For those of you new to the BIG Folio Blog I want to be sure you are aware of WedShooter– the weblog whose sole purpose is to explore and share techniques of professional wedding photography.

For the rest of the month, visitors and members to the ILP Forum can get 1/2 off the setup fee of a new premium template.

That means you can get a sweet template like Cherry Lane for only $375 setup plus hosting.

In case you weren't aware, ILP is one of the coolest online forums dedicated to children's photography. If you love taking pictures of kids (and who doesn't?), create an account today.

You don't have to be a children's photographer to get the deal. But you'll have to visit their homepage to get the coupon code. Unless someone leaks the code, that is ...

Owned and operated by Jason & Allison Domingues, Jason Domingues Photography is based in Prairie Village, Kansas (Kansas City Suburb) where Jason resides with his wife, daughter and son.

What is your primary camera body?

Canon 5D

Two lenses you use the most:

Canon 24-70 Canon 70-200

Do you shoot RAW?

Always

How would you describe your photography style?

I don't classify myself as either a pj or a portrait photographer. I just do what I need to do to get the best shots. I most enjoy capturing the day as it happens and finding quirky spots to take fun and artistic photos, but I also enjoy the challenge of turning what would be just another boring portrait session into something a little different.

Do you employ second shooters or assistants?

No, I do not hire photographers or assistants. I sometimes take on photographers as interns that want to learn this side of the business.

What do you remember about your first wedding shoot?

I was so nervous I got sick in the parking lot of the church. I also remember getting home that night and knowing that I had found my calling.

If you were getting married this year, who would you want to shoot your wedding?

It would be a real toss up between Jenn & Steven Bebb, Kelly Moore Clark, and John Michael Cooper. I met them all down in Austin, TX for the Anti-Workshop.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their career as a photographer?

Shut your mouth and open your ears! That was the best advice my grandfather gave me. You can always learn something from the guys who have been in the business for a while. Also, if you ever stop loving what you are doing, stop doing it.

Our clients have heard us refer to our support as 'frantic'. What we mean is our team is 'wild with excitement and passion' to assist and support with any needs. We do our best to answer instant message immediately and emails within 5 minutes. To give you an example, see the image below. On the right is Jeff, going 75mph on the 101N in CA answering support emails. On the right is Mike doing sales support in tandem with doing uncle duty while the ladies shop.

This a note to say, jump on board and get the best support on the planet. If you are a current client, you already know the story and experience the love on a regular basis.

A small handful of email accounts are experiencing problems. The issue should be resolved today.

This last weekend BIG Folio played host to a group of photographers from around the country. We spent time in workshops, going on shoots, and enjoying each others company. A few pictures from the weekend are below. We took pictures of everything from brides, to food, to the Oceano dunes. Thank you to all who participated.

Owned and operated by MJ Alexander, MJ Alexander Photography combines the vision of an artist with the skills of a storyteller.

What is your primary camera body?

Canon 30D

Two lenses you use the most:

Tamron AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di Canon EF-S 17-85 MM F/4-5.6 IS USM Zoom

Do you shoot RAW?

No. I’ve been inspired by some demos at PhotoPlus Expo NY, though, and will begin experimenting with RAW on my next project.

How would you describe your photography style?

Intuitive, collaborative.

Do you employ second shooters or assistants?

Rarely.

What do you remember about your first (or one of your first) commercial shoot?

One of my first jobs was photographing opening night of Mozart’s opera “Die Zauberflote.” This included dealing with 60-plus high-maintenance directors, assistants, and performers. A situation that could have degenerated into a disaster (they don’t call them divas for nothing – think wedding with multiple brides) became festive and buzzy as I worked the stage, focusing on small groups and individual portraits of the players in elaborate costume against spectacular sets and dramatic lighting. We were exhausted, but ended up as excited about the shoot as the performance itself.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their career as a photographer?

Think different. Learn to see past the obvious. Develop a point of view, take chances, build your portfolio. Case in point: This past year, I decided to photograph Oklahomans born in or before 1907 for the state’s centennial. The project has opened eyes and doors, and taken on a life on its own (I’ve photographed more than a hundred elders aged 100 to 109, and have a waiting list just as long.) The exposure has been phenomenal: the project is the cover story in several regional magazines and newspapers and has been featured as the subject of public radio and television interviews. Galleries and book publishers are calling, and corporations are commissioning work.

My advice: set yourself apart by breaking the mold and investing time in a project that inspires you. Taking action will keep your creative juices pumping, help you carve out a professional identity, strengthen your credentials as an artist and, at the end of the day, allow you to set higher rates and work smarter.

We're putting the finishing touches on a smokin'-hot new server and we thought to ourselves, "Why test the server with fake sites? Why not test it out with your site?"

So, the first 3 people that sign-up for a standard template today and are willing to be the first on our new server will receive a refund of their entire setup fee ($250).

What's the Catch?

Nothing really. Except that getting your site up and fine-tuned might take a full day or two instead of the usual hour. Don't worry, we wont let your site go live until everything is tip-top.

Feeling Adventurous?

To get in on this deal, just sign-up for any standard template, then drop us an email and let us know you want to be on the expeditionary team. We'll send you back your sign-up fee. Simple.

What if I Don't Want to be Poked and Prodded?

No worries. Unless we hear otherwise, all sign-ups will be setup on our current trusty servers.

UPDATE: We found three brave souls. Thanks, everyone. Hope to see you on the other side :)

We're starting a new project here at BIG Folio. Over the next few weeks, we'll be creating screencasts and video tutorials for all our products.

We'll show you how to manage and edit your site, work with your blog, create slideshows, use DropProof, and do all kinds of cool stuff.

All videos will be available on our wiki, and the first video is there now (How to update your background image).

If there are specific things you'd like to see demonstrated, just let us know.

Owned and operated by Susan Stripling, Susan Stripling Photography is based in Florida where Susan resides with her husband and two daughters.

What is your primary camera body?

Canon 5d, but it's on its way back in for repairs....

Two lenses you use the most

85 1.8 and 35 2.0

Do you shoot RAW?

Everything!

How would you describe your photography style?

Crisp, clean, colorful, cheerful, charming.

Do you normally employ assistants or 2nd shooters?

I usually bring an assistant with me to carry bags, do very very light second shooting, and to carry a light at the reception. It's not included in all of my packages so it's something I decide on a wedding-by-wedding basis if I need one.

What do you remember about your first (or one of your first) wedding?

I don't remember much - I think that all the fear and nerves caused a memory shortage! I do remember feeling a particular blend of anxiety and anticipation that has never quite gone away. I clutched tight to a shot list because I was so afraid I was going to miss something!

If you were getting married this year, who would you want to shoot your wedding?

Oooh, hard question. I just had my family portraits taken earlier this year by Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser and they were utterly beautiful, but they're dear friends and I'd like them to party at my wedding, so maybe saddling them with the photography duties wouldn't be the best idea!

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their career as a wedding photographer?

Learning how to take good pictures is great, but learning how to be a good businessperson is mandatory. Take business classes and do NOT neglect that side of the career path you've chosen.

We just made some updates to our BIG Help support ticket system. We enforced some required fields and fixed the intermittent crashes.

Remember, support tickets are always the preferred method of requesting help. Tickets get routed to multiple staff members. Even if one of us is basking on a sandy beach or shredding the freshies, you'll get a quick response.