We were staying at the beach house of next week’s bride (last week) I thought it’d be fun to do some pictures for her (spontaneous) prior to leaving back for Utah. So we talked down to the beach and took some pictures in a short 40-60 minute block of time she had open.
I love that she’s picking something different for her wedding dress and it matches her personality and looks.
Kind of the typical items in the list of bridal details are Veils, Shoes and Flowers
But too often missing is a fun hat. haha
Yes not too many can pull it off.
These pictures were taken early last year… I was assisting a friend. I was busy on another wedding the day of this brides wedding. Even though I got to show up at the wedding for a moment since both were at the same location.
Back-lit scenes are awesome and even more fun with some good lighting work.
But how about those lens flares
I know the majority of people love warm colors… but I stayed with a very cool look to this one on purpose, just to see if I can convert people to different color schemes on pictures. While trying to maintain keeping a natural skin tone.
A different look: Meaning a bunch of different looks in the same spot.
A different look: As in a different kind of spot to begin with.
Try both of these things.
You don’t need an amazing background for good pictures… sometimes they’ll even detract from the main part of the picture which in this case was the bride.
We got the flowers, the full dress, the face and emotion and eyes and all that stuff.
These pictures were taken late last year but I fear I might have glanced over them and never really shown them on the blog… so here they are.
So this is Carissa many people have her to thank that I actually started doing internships and training and teaching people on a more one on one sorta way.
She contacted me about 18 or so months ago asking to be an intern (for last summer) and I was like “What?!” you’re kidding right?! Well it happened and I’ve learned a ton since then, specially on the realms of how to share what I know, how to teach and mentor.
I’m happy to have gotten to know her, spent a bunch of last summer at shoots with her and in the office. Never got sick of her and I don’t suppose her of me.
She was always thirsty for knowledge and never a prima donna or felt that she knew it all, and it was that passion for learning and zeal for photography and her eye for a good picture that led me to tell her I didn’t have any qualms believing she’d become an amazing successful photographer.
Well back a year ago she already knew she was getting married, just had to return to Indiana (from Utah) and finish her last year of college (BA in Photography) and now she’s back.
Getting married next month and her bridal pictures are now done… and here they are.
The pics
Me and another good friend of ours David Terry were asked to shoot and since David is an over achiever he already blogged his pictures (which we took YESTERDAY) and so now I had to follow suit. Also because most of my pictures right now are weddings which aren’t as time sensative as a bridal session for an upcoming wedding.
Carissa informed David that Jake doesn’t check the internet a ton… so it’s alright to post these. So hope it’s all good for me too.
So she had two amazing photographers… and two assistants two those photographers.
Her mother was there.
We were shooting at a beautiful location (La Caille in Sandy Utah)
It all worked out swimmingly and I’m sure she felt like a princess, because she looked beautiful of course!
Trying out some fun back lighting to make the Bride stand out!
(above) Far right is probably one of my favorite pics
having two photographers makes it fun because I get to photograph different poses I wouldn’t have done before. In different ways and different angles of course.
Many of my favorite pics were actually asides that I said… let’s try this out for a moment and we ended up staying there for a bit, because my moment lasted many moments.
Let this be a lesson to never cancel just cuz of weather.
Just be prepared.
Know how to make it work.
It might mean you have to different stuff than on a more normal day.
But that’s how a good photographer and a good photo shoot goes… Roll With The Punches.
This was slated as an 8 hr formals shoot.
I didn’t realize it was a 2 and a half hour drive so it ended up being 6 and a half hours long.
I had several people asking me how in the world we’d be able to go for that long when most times it’s more like 2hrs.
Well I just told them several times to be prepared to work hard too… that’s 6-8hrs of modeling, it’s a two way road.
They were naturals and since they knew and picked how long it would last they never once complained and were totally into it.
What an awesome photo shoot.
By the end her hair was totally wet and nothing like when they started… but we adapted and adjusted just fine.
And we actually all stayed pretty warm.
We had a lot of traveling in between spots… abt 2hrs driving in the car… that was the saving grace.
Being able to warm up from time to time and to reset and find new places with new pictures.
Just cuz it’s snowing doesn’t mean you’re excused from not laying on the ground.
You better have prepared for what you’re wearing to get down and make the shot happen.
If she’s in a wedding dress in 6 inches of snow you can lay down once or twice.
Thank goodness for a lightstand so that the assistant can park the car while you take advantage of the last reminents of twilight.
On the left is a spot he was planning on for a while and very excited about.
On the right is a spot he’s probably past a hundred times and never even noticed… but I saw on the way down and new we’d need to stop there. Both winners!
I took 1400 pictures many reasons
They were really good looking
We shot for so long
I loved the locations
When snow is falling you have to take a bunch to avoid the snowflakes showing up in bad spots like in front of their eyes.
But the picture above was in the first minute of shooting and is amongst my favorites.
They did a great job at expressing emotions in their pictures… and that’s something you can’t really pose.
Props to the bride for not only being willing but more than happy to go out to the stinky gnat infested waters of the Great Salt Lake.
And to her Mom and two sisters and niece that came to help.
And to my wonderful Intern Heidi who braved the swarms of mosquitoes that came out about 5 minutes prior to this shot
Annika (the bride) had no problem going out into this little area in her beautiful wedding dress and in between being sucked dry by mosquitoes she even posed and smiled.
Now for the exciting part…
Usually I spend a good 10-20 seconds editing pictures… but I was happy to see with the great lighting and flash assistance from Two directions
There was NO Editing on this picture.
(It makes me happy to be able to say that)
I didn’t have time to really even review pictures because we had overstayed our welcome with the blood suckers. So I was just hoping things would be in focus.
And to top it all off it was pretty much the very last picture of the night. Huzzah
I kinda wonder what we could do to it if i do decide to edit it…
what a beautiful sunset and what a beautiful bride.
I will post the rest when i get to them i suppose… but for now back to the weddings from a few weeks ago.
Here’s another photo shoot I did about a month ago and they’ve since gotten married
It was in a week or two span that every bridals i did she had the groom come along as well.
It’s a break from tradition but it seems that they specially enjoy it if they’re not big fans of getting pictures taken by themselves, or if they want pictures up at their reception.
I’ve got some fancy new toys like new lenses and lighting stuff.
I’m working better with all the people coming to assist.
It’s a lot of work getting each person to know what to do specially when it seems i have to deal with someone new each time.
But i’m getting better at it and showing them their job faster and better.
While still keeping the connection with my clients.
Things are starting to get even busier around here with 3 weddings each week for the next few weeks.
It’s just about the right time to start getting in a groove.
And I think I’m in a groove, taking things to the next level.
I’ve been spending a bit more time on lighting my pictures.
ALSO, after years trying to get faster at editing… I think I’ve slowed down.
Sometimes I’ll edit all the pictures then go back through and see what I missed.
Checking a second time to see how I can improve the pictures.
Yes maybe I don’t have tons of time for it at the moment but i think it will help step up the level for times to come.
The plan is to do Fewer jobs and focus on them a little more.
(Which happens to mean an increase in price, but shhhh don’t tell anyone. haha)
I hope you all have enjoyed what you’ve been seeing these days.
The following set is from the SLC library in case you wanted to know the location.
Finding and working a new location on a whim… Pays off.
Don’t you just love the reflection off of the glass.
The one on the right looks almost fake. For some reason it just came out that way. I did add a bit of vignette.
I admit it’s not the perfect wedding picture, but as a regular kinda modely picture for some reason I love it
Girls love their veil, their ring and romantic moments… so that’s a 3 in 1
Are they technically called “Formals” since the groom was there too? I’m not sure
But since I wasn’t going to be around for the wedding (conflict of weddings) while i was there I did these.
Yes I know… It looks somewhat fake eh?
We did shoot middle of the day because I went 4-wheeling later that day.
So I was happy for the chance to get into some shade.
I do like that she had these flowers… they look real don’t they?!
They really liked these types of plants… I thought they were awesome.
I put the f stop up high to catch a bit more of the sun and of course flash to light up the foreground (them)
Leave a reply