5% of your gross booking to Nothing But Nets to help fight malaria.

Book your wedding package in the month of June and I will donate 5% of the gross to Nothing But Nets. A $2200 package represents 11 potentially life saving mosquito bed nets.

I discovered Nothing But Nets a couple years back and have donated a little over the years. What I love about this charity is that it is a simple and very effective use of my money. The other thing that is very important to me is that 100% of my contributions go to the end beneficiary. The administration is already funded by Ted Turner. Many charities eat up lots of their contributions just on running the charity.


Malaria kills over 1 million people a year and infects half a billion! The good news is that malaria is easy to prevent and cure, yet millions die in the developing world. One crucial tool is a simple bed net with training. Nothing But Nets provides a bed net with delivery and training for every $10 donated. See more at the web page: http://www.nothingbutnets.net/



Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

My uncle has a great camera, he'll shoot my wedding free!

I shot Andrew and Lelian's wedding two weekends ago, they are a wonderful couple and had a great group of warm family and friends. They also had an army of photographers! Everytime I turned around there were 4-7 family members shooting away. Some of them were serious amateurs with thousands of dollars in equipment. Which all begs the question- why hire me?

I will go over a few reasons why a seasoned wedding photographer like me is worth the investment. I will also go over a lot of the common mistakes I see in amatuer photography.

As a photojournalist I do my best to get great shots without inserting myself into the action. I want to work quietly most of the time and capture real moments and real beauty. In this manner I capture the event without being obtrusive and in the way. Many times amateurs plant themselves right in the way during the ceremony and frequently flash away at key moments. I use highly sensitive lenses so I do not need flash during the ceremony and I always try to find great angles without blocking anyones view. This comes from shooting over 50 weddings and

having a good sense of where to be when.

Move! As a photographer I am constantly moving, amatuers many times find one or two spots that they think are good and stay there, usually shooting at standing height. My back and feet ache after a wedding because I am always moving around scanning looking for great moments and unique perspectives. I might put the camera on the floor I might hold it high over my head for a few frames, sometimes during the reception I even jump and I am always climbing on the furniture!

Details & Close ups. Amatuers usually see just the single frame one at a time. This is normal logic for most and has to be unlearned by the pro. I am always seeing images in series to tell the story. An amatuer will certainly get the bride and groom at the altar and close ups of each face. They are unlikely to capture the hands clasped together or a tear on the Father of the Brides face, or a best man snapping away with his cell phone... I look beyond the typical shots and try to capture all the small details. I get the important typical shots too but I try to find the less cliche as well. The amatuer will many times try to crame everything about the story into ever frame and miss isolating the small details and moments.

Experience. Weddings can be very challenging, they are designed to be special for the guests not for the photographer. Photographers have to be ready to make beautiful images with very little control of the lighting or positioning of people and objects. There are no re-shoots we have to get it right the first time. Nothing substitutes for experience, great gear is good but knowing how to use it is crutial. I learn more and more as I shoot weddings, this wedding for example had very harsh noon lighting. I had to get creative and find shade, then I had to use special processing techniques to get the most out of my lighting. Amatuers will sometimes buy a great camera but ignore all the little accessories and items that pros know are crucial. One or more of the "amatuer" photographers may have even been professionals in another field of photography- nothing substitutes for actually shooting weddings.

See more of Andrew & Lelian's Wedding here.

-Josh Kline
http://www.jklineproductions.com/

Meredith & Jason Wed

Meredith and Jason met working at Bubba Gump Seafood Restaurant. Say what you want about themed restaurants but I love the food at Bubba Gump- if I have to endure Forrest Gump for the 40th time to get some great seafood I say bring it on!

Hailey is Jason's daughter and Meredith worked to make sure that Hailey was a part of the big day as well. The wedding was at Shanghai Red's in Marina Del Rey. See the highlights here.

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Anaverde

I am trying to make more time for some personal photography. Recently I went out to document the mortgage crisis in my own development. My wife and I live in a large newer development in Palmdale, just north of LA. The development is beautiful but it has been hit hard by the mortgage meltdown. Entire neighboorhoods have been abandoned, some right before being completed. It is sad to see a big beautiful houses just rotting away. The photo above is an entire cul de sac of exactly that. See more from this series here.

In the above photo I desaturated the color and boosted the contrast, I then added three layers of textures to the image. I have not used textures much in my work but I plan to try to incorporate them more often in the future.


Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Nike Diamond Days

I love working for Nike- they always have interesting promotions that do a lot of real good for the community. Most recently I just finished documenting the Diamond Days program. Nike knows how important girls high school sports can be in shaping young girls; so they work to promote high school girls athletics. The Diamond Days program focused on Softball. A few high schools participated; Nike helped train the girls and promote their games. Nike brought in world class atheletes and trainers to help the girls improve their games. Nike also held pep rallies at the school with DJ's, giveaways and dancers to promote the games. On game day Nike brought out Power 106 and tons of giveaways and free food.

It was so nice to be outside shooting video for a change.

I shot video of most of the events which will be edited into a sizzle reel (highlight video) of the entire program.

OBE (http://www.onboardent.com/) coordinated the program for Nike, photos of me by Adam Kovach.

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Andrew & Jen Wed

Andrew & Jen were married at the Castle Green in Pasadena. It was a beautiful wedding and the couple, their family and friends were a joy to work with.

Here are a couple shots from the wedding with some commentary on my style and method:

Extreme wide angles can add drama to a shot. I also try to find a unique angle. Usually I shoot a scene in a traditional way to make sure I have a good shot that tells the story, then I will find a unique angle to add some style and drama to the shot. I did not pose this shot I just saw Jen move to the flower and got on my tiptoes and held the camera as high as I could for a few frames. Luckily Andrew took notice and looked up.

I find a bit of a tilt can add to a unique composition. Here I placed the flowers on the right to add color to the composition and the building and title stone above to give a sense of the place. Hopefully the eye is drawn first to the couple then takes in the scene around them. During formals I will do some posing where necessary, Jen and Andrew mostly were already in position and did not need much instruction.

I love detail shots, they add so much to the story and really help fill in the memories in years to come. I always use a macro (special close up lens) and get as many little details as I can. One of the most common mistakes amateur photographers make is that they try to fit everything into the frame. Get some wide shots- but then move in closer to show the small details that make up a time and place.

The most important tools I use are my eyes and my feet. I am always scanning a scene and looking for images. I am very tired at the end of a wedding because I am always walking, climbing and crouching to find the right angle and position for my photos. I was capturing the room details when I glanced back and noticed the bridal door was cracked open. I took a few shots allowing the door to frame Jen naturally. One of the bridesmaids then came over and snapped her own shot with her cell phone. I would have missed this great shot if I had not been scanning the room.

Some of the best shots happen when "nothing" is happening. I encourage my clients to allow time for photography before the ceremony. If the bride and groom are getting ready apart then I encourage they consider a second photographer as well. I was going back and forth between bride and groom and capturing what was occurring when I came upon the groom and groomsmen playing the guitar. As a photojournalist I do not arrange my subjects I move to the best position and take the shot. In this case I am standing on a small wall waiting for the right moment to get my shot.

During the ceremony I always have two cameras; one with a telephoto (for close ups) and one with a wide to medium zoom (for wider shots) I want to capture every moment that I can as quickly as possible. I will quietly change positions to capture close ups of the bride and the groom and some shots of the officiant and crowd as well. This was as Jen was reading her vows to Andrew. I also converted it to black and white and added a vignette (darkening the corners) to simplify and focus the image just on Jen. I always do some custom images like this even when the client has not paid for custom prints or albums.

The reception is a great time to capture the bride and groom and their guests. They are relaxed and just having a good time at that point. I am wandering the room scanning and trying to capture everyone in a natural unposed state of fun. Great moments like these are always in abundance at a wedding you just have to seek them out and be observant. If you are constantly planning what you will shoot rather than observing you will miss many of the real moments.

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Becky & Stu Engagement Session @ Disney Concert Hall

I have always loved the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA and I finally found a couple willing to go for an engagement session. Beaches and parks make for great locations, but I wanted to do something different and dramatic and the Concert hall really fit the bill.

Engagement sessions are a lot of fun- we are away from all the stress of the wedding day and the couple can relax and get some great shots. It also gives them a chance to work with me and see how my style fits with their own. Right now I am offering a free engagement session to any package booking.

See more from this session: http://www.jkproductions.smugmug.com/gallery/8187682_wL7TE#534851299_46JCm

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
http://www.jklineproductions.com/
626-676-4458

Bluray is HERE!

Bluray represents the next great leap in home video. Bluray discs allow you to view high definition content on your HD television set at home. HD comes in a few varieties, 720P, 1080i and 1080P. 1080P is the highest and it is what Bluray is capable of displaying. Standard definition video is at best 720 by 480 pixels (dots) in resolution (detail) HD is up to 6 times more detail maxing out at (1080 by 1920). For any of you that are watching 1080i or 720p television you know how much clearer and sharper it is. In fact I find it difficult to go back to watching standard definition video afterwards! It can really spoil the viewer. Please understand that you can not view HD video on a regular DVD. Companies that claim this are simply lying to you. Just because a video is shot on a high definition camera does not mean that it is delivered to you in HD. The only way to view your wedding or event video in HD at home is on the computer or through Bluray.

I have waited on the sidelines for about a year now as Bluray has been tested and improved and I am now ready to produce Bluray content for my clients. We are now on the third generation cameras for shooting HD content, and their has been much improvement from the first HD cameras. The same is true for the editing tools. I have just purchased a brand new editing system and software and I am ready to deliver the best to my clients.

Please see a 720P sample HD video on my website:
http://jkproductions.smugmug.com/gallery/5325732_AdrZz#340604032_oujBj

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Trina & Robert Wed

I shot Trina and Robert April 25th at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach. I enjoyed working with Trina and Robert and their family and friends, it was a beautiful wedding!

I love getting shots during the preparations for the wedding, many times some of the best shots of the bride happen during this time when she is less aware of my camera and focused on her preparations. Trina was absolutely radiant. Detail shots help tell the story as well.

See more here: Trina & Robert Slide Show

DJ/ MC's | Lighting | Entertainers

Over the years I have booked and worked with dozens of talented DJ's and MC's during my tenure as an event producer. I have selected the very best of those DJ's and MC's to offer to my wedding clients. I have negotiated a strong value for my clients for these talented individuals.

Book photography services of at least $1000 and save 10% on the DJ/ MC package.

DJ's & MC's
Having a great DJ/MC is crucial to the success of an event. A professional MC will ensure your event runs well and your guests have a great time. I have picked only the best DJ's and MC's to offer to my clients, less than 5% of the DJ's and MC's I have worked with through the years.

Dancers
Dancers motivate a crowd, a great dancer has all the moves and personality to interact with your guest and keep the party going.

Packages:
All packages come with a premium sound system good enough for at least 250 people, a music library of 10,000+ tracks and a wireless handheld mic. JKP Events will assist you in planning the event timelines and music selection.

Premier
(Great for a smaller event 1 entertainer will DJ and MC)
1 DJ/MC for 4 hours.$1000 $75 per additional half hour.

Platinum
(Better for a larger event the DJ focuses on the music and the MC hosts the event.)
1 DJ and 1 MC for 4 Hours $1450 $110 per additional half hour.

Add Ons:
Professional Dancer/ Party Motivators: $300 each for 4 hours $30 per additional half hour.









Lighting and Audio Visual:
As a photographer I know how important lighting is. Great lighting can make any space look spectacular. For larger designs and needs see JKP AV Consulting. For most event needs I offer the following options as an add-on to my DJ services.

Dance Floor Lighting:
2- Martin Ego's 250 Watt moving patterns and textures. $150
4- Pocket Scans Moving head lights with gobos and colors on truss arch. $350
Lasers: Full Color and Green Yag Lasers available. Starting at $1000
Additional More advanced lighting available, call for more info.

Up Lighting:
10- Par 46 Up lights with gels and power distro. $350 each additional light $25
LED and other more advanced options available, call for more info.


Video Screen's and Live Feed:
Add a high end audio visual element to your event; display slide shows and video clips, as well as live video as it happens. Live feed is available through your JKP videographer or a videographer you hire who is willing to connect to our system.

Projection Package
(Great for events of less than 200 people where light level is low.)
6' by 8' Projection Screen DVD Player Computer Switcher 2000 Lumen Projector $400

Many other options available including flat panel LCD's and LED Panels.

Other Entertainers & Musicians available, call for a quote; if the performer exists we will find them and book them for you at a strong value!


Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Vegas Part Deux, Nike, and Attack! Marketing...busy week

A couple months back I shot Andrew and Christian, co-founders of Attack! Marketing with two world champion sumo wrestlers. Attack is a Marketing and Promotions company on the bleeding edge of guerilla and experiencial/event marketing.

See the piece here as part of INC magazine: http://www.inc.com/inc5000/#self

Wednesday it was back to Vegas for Lionsgate. Lionsgate sponsored a lunch for the Cinemark Managers conference at Southpoint. JKP Events provided 2 green screen set-ups for the attendees to get their photos added to the Lionsgate One-Sheet. Instead of offering the photos immediately we elected to use tickets, guests then needed to come to Lionsgate's booth at the convention the next day to retrieve their photos. This allowed us to serve more people and keep costs down, and also increased the foot traffic at the Lionsgate booth.

Thursday I continued the Nike Diamond Days Promotion at Carson High. Nike has been working with local high school girls athletics for years. The newest Diamond Days events are with local girls softball teams. Nike helps train the girls and promote the games by giving out prizes and helping the teams advertise their games. Nike even brings out Power 106 and Olympic softball players to the games and trainings. I have been documenting these events on video, which will be edited into a sizzle reel.

Josh

http://www.jkpevents.com/
http://www.jklineproductions.com/
626-676-4458

Vegas Baby! Showest 2009

My corporate event company: JKP Events provided a green screen concept for Lionsgate at this years Showest conference in Las Vegas. I have been working with Demetri, VP of Exhibitor Relations for Lionsgate for going on 4 years. I provide him with fun interactive green screen concept photo set-ups to promote their upcoming films.

Showest is where the theater chains come out to meet with the Distributors of movies. Lionsgate has a hospitality suite at Bally's. This year Demetri also added two Show Girls and guests took photos with the girls as well.

We had a lot of fun modifying the posters for this years films. Guests were able to be Jason Statham from Crank 2 jump starting his heart or they could expell extoplasm from the new horror thriller " A Haunting in Connecticut"

Obviously images and artwork are copyright of Lionsgate, and modified by JKP LLC. All rights reserved.

Custom Prints Demystified

What exactly is a custom print? Is there a difference between a print I make at Costco and one that I purchase from a professional photographer? The short answer is yes... usually.

The old photography model for wedding and social photographers was to own their images which was the negatives or slides and today (for most) the full resolution digital files. In this way they could make most of their income by charging incredibly inflated rates for the prints or albums. Many photographers such as myself have ended this practice. I just do not like this approach, you are hiring me to capture your moments and memories, you should own the images! In this manner you know exactly what you are spending and can decide wether or not it is worth it or in your budget to purchase albums or prints. I have already written a article about albums in an earlier post- this post is about custom prints.

Photographers always try to get the best exposure and color in camera when they take the picture. However images can almost always benefit from a second pass in the computer. We can adjust the exposure and the color and other levels to make sure that it is optimal and ready for printing. All reputable photographers should deliver ready to print images. This is what you receive from me on your disc. If you use a good lab you will have good images. A good lab can be referred by your photographer. I recommend a few online labs like Bay Photo and Smugmug, and certain Costco's like the one in Alhambra have given me consistently good results. My current custom prints are either from Bay Photo or printed by me at home on a large format Epson.

Custom prints should take things a step further- now what one photographer calls a custom print might be nothing more than what I described above. Ask for specifics, what does the custom print include? Some photographers will do what is called a batch processes and adjust the color and exposure for hundreds of photos based on one or two of them. Some will individual correct the images- this is always better and it is what I do. Even fewer photographers will include touch-ups like dodging and burning (lightening and darkening individual pieces of an image) air brushing (removing blemishes and smoothing skin tones) and effects and colorations. All of my custom prints include everything listed above.

Colorations include sepia and selenium tones and other custom color tones. Effects include vignettes (darkening corners) and more advanced image editing such as adding a color flower to a black and white. Black and whites are also custom created by adjusting individual tones and colors. A lab black and white will only take all the color out of the image and many times will look flat and undramatic. You can see an example here:

Notice the image on the right has more pop, if you look closely you can see more detail in the flowers and the veil and the whites are whiter while the blacks blacker. Many others effects and adjustments are possible, my clients usually give some input and then leave it to me to create the custom images as I see it. For the month of April I am including free custom print packages with my packages, see more at my website and in my monthly email.

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458

Meena Nanji Lifestyle Portrait for "Beautiful People"

Meena Nanji is a documentary filmmaker, I shot her portrait for Beautiful People a Vogue sister publication distributed internationally.

Meena is a remarkable woman she spent years in Afganistan right after the war began to document the lives of women there.

Her documentary is called "View From a Grain of Sand."

Meena was not used to being in front of the camera, she prefers like me to be behind it. After she relaxed a bit we got this shot which wasn't my favorite but was the image selected.

-Josh

Engagement Sessions

Meredith and Jason work on the Santa Monica Pier which served as a great location for their engagement session. See the full session: Jason & Meredith

I strongly recommend engagement sessions to all my clients. Engagement sessions are scheduled ahead of your wedding day usually in the early evening or early morning to take advantage of great lighting. You can choose a memorable place to the two of you or just a beautiful spot. Your wedding day will be stressful and busy... an engagement session allows you to relax and take some great photos of just the two of you. Engagement sessions are fun, I always try to capture the personality of the couple and give them portraits that they will cherish forever.

For a limited time I am offering engagement sessions for only $100 (usually $250) to any 8-hour wedding package.

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
http://www.jklineproductions.com/
626-676-4458