2 days ago we talked about coming out of the SLC LDS Temple and some group shots… and more or less about the beginning of this wedding.
Read It
We shall now continue
We’ll focus on the kids themselves and then next edition we’ll end off with the reception
I think this is a picture one of my interns took as I was setting up a shot… he got in close and photographed this neat moment. Go Will!
In any case you’ll notice a distinct usage of plant life in their pictures… a couple of reasons, she loves plant life, she studies it up at Utah St and she is even did her reception at Cactus and Tropicals and so I’m thinking I’ve done more than a few weddings at SLC Temple so I wouldn’t mind at all focusing on some places I haven’t been to a lot since often I’m focused on the building.
OK let’s meet them
This is Bret
He’s older than you think… not like ancient or anything but he’s older than his brothers who we kinda met last time.
And this is Michelle
OK we hope to hear from Michelle and Bret later with their stories and advice from the day and hopefully learn about what pictures are special to them with some fun stories why.
But for now I took a quick peak at the pictures she posted on facebook to see what she was liking.
She put up that first one
A couple of my favorites I put up last time
And there’s nothing like a good ol fashion straight smiling at the camera kinda picture.
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Last wedding story was quite the read wasn’t it? Hope you enjoyed it.
I’m thinking about cutting this one down in more manageable chunks… plus it means that I get to string it along for more days. I mean I wasn’t supposed to tell you my tricks. I suppose it’s more like a mini-series with jack bauer just about to do something crazy right at the end and you have to tune back in to see what happens in the next installment.
So here we go.
I was here
This was the first picture of the day… I took it to test out the camera. I just got my 14-24 2.8 back from the shop not too long ago and I missed it for getting cool architecture stuff.
So we so often show off when LDS bride and grooms come out of the temples… like their mini-revealing and unveiling. Their version of walking down the aisle.
But what happens prior to that moment… the non-lds (mormon) in the audience might find this interesting.
I’ve often seen many photographers just sitting in a waiting room waiting for their bride and groom… they’re missing out… this is time to get to know the family and get some of those candids and solo portraits.
Such as…
Then the moment comes… they come out.
Many times for the actual ceremony she’s wearing a different more subdued dress and so she goes and changes into her wedding dress, so often this really is the first time most have seen her.
Except of course her mom who probably went with her dress shopping (with the card) and her sisters who she played dress up for, of course. haha
But I present Mr. & Mrs. Spencer
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Let’s get down to business announcing a few things.
SMUGs
I’m heading the Utah County SMUG. (Smug Mug User Groups)
What is that? It’s a photography group meetup, sponsored by SmugMug but anyone can come even if they have no clue what SmugMug is… just a chance for photographers to get together, network and learn stuff. Oh and eat!
The SMUGs will be typically once a month on Tuesdays with guest speakers and fun events. If you have ideas pass them along.
In addition to guest speakers, possible photoshoots, training, we’ll probably combine past UPES events as well as Meet the Photographer events that more or less ceased when I no longer had a projector.
Yes people from other counties are invited just as we’ll be announcing and encouraging you go to the SLC SMUG group which meets every 3rd wednesday.
BBQ – Smug (September 14th)
The first event for us will be September 14th – It’ll be different. It’s a photographer BBQ – It will take place in Pleasant Grove at the residence of Jeremy Hall. More information to follow.
FLASH CAMP (September)
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I’m Scott and I shot a Biker.
Don’t worry he deserved it… well at the very least he asked for it.
This is him… doesn’t he look like he needed to be shot.
So let me walk you through how this all went down.
I get a call to do another photoshoot for a hair and makeup studio (a post here)
Then I think to myself I could do some more of these really cool setups.
I’ll put on facebook an offer for whoever has the best photoshoot idea. It was poorly worded because what I actually wanted was someone who’d work with me on a photoshoot… not someone with a fun photo op. They were saying go to this festival or this event thinking perhaps that’d net them family pictures later. I’m not sure.
But my Man Joshua understood what I was talking about. We were talking about something like this.
A creative process a team event… not something scott would show up to and take pictures at. I wanted something more involved where the client would play a part.
I also wanted something where the person was excited and willing to work at it.
Josh was into it, he polished up the bike, thought of a place and he thought through a bunch of ideas.
Did I use all of his ideas… nope. Did I use many… not sure.
I don’t recreate pictures in people’s minds but I LOVE when they have ideas that I can take and mold them with my own spin.
That’s what I tell everyone I say… be creative! I welcome it! But at the end of the day I’ll shoot what comes to me. But I feed off of their ideas and their passion and creativity.
Josh likes driving fast down this road.
Scott has never been on the road… so i’m obviously thinking….
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8 of the 12 people that came to JarvieU Flash Camp 2
Since it was warmer we were able to stay out until almost midnight with instruction. We very much enjoyed the full moon rising about an hour after sunset.
See many more pictures on the SmugMug gallery
(Above taken on tripod with interval timing so I could get back in the picture and take several shots in a row)
(Above: Some flashlight light paining behind subject done by Wade Heninger)
The next day we focused on a more discrete flash lighting.
New Intern Will took the picture above with his D60 at f/10 – Mostly I just did lighting for people and explained what I was doing and why.
Picture by Janna – Lighting by yours truly (above and below)
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We’ll go ahead and divide this wedding day up into a couple of posts.
The ceremony was actually the 2nd part of the day after the First Look earlier that day at La Caille where they’d later return for the reception.
The ceremony was at a church in Park City where the bride’s dad is a pastor.
The bride was my first intern last year and so she knew a lot about wedding and planned a wonderful wedding.
If you want to see a bunch of highlights go here for now – and/or wait for the future posts
There were several photographers assisting me… this picture (above) was taken by my associate Amanda
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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.
More from this shoot (From last year)
OK so i’ve photographed in rain plenty before… but something I haven’t done was shoot with the rain ONLY behind the subject but not at all in front.
See the problem is the rain can sometimes be in their face and you have too shoot a bunch of shots to make sure you have one where the rain isn’t ruining the picture . Granted these were small drops.
So we are on a sidewalk downtown logan utah under a large awning, the rain is falling just inches behind her. So it works. I can actually back up a pretty good distance and well her hair isn’t even wet. Oh but I suppose my backlight is a bit wet on the ground behind her, but like I said it wasn’t raining hard, I guess I could have used a plastic bag.
So next time I want some shots and it’s raining I’ll probably think of overhangs.
Cat and Jared got married last month.
I did their wedding pictures out here in Utah even though they got married in DC/NC
Sometimes it’s a much much less expensive option to get the formals (pre-wedding pictures), if you’re on a budget and can’t have it all might as well have one thing be really awesome, perhaps better than have everything be just a bit mediocre.
So for a bride on a budget consider doing a pre-wedding photo session and then perhaps going for the more risky less price on the wedding group pictures. Or perhaps do it the other way around.
So we did her bridals and formals all inside. A portion at the capitol and a portion at the SLC library.
We did go outside for a couple of minutes at the Capitol.
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Recently I’ve started to take a lot more individual portraits at the engagement (and other) shoots.
Figure they (and parents and friends) would appreciate them.
The parents can put them on their wall next to their senior pictures and they can even use them on facebook if they like.
Why not… just takes a few seconds… kick the fiance out and see their personality by themselves not in their comfort zone with their love.
Then I’m able to tag them as such and in SmugMug make a smart gallery that will pull all these shots into one album… like so
Get a small patch of cool stuff and don’t look at it and say “Darn, I wish there were more so I can get this cool shot I have in my mind”
Realize for a moment it’s not going to happen you can’t make another acre grow real fast… deal with it.
Make what you have work to your advantage. Don’t live in what could have been. Start dealing with what you have.
In actuality this section of cool plants was plenty large enough to get the pictures I wanted.
The angle I chose was to make the plants look more plentiful, but not just that but because I didn’t have a never ending supply in the back.
This is the big reason why she’s down on the ground.
If the field were bigger or I could get up on a ladder I would have shot from on high but with her standing as well.
Then of course I got down because we all know I love shooting in through stuff.
I also felt a nice up close portrait was in order.
Brooke asked her mother what she wanted for Mother’s Day and I’m told this is it.
Sounds perfectly understandable… I think everyone should do it.
I expect to be booked up for… forever! haha
But really I can totally understand not only does the mother benefit from getting the actual pictures but she also gives her daughter a chance to feel beautiful in front of the camera and beautiful for years to come each time she looks at the pictures.
What a good mother!
Again not a huge section of awesomeness to play with but when you’re shooting straight down you don’t need much.
Which makes me remember to say get them in all sorts of positions (sitting, leaning, lean-sitting, you know… everything) why?
Because they’ll feel more comfortable in some than others…
(unless your style is a total posed style. Well then don’t listen to me if that’s not your style and your not intersted in bringing out their personality… move along nothing to see here)
Backlight… Create your own, or put them in positions where it already exists.
See more pictures here
May Bo and Dallan got married earlier this month and their wedding pictures are soon to come.
But a couple weeks before hand I had the chance to go up to Logan and take some bride and groom pictures of the two of them.
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No Thank You!
Thank you for always wanting me to do your pictures since we’ve gotten to know eachother, glad we could make it happen.
And I hope I did it justice!
To see more go here - Posted 180+ right now… more to come
Some professional photographers won’t do family pictures… I love it. I also don’t mind giving huge discounts for them.
You can’t slack off on them, in fact they’re probably even more work, but that’s what family is for, helping out.
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How we met
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.
Here’s a gallery of the first set of 70 pictures
Royal Treatment
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.
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