Josh Gooden – Photography + Cinematography Blog bio picture
  • My Passion

    Our team of storytellers creates cinema style films that capture and preserve one of life's most precious moments. To be able to capture a couples' pure happiness and joy on one of the most memorable days of their lives is something we feel humbled and cherished to be a part of.

    From the start, we had the goal of creating cinematic wedding films that our clients would love to watch over and over again. Our journalistic and cinematic approach highlights the little moments that build into unforgettable memories throughout the day. From seeing the bride get into the dress that she dreamed about for years to the expression of her mother's face as she walks down the aisle, we exist to capture those heartfelt moments.

    When I picked up my first Fisher Price camera many years ago, I knew it was something special. While at first I was an award winning web designer, I quickly learned that my real passion was photography, and more recently filmmaking. Every photo and film I create tells a unique story beneath the glossy imagery and that is something I think it is vitally important in my art.

Meagan + Donnie // Wedding | Charleston, South Carolina

Back in October, Meagan and Donnie invited us to film their beautiful wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is one of my absolute favorite places, and having been once before I knew it would be amazing. Meagan is also a videographer, so she really understood our process and allowed us creative freedom in almost every aspect. She also follows a lot of our work, so we offered to shoot some Super 8 B&W reversal film in exchange for being awesome. Once we arrived, we met up with Kellan Studios for lunch (they are seriously amazing photographers + also from VA ;]), and we headed to the Isle of Palms to follow Meagan and Donnie as they got ready. Afterwards we headed to Boone Hall Plantation for the first look, which was a cinematographers dream. The three mile drive is lined with majestic live oak trees embellished with cascading Spanish moss. It was absolutely stunning, and probably one of my favorite locations ever. The ceremony and reception were held nearby at the Cotton Dock, which overlooks a small marsh. The texture was off the hook and Meagan really made the space her own. 1500 hand folded Origami peace cranes hung infront of the reception area, as well as over the dance floor. They looked incredible and we were sure to include a few in the footage. After the heartfelt ceremony, Meagan and Donnie danced into the night. At one point Donnie and all of the guests broke out into a surprise choreographed dance for Meagan that was incredible. No one was quite sure when it would happen, but it was truly perfect. Before their sparkler exit, some guests launched lanterns into the night. The sight was amazing and really was a highlight of the reception. Meagan and Donnie were such a thrill to work with and I am so excited to share their film below!!! Enjoy!!

Music licensed through WithEtiquette and The Music Bed

January 12, 2012 - 10:57 pm

Peter - You are seriously the best, Josh. Thanks for sharing your work!

January 13, 2012 - 1:39 pm

ashley barnett - OBSESSED with this location!! Gorgeous!

January 14, 2012 - 1:40 pm

Kellan - How in the world did I miss this posting??? Oh my wonderful! Such a fabulous, fabulous wedding. More than that, the most incredible and sincere couple. What a privilege to work with you Josh. Way to represent VA by crushing it on this video!

January 15, 2012 - 6:37 pm

Jodi - I’ve been SO excited to finally see this wedding! Such a beautiful location and couple, especially loved the Super 8 and the lovely “crane bokeh” :) Beautifully done!

January 15, 2012 - 10:13 pm

will haas - you raise the bar again every time. awesome work.

January 17, 2012 - 7:48 pm

Carrie - Your work is so gorgeous! Love this….

2011 // A Reflection | Personal

IMG 4432web 2011 // A Reflection | Personal

As I prepare to finish the last few films of 2011, I can only think about the thirty-two amazing couples we have had the privilege to get to know over this past year. In January, I wrote about our process, and how the story plays the largest role in our films. The stories this year have been incredible and we were blown away by how many couples let us into their lives, and not just provide “coverage” of their wedding day. We are so blessed to be able to do what we love, and today I wanted to share some advice for any aspiring photographers or cinematographers looking to get into this field.

1) You have to go through a large body of work, before you will find your style.

Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way this year, but it is the truth. Do a huge volume of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week or every month, you are going to finish one project. As Chase Jarvis preaches, “Create, Share, and Sustain.” It is only by going through a large volume of work that you are going to catch up and close that gap. So that the work you are making is as good as your ambitions. You are going to fail, a lot, and that is what will shape your style. You just have to go out there and start shooting. It has taken me over 60 weddings to make me realize what I really wanted to make, and I am still experimenting (might be an endless journey).

2) Your time is valuable.

I cannot stress this enough. Put an hourly limit on what your doing and charge accordingly. I used to give unlimited time at weddings, and no one respected me at all. We would get to the event super early, nothing would be ready to shoot yet, and then we would leave late. Now, I have limits on my packages, and things move on time or it is not captured. You have to be firm on this, or you will end up suffering when you have a few extra hours to edit later on.

3) Personal work defines everything else.

Unfortunately, my schedule this year left me almost no time for my self. I took on way too much work and its strained on my creativity this year. The magical thing that separates us is our personal work. I would go as far as to say that personal work should always come first and should inspire your paid work. It is your chance to experiment without worry. In most cases, personal work has led to me other jobs, and it typically gets more attention than paid work.

4) Respect others…aka the photographer vs. videographer.

We have worked with brilliant photographers, and we have worked with “oh god a videographer” photographers. No matter what, we treat those professionals the same and with respect. While styles vary, I always try to respect another professional’s work, as long as they do the same for me. In some cases, people have given us no respect, and while we are very angry with those individuals, we remained professional. I suggest you research the vendors you will be working with before the event and send them an email explaining what you do and how you do it. After all, we are both there to capture the bride and groom’s wedding day and make it the best it can be.

5) Network and educate.

Networking is essential in any industry, and its gotten us in more amazing situations than we could have dreamed of. Who knew I would be shooting a wedding in NYC for Stillmotion or helping them out on their amazing Showtime documentary if I did not attend their workshop last November. A simple introduction can get you far, and in our case many referrals from photographer friends. You just have to put yourself out there and you will not only make great friends, but you will learn a lot from them too.

January 6, 2012 - 2:31 pm

Katelyn James - AWESOME post josh!!

Caitlin + Erin // Wedding | Richmond, VA

Caitlin and Erin were one of our favorite couples to work with. Their love for one another was so genuine and their vows were pretty incredible (we shed a a few tears). The entire day was so personal and having the wedding and reception in Erin’s backyard was absolutely perfect. Erin built a chuppah for the ceremony, and both Caitllin and Erin, as well as their families, folded 1,000 cranes and helped with the decorations. We had such an amazing time getting to know Caitlin and Erin, and I am thrilled to share their film with you below!! The music for the film is “Gone in Love” by Kelli Schaefer and it is licensed through With Etiquette.

December 15, 2011 - 11:08 am

Angela Parker - You were a pleasure to work with. I love how you captured their love on camera and film! Awesome.

December 15, 2011 - 10:29 pm

Caitlin - I feel like I could watch this over and over forever. Thank you so much, Josh – you and your team are absolutely amazing.

Brittany + Harry // Wedding | Prince Frederick, MD

Today I am thrilled to share Brittany and Harry’s gorgeous wedding with you. They are such a genuine and hilarious couple, and we had so much fun getting to know them over the last few months. Their wedding was held at the beautiful Running Hare Vineyard in Prince Frederick, MD. Katelyn James (one of my favorite photographers) and I fell in love with its very italian feel and Brittany’s amazing rustic details made it even better. Brittany and Harry’s ceremony was very personal and even featured a small band. The music was so beautiful and touching, that it was begging to be the soundtrack for their film.  After the ceremony, Richard Green from Richard Green Entertainment, got the party started and it definitely did not stop. Anna Burke did a fabulous job keeping everything running smooth and she was also fantastic to work with. I hope you enjoy Brittany and Harry’s film below! :]

December 6, 2011 - 11:39 am

Michael - YOU ARE THE MAN!!! I COULD WATCH THESE MOVIES ALL DAY LONG!!!

December 6, 2011 - 11:56 am

Anna Burke - As Michael said, you are the man! LOVE LOVE LOVE this one :) Looking forward to the next time we get to work together!

December 6, 2011 - 12:03 pm

Katelyn James - yessssssss!!!!!!!!!! Gosh can you please just come to EVERY wedding I shoot?! That would be great! And bring those awesome lights too:) this looks GREAT Josh!!! I know brit is going to LOVE it!!!

December 6, 2011 - 12:42 pm

Rebekah Hoyt - Stunning! As usual, of course, your work takes my breath away. Wonderful work, Josh!

January 6, 2012 - 10:13 am

Ingrid - Josh… you are brilliant. The First Look made me tear up. Perfection. =) I can’t stop raving about your work.

Stacy + Kevin // Wedding | Dickerson, Maryland

I am so excited to finally share Stacy & Kevin’s film with you all! They had such great personalities and were so relaxed throughout their wedding day. The Comus Inn in Dickerson, Maryland proved to be a perfect location for their gorgeous ceremony and reception. The weather was perfect and I believe the roosters liked it too. :]  The cocktail hour was one of the best this year with its signature macaroni bar where guests could apply various toppings to their plate of Mac n’cheese. It definitely looked good and guests really seemed to enjoy it. Once the sun set, DJ Rico Mills got the party started and everyone danced into the cloudless night. We had such a great time getting to know Stacy and Kevin, and I am thrilled to share their film below!