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vendor reviews: photographers
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Reviewing Ilia Horsburgh, Owner & Photographer, Ilia Photography
Ilia Photography's portfolio should be on any local bride's must-see list this year. The work of Owner, Ilia Horsburgh, is obviously incredible. Shooting in a style developed over six years of living and breathing photography, her work has taken her across the globe, to the red carpet of the Junos, to live concerts and to charity events. But if you ask Ilia, everything always comes back to the rewarding, challenging, and even humbling job of photographing weddings. She's done over 100 of them in the past four seasons and seems to have made it her personal mission to capture the story of your wedding day in detail - every element, person and emotion.
From the beginning, it was easy for staff at The Ring to fall in love with Ilia's new company. And after speaking to her brides, it's clear that we're not the only ones. So with an incredible eye, a vintage feel to her images, and a focus on building a K-W wedding photography company that focuses on what brides want, it wasn't a surprise to find out that Ilia has only a few 2009 dates left. Let us tell you more...
Personally speaking... Ilia's (pronounced eye-lee-ah, like Ikea) interest in photography began the same time she began to travel - a high school trip to Italy was the first instance she knew she loved the art. "I was given my first point and shoot camera as a gift and when I look back at those images now I realize that my first pictures were almost all portraits. I was immediately drawn to people, faces, characters... life... the photojournalistic portrait." Shortly after that, Ilia started going for ride alongs with news photographers and worked as a photographer and reporter throughout high school.
Ilia went on to SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Calgary and received a PhotoJournalism Diploma with Honours. She stayed out west and worked for a few papers before deciding to do more traveling. During her adventures Ilia worked as a photographer on board a cruise ship. "It was a tremendous opportunity to see the world and work as a photographer."
Once on land again, Ilia pursued her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver with a thesis on photography. Throughout university, Ilia apprenticed with a Vancouver wedding photographer as her assistant before moving to second shooter for three years. "I also attended workshops in the US during this time with renowned portrait photographer, Doug Beasley."
Graduation (or shortly thereafter) is what brought Ilia to the Kitchener area, though her first year here she spent traveling back and forth between Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta to shoot weddings and musicians' (both band and solo artists) promotional and album photos.
Rock 'n' Roll 'n' red carpet glam...
Ilia was hired by CTV to be the official red carpet photographer for the Juno Awards. In the last year, between the Junos, promotional photo shoots and live concerts, Ilia has photographed such musicians as Sarah Harmer, Avril Lavigne, Michael Buble and Hawksley Workman, among many others. Other clients have included Blue Rodeo, Stuart McLean (of CBC's Vinyl Café), and several indie musicians.
Adding to her 'cool factors', Ilia has also produced two solo photography exhibits, both of which were held at the Jane Bond in Waterloo. "All of my exhibits focus on my love for street photography and the photojournalistic portrait."
In 2008, Ilia also donated photo shoots to the United Way and Food Bank of Waterloo Region for fundraising efforts. Plus, she's been published in major newspapers and magazines across Canada, like The National Post, Canadian Musician Magazine, Socan Magazine and more.
It all comes back to weddings... Even with Ilia's overflowing celebrity portfolio and commercial work, it's her wedding photos that keep her the busiest throughout the year. In fact, if you break down the math, this is Ilia's sixth year in the photography biz and her third season as a wedding photographer. To get even more technical, in 2008 Ilia shot fifteen weddings and already had twenty-two booked for 2009 when we met with her in March.
What Ilia told us keeps her inspired after so many weddings is her pure passion for cameras and photography. "The camera is my tool of expression; it's how I communicate with the world and even sometimes how I communicate with or understand things for myself." Not to mention, she is constantly overwhelmed and inspired by the creativity displayed in photography around the world. "It keeps me challenged and humbled on a daily basis. I am so very fortunate to do what I do... and what an incredible opportunity and responsibility to experience and document the happiness, joy and emotion on someone's wedding day. I have the best job."
An ideal bride, for Ilia, is someone who is first and foremost head over heels for her groom. Secondly, she's "someone who really connects with the way I see and feels that there is a connection between my work and their own imaginative and unique interests."
Vanessa was obviously one of those brides. Ilia photographed her October 2008 wedding to Alain Deguire in Edmonton, Alberta. When we asked Vanessa and Alain what they liked best about Ilia, they said they knew she'd capture their wedding day in a unique, personalized style. "There's an honesty, a rawness to the images Ilia creates."
Ilia's couples are often planning weddings that are unique in and of themselves. "Most of my couples aren't doing the traditional church wedding..." explains Ilia, meaning she's been able to photograph cultural weddings, destination weddings and outdoor ceremonies.
Technically speaking... Ilia told us that she couldn't imagine doing something that wasn't highly communicative on some level. "During post production, I often see a photo that I have taken and it becomes a canvas to me. I work with the colours, the vibrancy and the tone." She also introduces textures to achieve a sense of wear and tear on an image – like an old photograph that trademarks her vintage style.
This is why Ilia says she loves digital cameras, "You have more choice on the back end, more options. All images are always available in their original form, in black and white or in sepia." With that being said, Ilia still has a tender spot for film. "I currently have a large collection of antique cameras, including vintage Polaroids, toy cameras (Holga and LOMO plastic cameras) and brownies." She also likes to hit the flea markets and antique shops to find props for photos and ideas for sets.
Cameras aren't the only things that help Ilia capture your wedding day as she also brings an assistant to make sure every moment is captured. "I can work alone or bring on a team of photographers to cover larger weddings." Kate and Aly Sidi's Vancouver wedding in March 2007 was one of these large events. They hired Ilia Photography to shoot Kate's Mehndi party as well as the wedding. "Ilia was creative, easy going and accommodating," they told The Ring. "Ilia and her team were totally unobtrusive but captured amazing moments from our wedding, ones that we would have missed ourselves otherwise." Kate liked Ilia's unique style of photography. She wanted her wedding day captured in it's most natural form.
Kalyn Acheson, who, until her family persuaded her, wasn't going to book a photographer for her August 2008 wedding. She told us that booking Ilia was the best thing she could have done. "I found Ilia by her website and I really liked what I saw... I loved her style (non-traditional)... Also when I called her, I felt very comfortable talking to her about my thoughts and wants for the big day."
From clients to friends... Ilia says she's devoted to her clients, and that it's one of the biggest contributing factors to her success so far. "I am dedicated to my clients... I consider my brides and grooms clients for life..." And the clients must see this dedication as Ilia says that she is often told by clients that they forgot she was their photographer because they felt so comfortable with her, it was like she was a part of their wedding - an old friend. Because of this comfort level, Ilia says she is able to really be present and capture emotion.
Kalyn would agree. She admits she was comfortable with Ilia throughout the entire wedding day. "Ilia "wasn't pushy; she was sort of in the background and let the party and positions just happen... She was relaxed and friendly, outgoing, and made the whole process of picture taking a breeze."
Because Ilia works with such a diverse crowd of people (and often musicians who aren't camera shy) she says she's good at reading their emotions. Since brides and grooms often don't have as much experience in front of the camera as her more high profile clients, Ilia says she loves being able to work through that discomfort to bring out the confidence in her clients. "When they look at their photographs I want them to remember for the rest of their lives who they were on that day and what they were feeling. I want the photos to inspire memories and self reflection..." Which is what she says keeps photographs alive for decades. "What I hope to do is create a family heirloom, a piece of history, not just a record of your day but a record of relationship and connection."
Ilia says that while she provides some direction to her subjects, in the end it's all about the interaction between the bride and groom or whomever else is in the frame. "I will never over direct or try to pose you in a way that is stiff or uncomfortable. I just try to keep the energy there and keep you laughing and smiling and engaged, with one another or with the camera," she says.
"We really love the shots Ilia takes of 'people on the go'. She is amazing at capturing the moment... when no one is really looking at her!" Krysta and Josh Groenewegen van der Weiden told The Ring. Krysta and Josh told us that their experience with Ilia for their July 2008 wedding photos was wonderful. "Ilia is kind but firm, she makes the family portion of wedding photos a breeze." Krysta adds that Ilia was organized before hand... she had taken the time to familiarize herself with the location... We had so much fun when she was photographing us."
Brent and Jen Mossop were married July 5, 2008 in Vancouver and hired Ilia to photograph their wedding. Jen told us that "The candidness of the photos, Ilia's calm and professional demeanor and the quality of her shots" were what they liked best about Ilia Photography. In fact, they had such a positive experience with Ilia, that they highly recommend her to other couples looking for a wedding photographer. Plus, despite the fact that both Jen and Brent claim that they're not photogenenic, they told us that thanks to Ilia's ability to "work her magic", they have amazing wedding photographs that they'll cherish forever. And, throughout the whole day they said they didn't even notice Ilia was there, which allowed them to truly enjoy every minute.
Pricing&Packages Another reason to love Ilia (as if there weren't enough already) is her flexible package and payment options. "I can meet most budgets from small intimate weddings to big 'celeb-style' weddings," says Ilia. And with her customizable packages, she can probably meet most wedding styles, too. Ilia told us that her average bride spends between $2600 and $3600 though she says she ends up customizing a lot of her packages and wants to make sure that clients know that nothing is set in stone.
"She works within your budget and stayed longer than we'd actually paid for to capture our first dance," say Brent and Jen. Jen adds that Ilia "genuinely cares about you and goes well above and beyond to make your day spectacular."
All packages (amazingly!) include high resolution, hand-polished and custom adjusted images (from the engagement shoot and wedding day) presented on DVD and a password protected online gallery/shopping cart and Ilia's custom-designed wedding day story slideshows set to music. The slideshows are also presented on a DVD in a beautiful leather folio case (with a 4x6 photo insert). Ilia says there are usually between 600 and 1200 images. "I aim for quality over quantity but would never limit myself on what I shoot," says Ilia. "I shoot until I feel I have captured your day the very best that I can."
"Ilia was fantastic throughout our whole wedding experience," say Kate and Aly. "She tailored a package to suit our needs... was super friendly and easy going and really went the extra mile for us on our wedding day... She also did a lot of beautiful and tasteful retouching of our best shots, making them really magical."
The slideshows are the most popular service that Ilia provides, she says, as they're very intimate, capturing all of the little details and special moments of the wedding from start to finish. Not to mention, this is the first sneak peek couples get of their photos from their day, which usually results in tears – good tears, but tears nonetheless (just check out the slideshows on Ilia's site if you don't believe us).
"We would have made our budget fit Ilia's pricing!" say Krysta and Josh. They add that the package they received was perfect. "We did not bother to look anywhere else," adds Krysta. "I have been a fan of Ilia's for years. I knew before I was even engaged that Ilia would be doing my wedding pictures." And Ilia is headed back out to Victoria this summer for Krysta and Josh's Trash the Dress shoot and family photos.
Packages are based on hours of coverage and the final products you receive. The current price for Ilia's Basic Package starts at $2600 for six hours of coverage and can go up to $3800 for full day coverage with Ilia and a second photographer. She also has other packages, such as the Classic Package, which adds on Ilia's SOHO fine art albums and coffee table books with full panoramic page spreads (these can also be purchased individually).
Engagement shoots can be booked separately from wedding packages or as part of the Engagement Package. It includes all of the features of the basic package, as well as an engagement and wedding photo album.
Walking you through it... First, Ilia meets with brides and grooms for an introductory consultation at her office. She shows them samples of her work (prints, albums, slideshows), answers questions, discusses package options and budgets and gets a feel for how well you and she fit. "My aim here is to discover more about the couple, what their interests are, what they are hoping for in their photos and what they like about my work. Personality is key and I think couples should really look for a match in their photographer; after all, you spend a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day so it's important to find someone who you feel comfortable with." Ilia also thinks that you should feel confident that your photographer will capture your day authentically because you are hiring a photographer for the way that they see.
"Ilia was clear and straightforward when creating ideas for the day, which is great for busy brides!" says Vanessa. "She was flexible with options for our package, she was open to hearing our ideas and shared a couple of her own so we felt we were in good hands.
Sometimes Ilia says she books last minute weddings (we're talking one or two weeks before the wedding) and she certainly welcomes those inquiries. Once you know that you want to book Ilia, a $1000 deposit is required to reserve your date. The balance is due on or before your wedding day. "I am flexible on payment options," Ilia told us, "and payment schedules can be arranged."
After the initial consultation Ilia usually meets with the bride and groom at least once more before the wedding day (but it's not always necessary). It's really up to you whether you want to meet with Ilia again, and even if you opt out of this second meeting, she says that she is always available to help with albums, prints, questions, etc. – even years after the wedding.
On the wedding day, Ilia (along with her assistant) typically begins shooting with the getting ready moments and finishes with the reception. After the family portraits are taken, Ilia likes to give the couple some alone time as that's usually missed between the ceremony and family photos. "Usually we will head out for some creative portraits at this time and bring the wedding party in afterwards for some fun shots before the reception," says Ilia. At the reception Ilia says she shoots very candidly.
On a side note, Ilia does location scouts on a regular basis (as part of her ever-changing portfolio) so she says she always has ideas buzzing around about where to do creative shoots; but she also loves when couples have a place that is special to them as well.
After the wedding, Ilia takes care of all of the post processing, creative and artistic enhancements, often adding textures to images to give them a vintage feel. During the busy wedding months, she works with a Graphic Designer out of Vancouver to help her with some of the post work.
The slideshows of your wedding day are presented online within one to three weeks following the wedding so clients can share their wedding slideshow with their family and friends. Then, the complete DVD of all images is typically ready within four to six weeks after the wedding day. But we're sure that won't be the last you hear or see from Ilia as she considers her clients such for life – and they seem to feel the same way.
Whether you're looking for a style that's super edgy and artistic, or captures intimate, tender moments, to playful and whimsical shots, Vanessa and Alain – a couple who know first hand – say that "Ilia knows how to tell a story."
To contact Ilia Photography... Call or email Ilia Horsburgh at 519-635-6144 or iliahorsburgh@mac.com. Check out the amazing Ilia Photography portfolio and examples of tear jerking slideshows at www.iliaphotography.com.
- The Staff at TheWeddingRing.ca |
Talent
and style leads Ilia Photography from the red carpet to fabulous K-W weddings
