What's up With Wedding Photography?  13 Tips on Friday the 13th!   So your wedding won't be BAD! 

Let's face it, no one will be getting married on Friday the 13th, right? Instead you are searching the internet for information about wedding photographers. Well, we have recently read a few articles about choices in wedding photographers and we'd like to put our two cents in as well.  Just a few tips to help you make your wedding day photographer selection. After all, it will be the most important day of your life thus far, right?

1- In The Know: When it comes to your photographer, make sure you not only love their work, but that you get to know them as a person. Ask about their family, how they got into photography, etc. Remember that you will be spending a substantial amount of time with him/her both before and on your wedding day, so they should be someone you can enjoy being around. A consultation is a great way to see if he will meet your needs and jive with what you have planned for your special day. I can't tell you the number of times we've photographed a black tie event or wedding, seeing other photographers dressed in jeans. Not quite what you had in mind? Know before you go.

2- Not All Photographers are Created Equal: If you are going with a studio that has more than one photographer, make sure you know which one is going to be photographing your wedding. Be sure to see their samples, not all of that studio's photographers combined. You don't want to pay anyone top dollar only to have their second string photographer show up to your wedding.

3- Experience Matters: Make sure your photographer is capable and competent. No one wants their wedding to be a photographer's first, second, or even 10th for that matter. If someone is learning the art of photography, it's best for them to intern with a professional rather than take on a wedding on their own. Everyone has to start somewhere, but a good photographer should have done plenty of weddings before yours. Ask to see samples of an entire wedding, not just a few shots here and there. This will give you a good idea of what you will be getting from them before they photograph your wedding.

4- My Friend/Uncle/Neighbor has a Really Nice Camera: We hear lots of bragging when it comes to photography gear. But just know, it is not the quality/size of the camera that counts, but the person behind the camera that will make the difference. Although a quality camera is a necessary tool of professional photography, there is a lot of skill needed to get the best images possible.  I heard a story once about one of those nice cameras at a wedding. When an error message came up, the “photographer” spent 45 minutes reading an online instruction manual (on the phone) to figure out why the camera didn't work. Oops. They may have top of the line camera equipment, but if they don't have the training or experience to work it, you will be disappointed.

12- Let Me Boot up my Computer:  Make sure you don't just get a CD of digital  images of your wedding day photography! It is so important to have a tangible, finished product. You may be too young to remember VHS. (Ask your mom.) 30 years ago, VHS was the top of the line technology for storing video, it is now a long and complicated process to transfer VHS to DVD.  Who knows what will be the newest technology in 20 or 30 years from now.  What happens when one day that CD from your wedding is unreadable, either because it is scratched or because the technology is out dated? Get a finished product, whether it's prints and/or an album, you'll be glad you did!

13- What Makes a Professional?- These days, anyone can call themselves a professional photographer, but are they really? Make sure your photographer has taken the time to earn the degrees and accreditation to back up their work. If your photographer is a Certified Professional Photographer or a Certified Master Craftsman, they have had to go above and beyond learning to use a camera. They have been given the stamp of approval by people who know what they are talking about. Yes, there are those who have a natural ability to take a beautiful portrait, but Glen knows how to be efficient and get great portraits at the same time. To learn more about Glen, click here. You can rest easy knowing your photos will be amazing! We believe in providing superior quality photography for all of our clients, not in shooting as many photos as we can to get a few good ones.

We recently were asked to photograph a fantastic event at Thanksgiving Point called Pillars of the Valley, presented by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Taken from the program: “The Pillar of the Valley award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the business, civic, social, educational and cultural climate of Utah Valley.” It is their highest honor. This year the honorees were every bit of that description and more. The award went to Alan and Karen Ashton.

We have photographed the Ashton family many times through the years and we were grateful to have photographed this event for them. They are all around great people. Their many accomplishments include; starting the Word Perfect Corporation, Thanksgiving Point, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and the Ashton Family Foundation. We believe that, among these and many others unmentioned, one of their greatest achievements is raising a wonderful family of eleven children! They were there as their parents received this award. We enjoyed being a part of this night and we left wanting to be better ourselves! Again from the program: “Alan and Karen Ashton represent all that is good and praiseworthy about Utah Valley. Their vision, creativity, and humanity have lifted the course of this valley forever on so many levels. We honor them for who they are and how they have gracefully influenced an entire community. Pillars of the Valley, indeed.” Thank you Ashtons!

We are pleased and honored to have photographed the contestants for the Miss Pleasant Grove Scholarship Pageant for the 10th year in a row! Each year the contestants have been amazing and I'm sure this year will be no exception.  The Miss Pleasant Grove director and team are totally awesome and so good at organizing this event. The director, Terry Marchbanks, is a volunteer and does not get paid! She truly loves each girl. Thanks Terry for all of your hard work and effort every year! So be sure to catch the Miss Pleasant Grove Scholarship Pageant this year, held at Pleasant Grove High School on March 17th. Glen will be presenting a $100 scholarship for Miss Photogenic. For information, including ticket information, click here to be linked to the Miss Pleasant Grove Facebook page! Good luck to all of the beautiful contestants!

(Click on the photo to make it bigger)

Click here to be brought to our Facebook page with all the details!!

     As the holidays approach, we, as a family, often look for small acts of service that we can do. We have found something that hits close to home for us because we currently have a missionary serving. So where do I start? Right here: Two months ago we hired a new employee, Sarah. She has been a great blessing for us, exactly what we were looking for. As we have gotten to know her and a little about her family, we have learned that they have quite a story. About a year ago, her dad got a job in Chile where he had previously served a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They moved down there with four of their six children. Their oldest son, being married, stayed in the U.S. as did Sarah's younger brother Stephen, who was serving an LDS mission in the New York New York South Mission, speaking Spanish.

     Near the end of 2010, Stephen noticed that he was getting sick far too frequently, but did not think much of it. He assumed that he was just tired from all the hard work he was doing as a missionary. A few months went by and he was getting constantly sicker. At the insistence of his mother and the mission nurse, Stephen went to see a doctor. They ran test after test and could not figure out what was wrong with him. After having ruled out every minor possibility, his mission president, who had a medical background, told Stephen he thought it would be best if he returned home to Utah to continue testing.

     On March 15^th, 2011, Stephen had to come home four months early from his mission. The family, still in Chile, rushed back to Utah to be with him. They arrived just a few hours before he did! They came back to no home because they had sold it to live in Chile and no jobs. They lived with their grandma for six months before finding a home to rent. A few days after arriving home, Stephen was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes. He went through 6 months(12 treatments) of chemotherapy, but it was ineffective. He is now on his second round of chemo therapy, and soon will undergo a stem cell transplant.

We are so excited to announce our awesome new pricing structure!                                                We are now offering two different ways to purchase your photos for 2012… in prints, or as digital copies! 

For prints, you pay one low sitting fee ($49) for any sitting and order your prints from us at our normal print prices. Photo enhancements are included!

For digital copies, you pay a higher sitting fee and receive a CD of all of your images! They are color corrected and ready to be printed anywhere you want! But… if you would like to take advantage of our sweet photo enhancement skills, you can order your prints from us at 25% off of our regular print prices! (See the limited time offer below.)  Call for more details 801-756-8824.

Sweet photo enhancement skills include teeth whitening, head swaps, blemish removal (also known as zit zapping!), body slimming, head shine touch-ups, etc. All of these enhancements are included at no extra cost if you decide to order prints through us.

If you take advantage of these new digital sitting options NOW, you will receive not 25% BUT 30% off print prices! Sitting must take place before December 15th. Call and schedule your Digital Sitting today! (801)-756-8824

For more information on digital sitting and print prices, email us at info@glenricksphotography.com or go to our Home Page and fill out the "I'm Interested" box. Be sure to include in your message what you are specifically interested in, as well as the best way for us to get in contact with you. Hurry before times fill up!

There is still time to get in a few more fall portraits. Call now to schedule your sitting.

Here's a little of their email:

"We have seen your photos on the Internet and are impressed by the quality of your work. We would like to invite you to participate. While this effort is open to Church members throughout the world, we are making this invitation only to selected members."

How cool is that? We love this opportunity, even though there is no compensation for contributing, we are excited for this opportunity to serve!

~Valarie