High volume memories: making events memorable with a photo!

 It used to be that churches had printed pictorial directories which forced you to get portraits every few years. A large company, like Olan Mills, would send a photographer to your church and everyone would get a picture taken, against the same, blue background. A few weeks later, there would be a sales session where you were pressured to buy a bunch of prints. Consequently, there are a lot of family portraits from the 80s and 90s, full of big hair and shoulder pads. Times change; churches have websites these days, and pictorial directories have faded away, the victim of cost reduction measures and diminishing church attendance. 

So, what reasons can a photographer find to photograph a lot of people in a short time, providing them with photo memories that they will value more and more in years to come?  A few years ago, (pre-COVID) that reason was Mother's Day for one of my clients. My former pastor called me and asked me to take Mother's day portraits of her new congregation. I worked with a member of the congregation and visited the location a week or so before the day. They had a big fellowship hall with windows on one side, where we decided to set up. On the day, I drove to the church and set up my equipment before the service. They provided me with a backdrop stand and backdrop, a  brightly colored tropical image of a waterfall, and I brought a light and foamboard reflector. I put my camera on a tripod, placed a bench in front of the backdrop and did a few test shots. After that it was a matter of moving each group of people in, posing them, taking a few shots and moving on to the next family! I photographed 50 couples, individuals and family groups before and after the church service. A week later, I shipped off the prints to the church for distribution. This was the polar opposite of my usual customer experience; I did not have a chance to interact with my clients except for those brief moments in front of my camera and I will never know how much they loved and valued the pictures I took. What I do know is: it made people happy. No one complained, not even about the over-bright backdrop. They laughed and sat close on the bench. One gentleman I photographed was a spry 105 years old and made a point of telling me so! It was a fun and memorable day.

Studio-style portraits like this can make any occasion special. A class reunion? A formal dance? A Gala event? Planning is key! Give me a call and let's talk about making your next big event memorable!