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<title>Admired by Beckstead - Who, me? </title>
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<p><img src="/images/blog/200905/lynchburg-wedding.jpg" alt="Lynchburg Wedding Photography" class="inline" /></p>
<p>I just received word that David Beckstead (one of <a href="http://www.popphoto.com/Features/The-Top-10-Wedding-Photographers-2007/The-Top-10-Wedding-Photographers-2007"><em>American Photo’s</em> Top 10 Wedding Photographers</a>) selected one of my photographs to place in the recent <a href="http://blog.pictage.com/?p=756">competition over at Pictage</a>. The photo was an image I captured up in Lynchburg, Virginia at a wedding inside Snidow Chapel on the campus of Lynchburg College. I’ve included additional details on the behind-the-scenes magic after the jump.</p>
<h3>Image Info</h3>
<p>As is the case with most weddings, the pastor and the church coordinator approached me before the ceremony and told me I could only pop my flash during the processional. I actually shoot very little flash during my ceremonies, but I took their limitations as a challenge and set out to make my one shot count. I’d always imagined this shot in my head, but never attempted it. My setup is one strobe at full power on a light stand in the narthex, pointing down the aisle. I wanted to capture the bride’s silhouette and her reflection, and I wanted everything but the light and the dress to drop off towards darkness. As a bonus, I wanted to get some rimlight on the guests. I ended up shooting 1/125 at f/5.6, with an ISO of 800. This left much of the frame in focus while dropping out a lot of the ambient light. (Not hard since there wasn’t much to begin with!) </p>
<p>Since this experience, I’ve approached almost all my weddings with one or two challenging shots pre-visualized ahead of time – shots that’ll stretch me out of my comfort zone and offer an opportunity to grow. As the old saying goes, if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting, and this is my little regimen for switching things up a bit. Obviously, it’s not a good idea to practice on your clients, so I certainly wouldn’t recommend abandoning your tried and true workflow on the wedding day (in this case I had a second camera body primed for the “standard” processional shot). But pick an image or two you’ve always wanted to try and take 5 minutes to make it happen. Not only will you feel satisfied with your accomplishment, but you’ll feel more passionate and excited about your own work. And here’s the big secret: <em>those</em> are the images people will fall in love with, and <em>those</em> are the images that’ll hone your style and keep you fresh. (And perhaps even earn you some <a href="http://www.admiredbybeckstead.com/">admiration from Beckstead</a> :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much to <a href="http://www.davidbeckstead.com/">David Beckstead</a>, <a href="http://www.nscottanderson.com/">Scott Anderson</a>, and all the folks at <a href="http://pictage.com">Pictage</a>. And congratulations to <a href="http://www.curtiscopeland.com/">Curtis Copeland</a> and <a href="http://www.haskinsphotography.com/">Nick Haskins</a>.</p>
<p>You can see the <a href="http://weddings.justinhankins.com/photographs/ninacharliew/13">full image here</a>. And <a href="http://weddings.justinhankins.com/photographs/ninacharliew/1">here’s the full set</a>.</p>
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<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2009 16:41:44 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/05/01/admired-by-beckstead---who-me/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/05/01/admired-by-beckstead---who-me/</link>
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<title>More fans than a New Kids concert</title>
<description>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Virginia-Beach-VA/Justin-Hankins-Photography/64863218889"><img src="/images/blog/200905/justin-hankins-facebook.gif" alt="Justin Hankins Photography Facebook" class="inline" /></a></p>
<p>Are you wasting your sweet, precious life away on Facebook? <i><b>Me, too!</b></i> I don’t have a solution to your facebooking addiction, but I <b>do</b> have the answer to make it worse. Here’s a link to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Virginia-Beach-VA/Justin-Hankins-Photography/64863218889">Justin Hankins Photography page on Facebook</a>. (Woo-hoo! Vanity!) You don’t have to be a friend to view the page, so click through, become a fan, check out my most recent work, do a dance, I don’t care. It’s facebook. You can do whatever you want. And for those of you who <strong>aren’t</strong> on facebook, ignore this message and take a moment to thank the good Lord that you haven’t been swayed by the sirens of such evil temptation.</p>
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<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2009 16:35:39 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/05/01/more-fans-than-a-new-kids-concert/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/05/01/more-fans-than-a-new-kids-concert/</link>
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<title>Cherry Blossom Festival Portraits</title>
<description>
<p><img src="/images/blog/200903/cherry-blossom-festival-photos.jpg" alt="Cherry Blossom Portraits" class="inline" /></p>
<p>I’ll be spending the week of this year’s peak bloom photographing couples during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC. If you’re in the DC area, or up for a little drive, please contact me now to <a href="/lnd/cherryblossom/contact">schedule your session</a> between April 5 and April 12. My weekends are nearly full already, so please <a href="/lnd/cherryblossom/contact">contact me soon</a>. Otherwise, I still have several openings throughout the week when the crowds are much more manageable. Cherry Blossom engagement photos are generally the most common request, but families and married couples are certainly welcome as well! Please <a href="/lnd/cherryblossom">visit my information page</a> for more details.</p>
</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:09:10 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/03/20/cherry-blossom-festival-portraits/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/03/20/cherry-blossom-festival-portraits/</link>
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<title>HR Mag Bridal Show - 2/22</title>
<description>
<p>Just a head&#8217;s up: I&#8217;ll be showcasing at the Hampton Roads Magazine Peninsula Bridal show on February 22 up in Hampton. Directions and information are available <a href="http://www.hamptonroadsbride.com/bridalshows.php">on HR Mag&#8217;s bridal show website</a>. This will be my final show for the spring, so if you haven&#8217;t come out to see me in-person yet, or you&#8217;d like to take a second look, this is your last chance. </p>
</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:44:55 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/02/13/hr-mag-bridal-show---222/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/02/13/hr-mag-bridal-show---222/</link>
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<title>WPPI 2009 in Vegas</title>
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<p><img src="/images/blog/200902/vegas09.jpg" alt="See you at WPPI" class="inline" /></p>
<p>I’m packin’ up the goods and heading to Vegas for the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) convention. The convention is attended and produced by the best wedding and portrait photographers in the world, and it’s always such a rewarding, humbling experience to be around so many talented individuals. This will be my third year in a row, and the first time I’ll be joined by such a huge contingency of my local photographer friends. (Which is pretty cool in it’s own right – the country has several little pockets of talented groups, and it’s great to see our area getting some big-time recognition.) Last year I shot an incredible <a href="http://weddings.justinhankins.com/photographs/flamingo_wedding/1">wedding at the Flamingo</a> the weekend before the convention, and by the end of my 10+ days of Vegas, my head was mush from the incessant sound of slot machines. Hopefully I’ll be able to get in and get out without too much damage this year!</p>
</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:38:50 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/02/13/wppi-2009-in-vegas/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/02/13/wppi-2009-in-vegas/</link>
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<title>2009 Uniquely Yours Show</title>
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<p>If you&#8217;re in the Hampton Roads area, please come out and say hello at the <a href="http://www.uniquelystyledbride.com">2009 Uniquely Yours Bridal Showcase</a> at the Norfolk Marriott on Sunday, January 18th. This is a great time for all of you who have emailed me recently to meet me in person and see all the products I offer. From photographs to album samples, I&#8217;ll be showcasing it all. Not to mention, there&#8217;s tons of free stuff and cake samples everywhere &#8211; who doesn&#8217;t like cake?</p>
</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:39:06 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/01/14/2009-uniquely-yours-show/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2009/01/14/2009-uniquely-yours-show/</link>
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<title>PartnerCon 2008: See you in LA</title>
<description>
<p><img src="/images/blog/200809/pictage-partner-conference.gif" alt="See you at Pictage Partner Conference L.A." class="inline" /></p>
<p>Just a head’s up: I’ll be in Los Angeles next week for the infamous Pictage Partner Conference. Please grab me by the shoulders and say hello! And fwiw, I’m shooting in San Diego the following week if anyone’s interested in a post-mortem dinner or drinks or impromptu run to Tijuana. Photographers, clients, random blogstalkers – all welcome and encouraged. Bring your sombreros. And comfortable shoes.</p>
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<pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:15:25 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/09/04/partnercon-2008-see-you-in-la/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/09/04/partnercon-2008-see-you-in-la/</link>
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<title>2008 Accolade of Excellence Winner</title>
<description>
<p><a href="/blog/2008/07/20/2008-accolade-of-excellence-winner/" title="WPPI Accolade of Excellence Winner - Justin Hankins"><img src="/images/content/wppi-logo.gif" alt="WPPI Accolade of Excellence Winner - Justin Hankins" class="inline" /></a></p>
<p>Wow, today’s mailbag brought word that <a href="http://www.wppionline.com">WPPI</a> awarded me an Accolade of Excellence in the 2008 8x10 Print Competition. For those unfamiliar with WPPI, it’s an organization full of the world’s best wedding and portrait photographers, and just calling myself a member feels terribly fraudulent sometimes. Receiving this honor from other photographers I hold in extremely high regard is very humbling and special. Click through for the press release.</p>
<hr noshade />
<p><strong>Press Release</strong></p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/200807/wppi-logo.gif" alt="WPPI - Wedding & Portrait Photographers International"/></p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/200807/justin-hankins.jpg" alt="WPPI Accolade of Excellence Winner Justin Hankins"/></p>
<p><strong>Justin Hankins Wins Accolade of Excellence in the 2008 WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition</strong></p>
<p>Justin Hankins of Virginia Beach, VA, has received special honors in the <strong>WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL (WPPI)</strong> 2008 WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition. Designed to recognize outstanding photographers, the judging was held in Santa Monica, CA on June, 2008.</p>
<p>“<a href="/images/blog/200802/1828.jpg" rel="lightbox[blog]" title="Stand for Change - WPPI Accolade of Excellence Winner 2008">Stand for Change</a>” received an Accolade of Excellence in the Non-Wedding Photojournalism category. Hankins competed against an international field of photographers to win such honors. </p>
<p>The WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition awards are presented each year at the largest trade show, educational platform and convention in the United States for professional photographers. The 2008 competition included 932 prints in 18 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world.</p>
<p>For more information please visit <a href="http://www.wppionline.com/competition/">www.wppionline.com/competition/</a></p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/200807/8x10-print-competition.jpg" alt="WPPI Accolade of Excellence Winner Justin Hankins"/></p>
</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:54:28 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/07/20/2008-accolade-of-excellence-winner/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/07/20/2008-accolade-of-excellence-winner/</link>
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<title>Barack Obama - Stand for Change Rally</title>
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<p><a href="/blog/2008/02/15/barack-obama---stand-for-change-rally/" title="Barack Obama - Stand for Change Rally - Virginia Beach"><img src="/images/blog/200802/barack-obama.sm.jpg" alt="Virginia Beach Photographer" class="inline" /></a></p>
<p>Random non-wedding post: I spent last Sunday night at the front of 18,000 people documenting Barack Obama’s Stand for Change Rally in Virginia Beach. “Wait a minute, Justin. I thought politics and religion are the two things you’re never supposed to talk about with clients!” Well, I ain’t here to talk politics, so put them fists away, champ! I’m here to talk photography. Step inside, won’t you?</p>
<p>A lot of wedding photographers actually started out in the world of traditional photojournalism. After all, what better way to learn how to document split-second moments during weddings than by throwing yourself into harm&#8217;s way and dodging bullets &#8211; literal <em>and</em> editorial! One of my favourite wedding photographers hailing from the world of photojournalism is Greg Gibson. Take a moment to marvel at <a href="http://www.greggibson.com/index2.html">his fabulous work</a>. (<em>It&#8217;s okay&#8230; I&#8217;ll wait right here&#8230;</em>)</p>
<p>Taking a somewhat different path, I got my start in the fine art world of nature photography. And as long as I’m confessing, I might as well go the full dorky nine: I was drawn primarily to the science and mechanics of nature photography. I mean, we’re talking total geek here. I used to write computer algorithms to calculate the position of the sun and other natural phenomena with unbelievable precision. I even studied meteorology for a number of semesters just to learn how to pre-visualize and predict my images. Seriously… Dork.</p>
<p>But although I was extremely proud of my nature work, I began to feel underwhelmed and disconnected with the emotion in my photographs. And with all the art shows in which I was exhibiting, I got sick of feeling like I was cranking out “product.” The more I meditated on the issue, the more I realized the cold feeling I’d developed for my photographs was due to my hardly ever including people <em>within</em> my images. My nature images were creating strong connections with my audience, but they were nothing compared to the connections my photographs of people would create. Coincidentally, it was right then when I read something (by David Hurn, I think) about how the strongest connection comes from the viewer’s ability to place him/herself <em>inside</em> the photograph. Ever since that day, I’ve been photographing people.</p>
<p><em>Dude. What the heck does this have to do with Barack Obama!?</em></p>
<p>Well, the thing with nature photography is that you <em>always</em> have a subject. The same can’t be said about portrait work. So in order to get my experience photographing people, I started signing up for every local event I could find in order to take photographs of people. I’ve photographed more marathons and parades and press events than I can remember. And I absolutely fell in love with it. Even today, I get such a huge kick out of photographing all the local events that have been a part of my development over the years – they’ve essentially become traditions for me. One of my favourites has been political rallies.</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s the excitement of knowing that any one of these candidates could become President of the United States… and being able to tell my kids someday that I shook the hand of the President. I don’t know, but I get butterflies every time I hear them speak. I remember photographing a John Edwards rally at Norfolk State many years ago: I got an incredible charge from standing with all the “real” press, and then coming home with a final image that trumped the paid shooters. Ever since, “citizen photojournalism,” has become a pretty big hobby of mine, and I love the freedom of photographing these events without an editor or deadline looming over me. </p>
<p>So when I heard Barack Obama would be in Virginia Beach, I knew I’d be there. But I also knew everybody else in Virginia Beach would be there, so I went into it with the understanding that I probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to create anything significant. And as I walked up to the <strike>Convention Center</strike> Pavillion, I was gobsmacked to see the line wrapping entirely around the building (and trailing down the street). “There’s no way I’m getting in, let alone up front,” I conceded. So I decided to abandon the rally, itself, and try to tell the story of the line. I walked to the front of the queue to photograph the people who had been standing there for 8 hours, and in a surprising moment of serendipity, the doors whisked opened and I got pushed inside by the mad rush. There I was: standing front row – with 18,000 people behind me. (Yes, I felt guilty for cutting 18,000 people.)</p>
<p>I could see where the press stands were positioned, and I knew I wanted to be anywhere they weren’t. I also knew that by standing front row, my photos would likely be unflattering, and I’d be out of position to capture the story behind Obama. So I took a risk and let about four rows of people stand in front of me. It was absolute torment, standing there for 3 hours, as every 7-foot-tall person in the building took turns standing in front of me and making me feel like I was going to have an obstructed view. But as soon as Obama came out, the pathway was clear, and I was ready to work. </p>
<p>Because the place was so packed, I knew it would be a difficult assignment. But I pre-visualized two images in my head that I wanted to create: a wide image with the “Change” banner, and a tight crop of Obama’s face and shoulders. I only wanted those two images – if I walked away from the night with just those two, I would have been ecstatic. Since bags were not permitted, I had my 70-200mm on the camera, and my tiny 50mm in my pocket. When he got on stage, I used the 50mm to make the wide image and took a handful of photographs. I felt confident I’d created the image, so I switched to the 70-200 and spent the rest of the speech zoomed tight, trying to dodge his blinking.</p>
<p>The lighting was challenging because the extremely bright stage lights were positioned almost directly overhead, creating dark shadows under Obama’s eyebrows. And because of the strength and position of the light, he was furrowing his brow the entire evening. Additionally, his shirt and skin were acting as strong reflectors. I was already overexposing the images by about two stops because I wanted to preserve as much detail as possible in the shadows of the background and his eyes. It was a bit risky because I could have (and several times did) clip the highlights altogether. But I found a sweet spot on stage where even my overexposure and the stage lights worked perfectly together. It’s precisely where I made <a href="/images/blog/200802/1929.jpg" rel="lightbox[blog]" title="Stand for Change Rally - Barack Obama">my favourite image of the evening</a>.</p>
<p>I’m extremely pleased with these images, but I’m stunned by the interest and reception they’ve received. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hankins/2260941116/">Especially on Flickr</a>. The most rewarding sentiments I keep hearing are from people who don’t support Obama’s candidacy: “I’m not a fan of his views, but these images transcend politics.” That’s not easy to say in this moment of politically-charged debate, so it blows me away every time someone emails me something to that degree.</p>
<p>So please excuse the non-wedding post. I tend to get a lot of email from folks asking how to “break into” photography, so I thought I’d share a little background on the path that worked for me. And I don’t get to talk geeky camera-speak as much as I’d like, so I threw a little bit of that in there as well. I’m still loading in the backlog of work from last year, so stay tuned. </p>
<p>(<em>See? I told you I wasn’t gonna talk politics!</em>) ;p</p>
<p><br /><br /> <div id="disqus_thread"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://disqus.com/forums/weddings/embed.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://weddings.disqus.com/?url=ref">View the forum thread.</a></noscript><a href="http://disqus.com" class="dsq-brlink">blog comments powered by <span class="logo-disqus">Disqus</span></a></p>
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<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:34:57 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/02/15/barack-obama---stand-for-change-rally/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/02/15/barack-obama---stand-for-change-rally/</link>
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<title>Norfolk Engagement Photos</title>
<description>
<p><a href="/blog/2008/02/07/norfolk-engagement-photos/" title="Norfolk Wedding Photography"><img src="/images/blog/200802/nina-charlie-square.jpg" alt="Norfolk Photographer" class="inline" /></a></p>
<p>Still playing catchup… here’s one of my favourite engagement sessions from last fall. What better way to spend an unseasonably warm holiday afternoon than walking around the Freemason area of Norfolk, photographing a beautiful couple? As soon as we began, Nina and Charlie were totally laid-back and comfortable with the camera, and some of my most favourite images came from the first few clicks of the shutter.</p>
<p>One of the greatest challenges in making incredible engagement photographs is breaking the groom out of &#8220;macho mode,&#8221; and getting him to stop looking down my lens like he&#8217;s going to kick my ass. So it&#8217;s always a weight off my shoulders when I work with guys like Charlie who have great senses of humor and don&#8217;t mind goofin&#8217; around for a couple hours. Like always, the engagement session is such a great opportunity to learn how to make the bride and groom feel comfortable <em>before</em> game time to ensure I know how to connect with them when their minds are racing about three thousand other things on their wedding day.</p>
<p>Nina and Charlie stepped in front of my camera like professional models ready to work, and they were eager to do whatever it took to make art out of their engagement photographs. At one point, I walked around a corner to check the sunlight, only to turn around and watch Nina and Charlie <a href="/images/blog/200802/norfolk-flowerbed.jpg" rel="lightbox[blog]" title="Tiptoeing through the flowerbeds!">tiptoe through the dirt of a flowerbed</a> to create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind photograph. And with 45 minutes still remaining until the sun began to set, after a full afternoon of modeling for the camera, they had no interest in packing up and going home. They hung around like troopers, and were rewarded with some amazing, warm, sunset light, which translated into even more beautiful photographs.</p>
<p>It was a beautiful, warm, holiday afternoon in Norfolk, and I’m so pleased with the images we were able to create.</p>
<p><br /><br /> <div id="disqus_thread"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://disqus.com/forums/weddings/embed.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://weddings.disqus.com/?url=ref">View the forum thread.</a></noscript><a href="http://disqus.com" class="dsq-brlink">blog comments powered by <span class="logo-disqus">Disqus</span></a></p>
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<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:53:42 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/02/07/norfolk-engagement-photos/</guid>
<link>http://weddings.justinhankins.com/blog/2008/02/07/norfolk-engagement-photos/</link>
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