PALM BEACH BRIDES 2023: Q& A  Capturing Your Unique Wedding Story

The right wedding photographer will provide the happy couple with memories to last a lifetime. Communication with your wedding photographer is crucial to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and that your special day is captured beautifully for all time. To learn more about hiring a professional wedding photographer, we spoke to Frank Koester of Through These Eyes Photography, who works alongside his wife, Erica.

Q: Tell us a bit about your background. How did you get into wedding photography, and how long have you been doing it?
 A: I began my journey in photography back in 1998. I was working for a company on Long Island doing children’s sports portraits. We did outdoor and indoor locations. After a few months of working there, I convinced my wife to come along on the photo shoots. She learned quickly and began taking team photos. I also began working for the New York Daily News, Newsday and a bunch of other newspapers. It was fun and exciting meeting so many people and being some place different every day. This is also the foundation of photographing weddings. One of the papers had a section called Down the Aisle. It featured two couples each week. No other photographers wanted to cover these assignments, but I enjoyed meeting the couples and hearing their stories. This was really where I first began in the wedding industry. Two years later, I began shooting weddings on my own and loved them. I was the only working journalist who also did wedding photography as well. It makes for a unique and interesting take on wedding photography, blended with journalism and storytelling. My wife and I are going into our 15th year of capturing couples’ love stories.

Q: How would you describe your photography style?
A: It’s definitely a unique style, since my background is in journalism. I’ve been a photojournalist in the media for more than 20 years, and that storytelling style of shooting easily carried over to telling a couple’s wedding story. Just as each couple is unique, so is their wedding story. I would have to say our style is a mix of editorial/storytelling.

Q: How far in advance do you recommend that couples book photography services for their wedding?|
A: The recommended time to book your photographer in most cases is about 18 months out. We are a husband-and-wife team and only book one wedding per weekend.  We want to be able to focus our full attention on you and your day. We also do not subcontract out weddings. Meaning, once you book us, that date is blocked for you, and it will be my wife and I who show up. We have had people book in less time when we have had openings.

Q: What are some of the different photography packages that you offer, and what do they include?
A: We like to keep things simple. We offer hourly rates for mini weddings. We also have packages to cover 6 to 8 hours. We are very flexible and can cater packages to the needs of the couple. All the packages include all the edited images and an online gallery, so you can share them easily with friends and family. We also have a photo booth, which can be added to any package or booked separately.

Q: What are some of the more unique locations that you have done wedding photography? Are there any particular types of wedding venues that you prefer?
A: We did a few weddings at the top of Whiteface Mountain in New York, an island wedding on the cliffs in St. Thomas, and another on a dairy farm complete with cows. We love and specialize in those intimate, unique wedding locations. Those are really our favorites, and you can instantly see how the setting reflects the couple’s personality.

Q: Do you often travel to photograph weddings?
A: When we lived in New York, we traveled most weekends   to different locations, mainly in and around upstate. Now that we live in Florida, we mainly stick to Florida’s east coast. Yet we are always open to destination weddings in new and exciting locations.

Q: Do you offer video services? If so, what type?
A:  We do offer video. My wife and I work closely with a videographer who also comes from a storyteller/media background. Their creative philosophy is much like ours, believing every couple is unique, and each wedding is its very own story. Being a boutique service, they also book limited weddings.

Q: What are some of the current trends in wedding photography?
A: I am seeing now a lot of people like “posed” candid pictures. It’s not uncommon for a couple to send me some images they found online and ask me to recreate them. I do tell them yes, we can, but are you looking for another couples’ photos to represent your wedding or do we want to capture you in your story, something that is unique and special? After they have had some time to reflect on what I am suggesting, they turn away from the photos they found or narrow it down to just a few, and then want images which will be their own.

Q: What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you?
A: We use all professional cameras and lenses. We also bring external lighting for any locations that may be dark. Aside from the equipment, we are also fully insured, which is something many venues require. A couple should always ask about this to any vendor they hire before giving them any money.

Q: How do clients receive their photography after the wedding? Do you work with them on traditional photography books? What are today’s couples looking for as keepsakes?
A: After their wedding, we send the couples a download link, and they can save the files to a hard drive. Sadly, we do not get many requests for albums anymore. Everyone wants the photos to post on social media, so we provide social ready images with all our packages. I hope the trend turns back to albums because they really are a family keepsake. The albums we make are custom designed, so no two albums look the same, as we don’t use premade templates. We also print our albums in house, so the couple can be part of the creative process.

Q: How can clients book you for their wedding celebration?
A: The best way to book us is to give us a call at (516) 532-8487 or send us an e-mail at fkoesterphoto@aol.com so we can talk about the details and get to know each other. During that first conversation, we also let the couple know that they get a complimentary engagement photo session.

Q: Why do you offer complimentary engagement photo sessions?|
A: We love engagement photo sessions because it gives us a chance to get to know one another in a relaxed environment. Many people have never been photographed professionally and can be nervous in front of the camera with a stranger. Your wedding day should never be the first time you meet your photographer. Engagement sessions let us get to know one another, have fun and build a relationship. Come your wedding day, we already know each other, and the photos come naturally.

Learn more about wedding photographers Frank and Erica Koester at www.throughtheseeyes-koester.com