Images By Nneka | Wedding and Portrait Photographer

5 Steps to Hiring Your Dream Wedding Photographer

by Nneka July 03, 2018 in Weddings 0 comments

So you want to hire your dream wedding photographer for your wedding? The first thing you’ll probably do is head over to Google and search for your city wedding photographer. If you’re in the metro Atlanta area, your search for an Atlanta wedding photographer will yield about 13 MILLION results. That can be really overwhelming. Chances are you’ll look at the first page or two but you may not find the best photographer for you, just the best marketers. So what do you do? Follow my 5 Steps to hiring your dream wedding photographer. 1) Decide how important photography is to you. The easiest way to figure that out is to imagine how you’d feel if your wedding photos were ruined. 2) Look through a lot of wedding photographs and make a mental note, save or pin images you like. Instagram is a great place to start. Ignore price at this point. Review your pins and notice commonality among style and feel. Are they posed portraits of the couple or wedding party that look like they’re from the pages of a magazine? Are they intimate moments of the couple alone? Or with close family? Are they photos of guests having a […]

How to overcome wedding day mishaps

by Nneka October 26, 2017 in Blog, Weddings 0 comments

As your wedding day approaches I’m sure you’re worried that your guests won’t show up on time, you’ll accidentally spill something on your dress, or your ceremony will start late. We all know that being perfect is impossible, and I can tell you I’ve witnessed some quirky wedding day mishaps. Wedding cake melted, damaged Your wedding cake has to be delivered to your wedding venue, so, unfortunately, there’s always a chance that it could fall over while in the car or could be damaged by guests during your reception. I actually saw a cake that had melted due to extreme heat. Your professional cake artist should have the proper storage so that your cake is safely delivered, at room temperature, to your venue. Ceremony décor caught on fire from unity candle The unity candle represents and celebrates the joining of two people in their new marriage. It’s ofter decorated with flowers, photos of loved ones or other special décor. During one wedding, I happened to be photographing facing the couple with the guests in the background. I noticed the flowers next to the candle had caught fire. I quickly blew it out without anyone noticing. Where’s the food? I’ve been […]

Are Your Recommended Vendors Costing You Money?

by nneka January 25, 2017 in Blog, Weddings 0 comments

Planning for a wedding can definitely be overwhelming, especially when you don’t know who the best florist, caterer, or photographer are in your area. It can lead to hours of googling any and every one in hopes that you will find someone who can do a decent job. So, I’m sure that you are appreciative of any recommendations that you receive whether it’s from a friend, family member, or wedding vendor. However, when getting recommendations I encourage you to ask some questions, to be sure these list of people are being recommended because they are great at their craft, and not because they paid to be put on a “preferred vendors” list. In the wedding industry there are companies who have what are known as kickbacks, in which vendors help one another in exchange for some type of fee or commission. One of the most popular type of kickbacks that I’m most weary of is the preferred vendors list. This is a practice in which companies will create a list of recommendations that include planners, venues, and other vendors who paid to be on the list. The creator of this list may not know what type of work they do, […]

How a Great Photographer Can Ruin Your Wedding

by nneka October 26, 2016 in Blog, Weddings 0 comments

You see a photographer’s online portfolio and love their work. You meet them and they confidently tell about the beautiful images they will capture. You hire them and are excited about the beautiful wedding album you’ll have. But on your wedding day, the most special day of your life, their obnoxious and disruptive behavior ruin your day. How to avoid it – Questions to ask How do you approach shooting a ceremony? Do you move around or do you stand in one spot. When there aren’t restrictions on shooting during a ceremony, I will move around to capture various angles. However, I’m always mindful of guests and do not want to be a distraction. I do not walk across the front of the pews in view of all the guests. I generally will avoid being on alters, especially if they’re as small as the one in the video. If it’s a larger alter & I can maintain 10+ feet of space separation or I can hide behind a column or large floral arrangement, I will quickly go and get the shot. I do not plant myself in guests view or continually walk around causing attention. Where will your 2nd shooter […]

Little Gardens Wedding

by Nneka September 30, 2016 in Blog, Weddings 0 comments tags: Atlanta outdoor wedding, atlanta wedding photographer, Atlanta wedding venue, fall wedding, garden wedding, little gardens wedding, wedding portraits

I had the pleasure of photographing a Little Gardens wedding a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful day in Lawrenceville, GA. I absolutely love gardens so I was excited to return to photograph this wedding. I always take a few extra photos of the landscape to use as inspiration in my garden. The bride and groom had a First Look to make sure they had enough time for romantic portraits. Their evening ceremony wouldn’t allow enough time for family and bridal party portraits and have a good variety of couple portraits. The tall hedges hide what seems to be a secret garden on the right of the front porch. This was the perfect spot for the groom to await his bride. With two photographers, we were able to capture the joy & excitement on both the bride and groom’s face as they saw each other for the first time. This is such a sweet and intimate moment that can’t be captured during the ceremony. The bride wore a gorgeous tea length wedding dress. I loved the illusion neck with embroidered bodice. The A line and tulle skirt is great for twirling. With as many weddings as I photograph, it’s always great to […]

Do you need a second photographer?

by Nneka September 02, 2016 in Blog, Wedding Style, Weddings 0 comments

I see this question come up a lot on bridal forums and even photography forums. There are pros and cons to having a second photographer. What most photographers won’t tell you that all comes down to the personal preference of the photographer and how they work best. Portraits of the bride and groom in different locations were taken at the same time, before the ceremony. I prefer having a second photographer (a professional not a student, assistant or camera holder) because it benefits me and my style of shooting. It keeps me relaxed and able to focus on moments and emotions around me. It allows me to take some creative risks, because I know another trusted professional is getting the safe shots. But I can, and often do, photograph a wedding alone. I know other very talented photographers that prefer to shoot alone. They find a second photographer to be a distraction. They work better when they’re in their own zone and don’t have to direct another person. Sometimes they’ve had problems finding a competent second shooter that won’t get in their way. One moment, two perspectives. My advice is to base your decision on the work of the photographer you’re considering […]

Ideal Times for Your Photography

by nneka July 27, 2016 in Blog, Information, Portraits, Weddings 0 comments tags: ideal times, wedding day, wedding photographs, wedding photography

On your wedding day, I’m sure you will want photos of everything! From candid shots of wedding accessories such as shoes and rings, to genuine and natural portraits, and pictures of the wedding venue. However, it’s important to remember that taking these photographs takes time so you should do a little planning of the important memories you want captured. I work with my couples to create a timeline that ensures all the important details are photographed. Here are a few tips for creating ideal times for your photography. RINGS, DRESS, SHOES AND OTHER DETAILS I’m sure you love the beautiful shots of the wedding rings laying on the table, the bride’s dress hanging before you put it on, or the bridal bouquet. It’s best to have these photos taken early before the mayhem begins. Have these items ready and waiting for your photographer to arrive. I generally spend 15-20 minutes on these details. PREPARATION If you’d like to have photos taken as you get makeup done, and get dressed, I would suggest giving your photographer at least an hour to get these photos. These will be some of the most emotional images, highlighting the anticipation of what’s to come. This […]

Consumer vs Custom Wedding Album

by nneka June 28, 2016 in Blog, Information, Weddings 0 comments tags: photograph albums, wedding albums, wedding photographs, wedding photography

In my last post, I talked about 5 reasons you should consider having a wedding album instead of relying solely on digital photos to re-live and share your wedding memories. Now I’ll explain the differences between a consumer and custom wedding album. When I meet with brides, they are often unsure of the type of wedding album they want. They’re always surprised at the cost of an custom wedding album. After seeing deals for albums on consumer sites like Shutterfly, for such a low cost they have a hard time determining what makes a professional album worth the money. Even many professional photographers, offer inexpensive, cheaply made albums. Their price to the bride is often less than my wholesale cost before images are added. So here are a few things to consider when choosing between a professional versus consumer album, that can make your purchase decision a bit easier. Album Assembly Many albums companies have to compromise on materials & assembly to keep costs down. They use PVC in album pages which can cause the image to deteriorate over time. The paper may also fade or yellow over time. Another common issue is cracks or a pink […]

Do you really need a wedding album?

by nneka May 27, 2016 in Blog, Weddings 0 comments tags: atlanta wedding photographer, wedding album, wedding photographer, wedding portraits

As a wedding photographer it’s my job to capture all the wonderful and joyous moments during your wedding day that you may not notice or see because you’re enjoying and living your day. Whether it is the moment you kiss your spouse, or your flower girl dancing on the dance floor, or the look in your mom’s eyes during your first dance. Wouldn’t you love to look back on these moments throughout the years and share them with your family? I’ve talked to many soon to be brides about why a wedding album is such a great investment and many of them had common reasons as to why they didn’t want a professional wedding album: They’re too expensive They feel they can make one themselves They feel there’s no need to purchase one right away, and they’ll do it later They don’t think they’ll ever look at it So, here are 5 reasons why you would appreciate and should invest in a wedding album. It’s a great way to establish family legacy What’s better than being able to begin a legacy for future generations to reminisce about and even use as inspiration as they plan their weddings? With a wedding album, […]

Engaged in Atlanta

by Nneka April 27, 2016 in Blog, Engaged, Weddings 0 comments tags: engaged, engagement portraits, newlyengaged, spring portraits

I had the pleasure of photographing DeJaune and Ben, a cute couple who got engaged in Atlanta. Even though they met in high school, they weren’t high school sweethearts. Their friendship developed into a mutual attraction, then a relationship and now an engagement. I’ve always believed the best relationships start as friendships. When I asked Ben his favorite thing about DeJaune, he said “Her beautiful smile. Her whole face lights up.” I asked DeJaune the same question and she felt the same way about Ben. You can see from the engagement photos below, they both have beautiful smiles. These two just exude love and happiness. You can tell that they really enjoy each other’s company. Who else but a playful couple who really loves each other, would play Thumb Wars during an engagement shoot. We had a great time taking photos near Atlantic Station and the Millennium Gate museum. First Date – Johnson Family Reunion Favorite Movies to Watch – (DeJaune) chick flicks, (Ben) Action. Favorite Things to Do Together – Just relax, snuggle on the couch and spend time together. They sound like my kind of couple. Instead of spending their engagement planning a wedding, they spent their time search […]

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