Wedding Blog
As I mentioned in a previous post, I definitely had a tough time choosing photographers. I had a gazillion photography blogs on my Google Reader, and I’d scroll through them, making half-legible notations on a piece of scrap paper about the ones I “liked.” And heaven forbid if I had to actually express why I liked what I liked! I would have been as inarticulate as a 4-year-old (”pweeety pictures”) or Rachel Zoe (”I die.”).
I think a lot of the difficulty I was having came from seeing each photographer’s photos in isolation. It’s hard to articulate what you like and don’t like when brides, weddings, locations, etc. are so different; there’s just no baseline for comparison. Recently, though, I discovered that a lot of the photographers I was blog-stalking attend the same photography workshops and — here’s the useful part — since all the photographers at a particular workshop work with the same model/environment, if you get a hold of those pictures, you can actually compare the styles and techniques of the photographers. No more comparing apples with oranges.
For example, the Southern California photographer Jose Villa leads a number of workshops each year. Here are three photographers’ work from one of the workshops:
[Images by Jonilyn Photography]
[Images by Jasmine Star]
[Images by Arpia Photo]
While all three photographers are obviously very talented, they each have a different aesthetic that comes across in their pictures. Each has a unique approach to lighting, posing, and post-processing, so that although the photos are of the same three models in the same environment, each photographer’s photos have a very different feel from the others. Here are photos from a more recent Jose Villa workshop:
[Images by Jennifer Rau]
[Images by Leigh Miller]
Both Jennifer Rau and Leigh Miller are fabulous, right? Seeing the photos side by side, it’s clear that Jennifer’s style is more crisp and bright and Leigh’s is vintagey, quirky, editorial. Both sets of photographs are beautiful. But Leigh’s work just appeals more to my aesthetic; it just feels more . . . me.
Have you found it hard to compare photographers? Which of the above sets of photos appeals to you? What drew you to your photographer?
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jennifer rau and jasmine star…simply amazing images!
We chose our photographer before I knew anything about WeddingBee! Bummer, huh? Well, luckily, I’m still excited by our decision to go with an LA-based photographer whose work is more funky and eclectic. He seems to shoot a lot of small town, intimate weddings (which I love!). I knew we would need his unique touch because we’re gettin’ hitched at an ornate hotel in LA with 250 guests. I’m hoping he will use his talented eye to catch the small things and the little moments that make each wedding special from the next.
By the way, I love your “scientific method” of comparing photos! I was SO lost when I started my research. Would’ve been helpful to have had the Miss Hot Cocoa photo expertise around sooner!
We found our photographer after literally going thru probably 60 websites searching Orange County Wedding Photographer and Los Angeles Wedding Weddings… After narrowing it down to a list of 15, we met with 8 and chose a photographer from Orange County named Janel Conlan of Focus Photography. We asked to see one of her recent weddings from beginning to end and that really helped us make a decision. Its time consuming but totally worth it in the end, she ended up doing an amazing job and we LOVE our photos!
I just wrote a whole post about this very topic yesterday! Here’s a bit of it:
I suggest stalking the photographer from a different level. Find out what on-line service they use to host their wedding photos. Maybe it is Pictage, or Photoshelter, or Collages.net. Some even host the photos on their own webserver. Whatever the way look for an events link or client proofing section on their website. Then send them an e-mail saying you were a guest at one of the weddings you see listed and you want to view the galleries.
This will give you some great insight into an actual real wedding. Because remember that photo workshops are organized controlled environments where professional models are used, sometimes studio lighting is brought in, and the perfect backdrop is selected.
Finally there is one last thing to consider when shopping for your photographer - personality. Be sure to talk with the candidates. Not just by e-mail (that would be a huge red flag if they only e-mailed you), but in person if possible, and at the very least on the phone. Do you want somebody bossy and commanding at your wedding? Do you want somebody timid and fly-on-the-wall-ish? Perhaps somebody in-between.
I love your scientific approach! Though I think uberbrides has a very good point that you still need to look at Real Weddings, rather than the controlled environment of a workshop.
Funnily enough, I usually really like Leigh Miller, but the pics you chose do nothing for me! Strange, right? Actually I like the Jonilyn pics the best of the ones you posted - but you’ve introduced me to Jennifer Rau, whom I didn’t know before, so thanks!
@carly7215: Your wedding sounds like it’s going to be fab! I hope you’ll share the images afterward.
@Jennifer Brill and @uberBrides: Great advice!!! I hope other brides will take advantage of it.
@Katharine: LOL. I think I didn’t do Leigh justice by making the photos so small. If you click on the pics, you can see large photos — which are spellbinding. The first two Holga shots are particularly stunning.
I loved Jasmine Star’s images before I scrolled down far enough to see that they were hers! I met her a few weeks ago and I’m still giddy about it. She is an awesome PERSON, and I want her to be at my wedding, regardless of whether she’d be shooting it or not, she is that much fun.
I’m also a fan of Leigh Miller and Jose Villa, but I hadn’t heard of the others. Sigh. I wish I lived in CA.
My other fav photog from that area is The Image Is Found, but their style is quite different from any of these.
This is a great post, well written, and the comments are also helpful (uberbride).
I think this post if full of useful information. I do agree with @uberBrides as well as @Miss Hot Cocoa. I actually attended the Jose Villa workshop with Jennifer and Leigh and must agree they both do beautiful work! It was a controlled environment and both ‘models’ were great to work with (though neither are technically models, it was Nikkis first time in front of a professional camera and Lacie is actually Joses assistant, is a photographer, and models during his workshops). I think that if a bride is up for a day after session, a first glance, or a bridal session that this type of comparison is right on, as we as photographers have much more control available to us to in terms of obtaining similar images. When you trust your photographer and provide them with all the tools/time and availability to create spectacular images such as these for you, you will not be disappointed. So long as you communicate what it is you love about the work of the photographer that you choose, your photographer should be able to offer you suggestions and the best outlet for creating beautiful images in a more controlled environment. Just be sure to bring your inner Tyra and bring on the fierce ;).
i love seeing how we each pull off a unique vision when we shoot the same subject. for every situation there are countless variables that factor into a photographers choice of perspective and at least for me its life and self and intuition that lead me there.
I’m with Charise. I also attended the workshop with Leigh and Jennifer. Seeing how everyone approached the subject in different ways was the most fun.
I think when choosing your photographer, it is best to meet him/her in person, so you get to know him beyond his work. I was a bride once and beside looking for a good photographer, I also chose one that cared about my needs and that I felt comfortable with. I think it is also good to know if the photographer has your best interest; he could just be there to get his job done and get paid or he really cares about capturing all the moments and emotions. So know what you want, ask many questions and you’ll be sure to find a photographer you love!
@Charise and @*B*: That’s so exciting — I’m so glad you decided to comment! I can’t wait to blogstalk your photos too. lol.
@jen rau: Thanks for taking the time to comment. Love love love your photos!
Great photos from Jasmine Star. I can see Jose Villa’s style in some of these photos. Beautiful!
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Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical Student
Engagement Date: May 30, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: April, 2008
Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Rey
About Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
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