Wedding Photography Styles

We're frequently asked to describe our "style" of wedding photography - it's a question that lately seems to show up a lot in "Questions to Ask a Wedding Photographer" guides. So what is our style? Our style is... making sure our clients get what they're looking for. While that may sound like a cop-out answer, it's not.

Every wedding client is different. Some couples like a photojournalistic style, where most of the photos are candid and natural. Others want a very formal style, with nearly every photograph looking as if it was posed. Most couples want a blend of styles: some posed, some semi-posed, and a number of candid photos to choose from.
We work very hard to create outstanding posed photographs, especially the post-ceremony wedding party and family photographs. What we're most proud of, though, is our ability to capture candid moments. That's why we send two photographers to every wedding: our couples get multiple perspectives, multiple angles, and the broadest and most comprehensive coverage possible.

Our style is making sure our clients are delighted with their wedding photographs and with our service. We adapt to our clients' needs; we don't expec them to adapt to a pre-conceived notion of "style."

Photography for Billboards

Many of BlackBird Images' retail clients use billboards to get their advertising message out. Photography intended for billboards is different from consumer photography; the goal is to create an eye-catching image that delivers a message... and that commuters won't get bored seeing day after day. (Effective advertising first has to capture attention, and then deliver the advertising message. And a billboard can't be cluttered - you only have a couple seconds to get your point across.) Here's a billboard we created late last year.

It works on a variety of levels, and most importantly enhances the customer's professional image. (Although it is a little disconcerting for models to see a 12 foot high image of themselves.) "Eye contact" is important - people naturally pay more attention when eye contact is made, and she definitely draws attention; this billboard was displayed in Virginia, but we've had people from other states mention seeing it.

This billboard uses a similar layout and has the same effect. (Consistency is important in advertising as you build a brand presence - customers should know it's your ad, even if the ad has changed.)
Next time you see a billboard, take a second and decide whether the photo and the design served the advertiser's purpose. Good advertising should deliver... not just look good.

Cycling News Publishes ToS Photos

BlackBird Images photos from the Tour of Shenandoah bike race were published by Cyclingnews.com, the world's most-visited and widely-read bicycle racing website. While our main goal was to help out the Tour of Shenandoah organizers, we're always pleased to be recognized for photographic excellence. Since we were donating our services, our priories were a little different than the other event photographers, though - our goal was to create images that helped showcase the event and the event's sponsors. For instance, take a look at the photo below of Brent Bookwalter, the race winner.


The photo is of Brent's interview with Joe Lemire of Harrisonburg's Daily News-Record. The goal of the photo was to show the media covered the Tour and to highlight key event sponsors like discoverbath.com, the Homestead resort, and of course the Tour of Shenandoah. We were able to place the photo on Cycling News, creating additional exposure for the Tour, its sponsors, and Brent... so everyone wins (including Brent's mother, who called to request a copy.)
If you'd like to check out the Cycling News photos, click here. If you'd like to see the BlackBird Images Tour of Shenandoah photo gallery, click here.
If you're a rider or team sponsor, use this form to contact us and we'll provide you with image files from the Tour at no charge.

Wedding Cakes - Go for Form AND Function

We've seen a lot of wedding cakes. A few are gorgeous, many are very nice, and some... well, some are neither. Couples ask for our opinion about wedding cakes more often than you might think, and while we aren't pastry chefs - far, far from it - we've attended many weddings and we've seen (and tasted) many wedding cakes.
Most couples focus primarily on how the cake looks. Our advice? Choose a cake that tastes good, that you'll enjoy eating... and then worry about how beautiful it is. You can have it both ways: this cake was made by the Joshua Wilton House in Harrisonburg, VA for a wedding BlackBird Images photographed - it was delicious and looked gorgeous.


You may not realize it, but many guests won't even see your cake before they try a piece. Even if it's prominently displayed, your guests are busy speaking to you, to family members, to friends... and few will make a point to check out how great your wedding cake looks. You may have spent a tremendous amount of time obsessing over cake choices, but your guests haven't... and most are more interested in talking to the people at your wedding than they are in how beautiful your wedding cake is.
They will, however, almost always eat a piece of your cake. That's why it makes sense to focus on taste first.
In the end it's your wedding - pick a cake you'll enjoy eating and you think looks great and you can't go wrong. In this - and all decisions you make about your wedding - don't worry too much about what your guests may think. You'll enjoy your wedding more if you make choices that make you happy.

Tour of Shenandoah - Final Stage Photos

The final stage of the Tour of Shenandoah bicycle race was held yesterday in Waynesboro, Va, and since the BlackBird Images team had so much fun at the opening day's events, we decided to attend. The weather was gorgeous, the city of Waynesboro did a great job of creating a safe and exciting course, and the riders didn't disappoint. Here's Jeremiah Bishop, nationally- (and world-ranked) mountain biker and Harrisonburg resident cresting the steep uphill section.

If you'd like to know more about Jeremiah and the Trek mountain bike team, you can visit his website by clicking here. (Since BlackBird Images photographed his wedding last year, we know him on a more personal level, too.)
We can't stress enough how fun the event was. We know next to nothing about cycling, but we didn't need to know anything about the sport to appreciate how talented the riders are. It's always fun to watch people who excel at what they do - whatever their sport or skill. It's also hard not to admire anyone who is willing to put up with this level of pain.

We've posted over 250 photos from the Tour of Shenandoah on the BlackBird Images website - to see more, click here to go straight to the gallery.