Aaron Willcox Photographyhttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/Aaron Willcox Photographyen-US2010-02-09T13:08:18ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/)It's Album season baby!http://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2010/1/27/its-album-season-baby.htmlAaron Willcox2010-01-27T20:09:26ZproductsI'm stoked to announce, this year will be the first year we are offering the hand-made Cypress albums.  After receiving rave reviews for their 4x6 proof boxes, we decided to include more of their fabulous products.  These guys are at the top of the wedding industry and each product they make is created with patience and care.  They are the perfect match for my photography and I just love how it really showcases each image.  I just received a proof box and a hand crafted Juniper album today so I couldn't wait to share them on the blog.  The proof box pictured below is made for a set of 500 prints and is covered with the Hazel silk and accented with the Sage colored ribbon.  The Juniper album features 200 year archival prints mounted between sheets of Italian parchment.  The album nests perfectly in a matching box featuring  the same color combination of Ice Blue silk with a Chocolate ribbon... yum!

 

]]>Aaron selected as top wedding photographer in the world!http://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/12/12/aaron-selected-as-top-wedding-photographer-in-the-world.htmlAaron Willcox2009-12-13T01:45:12ZAward winning wedding photography Top wedding phographer

I just received an invitation to join an incredible group of photographers!  Only 350 were selected from a pool of 5,000 wedding photographers from around the world.  Each photog was hand picked by a review board consisting of David Beckstead, Ben Chrisman, Del Sol Photography (Matt Adcock and Sol Tamargo), Glen Johnson, Anna Kuperberg, Crash Taylor, and David Ziser. This is a new association and I will be sure to post a link as soon at it is live around the middle of January.  I'm so humbled to be a part of the amazing group of photographers.

 Of course, blog posts are boring without a photo!  Here's one of my favs from Sheyanne and Dan's wedding a few weeks ago (more to come).  Be sure to check out their SHOW SHOW SHOW!

]]>Seaport Village Enagements (contraband photos)http://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/11/5/seaport-village-enagements-contraband-photos.htmlAaron Willcox2009-11-06T06:10:37ZEngagement Photography Engagement photography Engagement photos at Seaport Village Seaport VillageWe actually got away with doing our little photo shoot at Seaport Village.  Security finally caught up with us at the end of the night and kicked us out.  Melanie and Matt were up for just hanging out and we ended having a great time. 

]]>Engagements in the meat packing district, Chicagohttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/10/30/engagements-in-the-meat-packing-district-chicago.htmlAaron Willcox2009-10-31T06:52:56ZEngagement PhotographyMy flight arrived at 5:00pm so we only had a quick hour of light left for photos.  Chicago's old brick buildings and graffiti covered walls were no match for the inspiration I found in KC and Louie.

 

]]>Josh and Jenna's wedding in Madison, Wisconsinhttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/10/11/josh-and-jennas-wedding-in-madison-wisconsin.htmlAaron Willcox2009-10-11T10:32:35ZMadison Wedding Photography WeddingsI busted out all the big guns for my friend's killer little mid-West wedding.  I couldn't get over those corn fields!  I don't even want to mention my drool when they both jumped in Josh's Harley + side-car.  Of course, I was thriled to hear we were going to skip the traditional downtown Madison photos for some toasts at the local dive bar.  Above all, I still  can't get enough of the genuine moments shared between these two.

 

]]>Cambria Pines Lodge Wedding with Kristina + Loganhttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/10/1/cambria-pines-lodge-wedding-with-kristina-logan.htmlAaron Willcox2009-10-01T21:05:59ZBeach Ceremony Cambria Pines Lodge WeddingsFrom the moment I met Kristina and Logan when they picked me up at SFO, I knew we were going to have a great weekend.  The three hour drive to Cambria, California zipped by even with a stop at the In-N-Out burger YUM!  The Cambria Pines Lodge has a maze of gorgeous gardens, however, we couldn't help but take a few moments away from the reception to enjoy an ocean sunset.  I have to say, my heart was racing as I peered through my camera with those fleeting moments of light.  It was all coming together, despite that howling cold wind.  Here are a few of my favs.  Be sure to check out their wedding slide show.  For those of you at work, be sure to put on those headphones for some rockin' audio captures.  For more samples of my work, be sure to check out my portfolio of rockin' San Diego Wedding Photography.

 

]]>San Diego Convention Center Wedding Photographyhttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/9/9/san-diego-convention-center-wedding-photography.htmlAaron Willcox2009-09-10T01:39:11ZSan Diego Wedding Photography San Diego Wedding PhotographyGETTING CREATIVE WITH THAT WEDDING PARTY:  Wedding party photos have always been a little tricky for me.  In most weddings, the cocktail hour is already raging, everyone in the wedding party has a beer or cocktail in their hands and it's my responsibility to pull a creative rabbit out of my camea, oh yea and we were supposed to be done 10 minutes ago!  Hmmm.  Not to mention, the bride and groom are distracted with having a good time and everyone is looking at me like, "what is this silly photographer guy going to make me do, stand on my head?"  I was definitely swimming upstream and these photos were quickly becoming my least favorite to shoot.  So, I decided to begin planning these photos a little bit more by getting the bride and groom involved before the wedding day by asking them how they envision these shots coming together.  I began to bring sample photos with me on the wedding day to illustrate the concept to everyone.  Wow, MUCH easier.  So in this wedding, Rachelle and Daniel ended up wrangling their own wedding party into place, got some  exciting and memorable wedding party photos and I ended up enjoying the creative process.  On a general note, I want to give a big shout-out to Rachel with Bliss Events for pulling off an amazing day for everyone.

I'm always getting my inspiration from the work of other artists. and industry leaders. 

As Albert Einstein famously said:

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

None-the-less, I want to give a big shout-out to Jesh de Rox for inspiring this specific slow shutter shot.  Here is his version... and mine.

 

 

]]>A wedding in the woods of Eastern Washingtonhttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/8/24/a-wedding-in-the-woods-of-eastern-washington.htmlAaron Willcox2009-08-24T09:22:11ZDestination Wedding Photography Destination Weddings Leavenworth WeddingMany couples make a grand wedding fit into a tiny budget by doing everything themselves.  Azur and Erin simply summoned the help of their friends and family and what an incredible wedding day they put together for them.  From full-on choreographed Bollywood group dances, and finger-licking good food, to master DJ's spinning until the wee hours of the morning, this wedding was truly an epic effort of love and devotion.  I have been good friends with Azur since grade school and it was instinctive for me to capture a few special moments for them.  I had the honor of shooting alongside several other photogs, including the battle tested photojournalist Mr. Aaron Huey.  Naturally, we gravitated towards the dance floor by 2am and it didn't make much sense to go bed anyway as my flight was leaving at 7am out of Seattle... a paltry 3 hour drive away.  Just enough time to reflect on the day and process some of that wonderful energy.  As always, my goal as a wedding photographer is to capture the essence of a blooming relationship.  Here area few of my favorite shots along with a fun slide show.

 

 

]]>Being honest about your photography: Wedding and Engagementshttp://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/8/11/being-honest-about-your-photography-wedding-and-engagements.htmlAaron Willcox2009-08-12T00:22:35ZEngagement Photography Engagement photography UCSD PhotographyIt might be difficult, but being honest with your photographer about your engagement photos is probably the best thing you can do for your wedding coverage.  This is especially true if you aren't completely happy with the images you got from the engagement shoot.  The engagements are a test drive, first-take, ice-cream-mini-spoon taste-test of what is to come.  This is your chance to give feedback and align on what your expectations are for the kind of images you hope to capture at your wedding.  If you don't really like what you see, you had better pipe-up-pipsqueak.  Luckily, that is exactly what Rachelle and Daniel did after they received the proofs after their engagement session.  Overall, they were very happy, however, they wanted more close-up, look-at-the-camera, standard-issue-print-for-my-mom's-wall shots.  So, we went back out together and got exactly what they were looking for.  So, when the wedding rolled around (posting soon), we were sure to get plenty of the shots they wanted.  The lesson here?  I suppose for me, to ask my clients to be completely honest with me on their feelings about their engagement photos.  So, the first image is that all-important standard photo they wanted.... KEY!  (along with a few extra fun photos too).

]]>Getting to know my clients... and their big hearts too.http://news.willcoxphotography.com/blog/2009/8/5/getting-to-know-my-clients-and-their-big-hearts-too.htmlAaron Willcox2009-08-05T15:19:33ZOne of my goals as a photographer is to be accessible to anyone. Yes, the income supports my family, however, photographing people is my passion.  In some cases this means pushing my rate card aside and tailoring the wedding coverage around a very tight budget.  In these cases the currency of gratitude and appreciation for my work is all the value I need as an artist. Last month, I put this policy into words on my website and called it my "Big Heart Discount". This program is geared towards teachers, public servants, nurses or any other profession where you've chosen to serve rather than earn as a first priority.  So, what are those two fuzzy sonograms you see below?  Well, they are the hearts of my new clients Sara and Zareth.  They both work in the medical field and took the time to capture for me... images of their own big hearts.  Any thoughts?

 

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