Justin Hankins Wedding Photography RSS Feed

2008 Accolade of Excellence Winner

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:54:28 GMT

Wow, today’s mailbag brought word that WPPI awarded me an Accolade of Excellence in the 2008 8x10 Print Competition. For those unfamiliar with WPPI, it’s an organization full of the world’s best wedding and portrait photographers, and just calling myself a member feels terribly fraudulent sometimes. Receiving this honor from other photographers I hold in extremely high regard is very humbling and special. Click through for the press release.

Press Release

Justin Hankins Wins Accolade of Excellence in the 2008 WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition

Justin Hankins of Virginia Beach, VA, has received special honors in the WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL (WPPI) 2008 WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition. Designed to recognize outstanding photographers, the judging was held in Santa Monica, CA on June, 2008.

“Stand for Change” received an Accolade of Excellence in the Non-Wedding Photojournalism category. Hankins competed against an international field of photographers to win such honors.

The WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition awards are presented each year at the largest trade show, educational platform and convention in the United States for professional photographers. The 2008 competition included 932 prints in 18 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world.

For more information please visit www.wppionline.com/competition/

Barack Obama - Stand for Change Rally

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:34:57 GMT

Random non-wedding post: I spent last Sunday night at the front of 18,000 people documenting Barack Obama’s Stand for Change Rally in Virginia Beach. “Wait a minute, Justin. I thought politics and religion are the two things you’re never supposed to talk about with clients!” Well, I ain’t here to talk politics, so put them fists away, champ! I’m here to talk photography. Step inside, won’t you?

A lot of wedding photographers actually started out in the world of traditional photojournalism. After all, what better way to learn how to document split-second moments during weddings than by throwing yourself into harm’s way and dodging bullets – literal and editorial! One of my favourite wedding photographers hailing from the world of photojournalism is Greg Gibson. Take a moment to marvel at his fabulous work. (It’s okay… I’ll wait right here…)

Taking a somewhat different path, I got my start in the fine art world of nature photography. And as long as I’m confessing, I might as well go the full dorky nine: I was drawn primarily to the science and mechanics of nature photography. I mean, we’re talking total geek here. I used to write computer algorithms to calculate the position of the sun and other natural phenomena with unbelievable precision. I even studied meteorology for a number of semesters just to learn how to pre-visualize and predict my images. Seriously… Dork.

But although I was extremely proud of my nature work, I began to feel underwhelmed and disconnected with the emotion in my photographs. And with all the art shows in which I was exhibiting, I got sick of feeling like I was cranking out “product.” The more I meditated on the issue, the more I realized the cold feeling I’d developed for my photographs was due to my hardly ever including people within my images. My nature images were creating strong connections with my audience, but they were nothing compared to the connections my photographs of people would create. Coincidentally, it was right then when I read something (by David Hurn, I think) about how the strongest connection comes from the viewer’s ability to place him/herself inside the photograph. Ever since that day, I’ve been photographing people.

Dude. What the heck does this have to do with Barack Obama!?

Well, the thing with nature photography is that you always have a subject. The same can’t be said about portrait work. So in order to get my experience photographing people, I started signing up for every local event I could find in order to take photographs of people. I’ve photographed more marathons and parades and press events than I can remember. And I absolutely fell in love with it. Even today, I get such a huge kick out of photographing all the local events that have been a part of my development over the years – they’ve essentially become traditions for me. One of my favourites has been political rallies.

Perhaps it’s the excitement of knowing that any one of these candidates could become President of the United States… and being able to tell my kids someday that I shook the hand of the President. I don’t know, but I get butterflies every time I hear them speak. I remember photographing a John Edwards rally at Norfolk State many years ago: I got an incredible charge from standing with all the “real” press, and then coming home with a final image that trumped the paid shooters. Ever since, “citizen photojournalism,” has become a pretty big hobby of mine, and I love the freedom of photographing these events without an editor or deadline looming over me.

So when I heard Barack Obama would be in Virginia Beach, I knew I’d be there. But I also knew everybody else in Virginia Beach would be there, so I went into it with the understanding that I probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to create anything significant. And as I walked up to the ~~Convention Center~~ Pavillion, I was gobsmacked to see the line wrapping entirely around the building (and trailing down the street). “There’s no way I’m getting in, let alone up front,” I conceded. So I decided to abandon the rally, itself, and try to tell the story of the line. I walked to the front of the queue to photograph the people who had been standing there for 8 hours, and in a surprising moment of serendipity, the doors whisked opened and I got pushed inside by the mad rush. There I was: standing front row – with 18,000 people behind me. (Yes, I felt guilty for cutting 18,000 people.)

I could see where the press stands were positioned, and I knew I wanted to be anywhere they weren’t. I also knew that by standing front row, my photos would likely be unflattering, and I’d be out of position to capture the story behind Obama. So I took a risk and let about four rows of people stand in front of me. It was absolute torment, standing there for 3 hours, as every 7-foot-tall person in the building took turns standing in front of me and making me feel like I was going to have an obstructed view. But as soon as Obama came out, the pathway was clear, and I was ready to work.

Because the place was so packed, I knew it would be a difficult assignment. But I pre-visualized two images in my head that I wanted to create: a wide image with the “Change” banner, and a tight crop of Obama’s face and shoulders. I only wanted those two images – if I walked away from the night with just those two, I would have been ecstatic. Since bags were not permitted, I had my 70-200mm on the camera, and my tiny 50mm in my pocket. When he got on stage, I used the 50mm to make the wide image and took a handful of photographs. I felt confident I’d created the image, so I switched to the 70-200 and spent the rest of the speech zoomed tight, trying to dodge his blinking.

The lighting was challenging because the extremely bright stage lights were positioned almost directly overhead, creating dark shadows under Obama’s eyebrows. And because of the strength and position of the light, he was furrowing his brow the entire evening. Additionally, his shirt and skin were acting as strong reflectors. I was already overexposing the images by about two stops because I wanted to preserve as much detail as possible in the shadows of the background and his eyes. It was a bit risky because I could have (and several times did) clip the highlights altogether. But I found a sweet spot on stage where even my overexposure and the stage lights worked perfectly together. It’s precisely where I made my favourite image of the evening.

I’m extremely pleased with these images, but I’m stunned by the interest and reception they’ve received. Especially on Flickr. The most rewarding sentiments I keep hearing are from people who don’t support Obama’s candidacy: “I’m not a fan of his views, but these images transcend politics.” That’s not easy to say in this moment of politically-charged debate, so it blows me away every time someone emails me something to that degree.

So please excuse the non-wedding post. I tend to get a lot of email from folks asking how to “break into” photography, so I thought I’d share a little background on the path that worked for me. And I don’t get to talk geeky camera-speak as much as I’d like, so I threw a little bit of that in there as well. I’m still loading in the backlog of work from last year, so stay tuned.

(See? I told you I wasn’t gonna talk politics!) ;p

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Norfolk Engagement Photos

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:53:42 GMT

Still playing catchup… here’s one of my favourite engagement sessions from last fall. What better way to spend an unseasonably warm holiday afternoon than walking around the Freemason area of Norfolk, photographing a beautiful couple? As soon as we began, Nina and Charlie were totally laid-back and comfortable with the camera, and some of my most favourite images came from the first few clicks of the shutter.

One of the greatest challenges in making incredible engagement photographs is breaking the groom out of “macho mode,” and getting him to stop looking down my lens like he’s going to kick my ass. So it’s always a weight off my shoulders when I work with guys like Charlie who have great senses of humor and don’t mind goofin’ around for a couple hours. Like always, the engagement session is such a great opportunity to learn how to make the bride and groom feel comfortable before game time to ensure I know how to connect with them when their minds are racing about three thousand other things on their wedding day.

Nina and Charlie stepped in front of my camera like professional models ready to work, and they were eager to do whatever it took to make art out of their engagement photographs. At one point, I walked around a corner to check the sunlight, only to turn around and watch Nina and Charlie tiptoe through the dirt of a flowerbed to create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind photograph. And with 45 minutes still remaining until the sun began to set, after a full afternoon of modeling for the camera, they had no interest in packing up and going home. They hung around like troopers, and were rewarded with some amazing, warm, sunset light, which translated into even more beautiful photographs.

It was a beautiful, warm, holiday afternoon in Norfolk, and I’m so pleased with the images we were able to create.

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U21 International Leadership Summit

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:56:17 GMT

For the second time in three years, I had the privilege of spending the summer photographing a hundred of the world’s finest scholars at the Universitas 21 summer conference. This year’s topic, “Leadership in a Global Society,” brought students from eleven countries to the University of Virginia for a unique opportunity to interact with some of America’s most insightful leaders. Along the way, students were treated to more Americana than they could have ever anticipated, ranging from their first baseball games to an Independence Day naturalization ceremony at the home of Thomas Jefferson.

Although this summer’s session didn’t come with a complimentary plane ticket to Sweden and Norway (like our illustrious trip to Lund back in 2005 did), I was excited to spend an extended amount of time living on the grounds of UVA. If I weren’t so emotionally connected to the ocean, I would have moved to Charlottesville years ago. Additionally, I was excited to play local host to so many students from all over the world, many of whom were visiting the United States for the very first time.

And if the students came to the US without knowing much about American culture, we certainly went out of our way to hit them over the head with the red, white, and blue. Within the first couple days, we took them to the annual naturalization ceremony at Monticello with guest speaker Sam Watterson, and treated them to a down-home southern BBQ on grounds at UVA. We gave them an opportunity to interface with American governors, entrepreneurs, and even astronauts. And we set them loose on Washington D.C. for a weekend. One of my favourite experiences, however, was introducing many to their first baseball game, which ran late due to rain and extra innings. The game ended sometime around 2AM, at which time the management decided to go forward with the night’s fireworks display. It was one of the loudest shows I’ve seen, and drew the ire of neighbors in the next morning’s newspaper.

The session was overwhelmingly important to the lives and careers of these students, and it was an honor to document such a special time for them. We ended the session over dinner inside the rotunda, a rare opportunity I hope to experience again someday. Thanks to my fellow U21 staff, and all the students who made it possible.

Here’s the final U21 slideshow featuring my photographs:

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Fall Wedding Photos from Detroit, Michigan

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:44:10 GMT

Here are a few quick images from Jen and Scott’s wedding up in Detroit a few months ago. The ceremony and reception were held in Plymouth at Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center, and we spent the following day on a private sheet of ice at Compuware Arena. My favourite aspect of working with out-of-town couples (especially for destination weddings) is the amount of time I get to spend with the families. That was certainly the case with Jen and Scott’s weekend, and I had a blast getting to know everybody.

I’m originally from Kalamazoo, and I spent time up there for college as well (Go Broncos), but this was my first return to the Mitten since I photographed Erin and John’s wedding in Grand Rapids 3 years ago. Touching down in Detroit just felt like home again. I took a couple extra days just to enjoy being up there, which found me elbowing my way through the holiday shoppers in Grosse Pointe and honing up on my poker and blackjack at the new MGM Grand downtown. (Vegas trip coming up – gotta practice.)

But other than the wedding, my favourite part was simply getting back on the ice at Compuware with Jen and Scott’s family. It’s been several years since I laced up the skates, and I haven’t played competitive hockey since college. The trip to Compuware reminded me of how much I miss it, and I vowed to get back into playing hockey once I returned. I seem to have fallen back into the bustle of everyday life, so perhaps I can include hockey in the ol’ 2008 resolutions (along with the pilot’s license and the traveling and the yadda yadda yadda.)

Anyway. Thanks to Jen and Scott for letting me become part of their family for the weekend! And Kudos to Jen’s Uncle Keith for capturing a photograph of me without a camera in my hands. (rare!)

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Al's 90th Birthday at Croatan

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:09:37 GMT

I’m incredibly behind on updating my website, so in the interest of New Years resolutions, I’m gonna try and get ‘er up to speed. First up is the 90th birthday party and family reunion I photographed last summer. Having met the family during an engagement party I photographed earlier in the year, I was excited to document such a special event in their own lives. It was humbling to meet ”Birthday Al,” one of the original frogmen who reached the beaches of Normandy on D-Day back in 1944. Throughout the night, I was constantly reminded of his important contributions and sacrifices by the countless stories the guests shared with me.

In addition to honoring Al’s birthday, the evening served as a huge family reunion. Situated on the family’s large open parcel of land at the northernmost tip of Croatan, the evening was calm and peaceful (despite the threatening, late-summer sky). The laughter and conversation mixed with the sound of waves crashing on the beach, and the sound of fishing vessels returning through Rudee Inlet helped reinforce how much I love living down at the beach.

It was a treat working with Gary from Vision Quest Productions once again. And running into Sam and Terri Hughes was an excellent way to close down the night.

Happy [belated] birthday, Al; I wish I could spend every night down at Croatan hanging out with your family and friends.

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Charlottesville Wedding Photographs

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:32:39 GMT

Another quick post: here a few of Amy & Yongwon’s Charlottesville wedding photographs from a week or so ago.

Our spring engagement session around the Lawn of UVA was so enjoyable that I couldn’t wait for the wedding. (Seriously – Amy’s wedding invitation, a true piece of art, has been propped up on my desk for months.) Naturally, the day was beautiful, beginning with the ceremony at an adorable church nestled in (and overlooking) the mountains near Wintergreen, and ending with the reception at Alumni Hall on the Grounds of the University of Virginia.

One of the highlights of the reception was the musical tribute performed by Amy & Yongwon’s friends, which had the entire Hall rocking in their chairs with laughter. The reception ultimately concluded with a special traditional ceremony, during which family members offered their blessings to the new couple. Yongwon then punctuated the blessing in style by carrying Amy out the door on his back!

The entire day was full of simple elegance, peppered by the lighthearted humor of everyone involved. Surrounded by so many warm friends and family, I was constantly reminded of how blessed I was to be there.

Congratulations Amy and Yongwon. It was an honor to be a part of your special day.

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Virginia Beach Wedding Photographs

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:31:06 GMT

I’ve been so busy these past two months that I haven’t had a moment to update the site. So real quick, let me post a few of Tiffani & Jim’s Virginia Beach wedding photographs from the coveted 07/07/07!

From the first email Tiffani sent me, I knew we’d create some fantastic photographs together. In fact every email we exchanged (I just counted at least 210 in my email archive) reinforced how happy I was to be working with a couple who was so positive and who shared such a similar sense of humor. Perhaps it was the fact that we all three hail from Michigan. Whatever the case, I felt immediately like we were old friends.

Tiffani and Jim were so gracious, open and friendly to me, and I knew how important my role was to them, so I essentially immersed myself within their wedding weekend in an attempt to capture it all. Starting off the weekend was the rehearsal and dinner out on the farm, where the children made several friends of the animal variety (and where the turkeys enjoyed confronting and huffing at my telephoto lenses). With Jim the Executive Chef, you know you won’t go hungry, and he certainly didn’t disappoint that evening.

I spent the morning of the wedding flooring a golf cart around Broad Bay Golf Course like a crazy paparazzo trying to capture Jim and the groomsmen enjoying their morning round of golf. It was ridiculously hot outside and we all looked like we had jumped in the water hazards by the time we were finished. After a quick lunch and shower, it was suddenly time to get ready for the ceremony!

Every inch of Hampton Roads, save for Broad Bay, was getting deluged with torrential rain and thunderstorms. I figured it was just a matter of time before the heavens opened up on us, but surprisingly, it stayed pleasant the entire rest of the evening. I couldn’t have asked for more favorable lighting during the ceremony, and despite the insane heat, everything went off without a hitch.

After the ceremony, I was treated to one of the most entertaining receptions I’ve had the chance to enjoy as photographer or as a guest. I always tell my potential clients that I’m quiet and that I try to work from a slight distance – simply to help convey my proclivity for being courteous and discreet. But as soon as everybody started getting nuts on the dance floor, my fast-paced sports photography instincts kicked in, and I jumped into the middle of the craziness. I must’ve stayed in the same spot for the remaining 5 hours. By the time we were closing the club down, I was pleading with the bridesmaids to come with me to every wedding I photograph.

I had a great time photographing the wedding, but (I’ve said it before, and I’ll say again!) the most satisfying aspect was getting to know Tiffani and Jim and learning all the little morsels of information that (I hope!) translated into special, one-of-a-kind photographs.

Congratulations Tiffani and Jim – all my best.

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Corolla Wedding Photographs - Holga

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:22:13 GMT

Nearly all of my photography is digital these days, but I love my Holga and Diana cameras so much that I bring them along for fun personal shots. As my camera bag shrinks in my constant pursuit to minimize my equipment overhead, it’s getting more difficult to find room for these little treasures. But scanning in the negs and seeing them online reminds me I need to squeeze them in even more. (I can’t believe I didn’t take them with to see the Queen! Grrr.)

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Charlottesville Engagement Portraits

Sat, 19 May 2007 15:23:12 GMT

If I were forced to pick one location to take portraits for the rest of my life, the University of Virginia grounds would likely be my selection. I could spend every day photographing every little special nook without ever losing inspiration or enthusiasm. So it goes without saying I had a fantastic time creating engagement portraits up in Charlottesville with my new friends, Amy and Yongwon.

The entire “point” of engagement sessions, and why I make them “mandatory” for every couple within close proximity to me, is to help foster the relationship between the three of us. There’s always a few moments of awkwardness when you put two people together with a stranger who is sticking a camera in their faces, and I think it’s absolutely vital to power through those little ice-breaker moments months before the wedding day. Getting comfortable that far in advance takes a weight off all of our shoulders.

Amy and Yongwon were so great at jumping in with both feet, and if they ever felt awkward, I’d never have known it. From the moment we began atop the Rotunda, they were full of smiles and affection. They knew how to position themselves so well that it felt like they could read my mind. And instead of shying away from people whenever we’d stumble across a group studying on the lawn or studying in the gardens, Amy and Yongwon were brave and confident and, dare I say, in the zone. It was like working with professional models.

We split our session in half because I had to attend my Alpha Lambda Sigma Honor Society induction on the lawn – we spent our second half on the Downtown Mall the following day. On one end of the Mall, the Thomas Jefferson Center erected a First Amendment Monument, which is essentially a community chalkboard on which anybody can write anything (freedom of speech, get it?). As I waited for Amy and Yongwon to arrive, I spent some time drawing their names in big letters on the chalkboard. Once they arrived, I asked them to color in the letters, producing some pretty cool photographs. Day 2 was much hotter than the previous day, so we were all dragging a bit, but we finished up with some great action shots on the Mall, where the two manifested their complete confidence once again. (A couple people came over to ask me if they were celebrities, so of course I had to explain that they were!)

After having so much fun with Amy and Yongwon, I had to skedaddle out of Cville to get to an engagement session up in DC. I took the back roads through the country to avoid traffic, and as the sun finished its work for the day, the lighting was simply beautiful. I had to pull over to make a couple photographs so I could remember it. What a marvelous couple of days. Thanks Amy and Yongwon!