-Hi Becker. How are you feeling today?
I feel great!

-For how long have you been a professional photographer?
About 20 years. I started my business in high school, shooting portraits of my friends

-What first made you want to become a photographer?
Pretty girls!

Why wedding photography in particular?
There’s cake.

-I know you use the Canon 1Ds MkIII but do you have an all time favourite lens? Which one and why.

The 50mm/1.2 has been favourite of mine for a while because i like the shallow depth of field. Lately though i’ve been enjoying the 200mm/2. It’s a great portrait lens.

-What’s your best wedding day tip for the bride and groom?
Relax.

-And for a wedding photographer?
Be confident.

-You’re a big inspiration for many photographers but whose photography inspires you?
Lots of people. i am addicted to photo blogs. It’s amazing to me how fast people can get really good in this business.

-If there was a collection of photographs by different photographers and I had to guess which photograph was taken by you, I think I could guess successfully as you have a distinctive style. What do you think are the trademarks of your style?
I know I am not the most creative photographer in the world, but I like to think as myself as one of the most consistent. I think my style has an understated simplicity to the images. Nice light on the subjects face, background out of focus, soft light. I try to make people look good in their photos.

-Our wedding photography workflow has taken some figuring out and I’m sure there are still some aspects we can improve upon. Can you give us an overview of your workflow?
Download, back up, back up again, one more backup, cull through the shots in PhotoMechanic and tag the keepers, rename, archive, post online. We proof straight out of the camera and only photoshop the images that are selected.

-What would be your dream shoot across any genre of photography? What type of subject matter, location etc. would it involve?
Nude models in killer locations!… a castle, a tropical island, somewhere with nice light and cool, textured backgrounds.

-If you could photograph any celebrity on their wedding day, who would it be and why?
I think all my brides are celebrities- for that day at least. Although I wouldn’t mind shooting Lindsay Lohan’s wedding. Can you imagine the train wreck that might ensue?

-There’s an increasing drive to return to film photography and abandon the megapixels of digital technology. What’s your opinion on the film/digital debate?
When I switched to digital in 2001, I predicted that in 10 years, it would be cool to shoot film again. Okay, so I was off by a year. I think it’s just a trend and I personally don’t get it. The “look” of film is overrated and I won’t be shooting a roll of film again ever. As far as the debate goes…I tell people to figure out what works for them and go for it.

-Pro cameras nowadays have great low-light capabilities but we still supplement certain situations with either direct flash, off-camera flash, or a video light. How and when do you mix in external artificial light?
I play around. I mostly shoot on-camera flash, but bounce the light off of someone or something. I’ve also been experimenting with pocket wizards and off-camera flash.

-Are you a superstitious person and if so, do you have a specific routine that you follow before big shoots?
I’m not really superstitious, but before each wedding I like to play some loud music to get my pumped up. My routine after the weddings is more regular. Del Taco, hit the hot tub or a long hot shower while the images are downloading, etc…

-What’s your ideal holiday destination, and why?
Vegas. Poker.

-You find yourself with a spare hour. What do you do?
Watch tv, catch up, or facebook & twitter

-We never seem to have enough time to spend ‘on’ the business as there’s so much to do ‘in’ the business – shooting, editing, blogging and so on. How do you feel the balance is for you in this respect?
I have staff that help me take care of the clients. It’s my job to get more clients.

-Have you ever had anything go wrong on a shoot? What happened?
Knock on wood, not that I can think of.

-When you get chance to take photographs for yourself, what do you like to photograph?
See thebecker.net for my personal work. Beautiful nude women- not suitable for those viewing on a work computer!

-A while back when you published on your blog some older wedding photographs you’d taken it was interesting to see the difference between that and what you do now. What do you think will be the difference between the photographs you produce now and what you’ll be producing 5 years from now?
Hopefully they’ll be better, but with an obvious connection to my signature style.

-You can meet up with 3 people (dead or alive) for a Starbucks. Who would you choose?
Bono, Reagan & Steve Jobs

-What’s your favourite film?
Glory.

-Favourite non-photography website:
mashable.com (I’m a nerd)

-Favourite photography website:
thebschool.com duh!

So there we have it- Becker’s interview. Here are just a few photographs he’s taken that he considers his favourites, and I have to say there are two here that are my favourites of his too- love the backlighting in that dance shot- this shot is actually on my list of Favourite Wedding Photographs Ever. (I don’t have a real list as such- just one that I keep track of in my head!). Also take note of the last photo- this was actually captured purely by chance, but I think it’s testament to Becker’s relaxed and friendly style that he considers it one of his favourites. Last note, Becker runs his own online professional photography forum for likeminded photographers- do check out the [b] school and I’ll see you on the inside!

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Welcome to an occasional new feature in the ‘Christian Ward Photography Loves…’ series.  Through ‘CWP Loves…’ we promised to introduce you to some amazing vendors alongside glimpses into the things that make us tick as photographers and as people.  Well number one amongst those things is our amazing clients.  We love spending time with them, we love capturing the most special moments of their lives for them, and we love having the privilege of being there to witness all the romance, joy and delight of their wedding days.  Yes, we love ALL our clients, and in each of these posts we will tell you a reason why, and show you a small selection of images that capture and demonstrate exactly what we mean, along with a little of the story behind the photos.

So, here we go back to the wedding last spring of the wonderful Claire and Andy.  From the start they told us that the people coming to spend their special day with them were to be the most important part of their day, and so the approach we agreed on for their photography was to take mainly unposed, natural shots, allowing them to spend most of their time mingling with loved ones.  Claire and Andy are a warm, welcoming, fun-loving couple, and we love the way these spontaneous confetti shots show just this about them, and their infectious excitement at being newlyweds.

Thanks to Claire and Andy, and to all our clients, past and future, for inspiring us to create beautiful images.  We hope you enjoy this feature, and we’d love you to leave a comment below.

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-What would be your dream shoot across any genre of photography?

I have an interest in fashion photography. I love studying the Anthropologie Catalog, and would love to be a part of those shoots. Not only do I like the clothes, but I like the photography.

-If you could photograph a celebrity on their wedding day, who would it be and why?

Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I think I’d like to photograph Jennifer Aniston’s wedding because she’s naturally beautiful without a ton of makeup. I also like her simple yet modern and classic style. (Editor’s note: would John Mayer be the groom or the after-dinner band?)

-I’ve been coming across an increasing drive to return to film photography and abandon the megapixels of digital technology. What’s your opinion on the film/digital debate and do you think you might ever dabble in film?

I think that a photographer should stick with the look that best fits their work. There is nothing wrong with film, even though it’s considered the “old technology.” In fact, I sometimes think the whole film workflow sounds pretty enticing. No hours upon hours sitting behind a computer color correcting! I personally have not been a film photographer, but if I were hiring a wedding photographer, I would hire based on the art and not the method.

-Like you, we use the 5D mkII. It obviously has great low-light capabilities but we supplement certain situations with either direct flash, off-camera flash, or a video light. How and when do you mix in external artificial light?

I rarely use artificial lighting. All of my portrait shoots are scheduled during daylight hours. The only time I use it is at wedding receptions. I mostly use direct flash, but love to use the available stage lighting and/or video lighting. If the couple has hired a videographer, I often position myself so that I do not use any artificial lighting, but I use the videographer’s light.

-Are you a superstitious person and if so, do you have a specific routine that you follow before big shoots?

No, I’m not superstitious!

-What’s your ideal holiday destination, and why?

Anywhere NEW! My husband and I love to travel to new and exciting places. So far, my favorite places have been Maui and Ireland/England!

-You find yourself with a spare hour. Simon’s looking after Jude, you’ve not got any (urgent) editing to do, what will you do?

Clean the house and then maybe sneak on facebook if I have time!! Ha!

-Do you advertise?

I do pay for Google AdWords, but that’s it. I think it’s really helped!

-We never seem to have enough time to spend ‘on’ the business as there’s so much to do ‘in’ the business – shooting, editing, blogging and so on. How do you feel the balance is for you in this respect?

Yeah, it’s REALLY tough…especially now that I have a newborn at home with me that requires a lot of attention. I find myself working all of the time to get the “business things” completed.

-Have you ever had anything go wrong on a shoot? What happened?

No, I’ve never had anything go wrong.

-When you get chance to take photographs for yourself, what do you like to photograph?

I rarely have time, but I love to take travel photos!

-You can meet up with 3 people (dead or alive) for a venti vanilla latte in Starbucks. Who would you choose?

I’d meet President Obama and his family.

-What’s your favourite film?

Christmas Vacation

-Do you have a favourite non-photography website:

Nordstrom.com! I am a HUGE online shopper!

-And a favourite photography website:

tarawhitney.com

Aren’t Jamie’s photographs absolutely beautiful?  I really found her workflow information useful and we’re definitely going to look into a DROBO. For anybody who’s not familiar with it, you can find out more here. One last huge thank-you to Jamie for taking the time out of her hectic schedule to share her experiences with us and support the new ‘Christian Ward Photography Loves…’ feature. We think it’s important that as photographers we share our tips and experiences with each other and I hope that our readers will benefit from this new Christian Ward Photography feature. I thoroughly recommend visiting Jamie’s blog and website any time you need a boost to your spirits, or indeed if you’re in the US and in need of a great photographer, give her a call!

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With great, great pleasure, we’re ecstatically pleased to feature Jamie Sangar as our first photographer interviewee. Jamie’s based in Indiana, USA where she lives with her husband Simon and her newborn baby Jude. Before the existence of this blog that you’re reading right now, I discovered Jamie one day while looking for web design inspiration for how to further develop our website. As often seems to happen on the web, I ended up on Jamie’s blog by way of a series of random clicks. Now, there are some websites you land upon that give you a real feel of excitement…a new discovery…and Jamie’s website was just like that; the most perfect portraits of babies and children, and beautifully natural wedding photography. Jamie’s work continues to inspire us as photographers and what better way to share the inspiration than an interview…Here’s Part One, with Part Two to follow tomorrow. All photographs in this post copyright Jamie Sangar.

-Hi Jamie! How are you feeling today?

Great, but tired, ha! It’s tough work being a mommy and trying to run a business!

-For how long have you been a professional photographer?

I have been in business for 3.5 years, but have only been doing it full time for a year and a half.

-What made you want to become a photographer?

I kind of accidentally fell into the business. I had a career in Advertising as an Account Manager out of college. At one point, my cousin asked me to take some photos of her three kids because I had a decent camera (Canon Rebel). Those photos then got emailed around to her friends, then to her friends’ friends, etc….and one day I got a call from a woman saying that she had seen the photos I’d taken, and asked if I’d take her daughter’s photos. Completely caught off-guard, I said “yes!” From there, my business snowballed off of word of mouth. At that point, it was a side hobby that I did on the weekends and weekday evenings. Once I realized though that there was enough to keep me busy full-time, the idea of owning my own business and working out of my home quickly became an attractive idea to me.

-Did you know straight away that it would work out for you as a full time photographer? Or was there a certain point you reached where you realised ‘this is really going to work?’

No, I did not know right away that this would work out to be my full time job. But, that was not my original intent either. I liked my career in Advertising and thought that this would just be a fun thing to do on the side. Once I really got serious booking more shoots and weddings, I quickly knew that this is what I wanted to do. After a year and a half of balancing both jobs, I quit my Account Manager position and started focusing on my photography full-time.

-Can you tell us a bit about your favourite kit?

I love shooting with my Canon 5d II and the Canon 85mm f1.2 L. I use that combo 85% of the time for my work. It’s the only lens I use for my kid/family work, but at weddings I do use a set of additional lenses. Although the 85mm lens is my favorite at weddings as well, it doesn’t work in every situation. I also use the 70-200mm f2.8 IS L for ceremonies, the 16-35mm f2.8 L for ceremonies and large group shots, the 50mm f1.2 L for some portraits and group shots, and the 100mm f2.8 macro for detail shots.

-What’s your best wedding day tip for the bride and groom?

To remember that this is one of the only times that they will get to be professionally photographed. So I tell them to relax and take advantage of this being THEIR day! I also tell them not to worry about how to pose. If they start thinking about it too hard, then they start to look stiff and unnatural. I assure them that I will properly position them so that I get natural reactions out of them.

-And for a wedding photographer?

Get to know your bride and groom AND the families of the couple. Then, focus on every interaction and facial reaction between these people. In the end, these will be the photos that are most meaningful to the bride/groom and family members.

-Whose photography inspires you?

Jasmine Star, Jessica Claire, Tara Whitney, Bobbi & Mike



-I’ve always thought your work has a beautifully natural look. Can you tell us a bit about your shooting and post-processing style?

I’m constantly pressing the shutter to make sure my subject is in focus, even if I don’t end up snapping the shot. I just wait for that perfect reaction, so I want to make sure that I’m focused and ready for it. As for post-processing, I like my photos to have a very warm feel. I think that “natural look” has mainly to do with the candid reactions that I like to capture. I use Lightroom for 90% of the processing, then I take some of the images that I post on my blog into photoshop for additional work. In photoshop, I use the Totally Rad Actions.

-Our wedding photography workflow has taken some figuring out and I’m sure there are still some aspects we can improve upon. Can you give us an overview of your workflow?

After importing all of the RAW files, I backup my computer overnight with the DROBO to make sure I’ve got a copy of the files safe. Then I bring all of the files into Lightroom and rate them with either a “5” or a “0”. The 5’s are then the ones that I keep and color correct (typically my couples end up with about 550-700 images). Before I color correct all of them, I pick my favorites out of the bunch that I will post on my blog. I color correct those in Lightroom and Photoshop and then watermark them with my logo. Then I go back through all of the “5’s” and make sure that they’re all color corrected to match the ones that will go up on my blog. I then schedule the event through Pictage, and use the event ID number to put into the file names when they’re exporting from Lightroom. (I use the same file naming system with all of my photos. It’s always my initials “JS”, then the Pictage event number, then a number sequence starting with “001. So it looks like “JS_765896_001”, “JS_765896_002”, etc.). Once I setup this file naming convention, I export the high-res jpgs before uploading them overnight to Pictage. At that point, I then do another DROBO backup so that all edits are saved in my backup. This exact same workflow is used for my portrait sessions as well.

Well that’s Part One; don’t forget to come back for Part Two! Want a reminder when it’s posted? Sign up to our blog, follow us on Twitter, become a fan of our Facebook page, and you’ll automatically receive an update!

I hope all you readers found it as interesting and inspirational as I did. On a personal note it’s a real privilege to be able to feature Jamie on our blog having long been an admirer of her work, and her blog is one I always love to return to. Thanks once again, Jamie, and I’m looking forward to featuring Part Two!

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