Of course there are times when my expertise in all things weddings is helpful in keeping the day flowing smoothly, and I will of course assist if I can. Typically, I am assigned the task of securely pinning the boutonnieres on the gentlemen in the wedding party, and I gladly oblige to assure that the flower remains secured to the lapel through the day. 

But I prefer that to remain the extent of my involvement.

Apparently other photographers handle their event coverage differently. I safely assume this because since the first wedding I covered as a semi-pro photographer every officiant has made a point of discussing with me the rules regarding where the photography team is to be positioned during the ceremony. This is especially so for the religious ceremonies, whether in a house of worship or not.

I understand that my fellow pro photographers are just trying to capture the best images for their clients, and I assure you that is my goal as well. However, no matter how well-intentioned, these overly enthusiastic photogs do a great disservice to their clients and their fellow photographers by prompting officiants to limit us in our ability to cover as many angles and perspectives as possible.

The solution is simple, and one that I follow as often as possible and practical: First, have the photographer scout the location to determine the best places to set-up camp. Then contact the officiant and discuss your plans for the photographer to cover your event.  (The rehearsal is ideal for this) Usually, when you demonstrate the proper respect for the ceremony, the officiant will help you determine the best way for everyone to do their jobs so the special day can be captured in images without compromising the solemnity of the occasion.

As a photographer I can appreciate Uncle Bob’s perspective. Photographers are artists, and each one has a different creative vision. It is only natural to want to capture a special event like a wedding with your own style and vision. And perhaps Uncle Bob will have a perspective or vantage point to capture some great images.

Quite frankly, I welcome the participation of photographer guests at the weddings we cover at Vivid Visions Photo-Graphics. They are more familiar with the unique personalities and relationships among the guests, and will often recognize a once in a lifetime photo opportunity that the hired pro may miss. If they can capture such a moment in a photograph, I hope they will, and that they will share it with bridal couple.

However, I do hope, and if necessary will ask, the Uncle Bob of the day to respect my role as a fellow photographer, and more importantly, the hired pro, so I can do the job the bride and groom are expecting of me and my staff. We do our best to not interfere with the activities, but rather record them, and we ask Uncle Bob not to interfere with our work by jumping front of us to grab a shot or distracting the subjects while we are trying to work through the formal portrait session.

In the end, after all, we are all after the same thing-capturing images that reflect the emotion, style and beauty of this once in a lifetime event. If the hired pro and the photog guest worked together, the results can be wonderful.

Brides and grooms, do you have an Uncle Bob coming to your wedding? Tell us how you will prepare your hired photographer for him.

In fact we at Vivid Visions Photo think it’s great thing.  This isn’t a debate about global warming, but reminder that conservation of our resources, environmental and financial are the smart and right thing to do. As a photographer, I want to see the beautiful vistas of seascapes, landscapes and wildlife remain as the backdrop for my photos. And conserving our natural resources is the way to do it.

There is a TV personality who likes to say “Just One Thing” when referring to the difference we can make as we figure out how to minimize the negative impacts of human activity on our natural environment.

Vivid Visions, we have done a few things, such as using recycled content materials for our products and supplies, and recycling our used materials. In fact, we have positioned ourselves as leaders in this effort to green the way we conduct business, and we are very proud to be certified members of Greener Photography, and the Green Bride Guide. For details, look for the badges in our sidebar.

So as you plan your wedding or your next family portrait sitting, I hope you will consider taking a walk on the greener side with us.  You’ll see how easy it is to be green.

Just today Kevin Focht posted in the Digital Wedding Forum about this topic, DWF Blog, from the photographer’s point of view. I couldn’t agree with him more.  One of the first things I discuss with my prospective clients is the need to feel comfortable with their photographer, no matter who they choose.  On a wedding day, the photographer is usually the vendor who will spend the most time with the bridal couple and their families, especially the bride. You don’t need to be best friends, but you have to at least enjoy each other’s company in order to capture photos that will present you naturally.

I approach each event or session with a sense of humor combined with a respect for the reverence of the day. It’s important to respect traditions, but it’s also essential to capture the personality of the subjects. So, I like to spend some time with my clients, usually at a pre-wedding engagement portrait session, which we include in most signature packages, and get to know them in a pressure-free relaxed setting prior to the big day. This is their chance to get to know me, too. So when the big day arrives, we aren’t trying to figure each other out, but focusing on getting the best images.

So if you are looking for wedding photography services soon, why not give me a call? I’m always ready to make new friends!

A typical wedding timeline allows time right after the ceremony for the family and group formals, along with the romantic intimate photos of the bride and groom.  Everyone primps to make certain hair and make-up are touched up, and the gentlemen straighten their ties and button their jackets.  And everything generally stays in place until after the cocktail hour and the formal introductions of the wedding party.

Next is the Bride and Groom’s first dance as husband and wife and the best man’s toast. Everyone still looks great…then the partying  begins…energetic dancing, a few more raised glasses, the ladies ditch the high heels, hairdos start to fray, the men loosen their ties and hang their jackets on the back of their chairs.  Well that’s fine for the guests, but what about the wedding party?  There will be another round of photos when the Bride dances with Dad and the Groom dances with Mom, the bouquet is thrown and the cake is cut.

Of course there are some events that must wait until its proper time later in the reception. The cutting of the cake and the bouquet/garter toss both come to mind here. However, the Bride and Dad dance and the Groom and Mom dance can be moved to the beginning of the reception, right after the introductions. Emotions are still high in the beginning, but everyone still looks fresh and beautiful which will make a world of difference when presenting these images in the bridal album.

So, as you finalize the details of the big day, why not consider it? Your photographer will thank you, and you’ll love the images!

Thank you Jenny & Matt, for allowing me one last chance to feel the sand between my toes in 2009.

Congratulations to Rebecca and Ben! We wish for you a wonderful life together, filled with love, laughs and not too many meadow muffins!

Our last post about saving money on wedding photography discussed how eliminating the pro photographer can lead to disappointing images.  This time, we’ll compare the cost savings of the “Friends and Family” method with the value received from pro photographer services

“Friends and Family”:
Your wedding guests are just that-guests, and once they get caught up in the celebration that your special day deserves, they may be too distracted to capture the important moments.  And, you are gambling that they know how to use a camera properly in the varying light that churches and reception halls are notorious for.  Lighting for ambiance creates real challenges in capturing properly exposed images. The usually come out too dark, or if they are well-lit a slow shutter speed means blurry pictures. But let’s look at your actual costs-disposable film cameras cost about $5 to buy, and another $10 to develop the film and make the prints.  If you have 100 guests, you’ll have about 10 tables, and most likely 2 cameras per table with 27 exposures each.

Total Cost: $300
Total Prints: 540 4×6 prints-if all exposures are printable.
That’s right, you’ll get the good, the bad and the ugly. So you may get 540 prints, but you might only get half or less that are truly keepers. There will be many that are too dark, too light, poorly composed (chopped off head, a thumb in the lens), out of focus or just plain indecent. Yes, your guests may also share some very nice digital images, but there is no guarantee that they will suitable for enlarging-especially if they are taken with a camera phone.

Professional Photographer:
Proper coverage of a wedding or special event is a big job. We anticipate the action and then snap the shot at the decisive moment with the camera and lighting at the proper settings. We make sure that there are captures of the details, such as the flowers, invitation and place settings, the special moments before, during and after the ceremony, and the festive atmosphere of the reception. And we have contingency plans in place in case of bad weather or other unexpected occurrences. No matter how many there are in your wedding party, we will pose them so they look their best in the gowns and tuxedos that you selected specially. We’ll make the rounds at the cocktail hour and the dinner to make sure that everyone is included in the photos, so your record of the day includes your specially selected and invited loved ones.

The total cost depends on the options chosen, but let’s match “Friends and Family” and go with just coverage, processing and proof prints, based on Vivid Visions Photo current price list.

Total Cost: $575 for 5 hours of coverage and unlimited images captured in that time frame
Total Prints: 200 usable images guaranteed and mounted in proof album with typically 100 to 200 additional prints provided
Extras: Password protected online gallery, DVD or CD of all proofs delivered formatted in print and email resolutions. All images presented will be keepers. They will be properly lit, optimized for color and dynamically composed.

When you have put so much effort into making sure your special day is as perfect as it can be, you’ll want to remember it in photographs that are the best they can be.

Even before Vivid Visions got involved in wedding photography services, I would cringe when I heard of brides planning to forego the hiring of a professional wedding photographer in order to save money.  The photographs of your big day are the record of what is one of the most important days of your life.  I know it is easy to underestimate how valuable these photos will become to your family as you travel through life. But do you really want to count on your guests to capture those once in a lifetime shots of your first kiss as Mr. & Mrs,  the bride dancing with her father or the mother of the groom brushing a stray hair off the forehead of the man who will always be her little boy?

Yes, professional photography services can cost a few bucks, but be careful that you are not mistaking cost for value. Pro photographers make their living capturing beautiful images and preparing them for presentation. We spent countless hours preparing for the shoot, and have made a considerable investment in quality gear that will help get the job done. We are continually training to keep up with the latest techniques and trends, so we can work seamlessly with the other professionals you have hired to make your special day uniquely yours.  Plus, our only reason to be at your wedding is to provide the photography services.  We won’t be distracted by seeing Cousin Emma for the first time in 15 years, and be in the ladies room for the wedding party introductions. We’ll be capturing the festivities so you will have a record of your day. When we take a break, we will tell you, so you will know where to find us if you need us.

The price a pro photographer quotes you reflects the cost for materials such as photo prints and proof albums, the time it takes to capture the images and then the studio work later to sort and select the keepers, plus the layout, design and printing of the photobook, album and enlargements you have ordered.  Very often if you express early in the consultation that you truly are working on a tight budget, we at Vivid Visions (and other studios too) will help you customize a package to fit your budget.  That might mean reducing the amount time spent at the wedding, or waiting until your finances are better to purchase an album.

You only get one chance to properly record your wedding on film. Do you think it is wise to gamble on the photography skills of your friends and family?  In part II next week, We’ll compare the cost savings of a “Friends and Family” approach to the value you receive when you hire a pro. In the meantime, here is a sample of the type of images you can expect from a pro photographer’s portfolio:

Adrianne & John were blessed with a beautiful September day at Martha Clara Vineyards in Jamesport.

April showers bring May flowers, and for photographers, May flowers also means the start of the wedding season.  Vivid Visions is gearing up for Rebecca and Ben in a couple of weeks. They are planning a beautiful ceremony and reception at Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard. I really am looking forward to capturing their special day because Rebecca and Ben are animal lovers, in particular horses, and they are incorporating equine elements in many aspects of the wedding.  I don’t want to give away any surprises, so we’ll wait until after the wedding to post some preview shots.

The preparation work for a wedding begins in our studio several weeks prior to the big day. We use the information forms that the couples have completed to provide important details planned for the day so we can incorporate these elements into the shot list.  Then a few days before the wedding, as we polish our lenses and test the gear, we also track down the invitation, and review the planned shots so we can arrive ready to begin shooting.  It is important that we capture the details and the unguarded moments because that is where we capture the true emotions, and record the photos that become the family treasures in years to come.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned-it’s the nature of weddings really. A rainy June day or a sweltering July afternoon are common occurrences. So the Vivid Visions team plans for the worst and hopes for the best.  Usually we get the best.  Mother Nature likes a happy bride too!

But the law of averages being what they are, sometimes the weather does get in the way. And in 2009 Vivid Visions had a chance to experience the extremes of nature.  Bridget and Scott were married in 90 plus degree weather, and although it was an indoor setting, the reception hall’s air conditioner just couldn’t keep up with the heat.  Everyone wilted early,  including the flowers. But we still found a way to capture the moments that mattered.

And, Sherri and Russell planned a beautiful New Year’s Eve celebration for their wedding to ring in 2009.  It was a wonderful ceremony and reception-once everyone battled through the Blizzard! The weather did severely limit the photo opportunities out of doors, but we managed to capture a few snaps to remember how the last snow storm of 2008 and the first of 2009 was an uninvited guest to the wedding.

So, the moral of this story is to be ready to activate a “Plan B” in case forces beyond your control insist on having their way.  Vivid Visions will be ready, and we’ll do our best to make sure you are too!

But Uncle Joe has a nice camera and he is always showing off his photos at every holiday. Maybe he can do the photography, and then there will be enough money to add the Viennese Table to the reception.

STOP RIGHT THERE (please).
Think about the last wedding you attended. Remember the mountains of food? You were stuffed before the cocktail hour ended, and the band was good, but do you remember their name? They certainly weren’t U2, or even Glenn Miller for that matter.

Now think about the photography. Did you receive a photo with the thank you notes? Maybe you visited the couple’s wedding blog and saw a beautiful sunset image with them walking through the park or down the beach. And maybe one image of the bride and her father just before they walked down the aisle brought a tear to your own eye as you dreamed of your own wedding day. Oh and the flower girl and ring bearer were just precious!

Long after the food is nothing but a stain on your favorite dress, and you have found a new favorite band, the only record of your wedding day-that most special day of days-will be your photographs. Do you think Uncle Joe is up to the task to capturing the memories you hope to treasure forever?

When you hire a professional photographer, you are paying for professional quality images, captured in a professional manner-respecting the sanctity of the ceremony, the comfort of your guests, and the contract for services you both signed.

When you hire a professional photographer, you are buying more than a person to take pictures during your wedding, or any other event for that matter. You are investing in a priceless record of a once in a lifetime occasion. There are no retakes in wedding photography. Your photographer only gets one shot to get it right.

If ever there were a time to hire a professional, wedding photography is that time.

Part II in next week’s post-Find out exactly what your investment in a pro photo package pays for.

Comments welcome!
Tell us what you think about the value of professional wedding photography. Did you learn the hard way by having Uncle Joe take the pictures? Did you have an unpleasant experience with a pro? Post your comments here.

Denis is in a class by himself, and his fees are beyond the reach of most. But, since he so willingly shares his technique with other photographers, we can replicate his lighting style for our own clients. The bottom line, as any half way decent photographer knows, is that a great photo needs to be properly lit, and properly focused. The trick that separates the pros from the wannabes is getting consistent results with available light and flash photography.

The techniques Denis shared showed me that I really only need to tweak my workflow a bit to get the consistently well lit results that Denis has become famous for. So, armed with this knowledge, Vivid Visions will be creating images lit in the Denis Reggie style, but offering it at down-to-earth prices so you don’t have to be a Kennedy to have beautiful wedding photos.

As much as I love the stark beauty of the snowy winterscapes–they make it easier to see the wild birds–the budding crocuses and warm afternoons are a siren song luring me and my camera into the great outdoors without worry of dead batteries and fogged up lenses that the winter weather guarantees. I love the available light of a late afternoon or early morning on shorebird paddling in the Mattituck Inlet, and I marvel at how unafraid most of them are as I aim my lens at them.

This is also the time of year that I start contacting the couples I will work with this summer to remind them to consider their photos as the finalize their plans. Light is the most important consideration in any photo session, and the time of day will make a dramatic difference in the quality of light in your wedding photos. So, as you plan the timing for your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, remember to allow for travel time AND arriving when the light is right.

Of course, any pro photographer worth their salt will be ready to manage whatever lighting scenario is presented, but if given a choice, the lush, warm light of a late spring or summer afternoon will turn a nice photo into a work of art.