Christine has this wonderful aura about her. She reminds me of the hay-day of motion pictures when actors and actresses had a curtain, oh, “Je ne sais quoi” about them. She posses the grace and style of Audrey Hepburn, who happens to be my favorite actress. All throughout her wedding I couldn’t help but to think I was caught in a scene my “Fair Lady”. Christine and Matt got married at West Roxbury, Mass amongst family and friends and once again the day was sunny and warm. Christine got ready at her mom’s home with all her girls including two pints sized ones; her nieces. This particular day, the light was angelic and gave softness to every room of the house. It was this softness that helped me capture her special day. After all the preparations, the brides and her group hurried to get married at “Holy Name Church” a local church nearby. The church was spectacular and further added to the spirit of the day. Soon afterwards, Father Peter Grover announced the news that they were wed and off to the ” Spring Valley Country Club” we all went. The highlight of the day was the beautiful “Sweet” light we found as the evening was closing. It was with this light I captured Christine and Matt. The flowers came from “Annabelle Floral Design”. Her most glorious make-up came from “Grace M Quintal”  Enjoy.

Adriane and Russell were a great couple. They both shared shyness as their personalities but that didn’t stop them from having a very simple and elegant wedding, They live in Barrington, NH nestled within the woods. For her wedding, she chose a very simple but elegant dress accented by a very glamorous  and classical veil. All of their family members were there including a much younger brother to celebrate their wedding vows. It took place at the Three Chimney’s Inn in Durham, NH. The weather very hot and humid. Despite the heat, everyone had a great time, shed a little tear of happiness, and welcomed the latest addition to their families. Afterward, the group reunited back at the couple’s home for a BBQ and dinner. Congratulations Adriane and Russell. Nice job!

Young couple at Three Chimneys Inn

All the tables had these floral arrangements.

Absolutely fantastic shoe design.

The tradition “dip” pictures taken from the sidelines.

This couple was very passionate towards each other.

The couple was photographed by the lake where we had beautiful afternoon light.

Holly’s bouquet of flowers!  A Rose,  A Rose, My kingdom for a Rose!

Holly and Justin’s wedding rings shot at the “Harris Pelham Inn”

A beautiful night at the “Harris Pelham Inn”

The WHOLE wedding party. All 16 of them. Although it was a fairly cold and windy day, Everyone kept warm and happy!

Kate and Jim Showing “The love”

This shot is of Kate and Jim at Prescott Park by the gardens.

Kate’s flowers were supplied by Jen DelDeo Flowers. Ravishing color!

After the ceremony, The Portsmouth Trolly Company dropped them off at Prescott park for their wedding portraits. They are such a great looking couple.

Kate and her bridal party, The girls were simply Fantastic.

Kate looking at her dress in in her room at the Sheraton Harborhouse at Portsmouth, NH

Kate was one of the most relaxed brides I have photographed. If she was stressed at all by all the goings-on, she covered it up quite well. She was an awesome bride.

One of my favorite venues for wedding photography happens to Portsmouth’s Sheraton Harborside on the heart of the downtown Portsmouth area. It is a very stylish building filled with very beautiful accents like the one found here. It is centrally located and is within walking distance of Prescott Park, The Seacoast Repertoire Theater, and all the downtown shopping a bride could dream for. The food and service is first rate all the way.

CEO and Photographer Robert Ortiz

I wish to thank all of the brides I serviced in the local New England Seacoast area and beyond last year and I am super excited so many of you have once again booked me for 2011 and 2012. I’m looking forward to making Robert Ortiz Photography your professional choice for all your wedding photography needs. Thank you.

This Is a video testimonial from Justin and Rebecca. They were a great awesome couple. Their wedding was held In Portsmouth, NH on 06/20/09. They had over 200 guests and it was held the Portsmouth Country Club. Enjoy.

On 07/23/10 Chrissy got married amongst family and friends at the Bedford Village Inn Bedford, NH. The images to follow, are just but a few of Chrissy’s exciting day. Amongst the very vintage items were her gorgeous silver brooch, her dress, and veil.

This is Meagan and Jason at the Wentworth Hotel at New castle, NH. This hotel was built in 1874 and has seen many special guest including Theodore Roosevelt and Prince Charles. Frank Jones was responsible for a lot of the early renovations. Then in 2003, The “Marriot” bought the property and retuned to to all it glorious, turn-of-the-century splendor.

A detail from Meagan and jason’s wedding cake. This came from one of  southern NH most popular  bakery, Jacque’s Fine European Pastries. In all of the weddings that I have served through the area, I am never come across a finer pastry chef. He comes highly recommended by us as well as many satisfied brides.

The “The Commons” New castle, NH

These are Meagan’s bridesmaids. Those chose to be photographed at “The Commons” at New Castle New hampshire.

South Church at Portsmouth, NH has always been a very beautiful church. It’s clear to see why I  fell in love with the building itself when I became a Unitarian a few years ago. Here we see the bride getting ready  underneath the staircase. The building  is so breath taking, I actually had a one man show  with just images of South Church.

We can see the beauty of this Unitarian Church found at Portsmouth, NH.

These are the groom’s men from Meagan’s wedding. These guys really rocked hard at the reception. They rocked so hard that groom had to tell them to chill out because they were just out of control. It’s funny to think they behaved here, at the church, like little angels and they nearly rocked the house down at the party!!

Here we see the flowers from Meagan’s wedding taken inside South Church. They came from Jardiniere, a local florist from Portsmouth, NH.

It was July 23, 2010 when I met Chrissy in her room at the Wentworth Hotel, at New Castle on the day of her wedding. It was a sunny and hot day but I could tell by the twinkle in her eye, not even the heat was not going to prevent her from enjoying her special day. Her room was on the second floor and was connected by a set of stairs that led right down to the reception room.The first thing she did was grab me by the arm and tell me, “Look at what I did to my shoes, where do you want to photograph them?”  Looking at them, I noticed she had been clever and had placed rhinestones at the bottom of her shoes. I smiled and grabbed HER arm and said, ” Lets photograph you and your marvelous shoes down stairs at your reception room “. We went down stair and did exactly that!

After photographing the shoes on her, I couldn’t help but noticing how striking the color of her shoes were; after all most brides wear shoes that are white.  The shoes that Meagan had decided to wear for her wedding were a bright rose in color. With the shoes in my hand, I let the color inspire me and the shoes had a life of their own.

On June 5, 2010 Brianna and Chris tied the knot in Keene, N.H. All of the wedding party including Robert Ortiz from Robert Ortiz Photography, stayed on the grounds of the Monadnock Bible conference center in Jaffrey, NH. The fun commenced on this rainy morning at 7:00 A.M. with the girls eating their breakfast. It consisted of fresh baked pastries and oranges. Soon after breakfast, much to the happiness of Brianna, the sun came crashing through making our photographic day better.

This was the dress and the shoes worn by Brianna and her wedding in Keene, NH. She was married at Jaffrey, NH and her reception was at Stonewall Farms in Keene,NH.  Brianna looked stunning in her princess tiara as all her girls around her were getting their hair and make up done. Brianna’s modern vintage dress came from David’s Bridal.

The painting by Grant Wood- “American Gothic” is alive and well in Keene, NH. One of my recent couples paid homage to this great painter. They requested my own interpretation of “American Gothic”. We had lots of fun setting it up and this was the best take. Enjoy.

…….So on June 4, 2010 Alejandro Theodore Ortiz was born. I guess I will have a new company mascot running around my studio. Despite the fact he was upside down, right side up-Breech baby, Alex came in to the world bright eyed and bushy tailed. He weighed in at 7 Lbs. 4 Ozs. and measured 20.5 inches.

There has been a recent increase in the amount of wedding photographers available. This doesn’t mean that we have had a sudden increase in the amount creative people, it mean amateurs are trying to make a quick buck and in most cases are listing themselves as “Professional Photographers”. This is due to the availability of low cost digital equipment and the unstable nature of our own economy. These “photographers”, without the proper experience or training for wedding photography, are offering mediocre services as high quality services. We have had many customers come to our photography studio complaining about the bad experiences their friends have received. This has been mostly by amateurs claiming to be professional photographers online as well as websites like Craigslist. This is why Robert Ortiz Photography decided to write an article with key questions to ask photographers you may encounter in your search for the right wedding professional. We would love to be your wedding photographer, but if for what ever reason you choose someone else, please at least hire a true Professional. Your wedding day comes only once in a life time and if the person you hire doesn’t have the know how, your memories will be forever lost. Please make sure the wedding photographer has addressed your personal concerns satisfactorily on the following questions:

Is this your main line of work? Make sure your wedding photographer’s only job is photography. This insures your’e getting established truly”PROFESSIONAL” people that will be able to answer their phones when you need to ask them an important question.

How long have you photographed and how many wedding do you cover a year? Wedding photography takes A LOT of practice and experience and this will tell you exactly what he knows. The longer and more weddings he has shot, the greater indication that he has the know how to get the job done properly. 25-30 weddings a year is a minimum amount to stay in practice for a professional wedding photographer.

Have you received any formal classroom training as a photographer? Wedding photography is a craft and should be learned in a formal training or classroom setting.

Do you provide a written guarantee and a Contract.  The guarantee provides assurance that the photographer is competent to get the job done properly and a contract assures you know exactly what your’e getting.

Do you have any liability insurance incase someone gets hurt with your equipment at my wedding? If someone gets hurt by tripping over photographer’s equipment, wedding couples are liable for anything that may happen to their guest. Having liability insurance is a sign your guest would be taken care of  in case of an accident and shows the photographer is successful enough to buy liability insurance.

Do you have other professional assistants that work in your company that can go and cover the event with the same knowledge and experience incase you get sick? Amateurs don’t get paid enough to hire other people so they only have themselves. If they say they do have an assistant,  Please ask to meet them .

How many camera bodies do you bring with you in case of breakage? Professional photographers should have two or three back up bodies just incase of breakage. Please ask them to show you their equipment.

Are you using PROFESSIONAL 2.8 lenses that will guarantee the best possible image with out flash? These lenses are a MUST!! No exemption. Pros will invest their profits to produce best possible image-these lenses are $1500.00 and up. Please see the movie listed below.

Do you use fill flash or reflectors outside to fill in shadows on your subjects? This is where the amateurs are separated from the pros. Light quality is what photography is all about. Heavy shadows make the subject flat and unflattering. Professionals use fill flash and reflectors when possible.

Do you back up your images at the event so you have more than one copy of the photos? Memory cards can be wiped out by something magnetic and should be copied on to a hard drive immediately after shot. Ask if they have back up equipment like “hyperdrive space” units that allow you to copy images taken right unto a hard drive.

Are you an established business with a studio or are you a member of a local city chamber? By being part of the photographic community and having a location studio it shows you they are an established business and not a fly-by-night operation.

Are you shooting in “RAW” mode to guarantee the absolutely best image quality? Most amateur “PHOTOGRAPHERS”  will shoot in JPEG because of their lack of knowledge. This is a MUST, images should be shot in “RAW ” mode to get the most control and the best color rendition.

Do you use camera models designed for use by amateurs? Ask them what models they use. Also go on the manufacture’s site and find out if their equipment is amateur equipment like the “Rebel” series spoken about in the video listed below. “Rebel”  bodies are way to slow to keep up with the speed needed for wedding photography. Please see the movie below.

Are you a “CURRENT” member of an established photographic group? When your photographer is part of a trade group, they learn from each other and become a better photographers. Example, PPA, NHPPA, NHAA, WPPI -Is the photographer listed on their site?

Can you show me a few complete wedding albums containing pictures of a complete weddings from beginning to end? Any picture taker can show you a few dozen pictures of their lucky shots, please make sure they are able to show completed events from beginning to end.

Please click here to view the video:   Judge Brown and a couple of bad photographers movie

After a day of ceremony and celebration, Valerie and John had to say good bye to all their guest through the final dance. The couple will have great memories of a day well planned and executed.

These are Valerie and John’s rings.

Well, here we have the happy couple right after they married at the Three Chimney Inn.  The venue was outstanding for the couple. The food was first rate and the grounds were gorgeous. I highly recommend The Three Chimneys Inn to any bride thinking of getting married.  I love how knowledgeable and professional the staff is at the Three Chimneys Inn. They were a joy to work with and they made  the couple feel very special. They are located in Durham, NH near UNH.

These are some of the little faces of Valerie’s and John’s wedding. They were cute as a button and were not shy in front of the camera. The vintage bow tie reminded me of an long gone era. It reminded me of the era of my favorite historical character Theodore Roosevelt, the 43rd president of our country. Although he was the youngest president he was not without experience. He took measure to protect our country’s most beautiful places by making them our national parks. This young ring bearer had the same heart and soul as Teddy. At the wedding he did not hesitate to show his bullish side by being the little man of the show. Here’s to you Mr. President….BULLY.

This is John, he was a great groom. I could tell how much in love with his bride he was when he read his vows; he actually shed a tear or two. I had the pleasure to photograph Valerie’s and John’s engagement shoot last month at Prescott Park at Portsmouth, NH. Valerie drove her car there while John drove up in his shiny Harley Davidson motorcycle. Everyone can see their engagement shoot featured on the engagement section at the Robert Ortiz Photography website listed here:   http://www.robertortizphotography.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=1&p=7
He is a bit shy and didn’t particularly feel comfortable posing for his engagement shoot but he did it because he knew it made Valerie happy. It was a pleasant surprise on their wedding day when John seemed  comfortable enough to smile all day long. He was an ideal groom. (photographed by Alison Ebacher assistant)

Valerie was wonderful and there was fantastic chemistry between John, her groom, and her self. It seemed John was a bit shy and almost never smiled. But I think Valerie was the inspiration behind John’s smile on their wedding day. John behaved quite nicely and I had no problem in getting smiles frequently from him. Then again, Valerie had quite a smile herself. She had beautiful red hair, perfect complexion and not in need of a lot of makeup. Her great sense of humor was toped only by her great smile. Her vintage earrings was the icing on the cake .

This is Valerie’s dress. It was beautiful. It came from Madeline’s Daughter at Portsmouth NH. The general consensus amongst my brides is that Madeline’s Daughter is the local place to go. Valerie looked ravishing in it and had no problem walking around the outdoors holding the trane in her arm. Very beautiful.

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

“When there is love in the heart there are rainbows in the eyes, which cover every black cloud with gorgeous hues.”