The world wide web has actually been around for over 20 years.  The early years were pretty crude by today’s standards.  While one website could easily link to another, it soon became clear that there was a need for some way to “look up” a website.  The first efforts involved a human curated directory arranged by category.  The best known was Yahoo.  In time, Yahoo would also join the growing number of “search engines” on the world wide web.

What is a search engine?

A search engine is simply an automated system for indexing websites, and returning search results related to your query.  It was soon discovered just how easy it was to “cheat” some of the early search engines.  Dozens of competitors offered a range of quite different search results.  Now, the pie is shared largely by Google, Yahoo, and Bing (formerly MSN).  The latter two getting much smaller slices.

What is SEO and SERP?

SEO is an acronym for “search engine optimization”.  It refers to website design considerations made to (hopefully) improve search engine results.  SERP stands for “search engine results position” and is simply the position on a web page where your site shows up as the result of a relevant search.  Having your website appear earlier in the search results will improve your chances that a visitor clicks on your link. There are many out there who claim to be able to improve your search results almost by magic.  Beware, as this is no simple task, and it takes time.

It’s all about content

If your site has well written content, and it reads well to humans, your chances of performing well on search results are much higher than a site will little related text content.  You should include your target search keywords in the title of the relevant page, headers, and in the body content.  Highlighting keywords is also a good idea.  Do not however overdo this.  Excessive use of keywords is considered to be abusive, and can have just the opposite effect.

Meta tags

Meta tags tend to worry newcomers, as they’re hidden in the webpage code.  Many SEO experts these days believe the “keyword” meta tag is all but ignored by today’s search engines.  It was too easy to cheat with it.  Do however take care with the “description” tag.  It not only can affect the search result position (SERP), but it actually gives you control over what text is displayed in the search engine results.

Inbound links

This is probably the single most important factor in producing better search results.  Your SERP will be affected by many aspects of your website.  Most experts agree however, that it is actually websites that link to you that will be the most significant factor.  Especially those that link using your keywords in anchor text.  Getting those links can take some work.  You could offer an article to a popular blog, utilize social networking, and it never hurts just to ask.  Get your site listed on a directory such as dmoz.org.  Be aware however that a return link often cancels out the inbound link.

Choose keywords carefully

If you targets a single word for your anchor text, you’ll probably be disappointed.  If for example, you target just the word “painting” and your website is about house painting, your site will likely fall well below websites about Picasso and Monet.  If you instead chose to target “house painting” as your keywords, you’d improve your search result greatly.  As a house painter usually serves a local region or city, a better choice would be “Houston house painter”.  Your keyword group should appear in your meta description, and in the body text of the page you are linking to.

van-gogh-wedding-cake

Some really creative cakes here.  Many of the references will be lost on those around my age.  Fortunately, I too am a geek, and even got the Portal cake.  The “Starry Night” cake is stunning, and worth a look on it’s own.  One thing for sure.  Some incredible in wedding cake designing talent is displayed here.

A High End Camcorder

A number of my clients contract editing services for video that they, or a friend or family member shot themselves.  Some simply can’t afford a videographer, or just find themselves in a situation where there’s no option but to do it themselves.   More often than not, the quality of the video suffers from one (or more) of a number of common mistakes that could easily be avoided.

Don’t place the source of light directly behind your subject.

The result is usually a poorly lit subject, as the camera is compensating for the bright light entering the lens.  The source of light should be somewhere in front of your subject.  Not necessarily directly behind the camera operator’s back, but rather at a slight angle to the subject.  If two light sources are available, they would ideally be at the subject’s ten and two o`clock positions, and one placed farther back than the other.  Full sun is not your friend.  Outdoors, it’s better to shoot in the shade.  Better yet, shoot outdoor video in the last hour of daylight.  This is often called “the golden hour”.

Place the camera on a tripod or table when possible.

The camera movement you see in many movies and TV shows these days is deliberate.  Accidental camera movement is best avoided.  Use a tripod or mono-pod when possible, and is the hallmark of amateur video.  An inexpensive table top tripod can be had for just a few dollars.  If you must shoot handheld.  Rest your elbows on your chest, or a stable surface to help stabilize the camera.  Avoid rapidly moving the camera. This is known as “fire-hosing” and can actually make some viewers nauseous.  Limit the use of zoom.  It’s best to set your zoom before the shot begins, and leave it alone during the shot.  Zoom magnifies camera movement, so if you can just move closer, that’s always the better choice.

Use an external microphone if possible

Sound is one of the biggest problems with amateur video.  If your subject is speaking or singing, use a hand held, or wireless microphone if possible. If not, get the camera as close as you possibly can to your subject.  The quality of the microphone built into most video cameras is modest at best.  Placing it far from your subject will just pick up more echo and room noise.   Poor audio is one of the most common flaws of amateur video.  Be sure to silence any sound sources, and ask onlookers to remain “quiet on the set!”

Many cameras do not offer a way to connect an external microphone.  Almost all smartphones on the other hand do.  Some are quite inexpensive.  If your camcorder does have a microphone connection, A wireless microphone is a great choice.  Wireless lapel microphones start at about $100.  Most larger cities have rental houses that can rent a wireless mic system for as little as $20.  For rare occasions, rental is a great alternative to buying.

Leave edit room

Let the camera roll for a couple of seconds before the action begins, and the camera to continue to roll a few seconds after the action ends.  This is called “edit room”.  YouTube is filled with countless videos that are so chopped off that it would be almost impossible to combine them in a larger edit.

Auto focus has limitations

If a sharp pattern like a brick wall is behind your subject, auto focus will usually set the focus for the wall and not your subject.  If your camera offers the option for manual focus, it’s wise to learn to use it.  An easy way to use it is to first zoom in on your subject so that they fill the frame, and then turn off auto focus.  This will lock the focus to your subject rather than the wall behind them.

Compose your shot

A very common mistake is to place the subjects eyeballs at the dead center of the frame.  If you would imagine a “tic tac toe” grid drawn over the viewfinder, your subjects eyes should usually fall on the upper of the two horizontal lines.  The same is true of landscapes.  The horizon should fall on the upper or the lower horizontal line, and not right in the middle.  This is called “The rule of thirds”.

White Balance

This is one is a bit more on the advanced side.  The human eye can automatically adjust to the type of light illuminating a scene.  You’ve probably seen a video shot indoors with a very yellowish tint, or a video shot outdoors with a blueish tint.  Most every video camera attempts to automatically adjust the white balance.  When they fail to do so, your video will have an undesired tint.  Your camera may have presets for indoor and outdoor recording.  Some cameras have an option to manually pre-set the white balance using a white surface.  Even if your camera has none of these options, you can often help it figure out the correct white balance by pointing it at a white surface for a few seconds before you begin recording.

Check your video recording settings

Many modern video cameras that use memory cards, have several settings for video quality.  The highest quality setting will produce the best looking video, but will also use the most space on the memory card.  Low quality is fine if you just want a quick video posting on YouTube.  If you’re recording an important event, and especially if you intend to edit your video, choose the highest quality setting.  Check your manual and make sure you have enough space on your memory card at the chosen recording quality.  Memory cards are relatively inexpensive these days.  It’s better to sacrifice a few dollars, than to compromise the quality of your video.

Turn your smartphone sideways!

Many users of smartphones will take still pictures and video with the phone held vertically.  This tends to look best when viewed on the phone.  If you are shooting photos or videos that are intended to be used in a video to be viewed on a computer or TV, you should turn your phone sideways.  Otherwise, you will end up with a slim video in the middle of the screen, surrounded by black bars.

Not to say that there’s anything wrong with this at all.  The work of photographers and videographers often get much more scrutiny.  Yet, the recorded images  will last for many years to come.  One problem is that most couples have no frame of reference, as it’s their first wedding.  Often this is made worse by the confusing choice of different packages, questions of standard vs. high-definition, and more.

First of all, your wedding location is a primary factor. If no internet access is available at your wedding venue, wireless access via a cellular network is the next best option. This is widely available, but as you move farther from the nearest interstate corridor, the signals can get weaker. Coverage varies by provider as well.

Most of you have probably experienced the blocky and choppy online videos, that aren’t much larger than a postage stamp. Now, full screen video, even high definition streaming video, is almost commonplace. On the more affordable end, the quality is a little closer to the former. It’s not quite that bad, but it’s not high def. As you might imagine, the good stuff costs more.

I’ll bet most of you who have watched online video have encountered a problem or two. Maybe you were even unable to watch a video, then on your next try, it played just fine. If you do choose to stream your wedding, you should prepare your viewers, especially older viewers, that this technology has it’s flaws. It’s always possible that the video might stop playing, or not play at all. If all goes well however, you might just be able to share the most important moment of your life with someone who would otherwise miss the opportunity.

Wedding Photographers Camera

First of all, we do recommend that you have both a professional photographer and a videographer at your wedding.   Those on a short budget might be tempted to cut one or the other.  We’d suggest cutting elsewhere, such as a few less flowers, perhaps smaller place settings, or some other cost saving measure.  Your video and your photos will be among the few items that last beyond the end of your reception.

We’ve done many weddings, and nearly all with one or more professional photographers.  In almost every case, the working environment was a positive experience for all involved.  We always introduce ourselves to the photographer(s) before the events of the day begin.  Our placement of the cameras for the ceremony is shared, and sometimes changed if it serves to better capture the event for all involved.  Almost every photographer we have worked with has been more than receptive and respectful, some to an extreme.  A few however have been quite the opposite.

During a recent ceremony, a photographer actually stood in the aisle for almost five minutes, completely blocking a cameras view of the ring exchange.  Fortunately, our second camera was able to capture the action.  Thankfully, this situation is not common.  Most photographers would kneel, or step into the shot, take the photo, and then step aside.  The photographer mentioned above continued to block shots throughout the evening, in spite of the fact that both of our operators worked hard to stay out of their way.  In a previous experience, one photographer actually told me,  “I hate videographers!”  Apparently, he had a bad experience with a video camera operator that showed him a lack of consideration.  Fortunately, we mostly won him over by the end of the evening.

You may wonder what you can do to avoid this.  When interviewing photographers, ask them if they’ve worked with videographers in the past, and if they have any working with one at your wedding.  Hesitation here might be a trouble sign.  A claim that you don’t even need a videographer is also a possible cause of concern.  There is no reason that multiple camera operators, both still and video, can’t work together successfully.  Your most experienced photographers will not show any hesitation, as they have no doubt done countless weddings with video camera operators.

A Wedding Cake

After attending so many wedding receptions, you can’t help but learn at least one or two things.  Most noteably is when to schedule the events such as cake cutting, the first dance, and so on.  Personally, I believe it’s best to do these earlier than later.  All with the exception of the boquet and garter toss, if of course you plan have these two items.  The reason for the former, is that as the evening goes on, several things will happen.  Guests will start to leave.  Other guests may wander outside, or to other areas of the facility.  If you serve alchohol, this can add an additional bit of chaos to the mix.

Especially if you have a band or a dj, it’s very difficult to stop everyone from dancing, and gather round the cake table.  You definitely don’t want to wait this late for toats, as ganing attention and getting everyone to quiet down at this point isn’t going to be easy.  The “first dance” has it’s name for a reason, as it leads to opening the dance floor.  After of course any dad and daughter, mom and son dances naturally.  There is however no reason this can’t happen before dinner.  Many receptions feature the bride and groom going right into their first dance after they make their entrance.  Following this, everyone settles down to the meal.  Or perhaps hors doeuvres are served.

So, here’s my proposed order of events.  Of course, your own list might contain more or less items:

1. Entrance of wedding party
2. First dance
3. Parents dance
4. Dinner
5. Toasts (you need not wait until the last bite is taken)
6. Cake cutting (allow at least 15 to 20 minutes for guests to get their cake)
7. Grand march (if you have one of course – These are great for video opportunites)
8. Everyone to the dance floor
9. Bouquet and garter toss (near the end of the evening just a few songs before the bride and groom exit)
10. Formal exit (if you plan one of course)

Air Conditioner

I have attended a great number of summer weddings here in central Texas.  The summer of 2009 has brought weeks on end of temperatures of over 100 degrees.  When you shop for your wedding venue, did you check to see if they have adequate air conditioning?  More than a few weddings we’ve covered would have done well to take this into consideration.

Most likely, the venue operator purchased an AC system that was adequate for the space.  The problems start when you add 200 plus people, and doors constantly opening and closing.  They should have installed a much higher capacity system.  Interior temperatures are now climbing to over 80 degrees.  Your guests are actually going outside to find a breeze. This can not only put a damper on things, it can be a danger for very young children and senior citizens.

You could get technical, and look up the total square footage online, and see what the recommended AC system size is.   There are easier ways.  You can ask the venue operator about this and judge their reaction.  Ask for referrals from weddings during the same time of year, and interview them about the comfort level of the venue.

Your family and your guests will appreciate your consideration.

Video Projector

We have produced quite a few video presentations that our clients intend to show at a gathering.  Often a wedding reception, but sometimes a rehearsal dinner, and in a couple of cases, a wedding ceremony.

Chances are good, especially if you’re reading this, it’s the first time you’ve encountered this situation.  Not to worry.  Help is on the way.

First of all, check with your venue coordinator.  Especially if your reception is to take place in a hotel ballroom, chances are good that the hotel has everything you need.  Do you plan to hire a DJ?  Many DJ companies own projectors, and the necessary gear to make all of this work.

If the above doesn’t apply to you, there are other options.  In most mid to larger sized cities, most have one or more rental houses that can provide everything you need.  You’ll not only need the projector, but you will need a screen, speakers, (choose ones with built in amplifiers) a screen, a cart, and a DVD player, or notebook computer.

When it comes to screens, bigger is always better.  A ten foot screen will be fine in most cases, unless you have a very large area to cover.

Be sure to ask for help from the rental house on how to hook up and operate the gear.  If you feel daunted by this, and if they offer to provide an operator, take them up on it.  You won’t regret it.

Make sure you test the entire system in before you presentation.  Nothing takes the steam out of a great presentation than waiting through a long troubleshooting session.

To recap, you will need:

1. A DLP or LCD projector of 1000 lumens or better.
2. A pair of amplified speakers.
3. A DVD player or a portable computer.
4. A portable projection screen.
5. A cart or other support surface for the projector.
6. The proper cables for audio and video connection.

Sure, the video quality they receive will be better than what was possible with cameras of years past, but it’s not High Definition video.  A standard DVD can only contain standard definition video, or what is known as 480p.  HD on the other hand must be delivered on a format capable of handling the additional information, such as the Blu-Ray disc.  You’ll also need a special Blu-Ray disc player.  Recently, I’ve seen these units priced as low as $189, and they’re expected to come down more as time goes by. There are a couple of other ways to deliver High Definition video, but they’re not very common, or very practical.

Expect to pay a higher price for HD video.  Producing HD, costs more in terms of time and equipment.  It’s not unusual to pay several hundered dollars more, as compared to a standard DVD delivery method.  Even a wedding video delivered on a good old fashioned DVD will be quite good these days.  Even though it may not be true “high definition”, most viewers will be more than pleased with the results