The female form had been a favorite subject of artists long before the camera was invented.  Nude and partially nude women have been the theme of some of the most famous paintings and sculptures from such iconic artists as Renoir, Matisse and Picasso.  Technology, and the camera in particular, has opened the world to the female form.  It might take a month to paint a beautiful woman and much longer to sculpt one.  But one hour with the proper photographer can capture the same imagery.  This condensed time has made the artist more available, opening up the world of boudoir to a larger gallery of women.

Boudoir Photography

The reasons women choose to be the subject of boudoir photography are as varied as the women themselves.  Many are simply proud of their appearance.  Others offer the images as a gift to a loved one.  Some view the session as a triumph over a health issue or weight loss. And many choose to participate because they thought they never would.  Often it’s the housewife out to prove “mommy is sexy too.”

The body remains something truly personal.  Sharing remains an intimate experience.  This is the essence of boudoir photography.

Whatever the reason, each subject shares the same belief and desires.  They feel beautiful on the inside and turn to boudoir as a platform to demonstrate that beauty.  As professional boudoir photographers, we have those same principals in common, working to hone our craft and ensure each woman has a satisfied experience.  She must look as good as she feels.

Few genres are as varied as boudoir photography.  With advances in camera and lighting techniques, we can achieve almost any look.  Boudoir Boutique tends to start the conversation with three basic styles of boudoir.  We begin with Alluring.  Mixed lighting and posing techniques create a sophisticated yet classic boudoir image.

The Soft and Sensual style was made famous by Gipsy Rose Lee.  Soft and Sensual photography is dramatically less risqué, offering just a peak of what lies below the surface.  She may be in a shirt with a provocatively exposed shoulder, or negligee showing contours and curves but little else.

Boudoir Noir adds a dramatic flair to boudoir photography.  The inner Femme Fatale is often uncovered by using a mix of natural and Hollywood lighting

Regardless of style, the subject remains the largest variable in what will become a portrait of her personality.  Emotions often rule the day.  If a woman is feeling a little racy, it shows through the camera lens.  If she is defiant, the feeling plays out in the camera.  A man’s dress shirt displays a different persona than a negligee or bra and panties. 

Boudoir Photography can be fun and exciting

Boudoir photographers tend to love their trade because the final image of the latest camera session is never the same as the session before.  Not every photographer has these capabilities.  It takes camera skills, training, practice, an artistic eye and a way of making a woman feel comfortable in what is often a vulnerable moment.

The New Year may have just arrived, but it’s already wedding season at Cashman Photo.  Traditionally, there are  few weddings in January and February.  With the exception of 1-11-11 and Valentine’s Day, it’s pretty slow.  But things will change when the weather warms. 

 March and April will again be great months to get married, so Las Vegas brides are shopping now for dresses, invitations, florists and … wedding photographers.  That’s why you’ll find Cashman Brothers Fine Photography at two of the biggest bridal shows of the year.  Look for us at the Bridal Spectacular at Cashman Center on January 22nd and 23rd, and the Las Vegas Bridal Expo at the MGM on January 30^th.

 Our booth will be hard to miss.  It will display dozens of Las Vegas wedding photos in beautiful, backlit LED frames.  Regardless of your preferred style of photography, you are sure to find something to suit your taste at our booth.  We have a long history of high-end wedding photography and wedding videography including traditional poses, photojournalism, off-camera lighting and color saturation to name a few.

 You’ll also see some of the best Las Vegas engagement photography available anywhere.

 Register for the Las Vegas Bridal Spectacular here and the Las Vegas Bridal Expo here.

With 2011 almost upon us, Cashman Photo Enterprises is preparing to usher in the New Year.  This isn’t your typical “planning for the future” blog.  But we are planning for one very specific night; when the clock strikes midnight and 2011 becomes a reality.

 In Las Vegas, New Year’s Eve is like a birthday, Valentine’s Day and Prom, all wrapped into one amazing night.  Public and private parties are scattered up and down the Strip and into all corners of the Las Vegas Valley.  And Cashman Photo is there.  Couples race to be the first married in the New Year; and Cashman Photo is there.  Showrooms and fine restaurants are packed; and Cashman Photo is there.  Every Las Vegas attraction is running at capacity and, yes, Cashman Photo is there.

 Each New Years Eve is an opportunity for our company to show the world our capabilities. 

 It starts early on December 31 and even December 30, as tourists fill our retail locations.  Our stores move at full throttle creating custom magazine covers and posters with our customer’s heads or faces on more famous or entertaining bodies.  In many cases, it’s not the printed picture, but the experience, tourists find entertaining.  Our employees draw a crowd and turn the entire process into a show.

 Our Cashman Crystal outlets are just as busy.  We are one of the few companies in the world who can take a photo and etch it below the surface of a visually perfect crystal, on location.  These upscale souvenirs are in high demand during the holidays.

 With every Las Vegas roller coaster in motion, our Thrill Ride Division will be busy from the Fremont Street Experience Flight Linez to the iconic roller coaster at the New York New York Resort.  Our Green Screen operations will be creating perfect photos at the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, the Secret Garden at the Mirage and the Stratosphere tower.

 Of course, we are well known for our restaurant and showroom photography, and Las Vegas visitors have turned dinner and a show into a New Years’ tradition.  Virtually all of our night club photographers will be capturing the moment in almost every Las Vegas showroom.

The parties themselves are a microcosm of our business.  Our restaurant and showroom experience will be called into play along with our portable green screen abilities.  We’ll be shooting champagne toasts and celebrity performances in ballrooms, night clubs and banquet halls everywhere.

 And, as usual, those looking to tie the knot at the stroke of midnight will be turning to the Las Vegas wedding photography leader to make their special moment last a lifetime.

There are few human endeavors that can so precisely capture a moment, enshrined for posterity, as photography. It has been noted by many that photography is both a science and an art form. This is something that certainly remains as true today as ever with the inevitable shift that has occurred from capturing images on film negatives to capturing high-resolution digital imagery. There are technical aspects required to capture a crisp, detailed images; a good quality camera body and lenses, appropriate lighting, correct camera settings for exposure, color balance and focus, etc. And there are also myriad artistic aspects employed in photography; overall composition, use of symmetry and the rule of thirds, use of negative space, deciding between shallow or broad depth of field, using different film speeds/ISO settings to accomplish different looks, and sometimes even intentionally disregarding or distorting any of these to achieve a specific look.

 The artistic element of photography can sometimes make the evaluation of the quality of an image vary greatly between individuals. As professional photographers it is important to try and understand the tastes and expectations of the subjects who are being captured to the extent that is possible. Some people will prefer the more traditional posed studio shots over the more modern and casual photojournalistic or art house style. Using wedding photography as the example, the posed photos ensure capturing all of the details of the wedding dress, the entire train, the groom’s tuxedo, or the full line up of bridesmaids and groomsmen.  The traditional posed photos are controlled, many times conservative and very structured. The photojournalistic approach, in which different perspectives are achieved, may use dramatic depth of field and parts of the subjects may be intentionally cropped out. This is intended to capture candid emotional moments with a more natural feel to tell the story of the event.

 It is also the challenging task of the professional photographer, and some might say yet another art, to strike a balance between opposing considerations, some examples of which follow. This sometimes results in a mix of photographic styles and techniques being employed. One part of a photo session may consist of a flow posing routine where one photographer captures posed images and a second photographer is looking for those special moments that may be captured from a novel perspective using the photojournalist’s eye.  Again using the example of wedding photography, some couples want the focus of the photography on the two of them, while others may want to emphasize the family images or guests in attendance. Some couples will want the emphasis placed on close ups shots while others may be more interested in having the entire scene photographed. Some will want a great body of images while others will want only a few very specific images in order to keep costs down. Many times a balance must be struck between the time that is allotted for photography and the expectations of the clients being photographed. 

 With all of the science and art that goes into getting the perfect images for individuals and the subjective nature of the evaluation of those images, it is essential for the photographer and the subjects of the photography to communicate.  Communication before and during the photo session is imperative to achieve a complete understanding of the expectations and goals of the session.

10-10-10

 The busiest day of our year is almost here, and it’s a fantastic reminder of how big our operations really are.  On Sunday, October 10, 2010 Cashman Photo Enterprises will shoot nearly 500 weddings.  That’s an amazing feat in itself, but equally impressive is our ability to process the weddings and have them ready to show our brides and grooms the very next day.  It’s a tremendous process only our company is capable of handling.

 On any given day, our Wedding Division shoots 20-25 percent of all the weddings in Las Vegas.  This includes ceremonies and receptions in churches, hotel chapels, golf courses and other locations.  We incorporate a number of upgrades into many of the weddings to give the bride and groom a photographic package all their own.  We might include off-camera lighting or add a second photographer to gather some photojournalistic images.

 Shooting and processing 500 weddings requires all of our assets.  This includes our modern and growing professional photography lab and some of our satellite labs along the resort corridor. We will be setting up temporary offices in some of the busier chapels to accommodate our surge of customers.

 Cashman Photo Enterprises has been capturing all of the important Las Vegas memories for almost 50 years.  On October 10, we can add another 500 moments.