Owned and operated by David and Kassandra Beckstead, David Beckstead is fast becoming one of the premier wedding photographers in the world.

What is your primary camera body?

I use 2 - Canon Mark II's on my body at every wedding.

Two lenses you use the most

16-35 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 IS

Do you shoot RAW?

Not at this time.

How would you describe your photography style?

Mostly documentary with a push to go as artistic and creative as possible.

Do you normally employ assistants or 2nd shooters?

My wife Kassandra shoots all weddings with me. She uses a 20D and 5D.

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

I remember it was a perfect day for a beginning photographer; overcast clouds with just the perfect amount of light at an outdoor wedding. You could not ask for it to be easier! I am not sure if I have had it that good since!! It gave me a little too much over-confidence for the next shoot. It also perked my interest in shooting more weddings.

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

Maring Lifestyle Photographers or IDC Photography or mangoRED. There are so many great photographers out there! And Joe Buissink would be on the top of my list also.

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

Push hard to create your own style! Learn from others, yet, be yourself. Buy the best gear you can afford; don't skimp on cheap lenses. Spend time and money to hire a great web designer and help them create a perfect site for your style. Take less photography classes and take more business related classes. "Back-up" should be your mantra word at all times. Always challenge yourself to keep it fun and exciting!

Exciting news. BETA testers will be giving one last round of 'tire kicking' to the solution this weekend before we take Photographer's Office live. A big thanks to Nathan and Amber of Holritz Photography for considering us to turn their excellent idea into a reality.

We are all really excited about what is going to be the final product, and know you all will be too. If you haven't already signed up to be notified when the site goes live, do it at Photographer's Office.

Canon is running a double rebate program until January 13, 2007. If you are looking to buy a Canon 5d or other camera or lens now is a great time to consider.

Owned and operated by Glen Durrell, Glen Durrell Photography is one of the premier wedding photography studios in all of British Columbia.

What is your primary camera body?

Nikon D2X.

Two lenses you use the most.

70-200 f2.8vr, 50f1.4

Do you shoot RAW?

No, jpeg fine, largest. Just have to bang on with exposure.

How would you describe your photography style?

I would describe our style as fun and funky with a fashion bend.

Do you normally employ assistants or 2nd shooters?

I work with my wife Cathi, who is the best stylist. I occasionally use assistants but not as second shooters.

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

I remember feeling extremely nervous before the shoot and kind of euphoric after. Still get that feeling after. Not so nervous before now.

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

If I was to hire anyone in the world, it would be a three way tie between, Bruce Dorn, Jerry Ghionis and Yervant.

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

My advice is get as much technical knowledge as you can first, then assist with successful shooters to learn how to direct people.

Owned and operated by Jim and Roxanne Stone, Shot by Roxy is fast becoming one of the most sought after studios in the South.

What is your primary camera body?

Nikon D2X

What two lenses do you use the most?

Nikkor 70 - 200mm VR f2.8 & Nikkor 17 - 55mm f2.8

Do you shoot RAW?

Yes, 100%

How would you describe your photography style?

80% documentary with a bit of fashion style and subtle prompting at times.

Do you normally employ assistants or 2nd shooters?

Yes, my husband Jim and I are a team and we also have a third shooter at large events.

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

One of our very first weddings was at Lake Tahoe and the beauty of the lake, the bride, the flowers, all the family and friends loving each other... I knew that day that this is what I wanted to do. I was nervous because they trusted me with such an important day and I wanted to deliver beautiful images. At the time, I was a sport (sailing/surfing) photographer as well as some commercial work on design projects, but this was different and more fulfilling to me.

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

Wow, that's a tough one. We have so many amazing friends and photographers we respect that absolutely Rock! Of course we'd need at least a $100K to fund this...

Engagement Shoot: Jim Garner Bridal Portrait: Bambi Cantrell Bridal Preps: Jerry Ghionis Groom Prep: Tim Ludvigsen Ceremony: Tim Zielenbach, Matt Adcock, and Michael van Auken Formals: Bambi Cantrell Post-Wedding Bride and Groom about town: Yervant Reception: Matt Adcock and the Cheungs The Day after trash the dress session : John Michael Cooper

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

Make no mistake about it... this is very hard work. Invest in the best equipment you can afford and invest in Seminars with Bambi, Jerry, and Yervant. Study classic art and how the masters saw light.

On the business side of things, be prepared for late hours and long days. Invest in the very best web site designers you can afford because that is how the modern Bride often finds you and decides whether to meet you at all or book you.!

Its been a tasty week here. Today we setup our new Keurig B-60 coffee maker. I purchased one for home last month and have been raving about it since. It takes a lot for me to champion a product or service. The beauty of the Keurig is in its simplicity and design. The machine looks nice, there are only 5 buttons, and there is no way to "get it wrong". In fact, after priming the machine initially, you don't need a manual (much like good software).

Open machine, insert coffee, push button ...

It adds style to our otherwise boring studio

Don't think there aren't plenty of options either - good coffee, tea, even hot cocoa ...

Yesterday, Jeff received a couple Luscious Living Sophisticakes from Doug Loneman at Loneman Photography in Montana. They are pretty tasty and we haven't even finished the chocolate one yet. Thanks, Doug, you rock.

Sending us Food is not only a great way to say thank you, but you may also get on the blog and score some SEO points.

Jerry Ghinonis, owner and founder of XSiGHT Studios, is our featured photographer this week. You can view some of his work in the below collage.

What is your primary camera body?

Canon 5D. The quality and the noise levels among many things are awesome. I don't expect another camera to be better than the 5D for a very long time.

What two lenses do you use the most?

70-200 f2.8 IS USM L & 17-40 f4 L

Do you shoot RAW?

I shoot Jpeg. It may sound harsh but I believe that shooting raw is compensation for poor photography. It's like an accountant who doesn't know how to use a calculator.

How would you describe your photography style?

My style of photography is fun, fresh, fashionable and glamorous, yet classic and natural at the same time.

Do you normally employ assistants or 2nd shooters?

Yes I do but I don't believe that assistants be second shooters. I believe in assistants being assistants; assisting the photographer to get a better shot. I also train my assistants with the intention of one day being one of my photographers.

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

Although I was inexperienced, I remember being very confident, having an absolute ball and finally being able to tell all my family and friends that I was a professional photographer. I realized that I was born to do this. I love it. I have never looked back.

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

The entire XSiGHT team. That would just about cover every angle.

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

1. You can be an artist on the weekends but don't forget to be a business person during the week.

2. Go Hard or Go Home. Relentlessly pursue to be the best YOU can be.

3. You don't have to be the best, you just have to be better than last week.

4. Aim small. Hit small. Dream BIG and you may just hit the target because you had a target to aim at in the first place.

5. Surround yourself with positive people who make you want to be a better person.

6. Stop reading this and get to work.

Google recently released a set of gadgets for use on websites and blogs. Also known as widgets, gadgets allow you to embed all sorts of content into an HTML page.

With a BIG Folio Blog, you can simply paste the code into a new article or - better yet - right into your about area.

While most of the gadgets are either novel or down right silly, we thought a couple could be useful. How about adding a map to your studio? Perhaps weather conditions or a photo stream.

We thought we'd try it out for ourselves. Here's the weather at BIG Folio HQ.

It is a special time of year. The leafs are turning, the air is cooling, the days are shorter and most importantly- baseball playoffs have begun. Here at BIG Folio we are all pretty big baseball fans. Some of use (Dodger fans) are excited while others (Giant fans) are still wiping the tears of disappointment. So, grab a good spot on the couch and settle in for the full 9 innings as this is a great time to enjoy America's greatest pastime.

As a professional photographer, you are most likely self-employed. Not only do you carry the title of Photographer, but possibly also that of receptionist, accountant, copy writer, ad writer, and VP of marketing. Hey, even our customers have to write their own copy.

Your words - whether on your website or printed ads, flyers and contracts - speak volumes about your professionalism. Choose your words carefully. Don't use many words when few will do. Care about grammar.

I cannot recommend enough William Zinsser's On Writing Well. Every business owner should own it and read it once a year.