Totten Photography is myself, Laura Totten, and my lovely assistants, Dave Knirk and Stuart Grinnell. I photograph people and life events– weddings, families, pregnancies and newborns, high school seniors, reunions, and I do some fashion work as well. I photograph bands for KEXP, and some of my commercial clients are the Seattle Seahawks and the Sounders. Working recently with the Sounders (our soccer team) has been awesome because the players are so diverse and come from all parts of the world. But I always love to photograph people.
What is your philosophy or technique when photographing a wedding?
I like to let things happen naturally and try to capture the energy of the day. There are parts of the day when I’m directing people, but mostly I just put my couple in a location with good light and tell them “go be in love!” and something natural happens – they kiss or hold each other in a way that you just can’t choreograph, and that’s the moment I capture. The first time I meet with a couple, I make sure that my style of photography fits their needs. I also find out what they specifically want photographed (certain objects or moments), and what formal family pictures they expect. But usually they trust me to be creative and capture candid moments throughout their day.
What makes Totten Photography stand out? How are you unique from other wedding photographers?
My clients love that I have a calming effect on them and their wedding day, and they appreciate that I am unobtrusive. They also understand that I appreciate the sensitivity of what is happening during the day, and can capture it artistically. I balance capturing the event and allowing space for people to enjoy the day and be in the moment. Most of the time, people don’t notice me clicking away. And most often, I end up becoming friends with my clients! I include an engagement session with all my wedding packages, and this way we can spend some casual time together and see how the photography process works without the pressure of the wedding timeline. When I’m at a wedding, it’s like I’m a friend of the couple who happens to be photographing their wedding.
What should brides know when looking for a photographer to hire?
Two things- first, that they know exactly what they are getting for their investment (album, a disk of the images, etc). And as a couple, they should determine beforehand what they want (not necessarily what their friends want or what they’ve read in a wedding magazine).
Second, that they have good chemistry with their photographer. This is someone you’re spending your whole day with – your wedding day – and you should get along.
What made you interested in participating in the Battle of the Betrothed?
It sounds awesome – it’s a great idea to involve a lot of different wedding vendors and aspects of weddings and make a competition out of it. There are so many negative wedding shows on TV, ‘Bridezillas’ and disaster weddings, so it’s refreshing to participate in a fun and motivational event.
