Engagements - Becca and Todd

Engagements at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and surrounding areas.  Becca and Todd were delightful - they were dancing and laughing... made me smile throughout the whole session.  If we can all be happy, photoshoots are fun!  It doesn't even feel like work.

 

Here's a fun story:  These two met online (rather common for many of the couples I come across these days!) and there first date was ... wait for it ... to the DMV.  They renewed their licenses together at the start of the relationship.  I think that's kind of adorable!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! - Back to Ireland through a Photo Journey-

May 2012 - My first discovery of Ireland.  I fell in love with the entire country and left my heart there.  The people, the music, the rainy days, cobblestone streets... there's something magical about Ireland.  And one day, hopefully soon, I will return.  Until then, let's all wear some green, work on your best Irish accent, and enjoy an amazing St. Patrick's Day!!!

I wrote often while sitting at cafes and feeling inspired in Ireland.  On the same street as the photo above, I set some of my favorite lines to music; here are the most inspiring words from that sequence:

The cobblestone streets beckon me

The rain on my face makes me free

The people I know and the ways that I'll grow

In Ireland.

 

 

 

  

  CHEERS!!!

  (These photos are all from my visit back in 2012)

For the Love of Music

Another stock shoot.  And another chance to celebrate beauty in life.  Music is a language of the heart.  When I can't find words, I can often find a song to express what I feel.

So this was an interesting shoot.  And one I hope to revisit.  3 lights, a couple roses, and a piano (keyboard).  Just at home, a typical Monday evening :)

Behind the scenes:

And the first two photos from the session accepted by istockphoto (click on the photo to see it or purchase it on istock's page):

 

One other thing I learned today:  I'm so keenly aware of visual beauty being a photographer.  Then the music - my ears are always listening.  But I often forget to smell (except those smells that make us wrinkle our noses, right? ugh).  So, stop and smell the roses.  Or any flower you see (on the side of the road, in a vase, whatever it is!)  Who cares if people are watching?  The simple things like this help me feel truly alive.  And that is a reason to smile.

I know, I know, I'm a little more poetic than usual.  Sentimental.  Reflective.  Maybe even cheesy.  But I want to make a difference with every photo I take, and it's an exciting journey as I re-discover how to see the world through a camera lens every day.  It makes everything worth it.  I share these photos because I am a photographer.  And I am grateful.

Celebrating Beauty

  I had a wonderful conversation with an artist friend this week about photography, the purpose, and what really drives me.  Yes, there are times I get burnt out.  There are times when I want to give up photography all together.  But the people, the places, the beauty... That's what keeps me connected to my camera.  I have the opportunity today to show you why you are beautiful.  To let you see it through my eyes.  And the world.  This beautiful world we live in.  Every day, I see the mountains, I see a new sky - cloudy, sunny, colorful, or dark is dismal.  It's all beautiful.  And those moments of reality - tears shed, a crying baby, a playing child, the sun rising over the mountain, or even simply the way the light shines on the leaves of the trees.  Moments in weddings or families.  Moments in events or activities.  And moments of peace in nature.

Today, I am alive and that means I get to open my eyes and celebrate the beauty all around me.  As a photographer, my job and my opportunity is to show the beauty in the world as I see it.

Through my eyes, my lens, here are a few examples of the beauty in Turks and Caicos (Caribbean).  There's a story behind every moment, but today I just want to share the photos and let you see what you see.

 

Underwater Photography

I've had quite an adventure this year, lots of new possibilities opening up in this wonderful world of photography.  This week is about underwater photography - In Turks and Caicos (Island in the Caribbean) scuba diving, learning and photographing everything I can. Here's a sneak peak.  Me, 70 feet underwater, with a camera and strobe, taking a picture of ... something awesome, I'm sure!

Photo by Terah Rae 

The Season of Bridal Shows!

Thanks to everyone who came to see us at the Greenband Bridal show in January - at the Salt Palace.  Come stop by today at the Utah Valley Convention Center!

2013 Comes to a Close... Weddings in Review

  The clock struck midnight and everyone cheered, kissed, danced, hugged...  My phone buzzed with messages of gratitude,  messages of well wishes for future, and  messages of love, friendship, reflection.  I had a few moments to sit and reflect as well.  While there's nothing particularly different about the moment of midnight December 31st than any other moment, I still like to join everyone in reflection - what made this year great?  Another 365 days of life.  What do I want next year to be like?   Reflections and Resolutions.   I am grateful for 2013, for the challenges, the growth, the learning, and the many people who have impacted my life.  I've photographed some beautiful moments and worked with many beautiful, loving people.  That's why I like to photograph weddings:  There's very little more rewarding than seeing the way a bride and groom look at each other, recognizing TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES.  I believe this is true every day, but I love capturing the moments when people are so aware of it.  It's inspiring.

As I stated at the beginning of the year, we were only going to accept 10 weddings in 2013.   We aren't keeping the same limit for 2014, but I'm glad we did this.  We stayed true to the limit, though I did take a few photos at my older brother's wedding (I couldn't help myself!).  That was a special day.  Such a unique, emotional experience!  Sometimes I think it's easier to hide behind the camera so no one knows how sentimental I am - They might not be able to see the tears that way :)

Here's my brother and his wife, Nathan and Liz: Ceremony and reception at South Padre Beach, Texas

I want to thank each couple for contributing to my year.  Thank you for inviting me to be there to witness and capture such monumental moments in your lives.  I feel incredibly humbled and grateful that my job includes opportunities like this.  Here's a photo-review of each wedding day in celebration of you!

1. Mattie and Carston

Ceremony: Bountiful Utah LDS Temple

Reception: Wight House, Bountiful UT

 

 

2. Kiera and Brandon - Los Angeles California LDS Temple

 

3. Michelle and Sam - Salt Lake City LDS Temple

 

4. Kathryn and Merrick - Timpanogos LDS Temple

 

5. Britney and Taylor

Ceremony: Salt Lake City LDS Temple

Luncheon: Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Reception: Huntington Beach, California

 

6. Jordyn and Colton

Ceremony: Timpanogos LDS Temple

Reception: Sleepy Ridge Reception Center (Orem, UT)

 

 

7. Sarah and Brady  -   Ceremony and Reception: Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT

 

 

And yes!! They had a life-sized Jenga game :):):)

8. Alexis and Bret - Ceremony and Reception at Noah's Reception Center

  

9. Melissa and Nathan - Ceremony and Reception at the Alpine Arts Center, Utah

 

 

10. Angela and James

Ceremony: Salt Lake City Temple

Reception: Bella Vista Reception Center

 

Thank you all for a wonderful year.  Congratulations at this exciting stage of life!  We are looking forward to the future and welcoming in 2014.  As a good friend of mine said, "A book of 365 blank pages starts today.  What are you going to create each day... each moment?"

Happy New Year to all!

Stock Photos in use

  My wonderful assistant Casey made a discovery this week.  He held onto this information for 2 whole days so he could see my reaction in person when I found out.  And yes, it was worth it.  I screamed, I did cartwheel, I ran sprints in the parking lot.  I have not experienced that much adrenaline in years.  Finally!  This is what I have been looking for for since 2011.  And here it is:  You can use Google search with an image, not just with words!  So I dragged some of istock images into google and was able to locate some of them in use!  So for starters, here are several examples of how my most popular stock image, the hot air balloon photo is being used!  Wahooooooo!!!

Inspiration - A Winter Night in Park City

It can be easy for me to get stuck in a routine - get the camera gear ready, shoot a wedding, hope I got everything the clients needed, then spend hours at the computer editing the photos.  Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job - I love the variety of people I get to meet, I love the emotions I get to capture - to freeze a moment forever.  I love how beautiful the world is.  Nature, people, buildings, light, all of it.  And I have an amazing career of showing people how I see the world.  Showing how beautiful the world is.  But still, photography is a business to me.  I'm working for clients, and even though I love it, it's still work.  Hard work.  So I am generally less inclined to pick up the camera unless I'm getting a paycheck.

A recent debate in my life is whether photography is art.  For me, the answer has been no.  I feel like I capture what is already there when I take photos, whereas music or other artistic pursuits in my life are creating something internally and finding a medium to communicate it externally.   However, I received quite a compliment this week.  And this helped me rethink my approach.  There was a comment on one of my photos that said: "...You have such an amazing eye. I'm one of those people who's always sort of thought that photography wasn't really 'art' but seeing some of the truly astonishing photos you've posted, has changed my mind. You really have a gift for framing scenes in a way that shows others the beauty in the world, which we might not see on our own."  Wow...   That one comment gave so much purpose to what I do.  It's beautiful.

Then I have a day like today.  Today, I saw the beauty of the seasons changing from Fall to Winter.  And I couldn't help myself... I pulled over on the side of the highway, put my camera on the car, and started taking photos.  It was inspiring to breathe the fresh, crisp air, to photograph a scene I knew (the famous Park City barn) in a new light.

It was simply beautiful.

And this is what I want the world to see.  There were dozens and dozens of cars that drove past me while I was taking these photos.  None of them stopped to see what I saw, and that's ok.  They were on their way to whatever night life was going on, or maybe headed home after a long work day. I don't know that any of the drivers were even aware that there were mountains with a beautiful field and snow covered barn... it was quite dark.  But I wanted to yell "The world is a beautiful place!  Open your eyes!"

The 30 second version of the rest of my night - I met a pleasant crowd of people at a karaoke bar on Main St, sang several songs, then walked through the beautiful night in an area of Park City I had never been.  Inspired by beauty.  The people, the nature, the air, the energy, the little stream, the way the leaves sat on the pathway, the way the light hit that wall... I believe with all my heart that there is beauty everywhere we look.  If we are willing to look for it.

And now, goodnight!!  Sweet dreams to all.