PORTRAIT PALOOZA registration is here and it is LIMITED! To be held at an awesome Raleigh Venue; 1705 Prime Only 32 spots available and due to the overwhelming response to our initial feeler, spots are going to fill up fast. It’s going to be FUN, COMPETITIVE, FAST-PACED, & our models……..WOW!!!
The lovely Margo Williams of Belloviso & Ginger Mullins on staff for beauty and the girls of Maggi Bridal will be acting as our bridal stylists. Michael McLamb of Fleurtations will be providing us with the artistic floral bouquets.

Register Now!

http://www.weddingphotographicsociety.com/newreg/index.pl?id=12

ARTISTIC

1st Jeff Poole /Indigosilver

- Holy schnockey’s! I love when an image stops me in its tracks and makes me stare hard at it. This image is just that. Lovely use of black and grays. Beautiful eye for detail and composition. And the textures and the lines of the carpeting with how the bride is posed all make for a strong image! Well done!
- Nice use of the lines to draw me into the bride. Love how the photographer selected to go with B&W with this strong overhead image…great vision.

2nd Heike Delmore / Delmore Creative Photography

- Such mood and warmth and the beautiful post-processing of this image had me at first glance. Lovely expression.
- A wonderful simple image with a creative use of toning. Her calming eyes gives me a idea of her personality.

3rd James Tarpley / VISIO photography

-Great toning, framing and touching moment. Everything you and a couple could want in a winning image. This one really stood out for me, well done!

STROBE or FLASH

1st Jenny Tarpley / VISIO photography

- What a pretty image!! Well lit, beautiful tone and mood. My only critique is that I would’ve love to have seen the groom on the next step up so that he presents taller in stature then the bride and to see the gap between the two of them closed.
- Wow. This image stood out from the crowded category. Wonderful toning, posing and effective use of one light.

2nd  Heike Delmore / Delmore Creative Photography

- Nice soft backlite image well done. Love the fact that the photographer opted to for an image just before the kiss.

3rd  Jim Colman / Jim Colman Photography

-Beautiful sunset photo of the couple and the soft lighting is perfect. Well done!

WEATHER
1st  Michelle Gunton / Michelle Gunton Photography

- LOVE the quirkiness, color, the composition, the expressions of this image! Photographer did a nice job of having fun inspite of the rain.
- Rain dancing makes for a fun images. Great use of multiple strobes to make this winning image pop.

2nd  Heike Delmore / Delmore Creative Photography

- This image popped off the screen for me. The bright umbrella and rain makes this photograph different…well done.

3rd  Jenny Tarpley / VISIO photography

- Nice upward leading lines for this shot and I like how the trees frame the couple. The image makes for a nice quiet moment.
- Beautiful portrait of the couple with a misty mood. The couple breaks-up the pattern from the trees perfectly.

BOUQUET / GARTER TOSS

1st  Amy Turner / Your Still Life Photography

- The more I look at this image the more I see. So much information which keeps me looking longer everytime. I wonder what the bridesmaid did to catch the bouquet. Nice image!
- I like that the photographer chose a very interesting cropping for this image. The brides gesture and bouquet recipient make for a good capture of a fleeting moment and I love how she took out another bridesmaid and an older woman too.

2nd  Michelle Gunton / Michelle Gunton Photography

- I hope he caught it. Nice peek action of the groomsman taking a bite at the garter as the others watch.
- Love all of the randomness going on with the guys’ expressions and how this depicts such a fun moment!

3rd  A.J. Dunlap / A.J. Dunlap Photography

- The perspective of the bouquet with the intended recipient reminds me of one of those Leaning Tower of Pisa pictures where people are trying to push it upright. It just makes this image fun to me!
- Now that is a toss. She leaned way back to make this image and moment a little different!

PHOTOJOURNALISM

1st  Joe Payne / Joe Payne Photography

- Great capture of the groomsmen saying a prayer. Love the fact that the photographer opted to go with B&W which allows the viewer to no get distracted with color.
- I loved that the photographer was a quiet observer of such a beautiful moment of solace and respect of space. I love how the image from top to bottom goes light to dark too. This picture made me pause.

2nd  Matt Bower / Matt Bower Photography

- Kids are always dancing but not like this. Wonderful quick thinking of the photographer to capture this moment quickly. These moments rarely happen. The little girl’s face is priceless in this image.

3rd  Erin May / Erin May Photography

$28 pp
Must register by midnight on January 13th.

Follow this link to do so:
http://www.weddingphotographicsociety.com/newreg/index.pl?id=11

Once you get Tapatalk, just search for “Wedding Photographic Society” and, voila! You should be able to enter & save your username and password to the app, making reading the forums super easy.

Not a member of the forums yet?  Sign up – it’s free to join!

THANK YOU!

We had quite a few submissions and, as part of the idea, we have blogged them all below.

So, without further ado, I give you what the WPS photographers are thankful for!

I am most thankful for Bella, my two year old dog. Her vibrant energy when I walk in the door from a long day of work never ceases to amaze me. Her sweet face always makes me smile after all that we have seen and been through together. And she is always the perfect model for any photograph.

- Kristen A.

This image represents the “bookends” of five generations of women in my life. My wife’s grandmother is holding my new granddaughter. I am very close to my wife’s family and her mother and grandmother mean the world to me. Of course, my daughters first child holds a very special place in my heart.

- Jim C.

This is my story of thankfulness. It still makes me cry. Actually, Im am crying as I write this.
It was a bright, cloudy day, and I was wanting to try some natural light portraits of my shepherd Chickie. It started kind of rough, with her not understanding what I wanted from her. But being a smart girl, she caught on quickly. For this pose, I had to convince her that she would NOT be in trouble if she got on the furniture. I had a wonderful afternoon with her that I will never forget. Im so grateful that I had this time with her.
She died suddenly a week later.

- Sue B.

In choosing a photo to symbolize what I’m thankful for, it’s no surprise that I choose one featuring my kids. But, this one is special. My best friend of 16 years and I had our kids four days apart. FOUR DAYS. You can’t make that kind of thing up! Among our families, my fraternal twin boys and her daughter are affectionately known as The Triplets. This photo was taken earlier this year when my friend and her daughter were visiting from New Jersey. I love that I was able to capture three 18 month-olds smiling and looking at the camera. I love that they’re all wearing coordinating pajamas. I love that you can see my foot, my husband’s hand, and my friend’s knees around the edge of the photo, framing our kids. And I love that they love each other as much as their parents do.

- Carrie G.

Some days we take for grated people who are our mentors, caregivers and motivators. It’s rare when something moves me to act, but this moment made me think of my family immediately. Tears streamed down the face of the bride’s brother as they cried together during the father-daughter dance. It is powerful to me because her brother stood in for their deceased father, which made everyone cry. This moment moved me to hold all my family members tight and tell them that I love them.

-Christobal

 

I love this image because it was one of the first pictures that I really felt proud of. It is a reminder to me of so many wonderful gifts that I’ve received – the potential to make beautiful photographs, the ability to visit the Outer Banks every year all of my college friends, and a wonderful husband, who loves the beach as much as me and never fails to remind me of the potential that I have.

- Rebecca F.

This image reminds me of why I am thankful in 2011. The day before I shot this wedding, my Dad had a massive stroke and was in ICU in Charlotte.
Because I was shooting this wedding, I could not go to the hospital to be with my family. We all know that as photographers, it is our job to really be present in order to give our all at a wedding. As hard as this day was for me with all that was going on back home, this was an incredible wedding to be a part of. This image was taken as the couple walked out of Duke Chapel right after the ceremony. I love the mystery and the play of light and darkness in this shot. Marriage is such a magical union, while being so full of the highs and lows of life throughout the years. Thankfully, my Dad is recovering and I was able to be there in the hospital with my family right after this wedding.

-Martha M.

Unfortunately in this business we do hear of a lot of tragic things happening and they all seem amplified because it’s happening at, or close to a wedding. A few months before a wedding, I had a client’s father diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and really was not expecting to make the wedding day. To make a long story short, he took a miraculous turn for the better and was up and about during the wedding day. What I am thankful for is being taught how incredible of a power we hold, as photographers, to memorialize family and loved ones which can be treasured if & when tragedy does occur. The above photo is something that I had been thinking about since I first got the call about his illness. I wanted to make sure and get a fitting portrait of her father – something that could be passed down, honestly, for generations as a legacy of his life.

- Brian M.

when: Tuesday, November 22nd @6:30pm
where: Azul Photography
3708 Benson Drive, Raleigh

RSVP on our Facebook page here!
Please email your favorite (watermarked) image to info@weddingphotographicsociety.com along with a short paragraph about what makes this image so special to you. We’ll be showing those images at the meeting AND be making a “thankful” blog post featuring YOUR images. Please make each image 800px on the longest side!

See you there!

Martha Manning, WPS Executive Board Member

PHOTOJOURNALISM CATEGORY WINNERS

1st - Jim Colman / Jim Colman Photography

- Love the joy and energy of the couple as they leave the ceremony. Looks like they are thrilled to be married!
- A simple capture that says so much and has all the elements: peak action, interaction and expression.
- There is so much great emotion that is wrapped up in this one moment. Joy, happiness, and relief that they are finally married. Nice composition and isolation of subject.

2nd – Julia Wade / Julia Wade Photography

- Wonderful exit photo of the couple after the reception.
-Nice classy exit shot. Simple and clean straight foreword image. The processing is different and fresh. It works with this image.

3rd – Bridget McEnaney / Bridget McEnaney Photography

- This is a very nice moment which many photographers would pass on. It is quiet but says a lot about the character of the people at the wedding.
- Laughter is the best medicine. This is one of those great images that tells you a lot about the personality of the subjects.

4th – Leah Charbonneau / Leah Charbonneau Photography

- Great job getting down on the children’s level to tell the story.

5th – Hilary Mercer / Hilary Mercer Photography

- Shows the hustle and bustle of the preparations, but makes us stop and look at the bride holding her dress and her expression.

ARTISTIC CATEGORY WINNERS

1st - Annemie Tonken / Megapixie

-This image draws you in. Simple, Clean perfect moment. Great Black and White conversion by the photographer. Bravo!
- Simply stunning portrait of the child. The photographer captured her perfectly in this image.

4th – Nicole Faby /Nicole Faby Photography

- A gust of wind transforms this image into more than a bride and groom kissing on the beach. The photographer captured a great moment at a perfect time.
- Nice moment of the veil flying in the air.

5th – Christine Prisk / Christine Prisk Photography

- This image makes you look deeper. It does not take you long to see what the image all about. A artistic image of a artistic performance. This image is different not the norm. Very mysterious. Nice job.

 

SUNRISE-SUNSET CONTEST WINNERS

1st  - Carrie Geddie / Carrie Geddie Photography
- Wow. What an amazing portrait of the couple. This should be a huge canvas somewhere in their home. Well done!
- A great image – simple composition yet lots of layers – negative space, the fog behind the couple, the treeline and the sky all add up to make a unique and lasting portrait.
-Great image. It reaches out from the distance and grabs you. Clean and simply awesome. Will make a great huge print or canvas.

 

2nd -  Annemie Tonken / Megapixie
- This is not an easy photo to create but the photographer did an excellent job. This is a winner in my book.
- Everything that is going on in this image just works. Just by looking at this image it makes you feel like you are on the ride with them. Very fun and dramatic.

3rd –  Rebecca Ferguson / Rebecca Ferguson Photography
- Love the lens flair and how the image is composed. Lens flare from the sun adds a little something extra.
- The sun-flare in this image is amazing. The flare coupled with great composition and posing equals one special image.

 

4th – Julia Wade / Julia Wade Photography
- Another beautiful example of distant composition working well. A father carrying his child to the edge of the water, the sun-setting – symbolic and simple.

 

5th – Hilary Mercer / Hilary Mercer Photography
-The vivid color and the dramatic sky with all of the clouds makes this image one to remember. Nicely done.

BRIDAL PORTRAIT  CATEGORY WINNERS

1st – Bridget McEnaney / Bridget McEnaney Photography
- I am loving this image. Images that are natural, candid and relaxed always speak to me. Nice use of shallow depth of field.
- Beautiful relaxed portrait. It’s a showcase not only of the dress, but of the bride’s personality. Great lens choice with perfect depth-of-field.
- Absolutely love the natural energy coming from the bride. The shallow depth of field and action attracted me to this image. Kudos!

2nd – Nicole Faby / Nicole Faby Photography
- This image is all about the bride. This photo is proof that you don’t always have to have your client smile in their bridals. Even without a smile this brides personalty shines through. The direct light gives this image a classic look. Love it.
- I love the timelessness of this type of image. It is composed well and lite with one light…the sun. You really feel the bride in this photo.

3rd – Teresa Porter / My Friend Teresa Photography
- Nice composition and placement of the subject. The warm toning works well.

4th – Michelle Gunton / Michelle Gunton Photography
- A combination things intrigued me about this image. I enjoy the fact that the photographer is willing to see images everywhere. Even though this is not a contemporary portrait, it is a really nice portrait of the bride…well done!

5th – Riley MacLean / Riley MacLean Photography
- Earns points for originality. The harshness of light and shadow draw you to the subject.

 

LOVE CATEGORY WINNERS

1st – Carrie Geddie / Carrie Geddie Photography
- You can see the love in the eyes and the smile of this child. The close interaction between these subjects is definitely genuine. Nice cropping. Great moment between father and daughter.
- There is nothing better than a parent and child laughing together. You can see how much they love on another through this image.
- Great moment between daughter and father.

2nd – Teresa Porter / My Friend Teresa Photography
-A simple relaxed image that shows you the strong connection between a family. Great use of soft directional light. Everyone looks comfortable and connected. Which is great for this type of family candid portrait.

3rd – Leah Charbonneau / Leah Charbonneau Photography
- Touching moment of the groom seeing his bride walk down the aisle. Would benefit from a tighter crop.
- A great relaxed portrait that showcases the closeness of the family. You can feel the love.

4th – Annemie Tonken / Megapixie
-The unique cropping and the negative space pulls you into this image. This image just works.
- The grooms expression says everything you need to know about this warm moment.

5th – Erin May / Erin May Photography
- The brightness in the light that illuminates this image gives a serene quality. The soft kiss from the father and the joyous smile from the mother makes this image truly special. Nice work.
- Love how the light embraces this baby with love. The kiss from dad as mom holds the baby is priceless

1. 36.6 points | Julia Wade
2. 33.8 points | Hilary Mercer
3. 29.9 points | Stephanie Kingston
4. 28.4 points | Michelle Gunton
5. 27.7 points | Jim Colman
6. 21.1 points Diane McKinney
7. 20.5 points | Jenny Tarpley
8. 20 points | Carrie Geddie
9. 19.8 points | Annemie Tonken
10. 19.4 points | Bridget McEnaney

Our meeting will be at Raleigh’s Tribeca Tavern where they make the best burgers. Naturally, we will be in a reserved room next to the bar. The gathering begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m. The tavern is located at 6004 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, NC 27609.

Remember, all of our meetings are scheduled on the fourth Tuesday of every month. So, mark the date on you calender and we will see you there!

UNLOADING for some. HUNTING for others.

Bring your gently used/working gear to our BUY IT! SELL IT! SWAP IT! – GEAR GARAGE!

Don’t forget your cash & checks for purchases.

**WPS as an organization will not be held responsible for any transactions**

We ask that you simply behave honestly & fair amongst your fellow photography colleagues.

IT’S GOING to BE FUN!! Join us for beer, eats, & selling frenzy at Natty Greene’s in downtown Raleigh – September 27th. See you there!

- Stacy