For 30 years, Mike and Maureen Bibus have been capturing the most important events of people's lives on film.

From weddings to senior class pictures to family portraits, Maureen says they record "a memory forever and ever … it stops time, it captures that moment and it's irreplaceable."

"It provides a service that people enjoy, it means something as time goes on. It records a joyous event, a happy event. We want to make images that people are proud of, that they are proud to have," Mike says.

They are obviously passionate about their work, which started completely by chance in 1972 when Mike was working as a meat cutter at the Hormel Foods Corp. Photography had been a hobby of his since he was in the army, but though he loved it, Maureen says, "he didn't know what to do with it."

Then, she explains, one of Mike's friends from work complimented him on his photography skills and asked if Mike would photograph his daughter's wedding. "We were so nervous, we did not sleep the night before and we checked our equipment not once but probably five times," Maureen remembers.

The pictures were beautiful and they've been going ever since.

They've taken photos for more than 1,400 weddings in their 30 years and "now, we're doing weddings for kids whose parents' wedding we photographed," Mike says, chuckling.

He and Maureen even took the photographs at their daughter's wedding on June 1, the day before Bibus Photography's 30th birthday. "It was different," Maureen says. "Very bittersweet," and somewhat nerve-wrecking to be the parents of the bride and the photographers, she says.

They say they always remember how important weddings are for the bride and groom and how important it is to capture everything just right, so they only book one wedding a weekend. "It's that special. We want to have the time to try and do our best at bringing out the personalities of the bride and groom … we're not always perfect, but we try to bring out that part of them and make everything very relaxed and personal," Maureen says. "We're known for doing our own thing. They say copying is the highest form of flattery, but it's also a way out and that's not how we want to do business."

No two weddings, graduating seniors or family portraits are ever the same and the couple tries to stay inventive and up-to-date with the field by constantly educating themselves. "(Mike) is constantly reading, constantly updating," Maureen says.

It only makes sense for him to stay current with the industry, Mike says. "You have to keep up. If you snooze, you lose, but it's more fun that way. It keeps you on your toes," he explains.

Bibus Photography is located at 2214 16th St. SE in Austin.

For more information, call 433-1213.

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com