This is just a little reminder that we are now officially booking 2014 weddings! Before we launch our new blogsite and entirely new web address (i’m so exited,) I wanted to make sure I mentioned that our 2014 is filling up! If you or know of anyone who is interested in having us photograph their special day, please send them our way. Make sure they let us know know you sent them too! We always like to send special thanks to the folks who spread good words about Couture Studios.

We also still have 2013 dates available. To receive our pricing brochure make sure to contact us through our blog, facebook or website.

Thanks everyone and happy summer! XO, Jaime

We all know it, we’ve all answered it.  It’s the question that professional photographers dread hearing from clients.  “Where are the rest of the images?”

Typically, photographers provide clients with an estimated number of images they can expect to receive from their session.  However, they also shoot a lot more at the session.  So why aren’t those shared?  What if you don’t think you see an image you imagine you would love when it was shot?  What if you feel that something was just missed?  How come you can’t make the final call?

In short, you hired a professional based on what you saw in their portfolio, and their ability to replicate that consistently in their gallery presentations. You really just have to trust that the photographer has made the correct call in what to show you.

“Fine.  But honestly, where are the rest of the images and why can’t I see them?  I heard you shooting almost 2-3X as many as are in the gallery.”

Photographers overshoot – the degree to which they do that, depends on the photographer, and the type of session.  Some photographers have a low shoot ratio (low number of shots in relation to number of keepers), and some have a high.  The reasons behind over-shooting can range from uncertainty about a situation or lighting, the inability to perhaps capture that one great family shot (eye blinks, expression changes), gear issues (trying a shot with a couple of different apertures, crops or angles), or  simply not wanting to miss anything at the session.  Whatever the reasons, the photographer never believes at any point in time that they will show you everything they shoot.

Add to this, sometimes the photographer is testing out the light or just getting a feel for how you look behind the camera.  Sometimes they want to shoot and move around you, to figure out just what makes you look best.  Sometimes, especially in group shots, they are shooting quick because they are hoping that the one person whose expression or behavior isn’t cooperating will turn it around without them having to address is, and that additional swapping and merging won’t be necessary.  Sometimes they are trying something new and there is never an intention that it will be shown, unless it surpasses their expectations.

And sometimes, the shot just isn’t good. Maybe there was action blur. Maybe your eyes were closed.  Maybe a zipper was undone or a hand was not where it should be. Maybe they could see something inappropriate that required adjustment.

But whatever the reason, the photographer is showing you a gallery of images that has been culled and edited based on their experience of what will best represent their work that you hired them to create.

For every gallery that comes out where the client wishes they saw “more,” there is a client that wishes their photographer had more carefully edited down.  When clients are shown too many images, unless all are spectacular, they are left with the feeling of “These 5 family shots are all identical, I wonder if she felt she had to include them all because she didn’t like the rest?”  If a gallery is comprised of a few great shots and the rest “filler,” you will not feel any more satisfied than you would if you saw ALL the images.  And inevitably, if the photographer decides to include a sub-par shot from a series, that is the one shot the client will focus on and remember.

So unless you feel that entire segments of your session are truly missing, or your photographer has provided you with no explanation, but less images than they promised you with your session fee, trust that they have culled their images, edited out the unusable or exact duplicates, and provided you with the range that they feel most represents their style.  Quite often, asking for “more,” just because you believe more were shot, and for no other reason, will not net you with anything else that is usable, or that you would want.

As a client, do your homework and invest in someone that has the experience to create consistent galleries with variety… discuss your session goals, as well as what you can expect to receive as an outcome (not just volume, but a general idea of what is included in the gallery), and put your faith in that what you are seeing is the best of the best and enjoy what you receive rather than question or wish for what you did not!

Article courtesy of Design Aglow.

Your neighbor picked up a new Canon Rebel for Christmas, and now, a few months later has a blog and Facebook page and is running Mother’s Day “Get the DVD for $100” promo.  What’s up with that?

Every day we see this happen. As a professional photographer, it is very common to be asked “How can I do what you do?”  Most of us are frequently asked how we got started. Many assume it’s a fun and easy business to own.  And more than a few inquiries are followed up with someone saying “My friends tell me I have a great eye.”

So how does one evolve into a professional photographer?  Most photographers who have managed to survive for more than a few years, can look back and provide similar answers about what was important along the way.  Every experience is different, and there are many ways to peel the apple, but most pros resonate the same general thoughts…especially the most successful ones.

Early years are spent learning the craft. Not booking sessions, designing logos and blogs, or setting up Facebook pages.  Just learning.  This might be formal degrees or classes, attendance at workshops, forum participation, receiving critique, studying style and methods and trends.  It starts in the camera, possibly a darkroom, extends to Photoshop, and then beyond.  Most photographers also move from building skills to building a portfolio or second shooting.  Portfolio building is that in between space where you want to be in business, but you don’t have real experience shooting end-to-end sessions for non-friends and relatives and you have not firmly established business processes and workflow.  It can be tiresome to be in this space, but it’s invaluable and should serve as a checkpoint to figure out if this is what you really want to do.

Once you are in business, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to ensure that you have established your brand, that you are priced for profitability, and that you can deliver consistent images, session after session, that reflect the style show in your portfolio.  So while it seems like one should be able to pick up a camera, shoot great shots, and then go into business, that is not really the case at all.

What are some components to this?  It’s demonstrating an understanding of:

• Shooting, exposure, composition, processing, and style.  What is technically correct.  What is artistic.  What makes your heart happy.  What rules you can break and what you must continuously improve on.

• Business and costs.  Knowing how much time you spend on a session compared to how much you charge for it, while also taking your true Cost of Goods and Fixed Expenses into account.  Whether you are charging $250 or $1,500 or $2,250 for your work, you HAVE TO UNDERSTAND what comprises your cost basis, and pay yourself for your time.

• Brand and style.  This comes down to WHO YOU ARE.  Everything you do has to line up with who you are. Before you even dive deep into your business, you should have a sense of how you shoot, how that translates into an image, what story it tells… and then line up your processing to enhance that.  Finding an identifiable style, and sticking with it, at least for your clients, is crucial because your clients will hire you for the consistent work they see on your site, blog and Facebook.

• Your offerings (what you are willing to offer, and what you love to offer, and what you won’t offer).  Inevitably, someone is going to ask you to give them something that you don’t.  You need to know how to gracefully say no, or figure out how to meet what they want. Figure out what you love to sell, and what products make you happy.  Your offering, like your brand, has to support who you are and what you do.

• The business.  This is SO MUCH MORE than shooting and processing. Unless you are extremely casual with it, you have to approach it as a business.  You have to understand that your shooting and processing will probably take up no more than 30% of your time, the rest will be maintaining your business.  You can be a FABULOUS PHOTOGRAPHER and love it and have all the passion in the world and shoot remarkable images… but to be in business, you need to do more than shoot and edit.  If you don’t want to do more than that, stay a hobbyist.  Once you go into business, you are in business, and it’s very difficult to make the statement “I am not in business anymore.”

• Your business is YOU.  And every single decision and work you produce is a reflection on YOU.  There is no corporation or bad boss to hide behind.  There are no co-workers (unless you are a larger studio).  If you produce a gallery that doesn’t make your client happy, that’s their opinion of your work (or you).  If you are late on orders, that’s a reflection on you.  If you can’t deliver what they ask for (reasonable or not), it is that YOU can’t deliver.  Understand how thick your skin must be to put yourself out there for EVERY SINGLE SESSION and risk clients calling your most beautiful work “not what they wanted.”  That, for sure will happen.

If you can make it through ALL THAT, understand that you will experience the complete joy of delivering something to people that they cannot achieve on their own.  You will have the opportunity to stop time, and deliver images that reflect their life as it is today, which is more often than not invaluable.  You will develop lifelong friends and clients.  You will create a following of people that “get you” and your style and will come back for years.  You will smile on your good days, cry on your bad, but everything you do is YOURS and you own that.

Article courtesy of Design Aglow.

When I met Erin in her room at the Crown Plaza the morning of her wedding, she was beaming from ear to ear. The girl was beyond thrilled that the day was finally here. She was marrying her best friend that day and couldn’t be more  ready to start their next chapter together.

Their intimate ceremony was preformed by their long time priest at The San Jose Catholic Church. Their ceremony was followed by their gorgeous University Club reception. It was amazing being a part of their journey. I couldn’t be more happy for these two!

Congratulations Erin and Randy on your marriage! I wish you many, many years of life and love! Enjoy your preview. There is more to come so stay tuned! XO, Jaime

Wedding season is in full force here in Jacksonville, FL and the reason is that the weather is absolutely beautiful this time of year, and on this particular Satruday it was perfection! Warm with a cool breeze off the coast combined with a drop dead gorgeous couple and the back drop of Atlantic Beach made for a day usually found in a fairytale. I met Michelle in her One Ocean hotel room that afternoon and was immediately greeted with smiles and southern hospitality. With a room full of gorgeous girls, mimosas and a bride who looked like she stepped off the cover of Modern Bride I couldn’t stop snapping my shutter . I was inspired all day by Michelle and Ryan and their beautiful, easy going beach wedding that reflected their personalities to a tee! Congratulations Michelle + Ryan on your marriage! Thank you for trusting me to capture your day. XO, Jaime Ceremony and Reception Venu – One Ocean Resort & Spa Wedding Coordinator – Sarah Seibers with Sight & Sound Productions Cake Artis – One Ocean Resort & Spa Florist – Kelly’s Bloom Room Band & Ceremony Music – Bread & Butter Hair Stylist – Mandy Miline (904) 859-9621 Make-up Artist – Knockout Artistry (Natalie)

I traveled back to my hometown last Saturday to be a part of Sherry and Marshall’s wedding day. I was super excited about this wedding and to spend time with this gorgeous couple! I was also excited that my referrer and my bride, Aliya, from last fall was a bridesmaid! I met Sherry and her bridesmaids in her presidential sweet at the Gateway Grande that morning and was greeted with a giant hug and introductions galore. Everything was going as plan and we were even ahead of schedule most of the day, but there are just some things you just can’t control; the rain. I was very impressed with how Sherry handled the weather, because following the ceremony it started to rain. We managed to capture some beautiful photos of this amazing couple despite the weather. After all, rain is good luck right?

Congratulations you two on your beautiful ceremony and marriage! I hope you get a chance to sneak away and enjoy your honeymoon! Enjoy your preview. There are more to come so stay tuned! XO, Jaime

It has been a long time coming, but last fall was a record year for Couture! So much so, that I did not get a chance to post more than sneaks for my couple’s wedding images. I have decided to blog a few each month starting with Beth and Bryan’s beach wedding.

Just like most weddings, things don’t always go as planned. The flowers might be delivered to the wrong venue, the cake table gives way or God forbid it rains! Most couples can list a hand full of things that went wrong on their big day, but not many can say they were battling a Hurricane!  On the Saturday of Beth and Bryan’s wedding Hurricane Sandy was quickly approaching. The day before the wedding there were 40 mile per hour winds and rain in St. Augustine so you can imagine how worried they were. Luckily on the day of their wedding, the rain held out and the winds were manageable so they could have their beach wedding after all!

There is something about sand between your toes when committing yourself to another amongst all of your closest family and friends. The day was casual and oh so romantic. Truly, my favorite kind!  Congratulations again on your marriage. Thank you both for being so amazing. I wish you many years of happiness!  XO, Jaime

I have the most patient clients on the planet and Jordan and Jeremy are defiantly my top two! I moved the date four times on these guys waiting on this field of flowers to bloom. Then finally, the date was perfect for their schedule and mine, the blooms just started and then North Florida got pounded with 3 days of non stop rain!  All strikes were against these two in using their dream location, but then it happened. We made it out there yesterday and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect!  Low 70′s + sunshine + this gorgeous field of flowers = perfection!  I was on cloud 9. It was a photographers dream day!

Here are a few sneaks from our session yesterday. I can’t wait to share more so stay tuned! XO, Jaime

I don’t know how many of you recognize this marketing add from 2009, but little did I know that beautiful soon-to-be momma that I used to promote my studio would become such a beloved client and friend. Her name is Ashley, and since her first maternity session where we captured the image above, I have photographed 1st son’s first year, her second maternity and daughters newborn photos and numerous kids birthday parties. Needless to say, I feel like family I know so much about these guys! I feel blessed to have a job that literally creates friends. It’s pretty cool.

Well, when Ashley called me to tell me she was expecting #3 my jaw hit the floor! Yippee! I’m employed for life with this family! Haha. All kidding aside  I was thrilled to be a part of another magical time for them. This time we headed to the beach to let her two older ones roam around to capture images of how they were before their newest little member joined them. Last month they gave birth to their healthy baby girl. Congratulations Ashley and Gordon on your newest reason to smile, and thank you again for your trust and friendship. XO, Jaime

Wedding season is in full force here in Jacksonville, FL and the reason is that the weather is absolutely beautiful this time of year, and last Saturday it was perfection! Warm with a cool breeze off the coast combined with a drop dead gorgeous couple and the back drop of Neptune Beach made for a day usually found in a fairytale. I met Michelle in her One Ocean hotel room that afternoon and was immediately greeted with smiles and southern hospitality. With a room full of gorgeous girls, mimosas and a bride who looked like she stepped off the cover of Modern Bride I couldn’t stop snapping my shutter . I was inspired all day by Michelle and Ryan and their beautiful, easy going beach wedding that reflected their personalities to a tee!

Congratulations Michelle + Ryan on your marriage! Thank you for trusting me to capture your day. Have a blast on your honeymoon!! Enjoy the preview…there is more to come so stay tuned! XO, Jaime