Vendor Spotlight:

1. What do you love most about your job?

I love love.  Plain and simple.  I wanted to shoot weddings because at the time I was single and a hopeless romantic daydreaming about the day I would get my happily ever after too.  With each wedding I shot, I lived vicariously through them and it kept me inspired that true love was worth the wait, and that it didn’t just happen in movies, but in real life.  I love also the honor of documenting someone’s most important day as God brings them together as man and wife.  With each couple, I love the challenge of trying to discover what is uniquely their love language, and capturing all those moments and affections and smiles.

2.  Tell us one tip or piece of advice you give to all your clients?

Everyone has something beautiful about them.  Every single one of my clients tells me they aren’t good in front of the camera, and you see how amazing they end up looking in their photos.  I believe every one is beautiful in their own distinct way, and it’s my job to discover that and show it to them through my camera.

3.  What inspires you to keep things fresh, fabulous and unique?

Love stories.  With everyone that inquires with me, the first thing I ask them is for the girly details about their love story.  Love inspires me.  I’m always thinking too about their grandkids.  I want their grandkids to look back one day at the photos and see exactly why their grandparents fell in love.

4.  Share with us one of the most memorable events you took part in and why it was so special.

Oh gosh, all my clients become such a special part of my heart.  One that sticks out though was for a wedding in 2008.  When the bride booked me in 2007, she told me that her dad had cancer and was undergoing treatment and didn’t know if he would make it until the wedding.  When the wedding came in 2008, her dad was in recovery, and I made sure to take some memorable shots of them dancing together because of how special it was that he was able to be at the wedding.  Just a month after that wedding, I found out my own dad had cancer and he passed away 8 months later.  When he was sick, I kept thinking of my bride who got the opportunity to dance with her dad at her wedding, so even though I wasn’t getting married, when I saw my dad was going downhill fast, I asked him out for a father/daughter date night, and it started by my mom filming us dancing in their living room.  Even though he won’t be at my upcoming wedding next month, I’m so glad I still got my father daughter dance, inspired by my one bride’s story.  Then early last year, I found out my bride’s dad passed away, and I was so glad she could have those photos dancing with her dad at her wedding.  I’ve realized, you don’t realize the value of a photograph until that’s all you have left of someone.

Here’s my favorite shot of them:

5. What do you find couples are seeking most in photography these days?

I hate to say it, but digital files.  Yes, I understand this is a digital day and age, but I worry about the next generation not having physical photographs of their parents or grandparents because the disc isn’t compatible with their new technology, or a harddrive crashed ages ago.  Even though I think it’s great to have the disc for back up and keepsake value, I wish more brides would understand that nothing replaces the physical prints or albums that you can pass down.  I have one of my parents wedding photos framed, and thank goodness they didn’t just settle for the negatives back then.