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Elopement Photography at Awbury Arboretum | Oki + Adam

December 15, 2020
Oki holds Adam from behind, around his waist, with their flowers dropped low.

Oki and Adam eloped privately by signing a self-uniting marriage license with their two friends as witnesses. We met up at Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia to capture portraits of them…

posted in: Wedding
tagged with: Awbury Arboretum, couple portraits, elopement, intimate wedding, microwedding, ONLO Beauty, philadelphia, self-uniting wedding, Vault + Vine, wedding photographer, wedding photography

Why Diversity Matters in the Wedding Industry

November 12, 2020
photo of LOVE sign in pride colors on City Hall door in Philadelphia

It’s hard to talk about inclusivity without diversity. Diversity: “The condition of having or being composed of differing elements. Especially: the inclusion of different types of people (such as people…

posted in: Education
tagged with: ableism, accessibility, anti-racism, cultural appropriation, diversity, inclusion, philadelphia, wedding industry, wedding photography, wedding vendors

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Language Guide for Wedding Vendors

November 12, 2020
they, them, nonbinary, wedding, gender, LGBTQIA+

Language is incredibly powerful. It literally binds marriages. It’s the thing that holds together heartfelt vows, hilarious toasts, and welcomes guests to make them feel included. As a wedding photographer…

posted in: Education
tagged with: Affirming, gender, gender binary, Gender Identity, language, LGBT, LGBTQIA, terminology, wedding photography

The Wedding Industry is Ableist: Let’s Challenge These “Norms”

October 12, 2020
self-portrait, ableism, wedding industry

The wedding industry is ableist. From venues that push disabled people out by not opening doors to them, to clients who expect vendors to be invincible — ableism, like many…

posted in: Education
tagged with: ableism, ableist, disability, Wedding, wedding industry

Coming Out as LGBTQIA+: A Personal Essay on Queer Invisibility

October 12, 2020
coming out, self-portrait, queer

I’m in my mid-30s and coming out as queer. This is something I struggle to type, as I’ve only ever had relationships with two people — both of which were…

posted in: Education
tagged with: coming out, LGBTQIA, pansexual, queer, queer invisibility, sexuality

3 Simple Tips: Affirming Client Questionnaires

October 11, 2020
affirming wedding questionnaire

Many clients embrace gendered terms, such as bride or groom, while others prefer their name or another title. It’s best to use your clients’ words of choice and let them…

posted in: Education
tagged with: Affirming, Gender Identity, photographers, photography, Plural relationships, Polyamorous, Pronouns, questionnaire, workflow

Microwedding and Elopement Photographer in Philadelphia | Anastasia + Nick

September 9, 2020
Philadelphia Museum of Art, elopement, Philadelphia, microwedding

After unexpected brain surgery last year, the experience led me to focus on what matters most to me. Apart from the obvious things like my family and health, I wanted…

posted in: Wedding
tagged with: 18th Century Gardens, city hall, elopement, intimate wedding, microwedding, philadelphia, Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia Museum of Art, photography, Vault + Vine, Wedding

How do we affirm an audience that has been erased?

May 21, 2020

As a small business owner, there are all sorts of demographic targeting tools to track the insights of who is engaging with my content. But in all of the examples…

posted in: Education
tagged with: analytics, Facebook, gender binary, Google Analytics, inclusive, Instagram, LGBTQ, non-binary, programming, small business

When First Looks Become Habitual: Rethinking Wedding Norms

May 21, 2020
first look, inclusive, wedding photography, alternative

This pandemic has led to me having more time in my head, which is admittedly a huge privilege. My weekend was spent mindlessly weeding the backyard, noticing new bird calls,…

posted in: Education
tagged with: education, first look, inclusivity, LGBTQ, philadelphia, photo timeline, pre-ceremony portraits, Wedding, wedding industry, wedding photographer, wedding photography

Documenting weddings in the age of social distancing

April 21, 2020
social distancing, wedding, photography

When Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested it might be time to permanently retire the handshake, I started to wonder what weddings might look like in the future. While the repercussions for…

posted in: Education
tagged with: Coronavirus, COVID-19, elopement, intimate wedding, philadelphia, social distancing, wedding photography

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