My approach to wedding photography developed during 14 years of photographing, writing, and editing for newspapers. This included time as a photo editor, directing a five-photographer department at a 40,000-circulation daily and Sunday newspaper. At heart, I'm a photojournalist.

MY PHILOSOPHY
I encourage simplicity and elegance. I believe that only two goals must be achieved on a successful wedding day: The bride and groom must say their vows, and they and their guests must have fun. That's it. When a bride and groom relax and focus on what's really important, they make their guests more relaxed and happier. This makes for more open expressions, more affection, and greater chances for emotional photographs.

In wedding planning sessions, I counsel brides to consider the emotional ebb and flow of the wedding day. With this in mind, I help brides structure their wedding day to heighten romance and reduce stress.

MY METHOD
On the day of the wedding, I follow a few simple rules:
First, “Ignore me unless you need me. Go have fun.” This is my standard instruction to the bride and groom. Once the ceremony begins, I tend not to spend a lot of time interupting the bride and groom for pictures.
Second, "Respect the guests."  I accommodate the needs of your guests. If they request photographs, I find an appropriate time to make them. I don't mind at all if they photograph over my shoulder.

MY PASSION
I love my work. I have a masters degree in business administration, and there are other careers I could pursue. But this is the one I love. I'm a romantic at heart, and I like everything about weddings ... including the pressure on the photographer. This passion may be one reason that I get high grades from brides and grooms for putting people at ease, even difficult ones. The fun I have often rubs off on others.

We'll always photograph in the style and schedule to meet brides' wishes, and we stay as long as the bride, groom and their families would like. Most of my packages include preparations-to-last-dance coverage, and it's not unusual for me to work 10- and 12-hour days. I generally start coverage with the bride's breakfast out or when the hair stylist arrives. I also visit as many outdoor locations as needed. There's no extra charge. I want to the tell the wedding story as fully as possible.

Schedule a consultation with Jim Ritch by sending an email today or phoning him at 410-219-9110.