Merry Christmas
From the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, NY to Steamboat Landing in Canandaigua, NY and Burgundy Basin in Pittsford, NY to the Green Lantern Inn in Fairport, NY, every wedding is special, every location unique, and every photograph timeless. My goal is to capture each wedding in exquisite detail through fine-art wedding photography.
Until the wedding season begins, may you and your family enjoy a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and successful new year.
All the best from your Rochester wedding photographer, Ryan T. Collier Photography LLC.
Jamie & Mike – Engagement Photography – Rochester, NY
Engagement sessions are opportunities for brides and grooms to get to know their wedding photographer a little better, have a lot of fun, and end up with some amazing photographs to share with friends and family members. Jamie & Mike were a blast to work with, very laid back, and always laughing!
For Jamie and Mike’s engagement session, we traveled to two unique locations – Mendon Ponds Park in Mendon, NY and Canandaigua’s Inn on the Lake. Our first engagement session trip took us to Inn on the Lake and unfortunately the weather was not cooperating. We had an excellent backdrop of beautiful autumn-colored leaves; however, the temperature was about 40-degrees. Jamie & Mike were amazing at covering up just how cold it was outside.
The following week the weather was a bit warmer and we scheduled a trip to Mendon Ponds Park to photograph the second round of Jamie & Mike’s engagement session. We made two brief stops before arriving at Mendon Ponds Park – a local pumpkin farm in Henrietta and another farm on the way to Mendon.
After arriving at Mendon Ponds Park, we spent about a good hour or so settling in and getting comfortable. Well, Jamie and Mike got comfortable while I ran around setting up portable flashes and hauling in leaves from around the park! Just as we finished photographing the engagement session it started to sprinkle. Perfect timing!
Here are some of their engagement photographs from our engagement session at Mendon Ponds Park and Canandaigua Inn on the Lake. Enjoy!
A Beautiful “Thank You” Card!
I received a beautifully created (and very artistic) thank you card over the weekend from Caitlin & Erich whose wedding I photographed earlier in August. Their kind words really blew me away! I was humbled and very blessed to be their wedding day photographer. Caitlin & Erich – You both are very welcome, and thank you for the opportunity! :)
Ryan,
Thank you simply does not express our gratitude for your beautiful photographs of our wedding day. We were so impressed with your professionalism, kindness and relaxed tone throughout the entire wedding planning process and day. It was so reassuring to know we needn’t worry about our photos as they are in your skilled hands.
So many friends and family remarked on how impressed they were with you. The resulting photographs only reaffirmed these opinions. Thank you for recording our special event in such a lovely, artistic way.
All our best,
Caitlin & Erich
Wedding Fit for a Queen at the Belhurst Castle
The Belhurst Castle, located in Geneva, NY was the backdrop for Sarah and Brian’s wedding; the day couldn’t have been more perfect and the wedding more eloquent. No detail was spared, from the center pieces that Sarah meticulously created herself to the chuppah that Brian built out of lumber from nearby woods – with his groomsmen assisting with the finishing touches.
Sarah began her day at Scott Miller Salon & Spa around 10am for hair and makeup before returning to the Belhurst in Geneva for final preparations. Set facing Seneca Lake, the ceremony was perfectly executed with a very classy-dressed bridal party in black with bride’s maids holding green, long-stemmed lilies. Sarah’s dress couldn’t have been more perfect for the venue and was absolutely brilliant!
For her wedding photographs, Sarah wanted a high-end, fashion magazine feel – this translated toward more contrast and moodier photographs to arrive at wedding photographs with an edge. For some of the black and whites, I experimented with adding an ever-so-slight blueish cast to just the shadow areas. This made the photos stand out from a traditional, straight black and white print. I think it’s key however to strike a balance between the high-end fashion and classical – therefore not every photograph was treated with an edgy look.
Carmen and the entire staff at Belhurst are top-notch; if you’re looking for a truly spectacular location for your wedding, take a look at the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, NY. Below are a few of my favorite photographs from Sarah & Brian’s Belhurst wedding. Enjoy! And, a special thanks to Sarah & Brian for being such an easy couple to work with and so laid back! :)
Leslie & Brandon – Rochester Wedding Engagement Photography
This past weekend I photographed an engagement session for Leslie & Brandon, two Fairport natives whose wedding I’ll be photographing in a few weeks! For this engagement session, I traveled to Erie and spent the afternoon talking with them about how they met, various stories growing up, oh and taking some photographs along the way too. :)
Engagement photos are a great precursor to wedding photographs – Leslie and Brandon were able to get a feel for how I will photograph their wedding, and I can get a good idea of how they react to the camera. During the photography for their Rochester wedding, I’ll be able to draw on the engagement session to achieve more fluid and less invasive wedding day photography. As a Rochester wedding photographer, I’m committed to delivering the very best wedding photographs – engagement photos are one way that I differentiate myself and offer truly exceptional wedding photography.
Here are a few of my favorite photographs from Leslie & Brandon’s engagement session. Enjoy!
Sarah & Brian – Belhurst Castle Wedding Photography – Geneva, NY
In May I’ll be photographing the wedding of Sarah & Brian at the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, NY. Today was the first time I had an opportunity to met with them (they currently reside out of state), and I’m even more excited to be a part of their wedding day! I spent the afternoon touring the grounds with them in preparation of their wedding photography – discovering areas to shoot their formal wedding photographs and to get an overall feeling for the schedule of their wedding day.
The events coordinator, Carmen, has been a part of Belhurst for over 20 years and she was extremely helpful at answering Sarah and Brian’s wedding-day questions and putting them both at ease. Part of the stress of planning a wedding is answering the question, “Who’s going to do what – when?”. Belhurst’s attention to detail and customer-oriented approach is exceptional, putting any wedding-day jitters to rest and reassuring the wedding couple that every detail is masterfully and thoughtfully taken care of.
The possibilities for wedding photography on the grounds of the Belhurst Castle are more or less limitless; it really depends what style of wedding photography the bride and groom gravitate toward. For Sarah and Brian, I’m going to concentrate on edgy, sexy, fashion-inspired wedding photography with a look similar to that in a high-end magazine spread. We even discussed some ways of shooting the formal and bridal party wedding photographs in unique and different ways to really punctuate the desire for artistic and truly original photographs.
I brought my camera along and took a dozen or so photos while walking around the Belhurst grounds, talking about the wedding day in general and specifically the wedding photography. I’ve included a few of my favorite photographs below (I really like the photograph of Brian looking out at Geneva Lake and the photograph of Sarah silhouetted while standing next to the wrought-iron door inside the Belhurst Castle).
Caitlin & Erich – Rochester Wedding Photography
Spring is almost here and that means we’re inching closer to the beginning of another fantastic summer wedding photography season in Rochester, NY! I’m especially anxious to get back outside and start photographing what are sure to be some truly amazing weddings this year. So far, I’m scheduled to photograph weddings in a variety of unique locations from Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY to Gathering’s at the Senator’s Mansion in Churchville, NY.
In August, I’m photographing Caitlin and Erich’s wedding in Scottsville. This is a couple who is very on top of things – finding time to assemble a wedding web site blog with details on places to visit and things to do for guests visiting from out of town. Creating a wedding web site is a fantastic idea as it allows easy dissemination of information to a large group of people quickly and effortlessly – the blog format increases readability and maintenance too. Blogger.com is a free service from Google that allows you to setup a wedding web site blog effortlessly – try it now and spread the news that you’re getting married (and that you’ve found that perfect wedding photographer)!
As an aside from wedding photography, I was downstate last week and took a few photos of the Lain family farm in Westtown, NY. Here are a few of my favorite pics, and one additional photograph of my cousin Michelle during my trip down to Florida over Christmas. Enjoy!
Rochester Wedding Photography? Now Is A Great Time!
If you’re getting married in 2009, or maybe if you’re already planning for a wedding in 2010, now is a great time to talk with Ryan about your wedding photography – even if you’re not getting married in Rochester or in the surrounding area. “A lot of clients ask if I only photograph weddings in Rochester. Actually, I’m able to travel anywhere a bride and groom are getting married – I really love traveling!”
If 2009 is your year to get married, but you haven’t decided on a wedding photographer, or maybe you haven’t had time to research a local wedding photographer, today is a great day to get in touch with Ryan, setup an appointment, and discuss exactly how you envision your wedding being photographed and how best to achieve that vision. There are still several dates available during the summer of 2009 – however, with the wedding season fast approaching, it’s best to contact your Rochester wedding photographer as soon as possible to lock in your wedding day!
“With reception dinner, bridal and bride’s maids’ dresses, cake, tuxes, invitations, and transportation costs, a wedding can be an expensive undertaking! I’d like to help by saving couples some money on their wedding photography. After all, next to your own personal memories and stories of your wedding day, your wedding photographs are the only assets that truly preserve one of the biggest days in your entire lives!
During the month of February, I’m giving couples who book their wedding photography by the end of the month 10% off any wedding photography package – including customized packages! This is a really great way for couples to save up to $500 or more on their wedding photography costs.”
There’s a simple wedding photography contact form that you can fill out to get started, or call Ryan at 585.217.7510 and he’ll setup a day and time to meet with you personally and put your mind totally at ease – if your wedding is in less than a week or if it’s more than a year away!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
I’d like to pause and thank each and every one of my wonderful clients for an amazing year!
Congratulations to my many wedding couples who are spending their first Christmas together as a married couple. It was an honor and a priveledge photographing your weddings. ;)
I’ve already booked many weddings for the upcoming summer, and I look forward to photographing all of my new clients’ weddings in 2009!
Wishing everyone the very best in the new year, congratulations on your engagement and here’s to your year!
Two Beautiful Rochester Weddings
Well, it’s officially been over two months since my last blog post, and so much has happened I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve been extremely busy with my wedding photography, school, and life in general.
Last week I returned to Salmon Creek to photograph the wedding of Rose and Jeremy Norred! On October 11, 2008 – Rose and Jeremy were blessed with absolutely perfect autumn weather complete with royal blue skies and warm, 70-degree weather. Their wedding was held outdoors on the grounds of the Salmon Creek C.C. with the reception being held at the same location.
The early-evening fall light was absolutely picture-perfect! With the sun hanging low in the sky and a lush, green canvas to photograph the formal wedding photographs against, it was truly a wonderful time all around. :)
My day began early in the morning, traveling from Rochester to Brockport to photograph wedding preparation photos of the bride. I spent a few hours at Rose’s house, photographing everything from the wedding party getting ready to Rose and her family applying make-up, before riding over in the limo to Salmon Creek. I was especially excited to use a new 85mm, 1.8f lens I purchased a week or so before the wedding, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results.
That new lens affords me the possibility of shooting weddings in very low lighting conditions, such as churches, chapels, and dim wedding reception halls; however, I’m able to maintain a very high shutter speed (resulting in crisper images).
The pre-ceremony and formal wedding photos were my favorite out of the day’s worth of shooting, in which I ended up with over 2,500 photographs between me and my colleague, who was instrumental in helping document such a magnificent wedding day. But, the best part for me is hearing about how satisfied clients are when the see their photographs. That’s worth every second I spend with my camera and my eye behind the lens – when a client writes and tells me just how happy I’ve made them. :)
On September 27, I photographed Tami & Joel Hebert’s wedding in Hamlin, NY which is just outside of Rochester. It was a beautiful fall day with the wedding ceremony being held at St. John Lutheran Church and the reception following at the Salmon Creek C.C. After shooting a few wedding formal pictures at the church, we made a quick stop for more formal wedding photographs at the Adams Basin Inn right alongside the Erie Canal.
The Inn is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for outside weddings (for those of you looking for your future wedding). The innkeepers were extremely friendly and very accommodating. :)
Salmon Creek C.C. is barely a minute down the road, which made for a quick drive to the reception where the real fun began! ;)
I had an amazing time photographing Tami and Joel’s wedding; Tami’s such a special lady and Joel is a really nice guy too – they truly are a wonderful couple and I’m honored to have been a part of their special day.
Niagara-on-the-Lake
I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary with my wife, Keziah, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. The town is beautiful and very well-appointed with exquisite dining, shops, and activities. We stayed at the Pillar and Post and couldn’t have enjoyed our stay more! :)
The area is very picturesque, especially in the fall. If I had an opportunity to photograph a wedding in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I would jump at it! There are so many wonderful locations for wedding photography in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in fact, when we arrived there was a wedding photographer taking photos at the Pillar and Post, and we later saw the same wedding photographer taking wedding photos near the “Hall of Trees.” :)
Here are some photos from our trip!
Drops of Jupiter.
Well, I missed the Perseids meteor shower which was apparently Tuesday morning at 2am.
But, I did happen to take a couple photographs of Jupiter and the Moon. In the picture below, Jupiter can be seen as the brightest object, other than the Moon itself, in the top-left corner of the photo.
It’s hard to tell, but the planet had an orange-ish glow. It appears more white in the picture though. :)
An Overdue Post.
I know it’s been some time since my last post, so I wanted to take a few moments and provide an update on what I’ve been focusing my energies on over the past few weeks.
While excellent, creative photography skills are essential to running a photography business, accurate accounting is also integral to the success of the venture. With that thought in mind, I registered for an accounting course during the summer and I’ve been heavily immersed in learning the roles and functions of accounting with respect to business operations as it relates to running a full service wedding photography business in Rochester, New York and the greater Upstate New York area.
The second area where I have been concentrating my time is researching and acquiring new photographic equipment that will augment the photography equipment I already own and allow me to provide an even higher level of quality wedding photography images to current and future clients.
While I believe it is the photographer and not the photographer’s equipment that is most paramount when selecting a wedding photographer – or any photographer for that matter, I also can’t ignore the importance of ensuring I’m using the best and highest quality equipment when capturing countless wedding memories for clients.
By investing in the best photographic equipment, I free myself to really focus on my main objective at every wedding I’m hired to photograph: create truly original and breath-taking fine art wedding photographs that are timeless.
Nothing stands still while photographing a wedding. And, there are no forgiving moments to change the batteries in a flash or wait for the flash to recycle. Understanding this, I recently invested in a rechargeable battery pack that offers an unparalleled 1-sec recycle time and is also in line with my company’s socially responsible “Green” philosophy of minimizing environment impact.
The battery’s ability to power over 1,000 full-power flashes and the elimination of battery waste from landfills is something wedding clients and the Company can both be happy about.
Finally, much of my time has been invested in assisting with the coordination of a fundraiser event to benefit the Lindsay Graygo Empowerment Scholarship, a scholarship established in the honour of former classmate Lindsay Graygo who passed away much too early this past February. The event date of August 13 is rapidly approaching and with it a need to finalize remaining details to ensure its success.
I’d encourage anyone interested in learning more about this very positive approach to an otherwise tragic event to read more at http://LindsayGraygoEmpowermentScholarship.org.
Within the next month I’m going to be focusing my energies on some really exciting developments that will be extremely beneficial to wedding clients in need of wedding photography!
I can’t speak about it at length right now, but I will give an update in the very near future. What I can tell you is this: I’ve never been excited about an upcoming development more than I am about this current one! :)
Until then, I continue to offer exceptional wedding and event photography to clients in the Rochester and Upstate New York areas. I have booked about a half dozen wedding photography shoots for 2009 already; so, if you’re considering a wedding photographer for your wedding in 2009 feel free to contact me to verify my availability and how we can collaborate on making your wedding photographs truly unique and amazing! :)
I’m always easy to get a hold of: 585.217.7510 or via e-mail ryan@ryantcollier.com.
:)
A Fantastic Family Portrait Session!
I had both the honour and priviledge of photographing the Buttarazzi family’s portraits today in Webster. The two hour photo session went by really fast, and all the children were execptionally well-behaved! (The adults were pretty attentive as well. :))
It was great to spend part of my afternoon with such a great group of individuals and a very loving family. Mr. and Mrs. Buttarazzi were so friendly and a real pleasure to work with and photograph.
I’m anxious to start post-producing the photographs! We ended up shooting photos at a few different locations on the grounds of the Webster Arboretum in Webster, NY.
Thanks to John, Katie, Mr. and Mrs. Buttarazzi and the entire Buttarazzi family for a great family portrait session today! ;)
Independence Day Comes to an End.
Well, just like that and the 232nd Independence Day has come to a close – well at least for those living on the eastern coast of the United States. :)
The photographs of the fireworks came out amazing for them having been my first crack. If I would change anything next year it would be two things. First, I would ride my bike. The fireworks ended about an hour
and a half ago and yet, here I sit idly in traffic. Also, people are generally obnoxious when they are sitting in traffic – as if honking your horn is really going to solve the problem and make the volume of
cars decrease.
The other alteration would be to bring some bug spray. It just so happens that fireworks begin right about the time that mosquitos emerge to feast on tasty humans. Note to self, next year bring the Off.
With gas currently fetching $4.40+, I opted to just remain in my comfy parking space until the traffic thins out a bit – no sense burning perfectly good gasoline if my vehicle isn’t going anywhere, right? :)
And just as finished typing that, I look up and discover the path is clear! I’m heading home to check out some of the pictures from tonight’s fireworks show!
Tomorrow is a busy day for me, I’ll be shooting some family portraits in Webster which I’m really excited for!
After I shoot the family photos I have a few bookkeeping tasks to attend to as well as some new advertising that I’d like to start working on. :)
Happy Independence Day and God bless! :)
A Fourth Friday Finale
It’s about 9:13 and I’m situated at the top of a small hill near a
local Target in Penfield, NY all set up for my first attempt at
photographing fireworks!
I’m not certain exactly where the fireworks will be launched from, so
here’s wishing. :)
The moon is really cool looking; there’s barely a sliver visible. It
looks great against the almost-twilight sky!
There’s about 40 minutes til launch now. :)
I’ll post some photographs of my initial attempt as soon as I get home.
Wish me luck! ;)
A Fourth Afternoon
I’m blogging from the Webster Arboretum where I’m spending a few hours
taking some photographs of the incredibly gorgeous gardens.
There’s actually a wedding reception being held here too! I wonder who
their wedding photographer is. :)
My next stop will be to grab some lunch. Taking photos can really wear
a photographer down, taking wedding photos or not!
Check back later! :)
Happy 4th!
I decided that I would spend Independence Day traveling around town
blogging and taking pictures.
I hope to post several blogs throughout the day!
Stay tuned!
Some New Friends and Some New Gear.
I met with my latest wedding couple, Kevin and Brittany, today at Starbucks to meet Brittany for the first time and to go over some great ideas that they both had for their wedding in June of 2009.
I can tell already their wedding will be fantastic, and I’m really looking forward to photographing their wedding next year!
Earlier today, I took delivery of some new photography gear that I will use immediately this upcoming weekend for my family portrait photography shoot in Webster. I purchased a new polarizing filter, UV filter, and some nifty cinch straps that will allow me to attach my tripod to my gear bag. I also picked up a new petal-style lens hood for my 17-85mm lens.
The lens filters were made by an Italian company, Hoya, and they are all multi-coated to reduce reflection, light scatter, and flare. :) The only downside is they’re about twice as expense as non-multi-coated photographic lens filters. :(
But, you can’t compensate for a fine piece of glass. ;)
I took a few snapshots of before and after pictures with the polarizer, the difference is remarkable!
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Many Prayers Answered!
Today was an absolutely brilliant day, aside from a brief shower early in the afternoon which blew through rather quickly. After dodging that potential bullet, I made excellent use of the daylight and decided I would string up my hammock and conquer my third and final relaxation technique outside. Gorgeous in the sun!
Though I finished my last relaxation session as well as the adjoining lab report, I didn’t feel as productive today as I did on Saturday. Eh, you work hard you play hard, right? Not that I’m “playing” today, but I’m definitely taking the day much slower than yesterday. I kind of this routine I’m in lately where I will work really hard and cross off a great deal from my “To Do” list, and then downshift the following day(s) to a much slower pace.
I feel if I manage my time properly, I can achieve a reasonable balance between work, play, and personal stress level. If I work too fast for too long, I burn out. If I work too slowly, my agenda fills up faster than I can work it down. Therefore, a good balance is to work hard to achieve the goals I set, and then reward myself with slower paced days enjoying some leisure time. I intend to bring this ideal more into practice in the very near future. :)
It really all boils down to effective time management and responsible use of one’s time to achieve reasonably set and attainable goals. Hey, I like that quote! :)
On a much more personal note, many prayers were answered today when I learned that there had been an arrest made in the murder of my schoolmate, Lindsay Graygo! Absolute exuberance filled my heart when I read of this in an e-mail sent to me by another one of the members on the committee to raise funds for the scholarship in Lindsay’s honour. I can’t think of a better way to put a cap on a day, or weekend for that matter, than for positive and uplifting news to be discovered! :)
Entrepreneur Traits.
[Sigh] Well, I’ve arrived at the second to last week of my stress management class, and the last week of journal entries! I’m excited, not because the journal entries are expiring, but because I’m nearing the end of a short-term goal for the summer – much to be celebrated and excited about!
Speaking of summer, yesterday was the first official day of summer, though it sure felt more like Spring. Today was much warmer and I spent a fair amount of my waking hours outdoors finishing up some more woodworking projects.
I finally finished all the bedroom baseboard trim!! What an odyssey that had been – almost a 7 month project! I actually felt incredibly satisfied once I stood back and admired the finished bedroom. Whoever said much pleasure is derived from the simplest of things was spot on.
My overall happiness carried into the early evening when I decided I would do my neighbour a favour and mow his lawn, since he was out of town. It definitely feels good when you’re doing good. And, the 15 minutes that it took me to mow and edge his lawn seemed effortless to boot. I really didn’t even realize how fast I had completed the work until I was putting away my mower and trimmer!
I had made a list of things I wanted to accomplish for the day, and I got a fair amount of them done, leaving just a few things for Sunday. ‘Twas a very productive but relaxing day! I’m definitely recognizing how I’m happier and more satisfied when I’m productive than when I sit around and wittle away my hours on meaningless tasks.
I wonder if that’s a personality trait of all business people and/or entrepreneurs… :)
Occupation: Learner.
I worked mainly on preparing my NY sales tax return for the 1Q08 today.
Random thought, but if it’s one thing I’ve learned about me, it’s that when I get bored, I check out mentally. I need intellectual stimulation to survive. Not so much stuff to do, but I need stuff to learn. I crave knowledge!
I’ve often said that if I were ever to come into a large windfall of cash, that I would consider becoming a full-time student. Think about that – learning, full-time. And, always learning something completely new and different. I know that’s not a dream job to some, but to me it would be fantastic! How could one ever become bored with an infinite amount of knowledge to attain? If I got tired of learning one subject, I’d invest my time in another!
That’s when I know it’s time for me to move on from one thing to the next, when it become routine. I’m not saying that I don’t like routine, I just don’t like feeling as though my mind is being subjected to repetitive tasks. That is one of the main reasons that many of my friends have said I would make a good lawyer – there is always something to be researched or learned or discovered. :)
Tomorrow, I’m meeting my friend Craig for breakfast at Bruegger’s, it’s great that we’ve gotten back in the habit of getting together for breakfast at least once a week to solve the world’s problems. :) It’s really a great way to not only start the day, but to also kick start the weekend. I’ve completed not only my personal journal, but also 2 out of my 3 relaxation technique lab reports, leaving just my final report for the weekend. I feel very on top of things and as though I can take on anything!! :)
If it’s nice this weekend, I’d like to devote some time to researching some cutting edge wedding photography techniques – something that’s really new and exciting and different! That’s one way I try and set myself apart from the other Rochester, New York wedding photographers – I’m always learning and trying new ways of photographing weddings in the Rochester area!