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Under the Spotlight – 8 Illustration

Kat

September 13, 2010

Based out of San Luis Obispo, California, August Kreowski, the man behind 8 Illustration has a passion for creative, alternative and unique Rock n Roll couples and their fabulously personalised weddings. He creates custom and one-of-a-kind invitations and paper goods for the most quirky couples out there! "My perfect client is a couple who likes to create a theme for they’re wedding…(I love themes!)" he told me. "I love to work with someone different, someone seeking custom and something never seen before. I want couples Who want to push the envelope, I want to get more wild more imaginative. Couples like this excite me because I want to push the limits of my creativity as well."

Under the Spotlight – Cake & Pictures

Kat

September 8, 2010

When you're on the wedding photographer hunt it can sometimes be very confusing on where to start. Cake & Pictures provides an exclusive list of excellent photographers for all photographic styles and locations. Unlike the traditional 'wedding directory', Cake & Pictures only allows the very best photographers onto their list and keeps the selection short and concise. Covering over 50 cities and 24 countries around the world, Cake & Pictures is certainly a good place to start when you're hunting for your perfect wedding photographer! You can also check out their blog, The Pantry, right here

Under the Spotlight – Konfral.com

Kat

July 28, 2010

I was lucky enough to meet Konrad Dziedzic aka Konfral a few weeks ago when he offered to come and shoot my with my lovely Restoration Cake cake which was made to celebrate the launch of the new look Rock n Roll Bride. Here's the man behind those shots...in his own words.

Under the Spotlight – Nick Tucker Photography

Kat

July 26, 2010

Today I'm chatting to a photographer whose style is classically elegant with a fashion-led twist. Nick Tucker's unobtrusive ethos would be the perfect accompaniment to a really awesome and and Rock n Roll wedding and I just know he'd capture it in the way it truly deserves to be shown. I am a great believer that wedding photography should be beautiful and classic (as well as awesome of course!) It should echo the mood and feeling of the day and not dictate the the day in any way.

Under the Spotlight – Yvette Craig Photography

Kat

July 23, 2010

Today I wanted to introduce you to a Yvette Craig Photography, a photographer from Kent, who loves to travel (and would love to travel to capture your wedding!) and who has a very classic, elegant and almost fine art style. Who are you and what do you do? I am Yvette Craig and I am a wedding and portrait photographer, and my aim is to capture you in a classical, timeless style.

Under the Spotlight – Lauren McGlynn Photography

Kat

July 14, 2010

Originally from Austin, Texas photographer Lauren McGlynn has just moved over to Aberdeen, Scotland. Oh you lucky lucky Scottish brides! Excited about her move to our side of the pond Lauren told me how much she is looking forward to living and exploring this side of the Atlantic and so is not only waving all travel fees for UK weddings booked in 2010 but will offer 20% off all her packages when you quote 'RocknRollBride' when you contact her. Take advantage of this fantastic offer by dropping Lauren an email right now!

Under the Spotlight – The Sage, Gateshead

Kat

July 12, 2010

When planning our wedding I found organising the venue the most stressful. As soon as we got engaged I wanted to get the venue sorted as, really, the whole day - the theme, the style and the ambiance - anchors around the setting. For the modern, urban bride, The Sage, Gateshead could well be the answer. Set just outside of Newcastle, The Sage offers a modern and affordable way to get married in style. The venue offers 3 rooms available for wedding hire.

Under the Spotlight – Toast of Leeds

Kat

March 29, 2010

I really really love doing my Under the Spotlight interviews as it's great to talk about the genius behind the lens for once. Today, I'm excited to share with you Shelly of Toast of Leeds - a fabulous photographer from - you guessed it - Leeds, who blew me away with her recent Punk Bride shoot. Enjoy! Who are you and what do you do? I’m Shelly Mantovani from Toast of Leeds. I shoot people. Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to for work in? I’m based in Yorkshire but don’t let that put you off! I love to get on a plane or a train, it forces me to read books I keep buying and never get round to finishing.

Under the Spotlight – Newell Jones & Jones Photography

Kat

March 24, 2010

Anna & Aaron of Newell Jones & Jones Photography are one of those photographic teams you'll come back to time after time. As soon as I discovered them I scoured their website almost religiously, impatient to see what they were all about. The Denver-based pair's style is quintessentially Rock n Roll - fresh with a vintage, ethereal, nostalgic, organic, soft and dreamlike feel - subtle in its execution but dramatic when seen as a whole. I adore the photographs timeless feel, which will keep your memories alive for a lifetime.

Under the Spotlight – S8 Films

Kat

March 22, 2010

When I received the initial email from Roland of S8 Films I was blown away. Not only did I instantly adore their work but I was delighted to discover they are London based (in fact right around the corner from my soon-to-be-part-time 'day' job!) The Super 8 format has been growing in popularity over the last few years. From it's grainy texture to it's raw, 'real' appeal, it's easy to see why brides all over the world have fallen in love with it. In fact if we had made the decision to have a wedding film made, I know Super 8 would have been the way we'd done it.

Under the Spotlight – Beyond Beyond

Kat

March 9, 2010

As you begin planning your wedding, one of the first things you'll be thinking about (after the dress of course!) is the invitations. They're the first thing your guests will see in relation to your wedding and the perfect invitations will set the tone, theme and vibe of your Rock n Roll wedding day. It's my pleasure to introduce to you today one of the UKs latest and greatest invitation designers on the block, Amma of Beyond Beyond. Enjoy!

Under the Spotlight – Unique Vintage

Kat

March 2, 2010

It's my utter pleasure to introduct you to Unique Vintage today. Not only do they have a great selection of both authentic vintage and vintage inspired wedding dresses but they have something to suit every budget! Some of my favourites include the little white reception dresses (from $68), the tea length 50's inspired wedding dresses (from $130) and of course the more sophisticated Audrey Hepburn style dressses (which range from $500 to $1200.) Unique Vintage pride themselves on their unique, hard to find brands and

Under the Spotlight – JoAnne Dunn

Kat

February 23, 2010

Oh yeah baby, I am excited about this post! As I'm sure most of you will have seen and loved, I blogged this amazing punk-rock inspired shoot last week photographed my the amazing Italian photographer JoAnne Dunn. Not only am I the luckiest blogger in the whole of blog-land to have been able to share them with you (can you tell - I really really loved them!?) but JoAnne has also been lovely enough to let me interview her for your reading pleasure. OK enough gushing now, let's get on with the show... Who are you and what do you do? JoAnne Dunn – personal photographer and part time match maker Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to for work in? The globe

Under the Spotlight – Dylan McBurney

Kat

February 17, 2010

Who are you and what do you do? I'm Dylan McBurney and I'm a photographer. Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to work in? I live in Carrickfergus just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland with my wife Caroline and daughter Corrina and I photograph weddings across Ireland, France and elsewhere in Europe. You’re the first person I’ve interviewed from Northern Ireland? What is the wedding industry like over there? Northern Ireland is a pretty cool place to get married. The people are renowned for their friendliness. That's what I love most about working here. Do you get to work with a lot of great clients? Fortunately the type of clients we attract are very much into photography and they can understand why my pictures look different to other people’s pictures. A lot of our clients have a relationship with the visual and creative arts - we seem to cover a lot of architects and musician’s weddings. How would you describe your photography? Unobtrusive, journalistic and moment-oriented. I shoot with my emotions - I like to capture the feeling between people and that’s generally not something you can pose or stage. Who/what are your biggest influences? Whose work do you really admire? Henri Cartier-Bresson for his sense of composition and timing. Garry Winogrand for his ability to make pictures out of the chaos of the street. And Joel Meyerowitz, again for his street pictures, but also for his fine art colour work of which I'm a big fan. Do you have an ethos to which you stand by in regards to your photography? I like photographs that tell stories. To do that, you have to be in the background, quietly observing and then reacting to what's happening in front of you. What about formal group photographs? My formals are quick to do and my clients appreciate that. I usually cover about six to seven groups if required - often in a session lasting less than fifteen minutes. Most of my coverage is documentary. At a wedding I'm a reactive soul and I see my role as one of documenting what's going on rather than trying to direct things. How many weddings do you average per year? I shoot about 40 weddings each year. What or who made you get into photography? Seeing Lance Mercer's black and white documentary pictures of the band Pearl Jam in the 1990's inspired me to pick up a camera. Great pictures of a great band! Did you go to school to study photography? Only a part time City and Guilds course at my local college. My tutor was great though - he was a big fan of Cartier-Bresson, Don McCullin and others. I’ve found that that grounding in social documentary photography has served me well. I learned a lot about photographic theory and black and white darkroom work. Apart from photography, what drives you? What are you passionate about? Are you able to bring this into your wedding photography? I'm completely in love with Caroline. We married in her hometown in Brittany, France in September, 2003. Every week when I photograph my client’s weddings I’m reminded of our own wedding that day - all of the friends and family gathered together, all of the emotions, joy and happiness. And I think of all the precious moments that came and went in the blink of an eye. Who or what are your perfect clients? My clients all seem to be really good at living in the moment. Fortunately that's what's important to them and to me also. What do you love about weddings? No two weddings are the same because the dynamics of the relationships are always unique and I just love that. What do you think makes a great Rock n Roll wedding? Didn't John Lennon say the essence of rock and roll was to 'be here now'? I've always thought that that was a great declaration for having a great wedding! What would you say your greatest achievement has been to date? Hands down - meeting Caroline and getting her to marry me. Any real Rock and Roll moments that you can share with us? Going to check out of our hotel room in Rotterdam last year Caroline and I actually bumped into all of the members of Pearl Jam in the corridor (who unknown to us, were also checking out of the very same hotel at the very same time!). We got to chat about their tour, their new album and managed to successfully invite them back to Belfast to play a show later this year - something I’m really looking forward to! How important is an awesome website to your business? It's the single most important part of any photography business. In my opinion it's your shop window. I'm amazed at how many photographers have such poor sites. How important is Photoshop to your final images? It's absolutely essential. Every single image out of the camera goes through Photoshop at some stage, although I don't do anything that I couldn't do in the darkroom.

Under the Spotlight – Jeremy Harris

Kat

February 9, 2010

Not only am I loving sharing some truly fabulous photographers and vendors in this Under the Spotlight series, but I actually feel honoured that so many ass-kicking professionals want to share their work with me (and you!) Today's interviewee is Jeremy Harris, a authentically rad and totally rock n roll photographer based in New York. With a passion for music, tattoos and yoga (!) he is most certainly the perfect candidate for a spotlight feature on Rock n Roll Bride and I hope you love reading about him as much as I did interviewing him. Who are you and what do you do? Jeremy Harris. What do I do……hmmm, that's not an easy question to answer. I'm a photographer by trade, if that's what you mean, but I also an avid bicyclist, yoga enthusiast, artist. I enjoy cooking, a good bourbon, tattoos, live rock show in small clubs Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to for work in? I am based in New York and am available to shoot anywhere. I have a valid passport and love to travel Who/what are your biggest influences? Whose work do you really admire? Anton Corbijn, Diane Arbus, Tom Waits, Mark E. Smith, Hunter S. Thompson, William Burroughs. I really admire the work of all the people who have tattooed me over the years. Now THAT's a real talent! How would you describe your style of photography? An edgy mix of editorial portraiture, fashion, photojournalism and lifestyle. I lean towards a classic and sometimes vintage look with a variety of b/w and color. I like appeal to a wide variety of clients, from the wacky tattooed couples to the couples who might be a little more conservative and traditional. Do you have an ethos to which you stand by in regards to your photography? Create the best images possible no matter what the conditions, or amount of money involved. Have as much fun as I can in the process. When I'm having fun, my clients have fun. What or who made you get into photography? How did you get into photographing weddings? I discovered a love for making photos in High School. It was a medium of expression that just felt right for me. At the time I was really inspired by the images I saw on the albums I was listening to. Anton Corbijn's images of Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, and U2 had a profound effect on me and where a big inspiration. At the time I was living in DC and going to lots of shows: Fugazi, Jane's Addiction, Flat Duo Jets. I always had my camera with me. My love of rock photography expanded when I moved to San Francisco and emerged myself in the rock scene there. So many good bands! The Mummies, Zen Guerilla, The Holy Kiss, etc. I started making friends and became fairly well known in town for my work. I got into shooting weddings though friends and friends of friends. Before I knew it I had a strong body of work and was getting more and more requests. When I moved to NY last year I decided to expand my wedding business. You have a real passion for music and rock n roll. How, if at all, do you bring this into your wedding photography? Yes, I do. Shooting a wedding for me is like shooting a rock concert and band portrait session. Fast paced, exciting, and often spontaneous. I have to rely on my instinct, personality, and ability to direct to get the shots I want. As well as the willingness of my clients to try something fun. Who or what are your perfect clients? Well, I have yet to work with anyone who I didn't really like personally. I try to build relationships with my clients that either become friendships or continue on a business level. I guess the perfect clients are the ones who are super cool and easy to work with. They love to be photographed and take little if no direction to make the fun creative photos. What do you love about weddings? Well I gotta admit I'm a bit of a romantic sap. Hanging out with people who are in love and happy on such a special occasion is amazing. Also who doesn't love a party? Though I am working first and foremost, I do have a great deal of fun at weddings. What do you hate about weddings? Nothing, really. What do you think makes a great rock n roll wedding? A creative, fun couple, with a cool look, who wants do something unique with their big day. Tell me a little about your favourite wedding ever and why? Well so far it has to be Carrie and Brady's wedding at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco. They are friends of mine, so that was great, but the wedding itself was exactly how I would want MY wedding to be (which hasn't happened yet, btw). In a classic 1940's swing club, dressed to the nine's, surrounded by all my best friends and family. They had a great DJ that played a variety of garage rock, soul, r&b, and new wave, as well as a live band (also friends of theirs) who put on a amazing performance. Brady is musician himself (Black Cat Music) and is heavily tattooed. So there were lots of tattooists, and musicians there, which made for great photos. What would you say your greatest achievement has been to date? Staying alive and working as a freelance photographer If you could photograph anybody’s wedding whose would it be and why? I think shooting a REAL rock star wedding would be cool. What advice would you have for couple’s on the wedding photographer hunt? What is a sign of a good/bad wedding photographer? Rule one, find someone with EXPERIENCE. Everyone these days has a digital SLR and calls themselves a professional. Shooting weddings is not easy, and to get really great shots takes knowing what will happen in advance and being ready for it. It also takes a keen eye for light, and how to create good light if it's not available. Rule two, find someone who you really like as a person. If you can have a good time with the photographer over drinks at a bar, then you'll have a good time with them during the shoot. What role (if at all) have wedding blogs played in promoting you and your work so far? I find that blogs are the most cost effective way of reaching the type of people who I would like to work with. So many people use the internet these days and it's cool that there are so many different wedding blogs that cater to so many different types of people. Do you have any advice for budding photographers out there who want to get into weddings? Second shoot for a photographer who's work you admire. Build up some experience and hopefully a portfolio (I always let my seconds use their own photos) without having all the responsibility. What can we expect from you in 2010? Lot's of good stuff! I'm consistently shooting bands for Kerrang! Magazine in London, have a cover/feature in Bicycling Magazine coming out in April, and have a bunch of weddings booked for Spring and Summer. What are your goals and aspirations when it comes to your photography? My goals are to make a decent living doing what I enjoy for as long as I can, and to create work for myself that has nothing to do with my commercial aspirations. Thanks to Jeremy for taking the time to share his Rock n Roll photography with us. For more information about Jeremy Harris head over to his website. You can contact Jeremy by phone on 415-786-2027 or by email to jeremy@jeremyharris.com If you are a photographer or wedding vendor and are interested in being featured in a future ‘Under the Spotlight’ post then drop me an email for all the info.

Under the Spotlight – Razvan Horeanga

Kat

February 3, 2010

Credit: Razvan Photography Today's Under the Spotlight victim is a guy I've been lucky enough to know (as in online-know) for a long time now. Razvan Horeanga first contacted me waaaay back sometime last year, when Rock n Roll Bride was merely a teeny tiny speck on the blogging map, and asked if I wanted to feature some of his gorgeous photography. Lucky for me (and you!) Razvan has never failed to share wonderful work with me and I'm really chuffed that I'm able to share a little bit more about him with you today. OK on with the show.... Who are you and what do you do? I am Razvan, a wedding photographer passionate about getting the most amazing pictures for my couples on their wedding day. I am very grateful that my passion became a big part of who I am. I havea very supportive wife and a cute cat. Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to for work in? I am in Columbus, OH. I love to travel. I’ve been to a dozen of countries and I am up for any destination. Who/what are your biggest influences? Who do you really admire? I would lie if I would say I did not follow other wedding photographers’ work in the beginning. It’s good to see what others are doing, but I think too much influence limits the creative process. I prefer to find my influences in movies, documentaries. Sometime, I would find myself absorbed in some European movie. “Il postino” is a great movie, and it depicts love in such a poetic vision. What or who made you get into photography? I always liked to take pictures of almost everything. I started reading about photography, got into some photography internet groups, bought many books about photography and I would then take pictures applying what I’ve learned. Photographing people is just an extraordinary experience and totally different. How would you describe your photography? It’s about people. Beautiful people in love and their story. And I am photojournalist. I just let everything happen and I will capture it with my camera. What do you love about weddings? On a wedding day, you have to be aware of everything that is happening because there is no second chance as a photographer. I like to be under pressure and it’s rewarding to have your work appreciated by the couple, their families and their friends. I love to see everything that was envisioned by the couple for their wedding come together, see their happiness, the joy of their families and everything in between. I am there to make sure that the couple will never forget this experience by telling their story in pictures. What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer so far? It never gets old: getting to see the look of happiness of the couple when I give them the pictures. What role have wedding blogs played in promoting you and your work so far? Kat, you’re doing an amazing job at keeping the couples connected to the reality of weddings by promoting photographers’ work and the work of other vendors. Wedding blogs are different from the traditional advertising and it’s great because you get to see the feedback in an instant. Do you have any advice for budding photographers out there who want to get into weddings? Just keep learning, make sure you know the inside and out of your camera before you start shooting a wedding, have backup equipment and know your light. What can we expect from you in 2010? You haven’t seen anything yet! All my couples are gorgeous and I have some pretty cool ideas and techniques I want to try out this year. Thanks to Razvan for taking the time to share his ass-kicking photography with us. For more information about Razvan Horeanga and to see even more examples of is brilliance, head over to his website. You can contact Razvan by phone on 347) 949-8155 or by email to hello@razvanphotography.com If you are a photographer or wedding vendor and are interested in being featured in a future ‘Under the Spotlight’ post then drop me an email for all the info.

Under the Spotlight – I Do Cake Toppers

Kat

February 2, 2010

Have you been looking for that perfect cake topper? One that's funky, cool, original and suits you down to a tee? Well my dears I have the answer! I'm sure you've all heard of custom cake toppers before, but I think the ones by I Do Cake Toppers are by far the best yet. You simply send a photograph of you and your beau with your order and Christina will make a custom cake topper which is a perfect reflection of you. You can even add accessories and details to suit - for example tattoos, flowers to match the ones you'll be holding, wacky hair dos (I'd be in that category then) or signature props (I'm loving the dude reading the paper on the loo!) Go check out the gallery of past examples and you won't be short of inspiration. I am also totally crazy about her super kawaii 'Originals' series. How can anybody not fall in love with the adorable milk & cookie or coffee & doughnut set?!

Under the Spotlight – CandySnaps Weddings

Kat

January 29, 2010

Who are you and what do you do? I’m Caroline Weiss, the photographer behind CandySnaps Weddings. I’m originally from Germany but have been living in the UK for the last 12 years I am a reportage wedding photographer, which means that I blend in unobtrusively and record a couples special day rather than direct it. I will take care of the mainly always required group shots too, but I won’t take my couples away for 2h for a photo session. I believe that there is no need for set up images and that the best pictures are always of the bride and groom enjoying themselves with their friends and family. It also means that they will look back at their photos and remember their special day how it really happened. I’m one of the few Scottish photographers who have been selected as member of the WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association) Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to for work in? I am based in Glasgow Scotland but am happy to travel anywhere in the UK and Europe, or in fact anywhere you will take me. Who/what are your biggest influences? Who do you really admire? Oh my…. There are sooooooooooo many wonderful photographers out there. One of my favourites has to be Robert Frank. I just love photographers who ‘play’ with photography. Black and White images always excite me – they just have such an amazing atmosphere about them and I always think that everyone looks like a film star in b/w. What or who made you get into photography? Photography and the idea that you can capture those precious moments has fascinated me for a long time. I think moving to London when I was 19 really inspired me to become a photographer. It’s such an amazing colourful and vivid place with so many different people… I worked as an assistant with a lovely photographer called Simon Denton who really inspired me to go and study photography and take my passion for photography further. What do you love about weddings? I love being part of a couple’s happiest day of their life… I LOVE a good party and I get really excited when you can just feel the love between two people and it’s my honour to capture this with my photography ( I always get a wee tear in my eye at every wedding ceremony and am the one who laughs the loudest at a good Best man speech)… It’s great meeting couples, who stick to fingers up to wedding traditions and just do their thing and have a really individual wedding not following any rules. I love the excitement on their faces when I show them their wedding photos, when I get a hug and tears of joy because they love my work so much. That is the thing I love most about my job making my clients happy! What do you hate about weddings? I wouldn’t say I hate anything about weddings, but I’m not particularly thrilled by very traditional weddings. Thankfully, I am not photographing many of them. Tell me a little about your favourite wedding ever and why? (include pix if you want) ARGH, I can’t decide,…. I think there might be 2 wedding so far that really stood out for me. One was a very small intimate affaire. The couple got married at the registry office and then went on to a wonderful restaurant. They are both really into their cycling so instead of having a wedding car, they cycled with a tandem from the registry office to the restaurant. Oh what fun. And it was a complete surprise. Their friends organized the tandem for them and decorated it with a cute ‘just married’ sign. The looks on their faces when they saw the tandem was just brilliant. The other wedding was much bigger and set in a family garden. It was a super hot day in May and the couple were just sooooo much fun to work with. Super relaxed. They held their speeches outside in the garden and it was just an amazing party with lots of wonderful people. The bride wore bright red heels and bounced on the trampoline with about 10 kids in her £3000 wedding gown. Very cool! What advice would you have for couple’s on the wedding photographer hunt? What is a sign of a good/bad wedding photographer? First thing to think about is what you want from your wedding photography, as there are many different styles available. Ask your venue if there is someone they would recommend or your friends who are already married might be raving about their photographer. If wedding photography is really important to you, make sure you book your photographer as far in advance as possible. The popular photographers get booked out a year or more in advance! When a company has more than one photographer make sure you meet and see the work of the person who will take your photos. I personally think that it is important that you like the person who photographs your wedding so you feel relaxed in front of their camera. A good photographer will show you samples of full day weddings they have shot so you get a feel what your photos will be like. I would also recommend that you don’t book your favourite photographer because they are over your budget. Your wedding photos will be what is left after the wedding. The photos will be your memories and that is priceless. And last but not least, trust your instincts! I always compare choosing your wedding photographer with choosing your new house - you often know as soon as you walk through the door that this is the one. What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer so far? Having my work published in leading Scottish Bridal Magazines. Being selected as member of the prestigious WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association) and collaborating with Scotland’s finest hair and make-up artists Leigh Ferguson and Ainslie Currie to offer my clients a complete hair, make-up and photography package for their special day. What role (if at all) have wedding blogs played in promoting you and your work so far? This is the first time that I’m promoting myself on a blog and I’m really excited about it as rocknroll bride is fantastic and being features will be a great way to make myself known to the kind of clients I like to attract. I’ve been looking everywhere for a blog like this in the UK and am thrilled that Kat likes my photography and is happy to have me on board! So all you lovely brides get in touch – I’d love to hear about your wedding plans. Do you have any advice for budding photographers out there who want to get into weddings? I would say to them that wedding photography is very different to studio based work. In the studio you are in control of everything. The lighting, the background etc. With wedding photography you get rain, bright sunshine, dark venues… You just have to adapt to whatever is thrown at you. But if you find the idea of that exciting rather than nervewrecking, give it a go. I am just utterly in love with photographing weddings and can only highly recommend it. Anything else you’d like to add or info about yourself that you’d like me to include? And other questions you would like to include? One thing I would like to mention are my beautifully handmade wedding albums. I don’t use storybook albums but am working with a Japanese bookbinder who lives in Munich who makes these to my clients specifications. There are lots of different colours (bookcloths) and patterns (Japanese paper) available and they are just so different to what other photographers offer. I will attach a few photos for you to choose from. I don’t really like the story book albums because I think they are a fashion trend and in 10 years time they look outdated and will fall apart. I wanted to give my clients something no one else has. A totally unique album for every totally unique wedding, that will last forever and can be handed down to their children and grandchildren. The albums also contain ‘real’ photographic prints, so the photos aren’t printed onto the page like they are in the story books. Please include a number of your favourite images that I can use in the post. There is no set amount and I will choose which ones I think will suit the post the most. Thanks for taking part! If you could also please include a photograph of yourself for use in the post that would be fantastic!

Under the Spotlight – Royal Steamline

Kat

January 27, 2010

Something a little different in Under the Spotlight today. I'd like to introduce you to Aerin & Jeremy of Royal Steamline. They specialise in wedding invites with a gothic/steampunk/retro/vintage vibe and I think you're going to totally dig what they do! I can't wait to get going... Who are you and what do you do? Royal Steamline is Aerin and Jeremy -- a husband-and-wife design team based in Portland, Oregon, USA. We create wedding invitations that have a dark, clockwork or otherwise retro/vintage flavor. Through a subtle and sometimes anachronistic combination of shadows, textures and vintage illustrations, we aim to convey a sense of eras strange and forgotten. Sea monsters mingle next to robotic ravens, and gentlemen scientists have tea with rockabilly rebels. Simply stated, we offer unconventional invitations for unconventional people. Who/what are your biggest influences? Who do you really admire? We primarily create designs that aim to capture a theme or mood. Our influences vary wildly -- from vintage fashion & science journals to odd finds at antique stores. Now, if you mean visual artists that we follow and appreciate, here are a few names off the top of our heads: EMEK, Alex Gross, George Tooker, Gregory Crewdson, Joe Coleman, Irving Norman, Guy Burwell, Wayne Douglas Barlowe, Michael Michael Motorcycle, Toni Frissell, Chris Ware, Guy Colwell, R. Kenton Nelson, and Jeremy could stare at Todd Schorr's "The Spectre of Monster Appeal" for hours. What is the ethos and idea behind your business? We want weddings to be cool. We want to change the way people think about weddings and offer alternatives that speak to their personal tastes. About seven years ago, a number of friends who were getting married began coming to us to design custom invitations since they couldn't find anything that epitomized their rockabilly, goth or other non-traditional wedding themes. So, we started to make invitations that were outside of the normal, plain, anemic styles that we were (and still are) seeing everywhere. More and more couples are insisting that their weddings reflect their personal styles instead of conforming to traditional wedding styles, structures, colors and attitudes. We want to contribute to their big party and help them have the weddings they want. How do you come up with invitation ideas? Often, our designs are sparked from a book or artifact on our shelves like a first edition of H.G. Wells' Star Begotten, an Edwardian glass eye, or Liz McGrath curios. Jeremy's been deep into Victorian pulps and I'm obsessed with mourning buttons and early 20th century advertising and science imagery. We're inspired by the stories of retro technology, old movies, textures of old paper...the look of outdated fonts...some crazy ornate border flourish. The combo of the different worlds usually leads to some interesting aesthetics. What is your most popular design? It seems to change every month, but 10/6 is always up there. I think that's because it's so versatile and has its own interpretation for each couple. Do you offer custom work? Of course! We offer unique "from scratch" custom designs, as well as custom design changes to our readymade invitations. Tell me a little about your favourite invitation you created and why. Hmm…I like Coney Island 1896 because I'm a big fan of old sideshow posters and I've got a soft spot for cephalopods. I think it just looks great printed -- and it really sets an undeniably quirky and fun tone. Jeremy likes Vintage Rock because, well, it's a symbol of vintage rock: Viva Gene Vincent and Wanda Jackson! Do you have any advice for people looking for invitation ideas? Really spend some time and look around for the right invitation for you. Your wedding invitation is a great way for your guests to get a peek at all the fun that's to come. And if you don't see what you're looking for, it never hurts to ask! What has been the highlight of your career so far? Really, just doing this full-time is a blast for us. But if we had to name a single client that we were flattered to work with, it might be Voltaire. We were so honored he chose us to create the invitations for what looked to be an awesome goth wedding. Name a couple of bands/songs that are on your stereo at the moment? Music plays a huge role withregard to who we are and what we do (or, maybe, just how we do it). We actually met when we were both living in San Francisco and our first date was basically one big argument about music (but it was great!). We genuinely enjoy a huge range of music: I grew up loving bands like Bauhaus, Ministry, Joy Division, Clan of Xymox, and The Smiths while J listened to stuff like the Misfits, Neurosis, Hawkwind and Einstürzende Neubauten. These days, we're still all over the place! Recently, shows we've seen include Earth, Stereolab, Marissa Nadler, The Raveonettes, Vagabond Opera, King Khan and BBQ, the Horrors, Thrones, Atlas Sound, the Ghastly Ones…We haven't even mentioned Jeremy's love of early Americana (Harry Smith is a big influence) and my collection of hard bop and sad bastard vinyl. What can we expect from you in 2010? We're always working on new designs and will soon be offering matching programs, table numbers and other wedding accoutrements on our website (currently only available by special request). Also, our New Year's Sale is still going on: we put 5 designs on sales the week of New Year's. To contact Aerin & Jeremy about your wedding invitations, go check out their fabulous and inspirational website and drop them an email to hello@royalsteamline.com If you are a photographer or wedding vendor and are interested in being featured in a future ‘Under the Spotlight’ post then drop me an email for all the info.

Under the Spotlight – Jodie Chapman

Kat

January 26, 2010

Oh you lucky lucky things, I've got another amazing photographer to share with you again today - and it's yet another one from the UK. I have to say, hasn't the UK being storming it recently!? There us so much talent out there, I just wish I knew about all this lot when I was getting married! I've been lucky enough to feature Jodie Chapman's work on the blog before, and with features in national wedding magazines and all over Blog Land she is certainly one to watch. Who are you and what do you do? I’m Jodie Chapman and I’m a wedding and portrait photographer who strives to create beautiful and timeless imagery that will still look fantastic ten years from now. Where are you based and what cities/countries are

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