Category: bloomsburg wedding photographer

Wedding Photography Tips : How to Organize Your Clients and Your Business

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I am not organized.  Let me repeat that : I am not organized.  My work space is cluttered, my closet is…. well, don’t open it, and my receipts stay tucked in a box until tax season.  It takes a lot of work for me to be organized, but I know it is a priority.  My clients need to count on me, they need to know that I have information they have given me.  Not only that, they need to know that I know what information to ask them!  ]

Until recently, I as wasting a lot of time sending emails asking for information, then follow up emails asking for more information, etc.  It can be exhausting with so many clients, and I was tired of it.  I started making fillable PDF’s for different topics, and not only do I love it, so do my clients.  It helps me keep everything sorted (plus, I can send the file to my second shooter— bonus!), it instills confidence in my clients, and it leads to a better overall flow on a wedding day.

To all of my fellow photographers out there, don’t reinvent the wheel each time you send out an email.  Here are a few pages from the PDF I send out about 6 weeks before the wedding day.  Hope this helps someone!  Click below to see:

 

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Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and Library | Stacey and Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography

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romantic photo of bride and groom in tree lined grove at Hagley Museum

Have you ever gotten goose flesh?  I’m sure you have, but for what reason?  It scatters across my skin when I’m cold of course, but also when I hear a strikingly beautiful chord in a song, watch a dazzling scene in a movie, or stumble upon something truly remarkable in nature.  It’s a sign to me that I need to pay extra attention or I could miss something divine.  As I drove through the back gates at Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and came face to face with a tree lined grove that trailed up to an old DuPont mansion, a shiver ran up my spine and goose flesh erupted.  I knew this day, this wedding, and these two people, were something extraordinary.

Now you might think this is an incredibly odd way to open a wedding blog post, and I’m sure it is, but there is really no other way to describe the beauty that surrounded this day.  I will try, though.

When I first met Stacey and Josh last year for their engagement session, I was instantly smitten with them.  They were incredibly kind, laughed at my jokes, and came dressed like they walked out of the 50’s (which, come on, why did we ever stop dressing like that?).  I had every faith that their wedding day would be spectacular, every detail flawless, and I was right.

Let me break it down for you. Succulents.  Floor length veil. Blush color pallet.  Strings of lights.  Cascading wisteria.  Need I say more?!?  The Hagley Museum is one of my favorite venues to date.  We were threatened with rain the entire day, and luckily, it held off.  Stacey mentioned that she would have been more upset if it had rained for my sake than hers because she knew how much I would love it.  And she was right.

Stacey and Josh were married at the old Soda House Library, a glass and stone building set back from the main house in the woods.  Once vows were said and rings exchanged, we toured the grounds, for which there could never have been enough time.  There were times when it felt we had been transported to the deep south or the hills of Tuscany, with its fine stucco houses covered in lush vines.   We laughed and enjoyed the cool evening air and our sweet chaperone, Dot, gave us a private, photo filled tour.

It could have rained.  It could have poured!  Nothing could have dampened this joyful day.  Stacey and Josh, the credit is yours.  You could have been married in an alley wearing paper bags and it still would have been one of my favorite weddings (but I’m really glad that wasn’t Plan A!).

Enjoy this preview!  Video coming soon!  Continue reading “Wilmington’s Hagley Museum and Library | Stacey and Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography” →

Philadelphia Engagement Photographer | Clair + Philip | Norristown Farm Park

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We trudged through mud and clambered up hills chasing the sun.  The wind gusted and swirled and rain fell in the distance.  Clair and Philip laughed and held hands, remarking about how blessed we were to have such favorable weather.  And I couldn’t agree more!  Although, it could have been hailing, or a freezing rain, and it would have been enjoyable.  The company is what makes it 🙂

Clair and Philip showed me around Norristown Farm Park, from it’s white-wash silo’s, to the sprawling fields and brooks.  I walked away from this session so happy.  Clair and Philip  (for want of better wording) ooze joy and love and peace.  They are the kind of people you want to be around- for moments big and small.  The way Philip laughs when Clair makes a ‘hair mustache’, and how Clair gets the most perfect dimples when she looks at Philip.  Not everyone can light up a cloudy, windy day, but these two managed just that—- and more!

I am so honored to be documenting their wedding this summer and cannot wait to send them their engagement gallery!  But for now, here is a preview! Continue reading “Philadelphia Engagement Photographer | Clair + Philip | Norristown Farm Park” →

Pennsylvania Weddings | Kissing the Pose Goodbye | Why Un-posed is the Best

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windblown bride and groom in Selinsgrove PA at the river walk

I find relief and peace knowing that I am not the right photographer for everyone. It makes me feel incredibly lucky that the couples who have chosen me have done so due to a love for my product.  They don’t book me because I’m cheap (because I am not) or because I can teach wedding guests any and every dance of the times (Whip Nae Nae, Cupid Shuffle, Wobble- I got you), although I do list that under my skill set; but rather, they book me because of the photos I produce.

Now that seems so easy, right?  Nope.  Not even a little.  I cannot just take a lovely photo of someone and call it a day.  So much prep work goes into creating these photos, much of it started months if not a year beforehand.  I cannot get results unless I have a relationship with my clients- call me awkward, but I know myself. We chat, exchange emails, grab pizza, work together on their engagement session, and even exchange Christmas cards.  By the time we get to the wedding day, we have usually met in person twice and exchanged dozens of emails; 21st century pen-pals.

I know the style of photos I want, and I know that this is the same style of photos my client wants!  We want un-posed.  We want real.  We want emotional.  And honey, there ain’t no way to get that on a wedding day without a prior relationship—- and trust.

So why is this un-posed style the timeless favorite?  And what even is it?  Let me lay it all out for you- when I aim for un-posed, I am looking for the little fraction of a second shows true personality.  Maybe I have just told my couple to walk towards each other and embrace.  Awesome.  Lovely!  Beautiful photo.  But I don’t have what I want.  So I tell the groom to whisper sweet nothings into his bride’s ear– and I say it just like that!– and I get the most lovely, real life reaction of laughter and joy.  Because come on, did you ever expect your wedding photographer to say that?  So now I have the groom saying “ummm ummmmm” and the bride cracks a megawatt smile and pulls her face away, laughing with her twinkling eyes locked on her husband.  And that is it.  That’s the photo.  It’s the one that has captured the essence of a relationship.  And it’s the one that will bring all the feels.

This isn’t to say that every photo is laugh out loud funny, this was simply an example of how I work to capture the little in between moments— the ones my couples don’t expect me to capture!  And for the sake of this post, laughter is what I will focus on.

At it’s core, “un-posed posing” is a way of bringing photojournalism to portraits and it’s just about my favorite thing.It’s not everyone’s style…. and thank goodness!  I love variety.  If every photographer was a clone of me, 1) I would be out of a job and 2) photography would be so incredibly boring.  The way I see it, life is un-posed…. and it’s pretty great that way.

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Front Street Station Wedding | Amy + Derek | Selinsgrove Wedding Photography

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Have you ever wished to experience the 4 seasons in just 8 hours?  It’s not something I can say happens too often, but Amy and Derek picked a once in a lifetime day for their wedding.

Amy and her girls got ready at her house, AC blasting on a rare 75 degree mid November day.  The sun was streaming through the windows as hair was pinned and dress was fluffed.  We headed down to the river walk along the Susquehanna for her first look with Derek, and by the time they had turned and seen each other for the first time, sweeping tears from cheeks, dark clouds were moving in and what remained of the autumn leaves were being whipped from their branches.  We endured a gale force wind storm along the river for portraits and made it to the church just in time for the skies to open up.

Thunder and lightning lit up the sky outside as Amy walked down the aisle.  They said their “I Do’s”, danced on over to the Front Street Station for their reception, and ended the night kissing in the snow.

Amy and Derek are two of the kindest people I have had the privilege to work with.  While they may seem laid back, their passion and love for one another led to many tears of joy throughout the day.  This was an incredible day for so many reasons and it is one I would not have wanted to embark on with anyone else.

Continue reading “Front Street Station Wedding | Amy + Derek | Selinsgrove Wedding Photography” →