The Creepy Wedding Photographer

Okay, so this post is a little bit tongue in cheek.  However, I have met leery clients who tell me about some of the strange encounters and behavior they have seen from everyone from caterers to videographers to yes, it's true - wedding photographers.  I too have met some odd people along the way.  I'm all for a unique approach and I do like to joke with my clients throughout the day. This is why it is so important to meet the actual person who will be with you throughout the biggest day of your life.

I'm definitely NOT the guy pictured here today (lol), but if you are a potential client, let's meet and talk and get to know each other a little bit.  Our photographs will be that much better for it.  While it would be nice to just pick up the phone and book clients right on the spot, it's certainly worth the time and effort in the long run to have one if not several meetings before the big day. Engagement pictures can play a big role as well.  By the time the wedding rolls around, it's like we are old friends.

Wedding photographers as a whole work real hard.  These are men and women who want the best for you on your big day.  After the wedding reception and the last notes of the Electric Slide have faded, our work is just beginning - with tons of editing, designing, etc. - to get your images just right.  Do not be taken in by the "shoot and burn" folks who will have everything on CD for you before the weeks end.

I also promise to not leer at your maid of honor all day and my female assistant will adjust your dress and hair should anything not be right.  Again, I'm trying to humorous here, but you get the idea - we are going to be professionals.

A good wedding photographer is going to expect the unexpected.  We are in Northwest Indiana and Chicago where the weather changes every 5 minutes.  Don't worry if something like this threatens to ruin your day.  Let's just turn it into something useful and get some special and unique photographs out of it.  Ask Thomas and Joanne about the mini monsoon we encountered in Chicago a few weeks ago while shooting their engagement pictures!!

Finally, when I call you for your Premiere Night to view all of your wedding images - I plan for you to be smiling during the presentation.  My business is mostly word of mouth and I want you to run to all of your friends to tell them about me.  I want us both to have a happy face on that day.

In closing, this post is for all of you just coming upon the site and just beginning your search for a wedding photographer.  Let's chat about your day, let me show you samples of my work and have you get to know me a little bit.  Hopefully this "creepy wedding photographer" has also given you a few laughs as well as things to consider as you do your planning.  

Holiday Cheer from my Merrillville Studio

My next wedding comes up in two weeks at St. Matthias in Crown Point, Indiana and another reception at Avalon Manor in Merrillville.  The last wedding of 2010 was Megan and Austin's nuptials at St. Michael's church in Schererville.  That was back in late October.  So, what does a wedding photographer do during the cold winter months?

Here is a bit of what I'm up to....

• meeting and booking 2011 wedding clients
• doing engagement shots in Chicago
• family and children shots at my Merrillville studio
• adding wedding photos to my Wedding and Engagement Book Gallery
• taking more classes and workshops to do an even better job for all of you
• tending to the boring tasks of business management

I'm also going to be a vendor at The Bride's Guide Winter Bridal Show at Wicker Park Social Center on Sunday, January 30th.  Stop by and say hello.  More about the show to be posted here soon, including my announcement of what I will be raffling off at the show.

Until then, let's all enjoy some holiday cheer from a recent kids studio portrait session at my Merrillville studio.  Enjoy!!

Chicago Sessions: Winter Engagement

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Thomas and Joanne are both nurses at different hospitals.  They will be getting married in the Philippines next July.  For their engagement photos, they loved the idea of going to Chicago to take classic black and white images.  They sounded like the perfect candidates for my Chicago Sessions engagement package!!

As is custom for the Chicago Sessions, we met at the South Shore train station in East Chicago and took some shots on the platform as well as cuddling and laughing shots as the romantic love birds rode the train.

We knew there was a threat of rain and sleet and that a big snowfall was possible late in the day.  It was winter in the windy city after all!!  That's okay, as their engagement photographer, nothing was going to stop me.  I bundled up with multiple layers, a ski hat and a poncho in case of rain.  These guys were plenty brave and looked great in their classic winter coats. 

As they walked on State Street, it sometimes felt as though they were the only ones there even though this was a crowded, holiday shopping weekend.

The concept of the Chicago Sessions engagement package is to evoke the look and feel of old film photographs of the 1960's and 1970's.  If you look closely, you will see that I added a bit of grain to some of the photos and a sepia tone in others.

One of the other features of this romantic photo shoot is to capture some of the architecture of the city while not taking attention away from the soon to be bride and groom.

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I think Thomas and Joanne were concerned about the incoming fog and rain, but I assured them this would add drama to our photographs.  Here are some of my favorites that feature the fog and all taken in the Millennium Park area.

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These guys had to maneuver some iced over steps to get down to the Chicago River for some true winter engagement photos....

Here is another one of my favorites with an almost Christmas like feel to it because of the snow covered trees....

Click here to see the entire gallery of Chicago engagement photos of Thomas and Joanne.

Christmas Tug of War

We are going to take a break today away from weddings and engagements and show off a recent session from my Merrillville Portrait Studio.  I've photographed Ben and Lia for the past three years and they are quite familiar with me now.  We have done studio and on location shots in the past.  So, it didn't take much to coax them into things like the "Christmas tug of war" with mom's scarf or to both try on Dad's Christmas sweater at the same time.

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I even was able to get a reluctant Ben to give little sister a Christmas kiss on the cheek.  She loved it and was more than willing to oblige back, much to Ben's chagrin.

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I love this shot of Lia barely peaking out from hiding behind Mr. Christmas Bear...

When it came time for some solo shots, these guys were ready.  I do seem to recall a McDonalds bribe in there somewhere.  Hey, whatever it take to get the shot!!

One of my goals here at Region Weddings is to be your photographer long after the Reception ends.  I want to be your family photographer as well.  Hopefully I will do such a good job at your wedding that you will want to come back in the future for couple's shots or bring the newborn into the studio or recommend me for kid sister's senior pictures.  

It's the type of customer service  the typical "shoot and burn" wedding photographer is never going to provide.

Let's have one last look my pals Ben and Lia.  Thanks for a great year and Happy Holidays to you and your family!!!

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