Your wedding party. Your bros. Your sistahs who stick with you through thick and thin. Or maybe you had as diverse a set of bridesmaids like the movie of the same name. They have agreed to strap themselves into colored dresses and matching suits. They fetch you water and make sure your ring is safe. They’ll run you a tissue when you cry. Bridesmaids and groomsmen, you guys rock.

I love how beautiful the multi-colored dresses came together

They’re working it

Tricia and her sisters. Four amazing and beautiful women

Ryan enjoyed a private chuckle

To use a word my boyfriend often utters: abfab. This group was abfab

Magazine-ready!

This wedding occurred after five days of rain and the grass was still damp. THANK YOU all for being super troopers!

This does not happen often, but I was able to capture not just the wedding party, but ALL of the wedding guests for this wedding

This wedding party had so much fun I don’t think they were camera shy at all!

Classy and stylish!

Group hug. I think everyone should hug it out (especially when it’s cold, right?)

Shang is a wedding photographer known for imagery that pops with color, personality, and energy. Shang secretly enjoyed the movie 27 Dresses – seriously, who can resist James Marsden’s smile?
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The experience from the workshop is best summed up as: Jerry taught us how to fish, and remember to aim for our perfect day. The workshop was isolating and Jerry had a really great no-email/phone rule. Jerry breaks down his best photos in five steps, starting with the most important thing – light. Jerry’s interpretation of light is amazing – he discovers it in places you wouldn’t think of. He is a master of light, color, and emotion, no doubt.

The first day of the workshop was a long, long day of honest critiques (though gentle). Jerry would give hints and glimpses into the foundations he would teach in the following two days. We grew pretty tired – it was July 4th and we missed the fireworks. Yet, even from the first day, I learned how to diagnose some issues I’d been having in shooting – lessons I’d carry with me for life. I had taken 2 film classes in college and they taught me not to blow out too many highlights and color correct, but not lighting portraits in particular. Days 2 and 3 were intensive shoot days. Jerry moved from light to posing and emotion and then took us out around Boston for shooting. We got tired on the second day because we went all the way to almost midnight. However, this is where Jerry stood apart and is key to his success. When we lost focus, he persevered. When we sat, he remained standing. When we declared we understood, he continued to push until he saw the lightbulbs click in our heads. Jerry never lost his energy, his cool, or his sense of humor (which borderlined between classy and wait-did-he-just-say-that…). He gave his all, and I can see how he would do likewise for his clients.

Days 4 and 5 were some of my favorites – Jerry went over album design, managing a client from beginning to end, selling, marketing, branding. He was very brutal with branding – including my own, which I’m very grateful for. This is really where he teaches you how to fish – and I’ve done some of those ideas to a lesser extent and I can speak to you from my personal experience, it works, but sometimes a little too well. I was empowered and felt I could do anything. Jerry even showed some of his old albums and they were pretty hilarious to look at – Jerry has made similar mistakes and wanted us to learn from them. Also, Jerry recently married a wonderful human being named Melissa, who is one of our own – a Boston wedding photographer. I learned a lot from watching the way Melissa talked and responded to our email. She made each and every one of us feel special, encouraged, and uplifted. From having only seen photos of her before, I was blown away by her sweetness and cheerful disposition.

Coming in as a workshop cynic, I can truly see where the value in the workshop lies. Now, I do not believe any ordinary photographer can come from the workshop and suddenly develop into a success overnight. I don’t believe that those are promises any workshop teacher can make, because it will depend on the student’s ability to incorporate the teaching.

Who is this workshop for? There are two kinds of photographers I would recommend this workshop to. One, you are early in your career, you’ve got basic technical chops, you may have shot anywhere between 5 – 10 weddings on your own, but you want to start your company correctly. Second, this workshop is great for people who have been in the biz 10, 15 years and are feeling burned out.

How to get the most out of the workshop? Come in with an open mind. A lot of the things Jerry says might be counter-intuitive and not your style, but keep in mind that Jerry is a lot more successful than most of us, so he must have done something right. To say the least I was a little frustrated when we spent a lot of time addressing individual questions that at times were not pertinent to what Jerry was teaching. He is the teacher, he is the one I paid to listen to. Jerry’s technique in repeating and presenting the same idea in many different ways WILL stick, but it takes time. You have to differentiate the principle he is presenting from his style. Take the time after the workshop to digest and mull over the implications of what he has presented on your own business.

Also, don’t shoot too much when he shoots. I saw many students crowd around Jerry to try to get the photos he was taking. You’re just going to have a version that wasn’t as good as Jerry’s and you can’t put them in your portfolio. Instead, look at the entire setup, look at the surroundings, and look at what he is doing. I took a lot of the photographs of the overall setup, location, position and angle that Jerry was photographing.

What did I get out of it? This workshop helped remind me what was really important in my life. I concluded that I was right in taking a personal break from full-time photography in 2012 (it’s not barren – you’ll still see weddings that I’ve committed myself to). I know that was not the answer most of you expected from me – I won’t elaborate as it is a very personal decision – all I ask is for your support as I transition my life. In general, I firmly believe that if you are a talented photographer and a smart businessperson, you can take Jerry’s teachings and make a great career out wedding photography.

Fellow photographer and friend Dave Chen has a great review that shows more behind the scenes photos. I have chosen not to display most of the photos I took because frankly I didn’t take much.

So, there is a photography treat at the end of this post! In order to benefit from the technical part of the portfolio, I was itching to practice. I wanted to commit to muscle memory Jerry’s 5 steps, but add my own twist, as his style is not my style – but not on a paying client’s time. I also didn’t want to shoot with models, because I don’t work with models in my weddings. I recruited Amy and Frank – a real couple whose actual engagement I captured back in March, and we just played around the MIT area. These photos are not perfect, but they’re a start! There is Jerry’s influence in them in terms of lighting and posing, but I really wanted to make them my own – Jerry said that my portfolio had “quirky that wasn’t cheese” (yay!) and that my bubbly personality is reflected in the playful way I portray my clients.

I don’t know if the direct sunlight look is right for me, but I am getting better at it. I promise my summer clients though that I won’t be exposing you to too much hot sun anyway =)

Amy and Frank are… well, real. There’s no other way for me to describe it. Frank especially, who I’ve been acquainted with since high school, has grown so much. If you ever have the chance to get to know him, you should

Jerry’s technique is great though. Most of these photos required very little post-processing while maintaining my signature color

I LOVE this portrait of Frank. It shows all of you what Amy likes most about Frank’s smile – the way his nose “gets really cute” when he smiles (her words!)

Did I mention it was like 90 degrees? Well, maybe more like 80s because we shot later in the day. Thanks guys for being awesome troopers!

July 14 – 17 – Lafayette, Indiana
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston

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If there is one thing I wish I could have done more of in my first season of wedding photography, it’s that I could have had the chance to shadow more wedding photographers. Though I had a couple of opportunities, I was working full-time at another job which also made my schedule less flexible. In hindsight I also recognize how I could have been smarter about networking with photographers. I cannot emphasize how important it is to second shoot and assist for someone else, before handling a wedding on your own. The unpredictable nature, the sheer amount of information you have to keep in your head, the need for flexibility, quick action, you won’t know it until you see it. Assisting isn’t always glamorous, but it is for your own – and your future clients’ – benefit. Now that I find myself on the receiving end of requests, I thought I’d share some thoughts on what can be a daunting process.

Cold calling is scary. Establish a personal connection first

Depending on who you are reaching out to, if you initially email, you might not get an overly-enthusiastic reply because the photographer has no idea who you are. Check out their website – do they have a blog? Facebook page? Twitter? Which one do they update most frequently? Get on that and start chatting with them. Facebook or Twitter don’t sound like your cup of tea? If the photographers you admire the most are doing some activity, it may very well be an activity you eventually will have to do too, so I wouldn’t dismiss it. Like the photographer’s work or comment on it so that when you email them for the first time and tell them “I really like your work” you’re not just saying it because you want to look for a job. Your email is like your cover letter – so tell your story and make it personal!

It’s not personal – many will already have someone they like working with

Many wedding photographers already have a couple of shooters they frequently work with. It is also pretty common for an established photographer to sometimes flex their photo muscles on an off weekend with another photographer of similar skill level. Husband-and-wife teams often don’t look for assistance as much unless the wedding is extra-large. Do not despair – wedding photographers frequently announce last minute needs, and at that time are much more open to working with people outside of their normal list. There are also online wedding photography communities that you can join to look for more gigs. Therefore, don’t take it personally if a photographer says their needs are filled

Learn as much as you can online before asking in person

The more established a photographer, the busier they probably are, so make the best of the time you spend with them by preparing your questions. Check to see if the wedding photographer you’re contacting holds any workshops – if they do, they may not give away too much information for free. There are many, many online forums, blogs, websites that hold a wealth of information to get you started (the [b] school, Digital Wedding Forum, the blogs of Laurence Kim and Jasmine Star, just to name a few!). Then when you meet the photographer, you can ask a list of smarter, more targeted questions

Off-season, off-weekend

Winter is the off-season and the best time to make an in-person connection with a wedding photographer. Want to meet on a Saturday in the summer? Good luck =) I would aim for a mid-week weekday lunch or afternoon break. [addendum: winter is the off-season for cold climates such as Boston and Chicago. In warmer climates, winter might be the busy season!]

Networking is more than just leaving a business card

I value getting to know people first. Find out what their passions are, learn what they are up to, what projects I can help with, people I can connect them with. And doing that over, and over again, over a long period of time. Your best network is always your friends, so make friends! If I know I’m going to see someone again, I think it’s better / less awkward not ending the conversation with a business card exchange. This is because once people get to know me, they’ll easily find out what I do.

Give then take

If you want to learn from a photographer, offer to help. I am usually a lot more inclined to teach someone while on the job rather than over a coffee chat because a) I don’t drink coffee (but that’s just me) and b) I can accomplish two things at once. I love having assistance on shoots because I can sometimes bounce ideas off of my assistants. When meeting with a photographer, it helps that you know their work – take some time to look through their portfolio to understand their style and focus. If you have questions about fashion photography but said photographer does not have fashion work in their portfolio, chances are, they are not the expert you’re looking for. Taking a cue from the corporate world, I’d even suggest that you offer to pay for the photographer’s food / drink if this is an informational meeting. I am personally guilty of not always doing this – I owe several photogs some coffees and meals!

Have an online portfolio ready

I’m always hoping to get a glimpse of your portfolio so I can quickly gauge where you are coming from. You can always get a free site started on flickr, wordpress, or blogger

Experience > Pay

Some photogs will have the budget to pay you, some won’t, it depends. If you’re not shooting, it’s a toss-up as to whether you’ll be paid, so I would just say to go in without financial expectations – go because you want to learn. Humbleness will go far.

Clarify your role

During some weddings or shoots, your job can be quite mundane. Holding things, equipment bags, adjusting a bride’s dress, finding the missing flower girl, moving furniture, getting water, and making yourself useful so that the photographer can focus on shooting – these are things that have to be done, and do impact the quality of the photographer’s work. I personally make a distinction between assistants and second shooters – second shooters photograph (sometimes in a different location!) and provide an alternate angle to my own and their images are delivered to the client with my editing. Assistants get to shoot once I no longer need their help, and their images are not delivered to the client. In the case of working with me, the opportunity to shoot as an assistant is much smaller than as a second shooter – most people with little wedding experience start as an assistant and work their way up to second shooter or associate photographer. I’d say preferences vary by photographer – and it’s best to get these questions answered upfront: a) When and how often can I shoot? b) Can I present resulting photographs in my blog or portfolio? c) How should I credit the main photographer?

Your professionalism will be judged

Wedding photographers are more than just artists, they run businesses. If you are hoping to be a business owner one day, start with a good business presence. Be detailed when setting up a meeting (provide your contact information, text beforehand to confirm), arrive on time if not early, don’t dress as if you just rolled out of bed, all that matters. I fully believe that professionalism is what makes or breaks your ability to be profitable, beyond your artistic capability.

Don’t give up!

It can be discouraging to come away hearing more no’s than yesses. I got it too. I didn’t get to assist the photographers I really wanted to assist for. I don’t book every gig I want to photograph. Not every blog is going to say yes to publishing my work. I know that I have lots of room to grow and get better. Challenges and obstacles are there for a reason – starting your own business is hard work, and making it profitable is even harder, and only very few people are truly phenomenally successful.

Hope this was helpful! And again, don’t be shy to reach out to me =)

June 11 – back to Boston
June 14 – 16 – NYC
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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Those of you who might say this is one of my least positive posts, let me be honest with you – when it comes to running a business, I’m not easily impressed, it takes a very rare personality to make me think, “oh dang ohmahgodyouaresoamazing”. I’m not impressed with myself (definitely not), and I don’t easily get impressed with others. I’ve consulted for and researched some of the top corporations in the nation, I’ve seen what makes even the mighty fall. Therefore, I hold everyone up to very high standards whether they deserve it or not. I spent a lot of money to get to WPPI (not as much as a workshop, but still, a lot). That’s why I think it’s important to always push for a better experience and try to plan it so that it comes out most positively possible.

First things first, I met up with my great friend and former second shooter Emily and did an anniversary shoot for her. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. She then introduced me to the best ramen in town

(the majority of the photos taken in this blog were from my HTC Incredible Droid phone as I didn’t have the energy to carry everything around)

Here are my tips and tricks

• Plan early: Book your tickets to Vegas either way in advance or at the last minute. Flying from Boston – Las Vegas can be pricey
• Room together and stay at the Signature MGM! My friends and I tried to save money by going to 2 other hotels (and also, to build up said friend’s Starwood points). And though I am forever grateful at the amazing experience that is the Cosmopolitan, I personally did not like the 30-minute walk to the conference center at MGM. Signature MGM sits right on top of the conference center and has kitchenettes. What looks like a half-mile walk on the Strip turns out to be longer because you have to deal with tourists and slow moving people. And everything happens at MGM – or nearly everything – and it just wasn’t convenient for me. I wanted to change clothes, drop off my bags, drop off stuff I gathered… I am not going to let costs stop me next year, I’m paying the convenience premium and staying at MGM Signature

• I followed a lot of the WPPI tips and tricks on the Photo Lovecat blog – such as wearing comfortable shoes (yay Chucks!), leaving my big camera at the hotel, etc. I won’t repeat a lot of that here, but read. every. blog. post. they. have. about. WPPI – you won’t regret it
• You’re going to text a lot. Decrease the amounts of times your phone has to sync to 3G because it WILL drain the battery. Verizon (woot) got the best reception at the conference. You will run out of texts
• Food at Vegas is $$$$ EXPENSIVE! I ate at McDonalds three times, Starbucks once, and In-N-Out once. This burger plate at Wolfgang Puck cost around $22 (with tax and tip)

• Do what you can to get out and network and talk to people. I was shy and overwhelmed by the presence of so many amazing photographers. And of course, my (business school) classes decide to dump a couple of big projects on me. Thanks to coordination between my teammates and I we got everything done, but I really wish I just didn’t do homework the first couple nights and just went to hang out more
• I have to give major major props to Wayne of Wayne Yuan Photography for introducing me to super-cool people in Chicago such as Albert of Secondprint Productions, Oliver of Chris and Oliver (awesome videography!), Jimmy Tan, and Mike Fan. Jimmy and Mike are a riot… at one point I had to pause and ask how old they were (turns out Jimmy and I are the same age) because I swear they could pass for Albert’s kids

The trade show is going to make you buy things. Like any shopping spree, stick to your shopping list and do your research (I had my smartphone loaded with price searches before I bought anything). There are incredible once-a-year deals at WPPI that will make your trip worth it, and then there aren’t. For example, I shoot exclusively using SanDisk CF cards but these expensive cards rarely go on sale and there were no deals to be found on the trade show floor.

And as Photo Lovecat mentioned – don’t check out EVERYTHING – there are hundreds of companies peddling their ware and you don’t need everything – after all, your main product remains photography, you’re not in the contest to show up another photographer with more gear. I only targeted a couple of the booths this year, and didn’t look at booths that didn’t make sense to where my business was at right now
I do what I can to rep the companies I love – like KISS wedding albums! Haha okay this was part of a contest to get more KISS credits… I didn’t win, but it was fun!

Here’s how to vote: Comment on this blog post and tell me which couple you think deserves to win! You can comment using either the Facebook comment option or the regular comment option – update: anonymous commenting is disabled. You must use a Facebook log-in or enter a valid email address using the normal commenting option. Please do not try to comment using both methods – the non-Facebook method takes time for me to approve before it can show up. And to make it more fun, the comment that makes me laugh/cry/think the most gets a $20 Amazon gift card – in that case you cannot comment anonymously! Therefore, I’d love to see comments that don’t just say “XX and YY should win!”, but tell me why!

Voting has ended, thank you!

Here are the couples and their stories, thank you for reading! In alphabetical order by the submitter’s first name. These stories are much longer, I’ve had to condense them to fit the blog!

Andrew and Jia

Jennifer and Jean-Philippe

Their love story:  Jennifer writes, “Our relationship started in autumn 2006 when we were both exchange students at the Universidad de Costa Rica in San Pedro, Costa Rica. We met through one of my best friends. The mutual attraction was evident from the beginning, and our relationship quickly became more serious. Upon the end of our semester abroad, we decided to remain together despite the challenges we knew we would be facing. I returned to Arizona and JP to Switzerland to finish college. This wasn’t an average lwe continually stayed in contact via text message and Skype, and we always made plans for when we would next see each other in person, which was typically every 2-3 months. Additionally, in 2008, I spent a semester studying German at the Universität Konstanz. With this six month stay, during which we spent every weekend together in Switzerland (or traveling). When I returned to the US to finish my bachelor’s studies in Arizona, I applied for several post-graduate internships in Switzerland. In due course, I found a traineeship position at a pharmaceutical company in Basel. This time together, from January to September 2009, allowed us to further grow as a couple and experience our future life together, as we were both working and no longer students.” Jennifer eventually returned to the U.S. and began pursuing a doctorate at Northwestern.

The engagement and wedding: “This past holiday season, after asking for my parents’ blessing over Christmas, JP proposed to me on a beautiful clear night in Chicago at the end of Navy Pier, where we had spent much time before admiring the city skyline and talking about our future together. It was so romantic and of course I said yes!!! We are now in the process of re-locating JP to Chicago, and moving to another continent is no easy feat! Our wedding is tentatively scheduled for late summer or early fall 2012. As every wedding involves two families getting together to celebrate (and in our case two families that are spread across three countries-USA, Switzerland, and France-and that speak three different languages), logistics are still being worked out. We are currently leaning towards a wedding in southern Switzerland, where the traditional Catholic churches are beautiful, the temperatures moderate, and the landscape absolutely stunning with crystal blue lakes and gorgeous views of the Alps.”

Why them? “I think that our story is inspiring to anyone who knows how hard it is to be in a long distance relationship, but still believes that love can conquer even the most trying of times. One of my favorite love quotes is from Francois de la Rouchefoucauld: “Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.” There is something so romantic about being able to meet your loved one at the airport, face-to-face for the first time in months. Those little moments are magical and being in a long distance relationship for over 4 years has made us be able to appreciate any and every bit of time that we are able to spend together and that is what being married is about!”

Kriti and Rory

Their love story: Kriti and Rory met freshman year of college, and though it wasn’t love at first sight, they grew to be friends. “During our sophomore year, we both had to transfer home to our state universities following a change in financial aid policy. The ‘academic’ scholarships we both had dissolved as our parents were told they made too much money for the scholarships, but not enough to pay for school. I went home to New Jersey, and he went to Texas.” Kriti and Rory reconnected their senior year while interviewing for med schools and began dating. They both received full scholarships but to different schools, but they knew they wanted to be together. “We were desperate enough to be together that we applied for jobs across the globe… eventually Kriti received a job in Houston where Rory had a school acceptance. “Medical school debt runs in the range of 150 to 300k. Unfortunately, for us to be together in Houston, we had to give up a collective 300k dollars. After we moved to Houston, we both took low paying jobs. Kriti applied to medical school in Houston that fall, while I deferred my acceptance for one year. We took a huge gamble in putting all our hopes into her getting into school in Houston. We entered medical school in 2008, together as one of the very few couples that enter this phase of their training at the same institution.”

The engagement and wedding: “Rory proposed over Christmas during our third year. And as should be obvious from this story, the answer was a resounding yes! And now we are in the planning stages for our wedding, which we hope to be an Indian-American fusion, a multicultural thing of sorts that will bring together two great families and a lot of characters that deserve a good party. We will be applying to our respective residencies (the training portion after medical school), a period that will last us between six and eight years. During that time, we will continue to work hard. Surgical residents work between 80 and 120 hours weekly and I cannot see a reason why we would be any exception to this tradition. A nice plus to our moving forward will be a little pay, estimated to be a whopping $6.00 an hour based on hours, to go toward paying down our student loans.”

Why them? “The hard part for us as a medical couple is the getting to residency stage. Given that we will both be going into surgical subspecialty training, we will have what they call a difficult match. We will each be traveling some 20,000 miles across the country, interviewing at dozens of programs, and spending upwards of $20,000 so that we can be together. A computer will sort out where we go. People often ask, “where would you like to go for residency?” and our response is “anywhere that has a hospital and two open spots”.  The question we often ask ourselves is where will we find the money to get apply for residency in the hopes of staying together, having already committed so much to making this relationship work, while also trying to plan a nice wedding. This is what the future holds for us. Our marriage will be but a continuation of a story started long ago as chemistry lab partners, and the gift of photography would be an amazing way to capture our transition as we move forward.”

Shanna and Philip

Their love story: Shanna writes, “Phil and I met in college in Minnesota.  He was the popular, athletic senior and I was the nerdy shy freshman.  Long story short, he swept me off my feet- just the little things that he did, like taking me for walks at midnight, made me feel like the most special girl in the world.  Unfortunately, time came for Phil to graduate.  At the college we attend, we are assigned to a teaching job which could be anywhere in the country…he was assigned to Arizona-halfway across the country.  For the past year and a half we have kept up the long distance relationship.  Though it’s been hard, we come see each other whenever we can, but plane tickets are definitely not cheap-especially on a college budget!”

The engagement and wedding: “We got engaged this past November and are looking forward to a wedding in late June, 2012.  Plans have been slow so far with the distance complicating the process. Unfortunately, as I am a poor college student and my fiance a teacher who does not get paid well and is struggling with loans, we are not able to afford quality photography.  Our wedding will be an extremely important date to us not only because we are being joined in marriage, but also because our family and close friends will get a chance to be together—for once!  Our immediate families and friends are scattered all around the country, from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Washington and Arizona.  It would mean so much to us to be able to capture this day when everyone will be together celebrating our special day with us.”

Why them? “I believe that Phil’s and my story is the true story of how far love can take two people… I know that true love can’t be broken with distance, it only grows in appreciation.  I want my relationship to help those out there who aren’t sure if the whole long distance relationship thing will work for them.  I want them to know that it is possible.  All you need is love… Yes, we could suffice for a cheap photographer, but the images would not capture the true essence of the day.  The color in Shang Chen’s photos is so vibrant and beautiful; I know it would help Phil and I along with our families to remember the day like it is intended to be remembered.  After we get married, Phil and I will have to move somewhere else because I will have graduated and we will be placed somewhere in the country.  It would mean the world to have the photographs to take with us wherever we go.”

Stephanie and Sean

Their love story: “Stephanie and Sean were the only two interns of the same company in 2005 – Stephanie came from Cali, Sean from New York. They goofed off in the warehouse, got $5 lunch specials at their favorite Chinese Restaurant, and Stephanie introduced Sean to the splendor of sushi. Sean was fascinated by the funny sticky notes Stephanie would leave him on his computer. Sean planned to go back to New York, and revealed his feelings to Stephanie. Stephanie was more hesitant, so she turned him down. Stephanie was going through anxiety regarding applying to grad school, and during this time Sean reassured her and encouraged her, though Stephanie continued to reject him many times. Stephanie moved to the Midwest to attend Northwestern University for graduate school, and after a rough first few months, Sean visited and they officially began their relaionship. In addition to “hanging out” on webcam via Skype, Stephanie and Sean talk on the phone multiple times per day, find a way to visit each other once per month, and make every effort to include each other in their lives apart. Since the cost of plane tickets adds up, Stephanie and Sean try to use coupons as much as possible. “

The engagement and wedding: Though they are not officially engaged, Stephanie and Sean both agree that if they were to envision their wedding right now, it would certainly be in southern California since most of Stephanie’s relatives live in the area. One possibility would be to have a backyard wedding at Sean’s uncle’s house since it would be more personal and in the fresh outdoors. Of course this is all speculation. Sean and Stephanie don’t care much for having an extravagant wedding of their own. Fortunately, they have some artistic family members who have experience in homemade wedding décor and cake decoration and may volunteer their services. But what Stephanie and Sean want most is to provide a time to create lasting memories with great food, music, and dancing for their cherished friends and family who have loved and supported them through the years.

Why them? Stephanie and Sean have overcome a lot of hurdles to get together and to stay together. It was difficult for both of them to fully understand each other at first, coming from different cultures, both ethnically and geographically. Their relationship and journey is a story of how life doesn’t always go as you expect it to, but somehow it works out in the end. Stephanie and Sean met Shang at their friend Harold’s birthday dinner. They both noticed how receptive she was to everyone she spoke to. She was eager to speak with strangers she had never met before and felt completely comfortable in an unfamiliar setting. Later they found out that Shang was not just in business school at Booth, but also did wedding photography. They were both amazed at how Shang could juggle all of this and still maintain such liveliness. In their eyes, a true artist has a spark and a special eye for looking at things differently than the rest of the world. They can envision and capture beauty in any situation. The combination of Shang’s outward thirst for life and an amazing online portfolio is plenty of reason for Sean and Stephanie wanting to have her as their wedding photographer.

Shang’s travel schedule!

Mar 19 – 27 – Boston – available for shoots and consults
Apr 29 – May 1 – Boston – fully booked
May 13 – 15 – Ann Arbor
May 20 – 22 – Boston – fully booked
Jun 11 – The long-awaited return to Boston for the summer!

want to learn more about my photography? inquire!
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However, some photogs and blogs use material from such shoots and call it “real” or make it look like it was part of a real wedding portfolio. I’m lucky that I’ve had enough work such that all the photos you see on myportfolio came from real weddings and engagements. However, when I first began, I too struggled with a tiny portfolio. I understand the desire to show everything that one is capable of, but not always having all the opportunities upfront… it’s life, we all have to start somewhere.

Every day I still hope to keep working hard, remain humble, and not take anything for granted. Weddings big and small, in the end, it’s all about the love, and that is universal.

I loved this contest that Michael Norwood Photography put together – “If you’re a photographer I want you to blog an entire wedding with no portraits, no details and no staged or directed shots. I don’t care if you’ve already blogged the wedding. Go through and pick out the best moments and show me what you’ve got“. For that, I have chosen to feature Nicole and Lino’s wedding that I photographed last year in Puerto Rico. These are true photojournalistic moments – moments that require a photographer anticipating and being in the right place at the right time, while keeping in mind all the technical challenges of photography itself, with split seconds to make such decisions. I’m also showing these photographs without captions, as I hope the images speak for themselves. A couple images here came from the ever-fabulous Emily Ku, a Las Vegas wedding photographer and my second shooter for that day. Hope you enjoy this recap! [If you're curious to see what I've left out, you can check out the wedding recaps here, here, and here]

Remember, ongoing this month, check out my 2012 wedding photography giveaway!

want to learn more about my photography? inquire!
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More sneak peeks on my Facebook fan page

It’s really interesting how many more people I meet these days who tell me they knew about me prior to meeting me…. it’s a little creepy, and of course, flattering. Say hello sometime here or communicate on my Facebook fan page! I don’t bite, and I like making new friends! =)

want to learn more about my photography? inquire!
hear the news first - like my work on facebook . follow my thoughts on twitter

In the meantime, I’ve got some tips for you! Beyond the skill and artistry of a photographer, I’ve seen variations in an individual photographer’s work as well from wedding to wedding to session. There are some factors that are beyond our control – but are in the client’s control – that can help bring their photos up to the next level. After all, we work the best we can with what we are given, but some things do make our lives better and your pictures spectacular.

1. Communication – I want to understand first and foremost what my clients want to look for in their photographs. A lot of clients come to me saying they like “photojournalistic” capture, but then when they point out their favorite photos in my portfolio, they aren’t necessarily what I’d call photojournalistic! Therefore, I really believe in meeting and emailing and staying in constant contact with my clients. The more communication and understanding there is between a photographer and a client, the more prepared we will be going in.

2. Weather – Actually, this is beyond anyone’s control, weather is not the greatest in Boston, but there are things that I do to work around. First off, as a mostly natural light photographer, I almost never do portraits after sunset. In order to make sure there is enough light and time for photographs, the majority of my wedding clients elect to have their portraits taken before the ceremony (a First Look), and no one has regretted it!

3. Give enough time – A wedding day is hectic, many things can go wrong, but if photographs are important to you, you need to plan enough time to take those photos, it takes time to get familiar in front of the camera and get “just 10 great shots”. Depending on the size of your wedding party and the number of family group photos you need, I typically recommend anywhere between 1 – 2.5 hours for photos. You will need more time if you want to travel.

4. Location, location, location – If your reception or ceremony venue is naturally beautiful, then you already have a leg up. However, as I am more of an outdoors photographer, I still spend the majority of pre-session planning with my clients brainstorming multiple locations and settings because a venue might not have a great exterior, and even on the day of the wedding, things can change. Therefore, give yourself more options by being open to multiple locations.

5. Add an engagement session – Why have an engagement session? It’s an opportunity to get to know your photographer early, test out their stuff, and get some great photos at the same time. Couples who have done an engagement session are much more relaxed with me on wedding day.

6. Start with a better canvas  - It’s no secret that the more money and time one invests into a wedding, usually the better it looks. Now, I’m not sitting here telling everyone to spend more money on a wedding. However, things that do make photos better include: Taking the time to get great makeup, good hair, a form-fitting dress, beautiful florals, and details, details, details. If these kinds of provisions are not within your wedding plans, then I’d definitely recommend #7.

7. Personality – You’ve got it, your friends have it, so don’t be afraid to be yourself at your own wedding! Your personality is what is going to make your photographs uniquely yours. In the end, even if a bride had the world’s most beautiful dress, or someone managed to rent out the most expensive venue, I care most about capturing the beautiful union of two people.

One sneak peek from a styled bridal shoot featuring Bumble Bee Landing‘s floral design