Showing posts with label Wedding Photography Advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wedding Photography Advice. Show all posts
Sunday, December 29, 2013
A Wedding "First Look"
Some people know that I am a big fan of what is commonly called the "first look" at a wedding. It is that moment when a couple sees each other before the wedding ceremony, as opposed to waiting to first see each other during the ceremony. I have written about this fairly extensively here and here. Sometimes though it takes reading about it from another perspective that convinces couples that having a "first look" might be the right choice for them. To that end I would encourage interested people to read here. A first look is certainly not a deal breaker for me. Couples have to plan their wedding day according to what best suits their desires and expectations. My two cents though is that a "first look" is a winner.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Being A Photographer . . Being A Doctor
If you have ever watched a medical show on TV . . ER, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs . . inevitably there will be an episode when the doctors are stumped. They have a patient with some mysterious ailment. Tests are run, questions are asked, consultations with other doctors are made, but to no avail. Whatever the patient has, the doctors cannot figure it out, and they feel helpless. Usually in these shows there is that "aha" moment when the doctors stumble on a clue and discover what is causing the problem, and all ends well. Sometimes they stumble on the answer, and realize there is nothing they can do to fix the problem. This is usually the moment when a doctor realizes that despite his or her great skills and knowledge, they are after all human, and there are some things that even they cannot fix. Sometimes, as a photographer, I feel the same way.
I have photographed a bunch of events and activities and people over the years. Most of the time I get to photograph people under fairly controllable and pleasant conditions. There are usually options. If it is raining, I can usually find a covered area. If it is too sunny, I can find some open shade. Rarely am I in a position where I am stumped, when there are no options except for the worse one. This past Saturday was on one of those. At times I felt helpless, like the doctor with an ailing patient, and the only answer I could give that patient was there is nothing I can do. It was hot . . very hot, and it was sunny . . very sunny; and I was in a location where there was literally no place to go that was not hot or sunny. Some of the photos . . not all . . would be difficult to obtain under these conditions.
All of my experience and skills seemed to mean nothing at that moment. Well that is not entirely true, my experience did help me work through most of what I needed to do to make things work; but I knew at the time that the pictures would have been so much better under different conditions. I walked away humbled by the experience, much like I imagine a doctor walks away from a dying patient knowing he could not save that person. I am human after all. Fortunately the people I was working with that day were very understanding and patient with me (I hope). I do not like to make excuses. I was hired to do a job, and for their sake as well as mine, I wanted to do the best job possible. But even the best of doctors confront situations when they can do nothing more for their patient. It is not a failure, but it is humbling.
I have photographed a bunch of events and activities and people over the years. Most of the time I get to photograph people under fairly controllable and pleasant conditions. There are usually options. If it is raining, I can usually find a covered area. If it is too sunny, I can find some open shade. Rarely am I in a position where I am stumped, when there are no options except for the worse one. This past Saturday was on one of those. At times I felt helpless, like the doctor with an ailing patient, and the only answer I could give that patient was there is nothing I can do. It was hot . . very hot, and it was sunny . . very sunny; and I was in a location where there was literally no place to go that was not hot or sunny. Some of the photos . . not all . . would be difficult to obtain under these conditions.
All of my experience and skills seemed to mean nothing at that moment. Well that is not entirely true, my experience did help me work through most of what I needed to do to make things work; but I knew at the time that the pictures would have been so much better under different conditions. I walked away humbled by the experience, much like I imagine a doctor walks away from a dying patient knowing he could not save that person. I am human after all. Fortunately the people I was working with that day were very understanding and patient with me (I hope). I do not like to make excuses. I was hired to do a job, and for their sake as well as mine, I wanted to do the best job possible. But even the best of doctors confront situations when they can do nothing more for their patient. It is not a failure, but it is humbling.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The First Look on Wedding Day
If you read my past blog posts, or if you know me, you know that I am a big fan of the bride and groom seeing each other prior to the ceremony, primarily for the sake of photos. It just makes the whole day go a lot smoother, and my experience is that couples who choose to do it this way are really, really glad they did. But I realize that many people cannot break with the idea of first seeing each other while walking down the aisle (my experience is that most brides are looking either at guests or at me and not at their groom while walking down the aisle). I realize that this is their wedding and I can only offer advice, otherwise I have to go with what is given. But that does not mean I cannot at least plead my case, and here I do it once again.
This link is to some photos taken of grooms (not my photos) when they saw their bride for the first time on their wedding day. The photos were compiled for this article because of the emotion expressed by the grooms. If you study the photos closely, you will see that of the 24 grooms/brides represented, only 4-5 were taken during the actual ceremony and walking down the aisle. All the others were taken during what is commonly called "the first look", when the bride and groom have their moment of seeing each other privately before the wedding. This goes to one of the arguments that I have previously made: that I see more emotion coming from grooms during the "first look" then I do during the walking down the aisle moment; and this goes to another argument I have made: the "first look" actually ends up being a much more special time for a couple than walking down the aisle.
Again, I realize that this is not the case for everyone, and in the case of this article, there certainly was emotion in the 4-5 "walking down the aisle" weddings represented by the photos. I would just encourage couples to think it through, perhaps throw out your original conventional thinking and consider this: how would you plan this day if this was the very first wedding ever?
This link is to some photos taken of grooms (not my photos) when they saw their bride for the first time on their wedding day. The photos were compiled for this article because of the emotion expressed by the grooms. If you study the photos closely, you will see that of the 24 grooms/brides represented, only 4-5 were taken during the actual ceremony and walking down the aisle. All the others were taken during what is commonly called "the first look", when the bride and groom have their moment of seeing each other privately before the wedding. This goes to one of the arguments that I have previously made: that I see more emotion coming from grooms during the "first look" then I do during the walking down the aisle moment; and this goes to another argument I have made: the "first look" actually ends up being a much more special time for a couple than walking down the aisle.
Again, I realize that this is not the case for everyone, and in the case of this article, there certainly was emotion in the 4-5 "walking down the aisle" weddings represented by the photos. I would just encourage couples to think it through, perhaps throw out your original conventional thinking and consider this: how would you plan this day if this was the very first wedding ever?
Friday, June 22, 2012
Some Wedding Advice From A Photographer
Every once in awhile I like to offer my unsolicited wedding advice. Of course my interest here is from a photographic perspective. I'm not a wedding planner and I am not a bride, so my interests and priorities are not always in line with theirs. And that is fine. I realize I cannot have things happen the way I deem would be best, and that I have to defer to the wishes of my clients. It is their wedding after all, and I have no interest in imposing my will or wishes on them. But I have been to a lot of weddings over the years, which means I have some experience as a photographer that I believe can be helpful in making a person's wedding a better experience for them. With that in mind, I humbly offer here a few suggestions, again from one photographer's perspective. These are thoughts that I have carried with me for some time now. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. First dance/Father-Daughter dance/Mother-Son dance: There are basically two times for these dances to take place, before dinner or after dinner. It probably does not matter too much when you have it, but what I believe does matter is having the full attention of your guests for those dances. Oftentimes during these dances, I will look around the room. I am looking for emotionally engaged people, with a tear in their eye or a big smile as they watch the bride and her father dance together. These are great photos when they happen. What I often see though are people with their backs to the dance floor, or people off in the corner laughing, or people munching on their salad. And as I am taking photos of the couple dancing, I know that in the background there will be people with their back to the dance floor, or people off in the corner laughing, or people munching on their salad . . all unengaged with this special moment. I'm not sure what the secret is for fully engaging your guests, but my first guess is that it probably starts with your deejay. I would recommend talking with the deejay during your planning process to see what they recommend and what they can do to pull everyone's attention to the dance floor. Now I understand that for some couples, these dances might be important to them, but not so important that they need everyone's full attention. But again, from a photographic perspective, it sure makes for better photos when you have guests who are watching.
2. Ceremony and the Vows: This is very minor and probably difficult for a couple to do while in the moment, but oftentimes during the wedding ceremony, when the couple are facing each other, they tend to look too much at the officiant. The officiant is speaking, so it is understandable that they would look at him (her). When they are looking at the officiant however, they are not looking at each other; and their heads are turned away from the crowd and usually away from the camera. This again is minor because there are of course times when they are looking at each other; but I have done enough weddings where I was mumbling to myself "Please, look at each other" to know that it can be a problem, at least for photos. My advice, stay focused on each other.
3. Go ahead and see each other prior to the ceremony. I, sometimes too passionately, always introduce this concept to couples as an option. Sometimes for practical reasons it just makes better sense to do it this way, but I am convinced from experience that it just makes sense period. I have to be careful here because I am not dogmatic about it, and I don't want potential clients to believe I am dogmatic about this. Some photographers will only photograph a wedding if the couple agrees to do all their photos prior to the ceremony. I certainly have not gotten to that point yet, but I can understand why these photographers prefer the photo session this way.
To me there is no downside to doing all the photos before the ceremony, unless you have a huge amount of down time between the ceremony and the reception, or if the ceremony is real early in the morning. At least a third of the weddings I have done have been done this way, and in every case the couple was enthusiastically glad they did it that way. The first look becomes much more special to them, they get to spend some time talking with each other, all the stress and anxiety is immediately gone . . they can enjoy a relaxed photo session with few distractions, and when the ceremony is over there is not this fast pace, dizzying photo time away from their guests. I will get myself in trouble here, so please be clear that this is just my opinion: most times people don't want to see each other because it is not "traditional" and/or it is considered bad luck. I'm just not sure I can understand basing your wedding on a superstition; and what tradition? When I think tradition I think a church wedding, yet very few weddings I do take place in a church.
I tend to be a romantic, and to me, if done right, a first look can be much more romantic. I've seen more grooms in tears during a first look than I ever have when they see other the first time walking down the aisle. Everyone is different though, and I know that I cannot impose my own thoughts regarding this on anyone else. In the end the photos always seem to work out. The entire day however just seems to go significantly better for everyone when a couple goes ahead and sees each other prior to the ceremony. That at least is my experience.
4. Be on time. Kind of hard for a bride to control her time prior to the ceremony when she is dependent on hair stylists and make up artists and bridesmaids and wardrobe malfunctions. All I can say here is that it seems rare for a bride to be ready on time. I think what might be helpful is to have someone there who is keeping you on track with your timelines. Most wedding coordinators are dealing with the actual ceremony and reception and not with getting the bride ready on time for photos. I would recommend for any bride to have a go person who can do that for you. It needs to be someone who doesn't mind keeping an eye on the clock and is bossy enough to keep you on time. As a bride you have too many other distractions that you can easily lose track of your own time. Having someone there to help keep you on track might be a good thing.
1. First dance/Father-Daughter dance/Mother-Son dance: There are basically two times for these dances to take place, before dinner or after dinner. It probably does not matter too much when you have it, but what I believe does matter is having the full attention of your guests for those dances. Oftentimes during these dances, I will look around the room. I am looking for emotionally engaged people, with a tear in their eye or a big smile as they watch the bride and her father dance together. These are great photos when they happen. What I often see though are people with their backs to the dance floor, or people off in the corner laughing, or people munching on their salad. And as I am taking photos of the couple dancing, I know that in the background there will be people with their back to the dance floor, or people off in the corner laughing, or people munching on their salad . . all unengaged with this special moment. I'm not sure what the secret is for fully engaging your guests, but my first guess is that it probably starts with your deejay. I would recommend talking with the deejay during your planning process to see what they recommend and what they can do to pull everyone's attention to the dance floor. Now I understand that for some couples, these dances might be important to them, but not so important that they need everyone's full attention. But again, from a photographic perspective, it sure makes for better photos when you have guests who are watching.
2. Ceremony and the Vows: This is very minor and probably difficult for a couple to do while in the moment, but oftentimes during the wedding ceremony, when the couple are facing each other, they tend to look too much at the officiant. The officiant is speaking, so it is understandable that they would look at him (her). When they are looking at the officiant however, they are not looking at each other; and their heads are turned away from the crowd and usually away from the camera. This again is minor because there are of course times when they are looking at each other; but I have done enough weddings where I was mumbling to myself "Please, look at each other" to know that it can be a problem, at least for photos. My advice, stay focused on each other.
3. Go ahead and see each other prior to the ceremony. I, sometimes too passionately, always introduce this concept to couples as an option. Sometimes for practical reasons it just makes better sense to do it this way, but I am convinced from experience that it just makes sense period. I have to be careful here because I am not dogmatic about it, and I don't want potential clients to believe I am dogmatic about this. Some photographers will only photograph a wedding if the couple agrees to do all their photos prior to the ceremony. I certainly have not gotten to that point yet, but I can understand why these photographers prefer the photo session this way.
To me there is no downside to doing all the photos before the ceremony, unless you have a huge amount of down time between the ceremony and the reception, or if the ceremony is real early in the morning. At least a third of the weddings I have done have been done this way, and in every case the couple was enthusiastically glad they did it that way. The first look becomes much more special to them, they get to spend some time talking with each other, all the stress and anxiety is immediately gone . . they can enjoy a relaxed photo session with few distractions, and when the ceremony is over there is not this fast pace, dizzying photo time away from their guests. I will get myself in trouble here, so please be clear that this is just my opinion: most times people don't want to see each other because it is not "traditional" and/or it is considered bad luck. I'm just not sure I can understand basing your wedding on a superstition; and what tradition? When I think tradition I think a church wedding, yet very few weddings I do take place in a church.
I tend to be a romantic, and to me, if done right, a first look can be much more romantic. I've seen more grooms in tears during a first look than I ever have when they see other the first time walking down the aisle. Everyone is different though, and I know that I cannot impose my own thoughts regarding this on anyone else. In the end the photos always seem to work out. The entire day however just seems to go significantly better for everyone when a couple goes ahead and sees each other prior to the ceremony. That at least is my experience.
4. Be on time. Kind of hard for a bride to control her time prior to the ceremony when she is dependent on hair stylists and make up artists and bridesmaids and wardrobe malfunctions. All I can say here is that it seems rare for a bride to be ready on time. I think what might be helpful is to have someone there who is keeping you on track with your timelines. Most wedding coordinators are dealing with the actual ceremony and reception and not with getting the bride ready on time for photos. I would recommend for any bride to have a go person who can do that for you. It needs to be someone who doesn't mind keeping an eye on the clock and is bossy enough to keep you on time. As a bride you have too many other distractions that you can easily lose track of your own time. Having someone there to help keep you on track might be a good thing.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Loudoun County Wedding Venues, Part 3
I previously posted some reviews of wedding venues in and around Loudoun County (click here and here). As with those reviews, my primary focus has to do with photography. Every venue but one I have been to has done an excellent job serving their clients (for the one exception, click here), and they have treated me well. In other words, when it comes to service and attitude and comfort, my perception is that all of these places are great. We are fortunate in this area to have so many outstanding places for weddings. Maybe the competition is what makes them that much better. Your decision on which venue to choose is probably more based on things like availability, price, size, and whether the venue fits your personality. My intent with these reviews is to give you a view from one photographer's perspective. I'm not judging the quality of the chicken served at dinner, but rather the quality of photo opportunities.
1757 Country Club - This is a relatively new venue for weddings. Photographically there are some nice spots out by the pond and along the course visible to the clubhouse. I have not had a chance to scope out the rest of the course to see if there are even better prospects for photos . . my guess is that there are a few more. Around the clubhouse/reception hall there isn't much to work with. The driving range is right up by the building in the back, the front is mostly parking, and the building, while nice inside, is not that picturesque on the outside. My guess is that most people use 1757 for the reception only and not for the ceremony. That is probably a good thing. I would hope that the ceremony would take place either in a better venue for photos, or that you could build in some time to stop somewhere else close by for photos (Claude Moore Park, Sully Park, Dulles Office Park are all possibilities). The room and facilities inside are very nice. Click here for sample photos from Leesburg and 1757 Country Club.
River Creek Country Club - I've done several receptions at River Creek and wish I had more there. Inside there is plenty of space and it is a good room for photos. Outside you have the golf course, and more importantly, the riverfront park. The park works well for the bride and groom. Not sure I would recommend taking a large wedding party down there, but that kind of depends on the lighting and the time of day. I would prefer to do larger groups up by the clubhouse. I have a full wedding at River Creek in June 2012 and can review what that was like. To me the ideal situation is to have the ceremony somewhere in Leesburg so you can do photos in downtown Leesburg, then complement that with photos down by the river at River Creek. Here too, there is not a whole lot to work with in front of the clubhouse. The back is more versatile, although still not perfect for photos. That is why having another location to use prior to the reception I think would be ideal. Click here for some sample photos taken in Leesburg and at River Creek.
Stone Manor - This Middletown Maryland venue is probably the best set up property I have seen for weddings. The reception takes place under a tent, which might not appeal to everyone; but the tent is set up and landscaped to look almost like just another building (okay, you still know it is a tent, but it is nice). The focal point of the property is the large stone manor house. Very nice inside and out. Plus there are old barns, a small bridge, gravel roadways, and lots of greenery. I was impressed with this place. A bit spread out for my taste, but all in all, lots to work with for photos. From a non-photo perspective, this place is pretty remote, with Frederick being the closest big town. Not the most convenient place for Loudoun folks, but not all that bad either. Definitely worth a look. Click here for sample photos from Stone Manor.
1757 Country Club - This is a relatively new venue for weddings. Photographically there are some nice spots out by the pond and along the course visible to the clubhouse. I have not had a chance to scope out the rest of the course to see if there are even better prospects for photos . . my guess is that there are a few more. Around the clubhouse/reception hall there isn't much to work with. The driving range is right up by the building in the back, the front is mostly parking, and the building, while nice inside, is not that picturesque on the outside. My guess is that most people use 1757 for the reception only and not for the ceremony. That is probably a good thing. I would hope that the ceremony would take place either in a better venue for photos, or that you could build in some time to stop somewhere else close by for photos (Claude Moore Park, Sully Park, Dulles Office Park are all possibilities). The room and facilities inside are very nice. Click here for sample photos from Leesburg and 1757 Country Club.
River Creek Country Club - I've done several receptions at River Creek and wish I had more there. Inside there is plenty of space and it is a good room for photos. Outside you have the golf course, and more importantly, the riverfront park. The park works well for the bride and groom. Not sure I would recommend taking a large wedding party down there, but that kind of depends on the lighting and the time of day. I would prefer to do larger groups up by the clubhouse. I have a full wedding at River Creek in June 2012 and can review what that was like. To me the ideal situation is to have the ceremony somewhere in Leesburg so you can do photos in downtown Leesburg, then complement that with photos down by the river at River Creek. Here too, there is not a whole lot to work with in front of the clubhouse. The back is more versatile, although still not perfect for photos. That is why having another location to use prior to the reception I think would be ideal. Click here for some sample photos taken in Leesburg and at River Creek.
Stone Manor - This Middletown Maryland venue is probably the best set up property I have seen for weddings. The reception takes place under a tent, which might not appeal to everyone; but the tent is set up and landscaped to look almost like just another building (okay, you still know it is a tent, but it is nice). The focal point of the property is the large stone manor house. Very nice inside and out. Plus there are old barns, a small bridge, gravel roadways, and lots of greenery. I was impressed with this place. A bit spread out for my taste, but all in all, lots to work with for photos. From a non-photo perspective, this place is pretty remote, with Frederick being the closest big town. Not the most convenient place for Loudoun folks, but not all that bad either. Definitely worth a look. Click here for sample photos from Stone Manor.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Loudoun County Wedding Venues, Part 2
Awhile back I posted some thoughts about a few wedding venues around Loudoun County. If you have not read that post yet, you might pay it a visit after reading this one. Anyhow, I figured it was time for me to update that list. The first three listed here I like very much, not only for what they have to offer, but because they are all within a mile or so from my home. Let me say right up front that my reviews here are primarily from a photographic point of view. I might stray here or there beyond this photographic perspective, but my intent is not to talk about the overall wedding experience. I will say that in all cases the owners and staff of these venues treated me very well and seemed to have a good relationship with their clients. So here it goes.
* Murray Hill (Leesburg) Murray Hill is a private residence with a fantastic hillside view of the Potomac River. There is so much to like about this place. First of all, and this has become one of my chief judging points for any location I shoot: there are all kinds of spots on the property that can give you a wide variety of images and looks. Some venues have only one or two good spots for photos. It can be a challenge to make picture number 50 look different from picture number 25. Murray Hill has a lot of variety if you know how to scout out the good spots. You want rustic? No problem. You want gardens? No problem. You want a classy estate? Yeah, no problem. I get the impression that since it is a private residence, they purposely do not book a lot of events at Murray Hill. I really like this place though. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Murray Hill.
* Rust Manor House (Leesburg) The main house at the Rust Manor House is very nice, especially inside. And generally speaking the grounds are pretty nice too. Not much in the way of flowers and color, but the gardens have a nice feel to them. I have only shot one wedding at Rust, and it was really, really hot that day, so I suspect that with nicer temperatures Rust would be very nice. I actually liked the place though better than I thought I would. Personally I would like to see them dress up the grounds a bit more and improve on the walkway out from the house to the ceremony site. The walkway is really uneven . . ripe for someone to trip and fall . . not something you want as you are processing down the aisle. Photographically, as people are walking down the aisle, they are looking down, concerned about not tripping. Makes it hard to get good shots (unless they do trip and fall!). But beyond that, the location is nice and the tent worked out well despite the heat that one day. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at the Rust Manor House.
* Morven Park (Leesburg) Morven Park is a beautiful property. Everything is very well kept. No problems here with trash or cars or building debris in the background of photos. The mansion has a "wow" factor to it, and the outbuildings have character to them that make them different than the mansion. And the gardens are very nice as well. For photos sake I wish they had more flowers, but I guess that is not the style of these kind of gardens. Although I have done other kinds of photo shoots at Morven Park, I have only done one wedding there (they just started hosting weddings there). That day was very bright out, which always makes it difficult to photograph in some areas at certain times of the day. In these kind of situations it is always nice to build in some extra time for photos when the lighting might be more forgiving. Morven Park is a large property with several great spots for photos. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Morven Park.
* Sunset Hills Vineyard (Purcellville) Sunset Hills is a very popular winery. It is packed on weekends. But Sunset Hills suffers from what many other Loudoun wineries suffer from: they are usually young and still a work in progress, so the grounds can be kind of rough. By rough I mean that they are still building out the property, and it is a working farm, so there is often debris around. The inside of the barn is nice (for a small wedding), but photographically there is nothing on the outside of the barn to work with, other than from a distance as a backdrop. There are cars and other eyesores right around the barn. Plus it is a too small a venue to overlap their winery visitors with the arrival and set up of their weddings. I believe Sunset Hills would be well served to build a completely separate building for weddings, away from the barn. The day I shot a wedding there, it was also very bright and very, very hot out. The options for group shots were almost nil. I can't imagine what it would be like if it rained. Having said all of this, the guests at the wedding seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. Again, my review here is primarily from the photographic perspective. On that particular very bright and sunny day, this was one of the most difficult locations I have ever shot. Perhaps on a more favorable day my experience would have been different. Sunset Hills definitely has a lot of potential. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Sunset Hills Vineyard.
Update (5-24-16): Since my original post Sunset Hills has added two open air pavilions that serve as tasting rooms when the barn is in use for weddings. I just photographed a wedding there and it rained pretty much all day (after 3 weeks of rain), so the ground was pretty mucky and outside options were limited. I think generally speaking everything went okay despite the rain (fortunately we had some moments when the rain slowed to a drizzle, enough to get out for some photos). Sunset Hills has matured over the past few years, so a lot of the debris and riff raft I experienced a few years ago were largely addressed. I have done two weddings at Sunset Hills, one when it was 100 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky, and the other on a very rainy day. One day I would like to experience an ideal weather day there because there are some nice photo opportunities at Sunset Hills. One personal comment I will make is that I have never liked photography in a barn, especially at night. It is very difficult to do well. It is dark, the wood sides and ceilings deaden the light and can create color issues, and it is just hard to re-create the mood and feel. Something to consider when planning a barn wedding.
* Hillsborough Vineyard (Hillsboro) Since I am on the vineyard mindset, let me do a quick review of Hillsborough Vineyard. Hillsborough has some very nice spots for photos around the main building. They have done some pleasant landscaping, and the vineyards are right there by the terrace. Like many of these places, there are not many trees, so the best lighting for photos is much later in the day. But there are several spots that provide a good photographic backdrop for both individual and group photos. The terrace where they have the outdoor ceremony is also very nice, with a good backdrop. Apart from photography, having a wedding at Hillsborough is kind of like having a wedding at a someone's home. The outdoor, dancing area is in a different spot from the dinner area. It can work though, and if the weather is good, moving everyone outdoors is kind of nice. I would recommend not overpacking the dinner area. It was hard for me to move around to photograph people during the dinner, toasts, cake cutting. If you do a wedding at Hillsborough, I think you would be smart to not try and cram as many people in there as you can. This would become even more important if you had to move the ceremony inside there due to weather. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Hillsborough Vineyard.
* Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast (Aldie/Middleburg) I like Briar Patch. They did a great job with the inside of their new main building. The outside could still use a bit of work (photographically), but you do have the original house to work with for those kind of shots. There are two primary spots for the ceremony. Both work well for photos. And the way the house is situated with surrounding trees, you have some good shade to resort to for group photos. It is also nice to be able to separate yourselves at the house while your guests are over at the reception hall. I would love to see Briar Patch somehow "restore" the barn area behind the guest house, because that could be another spot for more rustic images. All in all though, Briar Patch is a good venue for photos. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding reception (ceremony was in a church) I shot at Briar Patch.
* Murray Hill (Leesburg) Murray Hill is a private residence with a fantastic hillside view of the Potomac River. There is so much to like about this place. First of all, and this has become one of my chief judging points for any location I shoot: there are all kinds of spots on the property that can give you a wide variety of images and looks. Some venues have only one or two good spots for photos. It can be a challenge to make picture number 50 look different from picture number 25. Murray Hill has a lot of variety if you know how to scout out the good spots. You want rustic? No problem. You want gardens? No problem. You want a classy estate? Yeah, no problem. I get the impression that since it is a private residence, they purposely do not book a lot of events at Murray Hill. I really like this place though. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Murray Hill.
* Rust Manor House (Leesburg) The main house at the Rust Manor House is very nice, especially inside. And generally speaking the grounds are pretty nice too. Not much in the way of flowers and color, but the gardens have a nice feel to them. I have only shot one wedding at Rust, and it was really, really hot that day, so I suspect that with nicer temperatures Rust would be very nice. I actually liked the place though better than I thought I would. Personally I would like to see them dress up the grounds a bit more and improve on the walkway out from the house to the ceremony site. The walkway is really uneven . . ripe for someone to trip and fall . . not something you want as you are processing down the aisle. Photographically, as people are walking down the aisle, they are looking down, concerned about not tripping. Makes it hard to get good shots (unless they do trip and fall!). But beyond that, the location is nice and the tent worked out well despite the heat that one day. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at the Rust Manor House.
* Morven Park (Leesburg) Morven Park is a beautiful property. Everything is very well kept. No problems here with trash or cars or building debris in the background of photos. The mansion has a "wow" factor to it, and the outbuildings have character to them that make them different than the mansion. And the gardens are very nice as well. For photos sake I wish they had more flowers, but I guess that is not the style of these kind of gardens. Although I have done other kinds of photo shoots at Morven Park, I have only done one wedding there (they just started hosting weddings there). That day was very bright out, which always makes it difficult to photograph in some areas at certain times of the day. In these kind of situations it is always nice to build in some extra time for photos when the lighting might be more forgiving. Morven Park is a large property with several great spots for photos. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Morven Park.
* Sunset Hills Vineyard (Purcellville) Sunset Hills is a very popular winery. It is packed on weekends. But Sunset Hills suffers from what many other Loudoun wineries suffer from: they are usually young and still a work in progress, so the grounds can be kind of rough. By rough I mean that they are still building out the property, and it is a working farm, so there is often debris around. The inside of the barn is nice (for a small wedding), but photographically there is nothing on the outside of the barn to work with, other than from a distance as a backdrop. There are cars and other eyesores right around the barn. Plus it is a too small a venue to overlap their winery visitors with the arrival and set up of their weddings. I believe Sunset Hills would be well served to build a completely separate building for weddings, away from the barn. The day I shot a wedding there, it was also very bright and very, very hot out. The options for group shots were almost nil. I can't imagine what it would be like if it rained. Having said all of this, the guests at the wedding seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. Again, my review here is primarily from the photographic perspective. On that particular very bright and sunny day, this was one of the most difficult locations I have ever shot. Perhaps on a more favorable day my experience would have been different. Sunset Hills definitely has a lot of potential. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Sunset Hills Vineyard.
Update (5-24-16): Since my original post Sunset Hills has added two open air pavilions that serve as tasting rooms when the barn is in use for weddings. I just photographed a wedding there and it rained pretty much all day (after 3 weeks of rain), so the ground was pretty mucky and outside options were limited. I think generally speaking everything went okay despite the rain (fortunately we had some moments when the rain slowed to a drizzle, enough to get out for some photos). Sunset Hills has matured over the past few years, so a lot of the debris and riff raft I experienced a few years ago were largely addressed. I have done two weddings at Sunset Hills, one when it was 100 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky, and the other on a very rainy day. One day I would like to experience an ideal weather day there because there are some nice photo opportunities at Sunset Hills. One personal comment I will make is that I have never liked photography in a barn, especially at night. It is very difficult to do well. It is dark, the wood sides and ceilings deaden the light and can create color issues, and it is just hard to re-create the mood and feel. Something to consider when planning a barn wedding.
* Hillsborough Vineyard (Hillsboro) Since I am on the vineyard mindset, let me do a quick review of Hillsborough Vineyard. Hillsborough has some very nice spots for photos around the main building. They have done some pleasant landscaping, and the vineyards are right there by the terrace. Like many of these places, there are not many trees, so the best lighting for photos is much later in the day. But there are several spots that provide a good photographic backdrop for both individual and group photos. The terrace where they have the outdoor ceremony is also very nice, with a good backdrop. Apart from photography, having a wedding at Hillsborough is kind of like having a wedding at a someone's home. The outdoor, dancing area is in a different spot from the dinner area. It can work though, and if the weather is good, moving everyone outdoors is kind of nice. I would recommend not overpacking the dinner area. It was hard for me to move around to photograph people during the dinner, toasts, cake cutting. If you do a wedding at Hillsborough, I think you would be smart to not try and cram as many people in there as you can. This would become even more important if you had to move the ceremony inside there due to weather. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding I shot at Hillsborough Vineyard.
* Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast (Aldie/Middleburg) I like Briar Patch. They did a great job with the inside of their new main building. The outside could still use a bit of work (photographically), but you do have the original house to work with for those kind of shots. There are two primary spots for the ceremony. Both work well for photos. And the way the house is situated with surrounding trees, you have some good shade to resort to for group photos. It is also nice to be able to separate yourselves at the house while your guests are over at the reception hall. I would love to see Briar Patch somehow "restore" the barn area behind the guest house, because that could be another spot for more rustic images. All in all though, Briar Patch is a good venue for photos. Here is a link to some sample images from a wedding reception (ceremony was in a church) I shot at Briar Patch.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Low Cost Wedding Photography
I stumbled upon this article by photographer Sharon Dawson concerning inexperienced wedding photographers and thought the closing remarks were full of wisdom. Thought I would pass it along.
"While finding affordable wedding photography that fits your budget is important, taking the guy with the cheapest package you can find is taking a huge risk. Many top-notch wedding photographers have made enormous adjustments in their prices to compete with the Canon Rebel Gang. Don't be fooled by flashy websites, prices that you should find suspect, and promises of glorious, award winning photography for a thousand bucks. Take the time to really talk to your prospective photographer and learn about their experience. Flashy websites can be bought; experience is earned."
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Looking For a Photographer, Part 2
Adding to a post I made a couple days ago, I wanted to highlight a few things that may have not been clear before. In my opinion the first thing a couple needs to determine in selecting a photographer is what style of photography they are after for their wedding; or to put it another way, which photographer seems to capture a wedding in the style they like most? Seems to me that is the bottom line: do you like their images? Even better, do you love their images? Too often I get questions from prospective clients who want to know whether I use an assistant, or what kind of camera I use, or whatever. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with asking these kind of questions, but sometimes I think that these questions hold more weight to them than the quality of the photographer's work. If they really like the images, why should it matter to them how the images were captured? If they are just curious, and want clarity for the sake of clarity . . fine. But I would encourage you to not get caught up in the weeds. Don't get bogged down with the kind of details that ultimately may not matter. Do you like/love the photographer's images? Okay then. That part is settled. We don't really care about the details . . we just want images like these.
Okay, so now what? Well, at this point there are two other hurdles you need to address before you can/should make your decision. Hurdle #1: Price. Hurdle #2: Do we like this person? Hurdle #1 is pretty obvious. You might love their images, but the photographer you want is way over your budget, with no room to bargain. At that point you might be in the "I love how a Mercedes feels, but I just cannot afford it" position. Instead you have to find a photographer who has the same kind of style, maybe the same kind of talent, but just doesn't cost as much. I like the feel of my Honda. It's not a Mercedes or a Lexus, but it suits my style and my budget much better, and I do like it. The variance in pricing though between photographers may not be that dramatic. I know my prices for wedding photography cannot be that much higher than lower price photographers. So I often wonder why a prospective client would select a photographer who is maybe $500 less than me, especially if that photographer might not have the same quality I provide? Don't misunderstand me here. I am not saying that anyone charging less than me is not as good as me; just like I would not say that anyone charging more than me is better than I am. But in this market, I know there are some pretty mediocre photographers out there charging less just to get the work. If you are stuck in the details, you might see that they are bringing an assistant, giving you all day coverage, and giving you a book, and think to yourself: look how much more we get for the money compared to that other photographer. But more of what? Pictures that you are not happy with? More aggravation? Yes, price is important within the context of your budget. I would just caution you to not to opt for a long list of what's included or a slightly lower price, but then paying for it by giving up on quality or peace of mind.
Hurdle #2 is pretty simple: do you like the photographer? Do they make you feel comfortable? This may not seem like a big deal, but you don't want your photographer to be a source of frustration, either on your wedding day or as you take care of any follow up after the wedding. You want the photos and the photo taking to be fun. You want them to be more than just a chore that you have to get through. Liking your photographer helps make this happen. I know this is an intangible, something that is hard to define. But a good interview and just getting to know the photographer can help you figure this one out. Does the photographer have a grasp on what they are doing? Are they interested in me and what I want? Are they helping me figure things out, or are they just confusing me? You're not out to pick a best friend. This is, after all, essentially a business transaction. But you want to be confident with this person, knowing they will be professional and deliver what you want. Do that, and everything else will hopefully go smooth for you.
Okay, so now what? Well, at this point there are two other hurdles you need to address before you can/should make your decision. Hurdle #1: Price. Hurdle #2: Do we like this person? Hurdle #1 is pretty obvious. You might love their images, but the photographer you want is way over your budget, with no room to bargain. At that point you might be in the "I love how a Mercedes feels, but I just cannot afford it" position. Instead you have to find a photographer who has the same kind of style, maybe the same kind of talent, but just doesn't cost as much. I like the feel of my Honda. It's not a Mercedes or a Lexus, but it suits my style and my budget much better, and I do like it. The variance in pricing though between photographers may not be that dramatic. I know my prices for wedding photography cannot be that much higher than lower price photographers. So I often wonder why a prospective client would select a photographer who is maybe $500 less than me, especially if that photographer might not have the same quality I provide? Don't misunderstand me here. I am not saying that anyone charging less than me is not as good as me; just like I would not say that anyone charging more than me is better than I am. But in this market, I know there are some pretty mediocre photographers out there charging less just to get the work. If you are stuck in the details, you might see that they are bringing an assistant, giving you all day coverage, and giving you a book, and think to yourself: look how much more we get for the money compared to that other photographer. But more of what? Pictures that you are not happy with? More aggravation? Yes, price is important within the context of your budget. I would just caution you to not to opt for a long list of what's included or a slightly lower price, but then paying for it by giving up on quality or peace of mind.
Hurdle #2 is pretty simple: do you like the photographer? Do they make you feel comfortable? This may not seem like a big deal, but you don't want your photographer to be a source of frustration, either on your wedding day or as you take care of any follow up after the wedding. You want the photos and the photo taking to be fun. You want them to be more than just a chore that you have to get through. Liking your photographer helps make this happen. I know this is an intangible, something that is hard to define. But a good interview and just getting to know the photographer can help you figure this one out. Does the photographer have a grasp on what they are doing? Are they interested in me and what I want? Are they helping me figure things out, or are they just confusing me? You're not out to pick a best friend. This is, after all, essentially a business transaction. But you want to be confident with this person, knowing they will be professional and deliver what you want. Do that, and everything else will hopefully go smooth for you.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Questions To Ask When Looking For A Wedding Photographer
When it comes to advice on selecting a photographer for your wedding, it seems like most magazine and online articles present couples with a series of questions they should ask a photographer. No doubt this is important. There have been times however when I have received a list of questions from a prospective client and I could tell these questions came from one of these articles. That I guess is fine, but I often am left wondering if the couple actually have figured out for themselves what is important to them, apart from the questions. When they ask what kind of camera I use, is that information really going to play into their final decision? So my desire here is to offer some of my own recommendations for couples looking for a photographer for their wedding.
Researching a wedding photographer, I believe, is a circular exercise. The couple should first ask themselves what exactly are they looking for in/from a photographer. Once they can establish what is important to them they can then compose their list of questions for photographers. That list of questions should be short and to the point. Keep it simple. Once you go through the above process, it all comes back to you to access which photographer best fits your needs.
So how do you decide what is important to you? Well, here are a few questions to help get you going:
1. What style of photography are you after? Do you want exclusively all the typical wedding shots; or do you want a more artistic, free flow style? Or do you want a bit of both? While there are only so many ways to photograph a wedding, there is no question that the kind of photos you end up with rely almost entirely on a photographer's eye and style. You cannot hire someone who shoots in a traditional manner and expect them to shoot your wedding in a photojournalistic style. If you know you don't like the typical wedding shots, don't hire a wedding photographer with that style.
2. How important is the photographer's experience to you? We all have a friend from college who took nice photos while we were in college. How comfortable are you with having them do all of your wedding photos? This question probably gets to the heart of the matter in terms of how important photos of your wedding really are to you. Your college friend might do an okay job, but it might come at a cost: missed shots, many shots could have been a lot better, confusion. Will you in the end wish you would have spent the money to hire someone with experience? Of course experience in and of itself is not enough. We have all had teachers who taught for 20-30 years, and they were awful. They were either always that way, or as they got older they got stale and boring. Likewise I know teachers who have been teaching for 20-30 years and their students still love them. They know how to keep things fresh and up to date, and they still have a passion for their students and for what they do. That is what has set them apart. I also know teachers who have been teaching for 1-2 years, some are very good, some need to find another vocation. So experience is not the only factor. The quality of the work is much more important.
3. What do we want to walk away with from our wedding in terms of the photography? Do we want/need an album from the photographer, or can we do that ourselves? Do we get full ownership of all the images and digital files? Can we print ourselves? Do we want the photographer to handle all of the printing? All of these questions get down to your own desire for control. Some people are well suited to handle all of their printing themselves, and they like the idea of having full control and ownership of all the images from their wedding. Other people either don't have the knowledge or the time to deal with any of that. They would rather have someone else handle the printing and ordering. Which are you?
4. How much can we afford? For many people this is the question they start with right from the beginning. It's an important question, and I would be the last person to tell a couple to blow their budget on any part of the wedding. But of course I am partial to the photography end, believing what most everyone tells me: "the photos are the one thing that will last". I keep hearing from my photography friends of couples who tried to talk them down in their pricing in order to fit their budget, but then the couple spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on items that most people would call frivolous. This question also really gets to the core of your priorities. On a limited budget there is always a give and take. Some things will be sacrificed in order for you to get what is truly important to you. So what are you willing to give up, and what is truly important to you?
When it comes to your final decision, I believe maybe 80% of your decision should come down to these two questions: 1) Are we comfortable and confident with this photographer . . with their style, their personality, with their ability to deliver what we want? 2) Does the quality of their work stand up? Do I like what I see? Price and costs are important, but secondary. It's hard to put a price for the comfort and confidence factors, but trust me, for most people these qualities prove to be invaluable. And in the end, if you don't have great images, what's the point?
As always, please let me know if you have any feedback or questions about all of this.
Researching a wedding photographer, I believe, is a circular exercise. The couple should first ask themselves what exactly are they looking for in/from a photographer. Once they can establish what is important to them they can then compose their list of questions for photographers. That list of questions should be short and to the point. Keep it simple. Once you go through the above process, it all comes back to you to access which photographer best fits your needs.
So how do you decide what is important to you? Well, here are a few questions to help get you going:
1. What style of photography are you after? Do you want exclusively all the typical wedding shots; or do you want a more artistic, free flow style? Or do you want a bit of both? While there are only so many ways to photograph a wedding, there is no question that the kind of photos you end up with rely almost entirely on a photographer's eye and style. You cannot hire someone who shoots in a traditional manner and expect them to shoot your wedding in a photojournalistic style. If you know you don't like the typical wedding shots, don't hire a wedding photographer with that style.
2. How important is the photographer's experience to you? We all have a friend from college who took nice photos while we were in college. How comfortable are you with having them do all of your wedding photos? This question probably gets to the heart of the matter in terms of how important photos of your wedding really are to you. Your college friend might do an okay job, but it might come at a cost: missed shots, many shots could have been a lot better, confusion. Will you in the end wish you would have spent the money to hire someone with experience? Of course experience in and of itself is not enough. We have all had teachers who taught for 20-30 years, and they were awful. They were either always that way, or as they got older they got stale and boring. Likewise I know teachers who have been teaching for 20-30 years and their students still love them. They know how to keep things fresh and up to date, and they still have a passion for their students and for what they do. That is what has set them apart. I also know teachers who have been teaching for 1-2 years, some are very good, some need to find another vocation. So experience is not the only factor. The quality of the work is much more important.
3. What do we want to walk away with from our wedding in terms of the photography? Do we want/need an album from the photographer, or can we do that ourselves? Do we get full ownership of all the images and digital files? Can we print ourselves? Do we want the photographer to handle all of the printing? All of these questions get down to your own desire for control. Some people are well suited to handle all of their printing themselves, and they like the idea of having full control and ownership of all the images from their wedding. Other people either don't have the knowledge or the time to deal with any of that. They would rather have someone else handle the printing and ordering. Which are you?
4. How much can we afford? For many people this is the question they start with right from the beginning. It's an important question, and I would be the last person to tell a couple to blow their budget on any part of the wedding. But of course I am partial to the photography end, believing what most everyone tells me: "the photos are the one thing that will last". I keep hearing from my photography friends of couples who tried to talk them down in their pricing in order to fit their budget, but then the couple spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on items that most people would call frivolous. This question also really gets to the core of your priorities. On a limited budget there is always a give and take. Some things will be sacrificed in order for you to get what is truly important to you. So what are you willing to give up, and what is truly important to you?
When it comes to your final decision, I believe maybe 80% of your decision should come down to these two questions: 1) Are we comfortable and confident with this photographer . . with their style, their personality, with their ability to deliver what we want? 2) Does the quality of their work stand up? Do I like what I see? Price and costs are important, but secondary. It's hard to put a price for the comfort and confidence factors, but trust me, for most people these qualities prove to be invaluable. And in the end, if you don't have great images, what's the point?
As always, please let me know if you have any feedback or questions about all of this.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Loudoun County Wedding Venues
People often ask for my recommendations and opinions about various wedding venues in northern Virginia, more specifically in Loudoun County. At the risk of sounding like a wedding planner (which I am not), I usually try to limit my thoughts to those of a photographer. Most venues do a pretty good job with their catering and taking care of their guests. It really comes down to the style and size of the venue, and whether it fits your tastes and needs. But for me, I'm looking at it for the sake of the photos. Is it a good, fun location for capturing images, or is it ridiculously difficult? Is there a variety of places to take photos, or is it really limiting? My list below provides some of my own impressions of some of the venues I have been to over the years. Some I have shot numerous times; others only once. I should say here that my first impulse is to shoot outdoors in natural light, so most of my impressions have to do with the exterior possibilities. Except for the first one listed, there is no reason for the order they are listed.
* The Birkby House (Leesburg) This is my favorite location for shooting weddings. For such a small footprint in downtown Leesburg, the Birkby House has lots of variety: old brick, weathered wood, the Carriage House, and gardens to work with for images. Plus you have even more variety within a block or two of the venue. The grounds and house are kept in great shape. Guests can spread out, but they cannot wander off too far, so it is easy to pull together people for photos. It can be a little hairy shooting in front of the house due to cars flying by (in a 25 mph zone), but the backdrop of the house makes for nice photos. I really like Birkby; plus it is roughly a half mile from my home. Like anywhere, I would not want to shoot there every week; but I always look forward to weddings there.
* Whitehall (Bluemont) The first wedding I shot at Whitehall was 22 years ago. Since then they have added a very nice banquet hall to the original house, which really made Whitehall a much more desirable venue for a wedding. The grounds and the older house make a nice backdrop for a mansion look. Just about everything is white though, which limits some of the looks you can achieve, especially for a bride wearing white. But there are gravel/dirt drives and the tree hanging swing, and sometimes the old barn in the back (if cars are not in the way).
* Bluemont Vineyard (Bluemont) I shot the very first wedding at Bluemont Vineyard, back when it was officially under the name of Great Country Farm. The old stable area (the wedding site) can make for some nice images. The vineyard up above the stables adds more variety with some nice vista looks of the valley with vineyards in the foreground. From a photography perspective it can be a bit difficult shooting at Bluemont if it is really sunny out. There are no trees and very little shade. I feel like I've gotten some nice images there though. You just have to be patient and work with the lighting.
* Meadowkirk (Leesburg/Middleburg) This Presbyterian retreat center between Leesburg and Middleburg has lots of possibilities for weddings. I only have shot there once, and maybe it was because I had a beautiful bride who loved the camera, but I walked away from this venue really liking it. There are two main new buildings: a residential hall and a lodge/meeting area/dining hall. If you have a small wedding for mostly people out of the area, this could be a nice spot to consider. For photos there is the older original house and several outbuildings. Plus you have a number of old gravel drives. The grounds are not particularly manicured with gardens and flowers, but it is a pretty spot.
* Raspberry Plain (Leesburg) I would love to live at Raspberry Plain. It is a great location and a nice venue. I've done several weddings over the years here. The addition of the atrium hall really helped fill out this place. For photos there are several looks: the mansion look, some gardens, lots of greenery, and the atrium. Raspberry is big and spread out. Guests congregate all over the place, which can make finding people sometimes difficult. And their bathroom facilities are really limited. But it is an impressive venue with some good photo opportunities.
* Lightfoot (Leesburg) I guess Lightfoot is mostly just a reception site. I've never done a ceremony there, and I'm not sure they can handle an actual ceremony. The room is very nice. It can be tight, so I would recommend not to stretch its capacity to the limit. For photos you have downtown Leesburg, so if the ceremony is taking place in a ho-hum location, you have lots of photo possibilities surrounding Lightfoot.
* Algonkian Park (Sterling) Algonkian just recently added a much larger banquet hall to their meeting facility. For what it is, it is a really nice hall. From a photographic perspective, there isn't a whole lot to work with surrounding the facility. Lots of trees, but that is about it. The outside of the facility is not that picture worthy. The gazebo is okay, but again, not great. There are a few spots in the park down by the river that can work with paths and fields of wild flowers, but those are shots that depend greatly on the lighting. Algonkian works best if you can build in time to do additional photos either in downtown Leesburg or at nearby Claude Moore Park.
That's it for now. I'll try to update this list as other sites come to mind. This past year I shot a number of weddings outside the area, including at Pier 5 on the Baltimore Inner Harbor, at Westmoreland State Park along the Potomac, and at the Delfosse Vineyard south of Charlottesville. I enjoy the challenge of shooting at venues that are new to me; but I also enjoy revisiting the ones that I've been to oftentimes before. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.
* The Birkby House (Leesburg) This is my favorite location for shooting weddings. For such a small footprint in downtown Leesburg, the Birkby House has lots of variety: old brick, weathered wood, the Carriage House, and gardens to work with for images. Plus you have even more variety within a block or two of the venue. The grounds and house are kept in great shape. Guests can spread out, but they cannot wander off too far, so it is easy to pull together people for photos. It can be a little hairy shooting in front of the house due to cars flying by (in a 25 mph zone), but the backdrop of the house makes for nice photos. I really like Birkby; plus it is roughly a half mile from my home. Like anywhere, I would not want to shoot there every week; but I always look forward to weddings there.
* Whitehall (Bluemont) The first wedding I shot at Whitehall was 22 years ago. Since then they have added a very nice banquet hall to the original house, which really made Whitehall a much more desirable venue for a wedding. The grounds and the older house make a nice backdrop for a mansion look. Just about everything is white though, which limits some of the looks you can achieve, especially for a bride wearing white. But there are gravel/dirt drives and the tree hanging swing, and sometimes the old barn in the back (if cars are not in the way).
* Bluemont Vineyard (Bluemont) I shot the very first wedding at Bluemont Vineyard, back when it was officially under the name of Great Country Farm. The old stable area (the wedding site) can make for some nice images. The vineyard up above the stables adds more variety with some nice vista looks of the valley with vineyards in the foreground. From a photography perspective it can be a bit difficult shooting at Bluemont if it is really sunny out. There are no trees and very little shade. I feel like I've gotten some nice images there though. You just have to be patient and work with the lighting.
* Meadowkirk (Leesburg/Middleburg) This Presbyterian retreat center between Leesburg and Middleburg has lots of possibilities for weddings. I only have shot there once, and maybe it was because I had a beautiful bride who loved the camera, but I walked away from this venue really liking it. There are two main new buildings: a residential hall and a lodge/meeting area/dining hall. If you have a small wedding for mostly people out of the area, this could be a nice spot to consider. For photos there is the older original house and several outbuildings. Plus you have a number of old gravel drives. The grounds are not particularly manicured with gardens and flowers, but it is a pretty spot.
* Raspberry Plain (Leesburg) I would love to live at Raspberry Plain. It is a great location and a nice venue. I've done several weddings over the years here. The addition of the atrium hall really helped fill out this place. For photos there are several looks: the mansion look, some gardens, lots of greenery, and the atrium. Raspberry is big and spread out. Guests congregate all over the place, which can make finding people sometimes difficult. And their bathroom facilities are really limited. But it is an impressive venue with some good photo opportunities.
* Lightfoot (Leesburg) I guess Lightfoot is mostly just a reception site. I've never done a ceremony there, and I'm not sure they can handle an actual ceremony. The room is very nice. It can be tight, so I would recommend not to stretch its capacity to the limit. For photos you have downtown Leesburg, so if the ceremony is taking place in a ho-hum location, you have lots of photo possibilities surrounding Lightfoot.
* Algonkian Park (Sterling) Algonkian just recently added a much larger banquet hall to their meeting facility. For what it is, it is a really nice hall. From a photographic perspective, there isn't a whole lot to work with surrounding the facility. Lots of trees, but that is about it. The outside of the facility is not that picture worthy. The gazebo is okay, but again, not great. There are a few spots in the park down by the river that can work with paths and fields of wild flowers, but those are shots that depend greatly on the lighting. Algonkian works best if you can build in time to do additional photos either in downtown Leesburg or at nearby Claude Moore Park.
That's it for now. I'll try to update this list as other sites come to mind. This past year I shot a number of weddings outside the area, including at Pier 5 on the Baltimore Inner Harbor, at Westmoreland State Park along the Potomac, and at the Delfosse Vineyard south of Charlottesville. I enjoy the challenge of shooting at venues that are new to me; but I also enjoy revisiting the ones that I've been to oftentimes before. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
One Photographer Versus Two
Every once in awhile I have someone email me asking if I use an assistant. I usually figure this question originates with some online wedding site that suggests asking this question, along with about 50 other questions. I tell people that every wedding I have ever done over the past 20+ years I have done without an assistant. Many photographers use assistants . . I just never have. And for the style of photography I shoot I have not had a need for one. It strikes me as a bit odd that someone will tell me they really like my photos, but decide not to use me because I do not use an assistant, whereas the photographer they chose does use an assistant. Are they hiring me or are they hiring an assistant? How do they figure those photos they said they really liked happened?
The main reason I figure I don't need an assistant is because I work my weddings hard. This is important to understand: at the end of the day I have never had a couple say to me they were ready and willing to do more photos. On the contrary they are usually wiped out. People are just not used to having a lot of photos taken of them. Inevitably there comes a point when they are ready to be with their guests, they are tired of sitting or standing for photos, they are done. I, on the other hand, am usually all hyped up . . still looking for that one last killer shot. But I can see it in their eyes or in their posture . . no more photos. Okay, it might not be that bad, but I can just tell that before long I am going to lose them.
I guess people believe if they have two photographers, more will be covered. Maybe, maybe not. My feeling is that in many cases two photographers can be overkill. After awhile you feel like you cannot make a move without someone there recording it. Even your guests might feel like they are constantly getting bombarded with photos. I believe I offer full coverage of a wedding. Not much will happen without me being there. I'm not against assistants. Maybe one day I will start using them. But at least for now I know I capture pretty much everything on my own.
The main reason I figure I don't need an assistant is because I work my weddings hard. This is important to understand: at the end of the day I have never had a couple say to me they were ready and willing to do more photos. On the contrary they are usually wiped out. People are just not used to having a lot of photos taken of them. Inevitably there comes a point when they are ready to be with their guests, they are tired of sitting or standing for photos, they are done. I, on the other hand, am usually all hyped up . . still looking for that one last killer shot. But I can see it in their eyes or in their posture . . no more photos. Okay, it might not be that bad, but I can just tell that before long I am going to lose them.
I guess people believe if they have two photographers, more will be covered. Maybe, maybe not. My feeling is that in many cases two photographers can be overkill. After awhile you feel like you cannot make a move without someone there recording it. Even your guests might feel like they are constantly getting bombarded with photos. I believe I offer full coverage of a wedding. Not much will happen without me being there. I'm not against assistants. Maybe one day I will start using them. But at least for now I know I capture pretty much everything on my own.
Monday, March 23, 2009
How To Pick A Wedding Photographer
Over the past couple weeks, Leesburg Today has been publishing a series: "How To . .", such as how to pick a dentist, how to pick a CPA, how to buy a home. So I got to thinking, how do you go about picking a photographer for your wedding? Do you just open up the yellow pages and start calling? Or do you rely on recommendations from friends? Or maybe you find one by going to some bridal show. Well, of the three I just listed, the last two are probably better than the first one, and the second one is probably the best of the three; but going with your friend's recommendation may not always be the best solution for you. I'll explain in a moment, but first let me explain what I think you should look for in a photographer.
To me, the most important consideration is style. Does the photographer shoot pictures that you enjoy looking at? To answer that you kind of need to know what types of images you are looking to have from your wedding. Do you want posed, studio looking shots, or do you prefer more natural looking ones? Do you want photos that tell a story, or do you want snapshots? Do you want images that convey a lot of creativity, or do you want more traditional images? These are important questions because not all photographers shoot with the same eye or with the same style. Some are extremely creative, and some are extremely not. In the middle are a lot of photographers who mix traditional shots and experimental ones with varying degrees of success. Some photographers who lack creativity will try to mimic other photographer's styles, again with varying degrees of success. I have seen a number of images by photographers where I can tell they are trying to copy a pose they saw online, but they are not reading the location or the people well enough to pull it off. In the end they have an image that looks forced and unnatural. I guess you chalk it up to practice, but do you want them practicing on you at your wedding?
For a lot of people, especially today, price becomes the deciding factor. Just like some cars are out of many people's price range, the same can be true with photographers. I can afford a Honda. I could possibly handle a Lexus, but do I need a Lexus, especially if the Honda will suit me just fine. But there is a point where that reasoning stops working. At some point I am not willing to get by with something less. I don't want to sacrifice quality or comfort or safety in order to save a few more dollars. What good is it to buy a car for less if that car is something that gives me a backache, or if it keeps breaking down? The same can be said about wedding photography.
Style trumps price when it comes to wedding photography. If you are stuck in a budget that gives you few options, then you do the best you can with what you have, but try not to completely sacrifice the style you want. If price is not the deciding factor and you are comparing Photographer A with Photographer B, and A's package doesn't include everything that Photographer B offers, but you like A's images much better . . to me that is a no brainer . . go with Photographer A. Why would you want more of what you don't like when you could have gotten what you do like? If I eat out and this restaurant has below average french fries that do nothing for me, but they have great mashed potatoes, why would I want an extra serving of the fries in lieu of the mashed potatoes at the same price?
If you look at a list online of what to look for in a photographer, many lists include things like: does the photographer work with an assistant, do you get full resolution copies of the images, what kind of equipment does the photographer use, how long before you get to see the images, will the photographer work with a shot list you provide, and on and on. First of all let me just say that many of these lists are not put together by photographers or in many cases by anyone that really knows anything about the process. They were told by their editor to put together a list, and so they come up with as many things as they possibly can, with no context distinguishing which points are important or not. Most of their points are nonsense, and some I believe miss the point. For example every wedding I have ever photographed was shot without an assistant. Now I have absolutely nothing against assistants, and if I had a good one I would maybe wonder how I ever did it without one before; but the truth is I believe I can successfully shoot a wedding without an assistant. I have over 150 weddings I can point to as proof. So if/when someone comes along and makes that an issue in deciding whether to hire me, I have to wonder: are you hiring me or are you hiring an assistant? If you hire a skilled carpenter to install crown moulding around your home, are you hiring the carpenter or are you hiring his helper?
So how do you pick a photographer? Style, I believe is most important. Does the photographer have an eye for the kind of images that you love? Along that line, are you comfortable with the photographer? Will they be a source of frustration or will you look forward to having them at your wedding? Getting back to your friend's recommendation, this can be a good gauge for you. How was their experience? It is important here though to keep in mind that your friends might have a very different style than you do. Maybe they were looking for something different than what is important to you. Maybe they liked working with the photographer, but they (or you) did not like the images. or vice versa. Maybe the photographer was a jerk and they ended up hating the guy, but the images were awesome. Now there is a tough decision.
To me, the most important consideration is style. Does the photographer shoot pictures that you enjoy looking at? To answer that you kind of need to know what types of images you are looking to have from your wedding. Do you want posed, studio looking shots, or do you prefer more natural looking ones? Do you want photos that tell a story, or do you want snapshots? Do you want images that convey a lot of creativity, or do you want more traditional images? These are important questions because not all photographers shoot with the same eye or with the same style. Some are extremely creative, and some are extremely not. In the middle are a lot of photographers who mix traditional shots and experimental ones with varying degrees of success. Some photographers who lack creativity will try to mimic other photographer's styles, again with varying degrees of success. I have seen a number of images by photographers where I can tell they are trying to copy a pose they saw online, but they are not reading the location or the people well enough to pull it off. In the end they have an image that looks forced and unnatural. I guess you chalk it up to practice, but do you want them practicing on you at your wedding?
For a lot of people, especially today, price becomes the deciding factor. Just like some cars are out of many people's price range, the same can be true with photographers. I can afford a Honda. I could possibly handle a Lexus, but do I need a Lexus, especially if the Honda will suit me just fine. But there is a point where that reasoning stops working. At some point I am not willing to get by with something less. I don't want to sacrifice quality or comfort or safety in order to save a few more dollars. What good is it to buy a car for less if that car is something that gives me a backache, or if it keeps breaking down? The same can be said about wedding photography.
Style trumps price when it comes to wedding photography. If you are stuck in a budget that gives you few options, then you do the best you can with what you have, but try not to completely sacrifice the style you want. If price is not the deciding factor and you are comparing Photographer A with Photographer B, and A's package doesn't include everything that Photographer B offers, but you like A's images much better . . to me that is a no brainer . . go with Photographer A. Why would you want more of what you don't like when you could have gotten what you do like? If I eat out and this restaurant has below average french fries that do nothing for me, but they have great mashed potatoes, why would I want an extra serving of the fries in lieu of the mashed potatoes at the same price?
If you look at a list online of what to look for in a photographer, many lists include things like: does the photographer work with an assistant, do you get full resolution copies of the images, what kind of equipment does the photographer use, how long before you get to see the images, will the photographer work with a shot list you provide, and on and on. First of all let me just say that many of these lists are not put together by photographers or in many cases by anyone that really knows anything about the process. They were told by their editor to put together a list, and so they come up with as many things as they possibly can, with no context distinguishing which points are important or not. Most of their points are nonsense, and some I believe miss the point. For example every wedding I have ever photographed was shot without an assistant. Now I have absolutely nothing against assistants, and if I had a good one I would maybe wonder how I ever did it without one before; but the truth is I believe I can successfully shoot a wedding without an assistant. I have over 150 weddings I can point to as proof. So if/when someone comes along and makes that an issue in deciding whether to hire me, I have to wonder: are you hiring me or are you hiring an assistant? If you hire a skilled carpenter to install crown moulding around your home, are you hiring the carpenter or are you hiring his helper?
So how do you pick a photographer? Style, I believe is most important. Does the photographer have an eye for the kind of images that you love? Along that line, are you comfortable with the photographer? Will they be a source of frustration or will you look forward to having them at your wedding? Getting back to your friend's recommendation, this can be a good gauge for you. How was their experience? It is important here though to keep in mind that your friends might have a very different style than you do. Maybe they were looking for something different than what is important to you. Maybe they liked working with the photographer, but they (or you) did not like the images. or vice versa. Maybe the photographer was a jerk and they ended up hating the guy, but the images were awesome. Now there is a tough decision.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Value In A Professional Photographer
In our digital age it seems like everyone has a decent camera. It doesn't mean that they know how to use it or that they can take decent photos, but carry a big enough camera and people think you know what you are doing. Don't get me wrong, there are quite a few amateurs out there that really do know what they are doing. Just because they are not making a living out of their picture taking doesn't mean they are inferior to what a professional could do. But you have to admit that there are a lot of people out there with a nice camera that just don't know what they are doing with that camera, or they don't have the eye to capture above average images. I admit that I'm a bit biased. As someone who does make my living by my photography, and as someone who takes it seriously, I believe there is value in hiring a professional to cover an important event, especially someone that you are confident will get the kind of images you want.
Along that line, we also live in a time when people want and expect fast results. Digital images can be posted online moments after they are taken. We go to a wedding and the day after everyone is posting their images on Facebook. So why does it take the professional photographer so long to get their images online? Not too long ago, about a week after one of my weddings, I stumbled upon a blog written by the bride. I know there was absolutely nothing nasty meant in what she wrote, but she was writing about the wedding and said they were still waiting on the images from the photographer (me) . . one week after the wedding (I was on schedule to post the images just a couple days after her post). If you are curious as to why most wedding photographers take awhile to get through their images, I would highly recommend reading a blog posting by Anne Ruthmann. She does a nice job of walking people through the process. Generally speaking, I deliver my images within 2-3 weeks of the wedding. I deliver all the images I take, and I go through and color correct, crop, level, and check exposure on every image. Anne is right in saying that today the photographer is the lab. It is time consuming work, and it is tough at least for me to spend long periods of time doing the work. My creativity and my body can only take so much of it at any given time. Add other weddings and projects to the equation, recognize there is only so much time available, and you realize why images just cannot be posted the day after the wedding. Hopefully though it is all worth the wait.
Along that line, we also live in a time when people want and expect fast results. Digital images can be posted online moments after they are taken. We go to a wedding and the day after everyone is posting their images on Facebook. So why does it take the professional photographer so long to get their images online? Not too long ago, about a week after one of my weddings, I stumbled upon a blog written by the bride. I know there was absolutely nothing nasty meant in what she wrote, but she was writing about the wedding and said they were still waiting on the images from the photographer (me) . . one week after the wedding (I was on schedule to post the images just a couple days after her post). If you are curious as to why most wedding photographers take awhile to get through their images, I would highly recommend reading a blog posting by Anne Ruthmann. She does a nice job of walking people through the process. Generally speaking, I deliver my images within 2-3 weeks of the wedding. I deliver all the images I take, and I go through and color correct, crop, level, and check exposure on every image. Anne is right in saying that today the photographer is the lab. It is time consuming work, and it is tough at least for me to spend long periods of time doing the work. My creativity and my body can only take so much of it at any given time. Add other weddings and projects to the equation, recognize there is only so much time available, and you realize why images just cannot be posted the day after the wedding. Hopefully though it is all worth the wait.
Monday, May 5, 2008
I Bet Your Camera Takes Great Photos
I was talking with a friend the other day. He asked me what the going rate was for photographing weddings. When I told him he looked surprised. He then mentioned that he knows someone who charges about one fourth of what I charge. He paused, thinking about the difference, and then said "well you are probably using a bigger camera". I told him I've never seen my camera take a picture. This conversation reminded me of a similar story a writer once told years ago. A fan who enjoyed one of author's novels and his writing style was curious about what kind of typewriter the author used . . as if that was what made the author such a great writer. Certainly equipment is important, and I want to use the best equipment I possibly can when shooting. But when someone hires me for an event, they are most likely not concerned about what equipment I use. They are hiring me, along with my shooting style and my experience. Quite frankly that is what they are paying for. When it comes to photography for a wedding, there is no going rate. I would expect to pay more for a Picasso painting than I would for some unknown artist (note: I'm not comparing myself to Picasso). To ask what the going rate is for an 18 x 24 painting therefore is unanswerable because it could range from $40 to $4,000,000. The same is true with wedding photography, and there is more to it then simply comparing what is included in a package.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Wedding Photography: Asking The Right Questions
Let's say you were given 10 minutes to conduct an interview with Britney Spears. What would you ask her? This is the challenge journalists and other people who conduct interviews for a living are faced with every day. With a limited amount of time available, what subjects do you want to address, what questions will best support those subjects, and how do you best frame those questions so you get the best answers. Of course professionals are trained and experienced in making those kind of decisions. For a new bride to be, knowing what to ask or what to look for in a photographer for her wedding is most likely something new.
I recently received a long list of questions from someone who was (is) considering me for her wedding. There were 59 questions. My assumption is that this questionnaire came from some book or website, written by someone who most likely sat at a desk and tried to come up with every conceivable question you could possibly think of to ask a photographer. Many of the questions were fine and legitimate: What is your primary style? Will you be the photographer who actually takes our pictures? Can you provide current samples of your work? But just as many of the questions were annoying: How many lenses will be used and what type and size? What kind of software do you work with? Do you shoot in color, black and white or sepia tone or all three? (I only point this one out because I am not aware of any photographer that shoots in sepia tone; which goes to the mind set of the person who put this list of questions together).
Asking questions is important. Asking the right questions though is a sign of respect and thoughtfulness. As a photographer who takes my time and my profession seriously, I am not about to answer a 59 item questionnaire that ultimately doesn't get to the right questions: Do I like this photographer's eye and style? Am I comfortable with this person? Will they provide me with the end product that I want (this presumes you know what is important to you)?
My response to this person was that if she finds a photographer who answers all 59 questions, do not hire them because they have way too much time on their hands. Maybe this was all a test, just to see how photographers deal with this kind of questionnaire. And maybe I failed the test. I guess my thinking is that I would like to help educate prospective brides and grooms, and help them identify what is important to them when it comes to their wedding. If you have lots of questions, questions that were provided to you from a book or from some website, I would encourage you to take that list (let's say it's 59 questions) and narrow it down to 6. Which 6 would you most like to know the answer to. Then rewrite or ask those 6 questions using your own words. That way you and the photographer you are interviewing will both know that you know what you are talking about, and consequently what is important to you. The best way to do this though is in person. A lot of the other questions, perhaps even the annoying ones, will either be answered in passing, or you may realize that the answers to those questions are just not important.
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