Magnolia Wedding Photography, Phoenix, AZ – January 25, 2014 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, named Magnolia Wedding Photography as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards™ 2014 for Wedding Photography in Phoenix, AZ!

The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards™ 2014 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.

While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards™ winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Magnolia Wedding Photography. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.

“There’s no better way to start the year than by honoring the hard work, commitment and success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “It is exciting to celebrate a sixth year recognizing businesses whose clients believe they are committed to quality, professionalism and all around top-notch service. We are honored to recognize {Enter Your Business Name} for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”

As a Couples’ Choice Awards™ winner, Magnolia Wedding Photography is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout North America and abroad.

Magnolia Wedding Photography is proud to be one of the top Wedding Photographers in Phoenix, AZ in the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards™ 2014.

For more information about Magnolia Wedding Photography, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at www.weddingwire.com/biz/magnolia-wedding-photography

To learn more about the Couple’s Choice Awards™, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

The post Magnolia Wedding Photography wins Wedding Wire Award ! appeared first on .

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Magnolia Wedding Photography’s selection as a Bride’s Choice Award 2013 winner was selected based on the positive experiences expressed by past clients on WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one million reviews. While many industry awards are given by the host organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Magnolia Wedding Photography.

The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on professional achievements from the previous year. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. As a Bride’s Choice Awards winner, Magnolia Wedding Photography is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.

“Each year, WeddingWire looks forward to celebrating the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Now in its fifth year, the Bride’s Choice Awards® program continues to recognize the elite wedding professionals who exemplify a commitment to quality, service and professionalism. These businesses were chosen by our bridal community for their responsiveness and dedication to their clients over the past year. We are honored to recognize Magnolia Wedding Photography for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”

Magnolia Wedding Photography is thrilled to be one of the top Photographers in Phoenix, AZ in the WeddingWire Network of sites, which include leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® for 2013.

For more information about Magnolia Wedding Photography, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at
www.weddingwire.com/biz/magnolia-wedding-photography

To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards®, please visit www.WeddingWire.com/brides-choice-awards.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire®, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge.
For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

The post Magnolia Wedding Photography wins Wedding Wire Award ! appeared first on .

The post Liz & Bryson gorgeous wedding at Hilton, Phoenix, AZ appeared first on .

Phoenix, AZ – 08/12/2012 – WeddingWire is excited to announce that Magnolia Wedding Photography is WeddingWire Rated in 2012 for Photography Services. WeddingWire Rated is the annual ratings program that recognizes wedding professionals across the country for their commitment to service and is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples, as they start their search for local wedding businesses.
The ratings program is based on hundreds of thousands of recent newlywed reviews of over 200,000 wedding professionals in the US and Canada, across 20 different service categories.
Magnolia Wedding Photography so far has 9 reviews on WeddingWire. Reviews by our newlywed clients include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions about their experiences working with our business and staff. Our reviews provide transparency for potential clients, assisting them in making informed decisions for their big day.
“We are very pleased to announce WeddingWire Rated 2012, recognizing Magnolia Wedding Photography for their commitment to exemplary service in Photography,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire, Inc. “Magnolia Wedding Photography has shown dedication to their craft and service, helping engaged couples understand what to expect from their business through reviews on the nation’s leading wedding review site.”
As the largest site for wedding reviews, WeddingWire empowers engaged couples with the most comprehensive and trusted review system available in the wedding industry. WeddingWire Rated provides Magnolia Wedding Photography with the distinction of being WeddingWire Rated and a simple platform to capture client feedback from their wedding planning experience. Engaged couples can easily access all of the reviews for Magnolia Wedding Photography on WeddingWire.com. We have all of our newlywed clients to thank for our WeddingWire Rated 2012 recognition.

For more information, please visit Magnolia Wedding Photography on WeddingWire.

For more information on WeddingWire Rated 2012, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.
About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

The post Magnolia Wedding Photography rated by WeddingWire appeared first on .

Formal Wedding Photography

As much as we consider ourselves an artistic wedding photojournalists we also understand the importance of the formal wedding photography. Our personal goal is to provide you with a perfect mix between photojournalism and traditional wedding photography. What is Formal Wedding Photography?

Formal wedding photography is the posed photography which usually includes various combinations of the bride, groom, wedding party members, and immediate family members. Posed formals may even include extended family members and close friends, and may be taken either just before or just after the ceremony. They are usually taken immediately after the ceremony, however sometimes (to save time), the bride, groom and family may decide to do these photos before the ceremony (usually at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours before the ceremony). On some occasions, the bride & groom may even have their formal wedding photography taken day before or day after the wedding day.

How much time should be allowed for formal photos? A quick set of formal photos may be taken in as little as 20 to 30 minutes. An extended session may last from 45 minutes to 1 hour. Of course, it depends on the size of the wedding party and the number of family members and friends that it may be desired to include as part of the formal photo session.

It’s always a good idea for the bride and groom to make a specific list of all of the family members (or family groups) of whom they’d like to have photos taken. This assists not only the photographer, but also helps the family sort out exactly what their formal photography needs will be. Such a list also helps to speed up the process of taking the formal photos, so that there is less time taken in making last-minute decisions on whom to include in those photos.

Below is the list of various combinations of the formal wedding photography poses. Any combination can be discussed at our wedding photography orientation meeting.

• Bride (several shots)
• Groom (several shots)
• Bride and groom (several shots)
• Bride with maid of honor
• Bride with bridesmaids
• Groom with best man
• Groom with groomsmen
• Bride and groom with bridesmaids
• Bride and groom with groomsmen
• Bride and groom with maid of honor and best man
• Bride and groom with entire wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl)
• Bride and groom with bride’s parents
• Bride and groom with groom’s parents
• Bride and groom with both parents
• Bride and groom with bride’s extended family
• Bride and groom with groom’s extended family
• Bride and groom with any special friends/guests in attendance
• Group picture of entire wedding party

The post Wedding Photography Poses and Tips appeared first on .

What to look for in the wedding photographer?

Experience & Creativity…

A professional wedding photographer must not only be completely versed in the technical side of the trade, but he must also be artistic and creative. Those are two completely opposite personality traits. How many people do you know are very technologically savvy and artistically creative at the same time?

Personality…

A photographer technical skill and creativity is just as important as the wedding photographer people skills. How well do you get along with your wedding photographer? Are they outgoing, personable, charismatic, professional, and honest? Do they make you feel comfortable? Remember, a wedding photographer will need to spend a full day with you, and take a pictures of your most important moment in your life.

Professionalism…

Wedding Photography is a business so you need to make sure you hire a wedding photographer who is running it as a business. You don’t want to hire a wedding photographer who is going to be late or worst, not even show up. Remember, you need to trust your wedding photographer on so many different levels… Keep looking until you find a wedding photographer you can fully trust.

Quantity vs. Quality

I want you to ask your self how good is it if your wedding photographer delivers 2000 pictures but when you receive them, you cannot find one good shot. How good is it if along with those 2000 bad pictures, you also get a photo album, 100 printed pictures, online library etc…

Times are tough, economy is bad and most of us are on a tight budget. But my point is that you should not be so concern about a quantity. If your photographer delivers good pictures, you can always make your album even 5 years from now. If you have a bed pictures, extra stuff will never be good enough. They will always be nothing else but a bunch of bad pictures.

The bottom line…

After you’ve done all your research and finish interviewing wedding photographers, the bottom line usually involves these three questions:

• Do you like the photographer’s work?
• Do the photographer’s prices fit within your budget?
• Are you pleased with the photographer’s professionalism, style and personality?

If you can answer “yes” to all three of these questions, you are well on your way to making the right decision. If the answer is “no” to one or more of these questions, you might want to shop around a bit more before making your final decision.

Read more on questions to ask wedding photographer before you decide to hire.

The post How do I find a right wedding photographer in Phoenix, AZ? appeared first on .

Sepia-toning gives your image an antique feel simply by adding a specific color to a Grayscale (Black & White) image. If I want to intensify vintage or southwestern look I will definitely covert the image to sepia.

You can see example of the same image, original in color and below sepia.

Hope you like it…

The post Converting from Color to Black & White or Sepia? appeared first on .

I use professional Canon DSLR digital cameras with a professional “L” type line of Canon lenses. Photo equipment I cary on location is fully redundant. Below is a list of my Canon equipment I use in every wedding.

CANON EOS 1D Mark III, CANON EOS 5D mark II and CANON EOS XTi

CANON  EF 17-40 “L” Lens, CANON EF 24-70 IS “L” Lens, CANON EF 70-200 IS “L” Lens and CANON EF 50 “L” Lens

CANON Flash 580 EX II Speedlites, CANON Flash 430 EX II Speedlites and CANON ST-E2 Transmitter Tripods, Flash stands, Umbrellas, etc…

What type of computer do you use?

Magnolia wedding photography uses only Apple computers. Apple computers are known to be superior in any types of graphics applications than any other type of computers.

What applications do you use to post-process your digital images?

I use Apple “Aperture” professional photo processing software and Adobe “Photoshop”. For any specifics on my workflow please contact me directly and I will be glad to explain in details.

What is your workflow? Do you provide any workshops?

I don’t regularly host any workshop but if you are interested in private consultation on event or landscape photography, please let me know. Click here to read more about my workflow and post-procesing.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

The post Photo Equipment appeared first on .

Interviewing a wedding photographer can be a challenging task. Regardless of if you are interviewing Magnolia Wedding Photography or another Phoenix, AZ based photographer, we have created a list of questions to help you find your perfect photographer for your wedding day. Make sure your photographer is comfortable answering your questions and make sure you ask the following questions.

What is your primary shooting style?

This should be your first question that you need to ask your wedding photographer. I use a combination shooting style, mixing a photojournalistic style with the more traditional posed formal and informal photographs.
Much of the style that I use is determined by the agreement that we reach with the bride and groom concerning the type of shots that they want us to use to tell the story of their wedding.

Wedding photographer experience?

The question you should ask wedding photographer is not how long have you been in business but how many wedding have you shoot. One can be in business 10 years and photography only 5 wedding per year and someone else can be in business 5 years and shoot multiple weddings per month. You can see my point.

Are you the lead photographer?

Many amateur photographers look for work over the weekend as a second photographer and wish to experiment as a lead photographer. Many of them will offer special price or even offer a free service in order to build their wedding photography portfolio. You need to make sure to hire an experienced wedding photographer who has shoot at least 20 to 30 wedding as a lead photographer. If you want to help someone with building their portfolio, do so, but make sure you hire an experienced wedding photographer!

Is this the only wedding you are going to photograph that weekend?

Readers, beware!! Many photographers will double book in the wedding season and they will try to outsource the other weddings to a less experienced photographers, sometimes even amateurs. Magnolia Wedding Photography is owner operated business and we will book only one wedding per day.

Do you edit and color correct my images?

I can not tell you enough about the importance of post processing. Many photographers will edit and correct only few images, some of them will never correct any. Some of them do not even have the professional tools to do so. This means that you will end up with a lot of pictures where your skin will have many different colors.
Magnolia Wedding Photography believe in perfection so we will touch every single image and edit & correct if needed.

What kind of equipment do you use?

Magnolia Wedding Photography uses top quality professional Canon camera (5D Mark III) along with the finest quality L lenses from canon. Make sure to ask if photographer uses redundant equipment.

Click here for the full list of our photo and computer equipment.

What about the dress code?

Make sure your photographer understands the concept of being dressed appropriately for the occasion. We will be wearing a black suit pants with a black polo or dress shirt. We prefer to dress completely in black because we want to go unnoticed by the clients and guests. We like to stay low-key and blend into the crowd  and capture the wedding event as photojournalists.

If my event last longer then anticipated, will you stay? Is there an extra charge?

Great question to ask! You don’t want to be in situation that your wedding photographer just leave after their time is up. Make sure you hire a flexible photographer who doesn’t have any other events to go to. Make sure to address issues like that in your interview to avoid any possible hidden cost.  Magnolia Wedding Photography will stay on the job until job is completed or until the grooms tels him “Look, there is no more booze and you should LEAVE now! “

 Will there be a wedding photography contract? Do I get a copy?

Many wedding photographers will not create a contract for their client. Magnolia Wedding Photography will email you a wedding photography proposal and when you agree on the proposal we will email you a contract. Wedding photography contract is created for your protection and it also gives you a release for your photography printing. You should definitely hire a wedding photographer who will provide you with a contract.

And last… When can I expect my photo disc, my wedding book, etc?

It usually takes up to two weeks to edit and convert all the images from the wedding. We edit each image to make sure there is no noticeable blemishes and to make sure all the colors and saturation is adjusted. We usually mail the photo DVD to your address when we are done.

The post Questions to ask before you hire a wedding photographer appeared first on .