Archive for July, 2010

Bryona – Class of 2011

July 27, 2010

Bryona  and I took a chance last week to get her senior portraits in on her day off.  It was a rather rainy afternoon and I wasn’t sure if we were going to have to reschedule.  Thankfully the rain stopped about 3:00 and we decided to go for it.  We had to dodge raindrops a few times during her session, but we made it work.  The nice thing about summer rain showers is they are usually short lived.  Thankfully the few times the clouds cried we were able to take cover and wait it out.  That’s a chance we always take scheduling outdoor sessions, but rescheduling is never an issue when the weather doesn’t want to cooperate!

Bryona met me at Rockford Plantation, my favorite place to shoot.  There’s just so much variety in a single location, not hard to kill two hours with a great model and a great location.  As always, here are a few of my favorites from the session.

This next shot is one of my favorites – this is a cover shot!  I think all the bling is what really set this one off for me.  Everything is tasteful and classy, yet really adds some interest to the photo!  This is a great example of thinking about every detail when you get dressed for your session.

When Bryona walked out in this outfit I wanted to call my motorcycle friend, Amy.  I would have loved her awesome pink wheels in a few of these shots!  :-)

We had to take a break for the rain which was a great opportunity for Bryona to change.  I was excited to shoot a few more with some color!  Black, white and jeans are always classy and look good on everyone, but if you have a solid color that looks good on you, don’t ever hesitate to bring that a long too!  Color shirts take photos to a whole new level sometimes!

Anyone who has worked with me knows how “laid back” my portrait sessions are, which is great for helping your relax and not stress over the camera constantly clicking in front of you.  This is a prime example of a shot that just sort of “happened” as Bryona and I were working through some posing.  My instructions are typically very open to interpretation…  which is great because you can end up with some great shots!  Add some color effect and wa-la!  One of my absolute favorites from the session!

These next couple were just the final shots I wanted to get before we quit.  What little light we had on the overcast evening was just about gone, but I love playing around in tall grass and I think Bryona did too!

Thank you so much Bryona for the fun!  You looked great and I’m sure you’ll enjoy these photos more than some of your past shots!  Congrats on your senior year and best of luck with everything to come!  Keep the BF in line too!  :-)

This post is long overdue and I apologize for the delay.  If you’re a Facebook Fan you’ve already seen some photos from the wedding.  I’m usually pretty quick with the Facebook postings, but a little slower on the blog when I get busy.

Enough of the shameless plugs, let’s get to some images.  This was a great day!  If you haven’t been following you might have missed the personal connection I had to this wedding.  Marina is actually Jared’s (my better half) cousin.  I was honored when they asked me to be their official wedding photographer.  I started bright and early with the girls at Luxe where the entire bridal party met for hair and make-up.  The staff at Luxe was GREAT!  Especially putting up with me and my camera!

There was some prep time, looking for possible hairstyle ideas and just some time to relax.  Here’s mom taking a few moments to relax.

Some were relaxing, some were being pampered!

Even Marina had some time to relax.  Checking in with her flower girl who was very interested in her ring!  All kiddos love bling!

Those who were a part of the day know the significance of this shot.  Marina had what many brides fear, a rough morning.   I arrived at Luxe to find out Marina was still home, struggling to make it to the car.  We were all very happy when she finally arrived, feeling better!  She was doing her best to stay hydrated and  happened to capture the famous drink bottle in her hand as she was having her hair done.  Every bride has her own special memories from the day… but there’s always a silver lining the any storm clouds that might threaten!

Hair almost complete and looking great!

Time for make-up and for Justine to admire the amazing hairstyle Marina is sporting!

Although the mirror is missing, this is Marina’s “first look” at her almost complete wedding appearance.  She loved it!

We’re going to jump ahead a little bit.  After Luxe they headed to Riverdale Manor where the girls spent time getting dressed and doing some final touch-ups to hair and make-up.  I was shocked at how relaxed and calm Marina seemed.  Most brides, once dressed, hardly want to move for fear of getting dirty, etc.  Marina was on the floor, touching up make-up and just having a grand ol’ time!  That is right – she is in her dress, with face powder, and NOTHING covering her dress!  Brave girl!  I loved it!

I think someone said something about how crazy she was and she decided to lean front a little — made for a fun shot!

This is the buddy shot to the earlier “drink” shot…  keeping the tummy happy with some saltines.  Whatever it takes!  We were just glad she was feeling better!

I took the girls outside for some pre-wedding fun.  My second shoot Jamie Emig was off working with the guys so I started working with the girls.  Below are a few of my favorites from the bunch we took.

There’s also some great shots of just the bride during this time!

We’re going to jump ahead a little more.  Imagine guests arriving… the bridal party walking down the aisle… the exchanging of rings…  “I now present you man and wife…”

The happy couple!

This is my favorite shot from the day.  Marina and Matt had trees worked into the theme of their wedding, so they were very excited to have a few shots taken with this amazing tree.

Of course we had fun with the whole bridal party too!

Toasts, dances and cake, oh my!

What can I say?  This was an amazing day and it meant the world to me that Marina and Matt included me in such a special way.  You two are adorable and I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

James – Class of 2011

July 20, 2010

It’s time to start featuring the Class of 2011!

Below are a few images from my session with James.  He was a great sport, as most guys aren’t into the whole “photo session thing” like the ladies are!  We actually kept is short and simple, doing the session around their property.

I had some fun with his images – giving them a little different look that I’m used to.  Male portraits just lend themselves to a more rustic, rough look.

I think this is one of my favorites – mostly because we captured a great smile!

Thank you very much James for putting up with me and for being so cooperative!  I hope your mom is happy and you don’t have to go through this again anytime soon!  :-)   Best of luck with your senior year – have a blast!