Scroll through the images on any wedding or wedding-photography page and you’re sure to see images that will take your breath away. They take my breath away and I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings.
These images of the bride and groom are often in dishy locations where neither the ceremony or the reception took place: the water’s edge with a reflected cityscape; the Brooklyn bridge; a desert; an alley; teetering on a ledge in some deep and rugged canyon.
The poses are equally wowing. A deep-dip kiss. Bride and groom making a heart with their hands and looking through it. Maybe a grim-faced couple standing 3 feet apart, holding hands, and looking away from each other. (I’m still trying to figure that last one out.)
Does anybody really do that stuff? Don’t get me wrong. I love looking at these images. I’ve shot plenty of them myself and we definitely have a few downstairs in the gallery. But what I’m here to tell you today is... there’s so much more.
Wedding’s are about people. The bride and groom. The families coming together and celebrating this most joyous of occasions. Yes, the pandemic has affected that, but in all cases those closest to the couple are there. They wouldn’t be anywhere else because they want to share this day. Along with these people come the feelings, emotions, and the moments. The real feelings, the true emotions, and the genuine moments.
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Accessing these wonderful experiences is really very easy. For the bride and groom, just enjoy your wedding day and your people. In terms of photography, just remember that the pictures should be about the day. The day is not about the pictures.
In 50 years as you leaf through your wedding album, it could be difficult to to explain to your grandchildren why you got married on a dried up lake-bed with nobody in attendance. Trust me on this. What’s going to give your wedding images lasting value is their ability to bring the authentic experience and moments to those who see them. People will want to see who their grandmother really was; where she and their grandfather got married. They’ll want to see their uncle in a white dinner-jacket and bow-tie making a toast. They’ll want to look at the people and get an idea of the true emotions on that day.
Numerous times I’ve spoken at length with couples about all the epic magazine-worthy images we'll get and we do and it’s fun and grand, and our promotional material has tons of those images. Take a look. There are also times when we talk about the epic images, but after the ceremony the couple says “You know, I think we’d really just like to go to the reception.”
And that’s A-OK with me because it’s really about being with your people on this beautiful day.
]]>At the GRC with BWP
The George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is a little more than a block away from our studio. It’s a part of our every day life. We see its flag being raised when we come to work, and we see the sun set behind its magnificent rotunda when we go home.
It’s also an integral part of the city of Vincennes. Our city identifies with nothing more strongly than they do with this historical monument to George Rogers Clark and those events in the winter of 1779. The monument’s rotunda, I understand, is the largest in the National Park Service outside of those in Washington D.C.. It’s stately, magnificent and beautiful. Its architecture is timeless and its grounds are lush and inviting.
For these reasons it’s no surprise that our clients frequently ask to be photographed there. Why not? It’s engaging to say the least. The rangers and staff are terrific and, if you can follow a few simple rules and courtesies, it’s a wonderful resource. I’d bet that more families have been photographed at our memorial than any other place in Vincennes or surrounding counties. That being the case, we really don’t mind if someone wants to go over there. It’s breathtaking and it’s a block away.
Thousands of pictures put the family, bridal party, senior or expectant mother on the front lawn, with the memorial looming in the background. No question, that’s a great way to go. Since it’s right outside our front door though, we think it’s a rush, as well as a duty to ourselves and our clients to bring something different to the table when it comes to images using the memorial.
The park has been a part of my life since I moved to Vincennes more than 30 years ago. For me, a variety of memories abound. It never ceases to amaze me that whenever I visit I see something different. Its Greek Revival architecture with “all that granite” and sprinklings of Art Deco (it was built between 1931 and 1933) always offer something unique from a photographic standpoint. Countless details can be used for posing or as a background so that making every image unique is effortless and a pleasure in any weather.
With photography, taking the shortest moment to think “outside the box” typically brings great rewards. The George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is no exception.
This blog post will feature no fancy limos, no pretty wedding cakes, no lovely dresses, sparkly shoes or first kisses. This blog post will be short on verbiage but will feature what may be most important on your wedding day. The people. Your family, your friends, these people who’ve gathered with you to celebrate this greatest of days.
People are really what this day this day is all about. You, your fiance’ your families, your friends. People who would literally stand in the rain (As you can see, I’ve seen it) to be with you on your wedding day.
These people who love you.
Take a peek and thanks for stopping by...
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Should they be invited?
Should people even bring children to weddings?
Children, some say, are meant to be seen and not heard.
Google what’s right and you’ll find as many answers as there are children with some getting angrily passionate about their view.
Here’s our take.
Having been to hundreds of weddings, maybe only a small handful have had very few or no children in attendance. I’m guessing in larger cities or if a wedding is held at…The Four Seasons or Belmond Hotel Caruso, invitations may more frequently have some verbiage suggesting the event is for grown-ups and children might be more comfortable at home.
Here in southern Indiana though weddings typically have children in attendance and as part of the ceremony. We’re A-OK with that, because we’re laid back and easy going (or because we don’t have a stick up our ass.) Also because weddings are a celebration of people coming together; families and friends as a couple begins their new life. To some extent children help illustrate this.
Children may be among the guests or they may be a part of the ceremony. Frequently, and deeply moving, a child may be at the altar at their mother or father gets married.
So, while not everyone may agree with us, we have a hard time imagining a wedding without children. Quite simply, they add so much. But we’re not the only ones who feel this way. To see more images of children at weddings Google “Royal Wedding...”
or look at the slideshow we’ve included in this post.
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I love photographing a bride in her dress. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the day so here are a few observations.
It’s important to get what we call a “dress on the hanger” picture as a fun little detail shot, but it’s always looks SO much better on the bride.
I love it when brides show me pictures of
their dresses in the weeks before their wedding. The
anticipation of lighting the dress to best show off the draping, beadwork or embroidery, etc. is great.
You don’t light all brides in their dresses the same way. The draping and style; whether it’s natural, asymmetrical, princess etc. will all want to be lighted differently to be shown to their fullest effect. Don't believe me? Look at the work of Dutch and Flemish painters in the 16th and 17th centuries. When we see the dress we pretty much know what’s going to need to happen, but we work with it, cajole the bride a bit, find the right light and the right pose and when it happens it's impossible not to see it and inside you’re just like “Yes!”
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No doubt, by now you’ve seen articles and posts advising you to have an “unplugged wedding.” Briefly, at an unplugged wedding guests are asked (at least for the ceremony but often for other parts of the day) to turn off their phones and tablets and just sit back and enjoy the day.
There may be a number of reasons for this. Possibly the bride and groom actually DO want you to watch their ceremony. Another reason, the sound of a cellphone ringing or other various electronic chirps add nothing to the ceremony.
There are other reasons. Photographers frequently rant online about how their pictures were ruined by insensitive phone-wielding guests. Frequently their rants are accompanied by a photo ; a masterpiece worthy of the Louvre’ but for the clutter of cellphones.
As a photographer, I could tell you stories about guests taking pictures at weddings. All of them quite amusing, yet….it’s never been a problem for me for a number or reasons.
First and most important: The digital revolution has made photography available to people in ways that nobody could’ve imagined. There’s a good chance that you’re reading this on a device right now that has two cameras on it. It’s just a part of the world we live in.
Second, when people use their camera-phones to take your picture during the ceremony (first kiss, coming up the aisle, whatever) it’s because they love you. It’s sort of like giving you a hug and it helps them feel like they’re a part of and enjoy your celebration.
Third; Let’s go back, let’s go waaaaaay back to when I was a news photographer, first in Chicago, later in Indiana. The idea of returning to the office and explaining to the editor that you didn’t get the picture because too many other photographers were in the way was NOT an option. If someone with a camera, or a street sign or a limo or whatever was in your way, it was your job to find a position to get the image to tell the story. That’s one of the things that made us professionals.
It never occurred to us (and it still doesn’t occur to me) to manage the behavior of those around me to make my job easier. These people are your wedding guests. Your family and your closest friends. They are part of the day and the photographer is there to capture it not control it. I say let the guests enjoy themselves. Let them BE themselves. And to tell you the truth, people are going to take pictures anyway.
The same article offers this verbiage: “We've hired an amazing wedding photographer named _________ who will be capturing the way the wedding looks and we’re...” To all my future couples, PLEASE don’t post this at your wedding. I love that you have a high opinion of me as your photographer, but I’d rather not have attention drawn to myself in this manner.
Are there things I would change at weddings to make my images better? Sure and within reason I manage those things to make our images the best possible. Is someone between the bride and me with a camera? Take a step to the left and they’re no longer a problem. Is there a trash can in the background as the bride and groom share their first dance? Move so it’s not. It’s what we do as professionals. But we really don’t feel like we need to manage the behavior of your guests in order to “create masterpieces.” It’s nice to take yourself seriously, but only to a point. Take a look at the work on our website. Does it really look like cellphones are a problem for us? You'll see people having a beautiful time and couples who trust their guests.
We realize our view on this is different from that of almost all other photographers. But, you see, your wedding day is a genuine and real experience for you to enjoy and the people closest to you to share. Let them be themselves. They’re so much better when they are. The day is not about pictures, the pictures should be about your day.
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OhhhhKaaayyyyy, Since we've been at our First Street location nine years TODAY, I thought I'd pull out something form the first wedding we did as Bartholomew Wedding Photography way back in '04. This is from Kristina Linneweber Brown's wedding at Community United Methodist Church in Vincennes.
Something cool here: as I looked through their pictures I saw guests that I still see at some weddings; Max and Vera were at a wedding I shot last month. How cool is that!
I shot my first wedding back in the 80s when I was a student at Hastings College and that seems like a long time ago. It was film, OK!?! When I look at Kristina and Wes’s pictures I see things that have changed: Nikon D100? Really? Or: “Was that really an accepted style back then?” I was back from my first WPPI convention and full of fire. It's brighter now. Alot more clear.
Some things have stayed the same. I think I’m still using one of the same flashes that I used at this wedding, but now I have more of them. And from a style standpoint, there’s some stuff that we don’t do anymore but there’s some stuff that we still do. The picture included with this blog post is one I’ll always remember and I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot it again. It was the last frame before we headed to the reception (Moose Lodge, I believe.) The truck, if I remember, was a '54 ford that Wes and his Dad had restored.
Cheers Kristina and Wes!
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Sadly, we’ve all seen it too many times.
A sacred moment when two people’s lives will be forever changed as they become one. With dignity the celebrant helps guide the couple through this most special time. It’s a time of reverence as the closest family and friends look toward the altar; just the couple, the clergy….and the photographer? Really?
It doesn’t have to be this way and when I see it happen, I want to beat my head on the back of the pew in front of me. But see it I have. I’ve seen photographers on the altar moving around the couple like a doctor performing a thorough physical exam, their auriscope a 150 watt second flash.
We’re sure that the photographer on the altar is doing a bang-up job but upon reflection we ask ourselves, is it really worth compromising the dignity of the event to get that close? The simple answer is no.
When photographers behave in such callous fashion they’re a distraction for the guests, the couple and the clergy. There are other ways to tell this story. The day is not about the pictures, the pictures are about the day.
That’s why we go to wedding rehearsals. Actually there are several reasons, but this is the first. Going to the rehearsal helps us understand the choreography of the ceremony. Knowing this helps us to know where to be during the ceremony (and where NOT to be) so were well out of the way of the ceremony on the altar and at the same time able to capture these most important moments.
While we’re there we can introduces ourselves to the clergy. The clergy does not own the church, synagogue or venue of the wedding, but they are still the one in charge. At this time we ask them if there are any guidelines they’d like us to follow while we’re documenting the ceremony. Courtesy.
All of this helps us stay out of the way and help maintain the dignity of the ceremony.
A second reason to attend the rehearsal is to more closely understand and know the people we’ll be working with. We can see how people respond to each other and this helps us document those relationships. If I see a bride consult with her grandmother numerous times during
the rehearsal, I know that’s an important relationship. What about the groomsmen. Does the best man who’s also the groom’s brother hang with the rest of the groomsmen? Are they cohesive as a group or do they each have individual relationships to the groom? Knowing these things makes a difference in what we’ll look for the following day. The wedding day is about people and relationships so we try to be aware.
So we’re at the rehearsal. We’re familiar with the people, with the venue, with the ceremony, just about everything. The last perk I’ll mention is that by coming to the rehearsal, we’ve made the bridal party and family familiar with ourselves. I find it so much easier to work in an environment where people know me. It only follows that people will act more natural and feel more comfortable around a photographer who they’ve seen or met before. It’s a special day with a number of intimate moments. It’s hard to image people opening up as much to a stranger.
Cheers. And remember, don’t be that guy.
]]>BIGGER is better, but is that always the case? Let’s take a look, shall we?
LET'S go back five centuries or more to a time when pictures (paintings in this case) were big. Hanging in the Louvre (and pictured at right) is Veronese’s “The Wedding at Cana.” At more than 10 yards wide, it spans an entire wall. Can you imagine how an image of this size and magnitude affects a room?
IF we look at the stunning image painted a century or so later by Adriaen Stalbemt, “The Arts and Sciences” (below) we can get an idea of how art was used to decorate and enhance a living space.
A room with significantly sized works of art can wake the minds of the room’s occupants and spur their imaginations and conversations. The room and the people in it become alive.
PLAINLY I’ve presented an unassailable case for big pictures. Right?
NOT so fast.
THE fact is, while some of these painters were creating work that would cover a wall or more, they were also making images that were barely larger than a common playing card. Why?
EMILY Kowalski, Communications Specialist with the North Carolina Museum of Art said in 2014 “Often, Dutch and Flemish painters created small self portraits they could use as ‘calling cards’ with potential patrons. “
A few more reasons: Someone might want to use the image in a place in a room that simply won’t accommodate a larger image. A person might rather put a framed image on a table, shelf or piano and not on a wall.
SMALL images can engage people differently than large images. A connection with a small image can be more intimate than with a larger wall mounted image. It can draw people in. It can literally move people across a room to look at the picture.
INSTEAD of having to stand back and admire it from a distance, a smaller picture…we can hold in our hand.
WE can hold it in our hand.
IN 2009 The Arthritis Foundation references a pain management study at the University of California in Los Angeles: “Simple reminders of loved ones, like photographs, engender feelings of being cared for and supported and can be strong enough to reduce pain….Images of their romantic partners lowered levels of pain even more than holding their hands. Viewing a partner’s picture also led to a significantly lower pain rating than viewing photographs of an object or looking at a picture of a stranger….Researchers say their findings suggest that bringing photos of loved ones to painful procedures may be beneficial, especially if those individuals can’t be there in person. And because people have varying abilities in providing support, in some cases photos actually seem to be more effective than in-person support.”
SO, maybe this blog post isn’t really intended for the general public or clients or potential clients. Maybe it’s for my colleagues. Big pictures are beautiful and selling them is great, but sometimes the small picture…
Spring is here and we’re staring down both barrels of our summer getaways. I’ve never been asked to give advice on vacation pictures and there’s probably a reason for that. With that in mind I’m going to post some of my thoughts on this and maybe a little advice.
First off, God bless our dads and grandfathers, camera bugs of half a century ago who tirelessly carried their big clunky cameras on vacations, forcing the family to line up in front of the Grand Canyon, St. Louis Arch, Golden Gate Bridge, light house for Kodak moment after Kodak moment. Today when we look back through those albums of prints (ALBUMS OF PRINTS) we don’t look at how the Grand Canyon has changed, we look at how we’ve changed.
These images not only document the history of our family, but they can spur these precious memories. Yes I remember that I went to the Grand Canyon when I was a kid, but actually looking at a photograph enhances and revitalizes the memory to a point that simply not be reached otherwise.
So thank your camera-bug dad for lugging his monstrous camera around. The pictures are worth it. And while he may have looked a bit dorky in his leather sandals and dark socks, using a Rolleiflex TLR and wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers more than makes up for it.
Now some pointers and some of this is going to seem dumb almost to the point of being insulting, but if I hadn’t been there myself….
Disclaimer: These are rambling thoughts and this is in no way intended to be a comprehensive how-to post.
#1. Have your camera. Let’s face it, in this day and age it’s more difficult NOT to have a camera than to forget one, so there’s just no excuse. Phones have cameras, yes, but to take it up a notch a small point and shoot will go a long way. This has to do with image quality. Pictures from your cell phone will look best…on the cellphone. The images in this post were taken with a dated point and shoot Canon that fit in my pocket.
#2. Read the instruction book. I’m sorry! I’m not trying to insult you. Even the simplest cameras do a lot, but the worst is that they all have a bunch of tiny little buttons and it’s easy to accidentally change the settings and not know what you’ve done. Maybe you did something and it doesn’t take pictures when you push the button or (maybe worse) it beeps when you push the button. As I write this I’m sitting next to a camera instruction book that’s 502 pages long. All in English. Yours won’t be that long.
#3. Don’t NOT shoot a picture because you’re afraid it won’t turn out well. It’s your vacation. Respond to the way you feel. Relax.
#4. Photograph the people you care about. Unless you’re getting something that you really think is going to be a scenic that you’ll put on your wall, your life is about your family.
#5. Watch out for garbage in the background and foreground. It takes patience, but look at what else is in your picture besides your subject. Pedestrians? Other tourists? Dumpsters? Sometimes you’ll need to wait for people to get out of the way. Sometimes you’ll need to move yourself.
#6. Shoot out of a window only if there’s no other way.
#7. If you have to shoot out of a window, watch out for reflections.
#8. And maybe most important, when you pull off to a scenic overlook, get your picture, and then actually take your camera down from your face and breathe it in. Let your mind see it in real life. Feel it.
Chicago Pizza. Leona's on North Sheridan Road.
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That’s the question and it’s been the question for a hundred years. This isn’t some elementary exercise for first year photo students. It’s still a topic of discussion for veterans of the industry and those who put down their camera decades ago. Philosophies vary and some choose to not be philosophical at all saying “I don’t even want to see black and white” or “who cares, it’s digital, you can have it both ways.”
In my initial photography education there was no choice. We learned to develop black and white film and make black and white prints. Yes, color photography had been invented at that time (thank you) but we were learning to communicate in black and white. When we approached a subject the image we created had to have something to carry it other than a whole lot of a saturated color. Only if we continued our photographic education for years would we learn to shoot, process and communicate in color.
Maybe a decade later the subject came up in a studio photography class at Columbia College. We were learning how to communicate with various lighting techniques. This required thought and a sense of the subtle. The teacher talked about movies made in black and white (think Casablanca) where lighting and composition engaged the viewer. With the advent of color, he said, directors and still photographers forgot about beautiful lighting and compelling composition. No shadows were needed, no thought was necessary.
As newspapers embraced color things got confusing. Some would say “If there’s no REASON for the picture to be in color, then it should be black and white.” Think of a field of tulips. It generally requires color. Adding to the confusion was the fact that a lot of papers only ran color on the front page and that two types of film required two different processes. Photographers had to carry two cameras and make decisions as they were shooting as to whether an image should be color or black and white.
It shook the photojournalism world when the New York Times went to color. At the time, their creative director said (in effect) “In no other part of the paper do we systematically withhold information like we do when we choose to run an image in black and white.
What do I think? Some images communicate beautifully in black and white. Others communicate better in color.
At conferences and talking to my colleagues, they're like "yeah, yeah, you HAVE to have a blog" and I
guess your supposed to post images from your shoots and talk about how awesome and amazing they
are and how awesome the shoot was and how great the pictures are going to be. I'm not sure our
clients are into that and I'm not sure I'm into that. Don't get me wrong, we work our butts off on every shoot
and strive to deliver the best work around, but waving it around on social media...isn't facebook and Instagram
enough?
Sooooo, I think I'm just going to give you a little background and then in future posts we'll talk some about
my philosophy of photography (rambling), cool cameras, cheeseburgers and stuff. So...
Born: Hays, KS, 1961
Wife extraordinaire: Ang. (she's the B.W.P. office manager)
Daughter: Cecelia (Musical, funny, smart, good friends. Loves D2k.)
First photo class: 1976, Brookens Junior High School, Champaign, Urbana. Great pizza there and the town where I bought my
First Camera: Canon TX (35 mm film camera. Max shutter speed, 1/500th.) Actually, that was my first adjustable camera.
My parents got me a Kodak X-15 in about 1970.
High School: Hays High
College:
Hastings College, B.A. Sociology
Columbia College, Chicago, studied photography
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studied photography
Took photo classes at other miscellaneous colleges.
USI, bachelors and teaching certificate.
First real photo job: Freelancing for newspapers in Chicago.
First staff job: Greensburg Daily News.
Currently: Photographer at Bartholomew Wedding Photography.
Photographers who most influenced me: John H. White, Tony Ashe (first photo teacher), Steve McCurry, Jim Richardson,
Stan Malinowski, Robert Farber...really there's just so many. All those photographers who worked for LIFE in the 60's and 70s.
Knew I was going to be a photographer in about '69, looking at LIFE magazine.
Equipment that I love: Old Leicas and Nikons.
Knowing that since I'm a photographer, a photo is expected in a blog post, Here's a cheeseburger (OK, double)
from Bass Pro. It rocked and my daughter agrees.
Cheers,
Tom
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