I’ve been busy working on my new website. I think that it is nearly finished, well, it would be if I could just stop changing my mind!
I think this new website reflects more accurately where my photography is at now, is easier to navigate around and has a fantastic client proofing section.
It’s not live yet, so don’t go looking for it…but here’s a preview of whats to come:
Until next time,
Vicki
I am very lucky to work with some of the most talented and personable vendors in the wedding industry. I love to be able to refer my clients on to professionals who I have worked with before and truly believe they will do an amazing job for them.
Today I’d like for you all to meet Chris Preston. I’ve seen Chris officiate a number of weddings and she really is wonderful. She’s so warm, genuine, funny and she shows so much care for the couples she marries. Her ceremonies are customised with personal touches which highlights each couples personality. Her ceremonies flow with love and laughter.
I interviewed Chris so everyone could get to know her better. I asked the hard questions! Her answers are below:
How long have you been officiating weddings?
I have now been appointed as a marriage celebrant for 5 years and have now done 250 weddings.
What first got you interested in officiating weddings?
I have been interested in being a celebrant for a long time and if ever I saw a wedding I would love to stop my car and just watch everything. In the past before I became a celebrant, I have even been known to follow the wedding cars just to see everything.
Besides officiating weddings, what else do you do with your time?
Besides weddings, my other favourite thing to do is Baby Namings. I love babies and children so much and have now had the privilege of naming babies that have been a result of some of my weddings. Apart from catching up with friends and shopping, my favourite thing to do, is to spend time with my new little grand daughter. Lots of trips to the Gold Coast.
What type of clients/weddings do you most find yourself working with?
Clients/weddings I have worked with have been everything you can imagine and I just love everyone of them. The diversity is amazing and I so appreciate how my clients want to celebrate their special day. I have done weddings with just the bride and groom and two witnesses to the larger ones of 150 guests.
What do you enjoy most about being a part of other people’s big days?
I enjoy everything about my client’s big day. I love to see the bride walk down the aisle looking amazing and the look on the groom’s face when he first sees her.
I take everything in and don’t miss much at all. I still get blown away when I see the gorgeous bridesmaids and I love to see what all the guests are wearing.
What do you feel like sets you apart from other officiants?
I am passionate in what I do and try to make my couple’s day as special as I can. Hopefully somewhere in their ceremony we can laugh.
If you could give one piece of advice to couples on their wedding day, what would it be?
The advice I would give to my couples on their wedding day, would be, just to try and take in every moment and have an amazing time at the reception and not try and feel obliged to get to every guest. Don’t waste a minute and dance the night away.
Are there any other fun-facts that we should really know about you that would contribute even more to your coolness?
Oh look I don’t know how answer the last question. One thing, I don’t mind getting rained on! Ha! Pretty much though I just “Love the Love” xx
In my line of work of I am very lucky to meet many very talented and creative people. Today I am showcasing some of the work Yamba Florist, Debbie May. We have worked together on quite a few weddings over the years.
Here are some of her stunning arrangements for her awesome couples:
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post!
Until next time,
Vicki
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me with school holidays with my girls, a holiday for myself and a lot of work thrown in for good measure!!
I’ve been busy working on some amazing albums which are still in progress, but today I took a short amount of time out to organise some prints for this awesome new hanging frame I bought from Ikea.
It’s a row of 6×6inch clear prespex frames joined by about 2 inches of wire…it’s been hanging in my house for almost a month with not a single photo in it!!
Today I had a bit of a play around with some ideas that had been filtering through my mind…and here’s the photos I have come up with for my new frame. They are going to be printed on some gorgeous metallic paper, I just can’t wait to see the end result!
I LOVE this photo! Everytime I look at it it makes me laugh!!
I’ve been umming and arring about blogging it since Amanda emailed it to me not long after her wedding…..it was sooo what was running through everyones mind at the time!
I hope you all get a bit of a giggle out of it. And thanks to Amanda for emailing it, unforunately I don’t know who the photographer was who took the photo so I can’t give them the credit they deserve.
Until next time,
Vicki
Yesterday I made the big trek up to Brissie to the PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Annual Tradeshow.
My mission: to check out as many album suppliers as I could so I can keep providing the most up to date, cutting edge albums for my wonderful clients!
I also spent some time lusting after some beautiful, ‘L’ series Canon lenses (the really expensive ones with the red lines around them)……All I want for my birthday is a Canon 50 1.2…..it’s like buttah…..
Anyway, today I am a bit tired but decided to blog some photos so you can check it out!!
I just want to mention also that these photos were taken on a Pentax compact camera not my ‘real’ camera!
Some cool things to do with your photos! (I so ‘need’ one of those chairs!)
I was also lucky enough to sit in a lecture my wedding photography great Yervant Zanzanian…very inspiring to listen to. It’s a shocking photo I know but it was the best I could do at the time! I had a lady with lots of lovely blonde hair sit in front of me….it was kinda hard to see!
Until next time,
Vicki
Woo hoo!!! My new website is LIVE! I am so excited by it!
You can now visit me at www.vickijames.com.au
I’ve included a few screen shots in this blog post but you really need to visit to see it yourself!:
On Sunday 16 March I will be at the 2008 Ballina Bridal Expo for anyone who would like to drop by (I am at stand M12 in the function room) and view some of my albums, other work I will have on display and have a chat about their upcoming wedding, children’s photos, or anything else for that matter, I would love to see you there.
I’m very excited as my sample albums and wedding albums are starting to arrive on a daily basis! It’s just like Christmas at my house with boxes of beautiful albums almost everywhere.
Yesterday my ABC Portrait Book arrived and it looks sensational….even better than I thought it would, so I’m totally rapt!:
I’ve also had one of my full wedding albums arrive for Melissa and Adams wedding and it looks just amazing as well:
Albums packaged up and ready to be delivered:
I have just finalised my booking at the 2008 Ballina Bridal Expo for anyone who would like to drop by (I am at stand M12 in the function room) and view these albums, other work I will have on display and have a chat about their upcoming wedding, children’s photos, or anything else for that matter. It would be nice to see you there!
Until next time, keep smiling!
Vicki
I’ve photographed the two little ones above, for like, forever…. (mum was pregnant with Will when we first met…). They are 5 yrs and 3 yrs now.
To them, I am just the ‘photo girl’. I have been called that name so many times I have lost count!!!
I’m sure it felt good to the parents to know that when they want to schedule a photo session for their family…that it doesn’t have to be a big ordeal. Why? Because their kids know me…
When you find a photographer who produces images that you love…stick with them… not only will the process be less stressful on you, but your kids will be much more comfortable…and will reveal how they are with you….to the photographer….now imagine all the memories you will have for the years to come!
I haven’t included any story portraits for a while, so here’s two:
I love this shot-Will with the typical 3 year old grin, Elly just ‘loving’ her sister sooo much and Isabelle just tolerating it all…..
And now introducing the parents of these gorgeous children:
The big, happy family:
Thank you for having me in your lives, and for the biggest compliment of all: having my photographs adorn the walls of your home!! Thank you!!
With all of my wedding packages I include the proof standard digital negatives of all the photos that I offer to my client. (Current clients-if you do not have this in your contract, I have automatically upgraded your package)
However, I still include a pricelist for prints ordered through me.
“Why?” I hear you ask…..
Well, let me shed some light on this subject!
The proof digital negatives, which are available for you to print, are individually edited for colour correction, contrast adjustments, tonal adjustments and conversion to black and white (if requested). Proof images are for your personal use to print photos for yourself, family and friends.
Custom prints ordered through me include a variety of techniques to create my interpretation of the perfect print. Steps taken may include, but are not limited to, realistic retouching, blemish removal, selective toning of colours, colour enhancements and removal of distracting elements. Custom prints are included in wedding albums.
Clear as mud? Let me show you with photos:
I will start with my friend Jessica, who’s wedding I shot in September this year;
This shot has been adjusted to digital negative standard and is just about perfect as it is.
There’s no doubt she looks beautiful, but with a little work done under her eyes, a slight colour enhancement, a vignette around the edges and a touch of sharpening, she’s practically a supermodel.
This next shot was taken in Grafton in very low, flat light:
I gave this a little cross-process treatment to really bring out the colour and contrast and I think it looks a lot better this way!
So, I guess my point is, all my clients have the choice to get prints from their wedding done for 79 cents (maybe less), or have me use my time and skill to ‘massage’ the photos, give them a little ‘VIP TLC’ and have the most beautiful, amazing custom photographs hanging on their wall from their most special day.
Now, you can see the difference, the choice is entirely yours……
