Experience matters

   In the past 10 days I have been booked to photograph weddings on October 11 and  April 20. For each of those weddings, I met with the bride-to-be and her mom. The first question they asked:

HOW LONG have you been photographing weddings?

   I appreciate this question, and the underlying concern it reflects. The upcoming wedding is a huge event for the family. Friends and relatives will all be together to celebrate the uniting of the couple in marriage-it's a milestone in their lives. It's a memorable day not only for those in attendance, but for the children and the grandchildren yet to be-photographs of the wedding day showcase the day their family was founded. Each generation looks back at the photographs of the wedding of their parents, their grandparents, great-grandparents, and a fortunate few have a photographic history that goes even further. Wedding day portraits are a family's lineage.

   So, how long have I been photographing weddings?

22 years. 

Trained and experienced in how to pose the bride to flatter her figure and her wedding dress? 

Check.

Trained and experienced in arranging groups quickly and easily? 

Check.

Trained and experienced in all types of lighting situations, 

from candle lit churches to outdoor ceremonies in full sunlight?

 Check.

Trained and experienced in proper use of artificial lighting?

 Check.

Back up equipment in cameras and lighting and anything else that might fail? 

Check.

Fluent and competent in a variety of  photographic styles, from traditional to candid to photo-journalistic? Check.

Familiar with various faith traditions and rules? 

Check.

Ability to remain calm when the "wedding day whirlwind" is at it's peak?

 Double check.

   Consider this: How would you like for your wedding to be the first one photographed by a spentalotofmoneyonthisnewcameraandnowcallmyselfaphotographer photographer?

Do professionalism and experience matter? They do if it's your wedding.