About Us

    We are a husband wife team workin on creating photo and video products. The mechanical part of the team is Richard Allen specilazing in capturing the photos, videos and editing to the final product. The creative part of this team is Anitra Allen. Her speciality is adding artistic effect to the photos and videos.

    • Richard Allen

    Richard has been working part time as a freelance photographer/videographer since 2005. In order to pursue photography and videography on a full time basis he left his full time position of 25 years.

    Around the turn of this century Richard found that his life path started taking a whole new direction. He started working on editing and creating DVD videos from old family photos and VHS videos. The response he got from the people for whom he created these DVD’s encouraged him to continue on this career path. Richard found himself back in “self-training mode” and started experimenting with creating DVD’s of weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties and artist statements from photos and video footage that he had produced.

    Richard's past experience as a scientist and engineer helped shape the techniques he utilizes for creating photo and video productions. After researching what makes video and photo appealing to a client, he started experimenting with creating a unique style of videography and photography.

    • Anitra Watley Allen

    After spending a few years as a technician for a oil field testing company. Anitra concluded that this was not her calling in life. While working on her BS degree she took some elective art classes. In 1981 she started a successful career as a ceramic artist whose award winning work is exhibited widely, particularly in the Southwest. She makes masks, pottery, sculptures, mosaics and jewelry combining her heritage with both ancient/modern ceramic techniques.

    When Richard started working as a freelance photographer and videographer Anitra used her artistic creativity to assist Richard in adding artistic and special effects found in the photos and videos he creates. Anitra’s art background works well in complementing the photos and videos captured by Richard.

    • Event Photography Philosophy

    The photographer has two roles at least, in my philosophy, for photographing weddings. The first role is to capture all of the wedding party and family members in photos using portraiture photography; while capturing these photos I need to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere. During this phase of the wedding photography the photographer needs to allow the emotions of the wedding day guide how these group shots are created.

    Secondly, after the portraiture photographing you have the “photojournalist” documentation. Here, I as photographer, blend into the background as to not detract from the wedding festivities but still be ready and in position to capture photos that fully reflect the emotions of the pre and post wedding activities. These photos are intended to document the wedding day into photos that will re-create the happiness and emotions that this special day represents as time passes. The photos are also intended to make the people who were not at the wedding feel they were there.

    • Event Videography Philosophy

    The videography style I use for weddings is a combination of documentary and cinematic. What this means is your wedding activities segments are edited as they occur to preserve continuity. This style of editing will produce a polished documentation of the day as it. The cinematic style will involve editing for the dramatic effect and mood. It is usually presented with a particular style and "wow" effect that may not be present in a "mere documentary" of the event.

    The final video usually runs 40 – 60 minutes. Examples of cinematic editing would be incorporating still photo (when available), overlaying audio tracks and video tracks from different segments (for example having the prayer audio playing during the wedding procession to the alter), overlaying two video segments with transparency, video montage of dances at the reception and conversion to black and white or old style video, adding music tracks for emotional effect, Ect.