Crafting the Perfect Wedding Album

Happy Monday everyone! Today's blog is short but important. Today we are talking about picking the best images for your wedding album. Over the past 12 years of doing wedding photography Sarah and I have designed hundreds of wedding albums. After a time we started to develop a philosophy when it came to how these albums should be built. Similar to our business philosophy, which is to revolve everything we do around love, our photo album method is to tell a love story. 

It is very easy to grab 30 or so of your favorite photos and drag them into a folder and hit the place order button. It’s fine to do that if that's what you want but realize that your photo album could be so much more. Your future granddaughter could pick this book off the shelf and see either a common book of old photos or they could be reading a fairy tale. The difference is that one book is made up of good photos and the other of course tells a story and has the potential to be a time machine! 

When you're designing your book remember that you're weaving a narrative. Additionally not as many photos fit into a standard album as you might think. In my opinion that is a good thing. You might have 700 photos in your wedding album and have to narrow that down to 30-40. That means that only the cream of the crop are going to make the cut. 

There are 5 main parts of a wedding day when it comes to photos. 

Preparation ( getting ready shots. Make-up, getting into the dress, first look with bridesmaids etc… )

Couples and bridal ( Immediately after the first look if you have a first look. If you do not have  a first look they will should be done immediately following the ceremony. )

Formals and bridal party (Bridal party shots followed by your more formal family posed shots ) 

Ceremony 

Reception ( Cake cutting, dancing, speeches etc…) 

I would recommend picking 4-5 photos from each part of the day and then fill the remainder of the book with couples shots as they are going to be the star of the show in this story book. 

Personally I like to pick the photos which are the most expressive whether or not they are the best photos because they are the ones that tell the best story. As an example a grainy photo of your grandfather laughing and having a moment with your fiance is worth more than a perfectly lit and staged photo of your rings. 

So, to sum this up I would say to keep the mindset of telling a story and imagine someone picking this book up in 30 years. Be in their shoes as you design and think about how they will read it. Will they be looking through old photos or will they be transported back to a special time and place in your life and in the history of your family.

Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

If you want to learn more about Sarah and I you can click the link below to check out our about us page and hop over to the contact page if your interested in setting up a shoot or a consultation!

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

4 tips for perfect getting ready photos

Creating the perfect wedding day!

Mother of the bride zipping up her daughters gorgeous wedding dress!

Hello again, I hope you're having an amazing 2024 so far! Over the past 10+ years of doing wedding photography in Ohio and around the country I have done hundreds of weddings and taken getting ready photos with all types of people. Almost every wedding falls victim to the same issue and today I hope to help raise awareness to help you get the most out of your wedding photos.

Great getting ready photos don’t just happen naturally!

If you look online at getting ready photos you will see gorgeous well lit photos of the bridal party before the ceremony. Most people love these photos but don’t take the time to look into what they really love about them. If you notice the little things that make up the photo you will usually see the following. 

The Dream.

• Everyone is mostly dressed and in makeup already.

• The room is well lit, preferably with natural light. 

• The room is clean!

• People are happy and smiling

The Truth. 

• Most everyone is running behind.

• The room is poorly lit due to small windows.

• The room is full of trash from cosmetic wrappers, shoe boxes and half eaten food and coffee cups.

• There is a lack of smiles due to the high tense rushed energy. 

Don’t worry though, with a little planning these issues are simple to eliminate. For starters, everyone should have a decent breakfast! This cuts down on the need to eat during the getting ready phase of the day. This is extremely important as one of the biggest issues with photos is clutter from food rappers and also cuts down on the time that people are eating instead of focusing on the task at hand, which is make-up, hair and having a great time!

Wedding at Stone Valley Meadows in Franklin, Ohio.

Shot by Every Atom Photography.

I would be doing you a diservice if I didn’t take a time out to tell you about a great Ohio wedding venue in Franklin, Ohio. The above photo was shot at Stone Valley Meadows ( Link Below ) This venue offers a great getting ready space in the up stairs loft. Large double doors open to let in tons of natural light and the walls are painted a great shade of white which works with any color scheme. The above photo was taken on their patio which is covered perfectly to provide a well lit space while keeping the photos away from harsh unflattering sunlight. They also provide a great guest house for the guys to get ready which they call “The Guy’s Barn.”

Alright, back to it!

Second, if you have not yet picked a location to get ready I highly recommend, if at all possible, to pick a location with big windows which let in a flood of natural light. It’s very common that we end up doing prep photos in a hotel with everyone crammed into a room with one window. Any photographer worth their salt will bring good lighting equipment so they will make it work as we do, but no amount of flash will compare to natural window light. A nice Air-bnb or a venu with a large bridal suite is a great place to start. Having a space with a nice outdoor area helps as well. That way “weather permitting” your photographer has the option of taking the party outside for photos of the girls in their robes or the first look with the bridesmaids. Also I should mention that most people don’t usually realize that an air-bnb is close to the same price as a hotel when all is said and done.

Thirdly, let’s talk about clutter. Believe it or not the morning of most weddings is a hot mess. Everyone is both excited and busy. Cleaning the bridal suite is not on their radar. The floor will likely be littered with things like catering boxes, shoe boxes, cosmetic cases, and boob tape while the table tops will be covered in used starbucks cups and water bottles. The best solution to this is to first, make everyone aware of your wish to keep the space tidy for photos. Second, designate one or two people to keep an eye out for clutter and periodically go around and tidy up. Don’t feel bad, remember these are your friends and family. They are there to celebrate your love and are eager to help make your day perfect!  

Lastly, let's talk about smiles. I write about stress all the time on this blog as weddings can be stressful for all involved. Like I say all the time “ stress kills creativity” but also stress kills that positive mimosa energy we all want on the morning of our wedding. As always the solution to this is planning and buffer room. However much time you think you will need, add at least an hour. The reason the morning of a wedding can be unpleasant is almost always a time issue. Rushing. Driving home to pick up something that was forgotten, no one had breakfast so everyone needs to eat first, everyone is moving slow ( maybe from a long night. ) The list of things that cause prep to run late is endless and totally unpredictable but leaving buffer time for things to go wrong is incredibly freeing on such a busy day. On your wedding day, time is your best friend! And if everything goes well you end up with extra time to enjoy yourself and relax a bit before the eventful and exciting day ahead. 

I hope this article Serves you well in your planning and helps to make your wedding day and wedding photography a little bit better.  

      Let’s sum it up.

1. Eat a big healthy breakfast!

1. Book a space with plenty of natural light.

    3.   Make your party aware of your desire for clean and tidy photos.

    4.   Designate someone to periodically tidy up.

     5.   Give yourself plenty of extra time.

 Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Find a photographer who you resonate with

Yesterday evening Sarah and I had a phone consultation with a woman who had inquired about wedding photography the night before. She was kind and sweet. Most importantly she had taken the time to look through our portfolio, and like I have talked about many times before on this blog, she made sure she had a connection to our work. 

Something about our work resonated with her and her personal taste. In the middle of the consultation while we were going through the wedding day timeline and discussing first looks and family photos etc.. I stopped the conversation and asked a question. I asked her what about our work made her reach out to us over all of the other wedding photographers in Ohio. She mentioned one session in particular that she described in a very interesting way. She Talked about the gallery of Abigail and Peyton. (link below) This session takes place mostly in the forest at Timeless Charm in Camden, Ohio. She said that the bride and groom looked beautiful and that the location was great but she said what really stood out to her was the way that the photographs captured how the bride and groom “ interacted with the environment. ” 

Timeless Charm in Camden, Ohio.

What an interesting way to describe what she sees. A description like that is up for interpretation of course. I take that as a serious complement. It’s a goal that I strive to achieve. Abigail and Peyton look natural and comfortable in the forest. They seem at home there as opposed to looking like a glamorous couple placed in the forest for a photo and then sent back to the ballroom. 

The barebones photography style we use is simple, fun to perform and low stress for the bride and groom. It has always been a goal of ours and over the past 11 years we have it down so well that sometimes we don’t even realize we are using it. In fact, until she had said that I hadn’t realized how well that feeling of simple belonging had soaked into every aspect of our work. When you work as hard as we do and take thousands of photos a year, artistic growth tends to happen without you being conscious of it. Then, when someone points it out to you it brings an unexpected sense of pride and accomplishment. 

This morning that bride and groom officially booked with us for our 2024 wedding season. We are thrilled to have another couple to work with who truly appreciate our vision and we can’t wait to create some beautiful unique wedding photography together.  

You can view the gallery that inspired our new client by clicking the link below! Thank you so much for reading and have an amazing 2024!

 Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

My Journey as an Artist - Jordan Epperson

This blog post will help you get to know me. It focuses on my artistic journey and what inspires me as an artist.

Jordan Epperson Photo by Sixteen Fourteen Photography

Wedding and family photography gets a bad rap in the art community. It’s not chic enough. Its not unique. It’s shallow or “basic”. These stereotypes can be true. But let me be the first to tell you that they can be true of any form of art. Just turn on the radio and you will hear a plethora of shallow basic pop music. Or go to the city and visit an art gallery. There will be a few great pieces there but you will likely also see piece after piece of mediocre art that imitates the greats but has no heart behind it. There is a difference between hiring a photographer and commissioning an artist.

An elegant Bride: Jordan Epperson. Rolling Meadows Ranch, Lebanon, Ohio.

 When I was a boy I quickly learned that I was happiest when I was telling stories. My first medium was puppets. I would make up a funny scenario and then put my little brother and sister to work acting out whatever funny or scary ideas popped into my head. 

Next came writing. I had dyslexia and wasn’t able to read or write until I was 11. My mother would sit with me for hours and transcribe my endless stream of thoughts. She was a saint. 

My need to be able to tell these stories myself is what gave me the drive to overcome my disability. Writing was a tool that I had to have in my arsenal. I may have never mastered it to the level I aspire to but what I have gets the job done! 

When I was about 9 the biggest event in my life as an artist occurred. My dad came home with an enormous used VHS camera that my grandfather had given him. This was the 90’s so having one of these was still a big deal. That camera might as well have been duct taped to my hands.

At the same time that I was falling in love with film I was able to imitate the artists who were producing them. With that camera and a VCR I began shooting and editing. My friends and family became my cast and crew. 

My mother around that time, had taken up photography and had gotten good enough that she was even taking some paid sessions. She was a painter as well and the best hair stylist I have ever encountered. I am proud of her and I attribute my creative side to her.

Around 11 years old I started writing music and teaching myself to play guitar. This, like all other art, became an obsession and added to my films in a unique way. At 12 my parents got a divorce. This is when My art started to reflect more darkness. I wrote more horror stories than comedy and switched from colored pencils to charcoal. I listened to less of the Who and more of Nirvana.

At 14 Sarah and I got together. This was a bombshell and changed everything. She was a ray of sunshine in my life and continues to be over 20 years later. She was also, a creative. She was an abstract painter and sculptor. She was more into photography than video and showed me darkroom work she had done with a camera she built herself out of a box. What a girl.

This grabbed me. I was so used to telling stories in video at 24 frames a second. The challenge of telling a story in one frame was exciting. I started to notice photography more. Especially fashion magazines. I noticed how there were plenty of magazines with a smiling model on the cover showing a piece of clothing. It was flattering and made the dress or pants look good, but the magazine covers that really stood out to me were the ones where the focus wasn’t on the clothes. It was on the model. Their eyes and expressions were clear and made you feel something. If they looked mysterious that made me feel mysterious. Sometimes the shots would be totally out of focus and very artistic. This made me want to be artistic. I realized that by not focusing on the clothing and instead focusing on the emotional impact of the model, the photographer was selling a feeling. People wanted to feel like that and that's what sold the clothing. That was what made this work high fashion. You don’t really want the jeans. You want to feel cool, or sexy or confident. This was incredible to me. 

This is where my photography method evolved from. If I am doing bridal photography my goal is to capture the way the bride feels on that day. The magic you feel in your heart on your wedding day. The target is to create images that the bride and her family can look at in 30 years and feel what she felt on that day. To me that's the difference between a wedding photographer and an artist. This applies for any session. A family photograph should do more than just show a family standing in front of the camera. That documents who is in the family and what age they were, but it does little else. A family photograph of mom and dad playing and tickling their laughing children shows a special time that for most people only lives in our memories. 

Any artistic endeavors can become stale if you're repeating the same thing over and over. This is where fresh inspiration comes in. I am constantly reading and searching for inspiration. In today's world it is absolutely everywhere. But the best place to find it ( for me atleast ) is in books. Reading from inspiring people or going to the library and flipping through the books from fashion and street photographers of the past.

Reception Hora Dance in Cincinnati, Ohio. By: Jordan Epperson

I have plenty of names to drop from my biggest influences but I want to drop 2 names here for now. The first is Richard Avedon. He was an astounding portrait and fashion photographer who changed my artistic life with one image. The April 1965 cover of Harper's Bazaar Magazine. I can’t post it here because of copyright but I am linking it below and if you're at all interested in my artistic journey and have enjoyed this post so far you should give it a look.

My second name drop is M.K Sadler. Unlike Richard Avedon, M.K Sadler is currently working and still in the early stages of an incredible career. She shoots fashion and portrait photography and has managed to infuse her talents in that area into her wedding photography in such a unique way.  I found her a couple of years ago through her popular instagram account. She caught my attention immediately and I had to start following her. She is everything I love about photography and if you want to learn more about my tastes you can check her out below. 

Instagram - @mksadler

Instagram for wedding work - @mksadlerwed

Websites

This post has been very personal to me and I am thrilled that you have taken the time to read it. I get questions about my story and inspirations a lot. I am not the best at sharing in person so it has been extremely helpful and even therapeutic to write all of this out for the first time. 

My advice to you would be to look carefully through the portfolio of any photographer that you are considering working with. See what Images stand out to you. Take note of how they make you feel inside. Are they simply pretty or do they evoke something deeper in you? 

 Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

A Venue Recommendation: Timeless Charm

Hello again dear reader! This morning as I sit with my cup of coffee and think over all of the great things I have to say about this unique venue, I’m reminded of why I started this blog in the first place. I’m here twice a week doing what I was born to do. Help people make cherished memories and have great experiences. That sounds cheesy I know, but in one way or another it’s what I have done since I was a child. It’s My calling and I love it!

Today I am continuing my series of wedding venues that Sarah and I love. We have been lucky enough to have had brides and grooms call us to this venue a dozen times over the past few years and I truly can’t say enough kind words about this place!

Timeless Charm in Camden, Ohio is a place that truly earns its name. The grounds are not only gorgeous, but are unique in a way that I haven’t seen before. This venue has so many great photo backdrops that when planning your photography you really have to narrow down your favorites because there simply isn’t time to visit them all! It doesn’t matter what your tastes lean toward. Classic, rustic, romantic or even boho, This venue is perfect for you.

The Ceremony

There are a couple of different spots at timeless charm to host your ceremony but I want to talk about the amphitheater. This space is simply awesome. The seating flows downhill giving every friend and family member a perfect view of the ceremony. The center stage sits in the foreground of a beautiful forest backdrop. Unfortunately, in Ohio there are so many similar venues and ceremony sites that it's almost impossible to tell them apart in a photograph, but here there is an iconic look that stands out. When I see a photo taken here pop up on google I instantly recognize it without even having to think. It may just be me but something about the amphitheater space has always reminded me of wedding photography from the mountains out west. It just gives off such a natural deep woods vibe. We love it!

The Bridal Suite & Onsite Lodging

Timeless Charm has so much to offer. A beautiful reception space, lakefront views and fresh food with their own private chef. But one thing that we adore over all else is the ability for your bridal party to stay on site in their B & B style honeymoon suite. Not having to wake your entire family up at 5am to get to the venue and start setting up is an enormous convenience! Not to mention not having to worry about driving home after a lengthy reception.

The Waterfront Veranda

The waterfront Veranda is gorgeous. Who isn’t interested in an outdoor lakeside space with its own stereo system for you to hook up to and a LAKESIDE BAR. Seriously. This area is of course surrounded by a beautiful forest and is just a minutes walk from the bridal suite.

Bride and Groom Reactions

We do so many weddings and have spent hundreds of hours with different bridal and grooms. It’s rare that we have a wedding day without hearing the at least a small complaint from the Bride, Groom or even a family member. Out of all the weddings we have done at Timeless Charm I can honestly say that I have not heard a single complaint. I have however heard brides go on about how lucky they feel to have found such a perfect venue!

A happy bride and a beautiful wedding dress at Timeless Charm

The Wrap up

To wrap this up I’ll simply say that timeless Charm is the perfect spot for an outdoor wedding. It’s overflowing with charm and has all the makings for amazing wedding photography and an experience you can look back on with nothing but smiles and love.

You can check out Timeless Charm for yourself on their website at the link below or follow them on Instagram at @timelesscharm.

A sparkler exit at Timeless Charm

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Venue recommendation

THE MARMALADE LILY. PHOTO BY EVERY ATOM PHOTOGRAPHY

This is by far the most important article written as of yet. What could be more important on your wedding day than having the right venue? Think about it. The catering could be incredible, the DJ is fantastic and the photographer is everything you dreamed they would be. But None of that matters really if your guests and most importantly you and your spouse have to spend your special day somewhere you hate! A bad environment can easily sour the entire experience. This is a series of articles I have been wanting to write for a long time, and well… here it goes!

The Marmalade Lily in Loveland, OH is the first venue I want to recommend on my list. In fact when thinking about what I wanted to say in this post I realized I just had to jump over to their google business page and leave a glowing review. Over the past few years Sarah and I have enjoyed photographing many weddings here. Seeing how happy the couples and guests were and how beautiful the grounds are kept always makes for a great day at work for us and an amazing wedding day for the Bride and Groom.

The Marmalade Lily sits on 9 acres of beautiful grounds and flower gardens. The owner Laura, Like my own beautiful wife Sarah has a deep passion for gardening and flowers in particular. Season to season the grounds grow and change, Setting a wonderful vibe that really tells the story of your wedding day in its time and place. Along with Laura their clients get the pleasure of working with their awesome staff who come off more like a family than a group of co-workers. They have great wedding coordinators and multiple floral designers! Being a flower farm they offer floral arrangements included with their wedding packages which is so convenient.

Flower bouquet by The Marmalade lily. Photo Every Atom Photography.

Why do we love The Marmalade Lily?

Over the past 10 plus years Sarah I have shot hundreds of weddings at dozens of venues. We remember and look forward to going back to the ones with a personal touch and a positive vibe. They inspire us as artists because negativity stifles creativity and these people are always positive. When a bad customer service experience impacts the bride and groom, well… It can be hard for them to shake that off and get on with a happy day. Much less fun, playful and romantic photos. The Marmalade Lily has always offered us everything we could ask for and more importantly given the bride and grooms we have worked with a more than positive experience and a beautiful place to celebrate the beginning of an amazing journey together.

The Marmalade Lily is a place with a great outdoorsy energy, tons of scenes to pick from for photos. The staff are helpful and not high tense and all of this is fueled by a true passion for beautiful flowers and love. What more could you ask for? If you want to visit the grounds and see this beautiful venue for yourself you can schedule a visit or stop by when they host one of their pick your flower days! You can check them out on Instagram at @themarmaladelily or on their website by clicking the button below.

Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson