March 2009 Featured Photographer

Our March Featured Photographer of the Month

Jen and James Tarpley– Marion, North Carolina

Click above to view their website

What equipment you do you use?
A variety of Nikon cameras…  We use a lot of fast prime lenses (but could definitely use more when Nikon releases some).  We love the sharpness and shallow DOF possibilities the primes provide.  As for zooms, we like the 17-35mm 2.8 for wide and 70-200mm 2.8VR for long.  We use calumet litelinks for off camera flash, of which we use quite a bit.  We also take a reflector, white sheet (or James’ white shirt if needed) everywhere we go!  “Don’t leave home without it.”

How long have you been shooting?
We shot our first wedding together 10 years ago and would like to take this time to publicly apologize to our bride and groom. :)  No seriously though, we’ve loved photography as long as we can remember and love shooting together.  We shot for family and friends over the 12 years we’ve been married and decided to finally take the leap full-time about 5 years ago.  It’s been a wild ride!

Where are you located?
We are in the downtown district of the big city of Marion, NC.  It is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. 

What type of photography do you take?
Everything!!!  Our business is focused primarily on weddings and portraits, but we enjoy all types of photography.  We actually just returned from a trip to Montana building our fine-art portfolio.  Nothin’ like shooting a Bison in 3 ft of snow at 5 degrees :)

Price range of events? 
Our weddings start around 6k with coverage and a book credit.  Typically, couples spend between 8 and 10k.  With our portraits, we are reworking our pricing strategy.  Honestly, we’re the last ones you should ask for portrait pricing, but we’re workin’ on it :)   

When did you notice that you had passion for photography?
We have had a passion for all things “art” for as long as I can remember.  James studied art history and composition in school.  Jen is a painter/sculptor by training.  She taught art for a number of years.  Our love of photography was a natural progression as we have always visited museums and studios in our travels.  Photography is an artistic outlet for us and a way to display to others what we see or feel…  When you get a second job to pay for film and processing, it’s time to reevaluate your career decision!

Is there anything unique about what you do?
James likes to photograph in a Speedo…  No, seriously, I think every photographer is unique in their relationship with their clients.  We are very personal with our clients in their experience with us.  We really want to have a bond that goes beyond their wedding day, beyond the business transaction, beyond the delivery of a book…  We have been so blessed with so many great couples.  Many of whom, we continue to keep in touch, grab dinner, etc. 

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened during a shoot?
Oh, I don’t know…  There are usually funny aspects of every wedding…  One that sticks out a little is a wedding we had at a beautiful location.  The rolling hills and mountains in the distance provided a fantastic backdrop.  The ceremony was at a spot very personal to the family as we were next to the old family cemetery.  A light breeze swayed the massive oak atop the hill.  The quiet vows were interrupted by the flower girl who had crawled under a fence and was playing hop scotch over the family headstones.  The only sound louder than the tapping of her shoes was the little girl’s mother yelling in a whisper for Katie to stop playing on the gravesites.  It was fun to photograph!  

What’s the scariest thing that ever happened during a shoot?
I don’t know if there has been a “scary” time, but one wedding was pretty intense.  We were shooting later in the evening on the terrace of the Biltmore Estate under a beautiful tent.  Some serious winds began when these huge clouds rolled in.  Tables flipped over and centerpieces went a flyin’.  James ran up above the terrace to see if there were any tornadoes in sight as Jen was catching centerpieces.  The storm passed and the reception continued.

How many events do you photograph each year?
We take between 20 and 25 weddings a year.  Typically, we shoot about 40-50 portrait shoots a year.  We occasionally take commercial jobs if it fits.

Have you had to changed anything to adjust in current economic times?
Honestly, we are always changing.  Our clients are savvy and want to know that they will get great photography, unique products, and fantastic service.  We are always looking for ways to better our clients’ experience with us.  With today’s economy, folks want to know that they are getting a “good deal”, no matter how much they spend.  We have used payment plans to spread out payments.  We try to work with individuals in any way we can, but against the trend, we have not gone down on pricing.  We are, however, still waiting for our “photographer’s bailout”–I’m sure it’s just lost in the mail :) 

Describe your shooting style?
Eclectic…  We really respect photojournalists as well as traditionalists, but are not quite either.  We love capturing emotion and moments throughout a wedding day, but as well, love directing a couple into the right light or initiating a meeting or moment.  We very rarely “pose” someone for an image.  Typically, we will direct them to a location and see what happens.  It cracks me up when I’ve heard some say things like, “chin forward, elbow out, S-curve, pouty face….  Now relax!”.  It reminds me of my golf swing…  We are all about making the couple feel comfortable.  If they are relaxed and having a good time, we get better images.  On a typical wedding day, approximately 90% of the day is captured unobtrusively as about 5-10% is directed.      
Thank you guys for the opportunity to share.  We truly love doing what we do!  God has blessed us with an opportunity to be a part of so many lives and to record these beautiful moments. 
As well, thank you for creating these awesome websites.  We have had a great response so far from the sites and are looking forward to our time with Photobiz for years to come!

James and Jenny
VISIO photography