Eugene wedding photographer
Wedding Photography
About Me
A little bit about me and how I approach weddings…
My wedding photography career began in 2003, when I was a 2nd-shooter for an established pro in the Eugene area. Until that point, I’d mostly been shooting stuff for newspapers and magazines, both locally and nationally. The idea of shooting a wedding was something completely new and I’m really glad I decided to be a 2nd-shooter for awhile before starting my own business. I continued shooting for this same photographer into 2004, which was when I also began shooting solo weddings. My business fully developed in 2005, when I had too many weekends booked on my own and could no longer 2nd-shoot for someone else! So how do I approach a wedding day?
I usually arrive whenever and wherever the bride and her bridesmaids are getting ready. Not only does this yield some wonderful images, it also allows the bride to get used to me and, I hope, render me ‘invisible’ for the rest of the day so I can get those great expressions in both the candids and the portraits.
My day continues throughout the ceremony and the reception, ending only after the last dance has been danced and folks are headed out the door (or just sitting around in small groups, talking and visiting).
The number of images I take during a typical wedding varies and I pare this number down to 400 or so ‘keepers’ which become the possession of the bride and groom. The only images I delete, since everyone always asks, are the ones nobody would want: multiple exposures of the same shot (bracketed for different light readings or white balance); shots where someone’s eyes are closed and/or looking at another camera; shots where a guest’s flash has fired, blowing out my shot; etc. I do not throw away any other images. The number 400 is strictly an estimate.
Every image a couple receives has been personally worked on by me in Photoshop or Lightroom. I’m not saying I do a lot of work on each one (most are very good right out of the camera), but I do like to look at each one and apply a little sharpening here, a little color saturation there, etc. I do occasionally tweak some images that I think would look good with a little ‘extra’ something:) For example, sometimes I’ll convert an entire image to black and white but leave the flowers in color. Other times I might add a Gaussian blur to parts of an image but leave the subject in clear focus. Whenever I do this, I also keep the original image intact, so the couple can choose which one (or both) they like best.
It takes about two weeks for me to finish a wedding and post the images on the web. I use Smugmug for my clients; they are given a password-protected site where they can view all their images, view a slideshow, order prints, etc.
As far as albums go, these range in size and price so contact me if you’re interested. I’ve had couples call me a year after their wedding, wanting to do an album, and that’s no problem:) You can see the various album options on my contract page.
If you’d like to see an example of what a full-day wedding looks like, please visit this link and scroll down to ‘Featured Galleries’. By clicking on one of the 4 icons in that section you can see exactly what the bride and groom received, view a slideshow of a whole day’s wedding, see what prices are for prints, etc (although you can make your own prints as well, using the hi-res images you receive from me).
I am frequently asked if I employ 2nd shooters. While I do occasionally utilize an assistant, I normally employ 2nd shooters only upon request. Having shot over 120 weddings on my own, from 50 guests to 600 guests, I find I really can be everywhere at once:) My rates for 2nd shooters begin at $600 per day.
Finally, I love to shoot engagement sessions! These e-sessions, as they’re called in the business, are a great way for a newly-engaged couple to become more comfortable with their photographer and they also provide a nice selection of romantic images you can use to promote your wedding. Rates begin at $200 per hour for engagement sessions and are on location.
Eugene wedding photographer 