The Skog (like Vogue) Philosophy I’ve always been drawn to capturing real honest expressions, the ones where you forget you have a camera in your face, the ones that happen in between poses, a gesture, a thought. We shoot both digital and film photography, and depending on the project, we will typically choose one over the other. Digital allows us to snap away and capture 101 expressions in the matter of a couple of minutes, whereas with precious Film, we take our time directing for that one perfect moment. I am a Fashion Photographer who loves to incorporate mood and style in my wedding photography documentation.
Above all else, enjoy your day! If there is one thing we can’t encourage enough, it’s enjoy yourself & relish in every moment! You have done everything in your power to plan for everything to go smoothly, now it’s time to let go and pass the reigns off to the professionals you entrusted with your most cherished day. Please understand that it might not all happen the way you planned for it to, but it will be your perfect day no matter what. Try to take moments throughout the day to close your eyes, breathe, listen to whatever the surroundings are, and soak in all the wonderful things that this day has to bring. Don’t let a groomsman with a fresh black eye (it happened at my wedding!) or a little rain ruin your day. Don’t let it affect you for one second. This is your day! Enjoy the high and embrace the possibilities of what could happen if you let it.
Hire a Wedding Planner/Designer Hiring a professional wedding coordinator &/or designer is going to ensure that your wedding day vision is successfully carried out and that you are going to be enjoying your day. A strong coordinator will work closely with all of your vendors, schedule your timelines, anticipate your needs, solve any potential problems, and see to it that your wedding goes smoothly for you and your guests.
Include us on the Guest List. This sounds a little silly, but there are a couple of benefits to doing this. Including your photographer on the guest list will ensure we personally receive an invitation suite and will have the opportunity to photograph it beforehand. Additionally, it seats the photographers at the reception where all the action is and enables us to be fed with everyone else. We can’t tell you how many shots we have potentially missed from being 12 floors down or off in a remote tent waiting until after guests are served to eat. Wedding Days run a tight schedule, it only makes sense for your photographers & video to eat when the guests are eating, that way, when everyone is finished; we are finished too and can get right back to photographing the celebration.
Hair & Makeup There are many talented hair & makeup artists and we love working with so many of them, but there is one company that to us, offers a service that nobody else does. They are well-trained, on-trend, and stay to assist through out the day. Dressed professionally and suited with an emergency kit, the PMA team not only styles to perfection, but they assist while shooting portraits. Maria Chang, Owner and Lead Stylist of Professional Makeup Artistry has been my partner in crime for the past decade. Together, we created the ‘Couture Shoot’ the completely styled shoot with hair and makeup and magazine ready images. Since our partnership, Maria has personally trained and brought on several beautiful artists, one of which, my most favorite person in the world, my baby sister, Lindsay Skog. Collectively we love working together, inspiring one another, and challenging each other. I don’t know where I would be without these two kind souls in my life.
Getting Ready This is a very special time for the Bride and her closest ladies. The Bride is filled with so much emotion and anticipation for the day that she has waited her whole life for. We want to be there to capture everything from the jewelry & dress detail to the Bridesmaids helping her get into her amazing gown! Typically we like to arrive when the Bride is getting the finishing touches applied to her hair and make-up and before she slips into her gown. We request a minimum of 20 minutes of the bride alone with her gown and flowers before heading to the ceremony site. If time permits, this is also a good time to get portraits of the Bride with her Bridesmaids and Family. But what about the groom? Have no fear, Rob is here! He will be hanging out and photographing the groom and his groomsmen prior to the ceremony.
First Look Some couples choose to have an intimate ‘First Look’ before the ceremony to put some of those jitters at ease and take advantage of time alone for portraits. Having a First Look allows for us to take beautiful relaxed portraits, wedding party portraits, and immediate family portraits all before the guests arrive and ceremony begins. This also let’s the new married couple enjoys part of their cocktail hour!
Fashion Worthy Portraits Our time with you is one of our most favorite times of the day, when the couple has a little alone time to soak it all in. We emphasize that this time is just for the couple alone. It is very difficult to be relaxed and enjoying the moment when there is an audience watching. We appreciate as much time as possible, however we completely understand the confines of a wedding day timeline and will work as quickly as we can to get you back to your guests. Some couples choose to see each other before hand, which is a really great idea if you wish to take portraits off location or would like to enjoy part of your cocktail hour with your guests. If you choose not to do a ‘First Look’ beforehand, expect to be shooting family, wedding party and couple portraits throughout the entire cocktail hour.
Family Group Shots Immediately following the ceremony we will take the Family and Group Portraits. Please keep in mind that the fewer individual group shots listed, the faster this process will go. If you are including Extended Family in your shot list, we will start with that and scale down to the Immediate Family. As each family is finished, they are free to go enjoy the reception. The Bridal Party is shot last so that we can get some fun group shots of everyone together. If your ceremony is in a church, we strongly advise moving the group shot location outside rather than up on the alter. Churches tend to be very dark with overhead lighting that creates dark shadows under the eyes. Outside provides much more appealing light for group formals. Please be sure to provide us with a list of group shots so we can move through the list as quickly as possible.
Color Coordinating For the family members & closest friends that will be included in your group formal portraits, we recommend asking them to wear complimentary tones to match your wedding party and florals. This way all of your photographs will follow the same tone and create a better flow in your wedding book and overall look of your wedding images. Busy or Contrasting prints will distract from the beautiful setting.
Video / Filmmaker We love working with other creative artists, often times I find myself inspired watching other creatives work. On the wedding day we will work side by side with video and enjoy the camaraderie. We only ask one thing, please please please do not post a camera on a tripod in the middle of the aisle during the ceremony. Thank you!
Consider going Unplugged We completely understand your guests wanting to document your wedding day from their point of view and we encourage it for most of the time. Except for the times like when our beautiful bride is walking down an aisle riddled with cell phones or iPads sticking out and blocking our shot. Or "Uncle Bob" pops out right in front to catch the perfect shot of the first kiss. It's times like this that we don't get to do a do-over. Many couples are choosing to go 'Unplugged' for their wedding ceremony by kindly inviting your guests to be truly present during this special time and to please turn off their cell phones and put down their cameras. It will allow your guests to be engaged with their hearts an free of technological distractions.
Transportation If your wedding celebration is at different locations, it’s a good idea to arrange for your photographers to ride along in the car with you. This will ensure we continue to be by your side, documenting those last few moments before you say ‘I do’, and not spend precious shooting time searching for parking.
FAQ
What is your style? We are a unique sibling triad of artists; best friends since the beginning of time. Inspired by fashion and raw expression, native California Fashion Photographer, Jennifer Skog’s work evokes honesty, seduction and the unexpected. Her distinctive style is decidedly spontaneous, photo-journalistic, and fashionable. Complimenting Jen’s alluring style, visual storyteller Rob enjoys taking more of the ‘fly on the wall’ approach documenting every moment undetected. Stylist Lindsay brings a fresh perspective and beautiful crazy hair and makeup styles that we crave to photograph. Collectively, we bring the perfect blend of Romance, Drama & Truth in our Wedding Documentation.
Do we need to schedule an engagement session? Our Engagement Sessions are crafted like an editorial Fashion Shoot, complete with hair, makeup and wardrobe styling by Team Skog. This is an incredible experience for the couple in love and a perfect opportunity for us to get acquainted before the big day. This isn't a mandatory shoot, but who can resist?!
My partner hates being photographed, what can we do? It is very often that our couples feel this way and we take our own steps necessary to make sure that you are comfortable. For most of the wedding day, we try to stay as hidden as possible to photograph the moments as they unfold naturally. During our creative portraits sets, we direct the shoot with natural scenarios in mind; it’s just you and your love. And us, you’ll get used to us. There is no doubt in our minds that you will love how it all turns out in print!
How many photographers/assistants do you bring? Our Boutique Coverage includes 2 Primary Photographers, Jennifer Skog & Rob Skog and an assistant. Both Jen and Rob are available independently as well; additional photographers can be added to any of our wedding coverage.
What if it rains? It is always good to have a back up plan if you are having an outdoor ceremony or reception for you and your guests. For portraits, we can handle the rain, and like we mentioned before, expect the unexpected! Just embrace it, put a smile on that face and let us create something amazing together!
How do we hire you? For Inquiries, please tell us a little about your big day by completing the following form: Wedding Inquiries. Once we have a chance to chat about your wedding and confirm we are a good fit for one another, we provide you with a customized quote suited to your wedding photography needs. A signed contract and $2000 deposit will secure your wedding date with us.
Do you shoot Vow Renewals? Absolutely! Vow Renewals are awesome because not only do you get to do it all over again and celebrate your love with your closets friends and family members, but it is without all the stress and you can do whatever you want without worrying about wedding day traditions and your family demands. It's also the perfect way to get those amazing portraits that maybe you didn't get the first time around :)
We don’t live close enough to meet in person? Most of our couples lead very busy lives and either don’t have the time to meet or don't live close enough. Thankfully, we have other ways of getting to know each other! A phone call to start off is always fun, and we can move forward from there or schedule a FaceTime or Skype call.
When will we see our photos? Your online image gallery will be available to view 8-12 weeks following your wedding. We know this seems like an eternity, but to maintain our high standards image quality every image is individually examined and edited. We will notify you as soon as your gallery is online and ready to share with your family and friends!
Do you edit your own photos? Yes! I hate to admit how long I've been doing this, but it's been many many years on a daily basis. Practice makes perfect and I'm very picky about how our images look, so I take a lot of care and put a whole lot of love in my editing and retouching.
How do we get published? There are certainly no guarantees when it comes to getting published, but if you want to put a serious effort forth, we have a list of suggestions to guide you along the way. When planning your wedding, keep in mind that it will be the one-of-a-kind details and personal elements that catch editor’s eyes. Hire a Wedding Designer to help carry out your vision and edit smart. After the wedding, we will email you with a form to get the submittal process started. From there, we will send them off to various Magazines, then a second wave of submissions to online blogs. Magazines can take up to 12 months to select or publish a wedding, so it is a practice of patience. We will keep you posted if your wedding gets selected! Crossing fingers!!