…if you’ll let them.

Say what? Of course you’re going to let them take beautiful photos! Who’s stopping them?

Well, unfortunately, many well-intentioned brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the brides, and pretty much anybody with an interest in getting good photos may inadvertently tie their photographer’s hands. How does this happen? It often goes something like this:

Bridesmaid: “Oooh, there’s a pretty patch of flowers over on this side of the church! Bride–we’ve got to take some photos over there! Come on, Photographer!”
(Meanwhile, the Photographer has already scoped out the area and knows that the full light of the noon-day sun is beating down on those patch of flowers. Bright sun=squinting eyes, harsh shadows, UGLY photo).
Photographer: “Actually, I think there’s some nice shade over here that will make for some great photos.”
Bride looks crestfallen after Bridesmaid got her excited about patch of flowers; Bridesmaid feels shut down and is frustrated by the “mean Photographer who won’t let them take pretty photos.”

And although the above scenario is fictitious and perhaps a bit exaggerated, it’s actually not too far off from similar scenes I’ve encountered. At that point in the game, the Photographer has either two choices. One, give into Bridesmaid and take the sweaty, shadowy, squinty photo and appease everyone. Or two, not waste time and energy taking an ugly photo but then deal with the disappointment and frustration of bride and bridesmaid. Neither choice is ideal. So, how can this situation be avoided?

Trust your photographer.

It’s that simple. Trust that your photographer has your best interest in mind, that they want to create incredible photos for you, and that they have a much better grasp of what goes into a good photo than anyone else there. Does that mean you don’t make any suggestions or requests of your photographer? Certainly not! By all means, feel free to discuss types of photos and locations ahead of the wedding day and feel free to point out places that you’d like to have a photo at. But, also allow them to say “No, I don’t think that’s a good location” and trust them with that decision. Think of them as saving you from an ugly photo and a waste of time. Not every pretty place makes a pretty picture.

I honestly want to create beautiful photographs for my couples. And I don’t want to waste any of the precious time allotted for photos on the wedding day taking pictures that I know will not be good. So, I ask my clients to please trust me. Trust that I know what I’m doing. Trust that I have your best interest in mind, and that if I say “no” to something, it’s not because I’m lazy or don’t want to create a good photo for you…it’s because I know that what you’re asking is not going to look good, and you’re going to be disappointed with it if I take it. Conversely, if I suggest something, it’s because I do think it will look good! Lastly, let your family and friends know how much you trust me so that they will be on board, too.

Now, if you’re a previous bride of mine, please don’t read into this post, thinking you ruined photos by asking for specific shots. By and large, I’m very fortunate to have clients who trust and allow me to create beautiful images for them. And I wholeheartedly appreciate that. It frees me to be creative and deliver great photographs for my clients, which is my ultimate goal.

As examples, here are some favorite photos taken in less-than-picturesque locations. This first one was taken in a hotel room after rain washed out plans to take photos in downtown Pittsburgh.

Taken in an alley in Johnstown, PA to avoid the bright mid-day sun.

What you don’t see in the photo below are the two parking lots filled with cars on either side of the strip of grass and a few trees the bride and groom are standing in. The light was gorgeous though, and I was able to work around the parking lots.

Portrait taken in front of an abandoned building on a side street in Pittsburgh.

Here’s a pull-back where you can see the facade of the building was not particularly beautiful…but the lighting was.

Just a street sidewalk in Pittsburgh. An ugly box truck and some trash are just outside of the frame, but I knew the light was gorgeous and would make for a good portrait.

I love this bridal portrait–the bride looks beautiful, confident, and happy, and the bricks make a striking contrast to her dress.

What you didn’t see is that she’s just sitting on a plain old table in the “holding room” for the bridal party before they’re announced at the reception.

I have plenty more examples of great photos taken in locations that weren’t at first glance “picturesque.” So, if you ever think I’m little cray-cray for asking you to go to a certain spot for a photo, please remember I know what I’m doing…and if I ever say “No, I don’t think that will look good” trust me that I have your best interest in mind. Your photos are going to be awesome!

Trust me.

Enter Facebook and an invitation from Bonnie to come visit her in Brooklyn a couple of months ago. I thought to myself, why not?

So this past Sunday evening I flew out to meet a very old friend and to find some new adventures in New York City. After catching up late into the night, we got up Monday morning ready for some exploring. We started with brunch at a delicious place near Bonnie’s apartment.

Later found a cute dog in Prospect Park.

Then caught a train on the subway headed for Manhattan. I call this “seat photography.”

Walked across Brooklyn Bridge.

These guys must have been making a killing…it was a very hot day!

It appears that he doesn’t believe in his product enough to wear it himself.

Sorry, I thought it was funny.

Then we wandered around Manhattan.

Self-portrait.

Ground zero.

Everyone was cooling off in the fountain.

Cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery.

Leftovers for the birds.

Back across the Brooklyn Bridge.

My friend Bonnie.

And from the archives…taken Christmas time 1996 at the Golden Corral (we were visiting the U.S. for a month from Russia). We thought the dessert bar there was the coolest. Left to right: Bonnie, Me, Martha (my sister), and another friend Kelly. Good times. Maybe I should bring back those bangs?

Despite the HOT weather, Brianne and Jay had a beautiful wedding with their wonderful family and friends in attendance. A big congratulations to them both!

Brianne’s bridesmaids were a lot of fun!

And check out the guy’s awesome blue Vans!

We had to get a shot of Brianne’s shoes with the guys’.

We stopped by downtown Wheeling for a few photos.

I love seeing the reactions of guests during the cake cutting…

It was a fun crowd…

Brianne and Jay, thanks so much for having me photograph your fun, fun wedding!

I’m heading out the door in a few minutes to return to Wheeling, West Virginia for their wedding…in the meantime, enjoy! And if you’re a bride who is wondering what on earth a bridal portrait is, I’m planning on sharing more about this fun kind of session in another blog post soon.

Brianne looks gorgeous in her dress…but it’s a lot to carry!

I love her blue shoes!

Now off to the wedding!

So, you may ask yourself, “Why don’t I get my wedding photos back instantly?” And you may be wondering what exactly I do with all your wedding photos before you see them.

True, most people don’t expect to see their wedding photos immediately…but I think there is some lack of understanding as to what kind of work is involved post-wedding. In reality, the amount of time I spend photographing a wedding is only a fraction of the time that I spend editing it. So, what exactly is my editing process? After 50+ wedding and events, I’ve certainly streamlined my system (though there is always room for improvement!).

Here’s what I do:

1. Download all the files to my computer/external hard drive (I’ll start this process while I’m working on something else because it can take upwards of an hour or more).
2. Import all my files into Lightroom and organize them. I shoot only in RAW format (which, is like it sounds–an “uncooked” type of file which must be edited).
3. Select which files I will most likely keep by starring and flagging them.
4. Color correct (white balance), crop (if necessary), and adjust exposure (if necessary) for all starred files. At the same time, I’ll also probably cut out some more files which I think are duplicates or just aren’t good on closer inspection. This step is usually the longest for me. It’s also something I’ve contemplated outsourcing but haven’t yet.
5. Export all files from Lightroom into JPEG format (at this point all the adjustments I made are actually applied to the photos).
6. Open up Adobe Bridge and batch convert specific photos (which I’ve already starred) to black and white through Photoshop. I have created a specific action in Photoshop that I use for all of my black and white conversions.
7. Select which photos I will blog and run final Photoshop actions on them, including stamping my logo.
8. Blog wedding.
9. At this point, if there is an album to design (and depending on how quickly I’ve gotten everything else done), I will design the album and upload it to the website.
10. Run final actions on all remaining photos through Bridge and Photoshop. For me, I like to keep it simple, so my the actions I use are very clean. I will also individually edit photos if there are some visible major blemishes on the bride and/or groom.
11. Batch rename files (I do this now because I may have cut out one or two more photos).
12. Upload files to website and notify bride and groom their photos are up.
13. Make any album changes, if necessary.
14. Burn DVD of images and send to bride and groom.
15. This is a step I have a habit of omitting but I want to do more often: update website and blog with new photos.
16. Delete RAW files (this step doesn’t happen immediately (usually), but I eventually discard all my RAW files. There’s no need for me to keep them at this point.

Technically, I would like to add some more steps involving sending files/photos to vendors on a regular basis, but I haven’t gotten to that point.

All in all, you can see there is quite a bit of time and effort involved in editing photos. Shooting is only the first step. As far as my turn around time goes, I think I am one of the fastest in the industry. I usually have all the photos uploaded to my website within a week or two (and blogged it before then). I know of people who wait 3+ months to get their images back from their photographer. For me, that’s just too long… So, while you won’t see your photos immediately after your wedding, please know you’ll see them very soon (and I’m working very hard on them)!

As an example of the changes I do on the photos, see below. I’ve been editing Kerry and Josh’s wedding…

The first photo is straight out of the camera. It looks OK, but it’s perhaps a tad underexposed and very flat looking.

After all my editing, this is what I get. Much better!

More to come from this wedding soon!

And for any of my current and former brides and grooms, if you’re interested in having a fun post-wedding session, let me know. You don’t have to immerse your wedding dress (though you can) to have a fun session. Just take a look at Kristen and Brett…(now that they’ve had time to enjoy their wedding photos, I’m sharing these workshop ones with them). Oh, and you can help me achieve goal number 9, which is to shoot two trash the dress sessions…

At the time, Klavon’s ice cream parlor was closed for the evening…but I returned a month later with Jen and Brian.

Kristen, you are gorgeous.

Thanks for being such great models, Kristen and Brett!

What is perfect photography? Is there such a thing? How can I recognize it? These are the sorts things I ask myself. I understand that photography, like all forms of art, is largely subjective. What I prefer aesthetically may not be what you prefer. This is no more evident than in the photos I pick as my favorites and the photos my clients choose. Sometimes we like the same images, but often I’m surprised at what people prefer. Of course, that’s because they see a personal significance in a photo where I only see its imperfections.

How can I be a better photographer, then, when the target is constantly moving?

It may seem simple and obvious, but the key to becoming a better photographer is to become a better observer. This is something I’ve been slowing coming to realize. In the past, I might attribute some of my favorite candid moments to luck, but luck really has little to do with good photography. A good photographer sees the moment before it occurs. They perceive the subtle in the obvious. They observe the fantastic in the mundane.

A good photographer does not simply hope to catch an interesting moment; they find it before it happens and visualize the best composition.

This, I believe, is what sets me (and other professional photographers) apart from the “Uncle Bobs” with their fancy SLR cameras. Camera gear, as I’ve written about before, does not make you a professional photographer.

Still, I know that I am not the photographer I will be. That’s because I’m constantly growing, learning, and developing my ability to observe. It never fails that when I edit a shoot I think of ways I would do it differently…I chastise myself for not seeing something that I should have noticed…for not composing a certain image differently. Yes, the truth is that I’m not perfect. The photos I took last year are nothing compared to what I produce now. And what I am creating now will seem as nothing to what I hope to one day make.

This gives me cause for optimism as I strive for the unreachable goal of perfection.

I’ll end with a photo from Saturday’s Indian wedding…more to follow soon.

For Megan and Justin, their beautiful Frick Art & Historical Center wedding on Friday was indeed a lovely celebration of their love and the creation of a new family. I loved the intimacy of the setting, the incredible attention to detail (Megan’s doing!), and the overwhelming sense of joy and excitement on everyone’s faces. And of course, Megan’s daughter Ava was an absolute cutie who couldn’t have been happier to be getting a dad in Justin. I’ll admit I’m not usually prone to crying…but I was definitely getting some soggy eyes when I saw the emotion on Justin’s face as he held Ava after the ceremony. Just beautiful.

Throughout the event, I really felt included as a friend, which is so amazing and the most a photographer can ask for when photographing a wedding. Thank you, Megan and Justin for inviting me to witness your beautiful, beautiful wedding!

I think Ava can paint her nails better than I can…

I love this moment when Megan greets her grandmother and mother.

The ceremony was held inside the rotunda at the Frick Art and Historical Center, as it had been raining off and on all day.

This is probably one of my favorite photos ever. On the left is Megan’s mom, in the middle, Megan, and on the right is Ava. I love the symmetry and the breadth of generations all in one photo.

I shared this photo yesterday, but I absolutely love it.

I adored Megan’s hairpiece…

The light was absolutely yummy when we took photos…I was so happy because it had thunderstormed all day long!

Megan…you are gorgeous.

We had to get a photo of the Frick house itself…

Ha, I love this series from when we were taking some formal family photos. Keep your eyes on Ava….

Jay captured the family’s reaction..love it!

The little jokester…

Love this photo of Megan…it was taken through the plastic covering on the tent…

And a wonderful photo to end the evening…

A huge congratulations to Megan and Justin!

But, that doesn’t mean I’m not passionate about what I do.

I just assume everyone knows that already about me. But maybe I shouldn’t make assumptions.

For me, photography is both a personal and impersonal profession. On the one side there are the very technical aspects–exposure, lighting, composition–and on the other are the personal connections–relationships, perspectives, and passion. The greatest thing that I can do is to excel in both sides of the coin. If I have a great connection with my clients but no understanding of how to create a beautiful photograph, I’m useless. On the other hand, if I have the best technical training but am never able to move beyond the outward shell of my clients, then my photos will be perfectly boring.

Naturally, I’m interested in the technical aspects of photography, but it’s the personal connection that is far more meaningful to me. I want to know my clients. We may never be best friends and call each other every day, but I want them to trust me to see their emotions and the deeper side of their relationship. Now don’t think that I’m some sort of whacko Freudian-photographer reading something into nothing. That couldn’t be farther from the case. But I do know that it’s very difficult (certainly for me it is) to allow someone to see you at a vulnerable emotional moment–but a wedding day can be full of those.

On your wedding day you are not only marrying the person you love the most, but you are also joining two families and two histories (and all the baggage–good or bad–that goes with it). Add close friends and years of memories to the mix, and you can quickly be overwhelmed with what’s going on. Some grooms and brides are more stoic than others, but I don’t think that means they have less feelings than the next person.

So, my challenge as a wedding photographer is to be able to create a sense of trust and a connection with my clients that will allow me to capture some of their intimate emotions and incredible moments.

And I love being able to do that. For me, that is the highest achievement–that I was able to capture a moment or create a portrait that was only possible because my clients trusted me wholly. And in that instant, you’ll probably find me smiling. Not laughing loudly, crying profusely, or jumping up and down, but smiling because I was able to witness and capture someone’s most joyous moment of their life.

Thanks to Christina for the photo of me.

Michael is a firefighter, so it was fitting he had his station’s truck come by the church.

But of course when we went to the park for photos it began to rain!

Love this photo of Christina.

Michael had the best garter removal I’ve ever seen, complete with his firefighting gear!

Congratulations Christina and Michael!