Information about the Crystal Ballroom:
Any evening at the historic Crystal Ballroom is literally a multi-tiered experience. The menu above and the links at left will guide you through the steady flow of music, food, beverages and fun raging on the Crystal's three floors and in the subterranean lair of the Annex just half a block away. Take a moment and bookmark this page, so you can keep up with all the offerings at Portland's premier showroom.
Local: (503) 225-0047
1332 W. Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
rom small gatherings of a dozen or less in the Annex to huge Crystal Ballroom events for over a thousand people, we play host to holiday parties, weddings, receptions, birthdays, religious celebrations, corporate bashes, convention "fun nights," political gatherings, anniversaries (one of which featured the one and only James Brown) and good old-fashioned Parties-For-No-Apparent-Reason.
The following is published by kind permission of Tamara Orton, Inner Spirit Photography:
A few years from now, while your gown is safely nestled in its archival box and
the stale, year old cake top has been eaten; you may want something more to help
remind you of how you felt on your wedding day. It might be then when you
realize just how precious your wedding photographs are.
Wedding photography dates back as early as a few years after the invention of
the camera itself. It has become a cultural norm to display the wedding
photographs of our mothers and grandmothers as a historic record of one of the
most wonderful days in their lives. It is no wonder that many couples feel
choosing who will photograph their wedding day is one of the most important
decisions they will face in planning.
Finding Local Photographers
Considering this importance, how will you find out who the wedding photographers
in Portland Oregon area are? Luckily, there are many resources available to
you. One popular way to search is to use the internet. Simply type the words
" portland wedding photographers " or " oregon wedding photographer " or "
cancun wedding photographers " or " jewish orthodox wedding photography in
portland " or "doubltree hotel lloyd center wedding" ; in your favorite search
engine and you will be provided a long list of sites to visit. Many
photographers who have websites include galleries of dozens of images, answers
to many questions you may have and a bit about their pricing as well. Much
research can be done sitting in front of your computer in PJ’s!
Your friends, family and local vendors may even be able to recommend a few
photographers to you. Their good word holds much merit as they have had first
hand experience with the photographers they are recommending to you. They may
even have samples they can show you which brings us to the next topic- style.
Wedding Photography Styles
Every photographer has a style which is all their own. However, wedding
photography can be categorized into four distinct style types:
1) Traditional wedding photography is characterized by a heavy lean towards
a more formal, posed style. The emphasis is on formal portraits. "Candid"
photographs may also be included but tend to not make up the majority of work.
2) Artistic Style is characterized by creative interpretation of your
wedding moments. Artistic elements such as line, shape form, light and movement
are used to create images which might remind you of work you might see in an art
gallery.
3) Fashion Style is characterized by a modern, posed or prompted look. Edgy
colors, lighting and environments give a progressive feel to the imagery much
like the images you might see in advertisements for clothing designers in your
favorite magazines.
4) Documentary style is a very hands off approach. The photograph adopting
this approach will allow wedding moments to happen with no interference and will
tell stories with the photographs they make.
Some photographers may lean heavily toward on style while others may incorporate
combinations of these styles in varying doses. The photographer you choose
should have work which speaks to you.
The Consultation
Once you narrow your list of potential photographers you will need to make an
appointment to meet with them. Something to consider during your visit is how
well you like their personality. You will be spending a lot of time with them
on your wedding day and you will want that time to be spent with someone you
like to be around.
You will want to view sample images and albums to check for quality and
consistency of their work. You might also want to ask a few questions. Here
are some suggestions for questions you might want to ask:
Who will photograph my wedding?
Does the studio subcontract with other photographers, or will the person you
meet with be the one who photographs your wedding day? If a different
photographer will shoot your wedding, can you view samples of their work?
What is included in the photographer’s fee?
What services and products are included in the money you will invest?
What products are offered and what are the costs of these products?
How and when will you see your wedding images?
How do they handle the portrait session during coverage?
Some photographers have specific policies regarding the formal portraits which
might include seeing your fiancé before the ceremony. Some brides and grooms
prefer this approach while some do not.
You might have a few other questions. Make sure to write them down and take
them with you so you will remember to ask them.
You might notice the question commonly listed "What equipment do you use?" has
not been included. If you love the images you are seeing- if the quality is
acceptable to you, it matters little whether the photographer used medium
format, digital or crayons to create it. (I’m kidding about the crayons by the
way ;) )
The Investment
Your wedding photography budget will depend on many things which no formula can
determine. If photography is very important to you, you will want to budget
more for it. If it is not, budget less. The local price range for
photographers can range from 500.00 to 6000.00 or more depending on the level of
service and quality of products offered. Somewhere within that range lies the
perfect photographer for you.
Why Hire a Professional?
I cannot tell you how many emails, phone calls other conversations I have had
with people telling sad stories of how they trusted a friend, relative or
amateur to photograph their day and how many images were lost due to
inexperience and equipment failure. A wedding day is too important to hand the
job over to someone with little or no experience and hope for the best.
Booking your Photographer
Once you have done all of the research, how do you decide who will photograph
you wedding. The decision can be based solely on one word- trust. Since you
have spent much time viewing portfolios and meeting with photographers, you
should make your decision based on who you feel you can trust to handle the job.
Your next step is to book as soon as possible. Many photographers book 9 to 12
months in advance. To book, you may need to pay a retainer and sign a contract.
From there, all systems are go and you can move on to other wedding planning
decisions trusting your photographer to capture your day beautifully.
We also carry coffee table style or magazine style albums, along with Graphistudio, and leather albums.
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Evrim Icoz Photogarphy provides fine art wedding imagery for local weddings in Portland, Vancouver, Mexico, Sayulita, Cancun and Oregon area and is available for travel. Please visit our website to see our portfolio and to read more about our services.
