23 reasons to elope!

     By definitionelope (e·lope, iˈlōp) means? verb "Run away secretly in order to get married, especially without parental consent. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting married." Here are 23 reasons TO elope!

1. You can be less formal. 

Don't want to wear a ball gown like your mom thinks you should? Not comfortable in a suit and tie? Scratch all that and wear what YOU want. After all this is your day!

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2. It's truly romantic. 

No, really.

3. You have better things to spend your money on. 

Like a house, or a honeymoon, or a family vehicle, or rent, or anything else that is NOT a wedding.

4. You can choose your location!

You don't have to find  venue that will hold 150 guests in your budget or worry about hotel accommodations either! Who is to say you can't get married in that quaint little spot in the woods you and your fiancé love so much? Or how about on a remote beach? Or over seas! The possibilities are endless!

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5. You can't please everyone.

In the end someone will not be happy about something like the music or the food or whatever. Seriously, with so many people giving opinions on what they think is best you can loose focus of what YOU really want for YOUR day!

6. You save time.

Planning a major event takes time. And a lot of it! You're busy, we know.

7. Privacy.

Maybe you don't need everyone in your business. Not into having everything posted on Facebook and Instagram? Well, if you elope you won't have to worry about being tagged in photos! Not everyone needs a gift registry. Who wants to write all those thank you notes anyway?

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8. You have been married before.

Yep, been there and done that. Maybe you don't feel the need for the traditional ceremony. You already did the big wedding thing and know the reasons to elope, so you can stop reading now :-)

9. Religion/Culture.

Blending various religious and cultural backgrounds may not sound as easy as you think. Eloping is a way to avoid the cultural and religious clashes.

10. THE HONEYMOON!

Who says your elopement location couldn't double as your honeymoon location? Go somewhere exotic! Remember you didn't have a wedding, so you can afford it ;-)

11. No invitations!

This person forgot to RSVP. Should we invite so and so? Wait, didn't they get divorced. What is their address? Did you invite so and so? Forget these questions because your eloping!

12. You don't want to wait.

And why should you? GET MARRIED NOW!

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13. Complex family tree.

The idea of all families getting along is awesome, but the reality is not all families get along. Avoid the arguments and fuss of family drama and ELOPE!

14. You. Are. Pregnant!

CONGRATULATIONS! Eloping is less stress on your body. Point blank period.

15. To be unique.

Do you know any couples that eloped?

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16. Avoid being a BRIDEZILLA!

It's inevitable. At some point someone will call you a bridezilla to your face or behind your back. Avoid this stereotype and elope!

17. NO REHEARSAL DINNER!

That is all.

18. The food.

No guest allergies to worry about. No per plate costs to consider. Eat whatever you want and a lot of it! And in most cases you will actually get to eat on your big day!

19. The PAR-tay!

2 words: OPEN BAR. Stress level -4. Now all your friends and family can join in for the celebration on a less planned scaled weeks or even months after you have eloped!

20. You have been together for-ev-er...

14 years later you decide to tie the knot. Everyone already thinks you are married.

21. Deceased family members.

Maybe your father has passed or even a sibling. After a major life event the idea of a big wedding sometimes looses it value.

22. Your Milkshake Brings All The Boys To The Yard!

Yep, you can booty shake to that song all day and not have your grandma give you funny looks.

23. THE PHOTOGRAPHY!

You can hire the photographer you want, instead of the photographer you can afford. You don't have to worry about splitting the budget between cake, flowers and dj. Photography can be the item you splurge on. Just because you decide to elope doesn't mean it can't be documented beautifully.

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5 Tips For A Great Head Shot

By definition:"A head shot or headshot is a photograph of someone's face. Many head shots are promotional pictures of actors, models, authors, or other famous individuals." I have specialized in (children's) head shots for the last 4 years. So, what makes a great head shot, you ask? Well, you might as well ask what makes a great photo. But, here are some pointers:

1. Connection. Eye contact is KEY. You want to be able to look at the image and feel the person is looking you in the eye. If your subject isn’t intrigued then neither will the person viewing photograph.

2. Simple backdrop. We are here to see the person in the photo, not where you took the photo. If the backdrop is visible then it should support the subject and not be distracting.

3. Clothing. Simple solid colors are always best. Also, try to avoid solid white – it can be distracting. The eye tends to go toward the brightest part of the image and you don’t want that to be the shirt your subject is wearing. Also, minimal jewelry and makeup. BUT- if your client insists on wearing white and patterns pull yourself together and MAKE IT WORK. After all, you are a professional.

4. Vertical: In my experience, comp cards are generally vertical. If you take a horizontal shot, make sure you pull back enough to where it can be cropped vertical. There is nothing worse than having your client love the (horizontal) shot you took only to hear they can’t use it because it can’t be cropped vertical.

5. Posing: Head shot means just that. Pose from the shoulders up and fill the frame. Don’t “cut off” the top of the head. Proper facial expressions can also affect posing. Change up expressions!

But, most importantly, you need a good photographer! You have to have fun and feel comfortable during a head shot session or it will reflect in the photo that is primarily, well,  your face. Head shots are about capturing your personality, so make sure you bring it to your session.

Black and White versus Color | Krisandra Evans

It's the tale old battle of which is better… Black and white or Color? When you don't know which one to post, what do you do?

99.9% of the time I will post color images. That .1% of the time I do post a black and white images it is because for some reason it caught my eye more than the color image did. Why is that?

Black and white tends to be more simplistic. Timeless. Less distracting. More dramatic. Right?

Then there are times where you want the image to grab your attention. You want to see all the colors involved because they play off each other to make the image. And sometimes who really cares how timeless the image looks because, well, it's just that good of an image!

So, you tell me.. Black and White OR Color?

6 steps to taking a better engagement ring selfie | Krisandra Evans

SO! YOU'RE ENGAGED! Time to show off that amazing ring. Here are a few tips and tricks to taking an amazing engagement ring selfie. 1.Lighting is EVERYTHING!

Sunlight is key! Go outside, or by an open window even. The natural light will do way more than the overhead yellow light bulb in your house. Trust us! Oh and did I mention the sparkle that comes with natural light. Don't' believe me? Look at how your engagement ring sparkles!

2.Get your nails done!

Seriously gals. You have an amazing ring on and your nails are chipped? Go! Get a manicure! There is nothing worse than seeing an amazing ring, but being distracted by un-amazing nails. But wait, you just can not wait to post a pic before your manicure? Ok, fine. There are many different ways to show off your ring in photos that don't include your unkempt nails.

Like, placing the engagement ring on an object like a flower or your favorite book. Did the engagement ring come with a box? Display it. Have your fiancé hold his hand open and place the engagement ring in his palm (that is if he has lotioned his hands in the last 24 hours).

3.Be aware of the background, PLEASE.

Yes, we get it. You Are Excited and you should be- but we don't want to see the toilet or your dirty socks or sink full of dishes. Take a second and look around at your surroundings. This picture you post of your engagement ring is going to be seen by a lot of people. Take the time to set your background even if you take a t-shirt that is a solid color and lay it on the ground.

4.Take lots of options, but only show ONE.

Don't make us gag by posting tons of photos and collages of your ring. We get it, you're engaged. We are happy for you. Don't give us a reason to block you. You know you want us to see the rest of your wedding planning photos, right? RIGHT!

5.Style is key

Try photographing your engagement ring from different angles. Does your engagement ring have stones around the band? Is your stone on a unique setting? Have you tried photographing from overhead to show the shape of the stone?

6.Filters and frames.

You know you have a ton of apps on your phone- USE THEM! VSCO, Snapseed, and InstaCollage are a couple of my personal favorites. Experiment with the contrast, saturation, and crop. Add a nice filter and finish it with a heart frame. Add a couple of sentimental words and share with the world!

YOU'RE ENGAGED! CONGRATULATIONS!! 

All photographs were taken by Krisandra Evans with a iPhone 4 using the apps mentioned above!