MySpace is Your Space

Comrades,

Is it just me or was summer short and super mild? Seems like the heat didn’t last long so I ask you this, is Global Warming really happening? Ok that was a bit of Al Gore sarcasm but seriously, it just seems as though summer was here today and gone today. Oh well, guess we all get to save on those A/C bills. Not much going on lately as I have been concentrating on learning the mandolin because frankly, I am running low on photography ideas of late. Like anything in life, you do it enough sometimes you have to step away from it to recharge your batteries and mine seem to always charge back up just fine. Ok so I have been doing some interesting reading regarding the posting of wedding images on MySpace, Facebook, etc. Some photographers have gone irate over this while others could care less. Just to clarify with the folks I have worked with and or may work with in the future, if you buy the rights to my images (most of you do) I encourage you to post them to your MySpace or whatever account. Honestly, it makes me happy that you like enough to share them like that. Some would say I am giving my stuff away and my response to them is “worry about your own prints”. I have neither the time or desire to force brides to display their images in a place that I and only I see fit. The only caveat to that is they don’t sell the images to bridal stores, florists, etc. That would be a copyright violation and giving businesses freebies for which they should have paid Muah. Most of my brides have a MySpace account and I have enjoyed reading the comments by people who have seen the pics. It actually helps me figure out what works and what doesn’t without ever having to ask. Sorry for the blab, had to clear all that up for ya…..

Nothing else new to report except that I am crossing my fingers that the hurricane that is looming down south doesn’t screw up my trip back home to New Orleans in September. Knock on wood and drink a cold one for me will ya? I hear it’s good luck.

Football Season for All My Friends,

Lance

P.S. The picture up top is a homeless guy. We will call him "Jim"

Scott & Lindsey

Mates,

I am sitting here on the fishing pier working on some wedding pics and watching these little punk ass fish jump from the water to catch the bugs who have mistaken me for a blood donor. What is it with these little buggers that makes them think that they are every bit the baddass their larger siblings are? Hmmm..Just a thought. Wish I had my camera and I would show ya....
Just wanted to post a couple of pictures from Scott and Lindsey's wedding at The College of Idaho. What a freaking awesome couple and loads of fun to work with. I was pleasantly surprised today when I opened up my mailbox only to see a letter thanking me from Lindsey's mom. My response is to say THANK YOU Mrs. Shake I had a great time and you have a wonderful daughter. Always makes me smile when people do the little things, maybe I should take note.





One more month and I will be somewhere in the southern parts of Louisiana eating crawfish and getting some pictures in the swamps. Can't wait to go home, can't wait to go home. Long live the gators and the dixieland jazz....You just know for sure I will be posting some pics from that little escape from Boise.

Lastly, thank you Shay Dog for making me feel like a celebrity of late I look forward to talking to ya soon about your big date. Here is to the countdown of only 90 more days or so until we start a new regime in Washington and whether it be Jonny Mac or Obama yo Mama, lets just hope things are way different than they have been over the last 8 years. Don't know about you but I have just about had enough!

Later My Friends,

Lance

My List To Brides

Friends,

Well things have slowed a bit in terms of weddings but not in terms of other projects. Be that as it may I will not bore you too much on my solo stuff. What I will fill your brain with is a little checklist of need to know information for you brides out there. This is the time when I start getting calls for 2009 and if you are in the market for a wedding photographer keep these points in mind.

1. Make sure you meet your photographer and I mean physically

2. Do not do anything without a contract period!

3. Make sure you can laugh with your photographer cause if you can’t, it is likely that you will have an awkward moment or two on your wedding day. Want details? Email me…

4. ALWAYS ask your prospective wedding photographer if they carry back up equipment and I mean camera’s, flashes, lenses, etc. Too many are out there shooting with only one camera and if they drop it at your wedding and have no back up guess what? NO MORE PICTURES ON YOUR DAY!

5. Make sure your photographer knows EXACTLY where the event is. The last thing you want is to have your photographer at one place while you’re at another waiting for them to show up.

6. Ask them how many weddings they have shot (this is always a great question). Anything over 20 and usually you are at least dealing with a respectable shooter. If they are in fact new to weddings, ask them if they have shot alongside a more seasoned pro and then ask for a reference from that pro I mean we all have to start somewhere.

7. Though it is hard for you do this cause you don’t know cameras, keep in mind that if you are getting married at a place with low lighting and you hire a photographer with less than stellar cameras and lenses, expect some grainy photos though this happens sometimes even with the high end equipment just not as often.

8. Don’t get too tied up in the “style” terminology such as “photojournalistic” and what not. If you like the way the photographers portfolio speaks to you than most likely that is the “style” you should aim for.

9.DO NOT LET PRICE be the driving factor unless you are not that into pictures. i.e. There is a HUGE difference between a $1500 photographer and a $500 one.

10.Craigslist while cool, is most likely to NOT provide you with the best option for photography that is unless you are not wanting to put a whole lotta stock in your pictures.

11. Don’t micro-manage your photographer, let them be themselves you will find that they are most creative when they feel empowered and trusted.

12. Letting a family do your pictures is perfectly fine, just don’t expect much in the end and if they screw up the pictures, blame yourself for not grabbing an experienced professional.

13.Lastly, make sure your photographer knows of divorces, issues, problems, etc within the family. It makes the formals much less stressful that is for sure.

I could probably go on and on but I won’t. Just wanted to put the info out there from someone who does this for a living. While wedding sites will tell you to do this and that you are better off getting advice from those who actually do it, not those who only speak it. Oh and one last thing, AVOID at all cost the clearinghouse photography companies such as %*lla (omitted for legal reasons). Why? You never even meet your photographer until the day of your event and they pay the photographer so cruddy that they are less than motivated to give you their best.

The Constitution for All My Friends,

Lance

P.S. Wedding shots of Scot and Lindsey coming soon let me tell ya that was one hella cool wedding and may they all be like theirs!

Sunsets & Cliff Jumpers

Well it has been one dandy summer and with weddings it means that I have come home on more than one occasion dripping wet! Lucky for me the bulk of the workload is behind me and I am glad that I decided to limit my availability while my son stayed with me. Last weekend marked the only wedding I shot for the month of July and Tyson and Chelsea did things a bit different which in the end, made my life much easier. We shot the couples pictures on Thursday and then followed that up with the ceremony on Sat. and before the sun went down I was at home sipping a cold one. If you are in the market to get married and haven’t selected a venue yet, check into the “Secret Place” in Nampa it is pretty neat to say the least though it can be tough to locate but at least I did not show up at the wrong place lolol. Anyway, just wanted to shoot a quick hello out to my peeps and give ya a couple of samples to include a picture of my son jumping off a 30ft cliff into Anderson Lake.

Drinks for all My Friends,

Lance

Allen and Jenny

Here are a few from Allen and Jenny at Bandury Country club.....What an awesome couple and despite the heat, we all survived with a gorgeous portfolio. Thanks to Greg for coming out and getting some extra shots and for doing anything asked of you while I was shooting and battling that pesky viral infection! I hope you have learned much this summer my friend & I encourage you to keep using that thing we call a camera.

Drinks and Cool Weather for all My Friends,

Lance

Nate, Launa, & the 4th of July!

Wow, are we already slamming through the month of July? Where did all of the time go? Sorry it has been awhile but with my son staying with me over the summer and other obligations I have been lax in my blogs comrades. Finished up this load of weddings I have had of late and now it is time for some rest. Nate and Launa put on a HELL of a show last weekend and it was a nice way to finish up and put down the wedding camera for awhile. My only complaint? Well, when a couple pays a church to use their facilities only to be run out shortly after the ceremony was something that really peeved me off to say the least. Having said that, I did not get to capture the ideas I had for this couple at the alter but like every wedding, shoulda, coulda, woulda right? Nonetheless, I LOVE the portfolio and hope to have it posted to the galleries in about a week. Special thanks to the Ketterling & Fowler family especially Launa’s mother who was one of the nicest MOB’s (Mother of the Bride) I have ever worked with. Lastly, Nate if you read this know that you have a fan in Lance Foster. Your voice is amazing and should you pursue it, music accolades await you my man! P.S., I think I am gonna really miss you guys..Ok you can start crying now :)

The 4th of July was a blazer of sorts and like you, I drank some brews and blasted a few fireworks over the lake I live on. Got a pretty good burn from a sparkler but really, you could care less right? Ok a I am laughing too hard at myself here so I am gonna go for now. Pics of the week have been halted because I am redesigning my website which promises to look super cool once I am done.

Fireworks for all My Friends,

Lance

P.S. Big Kisses to "Jamie D"

No Rest For The Weary

Comrades,

Finished up two more weddings last week and am glad to report that I have no more back to back weddings this year. Good thing cause it beat the you know what out of me! Nonetheless, they turned out awesome and were a hoot to cover. I really enjoy it when I am hired to cover a wedding in McCall, Idaho. The scenery is phenomenal and always make me look better than I really am! Mucho congrats to Mike & Lindsey and a special thank you to the both of them for their patience and flexibility. Other than getting pulled over by the McCall Police for doing 28 in a 25, the trip was awesome.

The next morning I had the pleasure of doing Bryon and Andrea’s wedding here in Boise at the Powerhouse. Laid back event and even had the chance to meet some fine folks who hail from Bama. Don’t think I made them too happy when I told them my dad went to LSU (Auburn fans hate LSU fans) but what can one do? If I were an Auburn fan, I would be tired of LSU whooping up on my team as well. I realized after I got home I needed to have my feet replaced! Freaking amazes me how at 33, I feel 63 after 7 or 8 hours of covering a wedding. In fact, I am almost embarrassed to admit this but it is how it is folks. So on that note when I hear people say we have the easiest job in the world, I will remember to invite them for a 2 day wedding turn around and then see how they feel. Thank you Bryon and Andrea for the opportunity to shoot your day (not in the foot mind you) it was super fun and I hope to see your mugs again. Ok gotta run I have a convention I am shooting in downtown Boise I need to prep for.

Cushioned Soles for All My Friends,

Lance