By Chris Cummins
chief photographer - Glow Imagery

This is a good film but not a great film. “The Young Victoria” has to be very challenging to write, direct and act because, well… the social ethos of the period this film explores was so doggedly stiff and formal. It does well to communicate some passion from its main characters despite the contraints of the period and genre but something does feel like it is missing.

Emily Blunt’s performance as the young monarch shows a actor with considerable range when you compare her performance here with the wonderful performance she gave in “The Devil Wears Prada.” Scene after scene Blunt’s performance shows a woman who is not prepared for the role of queen but she is not ill-suited for it either. We know the queen will grow. We don’t doubt it especially after she stands her ground to those who we know or suspect have only their own interests at heart.

The appeal of these kind of films seems to be learning of these historical figures in a way that kicks the dust off their lives and our stuffy notions about who they might have been. If there’s a monarch the cinema world has not seemed all that eager to explore it is the monarchy of Victoria.

In the past 10 or 15 years there seems to be a small niche of films that are devoted to the subject matter similar to “The Young Victoria” but of different monarchs in different periods. “Marie Antoinette” from 2007 and “Elizabeth” from 1998 come to mind. “Characteristic of these films is a female central character thrown into a world in which she is surrounded by those with hot and hostile ambitions, she defies a mapped out life but we are sure will have to learn the dark arts of politics and position. The lead character has to accept a life of intricate and complex politics just in order to merely survive, forget about succeeding. These are origin stories about a young woman’s ascent to tremendous positions of history, prestige and influence but the stories are even more interested in romances, torrid affairs and tidal waves of handsome suitors with wonderfully quaint and thoughtful manners. Oh, did I mention the wardrobe and locations? Good grief, that’s half the joy of these kind of films.

For most of us, to think of these people as capable of passionate love is an upending of our conventional views created by stiff paintings and dry history books which makes them all the more intriguing.

The film begins with a teen age Victoria who is little more than a human parakeet kept in a risk-free existence in one of the monarchy’s homes. She is not allowed to walk down the stairs without an adult holding her hand. She can’t sleep alone, all of her food is tested by others before she can eat it. We learn quickly these rules are not so much for her protection and welfare as they are to protect the interests and ambitions of her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson) and her suitor Lord Conroy (Mark Strong) who seems to have only read the Cliff Notes version of Machiavelli’s “The Prince.” He has designs on becoming a regent until Victoria is deemed mature enough to assume the throne.

Victoria is the only heir in line after the passing of her ailing uncle King William IV(Jim Broadbent.) The tangle of familial ties is a tradition of royalty. After all, nearly all of European royalty is brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts to one another. They all have their opinions about who Victoria should marry, but somewhere, somehow Victoria has been given the right to choose her husband, a privilege few in her position have. Soon her uncle dies and she ascends to the throne. The duchess and Lord Conroy’s plans of a regency are dashed.

The queen befriends a charismatic and emerging political force in Melbourne prior to her becoming queen. At the same juncture the byzantine politics and family conections of Europe’s royal families have deemed the queen’s cousin Prince Albert a worthy candidate for courtship of the queen. I’m no expert on the predominant marriage norms of any given period but only in such films about elite royalty do we gloss over such a thorny detail as marriage between cousins.

A romantic triangle of sorts ensues among Victoria and the charismatic Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) and the German Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Melbourne is a smooth operator. His motives and intentions are cloudy and can not be trusted. But the brilliance of such men as Melbourne is their ability to influence us in spite of our skepticism of their cloudy motives.

Soon, the young queen struggles when the political headwinds change and Melbourne is swept from power by parliament. A political crisis ensues in which her deep political loyalty to Melbourne is challenged by the changing mood of the British public. She earns public scorn and rebuke for her stubborness. The queen learns quickly from the crises that despite his warm words and affectionate smiles, what Melbourne wants and what is best for her crown and Britain is not always the same thing.

Prince Albert seizes the moment to prove his worth to the queen and councils her from afar through letters. He is dismayed by her abundant affection towards Melbourne but he persists. Albert quickly works himself into the graces of the young queen. We know he is the one for her.

They soon marry and the film challenges us to see modern values at play in the relationships in the characters. In an era in which women’s rights were not deemed a priority in any aspects of society, politics and relationships it is interesting to watch the queen’s relationship with Albert find its way. He oversteps, she oversteps, they struggle to find the boundaries and roles for one another. Albert has the difficult task of being a true partner with his wife in a world that does not value equality between spouses. It is unheard of a wife holding more public power than her husband but it is a fact of life for Albert. The queen chafes under the control of others, we know not so much because of her title but because of her past experiences.

The relationship becomes timeless because it transcends the period to become something recognizable and admirable even by today’s standards. What the two create is a relationship that is founded upon trust, purpose and mutual respect. She is queen, yes, but they are equals and partners. They find their way and build a loving and gratifying relationship that lasts 20 years until Albert dies of typhoid. The queen endures the longest reign of any English monarch.

There is something absent that does not register with the same charm or heart as other British period films that have been so wonderful. It is hard to communicate passion and arduous emotions in an era which is so well….Victorian.

Here is a gallery of a wedding album from the wedding of Jenny and Todd which took place at the beautiful Arrowhead Yacht Club in Greenwood, Mo. I love this place. I love this couple and their families! Pardon the redundancy but I love doing what I love!

What a beautiful baby girl! Kylie gave us a good 20 minute photography session which is just about all you can ask for from a two-month old baby.

I am pleased to report Chris Cummins, your faithful chief photographer of Glow Imagery, is an excellent sleep inducer for babies. Baby Kylie, like any true starlet, retired to her sleeping quarters after the session for a full day of sleeping. Being beautiful is exhausting!

One of the things which is different about Glow Imagery is Chris Cummins’ overwhelming desire to create a portrait of your child that “speaks” to you - that every time you look at it is gives you chills because it’s so perfect. We will take the time to plan and coordinate everything, so your portraits are emotionally meaningful to you.

Give us a call at 816-550-8830 to learn more about how we can create a wonderful portrait of your child that is even more beautiful than you ever dreamed it would be!

By Chris Cummins
chief photographer - Glow Imagery

I love movies like this. The late film critic Gene Siskel once asked this question, “Is this film as interesting as a documentary of the actors having lunch?”

“Up in the Air” is that interesting and more. This 2009 film, norminated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, stars George Clooney, as Ryan Bingham, a man who’s job it is to fly across the country more than two thirds of the year and fire people. Boy does he fire a lot of people.

Our lives influence our careers and vice versa. Undoubtedly both happen and in the case of Bingham he has created a life devoid of meaningful contact and real relationships. We learn early in the film this impersonal, unconnected reality is Bingham’s preferred way of life, personally and professionally. For Bingham, the risks of caring for someone else far outweigh the benefits.

Bingham’s world is artificial, we are shown a montage of Bingham effortlessly and with almost Fred Astaire choreography gliding through his check in, security pass through and boarding. It provides him a peace he enjoys.

This impersonal world of airports, hotels and rental cars is removed from normal life. Such anesthesia to the lives’ of others enables Bingham to do an abnormal job. Bingham has a truly awful job. The film opens with a sequence of terminations in which all we see are the various reactions of employees after they hear the news from Bingham. None of the fired employees know who he is, many ask “Who are you?”

Clooney’s Bingham would be an unlikable fellow but unlikable is relative especially when you consider his boss played by Jason Bateman and the undignified and spineless executives who hire his company to fire employees they have worked alongside and personally known for years. Despite his job’s requirements Bingham in a few scenes we see Bingham with an ability and willingness to challenge people to rethink how they think of themselves and their abilities at this sudden and awful crisis he is delivering to them. There is a company message Bingham uses about empires and huge successes springing forth from othes who have had such hardships. It can feel insincere the more it is mentioned but that doesn’t change the fact that happens to be true.

Early in the film we are introduced to Natalie Keener a fresh out of college newbie to the world of terminations who has caught the eye of Craig Gregory, Bingham’s boss. She has set the company on it’s ear by suggesting that the terminations, usually done in person by people like Bingham, can be done without all the pesky expense of travel simply by using webcams.

This rattles Bingham, a man who is hired by others to do the unpleasant deed yet Bingham can’t see the logic in making the job even less unpleasant via Skype. Bingham reluctantly is required to bring along Keener to show her the ropes of termination.

Throughout the film, Keener, played by Anna Kendrick, wants to do a good job of telling other people about the end of their jobs. We see she is tough and smart but awfully clueless. She can never fully convince herself of what her mentor has convinced himself: that to really be comfortable with the role of terminating other’s means of self worth, one must treat life with a great deal of cool distance.

Early in the film Bingham has a dalliance with an attractive fellow traveler named Alex, played by Vera Farmiga. She’s clearly attracted to elite status and is intrigued by Bingham’s life without strings attached. They agree to make their get togethers a regular thing. Has there ever been a more futile concept as friends with benefits? Or in this case co-travelers with benefits? Bingham’s carefully constructed life of isolation and no personal commitments is a defense for him, but the more proud and certain we all are about such things the more likely life will find a way to tear those defenses down. Bingham can be no different.

In the film’s second act, Bingham is forced to help his family when his sister’s wedding may be ruined by cold feet from the groom played by Danny McBride. It is a powerful scene with the reluctant groom. Bingham, the man who has resisted all manners of friendship and love for most of his life is forced to persuade the groom why committing to others is so essential to life. In this scene, we see Bingham trying to convince another the importance of not making the choices Bingham has made and in the process Bingham seems to convince himself a life shared with others is truly worthwhile.

The music is beautiful, the acting is wonderful. There are several cameos by many actors, many of whom playing newly “not available” employees that are forceful performances.

The film is directed by Jason Reitman whose other films include the wonderful “Juno” and “Thank You For Smoking” among others. Reitman brings forward layers to this story that are at once very global and topical in terms of the recession and job losses but covers the topic in a way that brings home what work means to our self worth. The film suggests many things - all the great ones do - but among the most moving question is if the world is this arbitrary, disloyal and coarse, how can it possibly be endured alone?

I love my work all because of people like Sarah and Jacob. One of the neatest, most wonderful things about my work is seeing two people share something really amazing. I think there’s so much redemption, hope and positivity one can feel just being around two people who care for one another deeply. It’s like the first day of Spring every day! This is so true of Sarah and Jacob who exchanged vows recently at Village Presbyterian Church and had a terrific soiree afterwards at the Little Theatre in downtown Kansas City.

John Petrovic is an associate photographer for Glow Imagery

I first met John a few years ago while we were both slaving away photographing friday night football games for Kansas City area newspapers. John would invariably have to leave in order to photograph another football game for The Olathe News, a semi-daily serving the suburbs of Kansas City. Over the years our friendship and respect for one another’s work grew.

Anyone who knows me and my studio knows I have a strong leaning towards wedding photographers with a background in daily journalism. Why? There’s a lot of reasons. But primarily I believe the experience of creating front-page worthy art of out of what is usually very challenging, dull subject matter on a daily basis is a an amazing boot camp for photographers looking to branch into wedding and portrait photography. After a few years working for a daily newspaper I know a photographer will have the creative skills, resourcefullness and people skills that are mandatory for making a successfull wedding photographer.

If a photographer can make an amazing front-page image while standing in freezing rain with police officers bossing him or her around while staying calm, friendly and patient then they can handle your wedding pretty smoothly!

Since we met, The Olathe News has become a casualty of the great newspaper meltdown of 2008-09 and John has moved on to greener pastures. We sat down for an interview with John to share a little about himself with our current and future clients.

Q: How long have you been a professional photographer?
A: I have been a professional photographer since Jan. 2002.

Q: What is it you like most about working with Chris Cummins and his studio Glow Imagery?
A: The thing I like best working with Chris is that he is very approachable when having questions and he is willing to give constructive criticism. He is also very fun and great to work with.

Q: What is it you love most about wedding photography?
A: The thing I love most about wedding photography is being able to experience the couples big day and being able to provide them with something memorable they can enjoy the rest of their lives.

Q: What is your background in photography?
A: I started photography in high school as something that was just fun to do. But in college is where I really started to enjoy and it and I feel in love and new it was something I wanted to continue to do as a career. After college I worked in Junction City , KS at The Daily Union for almost three years. I moved back to the Kansas City metro area and worked at The Olathe News for five years.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: In my spare time I enjoy relaxing at home with my wife and 17-month old boy and occasionally trying to catch a sporting event or concert.

Q: What’s the wildest/craziest thing you have experienced as a photographer?
A: The craziest thing that has happened to me as a photographer I think was when I worked at The Daily Union in Junction City. The city is the close neighbor to the army base Fort Riley. I was photographing one of the entrances/exits (at the time I didn’t know it was illegal) for a story and when I was done and about to get in my car, the guards came running at me and made me put my hands up. They then called the local Junction City cops and I was let go.

Q: How do you feel your background in newspapers has prepared you for wedding photography?
A: My background has prepared me for wedding photography in a way that I can see/look for things in a different way than non-journalism trained photographers. I do the traditional posed type photography but will also get photographs that show the emotion that comes with the big day.

Q: Do you have a website where we can view your work?
A: You can view my work at http://jdpetrovic.carbonmade.com/ and http://johnpetrovic.instaproofs.com/

Click the photo to see a gallery of portfolio images from John Petrovic

Q: How would you describe your style of photography?
A: I would like to say my photography can be categorized as “in the moment.”

Q: How do you feel you benefit a couple as an associate photographer for Glow Imagery?
A: My background has prepared me for wedding photography in a way that I can see/look for things in a different way than non-journalism trained photographers. I do the traditional posed type photography but will also get photographs that show the emotion that comes with the big day.

One of our wedding clients from this past Fall received her wedding album recently and had this to say…

“Chris, we just got our album in the mail and it totally made me cry - in a good way. You did such a magical job of capturing our wedding and then laying out our story in a few simple pages. The spirit of both of us and what we wanted for, and got, that day is captured in your images. Thank you so much for documenting our day in such a wonderful way. We will always treasure the photos, but even more than that the class and support you provided on our wedding day.” Jennifer Gordon Erickson, married October 10, 2009.

Check out their wedding album:

The first page of Jennifer and Mike's album from their Kansas City wedding.

Alan Jacobson is a man I want to be when I grow up. He’s been living the curious and gratifying existence of a photographer for many moons.

Jacobson believes what I believe: you do a job once and you do it right. You approach business as an opportunity to serve others. Your professional improvement is a never ending obligation not because it sounds good as a marketing slogan but because a good night’s rest depends on it.

Jacobson also happened to write the single best article I’ve ever read offering a bride and groom advice on how to search for their wedding photographer. Check it out!

Your favorite photography studio was part of a write-up about wedding photojournalism in KC Magazine’s February issue. Check it out, Glow Imagery is on page 17. (Not our picture on the cover.)

Glow Imagery featured in the February issue of KC magazine. (Cover photo not Glow Imagery's)