The Real Questions to Ask your Wedding Photographer

If you've read my blog before, you might have noticed something: I'm a big fan of Pinterest. If you check my Pinterest page you'll see that it might border on "addiction". I have not one, but four boards, dedicated to weddings. Everything from wedding photography that inspires me, to decor ideas, to info graphics on how to properly plan a wedding.

The other day I found a pin linking to a Buzzfeed article titled "These Diagrams are Everything You Need to Plan Your Wedding". While I found most of the info graphics interesting and helpful, I had to laugh when I got about halfway down the list and found two related to choosing your wedding photographer. You can see them below.

 

I think it is important to get an answer to the questions mentioned above and to have an idea of what sort of photos the photographer will be capturing throughout the day. But what scares me about these graphics is that I get an overwhelming feeling that the relationship between the bride and the photographer is nothing more than a business transaction.

My "meetings" with clients are not business meetings, they're get togethers that allow me a chance to get to know the couple, their style, and how I can best serve them. I want to establish a friendship with my clients so that my services are less about an exchange of goods and more about capturing the love and emotion of their special day in a way they can cherish forever. 

I have no problems talking about how many weddings I've done, the kind of camera and lighting I use, or how many pictures the bride will receive after the wedding, but what I really want to establish in our first meeting is that the couple and myself are a good fit. That we'll get along. Because a wedding can be a little awkward when you have a complete stranger with a camera following you all day instead of someone you trust and shares common interests with you. 

So I would encourage any bride out there looking for a wedding photographer to not only get the answers to these questions, but to dig a little deeper. Are you a huge Netflix person? Then find out what the photographer likes to watch on TV. Love animals? Does your photographer have any pets? Yes, these answers might have nothing to do with their skills as a wedding photographer, but it will make the day more enjoyable as this person spends hours with you and your closets friends and family.

And please, if you don't trust your photographer enough to capture "the couple's first kiss" without having writing it on a list, find another photographer.

Keep smiling!

Kaylina

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Limiting my focus...

I launched my new website a little over a month ago and several people have noticed something missing... I no longer have a gallery dedicated to family, baby, or senior portraits. I'd like to take a quick moment to talk about the new direction I've decided to take Kaylina Norton Photography.

I started a full-time job in August. As much as I love doing photography, I'm not a point in my life right now to be able to be a full-time photographer.  Taking on a full-time job gave me both an option and a restriction at once: I did not need to accept every shoot that I was offered to me for monetary reasons and I no longer had the time to shoot them all anyway. So I decided to narrow the focus of my business on the shoots I felt were the best fit for me, not necessarily my most profitable shoots.

I have decided to focus my business on couples and senior portraits. An odd combination, I realize, but they are the shoots I enjoy the most and feel most closely represent my style and skills. I absolutely love getting to know the love stories of the couples I get to know through their engagements and weddings, and the personalities of the high school seniors I have the honor of capturing at such an important time in their lives.

It's not that I don't like getting to know the families and babies that I've had the pleasure of shooting in the past, I just feel that my skills are better aimed towards older subjects. I honestly feel more comfortable referring inquiries and clients to other local photographers who specialize in those areas. And that's what I've been doing for the past couple months as I've received inquiries about doing family and baby portraits.

I want to thank each and every client I've had over the past few years who helped my business grow. Especially those who did trust me enough to capture your family's and children's special moments- you allowed me to hone my skills and learn more about myself and my style and your trust in me means the world to me. I will miss the cheesy smiles, sticky hands, and sugar rushes, but I'm sure I'll change my mind in a few years when I have an adorable mess of my own.

As a temporary goodbye, here are some of my favorite pictures of little ones...

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

Special note: I no longer have examples of senior portraits on my website, but you can find galleries on my Facebook page if you're interested!

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Photos for the future

I have to admit, I have a love-hate relationship with Instagram. Personally, I love using it as a way to connect with my friends and family visually, seeing what they're up to without long winded statuses or game invites. As a photographer, I hate it. Not because it has inspired everyone and their mother to become fledgling food photographers, but because it has made filters the new "it" fad.

Over the years of meeting with brides and talking about wedding photography, our conversations always seem to touch on one topic: style. I'm not talking clothes or interior design, but editing style. Currently there's a lot of styles out there in the wedding photography industry. And I don't want to talk badly about anyone else's style because I understand that personal preferences are just that- personal, but I do want to take a minute to talk about my editing style and why I haven't started using filters.

I believe that wedding pictures are priceless. 50 years later, they'll be dragged out, and dusted off to bring smiles to the faces of those that were there and those that weren't even born yet. My parents recently celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary and I found myself pouring through their wedding album one night sitting indian style on the floor. Their pictures were simple and what I like to call "classic". They hadn't been overly processed (maybe because that wasn't possible in the early 80s), they were just real.

That's the style that I try to achieve with every wedding I edit. I edit all of my pictures very minimally with 50 years down the road in mind. I correct lighting and colors when necessary, but try not to mess with much else. I don't bump up the vibrance, or decrease the contrast, and I never apply filters. Because, I believe, in 50 years pictures that haven't been edited as much are going to stand the test of time and those with filters will look like a fad that coming generations just won't understand (much like the concept of lacquering a composite photo to a tree stump is a foreign concept to us now).

So I leave the filters to my Instagram feed, because my pictures of my cats and my Panera lunches don't need to stand the test of time. They're just for fun, for now.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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New Year and a New Site

I took a week off of work last month for the holidays. It was a week to relax, enjoy the family, and partake in my favorite tradition- holiday gluttony. Unlike my usual "time-off" I didn't have a to-do list made or reminders set on my phone telling me what little projects I should do on each day. I didn't need to micro-manage my vacation because I only had one goal: launch a new website.

I created my previous website while I was still in college and had been in business for just over a year. It served me well, but as my style changed and my business grew, my website and I started to grow apart. I wanted a site that would attract my ideal client, show off who I was as a person and a photographer, and let the true heroes (my past clients) shine.

I launched my new website on New Years day and am incredibly proud of it. If you haven't already, please check it out and let me know what you think. It's the first step of helping my brand grow up with me. The next step is this blog, of course.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Reflecting on 2013...

2013 has been an incredible year for me both personally and professionally. On a personal note, I graduated from college, started my first full-time job, and got engaged in July. Even though I've had a lot going on in my personal life, photography has remained my passion and my creative release when other things might be a little overwhelming.

I was extremely blessed to have gotten to know so many couples this past year through capturing their engagements, weddings, or just getting to know them over a cup of coffee in a local Starbucks or Panera in preparation for their weddings next year. I also had the opportunity to get to know several, charming high school guys who have since moved on and started the next chapter of their lives.

My relationship with my clients is one of my favorite parts of being a photographer and I cannot stress enough how lucky I am to be able to work with such amazing people who believe in me and my talent. To everyone who helped make my 2013 an amazing year- thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Here's to 2014...

It's that time of the year again, when people look forward to the new year and make promises to themselves to make it even better than the last. I've never been very good at setting New Year Resolutions, I end up forgetting by February what I set out to do and settle back into my old habits. This year, Blake and I decided to write out our goals and make them SMART.

As business majors, we've had the concept of SMART goals drilled into our heads and decided to actually use something we learned in college! For those that don't know, a SMART goal, is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. In addition to making our goals SMART, we'll be putting them on display in our home so we can't forget or avoid them. I decided to only set three goals this year so I would be able to focus on them a little more and not overwhelm myself.

My first goal is photography related of course. As a part-time photographer with a full-time job, it is often difficult for me to find time to keep up on my blog. In 2014 I would like to blog at least twice a month. This one makes me the most nervous because I won't be able to fudge the truth if I miss my goal, but I think it will ultimately make me a better photographer if I can make it a reality.

My second goal is more personal. After moving away from our home town, Blake and I have not been able to find a church to attend regularly in Columbus. In 2014 I would like to find and attend a home church in Columbus that is close to our home and reflects our personal beliefs.

My last goal is by far the most foreign to me. When asked what I do for fun I often answer, "eat and sleep". I My perfect day includes stuffing my face and then taking a nap. But, in 2014, I'd like to become more fit by working out twice a week. More specifically targeting my arms, shoulders, legs, and waist.

I'd love to hear everyone else's SMART resolutions because holding each other accountable also will help everyone reach their goals.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Kevin + Allison: Couple Session

Allison and Kevin are about the cutest couple you'll ever meet. I had such a great time shooting their wedding last year. So when Allison contacted me asking me to take some very exciting pictures for she and Kevin a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist.

We started out warm and cozy by the fire but soon headed outside to brave the cold and make the big announcement: Kevin and Allison will be welcoming their first baby in July 2014. 

I could not be happier for this amazing couple and, as if the universe felt the same way, we were blessed with a mini snow storm to add some extra cuteness to our shoot.

And yes, we just had to do some cheesy announcement photos because who could resist?

Congratulations Kevin and Allison- you guys are going to make such amazing, loving parents (and a very cute baby)!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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