Edson (yours truly) of DiasPhoto.com,  has teamed up with the amazing Mike Ritter of RitterBin Photography to teach a workshop for photographers on Monday, May 17th, 9am – 5pm.  The workshop is part of the PPA‘s (Professional Photographers of America) Super Monday workshops.  We will be discussing: The Best Ways to Build Buzz: Effective Studio Marketing.  For a course description and more information on the workshop, click here.  For sign up info click here.

All attendants get a  Super Monday “Bonus Pack”

In addition to education, all Super Monday (Spring 2010) attendees will receive the following Bonus Pack from PPA and our generous sponsors.  Here’s a sneak peek at some of the bonus pack gifts!

Workshop will be held at:

RitterBin Photo Studio
46 Waltham Street, Studio 209
Boston, MA 02118 (South End)

Contact Info:
edson@diaphoto.com
617-930-4632
www.portraits.diasphoto.com

Hello folks!  Happy Monday morning.  It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood   : )   (I think I’m dating myself with that reference… but anyway)  I hope this quote helps start things off on the right foot for you today!  Most of my THT (Think Happy Thoughts) quotes are related to love and marriage, as some of you may know, I am the proud Dada of an 18 month old super baby.  I love her greatly and found a quote relating to children that inspired me.  It also pairs well with this recent photo that I took at a client’s home with our traveling studio.  Here they are:

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.  ~John W. Whitehead, The Stealing of America, 1983

What message are you carrying for your parents?

No that’s not a typo.  My fiance and I just ordered our invitations from Of The Earth eco-friendly stationary.  They are made of recycled paper, seeds, vegetables and flowers.  And YES…. you can actually plant them; they’ll sprout plants!  They have invitations that are already assembled as well as DIY options.  Earth friendly, natural, green wedding invitations… they are so cool and not that expensive!    : )  For more info, check out their website here.

Hello Folks  : )  Happy Monday morning!  Today’s quote is kind of quirky and comes from John Mayer, if you can believe it.  It made me laugh so I figured I’d share it:

“Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you’re really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I’ve got a few missing. It’s ok though, because I’ve got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8-color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation.. so when I meet someone who’s an 8-color type.. I’m like, hey girl, magenta! and she’s like, oh, you mean purple! and she goes off on her purple thing, and I’m like, no – I want magenta!”

John Mayer
American Singer & Song Writer 1977-

Recently, I met with Emilie of Pink Orchid Weddings, they provide day-of wedding planning services.  She was totally great.  Articulate, detail oriented, professional and very personable.  As a photographer I’ve worked with a few day-of wedding planners.  They’re really helpful; here is a list of the main reasons I’ve found a day-of wedding planner to be helpful.

1.  A planner helps get everyone on deck, ready for the next photo. More often than not, when it’s time for the formal photos, people inevitably go to the bar, the bathroom or basically disperse.  This makes the formals take longer and on your wedding day, every minute counts.   I love having a go-to person that can help with the formals.  This alone can save you a lot of stress on your wedding day.

2.  Paying vendors. No one wants to have to think about money, writing checks and paying vendors on their wedding day, let the planner do that.

3.  Confirming dates and times with vendors. It seems like a small thing but often times the last week before your wedding, things get hectic and people forget to do this themselves.  A small mix up on a officiant’s start time for example, can be a big deal if you’re ready to get married and there’s no one there to lead the ceremony.

4.  Making sure the groom doesn’t accidentally see the bride before the ceremony. Enough said!  : )

5.  Referrals. Getting good vendors is key, but sometimes if you don’t have any referrals… you’re out of luck.  A good wedding planner has worked with and/or already interviewed several vendors.

There are a lot of details to tend to on your wedding day and having a friend or family member do it isn’t necessarily the best idea.  It’s a lot of work… and an actual job.  Your guests will want to enjoy the wedding.  If you’re considering interviewing wedding planners, you may want to start with Pink Orchid.

I just came across a company that rents bridal jewlery and figured I would share it with you.  I can see it being useful to brides who really want to make a statement, look beautiful and not break the bank.  At Adorn.com, you can rent the most fabulous jewels for your big day and then when the wedding’s over, you ship it back to the company.  For more info check out their website here.

Happy Monday folks!  I was reminded of how valuable a genuine compliment can be when my older sister told me that she was proud of me.  It feels great and is often reciprocated in unintentional ways.  What’s the best thing about the person closest to you?  Tell them and let me know about it.  The quote’s below the photo (which is of The Painted Ladies in San Fransisco):

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”   Howard Thurman

Here’s a tool that will help you figure out sunset times on your wedding day. www.SunriseSunset.com

Hello Readers! I hope you’re not bored by all the recent publication blog posts. I’m just very happy that people out there like the work… and where else to share other than the blog. Today we’re featured on the Beantown Bride Blog. Read the post here. It’s a good and quick read regarding save-the-dates and being a good host at your wedding.

My fiance and I are really into bridal head-wear these days, and came across Artikal. They make hats, and bridal head pieces as well.  Check out their bridal offerings here.