When you’re looking at wedding photos all day like it’s your job (see what I did there?), it’s easy to become jaded. There are just so many talented and skilled photographers out there (lucky for you engaged persons!), that the bar for something to warrant a second look can feel pretty damn high. But that is a bar that Shaw Photography Co. just cruises right over. Their images are frame-worthy, emotional, and their couples always look cool. (And since none of us #wokeuplikethis, we’re always down for photographers that make us look cool without us having to try.) Shaw Photography Co. consists of husband and wife team Brian and Christina, who are based in New York, but travel all over—what was I saying about y’all being lucky?
Like those of us at APW, the Shaws dig folks who are having awesome weddings of all shapes and sizes, from tiny elopements, to traditional galas, and everything in between. And it’s this in between space, somewhere between fifty and a hundred guests, that most of the mainstream wedding industry tends to leave out. You’re not eloping, but you’re not having a gigantic bash either, and somehow a lot wedding vendors—from venues that can only accommodate you on a Tuesday, to rentals that have hundred-chair minimums—can’t get on board. But for Shaw Photography Co., in-between weddings like these (which are often referred to as “intimate”) are their jam:
While we love photographing weddings of all sizes, there is something we deeply connect with when weddings are intimate in nature. Whether this means the two of you eloping in the thick shaded woods of your favorite camping site, gathering twenty-five of your closest family and friends on the mountaintop you often hike together, or heading to city hall and then having an intimate dinner reception at your favorite restaurant, we are honored when asked to be the ones there to document your celebration.
And guys? These words ring true. Just look at a few of the wedding adventures they’ve captured:
Caleb and Carolyn had a backyard wedding right outside of Buffalo, New York. Carolyn followed her dream of walking down the aisle barefoot, and Caleb followed his dream of running off with his bride at the end of the night on his motorcycle.
Jessica and Scooter’s wedding at Hotel St. Cecilia in Austin, Texas was shot by Brian, and they brought themselves into their wedding on every level from the intimacy of the day, to the location choice, to the styling of the wedding (Jessica owns a vintage clothing shop and Scooter is a barber).
Brittany and Ryan chose to have a personalized ceremony on their favorite Mountain in the Adirondacks. Christina visited Lake Placid to capture them getting ready and then headed to the mountain to witness them marry at 5:30 p.m. on the peak of Whiteface Mountain. They were surrounded by sixteen of their family and closest friends and even snuck up their dog to bear witness.
Shaw Photography Co.’s pricing is incredibly flexible all around, starting with one-photographer options that are perfect for intimate weddings. Elopement coverage begins at $1,850, and intimate wedding coverage starts at $3,850 for seven hours of coverage with one photographer. Travel fees range from $300 to $850 depending on where you are, and if need be you can choose to add on additional hours, a second shooter, an engagement session, or an 8×10 album. What you want is what you get, and you’ll never be over charged on hours or extra products that don’t apply to your needs.
What About That wedding conteSt Though?
Shaw Photography Co. is hosting their third annual intimate wedding contest, and this year it could be your wedding that they’ll shoot for just the cost of travel expenses. The couple who wins will receive up to seven hours of continuous coverage with one photographer, classic film-style edits on your entire collection, delivery of high-res images with reproduction release, and an online gallery to share, download, and print your images. See details to apply on Shaw Photography’s website—just make sure you get it in by January 30, 2017!
This duo values authentic connections and working with kind-hearted, soul-filled, adventurous spirits who make their own rules (sounds like y’all!). If you love photography and storytelling you’ll hit it off, and this common ground leads to incredible wedding experiences like this one:
Not only were Christina and her husband professional and punctual, it was like working with favorite family members. They were warm, easy going, and adapted perfectly to the type of wedding we were giving, which was a backyard do-it-yourself event. But the proof is in the pudding. The photos are so amazing and beautiful that friends and co-workers are all commenting on how gorgeous they are. They somehow covered the totality of the wedding and all the details that made it special, yet in a quiet unobtrusive way. We simply could not be happier with the service provided; they truly helped make the day extra special.
There’s a whole lot of wedding magic that goes on in the space between an elopement and a hundred person wedding, and that space is where Shaw Photography Co. shines. (And I mean, let’s be real: they also kill it at covering both of those too.) Find out more about Brian and Christina here, see even more of their incredible wedding coverage right over here, and email them to enter the giveaway already.
the giveaway deadline is january 30, 2017: we can’t wait to see who wins!
