My Philosophy and Credentials

Each wedding is a unique event based on the personalities of the bride and groom and all the major participants. While most weddings resemble one another in form, my goal is to capture the uniqueness of my clients and their most important day. One groom mentioned to me that the photos that I take have personality. This is my goal. I deliberately avoid the cookie cutter look to give you the best of my creativity and vast experience you'd expect from the best of photographers.

The word ‘memories' as used in my business name is at the core of why I do wedding photography. It's a very special event filled with pageantry and ceremony, color and sound, joy and tears, love and life and last minute changes too. About fourteen years ago my musician wife came home after performing for a wedding and said that she'd seen enough mediocre photography out there. She suggested that I try wedding photography as she knew the quality of work I could do, having been a photographer for over twenty years. I'd taken my first professional photos in Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam War and had been free-lancing for magazines beginning in 1978 along with various works for companies specializing in school photography, graduation and group photography. I had the technical skills to do weddings but was worried about the people side of it. Then I did a friend's wedding and discovered that I really enjoyed it. To this day I've done hundreds of weddings and each is like the first time because weddings are about people and family and about sharing something special.

I began doing wedding photography in 1990 and have since done over 500 ceremonies. My photography is very high end and I use a medium format Hasselblad camera. The Hasselblad produces the very best images while my Canon 35mm is best for quick-action candid's . Since my background is in photo journalism I prefer the clarity of unfiltered photos. However I often use soft-focus or diffusion filters and special light reduction lenses to give you those romantic close-up ‘misty' photos everyone loves.

I work out of my home studio but will gladly bring my photo albums to you if our meeting place is within the San Francisco Bay Area. I would like to show you my work and talk about wedding photography and your wedding specifically. You can reach me at 925.625.4363 or feel free to call my cell phone at 925.628.3205. I have a voice mail and check it frequently.

Whatever you decide, do hire a professional. Uncle Jim who can take really nice pictures is not trained to do wedding photography. Handling the contrasts of white and black not to mention the stress of the day and all the innumerable facets and lighting conditions involved in the wedding day is no time for someone who takes nice pictures. You want a pro who can handle whatever is thrown one's way. And remember too that there is no second opportunity. When the day is over the pictures are what you have left. Make them the best they can be!

Sincerely and hopefully your future photographer,

Bill Lewis