Alli was my roommate back in college, and I happened to have a hand (a very drunken hand) in hooking her up with her now-husband Matt, so naturally there was no way I was going to let them get married and not let me be their photographer! It’s always a pleasure getting to work with friends, and it was doubly fun because we got to shoot at one of my favorite Houston hotels, the Alden Houston. Normally there is a pretty hefty fee to shoot there, but since Allison’s surprise bachelorette party was being thrown there a few days later, we managed to get it for free. Woohoo! Note to all you brides – the Alden is a swanky place for a party – and a portrait session! Here are some of my favorites:
Allison is married!
Alex is graduating!
Although I absolutely looooove shooting seniors, I don’t get to do it very often because so much of my time is focused on my wedding clients. So I was definitely excited when I got the chance to photograph this awesome girl a couple of weeks ago at one of my favorite spots, Addison Circle. At first I was bummed to see that Octoberfest had taken over most of the park, but we decided to make the most of it and get some really unusual stuff. Here are a few of my favorites:
Thanks for hanging out with me Alex, I had a blast! It was especially great to know that the session fee from your photos went towards a great cause that means a lot to us both :)
If you’re a senior and are tired of the same old studio shots (think Napoleon Dynamite: “Now make a fist and ease it slooooowly under your chin.. This is starting to look really good…”) and want something more fun and modern and YOU, send me an e-mail, I would love to work with you!
Pricing change!
Holy cow, how did October get here so fast? Yipes! Well, the fourth quarter will be upon us in two days, which brings with it some good news and bad news.. I will let you decide for yourselves which is which. :)
First and foremost, my prices will be going up effective October 1, 2008. Any price sheets sent out with third quarter pricing will be void, except for those with a signed contract. That means that if you have been waiting to get your wedding booked, you’ve got two days to do it before the prices jump! Hurry hurry!
Second, I am very pleased to announce that I am almost entirely booked for 2009. Yowza! My goal for next year was two weddings a month, 24 total, and so far I have two weddings booked January-August of next year. That means that I am currently only seeking out weddings for September-December of 2009. I may accept one more wedding in the second or third quarter (if you think your wedding is going to be amazingly awesomely unique enough to convince me, let me know!), but for the most part, I am pretty content with my schedule for January-August.
Third, I have availability for ONE destination wedding for next year. In the past two years I have traveled to four countries and countless states, and although I have had the time of my life, frankly, I kind of want to stay home for awhile. Also, it’s really important to me to be able to provide my clients with great service, and I know that when I am traveling all over the world on a regular basis, my customer service often suffers for it, and that sacrifice is not worth it for me. Therefore, for 2009 I will only accept two destination weddings, only one of which can be international. If you’re interested in hiring me for your destination wedding, e-mail me ASAP!
Thank you so much to all of you out there who are supporting me and my business. You’re all wonderful and I couldn’t do it without you!
Humpdates :: Good for the Soul
Some fun stuff to share for this week’s Humpdates. This past weekend was a rare weekend where I did not have one single photography related thing to do AT ALL, but of course I managed to find a way to make it all about my business.. By redecorating the office! Jason and I had been using it as a catch-all office and storage space. However, because he is virtually never in it and I am virtually always in it, I got his approval to get rid of his desk, repaint, and redo the room (as long as it wasn’t too girly, that is). What do you think – too girly?
Prior to this, the wall color had been my least favorite color in the entire world – burnt orange. Gag! ;) Although this grey-blue is not exactly what I wanted (I was hoping for something more pewter), it’s nice and bright and neutral, which is good for a photography office. Most of the furniture and decor pieces are from either Ikea or Target.
Eventually I will have a ton of canvases and print arrangements hanging on the wall, as well as a projector set up for showing slideshows and doing projection proofing, but for now it is a happy little workspace. If you’re in the area, come by and kick your shoes off and hang out :)
On Saturday I headed to the Frisco Petsmart to help out with the Frisco Humane Society Adopt-A-Pet. In college community service was a huge part of my life, and I ashamed to say that since graduating I have mostly focused on doing things that benefit me and my business. It felt so good to finally give back to a cause that was bigger than myself, and the care of animals is very very near to my heart. Naturally I had to bring my camera along and get some shots of these adorable little pups!!
If you’re looking for a pet, I strongly encourage you to check out your local humane society instead of going to a breeder or a pet store. There are so many kind, loving animals out there who desperately want homes, and rescuing one of them from a life alone or, worse yet, no life at all, will be the single most rewarding thing you will ever do. Check out some animals who need loving homes in your city by going to Petfinder.com!
Last but not least, last week I shot a killer portrait session that I can’t wait to share with you all in the next day or two, but until then, here is a small little hint… Anyone know where this spot is?? Jason Huang, your guess does not count!
Garter Toss tip!
I just got a great idea from my new intern Jessica! If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you know that the single boys don’t exactly fight to catch the garter. Who can blame them – it can be a little weird to carry around a lacy piece of lingerie that has been on their friend’s new wife’s leg all day. If you want to really give them a reason to fight for your garter, tie on a gift certificate to Home Depot, Best Buy, or some other cool store, then watch the meleé ensue!
From the Tacquard-Lynn wedding (which I am uploading right now, Alli!):
Jaclyn and Mark’s Day After Session
Okay, so it’s sort of a Day Of Session.. Since Mark and Jaclyn’s wedding ended fairly early in the day, we went ahead and did part of their Day After session as soon as the reception ended. It happened to fall at the perfect time of day, just before sunset, where the light is the most beautiful. Since Kelly and I didn’t know the area at all, I had to rely on Mark‘s amazing-photo-op-location-scouting abilities for our locations, and he certainly knew how to pick them!
Our first major stop was in a little town called Helen, where everything is German-inspired, from the food to the architecture.
Jaclyn is definitely not the type of girl who loves to be the center of attention.. Wandering around in the middle of a busy city square wearing a huge wedding dress was not exactly her cup of tea, but we are so proud of her for toughing it out. Hopefully the photos are worth all the unwanted attention!
After scarring poor Jackie for life, we managed to find a secluded park where we could get some more romantic shots. I love parks!
The next morning we headed to an old abandoned building that we had seen on the side of the road. I love old worn-out warehouses almost as much as I love solid color walls!
Then Kelly spotted an amazing parking lot filled with old vintage gasoline pumps.. What a cool find! We didn’t stay long for fear of someone getting tetanus, but we did get a couple of really awesome shots.
The goal of this shot was to capture the lovebirds surrounded by “tree monsters”… Don’t ask.
Finally we finished the day at a small airport tucked away in the forest. We nearly got run over by a couple of planes trying to take off. Whoops!
Jaclyn and Mark, I cannot thank you enough for allowing Kelly and I to photograph your awesome wedding. We fell in love with the both of you, and I just wish you guys were closer so we could hang out more! If you’re ever in Texas, you know who to call!
Kelly Niemann, thanks so much for taking so many amazing photos and being the perfect second shooter. You’re awesome! Go check her out!
Jaclyn and Mark are artsy!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.. Photographers throw the best weddings!! When Mark Elkins, my friend through an online photography community, began his search for a destination wedding photographer, I knew I had to be the one to shoot his wedding. He and his then-fianceé Jaclyn are super sexy, their wedding was going to be an intimate affair in a tiny town outside of Atlanta (one of my favorite cities!), the wanted to do a Day After session (and you KNOW how I love those), and of course, that unbeatable photo-factor. Working with photographers is such a joy because they totally “get” me and understand what I am going for when I do something unusual. I also had the pleasure of bringing along friend and fellow photographer Kelly Niemann to shoot with me, and we had an absolute blast cavorting all over Georgia!
Jaclyn and Mark’s wedding was a very unique one, for many reasons. First and foremost, instead of throwing a huge bash, they stuck to their small-town roots and had their wedding at Mark’s parents’ home, with just their family and closest friends in attendance. Here are a few details from the day:
I absolutely LOVED Jaclyn’s dress.. I am a sucker for ruffles :)
Don’t you just love her hair? Stunning!
Writing his vows before the ceremony.. Slacker ;) Just kidding!
My favorite.. The rings!
Coming down the stairs for the ceremony
Some quick formals after the ceremony. Jaclyn and Mark’s Best Man and Maid of Honor are also married – Cool, huh?
Their reception was a very short one. They shared a sweet first dance..
Ate some cake…
And hung out with all their friends!
I love little details like this one of Mark fiddling with his new ring. I think it’s the tiny moments like this that really tell the story of the day.
Check back soon for images from their awesome, awesome, AWESOME Day After Session. Big thanks to my second shooter Kelly for taking several of these gorgeous images!