Monday, August 11, 2014

MMP Blog will have a new home Soon!

The MMP Blog will have a new home Soon!

It's still under construction... But this will be the last blog post on this site. The New site will release in Late October.

Update! 9/11/14

The new site is up and fully functional Please Visit www.benbphotography.com. I guarantee you'll love the new format.

Seattle Wedding Photographers Seattle Wedding Photographer Seattle Wedding Photography Glamour Photography Seattle Portrait Photographers Seattle Intimate Photographers Seattle Boudoir Photographers Seattle Professional Photographers Wedding photographers Seattle Wedding photography Seattle Portrait photographer Seattle Portrait photographers Seattle Portrait photography Seattle john and Joseph Ben Chrisman jasmine star Binh Nguyen

Show me more...

Monday, July 28, 2014

Open Letter to THE Rudest Video Guy

Open Letter to Rudest Video Guy

An open letter to Mr. TV Video Guy who also "shoots/direct" weddings (unnecessarily),

You are the Newman to my Jerry. The durian to my Andrew Zimmern. In other words I cannot stand you.

I believe this my 3rd wedding that I've had the misfortune to work along side with you or more like behind you (but who is counting). Each one so memorable, but in the worse possible way. I do not make this assessment about you randomly, because at each wedding you've consistently aggravated me by your lack of common courtesy.

Where do I start? Perhaps from the beginning. Where you assign yourself as the "director" for the day.

"Stop stop you stand here, and you stand here. Ok. Let's do this again one more time." Take two!

This is all in reference to every important part of the wedding day: exchanging of rings, kissing, getting in and out of the limo, again and again.

There was nothing organic about the wedding because you had to have it your way. This is not Burger King my friend. At the end of the day the wedding no longer belonged to the couple instead, it was another one of your cookie cutter directed weddings. And now you can stamp your directorial credit at the beginning of their Video and call yourself writer, director, and executive producer. Perhaps you feel the need to assign yourself as such to feed your ego.

You have no regards to the months of planning and thousands of dollars the couple has spent to make their wedding unique and individually theirs.

You also have no regard for the photographer or the audience. Every time I'm in a position to take an important shot you physically shove pass me to steal the moment. During the ceremony you stand in front of the couple the entire time and only few feet away. You literally cast your dark shadow on the bride. The guests did not dress in their Sunday best to stare at the back of your head and your giant camera manufactured in 1999. Had I not asked you to step aside the entire wedding would have looked like the photo above.

You tell me you've been shooting weddings for 14 years, and in 14yrs you haven't invested in a good zoom lens that keeps you away from the action? As vendors we wear black to stay incognito and behind the scene as to not steal the limelight from the true stars of the day. I think you may have missed the memo on that one.

So let's move on to the topic of your camera. In the day of digital SLRs, bigger is not better. And your brontosaurus camera is large enough to block out the sun. Yet you still think it's ok to get within inches of the couple during the ceremony. You're not only in every single shot of mine but you completely block the view. The bride spent thousands of dollars on her couture dress but because you don't give a damn about anyone else but your video, all the guest will have a view of are her cute ankles.

You're so close, that the poor officiant probably thought this was a polygamous marriage and you were the 2nd groom.

In closing, I have implemented a new question to my pre wedding consult.

"who is your videographer?" If it is you, I will have to decline as their photographer. Because if I had to endure one more wedding working with you it might lead to me tossing your camera out a two story building or in front of on coming traffic.

In no way am I generalizing about videographers. I know and have worked with many great videographers who are conscientious and a joy to work with. However you are no where near that list.

Hope to see you... NEVER

-B.

Seattle Wedding Photographers Seattle Wedding Photographer Seattle Wedding Photography Glamour Photography Seattle Portrait Photographers Seattle Intimate Photographers Seattle Boudoir Photographers Seattle Professional Photographers Wedding photographers Seattle Wedding photography Seattle Portrait photographer Seattle Portrait photographers Seattle Portrait photography Seattle john and Joseph Ben Chrisman jasmine star Binh Nguyen

Show me more...

Monday, July 21, 2014

Johnathan + Laura Wedding @ Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner

Johnathan + Laura
Wedding @ Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner
2nd Photog: Maxine Toh

Preview...

Show me more...

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Is there really a ghost at Kubota Gardens?

Kubota Gardens Ghost?

You be the judge.

So there's a bunch of Seattle urban legends about how Kubota is a haunted garden. Google Kubota Gardens Ghost and I'm sure you'll find tons of material on the subject. I've shot there so many times and never once have I experienced anything. Albeit, all of my visits have been during the day time.

Many folks claim that if you go at night you'll experience strange wind howls and something that could manifest near the bridge. The only thing strange about Kubota are the car prowlers that lurk there.

So as I was going through a series of shots of a 1st look with clients I noticed something a bit peculiar. As if it was a misty cloud shooting through the gates and past the couple.

Click below to see for yourself.

Show me more...

Chi & Huynh Traditional Vietnamese Wedding in Seattle

Chi & Huynh
Traditional Vietnamese Wedding in Seattle
7/12/14
2nd Photog: Taras

Preview...

Show me more...

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Hieu + Tone Wedding @ The Renaissance Hotel

Hieu + Tone Wedding
The Renaissance Hotel
Seattle, WA
7-4/5-14

Two day weddings can be challenging. So much goes into logistics. Friday was the traditional Vietnamese and Laotian Wedding ceremonies. Saturday was a beautiful American ceremony at the Renaissance hotel in Seattle.

During a wedding no matter how much you plan, not everything will always go accordingly. It's how you persevere and push through that makes it distinctly yours.

Tone and Hieu's wedding is a perfect example of murphy's law. I won't get into details but they made it work and looked fabulous doing it.

Show me more...

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Annie + Hubert Prewedding Photos @ Des Moines Beach

Annie + Hubert
Prewedding Photos @ Des Moines
7-2-14

This is our second session together, however this time around Annie was rocking a pink Vera Wang. I love this dress. I also loved how nonchalant Annie was about the whole thing. She is also one of the most daring brides to be that I've seen. I'm usually the one pushing my clients to the edge of their comfort zone but she flipping the tables on me when she walked barefoot on a log on the beach while the tide was rising.

In my head I was thinking "Oh please don't fall in". It would make for interesting shot and story to tell but maybe not in Vera Wang. However Annie is a trooper and the shot turned out gorgeous.