How long have you been photographing weddings?
I’ve been photographing wedding for over three years in the Cayman Islands and in Wisconsin and Minnesota prior to moving to the Island.
Can you describe your style?
Many photographers who are always progressing are leaning to the “photo journalistic” side and this is what a lot of couples want because it’s what they see in magazines and all over the internet. I’d have to say that I love photo journalism but I understand that many clients still want very traditional photographs. I definitely do a good mix of the two styles. I’m always scanning the event looking for emotion and the little moments that are happening all the time. I’m very flexible. I prefer to meet with the couple at least once to get a feel for what they want to get from me. Many couples have a very different vision as to how they want to remember their big day and I try my best to create something unique for them.
What is your favorite part about any given wedding?
The cake. Kidding! My favorite part is the fact that I’m playing a huge role in the whole families wedding experience. In my opinion, the photographs are the most important part of the wedding. The photos are all you have once your day is gone. The flowers, cake, DJ and champagne are soon forgotten, but you’ll always have the photos to help you relive your joyous day. The photos I take will be hung on walls, be placed in family albums, carried in wallets and purses, tagged on facebook and shown to future generations. It gives me great pride that I’m chosen (and trusted) to capture this major event.
How do you keep things fresh and new?
To many photographers, this may be the biggest challenge. For me, it really helps to get an idea of what the couple likes and try not to shoot every wedding the same. I love to know what makes them laugh out loud or blush. It’s very important to find a connection with the couple. My best work has come from having a great connection with the couple. The couples that understand the importance of photography and really value the skill are the couples that end up with the best shots.
Describe the process that you go through with a couple.
Having a consultation right away is huge. I love to take part in creating the wedding day timeline to ensure that there is going to be enough time to capture everything. I’ll often have a few phone conversations leading up to the day to make sure everyone is on the same page. After the wedding I love if the couple can come into the studio to view all we have to offer like fine art prints, canvas prints and fine art wedding albums. I offer a print credit with my packages so every client has something creative, not just the CD of images. We also are able to upload the wedding images to our website for viewing and ordering as well as tag images to the clients facebook page (if they want).
Since many couples are not used to getting photographed to the extent they are on their wedding day, how do you get them to relax and be themselves?
Let them have fun taking pictures, not dread them. Joke around with them and remind them that it’s their day and they should have fun and relax, not stress. Sometimes if they express in the consultation that they are really nervous or uneasy about the portrait session, I suggest doing a pre wedding or engagement shoot so they get a feeling of how the wedding shoot will go and so they can get to know me better and the way I work. This works wonderfully because once it’s time for the wedding day portraits, they feel very comfortable in front of me and the camera.
If you could give one piece of advice to couples who are looking for a photographer, what would it be?
Ask a lot of questions. Find a photographer that you connect with. Make sure you get all the pictures taken and they offer more than just the CD.
