Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

Last week, after a client meeting complete with tea and cupcakes, I got in my car and sat a while. With eyes shut and heart full, I thanked God for this dream I call a job. Because although the taste of raspberry velvet still lingered on my lips, it wasn’t the cupcake that had me smitten. (Okay, just a little bit..) It was the hour and a half spent laughing and telling stories, when 30 minutes might’ve sufficed for brass tacks. It was arriving to friendly clients, and leaving with clients who are friends. And it was helping a bride and groom realize how a “first look” could solve all their wedding day timeline woes.

When I sat down with M & J last week, they told me their ceremony start time would be approximately 8PM. (And because the sunset calendar is every photographer’s best friend, we know that sunset time for their particular date will be 5:32PM exactly.) That’s when I said the F-word. “First. Look.” Had you going there for a second, didn’t I? ;) You see, while the bride wanted nothing more than to see her man prior to their ceremony, the groom was adamant that he did NOT want to see M until she was walking down that aisle. FYI, J is a total and traditional romantic, and we love him for it. But when M asked me to “explain to him why it’ll work,” I gladly obliged… And within three minutes flat, J was all, “I’m sold,” with a pinky promise to seal the deal!

The answer is threefold: 1) If your ceremony begins even an hour before sunset, there will be little if no available light left to shoot in afterward. And naturally, having your ceremony start after sunset will mean the same thing. In instances like this, I really encourage clients to do a first look because I want you to come away with images like the ones you saw when first making your decision to book me. That is, all images shot in beautiful, natural, and available light. The downside of not doing a first look in this case would be bride/groom portraits, bridal party portraits, and family formal portraits that all have a completely different aesthetic than what you’d expect from my work as a natural light photographer. That’s not to say creating nice images in these circumstances isn’t doable. But again, the whole aesthetic you’d once preferred would be missing.

2) Your wedding day will, without a doubt, fly by. I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times before, from each and every married person on the planet, but it’s true! While one of the most important days in your life, it is often one that is hard to remember simply because of the pace of it all. Having a first look will ensure that you and your bride/groom have one-on-one, face-to-face TIME with each other on your wedding day. Yes, you will be with each other throughout the entire day. But the intimacy and beauty of that moment when you’re alone (with your photographers shooting away from a distance) is something that none of my clients have ever regretted. My husband and I also did a first look before our wedding ceremony. And we know it was the best decision we could have made!

3) Seeing each other before the ceremony will by no means take away from the gravity of the moment when those doors finally open, the music crescendos, and you lock eyes at the end of the aisle, with everyone you love most serving as witnesses. The two are both completely different experiences. The first is intimate and private and special in its own unique way. Whereas the second is dramatic and intense and “Oh my goodness, THERE s/he is! And here I am. And in five minutes, s/he will be my all mine. Forever!” POWERFUL. I’ve never met a groom that felt his reaction at the end of the aisle was muted by the fact that he and his bride had done a first look prior. If anything, it just adds to the craziness of it all. The awesome and sudden realization that THIS is it. The same goes for brides out there. Trust me, if your man cries during your first look.. You better bring a whole BOX of tissues to the ceremony!

This post is WAY too long. But I hope it encourages you brides and grooms that breaking tradition can actually be a great thing!! Happy weekend!

I’ve considered blogging FAQ’s countless times before. I’ve even had full posts ready and waiting for the “publish” button, only to chicken out. Because really? I’m no big ‘authoritay’ on the subject of photography. But what’s encouraged me most recently are all the questions I’ve been receiving via email, Facebook, Formspring, and our newly instituted mentor sessions… From high schoolers pondering their future careers, college majors re-deciding their college majors, and new photographers looking to learn and grow their businesses. So without further ado, here are a few of the questions I get asked most. Again, I don’t claim to have all the “answers.” Like, at all. But if this post helps any one reader out there, or helps spark conversation in any way, then that’s all I could hope for. :)

Q: How do you stay motivated to blog on a regular and continual basis without burning out?

A: Ahh, blogging. It’s hard! Time-consuming. And takes constant inspiration. But it’s also completely doable. FUN. And rewarding in so many ways. When I started my business, I knew that blogging would be essential to my growth as a photographer and a businesswoman. I also knew that if I didn’t come up with a schedule for blogging consistently, my word-of-mouth marketing could hang in the balance. At any one time, I can tell you what will be blogged a month from now. It sounds a bit OCD, I know.. But scheduling out blog posts challenges me to stick to my guns. And because of this consistency, my blog readers know they can always expect new entries on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Because that’s what works for me. And it’s what keeps people coming back. At least, I hope so.. ;) (We’re now toying with some new ideas for a couple new blog series. But more on those as they come!)

Q: There’s a certain softness and realness to your pictures that I really enjoy. What tips might you have for a photographer still trying to develop his/her style?

A: Not gonna lie, this one stumps me a bit. If there’s one thing I hear most from my clients when meeting for the first time, it’s that they are drawn to the “softness” of my images. It got to a point where I heard it so often I had to ask, “What do you mean?” And the answer lies in this: My clients equate “softness” with realistic, non-contrasty images. A know a lot of photographers have a love for high-contrast. I am not one of them. That is to say, what is of lesser contrast I make up for with sharpness. Specifically, via Kevin Kubota’s Magic Sharp, which gives an insanely realistic feel to images like I will never understand. LOVE it. As for style… I don’t necessarily feel that I’m done developing my style. All I know is that I yearn to grow. Developing your “style” takes shooting, shooting, and more shooting. It takes experimenting with what made you fall in love with photography in the first place. It takes practicing until it feels right..

Q: I’m super interested in photography and have recently thought a lot about going to school for it with the goal of becoming a full-time wedding photographer afterward. Do you have a degree in photography? What should I do?

A: I do! I attended the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and earned my bachelors in photojournalism. With that said, I’ve actually learned the most about photography from myself. From my own experience, school teaches you about solid composition, story-telling through images, and how to stick to firm deadlines. Which, of course, are all priceless to success as a wedding photographer! But there is no school that teaches wedding photography. (At least, not that I know of!) Photography  schools don’t teach you how to interact with clients or market your brand – the most essential aspects of the job. With that said, the majority of wedding photographers have zero formal training. And that’s great too! Because the beauty of photography is that it’s ART. If you have a passion for it, you CAN make it happen. With, or without formal education. Find a mentor. Attend workshops. And read up on the industry! By no means should you feel that without a degree, you can’t follow your wedding photography dreams. If anything, I’d encourage taking classes in marketing, public speaking, and public relations to start you off solid. Remember, wedding photography is about 85% business and 15% shooting.

Happy Thursday, friends! Any and all feedback and/or questions is more than appreciated and welcome! In the meantime, here’s my blogging baby dog!

XOXO!!

I was by no means expecting such a pleasant surprise on this beautiful Wednesday afternoon, but I’ll take it. :) Today, Nicole and Pete’s Rochester, NY wedding was featured on The Wedding Chicks, and we’re super excited! HUGE thank you to the lovely WC ladies, Amy and Jocey. You can find the feature *HERE*.

Happy Wednesday, y’all! :)