Wedding
Kirra and Brandon's engagement session was epic. I guess it makes sense then that their formals session was even better!
Kirra's blue shoes were so fun- a great way to bring a splash of summer color into things...
Each of these three photos has a pretty distinct difference in how they feel, and I love each of them for that reason.
Kirra and Brandon will be getting married August 10th. Congratulations you two!!!
BreAnn and Jon were actually married about 3 years ago. We shot an "engagement" shoot for them the fall after they were married, and BreAnn said that one day we would do a formals (aka "groomals" and "bride and groom photos") shoot for them. Formals are one of the more common sessions we do, whether they are about to get married, whether they are already married but didn't quite get what they were looking for. Sometimes we'll do a formal shoot if wedding day coverage doesn't quite fit into the budget, and most of all we'll do formals if the couple just wants to have awesome wedding photos where we are free to pick the location, timing, flow, and feel of the session. Formals are my absolute favorite type of shoot to do.
I absolutely fell in love with this staircase. I love the contrast, the texture, and the colors! It was only after we finished that we noticed the signs warning about dangerous rust of the supports and structure... :-/
Well all's well that ends well, right?
I love shooting with some more direct sunlight, because if you do it right, you get that perfect backlighting to make the colors pop, and still get the fill for your couple.
And this last photo is actually just one I stopped and snapped on a whim as we were walking by on our way to the car. I looked over, and just had to stop. Such a gorgeous building!
...Holli and David! I have never met such a helpful, considerate bride and groom. Love their style, their willingness to deal with some rain, their playfulness with each. These two are simply awesome. And they're tying the knot today!
These are some of my favorites from their formals session in Saratoga Springs a few weeks ago.
So much personality, so much beauty, so much style, I don't know what to say other than amazing!
More photos from the reception will follow, but the details at Alexandra and Tyrel's wedding reception were so involved and so beautiful I felt I needed to dedicate a post just for them. The reception was at Alexandra's house in Las Vegas, and her backyard was perfect for it.
Someone must have climbed up into these trees and spent hours hanging all these little crystals. The whole effect was breathtaking!
All the perfect touches.
I LOVED the fruit skewer bouquets! I'd never seen something like them before... beautiful, colorful, and delicious!!
With all the lights they has placed around the yard, things just got better as the sun went down!
Last month we went down to Las Vegas for Alexandra and Tyrel's wedding in the LDS Temple there. It was the first time I had shot at that temple, and the building and the grounds were beautiful! We got a nice, sunny day, with the perfect breeze to help keep us all from melting.
I love both Dads standing there to usher the couple through the doors! Don't Alexandra and Tyrel look fabulous?
Like I said last year, palm trees automatically make any photo 117% better. You can look it up!
The architecture of the building is awesome. Very different from most of the ones I end up shooting.
I'll post the photos from the reception later on today!
Maria and Jonny were married last Friday at Log Haven up Mill Creek Canyon. It was a gorgeous day and quite the party. I had a blast, and am now able to share some of their formals session that we did a week before the wedding. We went to Memory Grove and the Capitol Building in downtown Salt Lake City.
I love love love this first photo. The light is so perfect, and highlights how stunning Maria is.
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Awesome sky? Check. Sufficiently dramatic pose? Check. Oozing self confidence and general fantabulousness? Check!
Isn't Maria gorgeous? I loved her dress! So elegant...
I love me some sweet sweet reflections! It's like they're standing on mirrored glass...
And when the sun goes down, you get that perfect time known simply as "the blue hour".
With signs in every retail store reminding me that Father's day is approaching, I've been thinking a lot about my Dad recently. I've mentioned that he was my introduction to the world of photography, but I haven't said how important his advice has been along the way. So I wanted to share the experience of deciding to do our first bridal fair.
I shot my first wedding in February of 2009, worked full time for most of that year in photography, and I took a class with Kenneth Linge called "The Wedding School." We reviewed photography techniques as well as business practices, and I felt ready to take my business to the next level - the world of bridal fairs. It was scary. Thomas and I calculated a $3000 budget to fund our first fair, and I didn't actually have that money at the time... but you can make money by spending money, right? I believe that the answer is yes, but only IF you spend it correctly.
This is where my Dad came in. Thomas and I were considering the possibility of a business loan, knowing that if I booked at least 3 weddings at the fair it would be paid. I talked with my dad about my fears, my concerns, but the exciting possibility of moving forward. And he gave me the best advice I've received about making a decision with this kind of risk.
He told me to ask myself three questions:
The best possible outcome? Oh, that's easy. I'll book 25 weddings that day and become rich and famous soon after. The worst possible outcome? Well, that's the scary part of risk. I don't book a thing, I have to pay back the $3000 from our emergency savings, and I lose all self esteem. And the most probable outcome? I took a guess: 2-4 weddings from that fair. But who knows!
I realized from asking these three questions that I was comfortable with the risk involved, even with the worst possible outcome. It wouldn't ruin us financially, and at the very least, 1000 brides would see my photos and people would start to recognize my name. So we went for it. And after all was said and done we booked close to 10 weddings as a result of doing the fair.
I was just thinking about this experience and all I learned, and I wanted to share the advice from my Dad. In a decision evaluating risk, I feel much more comfortable moving forward when I can ask these questions and know that I'm ok with the answers. To any other photographers that are starting out, or anybody else thinking about taking a risk, good luck as you are making your own decisions and watching your businesses progress!
Here's a look at the booth we managed to put together for our first fair...
... And we made a few improvements for the next year.
Martina and AJ are such an awesome couple. They are super happy and cheerful, and were always ready with big natural smiles. Martina is paralyzed from the waist down, and so we had some fun coming up with different variety of poses and angles while she was sitting. She is so gorgeous, you wouldn't even notice!
We ended up shooting at Temple Square and the Capitol Building in downtown SLC. Talk about your perfect spring day!
