Frequent Wedding Question #5

Here's the last in our series of Frequent Wedding Questions:

"We think we want all our photos in black and white instead of color - is that something we should decide ahead of time?"

While you're welcome to make that decision ahead of time, you don't have to. We shoot 100% digital, so all images are originally in color. Any image can then be converted to black and white or a variety of tones. You can even get prints of the same image in color, b/w and sepia if you wish, for instance. Some photos lend themselvs well to b/w, others don't. For example, here's the same photo in color:

And in black and white:


Even though the photo is meant to be a "mood" image, we prefer the color version - it has more visual impact.

While it has become more common for wedding albums to be made up of all black and white photos, we're seldom asked to do so. (Some photographers only produce black and white - we're not sure why, unless it's a style or "branding" choice the photographer has made.) Your photos can be all color, all black and white, all toned, or any combination of the three. There's no reason to make that decision ahead of time, unless you're 100% set on how you'd like your photos to look.

Daily Peloton Photos

A few of the BlackBird Images photos from the Tour of Shenandoah (now called the Tour of Virginia) were used in a feature article about Canadian cyclist Zach Bell on DailyPeloton.com.

To learn more about the Tour of Virginia, click here.

Frequent Wedding Question #4

A lot of prospective clients ask popular question number four, but more should:

"My parents are paying for your services - does that mean they're in charge of what you do?"

No. While we'll certainly listen to parents' ideas and will try to make all of your family and friends happy, the bottom line is the wedding couple are our clients. We take the time to make sure we know what you want and how you'd like us to work with you, regardless of who is paying. From our point of view, it's your wedding and they're your photos - so our goal is to take care of you.

But we will try to make everyone happy. If a relative asks for a quick photo with a friend, we're glad to oblige. If your mother wants a photo with your grandparents - great! But if you'd like a photo along a fence, and your father doesn't think it's a great idea... you'll get a photo along the fence. You're our client and we'll do everything in our power to make sure your wedding photos are exactly what you hoped for.

Frequent Wedding Question #3

If you're surprised this is one of our most frequently asked questions by prospective couples, we are too:

"You don't show testimonials on your website - why not?"

A number of couples ask this question - we guess it's because most photographers show testimonials on their sites. The BlackBird Images site does not, for a couple of reasons. One, if wedding photographers shoot a number of weddings a year, you would certainly hope they could get at least a couple positive comments from their clients. But the fact that a few clients were happy doesn't mean you'll be happy.

We also think our work speaks for itself. When we meet with you, we don't just show our twenty best photographs and hope you'll be impressed - we show complete proof galleries so you can get a true sense of how we work and how your photographs may look. (The same is true if we're corresponding by e-mail; on request we'll provide login details for complete galleries.) Not only will you get to see how our online gallery tool works, but you'll get a much better feel for our style.

If you'd like to see a sample gallery that doesn't require a login and password, click here.

So, we don't list testimonials. The only thing you'll learn from (probably edited) testimonials is that some clients were happy. We will, if requested, provide references - then you can call past clients and ask specific questions about our skill, our professionalism, and our service. While testimonials are fine, the proof is in the photos.

Frequent Wedding Question #2

Today's question is an extension of yesterday's:

"We like 'atmosphere' photos - how can we make sure you include a few of those in our proofs?"

The short answer is to build in a little time. If you've booked us for four hours, for example, and you want an extensive list of pre-ceremony photos, a reasonable number of post-ceremony posed photos, and then we drive to your reception location for dinner and dancing... there isn't a lot of time for 'atmosphere' photos, since even with two photographers we'll stay very busy capturing all the moments and events. With that said, though, we still try to grab photos on the fly, like this one:

It only took a moment - the rings were available, the flowers were there... and in about 30 seconds we created a nice memory. No matter how tight our schedule is, as we move from shot to shot we always look for atmosphere photos we can include - but never at the risk of missing photos you've told us you want. It's a delicate balance to walk. At one wedding the groomsmen were dressing in a separate building, and on our way to the sanctuary we saw the minister strolling towards the church.

So, there are two answers to the question. One, we'll do our best to capture some of the atmosphere surrounding your wedding, no matter how tightly scheduled your events are. Two, if you want special photos of you or your wedding party, we'll need to factor in time for those in your overall schedule. Since each wedding is different, the only way we can establish a workable schedule is to discuss exactly what you're hoping for - then we can help you create a timeline that lets you get the photos you want.

Frequent Wedding Question #1

We receive more calls (and book more weddings) each January than in any other month. We thought it might be helpful to cover some of the more common questions people ask. We'll cover one question each day.

Today's question is:

"How much time should I allow for my post-ceremony bridal party photos?"

We led with this question because almost every couple wants some amount of posed photos after the ceremony. To answer the question, first think about how large your wedding is and how many different photos you'll want.

Common poses include the bride and groom with:

• Bridesmaids
• Groomsmen
• Bridesmaids and Groomsmen together
• Bride's parents (and another shot including siblings)
  
• Groom's parents (and another shot including siblings)
  
• Both sets of parents (plus a shot of all siblings)
  
• Separate shots with grandparents, siblings, and extended family

Then, most couples also want combinations of photos with the bride and her maid of honor, bridesmaids, and flower girl; then the groom with the best man, groomsmen, and ring bearers. As you can guess, the list can go on a lot longer. (We provide couples with a checklist of common poses so they can plan which photos they want ahead of time - we then use the checklist as our guide.)

So, with all that said: We work fairly quickly, and since we bring two photographers, we can make the post-ceremony photo session go faster and smoother than most photographers. The typical session takes 25 to 35 minutes, depending on how many different groupings you want. Then, if you and your spouse want to stick around for another 10 or 15 minutes, we can get a number of different photos of just the two of us.

The biggest variable, quite frankly, is how cooperative and attentive your friends and family are: If people drift away and have to be retrieved the session can take considerably longer. Some sessions have taken as long as an hour due to family members wandering away, although that's fairly rare. Because we work quickly and efficiently, most family members stay close by and try to help things move along quickly, too. (We try not to give anyone time to drift away.)

For more Frequently Asked Questions, visit the BlackBird Images website and our FAQ section.

December Weddings

While the winter weather doesn't always cooperate, sometimes - like last weekend - we're able to take bridal parties outside for photos, even in December. BlackBird Images photographed a wedding just outside Harrisonburg and were able to take pre-ceremony and post-ceremony photos outdoors. Light in the winter is typically softer than in the summer, and with a little care we can easily create a nice "glow" in the photos. Here's the bride before the ceremony on the steps outside the church.

We took some post-ceremony bridal party photos inside as well (as we normally always do, if for no other reason than to create a greater variety of proofs for the couple to choose from), but we welcomed the chance to go outside. We always come prepared to work outside, even in the winter. (Click here to visit our website for more info on Our Approach.)

And as you can see, the results were great. If you're planning a winter wedding, take the opportunity to slip outside, even if it's just for a few quick photographs.

Tour of Virginia

Congratulations to the Tour of Shenandoah organizers - in 2007 they're the Tour of Virginia. The scope of the race has been expanded: The six-day tour, running April 24-29, branches out of the Valley into two new cities, Lynchburg and Charlottesville.

Last year BlackBird Images photographed some of the stages, and we plan to do so again this year. (To see a gallery of images from last year's race, click here.) Tour Director Matthew Butterman says he expects the number of cyclists to grow from about 90 last year to 150 in 2007, which is the maximum number of riders allowed. If you get a chance, check out the race if it comes through your area.