Since they added wedding photography to their repertoire in January 2009, Photobox Photography has quickly amped up their portfolio, gone from shooting sixteen to over 150 weddings and become a favourite among Southern Ontario brides and us here at The Ring. And, 2013 is already looking like it will be even busier. Kristen Wilson, the Owner and Primary Photographer for Photobox, along with her husband and second shooter, Jeremy, both have backgrounds in digital media and told The Ring that they're always looking for new ideas and ways to grow.

Originally based near Toronto, Photobox moved to London in 2010 and brought their young, fresh and adventurous perspective with them so London brides can also experience the professional quality photos that Kristen and Jeremy produce. Not only does this fun, quirky and eco-friendly couple offer valuable and affordable photography services, they're two people who say they genuinely care about couples and their wedding. "I want them to love their wedding photos forever, and I want to leave them with something unique, cool and non-boring," says Kristen of the inspiration she gets from each couple she shoots. When we met with Kristen and Jeremy, who by the way, are so easy to get along with, we understood why so many brides love and find real connections with this photography couple. Let us tell you more…

Personally speaking…

Since age five, Kristen has been teaching herself the skills of photography. In 2002, she went to Conestoga College for Journalism where she studied news photography and earned a Diploma in Print and Broadcast Journalism. Through this, Kristen gained experience in all types of photography from high action to portraits – all on film in a darkroom. She has since transitioned into digital photography and the editing process. They keep their skills fresh by frequenting photography workshops and tutorials; a necessary practice in an ever-changing digital world.

Jeremy, Kristen's husband and the second shooter at Photobox, studied the basics of photography in his broadcasting/film program at Niagara College where he earned a Diploma in Broadcasting Television Production. This is where he gained skills in photography through his experience with video cameras, and, as Kristen told us, "his natural ability to see things some people don’t."

In 2006, Kristen was working in community health care while dabbling in photography as a hobby. When she had her first son in 2007, she found herself behind the camera more than ever before. "I have always appreciated the value of a great photograph – there are so many important moments in life you can never get back except through photography says Kristen. "It was at this point in my life that I realized it could be me making those great photographs." So, she set out to do just that; continued to get better the more she practiced and before long stopped worrying about having to return to her old job as this new career path emerged out of nowhere.

In 2008, Kristen bought the digital SLR two-camera system of her dreams and registered Photobox Photography as a business. "Since then, I have jumped completely into my new role in life and I haven’t looked back once," she told The Ring.

Jeremy also recently joined Kristen full-time in the operations of the business, so it's a full time gig for both of them. "We made the move to London in June 2010 to be closer to family and to help Photobox grow as a local London business," Kristen told us. "Photobox serves clients throughout Southern Ontario but most of our clients are from the London area."

Today, Jeremy and Kristen are booking up steadily. In 2012 they will have photographed 100 weddings! Jeremy and Kristen told The Ring, "When we got married five years ago, we never in a million years dreamed that we'd be working together too. It just happened on it's own. We are so grateful to be able to work as a team in life and in work!"

From portraits to weddings…

Photobox started out shooting natural portrait photography, which soon opened the door into the world of wedding photography. Kristen assisted with a few weddings and almost immediately Photobox shifted its focus to wedding photography.

Both Kristen and Jeremy have been shooting weddings on a regular basis since adding this form of photography to their list of services and they told us that they're forever looking for new ideas and ways to grow.

And, grow is just what they've done. With business booming, mostly from referrals and The Wedding Ring, they told us, Photobox has already been booking up quickly for 2012/2013.

But even with business picking up, both Kristen and Jeremy still shoot every wedding together. Such romantics! "In our short time in this industry we have continued to improve wedding by wedding," says Kristen. "We have tied shoes, fetched Gravol and battled the elements, all in the name of wedding photography and we have LOVED it."

Josh and Melissa Bartley had Photobox photograph their engagement and May 2010 wedding photos. They really liked the team aspect that came with booking Photobox because it allowed all angles to be covered. "They work so well together and are so easy to work with that their photography is simply natural."

More reasons to love Photobox…

Another cool accolade at Photobox, and one that's sure to attract eco-friendly brides, is their paper replacement program where they donate planted trees to replace three times the amount of paper they use as a business.

Adventurous style for daring brides…

Kristen says that she knows how much it means to her clients to have really great photos from their wedding day. Which is why she's inspired by the couples themselves and she and Jeremy genuinely care about you and your wedding and making sure that they capture the real moments as they happen.

Ashley Jaffray loved that Kristen and Jeremy were open to trying new things for her engagement and July 2010 wedding photos. "Their photos tell a story, they are candid, they show the silly moments, the serious moments, the tender moments," she told us. "They aren't the stiff, typical wedding photos you usually see. Kristen and Jeremy are able to capture the couple and show who they are." She adds that her and her husband look like themselves in their photos. "The lighting, the angles, the moments captured and the creative way they do all that is amazing. I can't say enough good things about this dynamic team!"

Aside from being genuine and passionate about what they do, Kristen and Jeremy also describe themselves as "fun, kind of dorky, and very easy to get along with." They add that they're a casual, but professional part of a wedding. "We make sure your essential shots are covered and then we fill in the gaps with a mix of candid and posed photos," says Kristen. "We document a wedding so that for as long as we’re there, there is a photographic story to remember it by. And we always get the little details, like the shoes!"

Photobox says they approach each wedding with a "young, fresh and adventurous perspective that produces quality, professional results." They add that they have a tendency to focus on natural and earthy-type photo environments. "We have an eye for noticing the things that need to be photographed," says Kristen. "We are also super easy-going, flexible and can instantly adapt to fit the needs of any couple… we often connect with our clients on a friendship level."

Such was the case for Ashley who says that one of the reasons she hired Photobox was because she enjoyed Kristen as a person. "Her personality matched well with ours and we felt very comfortable with her (and we had the impression that her husband Jeremy would be the same)." As it turns out, she and her husband were right as they found both Kristen and Jeremy very down to earth. "You feel like they are a couple of old friends even though you've just met. They are quirky, fun-loving and super funny... and they made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. We enjoyed every minute of working with them."

The connection Photobox makes with their brides likely has something to do with the fact that Photobox tends to attract couples much like them – younger, adventurous and a bit silly – who they tend to relate really well to. "We love working with couples who hate having their photos taken but who are willing to do it, and do it differently," says Kristen. "This usually means they are willing to stray from traditional locations and poses, which means we will definitely get lots of unique results."

Josh and Melissa say their first experience meeting with Photobox was very relaxed and they could tell that Kristen and Jeremy were genuinely interested in them and how they wanted their day to be documented. "They were real and excited about sharing our day with us," adds Melissa. "... we look at our pictures now and it makes us feel as though it is happening again because the pictures tell our story... we were always confident that our pictures would be what we, as well as family and friends, would consider to be magazine cover worthy."

Photobox prices…

To make things simple and to help their couples keep on track with their photography budget, Photobox doesn't offer pre-set packages, but instead offer a complete list of photo products that each couple can add to their coverage, should they decide to do so. "We offer canvas enlargements, save-the-dates, thank you cards, showcase bridal albums, and lots more," says Kristen."It's a more à la carte, customizable approach."

"Photobox offered such an inclusive package for such an affordable price that could be matched nowhere for the quality of their work, even outside of this community (trust us, we checked!)," say Josh and Melissa. "Their prices were perfect for our budget and we were so happy that we were able to get the style of photographer we wanted for the price we could afford."

Basic coverage starts at $1950 and covers four hours of wedding day photography. Photobox says that this is typically enough time for the very essential wedding day photography: the getting ready, the ceremony, and the “formals” (the photos between the ceremony and the reception). Couples who wish to extend their coverage beyond the four hours can do so at a rate of $150 per hour.

All wedding contracts include a copy of the edited images in high resolution on DVD, a $150 album credit and an engagement session. They also feature an overview of each engagement shoot/wedding in a post on their blog.  “We love engagement sessions!” says Kristen. "It’s such a great way to build some client/photographer chemistry," say Kristen and Jeremy. "And we love to work with our couples in a more casual one-on-one environment. We encourage our clients to bring along any of their ideas and to incorporate their own personalities into their session to make their photos truly unique. We love new locations and creative input!"

All images are individually inspected, cropped, colour-corrected and retouched where needed. Plus, images with special effects or collage/composite images are always included on the image disc.

Taxes are all included in Photobox's prices. Travel is also included in all packages for local clients. A reasonable travel fee applies if travel is beyond one hour from London. Contact Photobox for a quote based on your location.

"Their package included an engagement session, full wedding day coverage, and an album all for a price that matched our budget and what would only get us an engagement session with other photographers," says Ashley. "Not to mention, the most beautiful photos that reflect us perfectly... For what we received and the beautiful photos that were a result of their talents, it seems like we should've been paying more."

Roles and timelines…

If you're interested in booking Photobox for your wedding, it's best to book about eight to twelve months in advance to secure your wedding date. But, it's always a good idea to inquire about availability- even if it's last minute.

Aside from being the second shooter, Kristen says she has also enlisted Jeremy's help to keep the day-to-day operations on track as the business grows. Kristen always meets with brides (and often their grooms, too) to discuss wedding plans and photography needs. Jeremy attends meetings when he can.

"Kristen and Jeremy were always just an email away, which was promptly responded to as well as full of helpful suggestions to allow us to not even think twice and worry about our photographers in the months leading up to the wedding," Josh and Melissa told us of their experience with Photobox Photography. "They made themselves available to meet on our schedules, even when it meant traveling from their home north of Toronto while trying to sell it at the time - quite committed to making our experience stress-free."

A deposit of 50% of the package price is due upon booking with the remaining balance due when you receive your album and DVD of images.

Both photographers are present on the wedding day, unless previously arranged otherwise. They often separate during the preparations so that Jeremy can shoot the guys getting ready and Kristen can cover the ladies. Both shoot throughout the entire wedding, where Kristen shoots the group and family photographs as Jeremy helps shuffle people around. Jeremy also snaps candids throughout the group shots. As the main photographer, Kristen directs and shoots most of the photography with the wedding party and alone with the couple. She often bounces ideas off of Jeremy and the bride and groom as well. Jeremy is always shooting the “B roll”, as he calls it.

When your photos are ready, Kristen and Jeremy will post a blog preview for your guests to check out. Your wedding photos are edited within about six weeks of the wedding date (may vary, depending on the season) and your album is delivered about three weeks later. The final balance is due upon receipt of the image discs.
It's no secret that we, and local brides, love and recommend Photobox Photography. So, we asked Josh and Melissa to sum up why they'd recommend them to other couples looking for a wedding photographer and think that we couldn't have said it better ourselves. "Photobox is one of a kind in a community of many. Their prices are reasonable and fair, but be assured that you'll get the best treatment and pictures that are second to none. Kristen and Jeremy are like friends shooting your wedding, but very qualified and knowledgeable friends."

Details, details, details

• A deposit of 50% of the chosen package price is required to hold your wedding date with Photobox and the remaining balance is due when you receive your digital negatives.
• Wedding photography services start at $1950 plus HST, with à la carte extras available to add.
• Blog previews of photos are up as soon as your photos are ready to go.