Interview With A Pro - Kirk Elliot St. Lucia Photog

Kirk Elliott is one of St. Lucia's finest photographers! He covers destination weddings and is happy to capture vacations too...

Laura: How many years have you been in the business?

Kirk: Since 1991, and I knew that I was onto something after shooting my first wedding when the bride confided in me after seeing her pictures,that she had been truly fearful of what to expect, having come all the way from England and never seeing my work before. In fact the couple, Jill and Jarrold were so pleased with my ability to capture the warmth and tenderness between them that they autographed one of their pictures especially for me. And I've never looked back since!
Laura: What did you do before becoming a wedding photographer?

Kirk: This one is funny. Before becoming a wedding photographer I studied at The University of the West Indies in Jamaica where I graduated with a double science major in Geology & Chemistry! Back then the Government of St. Lucia wanted to tap the steam in St. Lucia's world famous drive-in volcano,The Sulphur Springs, to produce electricity. I trained to work on that project, came back home to discover that the project had been abandoned as too expensive, and worse, that there was no job for me. Having been passionate about photography ever since I was 12 when an uncle gave me a camera, I decided to have some fun, volunteered to shoot Jill & Jarrold's wedding, had an absolute blast, and never bothered to look back!

Laura: That's a great story! So I assume you are a native of St. Lucia?

Kirk: I was born in St.Lucia, but consider myself a native of the Caribbean because my Mom is from Antigua, my Dad is from Barbados, I studied in Jamaica, my wife is from Trinidad, and I've been to so many of the other islands in between!

Laura: Ahhh... a son of the Caribbean melting pot! Love it! What is the most popular wedding photo shoot location on the island?

Kirk: I'm not sure that there is an answer for this one as every place on the island is beautiful, especially if the ocean is in the background, since lush green foliage is everywhere to be seen. Sandals probably has the most weddings, however for me any location where I can see the sun setting off the ocean is absolutely perfect. I also find that the location takes secondary place to the energy between the photographer and the bride and groom. As a consequence I regularly create stunning wedding photography regardless of the weather and have been known to make couples wonder how I can get such beautiful pictures on really rainy days, especially when so many other photographers return with only ruined photos!

Laura: What is your favorite place to shoot on the island?

Kirk: Shucks...looks like I answered that above! I have no favourite place and the more difficult a location I often find it's the more creative photos I produce. However if I were pressed to pick just one location I'd probably say Pigeon Island. It is a beautiful location with lots of photographic challenges, which always brings out the best in me.

Laura: This is my favorite question to ask photographers... what is the most unusual situation or experience you have found yourself in on a shoot?

Kirk: Ah, another easy one. Shortly after the US entered Iraq I shot a wedding for a young military couple. The groom told me that both he and his bride were going to be shipped off on duty shortly after returning home and so he wanted some special pictures with her to keep him warm at night. Jason, the groom, then asked if I'd return to the room after the wedding to shoot some nude "wedding photos" of himself and Jessica. So my wife and I met the couple in their room and proceeded into a most interesting boudoir session. I came away from that photo shoot very pleased with myself that a couple were so inspired by my professionalism and approach to photography that they felt comfortable inviting me into such a private realm of their lives.

Check Kirk's portfolio HERE and HERE and contact him for any St. Lucia photography need!

Interview with a Pro from TheHoneymoon.com

I have long been a fan of TheHoneymoon.com and my clients have really enjoyed the ease and offerings of their honeymoon registry website. So, I decided to have a chat with the founder, Scott Ellingboe in hopes of learning what inspires him and what's new!

LAURA: Was there a personal experience in your life that gave birth to the idea of a honeymoon registry?

Scott: Yes. I was on the phone in 1998 with an acquaintance who was a supplier to our business and he was getting remarried in his mid-forties. His fiancée was getting married for the first time and she was registering for all kinds of things they just didn't need. As he was telling me this he said, "I wish we could just register for our honeymoon to Italy because I don't need another blender." It was an "ah ha" moment.

LAURA: What would you consider the most exciting feature of TheHoneymoon.com right now?

Scott: The most exciting feature right now on our site is our digital magazine. It's a fully interactive magazine that will come out quarterly and features great honeymoon destinations and other interesting articles for couples interested in honeymoons and/or destination wedding information. It also has interesting articles on traveling "green" as well as some interesting facts about rum, which is used in many of the most famous tropical drinks. We also profile real couples to give readers a peak into someone else's honeymoon experience.

LAURA: From my own experience, I know most clients aren't willing to sacrifice their honeymoon but I assume more and more couples are seeking help in paying for the trip and adventures. Have you seen an increase in usage on your site as the economy weakens?

Scott: Yes. We have seen an increase in the number of transactions versus the same period last year. However, the average dollar amount spent per gift purchase has dropped from $117 to $102. Wedding gifts fall under discretionary spending, which is usually the first to be affected by the economy. The fact that individual gift purchases are up is proof that more people are choosing this type of registry and that wedding guests are responding.

LAURA: Have any really outrageous registries come across your site and have they been filled?

Scott: I'm not sure what qualifies as outrageous, we've had some outrageously bad registries from people who just didn't get that a honeymoon registry has to be fun, filled with gift items that will give the couple a more memorable experience. Getting to a destination is a small part of the overall experience -- it's what you do when you get there that defines the memories you will cherish forever. There is one registry from about seven years ago that was pretty outrageous at the time -- the couple registered for Viagra, "for those last few honeymoon nights!" That got a laugh out of everyone who saw it.

That's all folks! Check back for more fun interviews!