I was raised in a northern community and found myself drawn to camping, hiking and exploring at an early age. After high school I started out on my first international backpack trip and before I knew it, nearly ten years had passed, and I had traveled around our globe many times. During my years abroad I had the good fortune to meet some great people…two of which, a young Danish photographer and a Parisian artist, set me on my path to photography. I had no formal education in photography but I saw the world quite differently than many others I knew.

My greatest success was meeting my wife Colleen, who comes from a completely different background.  She is well educated and encouraged my passion and has taught me how to pursue my dreams with hard work.  In our nine years together she has given me three amazing little backpackers. I’m goofy, I laugh a lot and I don’t take life too seriously. And when I take photos I don’t just want them to be pretty, I want them to be pretty freaking awesome.

My parents. They had me at a young age and left their remote hometown and followed an opportunity for a better life. Life wasn’t easy when we were young but they taught me to explore, be independent and take risks. For photography, Sebastiao Salgado. His early work is quite dramatic and I am drawn to his framing and powerful emotions.

My work has continued to change and develop over the past 15 years. I’m not sure I can label it, but from my travel background I’m drawn to wide spaces and powerful and intense portraits. I lean towards the dramatic even though my personality is loose and light – perhaps that style of imagery is my outlet for my dramatic side?

I’ve been fortunate to shoot in incredible places with fun brides and grooms which has lead to some pretty cool weddings and shots. I don’t think I could pick one favourite and I’m just happy that people trust me with them.   The new father in me has really changed the way I view weddings from when I had no children. Of my three kids I have two daughters, so every wedding reminds me that one day I hope to be lucky enough to walk these princesses down the aisle.

Each couple and the photographer have their own personality and style. Speaking on behalf of myself I want to remind couples that this day is about bringing family and friends together one time! No two weddings or emotions are ever the same so your day will be yours, and your images unique to your wedding.  So you might have images in mind from Pinterest or somewhere, but it’s likely impossible to replicate them, and they may look forced. Trust whoever you hire on your wedding day to capture the real moments that mattered to you that day and take time to enjoy your day and the people surrounding you.

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Visit Carey’s blog to see all his latest adventures!

Cheers,

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

As with your wedding planner / coordinator, it’s so important to have a good connection with the professional photographer that you hire to capture those special moments on your wedding day.

Meet Sharon Litchfield. Not only is she a super sweet person, she takes some pretty sweet photos! We’ve worked with Sharon on some gorgeous events and we’re looking forward to collaborating more this upcoming wedding season. Read on to learn more about Sharon, why she became a photographer and her favourite part of the wedding day.

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Quick give us your best Tweetography (tell us about yourself in 140 characters or less)!

I’m Sharon! I’m the face behind Sharon Litchfield Photography. Other than taking too many photos and scouting the next great location, I also love coffee dates and indulging in all things pretty. I’m really just your typical girl.

Why did you become a photographer?

I’ll be honest, photography was never something I thought would interest me, until I saw my own wedding photos. I was surprised that my favourite photos were the ones that captured us when we weren’t looking at the camera, with perfect smiles, and just being ourselves. I was instantly inspired and attracted to creating something that evokes so much emotion. Since then, photography has become a creative outlet for me. I feel so lucky to actually be able to do this for a living.

Who have been the biggest influences in your life (photographers or otherwise)?

I know this sounds cliché, but the biggest influence in my life is my husband, Jeff. He has unwavering faith in me and is always encouraging and supportive of everything I do. Without him (and his gentle nagging), I would never have accomplished half the things I have today.

How would you describe your photography style?

I don’t think I really have a specific style. I am inspired by my couples and their personalities really infuse the style of their photos. Some couples love the posed editorial fashion style, while others prefer something more natural and photojournalistic. Most of the time, we’ll find the sweet spot and we’ll play.

Do you have a favourite part of the wedding day that you love to shoot?

My favourite part of a wedding to shoot is the bride’s “Getting Ready.” Being a lover of all things pretty, sparkly, soft and delicate, the getting ready part is heaven to me. Starting off the day with something so beautiful and serene really helps set the tone for me for the rest of the day.

What are some wedding day photography tips that couples should keep in mind?

• Pick a photographer who shares your vision. When you commit to a photographer, be sure that you absolutely love what they do, and not what you would like them to do. While it is your day and the photographer is dedicated to capturing your day, it’s also important to not expect that they will be able to recreate existing shots.
• Allot enough time for photography because you never know the roadblocks along the way, and be realistic of how many locations you want to visit. Sometimes, you realize on the day, there isn’t enough time so you should really strive for the locations that mean the most to you and not try to get TOO creative.
• Finally, don’t be afraid to be free and express everything that you’re feeling. The best shots are from the ones where you’re relaxed and letting your guard down in front of the camera.

Here’s a beautiful sampling of images Sharon has captured of our clients and their weddings:

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Visit Sharon’s blog and Facebook page for more gorgeous wedding eye-candy!

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

From photographing an event for Grammy award-winning artist David Foster to the Delux Burger Bar Celebrity Chefs, Moments in Digital photographers Bruce and Sarah Clarke bring their experiences capturing unique events to your wedding day. Their mantra? Take beautiful photos while having a whole lot of fun!

We had the pleasure of working with Moments in Digital Photography on Sherena + Clay’s gorgeous wedding last fall. Some images from their day are included at the bottom of this post.

Read on as Bruce and Sarah share their top wedding photography tips and why they love being behind the lens.

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Credit: Pink Sugar Photography

Quick – give us your Tweetography (tell us about Moments in Digital in 140 characters or less)!

We are a fun-loving husband and wife team who love telling people’s stories through our photography. Capturing moments while having fun is what we are all about!

Why did you become photographers?

Photography was something that we both always enjoyed and like most people, our interest in photography began as a hobby. Growing up we were both fortunate to be raised in families who loved to document important moments with a camera. Later in life, it was travel and the desire to to do a better job of documenting our journeys that led us to want to learn more about photography. That eventually evolved into pursuing photography professionally and we realized how much we loved to tell people’s stories with our photography so documenting weddings became a natural evolution for us. We love getting to know our couples and we think that helps us create genuine images that really show off their personalities.

One of the other motivating factors that got us into wedding photography was the experience we had with our own wedding photography. Regretfully, we put budget ahead of the skill and artistic vision of the photographer we chose to photograph our own wedding, and the result was images we weren’t over the moon with. If we could go back in time, we would definitely spend more time finding the right fit of personality, experience and vision and not worry about spending a bit more to get images we’d be happy with for the rest of our lives.

Who have been the biggest influences in your life (photographers or otherwise)?

Our parents were definitely large influences on us although it wasn’t until recently when we started to dig around in their basements looking for vintage cameras to add to our growing collection that we both realized how many cameras our families owned. Even though neither one of us had any professional photographers in our families, photography and photographs were always prevalent in our lives.

In terms of other photographers, we draw a lot of our inspiration from a mixture of old and new photographers including Ansel Adams, Cartier Bresson, Bambi Cantrell, Jesh deRox, Joe McNally, Jerry Ghionis, Kevin Kubota, and many others. We also love movies and get a lot of inspiration for lighting and composition from them.

How would you describe your photography style?

Most people would say our photography style is laid back and fun. We love to laugh and goof around with our couples but we also take what we are doing very seriously. We try to keep our images fun and fresh while at the same time making sure the finished product is clean and timeless. There are many trends in photography and in post production that are here today and gone tomorrow. While we do like to keep up with the trends, we also try not to overdue it with any one trend as we think it will quickly date our clients’ images. We don’t want them looking back on their images in a few years and thinking that they look old and dated. Trends like selective color or applying a vintage wash to an image might look interesting for awhile but quickly lose their appeal. We love bright, bold, and colorful images along with classic black and white photography.

Do you have a favourite wedding or wedding moment that you’ve photographed?

It probably sounds cliché but there has been something special about every wedding we have photographed. Most recently, we had the opportunity to travel to India to photograph a destination wedding at a palace in the middle of a lake so that would probably rank up there with one of our more memorable weddings. Another wedding we really enjoyed was Hunter & Rod’s intimate wedding at Rutherford House. It was a small family affair that was anything but traditional and included a casual dinner with close family and friends followed by parlour games and everyone sharing stories about the happy couple.

What are some wedding day photography tips that couples should keep in mind?

• Relax and have fun. Don’t feel you always have to be looking at the camera. Interact with each other and your friends and family and you’ll wind up with more natural looking images from your wedding day.
• Discuss your schedule with your photographer. Make sure you leave plenty of time for photographs. Often couples underestimate the amount of time they’ll need for photos and forget to plan for things like people being late, traffic snarls, and travel time between locations. Great images take time to create and if you and your photographer are pressed for time, you’ll both be stressed and it will show in the images
• Also, talk to your photographer about what time of day will be best for your wedding photos. Many people think that the middle of the day during a summer wedding would be a great time for photographs because it will be nice and sunny out but that is actually one of the worst time to do your photographs. If it’s a hot summer day, you and your wedding party will be uncomfortable and at that time of day the sun is high in the sky resulting in harsh, unflattering shadows.

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Thanks for sharing, Bruce and Sarah! Head on over to the Moments in Digital blog to view more of their work and to book this fun-loving couple for your wedding day.

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

I had the pleasure of working with Infused Studios on a 3-day convention earlier this year. The creative eyes behind the cameras belong to Anthony + Rina, who not only capture spectacular photos, but they seek to tell your love story through imagery. When I sat down to chat with Anthony + Rina, what really stood out to me is how much they strive to personalize the wedding photography experience for each and every couple they work with. I hope you enjoy getting to know them!

Quick – give us your best Tweetography (ie. tell us about yourself in 140 characters or less)!

Visual Poets :: Love stories are our inspiration & it is an honour to tell them. Big kids at heart, we love to have fun, eat food & travel.

Why did you become photographers?

Rina :: After getting my Bachelor of Design I worked primarily as a graphic designer. I also did some art directing and fashion/ commercial photography. There was a disconnect between myself and the models and after I shot my first wedding I realized why. Capturing a pretty face is one thing; capturing true love and the connection between people is entirely different. It’s more challenging and also more rewarding.

Anthony :: I never owned a camera as a kid. I was raised in a traditional Chinese household, so my career path had 4 options; doctor, lawyer, accountant or engineer. I chose to be a mechanical engineer and became a successful project manager at a reputable oil and gas company within 3 years of graduation. Deep down something was missing – I knew there was always this yearning to express myself artistically though I never had the chance…until Rina came into my life.

She introduced me to her collection of camera equipment and I was instantly hooked. It was like an addiction, every day I would be excited to get through my day at the office because then I could get my photography fix at night. I was intrigued with the idea that I could express myself and create art without limitations, equations, or constrained by the laws of physics. On one chilly October afternoon, I gazed out my office window and asked where I saw myself 20 years down the road…I knew intuitively that I couldn’t see myself like my boss across the hall. The next day, I handed in my resignation letter and never looked back.

Who have been the biggest influences in your life (photographers or otherwise)?

Rina:: I look for paintings and drawings for my inspiration. Monet for his Impression of landscape paintings. Picasso, Degas, da Vinci and Michelangelo for pushing body movement. Dali for creating the surreal and unnatural forms of life. Also music videos and movies.

Anthony :: One of my biggest influences are movies…and especially ‘chick flicks’ because they have the best cinematography and lighting. C’mon, I mean who can forget epic scenes like the boat scene from “The Notebook,” or even the forest scene from “Twilight?!”

What are some wedding day photography tips that couples should keep in mind?

• Before booking a photographer, make sure you see an entire wedding that they’ve shot. Teaser images from blogs & website don’t convey how well a photographer can capture a wedding.
• Plan to schedule at least 2 hours to spend time with the photographers (ideally, we’d love to have 4+ hours)! And if there are people that you want to have photos taken with, let us know beforehand so we can be on top of it for you.
• Select based on who you want as a guest at your wedding. Yes, we’re there to work, but really, do you want to hire someone you don’t like to attend your wedding?
• When considering your photography budget, instead of choosing a price point choose the style ‘musts’ that you want. Then look at who photographs in that style and work out a price range from there. It’s heartbreaking when couples choose based on price and aren’t satisfied with their images — after all, you can’t redo your wedding day!

Do you have a favourite wedding or wedding moment that you’ve photographed?

Every wedding that we have shot so far has been an exciting moment — our clients are beautifully unique. Photographing the epic “pearl harbor” moment at the Cold Lake municipal airport with the plane flying in the background while Kylie and Warren kissed stands out. We had one chance to get the shot and it turned out exactly how we imagined. Anthony got the shot and Rina was so excited she jumped in the air and whacked him on the head with her telephoto lens!

What’s in store this year for Infused Studios?

• We’ve shot 3 destination weddings so far and are shooting across Alberta through to the fall.
• We’re shooting inspired engagement sessions with our couples and continuing our pursuit of artistic expression.
• We’re also looking out for new studio space but this summer we’re immersed in love stories!

What’s unique or interesting about you two?

Rina:: My closest friends know that I’m goofy, VERY clumsy and still a kid at heart.

Anthony :: I’m dorky, VERY easy-going yet a deep thinker at the same time.

Together :: We love watching classic Disney cartoons and we have a combined collection of stuffed animal friends around our place.  =)

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Here are some amazing images by Infused Studios. You can see more of their stunning work on their website and blog:

Thanks, Anthony + Rina!

Jennifer