ISPWP Contest Winner!

Yes, it's that time where I announce that I placed one of my recent wedding images in another contest. This time it's the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) Fall contest in the "First Dance" category. The image can be seen above and was taken at Jessica + Todd's Thorpewood wedding this past September.

See the contest category HERE!

ISPWP - Self Portrait contest

Normally I don't like to do the things where I post everywhere I know to get people to vote for me because

a.) I never know as many people as the other entrants, so it's pointless, and
b.) that's just really annoying

but, I thought I would post the self portrait I entered here and tell you a little bit about it... where it was taken, the circumstances, the technical details, etc. Partly because I think some of that info might be interesting to some of you, but mostly just because this is one of those few images that I really love, even though it doesn't fit with any of my gallery work and won't ever (likely) be in a solo show of mine. But, it does have a permanent home on my dining room wall - the image, which was hand printed and toned by me, is 11x11, the frame 16x20.

So, a few years ago, I was spending Thanksgiving with my husband's family at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. We had the whole family, dogs and all, and rented this townhouse to stay in for a few days. The rest of the family was sleeping upstairs, but we had the basement with the sofa bed. The very first thing I noticed upon descending the stairs was this deer head on the wall, with the ceiling above it punched out where the antlers might have hit. Being a vegetarian and lover of animals, this was rather creepy to me, but my family hunts so I grew up around this sort of thing. At that instant, I knew I wanted to make a self portrait with the head.

As for the technical, this image was shot with a Hasselblad 501CM and Kodak TMax 400 120 film. The exposure itself was made with the camera on a tripod, triggered by a bulb shutter release with a 100 foot cord attached (that's in my hand that you can't see). The exposure was 10 seconds, if I recall correctly. I held very still for most of the shot, and in the last few seconds I started to shake my head to give a ghosting effect while still retaining some detail in the face. I have a whole roll of this exact setup where my head is in various states of blur, but this was my favorite. The image you see here is exactly as it was shot... no post processing in Photoshop.

So... that's that. And if you feel so inclined, you can see the image along with the competitors at ISPWP's site HERE. You don't have to vote, because like I said, I know I won't win. I just like to take photos, and think any contest can be embellished if a deer head is included.
:-)

Another Contest Win!

I am happy to announce my 5th place finish in the "Family Love" category of the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) Summer image contests. The winning image was taken at Jennifer + Joe's wedding at The Washingtonian Marriott in Gaithersburg, Maryland last year.

I rarely enter contests (the ISPWP is about the only contest I enter these days, in fact!), so it's always an honor when the judges choose my work among all the other talented photographers out there. I have a wonderful time making these images, and it's always nice to see others reacting well to them too.

Check out the contest images here: Summer 2009 Contest - Family Love
And the ISPWP site here: ISPWP

The ISPWP has a strict code of admittance for wedding photographers, as follows:

Membership Requirements

The application process helps to ensure that ISPWP members are established, experienced and have reached a high level of professionalism. The membership committee will evaluate applicants on the following criteria:

* At least 50 weddings as the principal photographer (not as secondary/backup)
* Sponsorship by an existing ISPWP member OR two email references from recent clients and two email references from fellow professional photographers
* Website review
* Agreement to operate your business in accordance with the Code of Conduct
* No unresolved complaints with the Better Business Bureau or other similar consumer protection organization

Liesl + Derrick - Featured!

Recently, the ISPWP put out a call for photos of unique ideas that member photographers had seen at weddings. One of my great couples from a while back, Liesl and Derrick, instantly sprung to mind. See their awesome Day of the Dead cake topper, along with a few other really cool ideas to show your individuality and to help separate you from the rest of the bridal pack here: Four Unique and Creative Wedding Details.

5 Myths About Wedding Photography

The ISPWP website has a great article about myths that many couples and families encounter regarding wedding photography, and breaks them down to help those planning a wedding to sort through the fiction and get to the fact.

The one I liked the best, since I have to explain it a LOT to my couples, is this:

MYTH: “It’s better to have two mediocre/inexpensive photographers than one excellent/expensive photographer”

If you’re thinking of hiring multiple photographers for the sole reason of getting lots of images and viewpoints, don’t forget that you shouldn’t skimp on quality. It’s more important for you to focus on the talent and portfolio of the photographer(s) you are considering rather than the number of photographers who will be at your wedding. Some photographers prefer to work alone and create wonderful images, while some studios prefer to work in pairs. Both approaches can be successful. The number of photographers at the wedding doesn’t matter as much as whether the photographer(s) you hire can deliver the types of images you want.

Dennis Drenner of Dennis Drenner Photographs in Baltimore Maryland says: “A lot of brides these days are looking for a second shooter, believing that two photographers are better than one and less likely to miss crucial moments. My response to that is talent and experience (quality) are more important than focusing solely on quantity. When you go in for a double bypass, would you rather have two medical students working on you, or one experienced surgeon?” For the most part, you get what you pay for in wedding photographers. That said, there are cases where two photographers come in handy. In Orthodox Jewish weddings, for example, important events happen in separate male and female sections at exactly the same time. The bottom line is to focus on your photographer’s talent. If he has a nice portfolio, it is in part because he knows where to be and when. That is, after all, half the battle.”

Since I used to be a photojournalist and am used to photographing in high-pressure situations where I do not get a do-over, I typically work alone as the only photographer at a wedding, but do offer collections that include a second photographer if it is needed. As a result, I get asked the question about second shooters an awful lot. People think they will be slighted with only one photographer. My response is to consider the quality of those photographers. Is the second photographer a pro, or simply an assistant with a camera as an afterthought? How long have each of the photographers been photographing weddings? Will you get to see examples of each photographer's specific work? Do they both know how to shoot with their cameras in manual mode (this is HUGE - if a photographer doesn't know his or her tools well enough to do this, they are not professionals)? Do they know how to stay out of each others' way throughout the day so you don't see them in the crossfire?

At bridal shows and for individual consultations, every single image in my booth was photographed by me alone. I have albums of whole weddings from start to finish where I am the only photographer. Prospective clients will not find any gaps in coverage, because I am very thorough. On the rare occasions that I need a second photographer, I make sure my seconds are highly qualified professionals who are quite capable without my constant supervision. After all, I need to be concentrating on my couples and making the best possible images for them, not on the other photographer!

Thank you to ISPWP for tackling these questions, which will undoubtedly make it easier for couples to sort through the myths when they are searching for their perfect wedding photographer.

ISPWP "Real Weddings"

I've been blogging a lot about the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) lately. It's a directory of some of the finest photographers around the world, but it's quickly becoming a whole lot more. There are now helpful articles, as well as a new resource called "Real Weddings" that gives you a glimpse into a wide variety of weddings shot by the very photographers who make up the organization. These are great for perusing ideas, or just to see what others are up to on their wedding days.

I was super excited to find out that a couple of mine from last August was featured on the "Real Weddings" segment recently. Kajal and Ali had a traditional Persian wedding, and you can read more about what happened that day here: Kajal + Ali's "Real Wedding".

These "Real Weddings" are so fun, and I can't wait to see what other types of weddings crop up over on the ISPWP site!

ISPWP Award Winner!

Yes, I'm making two posts in one day. Why? Because I just found out two of my images placed in the Winter 2008 ISPWP contest. I am super excited because one of the images placed was under my Halo Photographic documentary wedding and portrait work, and the other was under my Erin Antognoli work - the funky cool creative Holga wedding and portrait site!

I didn't enter many images this time around, mostly because I am indecisive, and by the time the deadline rolls around I'm lucky to have a couple of entries together. So I'm honored that the judges chose what little I entered.

On to the winning images:

7th Place in the Pure Art category:



And 9th place in the Kids Will Be Kids category:



About the ISPWP:
The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers is an organization of the best wedding photographers in the world. It was created by professional photographers to raise the standards of the wedding photography profession.

We are a resource for wedding clients who know they want to hire the best and the brightest for their wedding. We provide assurance and peace of mind that they are hiring the most respected, most ethical, most professional and most talented wedding photographers in the industry.

It’s no secret there are many online directories of wedding photographers. Some of them have hundreds, even thousands of photographers. That SOUNDS great because there are so many to choose from! But most of these directories have little or no criteria for membership, they are simply link farms that oftentimes include photographers with zero experience and unknown backgrounds.

When you hire an ISPWP member, you can be sure they have passed a rigorous application process and are recognized by their peers to be at the top of their field.

First Place Winner!

I am happy to announce my first place finish in the "Emotional Impact" category of the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) Fall image contests. The winning image was taken at Crystal & Nick's wedding at Celebrations on the Bay in Pasadena Maryland.

The judge's comment reads: "Judges comments: Wow, look at her eyes. Serious emotion going on, and really well-framed to emphasize the moment."

I've placed in a lot of contests over the years, but it's always exciting to find out that I got top image in a category, especially when I only entered 2 images in the contest overall!

Check out the contest images here: Fall 2008 Contest
And the ISPWP site here: ISPWP

The ISPWP has a strict code of admittance for wedding photographers, as follows:

Membership Requirements

The application process helps to ensure that ISPWP members are established, experienced and have reached a high level of professionalism. The membership committee will evaluate applicants on the following criteria:

* At least 50 weddings as the principal photographer (not as secondary/backup)
* Sponsorship by an existing ISPWP member OR two email references from recent clients and two email references from fellow professional photographers
* Website review
* Agreement to operate your business in accordance with the Code of Conduct
* No unresolved complaints with the Better Business Bureau or other similar consumer protection organization

More Contest Wins - Lucky #7!

Well, this has been a good month for contests. I just found out that I placed 2 of my images in the latest ISPWP contest (that's International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers). Both images received 7th place (lucky 7!). This contest deadline was just before I left for my Route 66 trip, so I literally just blazed through my 2008 wedding images and grabbed two that I thought would work with the categories at hand. Seeing as how I only entered 2 images, I think I did pretty well there!

First up was Candid Portrait, which I made at Annie and Matt's wedding at Baker Park in Frederick back in April:



And next is Reception (Not Dancing) which is an image I made while second shooting with Allison of A Britton Photography for Jordan and Tim's wedding this past June:



See the rest of the winners by category here: ISPWP Quarter 2, 2008 Contest

About the ISPWP:
To become a member, a photographer needs to have at least 2 years of experience, have shot at least 40 weddings as the primary photographer, have references from a current ISPWP member, have no outstanding issues with the BBB or similar, and conduct business according to the ISPWP code of ethics. So ISPWP photographers are some of the best around, and I am proud to be in their company!