Today's Guest: Sonya Smith of Saffron Studio in Bridgewater, New Jersey
Today's Host: John Bentley
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Sonya Smith Expert PageANNOUNCER : This VTalk Radio Spotlight is brought to you by www.morephotos.com the online photo sales solution for professional photographers world wide. Welcome to the VTalk Radio Photographer Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Today on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight we have Bridgewater, New Jersey, photographer, Sonya Smith, of Saffron Studios joining us via the telephone this morning. Welcome to the program, Sonya.
SONYA: Good morning.
JOHN: Thank you so much for joining us on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. Could you tell our listening audience...give us a basic idea what you're up to?
SONYA: Well currently I am shooting the majority of my business as weddings and I have approached my weddings in a journalistic, easy going style which I'm formally trained in, and I'm also doing portraits, corporate work, head shots, modeling portfolios, I do a variety of things with my camera.
JOHN: Great! Let's talk a little bit about how long have you been in business?
SONYA: I began the studio over 10 years ago, and just concentrated mostly on wedding. Like I said, I said, I was formally trained, I went to college for photography, and I interned with a very well off commercial photographer in Los Angelos, and when I came back to New Jersey, I decided I need to pick up the camera again, and I just kind of tried my hand at weddings, and I enjoyed it, and I kept going from there.
JOHN: Great! All right, well listen lets talk about weddings. Certainly, weddings present its own kind of situations you have to deal with. When you go into a wedding are you the only photographer, or do you have an assistant with you? How do you approach that?
SONYA: I bring in an assistant with me and the assistant typically helps me with equipment and lighting. I use a unique off camera flash to give softer shadows and more flatteringly light so my assistant is helping me with that. And occasionally the bride does pay extra to have his second photographer, and I have a handful of colleagues that I work with to bring a second photograph along if that's something that the bride wants,
JOHN: Sure. Now, you also do Hindu and East Asian weddings, that is a unique thing that you do out there in the East Coast. Tell us how that is different from the standard weddings.
SONYA: Well, one thing is that, I was born and raised in the U.S., but I'm of Indian decent, and I was trained in the U.S., and I have an extremely artistic, unique eye, but given that I was born into an Indian Hindu family, I also understand the culture. So it's really easy for me to sort of blend in with with the older people that are at the wedding such as the parents and the aunts and uncles, and I understand the concept. I understand what's going on in the ceremony, but at the same time, I can relate on a personal level with the kids that are getting married and their style and their desire for that sort of Americanized look.
JOHN: And, obviously you have a studio there in New Jersey. You probably do a lot of family portraits too there?
SONYA: Actually, my family portraiture I do at the family's home, and I approach it in a unique way. I come in and set up formal portraits and I make everyone look really nice and good and formal, and then I start to change the posing so it's a little more creative and a little more fun, and a little more artistic and then as the people sort of get tired of me posing them, I stop and kind of follow the people around the house. I chased the kids around as they're playing...sometimes we go outside, and it's a good two to three hour long session. And what you end up with are some amazing images capturing actual personalities of everyone involved. It's a very relaxed atmosphere. You don't get the kids that are screaming and crying in the mall, because they don't want to be dragged to the studio. Things like that.
JOHN: Yeah, sure. You also do some corporate and business related photography. Is that a big part of your business?
SONYA: Right. I'm trying to grow that part. I do product photography. I've had people who are just starting out with their business. I've had an inventor come to me and need products of his invention... shots of his inventions and I've had just small businesses that need pictures whether for a brochure or website. Anything like that, and I photograph the product. I also do head shots and public relations shots. I'll go into a corporate event and photograph for their press releases. I recently did a gala affair for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Jersey which they're using to promote what they do.
JOHN: Great.
SONYA: I'm trying to get more into that business aspect.
JOHN: Sure. Now we're going to take a break, Sonya, but before we do that would you give our listening audience your website address and contact information.
SONYA: Sure, it's www.saffronstudio.com and studio is singular no 's' at the end.
JOHN: And a phone number that people could possibly call you by?
SONYA: (908) 393-2289.
JOHN: We are in the studio with Bridgewater, New Jersey, photographer, Sonya Smith, of Saffron Studio, and you're listening to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. Stay tune, we'll be right back after these important messages.
ANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Spotlight is sponsored by www.morephotos.com the online photo sales solution for professional photographers world wide.
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ANNOUNCER: Did you ever wonder why the Groom is suppose to carry the Bride over the thresh hold? What does the saying, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue mean? Visit www.weddingdetails.com and click on the lure and tradition section. We've got culture and tradition information from around the world. Visit www.weddingdetails.com tonight. We now return you to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: We're back in the studio with Bridgewater, New Jersey, photographer, Sonya Smith, of Saffron Studio, and you're listening to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. Welcome back to the program Sonya.
SONYA: Thank you.
JOHN: Well we've been talking about your photography business out there in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Lets talk about some of the cities and communities in the surrounding area that you cover.
SONYA: Okay. Actually for weddings, I work all over the state; Central Jersey, Northern Jersey, South Jersey. I go into Pennsylvania. I go into New York City, I've been in upstate New York just across the border, and I also have done destination wedding for people, actually pay my travel fee to go out to places like the Caribbean, or you know, Texas L.A. It doesn't really matter, but the mainly my business is in the Central Jersey area, Northern Jersey. I don't know if counties, if counties would help or does it pretty much answer your question.
JOHN: I think that answers our question. Now are you willing to travel if somebody's got a wedding or something going on on the other side of the planet?
SONYA: Yes, absolutely.
JOHN: Sure.
SONYA: Absolutely.
JOHN: Have you had any opportunities like that?
SONYA: Yeah, I have been hired. In fact, due to the fact that I do Hindu weddings and I approach them in an artistic way and I have Indian brides actually pay to have me come out and photograph their wedding in another state, and they put me up for a couple of nights, pay the travel fee.
JOHN: Great. great. That's a good way to travel, huh?
SONYA: Yes.
JOHN: Now, what about wedding facilities, banquet halls anything like that in the area that you do this business out of?
SONYA: I really enjoy working with, there's a place called Flanders Valley, and where is... that near the Long Valley area. There's a recommended vendor at the Breakers in Spring Lake. I love working at the English Manor which is down in Southern Jersey. I'm often times I'm at the Madison Hotel. I'm right up here by the Bridgewater Manor. These are all venues that I like to work at a lot.
JOHN: Now you not only do photography, you also do video through your business, is that true?
SONYA: Yeah, I also do video. I have a videographer that I work with, that we're sort of in partnership. We work together whenever my clients need video I direct them to him. They can either work directly through me to book him or go directly to him, either way I work very closely with him in managing the day and managing what the bride needs coverage of and what she's expecting.
JOHN: Now as a creative photographer, I would imagine your fashion and glamour aspect of your business is a lot of fun to do?
SONYA: I love doing that. I have a lot a girls who want to get into modeling that will hire me for the day and we'll go around to different locations, do a bunch of different clothing changes, and I do have a make up artist that I work with, and we just get some real, great, creative shots that way, and she can end up building her portfolio and going to management and trying to get some jobs. I'd say 'she' but honestly I would do it for males too, but seems like there's more girls out there.
JOHN: Now what do you think. what is your most important goal when you go into a photo shoot?
SONYA: Well I guess it depends on the shoot itself, for example, for weddings my goal would be to capture the emotions of the day and really illustrate how the couple may be feeling towards each other and for the family portraiture, my goal is to capture the personalities of the people involved. For the glamour stuff, my goal would be to bring out the beauty of the model as well as at each location and each clothing change, I would want to show the diversity of the model.
JOHN: Well I want to thank you for joining us today on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight, Sonya.
SONYA: You're welcome.
JOHN:Now before I let you go, though, will you please give your website information and contact number one more time.
SONYA: Sure it's www.saffronstudio.com and the phone number is 908-393-2289.
JOHN: We've been in the studio with Bridgewater, New Jersey, Photography, Sonya Smith, of Saffron Studio, and you've been listening to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. Thanks for tuning in. Everybody have a great afternoon.
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