Many Inspirational Poems about Appreciation, Love, Encouragement.., can be found at http://Poem4Today.com

D, Macrae runs several websites relating to poetry and clean humor.

Granted it's been more than 30 years since I got married, but I can promise you wedding photography back then came in one flavor — vanilla.

The routine went something like this: bride-to-be goes to photography studio and poses for portrait before the wedding, Then, on the big day, there might be a few "action shots" during the wedding, but the photos mostly consisted of various posed photographs in the church — couple, couple with parents, couple with wedding party , bride with her attendants, groom with his guys, The same pattern followed at the reception — a few candid shots, but, basically, photos of cutting the cake, throwing the bouquet and throwing the garter, Finally, of course, gray bridesmaid dresses there was a photo of the newlyweds running to the car and being pelted with rice, Ahh, so nice, yet so boring.

Hello, Welcome to the 21st century, Wedding photography has come a long way, baby.

Today's couple has myriad options available to preserve the memories of their special day, Starting with, unlike the old days, the groom is often a participant in planning the wedding, However, having so many options of photo styles and price ranges can be confusing, There's traditional style and documentary style, There's also a fine arts/high fashion style and then there is color, black and white and spot color.

Beyond the photos themselves, the couple can choose handcrafted albums that cost hundreds of dollars or photos on a disc, But here's where the computer comes in to help, Couples can sort through the maze of wedding photographers and styles by examining sample work online and doing preliminary research before sitting down and interviewing the photographers to determine who can best document their special day.

Wedding photographers in the area say that there is only one way to figure it out and that is to get to know the photographer and his or her work in great detail.

"Don't compare prices, compare product and image," says Mark Miller of Waynesboro, "There is a huge difference in photography styles, Go to the photographer's website and look and ask for a sample book to look at, What's cutting-edge might not be what the bride is looking for."

"Do not choose a photographer just because you know that person, compare cocktail dresses prices " said Cheyenne Crawford of Staunton, "Make sure you look at all of their images and that you like all of them, not just a few.

"A lot of people pick a photographer based on some beautiful outdoor images, but make sure you look at their indoor images as well," she added, It is much easier for an amateur photographer to take photos outside where the light is good, Inside is harder because the light level is lower and there are shadows to deal with, Indoor photos could be blurry if you don't know what you are doing."

For the mother-daughter team of Debbie and Dana Swisher at Picture That, in Churchville navy cocktail dresses , having a personal consultation with the couple is key to a successful product that makes everybody happy.

"We recommend that the couple check out several photographers to find what is right for them, We ask them to spend a lot of time looking at other wedding photographers as well as ours and see what styles they like," Debbie Swisher said, "It is so important to get along with the photographer, Every wedding we've done, we feel like we are family.

"We form a bond and trust with the couple, We even offer references so they can be sure that we will show up on time, deliver a product on time and give them a product that they will be happy with."

"I like to meet with the couple and find out about them; like how they met and who are their friends, Sitting down and meeting with them adds a comfort level to our relationship petite mother of the bride dresses petite mother of the bride dresses," said Sera Petras of Staunton.

Danielle McMillion, who is based in Verona, echoes those sentiments.

"The brides have in fall in love with the photographer and his or her style, They have to feel like the photographer is part of their family, I try to be around the couple and learn about the couple.

"I had one couple who was very into softball, They both played in leagues and were very involved with the game, I suggested that they put their rings on a softball so I could get a photo and they loved it."

Recently, Looking for evening gowns or evening dresses? Sarah Danielle is your number one source for evening gowns and evening dresses two divergent styles of wedding photography have emerged, There is traditional photography consisting of posed photographs — wedding dresses sashes wedding dresses sashes; some of the old standards as well as some new unique ideas, but pretty much all posed.

Then there is photojournalism or documentary photography where the photographer just captures the moment as it occurs.

"We try to combine the two styles because a lot of couples want both," said Debbie Swisher, "We love the idea of capturing moments as they unfold and many people are surprised at the moments we have captured, They tell us that they had no idea that we had taken that shot."

McMillion prefers to call her photography "storybook style," which is a little bit of everything from start to finish.

"I like to get the primping and the getting ready and then all the way to the end," she said, "Couples are straying away from the classic photos, They want the more candid photos, like walking away and holding hands and some more artistic images, wedding cocktail dresses 2010 wedding cocktail dresses 2010 We have a blast with that, People like silhouettes and landscapes but the parents want more classic photos so we still do some of those."

Mark Miller noted that high fashion is drawing people toward the retro look of black-and-white photography, but that hasn't fully caught on in this area, Leading fashion definitely influences the taste of couples in this area however and photographers are always aware of changes in fashion and trends.

McMillion also pointed to the fashion world's growing influence on area weddings.

"I really can't wait to see how much the royal wedding will influence weddings this year," she said mini cocktail dresses mini cocktail dresses, "Kate's dress , veil and tiara will influence fashion, I can't wait,"

Petras rarely does posed photographs.

"Wedding photography used to be a list of all the relatives to take pictures of but I am finding fewer and fewer lists which frees me up to get the personal details," she said, "Recently, I have been going to the rehearsal so I can see the whole story and the people in their casual attire, It puts everyone at ease the next day because they know me and are comfortable with me.

"The storybook that I create starts with the rehearsal," she added.

Petras prefers to call her photography "fine arts photography," focusing on the little, personalized touches, Although she specializes in black-and-white images, she has grown very attached to color as well because of the beauty of the images.

Another growing trend in wedding photography is to take care of as many photos as possible before the wedding so that the couple and wedding party can get to the reception faster, Crawford, who calls her photographs, "investments in records of time," said that more and more couples want to take most of the wedding party shots outside before the wedding.

Debbie Swisher agreed.

"It is not uncommon for us to come an hour and a half before the ceremony to get a lot of the posed stuff over with except for the bride and groom together," she said.

Another trend for both engagement and wedding photographs is moving most of the shots outside, Most engagement photos are now outside, as are many of the pre-wedding photographs, and often the weddings themselves.

"Bridal portraits are also moving out of the studio to some outside location where there are weeping willow trees and beautiful bridges, We will do some shots in the studio and then go somewhere outside gowns ," Swisher said.

Yes, the world of wedding photography has grown up in the 30 years since it was important to me, The digital age has helped created the transformation, Photographers no longer have to worry about running out of film, so it is not uncommon for several thousand pictures to be taken at a wedding, Images can quickly be put up on a website so that the couple and the entire wedding party can immediately begin selecting the photos they want.

All the wedding photographers featured in this article agreed that, although there might be a confusing array of styles and packages to choose from, the key to lasting wedding memories is developing a personal relationship between the wedding couple and the photographer so they together can decide how they want their story told, That doesn't happen if the bride puts cost above all else.

There is no doubt that wedding photography is expensive — thousands of dollars — as are cakes, catering at receptions and flowers, But the flowers will wither and die and the food will be eaten, In the end; all that is left are the photographs and the story they tell.