Blanca Duran Photography behind the scenes!

Here is the link to watch it in full size!

https://vimeo.com/41428614

Weekly Tip # 9, Professional Makeup, yes or not?

Hi Dear Friends,

I hope you had a great weekend!  This week I want to talk about the importance of having a professional makeup artist for your wedding day. I know, I know, you are probably thinking: Why would I need a professional makeup artist when I love the way I do my own make up? Or why should I spend money on a professional when my best friend took a makeup class. She can do it and that will help me to save money!

Well, unless your friend has been doing makeup artistry for quite a while and has experience working with brides to enhance their beauty for their big day, I will have to disagree with you. As a professional photographer, one of my major concerns when we photograph a woman is to make sure that they have a professional apply their makeup. This is because when we take photos, the brightness of the flash can make her looked washed out and pale. A professional makeup artist has special types of makeup to apply for a photo session to avoid this. They know what products to use that will last and hold up to all the hugs and kisses on your wedding day. Having a professional makeup artist will not only help to enhance your beauty, but can aid in accentuating or down-playing parts of the face.

So, a professional makeup artist for your wedding day should not be an option, but a necessity that every bride should add to their wedding vendor list. Many makeup artists offer a trial. This is something that you can, perhaps, use for a photo session in order to see if you like their work before your wedding day.

Here is the link of a professional makeup artist, Thalio Beckham, who I highly recommend.

http://thaliobeckham.com/

Thank you and have a nice week! By the way, if you like my tip, please click “like”!

Makeup: Thalio Beckham

   Alex

A New Addition to the Family!

Here is one of our favorite families! Pardo-Benavides are part of our Blanca Duran Photography family. We have seen them turn into a beautiful family through the years. We had the pleasure of documenting their engagement, then their beautiful wedding. After that, we documented Eugenia's first pregnancy and we even visited at the hospital the day Rodrigo Alberto, their first child was born. We also photographed Rodrigo when he was a week old and captured this amazing image of the three of them in bed. After documenting Rodrigo's baptism and first year, we got a call from the Pardos with news about expecting their second child, Fernando Francisco! So we photographed Eugenia's maternity, and finally, baby Fernando at 2 weeks old! So we did the same image, this time with all four of them!  Isn't this cute?

Weekly Tip # 8, New Look?

Hi Dear Friends,

Here I am with our weekly tip. Many people like to occasionally change their hair style, especially for a big event such as their wedding day, or even for a photo session. Having a change in our look can make us feel fresh, younger, more confident, sexier, etc. Most of us want to make a change not only because we want to look different, but because we want to feel different. But what do you think is the most common mistake brides make when they change their look? You didn’t guess? The most common mistake is that they get a new hair style just days before their Wedding Day. Why is this a mistake? Because if for some reason you don’t like your new look, you’re not allowing time for your hair to grow back again.

You may see a new style that you really like, perhaps on a celebrity or in a magazine. You think she looks beautiful and sexy and you decide you would like that look for your Wedding Day. But based on my experience as a wedding photographer, 20 – 30 % of brides are unhappy with their new look. This is because we are all different – our eyes, lips, nose, ears, etc. are all unique. What looks great on someone else doesn’t always look great on us!

My tip for this week is:  Don’t wait until a week before your Wedding Day to try a new look. Do it months in advance and that way if you are unhappy with the result, you will have time to try something else and you won’t be unhappy or disappointed on your big day.

Hope this tip helps and I’ll see you next week!

Alex

Mandy & Jason part II

Remember Mandy & Jason's engagement photos inside the Minute Maid Stadium? Those were really cool, right? Well, if you like those, you are going to LOVE these new shots! This time the guys wanted to be photographed inside the Aggie Stadium in College Station. Jason played there while attending college! I cannot describe how much I love these images. As you know, we love to use multiple flashes in certain angles to create this wonderful look! The results are in-camera, we just enhanced a little the colors, and in some others we removed the blue tones completely. Enjoy!

   

   

                            

The Beautiful Leslie!

Weekly Tip #7, Pretty Nails!

Hi Dear Friends,

I hope you’re having an easy week.

This week I want to talk about a  body part that most girls like to care for in all aspects.  Some guys don’t really seem to care too much. Anyway, this is a body part that girls like to be soft, contrary to guys who usually don’t care if theirs is rough. If you didn’t catch it, well, I’m talking about our hands! In our culture here in North America and in South America, as well, shaking hands is a tradition.

 When we meet with someone, our handshake expresses how we feel. The cleanliness of our hands reveals much about us, too. In business photography our hands are one of the main parts when we photograph a couple. The way you hug says how you feel about that person. The way you touch will say how you care about them. Most professional photographers know how important the positioning of hands is during a portrait session. This is especially true for a close up of hands, as in the ring exchange, engagement ring, etc. So, my tip for this week is for girls and guys. Getting a nice manicure is a basic need before your wedding day. This will help you to have nice, clean close ups of not only your hands but also your nails.

Thank you and see you next week.

Alex

Weekly Tip # 6, My arms are too Big!!

                                             

Hello dear friends, 

This Monday we are going to talk about something that most girls worry about. Contrary to guys who want them bigger and always want to show them off, girls sometimes want to hide theirs. Hey, I'm talking about their big guns (arms)! Many girls are uncomfortable showing their arms, if even when they look great. Well, let me tell you something, there are many tricks to make your arms look smaller. An experienced photographer knows these, but I will share with you a few.

One tip that will always help is to keep your elbows away from your body, this way your body won't squeeze your arm. Another is to push your elbows to the back, that way you will show only 2/3 of your arm.

In an extreme situation when these tips won't help, wearing a wedding bolero jacket or bridal pashmina shawl is helpful. It not only helps to hide your arms but it can make your whole wedding gown more elegant and give you more confidence for your portraits.

These are a few tips that can help you look great and feel your best in front of a camera, but the best thing and what I always recommend is to find a trainer and talk about your concerns. A good routine can reduce and shape the look of your arms. A good photographer can help, too. So girls, you do your part, and leave the rest to us!

Hope this tip helps and I’ll see you next week!

Alex

Ximena & David

It's time to show you all the fun we had in New Orleans!  Ximena & David live there and they wanted us to shoot their session in this beautiful city. We were so excited about the gorgeous backgrounds and lively streets. We started our session near Harrah's Casino, you can actually see the guys posing outside the amazing building. I love the palm trees around! Then we walked down Bourbon street and finished at the French Quarter. I love St. Louis Cathedral where we stopped and captured those fantastic closeups of the guys. Then the fantastic mysterious place we found in the "dark side" of the city, Lol!

I cannot be happier with the outcome of this session. Ximena & David are such a sweet couple and they gave us not only amazing shots, but an amazing time. We joked, we laughed and enjoyed the day! We cannot wait for their wedding on April 1st! They will be getting married here in Houston at the idyllic Ashton Gardens. 

Weekly Tip # 5

Hello Dear Friends,

I hope you had a nice Spring Break and that you had time to enjoy the Rodeo, as we did.

Last week we talked about how important it is to get in shape before a big event, such as your Wedding. We know that sometimes it’s hard to do follow an exercise routine, that’s why this week we are going to give you another tip that can help you to look better.

We’ve heard about this, we’ve even seen it on TV and the movies. Past generations used it, but now days it’s not as popular. What is it? Of course, it’s a corset!  Now, along with corsets, we have body shapers, spanx, or fajas. Wearing a body shaper on your wedding day will help you to look slimmer and hide those muffin tops! Girls, you are the main attraction on your wedding day. Doing everything you can to look your best is not an option.

So, if you don’t have time to exercise before your big date, this is a good option that will help you to look better and be confident in front of a camera. By the way, this tip is not only good for girls but for your guy, too. There is so much information available on these great products. Why not do some research and find the best body shaper that you or your fiancé can wear?

I hope this tip is helpful so that when you are in front of a camera you’ll know you look your very best!

Thank you for following us and we’ll see you next week for a new tip!

Alex

The Beautiful Carri

Rebecca & Peter

Hello friends. Today our wonderful featured couple is Rebecca & Peter! We had such a great time with the guys at the beach. They relaxed, goofed around and laughed! They enjoy peaceful moments like these: reading a good book and have an interesting conversation.  I couldn't think of a better way to portray this sweet couple. Here are some of our favorite moments. Enjoy! By the way, Rebecca & Peter are planning their destination wedding!