There is no “set in stone” definition for fine art photography; no universally accepted ideas where one can look at a photograph and say, “yes, this is fine art photography”.  In general terms, however, this type of photography has two main characteristics: 

1.  Fine art photography produces a specific emotion or feeling from the viewer.

2.  That emotion or feeling is exactly what the artist (photographer) intended. 

Natural landscapes are widely accepted as fine art, such as the work done by Ansel Adams, a well-known fine art photographer of the 20^th century.  An environmentalist, Adams used his work to share the joy and beauty he found in nature.  Examples of his work can be found here: Ansel Adams’ SlideShows

There is no doubt that Adams’ photographs make the viewer feel; the landscapes and portraits grab your attention.   

Fine art photography can encompass many genres, from portraits to landscapes, from weddings to fashion.  There are photos of a couples getting married, where their love shines clearly through the film; photojournalists have captured moments that have become fine art, placed in museums and historical places. 

What does seem clear about fine art photography is that it grabs the heart and soul of those looking at it.  A small child dancing in a field of wildflowers can call to the heart just as well as a landscape, empty of everything but nature itself.  When next you look at a photograph, let yourself feel it – don’t just scan.  You may very well have held fine art in your hands and never recognized it.

We are announcing our European Storybook Special! It includes 7.5 hours of unlimited photography, including all images on a high resolution DVD, as well as a custom 8X12 album with 60 edited images of your choice, and three 4X5 brag-book copies of the album. Your investment is $2,899.00, a fantastic value! To book tour free consultation, contact MorningStar Photography at 1-888-294-1417

Although money is the last thing you want to think of right now, it’s the first thing you should think of.  Weddings are expensive.  While you may think you have time before you have to worry about it, the time will be on you before you know it.  If you’re choosing not to have a wedding planner, or you don’t want to build a budget with your wedding planner, here are a few things to keep in mind while building that wedding budget: 

The Wedding List

What are your must-needs items and how much will they cost?  Must-need items include the bride and groom’s clothes, ceremony and reception costs, as well as food, flowers and venues.  Make your list starting with the most important to the least important.

The Wedding Plan

Most people hate paperwork, but it has to be done.  Using the wedding list you created, build a chart that has an estimated cost, and then add the actual cost once you know what it is.  In addition, write down everything you spend, even if it’s a small amount.  Dollars add up, and can put you over your budget before you know it.

Payment Schedules

Especially if you’ve decided against a wedding planner, you want to keep track of the payment schedules with your vendors.  Write down each due date, and then mark when each has been paid.

Wedding Extras

Make sure you give yourself a little wiggle room.  Don’t use every bit of money you have available.  That way, the chances of you going over budget with any extras you want is much lower.

Getting married is one of the most exciting moments of a woman’s life.  Budgeting may lower the excitement just a little, but when the big day comes, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy that perfect wedding ceremony without worry about cost.

In other words, do you do it yourself or hire a wedding planner – ooo!  Or third option: wait until your mother hears; some mothers are better than wedding planners any day. 

How do you decide if you really need a wedding planner?  Well, here are a few decision-making questions:

• Do I have the time to do it myself?  Many brides spend over 200 hours planning a wedding.  If you don’t have the time to dedicate to the planning, a wedding planner can be a great asset.

• Can I visit suppliers while they’re open?  Many suppliers are open only during specific hours of the day.  If you work during the day and only have time in the evenings, you may not be able to take care of this part of the planning. 

• Can I negotiate with caterers, photographers, florists, etc?  Be honest with yourself – are you a pushover for a pretty layout?  Are you able to say “no” with authority?  Can you put your foot down?  Wedding planners are trained to deal with contractual agreements with these suppliers to get you exactly what you need.

• Can I deal with any last minute issues?  Your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but it can also be nerve-racking – and that’s before anything goes wrong.  How would you deal with problems that come up on your wedding day?

While it’s not absolutely necessary to have a wedding planner – someone to advise you in the big decisions – it does help the time, and that special day, go more smoothly.

Diamond are Forever

No worries; we’re giving away some secrets we’ve picked up from the professionals – wedding planners extraordinaire – on how to have the perfect wedding. 

1.  Relax – Just because you’re engaged to be married doesn’t mean you have to plan the wedding right away.  Take a few weeks to enjoy the fact that you’re engaged before jumping into the planning aspect of the wedding. 

2.  Envision – Before planning, picture what you want your wedding to be like and then go from there.  If you know what type of wedding you want, the rest of the details come much easier. 

3.  Budget – Build a budget you know you can work with and stick to it.  Know how much you can spend, and what you need to spend it on (wants vs. needs).  This can make all the difference between starting your life together right, and starting it in debt. 

4.  Cutting Corners – Cutting the wrong corners can end in disaster.  It’s always better to work with reputable, licensed vendors you can count on rather than someone with a tiny bit of knowledge and a lot of good will. 

5.  Saying “No” – During the wedding planning, you’ll have people offering suggestions on what should be done.  Don’t let them talk you into something you don’t want or can’t afford.  Be polite about it, but be firm. 

6.  Over Thinking – Once you make a decision, don’t go back and change it; it’ll drive you crazy.  Instead, check it off as “done” and move on.

7. One Thing at a Time – Never multitask; lots of mistakes can be made this way.  Deal with one issue at a time and then move on.

8.  Legalize – Filling out the legal paperwork should be top priority.  Many couples have put other things first, only to realize the day of the ceremony that the legalities haven’t been taken care of.

These eight points will definitely help ease the stress, worry and pre-wedding jitters that come with wedding planning.  However, we’ve found a great resource with more information that can also be a big help – 1000 Best Secrets for Your Perfect Wedding.

You can get a preview here:  1000 Best Secrets for Your Perfect Wedding – Preview or buy it from Amazon here:  1000 Best Secrets for Your Perfect Wedding – Buy

If you come across secrets that helped make your wedding day a success, please feel free to share in the comments!

Wedding photography is even more important, because of the subjects.  You don’t just want pictures; you want photographs that capture one of the happiest days of your life – your wedding day.  If you know you want a wedding photographer, however, a few things will make your photo shoots more fun and less of a chore on that special day.

• Think about the photographs you will especially want on your wedding day and make a list of them.  For example, the bride specifically wants a picture with her father, or the groom with his mother.  If you know the wedding venue you’ll be getting married in, write down a few of the places on the grounds, such as the bride’s preparation room, or on the staircase (if there is one) coming down.  When you meet with your wedding photographer, show them the list so they can check them off and keep track. 

• Chose someone to be the family photo “coordinator”.  This person will round everybody up when it’s time for the family shoots; especially right after the wedding, it can get chaotic.  Your family photo coordinator will be there, making sure everybody who should be in the shot, is. 

• Set aside a little time to allow the wedding photograph to get shots of the rings, menus, table settings, or anything else you want to be captured.

• Just in case you want a group shot, with everyone in the wedding party, keep an eye out for where you think this might be accomplished. 

A good wedding photographer is always willing to listen to any ideas you may have, and will do their best to follow them.  However, keep in mind that they’re the experts, and be willing to listen in turn if they believe there’s a problem with a chosen location.

Is there any hard and fast rule for selecting your maid of honor?  What is the proper way to ask the person you choose?  What if she declines your request?  Let’s look at the most obvious first.

When a person chooses whom they would like to stand up for them at their wedding, the most obvious choice is often either their best friend or a close relative like a sister or cousin.  But unfortunately, it is not that cut and dry.  The maid of honor has responsibilities and duties in seeing that the wedding goes smoothly and that it truly is the best day of your life!  She will be your right-hand assistant and at times, the very anchor to your sanity!

Therefore, it is crucial that your choice for maid of honor be based in part on their character.  If you have any doubts about the reliability factor, you should consider selecting someone else.  Because you don’t get “do overs,” it is extremely important that the person chosen can perform under pressure and has proven herself in some way in the past.

Consider also the feelings of potentially interested friends and relatives.  In most cases, family feelings run deep and will be there no matter what.  Friends, on the other hand, can come and go–even your closest of friends sometimes drift away or something unforeseen causes you to part ways.  You ideally want your maid of honor to always be a part of your life so that you won’t have to look at your wedding photos later and have them “ruined” because that person is no longer a friend.  On the other hand, if your closest friend is someone that has been a part of your life for a very long time (perhaps even a childhood friend), and then most family members will understand your selecting that friend over them.  Just be sure to think of how those close to you will feel and be tactful.

Asking someone to be your maid of honor is exactly that!  It should be viewed by that friend or relative as a true honor!  Should you, however, get a rejection there is only one thing you can do.  First, know in your heart that there is either a very good reason that she cannot be your maid of honor, or she is not the friend or relative that you thought she was (in which case, you are better off).  Be gracious and let her know that while you understand, you are disappointed and regret her being unable to serve as your maid of honor.  Then move on.

Weddings can be chaotic and noisy.  Wedding days are alive with the constant exchange of emotions and contrived ‘faces’.  One of the biggest challenges for a wedding photographer is capturing the quiet, intimate side of the bride and groom.

Trust, anticipation, skilled observation, savvy lens selection and a host of other judgments make it possible to pinpoint those poignant moments. To be able to produce images that will recall the day for those who were there, and for those who will be born later, is truly fine art photography.

Expanding the Medium for Fine Art Photography

One of the great things about digital photography is the immediacy of it as a medium. Making the best use of digital photography, some wedding photographers will take a laptop computer along to the reception where they will upload photographs taken earlier in the day.  This practical and resourceful technique produces an ad hoc slideshow that adds an extra dimension to the festivities during the evening.

Working in the controlled setting of the studio is out-of-date photography.  While it is more predictable than on-the-spot work, it has the added complication of not finishing as natural as outdoor or actual event pictures.  The captured moments of the day catch the bride and groom in fleeting, albeit relaxed expressions, not available in the contrived setting of a studio.

After the wedding ceremony, many couples choose to re-live their day together over and over in various settings around the community.  Wedding photographers must be prepared to capture the enthusiasm of the newlyweds, for example, out in nature using the natural light provided by the sun or represented in black and white at the foot of a local monument.

Wedding Photojournalism

Wedding photography has changed a lot over the past few decades.  Trendy pictures are no longer a fad, but are the mainstream expectation in wedding photography.  Wedding photography is now ‘photojournalism’ in which the wedding story is presented through the use of photographs.  Photojournalism captures unstyled and unscripted moments that do not require elaborated written copy.

Various and unusual settings are popular venues for wedding ceremonies. A wedding photographer’s talents must be more versatile than in the past. The tradition has become ‘untraditional’ and the expected is the often the most unexpected of venues. Wedding ceremonies have come to represent the diversity we treasure in humans; wedding photographs have to step up for the challenge and capture this.

Washington, DC – There are some absolutely gorgeous mansions that are available for that “unique” wedding ceremony.  Some of these can be rented for a fairly reasonable price while others can leave you in “sticker shock” with you mumbling to yourself under your breath!  Check out Evermay or Dumbarton House for some charming, romantic mansion venues within the District of Columbia. If you prefer choosing a more historic site for your wedding, there is The Meridian House or The Decatur House or on National Mall at the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial.

Virginia — For a truly unforgettable ceremony, consider The Berry Hill Estate in South Boston, VA.  This historical mansion features exquisite luxury within its walls.  Stepping outside, revel in the lovely garden settings and charming courtyards.  Perhaps the most sought-after location in Virginia is at the home of George Washington at Mount Vernon in Alexandria. Overlooking the scenic Potomac River, your wedding will be spectacular!

Maryland — Serving the DC area, Maryland has so many wedding venues that are top-notch!  The Gramercy Mansion is minutes from Baltimore and is definitely a front-runner to consider.  Located in the historic Greenspring Valley, Gramercy is secluded amongst 45 acres of breathtaking gardens. This Bed and Breakfast is elegant with features like a very spacious foyer and a graceful, winding staircase!

The Ceresville Mansion is located in Frederick and is bursting with romance and charm.  The candlelit wading pool nestled beside a white pergola suggests the perfect spot for the ultimate romantic photograph!   Celebrations On The Bay is in Pasadena, MD and for those who desire a spectacular view; they feature a fabulous waterfront facility overlooking the Chesapeake Bay!

If you’ve always dreamed of a storybook wedding, The Villa in Beltsville may be just what you’re looking for!  Boasting an authentically “Mediterranean villa,” you will be whisked away into a world of your own with its Grand Ballroom with crystal chandeliers and elegant hardwood floors; The Renaissance Suite will lavishly feel as though you are in a Mediterranean mansion; and The Courtyard’s beauty will entice the wedding couple to never want to leave!

For many more venue choices, there is a Washington, DC wedding site directory that will offer more choices that you can imagine.  Simply visit GatheringGuide.com and personalize your special day with an unforgettable ceremony in a truly unforgettable venue!

More memorable wedding venues coming in part 2!