Requirements:

• An existing portfolio of images in a style which compliments ours (to be submitted for interview consideration)
• Professional equipment/back-up equipment (list to be furnished when applying. )
• Understanding of off-camera flash in lowlight scenarios
• The desire to photograph but not necessarily ‘run a wedding photography business’ (though we would consider a photographer with their own lifestyle/portrait business who does not want to run a wedding studio.)
• Preference will be made to those with wedding photography experience but we would consider a fantastic photographer of other genres (but must love weddings)
• A vibrant/fun personality  our clients will love!

In return, the ‘right’ candidate will receive

• The support of a full-service, busy photography studio to provide client bookings, image editing, album design, marketing, advertising
• Second shooter compensation 50% higher than the market rate with opportunity to transition into primary shooter role after 6 months.
• Additional training paid for by BlueSky
• A studio space to meet clients
• A fun and fabulous place to grow your photography roots

If interested, please submit a link to a portfolio and a brief description of why you would be a ‘fit’ for our studio.  Cassandra@blueskycharlotte.com

We love what we do and are seeking the ‘perfect fit’ to continue to support our amazing clients and to continue to grow our business.

Though we had really wanted to announce our big winners on our 1-Year ‘Wedding’ Anniversary last night (Though BlueSky was launched nearly 3 years ago..our wedding focus and moving to ‘general public’ clients vs. straight referral was launched on Valentine’s Day 2011..  So,  Happy Anniversary to us:-) However, we ran into a glitch based on the shear volume of votes/duplicates/etc. …

That said, after much sorting, email address verifying and one-by-one counting…we can officially  say we have  our 2012 ‘Are You a BlueSky Bride?’ winner with 51% of the votes.

We thank you all so much for taking the time to enter and supporting these 2 fabulous couples.  And though there can only be one 2012 BlueSky Bride…based on the amazing response and support of these couples we are also offering our ‘runner-up’ couple a really nice gift as well…a $1000 gift certificate towards a BlueSky wedding collection should they decide we are the perfect photographers for them!

Now lovelies…meet out 2012 BLUESKY BRIDE:

JESSICA & Her hubby-to-be, Chris!  (you can read their story here..!)

Congratulations to both couples and thank you all for not only your votes but for bearing with us as we worked though counting/re-counting/verifying over 3000 votes.  2012 is off to a great start and we look forward to sharing more of Jess & Chris’ story and images later this year!

They:

Had their first date at Amelie’s French Bakery in NODA

We:

Spent a little time at a park right near Amelie’s and then headed over to snap a few images where it all began… (including the salted caramel brownie:-)

Meet Michelle:

Our goal with this series of images to capture  the ‘ordinary amazingness’ of women of the non-professional model variety and make them feel gorgeous, sexy and truly comfortable in their skin.  We will be officially launching our take on boudoir in February and plan to incorporate some of this style into our work and make it our own.

My fabulous friend Courtney volunteered to be our subject for this first session in the series and brought it on home with her ‘inner Bridgette.’ 

Voting’ begins now and your may select the couple you would like to see win a FULL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTION (valued at $4200) in celebration of our anniversary on February 14!!…just leave a comment below with the # of the couple you are selecting!! Easy-breezy! (liking our Facebook page never hurt either..but does not actually count in the  voting:-)    Note-you may only vote 1 time per verifiable email address)

Without further Adieu meet our finalists!

Couple # 1: JESSICA & CHRIS!

Jessica and Chris are adventurous spirits and fellow dog lovers!  In addition to the wit behind their portrayal of their story….Jess has red hair!    We loved that Chris is a ‘wedding crasher’, that they have not one..but 2 rescued dogs, and they are incorporating very personal elements into their wedding day!  All things BlueSky Couples are made of:-)

In their words:

-Chris is a teacher (AP World History and Civics) and a football coach at Lake Norman High School.  His students are very interested in his wedding plans have been known to Facebook stalk Jessica and once made her a “Happy Birthday” banner.

-Jessica is a Marketing Manager at Blumenthal Performing Arts and spends her days working on Broadway shows and frequently making jazz hands.

-They have two adorable dogs that they are absolutely obsessed with and refer to as “the girls.”  Lola and Nikko.  Both are rescues – Lola has been with Jessica for almost 8 years and Nikko for 2.  They upload an obscene amount of cute photos of them to Instagram like it’s their job.

-Chris is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana.  His father was the first patient to receive a drug trial for testicular cancer – he went from having almost no chance of survival to miraculously recovering.  This drug is now used to treat and cure almost 75% of patients with the disease.  His father has met Lance Armstrong and got to carry the Olympic torch in 2000.  After he was cured of cancer he and his wife Judy couldn’t wait to have kids – Christopher Blaine Cleland was their first child and was named after two friends who helped his father through the treatments.  (this is obviously Jessica’s FAVORITE Cleland Family story – if you’re ready for a tear-jerker, read this: http://www.friends4cures.org/cure_mag_article.shtml )

The Big Day

We’ve decided to be married on December 8^th, 2012 – just before the apocalypse.  We’re getting married at Homewood in Asheville , NC.  We fell in love with the venue, which was built in 1928 and has TONS of charm.  It also looks like a castle and who wouldn’t love that?  Their good friend John (the reason Chris moved to Charlotte) has been ordained online and will be officiating the wedding.  Jessica’s dad builds and restores custom hot-rods, so they’re getaway car will be his 1934 Ford Sedan that he’s feverishly working on to finish building for the big day.

COUPLE # 2: TAYLOR & ADAM!

Taylor and Adam…high school sweethearts. (whose parents have both been happily  married for over 25 years!) Just plain old sweet as can be!  We loved their sense of appreciation for just how lucky they are to have found each other.  (and they ‘get’ our story-telling style!) We loved their wedding party is made up of folks that have known them through their entire journey!

In their words:

Only Fools Rush In…

We started dating when we were 14 years old and 9 years later here we are!  I now wear the ring Adam designed which includes diamonds from my parents’ engagement ring.  Both of our parents have been married for over 25 years so we understand and appreciate the true meaning of love and family.

To say I am a lucky girl is an understatement- I get to marry my high school sweetheart and I could not ask for more!
Why do you match us?  Your style tells a story and we have such a story to tell!
We have 16 people in the wedding party who have known us since the beginning of “us”, twin flower girls and a ring bearer. We will have a traditional church wedding with lots of non-traditional elements. The reception will be at Revolution Mills (Greensboro NC).

We love these 2 couples!!  Now….LET THE VOTING BEGIN!!!

1.) Which of us is most ‘camera-aware?’ (Hint: STEPHEN!!!)

2.) Which of us files her nails, reads Carolina Bride and lounges on a sofa during take-down (ooops..forgot about that dang camera!)

3.) Watch for the fashion show in the background…it makes me lol at this speed…

Let us know if this makes you laugh half as much as it did us!!!

PS-Super big thanks to Stephen (my shooting partner extraordinaire!), his lovely wife Lisa Wilfong, my good friend, Sandy Mares, and my fiance’ (I still can’t get used to that word!) Brian Bradley for all of their help with the show.

Joanna & Tyler love the mountains. The are laid-back, down-to-Earth and in a word…gorgeous. (both inside and out)

On a weekend get-a-way to Blowing Rock, NC,  Tyler gave Joanna the sweetest little gift. A small leather bound album filled with images of the wonderful memories they had made over the years.

Joanna flipped the pages as Tyler spoke of the various events they had experienced with one another and how much they all meant… at the end of the album was a little surprise. ‘Joanna…will you marry me?’ ….and, of course…she said ‘yes.’