Okay Rain, Let's See What Ya Got...

So, my loyal blog readers know that the last wedding I did got rained on. Okay, Rain:1 - erica clark photography:0. A couple weeks ago, I had an engagement session in Peoria with the cutest couple this side of the Mississippi (Jess & Dylan) and guess what. Yep, rained on. Rain:2 - erica clark photography:0. We had a heck of a time finding good indoor spots. So, you know what we did? We stayed flexible. I say this all of the time, but it's true. In this business, you have to be flexible. Kids cry, people get sick and have to cancel, other things come up and you need to reschedule, and yes...it rains. So you make the best of it. I don't like to let things get in my way of having a successful shoot. I learned very early on that whatever hiccups we run into just may be the thing that makes your session unique.

Dylan and Jessica's engagement shoot is a perfect example of that and they are a perfect example of what it means to be flexible. They rolled with the punches like a couple of champs and we made it work. So, instead of driving home and rescheduling, we shot in the rain and the images turned out great not despite of the rain, but because of it. :)

[a side note: I'm eternally grateful for the clients I have. They are kind, thoughtful, easy going, flexible people who truly care about their pictures. These are the clients I want to attract because that's how I see myself.]

Dylan and Jess, thank you for being so fun, so flexible, and most of all...so in love!

i love this one because it reminds me of some kind of romantic movie...a good one, though. not something lame and cheeseball...

just look at that yummy orange light!

...eat your heart out The Notebook!!

ummmm, cute!

this is simply adorable! jess, you couldn't be cuter if you tried...seriously.

after we had enough of the rain, we headed over to my friend Scott's coffee shop to warm up with some delicious coffee. in the peoria area? you ab-so-lute-ly have to go to copper river coffee & tea! have to! http://store.coppercoffee.com/

dylan & jess, i'm counting the days until we can work together again. this time you know what i say to the rain? bring it!

{becca & chuck}...rain or shine, the show must go on:

It may have rained a little, but it certainly didn't ruin the day, not by a long shot! The rained held off just long enough for a beautiful outdoor ceremony to take place. We were able to get through most of the ceremony before it started to drizzle...just in time for us to make it inside and then on to the reception. 

I think the key to staying calm in surprise situations like rain, super low light, or crazy bright light is to remain flexible and be prepared. A true professional puts on a happy face, deals with the situation, and says, "No problem." As a professional, it is up to me to make things go as smoothly as possible. So, I busted out the rain gear, covered my camera, and kept shooting. 

As long as I'm able to produce images that make the bride and groom happy, I'll put up with almost anything. It's a small amount of time to have to deal with something and the importance of beautiful images far outweighs any inconvenience brought on by rain or heat.

After it was all said and done, I was able to capture moments that were a very clear reflection of their affection for one another and their happiness on their special day. When you have couples this in love, it's difficult not to capture it. See for yourself:

this was hilarious. chris (becca's sister & wedding officiant) asked the guests to silence their phones and since chuck forgot.....

from the first time becca & i began to correspond, she made it very clear just how important the pictures were to her. of course most people say the same thing, but it isn't always the case. i do my absolute best regardless, but with some brides, i just know right away how much faith they are putting in me and how very much they value their wedding photos. the image below, i feel, kind of signifies that feeling i got from her. i can't say for sure what she was thinking when she looked at me & i snapped this, but every time i look at it i'm reminded just how much it meant to her to have me there.

i just love this one...

what can i say? chuck, you're a sport. :)

married 59 minutes...

married 59 years!!!!!!

becca and chuck, i can't thank you enough for honoring me with the privilege of being your wedding photographer. you both, your entire family, and all of your friends couldn't have been kinder. i look forward to any opportunity to work with you again...

rain or shine...

{the duncans.}

Meet The Duncans. When Amber emailed and asked about family photos, I didn't know who her kids were. When I saw it was Jack and Ellie, I was super excited. See, when I taught swim lessons at The Y, I had Jack and Ellie in my class. Jack and Ellie are two of the most adorable, kind, well mannered, and happy children you'll meet. All of the swim staff at The Y love Jack and Ellie. I'd been wanting to photograph them for some time and I finally got my chance! Thanks to Amber and Jason for being so flexible and sharing my style of natural, photojournalistic photography. I think these turned out great! Nice vibrant colors, happy faces, and great weather make for awesome family pictures. See for yourself...

what a great lookin' family. am.i.rite?

i love shots like this...

...and this!

jason & truman...

what a pretty little girl...

it was at this point that both jack & ellie felt like enough was enough :)

...and my personal favorite:

A Few Wedding Day Dos & Don'ts...

Before I even get started on this daunting yet useful blog post, I would like to first say, this list is in no way exhaustive or meant to apply to every bride/groom/wedding. It is merely a compilation of pieces of advice that I've picked up along the way. Some of it I've seen brides learn the hard way, some I've learned from other wedding photographers, or brides themselves. The purpose of this list is NOT (I repeat NOT) to make anyone, brides in particular, feel inferior in any way what-so-ever. What it is intended to do is help brides (and photographers) refrain from duplicating any mistakes made by others or to avoid problems. 
     
First I will list a few dos and don'ts from my own experience as a wedding photographer, then I will list some dos and don'ts provided by other photographers and other previous brides, and finally I will list several helpful links to articles.


Alright, let's get this party started!


DO - (and this is the most important one as far as I'm concerned) DO put a smile on your face! If you are a bride-to-be, on your wedding day you should always act like there is a camera on you at all times, because there is. By that I mean, don't forget to laugh, smile, and keep your chin tilted up. Too often, I get home to begin post processing and the bride is frowning in at least half of the images. Smile! You should be happy...act like it. 


DO - Give your a photographer a list of requests. They are not Kreskin and cannot read your mind. We are not magicians and are only human. Remember, there are no guaranteed shots. We do the very best we can, so appreciate them and treat them well, they will do their best to make you look great if you treat them right.


DON'T - Skimp on the dress. I've seen brides' dresses literally fall apart because they were so poorly made. The dress, like the bride is in 80% of images. Keep that in mind when purchasing your dress. 


DON'T - Over tan. A warm all over glow is good. Orange is fake and looks funky in photos. Besides, if you are orange and everyone else is not, you will stand out...in a bad way.


DO - Beg your bridesmaids to NOT have tan lines. This should just be understood, but apparently for some reason, it isn't. While you're at it, make sure the groom doesn't have an obvious farmer's tan. Photoshop is not a magic wand.


DO - Apprise your photographer (and videographer) of any "surprises". If your bridesmaids are going to come down the isle in some unique fashion, you want your photographer to capture it. Your guests should be surprised, your photographer shouldn't.


DO - Consider hiring a wedding planner...even if it's a "day of" wedding coordinator. You won't regret it!


DON'T - Expect your photographer to plan too much. Their job is to show up and perform the function listed in the contract, not decide when and where you will have pictures taken. If you can't take on the responsibility of a planner, hire one. Don't push the responsibilities of a wedding coordinator onto other vendors. 


DON'T - Lock your knees. Simple. Locking your knees can possibly cause you to pass out. Unless you want your ceremony on America's Funniest Home Videos, keep a slight bend in your knees.


DO - Look at your photographer when coming down the isle. We can't shout at you, "Hey, look over here!" Remember, a camera is on you. In fact...lots of cameras. Put on your best natural smile.


DO - Stand up straight. Strapless/sleeveless dresses accentuate your shoulders, therefore, if you are hunched over, it will be VERY noticeable and horribly distracting in photos. Trust me on this one.


DON'T - Schedule an outside wedding in glaring sun. Seems obvious right? You'd be surprised.


DO - Consider skipping a large part of your formal pictures. Ask yourself this question, "Have you ever seen a formal wedding shot framed and hanging on someone's wall?" The only formal I've ever seen in view in someone's home is of the bride and groom. Why do you think that is? It's because few people want to be in formal pictures...especially guys who are so hot in those tuxes, and people are posed and unnatural. Think of your guests and bridal party before subjecting them to e-v-e-r-y possible pose combination. I did a wedding where we did formals in the church, then we immediately did a VERY similar set of formals outside. 


DO - Ask your photographer if they offer a discount for skipping a large number of formals or maybe if they'd even stay longer at the reception instead. You'd be surprised. Besides, it never hurts to ask...right?


DO - Have your reception organized. Don't do the dollar dance at the beginning. You want to do the more important events first so you can be sure they will captured by your photographer. Dollar dance...last. Daddy daughter dance...early! Cutting the cake...early! You get the picture.


DO - Encourage your vendors to work together. I had the best DJ once announce to everyone to be mindful of the photographer during special photographic moments. It was awesome. He was a real professional. The more your vendors cooperate, the more smoothly EVERYTHING will run.


DO - Be mindful of older guests. Perhaps directly in front of the DJ's amplifier is not the most comfortable place to seat them.


DO - Remind your guests that while you would love for them to take as many snapshots as possible, you hired a photographer for a reason. I shouldn't have to wait until Aunt Betty has her picture of you and your new husband cutting the cake before I get my shot.




Okay: A guest blog of sorts. Here's a few pieces of advice from photographers/previous brides:


The A-MAZ-ING wedding photographer Rebecca Enslein:
Don't skimp on photography :) Skimp a bit on flowers, but not to the point that you use fake flowers.

Tulling hanging from the ceiling looks pretty, but is very time consuming and costly. Have your hair/makeup person come to you on your wedding day. Driving around to several appointments makes keeping up with your timeline very difficult. The fewer places you have to be, the better!
Write your thank you cards as you get your gifts. Otherwise, your list of who to write is going to be crazy long after the wedding.

Here's some fantastic advice from Sarah Cook:
I am not a bride, nor have I been, so take it for what it's worth..but I don't think people should use those huge tall table decorations. It makes it hard to see around them and often blocks the view of the couple's first dance and other activities during the reception. Save your money and get smaller, simpler items. Less is MORE. :) At least, I think so.


Chelsea Relander nailed it here:
Make sure you assign jobs to people to help you out. Family always wants to help out so put them to work and don't try to put everything on your shoulders. I didn't "delegate" as much as I should've and ended up being super stressed at my wedding and reception. 
Also, remember to enjoy and not worry about everyone else. I worried too much about whether my guests were having a good time or how they were doing and I needed to just relax and enjoy things for myself.


My comrade, my partner in crime Candace Hart Seidl:
Don't use bold colors for your bridesmaids dresses! Leaves funny casts on people that are hard to get off!!! and be nice to your photographer! She makes you look good (or better then good) in pictures!


Jennifer Vaughn Trias is so right:
Don't stress about looking perfect, about every wisp of hair, eyelash, etc. If you are happy to be getting married, you WILL be beautiful.


Finally, Betsy Wellman:
DEFINITELY get a kick ass photographer! We decided to save...stupid...and get an 'okay' photog...biggest regret EVER! And tell everyone and anyone to kiss off, this is YOUR wedding not theirs! Best advice I give and listened too....it was great!




http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/2010/06/3-wedding-day-beauty-musts.html

http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/2010/04/genius-wedding-idea-serve-cock.html

http://www.glamour.com/weddings/2010/01/dress-your-body-the-best-wedding-gowns-for-your-shape#slide=1

http://www.sheknows.com/love-and-sex/articles/815159/creative-wedding-ceremony-idea-1

http://www.articlesbase.com/photography-articles/important-considerations-when-booking-wedding-vendors-1245293.html

And finally, remember to let some things go. If something "goes wrong" ask yourself if it's worth ruining your day for.

Little Man Bentley...

My session with Chelsea, Eddie, and Bentley is exactly how family portraits should be...relaxed, fun, and completely stress free; that's what outdoor photo shoots will do. Being outside immediately puts everyone at ease. People are more natural and are often happier and it shows in their pictures. Take a look and you'll see exactly what I mean:

chelsea and eddie, I can't thank you enough for everything. :)