How the Top 5 Coolest Spanish Words Make For Great Wedding Photographs

Something about that Spanish lifestyle I remember from our trip around the world for a year after 9/11. "Estilo de vida", or the style of life. That slower pace that comes only from oppressive summer humidity and great sangria. "Manana por la manana", tomorrow is for tomorrow--just think 'don't worry, be happy'. These and the top 5 I collected here can help you turn your wonderful, yet stressful wedding day into pure joy, but only if you live 'em out.

5. cállate - Means "shut up". Often the best policy, guys. Keeping your mouth shut has many benefits, especially on wedding day when everyone is excited and excitable. Something about a closed mouth gathering no flies comes to mind. And shutting up in Spanish is always so much more fun!

4. chiste - A joke. Learn a few, deploy sparingly. Humor during a tense ceremony gets everyone laughing and relaxes even the most uptight. Just make them tasteful or you will be called a "baboso". Look it up here (it is not one of the top 5).

3. las nalgas - Buttocks. Not sure how that fits in here, but I just like the sound of that one. Has a certain ring. Now you can turn the other cheek in Spanish when you get a strange look from one of your guests.

2. pantalones - Pants. Not necessarily a cool word, but it sounds cool. Also can be used to mean "courage" or "guts". I like it better than pants or jeans. Just sounds more fancy. Be sure not to forget your pantalones as you stand at the end of the center aisle as your gorgeous bride comes walking your way.

1. tranquilo - Cool, quiet, composed, laid back, chilled out. Can also use it as a command to tell someone to relax and calm down. My favorite brides are cool under pressure and make my job a piece of cake. And they look more beautiful on wedding day. Tranquilo is the enemy of bridezilla and the lesser known, yet equally devastating horror film nightmare known only as Mother of Bridezilla.

Hazlo! (go do it) Your friends will call you "genio" (genius--used similar to "cool!" or "awesome!")

How To Pose For Your Wedding Photographer

If it bends, bend it...create a flattering S-curve by back-weighting your feet... lean towards the camera a touch by putting weight on the balls of your feet in order to slenderize your neck...don't stand square on to the camera or it will add 10 lbs to you...all these are great tips. But even though you can learn a lot in a lecture, the laboratory is where the real learning takes place. Grab that full length mirror and start posing. Wait till your significant other is out of the room and then have at it. Strike a pose! Blast your iPod to avoid getting the police called. Have fun. Copy some modeling poses from the glamour magazines. Project some attitude and learn how your body moves. Cross your arms, shift your hips, kick a leg up, even if you are hopelessly uncool (like me). Then when it comes time for your engagement session, senior portrait or bridal formals on your wedding day, you'll be more comfortable in your body and the camera will be your best friend.

After all, when you practice in the lab and study hard, you always do better during the exam!

Looking Lovely in Boulder

I love finding places to do a photo shoot where clients actually express a hint of concern as to my choice of locations. "Are you serious? You want to do our engagement session in an old alley? Won't that look bad in the photos?" Strangely enough, I don't get too many clients like that. Maybe they just get scared off by my style. But Stephen and Monika were great sports last night as we shot them amidst old bricks and alleyways off Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. Theese two got into the shoot and did a great job--very fun to work with and quite natural in front of the lens. And they weren't even bothered by the old socks stuck to the wall behind them.

See Stephen and Monika having too much fun during their engagement session here.

Wedding Testimonial

Lots of happy customers this week. One bride. One mom of the bride. The third a bride from 2 years ago still excited about her wedding images. Bride Sarah said "Oh my God--the photos turned out beautifully! Thank you so much! I cried the whole way through as I am sure my mother did. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Her mom, Becky, said "I was so excited to see your email! One word: fantastic! I've just run through them quickly, but there are some absolutely STUNNING photographs. You captured my daughter, my husband, my family & those I love (and perhaps me, too), and all the fun we had that day. I can't possibly thank you enough!"

Ashley wrote us a card thanking us for coming all the way down to Oklahoma for her wedding and that she still loves the photographs we created for her.

Thanks you guys for the kind words!

Marc

Bride and M.O.B.

I love tender moments like these! Great working with Becky and Sarah and her new beau Casey (a.k.a. Superman!) Very memorable evening, indeed.

I Feel Twitty, Oh So Twitty...

Yes it is true you can squander your entire life away by tuning in to Twitter. And yes, Twitter has been compared to heroin in the social media space, folks constantly checking in to get a Tweet-fix. But it is changing the way we communicate and do business. Go here to read a Twitter 101 courtesy of the David Ali Group.

Close Encounters of the 'Grizzly Moose' Kind...

Photographers are supposed to carry their cameras at all times. I tell this to everyone, even though I myself don't always have mine with me. But yesterday up in Rocky Mountain National Park above Estes Park, Colorado, I actually had mine with me. Too bad I wasn't quick enough to get it out in time to take a photo of the bull moose that charged down the hill through the snow and nearly ran me over! He turned towards me right after dropping right onto the snowpack just 9 feet away from where I stood and then looked up, saw me, then bolted the other way.

It all took about 5 seconds. At first I figured the moose bolted away from me due to a Canon sponsorship (I am a Nikon man), but ruled that out after remembering I was a little too preoccupied with survival and not making an amazing photograph to even reveal the proud contents of my camera bag to this charging behemoth.

My new rule--always carry a camera in your hand with lens cap off and ready to fire! And if you are wondering why this is a photograph of mama grizz and her cub from Yellowstone--I can't locate my favorite moose image from the Tetons--so enjoy these two playful little teddy bears until further notice!

Takes Some Bawls To Do This...

In creating a new portfolio in our growing product photography segment, I collected two fascinating bottles, including a 12oz BAWLS Guarana bottle replete with divits that felt manly. I felt manly, for sure. Also threw in a Spanish wine bottle opener and a couple of flashlights for good measure. With a couple of speedlights placed around the set, I went to work painting the subject and the background with the flashlights. But then I explored with creating more of an earthy, volcanic theme as I pointed the flashlights back at the camera's shutter to create the streaks in the BAWLS shots. For the wine, I had my belly flat on the floor for an grasshopper's perspective of the bottle. That's why it looks so tall and commanding. But the quality of light from the handheld flashlights really drew my eye in--hope you agree.

Boulder Tree-Hugging, Bridal Edition

Saw someone do this in an ad some time back and wanted to try a double version of it with my engagement session clients this weekend. A little late for Valentine's Day, but handy to have, no less. True love? I think so.

See the session here.

Daddy, Daughter and a Taquito

You can't go wrong when you get daddy and his little girl and a grass wall behind them. And the taquito is always the perfect finishing touch!

See more here.

New Logo Coming Soon

I had a logo designed nearly 5 years ago and then ended up not using the result for various reasons. But I resurrected one of the final comps and then made some modifications and added an old film holder-style border to update the look. Here is the result--I have already run with it on marketing materials for my corporate portraits and it is getting some good feedback.

O-Light Arrives!

...The following takes place between 3pm and 4pm...

++Fedex guy rings doorbell at 3:01 MST
++Overexcited portrait photographer Marc Littmann leaps up from office to answer telling delivery guy ring, letting out yelp of joy.
++He tears apart glistening shipping box and attaches new Orbis flash to barrel of camera lens.
++Marc conscripts 3 year old daughter to model. Daughter agrees, insists Strawberry Shortcake comes along.
++Marc and daughter love the result--O-shaped ringlight brings cool, celebrity light and shadow effect into arsenal of photographic tools.
++3:30::Marc still drooling over lighting possibilities...go here for scenes from the first test shoot of the O-light.

Testimonial from a Corporate Portrait Client

Just got this back from Gretchen Anthony of Tilt Consulting--we shot her portrait a few weeks back down on Pearl Street. Using nothing but natural light and some wonderful, overlooked alley walls, we came up with some beautiful and pleasing results. Here is a link to the session images, and here are some kind words Gretchen shared with MLP:

"Working with Marc Littmann for my professional photos was a terrific experience. I’ve worked with other photographers in the past and while they all have their unique strengths, Marc’s creative approach to his work resulted in a diverse portfolio of great shots. Marc’s photos show that while I’m a professional, I’m not just another stuffed suit!"

--Gretchen Anthony, Tilt Consulting

Palestinian-Israeli Relations Builder

Just realized I never posted on an event I have covered twice now for Seeking Common Ground. Have worked with this non-profit group 2 summers running. Entitled Building Bridges For Peace, this group brings together Israeli, Palestinian and American teens for 10 days up in the Colorado mountains to find common ground in their lives. The goal is to help build understanding while overcoming tremendous cultural and religious differences. Often they show up with bitter prejudices and leave as the closest of friends. It's a cool thing.

Time Lapse in the Pines

Watch what happens to the late afternoon light in Flagstaff, AZ during this time lapse exposure. This was shot over approximately a 2-hour window. Shot with time lapse movie mode on a Nikon P5100 point and shoot. Flexi-tripod grip-mounted to car ski rack and images captured at 30-second intervals. Lots of fun!