When looking for new creative ideas, it seems like everything has already been done by someone. But there are still people, like Jay Philbrick, that manage to create pictures never seen or even never thought of before.

A newly-married couple have launched an online plea in a bid to recover their wedding pictures. The pair were left distraught after their wedding photographer was mugged shortly after the big day, with thieves taking the camera that still had the only copy of their wedding pictures inside.

Some days, I have such a short amount of time with the bride and groom alone that I have to decide if I should take the time to better that hand placement or get four more shots that will help fill a wedding album and tell a story. Even though the hand placement will bug me for months afterwards, I choose the story, every time.

Often times during wedding/event photography, you'll find yourself with very small windows of opportunity to capture the best shots. In this video I'm going to show you how preparation and pre-lighting will set you up for success, especially when you only have 10 seconds of time with your couple.

It is no small thing to know how to pose your clients. In fact I don't feel like it's unreasonable to say that it is the hallmark of a competent, professional photographer. Especially when dealing with couples. Most client take comfort in being directed. It helps remove doubt and awkwardness while yielding a far more professional end product. For this reason, posing can be just as important to your final images as knowing what camera settings to use. Besides, it's always more fun for everyone when you can keep the atmosphere carefree, through confident direction and fluid action.

I have to admit, when I first saw the Loupedeck on Indiegogo two years ago, I wrote it off, but after trying it, I now realize just how incredible this piece of hardware can be for photographers.

If you’re like me and live in a town of 1,300, marketing is the most difficult aspect of business you’ll encounter. Marketing with conventional methods is often extremely difficult or even impossible. In this article I will outline some conventional and non-conventional ways of marketing yourself in a small town.

Over the weekend, while millions along the Northeast were tucked away from Winter Storm Jonas, a photographer and an engaged couple despite the elements, created one attention-grabbing engagement session. The photo shoot has since gone viral and goes to show that taking advantage of unique situations can create beautiful imagery.

Have you ever had that gut-wrenching feeling of being defeated after a wedding reception? Let’s be real, it happens. There comes a point where photographing wedding receptions get so frustrating that you either dive deep into off-camera lighting, or you get out of shooting weddings altogether. I can relate 100%. Despite the terrible lighting, there are a couple ways to pull this off without just turning all the lights on in the building and compromising the receptions atmosphere. These are a few of the ways I light a wedding reception.

Wedding photography can be a rewarding genre and can also be lucrative if you can make it to the upper echelons, but just like any other one, it has plenty of drawbacks as well. If you are newer to photography and exploring your options, check out this interesting video essay from an experienced wedding photographer that discusses five reasons why you might want to think twice before you pursue wedding photography.

If you’ve been a wedding photographer for any amount of time, you know that you are going to spend a lot of time in loud wedding receptions, and this is my public service announcement to please protect your freaking ears. All wedding photographers and filmmakers need ear protection as part of their kit for the long hours we spend in front of bands and DJ speakers at volume levels unsafe for our hearing, and so, I rounded up a few options for you to consider below.

Sometimes when on a job, things happen. You might show up and take photos of the wrong couple at a proposal shoot. You might break into an abandoned house and discover it wasn’t as abandoned as you had thought. Or, you might turn around and see the groom you’re photographing standing nearly waist-deep in water saving a kid from drowning. You know, normal stuff.

In the world of photography, preparation goes a long way. From creating mood boards weeks in advance, communicating with everyone who will be on set, to making sure your gear is in proper working order, there is a lot to do before you even shoot. Whether you are shooting in the studio, working on a large scale shoot, or just going for a photo walk with some friends, here is a simple list of steps to make sure you are ready the night before a shoot.

In the past few years, the growing number of wedding photographers and their vast range of prices have made finding your value as a photographer challenging. This series of articles will help you to navigate your prices to meet your goals and earn your worth as a wedding photographer.

Wedding photography, like any business, is bound to have its bumps in the road, and it's always unpleasant when we have to deal with them. This cautionary tale will remind you why it's important to have the proper safeguards in place no matter what genre of photography you work in.

As a wedding photographer, there's a certain amount of pressure to get all the "key moment" shots throughout the day. Make sure you get the kiss, dances, tosses, cutting, etc... The list adds up quickly. Despite good preparation, dependable equipment, and anticipation of events, every now and then you're probably going to miss one of these shots.

A spectacular shot of a bride in her gown can be one of the most enduring images in the spectrum of bridal photos. I’ll state up front that I am not a wedding photographer, but as a fashion photographer specializing in bridal fashion, I’ll wager that I’ve shot more bridal gowns than the average wedding photographer. Along the way I have picked up a few tricks that wedding photographers might find useful when taking a bride’s formal portrait in her gown.

Allow me to be the first to ask the question. Are we really worth it? Now, don’t get me wrong. I come from an economics background. I understand price equilibrium. Pour me a large blonde roast with cream, and whisper me sweet nothings about Adam Smith all day. Leave all that behind for a second. I’m talking on a more philosophical level. Are we really worth the money we charge?

Sony’s new a7S III is quite the piece of gear on paper, but how does it perform out in the real world? Videographer Matt Johnson puts it through its paces shooting a beautiful Texas wedding, complete with high temperatures, bright highlights, and dark shadows — not to mention some dim interiors and a couple of donkeys.

The wedding photography and videography industry, just like many others, has taken a massive hit during the pandemic. Are you going to persist through this, or are you thinking of giving yourself a change of direction?

I've been a full time wedding photographer for the last 7 years. I've been in some stressful situations but at this point I'm prepared for almost any situation. Simeon Quarrie, a photographer/videographer promises many of his clients a finished wedding video during the reception the very same day. These same day edits leave no room for error and you can feel the stress yourself just from watching this video.

May is upon us, wedding photographers. Its the beginning of the season and we need to prepare ourselves for the long haul. Sure, we could brushing up on lighting techniques, talk about new lenses, buy faster cards, or argue about presets, but what we really need to think about are the intangible must-haves. The greens socks, my friends. That's right, I said socks.

Why would you even consider shooting under the hard and harsh light of midday? Here are some reasons that you should consider it and how you can pull it off.

I have seen absolutely beautiful things happen in the photo industry. I've seen strangers become best friends, I've seen grand ideas being brought to life, and I've seen photographers grow from beginners to mentors. I've seen so many things that make me proud to be a part of such an amazing community. The sad news is that I've also seen the uglier side of it. I've seen jealousy turn into bad-mouthing, I've seen photographers knowingly leave out key techniques from classes or talks, and I've seen new photographers become discouraged and disheartened by the cold shoulders of the more popular photographers in the industry.

The wedding industry is a monster of a consumer industry and when it comes to photography, there are plenty of items out there marketed towards the needy wedding photographer. Phil and Sara of PS Photo Stuff dive into their wedding photography kits to give you a candid look at the gear they find most useful when shooting weddings. Perhaps your wedding photography kit looks similar.

Surprisingly often, simple courtesy is overlooked by photographers when hired to perform work as a peer. These principles sure seem like common sense, so what could be the problem? Take a look at these basic standards of professionalism.

Back in 2004 I was given the Nikon D100 digital camera for Christmas and I started making money with the camera within a few months. I fell into wedding photography and within 2 years I was making almost 100% of my income shooting them. In the last 10 years I never learned how to process a RAW file (effectively) or use Lightroom until last week.

We all know that wedding photography is not easy, and at our wedding, we want a record of moments that will last a lifetime. After working for Tom Harmon as an intern in the summer of 2015, I saw what went into shooting a wedding. It was a lot more than I expected. From the contracts to the gear, then shooting the actual wedding itself and going back to upload and edit the photos, it was tons of work, tons of gear, and a lot of patience and creativity.

Featured last year for his "Wedding Day Zombie Apocalypse" composite, Photographer Josiah Moore is up to his old tricks again. This past fall he shot a wedding where both the Bride and Groom were car enthusiasts. He decided to make a fun chase scene out of a photo from the reception, and this video shows his process in Photoshop.

Every photographer is dealing with the global pandemic in a different way. For Chris Wallace, that means shooting a wedding with Lego pieces. This brilliantly creative series follows the ceremony, reception, and even family group photos with incredible accuracy to that of a real wedding.

Just over a year ago today, I took the leap and made my first MagMod purchase. That first endeavor included: The Basic Kit, a set of Creative Gels, a set of Artistic Gels, an extra MagGrid, an extra MagGrip, a MagBounce, and a MagSphere. Over the last year I’ve added (and replaced) a few more items into my MagMod kit that is now to a point I’m now extremely happy with. After that initial purchase though, there was still one missing piece that kept lurking in the back of my mind. It wasn't actually a MagMod item so much as it was something I saw in a video on the MagMod page featuring TwoMann Studios.

Cloud Spot was created by full-time photographers who were tired of the available options for photo delivery. Nothing before truly placed the photographer's brand first and cut precious time off of their workflow. The goal was to beautifully display images in a branded and modern gallery, be super fast and easy for the photographer to share, and allow clients to easily download images sent directly in an email and/or in the galleries. After using Cloud Spot for the past few months, I can say that they've succeeded.

Working as a wedding photographer is often an exercise in mutual respect with other vendors who have parallel, yet sometimes different, priorities in serving the bridal couple and their family. Most of time everyone is on the same team, but occasionally we photographers run into rules that don’t serve anyone properly. When those rules come from the church, it’s often hard to explain them away.

Wedding photographers would like to hold their clients — or would-be clients, for that matter — to certain standards. As a collective, we’d love to see them shop for the best vendors, spend good money on photography, and have unplugged weddings with nary an Uncle Bob in sight. The list goes on. It would stand to reason that most of us in “the business” would probably find the idea of a bride acting as her own photographer to be pretty abhorrent. We’d chalk it up to selfie culture run amuck or DIY gone wrong, wouldn’t we? Would you? I probably would have, if I’m being honest. However, we might be wrong.

Documenting a wedding in itself is very demanding. It often requires 12 or more hours of coverage during which you must be creative almost every second. But wedding photography doesn’t stop when the big day ends. Then come the culling and editing. It’s probably the part where event photographers spend most of their time and also the task they like the least. Fortunately enough, retouching companies exist and can lighten if not remove that part of the job entirely. I made the switch for my wedding business, and I share my experience with you here as well as why you should give it a try as well.

You have your gear, you have your shot list, so you're ready to go out and shoot the perfect eight-hour wedding, right? Wrong! Being prepared for a wedding day is about more than just having your camera ready to go. Before leaving for your wedding shoot, you need to be prepared to perform at your best. A big part of that is developing a routine, similar to an athlete, that places you in peak performance and the best position to succeed. When I walk out the door for a wedding I have two main things on my mind other than the images that my client needs. One is that I am now a living breathing ambassador for my brand and the other is that the content for this shoot, and every shoot, is future marketing material.

The light and airy look is a wonderful style and one that is highly popular with a lot of clients right now. However, many photographers trying to emulate it make a mistake that derails the image. This great video will show you the common mistake, how to fix it, and some helpful editing tips for getting the best possible results.

Every year, The Knot compiles statistics from thousands of weddings in their annual Real Weddings Study, and we get to learn all sorts of things about the ins and outs of what makes up a wedding in America. While there's plenty of interesting statistics, such as how 83% of couples used a smartphone in planning their wedding, the marquee stat is cost, and for the past five years that number has crept onwards and upwards to a brand new record that's just insane when you compare it to the average wedding in Europe.

As a wedding photographer, outdoor couple shoots are undoubtedly my favorites. On the big day, it gets overwhelming with little scope to get planned shots. We tend to go with the flow. For this reason, outdoor couple shoots are a treat to any photographer as it offers a lot of time and space. Here are my two cents on how to make your outdoor couple shoot an enjoyable and a memorable one.

I often get asked about my lighting setup for wedding receptions. Receptions can be an unruly beast to light properly without good equipment. You never know what you’re getting into with things like ceilings, available light, and even the white balancing nightmare of the DJ’s LED light system. Don’t assume that these setups are going to make you a better photographer over night.

Ohio wedding photographers, rejoice! Maybe. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced starting June 1, 2020, the state of Ohio will allow weddings of up to 300 guests. This announcement is part of Governor Mike DeWine's administration's ongoing strategy to ease up on social distancing rules set at the start of the outbreak.

As Nikon continues to push into the mirrorless market, the Z 6 and Z 7 are finding their way into the hands of more and more photographers. Wedding photography is one of the most demanding of all genres, and many Nikon shooters are wondering if the cameras are up to the task. This great video review seeks to answer that exact question.

Wedding photography is a highly demanding genre, both behind the camera and at your computer. Given the intensive post-processing requirements that can often stretch into a multi-day process for a single event, it is crucial to have an efficient and well-structured workflow. If that is something you would like to learn, check out this great video tutorial that will show you one wedding photographer's Lightroom workflow from start to finish.

Now I'm not sure about the rest of you, but the art of responding to a new lead is an ever shifting task for me and my photography business. We all do our best to stay on top of the trends, by researching our genre of photography to better understand our perspective clients and keep our responses fresh and interesting. However, just how often should we re-evaluate our approach?

There are a lot of photographers that I have seen go the extra mile for their clients. What James Day Photography has done is gone to the moon and back.

If your wedding client asked to have a customized pre wedding shoot halfway around the world, how would you treat the opportunity? Simeon Quarrie, who has developed a reputation for himself as an incredible creative and committed photographer jumped at the option to be flown to Jaipur, India to shoot in a unique setting for his wedding clients.