Best way to end the year

I shot my brother-in-law's wedding Saturday, and it was amazing! Bec and I love his new partner Shelly, and we're so proud of them both. It was a beautiful day, it was about them, and they customized it to make it special and their own day. No copy cats here. We couldn't be happier for you Shelly and John! Love, Bec & Joe











Oh, and you have to know Matthew to realize that these two frames were BACK-TO-BACK in less than 5 seconds a part...God bless him! Love you all! Congrats! What a great way to end 2007!

E-mail FINE!

Sorry everyone. A few of you have been e-mailing JPG Photography in a few places as instructed in case our e-mail was down. Whoops...holidays got so hectic, I forget to say everything was cool. Our e-mail was only down for 48 hours, and I just forgot. My bad.

So we are in contact with everyone. If for some reason, however, you have not heard back from us, please e-mail us again. We are aware of a few issues that took place during the changeover, and we believe we have resolved everything. But if you haven't heard from us, send us another e-mail.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Joe

New WEB SITE up; E-mail down

To all of our wonderful clients and families, I'm proud to say that JPG Photography is about to enter it's fourth year, and we are starting off early with a big bang -- A new Web site!

We are showcasing more of our work, and more of our photographers! It's a great day!

But, in the transition, which could last until Wednesday, our e-mail systems are down. So, if you are trying to e-mail me at jpg@jpgphotography.com or dan@jpgphotography.com, the e-mails ARE NOT coming through.

I encourage everybody to e-mail me personally at jgidjunis@gmail.com, in the meantime. I'll distribute the information.

Thanks again, and please, tell us what you think!

This testimonial made Rebecca cry

No really, this is a good thing. First, congrats to Colleen and Jake for their partnership and sealing it on Aug. 18. We got them their images last month, and they were thrilled! So were we.

We've had a series of great couple's since June and no issues. Really awesome. Well Colleen and Jake said they would write something for us. When they sent it to us, Rebecca cried. I was moved. And what Rebecca and I said was..."They get it!" It gave us such joy to realize we're touching people as much as they touch us! Thanks guys!

"From start to finish, our experience with JPG Photography was not only professional, but extraordinarily personal. We had spent quite a bit of time meeting with various photographers, but we often felt that they were trying to fit us into their customer mold rather than being flexible with our needs and desires. We had just about given up hope when I came across a JPG’s award winning photo on the Wedding Photojournalist Association website (wpja.org). And, from my first conversation with Joe, I could tell he was different. He listened to what we wanted, asked questions about wedding details, was willing to travel out of state for our event, and was candid with his opinions without ever being pushy. He even worked with our personal budget to help us create a package that was all the things we wanted (and nothing we didn’t)! As the big day drew closer and planning the wedding details was nearly making me dizzy; Joe was always available and walking us through the process.

When the wedding day arrived, I became convinced that there is not a better wedding photographer out there! It wasn’t long after Joe and Rebecca walked through the door that I had already forgotten their presence. This was a relief to me, because I had been a little concerned that the photojournalistic style would make me feel like a celebrity victim of the paparazzi! Their relaxed manner and quiet presence allowed for some amazingly authentic candid shots of the wedding party, my family, and guests. And, when it came time for formal shots, Joe and Rebecca were able to quickly direct large groups while also being patient enough to get the perfect shot! One of our favorite moments from the day was when the two of us slipped away with Joe for the personal shots. He somehow made the time intimate, and we were finally able to be "alone" together (at least it felt like it!) and reflect on what the day was really about. When we got to finally see all of our photos -- we were amazed! The moments and memories that JPG Photography was able to capture are truly irreplaceable. We could not be happier with Joe’s results!

I could not more highly recommend JPG Photography for special event photography. They went far beyond our expectations while still allowing our day to feel personal, relaxed, and authentic. A dream come true!!"

New JPG Photographer...well, subject

After years of debate and desire, Rebecca and I decided to add a member of our family. We have been searching for dogs for a few months, and we came across Mutt at the Whimsical Animal Rescue in Seaford, Del. When the owner found him, he was living on his own in an abandoned and dilapidated apartment. They thought he was five weeks old. Turned out, he was 7 months! Tammy at WAR (yes, odd acronym) has taken great care of him, and we adopted Mutt on Monday.

Now, Bec and I aren't thrilled with the name, although he responds to it. So we're going to trial, and some error, on names, but we think he is liking Gus! He's just beautiful, and everyone is loving him. He hasn't barked once since he's been with us and he cuddles with everyone.

Please wish us luck with our child ... OK, while many of our couples are moving onto children, we're taking it a bit slower. But this IS a big step for me because I've never had a dog. My whole life, I've played with my friend's canines, but I never had one for me. Well, now I'm doing it. So, I'll also take tips too...

My fourth USA Today piece

I wanted to offer a quick update on the newspaper side of business. My fourth USA Today piece came out Monday. It's still online at USA Today's Web site, just search for Gidjunis, or click the link above.

I've had a couple other pics in The Baltimore Sun too:

The first is of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley discussing his massive reform plan to balance the state's budget. The second is of Maryland Attorney General who came to the poultry-heavy Eastern Shore and told Perdue and other chicken-industry reps that farmers need tougher penalties and enforcement.

In 10-11-07 Post

I've had some pretty good press lately. OK, that's funny for me and to most of you who know that I'm in the Salisbury, Md. newspaper every day, but when I get in the national papers, it's a bigger deal. For those who see The Washington Post, and of course, you can check it out online at www.washingtonpost.com, I've been given a huge color image of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley while he was on the Eastern Shore Wednesday. It's on B2. Now I didn't write this story, but my version of the story is online at www.delmarvanow.com. I'll check out other papers across Maryland today because I uploaded a few other images. This one just had the nicest color. If anyone picks up The Baltimore Sun, let me know if you see anything today.

Thanks!
Joe

WPJA award for kids being kids!

I was honored with my third Wedding Photojournalist Association award this week with a 9th place for Kids being kids.

I have to offer a special shout out to Sindi and Brad who got married in June. I hope you guys are doing well. Thanks so much for the tounge...from you and the kids!

Best,
Joe

JPG Photography Album FAQs

We've been getting a lot of questions about our albums lately, and while I was hoping to save the full explanation for a JPG Photography Web site redesign, (which should be coming quite soon), I think it's important to take care of some answers now.

I think the biggest confusion is visualizing a professional wedding album. These are NOT your parent's wedding albums. They use the latest digital printing and design technology to create a magazine-style design on archival materials.

First of all, JPG Photography does not do its albums ourselves, locally or through Pictage. Many of our clients may notice that Pictage, which hosts your wedding images, creates their own albums, and may offer you to make their own. These albums on Pictage are good quality, and long lasting, but they're not top of the line, in our opinion.

My wife, Rebecca, is also a long-time Creative Memories scrapbooker. She didn't understand spending hundreds of dollars on albums until she saw the ones we use now. Now she completely understands why they're sooo expensive. But top of the line costs money.

The company we've found -- and we've looked around the world -- which offers the best product, for the most reasonable price, is Laguna, a California-based company. They're Web site is www.albumdesigners.com.

They print on the Durst Lambda, the Rolls Royce of digital laser imagers.

We have had a perfect two-plus year relationship with them, and we've only had one bad album. When we told them about the smudges on the cover, they replaced the ENTIRE book for free. This is a company that doesn't skimp on with quality.

Now, let me explain some of the differences between these and self-publishing houses:
1. These cover are several millimeters thick, as are the pages they print on. The cover is leather, or something elegant based on your preferences. They offer cover styles, cover colors, page edge colors and imprinting. ((The cover is twice the thickness of this dime. The pages are thicker too!))




2. The book feels good in your hand. It has weight to it. It's going to last!

3. The designs are spectacular. You can check out some of designs on their Web site, but you can see some below from a recent couple, Beth & Nate. I want to thank them for being awesome, oh and congrats because we recently found out they're pregnant with their first child!

If you have any questions, always feel free to ask, but as you can see, we go with the best. And we swear by them so much, Rebecca and I had OUR WEDDING ALBUM printed by them too!




Best,
Joe

USA Today Front Page

OK all, this is just too exciting to skip. Many of you know about my other job as a daily reporter in Salisbury, Md. I also serve as USA Today's Maryland correspondent.

Well, today, Friday Aug 24., my first national front page story is in USA Today. So if you can, check it out, please do.

Hundreds of phone calls and interviewing about three dozen people, finally, the story is in, and the editors gave it 1A placement. It's a huge deal.

Enjoy! Image courtesy, USA Today.

Nadine & Jeff - Why you block out time

Nadine and Jeff,

First, congratulations! Nadine, I met you the day of, and you were wonderful every second of the day. Jeff, you're quite lucky, because Nadine was wonderful every second of the day! No, Jeff was great too. Actually, they are extraordinarily kind people who ensured everyone had a blast. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your day. Now, Nadine and Jeff did several things different from the pack, and I want to show how it fit them and made their day better.

What I was truly grateful for is the nearly 3 hours of blocked out time in between to drive from Arlington to Old Town Alexandria, spend two hours having fun, and then driving back. For those not around the DC area, we figured 30-45 minutes one-way for the drive alone. Surprisingly, we hit no traffic, and it only took us about 20-25 minutes each way. So this left more time to relax and take great pictures around the area at different locations.

Here are a few:

The Car ride over
Along the Potomac
Using the Car
And using the car

Now I know not everyone can do this. But when you have time, your chances for a real gem dramatically improve. (That and trust in your photographer.) This painter graciously agreed to let Nadine and Jeff be her subjects for a few minutes! This is also one of those rare, but perfect spots where color and black/white are acceptable.


I'm going to cherish this moment. I love it! And it captured their feeling too right after the wedding.

This post isn't meant to convince couples to change their schedule. But, take note that in the 15 minutes some couples allocate, you can't experiment or take many risks. We took LOTS of risks. Not all worked. But so many did! I recommend couples think of a spot away from the church or reception spot for another location. I recommend couples block off time for special shots. Maybe this means doing more things early. Maybe this means pushing the reception back a little or not making any of the cocktail hour. But each couple should think about what they want, and how important these fun/post-ceremony shots are.

Here's two more from the day:

The dreaded LIST

I know I'm behind on tips, but this is certainly warranted right away. The dreaded list, otherwise known as the formal shots you want of you, your spouse and your family and friends.

I want to thank Faye and Keith from California for being an amazing couple July 21 in Va. Beach. What they did was great. They they illustrate why my recommendations work.

What I recommend, and what happened. And this is the same advice I give everyone:

We are a photojournalism studio. We let the day flow. We know formal pictures are important, but they should not dominate the day. Post-ceremoney, we take about 1o shots, and try to never go over 15. Why? Shots take 2-3 minutes each. Sure, a shot of the bride and groom takes a minute, but a shot with grandma, uncle Bob and aunt Rita and the bride and groom takes 2. Then add in more people -- getting them to the altar and posed properly, takes 3 minutes. It averages out.

We will take as many formals as you want, but we recommend that you limit the shots. And here's the reason why: You get tired. You get sick of pictures. You, the bride and/or groom are standing in the same spot while everyone else has to maneuver. Your jaw starts to hurt. Seriously, it does after so many frames.

So, we work to minimize the post-ceremony shots by adding time during the getting ready shots to get each side's family beforehand. Any shots we can't fit, we move to the reception.

Now, honestly, I take a couple of shots beforehand, about 10 or so after the ceremony, and another couple at the reception. This is pretty typical, and it works well, so long as there is time scheduled for it all.

Faye and Keith put together a list of shots six pages long for me on July 18, a few days prior to the wedding. It actually wasn't as astronomically bad as it sounded. But I called to explain what I wrote above. And then I gave this piece of advice:

How many times do the same family members need to be in the pictures? Do parents need to be in multiple shots, sometimes yes. But do grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other friends need to be in two or three pictures?

Will your friends and family want a shot of your wedding? Of course. But do you think they're going to buy two or three formals? Likely, they're only going to need one. So just put them in one picture.

Also, Faye and Keith didn't do this, but other couples have forgotten to put their wife or husband in the shots with them. REMEMBER, you two are getting married. You BOTH should be in EVERY FORMAL SHOT TOGETHER. Maybe one or two a part, but really, be there together.

So Faye and Keith took my advice and narrowed down the list. We still had shots before, after and during the reception.

But again, and time after time, this happens, nobody wants to have formals at the reception. You want to have fun, and drink and eat. So that's what you should do. Faye and Keith scrapped all four reception formals. And they have no regrets. They had a blast instead!

Think about this when you're making your list. And do the following:
1. Formals are must-have shots. Not an excuse to get a formal of every person you ever met.
2. Include both of you in the shots (except beforehand getting ready if you're remaining traditional.)
3. List the shots with every person's name in the shot. If there are 2 people, or 20 people, put all of their names in. Realize that anything over 10 people takes about 4 minutes to set up and take.
4. Think, do we really need this shot, or will the people in it really buy it?
5. Can we combine our shots? Can you put both families together for one group shot? Can my siblings and your siblings be in it together, etc. This speeds things up.
6. Is my jaw ready for this?
7. Did we play accordingly? If you have a one-hour cocktail hour immediately after the ceremony, we need 30 minutes for 10 formals, and 30 minutes for fun shots.
8. TELL EVERYONE on the list to be around for formals. Don't let them leave before being in the shot.
9. If possible, have a close friend or relative stick around to help round the families up for the shots. This too makes things run much faster!

OK, hope that made sense! Enjoy!

Hilary and Michael

Besides being madly in love with each other, Hilary and Michael, put together a very classy wedding for more than 100 May 12. They did a bunch of things right in my book like leaving lots of time beforehand for getting ready shots. They served fantastic food throughout the reception. They even had a great band play so nearly everybody danced at some point. The candles, the lighting, the dress. Really well done! Everyone had a blast. And look at Michael's girls! They're perfect in these! Hilary is so good with them too!

They had some help with arrangements from Paige Cortes, a new coordinator in D.C. If anyone is looking for a good coordinator, let me know and I'll get you in touch with Paige. I don't like working with many coordinators, but she knows to make it about the couple, and not her!

Nicole & Tom

Nicole & Tom took advantage of Virginia Beach's sand May 5 to celebrate their day! They had a beautiful beach wedding, and something they did that worked perfectly with the photography, was having Tom also wear white. Not all guys can pull it off (me for one) but Tom and the guys looked great against the sand. You could tell they really thought about their colors, from the clothes to the flowers and of course the decorations. They had a great day, and we were honored to be a part of it! Enjoy you two! We had a blast!

Rene and Joe

Ahh, Rene and Joe. Another classy wedding to keep the season's mojo going. They had their reception a few blocks away from Elaine and Kit, at the infamous Cavalier! Essentially, they rocked the house with a cute church, lots of great time in between on the beach and then solid dancing at The Cavalier. They are tremendously good for each other, and I'm so proud to have been a part of their day.

And I have to send this big shout out to my wife, Rebecca, who has been kicking major tail lately with her shots and editing. She is now proficient enough to edit the shots you see here, and shoot this to help diversify the day. I have to admit it, her shot of Rene and Joe's church exit is better than mine. I've trained her so well! Of course, she'd say, she's trained me so well, but I say tomato, she says tomata...kind of thing!

Oh, and you gotta love the bars! Any time a couple can do this on their wedding day, you know they're ready to party! Love the passion guys!