Blog
A blog dedicated to wedding and family photography in the Michiana areas of norther Indiana, southern Michigan and eastern Illinois. Topics include bridal expos, wedding photo ideas, family photo sessions and tips and resources for brides and grooms who are planning a wedding.
Had a lot of fun with my niece Lyndsay, photographing her for her upcoming modeling career! We decided to time the photo session to catch the sun while it was setting, as usually this is one of the best times to shoot outdoors. Lyndsay and I had fun trying different poses and modeling for the camera. Hope you like them Lynds!
The post details the recent bridal show I participated in and tells a story about many of the exhibitors involved and presents photography taken throughout the day.
Coming up in Elkhart is one of the most prestigious and intimate bridal expos in the area! There will be so many vendors there including caterers, wedding cake bakeries, florists, limo companies, tuxedo rentals and of course photographers (including yours truly!!)
This event is setup to encourage lots of one-on-one time for couples to spend chatting with vendors. With all of the outstanding products and services being showcased, you WILL leave with lots of ideas and inspiration. To top it off, there are tons of door prizes being given away, totaling up to thousands of greenbacks. AND....THE BEST PART.....IT'S TOTALLY FREE TO ATTEND!
Sign up as soon as you can, we would love to see you and hear about your wedding day plans!
For more information visit the Soon2Bwed website at www.soon2bwed.com
Now that the big wedding day is over, the photography opportunities don't stop. With your trusty professional wedding photographer (me) by your side, it's time to trash you dress. In this blog post, I'll share some great ideas for dress demolition sessions. Book a session with me and let's have fun creating awesome photos of you and your new husband together!
Blog post on the recent early 1900's stylized photo session with an adorable little dapper toddler. The importance of family portraiture is also explained, along with a before and after comparison, showing what Photoshop and a professional photographer can do for your family memories!
If you are planning a wedding then you've probably been researching the many different websites and information available on the web related wedding vendors. You've probably also felt a bit overwhelmed at times with all the information, blogs, guides, tips, forums, etc... Just running a quick query of wedding photographers in my neck of the woods (South Bend, Indiana), I turned up no less than 47 self proclaimed wedding photographers. In this day and age of always available cameras, more and more folks are slapping up a website and advertising themselves as available to shoot your wedding, but if you're not careful, you run the risk of jeopardizing one of the biggest days of your lives.
I thought I'd put together a "must know" list of items that you should be covering with your potential photographer before you sign on the dotted line. This is by no means all the questions you should be asking, but is meant to cover the main items.
Most photographers have a certain style or look to their work. Some may shoot very formal, posed photos where the majority of the shots are staged and the style is traditional. Others shoot primarily journalistic or candid, whereby they are capturing moments as they happen and don't intervene or stage anything. Some photographers process their images to look vintage or film like, while others offer bold, vibrant colors. Be careful about trendy looks, they may look good today, but in 10 years they may look out of date. Look for a good mix of formal and journalistic photography without over the top processing, so that you have a classic set of pictures to last many generations.
Many photographers (including myself) deliver the final photos as electronic files (JPG pictures). This is a convenient and modern way to archive your photos, however it truly is just that, an archive. It is not the best way to showcase or view your files. You absolutely want to make sure your photographer offers printed and framed pictures as well as albums. Digital files are cumbersome to sort through, getting to your favorites is time consuming, many folks of older generations have no idea how to view them, the files types of today may be obsolete in 5 years and the list goes on and on. None of these concerns apply to an album or framed picture. Make sure your photographer offers these options, you'll never regret it.
Wedding photography comes in all different sizes and flavors. Make sure you completely understand what is included in what you're paying for. Some of the key items to understand:
This is probably the most important point. There are too many fly-by-night photographers out there and a contract is the absolute best way to protect yourself. Make sure this is signed before dishing out any money. Make sure all of the points listed in the details section above are ALL included in this contract. If the photographer has ANY reservations about using a contract, walk away and don't look back, they are not someone you want to do business with! Here is an example contract if you're interested in what to look for.
It's absolutely best to try and meet with your potential photographer in person, not just via email. If you absolutely can't meet face to face, at least spend 20-30 minutes on Facetime or Skype with them. You will end up spending a fair amount of time with this person, between engagement photos, the rehearsal, getting ready pics, the ceremony, etc... You want to know if you click with this person and if they have a attractive personality, this is difficult to gauge via email or text only.
Hopefully this list gives you some pointers along our journey to wedding nirvana. I am always available to chat about this subject anytime you have questions. Shoot me an email or call me and let's chat!!
We had a super fun time spending the evening taking pictures with, soon to be married, Ryan Pickering & Alisa Stutsman. After warming up to the camera, these two were complete naturals in front of the camera. We spent an hour at the Oliver Mansion and then another hour at the East Race, both in downtown South Bend. This mansion is really amazing because of the intricate architecture and detail. The Oliver Mansion has been a landmark of downtown South Bend for a long time and it makes a super setting for photography. Ryan and Alisa are both in the architecture industry, so it fit them well. You can tell from the pictures, these two were genuinely happy to be in each others' company! It's an honor to have been picked to be their photographer, and we can't wait to be able to photograph their wedding this coming up October. Cheers to Ryan & Alisa!
Rob & Lori just seem to be made for each other, you can sure tell it just by the way they look at each other in these pictures. Everything about this wedding was outstanding, from the wedding party to the Converse shoes to the food, it was all fantastic. Rob & Lori tied the knot at 2pm at River Valley Church in Mishawaka. Many friends and family were there to witness this special day, which turned out to be full of fun, love, laughs and fellowship. I'm so glad to have been a part of this and to be able to document the memories to be kept and shared for many years to come. Cheers to Rob & Lori Burke!
