We are so excited to have worked with JT Photography an exquisite photography company
located in the Charlotte area.We spoke with Tonya Ritchie, Owner and Photographer
of this great company, to find out what inspires her and more.
Enjoy!
Q: From your website, we definitely see your passion for photography. Please give us a brief history of how you got in this industry.
A: My husband and I were married in 2001, and couldn't afford a photographer. We decided to purchase a DSLR camera and have a friend shoot our wedding. My husband, Jason, had prior knowledge of film cameras, and taught us both how to use the DSLR, as they were pretty new to the industry in 2001. We traveled a lot, took lots of nature pics, and started selling stock photography and doing photo restoration as well. In 2005, friends of ours were getting married and asked us to photograph their wedding. We were excited, but nervous, and so I took a quick wedding photography course to learn as much as I could. For months I studied every wedding magazine, other websites that I admired, trying to just to do the best we could. Still not knowing this would be something I would love, I wanted to do the best job possible for them. The photos were definitely not the best, as it was our first wedding, but our friends loved them and seeing their excitement got me excited! That was really the turning point for me. I no longer wanted to do stock photography or photo restoration, I wanted to focus solely on weddings and portraits. I spent the next few yrs learning everything I could and starting our business from scratch. I did several weddings and photo sessions for free, learning and building my portfolio. I went from 5-6 weddings a year in 2007/2008 to close to 30 weddings a year for 2011.
Q: How would you describe your overall style of photography?
A: I would describe our overall style as journalistic or documentary. I like to photograph things happening naturally. I love vivid colors, antique/vintage style, and anything that shows emotion. I want people to look back at their photos and feel that emotion, whether it's a smile, a laugh or maybe even a few tears.
Q: What do you like most about Weddings?
What do I like most about weddings? Wow, that's a tough one because there are SO many things I love about weddings. Everything really. I get so excited to be a part of each and every wedding we do. From our first meeting with the bride & groom, I am anxious to meet them, learn about them as a couple, and just hear their story. I have to say I also get excited to see the Brides dress and shoes! The couples first dance always gets me a little teary, and I always love seeing the grandparents joining in when the "cha-cha slide" starts to play
What do I like most about weddings? Wow, that's a tough one because there are SO many things I love about weddings. Everything really. I get so excited to be a part of each and every wedding we do. From our first meeting with the bride & groom, I am anxious to meet them, learn about them as a couple, and just hear their story. I have to say I also get excited to see the Brides dress and shoes! The couples first dance always gets me a little teary, and I always love seeing the grandparents joining in when the "cha-cha slide" starts to play
Q: Why did you get into weddings?
I got into weddings because I just love them. No two are alike, and from the very first wedding I shot 6 years ago, I knew I had to do more!
I got into weddings because I just love them. No two are alike, and from the very first wedding I shot 6 years ago, I knew I had to do more!
Q: What is the best advice you would give to Brides planning there 2012 wedding?
The best advice I would give to Brides planning their wedding is to do your research and know who you are hiring! Read the reviews online, ask for references, see lots of work they've done, and meet your vendors to make sure you "click".
The best advice I would give to Brides planning their wedding is to do your research and know who you are hiring! Read the reviews online, ask for references, see lots of work they've done, and meet your vendors to make sure you "click".
Also, early planning is always best!
Q. Anything you would like to add?
I would just like to mention that when I shoot a wedding, more than my time and knowledge goes into it. I put my heart into it, and photograph each wedding as it were my own. I feel that after shooting over 140 weddings, and hundreds of portrait sessions, we have the knowledge and skills to give you the absolute best photographs possible. If you contact me to discuss your wedding, not only will you see lots of our work on our website, but I am confident enough in our work to show you full weddings we have shot, usually over 600 images! Booking us for your wedding is easy and I like to keep things simple. Planning your wedding is stressful enough! A simple phone call or email and a $100 Deposit is all you need to book us
Tonya Ritchie
Owner/Photographer - JT Photography
Owner/Photographer - JT Photography
www.jtphoto-online.com
www.facebook.com/jtphotographync
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