There is a big gap between what is trendy, what is current, and what is traditional in weddings. Trendy sets the stage, traditional is tried and true, and current is somewhere in the middle (and you hope your current doesn’t become too dated…puffy sleeves in the 80’s, anyone?). This is true whether you are looking at floral, gown design, or entertainment for your wedding, but is especially true when it comes to photography.
When you choose your wedding photographer, it isn’t just about their portfolio. You want to make sure you hire someone that will deliver consistent results…the family photos at a wedding are definitely traditional, but certainly necessary. You want to make sure you hire someone that is easy to work with…when you are stressed out you want someone with a calming presence and you also want your portrait session to be fun. You also want to make sure that they will push the creative envelope a bit…not only does this mean your photographer loves what they do, but also wants to continue to become better. If you find a photographer or photography team that can do all three, I consider that a fantastic find. It comes with experience and enthusiasm and a genuine love of weddings.
To make sure that we belong in all of those categories, we are constantly educating ourselves and staying current in the wedding industry. Yes, I love the fact that I have to purchase wedding magazines as a business expense and I truly read them cover to cover. This helps me not only chat with brides about their wedding, but use my experience to help answer questions if need be. One of the education tools I’m very happy with is the Foundation Workshop. It is an online community of photographers from all over the world that share and grow together. Yep, it sounds cheesy, but it is true. The best of the best are still so passionate about photography and are eager to guide and teach and share with others like me. I find the people that are very active in the forum are positive and encouraging and I love being able to share experiences with them as well.
When I post blog entries of weddings we shot that day, I show our top 8 images. I want to show a balance of artsy images, pictures of the couple and their bridal party, and their details. It is a bit of a deliberation process (often at 1am) for me to find the perfect 8 that tell a story. I want to excite the bride, inspire future brides with ideas, and show other clients what we can do. After I pick those 8, I then submit 4 others to the Foundation Forum for my peers to critique. I do this for every wedding. It can be hard to hear critiques, but it only helps us get better! So I thought it would be fun to share this with you. If you look at Leslie and Matt’s wedding on July 30th, you can see what images I chose. Here, I will show the images I submit for other photographers to judge. I feel that is shows where we truly lie as artists. What really floats our boat, so to speak =) Let us know what you think!
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