When we met Neil Gaudet and Adam Collishaw, of Vivid Photography, we couldn't believe how polar opposite they are – the yin and the yang. It might be part of the reason why brides rave about their photography, describing it simply as "epic".
We were blown away when Neil and Adam showed us some of their most physical shots to date (lying on the ground and climbing up trees seems to be the norm!). It was obvious how much they enjoy the new challenges that each couple brings. The results are some truly iconic photography and a lot of delighted brides and grooms.
Here's more on this dynamic duo.....
How did two guys end up in wedding photography?
Neil and Adam have an interesting history with wedding photography. For one thing, this photography team didn’t originally want to touch weddings. They’d heard a lot of industry stories that had left an impression of what shooting weddings would be like. But that didn’t last long. “We started our business focusing on corporate events, sports and working for newspapers. We had a healthy fear of weddings as our photographer friends always talked about how hard they were and how much they hated them.” Reluctantly, they decided to try one anyway, and as it turned out, they really loved it! “In fact, weddings are our favourite thing to photograph.” The sweetness of couples’ love stories quickly eliminated the sour taste in their mouths and they embraced the adventure of documenting one of the most important days on a couple’s life. “I can't describe how excited we are on the morning of each wedding!”
Neil and Adam explain, “If you think about a wedding, it’s a day in someone’s life that they are going to remember forever. Aside from the birth of a child, it's going to be the happiest day of their life. You get to see people when they are looking their best, you get to be Cinderella for a day - or live out your particular dream. There are so many emotions too - happiness, joy, often tears, love, laughter, anxiousness… It's so fun to photograph those moments!”
Adam and Neil have also experienced their own weddings and laughingly described Neil’s recent planning of his and his wife’s 10th anniversary renewal vows as a surprise for her. He did all the booking of the officiant, caterer, tables, tents, music, and photographer that every Bride does and this gave him a huge appreciation for what a couple goes through, particularly the Bride that usually does most of the planning. This recent experience has caused Neil to feel renewed empathy for his Brides!
Adam and Neil take training very seriously and attend intensive workshops all the time. “We simply believe that we are only as good as our last wedding. The next one has to be better than the last. We have had hands on training from some of the best photographers in the world including Scott Robert Lim, Jenn and Steve Bebb, and next year we are booked to spend several days with one of our idols in the industry, Jerry Ghionis. “
Neil and Adam work hard to stand out in the industry. “People come to us and say our photographs look so much different than everyone else's. But it's also unique to have a two photographer studio where it's two men. Especially in the wedding industry. Being best of friends, we really are supportive of each other, but we are also really competitive with each other and push each other really hard towards perfection. I think we get noticed for that dynamic. “
The Vivid Experience
There is no doubt that Neil and Adam have the gift of putting everyone around them at ease. They automatically instill confidence in their work, whether it’s through pure enthusiasm or the creativity of their portfolio. Jon and Christina Nishimura, who married Aug. 5, 2011, say, “Neil seemed like a guy we could talk with easily, and we felt really comfortable around him. We immediately felt at ease meeting with them for the first time, and when it came time to do our engagement session, it felt like we were hanging out with friends.”
Neil and Adam, for their part, find themselves fascinated at each wedding shoot. “We get excited about new, unique locations and we aren't going to lie, we love wedding dresses! For a couple of guys, we get pretty excited about dresses, so a Bride that has spent time picking out one that flatters her and is amazing is going bring out the best in us. We want to have fun with couples.”
“Being with Adam and Neil was like having a small, intimate gathering of a family and having a fun time playing around with whatever happened to be available at the time, ” remembered couple, Kris Chess and David Bachynski, who tied the knot September 19, 2011.
Neil and Adam’s working style leans toward photojournalistic throughout a lot of the wedding day. “They told us that during the ceremony they would blend into the background capturing shots without being intrusive. We didn’t even notice them there.” Jon and Christina
Adrienne and Richard describe Neil and Adam as “Down to earth people… Neil and Adam blend in so well you would think they were just more family members taking photos. [They are] such a pleasure to work with.”
Artistic and Edgy
Jon and Christina told The Ring they were elated with their Vivid photos. “They’ve got a creative way about capturing weddings. When looking at their samples, we saw there was an edge, and dramatic beauty to their work. We have some incredible shots that can only be described as epic.”
Adam and Neil feel that wedding photography has to give something to couples that will not only last a lifetime, but be distinctive as well. “We just aren't going to line people up in rows and take static, boring, well exposed flat images. That isn't us. We are not traditional and we would be a bad fit for a couple that expects that. We want to amaze people. Really blow their mind and make them feel like they fell out of the pages of some magazine, but still show the joy and intimacy of their day at the same time.“
Adrienne and Richard LeGuyder appreciated this approach. “We wanted someone upbeat, like us and who understood our wants and needs. Adam and Neil fit perfectly. They were cutting edge. We loved how they like to take natural surroundings as the backdrop of their photos. They were really focused more on the atmosphere rather than on trying to ‘stage’ a photo.”
When we asked Neil and Adam to try to put a description to their style we adored the answer: “How about Fashionable Love? Make sense? We love weddings, love the emotion and the importance of the day. We want our couples to look like they fell out of Vogue magazine, but with a twist. We want them to look like themselves. We want their love to show through in the images. “
That being said, Adam and Neil explained how some of their most famous shots have come about. “Our photographs, the WOW photographs, the ones that people really come to us for, are posed. We aren't afraid to help you look your best. We want you to look amazing and aren't shy about helping you to do that.”
What we love......
The often humorous exchanges between Adam and Neil that characterize their working relationship. They obviously get that their differences cause great things to happen with their photography – they seem to be trying to one up each other! Good times for their clients, who are the ones who benefit. “We feed off each other and push each other for perfection. Getting a hug at the end of the wedding from the Bride is a sign we are on the right track.”
The excitement that pervades their stories of previous and future clients and their personal interest in all their couples – even after the bridal day. Adam and Neil count many of their bridal couples as long term family clients.
The wedding friendly pricing packages and the ability of the bridal couple to purchase extra prints at such a reasonable cost.
Options such as Boudoir Photography along with Trash the Dress sessions but they excel at Love the Dress photography. It’s easy to see that these types of photography are some of their favourite work. And different brides commented that it was so easy to feel relaxed in these sessions, that might be viewed by most as nerve wracking! Neil makes you feel beautiful – no matter what.
The willingness to do whatever it will take to get a shot – “no mountain too high, no valley too low” seems to be the motto! Neil and Adam obviously relish their experiences of hanging off edges to frame that picture properly. Jon noted “Adam and Neil aren’t afraid to try something that requires work.” And they seem to infuse their couples with this bravery as well. “We laughed and joked quite a bit! Adam was so willing to put himself in awkward positions to get the right angle.” Adrienne and Richard
The vivid process
Adam and Neil prefer if you phone ahead. “We don't sit in our studio all day, so dropping in might lead to a locked door. We will arrange a meeting as soon as possible. And with notice, we often have chocolates!”
What happens during the meeting? “On the first consultation we want to learn as much as we can about their wedding. We answer all questions about products and prices as we can. Once a couple places a deposit with us, we reserve their date. If they have an engagement session, we try and plan it as soon as possible. We are available to a couple by phone or to meet if they want before the wedding. We contact every couple a week before their wedding to get all final times, addresses, etc for the big day. We want to make sure we are prepared and ready for them. We will meet with a couple or talk to them as many times as they like before their wedding “
Kris spoke of this consultation process, “Adam and Neil had totally different ideas for pictures but what I liked most is that they wanted to meet with us to discuss what is was that we wanted and liked. From there they took what we talked about and went with it. Our experience was top notch.”
Neil describes their role on the Wedding Day. “One of us shows up where the Bride is getting ready and the other where the groom is getting ready. We photograph that very candidly until they are dressed and then we like to get some posed images when they are looking their best, if there is time. We are there to help at the start of the day if they need anything.”
“At the ceremony, we photograph it as a two person team and the coverage is amazing as we provide two different angles and looks at the ceremony. We don't believe in interrupting or even being noticed during the ceremony. That is 100% candid. Normally couples will have family photos after the ceremony. We are good at doing those quickly and making family feel great. Adam usually makes fun of Neil which makes people laugh.”
“Then it’s off to create the magic images, starting with the Bridal Party and then just the couple. Most of our couples tell us later that this was their favourite time of the day. It is quiet, romantic, fun and a nice break in the middle of the day.”
“Once at the reception we photograph it mostly candidly as well, focusing on guests as well as the couple. Some couples book us for a photo booth which is a lot of fun for everyone. We stay until the first dance, cake cutting, etc. We set a time limit on our day, but we're pretty relaxed about it. We want to capture the important moments.”
“After the wedding (3-4 weeks,) we contact the couple and ask them to come in to view their images. If they don't want to do that (usually for couples that live far away) we open up a password protected online gallery for them. Once we get the thumbs up on the images (there are occasionally a couple of edits that need to be done) we start filling any product orders they may have, designing their book, etc. We never say good-bye until they are completely happy. “
What is it worth?
Couples had a lot to say about Vivid and their pricing. Joe and Christina felt that Vivid made pricing easy. “They offered packages that were not based on time. Their packages included photographing all the events up to the bouquet toss, and this meant we didn’t have to watch our time with them. We loved that! We feel we totally got our money’s worth.”
“Their packages are based on events, not time, so you feel the whole day is captured without being rushed.” Jon and Christina Nishimura.
Kris, an August bride, put it best. “You can get what you want, on the budget you have, and feel like you have the very best there is.”
Vivid’s prices range from $1770 to $5370 for weddings - depending on how long they are there and if both Adam and Neil are there or not.
“We offer our clients the opportunity to purchase smaller prints from their online gallery at very reasonable prices. That is a bit unique to us. We aren't in the business of marking up small prints, we just want them to get good quality when they order and our lab is the best. For larger prints, canvases or metal prints we order for the couple and go over them with a fine tooth comb to make sure they are absolutely perfect. We also offer books of different levels and price points. Books are a great way to remember your wedding like a story of the day. Each client gets a low resolution disc included with all of our services. A full resolution disc is available for purchase. “
As bride, Adrienne, commented, “Vivid’s pricing made things easy as they had the Packages in set amounts with a la carte items CLEARLY listed”.
Vivid also has video and audio as a standard offering.
Details, details, details
The average bride spends... $3500
Deposit required to book: $750
Months to book ahead: No limit, however for Saturdays in July, August and September, Vivid books about 8-12 months ahead.
