Both are Pilots! (Birmingham, Alabama) 2012-03-12

This past Saturday at the Southern Flight Museum, in an intimate wedding among vintage airplanes and other flight related memorabilia, two pilots were united in marriage. It was a beautiful wedding with much love from family and friends surrounding Cait and Matt. Their engagement story and Cait’s bridal portrait were featured in the New York Times yesterday. You must read their amazing love story!

The day started at The Tutweiler where the bride and her wedding party greeted out of town guests who were invited to enjoy a light lunch before the day’s activites began. What a beautiful day for photos in the hotel’s courtyard…the weather report was calling for rain, but we were very fortunate to have the most perfect day of blue skies and warm temperatures.

The wedding was a black tie affair, and the bride was the “belle of the ball” in her pale pink silk gown. Both Cait and Matt chose their best friends for the positions of Matron of Honor and Best Man; the groom’s sisters served as bridesmaids, and the bride’s brothers were the groomsmen.

We wish Cait and Matt the very best and agree with the sentiment on the ice sculpture — “love is in the air”

Why A Studio? 2012-02-21

A long time ago, in the olden days, photographers had studios with heavy drapes and scenic backdrops with lots of props (some still do). As everything does, the work of the photographer has changed, in many ways dramatically, and in other ways, not so much. The dramatic changes have come from digital–from the darkroom to the lightroom; from the process of knowing how to develop the film to get the results the photographer wanted on the paper he already knew he would use; from watching the image appear magically on the paper in the developer to seeing the image immediately on the back of the camera. (Yes, I did all those darkroom things and now spend a good part of my time in front of the computer. I miss those darkroom days in many ways, but that’s a story for another day!)

However, the structure of a good photograph will never change. There are rules for photography, and we at Gretchen B Photography have spent many years learning the rules (and can break them on purpose and get the desired result!), learning how to control light, learning how to properly pose the body to present each person in the best possible way, learning to put together groups of people so the end result is pleasing to the eye, learning to see people and places and how to capture what we see in order to share with others.

I know you have seen photographers advertise that they are “available light” photographers. That’s all well and good, but what if the place or the people they are photographing isn’t in good light and can’t be moved to good light? Our theory is that any light we have is “available” and that includes our studio strobes, our continuous lights (no flashing to break the mood of a newborn session or an intimate maternity session or engagement session), off camera flashes, and reflectors.

Why a studio portrait? There is a time for a studio portrait, and we believe the bridal portrait is a perfect time for studio work. In the studio, the bride has the privacy to change into her gown with all the many items that go along with that. There is no worry about the weather or the temperature so hair and make-up looks great from start to finish. The classic bridal portrait will never go out of style and is a portrait that will be enjoyed for generations. Remember looking at the portrait of your grandmother in her wedding clothes? The portrait tells us so much about the personality of the bride…and the photographer. It’s an interesting saying that every photograph involves three people: the subject, the viewer, and the photographer. (That is why it is so important for you to choose a photographer whose style and personality are a good match for your own–you can have perfectly executed photographs, but if you didn’t enjoy the experience, the photos will only bring back negative memories!)

This portrait of Jessica is a great example of proper lighting and a flattering pose. It also gives a hint of Jessica’s confidence in how she looks and feels in her beautiful gown. Notice how the shadow side of her face is against the light side of the backdrop, and the light side of her face is in contrast with the dark side of the backdrop. Her arms are away from her body to accentuate her small waist, and her flowers are held at waist height. There is an “S Curve” from her head through her flowers that takes the eye from top left to bottom right…the way they eye naturally travels through a photograph.

The high fashion bridal portrait is another option for studio work. Using a beauty dish and kicker lights, Emily could be on the cover of a high fashion bridal magazine. Her wrist is bent so her hand is elegantly touching her arm while showing her engagement ring in a discreet way. The “S curve” is noticeable in the curve or her back. Her right leg is bent to give a beautiful and feminine line to her sheath wedding dress. The light from the kicker light camera left coming through her veil gives an overall glow to the image. Her expression is pensive, appropriate for the high fashion portrait.

These are just two examples of the different looks a knowledgeable studio photographer can offer the discriminating bride. Watch for more posts with tips on how to analyze a photograph…helpful when you are in the market for a professional photographer.

(Gretchen is a Certified Professional Photographer and has been a professional photographer for over ten years. Her studio is located in quaint Old Town Helena, Alabama.)

New Look! 2012-02-18

Over the next several days you may see some inconsistencies with our logo in different places…we are working to get everything up and going as fast as we can. Laura Joseph, a graphic artist, has designed our new logo (do you love it?!) and a web designer is currently working on a new website! We are very excited about the changes and realize that there my be some confusion during the transition. Stay tuned! I promise it will be worth it.

To See or Not To See?… That is The Question! 2012-02-14

This is a topic of conversation with each bride and groom as we talk about the details of their wedding and how the day will flow. Recently Rachael Grammer wrote this article for her blog, and she graciously agreed to be my guest blogger today and share her insight. Enjoy!

by Rachael Grammer, professional bridal consultant and owner of Two Hearts Weddings and Events

One of my main duties as a wedding planner is to establish a day-of schedule, and with that comes figuring out what photos will be taken when, in order to maximize time and make it easy for everyone involved. Obviously, the key to all of that is knowing if the couple would like to see each other before the ceremony or wait until the bride is walking down the aisle.

Chances are you probably have already made up your mind about which you prefer and I’m not going to say either way is best… at least, I’ll try. In fact, I’m only going to list the pros for each situation, because I see the benefits of doing it either way. That being said, here’s a few insights and loveliness to give you some food for thought.

Generally, most photographers prefer to capture your “first look” photos prior to the ceremony for one main reason… TIME. Photos before allow for a relaxed run through of all the important portraits leaving lots more time for getting those fun, artsy shots we all love so much!

And there’s more pros for seeing each other before…

Emotions… Let’s face it, people cry at weddings and unless you’ve been trained in Hollywood on how to cry on camera, chances are you probably won’t like how you look in your photos at that moment in time. Ever heard of the “ugly cry”? Also, isn’t it best to capture everyone when their hair and makeup is fresh?

Herding cats… Have you ever tried it? I have, and while I’m good at it, I find it easier to get everyone together before the ceremony for photos at specific time points. They are generally happy and in good spirits at that time, provided they didn’t tie one on the night before at the rehearsal dinner. Wedding days are long and after the ceremony, your besties can tend to wander off making it difficult to get everyone in the photos.

Anticipation… No party really starts until the guest of honor arrives – meaning you and your new husband! Providing cocktails, and even allowing dinner to start in your absence is fine, but your guests come to your wedding to celebrate with you. Waiting an hour or more, after seeing you at the ceremony, can be so frustrating for them.

Now, let’s consider the pros for not seeing each other before the ceremony…
Side note – I’m going to try hard to not poke holes in these too much. Sorry, can’t help it!

Superstition… A long, long time ago in a far away land, the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony was for a good reason. Many times the young man had never laid eyes on his bride to be and those making all the arrangements didn’t want all their best laid plans to go out the window in case he changed his mind before standing in front of all those witnesses. Same with the veil being down over the bride’s face, but that’s another post! So here I go… I agree, superstitions and traditions can be important and fun to hang onto, but you and yours-to-be arranged your marriage, correct? No surprise then really, so reveal yourselves to each other in a beautiful intimate moment.

Drama… If you haven’t seen Phantom of the Opera, then this may not resonate well with you, but remember that feeling you had in your chest and how your breathing changed when the lights were down low and the incredible music exploded at the same time you first laid eyes on the Phantom? It might not feel exactly that way to your groom, as he sees you for the first time coming down the aisle to the Bridal Chorus, but it’s darn close! There’s something about combining built-up anticipation and dramatic music together that seems to make our chins quiver and eyes well up. I love seeing the groom when he is so fixated on his bride to be and to see him wipe away a tear. It never gets old! That being said though… the drama is still there even if he saw you several hours prior. It’s the music, definitely the music!

Jessica Wright Photography

So, there you have it… To See or Not To See, that IS the question! How do you feel about it? Either way you decide, get creative with your photos. If waiting is what you choose, then set something up that will be fun, but doesn’t give away the surprise either!

The Birmingham Boy with an Airplane 2012-01-25

Here’s my sweet little Blake…he was born way too early, but you wouldn’t know it now! He recently celebrated his first birthday where his destiny appears to be an airplane pilot! His grandfather built this really cool airplane that Blake’s mom brought to the studio…isn’t it incredible? We had a great time celebrating Blake’s birthday! Here’s one of my most favorite photos from the session…watch the video to see Blake’s numerous outfit changes including his baptism cap and gown!

Up, Up, and Away!