Happy Easter and Fat Cat prepares for an adventure!

We hope everyone was able to enjoy the Easter Holiday with their families today and remember the reason for the day. Nope, sorry not chocolate, although it comes as a nice fringe benefit! We had a great time hanging with the Shay clan this afternoon and enjoying a great turkey dinner prepared by my brother and his wife. We totally blew our diets with my homemade ice cream cake dessert and pre-made Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory! (YUM!) But we'll make up for it tomorrow on the treadmill and with additional crunches. Speaking of the treadmill, we are not only trying to keep ourselves healthier, but build some stamina as well the last month or so as we prepare for the start of the traditional wedding season and our big adventure in Puerto Morales, Mexico in just a few short weeks! We finally thawed out from Colorado in January and barely snuck in some time to fake bake recently to get that pasty white skin tan so we don't burn like lobsters while we work our way a bit closer to the equator!

Here at FCP it is totally a myth that cats hate water...this week we embark on our first underwater adventures! We learned to snorkel on our honeymoon many years ago in the Carribean and this last year enjoyed it even more on our anniversary cruise in the Pacific along the Mexican coast! But at that time I desperately wanted to follow some of the fish so badly that instead of swimming straight ahead I followed them DOWN below the surface and sucked in seawater down the snorkel! It was time to learn to SCUBA DIVE! After that trip, life, work and editing happened so the class never materialized for us. Well now that we have a chance to use the skill again, we decided to go for it and finally learn scuba!

So the weeks schedule has been jam packed with appointments, deliveries, editing and other personal stuff, now we get to make time to read the home study portion of the scuba class and watch the training DVD before Thursday's instruction and then pool time at the beginning of next week! It will be a nice break from the hustle and bustle we've been dealing with and we think we are going to have a great time to boot- we'll be taking class with the bride who will be married in Mexico and her friends! Too fun! Maybe I'll even get some underwater video on my trip! Can't wait to put THAT in her wedding video! That is the plan anyway, watch for it in the coming weeks! We'll keep you posted! And we'll get some pics back up on this blog eventually, I know how reading books without pictures is- boring! :)

Until next time blog stalkers.......

Fat Cat goes GREEN! And the latest episode of Honey I Shrunk the Truck!

It's been busy as always at Fat Cat, including things of a personal nature, not just all business. We've spent some time the last several weeks car shopping as I refuse to continue giving the gas companies any more money than I have to. My trusty little Element turned 5 this year and was out of warranty and I knew anything that went wrong with it would soon eat me out of house and home, plus I've had this nagging desire to go greener after I replaced the lightbulbs in the house to more energy efficient models and such. So the hunt began for several vehicles, and we ultimately decided on a Toyota Prius! :) After waiting nearly a week to have it delivered, I've been playing with all the crazy new features my old car never dreamed of having! The Element was pretty basic, as I don't require many bells and whistles to keep me happy. It had 4 wheel drive, heat and a/c, a radio and CD player, power windows and locks and that was about it. Now I am totally confused trying to learn to drive without the assistance of a traditional key, not freak out when it seems the car dies at a stop light and keep my eyes on the road instead of the touch screen display on the dash that monitors everything from my radio and temperature controls to the energy efficiency of the Hybrid electric and gas motors! But it is pretty cool, I totally love it and I've already laughed driving by a couple gas stations. I know I have to fill up eventually but it sure is nice not having to do it as often as I was used to! I'm already getting nearly 48 miles to the gallon!

On the same subject of gas, Barry's big Dodge went bye-bye too, with diesel fuel already at $4 per gallon for a little while now, it was time to downsize. We never have needed that big of a truck, nor the gihusic Ford we had before that, so Barry traded to a Toyota Tacoma. It's quite fun to drive, we still have a 4 wheel drive vehicle for any more projected snow next winter like we had this season, and both vehicles will be much easier to keep clean now as they are both white! :) It's not as fuel effiicient as my car of course, but it makes up for that in the "cute" factor! Wave the next time you see us zooming by!

FCP Blogger Spotlight: T&J Studios

We see Tyff and Jeff alot at our studio and on assignments at weddings, extreme sessions and other jobs, but when we see them, this is usually what they look like! Hard at work. Jeff recently returned from Las Vegas where he and Brett spent the week at the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) Conference. They had a blast. WPPI is similar to what WEVA (Wedding and Event Videographers Association) is for videographers. Their heads are now full of new ideas to streamline and improve their business (and I'm sure when we hear all the stories we will get some great ideas ourselves!) So if you want to know more, check out Tyff and Jeff's blog on their website located to the right. In the meantime, we have chosen T&J Studios to be the first vendor and photographer to be in the new FCP Blogger Spotlight! We had a few questions for Tyff and Jeff and their business....

How long have you been in business? 7 years

Describe your style. Unique and fresh

How did you decide to get into photography? One class and I was hooked

What types of photography services do you offer? Weddings, babies, seniors, pets, corporate, families

Who is involved with T&J? Tyffany, Jeff and partner Brett

Best part of being a wedding photographer? Getting those detail shots that everyone forgets about after the fact. Also allowing the bride relive her day that might bring back happy tears. Bridal prep is one of my favorite parts of a wedding day and documenting all the prep that goes behind all the planning of the big day. There is so much happiness in every wedding and being able to document people laughing and celebrating is wonderful.

What products do you offer that are unique to clients? framing, custom albums, custom cards/announcements and more that our customers come up with that we can create

Advice for future brides regarding professional photography? Lots but a personal one we say is You want to enjoy your day and that is why we are unlimited time and document it as if it was our own.

Where do you get your inspiration? God

What is the best compliment you have received with your photography? When a bride calls asking for a date being available and we are booked leading to the bride wanting to change her date so she can use our services.

Check back in the coming weeks for more FCP Blogger Spotlights with our favorite vendors!

New Prequel Online!

Well, after a prequel withdrawl, here is a new prequel for all you blog-stalkers! The Oehmke-Collins Prequel is finally up. Jessie enjoys the 70's so we tried to pick something appropriate, hope you like it! Scroll down to their blog entry to find it! Sorry no more prequels for about a month again as we will soon be headed to Mexico for Stacey and Greg's beachfront wedding in April! In the meantime we will be editing and sprucing up the new site for release SOON! We will be encoding new videos to share with you in the gallery as well, we will keep you posted. Stay tuned!

FCP Blogger Report: Camcorders

Our first in a series of reports on tips and tricks in wedding planning, etc. So many of our friends come to us when they are shopping for a camcorder..."which one is best? what do I need to look for?" etc. So we decided to post a little information that we end up passing along to our many friends and family. Enjoy. Hope it helps you.

SG

Choosing A Camcorder

So your wedding is quickly approaching and you are all geared up and excited for the honeymoon that follows so you can relax and unwind after months and months of planning and a super hectic day. . . now you want a video camera to remember that special once in a lifetime trip to ____ (Grand Cayman, Paris, Tahiti, etc) you fill in the blank! But there are so many camcorders out there to choose from, you’re confused and overwhelmed. It seems like you are planning for the wedding all over again doesn’t it? Never fear- Fat Cat to the rescue! Well, choice number one, you could always hire Fat Cat to tag along with you to see the sights and document your awesome time, or secondly, you could just use these handy hints to choose a nice camcorder to take with you and leave us here with a long face :( Boo.
First, do you want a camcorder that shoots Standard Definition or High Definition (HD)?
The big differences are the format the camera shoots, Standard Def. will provide you with a square picture of good quality and High Def. will provide you with a widescreen picture with much more clarity and detail. Plus, with all the TV’s these days being of a widescreen format and dimension, it would probably make sense to shop around for a High Def. camera. There aren't many standard definition cameras left it seems like! We have two palm sized HD camcorders we have used for trips and events, just beware of what things you will be shooting with your new camera. Interiors of buildings? All outdoor footage? The largest drawback of HD is its struggle in low light conditions. They rock outdoors in good light. For example, I got absolutely beautiful footage from our camcorder on our cruise to Mexico at the end of 2006. Wish I had time to post a clip for you! It works great and they are small and lightweight enough to keep as carry on for air travel. If you are shooting indoors, for example a museum that has low light and does not allow for flash on cameras, that footage will end up looking quite grainy. No getting around that without an additional light source.
What is your price range and what will the camera mostly be used for? Cameras aren’t cheap, let’s face it. But there are many models of cameras really coming down in price that do an outstanding job for the average consumer who just wants to take short videos of the kiddies growing up, at birthday parties, vacation and the like. You really don’t need a camera with every bell and whistle on it if you will be mainly filming the young’ens school concerts on a tripod or the family reunion. For example, one can get a great HD palm sized camera starting at about $399 from B&H Photo. You can get a ‘refurb’ model for under $200.
What else do I need besides the camera?
Well, depending on the media it records to, tape or DVD, memory cards, etc (Mini DV is the most popular), you will need to invest in that. Mini DV tapes run about $4 each if purchased separately for approximately 1 hour of tape. Depending on how much you use your camcorder, a good supply of batteries is imperative. Most cameras come with one small capacity battery that last about 1 hour of run time, but the larger capacity batteries can run $50 and up depending on the camera make and model. Unless the camera comes with several accessories, you will need an A/C charger to recharge those batteries. Those can run about $35 and up. To protect your investment, get a good carry case or bag for your camera and supplies. Another $50 and up, depending on the quality, how many compartments, is it waterproof, shock resistant, etc?
So where do I go? Who has the best deals?
We don’t endorse any one company, nor a brand of camcorder, but one of the largest online suppliers is as mentioned, B&H Photo (www.bhphoto.com). You can also try the larger electronics stores from some great deals from time to time. Best Buy, Circuit City and even Wal-Mart. When you find a model you like, shop, shop, shop. Read online reviews. Are there online coupons? Price compare and ask if there are any upcoming sales on the product. Will buying it local save you on shipping a product you found via the internet? If the model you think you like is on display at an area store, go look at it, pick it up, feel it. Does it look like it will hold up to the type of recording you will be doing? Turn it on, look at the picture you get with it, is it what you expected? (Please note most the displays with the flip out screens are quite deceiving until you connect your camcorder to a TV to replay your footage. The footage usually looks better on a good TV!)
Extended warranties? That’s a matter of personal taste. Depending on how much you are spending on the camera, sometimes the price of the warranty doesn’t hardly make sense to purchase if something ever breaks on the camera. There are times it’s cheaper to just go buy a new one. On the other hand, cameras nowadays are lasting longer and longer and it may be well worth a few extra dollars on an extended warranty. That is strictly personal preference.
In our family, we are the go-to people for questions about electronics, just as we are with medical complaints and ailments and animal training! But these are the usual questions we get when they are shopping for a new camcorder and some of the advice we give them. Hope that helps a little bit.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the FCP Blogger Report!

The Latest at Fat Cat!

Sorry for the laziness with the blog recently, we have been very busy, shooting, editing, and planning for upcoming weddings and destination travel! We wanted to fill you in on some new things happening here at Fat Cat though-

From time to time this year Fat Cat will be adding some new diverse things to the blog to go with our upcoming new website! :) We will be sharing several new articles of interest instead of just videos and “what’s up” with us. For example, we will be posting several articles on choosing a camcorder (for you honeymooners), picking other wedding vendors, including interviews with our local faves (photographers, florists, etc) and other juicy little tidbits of information to help you in your wedding planning and more! If there is something you’d like to hear about or a question you’d like answered here in the blog, please send it our way via email to info at fatcatrocks.com :)
Of course, there are lots of folks also anxiously awaiting the online studio tour…that will actually be posted in the coming weeks, the studio is getting the final touches this next month and then sometime late in April we will finally be able to share that with you. Everything is looking quite nice! We are so excited to have our Open House as well, we are hoping will be about the same time or May. Things just took longer than we anticipated so don’t lose hope just yet! We can’t wait to launch the new web site as well which will have a few new features, including our new online gift registry! Stay tuned!