Interview with Contemporary Photography by Matthew Sowa
Contemporary Photography by Matthew Sowa
Interviewed June 3
Q & A
As a modern day Wedding Photographer, you have to be more than just an excellent photographer, you have to be an Art Director, stylizing what is going on in the image and paying close attention to the details and background of every photo. You must always keep the images interesting, fresh and well composed. I strive to always create pictures that have movement, power of emotion and modern taste.
What type of services do you offer?
We offer the highest level of personalized service. “Matthew Sowa” is always the main photographer at every event. Our excellent reputation often results in requests for more than one event on the same day. If Matthew is booked, we will respectfully have to turn down the request. We therefore recommend booking our service at least 10-12 months prior to the date of your wedding. Once your wedding is booked we are not available for other events on “Your Day”. Matthew’s emphasis is on providing amazing quality. It is his attention to detail and passion for providing the highest level of personalized service that our clients have come to expect.
What are some of the hottest trends you are seeing for upcoming seasons?
A combination of photography and video picks, captured by a photo camera throughout the wedding day.
What are some “tricks” for couples that want to get great photos?
The most important thing is to trust your photographer. If my bride & groom can be themselves and be relaxed on the wedding day and trust me as their photographer, I will go beyond their expectations. This is the key! Tell us about the types of packages you offer?
Wedding Photography Packages are meant to serve as a guideline. We bundle our Wedding Photography Packages based upon past demand, but we are always able to custom tailor the wedding photography package to you. We offer packages that include wedding coverage with edited proofs and DVDs in high resolution. Another option is a package with beautiful wedding books with a photo shoot the “day after” the wedding. Packages can vary tremendously based upon the desires of the bride and groom, as well as their budget. We will always work with you on an individual basis to customize the perfect combination for your needs.
What’s your turnaround time?
Our work is individually handcrafted, and faster does not mean better …..We put emphasis on quality. All images before the final editing are online within 3-4 weeks. Final edited work in digital format takes from 2 to 3 months. The post-production takes time. Our clients agree that it is better to wait a bit longer to get great-looking, crisp catalog style images. The Creation of a high quality wedding album takes approximately 2 to 3 months depending upon the schedule of the lab.
How many pictures do you generally take in a standard package?
We do not limit the number of images taken on the wedding day, no matter which package has been chosen. We will provide you with from 400 up to 1000 high-resolution images in digital format, depending upon the package. The final 60 - 120 best images are included in your wedding book depending upon the album’s layout and design.
Do you offer couples the option of adding “must have” photos to your work?
We do personal work and my clients are always welcome to send me a list of "must have" photos. All of these details will be discussed prior to the wedding. What many may see as “must have” or “specialty” photographs may be a standard for my work.
Where do you get your inspiration?
The largest source of inspiration in my life and in my photography is my wife. On the wedding day, all my brides are my inspiration. Everything begins when I start shooting with passion, during the bride’s preparation.
How about engagement photos and packages?
The engagement photos are part of my service. They are included with the chosen package or can be arranged separately. Engagement photo shots take approximately 2-4hours depending on location and the number of photo spots we will be visiting. The engagement session offers a great opportunity to build connection and a relationship between myself and the wedding couple.
What are some of the best locations for photos?
It is important to keep your wedding on schedule! The choice of location is dependent upon its accessibility and the personal taste of the couple and/or photographer. Sometimes there is little choice when the entire wedding day is held in one location. I love the challenge of having to work with the surroundings that are available. When there is no opportunity to travel to photo locations, I use my artistry, experience and attention to perfection to capture every bit of the beauty of the bride and groom, and the setting that is presented. During Weddings in which the ceremony and reception are at different locations, and we have multiple photo sites to visit, timing is critical, not only to get the best photos, but to make the photo shoot as stress free for the couple as possible. This offers me the opportunity to allow my experience in photographing at multiple locations, under various lighting conditions to shine. Recommended locations: uncrowded beaches and urban environment.
What are some of the unique and specialty features you offer?
“The Day After” might be a good option to create something extraordinary. An extra day may often be a good option to have more fun ………. We have recently started offering a completely new package – a Fusion. It’s a combination of photography and video picks captured by a photo camera throughout the wedding day. The final result; a very dynamic, creatively put together 10-15 minutes photo-video short film with real sound bites. No video camera, no lights, very unobtrusive. Projector slide show from the wedding photo shoot or engagement session during the reception. It can be nice addition to the main curse. *Large canvas prints 20x30 or 30x40 based on “Movie Posters”
How can you make a couple’s photos really stand out?
There are two very important aspects to making images stand out: Good Lighting and composition; the rest is plenty of personal imagination. I believe that all couples are fantastic on their wedding day, they just need something to help them “shine”……..and this is the “light”. If there is no light there is no photography. Also, there is no question. Great photo equipment and post production work is a very important and helpful part of the final image result and integral to making the pictures great looking, crisp and fabulous.
