Dear Wedding Bloggers, You Suck. I know I’m doing my best work and reaching a higher calling when I am scared to death to publish something. What if I upset or anger someone? What if commentators flay me? What if I lose the support of my community? But I also find it deeply satisfying to stay true to myself. I am a wedding blogger who knows the wedding industry isn’t perfect. And I know I am part of the problem as well as part of the solution. It’s a prickly place to be, but one worth exploring. So it’s with a deep sense of fear and with profound satisfaction that I publish this letter that landed in my inbox this weekend. Share to any service, or add a custom service to share to. AddToAny gets people to the right destination to share or save your content, whether it's. Written by a photographer, it explores the landscape of both mainstream and new media publishing and asks what makes a wedding worthy of publication. Some of you may agree while others disagree. It’s an important conversation to have. Oh, hey, wedding bloggers! Of course, this is just my own humble opinion, but I am here to represent the other photographers and brides of the world who don? It is certainly not because of the quality of photography. I have repeatedly seen photography on blogs like Cockles and Pretties that would make a 3- year- old look like a pro. Because not all of our weddings include brides sporting bird nests in their hair, or pretty, young Anthropologie- swathed bridesmaids, or meticulously stenciled miniature burlap dinosaurs holding up place cards made from the recycled issues of Rolling Stone, or weddings held in obscure meadows that can only be reached via bush pilot or a team of sled dogs. It is, but you publish this stuff daily! So what is the reality behind many weddings? Send contributions to: [email protected] Marriage Quotes Cartoons and Jokes Signs of the Times Wedding Readings, Wedding Toasts, Vows, Songs & Rituals.Sometimes our clients get married in churches, country clubs, or even a VFWs (oh yes. Sometimes average. Now, don. And in turn, it’s not realistic to publish that type of wedding in every blog post! In fact, the state of the wedding blog- o- sphere is downright distressing for some couples. They! Glad you asked, because I’ll tell you. They get it from the same place that gave women a negative self- image of their bodies: the Media. It used to be that the Media consisted largely of magazines and newspapers. But now you bloggers are a part of the Media, albeit the so- called “new media.”Wedding Photographers Suck Too. Wedding blogs aren. They leave out the VFW weddings and the heavier couples so that perspective clients who aren’t Cockles and Pretties- worthy don. So my plea to you is this: consider the average bride. Consider the bride who looks at wedding blogs for inspiration, but only finds ideas she either can. Your job as publishers should be to document this wonderful event for all couples. So show us different types of brides and their weddings, both extraordinary and simple. You’re All Starting to Look the Same! Do something outside of the norm and you. And I’m not talking about finding the next fad. Focus on good photography and substance. This would make different posts stand out, and brides wouldn. Readers would see that every bride and wedding is different — not because of feathers and burlap, but because of the unique nature of human relationships; because of time and money constraints; and because the most important part of the day isn’t in the details. Deep down I know you do. By the Way, That’s “So 2. And, while you are considering what to accept, please consider the photography! The truth is this: Fad Photoshop filters and actions are often used to cover- up bad or boring photography. It doesn’t matter how many different shoe colors the bridesmaids wore if I can barely see the difference because the hideous yellow and pink of a Photoshop filter. Sometimes I can’t even tell if they. How am I supposed to appreciate the little adorable dogs in tuxedos if the picture is so underexposed that I can. And for the love of Pete don’t keep promoting those fads! By way of example, let me remind you of selective color. Remember in 2. 00. Then everyone is going to look at those weddings and think, . Stop being wooed by fads!
Stop Publishing Crappy Photography! Let me tell you, those 1. It’s also nauseating to scroll through all those bile- yellow filtered photographs of fields with the bride and groom all but obscured by fake, Photoshopped “sun- flares.”We get it. But let’s face it, it’s not a very attractive one. Photographs of the type of weddings that we all actually attend: regular ones. I guarantee these well- documented, professionally- shot weddings that honor true color will be the classics in 2. They are honest. Want to know how to find better photographers? Find free PowerPoint templates and slide designs by topic to use in your PowerPoint presentations. Stop picking photographers exclusively from your preferred vendor list. You know who and what I’m talking about. I’m referring to those photographers who pay you to be listed. Maybe, just maybe, there is someone out there whose work you really like, but who isn. And maybe, if you find a wedding from that person, you can publish it without saying something like: . We’d love to publish it, but you? That’s what you’re going with? That’s your bottom line? OK, fine. Then select advertisers whose work you can stand behind. Readers turn to you for solid recommendations. When selecting vendors, consider skill level, not just sales revenue. Then, when someone advertises with you, you can in good conscious publish one of their weddings or even ask for an expert interview. Oh, but I forgot, the bridal party is sporting twigs in their hair. I know you’re smarter than that. Aren’t you? Does this sound like the rant of a photographer who rarely gets published? I am most thankful to the little, upcoming blogs that may soon rise up and take over with their good photography and their variety of wedding types. Of course unique weddings that I. But it breaks my heart when some of my . Look, I’m a detail- oriented photographer; I always make sure I get a variety of shots. But at the end of the day, those in- between weddings that I shoot, that are unique and held in gorgeous locations, don! And all brides and grooms need to beloved. How did this turn into high- fashion? Why are we daily hosting a who- can- have- the- weirdest- decorations- and- wedding- dress contest? I know this is a lot to ask. And I know the problem doesn’t lie just with wedding bloggers. I also know why you exclusively accept highly- styled shoots and weddings; I understand that you have to make a living, too. You need to attract new readers and new advertisers. You feel the only way to do that is to be unique, to carve out your niche, to offer something new and novel every day. But this fantasy wedding world is not the reality of most weddings. Don’t screw up their heads with a constant barrage of the unattainable. Give them something they can relate to. Just Get Real. So, it. It’s high time we honor the experiences and pictures of the average wedding that may have simple details, but always has lots of laughter and family and friends. These weddings *can* teach us something about the true meaning of weddings and of marriage. In fact, they do every weekend during wedding season. I think these pictures should be readily available. Don’t be afraid to celebrate the average wedding. It will be okay–more than okay. It will be honest and heartfelt and full of life and substance. I promise. About the Author: Meg Surly (not her real name) is an accomplished wedding photographer who has seen her work published in both big blogs and small, as well as in print. When not photographing weddings, she seriously considers starting a non- profit to support couples who need an antidote to the Bridal Koolaid, and to help bloggers in desperate need of a reality check. About Cockles and Pretties: Cockles and Pretties is not a real blog. It’s a combination of everything wrong with many popular wedding blogs.
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