Let me start by saying that I am SO thankful that you are a part of this. My dream for this team is that it would not only be a source of supplemental income for you, but that it would also be a place of creativity & community. I am so excited to dive into this process with you as we grow professionally & personally together.
The Remnant Collective was created to capture love in its truest form and in return, share love by giving back. We are so DANG blessed that we get to work with in love couples on a regular basis. Think about it – we get to surround ourselves with the most beautiful thing that exists, love. Because we get to capture that love and are so filled with it in return, we get to give it back by doing an annual project that can make a difference in our world.
Hey there, it’s Ashley – and I wanted to share the story of how this idea came to be with you all. This is a personal story for me, but I think it’s something worth understanding as we begin this journey together.
In 2016 I went though a divorce from a man who was emotionally & verbally abusive. When I built up the courage to leave, I was in an awful place in almost every way. I moved to Charlotte to live with my parents. This was a new city for me as I was born and raised in NY. Everyone was continually asking me why I chose to go into the wedding industry after a rough divorce, but I knew in my heart that love was something far better than what I had experienced. Every couple I met inspired me to believe in something greater than what I had experienced & challenged my negative views on relationships. This job has taught me perseverance & hope – and I believe it’s been a crucial part in my personal healing. I experienced something that didn’t reflect a healthy version of love, but my hope was and still is to capture true love in its most raw form & to hold onto the best that love has to offer. I believe true love is a very real thing & feel privileged to be inspired by it every day.
Shortly after moving to North Carolina, I started working in a hospital doing new born photography as I threw myself into my business. I began to grow Ashley Steffens Photography from the ground up as I did this hospital job to support myself. My business was everything to me in this time – I was determined to show my ex that he was wrong about who I was / what I was capable of and probably bordered on an unhealthy obsession with work. But, at the end of the day, it got me to a point where in one year I had so many inquiries coming in that I couldn’t handle them all myself. I wouldn’t claim this is the healthiest way to find motivation, but I believe it all worked together for the good in the end.
Part of what got my business to this point was a partnership with Destination Elopements. In the beginning, I was trying to create a certain look in order to attract a particular client by doing styled shoots that showed what I loved to do most – a bohemian, free spirited, more laid back approach to weddings & elopements. At the time, Katrina Evans (the owner of Destination Elopements), was working at a venue that I hosted a styled shoot at. We worked extremely well together & she asked me if I would like to partner with her in her new business endeavor – an elopement company. I honestly didn’t think it would be that much work but was excited about the prospect of photographing elopements, so we began to work together. Her business blew up & I grew alongside her.
At the point I could no longer handle all the inquiries I was getting, I began to throw around the idea of hiring associates to help me. At the same time, I had been thinking a lot about how I went to school for film & journalism in order to tell stories that had a greater purpose or could help the world become a better place / to shed awareness. These two ideas collided into the Remnant Collective.
Between my past of abuse, why I went to school & my growing business – this all made sense. I wanted to help people who were in situations like my own or other unfortunate places of life while still using my skill set & what the Lord had blessed me with in that moment. The Remnant Collective became a place for community, passion & giving back – it’s my dream.
The main thing to remember is that we are ALL ABOUT THE COUPLE. Your artistic vision comes secondary to the client – client over creativity. If the client has requests, do everything in your power to make them happen (within reason of course). Keep a positive attitude & remember that this is one of the biggest days of their life! It is very easy to forget the significance of a wedding day when you work in the wedding industry, but at The Remnant Collective, we are all about making their experience the best it can be. Our goal is to create a fun experience for our clients from start to finish – so smile, listen & make a friend!
At the Remnant Collective, we want to ensure we capture all of those “in between” moments. We are photojournalistic photographers which means we want to tell the story of the entire day – the little moments between a mom and her son, the glances across a room, the soft touch of a significant others hand as they listen to vows and are reminded of their own commitment – all of these moments are what we’re after. In order to capture these moments, you have to be ready at all times. Never leave your cameras – keep them on you at all times & when you need a break (for dinner or in a slow moment), keep them within arms reach. You’re there to tell their story – do your best not to miss a moment of connection.
Our clients expect a “natural” look to their photos & videos = they typically do not want to be “posed” or forced into unnatural positions. If it’s not something you’d naturally do with your significant other – don’t make the client do it. Of course, we want to direct them into that natural look – so, we will teach you prompts to use to get your clients moving and out of their awkward “taking a photo” pose. Please avoid any cheesy poses & keep clients moving to stay consistent with the Remnant Collective look. We will dive more into this in the “Using Prompts & Movement” section of this manual.
Using movement is key to our style and to making the clients feel comfortable and “unposed”. As the photographer, you will primarily be directing clients and in charge of making the clients feel comfortable with the movements and prompts you direct them into. The key is to be attentive to each individual couple & read what works for them. Some prompts will work better for some clients than others. If a couple is goofy, more fun and silly poses may work better for them, but if they are more quiet and sweet, the more thought provoking prompts may work best for them. I would suggest trying both vibes with each couple to try a variety of moods and options, but work your way from one to the other with thought. For example, do not jump right from a deep moment into something super silly unless it fits with the moment. Let your couple have moments – encourage them to slow down, relax, and enjoy this unique experience they get to have with one another. Here is a list of some of our prompts in an order that may make sense and flow with different moods:
You can see how this series flowed from more serious to fun with transitions into each mood. Try to keep it a fun overall experience!
As the photographer, you are not the planner, but you are responsible for keeping to the photography schedule. When there is something photography related coming up (for example, bridal party photos), do not be afraid to make an announcement to the entire room that they will need to be outside in 15 minutes for their photos – you can remind them again at 10 minutes and 5 minutes depending on the crowd and how ready they are. Do not push anyone to rush, but be sure you accentuate that you want to stick to their schedule the best you can so that they get the most efficient use of their time. Of course with this, it is important to read the situation and crowd. You do not want to be overly pushy, but it is comforting to clients and their loved ones if they know that you’ve got this & are making sure everything you were hired to do gets done – so take charge! They do not want to have to think about when to be where, so it is your job to do that thinking for them & politely guide them through their schedule.
During family photos, it is great to take charge and be assertive, but still remember that the people you are “taking charge of” are simply there to celebrate someone they love, so do not be rude or inconsiderate of them just because they are not your direct clients. It is important to take charge while still being polite and considerate of others. Typically to keep the flow of family photos going, we will have a second shooter call out names from a pre-made family shot list & you as the first photographer will focus on getting the shot. You can both be keeping an eye on the family members to make sure they look nice, there is nothing in their pockets, no one’s hair is wild & that their positioning looks clean yet close (we don’t want big gaps in between family members, encourage them to “squeeze in”)
You and your videographer are a TEAM. So often in this industry, videographers and photographers have to battle in order to get the shots they want. With our team, both photo & video are important roles. As the photographer, you will be taking charge in most situations. You will be directing the clients during their couple’s session and the videographer will be accompanying you. They should not be stepping in for every prompt or shot, but they have full permission to step in when they know a shot will be good for video. They will be trained to tap you on the shoulder or quickly get your attention, step in for a brief moment to get their shot, and then let you continue on with your shoot. We will be trying to schedule 15 minutes into the day just for the videographer and client, so they shouldn’t need to be stepping in too much. The nature of this exchange should be direction by the photographer with full awareness that the videographer should be able to step in when a shot is valuable for video.
Wedding:
Lauren & Austin – https://ashleysteffens.pic-time.com/-laurenaustinswedding
Taylor & Deon – https://ashleysteffens.pic-time.com/-taylordeonwedding
Anna & Matt – https://ashleysteffens.pic-time.com/-annamatthewswedding
Intimate Wedding:
Sarah & Wade – https://ashleysteffens.pic-time.com/-sarahwadeswedding
Elopement:
Carleen & Joshua – https://ashleysteffens.pic-time.com/-carleenjoshuaselopement
Amanda & Jeremy – https://ashleysteffens.pic-time.com/-amandajeremyselopement
Photography Files Transportation:
Videography Files Transportation:
Upon Receiving Files:
Photographer’s files should arrive to the office via a thumb drive. Videographer’s files will arrive via a hard drive that you have sent to them (instructions for that are below the “Upon Receiving Files” instructions).
Video Delivery:
Hey (clients names),
Your videos are complete & we are excited to get them into your hands! We have loved being a part of this time in your life – thank you again for choosing our team!
Here is a link to your highlight film: (video link)
You can use this link to share your video on social media & with your loved ones. There are no restrictions as the video is completely public.
Here is a link to your (wedding or elopement) film: (video link)
This link will only work for those who have the link. Feel free to share the link with whoever you would like to see it, but the video is not on an entirely public setting.
You can download the video files straight from Vimeo if you would like to save the videos for personal use. We recommend downloading them & saving them to your computer so that you have a hard copy as well as the Vimeo copy.
If you have not already & would like to leave us a review, it is SO helpful as we are growing and expanding. Like I explained earlier, if you copy & paste your review to all the platforms below, we will send you a 10% discount in our print shop! Here are the links to the places we can use reviews:
The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/the-remnant-collective-charlotte-nc-1085100
Google: Google “The Remnant Collective” and leave a review there
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/theremnantcollective/reviews/
Thank you again for choosing our team and please let is know if there is anything else you need from us!
Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions,
(Your Name)
Remnant Collective File Manager (& Photography Editor)
Editing Workflow:
Hey there {couple’s name},
We have sneak peeks ready for you in your gallery! It was so much fun looking through your photos, you two are so adorable!
We would love to hear some feedback from you! If you could leave a review, it is such a helpful tool for our team as we grow. If you copy & paste your review to all the platforms below, we will send you a 10% discount in our print shop! Here are the links to the places we can use reviews:
The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/the-remnant-collective-charlotte-nc-1085100
Google: Google “The Remnant Collective” and leave a review there
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/theremnantcollective/reviews/
Please remember to credit @theremnantcollective every time you post an image from this gallery, not to alter any of your images (if you need changes please let us know and we will do our best to work with you) & to print any important prints through your online gallery. You have full printing rights to the images (which means you can print them anywhere you’d like), but we always suggest printing anything important through our gallery as it is the only way we can guarantee quality prints and low budget prints just wont do your professional photos justice!
The rest of your images will be to you within 8 weeks of your session / event date. Please let us know if you have any questions or tweaks you’d like us to make!
{Your Name)
Your Remnant Collective Editor
Hey there {couple’s names},
We have finished your gallery & I am so excited to get these images into your hands!
If you have not already & would like to leave us a review, it is SO helpful as we are growing and expanding. Like I explained earlier, if you copy & paste your review to all the platforms below, we will send you a 10% discount in our print shop! Here are the links to the places we can use reviews:
The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/the-remnant-collective-charlotte-nc-1085100
Google: Google “The Remnant Collective” and leave a review there
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/theremnantcollective/reviews/
As another reminder, please remember to credit @theremnantcollective every time you post an image from this gallery, not to alter any of your images (if you need changes please let us know and we will do our best to work with you) & to print any important prints through your online gallery. Remember, you have full printing rights to the images (which means you can print them anywhere you’d like), but we always suggest printing anything important through our gallery as it is the only way we can guarantee quality prints and low budget prints just wont do your professional photos justice!
Thank you so much for choosing our team – we are so honored to be a part of this moment in time with you! Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you!
Sincerely,
{Your Name}
Your Remnant Collective Editor
Hello Wonderful Vendors,
We have completed {couple’s names} sneak peeks and are so excited to share them with all of you! It was great working with this team & we hope to work together again soon!
We are always happy to share images with vendors, but we always like to give a few warnings about the appropriate use for these images:
Please remember to always credit @theremnantcollective when posting. If we see any post with uncredited images of ours, we will have to ask you to take it down and will not be able to send future galleries your way. If the problem persists, we will be forced to take further action.
Please also remember not to use these images for anything other than social media purposes. These images cannot be used for ads. If you would like to purchase an image for advertisement purposes, please contact info@theremnantcollective.com and we will inform you of how to move forward. Any commercial use of these images in illegal and will be taken as such.
Again, we are happy to allow you to use these images on social media & loved working along side you all!
Best wishes,
{Your Name}
Remnant Collective Editor
Hello Wonderful Vendors,
We have completed {couple’s names} images and would love to share them with you!
Thank you so much for making this event what it was! We love seeing how all of the couple’s vendors came together to create something truly beautiful!
We are always happy to share images with vendors, but we always like to give a few warnings about the appropriate use for these images:
As a reminder, please remember to always credit @theremnantcollective when posting. If we see any post with uncredited images of ours, we will have to ask you to take it down and will not be able to send future galleries your way. If the problem persists, we will be forced to take further action.
Please also remember not to use these images for anything other than social media purposes. These images cannot be used for ads. If you would like to purchase an image for advertisement purposes, please contact info@theremnantcollective.com and we will inform you of how to move forward. Any commercial use of these images in illegal and will be taken as such.
Again, we are happy to allow you to use these images on social media & loved working along side you all!
Best wishes,
{Your Name}
Remnant Collective Editor
Stylistic Guidelines:
When recording the Love Story films, you will need to interview clients to collect more details about their story. The biggest priority is to create a safe space for your couples to share and be vulnerable, so don’t be afraid to connect and take 5-10 minutes just chatting and getting to know one another. Once you start the interview, feel free to ask more in depth questions alongside the standard questions to get a more thought provoking or emotional response. These questions are a guideline to a conversation that is to be had between you and the client. We want their whole experience to be personal & relational, so don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper in these questions.
Feel free to expand on these questions and really learn about them! This is a starting place for a bigger conversation about WHY they love the person they’re marrying and HOW they fell in love.
What we want covered through the interview:
We always aim for all of our clips to contain “movement and moments”. Basically what this means is that we want natural interactions. Direct your couple to cuddle together, give each other kisses, or use prompts taught to you in the Remnant Collective training. Please do not set up staged clips unless directly asked by the client or our administrative team to do so. Here are some examples of some prompts that will work for video clips & keep the natural feel we are looking for:
We also ask that you try to focus on shots with camera movements / slow motion settings. Try not to stand still while shooting if possible, push in with a steady cam, circle the clients while they give each other snuggles, use a slider to get some steady camera movement. Get creative and think about ways to move the camera for beautiful shots! Our editor will be using mainly slow motion shots for the social and highlight films, so don’t forget to change your settings between moments that are more “artistic” in nature (to be filmed at high speed) and your more standard moments (like your ceremony, reception, speeches, reading letters, etc.).
For every event, we will be recording at least one short creative voiceover. We will predetermine what this voiceover will be with the couple, so it will be unique to each couple. Typically the voiceover will consist of a poem, letters or creative writing. As their videographer, it is your job to record a voiceover that consists of emotion and inflection. Try to encourage each individual to really think about the person they’re about to marry & help them connect with their emotions before beginning the recording.
Be sure that you are using either a lav mic or audio recording device in a quiet space to ensure high quality sound. Feel free to make an announcement that there needs to be silence or find a smaller space to record the audio. If you can record video at the same time, that is always ideal for post production.
Working with a photographer at weddings can be challenging. The nice thing about the Remnant Collective’s model is that we are all on the same team. The primary focus will always be the photographer – they will be the main one directing shots & making sure the schedule goes as planned. As the videographer, you are there to assist them in sticking to the schedule, but you will be capturing shots with movement as your photographer directs them. The nice thing about our style of photography is that it requires a lot of movement, which is great for video! If at any point you need to get a shot, you and your photographer should be working as a team and “taking turns”. As a videographer, you shouldn’t need to step in for every single pose, but if there are poses you know will look good while filmed in motion, feel free to tap the photographer on the shoulder to step in and get your shot as well. We will also try to schedule 10-15 minutes just for you and the couple so that you can get any shots with more camera movement (like you circling around the couple or using a steady cam to push in, etc.).
This portion of the day is a fun one. We like to approach the couple during this phase of the day like a friend. You may have already met your couple at an engagement session & if you have, this will be a little more natural. If not, just try to make small talk when appropriate & get to know them, but stay out of the way of conversations with the people that the bride & groom have chosen to be a part of their day. We want to approach them as a friend, but in all reality they have invited some of the most important people there for their big day, so we want to respect that and let them enjoy the people they’ve invited into this moment.
Getting Ready with the Bride:
Getting ready with the Groom:
We all know this is a HUGE moment on the wedding day. Try to be as unobtrusive as possible so that they can have their moment as independent of you as possible. Stand as far as possible (but where you can still get waist up shots so that you can see their expressions) & use a long lens. Remind them to relax, think about the commitment to this person they’re about to make & to focus on that & not the cameras.
The bridal party photos can feel super awkward for most groups, so we try to keep it to 3 simple poses for the group photos. Make sure all of the guys empty their pant pockets & that all the ladies have their bouquets.
Group Photos:
One on One Photos:
Have each bridesmaid take a photo with the bride and each groomsman take a photo with the groom. We typically take one traditional smiling photo and another “goofy” or sweet (like a hug) image. There isn’t a “right” way to do this necessarily. If the couple isn’t a fan of goofy photos, don’t make them do them. If they are up for it, you can give them ideas like look at each other and make a face, give a kiss on the cheek, give a hug, etc. – but tell each member of the bridal party to brainstorm before their turn so that the bride / groom doesn’t need to come up with a bunch of different pose ideas.
Family photos can be a bit of a headache, but we want to make it as enjoyable as possible. We will try to prepare a list for you to go off of in an order that makes sense. The bride & groom will also be getting a guide that will ask them to prepare their family beforehand about where to be & when so that we hopefully won’t be missing anyone. Here are some tips to make it go as smoothly as possible:
THIS is why we are here – the celebration of two people coming together and making a commitment to one another. We have a few pointers for how to get the best images possible, but feel free to move around during a longer ceremony to get different angles & such.
Photographers:
We require all photographers to have two lenses on their person at all times during the ceremony (the second shooter can have only one). Please use one long lens and one wide lens for variety in your shots.
Videographers:
The reception is the time we can relax a bit, but we still need to be on guard for those special moments!
Photographers:
Videographers:
The most important part of any couples session, whether it be an engagement session or a session with a bride & groom on their wedding day, is making sure they are comfortable.
Engagement Sessions: Typically an engagement session is for the purpose of connecting with your client before their big day, so take the time to chat and get to know one another before you begin & in-between shots. Make it easy & casual – no need to rush from one thing to the next when you have 90 minutes for a session.
Weddings & Elopements: For wedding day sessions, you will probably have 30 minutes max. Take your time, chat with the couple & make it personal – but there will be less room for stopping to talk. Hopefully you were able to connect with your couple before this point so there should be a level of comfort – if you have not, just do your best to make them comfortable and figure out what prompts and poses work best for them!
We primarily like to work with prompts and movement to create natural interactions between the couples. We never want our photos to look stiff or posed, so keep your clients moving! Here are some sample prompts you can try during your session & we will continue to add more as we come up with them as a team!
Elopements are definitely very different than a wedding. It is typically more laid back and there are almost always far less people – usually its just you, the officiant & the couple!
A typical 2-hour elopement session looks like:
There will be times when clients add on more time. This can look like a variety of things, getting ready photos, another location or a dinner afterwards. Every elopement is slightly different, which is part of what makes them so fun!
Our partner elopement company is Destination Elopements. We absolutely love our partnership with them as it has helped us grow to this point. This is what their website says about their values and who they are:
“Destination Elopements is an Asheville based company and though we plan small intimate weddings and elopements throughout the states we love calling Asheville home.
In the past ten years couples have come to discover all the beauty, adventure and amazing venues and spaces to plan their elopement are small intimate wedding.
Enjoy the slide show up above of some of our favorite locations and venues.