ASPIRE:
A NEW GENERATION OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS ENTERS
KT Merry, Photographer
STAGE LEFT.
By Resource Staff | Photos by KT Merry
KT Merry was attracted to the arts
at a young age, drawing, painting, and using her pets as subjects for her “photo shoots.” She eventually won a Photo Scholarship and went to Hallmark Institute of Photography. There, she learned practical and technical knowledge she was able to put to good use assisting fashion photographers in New York and Miami. KT talks to Resource about her decision to move from fashion to wedding photography, what the job entails, and why she loves it.
What attracted you to wedding photography? After four years of assisting and digital teching, I knew that I wanted the creative freedom of being my own art director and the owner of my own business. At that time (almost five years ago), something of a revolution was happening in wedding photography. The industry was attracting younger photographers; the traditional style was giving way to the ‘photojournalistic’ wave, and couples were embracing a new creative freedom when planning their weddings. It was no longer about having a cookie cutter wedding but rather expressing who you were through location, details, fashion, ... I was attracted to the creative freedom, and after shooting a few weddings I was hooked.
How did you start in the business? Once I made my decision to shoot weddings, I launched my business and began second shooting for other wedding photographers. This gave me the practical knowledge I needed; these experiences taught me to be in the right place at the right time, to anticipate events, and which techniques worked for me. All of this without the pressure and responsibility of being the main shooter.
You shoot both real life weddings and wedding editorials. Is your approach different for each? It is the same in the sense that I am always shooting with the end product in mind. With a wedding it may be an album, with an editorial it may be a magazine, but they both require detail shots to set the scene and tell the story, portraits to capture the love and emotion of the day, and landscape or interior shots to give it a place. I shoot a combination of medium format film and digital for both weddings and editorial jobs. I handle all the post-production for the digital images in-house while the film is sent to a lab and later worked back into my edit with the digital images. The main difference with editorials is that I have a team of vendors there to help me create something beautiful to photograph. At a wedding, I have the responsibility to create a beautiful experience for my clients as well as beautiful images. I will always put the couple’s experience first to ensure their day is everything it should be—even if it means not having the opportunity to capture every image I would like.
What are some good questions to ask your wedding clients prior to the big day? I like to get a feel of what they are looking for. I always talk about schedule and let them know that I like to be a part of determining the day’s timing. This ensures that I have proper lighting for key moments and also guarantees enough time is allocated for each event.
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Do you stage shots or only document what unfolds? Both. Throughout a wedding day, I take on many different roles: in the bridal suite, I focus on detail shots (shoes, dress, rings, invitation, etc), and shots of the bride getting ready, which are more photojournalistic. For portraits of the bride and groom (alone, together, with the bridal party), I become more of an art director—selecting locations, directing the couple, and helping them relax to capture the emotions of the day. During the ceremony and reception, I juggle composing details and portraits while photojournalistically capturing the day’s events. I am very fortunate to have my husband, Chad, as my second shooter and office manager. He assists me for the details shots, then leaves to shoot the groom while I shoot the bride getting ready. He will then second shoot the ceremony, assist me during portraits (or shoot cocktail hour), do long exposure shots of the reception area while I shoot the details, before we both shoot the reception.
What are some of the golden rules you use? I think it is extremely important to realize a wedding is one of the most significant days in a couple’s life. Though I may shoot quite a few of them, I approach each as if it is the most important wedding I will ever photograph. I take a personal interest in helping my clients enjoy their day and make sure that I am part of that positive experience. Occasionally that will mean carrying a dress or giving instructions on tying a bow tie—I’m happy to help when needed. I also feel that being a professional is crucial. Weddings are a one-time event, and unlike an editorial, you can’t redo a first kiss or first dance. Being prepared with the necessary equipment (and backups), being on time, dressed appropriately, treating other vendors with respect are all imperative.
How do you deliver your images to your wedding clients? First, I send them an online slideshow of selects (using Showit Web), followed by all the images in an online gallery (using Redcart). I also provide them with 4x6 printed proofs and flush mounted leather albums by KISS or Japanese cloth albums by Leather Craftsman.