A Bride & Groom’s Worse Nightmare
When The Weather Nearly Ruins Your Wedding Day
We’re getting married!
That was the astounding audible that a client uttered to me, while on a call together. With excitement in my heart, I immediately respond, congratulations! Tell me your story and plans for the big day. He(client) went on to provide a little back story of how he and his fiance got to this point. After about ten minutes of blissful chatting, we started to discuss the formalities of his wedding day plans.
He told me that they were planning their wedding for the coming month of July(2023). The wedding was set to take place at one of the newest, upscale venues on the east side of Chicago(The Penthouse in Hyde Park). The venue boasted a gorgeous Terrace with a stunning view over the city, as well as the lakefront. You guys need to see these. The venue is very nice.
The Penthouse
The Walkthrough
Now, generally speaking, when you plan a wedding in the summer months, you’re usually not that concerned when it comes to the weather. You expect it to be hot. It’s mid-summer. That’s a given. There wasn’t a lot of concern with this wedding because the venue had indoor and outdoor areas. The obvious contingency would be… if the weather, for whatever reason didn’t play nice, you just move everything indoors, right? Well… theoretically, that’s correct.
What happens in the case where you have more guests than, well, how can I say this… what the accommodations allow. Yeah!!! So, it becomes somewhat of a rolling-of-the-dice situation… wouldn’t you say? Now, if the weather is nice, this will be a dream day, for sure. You get to celebrate AMAZING accomplishments with all of your family and friends. I mean, what more could you ask for? On the other hand, if by chance, the unforeseen happens… then the obvious is, well… obvious.
This brings me to this post, title. When The Weather Nearly Ruins Your Wedding Day.
Fast forward to the wedding day. Wait!—No! Let’s rewind a bit. The day before the wedding, to be exact. Some call it the walk-through. Let’s contextualize things leading up to the big day. If you’re unfamiliar, traditionally, the wedding party would meet for about an hour or so the day before the wedding to get everyone acclimated to the ceremony’s in/out procession. Now, that’s not the only reason wedding partys meet the day before. The bride and groom may have planned a dinner for the party. Or, they want to make sure that everyone can do the two steps during the procession. Lol. In essence, the sole purpose is to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Forgive my digression. In any case, I want to make sure that the jist is properly translated. The reason I mentioned the walkthrough is because the question came up again about the contingency if the weather turned on us. Just earlier that day, news outlets reported a high possibility of rain. 70% chance. On top of that, the venue suggested that an executive decision be made as to whether the full setup should converge indoors. That way, if the unthinkable happens, the event goes on without a hitch. This is where things get interesting. You’ve paid all of this money for a venue that hosts amazing features. The Terrace is one of the top reasons if not the top reason you even chose the location to begin with. Now, because of the forecast, there’s a real chance that you won’t get your money’s worth. What a dilemma!
Do you swallow your feelings and consider all possibilities if the weather goes south? e.g. decor, guests, and media personnel getting drenched. Or, do you take the chance, hoping and praying that it works out? In this situation, the decision was made to hope and pray that the rain holds off. Fast forward to the wedding day. We’re at the venue. The sky is clear, and sunny, with no clouds in sight. This is shaping up to be all that was anticipated. Everyone was ecstatic about what was unfolding. We were there to do what we were there to do. Lol.
The Storm
The wedding had a 3:30 pm start time. 3:30 came, but not everyone was quite ready. No worries, though. A few minutes behind, but the sky is still clear. 30 minutes passed and still no start. At that point, the groom became visibly agitated. That wasn’t the worse of being 30 minutes behind. The sky and all of the vibrant sun rays began to fade. OMG!! 😯 It was almost as if a light switch had been flicked. This created somewhat of a frenzy. The groom shouted to the wedding planner, “We need to start, now!” The guests were all seated out on the Terrace. By 4:10, the procession was starting. First, the parents were escorted down the aisle to their seats. Then, as the groom and best man begin to proceed down the aisle, drips… began to fall. Mind you, there were nearly 300 guests seated on the terrace. The groom managed to make it to the front with just droplets on his clean suit. What proceeded the groom was indeed A Bride & Groom’s worst nightmare. In a matter of seconds, the clouds opened up and rain began to pour. As you would imagine, chaos broke loose. It was like a scene from the movie. As guests raced for cover in the reception hall, the rain continued to pour. My media team raced to get all of our equipment indoors. It took about 5-7 minutes for everyone to clear the terrace. Just think about that for a second. The last person was out there in the rain for 7 minutes. I remember seeing a soaked floor in the reception hall, wet hair, wet clothes, a disoriented crowd, and a groom who appeared to be angrier than a pack of starving wolves.
The Resolution
All seemed ruined. However, as devastating of a moment in time as this was, the staff, wedding party, and media team collectively refused to lose the day. Collective hands worked to gather all of the drenched chairs from the terrace and dried them off. The staff and media rearranged the room to somewhat accommodate the wedding ceremony as well as the reception. It was about a 20-25 minute delay before we were able to proceed. We were ready to start again. The room was very crowded. There weren’t enough tables and chairs to contain all of the guests. Nonetheless, the ceremony went on. The bride and groom said their vows and we were ready for the reception. All and all, God gave us the strength to make it through the storm. No pun intended. Everyone partied like it was 1999(Prince/1999). Due to the rained out Terrace, I wasn’t able to take the party outdoors for formal photos. So, we found a really small area inside and made it work. Here are a few pictures.
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- Published in Blog, Photography
Questions You Should Ask A Photographer Before Booking
As a photographer, I’ve been fortunate to work for and with many people, groups, and organizations. The experience to date has been nothing short of an amazing ride. However, that ride definitely has had its bumps in the road. What I mean is, there’s this heightened level of anxiety… particularly with new clients. They often exhibit a subtle sense of uncertainty due to not totally knowing what to expect from their photographer. So, after having numerous, similar experiences with my clients, I decided to provide my audience with a solution. A solution that matters. Answers, to all the important questions every client needs to know. If you need to hire a photographer, what questions should you ask them? What questions will put your mind at ease?
I’ve developed a list of essential questions for photographers that I highly recommend you commit to memory. These are the types of questions that will give you the best, most useful advice, and they’ll also help you understand how the photographer approaches their own photography. That way, the next time you run into a photographer you admire or you simply engage with a photographer on a website or forum, you know how to come away with the most helpful information.
Let’s get started with my first question:
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Should Christian Women Participate In Boudoir Photography?
I am a Christian, and I am also a photographer. Now, I’m sure that you’re thinking, okay, nothing out of the norm here. What I didn’t mention is the fact that I also shoot boudoir photography. It’s not too often that I get asked about how I can be both. But it comes up every once in a while. So I wanted to share with you why I shoot boudoir photography, even as a Christian (or especially as a Christian), and why I believe all Christian wives or soon-to-be-wives should do a boudoir shoot.
Now, I’m not sure where I’d begin or even if laying out boudoir photography in a biblical context would make any difference. I’ll just say that the whole of scripture implicitly points Christians away from anything having to do with lust in thought, word, and deed. Any type of sensuality or nudity apart from between marriage partners shouldn’t even be “named among us”.
Furthermore, in my study and concurred opinion, sexual desire and sensuality between a man and a woman is a gift from God meant solely for marriage. Anything outside of that, according to scripture, is out of bounds. Of course, that’s all in the context of this (nudity/sensuality in photography and in general). Well, enough of that, let’s get started!
I asked a few of my clients if would it be okay for me to use some of their photos to write and illustrate this article.
What is a boudoir shoot?
Boudoir is pronounced Bu-dwah or Bu-dwar, and is technically defined as, “a woman’s bedroom or private room for dressing or resting.” So in the photography world, that involves a portrait shoot that a woman does privately for her man, usually in lingerie. Although the shoot is primarily done as a gift for her man, the women find that the shoot is very pampering and creates a space for her to feel feminine, lovely, and especially sexy. Women spend far too much time comparing themselves to other women they see on Social Media, magazines, or on TV and feeling “blah” about themselves. Especially tired Mommies who feel more like a Mom than a woman, most times.
Why should Christian couples be interested in boudoir?
God created men to be highly visual. It’s the way we’re built. I once heard a pastor refer to a man’s brain as a Rolodex, whereas men, in general, are bombarded with imagery of sexy women all the time, and no matter how committed men are to looking away to avoid lusting after the women in those images, it’s inevitable that some of those images are going to get in, and even pop up from time to time. And, whether he knows it or not, he remembers them. How great would it be if a man’s memory was chalked full of lovely images of his wife and the majority of the images popping up in his mind were images he could cherish and feel good about? I believe that boudoir photography is best used in the context of marriage. I think any man would be delighted that his wife (or wife-to-be) would think enough of him to give him a gift that takes a lot of courage and love to do.
The other point to consider is that in a healthy, Christian marriage, a woman should feel sexy, desired, and appreciated for her body even with its imperfections. Obviously, there is a lot more about her to be appreciated, but that’s a post for another day. When a woman doesn’t feel good about the way she looks, she doesn’t bring to the marriage the needed energy that can help fuel true intimacy. A boudoir shoot can give a woman that much-needed confidence. It’s so amazing what a little sexy confidence can do for a marriage.
The Who, What, When of it all…
The photos are an amazing gift to give to a Groom on the wedding night. Valentine’s Day and wedding anniversaries are other occasions when a boudoir shoot would be a very special gift.
There are a lot of amazing photographers to choose from for your shoot and you should find the one that is the best fit for you. If you find that a female photographer would make you feel more comfortable, many would happily welcome you into their studio. Or, if you’re okay with a male photographer, my style is very conservative, as far as boudoir photography goes, so if you are more on the shy side or you just want to keep things tamed, I’m the photographer for you! My images are sensual, beautiful, tasteful, and not over-the-top sexual. Although you can choose how far you want to go, nudity-wise. Most of my clients prefer to wear lingerie or to do what I call “implied nudity,” where you aren’t wearing much of anything, but all your girl bits are covered by your arms or legs or with sheets.
Will my photos end up on your website?
It’s fantastic when a woman feels comfortable sharing at least a few of her photos on my website so that other women can relate and be encouraged to do a shoot that will enrich her marriage or self-care. However, it’s completely understandable when a couple wants the boudoir photos to be for his eyes only and I respect that decision and would never share your photos without your permission.
If you are ready to schedule your shoot, or if you have any questions, please contact me! I’d love to talk about it more with you.
How to prepare for a Boudoir Session?
TO START OFF: WHAT IS AN EMPOWERMENT SESSION?
Boudoir is traditionally known as a style of photography that focuses on female sex appeal. It typically includes lingerie, a bed, and some slightly raunchy undertones. EMPOWERMENT sessions are my way of redefining the boudoir, while still keeping SOME of the aspects of the style.
So what is an empowerment session? It is an expression of your self-love. Each session is unique and tailored to who you are, and how you feel comfortable expressing your sensuality, self-love, and confidence.
I love to focus on details during these sessions. The little pieces of you that make up the full picture of who you are. I create a space for you to be authentically you; to break down the stigma and barriers around being natural and comfortable in your own body.
Empowerment sessions are a uniquely personal experience, that helps you find new ways of embracing the powerful body that carries you through life.
Learning to accept your beauty in your most natural of states, is transitional. With that said, everyone has their own preference of how they like their body to look and feel which allows them to view themselves in their best light. This is the time to have a good self-care day BEFORE your session so that your images reflect your most confident feeling self.
These are a few reminders of things you can do to prepare for your session, that you may not have thought of. Trust me, these little things will in some way be captured, and if you want them to look a certain way (for yourself) then these 13 ways you may not have thought of preparing yourself, will come in handy!
1. CLEAN AND SHAPE YOUR NAILS
Your Fingers AND your Toes!! They are both important. I love to grab close-ups of your hands connecting with the pieces of you that make you who you are. As for feet… Well, those usually aren’t the focus BUT they often make an appearance. You don’t want to have cracked nail polish and half-broken nails distracting you right from first glance!
2. CLEAN THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET
Once again, we’re on the feet topic! I know, not appealing BUT your feet will end up featured in some of your photos! Especially the ones with a focus on that peachy boottyyy! Trust me, you don’t want to have dark dusty feet from walking around barefoot! Either take a bar of soap or a baby wipe to those bad boys and let’s pretend we didn’t spend so much time talking about feet…
3. TAKE THAT HAIR TIE OFF YOUR WRIST!
Okay seriously, this is one of those little details that ALWAYS gets overlooked. Heck when I start a session, sometimes it takes me a few shots before I even notice! Hair ties are not pretty accessories, we don’t want those in all of your photos! Trust me, your wrists will be in a lot of images, so throw that thing anywhere but on your body and let’s get started.
4. DON’T WEAR RESTRICTING CLOTHING BEFORE YOUR SESSION
Trust me on this one pleasseee.. If you wear restricting clothing before your session, you WILL have lines imprinted on your body! I did a session where a girl had lines all over her booty! It took me hours to edit them out of every booty pic. Save your photographer’s life and wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing before your boudoir or empowerment session.
5. DON’T CUT OR DYE YOUR HAIR LESS THAN 5 DAYS BEFORE YOUR SESSION
You may be thinking this is a weird one, but your hair needs time to settle after a big change! If you don’t wait, your hair will not be relaxed in it’s natural shapes or directions. And who wants to have pieces sticking up or into their face? I know when I get my front bangs cut, it takes a little while before the edges stop flipping outwards and actually lay on my face properly. As for color, you could have dye leak onto your skin around your face/neck/hands, etc. Yes, photographers can edit and manipulate images in posts, but it takes a lot of work to change things like that in every single image. And some things just simply cannot be done in photoshop. Plus most natural-based photographers (such as myself) are really not that skilled in photoshop because our goal isn’t to change things about people, but rather to capture what is true and raw.
6. STAY AWAY FROM SPRAY OR SELF-TANNER LESS THAN 7 DAYS BEFORE YOUR SESSION
I know that there are some people who like to add a little spice to their skin and that’s totally fine! It’s your body, you do you boo!! BUT just be wearing off when you do so. Plan ahead and add your color early. This will ensure a couple of things.
1. Your tan won’t rub off your surroundings.
We will be rolling around, twisting, arching, crawling, etc. If your ran runs onto the bedding, carpets, or client wardrobe, that can mean a lot of extra cleaning after your session and maybe some ruined materials.
2. Maybe you missed a spot?
Self-tanners especially, can sometimes turn out uneven or with missed spots. Leaving this time before your session to get your tan done, can ensure that you have time to fix any mistakes!
7. TOUCH UP YOUR EYEBROWS
This one is not for everyone! If you like your eyebrows natural and you don’t pluck, wax, thread, or anything else, then more power to ya babe. But if you are someone who likes to get those bad boys shaped and pampered, you will definitely want to get that done a day or so before your empowerment/boudoir photoshoot. For waxers/threaders, go at least 3-5 days before your session so that you aren’t red or puffy!
8. DRINK LOTS OF WATER THE DAY BEFORE
Honestly, we should all be drinking lots of water daily but sometimes we just get too distracted and busy with life that we don’t. But drinking water has so many benefits and can really change the way you look in your images. Drinking water before your session gives you beautiful dewy and glowing skin. It may sound counterproductive, but in reality, drinking plenty of water can help keep bloating down because it naturally flushes our systems of excess water and sodium that we might retain, helping to keep bloating down.
9. DON’T EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING WITH DYES ON THE DAY OF YOUR SESSION
This is a huge one actually. Eating foods with dyes, especially orange and red, will stain your mouth! It is really not a flattering look in your final images. Stay away from any pasta, deep-dyed candies, colored drinks without a straw, etc. as much as you can.
10. IRON YOUR OUTFIT
If you are wearing something that wrinkles really easily, iron it before your session! Wearing wrinkly outfits is really not the look. Boudoir and Empowerment sessions are meant to be seen as soft, sensual, and empowering. There is nothing soft about a million lines all over your beautiful silk slip or robe.
If you have a piece that you are dead set on wearing to your session, and it is made out of a fabric that wrinkles easily, iron it before your session. It will lay more elegantly on your body.
11. STRETCH
Make sure you stretch because babe this will feel like a workout! You will be arching your back and pushing that booty out more than you ever have before. You will also be hanging out on your tippy-toes a little bit so stretch those legs! Stretch before AND after your session. Your body will ache for a little bit, but it is that kind of ache that feels good – like that refreshing achy feel after a workout.
12. TRY USING GEL OR SPRAY DEODORANT
To avoid white pilling/buildup in your underarms try a gel or spray deodorant. Your underarms will be seen! This means that sometimes you will have your arms up, in your hair, over your head, across your body and anywhere else I think will look creative and sensual.
13. EAT SOME DAMN BREAKFAST
Not eating in the morning will NOT help make you look thinner during your session!!!! Please eat food before your session. If you don’t, you are likely to end up feeling sick and lightheaded during your session. Remember, this isn’t just laying down relaxing, you will be moving around and holding positions – basically doing yoga. Working out without food and water in your system is unhealthy and can cause some serious safety issues.
Plus, who tf doesn’t like breakfast foods? Start your day right and fill that hungry tummy!
BONUS. BRING YOUR FRICKEN BOO
Empowerment sessions are ultimately about love. So how about instead of just expressing your self-love, why don’t you try sharing the experience with your significant other and capture your beautiful, intimate, love! Steamy couple’s sessions are so personal. Your connection is important and something you will look back upon someday, wishing you had captured more of. Steamy sessions are a whole new level of empowerment. You are in your natural and comfortable state WITH your loved one. You share these intimate moments together on a daily, so why not create beautiful art out of your love?
NOW GO ROCK YOUR BOUDOIR / EMPOWERMENT PHOTOSHOOT LIKE THE BOSS BABE YOU ARE!
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5 Desirable Qualities Every Good Photographer Should Have
So what makes a good photographer? It depends on what photography niche you’re in. Every niche demands different desirable qualities—pet photographers need to know how to properly interact and connect with animals; sports photographers need to be quick, strong, and agile to get the best shots; and so on.
But, of course, some of these qualities will always overlap.
Here are five desirable qualities every good photographer should have:
1. Creativity and Imagination
Photography, for all intents and purposes, is a form of art. Therefore, it requires a creative mind—and plenty of imagination. A good photographer must be able to look at something ordinary, or even extraordinary, and find a million different ways to interpret what he’s seeing and convey those interpretations in beautiful and meaningful photos.
As you may have already heard, a composition is everything in photography. Even if you aren’t concerned about the artistic side of your craft, the composition is still key in producing good photographs. Sure, some basic composition rules can guide you, but at the end of the day, creativity and imagination are the best guides for stellar compositions.
2. An Eye for Detail
A good photographer must have a very keen eye for detail to ensure that all elements within the photo—the lighting, the composition, the subject, and everything else in between—work together harmoniously to convey the right vision or message.
Key elements that make up a photograph:
- Lighting
- Composition
- Storytelling
- Emotion
Even the tiniest detail can make or break a photograph. So having an eye for detail, and being meticulous when scrutinizing every single element to ensure cohesiveness, is very important in producing the perfect photograph.
3. Patience and Flexibility
No matter how much you try to control every variable, things just won’t go your way at times. There will be days when the lighting won’t cooperate, when your models or clients will be exceptionally difficult, or when your camera just won’t give you the desired results.
And of course, there will be times when you’ll have to take a billion photos just to get one perfect photo.
Whatever photography field you may be in, patience (lots of it) is always an essential quality to have. You need to be patient enough to wait for the perfect lighting. You need to be patient enough to deal with crying babies, hyperactive animals, and difficult clients. And most of all, you need to be patient enough to keep trying when you simply can’t get the right shot.
In addition to patience, you also need to be flexible. The two qualities go hand in hand—you need to be patient enough to deal with whatever comes your way, and you need to be flexible enough to make the best of undesirable conditions.
4. Good People Skills
Being a professional photographer means working with people—whether it’s a client, a model, or even a fellow photographer. Thus, being a good photographer requires good people skills. You’ll also need to network to obtain clients and partnerships, so knowing how to connect and communicate effectively with others is imperative.
When you’re photographing people, knowing how to take a good photo simply isn’t enough. You also have to know how to interact with your subjects to make them feel at ease, get them to cooperate, or draw out all the right emotions out of them.
5. Passion
What sets a good photographer apart from the rest? Passion.
When you’re passionate about what you do, it will always shine through in your work. It takes a lot of time and effort to make it as a professional photographer, and the ones who do succeed and manage to make a name for themselves are those who are truly passionate about their craft.
Passion makes the photographer—it will always make you work a little harder, push a little farther, and strive to be better than you were the day before.
- Published in Blog