recall Monday and I recall Friday. I don’t recall much that took place in between. I was happy to see Friday come to an end. I have one of those headaches that circumvented my entire head and you knew wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. I swore [...] […]Christopher
- Kristina & Jason: An Engagement Session Preview March 10, 2010Jason and I have known each other for several months. The couple wanted to do a winter photo shoot so they had photos for Save the Date cards. Man was it cold outside. I mean you know it’s cold when the snow crunches under your feet and the tip of your nose tingles within minutes [...] […]Christopher
- Monday Musings March 10, 2010
Monthly Archives: January 2009
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Make-A-Wish
January 29, 2009 – 4:58 PM
Super Bowl Special!!!!
January 26, 2009 – 4:51 AM
Super Bowl Sunday is THIS weekend and I couldn’t just let it go by without attaching it to some sort of special, so to help celebrate the big game, this is what I am going to do.
Book a shoot (creative fees and travel expenses must be paid in full upon booking) for any time this spring, summer or fall and I will give you a $1.00 print credit for every point scored by either team. So, if the score is 28-7, you will receive a $35.00 print credit toward your prints after your shoot. If we have a low scoring game and the score ends up being 7-3, I will give you at least a minimum print credit of $25.00.
Send me an email to check for open dates (my booking calendar’s not up yet) and we’ll book your date ASAP.
This offer is due to expire Monday after the completion of the Super Bowl.
Let’s hope for a high scoring game!!!
Small but Large Print -
Print credits are only good for prints or digital file packages and cannot be used toward creative fees, canvas’, custom made cards, etc. Offer only good for new bookings.
Go Steelers!! Go Cardinals!! I haven’t decided who I’m going to root for. Steelers are essentially in my backyard but for me the Cards are the sentimental favorites. I hope I figure this out before the start of the game.
You will also want to keep coming back…better yet why don’t you just add us to your Google Reader and we’ll be brought directly to your computer with every posted update. Well, I digress you will want to keep coming back to get information on some new packages we’re in the process of developing. One will be our “Senior, Senior” shoot and another will be our “Help me help you” shoot. That ought to keep you guessing this early in the morning.
hey! you found me!
January 25, 2009 – 6:12 AM
Welcome. If you’ve traveled the distance from my old blog to see the ne blog and see what we’re up to…Thank’s for coming! I hopoe you like what you see and like what you read.
My goal with this blog is to show you my photography and let you into my life so you can share it with me. After all that’s what photography is all about. We take photos so we can keep the memories, look back upon those special times and then share them with others.
I also want to share my life with you because it’s my belief that when you hire a photographer you are hiring the person, the personality. We’ve all heard the horror stories of the photographer who was hired only to show up late or not be the person who represented themselves so well during an interview for the job. We’ve also all heard brides say to their guests, ‘That’s not the photographer I hired. They never told me they would be sending someone else.” I hate that. I thrive on excellent customer service and standing behind the product and service I offer.
So, with that in mind, I hope you’ll follow me on this journey. I’d like to invite you to be my guest both via the Internet and in person. If you like what you see here you can navigate to my full website at http://christopherkijowskiphotography.com.
Come on in from the cold and let’s have some fun!
wedding photography: what you should know.
January 24, 2009 – 6:20 PM
Quality wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of your wedding day. After all is said and done all you have left to remember your wedding day are your photographs. It is important to choose a photographer whose style resonates with your own and who moves you. Once you’ve narrowed down the list there are several questions you should ask the photographers you interview.
Is it possible to see a sample album from an entire wedding? It is relatively easy to showcase a few amazing shots, but being able to see an album with the entire wedding will help you know whether or not the photographer you are considering is consistent in their work. There are no do-overs at your wedding and you don’t want to have to pay several thousand dollars only to find that your wedding photographer was having an “off day.” Look for someone who consistently produces images that inspire and move you.
How soon do we get to see the photos and how soon do we receive the wedding album? Each photographer has a different work flow and a different time-frame for post-processing your photos. When you meet with your photographer, make sure that their timeline is consistent with your needs. As for the album, we have all heard the horror stories who didn’t receive their albums until over one year after they have approved their album images and layouts. Ask questions about album turnaround time and ask that this time-frame be added to your contract.
Do you include a disc of the images? Including a full disc of the images (which is different from a DVD slide-show of the images) is a hot button topic for many wedding photographers. This is a practice which varies from photographer to photographer. Some photographers will include this with their higher priced packages and some will include it for an additional fee. There are also some photographers who will give this as an anniversary gift on your first anniversary. Still there are other photographers who do not include the images at all. There are valid reasons for each of these approaches and you will need to be comfortable with the one your wedding photographer employs.
How many hours of photographic coverage are offered? Many wedding photographers offer different packages that also offer different time frames for coverage. Usually the less expensive packages offer the fewest number of coverage hours. It will be important for you to define whether or not “start to finish” coverage is important or do you just want coverage of the bride getting dressed and the church ceremony. Many photographers are not willing to discuss options but if it is important to you it should be a topic discussed during your interview with your photographer.
Remember, when you hire a photographer you are hiring the photographer for their personality and their creative ability. Make sure during your interview you feel comfortable with your photographer. Make sure you read their “raves” or their “testimonials” on their website or blog and if possible talk to some of their clients. If they are confident with their work they should allow you to speak with their clients, if they say no this should be a red flag. Be honest and upfront with your photographer and let them know what you expect. if you desire add it to your contract.
As a wedding photographer in Western New York we cover the areas of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester and the Southern Tier. We do not packages per se but work together with the bride and groom to develop a package that will meet their needs.
your wedding timeline
January 24, 2009 – 11:14 AM
The timeline for your wedding day is one of the most important pieces of paper on to have with you at all times on your wedding day. It will tell you, your bridal party and your vendors where to be and when. If you’ve hired a wedding planner or a day of coordinator (commonly referred to as a DOC), their services should include creating a timeline for you and you won’t have to worry about it. I also recommend making sure your photographer has a copy of this timeline as well as the Maid of Honor and Best Man. After All these are the individuals who will be with you at all times throughout the busy day. I once photographed a wedding and the flowers were not delivered in time. No one had the contact information for the florist but me. We were able to contact the florist and ensure they were en route and able to make the delivery.
If you choose to not hire a wedding coordinator, here are some must-have events to include on your wedding day timeline:
*The time the church and/or reception hall or event space opens. Your set-up team and any vendors making deliveries will need to know when they are allowed to start decorating or drop off rental items.
*The time the linens will be placed on tables and chairs. The rest of the table cannot be set until the linens are in place. Make sure that the linens are being delivered early enough in the day so that everything can get set correctly and on time.
*Floral delivery time. Centerpieces generally need to be set prior to your tableware. Also make sure that you arrange for your flowers to be delivered before your photos begin so that you have your flowers in place for your pictures. There’s nothing worse for a photographer who enjoys photographing those details to walk into the reception area 30-minutes before the guests and bridal party to find the table settings lacking. There is a large amount of photography and remembrances that is ultimately missed.
*The time the reception tables will be set. (See above.)
*Hair and makeup times for you and your attendants. Be sure to include the location of the salon and stylists if being done off-site.
*When photos and video begin. Many photographers and videographers now offer packages which range from 5-10 hours of event coverage. If you have opted for fewer hours, choose which end of your wedding you want more memories of and adjust their arrival times accordingly. For example, you may decide you want them to arrive earlier to capture more getting ready shots and leave the crazy dance photos for your friends’ point and shoots, or you may want to skip the prep photos and have your photographer snapping shots of you and your groom making your grand exit instead.
*Time you leave for the ceremony from the location you are getting ready. Don’t make your driving estimates based on how long it takes you to personally drive from one location to the other. Look up the route on Google maps and add an additional 20-30 minutes. You may arrive earlier but it’s better to be early on your wedding day than to have your entire wedding party stuck in unexpected traffic.
*The time guests will begin to arrive. Plan for the first guest to arrive about 30 minutes early, sometimes more. Some people are prompt, and it is better to have everything ready before then.
*The time the ceremony begins.
*The time the ceremony ends.
*Cocktail hour start time.
*The time the doors for the reception open, if in a different location than the cocktail hour.
*The reception grand entrance and introductions.
*The times the formal dances will take place.
*The times the toasts will take place. I prefer to schedule the toasts earlier in the reception as opposed to later on because it allows your best man, maid of honor and whomever else may be speaking to relax sooner. During the salad course or between the salad and main course can be a great time because it doesn’t keep your guests waiting to be fed and it doesn’t reduce the flow of the evening into choppy segments.
*The time meal service will begin. This ensures that food is served hot. There is nothing worse than guests who complain about cold food.
*The time of the cake cutting.
*The time you and your fiance make your grand exit.
*Last dance and the time your guests must leave. Some guests will want to stay and party the entire night allowing the caterers to become upset with you.
*And finally the time that all vendors must be packed up and have left in order to avoid any overtime charges from the venue.
These are some major points to include, and with these on the timeline, the other events will be able to fall into place more naturally.