MISC: Thank you!

I just wanted to take time to thank all of you who have been great clients for me over the past few years and those of you who are booked for this year and beyond. Without you I would not be as successful as I am, booking more in 2008 than ever before. 

I could not ask for a better group of brides and grooms, not to mention supportive families and friends who help make these days the best they can be.

Specifically, I have to thank those of you who have gone above and beyond, posting on bridal forums, referring your friends/family and spreading the word about my service. I can't express my gratitude enough. 

With that in mind... To all my wedding clients, I would just ask that if you did find me via the Knot or anywhere else that has a feedback area or "review" forum, please post your experience. It truly does make a tremendous immediate and personal difference. 

POLL

I am trying to refine my advertising/marketing and would LOVE some feedback on what attracted you to my site. Everyone's welcome to participate, past & future clients, visitors, everyone! The more the merrier! surveys - Take Our Poll

NEWS: Website Updates

I just want to make sure everyone reading this knows that unlike my old website (like 2 weeks ago old) my new site will be constantly changing, evolving and reflecting my most current work along with greatest hits from old. I am also going to post several galleries from individual weddings to give you a sense of what I do at each wedding. I know many of you say "Yea, the portfolio is good but what do the REST of the shots look like?" Well, this is a partial look at the rest of the shots, usually around a hundred or so. I will constantly be adding new galleries so check back often. 

NOTE: On the SAMPLES page, there are more galleries to choose from if you hit the arrow on the right side of the page.

Today I added some really old work from my days of covering the NBA (ok, not that old) and some early fashion work as well as martial arts images. This should give you an idea of where I come from as an image maker.

FAQ: Booking Your Date

While it's a good problem for me to have (being in high demand) it's not such a great problem for some of my prospective clients. What I am referring to is how many inquiries I am getting for the same dates this year. It's happened in the past but at this point I have several email inquiries for many of the prime dates later in the year (and even some for next year), many more than ever before.

If you've met with me, or I've worked with you in the past, you know I rarely ever play the "book now or lose your date" card because I somehow feel it may be perceived as used car salesmen-ish but the fact is that many of those dates are going quickly and 2009 is already starting to get rolling as far as bookings. 

So, as mildly as I can put it, if you intend to book but for some reason are waiting, please let me know and I will do what I can to give you first right of refusal. 

For the record, my policy is first come, first serve and that applies to couples I have had a consultation with then email only after that.

I wish I could work with each and every couple that wants me to be their photographer but anymore that is not possible.

FAQ: Jumping the Shark

I feel like I'm picking on Ryan & Donna but it just so happens that their wedding was a great example of how I love to work. Laid back and with a fun group of people. 

What this post is about is the "jump" that has at once become one of the most cliche shots in wedding photography and the most genuinely enjoyed shot by many couples. It's a great example of a shot, once done at a few weddings becomes passe to a wedding photographer but like selective coloring before it, and countless subtle or not so subtle techniques before that, continues to be requested by brides long after the photographer's interest in doing it lives strong.

That said, WHO CARES about what has or has not been done before. The bottom line here is to have fun and when Ryan said he wanted to chest bump, well by God we did a chest bump shot... and to me it is fantastic. I NEVER tire of shots like this or any other that loosens up the day and gets people out of their shells a bit. This is YOUR wedding, not my last wedding, your sister's wedding or your best friend's wedding. Also, who's to say the PERFECT jump shot isn't the next one I do?

I think the heart and soul of my wedding photography is a careful blend exploring the ideas of my couples (including the jump) and my own sensibility of trying something new. 

The bottom line is that I FREAKING LOVE jump shots, don't mind doing the occasional selective color treatment to an image and nothing is passe to me if you want to give it a go. 

If the choice is between just standing there looking at the camera or flinging yourself in the air with reckless abandon...well I choose abandon 100% of the time :)