Recently I shared with everyone that I had placed in the top 10 in the emotions category of a competition for the AGWPJA / Artisan Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association.
Well I just recently found out that after ranking in one of their competitions I get to use some new banners on my site.
Long time readers of the blog might remember last year when I was accepted into two organizations, the WPJA or Wedding Photojournalist Association, and it’s sister organization the AGWPJA or Artisan Guild of theWedding Photojournalist Association.
One of the benefits of being a member of these prestigious organizations is the quarterly photo contest they each run. A variety of categories is selected and hundreds of the top wedding photojournalist professionals around the world enter works conforming to each category. This is not only a great chance to share my work and let it be judged but to then see some of the best images on these types when the winners are announced is always such a great inspiration.
Now for a simple Denver wedding photographer putting my work up against some of the best wedding photojournalists in the world is a tad intimidating. But to have an image selected from amongst such competition would be such a great honor it would be worth the effort.
The AG/WPJA just announced the results of their 2009 4th quarter competition and I’m very pleased to announce that one of my pieces placed in the top 10 for the “Emotions” category.
This image from Joe and Audrey’s wedding at the Phipps Mansion Tennis Pavilion was my entry for the Emotion category. The bride is so full of emotion and while only her and her father know what was said to elicit such emotion, I have no doubt that looking back years from now she’ll remember when she looks at this photo.
It would seem the judges agree with the impact of this photo and it placed 8th in the competition.
Until next time,
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
Todays “Friday Favorite” wasn’t chosen because of it’s cuteness factor, but is is cute, but rather because of the story it tells in one image.
Taken at a church wedding at the South Broadway Christian Church this summer while the men where getting ready in the basements dining room. Children are often so caught up in the hectic energy of the day. It must often seem like such a “hurry up and wait” type of event.
The Tie to me captures a little bit of that. Here the young ring bearer has some assistance in getting ready, but it’s oh so painfully clear he’s much more interested in what’s going on across the room.
As a Denver wedding photojournalist it is often these little mini-stories I am on the look out for during the days activities. Not just a cute picture of the ring bearer, but one that tells a bit about the day in pictures.
Of course in the end the tie was secured and even if the collar was a little crooked he was ready for the big event and we got the typical “cute picture”.
If you’re looking for a wedding photographer to tell the story of your day in photos get in touch, there’s still plenty of open dates for 2010.
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
Just wanted to share a couple of images from a few weekends ago that go a long way towards showing what I do. Being more of a wedding photojournalist than a traditional wedding photographer I find myself always observing my surroundings, watching for bits and pieces of the days story to unfold. Such little moments can be easily missed but if seen and captured are lovely additions to the days story.
Until next time,
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
It’s with great pleasure that I share with you two new listing on the professional associations page. This month I’ve been accepted into two international membership organizations dedicated to wedding photojournalism.
The Wedding Photojournalist Association, or WPJA, and their sister organization the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association or [AG]WPJA.
Of course if you’d have asked me a year or two ago if I was a “wedding photojournalist” I probably would have said no, that I was more traditional and fine art in nature. But this last year I’ve been looking more at the industry and figuring out my place in it. Doing a little less of letting a lot of other artists style influence me and letting my own style emerge.
I think what made it click that I was a little more photojournalism in style was earlier this year when I attended a speaking engagement by Denis Reggie, arguably the father of wedding photojournalism. If you’re unfamiliar with Denis I suggest you visit his site, look at his gallery and realize just how many of those famous weddings shots you may well recognize. His “in his own words” video interview is well worth a listen as well.
So listening to Denis talk in person, watching his presentation and looking at his portfolio, I started to see a little more of what my style has been evolving into and realized that this style just might be a valid description of what I do during the bulk of my weddings. Sure we take the group and family shots, and I love taking the bride and groom for a half hour to do the special portraits, but the other 90% of the day would be more accurately described as a photojournalistic approach.
Of course at this time while I was aware of WPJA I still didn’t think to apply for membership. I was aware of their membership guidelines and felt that my “fine art portraits” that I hilight on this blog and my galleries that I would never pass the review. It wasn’t until fellow photographer RJ Kern mentioned the Artistic Guild of the WPJA that I decided to fill out the application, let them review my work, and see what they had to say.
I was thrilled when I received the acceptance letter for not only the Artistic Guild but an offer to join the main WPJA as well.
From their website the group describes itself as,
“Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity.”
I’m looking forward to submitting some of my own work for their quarterly image competitions.
A few of me recent items along this style include:
While the WPJA groups doesn’t support the use of “creative edits” beyond simple exposure adjustment and black and whites, the [AG]WPJA describes themselves as, “The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA is a group of international wedding photojournalists, who capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing.”
So for a photographer who shoots much of his work in a photojournalistic style, but yet loves to find those unique images that can be crafted into a fine art display, this is a total “get your cake and eat it too” opportunity. 
A few of my favorite recent examples would be the bride and her father leaving the main entrance at Dunafon Castle as he walks her towards her future husband. While the original capture I made of this moment from the roof of the castle the fine art stylings I felt really helped make this a striking image from their day.
In this image the scene of the bride walking in front of the bedroom door with her dress, captured from the stairwell, was a enhanced with a slight grain and vignette to help set the mood and focus attention.
Both unscripted moments but brought to a more fine art styling in post production.
