Weddings at David Bickley

Jason and Jennifer – Wedding

January 13, 2009

Jason and Jennifer’s wedding…what a blast. You may remember them from the engagement photos I posted on here a while back. Maybe not, who knows.

The day started around 2:30pm with photographs of the preparation mayhem.

1. What gear do you use?
My primary camera is a Canon 1Ds, I also have a Canon 1D Mark II, and Canon 20D that I keep on-site as a backup, As far as lenses, I have a lot but my favorites are the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L, and the Canon 85mm f/1.2L. I use Canon 580 EX II flashes for journalistic work (like weddings and other events) for studio work, I use an army of Alien Bees, a fantastic, near indestructible little strobe made by Paul C. Bluff.

2. Do you have a photography degree or any formal training?

None whatsoever, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever even read a book on photographic technique. I read the manual of my first camera and somehow got to where I am now.

Weird.

3. What is your workflow?

It varies depending on the shoot, every assignment calls for a new dynamic strategy. My digital workflow after a shoot is a little easier to explain though. When I pull the images onto the computer, I immediately make a backup copy of the negatives on DVD. Then I spend no more than 20 minutes racing through the images. I flag every photo that jumps out at me (with no consideration for why it did). That is my first pass, with the first images picked (they usually end up being my favorites) I make another pass through every image again, taking anywhere from 1-3 hours to browse and select from the entire collection.

After the favorite images are selected I check each for consistent color, retouching requirements, and overall exposure accuracy.

Then, if retouching is required (a hair in someone’s face, blemished, etc…) I make those adjustments. That is often the longest part of the process, but also where I get to have the most fun.

After all of the images have been processed I make another backup of the edited results.

Then I make a sandwich.

4. How do you light your shots?

I try to use natural light whenever possible. It is attractive, produces beautiful color and contrast, and is a bit easier to cart around than studio equipment. In studio, my setups are generally very simple. I try to use the smallest number of strobes that can get the job done. Minimalism drives everything I do.

5. Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?

I shoot in RAW with jpg backups written to a separate card.

6. Do you use any automated processes or actions?

I do not use actions, that fact makes things take a bit longer but, I prefer to have my hands in every image rather than automate any function that should be done by an artists eye.

Program-wise, I use Photoshop, and Lightroom.

Truth be told, you don’t need anything else.

7. Which are you, a fashion photographer or a wedding photographer?

That is a bit difficult to answer. I began my photographic career with fashion, commercial and advertising photography. But I got into this industry through graphic design. I shoot weddings because I love being able to document that special day in people’s lives. I have a great amount of experience in both so I suppose in short, I am both, and I make a living from both. I believe that is what makes my photography unique. I can photograph a wedding with the same feel and precision of a high-end fashion production, and I can photograph high-end fashion with the journalistic eye of a wedding photographer. Generally that is not something that is easy to find in your standard photographer.

8. So wait, you’re a designer too?

Yes, I have been involved in graphic design for as long as I can remember. Even longer than I have been a photographer.

9. What design software do you use?

I design every album myself in Adobe InDesign. I refuse to use a template-based program, your album should reflect you. As a designer, I feel that I can communicate your day better than a packaged template program.

10. Do you need any assistants or interns?

Not currently, when I need an assistant I pull from an extremely talented pool of people that I trust to reflect and support my own style and vision. Most of them I have trained myself.

11. I have a question that isn’t listed, what do I do?

Ask away, I am an open book. Use the contact form in the upper right corner of this site and shoot me an email. I will get back to you as quickly as I can.

0

Holiday Suprise! (not a fruitcake, promise)

November 21, 2007

Well friends, if it hasn’t hit you yet I’m sure it will soon. The holidays are upon us. “Black Friday” (a marketing phenomenon exclusive to the good ‘ol US of A) is a mere two days away. For many people, holiday shopping is a stressful time…much like planning a wedding. Now I can’t do anything to alleviate the stress levels of the shopping herd but, I can do something to make life a bit easier on you and your fiancee.

As of today, I am offering a 15% discount on my wedding collection prices to any bride and groom that book their photography before the end of this year. It doesn’t matter what day you are getting married, or what year, so long as you book that date before January 1, 2008.

“That’s great David, where are your prices?”

Easy, just click the button on the top right of this page that says “contact me”. Fire me an email with that contact form and I will send you all of the information you will need.

- David Bickley, Professional Photographer

0