Blog | Columbus Wedding Photographer

Sailing Grenada on Film

We finally found a break in our hectic schedules. When we were young, it was so easy to take family vacations. As my brother and I have gotten older and have careers of our own, it has become much more difficult. However, the end of March was our time. It had been decades since we had sailed together as a family. So long, in fact, that Brooke had never been. We booked our trip and started to gear up for a week sailing Grenada (one country) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (another country). I was excited to momentarily step away from wedding photography, and cold Cleveland. Now I just needed to decide what to bring.

I gave myself a fun little challenge – one camera, one lens and one film stock. Then lens wasn’t even a zoom and there was no digital “crutch”. Below are a few favorites with minimal commentary –

Sailing Grenada on Film

Above – St. George, Grenada. Below, my father at the helm and Brooke taking her first turn.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Sailing has it’s own language. Unless you speak it, things can get really confusing.

Sailing Grenada on Film

My brother moving us through the water at six knots, and Brooke taking a sunset swim.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Pulling into Hillsborough Harbor on Carriacou Island at sunset.

Sailing Grenada on Film

My brother waiting at the fish market while our Dorado was cleaned at fileted.

Sailing Grenada on Film

We almost made Peter the new masthead on the boat.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Above – colors from Clifton Harbor on Union Island. Below – Angelo photobombing my brother.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Above – Happy Island and rum punches. Also my brother making some iphonography.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Above- Brooke looking radiant at Happy Island and back on the boat.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Above and below – Mopion Island, which might be the most photographed island in the world. The island is tiny and the single umbrella is perfect. We left our mark, albeit in temporary charcoal. I can say one thing – the island definitely needs a bottle opener.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Sunset dinner of spiny lobster in the Tobago Cays.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Detail of a fishing boat and sunset in Hillborough above.

Sailing Grenada on Film

Above – pulling back into St. George and the Timoneer, the largest sail boat I have ever seen. Below, enjoying one last Carib in St. George.

Sailing Grenada on Film

With a Bang!

A single component of being a wedding photographer can be very tough, and very rewarding – constantly working with new people. Not only must we work with brand new couples, but also florists, cake artists, wedding planners and venues. On the one hand, starting a rewarding relationship can be tough. Conversely, new relationships that really blossom can last a lifetime. With new clients, I like to help the process along.

To kick things off with a bang, I always greet new clients with excitement. Weddings are a really exciting time for couples and I want to contribute to the enthusiasm. After the boring contract business is done, I want to make sure the excitement builds right away. I take time to send couples an email right away. I greet them with honest excitement. After all, I really am excited to be working with them and to start a new relationship. This kind of opening helps reassure any client that they made the right decision. The news is filled with sensationalized wedding horror stories, so reassuring your clients can make a big difference.

A week later, I follow-up with step two. No, I don’t send them some FAQ document or more things “deal” with. Instead, I send them a simple gift, and the gift is something personal to me. A core component of my brand is the idea of a “gift,” so offering my clients something at the beginning really helps to under-score my brand.

If this concept sounds right for you, but you feel it might be too expensive, you’re be over-thinking it. The gift I offer is small and inexpensive. What’s important is that the gift is personal to me. So how did I arrive at this specific gift?

I often greet clients in my home-office with fresh cookies. It’s just a great way to start a meeting!
The sweet treats are a specific memory from my youth that I am excited to share. Hopefully, this creates a personal connection.
Last, I want to underscore my gratitude with personalized thank you note.

In the future, I will be adding some more components that will allow the welcome gift to be personal to my clients as well. Are sweet treats not right for you? All that’s needed to come up with something unique and personal to you is a small time investment.

How to build great relationships with wedding clients

On a completely random note, business has been growing by leaps and bangs lately. So much so that the shipping department needed a new employee. I recently added “Hector” to the staff 😉 I expect he will improve productivity. And yes, I do name inanimate objects around the office. Weird, but that’s me.

Victoria & Joshua – Best Friends Engagement Along the Shore

We originally met at a Starbuck’s in Avon. It was a quiet, fun conversation. From the start you could see that Victoria and Joshua are more than just engaged to each other. They’re engaged with each other. Best friends really. They listen to each other and laugh at each other’s jokes. They’re simply comfortable with each other, and in love.

And they both love furry best friends! We met at their house for their engagement session. Victoria and Joshua were waiting outside with their two dogs. When they first met, each of them already had a furry best friend. Now, they’re a 12 legged happy family. At first the dogs were a little shy, so we took it easy. I spent sometime outside and inside getting to know them, and bribing them with treats. Before long, the dogs were warmed up and ready to go. And what personalities they have! They were jumpy, fun and bright during the entire session.

After a little while with the dogs, we headed out on our own. We stopped by a local outdoor mall in Westlake, and then headed to a personal favorite – the beach at Huntington Park in Bay Village. Below are a few favorites from this Sunday evening –