Thanks for a Great 2008

Thanks to all our couples for a wonderful 2008. We were fortunate enough to photograph weddings in Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro, Luray, Richmond, Woodstock, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Fairfax, Alexandria, Manassas, Arlington, Reston, Woodbridge, Warm Springs, Winchester...


... Front Royal, Roanoke, Culpeper, and Staunton, plus out of state locations like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring, Raleigh, Monterey, Philadelphia, and New York.

Everyone at BlackBird Images wishes you - and for a number of you, your recently born kids or kids on the way - all the best in the years to come.

Don't Be Afraid of Unusual Angles

If the only times you've been professionally photographed were in a portrait studio, you're probably conditioned to the same old poses and camera angles. Even so, be open to trying something different - the results can be striking.

(It also helps that, in this case, there are picnic tables at JMU's Arboretum for us to stand on.)

... But Traditional is Also Great

Our last post may cause you to think we favor non-traditional or heavily-stylized photos. In the end we favor making our clients happy: If you want non-traditional, we'll deliver. If you prefer a classic look, we'll deliver.

For example, one of our wedding favorites from the last couple years is this photo.

Why? It's not stylized or photoshopped or meticulously posed; instead it's clean, simple, clearly evokes a time and a place... and captures both Shelley's warmth and her sense of playfulness.

Most importantly, it's the look she wanted.

Bridal Portraits - With a Twist

Traditional bridal portraits will never go out of style, but more and more brides are looking for something less conventional. In fact, some of the shoots we've done recently would never be defined as bridal, even though that was the clients' intent. They wanted something different... and we think you'll agree they got it.


Keep in mind these take time and effort to shoot - on our part as well as yours. Hair, makeup, location... all are critical. (For the photo above you need to be willing to stand partly unclothed in 40-degree temperatures on a windy beach.) Or you may want something a little less literal and heavily stylized ---


Again, you can't just roll out of bed and get this kind of look. (Great genetics help, too.) But a studio isn't always necessary - we pulled this off under natural light coming through a high window. It was a two-minute setup that turned out to be Michelle's favorite from the entire session, for reasons that are hopefully obvious.

Time of year is critical, too - the cherry trees were in full bloom for less than a week, but they're perfect for the look she wanted.


So if you're looking for something non-traditional, start talking to us now so we can pull all the elements together!

Shenandoah River

We scheduled a sunrise engagement session a few weeks ago and while waiting for the couple to arrive were treated to this. Definitely makes getting up early worth it ----

Church Photos

We tend to focus on faces - kinda natural, since we're wedding photographers, not landscape or architecture photographers. But we've gotten a lot of requests to see church photos, so here are some random ones from the last few months. Bonus points if you can name all four churches.





In order, First Baptist Church, Woodstock; Jackson Memorial Hall, VMI; First Baptist Church, Waynesboro; Parkview Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg.

Renewing Vows - One Week Later

A few months ago we photographed a "second" wedding ceremony; the couple were married in Arizona, went on their honeymoon, then came to Virginia to hold a second ceremony for local friends and family. Here they are outside the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton (where we've photographed five receptions this year alone.)



We've seen more of this type event in recent years - destination weddings are still popular, but often the couple will limit the guests at the destination and then hold a second service (or just a reception) for those who were not able to travel.


Speaking of the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, they do a consistently great job with receptions. The location is great, the service is excellent... we're always happy to work there. If you're looking for a venue, check them out.