Bri McDaniel Photography Is Now in Atlanta AND Seattle

Wedding photography that thinks you deserve to be seen

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Who: Bri McDaniel Photography

Why: Did you ever meet someone and instantly know you wanted to be part of whatever they were doing? That’s how I felt the first time I saw Bri McDaniel’s work. Not only is her talent practically exploding off the page (Bri studied at Savannah College of Art and Design, so she’s got credentials on top of skill), but you can tell that Bri is about something. As a self-described “short girl with an afro” in an interracial relationship, Bri is committed to showcasing that there are more kinds of weddings than what the wedding industry has to offer us. And more specifically, that the indie wedding scene has room for people of color too. Bri says, “I feel like this industry is still struggling with a lack of diversity. So I try my best with my portfolio to display more than one type of couple or wedding, and to really celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of love. I’m excited to shoot any type of wedding from the super traditional to the super alternative.” And then there’s the photos. Which would be reason enough to hire Bri even if you didn’t get the awesome person behind them.

Not to mention, I just inherently trust anyone whose own wedding photos are this cool:

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Where/How Much: Bri is moving from Atlanta to Seattle, so WEST COAST: this means she’s ready for you! (Pssst…Seattle vendors, you should do yourself a favor and make friends with Bri. You’ll thank me later.) But don’t worry, Atlanta. The South will always be Bri’s home. Which is why, for 2016, Bri won’t be charging travel fees for any Atlanta weddings (yup, even if she comes to you all the way from the Pacific Northwest.) Rates begin at $2,000 for four hours of coverage, a USB drive, an online gallery and an image box containing fifty 5×5 prints and go up to $3500 for ten hours, a USB drive, an online gallery and the fifty print image box.

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When Bri McDaniel first joined APW, she said something that really stuck with me. She wrote:

I see the Atlanta wedding market really divided by race. The African American bride and wedding is represented in one way: over the top, glamorous, and traditional. Not every couple of color is like this, and it is important to me to represent the couples who are different in a way that is different. I am getting married in March, so of course right now I am glued to wedding blogs for inspiration. It is disheartening to not really see myself represented. I’m not traditional nor am I looking to throw a big show. So it’s somewhat of a mission of mine to represent every type of couple, and really capture their love stories in a unique way.

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And what I’ve seen since then, is Bri putting her money where her mouth is. When I look at her portfolio, I don’t see one particular “type” of couple or wedding—in fact, the only unifying factor seems to be Bri’s incredible photos. And now, since getting married, Bri is more of an asset to her couples than ever. She explained:

I’ve officially been through the wedding planning gauntlet of fire, and I have a rang and a cute hubby to show for it. Wedding planning has helped me understand what my couples are going through, so its allowed me to really be an open resource for them.

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Every time I talk to Bri, she’s got some new, awesome project in the works, and this time is no different. Feeling uninspired by the standard wedding industry engagement session (stand here, hold hands, smile), Bri is shaking things up with a new kind of couples shoot that she’s calling “Hang Out Sessions.” A Hang Out Session is kind of exactly what it sounds like—Bri will hang with you and yours and document your day—everyone gets to know one another, and then you get stunning photos from the experience.

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She explains:

My main goal of these sessions are to tell a narrative of where you are at this time and place as a couple and who you are as two people—a family really—in love. These sessions don’t have any time limits and I’m up for hanging out for as long as my couple will have me. It’s really important for me to get to know the couples I work with so I can capture your wedding day in the most natural and fun way possible.

I’m slowly replacing my standard engagement sessions with this new way of shooting. I’m starting to believe that you can’t really capture real and intimate moments in the standard two hours of posing, in two locations, with two outfits. It takes some time. It takes me coming over and just chilling, talking, laughing, and, ok, some drinking too if you are into that. It takes actual hanging out.

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If Bri’s recent Hang Out Sessions are any indication, expect good things from this.

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I feel like I’ve spent the past year and a half watching Bri McDaniel‘s star rise, in the most awesome way. But at least for now, Bri is still making it crazy easy to hire her (rates that start at $2,500 and free travel to Atlanta? I can’t even.) So go hire her before she realizes how good she is and does something about it.

HEads up ATLanta: Bri McDaniel isn’t charging any travel fees for Atlanta weddings throughout 2016—so READ THE FAQ and GET BOOKING

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