Blackburn Portrait Design

Category: Weddings Photography

Lake George Wedding Photographer//Carey Ann and Tim’s Wedding at the Inn at Erlowest

Congratulations to Carey Ann and Tim!

Carey Ann and Tim were married on May 26 in Lake George at Blessed Sacrament Church on a gorgeous spring day! The details were amazing–you could see all the time and attention this couple devoted to making sure their day reflected their love for each other and their love for their families. Instead of a traditional bridal party, Carey Ann’s brothers were her “Bride’s Men” and Tim’s sisters were his “Groom’s Women.” The veil the bride wore was originally her Mom’s–such a nice touch. All the little details– custom made bow ties, the hair jewelry, the beautiful flowers, menu cards– were so well done. The Inn at Erlowest was a great choice for the venue–cocktails on the veranda, and later a fire in the outside fireplace made the evening especially nice. Loved the votive centerpiece by the fireplace.

Thank you to all the vendors who helped make my job as photographer easier–The Inn at Erlowest (Erin Dewey), Lipstick N Lashes (Joanna Romanzo and Co.), Jamie and Dan Ross of Best Bytes Media, Ferri Formals for the unbelievably beautiful dress, and Grand Central Station for the Entertainment.

Interested in seeing more wedding photos? Check out our Wedding Portfolio.

Want to schedule an appointment to discuss your event? Call 518.584.4237 to make your appointment, or fill out our contact form.

June 8, 2012
Saratoga Springs Wedding Photographer//The Bride Was A Real Dog

So the Bride was a real dog. But then again, so was the groom.
The like to take long walks at sunset, enjoy a good meal together and just snuggle in bed. A match made in heaven. Their owners Kim and John are pretty happy too.

May 25, 2012
Saratoga Springs Wedding Photographer//Serendipity

Love this black and white image of Cassandra and Patrick during their first look.

I think serendipity is when good things just fall into place.

I love it when I am photographing a wedding and the bride and groom forget that I am there. Sometimes it even happens during the middle of the formal photographs. That is the best–I love when people are spontaneous and their real feelings for each other come out–especially when there is great lighting available, of course. This bride and groom had been together a long time prior to the actual wedding, so to see them be so romantic and spontaneous was wonderful. And it is great to have a tangible reminder of it. That to me is serendipity.

To see more work, please visit our gallery of wedding images. Please call 518.584.4237 to schedule a consultation.

May 15, 2012
Congratulations Eric and Sarah!//Lake George Wedding Photography

Eric and Sarah Wilson were married yesterday at St. Mary’s Church in Glens Falls, NY. It was an amazing day! The reception was at the Glens Falls Country Club. Hair and Makeup were by John James Salon, Flowers were from Cathy Vesterby of Mountain Flowers and the entertainment was provided by Bobby and Susie Dick. It was such a great event–both families had a blast! Here is my one of my favorite images. Interested in becoming a client? Please click here.

Sarah and Eric share a kiss after their wedding ceremony

April 22, 2012
Wedding Albums Part 2 | Albany Wedding Photographers

Wedding Albums Part 2

Choosing the Images for Your Wedding Album Can Be Hard!

Some images from Dave and Joy’s Wedding at the NYS Capital.

OK, so you just got your images from the wedding–how do you pull out the ones you want for the album?

Designing an album is a lot of fun for me. Basically, a Wedding Album takes the best-of-the-best images and pulls them together in a cohesive manner to tell the story of the day from start to finish. But how do you choose the best-of-the-best? Especially if you like ALL the images? If you keep the final goal in mind, it does not need to be a horrible chore–and it may even be fun.

1. Choose pictures you LOVE. Not the pictures your mom loves, not the pictures everyone else thinks you should have–the ones YOU love. The ones you would run into a burning building to save.

2. Don’t go too heavy on the family pictures–they look much better in frames on a desk or on a wall anyway. Your album does not need to be a visual record of all the attendees–despite what your aunt thinks.

3. Try to avoid duplication. You do not need ten pictures of your dad walking you down the aisle–a couple are fine. Trust me on this one–choose the best image or two (OK, maybe three) in a series and move on.

4. Keep in mind that this is a story–include images from all parts of the day that you think are important. Remember that detail images are often a very eloquent way of setting tone or as a way to segue from one part of the day to the next.

5. Include a variety of different types of shots, i.e. wide angle, close up, formal, candid, details, etc. to keep the viewer(s) from being bored. Every image should not look the same.

When in doubt, ask your photographer’s opinion. We do this for a living. While I cannot tell you which images you love the best, I can tell you when you have narrowed the selection down what will work best in terms of telling the story. After all, this is part of what you are paying a professional to do.

Susan Blackburn is a Wedding Photographer in the Capital District of New York offering the finest in Wedding Albums and Wall Art for her clients.

April 3, 2012
Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates | Wedding Photographers Lake George

Black and White Photography lends itself to more photojournalistic style images.

“Life is like a box of chocolates–you never know what you are going to get.”

One of my favorite parts of photographing a wedding is the time before the ceremony when the bride is getting ready. It is one of the best times of the day to create photos that are in a photojournalistic style. It is always very exciting, and there are a lot of emotions flying in the air. There is anticipation, fear, happiness, even a little sadness all at the same time. You never know going in what you are going to get. In the first image, I love the way the little girl is playing with the bride’s dress–you can tell she is wondering what it would be like to be the bride herself. In the second image, the bride’s friends are helping her get dressed, and you can tell by the look on the bride’s face and the gesture of the hands that she is experiencing a wide range of emotions. In the last image, the bride is looking out the window in anticipation of what is to come. Her posture and body language all telegraph expectancy, and I love that.

I think the thing I like best about photographing the preparation part of weddings is the transformation that takes place. It is a rite of passage where a woman is leaving behind one part of her life and taking on a new role. And honestly, we as a culture have so few formal rites of passage that it is nice to get the chance to document them. I feel so fortunate.

To view more of our wedding work, please visit our Wedding Photography Gallery.

Susan Blackburn of Blackburn Portrait Design is a Wedding and Portrait Photographer offering Photography services in Saratoga Springs, Lake George, the Adirondack Region and destinations worldwide. Call 518.584.4237 to schedule a consultation today.

March 22, 2012
Romantic Gestures

I will admit to being somewhat of a romantic. Not the sappy, cry at movies kind of romantic. More like I really appreciate a romantic gesture. That is why I really love the picture I am posting today. I photographed this couple immediately following their wedding at 5 AM as they took off in a hot air balloon. It was a very private ceremony–just the two of them and both sets of parents. I loved that they just got in the balloon afterwards and flew off to have a few minutes to themselves, while the rest of us were left to try to follow them in our cars. As the balloon was taking off, the bride was very nervous and the groom leaned over and kissed her. It was just such a great gesture, and very romantic. And I did not cry.

March 21, 2012
Embracing My Inner Nerd

I am a photo nerd–yes, it is true. I was having lunch yesterday with two photographer friends, and we were laughing about this. Wedding photographers can never be rock stars–we are nerds. Only nerds spend their weekends at other peoples’ weddings–and really, really love it. Only nerds get excited about the lighting pattern on somebody’s face. Only nerds understand the inverse ratio of light drop off. Let’s face it, when I am at a wedding doing my job, I am spending all day looking for perfect little pockets of light to put my subjects in–and I get really excited when I find them. For me, it is much less look for it. That is why I will never be a rock star–I am too obsessed with light. I have embraced my inner nerd. But I think that is way cooler than being a rock star any day.

March 8, 2012
Bittersweet//Saratoga Springs Wedding Photographer

Before a wedding ceremony begins, there are always emotional moments. Usually it is between a Dad and his daughter. This time it was a Mother and Daughter. And it was the daughter wiping away the Mom’s tears. I was so happy that I caught this moment because it was really very bittersweet. And I know that when my daughters get married, I will feel exactly the same way this mother did.

Emily and her mom sharing a private moment just before the ceremony began for her October wedding.

February 28, 2012