The Samaritan Project

Stephen Besecker’s book The Samaritan drops in stores and on Amazon today! I just want to say it was an amazing experience creating the cover and being part of a team that helped launch a very captivating novel. (Snjezana and I read it and loved it!). First of all allow me to thank Kristina Murray, the model who graces the cover of the book and Rachel Good whose make up work allowed the shoot to be such a resounding success. The session really was incredible we found that all four of us had amazing chemistry and despite it being a serious shoot for the cover of a book we were all enjoying it like a Friday night out with friends. Of course when it was all said and done we were able to get a shot that Steve thought captured the spirit of the novel just right. Our shoot with Steve was a little bit different but in the end turned out just as successful. Steve was convinced that a good picture of him couldn’t be taken; and while he certainly was n0 Kristina we were able to get a picture that we both thought worked well. After the studio photography was done it was time to actually design the cover, and after about a week we had made about five or six covers that worked. Finally a team comprised of Steve and the publishers picked the one that fit the novel the best. Another couple of weeks of tinkering and sizing the cover was ready to print. When it was all said and done my wife Snjezana and I felt fulfilled and quite happy that our design skills were put to good use when most of our work now consists of editing photos. Personally as someone who has a degree in design I was particularly thrilled to put together the cover and the sleeve of the book because it brought me back to my roots as a designer before my craft evolved to include many different aspects of photography. Now with the release of the book today, Snjezana and I look back on the creative process and couldn’t be happier with our involvement in the project. It was something very unique that we don’t typically do and that change of pace as well as the wonderful people we collaborated with made this one of our favorite projects of all time.

Thanks Everyone, and Steve I hope the book flies off the shelves!!!

Review that made me cry!

 

Photography and art is our life. We give 100% to all of our clients and we are happy to be a part of their lives. We receive a lot of thank you cards and emails with testimonials that make us really happy and confirm that we are doing things right. I want to share the one we received yesterday that really touched our hearts! We have known Lindsay and Mark for a year now. We did their engagement session and on May 21, 2011, we shoot the wedding.

They understood our art and we fell in love with them the second we met them.  I want to thank you both for taking the time to write this review and make us feel so good about our work!

And here it is:

Every SINGLE comment that I have received on our photos, from people who were at the wedding and from those that were not, has been that I look like I belong in a bridal magazine.

Quality of Service: throughout our entire engagement, Jeff and Snjezana were in constant contact with us and responded to every question that we had within hours of my sometimes frantic emails. The turnaround time on both our engagement session photos and our wedding gallery were less than a week, which is outstanding for the number of pictures and quality of their artwork.

Responsiveness: Very easily accessible, either via email, phone call, or facebook. Side note: I loved seeing what was in store for us by being linked to their facebook pages and having previews of other couples’ e-sessions and weddings.

Professionalism: I personally think that in the situation of your wedding day, the value of professionalism is far outweighed by the value of personally knowing someone and letting them see you in your underwear and spanx! While Jeff and Snjezana were introduced into our lives for a “professional” reason, I would happily go on a double date with them and enjoy their company to learn more about them as individuals and as a couple with a wonderfully interesting hobby and fantastic talent.

Value for Cost: I honestly believe that there is no monetary value on what they were able to capture for us on our wedding day. While in the grand scheme of things, a wedding in general always costs way too much money, I cant say that there is a dollar limit that I would be able to put on the work that Jeff and Snjezana do.

Flexibility: My husband and I have rather tricky schedules, mostly my fault because I am in school part time and work full time. However, that was never an issue with Jeff and Snjezana, and while the weather cooperated with us for both our e-session and our wedding, I know that if the day wasn’t perfect, they would be the first ones to say “let’s wait until it is perfect.”

Overall Experience: I have to say that when anyone heard that we were using FCI Photography for our wedding, I could see the envy in their eyes. We were fortunate enough to learn of Jeff and Snjezana at a bridal expo, but I cant imagine where we would have ended up had we not met them. On a personal level, Snjezana always put me at ease by telling me that nothing I did was wrong and everything was right, and Jeff was entirely encouraging when I saw him look at his camera and smile when he had a great shot. The benefit of having two photographers is undeniable, but the benefit of having two people in sync the way that Jeff and Snjezana are is unbeatable.

These photographers make you value the arts and how it is present in your life in ways that most people can’t see – especially on their wedding day. I was so nervous the morning of the wedding but was completely put to ease as soon as Jeff showed me one of his first shots, and it had come out exactly the way I was hoping it would – as if I was in a bridal magazine! Being able to rely on two people who want more than anything for you to feel like a bride and feel beautiful made the rest of the day seem natural – after all, when are you NOT being followed around by cameras:)

My recommendation for FCI is abnormally clear here – but the bottom line is that FCI is absolutely worth every penny that we invested in helping us to remember the day that everyone says flies by. Pictures are what you have to remember – we’ve been married for 12 days now, and every day I lose one more memory that I had of our wedding. But when I look at our pictures, I am reminded of how I felt about our day.

Lindsay

Why am I a wedding photographer?

 It seems a lot of people today are getting into wedding photography because it’s a way to make some quick cash with little investment in a cheap digital camera and little or no experience. It’s so easy to be a “photographer” now,  it’s no wonder the amount of horror stories that are surfacing (in photographic circles as well as the media) about newbie shooters who can’t deliver on promises made to brides in a no do-over occupation.

 Why am I a wedding photographer?

Although my roots are in classic portraiture, I was always attracted to the work of photojournalists because of the way they capture raw emotions in the midst of a particular event. I always thought the greatest job would be as a combat photographer embedded with a platoon for a period of time. The ability to freeze unbridled emotion has an irresistible appeal.  That has always been the driving force behind my passion for wedding photography. I feel it is an honor to share my gifted art with a family on their wedding day. I feel God has given me a special “eye” for creative lighting and an empathetic heart to anticipate those fleeting  moments of tears and laughter to be captured as a memory forever. As artists The wedding day is our canvas. Our clients remember through our photography.  A brides wedding day is something she has dreamed of since she was a little girl. It is a day that will never happen again.

 It is an awesome responsibility that we embrace every day.  The passion that drives to exceed already lofty expectations, that is the greatest feeling in the world! 

That is why I am a wedding photographer.

Why an engagement session?

 Last Saturday we had so much fun out at Holimont Ski Area in Ellicottville NY shooting an engagement session with our clients Shannon and Mark. We really enjoyed getting to know them as we worked, and all of us left excited to shoot together again on their wedding day.

       Then on Monday a wedding prospect couple came in to meet with us and discuss their wedding day plans. As so often happens in this economy they questioned the need for an engagement session in an effort to trim down the package. After explaining why the E session is very important to them, it gave me the idea to post my reasons to book an engagement session with your wedding package.

       First of all, your wedding photographer is the only person you hire that you will spend the entire day with.  Familiarity adds a valuable level of comfort on the wedding day that an engagement session can provide like nothing else. Once you see how we work and the  images themselves, a bond of trust in established that carries over to the wedding day. So when we arrive at our brides house we are often greeted by the open arms of a new friend instead of the polite courtesies of a stranger.

    Also, E sessions are always in a relaxed environment with casual clothes. Nobody wants the first shoot to be in a tuxedo and gown when you’re nervous and afraid to move.

     E sessions are always shot in the best light because we (photographer) pick the time of day. Most weddings take place in the mid-day sun. 

      The photographs we are able to capture at a wedding with a couple that we worked with previously on their E shoot are always exceptional. The confidence and trust that has been established carries a vital role in the creation of the images.

    When the Bride and Groom know you, like you, and trust you based on a working history they will do whatever it takes to help us create the stunning images they hired you for!

Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011

Weddings, Wedding Venues
2011 Bride's Choice Awards | Best Wedding Photographers, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Florists, Wedding Planners & More
 

FISHER CREATIVE IMAGE

Buffalo, NY – February 1, 2011 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Fisher Creative Image has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for the

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation. 

FCI Photography stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud FCI PHotography for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that FCI Photography is among the very best wedding photography within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

M o r e   i n f o