StyleSchool

If you’re planning a destination wedding, picking a photographer can be a daunting task. To help you out, we caught up with Katrina Wallace and Andrew Mejia of Sedona Bride (sedonabride.com). They are a husband and wife duo based in Sedona, Arizona that specialize in destination wedding photojournalism. Here, they offer their best advice for tying the knot in style.

What influences your work?
I find inspiration from the historic work of the masters of photography. Henri Cartier Bresson was the master of capturing the decisive moment and I love classic fashion photography by Lillian Bassman. We also love fine art, new and old.

Andrew's inspiration comes from his background in oil painting and fine art. He likes painters like Mondrian, Kandinsky, Rembrandt, Seurat, as well as modern photojournalists who've taken pictures for newspapers and magazines over the last 60 years.

What makes you different from other wedding photographers?
We can't speak for other photographers, but we work very hard for every client. This, in turn, encourages us to always push ourselves to become better and strive for better images. Some photographers might shoot a single frame of a moment or detail and leave it at that, but we're always looking for that better angle, or perspective, or waiting for that perfect moment. It's a labor of love for us. We're into what we do, and we always put all of ourselves into our work.

How do you two work as a team?
A lot of photographers have a second photographer who is not the same person at every wedding. We almost always work together, and because of that we're able to read each other's moves without having to speak. We often try to document the whole day together, but sometimes we split up. For example, when the bride is running late I'll often stay with her and finish documenting the preparation photos, while Andrew will go photograph the groom's preparation. Having a solid second photographer really allows the main photographer to take certain calculated risks and shoot from more creative perspective—a perspective the photographer might not have taken without the coverage of a great second shooter. What's more, being a husband and wife team allows us an interaction and synergy that one single photographer probably wouldn't have with his/her hired second shooter.

Film or digital. Why?
We shoot digital, but are in the process of incorporating film back into our workflow. Digital is fantastic because we are free to really shoot as much as we want. We pay for it on the back end with huge amounts of editing, but we always find amazing moments that might have been missed had we been restricted by confines of film.

We are incorporating film into our work again because we simply love the organic qualities that film offers: the grain, the imperfections, and the way certain film renders color.

What advice can you give to couples looking for a wedding photographer?
Find a photographer whose work speaks to you. If you can imagine yourself in the moment the photographer has captured, then that photographer is probably a good fit for you. You can be sure you love a photographer's style by seeing several weddings they have photographed, and not just the best of the best of their images. We like to create slideshows of the highlights of the wedding day, which is a compilation of the best 100 or so story-telling images of the wedding day. We show those slideshows to our prospective clients so they can really get a great feel for our style and see the consistent quality in our work.

What are some new wedding photography trends you’ve been noticing?
We have noticed for a couple of years that there has been a push for adding textures and heavy post-processing to images. While we do like to process our images to have a softer, more film-like quality, we've resisted the “textures trend,” which we believe lends an overly artificial look and will date the image. We believe that wedding images should be timeless, since they are often considered a family heirloom.

Another trend we've noticed is what is sometimes called a "day after session." Most of our clients plan a destination wedding, and thus plan to spend a few days at their destination to enjoy the locale after the wedding-day pressure is past. By having an extended portrait session the day after the wedding, we can do a lot of things and explore a lot of reality we otherwise would not have seen because of time or lighting constraints. It's a win-win situation because the bride and groom can actually spend their cocktail hour with their family and friends and still have a really great set of images of themselves together on the day after session.

What advice can you give for a couple planning a destination wedding?
Find a good wedding coordinator that either specializes in the area or specializes in destination weddings. The weddings that go the smoothest and have the best personal details are the ones planned and stylized with a wedding planner.

Also, find a photographer that takes a photojournalistic or documentary style approach to weddings. Photographers with that style will be able to document weddings beautifully in any location, not just those they are familiar with.

What are your top 5 must-take shots?

The preparation. That includes the groom too—shots of the groom shaving are just as fun as the shots of the bride getting ready.

Family and friends, especially during the ceremony. There is usually a mom or grandmother crying, and often our clients don't even see what actually happened at their wedding until they see their wedding images.

The look on the couple's faces when they see each other for the first time that day. It can be a time we've set up before the wedding, or going down the aisle. It can be a really emotional moment.

Real, romantic pictures of the newlyweds. Everyone snuggles in different ways and we want the real character to come through in the images. We generally do not pose our clients because they will naturally create moments together that are infinitely better than any posed image.

Story telling images, whether it's the details of reception tables with the guests dancing behind them, or the gentle touch of a dad holding tightly to his daughter right before the ceremony. We're always looking for those details that will tell a story, those things anyone could guess might happen at a wedding, but that you will generally never see an image of.

Visit sedonabride.com to learn more about Sedona Bride.

—Darcy Newell

More with Whitney and Jessie...

What are some new wedding photography trends you’ve been noticing?
Through the Smilebooth, we’ve seen a resurgence of the popularity of photobooths. This makes total sense to us since they provide guests with a fun, little getaway. We’ve also noted that photojournalism has become a key element in the more creative wedding photography we’ve seen. Thanks to advances in digital technology, we’ve seen a new wave of editing styles—everything from textures on images to color toning.

What are your top 5 must-get shots?
It honestly changes for each wedding, but there are several “ideas” that seem to carry over.

A shot capturing the suspense and energy of the bride getting ready.

A shot capturing someone experiencing a strong reaction to the ceremony.

A shot capturing the excitement of the couple right after the wedding.

A shot capturing the indomitable friendship shared by the bridal party or the groomsmen.

And, the classic: A shot capturing the last one standing on the dance floor.

How far in advance should our readers plan to book to get you at their wedding? Will you travel anywhere?
We book twelve to eighteen months out. Yes, we will travel anywhere and everywhere. Most of our work involves traveling and for us, the more exotic, the better!

And we have to ask: Who took the photos at your wedding? Any great advice you’d like to pass on?
You had to ask our least favorite question, but it’s just because if we could do it all over again with the benefit of hindsight, we would. Bet you want to know why . . .

We think developing a style and running with it is so important. So many of our clients have been creative and hands-on in their own inimitable ways. They do things like skipping the traditional flowers in the center and opting for the antique store finds. We guess we just wish we had done things like spending some late nights hand-crafting treasures for our guests, the tables and the ceremony. The other woulda-coulda-shoulda was that we traded with friends to do our photography, and even though there are shots that we love, we really wish that they had been at the wedding enjoying themselves instead of working, and if we had hired someone, we may have had an album by now.

The last thing we would have added if we could rewind time was super-8 film and a little video. Even though we’re photographers, we’re suckers for the motion in emotion.

—Chrissy Mahlmeister & Christa Joanna Lee

If you’re looking for a way to get around those cookie-cutter, robo-poses in your wedding day photographs, you’re in luck. Jesse and Whitney (ourlaboroflove.com) are an adorable photog couple whose unique style captures distinct moments of people’s lives with the help of the Smilebooth. The Smilebooth lets people take their own pictures in a limitless array of the silliest, most romantic or creative shots using a remote shutter button. Then family and friends can log online to view and purchase the photos. We love the whole concept, so we chatted up Jessie and Whitney to learn more about them and Smilebooth.

What is Smilebooth and how does it work?
The Smilebooth is a photographic wonder of our own invention. It is the digital grandchild of the old school photobooth, tweaked to meet our modern need for immediate photographic gratification and interactive technological experiences. With the Smilebooth, subjects take their own pictures using a remote shutter button and the images pop up immediately before them on an LCD screen. From there, users can take as many photos as they want and can use the photos they’ve already taken to set up poses for the next ones, doing more of the things that worked and less of the things that didn’t. The possibilities (and outcomes) are literally limitless. After the event, the photos are uploaded online where family and friends can view and purchase them. We keep the prices affordable ($1 for a 4x6 print) so that people can have their own keepsakes of the event.

What makes you different from other wedding photographers?
Our pursuit of capturing the beautiful essence of each distinct moment differentiates us from other wedding photographers. We have seen too many robo-photos that pasteurize originality. Because each wedding is truly a new venture, we strive to bring a new “bag-o-tricks” to each client. We do our research. We find our inspiration. We read everything that’s out there. We’re always looking.

The Smilebooth has been with us since day one (5 years ago) and has become part of who we are and the photographic services we offer. There are many creative and original aspects of our Smilebooth creation, but one of its best offerings for us as event photographers is that it allows us to focus on the magic that is happening in the room, avoiding customary and often sterile group poses. The Smilebooth concept has received accolades in the industry and we have had many inquiries from fellow photographers asking how the booth works. Because we’re givers, we have started selling the actual booth, along with instructions (in English!), to our photographer compatriots.

How do you two work as a team? Who is responsible for what?
The perk to being married and working together is that it requires only the slightest of facial gesture to get a point across. There is a healthy level of competition between the two of us that challenges us to push ourselves (and each other) at each wedding. At the same time, we balance each other out. Whitney is a leader, a doer and a people manager. Jesse is a little softer, tries to go unnoticed and lends a helping hand when needed. Whitney does most of the set up, site inspection, lugging of heavy equipment, working with the groom, turning into the invisible man for intimate ceremony shots, and directing those massive, large-family group shots so it doesn’t take up the whole cocktail hour. Jesse works with the bride, is constantly on the lookout for the tiniest of details that the client has invested so much time in, and hunts for the shots that will make the wedding stand out as uniquely in photos as it does in the memories of those who shared in it.

What advice can you give to couples looking for a wedding photographer?
Here’s our down and dirty advice: 

Definitely have two photographers. Two perspectives are always better than one.

Look at the photographer’s complete body of work, such as a full wedding, rather than make a decision based on a few well-chosen and -presented shots.

There are as many styles of wedding photography as there are styles of couples, so don’t settle. Look for what matches your aesthetic and work with people who you trust so you can let them do what they do best on your wedding day and you can enjoy your day.

Splurge on photography. Make it a priority. When all is said and done, the ability of a photograph to capture your memories in a tangible way will endure long after the memories themselves have begun to fade.

Be kind to your photographers. Feed them well on the day of. We all do better work when we’ve been properly nourished and hydrated.  

Check back for more from Whitney and Jessie later this afternoon!

—Chrissy Mahlmeister & Christa Joanna Lee

Tech-savvy gals may already know of the video-generating website Animoto.com that’s been garnering a lot of attention for it’s high-quality videos, but just this week they launched Animoto for Weddings (weddings.animoto.com) so now brides can finally showcase their online expertise. These professional-looking videos personalized with graphics, transition effects, music and text put the old photo slideshow to shame. Impress guests with memorable save the date videos or even break the big engagement news with an exciting 30-second clip.

Even if you aren’t the bride, make an unforgettable rehearsal dinner video that’ll make you look like a pro.

But what’s a video without some viewers? After the masterpiece is created, post it on your favorite social networking site (Facebook, MySpace or YouTube) or simply pass the video along to your family and friends through e-mail or your cell phone. If you have an iPhone, Animoto even has an application to create videos from anywhere!

If you can squeeze all your favorite photos in under 30 seconds, the video is free, and full-length movies cost $3. Filmmakers in the making can subscribe for an annual subscription and make unlimited full-length videos for $30. If you want DVDs of your video, it costs $20 and a high-res download is $5.

Give the ol' video-making process a whirl at weddings.animoto.com.

We’ve done cakes, flowers and stationery, but where would all that be without someone to document it? That’s why we've added photographers and videographers into the mix. Every other week we’ll be interviewing one to add their perspective and expertise to our series of Q&As.

This week we kick things off with with Utah-based photographer, Duston Todd dustontodd.com.

What influences your work?
Wow, big question! And many answers come to mind. My parents always encouraged me and my artistic abilities, and I was that kid in kindergarten that was always drawing and knew he wanted to be an artist. Another was a simple design class I took at a local community college. I still rely so much on the design process and principles that were taught in that one course. The definition of design is to visually organize information, and that’s exactly what I do. I organize lines, shapes, textures, patterns, values and colors all within my box of a camera. It is a never-ending thrill to answer this question of designing our world from a camera.

What makes you different other wedding photographers?
I don't play it safe. I’m not afraid to put more of myself in my work—not to say others don't—but I think too many wedding photographers that have amazing talent choose to play it safe because that’s what the market wants. I like to step outside of what everyone else is doing, and, as an exciting result, I am rewarded for it.

Film or digital. Why?
Film, 100 percent. Why? Because I love it! I love the organic quality film has. Everything in our world nowadays seems so hardened and artificial because of instant data. I’ve thrown myself into an interesting niche because on one side I want to be edgy and creative and funky with my subjects, and on the other side I am very old-fashioned and a purist because I still shoot film.

What advice can you give to couples looking for a wedding photographer?
You only get one day and one chance. How do you want to have your wedding day remembered? What type of vision would best tell your story for you? You are investing in a vision, so do your homework, look at what’s out there, make sure the photographer can execute that vision. Blogs, websites, magazines...study, study, study! You only get one opportunity to get it right.

What are some of the new wedding photography trends you've been noticing?
Wedding blogs are the newest big thing, and brides love them. There are so many ways to see photographers work out there and it is really exciting and accessible. But as far as trends of actual photography goes, I have seen a great deal of Photoshop-enhanced photos. It is becoming all too repetitive, in my opinion. That’s why I keep my images free of manipulation as much as possible. I keep my work timeless, and classic, and let the clothes and hairstyles date themselves, not the photo effects on top of it.

What are your top 5 must-take shots?
I prefer chapters. There’s too much to reduce it down to five singular shots. A wedding is a story and it's my job as a photographer to communicate that story. These are the most important chapters in that visual story (though there are many others):

Getting ready

The couple

The family and friends

The details

The ceremony and party

To see more of Duston’s work, visit dustontodd.com.

—Jessica Derschowitz

True, photo albums are the traditional way to store and save your wedding pictures, but Jenny Gaynor (jennygaynor.com) has imagined a new way to preserve your memories. The artists’ custom photo transfer vases are a bright and cheery means of displaying your keepsakes.

Made of recycled glass, these vases are handmade by Gaynor, who employs traditional Italian techniques to craft each one-of-a-kind gift. Imagine the blue sky and sparkling ocean of your Caribbean honeymoon reflected in the sunlight of your windowsill. Or, if a subtle monochrome mosaic is more your style, opt for the black and white design.

Gaynor offers four different sizes to satisfy your individual whims—while the medium vase is well suited for a bundle of hydrangeas, the large vase would be perfect for a bouquet of long stem flowers. Depending on what size you prefer, simply submit no less than 10 vertical images via email (be sure the resolution is at least 300 dpi). The large vase holds up to 84 photographs, so consider documenting your entire wedding from showers to honeymoon on this showpiece.

For their final step, vases are signed, dated, and inscribed with a personal message. It doesn’t get much more personal than that!

-Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

After you've said your I Dos and written your thank-yous, you'll come to one of the most exciting moments in all your wedding planning—looking through your wedding photos!

If you're anything like most brides, you'll frame a few, post some on Facebook and create a Flickr album. If you want to be ahead of the curve, though, the latest and greatest online photo technology is Animoto (animoto.com). The site basically allows you to create amazing videos you can share with your friends and family.

Just upload your favorite photos, choose the music you want your video set to and let Animoto do the rest. Don't like the result? Click the remix button and you'll get a brand new version. Once you have the one you like, email it out to all your loved ones and post it on your social networking page. The best part is, you can create 30 second videos for free or full-length videos for only $3!

Of course, nothing will compare to actually seeing the day unfold moment by moment, but if you want to spice things up, you'll love Animoto. I do!

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

PS: Watch our video featuring some gorgeous reception settings.