About a year and a half ago, I attended WPPI in Las Vegas for the first time. We had just launched our business and were in search of the perfect album company. I was not happy with the quality of my own wedding album so I had very high standards for the company that we would choose for our own clients. I walked the aisles of the trade show in search of what product I’d be confident was worth putting our name on. I was quickly losing hope as all the booths looked the same. I wanted somebody to “wow” me because I wanted to “wow” my clients. I turned the corner and felt my draw drop when I saw the Cypress Albums booth. I beat Vitaliy’s arm with excitement because I knew that this was it. If I were a bride, this is exactly what I’d want my wedding album to look like. I was a bride one day and I only wish this would have been one of my options. I’m happy my clients feel the same way!

Let me share some of the reasons I fell in love with Cypress. Their quality is superb; all of their products are handcrafted. Their fabrics and ribbons are to die for! It’s like getting to decorate your wedding album when you choose your fabric and ribbon combos. I love the presentation boxes that the albums are kept safe in. They are the perfect way to display your album in your home. There is no need to hide your album away in a drawer for safe keeping which means it never gets seen. With Cypress, your album is safe and gets displayed in your home each day which is how it should be. The last reason we chose to work with Cypress is because I could tell that they will care as much about my client’s album as I do. This was crucial in our decision making.

I get just as giddy as any bride when we get an album back from Cypress. I can’t wait to see how it turned out and then I can’t wait to get it in our clients hands. Here are a few pictures of what I get to see when the package arrives and what our clients get to take home with them. I think about our couples opening up their albums throughout the years and falling more love with each other as they turn each page. I love imagining our albums being passed down through the generations. This is what makes wedding albums so special and why they are so important in what we do here at Prokopets Studio.

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I love Cypress’ presentation. It’s all about those small details!

I love me some ribbon! I think I owe this infatuation to my mother.

No need to even untie that pretty little ribbon. The box snaps shut with neatly concealed magnets on the side of the presentation box.

You can imprint your names and/or your wedding date on the front of the album. Simple and elegant.

A ribbon lays on the bottom of the presentation box to assist in pulling the album out.

Quality binding.

I love the thickness of the pages. They give me confidence in their durability over a long period of time.

I’ll share about our album design on another post some time. But here is a look at it!

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So you came up with the idea to talk about vision today. Why is vision important in your photography?

As a photographer, I often am being asked the following questions. What camera did you use to take that picture? What lens did you use? What kind of camera settings did you have when you took that shot? These are all legitimate questions, however, when it comes to the essence of photography, camera settings, lenses, and post processing are all but tools in the hands of a photographer to help him achieve his vision. Any memorable photograph starts with a photographic vision. Intentionality and planning are a big part of what makes a photograph successful. Does the subject that you photograph move you in a certain way? What is it about the subject that you find most interesting or memorable? What you include inside the frame or leave out of the frame, will help to communicate your vision.

Do you come up with a vision before a photoshoot or wedding, or is it something that happens during the process of photographing?

I think that it’s both. Planning ahead can help you achieve your vision with less stress. However, no vision needs to be set in stone. Photography, like any form of art, requires inspiration and connection with your subject. Sometimes I get inspired by something the bride wears during the wedding or by the interaction of a bride and her dad. I’ve learned to look around me and let the environment and circumstances help me communicate my vision.

It sounds like your are saying that vision, in a sense, is storytelling. Are they the same? If not, what ways do they differ?

Storytelling is just an aspect of your vision. Whether words or pictures, they’re used to communicate what your original intention was. Vision precedes storytelling because it determines how the story can be told.

What was your vision in the image above? How did it come about?

Sergio and Lisa are close friends of ours. When they asked us to photograph their family, we were thrilled. As you probably all know, our favorite pictures usually are those of the husband and wife. So we started off with a nice picture of Sergio and Lisa smiling at the camera. Photographing people is all about relationships. So as I was photographing them, Candace and I were talking with them. One thing that Lisa and I have in common is our heritage. Somehow old Ukrainian photographs were brought up and we were joking about how Ukrainians don’t normally smile in their photographs and they’re serious. This is what birthed the vision for this photograph. I wanted to recreate a somewhat exaggerated version of an old Ukrainian photograph. Obviously, not all Ukrainian photographs look like this.

So the image on the left is straight out of the camera and the image on the right is the final picture. Is post processing part of your vision?

Yes, definitely. I wanted this photo to have a warn and faded look as if it could have been found in an old family album. That was part of my original vision when I took the picture, but my vision couldn’t be completed unless I did the post processing to give it that look.

What did you do in post process to achieve this look?

It started actually before post process. I used a standard 50mm lens to take this picture because old cameras used fixed lenses and somewhat wide lenses. I wanted it to have a look that it could have been photographed with an old camera. In post process, I applied a texture to the image to give it an old photograph look with distressed edges. Then to give it a vintage tone, I used one of the vintage actions in Photoshop called Troy from Totally Rad Actions 2 — The Revenge!.Then I added a red gradient on the left of the photograph to make it look like the camera that this photograph was taken with leaked light onto the film.

What did you hope the viewer would see or feel when they looked at this image?

In contrast with all the other images we took of Sergio’s family, this one stands out as an odd one. That was precisely what I wanted to do. I wanted the viewers to notice it because it has a special meaning to me. My vision was to communicate a part of me really, to communicate a historic aspect of my heritage. But I wanted to have fun with the image. I wanted the viewer to smile at the exaggeration of it all.

I got to thinking about him and then about our blog and I realized that you guys are really missing out. To only let you hear from me and not from Vitaliy would be doing you guys a disservice. I married Vitaliy for a reason — he is an incredible man. There is not another person on the face of this earth that I admire more than him. He’s got so much to share and I don’t want you guys to miss out on knowing the other half of Prokopets Studio.

I am the voice of Prokopets Studio, but Vitaliy is the eyes of Prokopets Studio. I got to thinking that I don’t want to be the only one who gets to learn from him. Since a large portion of this blog is about our photography, I thought it’d be best to start there. Everything I’ve learned about photography, I’ve learned from Vitaliy. I thought maybe some of you might be interested in learning some too. Vitaliy doesn’t claim to be a genius or a master of photography, he just loves sharing about things he has learned.

I thought an interview would be fun. I asked Vitaliy to pick one image that he was proud of. I was so eager to see what he would choose. As a wife, I’m always seeking to know him more. Knowing how passionate he is about photography, I knew this would be a glimpse into his heart. Here is what he chose. The interview is below.

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I asked you to choose a picture that you were proud of, did this image immediately stand out in your mind?

No, I had to think about it because I am a terrible critic of my own work. That’s why I like that you pick the pictures for the blog. It takes the pressure off of me to pick “the best”. I would also say that I had to go through a number of images before I remembered this one.

Why did you choose this image as being one you are proud of?

I actually captured this image while photographing with Teresa Halton. This was a very unique wedding; the dress that the bride wore was not the kind of dress I typically see. The first thing that grips me about this image is the composition. I like how the bride stands in between the two topiaries almost resembling an art piece in itself. The detail in the dress compliments the detail of the topiaries. I also love the way the red and green colors compliment each other. The bride really stands out because there is nothing in the background to draw away your attention. I took a few images horizontally, but it doesn’t have nearly as much impact as the vertical shot you see above.

To be quite honest, not every person would see all of the things you just pointed out. I know I didn’t. Are there exercises you do to train your eye to see all of these kinds of elements when you are taking pictures?

Like with any other craft, the only way you master it is by studying and putting into practice what you have learned. Let me just clarify that I have in no way mastered the craft of photographing. I have a long way to go and I am learning something new every day. I learn about photography through reading books, magazines, photo exhibits, and fellow photographers. When I was in college, I used to go to Borders and look through the best work of my favorite photographers. I would study the images and learn how to interpret and see things in them. Remember, when I took you on our first date, I introduced you to one of my favorite photographers Eugene Smith? This is still one of the main avenues I use to better my photography. One of the books that I’ve read, The Photographer’s Eye, has been most helpful and insightful to me. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is eager to learn about the various elements that make up a good photograph.

Did you pose the bride in a certain way to enhance your image?

Besides positioning her between the two topiaries, I asked her to tilt the umbrella to the right and put her left hand on her hip while turning her head to the left. The reason I told her to turn her head is because I wanted to see her face. I didn’t just want it to be a mysterious wonder about who is the lady in the red dress. I wanted her face to be seen so she could own this moment and own that dress. To me, the way arms are positioned in a photograph plays a huge role in the mood of an image. I wanted her to make a statement — to resemble a statue that exudes power, strength and beauty.

You mention that you are a terrible critic of your own work, how do you deal with these insecurities?

Every day I look at images that are not my own and I feel like I am a hack. I ask myself, “Are my images good enough? How are they different from billions of other images out there? How can I compete with incredibly talented and visionary photographers that are out there?” I have to keep coming back to the truth that there is only one of me in this world. Only I have the eyes of Vitaliy Prokopets. Nobody can decide for me what story I’m going to tell with my images. And comparing myself to others only prevents me from working harder, always learning, and taking more pictures. I have learned to be content with where I’m at. The photographers that I admire, they were all once where I’m at today. If I look back at my photography from a year ago, I can already see growth. And that is what is important to me — to see myself evolving. I am excited to see where we are at from a year ago and I am thankful that there are people who enjoy our work.

Love is such a powerful gift that each one of us possesses. We can either share it with others or choose to only love ourselves. As I think back to 2009, I’m amazed at the amount of love Vitaliy and I were able to document through our photography. I hope that each one of our clients will choose to look back on their pictures and remember the amount of love that was present. When the husband and wife begin to face difficulties in their marriage, I pray they look back on their wedding images and remember the strength of their love and the commitment they made to each other that day. When the newborn baby has grown into a terrible toddler, I hope that the struggling mom can look back at the pictures of her precious baby and find the love to get her through her child’s toddler tantrums.

Life never stops and it’s always changing. I’m so happy that our pictures capture a moment in time so that it will never be forgotten. 2009 was a year full of love! Looking back on these images inspires me to dream big for 2010. My hope is that we can continue to bless others with the gifts our good God has given to us.

“Love doesn’t make the world go ’round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” - Franklin P. Jones

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Love: A husband and wife realizing what their love has become.

Love: A lover’s kiss.

Love: A family taking a moment to remember their father who passed away. (I miss you, Uncle Dave!)

Love: A mother preparing her daughter for her wedding day.

Love: A mother waiting for her unborn child.

Love: A bride and groom seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day.

Love: A father holding his daughter after a long day at work.

Love: Laughter.

Love: A husband and wife of 5 years still smiling and dancing together.

Love: Friendship.

Love: A beautiful family all together.

Love: Being wrapped up in the arms of the one you love.

Love: The first kiss, the first embrace as husband and wife.

We’re currently taking the last week off for rest, relaxation and to simply refresh ourselves for the New Year. We’ve gotten to see some great movies such as Avatar and Sherlock Holmes. I’ve taken as many naps as I possibly could in order to make up for all of the sleep I was deprived  of earlier in the year. And I was finally able to finish the book I’ve been reading the last few months. I’ve also gotten to finally read through some of the magazines that have been piling up over the months. When I came across the December cover of BAZAAR, I was blown away. It could be because of my slight infatuation with Twilight, but I just loved the look, the feel, and the way the photographer posed Bella and Edward. Oops, I mean, Kristen and Robert. This one, along with another from their shoot, will be torn out and taped into my book of ideas. Vitaliy and I are constantly searching for inspiration, ideas, or poses for our future work. I could definitely see using this look in an upcoming wedding or engagement shoot. They are beautiful…and I don’t just mean the people.

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Photographer: Mark Seliger

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It’s pictures like this that make me want to go ahead and let Vitaliy get a motorcycle. What do you think folks, could Vitaliy and I pull a look like this off?

And that is when I found it, “The name Waterlily Pond came from deep pockets of my memory – the lazy summer days on the Dnieper River in Ukraine when I was little.” No wonder why I’m so attracted to this artist — they’re Ukrainian! This intrigued me even more and so I excitedly scoured the entire site trying to get to know as much as I could about Natasha Lisitsa, the artist behind Waterlily Pond. By the end of my visit, I was convinced that we had to try and get in touch with her. I felt like it was a stretch seeing that she was obviously a very accomplished artist doing works for San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as well as the deYoung Museum. But I was too convinced, I refused to let my fears hold me back. I ran and told Vitaliy all about her and said that he had to contact her and demanded he write the email in Ukrainian. It was something we had in common!

But before there was even time to get a reply, Vitaliy photographed a wedding with Teresa Halton. He came home with this absolutely stunning bouquet of flowers and told me all about this amazing Ukrainian florist that he met who had designed the flowers for the wedding. I, of course, began to freak out because my mind immediately ran back to the Waterlily Pond website and this line, “The name Waterlily Pond came from deep pockets of my memory – the lazy summer days on the Dnieper River in Ukraine when I was little.” It must be her!

Vitaliy being the wonderful husband he is, took it upon himself to contact Natasha again after having a great conversation with her at the wedding. One email led to another and a few weeks later, Vitaliy was photographing an event for her at the Menlo Circus Club called Holidays On A High Note to benefit the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County. As I looked through the images that Vitaliy took that day, they reminded me of everything I had felt the day I read through her website. You could tell by the smiles on her face that she delights in what she does. I could see from the elements she chose for her pieces that she had a unique artistry. Natasha is bold; she isn’t limited by any boundaries in her work. She is truly inspiring and I would recommend any bride reading this to check her out. Here is a note from Natasha on her site, “I always challenge myself to create pieces that are truly a reflection of your style. The result could be Ultra modern, or Asian Fusion, or Garden Lush. The possibilities are endless, as my biggest thrill is to “get it right” for my clients.” If I am a bride, I want to know that my vendor’s main goal is to “get it right” for me. This is our outlook at Prokopets Studio and this is why we respect Natasha.

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Feathers! How fun! I love everything about this piece.

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No boundaries!

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I love that you can see Natasha’s care in her work down to the smallest detail.

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A red-haired Ukrainian! Doesn’t get better than that. Natasha, you are beautiful.

Before I show you a few of our favorites, I have to tell you one of the funniest kid stories from the day. Vitaliy and I dressed up as a cat and mouse. Vitaliy was the cat and I was the mouse. He likes to chase me, what can I say? There was a family next up in line so I walked over and bent down to chat with them for a minute before I brought them over. You know, let them feel me out before we take them away from their moms and stick a big scary black thing in their face. These kids didn’t need any warming up though. In fact, the one little guy had beef with me and we hadn’t even met yet. I walked up and he blurted out, “Why are you guys a cat and a mouse??” I smiled and was intrigued to see where he was going with this — you know “kids say the darndest things”. I said, “What do you mean?” He immediately replied, “Well cats and mice don’t even like each other! What are you two doing working together?” Everyone in his vicinity was cracking up laughing, including me. Amused with himself, he put his mask back on and proudly made his way to the bench to have his picture taken. I assured him he made a substantial argument but that this cat and mouse loved each other.

Here is a small slice of all the amazing people we got to photograph and hang out with on Saturday. It was a well spent Saturday and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. However, it will take me until next Halloween to get the amount of energy needed to photograph the amount of children we did in a two hour time slot. I’ll start conserving energy now. Next year I might need a four hour nap afterwards because I hope we get to photograph twice as many kids. So everyone out there — put it on your calendars now!

~Candace

P.S. A special thank you goes out to Tom and Ronda O’Leary for letting us borrow their awesome antique tool chest for our photo booth. The pictures wouldn’t be as amazing without it. Thank you so much for your generosity!

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This was one of the first guys to come to our booth. He walked straight in, sat down and posed just like this. I was so impressed I asked the mom if he had practiced. She said absolutely not! He was a total natural — made my job very easy.

I really don’t think I need to say much about this little princess. No, she’s not a doll, she’s a real little girl with major cuteness going on.

I asked her to wave her magic wand and help me lose 10 pounds. I’m still waiting to see if it worked.

Even the parents got into it! How fun is that?

So many of the little boys tried to sit on my bench and refuse to smile. I just wouldn’t let them — here is Bob the Builder breaking under my “I’m gonna make you laugh” skills. Those skills usually lead to my humiliation, but if I can get the kid to smile and make his mom’s day, it’s totally worth it to me.

I knew when I saw this one, there was no breaking her. This was what she looked like from the moment I first saw her in the stroller till the moment I sat her down on the hay. Her face never changed one bit. And it made me want to squeeze her even more cause she is just so darn cute. If I had a daughter this age, this would be the costume I’d want.

Is she so sweet and proper or what! Her smile, the glasses, the hat — I’m in love.

Familiar faces. These two come from this amazing family. And they are lucky there was a long line behind them otherwise we would have 1. not stopped photographing and 2. I probably would have not let go of them cause they are both absolutely squeezable. What a perfect duo!

The smile and those wings! I’m thinking that if I could wear those wings while cooking or cleaning that I could be a little more inspired to do them. I think these wings could really make some things happen — they look quite magical to me.

Favorite shot of the day. Her smile is as big and wide as her dress. And check out that bow tie! They are just too cute.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Huggable, lovable, and squeezable.

These are our new friends and were our help for the day. We couldn’t have done it without them and they are such a beautiful family. Thanks for all your help guys!

This little one just totally refused. No matter what I did to try to make her laugh — she was not having it. I admire the determination! Vitaliy kept trying but I actually adored the pouty face. And by pouty face, I am referring to the pumpkin kid, not the monster pouty face.

Disney Land seriously needs to hire this one. They are missing out!

Favorite family shot of the day! I love the unity in this family and the excitement for the holiday. So much fun!

Last shot of the day. You always save the best for last. I do!

OH wait! I guess I had one more to share. Are we one cute family or what! That’s my momma by the way with her awesome home-made witch hat. Everyone was super jealous and coveting it all day. And of course the handsome cat is my hubby and photographer extraordinaire, and the cute bumble-bee is his beautiful sister Leska. Oh, and that’s me, the mouse, “where is my cheese?”

From the moment I first saw you, I knew that there would be no going back. Your beauty captured my heart and I did not want to let you go. But you did. You left so abruptly that I did not even get a chance to introduce myself. I was smitten and heartbroken. I kept asking myself if I even stood a chance with such a drop dead gorgeous beauty. Would I ever see you again? And then you surprised me.

Oh, how impatiently I awaited your arrival, to embrace you in my arms. I thought the day would never come but now you are finally here and you gave yourself to me. I am the luckiest guy in the world! I look forward to all of our days ahead together. Thank you for joining me on this adventure – there is nobody else I would rather share it with. I look forward to holding you in my hands, caressing your body, admiring your form and all that you are capable of. We will have such amazing times together and I know that great things will happen because of our union. I know it hurts you to see me with Candace at times, but I am torn. I am so in love with her but also so madly in love with you. You are my passion – what I stay up late at night dreaming about. You carry the tools to helping me accomplish what I was meant to do. So please, trust me my love and I will trust you. I can’t wait to explore all of who you are and help you perform to your fullest. You have so much to offer me and I promise not to disappoint you. More than anything I know that you will make me a better man and ultimately a better photographer.

Yours truly,

~Vitaliy

Thinking about our trip next week, my heart begins to flutter at the thought of seeing all of my favorite places in St. Louis. There are so many locations that I miss  — Forest Park, Central West End, Lafayette Square, The Loop. And let me just tell you, there are definitely not enough hours in the day to fit in a meal at each of my favorite restaurants while I’m there — Steak-N-Shake, Mom’s Deli, Brio, and Ted Drews. Yes, there is nothing wrong with eating a meal at Ted Drews. It’s easy to get reminiscing about memories at these places or fun things to do there. And that’s when it hit me…we’ve never photographed in St. Louis! I’m thrilled that our camera is bringing us to St. Louis and we’ll have an entire day with Julie and DJay introducing our love — the camera, to my old love affair — St. Louis. I have no doubt the two will meet and you just might see early fireworks across the beautiful St. Louis skyline.

With that being said, we also want to photograph you or maybe you know someone who we should photograph. Obviously, Saturday is set aside and completely devoted to Julie and DJay. However, we added on a few days to our trip to fit in a few portrait sessions and of course to fit in a few more meals at my favorite restaurants. One of which is not even a restaurant, but my dad’s BBQ! Anyway, here are the dates and times we have available for engagement shoots, family portraits, or “just because” sessions — because you don’t have to have a reason to document life and love! If you are interested, send me an email or fill out the form, and I’ll send you the details. Now I’m even more excited to come; hope I’ll be able to sleep this week.

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Friday, June 19

• Early morning session

Monday, June 22 —

• Sunrise (yes, at this time the light is GORGEOUS! Who’s in!?! If you are willing, it will pay off in your pictures!)
• Morning session around 9am
• Early afternoon around 1pm

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Well friends, I’ve got the deal of a lifetime for you. We want to shoot you for free. Yes, I said it, free. Spell it out for me people, “F-R-E-E” Scream it out, “FREE! FREE!”

Ok, now I know what is going through your minds. Yeah right! What’s the catch? There is always a catch. Nobody gives out anything for free, without expecting something in return. In most cases this is true and in fact it is true in this case as well. We are expecting something–experience. As I mentioned in my first post, we are just starting out our photography business and we are looking for as much experience as possible. In that same post, I asked you all to join us in this new adventure. This is a perfect way for you to join in as well as receive a great gift in return.

This offer is only good until December 31^st so book your free session today. It’s already November 12. Oh my gosh, it’s November 12!! Time is flying by and pretty soon it’s going to be turkey time. So if you have seen our work and would like some photographs taken, shoot us an email vitaliy@prokopetsstudio.com or send us a message via the Contact page. We are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, so unfortunately we cannot travel to New York to take your photos for free. If you know someone else that might benefit from this, feel free to send them our way.

Hope to hear from some of you out there!