A Residential Wedding

This weekend I shot a wedding at a residence. This was the first residential wedding I have photographed. I knew it would be beautiful, but I was a little concerned that there may be a lack of desirable backgrounds to chose from. What a silly thing to have been concerned about. As it turned out, I could have had the worst backgrounds ever to chose from and it wouldn't have mattered. The images would have been amazing regardless.

This was a small wedding with approximately 50 guests that took place in the backyard. The colors were bright and vibrant, just like the bride and her groom. The energy among the wedding party and guests was so close knit and loving that I could feel it. It really came through in the photos, especially those with the bride and groom. The bride, having grown up in that house, couldn't have been more comfortable getting married. I could see it on her face all day long. She was the happiest bride I have ever photographed. The groom too was full of emotion. He cried when he saw his bride walking down the aisle and continued crying throughout the ceremony. Meanwhile the bride was grinning ear to ear. It was amazing! In fact it was so amazing that I felt as though I knew the bride and groom and their guests, as if I were a guest myself. They made me feel very welcome and were very easy to work with. This was one of my favorite weddings to photograph and I will certainly shoot more residential weddings because of how special this one was!

Balancing act

My husband and I recently vacationed in Hawaii again. This time I made an effort to balance my passion for taking as many fine photos as possible with relaxing and having a good time. I thought it would be really hard to do, but knew it was necessary to unwind and thoroughly enjoy my vacation. My plans included bringing only a point and shoot camera at times, knowing I would be limited to snapshots and non-technical photos. This was great for hanging out on the beaches and around the resort and even in town. Plus I didn't have to lug around my huge DSLR, lenses, etc. It made life a lot easier.

The next decision was a bit harder, but I took my DSLR with me only when I knew I would be somewhere where I desired fine photos of the landscapes, etc. This worked great too. I was able to capture several beautiful images, while at other when the DSLR was not with me, able to simply chill and hang out with my husband, savoring each moment without photography getting in the way.

Looking through my images, I have no regrets and don't at all feel like I missed out on any photo opportunities. I even managed to capture images of some background locations used on the TV series "Lost". I'm a huge fan and that was really fun!! I thought it would be fun to post a gallery on my facebook page to share. I was right, it has been a huge hit and enjoyed by many!

Please visit my "fine art collection" gallery on Zenfolio. All images are available for viewing and purchase. www.taralovett.zenfolio.com

I recently shot a hair and make up show. The job included taking preparation/getting ready photos, head shots of models when their hair and make up was completed, as well as some runway shots. It was a very fun job and the photos turned out beautifully!

Being behind the lens, I noticed some things I perhaps would not have noticed if I were just sitting in the audience casually watching. The models I photographed were stunning and beautiful, but walked very fast on the runway. The overall pace on the runway could have been more effective if slowed down and more steady. I'm sure it's easier said than done, but models if you are out there try to take a few deep breaths before walking out onto the runway and keep it steady on the runway with a nice couple second display at the end of the runway to pose and show yourself off!

What is important to you when seeking out a wedding photographer?

I have gotten a lot of good feedback from my wedding clients who have shared their opinions, expressing great satisfaction with their wedding photography experience and images. That is the kind of news I want to hear and is very rewarding! Right now I’m still trying to find out what things are most important, especially during these difficult economic times, when a bride and groom are searching for their wedding photographer.

My approach to this issue is to provide a great, easy going experience for the bride, groom, their family, and their guests. I don’t want the bride or groom to be in any way stressed out about their photography experience. This combined with my creative style, has provided all of my customers with a great experience and most importantly this approach has rendered artistic, beautiful images for my clients.

I have integrated more products (folios, prints, etc), as well as include digital retouching and creative editing in every one of my packages to provide my clients with much more comprehensive packages to choose from for their money than my competition. I also allow customizable packages, as everyone has different needs and perhaps one of my three standard packages does not fit their exact needs. To me, this seems really important. Let’s face it, wedding photography is expensive and I want my clients to feel assured that their money is well spent and they are getting exactly what they need. What are your thoughts about this and how important is this to you? What else do you look for when seeking out a wedding photographer?

What do you need in a wedding photographer?

I have my ideas of what I have to bring to create an excellent wedding photo engagement, however I want to hear from you. Right now I'm thinking budgets are tight, but that shouldn't mean sacrificing quality or products. I've structured all my packages with cost, quality, and tangibles in mind so that when the photos are delivered my customers always receive, at minimum, proof prints, an album, and a DVD with all their images from the wedding so they can print more at anytime. I also think its important to find a photographer that's easy to work with and wont get angry with your guests if they happen to have cameras too.

This is really about you, so, what are your thoughts? What do you need from a wedding photographer?

Please add your comment's to let me know.