Check back in a few days for more fun wedding photography.

G’day peeps!

Thanks to a wonderful suggestion made by one of my blog’s visitors yesterday (cheers Monica!), I have taken some of the photographs I have made over the past year of the Cathedral of Junk and created a fine art gallery open to the public for purchasing. Aside from state sales tax and printing fees, all proceeds will benefit Vince in his efforts to bring the Cathedral up to code as well as help maintain the structure in the future if our city allows us to keep it.

Several sizes are available to purchase. Cropping selections can be left to me for finalization since different print sizes may or may not require a crop of the image you choose. The images on the gallery will display a © watermark that will be removed for the purchased print. You will have choices of paper types, from the professional e-surface, metallic, and true traditional black and white photo paper. The e-surface option will be a pearly textured paper, the metallic papers are super shiny and create wonderful colors and the traditional black and white papers will make lovely long lasting black and white prints. Prices for these prints have been customized to both give value to you, the customer, as well as provide as much benefit to Vince and the Cathedral as possible.

So head on over to the gallery by clicking on the following link: Save the Cathedral… buy some art!

If you have any questions about the process, feel free to contact me by filling out the contact form in the menu bar up top.

Ciao!

Your friendly Austin Wedding Photographer, Eric

Ciao Everybody!!!

I tend not to post much stuff not related to wedding photography, but in this case I think it’s worth using my public soapbox for a special reason: cultural preservation.

It doesn’t take much time in this fair city before you will be introduced to the Cathedral of Junk. Located in South Austin, between South Congress and 1st Street, this massive edifice of folk art stands tall amongst the early 20th century homes it is surrounded by. Started in 1989 as just a bit of fence decoration, it didn’t take long for the Cathedral to begin to take shape. Now over 20 years later it is a massive testament to the unique cultural diversity of Austin. It is built of just about everything, from bikes to refrigerators; from dolls to stereo equipment. Here is the Roadside America article if you are interested.

Now this wonderful work of art is in danger. Earlier this month a visitor complained to the Austin building inspectors and from there the issue escalated. Vince was given until the end of the month to bring the work up to current building codes and now time is running out.

This is a gargantuan task and I personally (despite my short time in this city) feel a need to help out in trying to preserve this cultural icon for those to come. It is not enough that I have seen it and hung out in it; climbed to the top and spent hours studying the intricate details of the Cathedral. I want everyone to be able to experience it. Young and old, alive or a future earthling; everyone should get a chance to see what Vince has created in his backyard.

This is where you come in. Vince needs your help. He needs your hands, your muscle, your sweat and your dedication. With just a few days left in March, time is running out and without the help of a generous and concerned community, we will all lose this great work of art to a bulldozer. So if you have a bit of time, go help him. If you have tools to lend, go lend them. If you feel like making a donation, make it. Take some gloves and goggles and be part of something!!! Dancing with the stars can wait on your DVR. Vince, and for that matter all of us concerned about keeping Austin fun, exciting, unique, and WEIRD can not.

Please visit the website that has been set up and see how you can help keep this piece of Americana. Do it now! www.SaveTheJunk.org It will be by the hearts and hands of Austin that we get to keep this for all to see and experience for years to come. I hate to say it, but pictures really do not do it justice.

Today, I went down to document the Cathedral again just in case it will be my last opportunity. For the next several days, when I am not working, I will be helping Vince and Austin keep the Cathedral alive. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

These two guys were the cutest ring bearers ever!!!

Hope you enjoyed it; I know I did. It’s always a great time when everything goes splendidly. I just love it when I can look at the couple I am photographing, so much in love, and tell that they really are in it for the long haul; true life partners. I’d like to thank these two for throwing such a grand party and letting me help to preserve the memories. And special thanks to Mary Sledd for bringing me along to help her capture such a wonderful wedding day. It was grand!

Ciao

Your friendly Austin Wedding Photographer

I wish I had made this image sooner to make it a part of my post on Silhouettes and Wedding Photography

Eric

As with most art forms, there are always good times to break rules. Whether it be lighting, composition, focus, movement, etc., it is sometimes a good idea to do something out of the ordinary to produce a photograph that is extraordinary. One of the tools in my bag is the silhouette and when the lighting allows for it, I do my best to use it. Silhouette photographs are strongly backlit with very little front lighting. The irony here is that this situation is typically considered problematic for photographers. Indeed, I long considered it the same until I had a personal breakthrough and began to use this “apparent” disadvantage to make an image that proved far more engaging and appealing than had I otherwise tried to shoehorn the scene into something that didn’t fit. What comes out of this approach is generally very artistic and interesting; not to mention that I absolutely LOVE turning a problem into its own solution

I don’t do it all the time as that would diminish the effect. But when given a strongly backlit environment that works in this manner, I find it to be icing on the cake of already enjoyable photography. Not to mention I love the “ooo’s” and “ahhh’s” I get from my clients when I show them a wonderfully artsy silhouette shot when they weren’t expecting it.

With this in mind I think brides should pay as much attention as possible to how their event location will be lit if they are able. By bringing in colored wall lighting, you can change the entire look of a room. In some cases we will even use gel colored flashes to create this effect if desired. This will let the photographer work with the walls rather than fight them (nobody likes ugly walls) and the effect is fabulous:

Thanks for looking everybody.

Ciao!

Your friendly Austin wedding photographer – Eric Kotara

I recently decided to spruce up my package offerings and add some goodies to the mix. Starting this year I will be offering KISS Flush Mount Albums to Brides that opt for the Gold and Platinum packages. I will also be upgrading the coffee table books to a much better product offered by KISS, their linen soft books. In all, these new offerings will really add value to the packages in which they are included.

The flush mount albums are absolutely beautiful. They are covered in supple leather with back padding and bound very well. Each album is delivered in a floral print cloth slip cover. The pages are made by mounting professionally printed images onto boards. The image is trimmed to the edge of the board, hence the name flush mount. Each album is designed as spreads; that is, if you lay open the book the two visible pages facing up will be one single spread. This is in contrast to the more traditional albums of old where individual prints were placed into pre-cut mattes. This gives continuity to the album, helping us tell the story of your wedding day in a way that flows easily from page to page. It will be less about looking at pictures and much more about experiencing the day all over again.

Also upgraded are the coffee table books. In the past we had used many of the standard press printers out there and we were never really all that impressed with the products, no matter the vendor. Press printing can create problems when you are printing large images and I find it much nicer to use actual light-sensitive printed photographs as the quality is so much better. This is where KISS shines. Their soft cover linen books offer the same photo quality printing as their flush mount hard albums without the boards for pages. They are covered in a stain resistant linen available in the same select colors as the leather albums offered. It feels good to say goodbye to press printing, and once you see the results, I am sure you will agree.

So without further adieu, here is some album love

These are the color choices available for both the Leather hard albums and the linen soft books.

Why do I like KISS? Easy. They make life simple for me. Rather than drown a client in options, many that never get selected, KISS prides itself on simplicity and ease of use. They only offer two styles, in 4 sizes, with 7 color choices. It really can’t get any simpler than that. The company was also founded by a former wedding photographer, so I can trust that the direction they follow will be with the bride and groom in mind. This gives me peace of mind knowing my clients and I are in good, trustworthy hands.

See you all soon for some more wedding photography fun!

Ciao!

Your Austin Wedding Photographer – Eric Kotara

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Meiling and Paul’s wedding at their Austin home on one of the loveliest days that could grace a February. Their wedding day originally had rain in the forecast. It was cloudy and wet leading up to Sunday. It was even rainy Sunday morning. And then, just like that, the clouds broke and the day truly became the perfect day for a wedding. Two days later, it was frozen and snowing How’s that for a window of opportunity?

It was a very relaxed and comfortable wedding and party. Everyone was in great spirits and happy the sun was out. Good drinks, good friends, and some delicious pastries made for a fabulous time.

Enjoy the pictures. And special thanks to my second photographer and assistant for the day, Kristi Wright!

They topped their cupcakes with custom screen printed cookies! Really neat.

These were Delicious!!!!

And you know how I love ring photographs.

Ciao!

This is a handful of images taken late last year from Lindsay and Justin’s engagement session. We started out at Green Pastures, poked around Austin a bit then headed out west to hit up a few roadside locations and end in a cedar spotted grass field for sunset. It was grand. Late sunlight is a great tool to work with and we definitely availed ourselves of the wonderful sunset we were given that evening. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding at Green Pastures in Austin. These two are a great couple and a perfect recipe for a fun day.

So yeah, it’s pretty neat and easy. Post a comment, share the love.

Cheers!

And I guess a picture, being a photography blog and all:

My new self (sort-of, I had a bit of help) portrait. Thanks Susie! With a new mugshot like this you have to expect a new about me page soon, which you should, cuz it’s coming.