Every so often I get a family that saw some images I shot hanging in their friends foyer or maybe I shot their daughter in the Pure Fashion Show or maybe they just saw my wedding work — and the question always comes around, “do you do families?”

Meet the Woods

OKAY!! I confess. The reality is this: the mom asked me to take some first communion photos and when we were planning the shoot, she asked if I could take a few shots of her and her daughter like I did for her friend (see how that referral thing works, more on that in a minute). I told her, “look, once I have my camera out and start shooting I’m gonna take pictures of everything within 75 feet, so you’ll be in the pictures whether you like it or not.” It was my attempt at humor but I was at least half-serious too. And the whole family was ready when I arrived.

Here’s the beautiful reason I was there…

I got some real embarrassing shots of her big sister that I threatened to blog. I haven’t decided yet if I will.

Okay, so back to that referral thing. I called Skotti and she answered her obviously Caller-ID capable phone like she always does, “Well hello Mr Vigil!” I thanked her not just for the referral, but for being the first link in the chain in a big long chain of events that has lead to much of my current success in the wedding business. See, I took pictures of my friend Skotti and her family not just for fun but also because I know Skotti is a mover and a shaker and Skotti can move mountains. She’ll deny it. She’d say, “Well, clearly, somebody forgot to tell my children that because I can’t get them to [insert today's drama]!”

Then a mutual friend, Kristen, saw Skotti’s photos. And Kristen told Sujay about “this guy I know….” who told her coordinator to hire me. Sujay’s coordinator, Susan Graham, saw my work from that job and told Greg and Alexis, whose wedding I shot two months later. Those images have opened untold doors for me. One of those doors was a wedding just 3 weeks ago in Asheville, NC for Liz and Brian who, along with their families, blew me away with their kindness and generosity. That wedding is one of those that most photographers would die for. And the doors continue to open…

So what did Skotti say? “You never told me I was on your blog!! A friend showed them to me a couple days ago. [with a laugh in her voice] How could you put those pictures up and not put up my favorite one?!?”

So I apologized and made a promise that I’d put up her favorite one.

Thanks again!

Ben