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Gasp, Angie Gaul, from long-time sponsor Milestone Images… It’s you again! How are you?
It’s me again! I’m good. I am about to head into the busiest part of my year for weddings with some awesome clients all throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, so that’s really exciting.
You’ve shared some of the most colorful weddings we’ve ever featured, but all the images for this spotlight are in black and white. What’s up with that?
Believe it or not, I am old enough that when I started seriously studying photography, I learned to shoot with black and white film, and develop it in an actual darkroom. As a photojournalist, my emphasis was on capturing candid, story-telling photographs of human emotions. What really sets me apart are photojournalistic shots that speak to my darkroom roots.
There’s something about black and white wedding photos that distill the emotional impact of the moment. Without color, you really can feel how mind-blowing that “Holy crap! I’m getting in my wedding dress! This is happening!” moment was.
Black and white can also make the rare “calm before the storm” moments, all the more serene…
All the chaos of this jubilant crowd falls away, and all you see is a mother giving her son her blessing…
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I do love me an ugly cry moment. And, although there are lots of traditionally beautiful and flattering shots of this bride, this was one of her favorites from the first look:
Even the crazy dance moves, like this moment between a groom and his best man, in front, are funnier when there's no colorful background to distract from the epic bromance.
True story: This groom and his fiancee totally booked me for their wedding. That bride-to-be isn't even pictured here, but I firmly believe that that photo helped make that happen.
(Pssst… Although I love black and white shots, I also put edited color versions of those photos on my clients' USB drives, so they always have options.)
So you are thriving, yes? Has becoming a new mom affected your biz at all?
Milestone Images really is thriving, thanks to Offbeat Bride. Having a business baby and a human baby has pushed me to be much more efficient. I’ve refined my workflow so every couple (not just model-perfect, high-budget weddings with stylized magazine-ready stick-figure clones — EVERY COUPLE, DAMMIT) gets instant gratification with a sneak peek on my blog within a few days of the wedding.
I don’t just shoot and burn. Every wedding is culled, edited, and retouched, with hundreds, even thousands of photos typically delivered within 4-6 weeks. The contract is solid and fair for all parties, with gender neutral language. A wedding with two brides will never have to be marginalized by having one bride have to sign on the groom line. I’ve always striven to keep diversity in front of my camera ever since my Women’s Studies major days, so there’s a real comfort level there for LGBTQ couples, multicultural families incorporating all kinds of blended beliefs and traditions, real people with real bodies loving the way they look in their photos and knowing I bring a solid sensitivity to the full spectrum of needs at disability-conscious events.
My couples are going to hear from back me right away via email, phone or text. I can take care of any insurance forms that lots of venues need these days; that’s totally comes off my clients’ to-do lists. So that’s awesome.
Do you want to support a body-positive, feminist photographer and LGBT ally who can capture candid moments like a boss AND has her business shit together?
Yeah, you do! Although Offbeat Bride readers always save 10% with Milestone Images, Angie is offering 15% off for couples who book by her by May 21, 2016!
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About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz
When Megan's not writing, traveling, and sleeping, she's eating like the fate of the world depends on it. (You're welcome, world!) You can snoop into her personal life over on her website The Dash and Dine!
I dunno if I would have chosen to have that first photo published. It looks like she is holding back from blowing chunks.
I disagree! She just looks like she’s exhaling a deep breathe and blowing out her cheeks. The realness is what makes it so great. I have plenty of pretty pictures of myself from our wedding but what I really wanted was candids that told the story of the day. I WISH my photographer had caught the excitement, fun and even the overwhelming “holy crap!” moments. We had so many funny things happen like the bromance photo and our pictures of that stuff are either “meh” or are crappy iPhone photos.
Ha – I totally clicked on this link because I LOVED that photo! I think she looks funny and human and real… not over-done or airbrushed or photoshopped into not looking like herself on her wedding day.