Tips for Brides (T4B) is a weekly feature where I talk about a cool tip that I think will benefit brides everywhere. For more T4Bs, click here!

This week’s Tip for Brides is about how to make your wedding more earth-friendly. There are lots of fantastic articles out there on this subject already, but here are a few of my favorite suggestions:

-If you want to have a “grand exit” as you leave your ceremony or reception, instead of using something that will add to the world’s trash, pick something biodegradable, such as Ecofetti, or even the old standby, birdseed!

-Instead of having guests bring you fancy pots and dishes, have them purchase their own Carbon Offset to make up for the pollution and waste they caused by traveling to your wedding.

-Purchase a hemp silk wedding gown or have your own custom-made from environmentally sustainable/biodegradable fabrics.

-Plan an ecologically responsible honeymoon and use low-polluting methods of transportation, stay in ecolodges, share transportation with other travelers, and learn about areas of the world in need of ecological help.

-Use locally-made or organic favors and flowers.

-Have your photos printed on recycled photo paper or choose an album company that uses recycled materials.

I know that being ecologically friendly is very hip and “in” right now, but hopefully being earth conscious will transcend being a fad and actually become a lifestyle for everyone. Your wedding can be just as beautiful and perfect while still being good (or at least less bad) for our planet! :)

Tips for Brides (T4B) is a weekly feature where I talk about a cool tip that I think will benefit brides everywhere. For more T4Bs, click here!

This is the first of what will hopefully become a weekly feature – Tips for Brides! In keeping with the Photographers’ Tip, and by my lovely November bride’s special request, today’s tip is going to be about posing for the camera.

I think the primary thing on every girl’s mind when posing for a camera is looking as skinny as humanly possible. There are a few ways to do this.. The most well-know is called the “bevel.” This is the stance that you see on the red carpet from virtually every celebrity. Essentially you stand at a 45 degree angle to the camera, put your weight on one foot, cross the other foot over it, pop your knee, and lean back slightly. Here is what it looks like in practice (note: these poses are more dramatic, for artistic effect; you’ll want to be a lot more subtle when posing with the girls for a snapshot):

Basically this pose creates an hourglass figure, accentuating your waist and giving your body some serious curves. A similar but less-dramatic option is to turn your hips to the side and either pop your knee just a bit or point that leg straight out, but turn your shoulders to face the camera.

One factor you’ll notice in many of my photos is girls with arms on their hips, or hanging down away from their bodies. No matter how skinny you are, no one – NO ONE – looks good with the arms squeezed up against their sides. It makes your arms look larger than they are, and does nothing to show off your waist. Keeping your arms away from your body keeps the skin pulled tight, making your arms and waist look thinner. Notice the hippy arms and subtle bezel working together:

Sitting down is another tough situation. It can create unflattering rolls or pooches, and virtually eliminates your silhouette. Instead of plopping down indian style or sticking your legs straight out, try sitting on your hip and swinging your legs to the side. This creates what we call an “S-curve” that is slimming and curvy, as well as modest for girls in short skirts.

Another important part of looking good in photographs is to know your best angles. Spend some time in front of a mirror and move around, studying the way your body moves and at what angles you think you look best. Better yet, pull out some recent photographs and pick out the ones where you think you look hot. See if there are any common features in how your body is positioned relative to the camera, and keep that in mind when taking photos in the future.

Hopefully this has been a little bit of an insight into posing technique and how to look your best in photographs. Enjoy!

I just got a great idea from my new intern Jessica!  If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you know that the single boys don’t exactly fight to catch the garter.  Who can blame them – it can be a little weird to carry around a lacy piece of lingerie that has been on their friend’s new wife’s leg all day.  If you want to really give them a reason to fight for your garter, tie on a gift certificate to Home Depot, Best Buy, or some other cool store, then watch the meleé ensue!

From the Tacquard-Lynn wedding (which I am uploading right now, Alli!):

If you’re planning on seeing a fireworks show for the Fourth of July, you might be wanting to take some cool photos of the display. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from my experience shooting fireworks:

• Set your mode to shutter speed priority (usually Tv or S on the dial) and set your shutter speed to 5 seconds. Later, you can adjust the shutter speed to get more or less of the light streaks (I recommend 3-5 seconds).
• Use a low ISO, such as ISO 100 or 200, as long exposures can be somewhat grainy.
• Use a tripod! This is non-negotiable! Make sure you get one that will allow you to tilt your camera straight up and not fall over, just in case you end up directly beneath the fireworks.
• If your camera has a short timer option (such as a 2-second timer), use that so that the camera shake when you press the button doesn’t blur the image. Better yet, get a wireless or a remote trigger for your camera!
• To focus your camera, switch the lens to Manual Focus, and then turn the focusing ring all the way to the infinity symbol.
• Shoot, shoot, shoot! You will take a TON of photos, and probably only 5-10 of them will turn out well. That’s okay!
• Later, when you’re tweaking the photos in Photoshop, use the Burn tool and set it to “Shadows” at about 10-15%, then paint over the areas where you have smoke or haze. This will make the sky darker so the streaks of the fireworks stand out more.

All of the above tips are for people using SLR or DSLR cameras. If you’re using a point-and-shoot, look to see if your camera has a “fireworks” or “nighttime” setting. That’s your best bet! Don’t forget a tripod!

Here are some photos I took at a show a few years ago:

Good luck! Let me know if you get anything good!