On my last post, Smile For the Camera, I mentioned I ordered a new camera for taking picture at my events and personal use. It’s a Digital SLR Nikon D50 and I received it last week. I’ve got to say, its a nice investment. And I really got to say that for 2 reasons. First, because I have to justify spending that amount of money on a family camera and second because it really is worth the investment . The pictures are clearer, the colors are vivid; it feels like you are holding a portal into the past when looking at the pictures. It’s that good!
In the first hour of receiving the camera, I believe I took well over 250 pictures playing with all the settings, adjusting the lens manually, using the auto-focus features, using the different built in modes, changing out the lenses, flash on, flash off, playing with the ISO settings, and so on. It has many different options and of course I had to compare what the difference was from all the modes. The Result: Minimal differences, but different nevertheless.
So, I set up my DJ equipment in the living room and decided to do some practicing and to take pictures of the different combinations of speakers I have. I could do all of them except for one, and only because space was an issue. It’s kinda hard since my living room really isn’t that big to begin with and the system I wanted to set up is to accommodate halls that hold anywhere around 500 - 700 people.
DJ Setup #1: for 25-75 Guests
DJ Setup #2: 75-150 Guests
DJ Setup #3: 75-300 Guests
The colors of the brick just come to life and the speakers, even though there was minimal lighting, come out very clear and showing every detail. The only touch up I did to these pictures on the computer was to add my company logo and reduce the size. So the actual pictures look even better.
Especially pictures of people having fun, with great big smiles. I believe that a picture like that captures the person in a time that they are free, they let go, so to speak. Really, they are behaving like a small child would when he is playing and having a great time at the local park, pool, or even at school.
During a reception, whether it’s for a wedding or a Quinceañera, you see a lot of that. A lot of people smiling like they never smiled before. They get filled with all kinds of unexplainable emotions. Emotions when the bride walks down the isle for the first time, when they exchange their vows and promise each other their Life-Long-Love, when the officiant pronounces them Bride and Groom, and all throughout the day. I feel all the emotions every time and I am not even a part of the family. Once we allow those emotions to fill our heart, it is easy to have a great time and give the biggest smile you can to your photographer or video camera person. The emotions I describe are; Love, Happiness, Enthusiasm, Joy, Accomplishment, Optimism, and Gratitude. As a DJ I have learned to use these positive emotions to help me in creating a fantastic evening of dancing and entertainment and help them grow into “The Best Time of Their Life.”
This past Saturday I had my most challenging event ever. It was a Quinceañera for some very prestigious people in the Hispanic Community. They had the highest expectations that anyone has ever had at any of my events and the crowd was so diverse that I felt it was going to be hard to spark up a continuous dancing atmosphere for the entire night.
The guests consisted of Latino People from Houston, a few Family Members that flew in from Mexico, Some American Business and School Friends of the parents, and all the friends of the Quinceañera.
The Quinceañera, a very beautiful and nice girl, had her list of songs, 3 pages long, 1 Column, single spaced and they were all fantastic, dance able songs. However, they only covered the younger teen guests: Her Friends. And that only made up about 40% of the guests in attendance. The adults, Latino and American, made up the rest guest list and of course they want to dance more of the Oldies and Slow Dance Hits.
Add to that a few technical problems with the sound equipment and you can say I was a little nervous about the outcome of the event.
The presentation was done by a close family member and choreographed by a professional Choreographer. So the presentation was beautiful and well organized. Right after the presentation, the Quinceañera and her father gave a very emotional thank you speech to the guests and everyone in the room felt and heard the message. It was one of appreciation, love, and accomplishment. It did a great job of helping lay the foundation for a wonderful night.
I played the first song Crank That by Soulja Boy, next th Cupid Shuffle, then the Cha Cha Slide, and it was on cruise control after that.
At the end the parents came over an showed their gratitude with a big thank you and said how everyone enjoyed themselves.
Below are some Pictures of the event.
However, as you can see from the pictures, the camera used is a small Canon PowerShot SD100, which is an older model and the pictures come out better than most consumer cameras, but they don’t really come out appealing. So I recently made an upgrade to a photographer’s camera. I purchased the Nikon D50, which is a Professional Photographer’s Camera. I want to show the pictures in their true color.
As soon as I get it and as soon as I learn how to get it in good working order I will come back and let you guys know, or actually show you how the pictures come out. Until then, you can settle for these good Canon Pictures.
It is a privilege and an honor to be invited to a wedding as a guest.
It is even a greater privilege to be invited as part of the bridal party.
But, the greatest privilege is to be asked to be the best man or the maid of honor.
To the Best Man or Maid of Honor!
The bride and groom have asked you to be the best man or maid of honor. They trust you and will rely on you for help and support throughout the entire wedding planning and the wedding day. Apparently, you are someone very special and important in their life and they feel they can’t do it without your help.
During the toast, you are responsible for all the guests to know a little something special about them and provide a great reason for everyone to toast. This is a big responsibility and should NOT be taken lightly.
Think about it. If you were the bride or groom, and you invite co-workers, family members, and special friends to your wedding, wouldn’t you want to be represented in a positive, fun, entertaining, and memorable way?
Wouldn’t you want your best man and maid of honor to do the very best job they can at giving a fantastic toast?
Well, good, I’m glad you agree and understand.
Here are a few basic guidelines to follow in creating the best toast you can give.
Looking for ideas to have a fun grand introduction? This is becoming pretty popular and more and more brides are doing it to spice up the wedding reception. I’m sure the rest of the reception is just as fun…
Creating your life-long dream wedding reception should be a breeze!
Most of my brides are very picky when it comes to their entertainment. They have certain genres of music that they want played at their reception and they want their event to flow smooth. Additionally, they want for everyone to have a great time. The DJ or MC must be a professional who knows what he or she is doing and will make the guest of honor look good for choosing their service. They want spectacular announcements; Clear and Concise, a great mix of music, and they want to have the best reception, ever!
Pretty standard and straight foreword right?!
Well… it is. I have to usually entertain two to three and sometimes even up to four different cultures. I don’t want to sound too, overly confident, but most of my Weddings and Quinceaneras are very successful and I usually get a big thank you from the bride and groom, Quinceaneara or the parents at the end of every reception. The majority of the people whom I entertain have High Expectations and standards, are Picky and they know exactly what they want. As a result, they are very grateful once their reception comes out as they expected.
So How do you Create that Out of this World Reception?
Yes it takes practice and you have to enjoy what you do. The link above is a YouTube website for Brian S. Redd, a DJ in Milwaukee who likes to share his wedding experience in YouTube. I think I watched over 10 of his videos today and I was entertained to see how he works.
Back to our topic, What does it take to create an Out of this World Reception, and that is…
. The pictures are clearer, the colors are vivid; it feels like you are holding a portal into the past when looking at the pictures. It’s that good!
I love taking picture.
The presentation was done by a close family member and choreographed by a professional Choreographer. So the presentation was beautiful and well organized. Right after the presentation, the Quinceañera and her father gave a very emotional thank you speech to the guests and everyone in the room felt and heard the message. It was one of appreciation, love, and accomplishment. It did a great job of helping lay the foundation for a wonderful night.
It is a privilege and an honor to be invited to a wedding as a guest.
High Expectations?