2012 Bridal Choice Award Press Release

{Ephrata,PA} – January 23, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's 

leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Time Passages Photography has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Photography!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Time Passages Photography was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Time Passages Photography is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Time Passages Photography for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Time Passages Photography is one of the very best Photographerswithin the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012. 

What to Wear for an Engagement Session

This is always a pet peeves of mine. In as much as I enjoy taking casual pictures in everyday attire, I still think that your engagement pictures should reflect and someone mirror the day that you propose. You will be surprised how many time the future groom will show up shorts, ripped jeans, and even T shirt As you can see from the attached Images, casual can be  "classy and very appropriate".  Whether or not I take your pictures, any Photographer would appreciate a couple adequately dressed for the occasion. To that end I have put together a little Primer .

What to Wear for an Engagement  Photo Session

I often get asked for suggestions on what to wear to an engagement photography session, I thought I would do an article on what clothes to wear, along with a couple other thoughts.

Engagement sessions are a great way to get to know me.  It helps out a lot on the wedding day if you already know me and my style and how I interact with the two of you.
 Plus if you know me, and I know you, you’ll be a lot more comfortable around me on your wedding day, and I can get images that better show your personalities and relationship.

Suggestions on what to wear:
Wear something you are comfortable in.  If you’re not comfortable, it will show in the pictures.  2-3 outfit changes are welcomed, and they give variety to the pictures.
It’s best not to wear tight jeans or other clothes that are overly tight and restrict movement. Or show curves you don’t want shown.
Wear something you love, and make sure it’s you, It’s best not to wear something you are going to wish you didn’t wear in a few weeks.

A touch dressier than a normal night can be fun, just make sure it’s still you.Wear clothes that are complementary in style and color.  Don’t be too matchy.  For example, you could both wear fall colors or both wear different shades of blue.
Wear clothes that are the same level of  dressyness.  Don’t dress up and have your fiance wear their everyday street clothes.
Have the clothes match the location and season for the shoot.  Shorts and flip flops probably are not the best on a cold day (this goes back to being comfortable, if you are not warm it’s harder to look warm and happy, same goes for the opposite)
Darker colors are slimming and they are also easier to photograph.  But if you have something in white or off white,  don’t be afraid to wear it.
Patterns go out of style quickly, and the background usually has enough texture that patterns can sometimes make the photos too busy.Wear shoes you love.Wear shoes you can comfortably walk in.   If I am your photographer we usually walk a fair bit.
Leave your purse behind, unless you want it in the photos.  (You can be more free and fun without it)  I can carry your keys and a few necessities in my camera bag.  I don’t like to carry sunglasses so leave those behind or plan on wearing them.  We can go back to the car for clothing changes or change when we switch locations.
If you want to have your dog in some of the photos, it would be best to have a friend come along to watch him/her while we are taking other shots.

Other Things to Remember:
Plan on having a good time.  Think of it more like a date, and less of smiling to the camera. The best time for photos is in the evening when the light is soft, and we have the chance of getting a sunset.
If there is something you want me to avoid photographing it helps if you let me know.  That way I can work with you to keep the scar, tattoo, part in your hair, or whatever you want me to keep out of the pictures out.                   

Wedding Showcase

Just finish up the "Best Wedding Show Case"at the host last Sunday (Jan  15).
What a Show!!!! Kudos to Renee and the folks at Penn State Expo.

Here is a shot of Ellen one my assistant

Are you Turning into Bridezilla....!

Wedding Planing can be S.T.R.E.S.S.F.U.L.  Here is a little humor to make you smile.
I know it's not you.
 10 signs You are Turning into Bridezilla
Enjoy

Do You Really Want to Risk It!!!!

With the digital photography era, everyone thinks they are photographers. Granted there is i am sure some burgeoning talent out there. But they most likely have another full time job. My point is would you ask a professional photographer to fix the transmission in your car. So why on earth would you not want a Pro to shoot your wedding. The Pictures and Album will be the only tangible memory of that day. Wedding photography is the last think you want skimp on. I came across this article which I think is right on point with this issue.

Wedding planning is all about setting your priorities

In the current economy making sure you’ve covered all the bases, while staying on budget can be a challenge You may be tempted to save a few dollars, and forgo hiring a professional .
photographer After all, your friend - relative - co-worker has a nice new digital camera and they’ll photograph your wedding for free.
Or you know a student who’s just out of school and looking to build their portfolio.They’ll shoot your wedding and give you the files on a DVD for $100.00.

• I know this will sound self serving coming from a Professional Wedding Photographer, but you need to remember one simple fact when you’re making this decision You get what you pay for.
• I was contacted no less than four times last year by couples with a DVD containing 1200 snapshots from their wedding. They were overwhelmed and wanted me to fix the exposure, crop, color correct and retouch their wedding images and produce an album for them.
• My answer is always the same: “Why don’t you ask the person who took the photos to do that”
• The answer is usually that their friend either can’t , they don’t have the time or the software to do it.
• What do you get by hiring me that your friend can’t provide
• I’m a professional. I’ve been a photographer for over 20 years.
• I know how weddings work. I know how to keep things on track, and how to keep the photos flowing
• I’m excited about shooting your wedding NOT nervous. (There is a HUGE difference)
• I’ve got top-of-the line equipment and a spare for every piece of equipment I use.
• I know my cameras inside and out. I know how they work and I know how to make them give me the result I’m looking for.
• I’m not “Pretty good” at Photoshop. I’m great at Photoshop. All my final prints are fully retouched and you will love the way you look.
• I work with a contract to make sure there are no misunderstandings and you know exactly what you are going to get for your money.That last point is hugely important. I have a signed contract with all my couples. From the word go, everyone knows what is expected of them, I’m not going to “forget” your wedding. I’m not going to decide I’d rather go to the cottage,or get nervous and back out ten days before the wedding.
• If one of my cameras develops a fault, I’ll just use one of my spares.

Over the past years, I’ve been contacted by couples looking for a photographer on short notice because their friend backed out for one of the above reasons.
"Believe it or not,I’ve even been approached by couples while I was photographing a wedding asking me to photograph them because their friend didn’t show up
As I said at the beginning, Wedding planning is all about setting your priorities. One thing to remember, twenty years down the road you’ll be glad you made the small investment of having a professional capture and immortalize one of the most important days of your life Good luck in your planning

The Best Wedding Showcase Ever!!!

January 15 2012

Best Wedding Showcase

EVER!!!!

Come and visit us at the Host.  We  are at booth 108 

(This is where we make memories)

$10,000 in Prizes just for registering.

See you there!! 

jm@timepassagesphotography.net

Here is a quick Video!

Enjoy