Att välja kläder till familjefotografering - 5 tips

Klädval inför en fotografering är en knepig uppgift för dem flesta skulle jag vilja säga. Här kommer några enkla tips hur du ska tänka inför din familjefotografering:

• Välj bekväma kläder som du trivs i. Klä dig efter säsongen. Matcha dina kläder med platsen du ska fotograferas. Ta med dig ett ombyte, en extra jacka eller kofta för att variera och kombinera med det du redan har på dig. 
• Välj gärna natur material i bomull, linne eller ull  i mjuka färgtoner som passar med omgivningen du ska fotograferas. Var försiktig med mönster och tryck så dem inte dominerar i bild. Ju mindre mönstret är desto bättre om du inte väljer enfärgat förstås. Undvik randigt och rutigt om det går.
  
• Makeup och hår. Känner du dig snygg i håret syns det även på bilden. Välj gärna naturliga toner för din makeup när du ska fotograferas utomhus. Glöm inte manikyr och pedikyr, små detaljer som blir viktiga på bild.
• När man är en familj kan det vara lite extra knepigt att få ihop helheten. Börja med plagget som du vill absolut ha med och bygg sedan vidare med plagg som matchar färgskalan.
• Skor och accessoarer. Välj skor efter platsen du ska fotograferas. Det är fint att vara barfota på stranden medan på helt annan miljö exempelvis på landet kan det var trevligt  med stövlar. Det viktiga är att du känner dig bekväm när du går.  Lägg ner att par extra skor, accessoarer eller varför inte en hatt i din väska innan du åker iväg till fotograferingen. 

Vill du boka en familjefotografering i Stockholm?

Kontakta mig här, hjälp med klädval och tips inför foto sessionen ingår i paketet. 

Några gånger per år har du även möjlighet att boka dig på mina mini sessioner, det är 25 minuters fotografering någonstans i Stockholm. Anmäl dig på min väntelista för att få mer information om kommande minis.

Pyrgos village

Last week I heard on the radio about the new trends of 2020. It will be trendy to measure our breath and our inner well-being next year. However there are communities where the inner soul and simple living have been in focus for centuries. Lets discover Tinos island of the island group Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. Only twenty minutes by ferry from Mykonos but still unknown for foreigners. On the other hand its well known in Greece as over one million pilgrims make a visit here every year. Every greek will visit the island at least once to see the Holy Church Panagia in the capital of Tinos.

How to get here

You will reach Tinos with ferry from Pireus or the port of Rafina in Athens, that depends if you take the fast ferry or the regular,  you will reach the island in 2-3 or 4-5 hours. The nearest airport is located in Mykonos. If you want to discover the islands near Tinos there are direct connections to Andros, Mykonos, Syros, Paros and Santorini with the ferry.

The history

This little island has 52 villages, 41 beaches, 650 pigeon houses and at least 750 churches according to what I heard and discovered on the web. Amazing but probably true… 

This island has been inhabited since ancient times, since then various nationalities has conquered the island from the Persians to Alexander the Great. Tinos island has also belonged to the Roman Empire and times when pirates ravaged here. In the 13th century the island was conquered by the Venetians. Many inhabitants converted to Catholicism to retain their lands. But fortunately there was a law that allowed you to keep your land if you had a church within your landmark, therefore the orthodox population built a lot of churches. During the Ottoman era the island became a small metropolis called Little Paris. It is the most populated island in the Cycladic group at that time, as the trade flourish with Constantinople and other cities in the Mediterranean.

Art, culture & food

Tinos is also the island of arts as many famous painters and sculptors are born here. The painter Nikiforos Lytras and the sculptors Giannoulis Chalepas, Fillipotis Dimitrios among other artists are born in the most picturesque village Pyrgos. Another famous painter is Nikolaos Gyzis from Sklavochorio village. Many of the artists studied in Munich and became famous outside Greece. The fact that Tinos has been an island with quarries of white and green marble since ancient times has given the Tinians an excellent reputation in Greece and abroad, you will find the marble from here in many palaces in Europe and else where. Around the island and specially in Pyrgos you see great work made of marble. Extra interesting is the sculptor Giannoulis Chalepas life and work, his home is now a museum in Pyrgos along with the Museum of Marble Crafts.

You don’t see many trees in the landscape as the Cycladic islands are very windy. There are few green areas in Tinos, so what grows here often are capers, figs, artichokes and some specials grapes as the soil is dry. However Tinians love their land and have great gastronomy and great cuisine to normal greek prices. Wine from the winyards along with the green kitchen and seafood makes you definitely want to stay here longer. Every year in the second week of May Tinians arrange a food festival, more about food & Tinos here.

When you travel through the island you also notice the small pigeon houses decorated with stars, circles, flowers or the initials of the owner. The breeding of pigeons began with the Venetians. If you had a pigeon house you were wealthy in Tinos.

Tinos town Chora

Tinos town from Arnardos village

Pyrgos village

So common for Tinos pigeons outside the Church Panagia

The entrance of the monastery Kechrovouni

Beautiful art in the facades of Kechrovouni monastery

In the yard of Kechrovouni monastery

Did you like this post? You will find more photos and stories of Tinos and Greece on my Instagram account @photogrid.by.me . If you dream to elope or have your here or else where in Greece, let me know I will be happy to capture your adventure! Read more about how to elope to Greece here.

Greek wedding gift- bomboniere

Have you seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Did you notice the greek wedding traditions in the movie? Last week I was in one of my familys wedding events in Epirus. An orthodox church wedding is an old and beautiful ceremony and has been celebrated in its present form for centuries. 

Certainly the ceremony is unique as the bride and groom don’t make any promises in the church. Since they are present means that they have given each other the promise to enter into marriage. During the ceremony many acts are repeated three times to symbolize the Trinity: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The two candles at the altar represent the bride and groom’s promises to respect each other in their new life together.

Outside the church

Meanwhile the guests wait outside the church until the bride arrives, the groom waits with her flower bouquet at the entrance. The most common thing is that the bride and the groom walk in together, followed by all the guests. Furthermore you can sit wherever you like, as there are no grooms or brides sides in the orthodox wedding.

The ceremony

First part

At the beginning of the act, the priest blesses the bridal couple’s rings and places them on the right ring finger. The maid of honor (Koumbara) makes the ring change three times and the act symbolizes the promises that the bridal couple give each other. After the readings the priest brings together the bride and groom’s right hands that remain united throughout the act. The wedding crowns (stefana) which are joined by bands symbolize the couple’s love. They are blessed and placed on the bridal couple’s heads, whereupon Koumbara or the Bestman (Koumbaros) change place on the crowns three times. One piece of the readings says that the woman should obey the man, sometimes the bride fits the groom on the foot to mark that the custom is outdated.

Second part

The bride and groom are offered three sips of wine from the same cup as a symbol for sharing on the burdens of life together and sharing on everything in life, both in joy and in sorrow. Isaiah’s dance is the first steps the couple take as real spouses when the priest leads them around the table. Koumbara alternatively Koumbaros hold in the crowns and according to Greek custom one throws rice over the bridal couple. By throwing rice you express your hope that the bride and groom together will become strong and form a family.

After the wedding ceremony, the couple turns to the guests and the closest family members congratulate them followed by the guests. In the Greek wedding tration all the guests receive a gift of traditional sugar-coated almonds in a bomboniere. The number of koufeta or almonds are uneven and indivisible. As usually five or seven, as well as the groom and the bride are now inseparable. The sweets represent health, wealth, happiness and a long life.

With this post I wish the bride and the groom, Artemis and Vasilis a lifetime of love and happiness! Thank you for letting me photograph your most important day of your new life together.
Feel free to ask me questions about weddings in Greece or in Sweden. Are you dreaming of tying the knot in Greece? Contact me here.

Bride preparation

Getting ready

Arriving at the church

Inside the orthodox church

Rice for the guests

Flower decorations outside the church

Throwing rice - a common tradition in orthodox weddings too