Never before had I entered a photo into any sort of competition, so why not start with a professional photographer's competition, right? As most of you know, my primary focus is wedding photography, it's what I really love to do. What you may not know is that it is less likely for those types of photos to score as high in competition. My main goal with every client is to provide them with the very best images that I can produce, however what makes a great client image isn't necessarily cut out for a professional competition.
The Professional Photographer Association's judges follow strict criteria for what makes a merited/blue ribbon image. Most entries are planned/stylized shoots to which their photographers have given lengthy amounts of time to plan out and then execute. Now put these well thought out images up against ones that are often shot on the fly - with little forethought - during the middle of a wedding day! You can see why it becomes so challenging to score high on any of the many technical elements required of this profession.
All that being said, I was very excited to have one image earn the honor of being a merited/blue ribbon image! The remaining four scored only two points under blue ribbon, but were still red ribbon worthy! The entire process was a very humbling, nerve-racking, and vulnerable experience, but it also turned out to be a very encouraging and heartwarming one, as I received much positive feedback from both fellow photographers and the presiding judges. This culminated in being presented with the "First Time Entrant Award" for having the highest scoring average among all of the first time competitors! A special thank you to all of my amazing clients who put their faith in me and for the support of my friends and family. I could not have done it without you all, and look forward to doing this job for many years to come!
Dan & Vanessa's Wedding | The Landing At Pine Point | Portland, Maine Wedding Photographer
The very last hours of my 2015 were happily spent photographing this lovely couple on their wedding day. It was hard to ask for much more on New Year's Eve than having 40 degree temperatures and no snow storms. This made for easy travel between locations and the rare ability to snag a few outdoor photos without freezing! The whole day was so beautiful and it was such an honor to be there to share in it with them, their friends, and their family. I wish them all the best and am thankful that they chose me to be their photographer. I hope that these photos reignite the memories from that day and help those who couldn't be there to have a small glimpse into the beauty and the emotion of the day! Special thanks to The Westin, First Parish Church, and The Landing At Pine Point for all of their accommodations and helping the day to run smoothly. Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy the photos!
At the end of the photos is a link to the full gallery where orders can be made!
Thank you Dan and Vanessa!
- Vendors -
Photographer: James Flachsbart
Videographer: 207 weddings
Hair & Makeup: Marci Bryant and Jessica Parzych
Venue: The Landing at Pine Point
Catering & Cake: The Black Tie Company
Planner: Shannon Cruise, The Black Tie Company
Flowers: Nancy Stedman at Little River Flower Farm
Dress: Alore Bridals
Band — Unity
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