Baltimore wedding photographer time.

Here we sit at the beginning of another silly season of bridal shows. The over saturation of this opportunity for couples to learn about wedding services is mind numbing. As Positive Images by Rettberg enters its golden anniversary year, it is time to reflect on the state of professional wedding photography in general.
To be blunt, it is badly damaged. The combination of digital technology, the economy, and a general feeling by the potential client, that it is just another commodity like their table favors has diluted what was once a very skilled profession.
Experience and client serviced have been side lined by economics alone. We all try to conserve in these uncertain times, but when selecting a wedding photographer, that investment becomes one that lasts more than a lifetime. To be sure, todays brides and grooms still see the value of "a photographer" but they are willing to accept far less ten they should.
When seeking a professional wedding photographer, always meet the person who will be taking the photographs. That sounds basically simple, but it always amazes how many times people do not know who their photographer will be.
Check their credentials... Do they belong to professional associations, and constantly update their skills. Study carefully the samples you see. Always request that the photographer show one complete wedding, as opposed to a bunch of random images from several weddings.Do they show a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. It is very different shooting in a dark reception hall as opposed to a bright sunny beach scene. How many years have they been in business, and how many weddings have they photographed. Do they have referrals from satisfied clients. Do they offer any kind of written guarantees. Do they have post wedding followup to help the client design their albums. What is the cancellation policy. What happens if the photographer requested becomes ill. Do they carry sufficient backup equipment. Can they offer a second qualified professional photographer if desired. How is delivery of the album handled. Do they offer any booking incentives.Study the personality of the photographer as you speak with the. Are they interested in what and who you are, or do they just tell you what they do period. Are they flexible in their pricing, and do they have payment plans that give you some leverage throughout the entire process.Use your gut, do you trust them and what they are saying. Everyone has the ability to weed out the phony. Make sure you use it. Do they have a knowledge of your ceremony and reception sites.
I could go on, but there is hopefully the challenge laid down for couples looking for exceptional professional wedding photography. It is a criteria that has led Bill Rettberg Jr. in his 42 years as a full time photographer.
As Positive Images by Rettberg enters its 25 years of existance, our hope is that clients of today hold all of their dealing with photographers to the standards mentioned in this article. One should expect no less

Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm

Bill Rettberg Jr. and Robin Sommer along with their combined companies of Positive Images by Rettberg and Images of Sommer have launched a new business of Bed and Breakfast photography. There is a need for photography in website design, and bed and breakfasts rely heavily on internet marketing through websites and Social media such as Facebook, You Tube, and Twitter. Professional photography not only

enhances the appeal of the location, but can be a valuable source to the B&B for insurance purposes, and, other legal photography needs.The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm in Crozet Virginia is our latest shoot, and shows the detail that Positive Images by Rettberg, and Images of Sommer pursue in making any commercial photography assignment a win win for them and their clients. Go to Positive Images by Rettberg's Facebook page to see additional images of the shoot.Professional photography is an art, a business, and a science. When seeking a Maryland photographer, or the best photographer in America, always remember that Bill Rettberg Jr. and Robin Sommer fit that description. Call us at 410-893-2620, or email sommer401@comcast.net or info@billrettberg.com for more details on how we can make your event, business location, or you look that much better.

Swan Harbor Farms weddings

A hidden treasure on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay is the Harford County property at Swan Harbor Farm is one of the premier wedding ceremony and reception sites in the Baltimore/Washington area.
Positive Images by Rettberg, Baltimore's best wedding photographer lists Swan Harbor as its favorite reception site by the water.

The beautful gazebo area by the Bay is a must for couples looking for dramatic portraits with a stunning backdrop.
The permanent tent structure can acommodate up to 200 guests. There is also a beautiful mansion on premises that can serve as a cocktail hour setting.
The grounds anchored by a huge coffee tree make outdoor ceremonies stunning in scope. Caterers such as Pairings, Hunt Valley Caterers, Dean and Brown, Chef's Expressions, Signature Catering, and Event Catering all are authorized to work as Swan Harbor preferred vendors.

Positive Images by Rettberg encourages brides and grooms looking for an outdoor wedding ceremony site look no further than Swan Harbor Farm.

Album design service from Positive Images by Rettberg

If you are looking for a beautifully designed, coffee table style album, and you own the rights to your images, Positive Images by Rettberg now offers its expertice of over 40 years.

We can create a beautiful album with all of your input included.

There are many photographers today who shoot weddings and just release a cd to the client.
Let Positive Images by Rettberg complete the service for you.

We offer a no obligation consultation to discuss what you would like your album to look like, make suggestions to you, and to view the images to make sure that they will reproduce properly.

You must own the rights to the images, and proof will be required.

Service will also include retouching of images, and delivery of final order.
Price will be based on album selection, and amount of work involved in the creative process.
We will also offer a computer only version of the design service, where we do the design work only, size the images to your specifications, and rease the finished product to you, so that you may use your own album

We are pleased to offer this service to todays couples in an era when sometimes they may want just a bit more than a disc filled reminder of their big day.
Contact us at 410-893-3620, or email, info@billrettberg.com for more details.

Tuxedo House Formal Wear

Success and longevity go hand in hand in any competitive business, and no one has bigger bragging rights than Scott Furman and Fred Hiken@Tuxedo House Formal Wear in Timonium.
Tuxedo House has just passed its 100 year anniversary, having started on York Road in Towson, wear it became a landmark in the area.
Today's establishment guided by owner and president Scott Furman, and vice president Fred Hiken has evolved into a rental powerhouse, fitting over 9,000 people a year.
Tuxedo House is what it says.They handle mens formal wear only! Their vast inventory allows the customer to try on the tux they desire at the time they select it, assuring a perfect fit. This is a benefit offered only by Tuxedo House.
Scott Furman has a lifelong connection to the formal wear industry having started in
the business in 1977.It is still a family business with his semi retired father partially involved.
Fred Hiken,with almost 40 years in the industry, came to Tuxedo House in 1992 from the well know Hiken menswear organization, a four generation family business that was a staple of rentals for tens of thousands of men.
The combined experience of Scott and Fred, who actively work the store together, assures the client of superior customer service, and a first class look for whatever occasion requires formality.
Stop by Tuxedo House at 2135 Greenspring Dr. in Timonium, just off of Timonium Road exit of I83 east, and behind the racetrack. Hours are Monday thru Friday 9-7, and Saturdays, 9-5.
When you come into the store you will be greeted with a long corridor lined with photographs of hundreds of celebrities, sports figures, and politicians who have used the services of Tuxedo House. A further testimonial to the professionalism and reputation they have earned.
Bill Rettberg Jr. @Positive Images by Rettberg wishes Scott and Fred continued success and urges anyone looking for mens formal wear, to look no further than the Tuxedo House. 410-252-6220, fax no., 410-560-3233, www.tuxedohouse.com

Positive Images by Rettberg

Positive Images by Rettberg sends a special thank you to Tom Gavin@DJdelights for the very nice bio piece in Tom's current e newsletter. It was a concise career review of Bill Rettberg Jr. and a great plug for Bill.
Anyone wishing to view it, contact Tom Gavin directly at tom@djdelights.com, and he will send it to you.

Positive Images by Rettberg

Positive Images by Rettberg

Spring Renewal at Positive Images by Rettberg

Every Spring brings a new sense of excitement as the bridal season swings into full gear.You can feel the emotion in the air as couples eagerly count down the days until that time when they join as man and wife.
Positive Images by Rettberg renews its own pledge to the couples it serves, to provide exceptional professional photography, and just as exceptional client service.
We wish all couples a fantastic wedding day, and a long life of love and happiness.

The Power of the Positive Image

More and more professionals have realized that in this day of massive exposure through Social Media, it is critical to show yourself, literally!
Positive Images by Rettberg ha had a considerable uptick in both head shots for everything from website and all aspects of social media, to executive environmental portraits done at the office, factory, or on site locations.
What is the value to you?
Appearance...A professional portrait can enhance good features and minimilize less flattering areas.The whole world is your market, and you want to look your best.

Portability...Head shots and executive portraits are delivered on cd or dvd, giving the client the ability to use their images for whatever purpose they are neede for.

Flexibility... Positive Images by Rettberg and our portrait arm, Robin Sommer @Images of Sommer go where the client is, at their convenience. Portaits can be done seven days a week at virtually any time of day.

Cost effective... One time charge; no recurring fees for reprints as in film days.
Instant access... ability to have a working image the same day that it is taken.

Service...Positive Images by Rettberg hand delivers final cd or dvd to its clients.

Recognition... In this impersonal world, prospective clients put a fce to the name.
It gives you credibility when approaching new clients. They feel as thoug they already "know" you.

Personal... Many people never have had an exceptional image made of themselves. Too often, the image of a person who has passed away, is one that was taken decades earlier. Celebrate you! There are many people in your life who love and admire you. A quality image is a lasting piece of your legacy. A great image is forever.
Ask yourself what would be more important to you if you only had 5 minutes to get valuables out of your home before an impending calamity. Would it be the furniture, tv, money, or would it be photographs of people in your life that you have loved, and who loved you. The answer can be turned to say that there are people who want to always have more than just a memory of you.

Think carefully once more of the power of the image. It is the tangible proof that we were somebody.

End of bridal show season

We at Positive Images by Rettberg have participated in over one dozen bridal shows and open houses since the beginning of the year. One thing is certain about this market. There are way too many people claiming to be professional wedding photographers out there.
I am sad that a profession that once had such a high skill level is reducing its quality at the levels I have witnessed. Tob e sure, the economy has been a big factor in the influx of "professional" photographers, but the main reason as I see it, is the perception that it is easy, and that anybody can get great quality wedding images.
There is truth in the statement that parts of the shooting end have gotten easier.
The ability to get instant feedback via the back of a camera is very helpful, but also, very dangerous.
It is a lazy photographers way of learning their craft. To keep shooting until something looks good is not being professional. Thinking that Photoshop or the myriad of other programs out there designed to enhance images artificially is professional is just wrong.They are tools not crutches.
Lets face it. Any amateur with an interest can do the same or better.
To be a true professional requires an advanced understanding of light and how it captures the images it sees. On weddings, the photographer must know how to arrange and embelish groupings of people, and to capture images of people in a flattering way that makes them feel as good looking at their photographs as they felt on their wedding day.
A true professional wedding photographer must understand client service, and deliver a product of high quality in a professionally crafted album. They must brand themselves by being consistent in appearance in what they present themselves as, the look of their promotional materials, and their demeanor in dealing with the many types of people they will encounter.
A true professional wedding photographer continually upgrades their own skill level through seminars, professional schools, attending conventions, and dare I say reading about what it takes to be a true pro.
Professional wedding photography is being reduced in its importance to todays couples
because our industry at the highest levels failed to differentiate itself from the amateur as technology changed. To be fair PPof A and WPPI, our two largest professional organizations are in full gear on the education of what it takes to look and act like a pro, but they let about six years of inferiority creep into the system. The prime focus of most organizations is to get large numbers of members to dangle in front of the industry's big vendors such as Canon and Nikon.
I don't see things really changing for the better until we can once again be charging a signifcant price for a quality product and service that people see not only value in, but equate with an item that only someone of a high degree of skill can produce.

Positive Images by Rettberg and Wedding 411 on Demand

The video slide show @Positive Images by Rettberg's Facebook page features the two stars of Comcast Channel 888's Wedding 411 on Demand Brooke Stevens and Drew Vanlandingham.
You are seeing the commercial being created for an exciting new contest being offered by Wedding411onDemand.
Details of the contest will be forthcoming on www.wedding411ondemand.com and on the cable program.The final commercial will also be seen at both postings,
Drew and Brooke are lovely young people, and true professionals. Through several takes, they kept their cool and sense of humor.The results are wonderful as scene by us in the early edit sent to us.
Positive Images by Rettberg has teamed with Jay Buck, owner@wedding411ondemand,
Carla Williams, stylist and owner @So Serene Salon, and Marshall Levy, videographer and owner @Maverick Productions to sponsor and promote the upcoming contest.
The Doubletree Inn at the Colonnade in Baltimore will be the host hotel for all of the events surrounding this exciting endeavor.
Positive Images by Rettberg will be giving away free engagement sessions, and a grand prize of a $2,000 wedding package as our contributions to the program.
We look forward to working with this dynamic team of professionals as this new marketing venture moves forward.

Positive Images by Rettberg&Wedding411onDemand

On Wednesday February 25 Bill Rettberg wedding photographer@Positve Images by Rettberg participated in the making of an exciting new contest being presented by Jay Buck owner@ Weeding411onDemand.
Participating in the shoot were Marshall Levy, videographer and owner @ Maverick Productions, Carla Williams, stylist and owner @So Serene Salon, and Stephen Nyitrai, General Manager @Doubletree Unn at the Colonnade in Baltimore.
Co hosts Brooke and Drew will host a new concept in marketing where brides will have the opportunity to win big prizes in a yearly drawing, but will also be winners in quarterly drawings featuring lunch with Drew and Brooke, a makeover at So Serene Salon, and an engagement portrait session offered by us @Positive Images by Rettberg.
More details are forthcoming, but for now enjoy the video slide show we put together from the shoot.

DJ Delights featuring Tom Gavin

Positive Images by Rettberg has been priviledged over the years to work with an incredible array of vendors in the entertainment field.
One of the best established organizations is DJ Delights and its owner Tom Gavin.
Tom is a true professional in every sense of the word, and one of the best marketers in the wedding industry.His pursuit of excellence has resulted in a company that does over an impressive 1,100 jobs a year. Dj Delights also fields a staf of over 23 professionals. This is a powerful entity!
Mr. Gavin has spent his entire working life in front of a microphone.As a young 16 year old from southern Vermont, he got his first radio exposure there by just being at the right place at the right time.
Tom branched into radio management for a time, and after coming to Maryland, bought into a Bel Air Maryland radio station.
He began his dj entertainment phase in Maryland in 1981, gradually going full time in the profession in 1985.
His big breakthrough came during the 80's when he sold the powerful Martin's Catering organization on the benefit of having a house dj in an area still dominated by bands at the time.
As djs became more accepted as wedding entertainment, Tom Gavin's DJ Delights capitalized on its positioning with Martin's by being included as part of the wedding package by Martin's, became the house DJ for the caterers' multiple locations.
Never one to rest, Tom continually works networking groups, open houses, bridal shows, and even visits individual clients in their homes.
Gavin says that his is a continual quest for clients truly interested in a quality entertainment experience.
To that end, Tom Gavin personally still does over 50 affairs every year, and if he is not entertaining, you can believe he is on the road making sure his people are upholding his superb reputation.
Tom Gavin still enjoys seeing people have a good time, and that motivates him to make sure his company's contribution to that end is upheld.
Bill Rettberg has known Tom Gavin for thee decades, and besides being a friend, considers Tom one of the best entertainers in the Baltimore/Washington markets

Maryland Golf and Country Club Bridal Show

Join Baltimore's best wedding photographer Positive Images by Rettberg as we participate in the first annual bridal show for the beautiful Maryland Golf and Country Club, in Bel Air Maryand on Sunday February 27th from one to four.
Positive Images by Rettberg will be offering free engagement portrait sessions to any couple attending.
K&B Bridals will be doing the bridal gowns, and a host of other high quality vendors, such as Jordan Thomas Salon, will be in attendance.
If you have never seen Md. Golf, and are looking for a truly outstanding reception site, February 27th should be a must see event.

Wedding Wire Winner 2011

Why you hire a professional photographer! Please read

Wedding News & Analysis: Assets of Bella Pictures sold to CPI, a subsidiary of Wal-Mart and Sears

Posted: 29 Jan 2011 10:19 AM PST




Bella Pictures at work

Readers of The Wedding Marketing Blog know that I’ve been no fan of Bella Pictures and its business model. Research of customer satisfaction via wedding message boards and services such as Yelp! demonstrate that customer satisfaction with Bella Pictures is an inverted bell curve. Lots of lows and highs. Not much in the middle.

In reading customer evaluations, one must realize that any praise and dissatisfaction is directed in several directions. The sales process, the company sales representative, the photographer, and the finished product. Sometimes, the comments name specific people. Mostly, the comments (good or bad) reference the company, Bella Pictures.

For those unaware of Bella Pictures, their business model is this: Bella Pictures is, essentially, a polished internet marketing store front that services as a sales service to the bride, and booking agent to independent photographers. Assignments are bid out to photographers as the wedding day approaches. Reality is that the bride may get a highly skilled photographer or a rookie. Hence, the wild swing in customer satisfaction.

This blog has railed against Bella’s misrepresentations in the media (TV) and on their website (awards), and fuzzy math… among others. The latter, continues to misrepresent, as of this posting.

About the sale:
You may hear that Bella Pictures was sold to Wal-Mart and Sears. That representation is not quite accurate. In fact, the assets of Bella Pictures was sold to CPI, a subsidiary of Wal-Mart and Sears. CPI offers boilerplate portrait photography at Wal-Mart and Sears at over 3000 locations.

Here is the official statement:

We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Bella Pictures assets by a subsidiary of CPI Corp, the nation’s leading provider of studio and portrait photography with over 3,000 studios across North America. CPI is excited to work with the photography and video communities to grow the superb base of talent established by Bella Pictures.

The digital capabilities and infrastructure of CPI combined with Bella’s talented network of photographers and filmmakers will help us achieve our shared mission of providing high quality, high value photography and video services to thousands of additional couples in a vastly expanded number of markets across the country.

What does this mean for you?
· Future growth of the business leading to more assignments
· Planning and assignment of the 2011 season will continue without disruption through the Assignment Desk
· There will be no disruption in the pay cycle

We look forward to sharing more details about the future opportunity that this acquisition will provide, and to growing the Bella business with you.

News Analysis and Opinion:
Bella Picture’s Assets: What does that mean, exactly? High-tech equipment, the business name and reputation, existing marketing, company procedures, past client list, existing photography contracts, roster of freelance photographers?????

First off, existing photography contracts are not an asset; they are a liability.

My sense is that CPI sees value in the marketing and outreach of Bella Pictures. CPI appears, currently, to offer on-premise portraiture. The acquisition would appear to be an attempt to widen their scope to off-premise photography at weddings and perhaps other events.

Ruthless Opinion:
What this means for the bride, other photographers, and the wedding industry

From my personal experience, working as a DJ Entertainer at close to 1000 weddings, I assert that there is no other bride-vendor relationship that requires positive personal chemistry than the bride-photographer. I’m certain that a poll of day-of wedding professionals would provide the same conclusion.

From that premise, the business model of having a photographer, assigned to the bride and groom, without a face-to-face meeting, was/is a flawed proposition. If CPI, for whatever reason, believes they can leverage this clunky model via Wal-Mart and Sears, they are employing wishful thinking.

This is not a shot at ALL big businesses. I’m a huge fan of some big businesses and a detractor of others. However, some business-customer relationships work better when the service is supplied by a small business. We would like to believe that all our sales become relationships, but most wedding sales are transactional, one-time propositions. A photographer, more than most, should have a connection and chemistry, with the client, that is more than transactional.

For photographers: (Andy’s snarky response to the bride) “You’re thinking of having your photography service from Wal-Mart? Are you looking to them for their reputation of fabulous personal service? I’m sure they’ll be worth every nickel.”

For Bella Pictures business partners: Shame on Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and Kimpton Hotels for being ‘partnered’ with Bella Pictures. These are, otherwise, excellent companies that have, in my view, put a financial relationship with Bella Pictures above the best interests of the bride. It occurs to me that these companies may think twice about being partnered with CPI, a photography service, based in Sears and Wal-Mart.

Final Analysis:
I think this acquisition may find some audience; however, in the main, I predict it will be a dismal failure.

When it comes to the documentation of a wedding, there is no greater asset than the vision and artistry of a great wedding photographer.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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$2,000 wedding package winner

We got all of the slips and final email entries in early so we are posting our winner now....

And the winner is, Lisa Pastella of Towson Maryland, getting married this coming November.
Lisa has until noon on Wednesday February 2nd to get in touch with us at our email address at info@billrettberg.com, or call us at 410-893-3620.

Congratulations to Lisa, and thanks to all who entered.
We congratulate all of you on your upcoming weddings, and wish all of you a life of love and happiness.

If professional wedding photography is still in your planning, take advantage of our no obligation presentation in your home.
You can learn about us also by going to our e-brochure at www.pibyrettbergbrochure.com

Again, congratulations to Lisa Pastella.

Drawing for $2,000 wedding package fast approaching

For all brides who have entered for Positive Images by Rettberg's wedding package giveaway, remember it will be posted at 12 noon on Tuesday February 1st.
The Package includes:
5 hours of wedding day coverage,
an album of all highlight images of the wedding,
a hi resolution cd of all images taken,
website posting of your wedding images,
11x14 wall portrait of your favorite image...

Brides who have signed up at any shows we have been at in January are automatically registered.

If you did not sign up at one of the shows, but would like to participate, just email Positive Images by Rettberg
at info@billrettberg.com and give us your name and wedding date.. we will put your name in the pot.

Remember that the winner must contact us within 24 hours of the posting on Tuesday, or we will draw another name.
Good luck to all!

Positive Images by Rettberg

Positive Images by Rettberg