Bethany Fegles is a premier wedding and portrait photographer in Portland, Oregon. But in addition to her impeccable style and skill with a camera, the person behind the lens is quite honestly someone you'd want at your wedding anyway. She somehow lends a laid-back energy to her shoots that brings out the best in her clients. We are such fans of her work, we trust her with our own family portrait sessions. (And she graciously did our professional portraits for our website as well!)
Read on for an interview with Bethany and a look at some of her recent work:
Tell us about your wedding-specific style and background.
I love capturing the essence of a couple. I’ve been shooting weddings for 5 years and find that every year I enjoy it even more than the year before. My style is fun, detailed and laid-back.
Your favorite part of shooting weddings?
I adore those sweet little moments at every wedding when there are a million activities going on and you catch the groom reach for his bride’s hand or look her in the eye and smile as if they’re in their own world. It make me so happy just being there. And right along with that I just love photographing a wedding’s pretty details. The table settings, cake, bouquets, etc.
Please share a memorable moment from a past wedding.
A moment that always stands out to me is from Matt & Lacey’s wedding in 2009. They chose to see one another before the ceremony so that we could take all of the bridal party and family portraits ahead of time. We had Matt wait out in the field for Lacey and she approached him, tapped him on the back of his shoulder and he turned around to see her for the first time. Everything about that moment was beautiful. The couple, their deep friendship, their love for each other, and the setting. Beautiful.
“My favorite weddings always...{fill-in-the-blank}.”
...include a bride and groom who are thoroughly enjoying every moment of their big day! It makes their day so much fun to capture!
“I wish that all brides would...{fill-in-the-blank}.”
...I honestly can’t think of anything I wish my brides did. I’ve been blessed to work with such wonderful couples! I usually meet with a potential bride/groom for coffee to talk about photographing their wedding. Then after they book me to capture their wedding we get to spend time together at their engagement shoot, laughing and having fun. It makes for such a natural flow and connection on their wedding day! By then I feel like we’re old friends. One of my favorite things is when I form such meaningful connections with my brides that they send me a Christmas card that year. It’s wonderful seeing their faces again a few months after their wedding.
Your favorite local venues to shoot at?
Garden Vineyards in Hillsboro is an incredible venue. The setting is breathtaking and the wine is fantastic. Langdon Farms in Aurora is beautiful, has great natural lighting everywhere you turn, and their staff go out of their way to be of help.
For what unique traits do couples seeking a photographer choose you?
I often hear brides say that they like the feel of my photos and the way I see and capture a moment. And I think a lot of couples pick up on the fact that I’m fun and laid back, and I’m not going to be high-strung addition to their wedding day. :) Being able to really connect with a couple and have fun with them makes for a more relaxed environment, which then ultimately results in better images.
What makes you an excellent photographer that we can't find out about your from your website?
I really care about my clients. I’m driven and have high standards for myself and my images.
How does a DOC {day-of coordinator} make your job easier?
It’s huge. They make a day run smoothly, not only for the bride, who matters most, but also for the mother-of-the-bride (who sometimes can miss out on a lot of the enjoyment of the wedding if she’s the elected coordinator), and absolutely for the vendors. I love when a coordinator will come and find me five minutes before the toast or first dance so that I can get myself positioned for shooting.
From a photographer's perspective, any cost-cutting tips for a bride and groom to consider?
There are so many creative ways to save, but I wouldn’t recommend cost-cutting on the pieces of your big day that are of greatest value. I hear all too often from people that they wish they would’ve invested in a great wedding photographer. At the end of the day those photos and moments captured are what you have to remember your big day by.
Interested in Bethany's services? (And you should be...) Visit her website at http://www.bethanyf.com/ for a glimpse of why we're completely nuts about her!
Congrats on getting DCW up and running! I'm impressed and of course, love that you featured Bethany here. Best of luck to you two!!
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