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Blake Lemmons Photography
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Company: Blake Lemmons Photography
Name: Blake Lemmons
Location: Modesto, CA
Established: 2000
Website URL: blakelemmons.com
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your company:
For a wedding photographer, I am fairly young when compared to many photographers in my area. I get a lot of young couples I think because they can better relate to me, and the older couples hire me because I bring a fresh approach that is different from the traditional approach from the past. The traditional posed photos of family and wedding parties are still a necessity, but my style tends to lean more towards a classical, journalistic approach to the bulk of my wedding photos. I think this is why my company has seen huge growth since beginning to actually pay for advertising and not just rely on word of mouth. I try to blend into the crowd and capture the unscripted shots, the ones you really want to show off in your home and not hide in an album.
When did you get started in the photography industry:
I had been in advertising photography for auto dealers for years when a friend of mine got married. Her photos turned out horrible so I printed up a bunch of my own that I took to give to her. As her friends saw them, they called me up to shoot their weddings. Now I do it full time along with my ad photos.
What advice would you offer a bride:
Decide what style of photography you like the best. If you like the traditional posed shots, find someone who really enjoys and prefers this method. You can tell when a photographer has a preferred style of their own. If you prefer the more candid, journalistic style, make sure the photographer knows how to compose a shot on the fly. I have seen photographers who claim to shoot in a journalistic style, but when you look at their work, it looks like they just took a point-and-shoot camera a clicked away without any thought to the shots. And most of all compare prices to work. Just because someone charges $2000, doesn't mean they are worth it. I have seen great work from photographers who charged just $400. Price does not always equal quality. Do your homework.
What do you see in the future for the wedding industry:
As couples keep getting younger, they bring a lot of fresh, trendy ideas on what they are looking for in a wedding. I think photographers will definitely have to stay on top of the newest trends, not only in the weddings themselves, but in how the photography of these weddings are done. Many couples now know what they are talking about when it comes to asking about equipment, fees, and services. With the internet, it is so easy to compare photographers in what they do and don't offer.
Digital is the way to go. I am fully digital. It is great because I can view the shots as I take them so I know I have what I need. I now post proofs online so couples can view them quickly and easily at their own leisure. The internet has brought on new services for my company. Being that many film photographers are so new to digital, my company now sets up wedding sites for other photographers inexpensively to help get their reluctant feet in the water. It is obvious that digital is the future, but how traditional film photographers will handle it is yet to be seen.
Any advice for new wedding professionals:
For new professionals, just listen to your clients. The ones you get the most referrals from are the ones who are most satisfied. Think outside the box. Traditional photography is no more. Clients are smarter and better prepared. By the time they talk to you about your services, they have probably already talked a number of others and compared them. You need to find a way to stand out, usually a great portfolio will help with that. If you don't have one, get a digital camera. And with the camera, buy and learn Photoshop, it is a digital photographers best friend.