My Confirmation Has Arrived...

This may be a long post, so just bear with me.

Confirmation that you are doing something right, does not always show itself. Most times you never know about it, or it is so subtle that it can be overlooked. When it hits you "upside the head," you better take notice, and be thankful.

My confirmation came last week. I had a newly married bride, from last year, email me stating she had seen my website. She came to the studio to ask me if I could help her do a DVD slide show of some of her wedding pictures since she owned the files on a DVD. I showed her some DVD samples and WebShow samples and I noticed she was crying, real tears...rolling down her cheeks...Oh my gosh! She said she wished she had known about me last year before she got married.

As it turns out, I will be the 3rd photographer to take care of her (did you read that...the 3rd one). She went to another studio (very reputable one that I would recommend) to have her formal bridal done because she was not happy with the wedding photos.

I would never openly criticize another photographer's work and I will not divulge the name of the studio here that took her wedding photos. I have no doubt there are those that do not like what I do. We each have our own style and I for one, take great pains to try and tell a story, not just provide you with a set of prints. If you were to follow me and sit with me the HOURS I spend retouching and enhancing wedding photos, you would probably run out of the studio screaming...

The studio provided a service. But geezzzzummmmm...

While the photos on the DVD were "technically" fine, they just did not have any life to them. They were the files straight out of the camera. I would never give a bride the files straight from the camera. The difference in an enhanced and retouched file versus one straight from the camera is like night and day. This routine of giving brides the "raw" files is a very terrible procedure that some photographers have grown accustomed to. Because it affords a quick release of ANY FURTHER INVOLVEMENT with the bride or family.

While a photographer/studio may seduce you into thinking a DVD of your files straight from the camera is a good way to go, it just is not. You have the files, but now what? Getting them printed is not the issue. You are just getting prints from rather dull and lifeless files (let's not even go into the non-creative approach to the files themselves...).

If you are reading this and are about to be seduced into thinking just getting the files without those files being enhance and retouched is a wonderful thing, you better think again. I am going to print a photo from the DVD and print the same photo enhanced and retouched for samples... :)

My confirmation came in a most dramatic moment, when I saw she was crying. To say I was stunned is putting it mildly. I made a joke about it, but actually, I was terribly humbled and sad at the same time. I cannot even explain that moment in time. I am not sure I will ever forget it. Actually, I hope I never do. I think there was a genuine emotional contact with the slide show and the bride and she did not even know these people. I also think there was also a little sadness, because of what she could have had.

The bottom line here: Your wedding is probably right up there with THE MOST IMPORTANT times in your life. You can NEVER go back. Make it a special day that will last forever. Make sure your photographer is putting his whole being into your day and your photographs and not just giving you a CD/DVD of your files. It is that important. You will not realize it unless you compare what you got and what you could have received, like this bride did.