The pandemic has turned us all into virtual communication pros, and it's a great way for busy couples planning a wedding to save some time. I am happy to set up a zoom, google hangout, or Face-Time consultation. Or, if you prefer an “old fashioned” face to face visit I would love to meet IRL!

My studio is located in the Lydia Pinkham building…an old laboratory now turned artists lofts. If you come to see me, we can get tangible with wedding albums, prints, framing, and paper styles. But, this can also happen anytime leading up to your celebration.

? Beside both secretly doing a little jig ?

After we have met and visited, I will prep an online digital contract for us both to sign.

You will then be entered into my nerdy studio management software, which is accessible “client portal” for you to view details of your wedding and payments + balances.

⅓ of your coverage is due along with the signed the contract, then the second payment due 3 months following, with the final ⅓ due 2 weeks before the wedding.

Maybe a “date shoot” ?! aka: my take on an engagement session

Most importantly: We are in constant communication as any and all other elements fall into place, and I am always available to chat, brainstorm and help in any way I can.

At roughly the midpoint to your celebration, I will send you an online questionnaire to fill out. This will help us prepare for a more finalized timeline/flow for your event and set up a phone chat to run through everything. Every couple has a different timeline for completing this so it can happen anytime.

*Some couples that I have only met with virtually decide to come into the studio IRL for a visit, and to touch and feel wedding albums.

I ask for up to 3 weeks to put together an “overview” gallery of some of my favorite images that I feel capture the essence and story of your celebration.

Then. It will take me another 3-6 weeks to fully process the remaining hundreds of photographs and upload them into your online gallery. My typical delivery is 500-700 images from 7 hours of documenting.

Finally: We either start the album design process and/or have you into the studio to look at album options in the event you want an heirloom product.

Lastly: Maybe we hang out again once your start or grow your family, as yes, I bring the same documentary approach to family photography as well.

This is a growing trend, and I have to say I was surprised I enjoy it so much. As a photographer, it is amazing to feel how just spending one additional evening with your family or guests allows me a deeper level of trust and camaraderie. When I arrive at the wedding the next day, people are already at ease, and exclaim “Hi Ben!” since they have seen me doing my thing already and have been given permission to be themselves.

Also, this may be an event that your parents are throwing, and maybe they would love to have documentation of their special contribution. It’s also a great way to get some extended family formals/groupings done and out of the way rather than on the wedding day…wink, wink.

Lastly, by the end of a weekend in which I have documented 2 or 3 of your events (Rehearsal, Welcome dinners, after party pool shenanigans, wedding, brunches) You will have the FULL story of your wedding experience documented and visually accessible in the future, not just your wedding day.

If photography is super important to you and your family, I think it is worth exploring.

Leica Cameras are the best tool for what I do. They also happen to be the best camera and lens system on the planet. As one of the few wedding photographers in the world that shoot entirely on this system, you get uncompromising quality in a discrete manner.

*did you know that Leica (Oskar Barnack) invented the 35mm camera? #history

Nerd out a bit here

Did you spend months if not years picking out the venue and personalizing the colors, flowers, place settings, interiors, etc of your day? Yes!?

Thus…. I definitely capture these elements, and honestly, I think I do it as well as any magazine or photographer that only shows the “stuff” of weddings.

I showcase on my website the elements, moments, and images that are most elusive for photographers to document, and that I feel are most important in an overall sense for the couples I work with.

I have done some wildly non traditional celebrations, but I have ALWAYS done some family formal permutations at every wedding. (except that one elopement in Patagonia Chile, hehe)

SO yes I definitely photograph them, and yes, we plan them months before the wedding and figure out when and how best to do them efficiently (so your fake smiles don’t start to sneak in too early)

Let’s get candid. You probably don’t.

This may seem harsh, but it is my effort to be transparent, and also to educate about one of the most poorly handled elements of our industry.

Usually having a second photographer can be redundant at best, and more often detrimental to the overall deliverable.

Here are how “seconds” work in our industry for the most part.

First keep in mind that nothing is free…free isn’t “included”…. such as a second photographer. You are definitely paying for them to be there even if it is hidden or rolled into the package. So, what are you paying for? Most second photographers are not full time, are students, and are learning their gear and the industry.

Sadly, it isn’t the case that if you hire a photographer for $4000, the second photographer ‘included’ also has the same skillset. Either they are both worth $2000, or one is earning the vast majority while the other takes home $400. What part of your unrepeatable celebration do you trust to the $400 photographer?

Photographers hire the week of an event (there are large facebook groups) as they need a warm body to show up and fulfill their contractual obligations. I always encourage couples to make sure the photographer will put the second photographer's name on the contract (otherwise you will not know who is showing up on your day) and to show you a full website of their work.

If you are wondering about elements of your day in regards to a second photographer, please let me know!

But if you do?

My wife Connie (also a photographer and founder of Studio Atticus) and I started Ausrine Weddings to properly fulfill this need.

www.ausrineweddings.com

Absolutely! I highly encourage you to seek this out from every photographer you are looking into, as the entire body of work is ultimately what you are paying for, and much harder to craft than a few images for a blog post.

When you submit a contact form, along with pricing, I will include a link to view a BUNCH of full weddings couples have allowed me to share…which will hopefully give you a sense of how every celebration feels unique, and how I tie together all the moments, details, emotions and elements to tell the story of a wedding.

I am continually exploring a handful of fine art ideas, and while not updated recently you can see that work here

http://www.benjaminernest.com

I also find myself documenting families, which I love, and enjoy revisiting past wedding couples and their growing lil ones over the years

COMING SOON —>

http://www.silverandsaltfamilies.com

Lastly, I do commercial work in the wedding “offseason” regularly profiling businesses throughout the country for Google, such as Duolingo, Nobull, Darn Tough socks, Milk Street Kitchen, Seabags, etc.