Wedding Photography Locations in Northwest Indiana

March 24, 2014 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom kiss at the bottom of the staircase at the Chapel of the Resurrection

The above image was taken at Valparaiso University a The Chapel of the Resurrection on campus. It's been a few years since I've photographed there, but happy to report that I will be returning in another month for Heather and David's wedding ceremony.

I often get asked "Where Did You Take That Photograph?!!" and the above image is always one of those I get asked about. Today I'm going to post a few more images I often get asked the location of. I always say we can make great photographs anywhere. I've shot in alleys and you will find at least one of those on my wedding photo gallery page. So if you don't have an exotic location for your wedding, don't sweat it. Here's an example of an image taken on the edge of a parking lot on Route 41 in Saint John. The couple told me they were asked by friends if they had flown somewhere previous to their wedding day to take photos!! Good to hear, that means I've done my job. :)

Newly married couple walks among the greenery at The Shrine of Christ's Passion in Saint John, Indiana.

I'm surprised that many couples who book White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana don't know about the swampy bridge out in the middle of the course. I suppose it's not high on their list during a tour of the facilities, but it certainly makes for great photo opportunities.

A couple kisses on a bridge that overlooks an exotic swamp at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana.

For a rustic outdoor wedding, Gardens on the Prairie in Lowell, Indiana is a great location. Sounds odd, but most days it's a garden center - a place where you buy seeds and plants for your own landscaping. However, they have a beautiful garden there and various areas for outdoor weddings as well as an indoor area should weather not cooperate. This wedding party group shot was taken in front of 'The Ruins' structure that can be seen off the main road.

Wedding Party group photo in front of The Ruins at Gardens on the Prairie in Lowell, Indiana.

While photos in Chicago might not be viable for a lot of you, if you want a photo opportunity every time you turn around you will certainly find one there. I often go to the city for engagement photos, but occasionally get the chance to do wedding images there. The beautiful garden at Millennium Park would certainly be one of my stops.

The bride and group walk through the Millennium Park gardens with the tall buildings of Chicago in the background.

I mentioned alley ways earlier and perhaps this graffiti wall in the back of a Hobart business counts for that. It's just off the path of the boardwalk along Lake George.

Bride and groom lean against a graffiti wall in downtown Hobart.

I thought we'd end with a fun one of Chris and Candy dancing toward the White Chapel in Hobart, Indiana. This is one that people always recognize the church in the photo, but can't always place where it is. It's Grace Lutheran Church on Rt. 51 just south of Hobart Mercy hospital.

The bride and groom dance their way toward Grace Lutheran Church in Hobart, Indiana.

I hope you have enjoyed this post featuring my most asked about wedding photography locations in Northwest Indiana.

A quick update on availability: A few select dates are still open for 2014. I have July openings strangely enough and part of October and November open. 2015 dates are currently getting booked at a good pace. Please fill out the Contact Form to see if your date is available.

The Purpose of Engagement Photos

March 16, 2014 Steve Vansak

Most wedding clients choose an engagement photo session of some sort. I offer quite a few different options and thought I'd go into the purpose of these sessions and tell you a little bit about them too.

I think the best reason to have an engagement session is the chance to capture yourselves as a couple without the grandeur or the pressures of the wedding day. It's just cool to have professional shots of yourself in regular clothing and to see yourself in a moment in time as most others see you. Engagement sessions are romantic, casual, relaxed. I encourage my clients to pick the engagement package that most represents them.

Some clients love the city of big shoulders and will choose my Chicago Session package. I love this session as it affords me a chance to really deliver unique and romantic images for my clients. There are just so many photo ideas there. I shoot it all in color, but then turn everything to black and white and make it all look like old film shots from the 1960's. You can see examples of the Chicago Engagement packages here.

Other clients despise the hustle and bustle of Chicago. If you are a couple who enjoys a casual stroll through Deep River County Park or a sunset off the beach, then you should choose a Local Engagement session. You can find more examples in my engagement gallery here.

So what do people do we these images? Here are examples of what most of my clients do with their engagement photos:

display a large print as well as other smaller ones at the reception hall as guests enter
use for Save the Date cards designed by me or elsewhere
have them on display at the reception hall in a Wish Book
display them in their new home

Another great purpose for engagement photos is getting used to being photographed. I spend the entire wedding day with my clients and I'm soon accepted in and trusted. This enables me to get great and fun candid moments. However, getting to know each other during an engagement session can break the ice even quicker. I've found that couples are much more relaxed in front of the lens after an engagement session.

There is no reason to take two dozen portraits either. Sometimes there is no need to even be facing the camera. Perhaps we want to show off the wedding date for some shots. Maybe we are going for a tender moment or two or just maybe we want to get a little edgy with some sex appeal in our photos. We can do all of these things. I'm very used to shooting for books, telling a story, so I like to provide you with many different images and looks.

I would encourage you to not be afraid of the dark either!! I often like to split my Chicago Sessions up between day and night shots. This can be done locally as well. It's quite unique to have night time images. Feel free to change clothes too.

Sometimes due to time constraints or budget, a couple may choose to get studio portraits done as their engagement photos. A couple of 8x10's in frames will be next to the guest book when friends and family sign in. It's another great and classy way to showcase your story. Since I do studio work as well as on location, I can provide you with this option as well.

No matter which option you choose for your engagement photos, I know you are going to have a lot of fun and cherish them always. I'm looking out the window as I'm typing this and can FINALLY see grass again. This tells me Spring is on the way and engagement sessions are just around the corner. Think about how you want yours to be and contact me here to get on the calendar.

Why Are Wedding Photographers So Expensive?

March 10, 2014 Steve Vansak

For most photographers including myself, it's conventional wisdom to not discuss price. The idea is to have potential clients focus on your work. After all, these images are of a once in a lifetime event and are going to be passed on to future generations. We want you to value that important aspect and not think of your wedding photography as just another product. We want you to get to know us as well, the person(s) who will be spending this very important day with you. However, as someone who has never been conventional and who understands the pressures of bills and real life, I thought I'd tackle the subject today.

I recently showcased at a bridal show and heard several times "Why are wedding photographers so expensive?" and "What are your prices?", often before a single image was even looked at. This tells me it's a burning subject that needs to be addressed. Of course, I don't know what would be considered expensive by various clients either. I'm going to approach this article with an attempt to give you insight into a professional, full time photographer and assume that you are considering a professional because you value photography. So let's dig in...

One of the most common misconceptions is that your photographer is an hourly worker and that the "work day" is over after the last shutter press. I can understand this because people are used to cell phones and other digital cameras and the instant gratification they provide. Let's talk about this and other myths.

Example: photographer charges $2000 for a wedding and stays for 10 hours. This means he or she is getting paid $200 per hour, right?

On the surface this seems to add up, but a pro is going to keep working for you long after. I spend approximately 12 hours shooting the wedding, 30 hours editing the images after the wedding, 10 hours designing the album. Add on expenses for products of each wedding, cost of online gallery hosting and the time to upload the images and you see very quickly that the "hourly rate" has dropped dramatically.

The difficult part for you the client and one of the reasons I'm writing this is how varied things are from photographer to photographer. So, why is that?

The typical "Facebook photographer" probably does this on the side in addition to their day job. They may or may not have the skills to photograph your wedding. They may or may not be there on your big day. More than likely it's an extra money for the weekend type of situation. They aren't investing it back into their business, learning new techniques, replacing equipment, paying for insurance, etc. Your images are probably not going to be edited. They will typically charge a lot less.
Some pro photographers have additional expenses to cover such as a brick and mortar storefront, secretary and more. Perhaps they outsource the editing and book designing. They typically will charge a little more for seemingly the same service and quality.

Just like in anything, the wedding industry is also a haven for those who want to just make a quick buck. Many times these are service companies who are doing multiple weddings on the same night and sending out hired hands with few skills who are getting paid a minimum. These are companies that hurt the client as well as photographers such as myself. I'm often concerned that potential clients will mistake me for this type of company due to Region Weddings being a "generic name". I wanted the site to be helpful to brides and grooms and not just about my photography with articles such as this, so hence the name. Rest assured, you meet with me and I'm the one who will be showing up on wedding day.

Photo editing: This means you are fixing mistakes, right? After all, the image is already done. I just saw it on the back of the screen. So, how about skipping that part and bring this price down a bit?

Back in the day photographers shot on film and they sent the rolls to the darkroom and contrast was added, saturation, slight exposure adjustment, etc. and a photograph was made. In digital, it's exactly the same way. What happens on a cell phone or on the back of a DSLR is the computer in the device makes a guess and does this for you. However, any pro is going to shoot a digital negative and do all of this by hand. This takes time, effort and skill in the digital darkroom known as Photoshop. This ensures a higher quality image and no guessing from a machine. I do all of this myself, hence the additional 30 hours of work. Yep, we can do stuff like swap peoples heads, etc. but in reality, we are usually just doing the basics. The best thing is to capture a good image to start with and to not "fix it in Photoshop".

As a client, you have the rent or mortgage, car payments, insurance and more. I get it. Me too. Please don't take this as a defensive article either. I wrote this to simply give you a little bit of inside baseball and an understanding of how the process works. We as photographers are sometimes a bit secretive about this subject and I wanted to address it head on. When you sit down with me to discuss your wedding photography, feel free to ask the difficult or awkward questions. I'd be glad to answer them openly and honestly. By the way, my rates can be found here. I have a lot of 2014 booked, but various dates are available. Bookings for 2015 are well underway.

As I always say, I'd be glad to refer you to another photographer if I'm not right for you or if the date is booked. I feel that strongly about you getting super images and quality service. Hope this helps!!

Bride and groom dance their way across the bridge at Deep River County Park.

Introducing Wedding Wish Books

March 3, 2014 Steve Vansak

Page 1 and 2 from the Wedding Wish Book for guests to sign and write in.

I always tell my couples to be themselves for their engagement photos and to display them at the reception hall when guests arrive. Your family and friends are their to celebrate you, so show them who you are. I have a new way to display your engagement pictures and I'm excited to show it to you. I call it the Wedding Wish Book. It's awesome. Remind me to show it to you at our meeting.

I designed it so that a good amount of images fits into the 20 pages along with sections where guests can write their own messages. The pages above has space for Best Wishes with my clients Rachel and Dustin's Fall engagement photos on the opposite side. The image below is a two page spread with romantic engagement pictures on the bottom and an area for remembrances above.

Two page spread of wedding day remembrances.

The book is 12x12 in size and the pages comes uncoated so a ball point pen will not smear as family and friends write into it. I believe it's a fantastic keepsake to look back on in years to come and pass on to future generations.

Two page spread featuring a Favorite Memories section with engagement pictures on the opposite side.

The book just arrived last week so it's literally hot off the press. By the way, these Fall engagement photos were taken at Lemon Lake Park if you are looking for that Autumn, outdoor look. Any types of photos from a Chicago Session to a beach session can be featured.

Tips for falling love over and over again.

You have probably seen Wedding Guests Books that feature engagement photos and I have a book like that as well. It also is an uncoated, 20 page book with an area for attendees to your wedding to sign. It can act as a simple registry with 432 maximum signatures or 216 signatures with a message.

To celebrate the arrival of the Wedding Wish Book, both of these items are currently on sale in the Region Weddings store. If I already photographed your engagement session and you want to add this book to your wedding decorations on the big day, please order at least a month beforehand to give me time to put the book together and get it printed and bound. If we are doing your session later this year, definitely keep these books in mind. I think they are a great way to show yourselves off and your guests will surely enjoy contributing to your wedding day with their best wishes and advice.