Tour of Virginia

The Tour of Virginia (used to be the Tour of Shenandoah) finished up last weekend. BlackBird Images photographers went to the first two stages (at Natural Bridge and Lynchburg) and the Harrisonburg stage.

As we did last year, this year we're giving any riders and teams low-res images at no charge. Many teams operate on a shoestring budget, so we're glad to help them out in some small way. (We also let the Tour of Virginia organizers use any photos.)

If you'd like to see all of the photos we posted, follow this link or go to the BlackBird Images site, click Public Galleries, and follow the Tour of Virginia gallery link.


It's pretty impressive to see 180 cyclists all try to squeeze through the first two turns of a downtown race...

The finish of the Harrisonburg Criterium was somewhat controversial. Kayle Leogrande, multi-time national criterium champion shown below, "won" the race, at least for a few minutes.

After the race officials decided he impeded other riders in the finishing straight, and he was relegated to last place. I had a head-on view of the finish (I was probably farther out in the street than I should have been), and while the leaders did drift across the road, in all fairness the course narrowed at that point and almost everyone had no choice but to veer slightly. Here's Kayle with his team director, Frankie Andreu (who rode in the Tour de France nine times, some of them on Lance Armstrong's team.) Frankie has just explained the race officials' decision.

I have to give Kayle credit, though. He was visibly disappointed. Yet moments after I took this photo:

I sat beside him and asked what happened, and he was nice enough to talk when he obviously didn't really want to.

All in all a great event - congratulations to Matt Butterman, Dave LeMay, and the rest of the Tour of Virginia staff.

Flowers & Bouquets

As wedding photographers we've seen a lot of flowers and a lot of wedding bouquets - many of them beautiful. At a recent wedding BlackBird Images photographed we may have seen our favorites (at leat as of this writing). They weren't elaborate, they weren't complicated... just simple and elegant and, well, beautiful.

They were purchased from a supplier in the Netherlands; the bride ordered them with delivery planned for the Thursday before the Saturday wedding. When they arrived they were still closed, but by the afternoon of their wedding they were opened perfectly. (Obviously the florist in the Netherlands knows what they're doing.)

Another couple at the wedding had done the same thing - the selection is broader, the quality is exceptional... it's a neat way to get exactly what you want instead of having to settle for what your florist has available. And, at least in this instance, reliability and delivery was perfect.We don't know the name of the firm, but a quick web search shows a number of florists in Europe who offer this service. Check it out!

Frequently Asked Question - Schedule Delay Origin?

As we've met with clients over the last month to plan their wedding photography, many have asked us our opinion on where we think they're likely to encounter delays on their wedding day.

At the risk of offending the fine members of these professions... hair stylists and makeup artists tend to cause the most delays.


Some slippage is understandable; often the hair stylist is asked to do the hair of the bride and the bridesmaids, many of whom he or she has never seen, much less worked with - plus some bridesmaids think your wedding is a great time to try out a new and time-consuming style. If your hair schedule slips and your makeup schedule slips... you can easily find yourself half an hour or an hour behind, especially if the bride is the last person to have her hair and makeup done.


Our advice? When you meet with your stylist and/or makeup artist, stress the importance of your schedule, and make sure they know exactly how much time they have. Then, have someone in your group periodically remind them where they stand so they'll stay on track on your wedding day. (If you're the bride, appoint someone else; the last role you want to adopt on your wedding day is the role of the heavy.)

Photography Effects

Let's be honest - we're not big fans of Photoshop effects. BlackBird Images photographers use Photoshop to edit images, but most of the time the more, um, "spectacular" effects some photographers use - especially on wedding photographs - don't enhance the photo. We never use an effect just for the sake of the effect instead of to enhance the photo.

With that said, though, we recently developed a Photoshop technique to make new images look like turn-of-the-century, sepia-toned photos printed on a coarse, linen-like paper. With the right photo it can look terrific:


Look at the enlarged versions closely and you can see the grain and linen overlay, especially near the bottom of the photo. This effect tends to work best when the setting makes the photograph appear it could have been taken decades ago. Choose the right frame and matte and if you like the look, some of your photos can have this vintage appearance, too.

Candid Photographs = Don't Look

We feature a candid, photojournalistic style, and many couples ask us what they need to do to help with the process. If you like candid photographs, especially of yourself, the answer is easy:

Don't look.

We know it's hard - we've all been 'trained' to look at the camera. We tell all of our couples to ignore us unless we're taking posed photos. (Don't worry - you'll know when we are.) Greet your guests, enjoy your family, have fun... and don't worry about us. You'll enjoy your wedding more and you'll get great candid photos.


Of course, looking at us once in awhile is a good thing, too.

A quick note: As always, by this time of year we're almost completely booked, especially for the prime May through October period. (We only book one wedding per available weekend.) If you're considering us to photograph your wedding, contact us as soon as possible .

UVA Chapel Wedding

Last weekend BlackBird Images photographed a wedding at the UVA Chapel. It's a venue incredibly in demand; the University schedules the Chapel by lottery a year in advance. With light like this, you can see why it's such a popular wedding location:


While it holds approximately 250 people, it also feels very cozy and intimate.


And yes, even when it's 35 degrees outside, some of our brides are happy to brave the elements - especially when the Rotunda and Lawn are right beside the Chapel.


A couple of notes about the Chapel: Parking is tough - the wedding party is allowed five parking passes. Everyone else is left to fend for themselves (we parked across the street near one of the frat houses). The Chapel is also tightly scheduled; your wedding may take place right on the heels of another ceremony or service. But if you went to UVA, or just want a beautiful non-denominational church, the minor inconveniences are definitely worth it.

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.

Magazine Style Wedding Albums

Magazine style wedding albums have become much more popular in recent years. All of our wedding packages include leather slip-in albums, and you also have the option of upgrading to a magazine-style album. If you've never seen a magazine-style album, here's a relatively simple example of a 2-page spread.

In effect your wedding album looks like a magazine; each page can have a number of photos in virtually any layout you choose. In the photo above, each "half" of the page is an 8 x 10 photo (pretend the gutter of the album runs down the center.)

We're happy to lay out and design your album, but unlike many wedding photographers we welcome your input and guidance. (After all, it is your album, so what's most important is that you love it.) Many of our couples go so far as to create PowerPoint mockup designs for us to use, while others simply write down the photos they want for each page.

We've created pages with over twenty photographs per page - the layout and design possibilities are limited only by your creativity. If you'd like to see a few other examples of magazine-style pages, click here to visit our Albums and Folders page at BlackBird Images.

Wedding Planning Resources

In the last months we've received a number of requests for wedding planning tips. (Since we've been to a ton of weddings, and we're not wedding planners, we assume the interest in our opinions stems from the fact we have no vested interest in any particular product or service.)


So, we've created a Resources section at BlackBird Images. There are three main categories: Wedding Planning Tips, Recommended Providers, and Photography Resources. The Wedding Planning Tips contains articles on Initial Steps, Ceremony Planning, and Reception Planning. The Recommended Providers page includes links to providers we have experience with and can wholeheartedly recommend. (We have no business or financial relationship with these providers - we were just impressed by them.) The Photography Resources page will contain articles on photographic techniques and equipment - when we get the time to write them.

If you want information on a particular topic, let us know - we'll be happy to provide our advice by phone or e-mail, and if it's on a topic with broad enough interest we may write an article to include in the Resources section.

Wedding Cakes (Again)

We've seen a lot of pretty wedding cakes lately; the one below is a definite favorite. Many couples choose to decorate their cakes with real flowers for spectacular results.


In this instance the cake was made by Chandler's Bakery in Charlottesville, VA, with flowers from Artistic Florist in Harrisonburg, VA. In our opinion, natural flowers are some of the prettiest decorations possible for a wedding cake - while you may have to place the flowers yourself, it's definitely worth a little effort.

Color, Black and White, or Sepia?

All BlackBird Images photographers shoot digitally, which by default means in color - that way we can convert any image to black and white, sepia, or any other tone our wedding photography clients request. (Sepia is a brown tone meant to approximate old-fashioned photos.)

Which should you choose? That's up to you. Here are three examples of the same photo to give you an idea of the difference in each format. (We used it in a previous post since many people commented how they liked its natural and unposed look - which makes sense, since it was in fact unposed.)




The photo above is a fairly strong sepia - it works well with her natural skin tone If you have a darker complexion, depending on the contrast in the photo a weaker sepia tone may be a better option.

Which is the best version? Any of the three - it depends on your tastes.

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

We're often asked for advice on how to choose a wedding photographer - which you have to admit is a little odd, since in theory any advice we give should lead you through a process that causes you to choose... well, us.


What do we say? Instead of giving advice, we discuss how we explain our services to clients. For example, most wedding photographers have an album of their best photos, or display their best photos on their website. If you've done more than a couple weddings, and you're any good at all, you better have ten or twenty great photos or you shouldn't be in the business. Anyone can show you their best work.


At BlackBird Images we take a different approach: When possible we show prospective clients all the proofs from a recent wedding. (If we wanted to get a feel for the photographer's skill, that's what we would ask for.) While we can't show photos from every wedding we shoot, since galleries are confidential, some couples give us permission to share their photos with clients. We let our potential clients look at as many photos as they like - because that's the only way to truly judge a wedding photographer's skill and style.

Virginia Horse Center - Wedding Reception

If you read the title of this post and were intrigued, you're not alone. BlackBird Images has photographed weddings and receptions at a number of "unusual" places, but we have to admit when we were told the reception for wedding we recently photographed was to be held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA, we were surprised... and a little dubious.
For no reason. The Horse Center is a state of the art boarding and training facility, but it also has first-class banquet and reception facilities. We enjoyed the venue almost as much as this little guy.


One entire wall of the very large room was made entirely of glass and looked down into the arena. There was easy access for caterers, a nice layout for seating around 150 guests, plenty of space for a dance floor, and even elevator access. While there wasn't a horse show going on, you could see riders training jumping horses. We have no idea what the venue costs to rent, and availability is probably limited during major events, so contact the folks at the Virginia Horse Center for more details. It's just off Interstate64, about 3 miles from Interstate 81, and is definitely worth checking out if you're getting married near Lexington.