We are John & Tamera Webb, your Blue Ridge Wedding Photographer. Today we would like to talk about one of our favorite features when photographing your couple, the “Weddingscape”.

The term , and first example of this type of photography, that I ever saw was by the fabulous Marcus Bell.

You certainly can see other examples of that particular style in use by other professional photographers. What we try to do with our clients is to emphasize that the weddingscape is intended to be wall art, and large wall art at that. Think nothing smaller than a 16×20 and we much prefer 20×30.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is more to executing a weddingscape that just sticking your couple out there and shooting.

We like to prepare them with suggestions or hints that will trigger an action and reaction.

Once your couple is set-up, give them time to ease into the area and the interaction with each other. Go for a series of shots to capture the milliseconds of emotion and facial expressions etc.

One advantage you have is you will normally be shooting this, regardless of your lens choice, so far off the couple that their ability to relax and be themselves with each other should be pronounced.

I will often ask them to stay put while I check a few things, intentionally dropping my camera while keeping an eye on them. As soon as I get the moment I was waiting for, you quickly raise and shoot. It requires sensitivity to your clients, a good antennae and excellent timing.

Timing for weather and light conditions is very important.

Adding weddingscapes to your portfolio and skill-set will offer your clients unique and beautiful wall art.

Remember to still shoot for the timing of emotion and moments and with your own heart.

We are John & Tamera Webb. We operate a Wedding Photography Studio in Blue Ridge Ga.

Shoot with your heart on the shutter and happy shooting!

What to Look for When Hiring a Wedding Photographer

What to Look for When Hiring a Wedding Photographer. We are John & Tamera Webb. We operate a Wedding Photography Studio in Blue Ridge Georgia. Recently we were contacted by a publication to give our take on what to look for when hiring a wedding photographer. While we do not fully agree with everything on the list that publication recommended, it did start us thinking, what would WE be looking for when hiring a wedding photographer for ourselves or our family?

1. The very first thing we would be looking for when hiring a wedding photographer is if the individual or studio was certified.  As we have previously discussed, it is true that there are excellent photographers who are not certified nor are members of any organization. However starting a search looking for a certified professional photographer guarantees that photographer has met a certain technical standard and passed a rigorous written exam and is maintaining educational credits to further their knowledge and their craft. This directly impacts the product they will deliver to their clients. Why does certification matter? Ask yourself this, is your Doctor board certified? They are not required to be but studies show patients have a greater trust and comfort in a physician that is certified. An analogy I really like is this; I have a drivers license but I am not a professional driver. With photography the tools are often confused for the results potential clients seek so the Uncle who has a new camera is considered fit to photography a wedding. Stephen King might have a Macbook Pro and so could I, but it doesn’t mean I can write like him…You can read more about certification for the professional photographer HERE:   Legitimate organizations such as The Professional Photographers of America are an excellent place to start your search. You can check them out HERE:     
2. Love their style.. This seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised the number of photographers hired with little to no in depth review of their work. Often they are later asked to replicate styles on Pinterest or Instagram, or worse yet an assumption exist that has never really been discussed with your photographer. So dig in, View their work both in the past and more recent. If you don’t like what you see the chances of you ending up satisfied with your images and album are not good.
3. Ask to see a few weddings beginning to end. Listen, I LOVE the hero shots, BUT, showing what will be seen beginning to end lets you see how the entirety of the wedding will be captured AND what will make up your album..which leads us to…
4. DO NOT HIRE ANY PHOTOGRAPHER WHO IS NOT SUPPLYING AN ACTUAL ALBUM!  If the photographer does not recommend and sell prints, wall art and albums then the chances are good they do not value their own art they are providing, and if they don’t, why would you? In other words if it’s just a disc or USB drive avoid it. The importance of printed , heirloom products cannot be overstated.  As a matter of fact there is a whole movement about it. You can check it out HERE:
5. Make sure you “click”. While you do have to love the style, ensure their technical skill-set, see that they value themselves as artist and true, professional photographers, none of it works if their isn’t a solid connection. Capturing beautiful, unique art requires access to people in an almost intimate way. They has to be trust and faith and the connection needs to be built where a couple can act almost if they were alone with each other while the photographer documents and creates. We spoke about that on an earlier blog post and you can see it HERE:
6. The money has to fit! People are surprised that we understand budgets but avoiding budgets is avoiding reality. Money DOES matter, but it isn’t the first requirement to meet when searching for a photographer. Keep in mind the photographs are what is left after the dress is packed away, the flowers are dead and gone , the food and cake are eaten and forgotten, but the images, the images will last a lifetime!

We are John & Tamera Webb. We are A Day in The Life Photography. We live in Blue Ridge Ga. We shoot with our hearts on the shutter and it looks like this…

Blessings,

Blue Ridge Wedding Photography Why Learning & Practice Still Matter. Ongoing Education for the Photographer, why it is critical for your clients Part 2. In our last blog entry we discussed why ongoing education is critical for the professional photographer and your clients. As a professional who has shot from Blue Ridge to the Caribbean, I can qualify how ongoing education can change your business and your life, and how it changes what you provide your clients.

Learning & Practice and how it impacts your clients.

I can’t count the number of times when I have been discussing professional organizations such as the Professional Photographers of America Check them out HERE: The Georgia Professional Photographers Association Check them out HERE: an affiliate of the PPA and the Certified Professional Photographers Program See more about that HERE:

and have them be roundly dismissed.

The rationale and reasoning you hear many times is that ‘it cost too much” or “my clients don’t care about that stuff”. We briefly discussed this in our last blog post which you can find it HERE: 

When we assume that, how then do we develop professionally and artistically? Since maturation in art and business is very rarely known to grow and develop in a vacuum, what does the professional photographer use to learn, to grow, to develop, to mature?

I am of the opinion that your art starts to change when you are exposed to so many who are successful in their business and in their photography.  We all develop at different levels and at various times. The next step in ongoing education is to take advantage of classes. These can be ongoing through the year, some are even available online and of course there is a bonanza of them at Imaging USA as both pre-convention all day classes followed by the briefer classes that run through the convention. Imaging USA just wrapped up for this year. You can check it out HERE:

The Professional Photographers of America isn’t the only association who puts some emphasis on education (Although it is my personal choice for association and education, degrees etc). You can check out the Wedding & Portrait Photographer’s International  also known as WPPI. See them HERE:

The next and what leads to an ongoing final step is print competition. This alone will open up and rapidly expand your art and take it to new heights you hadn’t foreseen.

And it isn’t just your photography that develops. How you structure and run your business can have a huge impact on legal issues, profitability and sustainability, and yes those things do indeed benefit your clients.

So when I hear that there is no need for ongoing education for the professional photographer or that clients don’t care about such things I have to ask, what is your business ,your art and your clients worth to you?

If you genuinely wish to make a living at this, to be the best YOU at this, your chosen profession shouldn’t you be educating your clients as you should be yourself?

They deserve it. So do you.

So does the industry.

Push yourself. Learn. Grow. Be More.

We shoot with our hearts on the shutter and it looks like this.

John & Tamera

Blessings,

The importance of ongoing education for the professional photographer

How ongoing education affects your photography and what you offer your clients

Chances are when you decided to become a professional photographer it was because you loved the idea of creating images. You may have started because images you took of your friends, family or children were viewed by your friends with appreciation and with the mantra “You should do that for a living”. At that point the idea of ongoing education for a professional photographer likely had never entered your head.

There is  certainly is nothing wrong with that. Many of us started that way. I myself started when my Grandfather who worked for Eastman Kodak would bring home film and cameras(or filim as he pronounced it. Keep in mind this was Rochester, North Chili to be exact)  and I was exposed early to some wonderful, photojournalistic work that still shaped what I do today.

And no matter who you are that work you produce, especially when you step into the professional realm, it is going to change.

One of the most intimate characteristics of being a professional photographer is the pride but sensitivity your work generates within you.

So how do you go about getting better while handling criticism of your work that is hopefully constructive?

How do you get better without becoming nothing but an imitator?

The answer is, in my opinion, ongoing education.

I am writing this in a timely fashion right after Imaging USA, the convention and expo hosted by The Professional Photographers of America.

You can check the folks out from the PPA HERE:

And you can see and learn more about Imaging USA specifically by checking them out HERE:

It is the longest running expo and convention for professional photographers dating back to 1880.  Since its inception it has never stopped growing, changing and adapting.

So why attend?

Why take classes?

Why learn, change and adapt?

Because I believe it is impossible to develop in a vacuum.  I believe separating ourselves out retards the constructive, critical eyes we need to continue to develop.

That willingness, if you can develop it opens you up to people and places (and images) that can change the way you shoot…

If you let it.

Because we all develop differently and at different speeds one of the best platforms to accomplish this is by imaging competition.

You will here some photographers say “well the PPA cost too much and it is only about the money”. The PPA is a non-profit organization and while there are costs associated with it when you compare the many, many included benefits it really becomes an incredible value.

Then there is the discussion of degrees.  Again, and I have heard this numerous times “it costs too much to take the CPP exam and maintain your status”. The truth is it is very reasonable and all funds are used to develop and further the program and education for CPP’s and professional photographers.

Lasty you will hear “clients don’t care about degrees and memberships”.

I would concede there is truth to that statement….however just as with a Doctor, who isn’t required to be board certified but does so anyway. It sends the message that this professional meets a certain standard. That the photographer understands photographic concepts and is reproducing those for his clients.

Finally, this all starts to have an impact on your own work, on your expectations, and on your pushing and developing yourself. This can and does show up as the work clients seek you out for, hire you for and become a referral base for you.

Ongoing education for the professional photographer is not only important, it is critical for success.

In the end Ongoing education for you, the professional photographers helps you be who you want to be.

It helps you BE MORE.

 Blue Ridge Wedding Photography. Photographing the bride, groom, family and friends.

Over the past few blog post, we have been going through the wedding day in order. We have covered the getting ready portion and the actual ceremony. The norm is that after those portions you will have an opportunity to photograph the new couple as well as friends, family and the wedding party (provided there were no plans to photograph everyone earlier prior to ceremony).

For the images above, you see a mix of pre ceremony and post ceremony images. When working with either, the truth is you are working on very tight timelines. You are hired to create beautiful imagery for your clients so being aware that not every beautiful portrait or moment will be “standard”. In fact, LOOK for ways to show the beauty of the day in non-conventional ways.

The Images above were captured at The Historic Tate House. You can check them out HERE:

Above we see examples of a bit more traditional images done. Do not be afraid to to setup an action-reaction setup for your shoot. As an example telling the bridesmaids to tell the best joke they know to one another or to just have fun can often result in them really enjoying themselves and having real fun..and when that occurs and is captured you clients and couples will LOVE it. Nothing is more prized than seeing the real essence of people you love. It makes it unique. It makes it priceless.

Images above were taken at both The Historic Tate House or at Cedars Plantation. You can check them out HERE:

Keep in mind that while you are planning and preparing for the “pre” or”post” time before or after the ceremony, time will be limited. Do not be surprised if timelines get off and you are forced to work under high pressure. One key we have found and used again and again is to ensure there is some true relationship with the couple. Having them put their trust in you means you are much more likely to have the be themselves while you shoot and keep them calm. Planning is required, but so is keeping your heart, senses and awareness open. Your job is to tell a story that reflects your clients and who they are, and who they are especially with each other…

Weddings above were shot at Antique Acres. You can check them out HERE:

Also at The beautiful Whitlock Inn. You can see them HERE:

And finally in Piney River Ranch in Vail Colorado. You can see this stunning venue HERE:

For us during the “post” portion of imaging, we like to go for a “Weddingscape”….position the bride and groom in a location that shows as much of the story in one shot as possible…

In closing we are still big believers that shooting with your heart on the shutter is what, in the end, allows you to capture the essence of your clients, have exquisite timing for moments of peak emotion and bring a relaxed fun feel to your wedding photography

We tell stories of the heart…and it looks like this.

In virtually every type of wedding photography there is a ceremony. How to photograph that ceremony so emotions and the story are told is an important part of our craft. Whether it is a wedding ceremony in Blue Ridge Georgia or Vail Colorado photographing the ceremony is critical

In Blue Ridge Wedding Photography The ceremony in wedding photography can offer varied and unique requirements as church’s, officiants, cultures and expectations can alter what is available, how it is approached and what to photograph.

When viewing many examples of wedding photography the ceremony is often given the single image or two representation. If however you are attuned to your clients and their emotional reactions to each other and moments the ceremony can be a veritable treasure trove of emotional content. In the above examples it would be easy to believe the processional, ceremony and recessional would be limited to a few obligatory images. As you can see above, each can make a powerful and emotional statement. Here is where we tell our students in our Super 1 Day Classes to stay on point, stay alert and shoot for those key moments that are unique to your client.

Remember to give your self time to work the angles. If allowed by the venue or church, getting close with a long lens at the corners can show a great deal of emotion going on, from tears of joy to an overwhelmingly beautiful contentment.

Once The ceremony is underway, keep your eyes and heart peeled for key moments. One thing to be aware of is those key moments, especially during the ceremony are usually incredibly brief. Keep focused in and on your toes and try to anticipate the moments before they happen.  I cannot stress enough how tightly the success of that is woven into the relationship you build with your clients.

The landscape image, known as the weddingscapes, are also a great place to show emotion and feeling, even with a wide shot. Look for moments of prayer or impact by weather to show not just what the moments looked like but what they FEEL like.

In closing shooting the ceremony is not a time to relax and rattle off a few images, but a perfect place to mine for emotional content.

Finding a photographer who is a consummate professional is, in our opinion, key to getting the wedding story told as it should be.

An excellent place to start is at the Professional Photographers of America Website that houses the ability to search Photographers who are members and/or certified professional photographers.

You can check them out HERE:

Often in Blue Ridge Ga, and perhaps everywhere, brides looks for a way to reduce cost in wedding photography. One of those we have noticed is where brides will decline coverage of the getting ready portion of their day in an effort to save cost. We think that is a huge mistake. Hopefully these images will help change that mindset.

Why getting ready images are so important to the story.

In wedding photography there exist so many different couples with different expectations. Money, and in saying money we mean budget, is also different for everyone. Many couples today look to reduce cost wherever they can. In some examples, we have encountered couples who may opt to hire us to document their day, but to reduce cost by reducing hours and eliminating the getting ready portion of their coverage.

We think that is a HUGE mistake.

We hope you will agree after viewing and reading some of these pieces of stories from a a day like no other.

The above images were to be an emotional wedding day, but I believe the above images highlight the bride seeing her fairy-tale come true. This bride was also a dance teacher so the images of the student children helping lift her dress and her image as if surrounded by a cloud remains a favorite of ours.

Wedding at Indigo Falls. Check them out HERE:

In the above example the getting ready portion for the groom was full of much laughter and a few genuine tears when the enormity of the day was realized.

A Stanley House Wedding. You can check them out HERE:

After dressing, the first look between mother and daughter brought on immediate tears.

Wedding at The Historic Tate House. See these wonderful folks HERE:

If you look you will see tender moments and poetry in motion during the getting ready.

Wedding at Rocky’s Lake Estate. See more of that beautiful venue HERE:

Portraits are not limited to after everything is done. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to capture portraits in non-traditional settings.

In closing, when speaking with couples encourage them that your job is to tell a story. Every story, when complete, has a beginning, a middle and an end. Skipping the getting ready images misses out on, in our opinion, spiritual and emotional moments that like the day, are unlike anything else and thereby deserves to be documented.

We shoot with our hearts on the shutter and it looks like this.

Blessings,

John & Tamera