But let me back up a little bit. When I think of the beautiful, historic Swan House, this is what I see in my head:

I think of the rich history and all the stories this building could tell if it could talk.

Remember what I said above about photo shoots? The image above and the next two didn’t even make the first round of cuts. Yet, fast forward a couple months and there it sits… a big, beautiful two-page spread to open up the fashion feature. This is quite easily my favorite image from the entire shoot.

And now I’m going show you something to make your jaw drop. I say that in complete humility because it really has nothing to do with me, but everything to do with our stunning model Madison Olson and the fabulous makeup by Raney O’Keefe. This image is basically straight out of the camera. No photoshop actions. No retouching. No fixing. No nothing.

I took the image out of the camera in RAW format, adjusted my color and exposure in Lightroom, and exported it. In fact, I didn’t retouch Madison in a single image in the entire magazine feature. Just amazing.

Remember what I said above about photo shoots? We had a little bit of free time (by “free time” I mean that we had 7 minutes and 35 seconds) and I said “Madison, let’s play.” So I grabbed Heather Vreeland’s new 50mm f/1.4 lens because I was really curious how the lens would perform and I wanted to play with it. In fact, a number of the images in the magazine were shot with that little 50mm lens she carries around with her in the camera bag she got from Target. So Madison and I ran around in the grass and came up with Heather’s favorite series of images from the shoot. This is just two of them…

Have you been paying attention to the beautiful floral headpieces Danny created for us?

Yes, she is IN the fountain. By this time, it was pretty much dark and we had to get creative with the lighting sources.

Here’s Danny with one of the props he brought along for the shoot — ya know, just in case — and Raney doing a little touch up work.

One more behind the scene’s shot, complete with my assistant hard at work in the background. He was probably tweeting about how hard I was working him.

I’ll be posting a bunch of images from the shoot in a few days, but for now take a look at the images Heather Vreeland chose for the magazine:

While you’re at it, check out the Catering spread starting on page 26 and Hayden’s birthday party photos they featured on page 130. Oh… and check out our back cover advertisement for Ben Vigil Photographers featuring Erika & Leroy atop the one an only Ventana’s rooftop venue styled/coordinated by Eliana from ellyB Events…

How cool is that!!!

Last month I was asked to do double duty for the Cobb Energy Center for the Performing Arts and for Occasions Magazine. Some guy named Usher (a.k.a. @UsherRaymondIV) was in town with Usher’s New Look, a youth mentoring program he founded, for the 1st Annual 2010 World Leadership Awards and they both needed it covered.

I spent the afternoon shooting decor and all the details that went into the VIP reception and the evening covering the red carpet, the VIP-only Reception, and finally Usher’s performance to cap the evening. During some downtime in the middle of the day I was able to get some of my favorite images during Usher’s rehearsal with Ciara…

Later in the evening Usher spent the better part of 45 minutes on the red carpet talking to every single media outlet there.

But in the end you probably came here to see Usher, and Ciara and Justin Bieber performing… there was a fair amount of media there and we all had our designated spots to shoot from. I managed to get mine changed at the last minute for a better vantage point. You’ll notice that there aren’t any images of Bieber below. As he was getting ready to perform we were told that no pictures of him were allowed to be taken whatsoever. In fact, I had a PR guard behind me during his entire performance to ensure I didn’t take any pictures. Sorry all you Justin fans!

But here are a bunch of Usher…

Here’s Ciara looking MUCH more dashing…

Did I mention that former President Clinton was on hand to receive an award?

Disclaimer: One of the reasons I’ve put it off blogging about this for long is that it I’ve had a number of weddings this year who did not hire a wedding planner and I’d never want one of my brides to think that I’m talking about them. So I’m going to be careful here and stick to my collective experiences.

So let’s cut to the chase and deal with the objections.

• I’m ultra organized and I can do it all myself
  You may be right on both accounts. And that there is the problem. Instead of being able to sit back, relax and truly enjoy the emotion and momentous events of one of the most important days of your life, you’ll be endlessly answering questions from a whole plethora of family and friends. Of course, they’re just trying to do their best to help but in the end, when the buck stops with you, the bride, YOU are their only choice to get an answer. And you’ll remember your day for every little tiny glitch. Wouldn’t it be better to look back on your day and hear the words from your planner “everything is taken care of, it’s time to get married!”
   
• My sister/aunt/mother/bff has offered to help me
  This is the flip-side of the previous objection. You want to celebrate your wedding day with those closest to you, not put them to work.
   
• The church/venue/dj will handle everything for me
  There are very, very few venues that can live up to that promise. Or more accurately, what the hotel/dj means by “handle everything” and what the planner means by “handle everything” are two entirely different things. What they really mean is that they will take of everything that pertains to the service they provide. In other words, if the table center pieces at your reception being provided by an outside florist are the wrong color or the wrong flower or just plain wrong, guess what? The venue will wash their hands of it (and they will), because that’s not their job. And you aren’t going to find out about it until you waltz in for your first dance. The planner would have been on top of it when the florals arrived two hours earlier. When the groomsmens’ tuxedos arrive with a missing pair of pants, the planner will take care of it (this actually happened about 3 months ago). When the limo goes to the wrong location (this has happened too many times to count), your planner will be on the cell phone talking directly to the driver making sure they get where they are supposed to go. When plans change at the last minute your planner will be there to let your photographer know so they don’t miss an important moment.
   
• I can’t afford to hire a planner
  This is my favorite. Why? Because it’s so simple to explain. Planners, like all wedding vendors, work with other vendors over and over again. They come to know their policies, how they work and what their preferences are. Moreover, they come to know which vendors, be they photographers or caterers, will serve their brides with spectacular service and quality products. They save you money when they steer you away from vendors who nickel and dime you with hidden charges and fees. They save you money when a venue gives you a preferred rate because they know the event will go smoothly with a planner involved. They save you money by guiding you to vendors who do it right the first time.
   
  So let me tell you a little secret… if you come to me and tell me you are working with a planner, there’s a pretty good chance that the money you save with Ben Vigil Photographers will come pretty close to entirely paying for your “day-of” coordinator.

Does that last statement shock you? It should. It should shock you into going out and hiring a wedding planner. Something goes wrong at every wedding. Without fail. Every vendor makes mistakes. They’re human. But every reputable vendor I know will breathe a sigh of relief when you tell them you are working with a professional planner. The planner is there to make sure everyone is on the same page, that everyone does their best to perform as they have promised and in the end, to take care of all the “little things” so you can enjoy your day. It’s really quite simple from my prospective as a photographer. I deal with emotional intangibles on your wedding day and this is how a planner helps me preserve those moments:

• A good planner = a smooth stress-free day.
• A smooth, stress-free day = a stress-free bride.
• A stress-free bride = a happy bride.
• A happy bride = great photos.
• Great photos = a satisfied bride.

Do you see the relationship between “a good planner” and “great photos”?

That’s not a guarantee of course, but it sure does help.

Back to the subject at hand… every month Linda Surles (twitter | facebook) from the Bride & Groom Planner and Heather Vreeland (twitter | facebook) with Occasions Magazine team up to produce the Atlanta Wedding Professionals Networking Luncheon. I was excited about this months luncheon because it was being held at the Fox Theatre, Grand Salon Ballroom.

I’ve been to The Fabulous Fox many times for shows, but I’ve never shot or even set foot in the ballrooms and I finally got to see what I’ve been missing!

Our speaker was professional productivity expert Peggy Duncan (twitter), who I personally REALLY enjoyed listening to. She is the kind of disciplined person that makes me quake in my boots… as in, I’m ashamed to be in her presence quake in my boots kind of way.

These amazing florals were provided by Bloom Floral Design

Look at this amazing cake from Sharon Alexander at Sweet Sensations.

A BUNCH of industry friends were there but here’s just a few that I managed to grab. My apologies to the photogs that I didn’t get.

First up is Nadia with nadia d. photography who creates some awesome dramatic portraiture!

Next up is Laura with Artstar by Laura Stone, whom I famously told how annoyed I was by how good her photography was. It really is.

Next is the über chic Hollie with Lytle foto, who shot The Not Wedding recently and has been featured all over the national blogs.

And last, but not least, is David from Optimum Productions who helped shoot the behind the scene’s video for our recent Occasions Magazine cover shoot at the beautiful new 200 Peachtree in Atlanta. By the way, he’s single…

Here’s a list of the industry professional involved:

Venue: Fox Theatre, Grand Salon Ballroom
Catering & Decor: A Divine Event
Cake: Sweet Sensations
Florals: Bloom Floral Design
DJ: Joel Rabe, Lethal Rhythms
Media Sponsor: Bride & Groom Planner
Media Sponsor: Occasions Magazine

You can view more images over at our Facebook gallery of this event.

A couple weeks ago she posted a quick behind the scene’s post followed by a preview of the covers she selected for the next issue of the magazine. Here they are…

I can’t wait to show off the images we published as well as many more from the shoot and from behind the scenes over the next few weeks.

Today she posted a sneak peak from my friends Danny and David over at Optimum Productions, a quick behind the scenes video teaser… I can’t wait to see the entire behind the scene’s video!

Last summer Atlanta Occasions approached me about shooting the cover of their second issue. PWP Studio shot the beautiful cover image for the first issue so I had a lot to live up to. As Heather and I were scouting locations for the cover shoot I happened to learn about Ventanas, a beautiful rooftop venue to in the midst of downtown overlooking the Luckie Marietta District and Centennial Olympic Park. The best part was it was brand new event facility that hadn’t even opened yet.

In addition to the amazing patio view (the image on the cover) they also have a helipad on the rooftop for when you want to arrive in style. Once the team had our first meeting there, we were all hooked… here’s an image I took point-n-shoot style during our first walk-thru. I mean, WOW!

Inspiraton Station: Sherbet Chic

There was a dedicated team of professionals to make the shoot happen.

Location: Ventanas Atlanta
Coordination: ellyB Events
Florals & Decor: Amy Osaba
Linens: I Do Linens
Cake/cupcakes: Sugarplum Visions
Tableware: Owen Lawrence / Bloomingdales
Hair & Makeup: Scoobie West, H.S. West Hair & Makeup
Invitations: Sandi Spells Designs
Wedding Dress(es): Priscilla of Boston
Rentals: Event Rentals Unlimited
Venue lighting: Active Production & Design
Photo assistant: John Ellis

Rooftop Venues: Bird’s Eye View

In addition to the cover shoot I photographed the Ventanas Grand Opening for the feature story on Atlanta rooftop venues.

We went back to Ventanas a few times to get the right weather (mother nature wasn’t cooperating!) to shoot the cover image. Between the photo shoot, the Grand Opening, the cover shoot and all our meetings, I felt like I was living at Ventanas for half of November. Of course, I never complained about the view…

** CLICK HERE to view the entire issue online.

I wrote, in part…

We started off 2009 very different than it ended. At this time last year Maria had been in and out of the hospital more than once in her struggle to carry our 3rd son to full term. But the new year started with a bang. On January 6, we welcomed Paul Phillip Vigil into the world

Well, I think that Paul was feeling just a little bit nostalgic because 3 days shy of one year and he was back in the hospital… this morning.

It started out like any other morning (that is, I was asleep), and just before breakfast Paul decided to take a dive off the high chair onto our hardwood floor. He calmed down and ate breakfast but was still out of sorts. We ruled out a head injury (concussion of the like… uh, been there, done that) ’cause he wasn’t vomiting and all the body parts seemed to work just fine. He napped and when he awoke and still just wanted to be held we decided to go ahead and take him down to Children’s Hospital.

After winding our way through “the system” and a traumatizing (for Paul) trip to the x-ray room, I snapped a few pictures with my Palm Pre. Can you tell that sleep depravation and the Motrin were starting to kick in by the last photo?

UPDATE: I left out one important detail. Paul fractured his collar bone… I guess that little bit of information is kind of important to the story.

Atlanta Occasions Magazine Cover Release & Venue Showcase Party

Let’s just say that if you want Ben Vigil Photographers to cover your wedding, you will definitely want what’s in the swag bag! Here are a few more reasons to come…

• I haven’t been this excited about an event in a long time, so that’s reason enough!
• It’s FREE!
• You get to see the cover location in person, shot by yours truly.
• You get to see which of my brides made the back cover. Maybe she’ll autograph it for you!
• There’s a helipad!
• SWAG Bag for every bride and giveaways.
• You get to meet the TOP wedding pros in the industry.
• Every bride who attends gets a free ticket to The Not Wedding ($25 value).

** CLICK HERE TO REGISTER **

Brought to you by Atlanta Occasions Magazine and ellyB Events.

PAUL PHILLIP

We started off 2009 very different than it ended. At this time last year Maria had been in and out of the hospital more than once in her struggle to carry our 3rd son to full term. But the new year started with a bang. On January 6, we welcomed Paul Phillip Vigil into the world…

Paul came about a month early and he spent a couple weeks in NICU, but it marked the end of months of bed rest for Maria. It was truly a welcome time for us as a family. And he’s grown into quite an adorable little kid. Much better than the first two

Here he is back in October in our foyer…

…and just a few weeks ago trying to stay awake with my wife Maria at a family wedding…

FIRSTS

2009 was a BIG year of firsts. In the past year I’ve had my first $20,000+ bride, my first book cover was published (even if it was in German), I was invited to shoot my first magazine cover (more on that in a minute), and I shot my first military wedding and first high school sweetheart wedding that was 50 years in the making.

In 2009 I also took my first and second “serious” forays into commercial advertising work with Blanqi and 4Laces, both of which launch in Q1 of 2010 as women-owned and -driven apparel businesses. I’m super excited for both of these companies and where they are going. Commercial work (headshots, architecture, advertising) has never been a large part of my business and I’ve never targeted that market segment but if the fit is right and I’m confident that I can serve my client well, I’ll take the business.

WEDDING INDUSTRY

2009 saw a big shake up in the bridal magazine industry. A whole spate of bridal magazines have closed and a few more have popped up. January saw the first anniversary issue of The Atlantan Brides, a sister publication to the Atlantan. The Atlantan Brides was a key part of my marketing efforts in 2008 and 2009 and I still think they represent the pinnacle of luxury bridal magazines in Atlanta.

I was fortunate to be able to work with Celeste, the [now former], Publisher of the Atlantan Brides. She continues to be one of the most impressive and talented people I’ve ever met in this industry. I credit her with starting my “vendor headshot side gig” when she asked me to shoot her headshots when she became associate publisher, and then, publisher. Alas, she was married and we were all sad to see her go as she followed her new husband on a great new adventure across the big pond in England.

Meanwhile, as The Atlanta Brides prepared for their 4th issue to go to print, there was a celebration taking place down in Hampton, GA as Heather Vreeland was preparing to launch the first issue of Atlanta Occasions Magazine. She flattered me by asking me to cover the launch party which took place in July.

Heather has since become a good friend and I’ve had the opportunity to work with Atlanta Occasions, including a photoshoot and event imagery for the Winter 2010 issue and shooting the cover for it too. The new issue officially launches today and in a day or two I’ll have a full post on all our work for this issue.

In addition to shooting Heather in a magnificent Anne Barge dress in October, during the magazine cover photoshoot we managed to squeeze in a moment and shoot her headshot for the new issue of the magazine…

I’m already looking forward to the incredible work Ben Vigil Photographers and Atlanta Occasions will do in 2010!

WEDDINGS GOING STRONG

2009 brought a number of really amazing weddings but one of them sticks out for a personal reason. My good friend of many years now, Skotti Ray Frese (I love her new name! It sounds like a super hero character, doesn’t it), married the man of her dreams in June. I actually spent 3 full blog entries on it — Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

To this day, I still credit Skotti with almost single-handedly launching my photography career. She’s been a constant cheerleader and personal inspiration to me. I can’t thank her enough and I wish her all the best in 2010.

BEN v2.2

Today, January 1, 2010, also marks the beginning of a new stage for Ben Vigil Photographers. We’ve rolled out a slightly tweaked branding, an entirely new pricing structure and we’ve laid all the ground work for a new stage of our business, the upcoming Ben v3.0

Here’s evidence that I’m still a total geek at heart: as a holdover from my days in software and web development, I’ve started giving version numbers to each stage of my business. You may or may not have noticed that for the better part of the last 6 months we’ve been sitting at Ben v2.0. Today marks the upgrade to Ben v2.2.

Thanks for coming along for the ride and I look forward to sharing a fantastic 2010 with you!