Naghmeh Desroches has an unmistakable eye for gorgeous, authentic and, let's face it, incredible shots that could turn any wedding album into your new favourite book for a lifetime. She will bring you to love posed photography without sacrificing the option to have remarkable photojournalistic photos, which she does with her natural ability to make her subjects feel comfortable and look great in front of the camera.

Both skilled and experienced, fun to chat with and a total professional when it comes to her work, Naghmeh clearly earns her clients' rave reviews. In our interview with Naghmeh of D&G Photography, it was easy to see how a bride and groom could get lost in her world and their own possibilities at the same time. Let us explain...

Personally speaking...

Naghmeh (pronounced nagg-may) started out as a self-taught photographer, proving that some people are simply born to shoot. She began her career and education in photography after working as an assistant alongside another incredible local photographer while taking photography classes and workshops in between shooting events. "I learned a lot - about what to do, and what not to do. Shooting with another photographer helped me to create my style and business philosophy..." Over five years ago, Naghmeh branched out on her own, opening D&G Photography (which is located in her home studio), and has an impressive portfolio to show for it.

Naghmeh says she's never done learning and continues to advance her photographic knowledge and technique. In fact, since she started out on her own, Naghmeh has taken several workshops with some of the top photographers in the world, including Almost Alone Professional Photography Workshop with David Williams, Portraits for Passion and Lifestyle Seminar with Tero Sade, Lighting and Skillset Bootcamp with Cliff Mautner, Marketing Bootcamp Tour with Mitch Graf, Digital Wedding Forum Conference and many webinars and online learning opportunities.

But it's not just workshops and seminars that help Naghmeh continually improve her photographic style and technique as she has experience photographing over 130 weddings, twenty-six of which were in 2009 alone!

In a recent interview, Naghmeh told us that this past year she became more confident in dealing with all different lighting situations. "It's not possible to repeat or recreate the wedding day so you have to be able to deal with any kind of lighting situation and still be able to make beautiful photographs," she says.

Narrowing it down

Naghmeh says that there is almost nothing more important to choosing your wedding photographer than their personality. She suggests narrowing down your options based on five factors, including; personality, skill, budget, style, and products offered. "After you've narrowed it down, choosing will be so much easier," she says, telling us that she suggests this to all of the couples that come to see her.

"If you're uncomfortable with your photographer, you'll be able to see it in your photos. You won't look as happy as you really are in them... Your day can be fun and enjoyable if you find the right photographer to suit your own personalities." Naghmeh attributes this narrowing-it-down process to the reason she gets along so well with all of her clients. "It's all about the bride and the groom, and I just make sure that they're happy and having the time of their lives." We spent a couple hours with Naghmeh and we doubt she'd have any problems passing the personality test.

As soon as September 2009 couple Cheryl Calic and Shawn Hoffmeyer met Naghmeh, they told us that they knew it was going to be a great working relationship. "She really took the time to get to know each of us and made us feel very comfortable," they told The Ring. "She learned our likes and dislikes and allowed us to have a say in how we wanted the photography experience to go. She let us be in control of this experience while offering helpful, friendly guidance along the way." They add that they loved Naghmeh's professional, yet personable, attitude, which makes it easy to form a great connection with her.

October 2009 bride Erin Beattie Ivits, told us that Naghmeh's personality was one of her favourite parts about working with D&G. "She is so fun and upbeat, she made me feel like the most special, beautiful bride ever," says Erin. "She was also so efficient with the group photos and didn't keep anyone waiting around."

After being a part of so many weddings, Naghmeh says she's not only gotten better at photography, but also at reading clients' personal style and what they want for their photography, which is definitely important. "From a few descriptions of their day I can quickly tell what the mood of their wedding day is going to be, and then I can tailor my photography to suit their needs best," she told The Ring. She adds that she loves hearing about all of the details of the day throughout the planning as it gives her more inspiration leading up to the big day.

This seems to be something that D&G is successful at as Cheryl described Naghmeh's style as unique and able to be catered to the likes and interests of each couple. "The work is a simple elegance, nothing is overdone and she can capture the true essence of each special moment," Cheryl says. "When we look back at our pictures, it makes us fall in love with our wedding all over again… By getting to know each couple, Naghmeh is able to tailor her style to achieve high quality results."

D&G style

D&G's style is naturally posed with an air of fun and candidness. "I often give general posing direction to the bride and groom, and then see what they do. I find that most couples like to have a bit of direction and are able to run with it." Naghmeh is quick to add that she's careful not to give too much direction. "After all, the pictures should really reflect the couple's personality and style, not mine." We loved the angles, attitudes and crisp, clean vibrancy visible in many of Naghmeh's photos. "I just keep my couples talking and laughing throughout their photo shoot, whether it's an engagement shoot or on the day of their wedding. It helps make them more animated in their photos and they have a good time doing it."

Naghmeh's ability to capture moments and emotions that literally jump out of the photo was what Erin liked best about D&G's style. "It is so easy to relive my wedding day and everything I was feeling just by looking at her pictures," she says. "The pictures that Naghmeh took are absolute treasures."

Since Naghmeh knows that many couples are looking to have a mix of both candid and naturally posed photos of their wedding day, she shoots the must have posed shots, but is also sure to capture the candid moments. And she's happiest when her clients tell her that she captured the couple exactly as they are – personality, style and all. "I like when there's a give and take of ideas and when I know that I have made an environment where a couple feels comfortable enough with me to trust me with the vision of their day and relationship," says Naghmeh.

Erin was one bride who certainly felt comfortable during her wedding day shoot with D&G, telling us that Naghmeh made her and her bridal party feel instantly at ease, making the photo taking process a lot of fun. "I felt so comfortable with her and she was totally open to our photo ideas," she adds. In fact, Erin's husband doesn't like having his picture taken and even he raved about Naghmeh. "He said she made him feel totally relaxed, and he had fun during our photo session, which says a lot," Erin says.

Cheryl and Shawn loved how Naghmeh made everyone in their photo shoot feel valued, important and comfortable. "She was patient and kind to everyone and definitely embraced the unique personalities of our friends and family. She was up for anything and provided tons of ideas as to how she could shoot... When you’re spending that much time with someone on your wedding day, you want to be sure that you adore that person. Naghmeh was that for us."

At your service

One of the most important things she has learned in her career, Naghmeh tells us, is how crucial customer service is to completing the picture. Maybe it's her background in psychology (yes, she holds a Masters in Health Psychology!), but for her, customer service has to come first.

"The bottom line is that I want to make sure every bride is as in love with her wedding photos as she is with her new husband."

Weddings

Naghmeh shoots all events and sessions entirely in digital. She doesn't track the number of shots taken, she says she just shoots until she has captured the day the best she can in the time she's at your wedding.

When you book Naghmeh to shoot your wedding, you're getting her all to yourself. "I usually prefer to shoot alone. I love the relationship that I build with my couples. It helps me to take great photos with them on their day." She admits to being a perfectionist, "and truthfully, I have trouble turning over any part of the wedding day to another photographer."

"From the first second Naghmeh arrived, it was clear that she wasn't just there on a job, but that she truly wanted to be there and felt honoured to be a part of our day," Erin told The Ring, who recommends D&G 100%, adding that she can't imagine a better person to work with. "Naghmeh will fit in like she's an old friend coming to your wedding – an old friend who takes amazing photos."

When it comes to your photo locations, Naghmeh can offer suggestions but she'd rather go to a place that's important to you. "The location that a couple chooses should reflect their own story, their own way..." She says that couples should plan their wedding based on what their vision is, and then it's her job to reflect that vision. "It's not just my art, it's your day. And that's more important."

At some point during your wedding day, she'll get you away from your family and guests so that you can enjoy a few moments alone, to catch your breath. This is where Naghmeh finds her psychology background handy. She's a pro at quickly sensing what you're feeling and what you might need - more energy, more direction, time away from the crowd - to keep going or to regroup. She'll use this opportunity to not just give you a much needed break but to capture your private moments as well.

"Naghmeh is all about making the photography experience special and ensuring the bride and groom are comfortable," say Cheryl and Shawn. They loved when Naghmeh allowed them to be alone for a bit on their wedding day, as it allowed them to reflect upon the ceremony without tons of people around. "Definitely one of the highlights of our day," adds Cheryl. "The pictures she took during this time are our absolute favourite! You could tell that we were relaxed and just enjoying the day."

Steps to a D&G Wedding

Many couples have already lost themselves in the amazing collection of wedding stories on the D&G Photography website and blog. Needless to say, it doesn't get easier when you meet Naghmeh in person.

You should try to book 12 months or more in advance, whenever possible. If she's available, she'll take a booking with less notice. Assuming your date is available, you'll be able to meet Naghmeh in person to see what D&G is all about. While you're checking out her huge image portfolio and chatting, you'll look through past couples' wedding stories front to back and basically get to know Naghmeh on the personal level. She can take you through your package and pricing options, make suggestions and also discuss your wedding plans or expectations.

"I [also] like to get the chance to work out the wedding day's timing. A clear schedule not only helps with the day's flow and ensures that we have time to get all the important shots, but it also prevents stress. This is supposed to be the best day of my clients' lives - I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that it is."

Prices, details, packages

She offers engagement photo sessions in some of her packages, but of course they are always available. Naghmeh offers either full package or a la carte pricing for your wedding photos, unless you are hiring for a Saturday wedding, in which case she only offers packages. Most brides choose the packages anyway, because they typically offer the best savings. However, a la carte allows you to completely customize your package for non-Saturday and off-season weddings.

A la carte services start at $200 and packages start at $2500 and range in time from 6 to 9 hours. "Most brides and grooms choose to go with one of my packages in order to save on the a la carte pricing."

"For the quality of photos and the amount of time Naghmeh spent with me (and the fact that she travelled from Waterloo to London), it was definitely worth every penny," says Erin.

Every package comes with a DVD of full resolution images. Every picture is available in full colour, black & white and/or sepia. Naghmeh brings out the full potential of every image through a post-production process, and then she makes sure that you can use it. This means Naghmeh will never do anything in 'low res'. "Why would I do all of that work and then give a bride a low resolution image that doesn't print well?" Through her growing repertoire, Naghmeh says she has a post-processing technique that has defined her style and her photos as vibrant, sharp and colourful.

Albums and prints are available at D&G and can be included in your package, depending on what you choose. Recently Naghmeh told us that she's offering a new album line that includes a lot of choice as far as different cover materials and page styles go. She has also added canvases, thank you cards and postcards to her list of options, and you can also add an online gallery onto your package so that you can easily share your images with friends and family.

A signed contract and a deposit of $700 books your wedding date with D&G Photography. The balance is due 4 weeks before your wedding. This makes it one less detail you'll have to worry about the week before or after your wedding day.

Cheryl and Shawn told us that D&G Photography was worth every penny and they definitely recommend them to everyone they know. "The day of the wedding goes so quickly that it’s so important to have great photos that you can look back on. We’re D&G clients for life!"

Wedding Ring worthy…

In the Fall 2009 issue of Wedding Ring Magazine, we had the pleasure of working with Naghmeh as she did a fabulous job photographing products at The Ring's office for our Favourite Things spread. She also photographed Writer & Senior Editor, Carla White, who says that even though she was uncomfortable in the attire she sported for the day, Naghmeh's fun personality and encouragement made her feel more at ease in front of the camera. And the photos were amazing, too! In the same issue, we featured one of Naghmeh's 2008 weddings in a Reality Wedding Story spread.

If that weren't enough reasons to love Naghmeh and D&G, she also stepped up during the 2nd Annual Brides' Ball and donated a portrait session for our silent auction, which helped raise funds for the Waterloo-Wellington Breast Centre at Grand River Hospital.

Details, details, details

• Book twelve or more months in advance, if possible.
• A $700 deposit is required to book with D&G.
• The balance is due 4 weeks prior to your wedding date.
• Every package includes a DVD of full-resolution print-ready images.

Easy ways to contact D&G Photography

Your best bet is to contact Naghmeh as soon as you have your wedding date, to see if D&G Photography is what you're looking for and if she is able to accommodate your wedding. You can reach her at 519-591-8721 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to book an appointment. To check out more great wedding photos, go to www.dgphotos.ca.