Good News Everyone!

Apparently, I've been awarded the Wedding Wire Couples Choice Award for 2017!

According to their site:

“WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® recipients represent the top five percent of wedding professionals on WeddingWire who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism.”

So that's a cool thing! Ironically, I only learned about this because they called to ask me to pay for better placement on their site (which I refuse to do), and I had always assumed that these awards were another thing you could buy. But apparently not! You just need to have awesome customers who leave positive reviews.

So thank you to everyone who has left a review for me there, I really do appreciate it and it really does help Zack Wussow Media grow!

Now, back to hammering out last minute details for my wedding. Next week I'll be Mr. Heather Wussow!

She Said Yes

For once I'm not posting about one of my clients. Yesterday I asked my girlfriend Heather to marry me, and she said yes.

Which of course means now we get all the joys (and stresses) of planning our "big day", with the added complication that I'm actually pretty opinionated about what I think works and what doesn't. (The dangers of working in the wedding industry...)

And of course, the ultimate question... Who do I get to photograph my wedding!?

200

On my birthday this January, I decided to do a photo-a-day project. It's not my first (I actually completed one in 2011) but it seemed like a good way to make some work through the winter doldrums and to experiment with some new things. On August 2nd, I hit 200 days!

Our cat doesn't look sinister at all... I don't know what you mean...

Some, like the above, have been taken while experimenting with my primary work camera, but not many - the 5D is big, heavy, and most importantly, expensive. So I like to leave it where it's safe most of the time.

Instead, I took the approach that the best camera is the one that is always with you, and bought a Canon S110. I've previously owned two S90s (and broke both of them), and love this one as much as I loved those. They're small, light, and extremely capable. Best of all, with a little reshuffling and a wallet downsizing, the S110 fits in my pants pocket. I literally carry it everywhere.

I'm so glad I do, because there are so many photo opportunities that I would miss out on if I had to rely on my cell phone. (It tries, admirably, but it can only do so much...) 

It's been so much fun. I love breaking it out to catch sudden moments (so many sunsets, as well), and it's cheap enough that I am willing to take it places it might get damaged.

Like in a kayak.

It's also been a great motivator to experiment with new things, try out new angles or new techniques that have subsequently made it into my professional work. The project (and the surprisingly good macro system on the S110) prompted me to add a macro tube for my professional gear, which in turn provided a few days worth on photos as I systematically photographed every tiny thing in our apartment. Now I'll be adding shots like the one below to all my future weddings.

But the best part, by far, has been all the photos I love, photos of loved ones or special occasions, that I probably wouldn't have bothered to take if not for the looming daily deadline motivating me to get my camera out and just try it. See what... happens.

You can see all 200 (and counting) in my Flickr gallery. At this point, I doubt it will be a year-long project. Rather, I'm planning just to make it a part of daily life indefinitely.

I recommend it, even if you just use your cell phone. Even if you aren't the best photographer. It's like a quick, daily journal entry that will make you look more carefully at your world.

Four Years (and a New Website)

On June 14th, 2011, I walked into the Town Clerk's office and filed my Certificate of Adoption of Trade Name. With that, Zack Wussow Media became a reality. Since then, I've photographed fifty-nine weddings: Big, elaborate affairs and private elopements, first marriages and vow renewals, young couples and old, gay and straight. 

Honestly, I didn't expect Zack Wussow Media to be a day job. I formalized my business because I had the chance to photograph a couple weddings and needed to be able to report the income to the IRS.

I quickly changed my mind, though.

I've always loved photographing people. My last two years of college were filled with studio portrait projects and figure drawing classes. I carried my camera with me as much as possible to photograph my friends and family.

This is what sold me on weddings. They're full of people, dressed to the nines, excited and happy, and best of all they go into it expecting to be photographed. For anyone who enjoys candid photography, weddings are as perfect a venue as possible.

But, of course, merely liking something does not make it a successful business. It takes hard work, skill, a bit of luck, and, maybe more-so in weddings than most other professions, great customers. The last one, especially makes me happy; I love it every time someone comes to me on a referral from a previous customer.

In those four years, a lot else has happened: I ran a Tough Mudder, moved in with my girlfriend, filmed a few music videos. All along, Zack Wussow Media has grown and changed.

I felt like it deserved a (belated) birthday present.

So enjoy the new site. And the photos. And the blog. 

Lets see where the next four years takes us!