The honest answer to why I photograph weddings is that I strongly believe in marriage and I love the passion, commitment, and affection displayed at a wedding. Growing up with a photographer father I was always the friend with the good hand me down camera and as a teenager I took photographs at most of my friends football games, birthdays, as we got older their weddings. Having everyone relying on me to capture their special moment actually made me more hesitant to become a professional photographer.

I know how important those once in a lifetime, no do-over possibility, moments are and I was nervous to take that on without having the solid skill to back it up. So instead of going into photography, as my father very much wanted, I decided to go to college, get my Bachelors degree in business and work in the corporate world as a PR executive. Years later, as my own children began to grow up, my husband and I decided that I should leave my corporate job and try my hand at professional photography. I started my real, now a grown up, photography career almost nine years ago with mostly families and children. I respect weddings immensely and truly believe that your wedding photographs should be nothing short of amazing.

Your wedding day is not the time for a photographer to practice or portfolio build. I wanted to become a true professional, be able to afford the best gear, and be confident I could deliver every single time before shooting my first wedding. About four years into my photography career I had invested in equipment to handle any situation, hired an assistant, and I was ready to take on weddings full force. After 19 years of marriage I know what it is to look at someone and see your future in them. I love photographing weddings because I not only get to share in your amazing moment of commitment but I get to provide you with images that will show your future children, your family and the world your passion for each other for years to come. There is no better job than that!



It is important that once you decide to use ISG Photography as your wedding photographer that you reserve your date as soon as possible. Wedding dates are typically reserved at least 6-8 months prior to your wedding and popular June, July, and August dates can book up as much as a year in advance. To reserve your date a non-refundable retainer of 20% of the full package price is required. This retainer is applied toward your package price. The remaining balance will be due 30 days prior to your wedding date. Once the retainer has been paid, and a contract has been signed agreeing on a date and package, your date is secure and will not be booked by another couple. To ensure I can offer my clients my full attention and focus I only book one wedding per weekend. If I am unavailable on your date I am happy to refer you to other photographers I know and trust.



Yes, I accept Visa & MasterCard for payment as well as personal checks with proper ID and cash. If you choose to pay with a personal check your retainer, or balance, is not considered paid in full until your check clears and payment has been received by ISG Photography. Checks returned for insufficient funds will incur a $30 NSF fee and all payments thereafter must be paid in cash or with a credit card.



Your retainer is a guarantee of my services on your particular date. Because I only accept one wedding per weekend once you have paid your retainer that weekend is not available to other couples and I must turn down other work for that date. In the event that you cancel your contract it is not possible to recoup the missed income opportunity as that entire weekend was set aside exclusively for your wedding.



I would define my style as intimate and modern, yet with classic beauty. I am always learning and watching trends around the world and then interpreting it into my work. Others have described my style as fresh and vibrant. I love dramatic images with deep rich colors and different lighting effects as well as photographs that are a bit dramatic. I believe photography is a changing art and every wedding I photograph has its own subtle artistic feel that matches the couple and their individual love story.



There are many titles used to describe wedding photographers these days. Interpretive, photojournalistic, illustrative, traditional, etc. These titles are meant to help couples pick a photographer, but I think they almost make it more confusing because most good wedding photographers are all a little of these things. Instead of locking myself into a specific style, I try to incorporate all the positive things about every style and then use them to my advantage.

My goal is to capture your details, your guests, your ceremony, the special moments throughout the day and dramatic editorial type portraits to document your love. I believe my strength style-wise is being able to guide you into positions, locations and moments that translate on camera into stunning editorial-type images. Images where you look amazing, crazy-happy and madly in love! I believe every couple should have magazine-worthy photographs of themselves to remember later and in a glance what brought you together in the first place. Creating editorial type images and helping you look your best in them, is one my favorite parts of wedding photography. While I dont necessarily pose you, I will guide you into positions and moments that I know will make stunning photographs.

I dont believe in telling couples that my style is simply photojournalistic and that how you look is how you look (so sorry your hips look huge in that moment!). I believe in creating images in the moment and then applying careful retouching that will make you love how you look in them! Because of that I deliver less images than some photographers may offer however all of my images are edited to ensure a polished look you will love. I believe it is better to have 400 great images where you look your best rather than 1000 images unpolished! Everyone deserves to look their best on their wedding day and that should also apply to your finished images. I opt for quality over quantity.



It seems no one wants to be traditional these days, but I do think traditional photography has its place in todays weddings. The group-family images, often called formals, will not be the large images you will hang in your living room but they will be shared with family and are an important part of your story. I dont spend a lot of time with large family group photographs however I do believe they are important. If you would like formals we will set aside time to get those. We will also take some traditional images of the bride and groom (alone) for thank you cards, wedding announcements in the newspaper, etc. There is nothing wrong with being traditional when it comes to the elements that are classic and I have no problem taking traditional shots along with the modern ones.



Seeing a photographers work from start to finish is an important tool in evaluating style and skill. Just about anyone can pick one or two great images from a wedding for a portfolio, but what did the other 300 shots look like? My wedding portfolio is event-focused and I show some weddings from start to finish. Every moment on your day is important. You should select a photographer that you are confident can deliver throughout the entire event and not just simply when the conditions are perfect. Conditions change dramatically throughout the typical wedding from inside a tiny getting-ready room, to a large, low-light church hall, to outside for casual shots, to a dark moody reception. Each scenario poses its own photographic challenges, lighting requirements and necessary skills. My portfolio gives you an overall impression of my work, instead of just a select few of my best shots and I feel this gives you a better understanding of my style and quality.



With the amazing digital cameras on the market today, many couples opt to have a family member or friend photograph their wedding instead of hiring a professional. I certainly understand the appeal of that, but I urge you to not make that decision lightly. The reality is that in todays web-enabled world, dozens (if not hundreds) of images from your wedding will be uploaded to Facebook within hours of your ceremony. The odds are good that many, if not most or all, will have poor lighting, harsh flash, closed eyes, blown out backgrounds or dark subjects. You are not hiring a professional photographer just to wander around getting decent images of your first kiss, the guests and your food. You are hiring a professional photographer to anticipate moments others will not, provide images in the difficult situations that are still stunning, and to help you look amazing throughout your day. You are hiring me to create those images that will wow you! You want images where you look amazing, you are turned just right so that the light hits your face beautifully, the background is perfect and they look like they could have been taken straight out of a magazine.

Your wedding photographs will tell your story through the photographers eyes for the rest of your life! When this big day is over and you look back on it 30 years from now, chances are that the only thing remaining will be your photographs. Style, consistency and knowledge are critical to a positive outcome. Wedding photography is a very challenging job, one that many Professionals spend their entire lives perfecting. Knowing how to shoot in low light, using flash effectively, where to stand, when to get the great shots and how to effectively manage a group, are just a few of the skills a Professional brings to the table.

A professional wedding photographer has the experience to anticipate reactions and events. This is critical towards capturing the important moments in your fast-paced day. A fantastic article on this subject can be found in a recent publication of Seattle Bride Magazine.

Seattle Bride Magazine Photography Article




Yes, I belong to several professional organizations including Professional Photographers of America, PPA.



Yes, professional photography is my full time job which means I am constantly engrossed in the industry. While I have been a photographer most of my life, I opened my own photography business in 2003. I have a full professional studio-setup as well as knowledge of the best Alaskan outdoor locations. I am blessed to be able to do what I love as my career!



Yes, while completing my Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, I took many photography and fine art courses at colleges in California, as well as here in Alaska. I also belong to several organizations that offer certification, training and seminars in photography. My real training, however, comes from growing up with a photographer father. I cant even remember a time in my life that did not involve some form of photography. I am constantly learning, traveling outside of Alaska for training, and practicing because I believe that good photography is a moving target and that there is always room for improvement.



The number one error couples make is not leaving enough time for photographs. The reality is that spectacular images take time. Couples often get swept up in the excitement of the day, the stress of the day, and the pressure from everyone else to be everywhere at once. Your wedding photographs will show your emotions on your amazing day if you slow down, relax, and connect with each other. I remind couples that this is your day, this is completely about you, and if you need to steal away for an hour your guests, and your mother in law, will have to wait. Yes, your feet will be sore, and yes, you will be anxious to dance with your friends. However, I can only do as good of a job as you let me. I recommend that every couple plan at least one hour at some point during the day for photographs of just the bride and groom.



Yes. I update my website regularly and most of the work shown is from the past wedding season. You can also view my current work on my blog.



Every single one of your images will receive individual editing and attention before they are presented to you. You will then receive all of your finished images on disk along with personal printing rights allowing you to print and reproduce as you wish. ISG photography retains the right to store the images as well, but does not guarantee a back up for more than one year. You may always print your images through ISG Photography to ensure professional quality at a discounted rate.



Change is a way of life and I am prepared to deal with a variety of scenarios as they arise. I bring an assistant, full studio lighting, reflectors, a backup professional-quality camera, extension cords, as well as safety pins, duct tape, a stain stick, etc. I am often seen standing in mud, laying in snow, or shooting in the pouring rain while the couple stays dry under an overhang. I am truly willing to do just about anything for a great photograph. Short of a natural disaster, I will work to overcome any changes thrown your way!



Yes, you are welcome to make partial payment by your choice of check or credit card. Your balance must be paid in full at least 30 days in advance of your wedding date. Your partial payment is fully refundable, minus your non-refundable retainer, up until 30 days before your wedding, if you should need to cancel completely.

If you have any other questions about your wedding photography please feel free to call me at 907-317-1433 or email me at samantha@isgphotography.com

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