How Europeans Incorporate Eastern Art

European Use of Non-Western Art
Miranda Smith
Southern Utah University
December 2001


During the early 20th Century European Avant-Garde artists utilized non-Western art and incorporated it into their own art. African art was one of the most appropriated forms. Most of what was seen as influential from Africa was sculpture. African sculpture typically includes nonorganic planar shifts that contrast with Classical proportions. The elongated areas of the body, such as face, neck and torso as seen on p. 457 in the Adams book, illustrate the non-Classical nature of African art.

One of the Avant-Garde schools that specifically utilized African art was The Bridge (Die Brucke). This group was intent on building a link between their art and revolutionary ideas, and between tradition and Avant-Garde. One of the ways those in The Bridge worked toward this was by combining the geometric look of African art with more traditional ideas. The flattened forms of Kirchner's The Street (p. 459) speak to this idea. The figures in The Street are also elongated, as seen in the sculpture of the Baule ancestor from Africa.

Matisse was also influenced by African art. His work speaks of African masks. His lack of modeling in his work Madame Matisse (p. 458) bears strong resemblance to the masks found in Africa. There is also a lack of organic qualities in this painting. The hair on her head is flat, and it seems to perch on the top of her head. Matisse was also influenced by Arabian art. In his Harmony in Red (p. 463), sinuous lines are used to create an illusion of animation. Matisse coined the term "arabesque" in reference to the lines seen in Arabian architecture, such as mosques.

Emil Nolde was also influenced by African art. However he used other non-Western influences in his art. His Still Life with Masks (p. 460) is indicative of the use if non-Western art. One of the masks (the red one) is based on a drawing of an Oceanic canoe prow, the yellow skull is derived from Brazilian shrunken heads, and the green mask seems to be influenced by African art.

It is clear that these artists were very interested in appropriating other art forms for their own use. This fueled further Avant-Garde developments and shaped the art of the early 20th Century. African art appears to be the most pervasive in these works, but the influences of Arabia, the New World, and Oceania can also be seen. It is also important to note that while these artists copied the look of these other forms of art, the cultural context of the art in regard to the peoples it was borrowed from was lost.


Bibliography

Laurie Schneider Adams, A History of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 2000).

XALA - A Review of the Film "Curse"

Xala: women representative of the generational transitions of Senegal

Xala  is a perfect illustration of the underdeveloped middle class and its staggering flaws. The film is an allegorical tale of corruption told with simplicity and is inundated with satire exposing the emerging neo-colonial bourgeoisie. The story is of an African businessman recently elected to the Chamber of Commerce in1960 during the initial onslaught of independence in Senegal.  El Hadji Abdou Kader Bèye has been inflicted with the xala on his wedding night with his third wife, Ngone. His impotence parallels the same cultural affliction emerging within Africa’s post-colonial and post-independence society of nouveaux riches, its peasants, beggars, and the unemployed. The pseudo-bourgeoisie is crippled by selfish motives to trade with Europeans and exploit local Africans. According to Frantz Fanon’s theory of post-coloniality:

Closing the road to the national bourgeoisie is, certainly, the means whereby the vicissitudes of newfound independence may be avoided… But it is also the only means toward progress. 

Instead of making productive investments in his community El Hadji exploits the local people while trying to imitate the foreign consumer culture. He is confronted with the problem of regaining his sexual potency to consummate his new marriage. This issue consumes the story as El Hadji neglects his business affairs and responsibilities as a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He hopelessly searches for a cure to the curse that has ruined his reputation and farcical idea of elitist success in Africa.  The result is his bankruptcy and the ultimate loss off all of his possessions including his wives.
The women of Xala are vital to the story. It is through the female characters that El Hadji’s power is given to him and taken away. They demonstrate the cultural alienation of the bourgeoisie and present alternative models of tradition and modernity. The women “function on both a ‘sociorealistic’ and symbolic level and can be viewed as integral characters whose structural and ideological facets not only reflect but are [as equally important as the male protagonist].”  Rama, Oumi, Awa , and N’Gone all become an inherent part of El Hadji’s ascent and decline economically, sexually, socially, and politically.  Polygamy no longer functions as a traditional structure that brings labor and communal kinship to the community. El Hadji’s second wife, Oumi N’doye helps to install the image of a ‘modern’ Westernized couple. N’Gone symbolizes economic affluence and satisfies El Hadji’s conceit. The first wife, Adja Awa Astou,  is representative of tradition, dignity, and devotion to Muslim principles. Whereas, Rama, their daughter, is a model of the future generation of Africa that will emancipate women from stifling patriarchal traditions.

Awa, El Hadji’s first and oldest wife, retains the essential elements and character of African tradition even though her surrounding environment is rapidly transforming at the expense of modernity. She is docile, yet firm and is seemingly accepting of her role as a faithful and supportive wife in a polygamous situation. When Rama, her daughter, tries to convince her to divorce El Hadji Awa responds in a calm manner saying, “We must be patient in the face of adversity.  You think I’d find a husband. I’ll be a third or fourth wife.” Awa compromises displaying an aggressive character  towards El Hadji’s actions for emotional security and financial support in a patriarchal Islamic society. She stands by her husband in his professional and financial ruin. Awa exhibits passive resistance when relating to Oumi, the second wife. When asked to come inside of Oumi’s house, she refuses  in the name of the marital laws that place submissive restraints on her actions.  She explicitly reminds El Hadji saying, “Do you forget I’m your first? Go and say hello for me.” In a later scene Awa demonstrates solidarity with her co-wife. When Oumi is complaining about the third wife, N’Gone, Awa bestows words of wisdom about the situation. She tells Oumi with cynical humor: “Patience does not kill. If so, I would be dead.”  Once Oumi leaves the wedding Awa openly invites her to her home reminding her that she is the elder in the relationship.

Awa is a representation of Africa in its most unadulterated essence. Though she is rigidly traditional, she is a model for all Senegalese women. She personifies loyalty, patience, dignity, and poise. The African woman is the strength of the family; she is an advisor during times of struggle, in charge of educating the future generations, and a pillar of compliment and support to her husband.  Awa predominately speaks to El Hadji in Wolof , thus retaining the essence of cultural pride. She is also the refuge El Hadji seeks in his state of impotence after he is deserted by his community and three wives.
Oumi, the second wife, is a strikingly different type of woman compared to Awa.

This contrast is explored in the wedding scene where Awa is wearing a traditional African dress and Oumi is shown in a modish wig and a revealing black European style dress. She is a materialistic character and is overtly aggressive when she relates to El Hadji. She believes that due to her youth and sophistication she has the right to say and do whatever she feels.  When El Hadji visits Oumi to take her to the wedding she speaks in French and refers to Awa as an “old dried up fish” as she demands money from El Hadji: “Since you’re spending, I will too! This is not enough, hand it over.” In a later scene she unremittingly reminds El Hadji of his sexual duties in the marriage: “It is my turn. I want you at the house tonight. You know I am always ready.” Oumi arrogantly implies that she will uphold her duties as a wife as long as El Hadji continues to perform his financial and sexual duties when asked. She remains faithful to El Hadji until she realizes his downfall is inevitable.

At this point she decides to depart with the children and all of her belongings to another place far away from such a despicable man. Oumi is the archetypal seductive and disparaging mistress. Her character does not support El Hadji in any productive ways and she is the stereotypical representation of a woman who is foolishly attracted to the hallucinations of Western consumer society and negative post-colonial thought patterns.  Sembene uses Oumi as an example of the caricature that emerges from cupidity, shallowness, denial of culture, and the disillusioned eagerness to follow Western and foreign mores. Oumi is not a successful symbol of the strong progressive African woman. Her character is paralleled with that of El Hadji because her existence is counterproductive to post-colonial African cultural and economic success. 

N’Gone, El Hadji’s third wife illustrates his materialistically motivated greed. “A long panoramic shot of the endless parade of gifts displayed by El-Hadji as her dowry stresses the corrupted patterns of such a tradition. N’Gone is merely traded and exhibited to El Hadji’s middle-aged friends and colleagues.”  He uses N’Gone as his bragging trophy to the Chamber of Commerce by emphasizing her “virginal value.” He tells the counsel men: “My first wife was a virgin and so was my second.”  Accordingly, the brides’ mother teaches her about her duties of a subservient wife. She stresses: “Man is the master, you must always be available. Don’t raise your voice. Be submissive.”  N’Gone does not have an active role in the film; she is merely El Hadji’s “femme objet.”  The poster of N’Gone with her back exposed, located in the bedroom directly “presents the graphic correlation between the businessman’s sexual and economic impotence.”  After several failed attempts to “deflower” his new wife, El Hadji seeks the help of the marabout (herbal healer) only to discover that he has the xala.  His sexual impotence with his new wife portends his symbolic dis-function as a member of the corrupt neo-colonial bourgeoisie. El Hadji’s superficial economic pursuits and greed for elite status backfires into something much greater than sexual disfunction. His lack of cultural, spiritual, economic, and political wisdom causes his entire existence to become impotent and useless in African society.

Rama is a revolutionary and positive source of resistance to her father’s perpetuation of the corrupt bourgeoisie and the French Colonial presence in Senegal. Rama wears a short Afro hairstyle and alternates between modern clothing and her traditional Senegalese boubou. She rides a moped around her town, rejecting unnecessary luxuries of Western society such as her father’s Mercedes. She only uses aspects of Western culture that can directly serve her educational and technological needs.  She consistently speaks in Wolof when her father speaks in French and denies his promotion of foreign products such as French mineral water. She confronts her father in a responsible and mature manner when expressing her vehement enmity towards the traditions of polygamy and stifling post-colonial thought. During a conversation with her mother and father, she expresses that “men are all dirty dogs and every polygamous man is a liar.” As a result, Rama is slapped by El Hadji, but her spirit remains unbroken. “Xala’s evocation of this [issue] allows Sembene to highlight the suffering that [traditional] marriages cause to women and to denounce men’s egotistical motivations for taking several wives.”  El Hadji’s violent response to Rama’s statement is a confirmation of his unrealistic ways of perpetuating and understanding the patriarchal order influenced by the male/religious-instigated system of polygamy.

Rama is the only woman in Xala who is liberated from having to participate in a sexual relationship in exchange for economic support. She is well educated and she is a positive icon for hope in Senegal created by a balance of traditional and modern values. Rama is the single character who has succeeded in assimilating her African principles and European culture into a progressive way of life. Her advocacy of her mother and father’s divorce is symbolic of her mother’s separation from a draining relationship as well as Senegal’s annulment from paternalistic neo-colonial rule. She refuses financial help from her father and expresses that she is more concerned about her mother whom her father has neglected.  Rama demonstrates a synthesis of her mother’s wisdom and dignity and she embodies a universal view of the future, reborn Africa. Her character is indicative of a society that will create a synthesized language and culture indigenous to and reflective of the richness of African ethos while simultaneously emancipating women from patriarchal traditions.  Rama’s function in the film is penetrating and reveals significant issues of the new Africa dealing with progressive post-colonial and post-independence development.

Sembene’s female protagonists are archetypical and play imperative roles in his sociopolitical dialectics. The women in this film do not represent all types of Senegalese women, however they are symbols for the evolution of Africa. Awa represents the traditional culture and history of a transforming continent. Oumi is symbolic of a transitional Africa that places too much value on Western goods and ideology and thus she must “pack up” metaphorically to make room for the new Africa epitomized by Rama. She is the essence of a balanced conglomeration of modern and traditional values, synthesized to bring about the economic, educational, political, cultural, and social emancipation of the oppressed African. Senegal cannot develop with out the emancipation of its women. Sembene implies that Africa’s true growth will come from adopting the fecundity and nurturing qualities of the African woman.  Xala differs from Black Girl because the women of the contemporary generations use their agency to reject and combat the forces of post-coloniality that cause them to feel repressed and captivated.  Diouana chose to passively eliminate her troubles whereas the women in this film are predominately active in catalyzing change.  Xala is an evolution from Sembene’s dialectical messages in Black Girl. The female is the link between generations and she is the “genitrix” of a new Africa. “El Hadji is impotent because he has misused the fecundity of Africa/woman to assert his social and male ascendancy.”  His greed and neo-colonial ignorance overshadows his agency to change his situation and righteously serve his community as one of the first African members of the Chamber of Commerce.

The last scene of Xala is important because both the traditional and the modern, politically committed African women observe El Hadji’s rebirth as the beggars spit on his corruption, greed, and westernized illusion of success.  He is crowned by one of the beggars with the white flower crown worn by his third wife at the wedding. The crown symbolizes the preserved virginity of the woman he was unable to deflower.  It is also representative of the fertile, pure, virginal quality of Africa that will be restored through the elimination of the stagnating middle class bourgeoisie.  The women are the only dignified characters still standing in support of El Hadji in the end of the story, indicating that the fate of the community now lies in the fate of its grandmothers, mothers, and daughters.

Mods & Rockers Film Festival Starts Another British Invasion

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While Americans were celebrating the Fourth of July this summer, the English were celebrating another British Invasion. A British Invasion of Los Angeles, that is.

The English chose Independence Day 2006 to kick off the eighth annual “Mods & Rockers” summer film festival at Hollywood’s elaborate Egyptian Theatre. The date marked the 40th anniversary of the British Invasion of pop music upon American shores. The American Cinematheque, a film group dedicated to the preservation and screening of rare and classic movies, opened the festivities by showing a time capsule gem titled “Go-Go Mania!” Way, way before MTV, this music revue featured made-for-broadcast performances by British groups like The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Peter and Gordon, Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, The Fourmost and The Spencer Davis Group.

In lieu of American celebratory fireworks, the Brits spiced up the screening with a live concert in the theatre courtyard featuring Spencer Davis and Gordon Waller (of Peter and Gordon fame) backed up by The Ravers. The Spencer Davis Group was one of the British Invasion bands that grabbed hold of blues styles. They had international hits with “Gimme Some Lovin” (1966) and “I’m A Man” (1967). Peter and Gordon were often compared to the Everly Brothers and had great success with ballads written for them by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. They scored on the charts with “A World Without Love” in 1964.

Joining Davis and Waller on stage was American songwriter Stephen Bishop, best known for the ballad “On and On” and the theme song for the film “Tootsie.” Bishop ad libbed a wicked imitation of John Lennon trying to explain the colossally misunderstood Jesus Christ comment in his best Liverpudlian. A surprise guest for the evening was Rod Stewart’s bassist, Phil Chen, who has played with Donovan, Jeff Beck, Jackson Browne and Pete Townshend.

When all four of the rockers were waling away on their guitars deep into an improvised version of “I’m A Man,” they blew out the power on the courtyard stage. After a few jokes about Yankee sabotage, American ingenuity soon got the musicians plugged back in for more music.

The British also reveled in another 40th anniversary by celebrating the 1966 World Cup victory of the English football team. The achievement was honored with the screening of the award winning documentary titled “Goal! World Cup 1966.” Just imagine it. Swinging London was in full bloom. The British Invasion of music and fashion was at its zenith. England was hosting the World Cup games for the first time ever. To top it off, England beats Germany in a harrowing overtime championship game attended by Queen Elizabeth. Hail, Britannia.

The American Cinematheque continues the “Mods & Rockers” festival of rare, goofy and cult films from the 1960s in two theatres in the Los Angeles area throughout August.

Unique Baby Shower Favor

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If you are planning a baby shower for someone you are more than likely trying to think of unique baby shower favors. When it comes to creating a unique favor, the best thing to do is add a picture of the parents to be. This article will provide you with step by step instructions on how to make a baby bottle gift, which is a more personal, unique baby shower favor. 

You will need the following supplies to make this unique baby shower favor: 

A picture of the mom and dad to be (make sure you include any other siblings if they already have children.)
A small baby bottle (make sure you get enough for each guest)
Curling ribbon
Scissors
Small teddy Bear (you can also use a small baby bottle or other baby related item)
Glue Gun
Glue Stick
Candy (Whatever type of candy you prefer) 

This unique baby shower favor is very easy to assemble. The first thing you have to do is make several copies of the picture of the parents. Make sure you make enough for all of your guests. Then you can start putting the pictures on the baby bottle using the glue stick. 

First use the glue stick to put enough glue on the back of the copied picture to cover all of it. Then stick the picture onto the baby bottle. Make sure you smooth it out so that there are no wrinkles. Do the same to all of the bottles. The first bottle should be completely dry by the time you finish sticking on the last picture. 

Next you can begin to fill the bottles with candy, and putting the tops on the bottles. After all of the bottles are full you can tie the ribbon around the top of the bottles and make a bow. Then curl the edges of the ribbon using the scissors. Next you will need your glue gun and the bears, (or whatever small baby item you will be using. 

You can then glue the small bears onto the bottle, right at the center of the bow. Hold the bear on the glue for a few seconds until the bear stays in place. Then your baby bottle favor is complete. 

If you would prefer, you can use baby food jars for this as well. You can even create your own unique baby shower favors, just by being a little creative and using your imagination. Whatever you choose just make sure you remember to have fun.

Budget Winter Wedding Photography Guide

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

Do-it-yourself wedding photography is an excellent way to save money, but it is important to plan the details. Chances are you probably know a few photography buffs who are willing to help with your wedding photos. Use this guide to make the most of their skills and generosity to get beautiful wedding pictures.

1. Recruit multiple friends or family members to help with the photographs.
Designating multiple people as photographer splits the workload and means the wedding pictures will reflect a variety of perspectives. Choose knowledgeable, reliable people who are experienced in digital photography.

2. Use a high quality camera.
Make sure the camera you choose is technologically capable of capturing your winter wedding memories. Varying lighting conditions and action scenes are no problem for a good digital camera.

3. Have backup batteries or a backup camera ready.
Be sure the camera you use is charged and have a backup battery or backup camera ready.

4. Bring extra memory cards.
With digital cameras, most people take a few photos then delete the bad ones. The quick pace of a wedding probably will not leave time to edit along the way. Besides, pictures that are out of focus or unusual often have a unique beauty that is not immediately apparent. Bring extra memory cards to avoid missing a good shot.

5. Be very clear about what you want.
Research online and browse friend's wedding albums to get an idea of the type of poses and moments you want to commemorate. Make a list to be absolutely certain each milestone is photographed.

6. Get a mix of candid and posed shots.
A variety of photos best captures the spirit of the day.

7. Plan for the weather.
Depending on the wedding location, winter weather may mean it is too frigid to venture outdoors for a photo session. Plan to take group shots of the bridal party and family members indoors.

8. Edit the photos.
Try cropping and adding different special effects. Sepia and black and white pictures take on an elegant, timeless quality.

9. Order quality photo prints.
Since you saved so much on the cost of a photographer, invest in prints that use high quality paper and ink.

10. Make a wedding album.
You can use traditional photo prints to make a wedding album, but digital photos give you more options. A variety of book options, including hardbound books and small flipbooks, are available online and in many drug and discount stores.

Stephanie Harrison Photography - Where You'll Find the Best Photographer in Town

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Whether you're looking for that perfect photographer for senior pictures, wedding photos, new baby celebration or special family moments, Stephanie Harrison Photography is the place to go! You'll not only find a professional studio that is conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Depot District in Richmond, Indiana, but you'll meet one of the friendliest, easy going photographers around; not to mention at a great value!

The photographer at Stephanie Harrison Photographer, none other than Stephanie Harrison herself, offers an artistic style that can't be found elsewhere. The results of her work give an eclectic, non-staged, and real feeling. She captures expressions and movements perfectly in her photographs. She's got the perfect personality for children and adults alike. She can accommodate any situation from serious, quiet moments to doing whatever is needed to get an unsure baby to smile, make nervous folks feel comfortable or even catch that wondering gaze of a beloved pet.

Photos aren't always taken inside the studio at Stephanie Harrison Photography. The opportunity is also there to go outdoors and use the resources of the Historic Depot for a more urban look, combining the exposed brick of old buildings with the sweet, fresh face of a new baby, for example. Stephanie is also often available for on-site shoots for weddings, special celebrations and other purposes!

Stephanie Harrison has the experience to make your photo shoot the best it can be! She's been featured in a number of magazines across the world and has won various photography awards. With such skill and recognition one might think her prices would reflect it, but at Stephanie Harrison Photography, the value is unreal!

The session fee is a very reasonable $40.00 for up to four people. Prices for prints obviously vary by size but range anywhere from $8.00 for eight wallets up to $90.00 for a huge 20x30 print! She offers packages for senior pictures starting at a low $99.00 and Wedding Packages that can be had from $550.00. Also available are Gallery Canvas Wraps in various sizes which are, simply put, awesome!

Stephanie Harrison Photography can be found at 195 Fort Wayne Avenue in Richmond, Indiana and reached at (765)962-3133. The website, www.stephanieharrisonphotography.com offers numerous examples of Stephanie's work, a price sheet, bio, and contact information for setting up your first session.

Stephanie Harrison Photography; you simply won't find a better photographer around!

Anglin's Wedding Photography in Bend Oregon

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Anglin’s Wedding Photography will preserve your wedding memories with their exceptional and incomparable talents. Jake and Shereen Anglin can create beauty on film that will last a lifetime! Together, they capture the sentiment of a couple’s once in a lifetime event, their wedding day. Anglin’s portraits are incredibly intimate and share a level unlike any other wedding photographers endeavors.

The level of intimacy captured and preserved on film between the bride and groom is unsurpassed and enduring. While viewing Anglin’s sample portraits from their website www.Anglins.com, you can almost feel the emotional and intimate nature of the wedding with the soft focus and moody lighting the Anglins use. For any couple, their wedding day can be the most anxious and exciting day of their lifetime together. Photographs of this moment should be intimate not only with the wedding party but should include seemingly simple fundamentals of the wedding such as the environment, the décor and guests.
No two weddings are identical because no two people are identical. Each wedding is as unique as you and the Anglin’s expose the individuality and style of your wedding portraits. On the website, a happy couple by the water is holding up a big Thank You sign; they really appreciate your business! The Anglin’s not only take the traditional wedding shots but they also create portraits with natural body movements with natural expressions that are difficult to do in posed portraits.

Their portraits are very detail oriented with great elemental compositions. Their photographs not only portray close-ups among the bride and groom, but they also capture the smallest minutiae of the wedding and their sample portraits show an assortment of close-ups of the wedding jewelry worn or the candles lit beside a wedding cake. Another precise photograph is of white chairs and the bride’s bouquet and in yet another, the bridal bouquet on the table with lit candles only further giving an artistic element captured on film. These are small moments the bride has dreamed about her whole life. Even when the lighting seems low they capture a well lit environment that exposes the low light elements and details with clarity. Their wedding portraits carry artistic appeal. Precise close-us of a wedding cake so detailed you can actually see the very crumbs and it is elegant and beautifully done. Their special effects portraits are luminous, vibrant and brilliant with pure clarity.

Anglin’s Photography is operated by the owners, Jake and Shereen Anglin and they are truly a wonderful dynamic team. They formulate a great portraiture plan to make the wedding day a very treasured and memorable event. In addition, the Anglin’s are great to work with and they have fantastic idea’s that can be incorporated individually for uniqueness in the photographs. They are a very charming and loveable pair with vibrant personalities that make you feel very relaxed, comfortable and welcomed even when the heat of the wedding day turns on. These photographers have an artistic flare not only capturing a moment in time on film for the newlyweds but they add artistic beauty and value to the portraiture package. Anglin’s Photography offers a wide range of pricing and package arrangements with both color and black and white portrait’s. They also do engagement portraiture and this could be an added bonus for the busy bride and groom. Anglin’s Photography in Bend Oregon is precise and experienced. Please visit their website at WWW.anglins.com for further information.

Budget Winter Wedding Photography Guide

source

Do-it-yourself wedding photography is an excellent way to save money, but it is important to plan the details. Chances are you probably know a few photography buffs who are willing to help with your wedding photos. Use this guide to make the most of their skills and generosity to get beautiful wedding pictures.

1. Recruit multiple friends or family members to help with the photographs.
Designating multiple people as photographer splits the workload and means the wedding pictures will reflect a variety of perspectives. Choose knowledgeable, reliable people who are experienced in digital photography.

2. Use a high quality camera.
Make sure the camera you choose is technologically capable of capturing your winter wedding memories. Varying lighting conditions and action scenes are no problem for a good digital camera.

3. Have backup batteries or a backup camera ready.
Be sure the camera you use is charged and have a backup battery or backup camera ready.

4. Bring extra memory cards.
With digital cameras, most people take a few photos then delete the bad ones. The quick pace of a wedding probably will not leave time to edit along the way. Besides, pictures that are out of focus or unusual often have a unique beauty that is not immediately apparent. Bring extra memory cards to avoid missing a good shot.

5. Be very clear about what you want.
Research online and browse friend's wedding albums to get an idea of the type of poses and moments you want to commemorate. Make a list to be absolutely certain each milestone is photographed.

6. Get a mix of candid and posed shots.
A variety of photos best captures the spirit of the day.

7. Plan for the weather.
Depending on the wedding location, winter weather may mean it is too frigid to venture outdoors for a photo session. Plan to take group shots of the bridal party and family members indoors.

8. Edit the photos.
Try cropping and adding different special effects. Sepia and black and white pictures take on an elegant, timeless quality.

9. Order quality photo prints.
Since you saved so much on the cost of a photographer, invest in prints that use high quality paper and ink.

10. Make a wedding album.
You can use traditional photo prints to make a wedding album, but digital photos give you more options. A variety of book options, including hardbound books and small flipbooks, are available online and in many drug and discount stores.