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Posted by Kelly Simants
I have recently had the pleasure of meeting some awesome Photographers in Dallas, and one husband and wife team in particular named Scott and Tem really stood out to me! They are not only very talented photojournalists, but they are passionate about the wedding industry and love what they do! Plus, they are just fun people to chat with as they are so friendly, energetic, and have a great sense of humor. :) The images in this post are just a few of their favorites from their portfolio. You can see they not only bring their sense of humor into the wedding day, but they also capture the romance and beauty of weddings in such a natural way that truly tells a story. I asked them a few questions about their successful business and Dallas weddings - here's who they are and what they have to say...
1. How did you get started in the Photography business, and specifically with weddings?
Well, they really coincide. We got into weddings and the business pretty much at the same time, although our photography backgrounds started much earlier. Tem’s background goes back to her childhood with her learning photography from a family friend at church. My background with serious photography started in high school where apart from being on the school newspaper as a photographer, I always shot punk rock bands, and skateboarding which helped me get a grasp on action and cruddy lighting from an early start.
While working in the corporate cubicle world, we started shooting heavily as a hobby and rediscovered our love for photography. Around that time, close friends of ours who were planning their wedding saw our hobby work and liked it enough to ask us to shoot the wedding.
Tem did double duty as photographer and matron of honor. After all was said and done, we had shot the best photos of people we had ever done at that point, and had a blast doing it. That sealed the deal and started us on our path. The following year I was already full time and we were on our way.
2. What is your typical day like as a Wedding Photographer – on the day of the wedding, and also on a non-wedding day?
Non wedding days start out with us firing up the computers and checking email. Oddly enough email alone can consume a large portion of each day, with sometimes hours at a time spent just responding to email.
Then typically our days consist of one of the following processes in the post production of the images. We both have different tasks we work on during a day, and Tem typically does all of our album layout design, and fulfills prints orders, in addition to editing images. For the image editing portion of our work (sometimes taking a couple of days depending on the content of the wedding), we start to go through the thousands of images shot on a wedding day, or hundreds from a portrait session, and begin editing them down, weeding out bad expressions, or redundant scenes, etc. Once we get the story of the day edited, we then move on to our color process for the RAW image files, where we apply our own color settings, and tweak any exposure and lighting issues for the photos. Finally after converting RAW files to JPEGs, we then run a few more custom tweaks to give our images that final pop in color, and begin the processes of getting everything online.
Our wedding days start the previous day usually with us preparing all of our camera gear. We charge batteries, clean cameras and lenses, and sort and organize everything we need. On the actual day we start with a decent breakfast, and then plan our travel routes. I usually check over the car for tire pressures, and load everything up. Once we get to a wedding location, we’re ready to capture whatever comes our way. After the wedding, we get home and immediately start the download and back-up process for all of the images shot for the day. Once everything is downloaded and securely backed up, we usually just lapse into a pretty deep sleep.
3. What would you say makes your style or personality unique from other Photographers?
The easy answer is that we’re just individual… different by nature’s law and that gives us a naturally unique perspective on things. Really, I think it comes down to our personalities, and our own journey as husband and wife that makes us different from others. Even between the two of us, we can be sitting in the same room, looking at the same subject, and come back with completely different images and takes on the moment. We’re also a bit of the goofball, and love to find humor in the little things. I think we also gravitate toward high energy and happy people, which of course influences how we feel when we shoot, and ultimately what kinds of images we capture. We’re sunshine lovers, so I guess in some odd way, that sums us up.
4. Favorite tips or advice for the bride and grooms to be?
Really, just enjoy the wedding day! Plain and simple. On the wedding day, all the plans and preparations, friends and family, all culminate in one day there to celebrate your union as husband and wife. Enjoy it… just be in the moment where you are together with everyone who loves you all around you. The memories and moments on the day last forever in your heart and minds.
5. When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite things to do?
If we can, we like to travel, go to the movies, hang out with friends, do something outdoors, and for me personally…anything car related. I like to go to the track any chance I get.
6. What are some of your favorite venues in the DFW area, and why?
Tough Question… For churches, Christ the King and St Thomas Aquinas come to mind. The churches are beautiful, and the staff is usually very friendly and helpful to us in the way that they care about us getting great shots for our couples. Marie Gabrielle is quite an awesome place for both wedding and reception. Not to mention, the food is pretty much the bomb. ^_^
Some others off the top of my head; Arlington Hall, Belo Mansion, Hickory Street Annex. We’d also love to shoot at Story Book Ranch and the McKinney Cotton Mill sometime.
Well, they really coincide. We got into weddings and the business pretty much at the same time, although our photography backgrounds started much earlier. Tem’s background goes back to her childhood with her learning photography from a family friend at church. My background with serious photography started in high school where apart from being on the school newspaper as a photographer, I always shot punk rock bands, and skateboarding which helped me get a grasp on action and cruddy lighting from an early start.
While working in the corporate cubicle world, we started shooting heavily as a hobby and rediscovered our love for photography. Around that time, close friends of ours who were planning their wedding saw our hobby work and liked it enough to ask us to shoot the wedding.
Tem did double duty as photographer and matron of honor. After all was said and done, we had shot the best photos of people we had ever done at that point, and had a blast doing it. That sealed the deal and started us on our path. The following year I was already full time and we were on our way.
2. What is your typical day like as a Wedding Photographer – on the day of the wedding, and also on a non-wedding day?
Non wedding days start out with us firing up the computers and checking email. Oddly enough email alone can consume a large portion of each day, with sometimes hours at a time spent just responding to email.
Then typically our days consist of one of the following processes in the post production of the images. We both have different tasks we work on during a day, and Tem typically does all of our album layout design, and fulfills prints orders, in addition to editing images. For the image editing portion of our work (sometimes taking a couple of days depending on the content of the wedding), we start to go through the thousands of images shot on a wedding day, or hundreds from a portrait session, and begin editing them down, weeding out bad expressions, or redundant scenes, etc. Once we get the story of the day edited, we then move on to our color process for the RAW image files, where we apply our own color settings, and tweak any exposure and lighting issues for the photos. Finally after converting RAW files to JPEGs, we then run a few more custom tweaks to give our images that final pop in color, and begin the processes of getting everything online.
Our wedding days start the previous day usually with us preparing all of our camera gear. We charge batteries, clean cameras and lenses, and sort and organize everything we need. On the actual day we start with a decent breakfast, and then plan our travel routes. I usually check over the car for tire pressures, and load everything up. Once we get to a wedding location, we’re ready to capture whatever comes our way. After the wedding, we get home and immediately start the download and back-up process for all of the images shot for the day. Once everything is downloaded and securely backed up, we usually just lapse into a pretty deep sleep.
3. What would you say makes your style or personality unique from other Photographers?
The easy answer is that we’re just individual… different by nature’s law and that gives us a naturally unique perspective on things. Really, I think it comes down to our personalities, and our own journey as husband and wife that makes us different from others. Even between the two of us, we can be sitting in the same room, looking at the same subject, and come back with completely different images and takes on the moment. We’re also a bit of the goofball, and love to find humor in the little things. I think we also gravitate toward high energy and happy people, which of course influences how we feel when we shoot, and ultimately what kinds of images we capture. We’re sunshine lovers, so I guess in some odd way, that sums us up.
4. Favorite tips or advice for the bride and grooms to be?
Really, just enjoy the wedding day! Plain and simple. On the wedding day, all the plans and preparations, friends and family, all culminate in one day there to celebrate your union as husband and wife. Enjoy it… just be in the moment where you are together with everyone who loves you all around you. The memories and moments on the day last forever in your heart and minds.
5. When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite things to do?
If we can, we like to travel, go to the movies, hang out with friends, do something outdoors, and for me personally…anything car related. I like to go to the track any chance I get.
6. What are some of your favorite venues in the DFW area, and why?
Tough Question… For churches, Christ the King and St Thomas Aquinas come to mind. The churches are beautiful, and the staff is usually very friendly and helpful to us in the way that they care about us getting great shots for our couples. Marie Gabrielle is quite an awesome place for both wedding and reception. Not to mention, the food is pretty much the bomb. ^_^
Some others off the top of my head; Arlington Hall, Belo Mansion, Hickory Street Annex. We’d also love to shoot at Story Book Ranch and the McKinney Cotton Mill sometime.
Thank you, Scott and Tem, for sharing about yourselves and your work! Here are a few more of their favorite images in their collection...
It was great fun hanging out with you. We hope we will get to work with you soon. ^_^
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