Introducing the Wedding Photographer Assistants for 2011

 

If you have been a client in the past, you know that I usually have a female assistant accompany me at all my wedding shoots and sometimes on engagement photo sessions as well. In addition to holding my lighting and other equipment related duties, they are also there to look after the brides. They will attend to your dress as well as the groom's crooked tie and help me gather up family members for group shots, etc.

Winter is still hanging on in Northwest Indiana so we all had our coats on for a recent training session. I met the girls at Deep River Country Park in Valparaiso to go over what their job will entail fror wedding and portrait sessions in 2011.

Let me introduce the girls one by one.

First up is Amy, who has assisted me on many wedding, engagement and high school senior sessions. She has always done a great job and I'm glad she is on board this year as well. My other assistant from 2010 - Brooke is busy with her own wedding taking place this summer. Congratulations Brooke!!

Our first newbie is Mya. She will be assisting me on the first Chicago Sessions Engagement shoot of the year. She is dressed for the cold, but her warm personality always shines...

Mya is also pictured in the first photo above with with Leslie, who will be on board for Angela and Mike's wedding in Valparaiso, Indiana in April. We intend to have a lot of fun while making some great wedding images this summer.

Next up is one of my favorite baristas - Kristine. She has a friend who is a photographer in Muncie, Indiana and has the distinction of being the only assistant to ever fold up one of my lighting reflectors on the first try!!

Due to a great amount of weddings booked (and more coming) for the year I will have 5 assistants on call for weddings in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan.

Our final assistant to spotlight is Melissa who is a friend of my family...

 

So look for us all this summer at various venues around Northwest Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. Chances are you will see a bride and groom or two as well. :) Hopefully no winter coats!!

 

 

 

Preparing for Wedding Photography Season 2011

Wedding photography season for 2011 kicks off for me in two weeks as I head to Chicago to photograph a Chicago Sessions Engagement Package.  The weather is finally starting to break a little here in Northwest Indiana and calls are coming in to schedule the local / Chicago engagement shoots as well as outdoor family portraits, kids and high school seniors too.

The first actual wedding of the year will be April 30th with Angela and Mike's Valparaiso wedding with a reception at The Raddison at Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville.

As a wedding photographer there is MUCH to do in these weeks leading up to the photo shoots.  Here is some of what has been on my agenda in recent weeks:

  • Meetings with clients and potential clients.  Emails and calls have been coming in daily as it is booking season.  I do presentations here at the home studio and also a mobile presentation.  I bring sample wedding albums, prints, gallery wraps and more.  Most importantly, I answer all your wedding photography questions.  For already booked clients, we get out photographic timeline together along with locations, etc.
  • New photography gear.  It's NOT about the gear you have. However, one of my camera bodies was getting long in the tooth.  So I bit the bullet and purchased a new professional body to add to my collection.  I'm always traveling with two to every wedding for shooting convenience and for back up as well.
  • Classes and workshops.  To avoid getting stale, a good photographer is always going to be adding knowledge.  I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for 2011 weddings courtesy of some top of the line pros who unselfishly share their craft.
  • Equipment maintenance: I love the look of magazine-esque commercial photography and I like to do this with my wedding clients.  This requires external lighting and other accessories to make this look happen.  I'm testing, cleaning and (unfortunately) even sending some things in for repairs.
  • New computer. Digital wedding photography requires knowledge of the digital darkroom and a computer that can handle the tasks at hand.  With so many weddings booked for 2011 and many back to back, it was time to upgrade my already fast system with and an even faster one with greater storage.  All the better to get images back to my clients in a timely manner.