Documentary Weddings

Edmonton Wedding: First Dance With An Edmonton Skyline

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:14:00 -0700

Wow, we were so happy to be part of Ben and Rhoda's beautiful wedding day in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Alberta prairie skies have definitely have to be one of the most spectacular.

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Royal Couple Visit: Photos of the British Royal Couple in Calgary

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:21:00 -0700

Being working photojournalists, Shaughn and I get to cover some really cool projects. We've learned the craft of story-telling in our every day job, just like how we tell the story of the day for weddings. Hope you enjoy these.

cheers

Jimmy

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Hand to hold

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:53:00 -0700

Some moments are frozen in time.

Like the first time a groom sees the bride in her dress.

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Miriam and Yousif dance

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:06:00 -0700

Dance and music are a really important part of any cultural wedding.

This celebration was no different.

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Mariam and Yousif

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:22:00 -0700

What do you get with a beautiful bride, an overcast day and a veil.

How about a gorgeous photo of a bride on her way to the church to meet her soon-to-be husband

and about 400 guests.

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iPad Photo Booth, Edmonton Wedding Photographer

Mon, 24 May 2010 18:11:00 -0700

See the full gallery on Posterous

Having a photo booth at a wedding is nothing new. But we tried something different this time by including an iPad into the mix. It was an instant hit.

We knew that we wanted the photo booth to be a small event in itself. The bride and groom, Mariam and Yousif, are both very outgoing and we knew that their wedding was going to be memorable and very stylish. So we wanted to add that extra something to get guests excited and to also give them a chance to be creative with their photos.

First off, we set it up so that the guests could trigger a remote and take their own photos. This sense of control lets people relax and have fun taking photos. We all know when someone you don't know is behind the lens that it makes it more formal. People tighten up. Not so in this case.

The camera was triggered with a remote, which in turn would fire the lights and then the image was wirelessly sent to the iPad. And the iPad is just great to handle. If you have one, you know what I mean. I think part of the success was that the iPad is actually not yet available here in Canada so people were coming up to check it out. Sweet! But not only that, unlike our past photo booths which involved tethering the camera to a computer and an apple cinema screen, people aren't intimidated by the iPad. It basically invites people to handle it and swipe through the photos. They can pinch in, pinch out, and get instant gratification. Even kids were playing with it. It's just incredibly interactive.

Much Love,

Doc Weddings

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Take Us Anywhere: Doc Weddings site is now Mobile, Edmonton Wedding Photographer

Wed, 05 May 2010 10:20:00 -0700

If you're like us, you probably own at least three different Mac products. And most likely this means you own an iPhone or an iPad. Well, now you can visit our Edmonton Wedding Photographer website and cozy up to us as you drink your favourite warm beverage.

cheers

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Mariam and Yousif: Edmonton Engagement Photos - Trust between the couple and photographers leads to great photos.

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:31:00 -0700

See the full gallery on Posterous

Photos by Shaughn Butts and Jimmy Jeong / Doc Weddings, real weddings by real photojournalists

Mariam and Yousif are both Leos. And it shows. Taking photos with them reminded us of some of the shoots we've had with professional models or actors. From the first frame, they were ready to perform for the camera. No fear. Even though we usually garnered a few spectators as we shot on the public streets of Edmonton.

Shaughn commented later how the photos look like they've been art directed and styled for a magazine shoot. It just seemed that the light, mood, body language and even the orange taxi cab all seemed to line up perfectly for this shoot.

I think there was definitely luck involved. The photos just came so easy. But there was also a lot of preparation that went into this. Preparation that leads to trust between the couple and the photographers. They knew that they could just open up to us and that's when great photos happen.

Thanks Mariam and Yousif. We can't wait till your wedding day.

DocWeddings

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Considering the Art Gallery of Alberta as a wedding venue. Check out this Photo Gallery

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:55:00 -0700

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AGA Venues Photos by Jimmy Jeong - Images by Jimmy Jeong

I recently took these photos for the AGA. What a beautiful venue with so many options for different types of events. The tables and set-up were done by the fabulous River City Rentals. Just ask for Joe, he is a really great guy that will go over and above. And, if you have any questions about these photos just give me a shout or check out our website.

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Backstage at Western Canada Fashion Week

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:18:00 -0700

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Fashion Week Backstage - Images by Jimmy Jeong

Being backstage for any type of event is always extremely interesting. You see the preparations but also the emotions before the actors/models/singers go on stage. They get to be real and themselves before they take on their stage personas. I really commend anyone that can go on stage and perform or present for a large audience. I would be shitting myself. But, I guess that is why I tell stories from behind a camera.

As always, please write me a quick comment. BTW, it was super cool to see so many photographers gathered in one place shooting an event.

The Technical Stuff: All the photos were taken using a Nikon D700 full frame digital camera. My favourite lens to use for this was my 50mm 1.4 which gave just beautiful shallow depth of field and allowed me to shoot in near darkness for some of the shots. The other lens was a 14-24mm lens. But the best advice I can give when shooting something like this is to be approachable and to let people know what you are doing. Oh, and find the most important person at the event, and make sure you talk to them first.

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The best light

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:04:00 -0700

Recently I photographed two young ladies for two very different reasons.

One was a dancer on her way to a recital, the other was at a military ceremony awarding postumous medal for her father.

Both have pensive expressions and both are shot with available light.

I know many 'newbie' photographers are now following the Strobist mantra. Off camera ring flash, with EV-2 and blah blah.

Well keep in mind the best light rises and sets each day, and manipulation and respect of the sun makes you a better image maker.

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The 2010 Bridal Collection from The English Department - Inspirational wedding blog, What Junebug Loves, top wedding and bridal fashion blog

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:03:45 -0800

via junebugweddings.com

I've always enjoyed great simple design. The look is elegant and clean and really focuses on the bride. Some great ideas if you're still looking for that perfect dress.

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Olympic thank-you cards from grade1/2 class

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:30:33 -0800

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Classroom project: Olympic Torch

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:03:00 -0800

Index

On the opening day of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver I volunteered to go into an Elementary school to talk about my Olympic experience and take some photos of a grade 1/2 class with the Olympic Torch.
I downloaded the Olympic Fanfare theme by John Williams and played over the speakers in the classroom as I entered in my white suit and torch.
The kids were wowed, and I felt pretty cool myself. I gave them a few details of the run, but I had more questions for them and I was impressed with their knowledge and interest in the Games.
Then it was on to the photos in the back of the class where I set up a seamless and used a flag provided by the teacher. The kids were really attentive and keen to hold and pose with the torch.
Because of FOIP - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I decided to show only one of the images, but will include some of the priceless thank-you cards from the kids.

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Hawaiian waterman

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:10:52 -0800

I was in Hawaii last week and I was unable to land or find a wedding for that matter.
Apparently destination weddings are down in Hawaii, but way up in Mexico.
On the first day of my trip I met a man on the beach and before we even passed shoulders
I told myself that I had to take his picture. He was a striking local man and a serious surfer too.
The next day I made the introductions and before long we were taking some pictures. He really
wanted to be shot near the catamaran, and I wanted something more simple. As it turns out we both
got the pictures we wanted.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Apple iPad PLUS Doc Weddings

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:57:47 -0800

The Perfect Wedding Album
We’ve done many wedding albums in the past. There’s leather bound, etched metal covers, blue books, red books, even glowing books. But one thing people have told us, is that the books just sit there. Untouched.

Welcome the new Apple iPad Wedding Albums. With a large 9.7inch diagonal touch screen, you can now interact with your wedding album in ways that will make it something that you want to show off. And an album that your family and friends will want to experience. A large screen lets you see and touch the beautiful story of your day. And you won’t be at the mercy of the design choices of a traditional wedding album. With one simple touch, you can enlarge every photo and see the details you might of missed.

A Wedding Album That Plays Video
Keep your wedding photos and your special wedding videos all in one place. Don’t worry about looking for that movie file on your computer or having to load your wedding movie DVD, with our Doc Weddings iPad Album you will now be able to fully interact with every memory from your special day. And if you want to share a memory with friends, just click and email the photo or video to your friends.

A Wedding Album That Moves With You
Weighing in at under 2 pounds, this wedding album can go anywhere you want to go. Take it on your next visit to your family or share it with colleagues at work.

All You Have To Do, Is Ask
Contact us today about our Apple iPad Plus Doc Weddings package.

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10 must have wedding photos

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:46:00 -0800

The definitive list of photos every wedding photographer should capture for you.

1. Emotion. The day is full of a lot of highs, maybe some lows but for sure some tears, smiles and nervousness on faces of Bride & Groom and family members. Anything can happen on your wedding day and your photographer should be able to equipped and able to record the subtle emotions throughout the day.
2. Preparation for the day. Some of the most touching, or crazy parts of the day are the events leading up to the nuptuals. The guys go golfing, make pancakes or hang out in their boxers all morning while the ladies primp and pose all with their closest friends. Emotions come into play here, see above, so this event is not be missed.
3. Overall shot of location. At some point your photographer should find a suitable place for a photo depicting the whole scene. So often the bridal party or the guests only see a small portion of the scene. Alot of money and time go into selecting the location, so make sure you get a scenic shot of what you paid for.
4. Details. Close-ups, macro, and micro shots of your rings, shoes, place settings, flowers. Small details you spent time and effort on, so you should have a photographic memory of all the thing important to you.
5. Ceremony. This goes without saying, but often the light is lousy where the ceremony is, so make sure your photographer is aware of the ceremony location and is able to supplement the lighting with flashes or strobes if necessary.
6. B&G with the Parents. Something casual, while dancing works great, or the photo booth. I don’t recommend the posing head on, straight line, it’s …..well boring.
7. The party, This is when guests and the wedding party let their guard down. And after all isn’t the night reserved for a celebration?
8. Isolation of couple away from everyone else. I recommend the day before or the day after if time permits, otherwise make sure there is some alone time before the reception.
9. Black &White, the bride is in white, groom often in black, it’s a natural.
10. An image unrelated to the wedding. Something happening outside of the bridal bubble. It could be anything, a scenic, the big blue sky, or raindrops, but an image or two the will make you go ahh.

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Portrait of CFL Eskimo Patrick Kabongo | Edmonton Portrait Photographer

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:20:48 -0800

I was commissioned by the Globe and Mail earlier this month to take a portrait of Patrick Kabongo, an offensive lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos’ CFL football team. The story was about how much he volunteers and gives back to his community. Patrick is a 6-foot-6, 315 pound small C celebrity here in our northern city. Fans love him because of how he plays on the field but he’s also known for his personality. Every time I’ve seen him he usually sports a huge smile or a great laugh. But, he seemed almost serene in every photo I took of him.

Patrick and his family fled the African city of Kinshasa in 1982 when the Zaire government was battling rebel forces in a bloody conflict. He came to Canada and grew up in Montreal and got started in football through an organization that runs sports programs for underserved children. He ended up playing at Vanier College and then to Nebraska University. Sometimes we forget that these athletes playing in our CFL are all top ranked football players coming from prestigious US football schools.

The Technical Stuff: This portrait involved three lighting scenarios. I used my Nikon D700 with a 50mm f/1.4 for the blue photo and a Nikon D300 and the 17-55mm lens for the other two. The first photo is obvious, with two Nikon speed lights with white shoot thru umbrellas on either side. I also use a Honl 1/8 grid on a Nikon SB900 for very focused lighting on his face (for both lit photos). In the third photo I put the speed lights behind him. BTW, that’s the roof he’s holding on to.

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Good Wishes

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:55:07 -0800

Time stands still this time of year, and we do alot of reflecting on the past year and some hoping for 2010. Well... for all you guys planning on getting down on one knee this festive season for the love of your life, or all you ladies who have already said yes, please keep docweddings in mind.

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Waiting game

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:19:00 -0800

Last week I spent five evenings at Rexall Place shooting the Canadian Curling Trials.
Curling is not my favourite thing to shoot, but after a few days a rhythm emerges and it becomes a waiting game for the best pictures from a three hour match.
I think this is what sets photographers from docweddings apart from other wedding photographers. Good pictures take time, and waiting for them to happen is part of that.
Too often I see wedding photographers rush people into poses and try to maximize their time with as many mundane photos as possible. I think it is always better to have fewer, but better images.

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