We've Moved!

We are moving our blog to our own internal servers. We really want to have a little more control over the design of our blog, so we have opted to use WordPress.

Please update your links to reflect our new address: http://blog.kaufmankramer.com !

See you there!

Lindsay and Mike

Cold weather shooting

Nikon D200
ISO 100
18-70mm
Large hunting boots
Wool socks

Production photos from yesterday's session

Yes, snow. Always a good time. We still have the responsibility to produce good work, even when we are freezing our asses off.

Its a great idea to show clients great shots as you take them. It builds their confidence, and it re-assures them that you are getting some great photos.

Sometimes you have to go places you may not want to to get the shot.

We'll be posting some more pics from Lindsay and Mike's session a bit later this week. Their Animoto video will follow shortly.

Megan and Jeff

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share with all of you our latest engagement session. Chris and I got a chance to hang out with Megan and Jeff at our alma mater, Bowling Green State. We had a blast even though it was a bit cold outside. As a photographer, you may not always have the weather on your side, but it's your ability to adapt for any situation that forces you to get creative with your lighting, posing, what-have-you.

Megan and Jeff both met each other at Bowling Green, and their wedding is actually taking place in the campus chapel. It's a very cool location because of the abundance of 100-year old trees located around the chapel. Megan and Jeff also wanted to create some cool "Save-the-Date" invitations for family and friends, so we shot a series of "photobooth" style photography for them to use. They appear at the end of their engagement video.

While I have the opportunity to write, I wanted to tell you about a funny story that happened that day. Chris and I were both shooting with d300's, and Chris had the 24-70mm lens, and I had the 70-200mm lens. David, one of our up and coming shooters wanted to lend us a hand with the shoot, so as he was assisting, he went to look over my shoulder at what I was shooting. As he bent over, there was a bit of a ripping sound, which I didn't hear, but he swears to (sorry Dave), followed by a look of surprise and suspense. David then proceeded to wear a jacket around his waist all day. This was all pretty funny throughout the day because the rip in his pants was literally a good 6-8 inches in length. Little did David know that the majority of our shoot would be spent walking from one end of campus to the other, which could total up to almost a mile each way. So, this is my opportunity to embarrass Dave, which I so rarely have the opportunity to do, but a good story nonetheless.

Hope you enjoy the photos!

-Steve

A portrait from Megan and Jeff's Engagement Session

Hi all. I am in the middle of post production on Megan and Jeff's engagement session, but I thought I would throw up this pic. Jeff requested that we do some headshots that he could use on his website. Of course, we were happy to do what we could. I think the series we did for him works very well. You'll be seeing an Animoto video of their session later this week. For now, here are the specs:

Nikon D300
SB800 off camera, shot through a large tri-grip
1/200
f/5.6
is0 200
24-70mm

Angels on the 1st

Hey everyone. Shot some more angels this weekend, and thought I would share some of the images. A word to the wise about shooting this type of subject, buy knee pads. These angels, and other statues are sometimes very small, requiring you to get very low to the ground, which can be quite uncomfortable at times. Also, if the ground is wet, you'll have to walk around with a big wet spot on your pants...trust me, I know from experience.

Camera specs:
Nikon D200
ISO Fairly Low
105 f/2.8 Micro
Lexar and Sandisk digital film
Aperture Priority

Trash the Dress (The Long Awaited Video)

Ha. This is a long awaited video! I can honestly say that this particular shoot was probably my favorite for Kaufman Kramer thus far because it was such a departure for us in terms of photography. We got a chance to work with Erica and Danny, (featured in this video) who are absolutely wonderful to work with. They're daring, and completely open to new ideas and pushing the envelope.

So, a little background history about this session. During the summer, we sponsored a mini-Kaufman Kramer Photography Weekend, and the idea was to work with each other and our friends on different types of lighting. The weekend culminated in a "Trash the Dress" session with Erica and Danny. This session was split into two different areas. First, we wanted to shoot on a beach, and since there are SO many beaches here in Ohio, well... you get the idea. We had to get creative on where to go and how to pull it off. The second part of their session was shot at a park in Mansfield, as well as Mohican State Park. I think that when you check out their photography, you'll see a great blend between the edgy, high-contrast photography we love, and the dynamic "on-location" lighting we are starting to specialize in.

Erica and Danny, thank you so much for your patience with us as we put together all of your photography! (They've been waiting a month for their "Trash the Dress" shots) I just wanted to make sure you got the most mileage out of your online account. :) The two of you were a blast to work with, and we can't wait to shoot the wedding!

Enjoy!

Danielle and Ryan

Hi everyone! Brad and I got a chance to shoot with Danielle and Ryan down in Westerville a week ago and we put together a video to show you some of the best shots from the shoot. Danielle and Ryan are getting married on December 27th at a beautiful location in Sunbury. To complement their choice in venue, we thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit and try a downtown/metro shoot.

It was interesting to hear that Danielle and Ryan didn't really have many photos of themselves together, so of course, we aimed to provide an abundance of great photography. It's always very interesting to me to see a couple loosen up in front of the camera and really lose themselves in the moment. After shooting with Brad and I for 20 minutes or so, Danielle and Ryan started to just run with it and it was easy to capture the magic from there. That's what I love about our engagement sessions; they give us chance to let the couple be themselves and for us to establish a great relationship before the wedding day. Enjoy the photos!

-Steve

Jen and Bryce Engagement

Chris and I had the opportunity to work with a fantastic couple this weekend up in Lansing Michigan. I have to admit, it's a shame that I didn't get a chance to visit the campus of Michigan State University before choosing a college, because I'm pretty sure that this was one of the most scenic campuses I've ever been to.

Jen and Bryce met at MSU, so we decided to capture the first part of their story on campus. We got a chance to do some really great work with them. Very at ease, and definitely into each other. (wink)

We also got a chance to shoot in downtown Lansing at the State Capitol building. The light was pouring in through the brilliant fall colors and I think we were able to capture some of our best engagement work yet.

Check out the vid!

-Steve

Lighting Diagram

Typical example of what we are doing, especially on engagement sessions. We like to travel light, so we try to utilize the sun as a second light source whenever possible.

BGSU Homecoming - Photomerge Goodness

A beautiful day at the Doyt.

Cari and Derrick

We recently got a chance to work with Cari and Derrick who will be getting married in a few weeks. I love Fall weddings! Some of my favorite photos of the day were shot directly into the sun and gave both Cari and Derrick a golden back light. Very angelic in appearance and certainly one that should hang above the fireplace. (At least that's my opinion- ha)

-Steve

Alesha and Chris

Ah! Our freelancer's are growing up so quickly these days...(sniff) Chris was a great freelance photographer that KKP has been working with on a few weddings. Turns out KKP was also lucky enough to be his wedding photographer on the big day. Alesha and Chris provided us with some great opportunities to try out new posing and lighting techniques. We'll show you more stills on how we created some of the lighting scenarios in a few days.

Courtney and Jeremy

Chris and Brad were shooting a wedding in Michigan the other weekend and I put together this video using some of their best shots. They also worked with a new shooter, Joe French. Many thanks go out to Joe for helping keep the day run smoothly. I think they did a wonderful job telling the story from the rehearsal dinner to the reception. I've heard nothing but great feedback from family and friends who attended. Outstanding job gentlemen.

Amie and Jon

Amie and Jon were a fantastic couple to work with. They spent a great of time focusing on the details that Kaufman Kramer loves to capture! We also got a chance to work with another wonderful photographer named Sangeeta Kumar. She was able to bring a very different perspective to the wedding day. Sometimes all you need is a woman's touch. (wink)

This was a weekend when the KKP crew was split in Marion, Ohio and Lapeer, Michigan. While having all 3 full time shooters provides a level of comfort for us, we find that some of our most creative photography comes when we are pushed outside the comfort zone. A welcome feeling for sure.

Kaufman Kramer's Photography Weekend Part 4

The final part of our photography weekend was to produce a "Trash the Dress" engagement session for a couple we'll be shooting next year. Meet Erica and Danny...who graciously agreed to rolling around in sand. Although...something tells me that they enjoyed it. (wink)






(Love the water in this shot)







(Favorite shot of the day)



(David Ziser technique with off camera umbrella)



(Gorgeous)

Thanks again guys! You were awesome models!

We hope everyone had a great weekend and we'll have some videos to post up here in addition to the photos once we get them edited.

-Steve

Kaufman Kramer's Photography Weekend Part 3

The next shoot we set up was a commercial photography shoot where we could play with how to control light. The idea was to set up a "Joe McNally" style shoot where the subject is lit in the foreground and the background carries on the story. This is a common real-world situation where a client will ask for a promotional piece and you have to work quickly.

(David being...David?)

(Brad...using a lightmeter. I think he's being over-dramatic here) HA.

(Boring shot...where's the background?)

(Ah...that's better)

("Final shot" for client)

We'll update this post a bit later when the actual ad is created just so you can see how we're going to take this full circle.

Kaufman Kramer's Photography Weekend Part 2

The next type of photography we wanted to do was sports photography. Now, we don't have any 400mm lenses... yet...(wink) but the idea was to place ourselves in a position to capture emotion and the story of the day.

Here's some shots from the entire crew:


















(This is my favorite shot from the game. We wound up losing by a blocked kick which was no fun, but at the same time, it yielded this great shot. The emotion on his face says it all) Nice shot Chris!