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Awesome Events & Personalities

Why the Best Event Photography is More Than Just Showing Up With a Cool Camera & Flash

The Best Event Photography is Invaluable in Weddings,, Corporate and Special Events…Period.

Note to start this: So many times I’ve heard friends, family and colleagues tell me stories about hiring their friend, neighbor, ‘new guy’ or something to that effect to save money on their event or give someone with very little experience a ‘chance’ to capture their event. This isn’t exactly the best event photography you could find. Getting it wrong isn’t an option. Being very inexperienced is not a great excuse. Too many people I know have learned the hard way and we’re here to help!

Event = One Time Occurance | Compare this to other event details and see if it makes sense:

1) Event Greeting Ambassadors/Team: Let’s say you’re a major annual event and everyone needs to be checked in properly, with diligence and special guests taken care of properly. Let’s say they need to dress accordingly and be able to handle any issues that may arise. Would you hire a couple ‘friends’ or someone who’s new to customer service and doesn’t know anything about this type of event or it’s caliber of guests? Doubtful.

2) Event or Wedding Catering: Next to the event space the catering is usually next in line for budget addressing. Likely you’re not going to hire your neighbor or buddy to save a few dollars who likely cannot produce the volume and quantity of your needs with amazing efficiency and taste such as an experienced Seattle, Bellevue or Tacoma-local catering company.

3) Event Security: Imagine a large event with inexperienced security protecting your guests and the integrity of your event. You’re likely not going to hire a first time company with little experience. You want event professionals who know will do a great job with years of experience behind them for your Seattle, Bellevue or Redmond event.

4) Event and/or Wedding Planning: For weddings many brides choose to cut corners on this element then wonder why everything didn’t go smoothly, they had twice the headaches and wound up having almost a second job for a few months trying to coordinate their vendors and event. Ugh! And for corporate parties and events they never go without having a highly experienced event planner as they value what they bring to the table. Events run smoothly, all the details are preset and ready to go, it’s easy.

And the list goes on…yet so many times businesses, committees and the public neglect hiring a the best event photography team for their events in Bellevue, Seattle and Tacoma areas.

For your next event —-> Hire a professional quality event photography team to capture your special event, corporate party or function…you’ll thank yourself later!

SOLO Wine party 1000px 08-02-17 smp2

Best Senior Picture Outfits

Senior Portrait Photographer | Seattle, Redmond & Bellevue

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Welcome to senior year! It’s exciting to be so close to the end of your high school career! When you’ve gotten this far, you’ve probably carved out your personal style pretty well. This is good, because the first step this year is senior pictures—these personalized portraits will be the lingering impression you leave on people who you fall out of touch with after high school. Be sure to look your best and look like yourself!

Below are three broad categories on the best senior picture outfits you can try, and how to pull them off!

Hipster

Are you a trendsetter who’s goal is to look like today’s music inspirations? Think about this style as a canvas for whatever your artistic self thinks looks good..because almost ANYthing goes here!

The past few years have seen ‘hipsterdom’ turn mainstream, always leaving room for interpretation and loads of room for improvisation. Mix, match, bend, twist (and shout) to create your own style and defy the norm!

Guys are pulling out all the goods! From suspenders, bow ties and thick glasses to jorts, straw trilbies and more crazy combinations of these. Think about this style as your canvas where tighter jeans are cool, tight everything is pretty much cool, and the wilder the hat and accessories the better! If you have tats you’re definitely in the norm as well…parental approved of course!

Girls tend to lean towards more eclectic accessories, preferably made of wood and string in some circles, and all the better if you make them yourself!! Wearing babydoll dresses, anything sporting a high-waist like a hotpant style, and draped denim shirts are leading the way also. And of course, plaid flannels, beanies and scarves are staples for the fellas and the ladies. Feel free to think 80’s with your hairstyle and jewelry. Colorful and artistic leads the way for sure!

Preppy

Clean, fit and sporty!? Prepsters and Ivy Leaguers to-be have an easy time putting together the best senior picture outfits as this style is easy to shop for since the fashion is already established.

Guys: Toss a navy blazer over pretty much anything and a rep tie with school colors or something classic, go for a more clean jeans style and maybe rock your favorite color pants. Polos, button-ups and loafers of any style welcomed!

Ladies: Rock those bright cardigans over your favorite patterned dress, go ultra preppy with a scarf and polo with capris and Vans, or keep it clean in all white and clean lines. See also: polka dots, houndstooth, and nautical stripes. Keep your jewelry simple and clean, maybe think faux pearls, colorful but subtle jewelry and very simple hair.

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Urban

Hip and hop! Streetwear is, and always has been just plain cool. Definitely ‘keep it real’.

Wear your favorite style of high top Jordans with neon laces, big flashy logos, and straight bill hats— all done in a casual and loose fit with room to spare. Bonus points available if you rep your local ‘hood or town (on your T-shirt, hat or jewelry for example). Hoodies and rain jackets can get a lot of play with this style and introduce some pops of color to your wardrobe. Make sure you’ve got the hair to match, unless you really want to try out a faux hawk with a basketball jersey.

Fellas: All about the vibe here! Simple items with a matching color theme will look the best. If you’re a Seahawks fan maybe it’s a jersey with a navy hat, dark denim and bright kicks. In colder weather throw on that hoodie and maybe add a parka of that might be just a little too big.

Ladies: Make baggy and tight work as a team! Be sure to think your colors need to match better than with a more hipster look (where anything goes). If you’re into blue and white, make it all blue and white (or close). Big kicks, hats, beenies, big bracelets and bangals and crazy color jeans and jeggs work well here. Go fun with your hair or pull it back for a hot look!

Summary

Be real with who you are, and remember that your best senior portrait outfit is just the wrapping on the streetwear attitude you need to show off in your photo! Stand out among your peers with your best senior picture outfit—something truly original and memorable.

There are many ways of dressing in our day-to-day lives, but we only get one time to have your senior portraits taken. Choose the look that fits you the best and make it as good as it can possibly be. Once the outfit is chosen, make sure you have a photographer who can really make it pop!

By Julian Michael > Contact him for your senior portraits today!

 

Bellevue Events Photographer: 5 Vital Traits for a Winning Experience

Bellevue Events Photographer | Serving Seattle, Bellevue & Tacoma areas

5 Winning Traits to a Great Event Photography Company

Great with People

Hi, hello, please and thank you, you’re welcome…words you’ll hear often by a personable and polite events photographer. Your photographer should be these things plus professional, cordial, assertive if needed, and flexible on-site. This is important at business events and especially at personal events in dealing with a variety of other personalities in a fixed amount of time. Your best Bellevue events photographers will be someone your guests feel they could crack open some champagne with (though not on the job or course)…it’s happened on a variety of occasions with Julian and team!

Julian and his team will make your guests feel relaxed and when needed you’re barely notice they’re there.

bellevue, events, photographer, seattle, corporate, nonprofit, photos, photography, tacomaThank you so much for doing a terrific job with our event! Everyone was thrilled with the pictures!  – Jeff, Junior Achievement Annual Fundraiser Event Chair

Sometimes, the photographer must be unobtrusive and capture candid shots of the event’s guests. However, not every picture-worthy moment arrives organically. Some shots are posed shots of couples, groups, teams or important executives or award winners, for example. Having a photographer whom your guests are comfortable with can most accurately direct people (who many times are used to the being the one giving the orders!).

Ability to Improvise

No event is identical. No set of guests are the same. Every event is unique and improvisation is paramount!

Skilled improvisers can think ‘on the fly’, ‘get it done’, and work well under pressure, like Julian and team. This might consist of preparing shade, reflection, props and illumination from available objects, bring different groups of people together for staged shots, and handle changing weather for outdoor events. Always choose a photographer with light feet and a nimble mind!

Excellence in Composition

We want to capture the entire setting from wide to close up! A professional knows how to compose a scene the moment it happens, 10min before, and identify other moments that others may not see. For your corporate fundraiser or annual function your keynote speaker may be on-stage for anywhere from 10 to 30-minutes and we want to capture several angles, expressions and reactions.

During the reception or silent auction we will aim to capture the setting and features of your function, while aiming for excellence in composition and lighting with natural expressions and vibe. The best Bellevue events photographers will quickly observe the surroundings in any scene, seeking out foreground elements available for depth of field and any potential distractions in the background. Aiming for excellence in composition seems like a simple task, but is a detailed planning process that is continuous and produces the high quality imagery you expect to see for your event to look larger than life.

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Timeliness & Planning

Obviously your event photographer should show up on time to make sure they capture every valuable second of material, but equally important is the timely delivery of the raw and edited photos—these days people can’t wait to get pictures of their events on Facebook and other social networks. A timely photographer makes sure your friends and guests can start tagging themselves right away!

Efficiency

Time is of the essence! Once the event begins there’s no time for planning, it’s ‘GO’ time. Thus, your events photographer needs to be quick on their feet with a clear focus of the objectives in mind. Your best Seattle & Bellevue events photographers will have the location already mapped, have a clear idea of what shots need to be captured and when, and they’ll have a great point person to direct them when/if needed. They’ll usually take a variety of angles and provide options to the client.

Making every action count with no downtime is what separates the best Seattle & Bellevue events photographers from the amateurs. This ensures that you get the most out of your photographer, whether at a wedding, birthday, cocktail party, business conference or keynote. I know that’s what I would want!

By Julian Michael > Contact him for your event today!

 

Headshots With a King5 News Bonus! > Kerry Wallingford of Seattle

New look, New Portraits, New Vibe. Coming to You ‘Live’!

On-location lifestyle headshots with Kerry Wallingford of Wallingford Financial & College Planning

seattle headshot photographer julian michael bellevue headshotsOnly a year after I first offered to update her professional headshots we came out with some fabulous new results! Between lots of business travel, speaking engagements and changing hairstyles and color, and of course the ‘I want to look my best’ syndrome many of us suffer from (lol), I was able to capture Kerry at her very best.

That Friday morning we had already scheduled her headshots session when I receive an early text saying simply, “Julian, I’m being interviewed by King 5 News at 10:30!” She was to be interviewed about strategies for college planning and the impact this has on a family’s overall financial planning and goals for a segment that aired recently on November 21st.

Excited for my client, I headed out earlier than planned to her offices in Burien from Redmond, luckily with no traffic. Upon arriving she was dressed her best, glowing with excitement and her office was about as tidy as anyone’s ever seen it!

“Wow, these look amazing,” she said halfway through her session to her surprise. I had to inform her that my goal is nothing short of making all my clients look amazing every time!

Wallingford King5 Interview

Seattle Photographer Chase Jarvis Rocks ‘Creative Mornings’ Presentation About Bravery, Art and Imperfection

Im[p]erfection | An Inspiring Look at Creativity and Art At It’s Core With Seattle-Grown Photographer Chase Jarvis (aka Rockstar)

November 8, 2013 from Starbucks in Newcastle because it sounded like fun to write this.

by Julian Michael, Kreate Media

Face your fears. Be brave. Embrace your message. It won’t be perfect. It definitely won’t be perfect the first time. All touchpoints for today’s conversation at the Experience Music Project at Seattle Center with bigger-than-life yet so down to earth, Chase Jarvis.

“What an awesome f%cking town we love in,” Jarvis opened his talk with. Who would argue with him, he’s right!

Keeping with the vibe, I was absolutely f%cking inspired to be in the presence of a modern day legend in the creative and photography community worldwide. Today Jarvis made me take a long hard look at what I’m doing with my life, with my creativity, how fear and passion work hand in hand, how I need to get more work out there instead of talking about it and developing it in my own im[p]erfection. Without knowing it, Jarvis made me shift a gear this morning forever.

Boasting some of the world’s prime Fortune 100 clients such as Apple, Nike, Microsoft, Toyota, REI and many more premium clients around the globe he’s had the chance to see many perspectives and many things most of us would dream about in our highly centralized lives. We’re allowed to dream, though…right!? I mean that’s what his talk was really about, about getting your dreams into reality through whatever channel that may be.

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Projects = Bleeding Passion & Pure Creativity. We need to do more of these.

“Did you know Ansel Adams used to sell his paintings for 25-cents or up to three dollars,” riveted Jarvis about the famous landscape portrait artist during his 90-minute chat. Jarvis shared that Adams was actually a musician first and that he used this channel with high-end audiences to divulge his love of photography. “Are you willing to sell your art for 25-cents or three dollars,” Jarvis asked the audience inadvertently.

Hearing his account of Adams really made me circle back to when I was starting out trying to capture the sports and lifestyle modeling agencies’ attention in the northwest. A few years ago I embarked on eight months of pro-bono portrait sessions with talented models I hand-selected for three to four-hour sessions up and down the west coast looking to rid myself of the imperfections and find the very best to present agencies. It worked! I landed dozens of jobs for leading agencies and produced some amazing images during this period. But only after thousands of dollars in expense, thousands of hours on-site, countless hours buried inside my laptop burning the candle at both ends on the Photoshop and Lightroom wave. I was passionate. I was churning out my creativity daily with imperfection, fear or failing and ambition leading the way. That was awesome! That was was flashed though my head today.

Creative minds think similarly in their function. That little mouse wheel is always turning and if there’s no outlet, the wheel just keeps on turning and turning, many times with a new mouse on the wheel. CreativeLive, ChaseJarvis, Seattle 100, and Songs for Eating and Drinking are all recent Chase Jarvis endeavors where a different mouse jumped on the wheel, was fully explored and evolved into real life enterprises, businesses and/or experiences for many.

Phenomenal. Just absolutely phenomenal to take action on so many types of endeavors (projects) and create, build, learn, grow, get it wrong and get it right. I’m in awe.

Macklemore, helicopters & the line at Zoka and the power of boots

“He was just out of rehab, living out his parents’ basement,” Jarvis said about the now famous R&B megastar Macklemore pertaining to a video clip he showed from his ‘Songs for Eating and Drinking’ series he produces. “(Macklemore) was so vulnerable that day,” he added. You could see it in his eyes.

Jarvis’ clip shows Macklemore reciting ‘Wings’ and other popular lyrics that eventually went multi-platinum. It’s casual, cool with an ultra-live feel. It’s #epic what Jarvis is doing with this series of bringing together silos of creative Seattle-based talent in a variety of musical arenas for a concerto of sorts that drive the creative bus to new horizons…including the top of the Sorrento Hotel apparently, according to Jarvis.

Zoka: The Birthplace of the ‘Best Camera‘ App

In Seattle there are a chain of coffeeshops called ‘Zoka’, which are quaint and cozy, usually larger than most, and darn if they don’t have rockin’ customer service and coffee drinks (yelp.com where are you?). Jarvis was standing in line at Zoka in 2008 (-ish) waiting for his daily dish of espresso when his buddies continue to give him sh&t about taking pictures with his (ghetto) flip-phone, spending way too much time trying to edit them, then attempting to share them. He had an epiphany…why is there nothing out there capable of all this in one!?

Apps, as in iPhone apps, etc, were just coming out and legitimately Jarvis’ new app claimed first to market with amazing potential. Many of us now know the very popular app ‘Instagram’ sold for a whopping amount of money to Facebook. Jarvis admitted to failure by missing a window of opportunity that was ultimately due to not embracing the Im[p]erfection that accompanied such an endeavor. A learning experience worth billions, almost literally. The audience was a little more silent during this segment.

“Entrepreneurs are artists. And artists are entrepreneurs,” Jarvis almost muttered. “I wish I would have known that at that time.” I found myself nodding my head uncontrollably during this segment. I meet dozens of entrepreneurs on a weekly basis, many of which forget or haven’t fully acknowledged their true contribution to society and the world. This quote will forever resonate with me.

Boots (as in Bootstrapping): CreativeLive is Alive

For most entrepreneurs ‘bootstrapping‘, or using one’s own funds (typically in limited amounts) is the preferred and often the only method of getting their idea, business model, technology and/or concept, into the world. For Jarvis, this was just another endeavor that started small and made a big impact.

“Our goal is to transcend the barriers of three most common barriers to education: Geography, Cost, and Access,” said Jarvis about the ‘why’ for creating this online educational platform.

CreativeLive is an endeavor he believes will grow even more influential than his Best Camera app, which was voted a top app by the New York Times, according to Jarvis. This medium opens the doors to creatives and people in general to learn directly from the leaders in the creative world on a live platform brought exclusively to their front internet door! #epic!!

“Done is better than perfect,” is really what I heard emphasized throughout his talk. This was a quote from a friend of mine in the professional organizing world, Denise Rosemont of Simply Placed. Little does she know this single quote has allowed me to accomplish so much the past few years that my perfectionist mentality (common for creatives) was holding me back from. Thank you again Denise!

Combine this quote with those of Jarvis’ words and I’m ready to kick some Im[p]erfection ass in the near future with a side of fear overcome! Holler back atcha Macklemore and thanks millions Chase for a great morning of inspiration.

To learn more about ‘Creative Mornings’ visit their Seattle site at http://creativemornings.com/cities/sea.

Julian Michael is a Seattle-based Photographer and Creative Director who enjoys capturing people, sharing and telling stories and working within a variety of creative fields to keep the fire going. Cheers! Reach him at jm (at) julian-michael.com