Portland Wedding Photography & Candid Portraits

As a photographer, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be in front of the camera. We spend so much of our lives taking and looking at pictures, that it all becomes second nature. I think it’s a great idea for all of us wedding and portrait photographers to get in front of the lens at least once a year.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had new business portraits taken by a photographer friend last week. The first thing I noticed was how different it is to be in front of the camera alone. Only about six months prior, Deanna had done my family portraits. Having my little girl next to me during the family portrait session, had me thinking about her instead of the camera.

I should preface this by saying the Deanna is very personable and friendly. She’s someone I feel very comfortable around. In front of the camera, I all of a sudden did not know what to do with my hands, or how to stand. It’s funny because I know what works best visually but with a big lens pointing at me I just freeze. I wondered if my jacket should be open or closed, and felt awkward just sitting!

This experience will make me try to never again tell a portrait subject to “act natural”. Yes, I want natural looking results but I realize that for most people this is not possible to do. About 90% of the time when I am photographing, I have at least two subjects. Whether it be an engaged couple, a group of bridesmaids at a wedding, or a family, I try to get my clients involved in each other. I may ask you to do a silly pose when really what I’m looking for is the laugh that comes after.

It was a good experience to be the model for an hour, and I think it helped me understand my clients just a little better. I can’t wait to see the photos!

Earlier this week I had coffee with Dorinda Malsey of Tayadeline Floral. It was really interesting to hear about weddings from her point of view. The amount of thought and time that goes into wedding flowers is so much more than I had imagined. Hearing about the prep a florist goes through the night before made me really glad that as a wedding photographer most of my work comes after the wedding.

I worked with Dorinda at a wedding last summer at The Aerie at Eagle Landing, just southeast of Portland. Her unique flower pom-poms for the little girls in the wedding party, and her sweet mellow attitude really struck me.

I am sitting here at Ava Roasteria sipping a decaf vanilla latte. If you follow my tweets, you probably often see me say that I’m drinking tea and waiting for a client, or such. I had a friend tell me she thinks all I do is sit around coffee houses.

I just met with a lovely bride and groom planning a 2010 wedding. I got to thinking that maybe my readers might be interested in what actually happens at once of these wedding photography meetings.

As a bride I would probably be scared of hard sales, and lots of pressure. Besides the fact that I can’t sell anything, it’s not what I want to do. (My hubby actually makes me leave the room if someone is coming over to buy something we posted on Craigslist.) To me the purpose is for both of us to decide if we are a good match, to see if I am the best wedding photographer for you.

I typically lug two big bags of stuff. I don’t make you sit for hours and look through all this, it’s just in case there is something extra you want to see. I have two flushmount wedding albums, and one mini flushmount that I show to every couple. I have a slideshow prepared and a box of printed proofs, in case you want to see more work. Some couples can get a feel from the albums, and others want to soak up every image possible.

I ask lots of questions, and answer as many as you have. Here is a list of questions I get asked often. Feel free to google questions to ask a wedding photographer and hit me with some new ones I might not expect.

I present you with a list of my wedding photography packages and lots of pricing details. These are just for you to get an idea. Once you tell me all about your wedding, I can create a custom collection for you. (I am happy to give you a quote before the meeting via email or phone.)

At the end of the meeting, I show you a copy of the contract for you to look over. If you would like to reserve your date at this point, you may. You are welcome to go home, think it over, and/or meet with other photographers. I once had a couple tell me they wanted a few minutes to talk things over on the spot. I got up, left the table, and came back to more questions. For my hubby and I, we always need to chat alone so I completely understand this!

My best meetings feel just like coffee with friends, with a bit more probing I guess.

I adore my hubby. He is wonderful and sweet. I thought I’d do a little bit of a promotion piece here for him. After buying our own home, and my relentless taking over the remote control to put on HGTV, Dan got very interested in real estate. In between working full time as a teacher for Job Corps in Portland, and being a very involved dad, he managed to go back to school. Last spring he passed the exams and became a licensed real estate agent. Just Friday, he completed another certification making him a short sale specialist.

Check out his blog or Facebook page. Even if you are not quite ready to buy or sell your home, he’s always willing to give advice.

We met over ten years ago, and I am still amazed by his determination!

During our “shoot me” session (using Deanna’s words), we kept talking about how stunning Jenkins Estate would be to have a wedding at. There are so many little nooks and crannies to take beautiful wedding photos. I adore the combination of history and nature.

Deanna, of Deanna Russell Photography, is so much fun to work with. She seems to feel about the same as I do about being in front of the camera. I try to use the experience to imagine what my clients feel like, and to improve my communications skills as a photographer. A gigantic part of my job as a photographer is interacting with my clients and making them feel at ease. When I first started out I thought the end product, the photos, was all it was about. Now I realize the experience is just as important!