WhiteVeil

Bryan - Did you get a shot of her bloody knuckles? That should go with her award of bravery!

On the side-note, I think that may have been Bryan's plan, but his bride is having a reception after she gets home. So the "Trash the Dress" session was out. I want so badly a bride to do that sort of thing for me! Maybe not in a full hurricane though.

God help us all if the police have laughed it off as gay slave traders too.

Ask Bryan how much water was on the floor of his room this morning. The shoot today is a wash-out due to wind and rain. Can you say hurricane? Some doubt about catching his flight home on time. Wow!

dinogomez, this was no ordinary bar fight. It was a kidnapping attempt. One of the kidnappers was captured.

I searched a bit too, but maybe the policia and the club did not want to advertise this kind of event. That's why I wanted to hear from one of the locals about what may have leaked into the local papers. Brian Valiant, also a member here, is my source. He's doing the post-shoot today and will be back here in Washington tomorrow.

I got a call yesterday from a fellow wedding photographer yesterday who is down in Cabo for a wedding shoot. It seems Friday night the bridal party went out late to Squid Roe and during their partying three kidnappers (2 of whom were white) attempted to drug and kidnap some of the groomsmen. It turned into a brawl with even the bridesmaids slugging it out with the kidnappers. They successfully fought off the kidnappers, but oddly the Mexican police jailed one of the groomsmen for being under the influence of drugs - injected by a kidnapper. It sounds like a very nasty encounter! Any Cabo locals see anything in the news about this? I'm hearing kidnapping is becoming a real problem in Mexico, but this is going a bit far!

Quote: Originally Posted by jkcz0702 I just got a contract I am signing it then they will mail me their copy signed. And that's the perfect solution.

Quote: Originally Posted by Be Photography LLC We offer our contracts online and clients can print them out. - our clients notify us of their intent to book and we hold the date for one week. If at the end of the week, we do not have the deposit, the date is released. That way, there is no racing anyone to the mailbox - and no weird issues if you get two contracts for the same date in the mail at the same time. I think it would be strange if the photog did not sign the contract.... and especially if they refuse to. - but of course, everyone does it their own way. I'd have to say if you sign a contract, you can't arbitrarily say your signature is good for a week and then the contract is invalid - unless you clearly write in the contract a default clause that includes the payment due date of the retainer. And that could backfire if the bride is at all late paying the retainer. That signature is your word of honor that you will do the wedding and gives the bride considerable legal rights. Having more than one signed contract out for a given date would be begging for trouble in my opinion.

I guess it comes down to trust. How much of their work have you seen? Have you at least spoken on the phone with them? How long have they been in business? Is this their full-time job? Any references? Are the prices too good to be true? There's more than money on the line. Your wedding photos are also. I don't know who you are looking at, but could offer an impartial opinion if I could see their web site.

I have to do something similar as a photographer. When you are getting a number of brides all interested in the same date, if you go sending out signed contracts to them all you may find yourself double booked, but quick. It's very common for prospects to hold contacts for weeks or months before signing and mailing it back with the retainer. Some are never returned. The only sure way then for the photographer to know when it is safe for him to sign is when the the retainer is paid and he knows the deal is actually happening. Double bookings suck!

I'll chime in a bit with a personal observation. I've found that no matter how fancy or exotic the location, the photos are still about two people in love and their long awaited day of celebrating their commitment to one another. So my view is that the couple must really be beyond worry about the credentials and skill of their photographer, and really must have full trust in what the photographer asks of them. They really need to be relaxed and completely open with each other as well, even as they are being closely watched and photographed. The idea is to capture some of that magic of what's going on. It's funny though. When a young couple in love gaze into one another's eyes they so quickly forget all else! I love it! So it's a balancing act for the photographer. To be there without interference, but to know when to step forward with suggestions for more creative, or romantic, or just plain fun situations. There is so much more to photography than business and technical skills. Those skills you should be able to take for granted with your top picks. Look for the artistry and creativity, and the romance. That will show in the images and will often be subtly enhanced with great post processing skills following the wedding. IMHO

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Thank you! Or maybe I should say ¡Gracias!

Hi! I'm Mearle. My business is full time wedding photography and I primarily shoot local weddings here in Western Washington, but have a certain interest in doing other tropical locations as well. I do fairly well at this work and enjoy making brides happy. I'll merely post my web address with my signature and invite you to view my work - and especially my blog where I post my latest and greatest stuff. Comments are always welcome too. I'll be here to help in any way I can with your photography questions. Mearle Gates White Veil Studios White Veil Studios - Seattle Washington Wedding Photography Watch the Birdie!