Have you ever dreamed of getting married in a real life castle? Our client Janie sure has, and luckily for her, her husband Bruce (a former DJ) knew exactly where to make her dreams come true. Pierce Castle in Decatur, MS is one of the most unique venues we’ve ever seen, and it was perfect spot for Janie and Bruce’s fairy-tale wedding!
We had an absolute blast working with the Tuscaloosa Police Department on this promotional video for an upcoming event they’re hosting! We filmed everything over a couple of days, and it was just a whole lot of fun watching all the great skaters we have in Tuscaloosa do what they do best! We’ll definitely be going back to Palmore Park to check them out again soon!
Tuscaloosa is full of great artists, and one of our absolute favorites is, Abi Brewer! We had a lot of fun working with Abi to create some promotional videos for her growing business, and we have even more on the horizon, so stay tuned! If you’d like to discuss what we can do for your business, please shoot as an email to, info@mcdillphotography.com, and make sure to check out Abi’s work at, https://www.abibrewerfineart.com/.
What a beautiful wedding! Seriously, Jess and Becky’s wedding just goes to show; you don’t have to spend a small fortune to have the wedding of your dreams. All you really need is a yard, a few friends and family members willing to pitch in, and a little creativity! Congratulations you guys, and thanks again - we had a blast!!
-Josh
As photographers, we spend years honing our craft. Lighting, posing, post processing, color grading, etc. - the list of skills we have to constantly work to get better at seems to go on forever. But no matter how good you are, or even how good you eventually want to be, there’s one thing that trumps all that hard work every single time - LUCK! Take Sarah’s senior session yesterday afternoon. It was going pretty good anyway, don’t get me wrong, but then, BAM! - train comes by right in the middle of the short time we were actually turned in a direction to catch it! Photography is more than a job for me, it’s a passion and I’ll never stop working to be the very best photographer I can be, but I can’t lie… most days, given the choice between skill and luck, guess which one I’m picking!!
- Josh
Tuscaloosa is home to some truly great people. It’s honestly one of the best things about being a photographer in our wonderful town. Grace and Jim are two great examples. We had so much fun during their maternity session, it felt more like hanging out and taking pictures, rather than work, not to mention the fact that they’re such a great looking couple, they made our jobs super easy as it was!!
-Josh
The world has definitely changed, there’s no doubt about it, but you couldn’t tell by all the smiling faces at Kaleena and Jermaine’s wedding this past weekend. Taking place late in the afternoon, at the iconic Manderson Landing here in Tuscaloosa, it was an intimate ceremony with only their closest friends and family in attendance. Small as it may have been, it was extraordinarily beautiful, nonetheless, and served to showcase one of the benefits of being a photographer in Tuscaloosa - all the gorgeous scenery!!
-Josh
This was our first year to attend the annual Bridal Classic here in Tuscaloosa, and I have to say, we had a lot of fun! Not only did we get to meet a lot of great brides and their families, we also got a chance to catch up with a lot of other wedding vendors from around Tuscaloosa! Traditionally held at Hotel Capstone, this year the Bridal Classic moved to the absolutely gigantic space at the Bryant Conference center. This venue is huge, and it also happens to be home to the largest TV I’ve ever seen in my life! To top it all off, we also got to work with some of the other vendors and models to put on an impromptu photo shoot, which was a blast! We’ll definitely be back next year, so if you’re getting married in or around Tuscaloosa, and plan on attending, swing by and say hi!!
-Josh
Although the weather wasn’t ideal, to put it nicely, it was still great day for a wedding all the same. Ashley and Courtney had a beautiful ceremony, and a killer reception, all hosted by the Embassy Suites hotel, right here in Tuscaloosa. I’ve said it before, but Tuscaloosa certainly isn’t hurting for some really beautiful wedding venues. The staff at the Embassy Suites went above and beyond to make sure the day was a complete success, and with no small amount of help from Ashley’s wedding planner, Jamarkis, I’d say they all thoroughly succeeded!!
-Josh
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/tclrtes-embassy-suites-tuscaloosa-alabama-downtown/meetings-events/
Aside from being one of the most important days of our lives, weddings are also a whole lot of fun, especially for us wedding photographers! This past weekend we were at Hotel Capstone, here in Tuscaloosa, to photograph Steven and Francesica’s wedding, and we honestly had a blast from start to finish! With such an awesome venue, it goes without saying that the ceremony was beautiful, but the Clint the Gent crew was also on hand to add that extra little bit of ambience to put it completely over the top. Needless to say, we were really impressed with Client the Gent, these guys really went above and beyond to make the night a success!! Steven and Francesica, we wish you all the best in the world, and thanks for a night we’ll never forget!
Hotel Capstone:
https://www.hotelcapstone.com/
Clint the Gent:
- Josh
Alabama Wedding Photographer, Tuscaloosa Wedding Photographer, Northport Wedding Photographer
As wedding photographers, we may admittedly be just a little bit biased, since the right artist can make us look like absolute rock stars, but we personally feel that one of the most important decisions you can make, when it comes to choosing your wedding day vendors (outside of your photographer of course 😉), is your makeup artist. The reason is, while I’m sure your Aunt Ruth and every single one of your besties is really really good, hiring a professional makeup artist will take you and your glam squad’s wedding day look to a whole other level! That said, picking the right artist can be a somewhat daunting prospect, especially here in Tide Country, where we have so many wonderful people and businesses to choose from. With that in mind, here are 5 things you should keep in mind when looking for a makeup artist in Tuscaloosa:
5. Taking A Closer Look
More and more, brides are finding their vendors through Instagram. If you yourself are a bride scoping out hair and makeup artists on the ‘gram, take an extra moment to fully examine the photos you are looking at. Is there a soft touch filter applied to the face blurring out any imperfections in the makeup application? Are bobby pins visible through the updo? Some of the finer details to pay attention to when zooming in on a photo are the undereye area and the eyeliner. More specifically, check to see that the under eye area looks fresh, youthful, concealed of any dark circles, brightened, and properly set in a way that does not crinkle up or make the area appear dry and aged.
For eyeliner check to see that it is straight, bump-free, and even, for those inevitable looking-down-through-the-lashes shots that we photogs always love to get on your wedding day. If you want to be super picky, zoom into the inner corner of the eyeline, as that area is the most common for skips, bumps, and eyelash glue residue. And while you’re at it, check the outer corner of the crease area to make sure that the shadow is blended to perfection!
4. Setting Up a Trial
This may be difficult for some of you, especially if you’re traveling to Tuscaloosa for your wedding, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to schedule a trial before your wedding day! Even if you have been super diligent about scoping out your desired artist’s work, until you actually sit down with your hair and makeup artist, you won’t truly know what you’re in for. Aside from the obvious things, like the quality of their work, this is also a great way to get to know your artist and their personality. Do you vibe? Do you trust that if you change your mind on the day of your wedding that they can hang and deliver what you want? If you absolutely cannot schedule a trial, be as upfront as possible with your artist about any skin conditions, personal hang-ups, and anything else that might help them.
Pro Tip: A great time to schedule your trial could be for your engagement session. That way you get to kill two birds with one stone.
3. Product, Product, Product
While not every makeup artist will be rocking Tom Ford and Chanel in their kits, and that’s perfectly fine, it’s still important to take note of the types of products they do use, especially if they’re part of the higher-end market. Honestly, with the rise of YouTube and Instagram, the beauty industry has totally leveled up, and even some drugstore products can go toe-to-toe with many high-end brands. That said, take note of the ratio of high-end to drugstore products in your makeup artist’s kit as compared to their price for services: meaning, are you paying a premium price for bargain products? With proper technique and knowledge, great makeup artists can certainly get a beautiful finished result using drugstore makeup, but the price should reflect that.
Pro Tip: Also note that while the initial finished result might be flawless, the longevity of wear might not be.
2. Assessing Hygiene
While this really should be #1 if we’re being perfectly honest, until you’ve actually gone through the search to find a makeup artist and sat down with one, you couldn’t possibly assess their level of cleanliness. Here are some things to look out for when assessing the condition of their kit and practices:
Are their products tidy and not covered in makeup dust and goo?
Are their brushes clean? A minimal amount of staining is normal on brushes that have white fibers, but if the brush LOOKS dirty, it’s probably dirty, and a great vehicle for spreading bacteria. (gross)
Also make sure that your artist is sanitizing brushes between services (yes, that means before every one of your bridesmaids).
This goes for beauty sponges as well.
Your artist should never be working directly from the wand that comes on the mascara they are using unless it is your personal one you are keeping. Disposable wands and mascara brushes (that are cleaned between each client) are a MUST.
The same thing goes for eyeliner, lipliner, and lipstick. Each item should be sprayed with isopropyl alcohol and wiped clean before use on a new client.
1. Your Bridal Style
Finally, and MOST importantly, it is imperative that before even beginning your search for the right makeup artist that you take a moment to reflect on your personal style and how you want to look on your wedding day. Some brides prefer a natural or bohemian look, while others seize their wedding as an opportunity to go “Full Glam”. Either way, when looking for a makeup artist, consider the work in their portfolio as a whole, and look for a theme throughout their clientele.
Most makeup artists are extremely versatile, but they’ll still definitely have a space that they prefer to work in, whether it is retro winged liner and red lips or Full Glam with full coverage, dark smoky eyes, nude lips, and a heavy lash!
Pro Tip: If you are a natural gal in your everyday life, opting for a Full Glam look on your wedding day may feel overwhelming and unnatural. In these cases, it may be best to start off with a “base look” and build the glam from there.
-Katye
Alabama Wedding Photographer, Tuscaloosa Wedding Photographer, Northport Wedding Photographer
Let’s face it, we all know the one thing that’s in brutally short supply on the big day – TIME! It’s no one’s fault, there’s just a lot happening, and a lot to accomplish. And though there’s always the best of intentions, the one area that seems to suffer more than the others due to the time crunch is the creative session. Usually falling between the ceremony and the reception, there’s never an overabundance of time (to put it mildly) for the creative wedding portraits. The guests are hungry and waiting, the newlyweds still need to be introduced, we’ve got to cut the cake, have the first dance, etc. etc. Like I said, there’s a lot going on! It can be a little disheartening for the bride who values choices when it comes to art prints\canvas for her home, because as available time shortens, so too does the number of setups you can shoot for creative portraits. So, what’s an art conscious bride to do?
Though I’ll freely admit that this option doesn’t work for everyone, as wedding photographers, we’ve found that one of the best ways to get around this conundrum is to simply shift the bulk of the creative portraits to an alternate day. Whether it’s the day before, as we recently did with Cissy and Michael, or the following day, which would probably be the day that works best for most people, it really is the ‘have your cake and eat it too’ option for these types of wedding images! Not only does it give you exponentially more time for creatives, obviously, but it also reduces time strain on the wedding day itself, simply because it’s one less thing to worry about. Personally, we do still like to get a few creatives on the wedding day, because our couples are more ‘in the moment’, but even still, it’s a huge time saver.
As I mentioned above, due to their post-wedding day travel plans, Cissy and Michael opted to do a day before first look and shoot, and it worked out great! Starting at about nine that morning, we simply moved at a leisurely pace from one location to the next, until just before lunch time. We started at Riverwalk Bridge, on Jack Warner Pkwy for the first look, made a short move to Manderson Landing after that, then we shifted gears to an urban setting in Downtown Tuscaloosa, and finished up at Capital Park. All told, we shot four separate locations, with dozens of smaller moves and setups therein! You don’t have to be a wedding photographer to see that, even with the most of lax of timelines, this kind of coverage would simply be impossible on the actual wedding day.
All that said, it certainly doesn’t make this the ‘right way’ to do things, it’s just yet another option. There are a plethora of different ways to schedule and plan a wedding, and the only truly ‘right way’ among them is the one that works best for you and your particular vision. Never settle, and never compromise on what’s most important to you!
-Josh
Alabama Wedding Photographer, Tuscaloosa Wedding Photographer, Northport Wedding Photographer
As members of the wedding photography community in Tuscaloosa, we feel that one of our biggest responsibilities is to help guide couples along the long and winding path of finding their ideal wedding photographer. If that happens to be us, that’s fantastic, but if not, that’s perfectly fine too. At the end of the day, what’s most important is, who are you going to be the happiest with? It’s not an easy decision, but don’t fret, we’re here to help!
1) STYLE
We’re just going to jump right in, no need to beat around the bush! Flat out, if you don’t like the look and feel of a prospective photographer’s portfolio pictures, which is the first thing you should be looking at, there’s no need to even consider them. Regardless of price, personality, personal history, products they offer, etc, if you don’t like the images they create, you’re not going to be happy, I can promise you that. Every photographer’s style is different, as is every person’s personal taste. A photographer can take technically correct images, and still have a style that doesn’t suite your particular tastes. You don’t have to like every single image on their website, but you should legitimately love the vast majority of them. Ignore this one at your peril!
2) EXPERIENCE LEVEL
Okay, so you’ve found a photographer(s) whose images you absolutely adore, and better yet, they’re available on your wedding day – awesome! What now? Well, as great as they may be, now it’s time to find out if they’ve actually got the chops to photograph a wedding from start to finish. To be blunt, being a landscape photographer, portrait photographer, newborn photographer, etc. isn’t the same as being a wedding photographer. How many weddings have they photographed? How long has it been since the last wedding they shot? Do they shoot weddings fairly consistently, or is their wedding work more sporadic? Once you can answer all of these questions, you should be able to decide if they have an experience level that you’re comfortable with.
3) PERSONALITY
Once you’re satisfied that your prospective photographer is as capable as they are artistically inclined, now you need to decide if you can stand to be in the same room with them for an extended amount of time. Make no mistake about it, if you don’t like your photographer, it’s going to make for a long and frustrating wedding day! That’s not say you have to be the best of buddies, but you definitely shouldn’t be cringing at the thought of your next face to face meeting either.
4) WEDDING PACKAGES
Okay, you like their work, you’re satisfied they know what they’re doing, and you can even stand to be around them for than five minutes at a time – what’s next?For my money, I’d consider what services and products they’re actually offering in their various wedding packages.Are they so called ‘shoot and burners’ who are just going leave you with a thumb drive and no clue what to do next, or are they full service studio that’s going to help guide you through the process of choosing artwork for your home and helping to prevent costly mistakes?Do they offer albums with their wedding packages, or at all?If so, what are they like?Are you happy with the other products they offer?Do they include an engagement session with their packages, or is that a separate expense?What about bridal sessions?There’s no right or wrong answers here for the most part, but these are things you need to consider to ensure that you have a really great experience from end to end when choosing a wedding photographer.
-Josh
Alabama Wedding Photographer, Tuscaloosa Wedding Photographer, Northport Wedding Photographer
Getting married in Tuscaloosa, and still trying to find the perfect venue for your special day? Well, you’re in luck, because Tuscaloosa certainly isn’t left wanting for some really amazing wedding venues! Below, in no particular order, is a list* that we’ve compiled of some of our favorites. Any one of these locations would make for some gorgeous wedding pictures!
*Know any other venues we should be including? As wedding photographers in Tuscaloosa, we love learning about new venues! Let us know in the comments below, or drop us a line at info@mcdillphtography.com.
Historic Drish House
2300 17th St, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Jemison-Van de Graaf Mansion
1305 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Cypress Inn Pavilion
501 Rice Mine Rd N, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
Southern House and Garden
15308 Shepard Park Rd, Knoxville, AL 35469
Tuscaloosa River Market
1900 Jack Warner Pkwy, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
RichLyn Farms
11310 House Bend Rd, Northport, AL 35475
Bama Bed and Breakfast
46 Sherwood Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
NorthRiver Yacht Club
3110 Yacht Club Way NE, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
University Club
The University Club, 421 Queen City Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Hotel Capstone
320 Paul W Bryant Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Embassy Suites
2410 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
The District Room
551 20th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
-Josh
Alabama Wedding Photographer, Tuscaloosa Wedding Photographer, Northport Wedding Photographer
