TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
4 A P P R O A C H TO WE D D I N G S
6 ACCOLADES
10 I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T PA C K A G E S
20 B O U D O I R P H OTO G R A P H Y
22 A B O U T J U L I E C O M F O RT
26 FA Q
A P P R O A C H TO WE D D I N G S
At weddings I rely on intimacy, trust, and intuition to document the day as you really experienced it, all the little details and moments and emotions. I have a genuine affection for my clients and always manage to find that perfect balance between participant and observer. I take a personal and intimate photojournalistic approach to shooting so the images feel authentic, sensual, and organic, and I pay special attention to the light and movement to create images that are evocative and mysterious. I try to interfere and intrude on moments as little as possible, preferring to shoot things as they happen rather than pose, orchestrate, or reenact. Even during portraits I direct very little, instead just shooting while you engage with each other honestly. I approach each event with fresh eyes to capture honestly the imperfect moments, messy relationships, raw emotion, and festive atmosphere.
4
ACCOLADES
“
Woooooow, Julie! Those pics are amazing! I just started crying like a baby as soon as the slideshow started :) Thank you so very much for sharing in our special day........(sigh).... the day happens so fast and there is so much that goes on that you either forget about or just are completely oblivious to. I am so fortunate we were able to have you there to capture our precious moments. —MELISSA & NOAH
8
“
Julie, you were instantly a part of what made our wedding so special. You captured me at what felt like my most vulnerable and then my most happiest and I instantly felt at ease with you. You have such an open heart and gentle nature and now I understand how you are able to capture the images of people and places that you do. At times we never even knew you were there snapping away and at other times you were like a dear friend who naturally felt a part of our lives. Through your photos and words I had a small glimpse into your personality, talent and creative style and loved it all. Prior to the wedding in rainy Vancouver, I would go to your blog just to get excited about the potential of what lay ahead. Your ideas, words and images inspired us and we are so grateful to you for everything. THANK YOU with all our hearts! —TANYA & T YLER
9
I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T PA C K A G E S
The wedding packages on the following pages are just starting suggestions and are fully customizable to meet your unique needs. All wedding photography packages include documentary coverage by Julie Comfort; an online gallery of all the images to share with family and friends; a selection of the best images of the day, carefully curated and edited by Julie, as full resolution digital files; a custom designed 25x33 hardcover book with 100 pages; and travel within Europe. You also receive a 30% discount on all print orders for the first week your online gallery is active. All VAT, shipping, and fees are included. Wedding packages are available worldwide, please inquire for a custom quote. Prices are subject to change without notice and your wedding date and current pricing are only guaranteed with receipt of a signed contract and deposit.
11
T H E C O M P L ET E PA C K A G E
10 Hours of Coverage by Julie Comfort 10 Hours of Coverage by a Second Shooter All Print-Resolution Digital Files Custom Designed 25x33 book with 100 Pages Online Gallery to View, Share, and Order Photos Travel Within Europe 3 87 9 â‚Ź
12
13
T H E E X T E N D E D PA C K A G E
8 Hours of Coverage by Julie Comfort 8 Hours of Coverage by a Second Shooter 200 “Best-of ” Print-Resolution Digital Files Custom Designed 25x133 book with 100 Pages Online Gallery to View, Share, and Order Photos Travel Within Europe 316 9 €
T H E BA S I C PA C K A G E
6 Hours of Coverage by Julie Comfort 100 “Best Of ” Print-Resolution Digital Files Custom Designed 25x33 book with100 Pages Online Gallery to View, Share, and Order Photos Travel Within Europe 2289€
A L A C A RT E P R I C I N G
UPGRADE TO COMPLETE SET OF PRINT-RESOLUTION FILES 495€
EXTRA HOUR OF COVERAGE 295€
ENGAGEMENT OR DAY AFTER SHOOT ON LOCATION 495€
EXTRA BOOK 395€
TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF EUROPE
We specialize in destination weddings and are available worldwide cu st o m q u o t e
When you book your wedding with Comfort Studio you are automatically enrolled in our Lifetime Loyalty Program and you will receive 25% off all future photography services and products (based on the current pricing at the time of booking ). We also have a generous Referral Program. We know you will be so happy with your photography experience that you will want to tell your friends and family about us anways, but as a special thank you for your support we offer several rewards for each booking you send our way. Please feel free to ask for more information about this.
19
B O U D O I R P H OTO G R A P H Y
I’ve been told my photography has a mysterious and seductive quality to it, so boudoir photography was a natural direction to take my work in. I love being a woman and exploring the beauty and sexiness in vulnerability, connection, and fantasy. I utilize dramatic light, sensual posing, and a genuine connection with my subjects to ensure the experience of being photographed is comfortable, fun, and that you feel your best to create gorgeous, provocative, and authentically intimate portraits. I feel women are at their most lovely and sensual when they are their natural selves, so I don’t believe in a lot of makeup or embellishments, but rather aim for a relaxed atmosphere and look. Shoots include a beautiful fine art book of your favorite images to keep or gift. Our boudoir packages include three hours of photography in a gorgeous apartment or hotel room, a hair and make-up artist to make you look your best, an online gallery to view and order prints, a carefully curated and edited selection of the 50 best images as print-resolution digital files, and a custom designed 15x23 hardcover book with 100 pages. All taxes, shipping, and travel fees within Europe are included.
3 Hour Photo Session by Julie Comfort Beautiful Hotel or Apartment Location Hair and Make-up Services 50 “Best Of ” Print-Resolution Digital Files Custom Designed 15x23 book with 100 Pages Online Gallery to View, Share, and Order Photos Travel Within Europe 12 9 5 € a la car te OR
795€
adde d to y o ur we dd ing p acka g e
22
A N I N T E RV I EW WI T H
Julie has been taking pictures since 1998 and has shot over 200 weddings all over the world, from intimate elopements to huge fetes with hundreds of guests. Being a destination wedding photographer allows her to combine her loves of photography and travel. She has documented ceremonies representing countless cultures and shot in an incredible variety of destinations from tropical beaches in Costa Rica in the rain, to remote mountain retreats accessible only by boat, to ancient ruins in Guatemala, to glamorous urban hotels. Her experience and expertise means you never have to worry that your moments are being expertly documented, so you can fully relax and enjoy your wedding day. Julie is committed to sustainability practices and is also very involved with several organizations, donating her photography services to NGOs and her time as a mentor to Big Brothers & Sisters and the Paterson Photography Project in America. On the next page is a conversation between her and her best friend, artist Catherine Hart.
23
whimsy and craftsmanship inherent to it, and from photos it looks like a beautiful place. I imagine Japan would be an incredible place for photography. Since you mentioned that career wise you would love to take some of the best pictures of your life, what do you think makes a great photo?
So I want to start out by asking, if we were having a chat like this one year from now and you were telling me about what a great year it ended up being for you, what would you have accomplished/experienced/etc for that to be the case? Great question, and something I have been really struggling to answer for myself lately, of what I want my life to look like right now. My immediate goal, of course, is to travel and just open myself up to some incredible adventure or experience I can’t yet imagine. I feel like I really just want to allow myself to be completely surprised by what’s to come and move forward without expectation. But that said, career-wise, a year from now I would love to be able to say that I really stretched myself creatively and took some of the best photos of my life. I would like to continue to attract incredible clients whose values of love and connection and togetherness align with my business model of documenting authentic moments. And I would like to work more in other mediums as well and find time to work on more collaborative projects. That would be an amazing year.
It’s very easy to go to a new place and take a certain kind of photo that is inherently interesting just because it is of something beautiful. In a sense, it’s easy to be lazy about photography when you travel because everything is different from what I see every day, but I really want to make photos that feel like me, that have a sense of mystery and seduction, and play with light. I think a great photo finds a balance between the familiar and the strange, and creates more questions than it answers.
I love the idea of the balance between the familiar and the strange and I agree that makes a successful photograph. As a painter I realize I can have complete control of the image I create, but hearing your answer I am realizing that a photographer has to accomplish that image through some collaboration with the world. Do you feel like you are collaborating with your subjects or do you feel like it is more of a solo job?
Great answer and sounds like it would be an amazing year. I certainly think you can accomplish all of those things. So since travel is on your list, I’ll ask you if you could get on a plane tomorrow and go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I definitely see it as a collaboration because my work largely involves people, but ultimately my photos are only as good as the subject is comfortable engaging with me. I feel like there needs to be a connection between me and my subjects, and there isn’t always, and then there is this camera between us that adds
Well, if I could only pick one destination, I am dying to go to Japan. I am so fascinated by the culture there, there is such a sense of
24
another level of distance. I am always trying to find ways to connect with my subjects. I find laughter works great, but of course— shockingly—not everyone thinks I’m funny. My best photos happen when my subjects feel really comfortable with me, and in the case of couples, with each other. Genuine connection is really obvious in successful photos, and unfortunately discomfort is really obvious, too. I am really drawn to street photography, but I’ve never been able to do it, because for me personal engagement is integral to my process.
a limiting setting or light situation or a collaborating artist—forces you to narrow your perspective, which usually yields something more profound and evocative than if you had no limitations at all.
What have you learned most about yourself in the last year? The last year was filled with some really hard lessons. I learned that I have an amazing capacity to love someone beyond what is maybe healthy for me, and that I struggle with putting my own needs first, as do many women. I also learned that I need to feel a sense of freedom to really thrive in my life, and for my creativity to unfold. Turns out I am very creatively stifled by routine, and so I need to honor my need to always be pursuing new experiences and connections.
“ I T H I N K A GR E AT PH OTO GR A PH F I N D S A B A L A N C E B ET WE E N T H E FA M I L I A R A N D T H E ST R A N GE , A N D C R E AT E S M O R E Q U E ST I O N S T H A N I T A N S WE R S .”
These are great things to learn, especially as a catalyst for your upcoming year. Do you have a final note on what you hope your audience will connect with in your work?
How is collaborating with your subjects different than collaborating with other artists? Sounds like you hope to have some collaborations in your upcoming amazing year.
I am really interested in how you can never truly know someone, and I hope my work conveys a sense of mystery about the subject; a curiosity about who they are, what they’re thinking, what that moment was like, but without fully being let in. I want there to be something seductive and inviting in my photos that I hope people connect with.
In both cases, collaborating with artists and photographic subjects, there is a definite requirement to letting go of control. I find that my best work has come from imposed limitations. Limitless possibilities are often overwhelming, so I think having to work with what you got—either from your subject or
25
FA Q
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SHOOTING WEDDINGS?
I have been shooting weddings exclusively since 2008 and have shot over 200 weddings in every setting across five continents, but I have been shooting personal work for over 20 years.
HOW MANY PHOTOS DO YOU TAKE AT WEDDINGS?
A lot, but it totally depends on the day. For a typical 8 hour wedding I deliver between 500-700 images.
DO YOU TAKE POSED FAMILY FORMALS?
Yes, I always try to set aside time to do these immediately after the ceremony when everyone is in one place and I have a system for getting through them as quickly and painlessly as possible so everyone can get onto the partying.
HOW LONG UNTIL RECEIVE MY WEDDING PHOTOS?
Your online gallery will be posted within 3 weeks of the wedding as all editing is done in house and is an integral part of my work. You can view all your photos in the gallery, share them, and order prints. You can also download low res files from your gallery to share online (I just ask that if you post any of your wedding images on social media that you credit me with a link back to my site).
FA Q
You will receive your custom book within 8-10 weeks and your high resolution files will be delivered along with the book on a USB drive.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET SICK THE DAY OF MY WEDDING?
I have never—knock on wood—had to miss a wedding and have even shot weddings with bronchitis, a head cold, and two weeks after back surgery so it would take something pretty significant to keep me from being there. That said, there are always unforeseen circumstances and if I know with enough notice that I will not be able to make it, you will have the option of getting a full refund and finding another photographer on your own, otherwise I have a huge network of talented photographers to call upon in an emergency and would do everything in my power to ensure someone of equivalent experience is there.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU SHOOT WITH?
Since remaining flexible and unobtrusive is integral to my approach, and I travel for almost all of my weddings, I have a fairly minimal equipment set up. I shoot primarily with a Nikon D750 and a few prime lenses, but I also bring a handful of other small cameras including a Fuji x100t, as well as 35mm and medium format film cameras. I always have back-up equipment, memory cards, and batteries.
B O O K N OW
W W W.C O M F O RT S T U D I O.C O M J U L E S C O M F O RT @ G M A I L .C O M @ J U L I E C O M F O RT