Video Project Gag Reel

Leap Year Day seems like the perfect day for posting a gag reel of out takes, doesn't it?! Click anywhere in the video window to begin the silliness...


Anne Ruthman-Spotlight- "The Gag Reel" from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

Thanks to Jennifer & John of Northernlight Filmworks for sharing this!
Visit their blog to read more about our video day together...
"Fun with Anne Ruthmann"

Cuicchi Family

Another beautiful fall day portrait session, only this time we lucked out with no rain and the perfect sweater weather! We decided that St. Mary of the Woods in Terre Haute, IN was the perfect place for the family to spend some time exploring the trees and freshly fallen leaves.




I love the simple things that fascinate children and hold their amazement. Something as simple as a leaf, being a source of pure discovery and joy...





One of his favorite things was to play hide & seek between his father's legs...

I often like to see what happens when kids are allowed to roam on their own (with the parent's permission and observation, of course).  In this case, I had a theory that upon seeing the big red tree, the boy would run toward it... and he did until about half way there, when he realized his parents weren't following.  So, he turned around and went back to them. ;-)

Big fingers, little fingers...

I just love the joy in this moment!  One of my favorites!  To the Cuicchi family, thank you so much for letting me capture a beautiful fall day with your family!!

Michael's Senior Portraits

Before there's any confusion... Michael is not a high school senior... he's a college senior at Indiana State University. I never really thought about taking "senior pictures" for college students until Michael asked, but now that I've done it, I kinda wish I had done some for myself!! I looked really different as a senior in college than I did as a senior in high school! Michael's reason for doing portraits was so that he could send a head-shot out on his resumes and applications for grad school, which is such a great idea. Of course, you could also use them for those online personal sites, because you end up looking like a model... but, we'll talk about that another time! Back to Michael... ;-)







I looove this next picture... the dichotomy of his button down shirt and tie with his jeans and chucks (converse)... and his one foot pointed slightly inward... it shows his shy nature along with his ambitious confidence, his ability to be professional along with his individual sense of style. It just says so many different things at once... and I love complexity like that.












Ever since I moved to Terre Haute, IN I had a vision of creating this next image with someone... on Ohio Blvd... in the fall. This is by far my FAVORITE image from our session... probably more for the artistic concept and execution than for any other reason.


I also love this shot... it's just fun, whimsical, unexpected, and a great way to end this blog post...


Michael - good luck in all of your future endeavors!! It was so interesting to meet you and hang out with you!! I see big things in your future!!! ;-)

The Long Family

When we planned this shoot, we were hoping for a beautiful fall day with plenty of time to relax together.... but life loves to throw curve balls (which is also why this is getting blogged in February!)




The weather had been threatening rain, but with this being the family's only weekday off together, we had to make it happen, no matter what the weather had in store. When we arrived it looked as if we could escape unscathed, but before we knew it, we were dodging rain drops and seeking shelter. Then, the sky would clear up, we would run back out to play in the leaves and on the playground for as long as possible until the rain would taunt us again. Despite the weather, Demming Park in Terre Haute, IN provided a great background with plenty of things to keep the kids busy. ;-)




At first mom was really worried about the holiday dresses getting ruined and the kids looking disheveled in the rain, but all I could see was utter cuteness, curiosities and excitement!













We ended up with some really great moments in the short 30 minutes we had together despite dodging rain bullets the entire time! It was so fun capturing children at these ages- and it was really eye opening to see the twin girls with their COMPLETELY different personalities! Thank you so much Long Family!! I hope we get another chance to work together when it's NOT raining! ;-)

Lady Needs a Home

This super cute miniature dog named "Lady" was found by my friends Julie & Tom, on the side of the road around Terre Haute, IN in really poor condition. They took Lady into the vet for a check-up and found that she was in good health other than being underweight and very frightened. They've since nursed her back to health and are hoping to find a good home for her (they already have two dogs of their own.) She's a miniature breed and probably doesn't weigh any more than 8 lbs. (which is less than some cats I know!) If you know of someone who has been looking for a loving pet, I think Lady would be a great companion and she seems to do really well around small children. Leave a comment with a way to contact you if you'd like more info.

Flourish Workshop Vol. 3

My favorite thing about workshops is the ability to bounce ideas off of other photographers and learn not just from the presenters, but from the attendees as well! I'm a firm believer that everyone has something special and valuable to offer if you simply take the time to find out what it is. Sometimes it is the questions of others that cause me to think about different things for myself, and sometimes I learn a new and creative way to solve a problem I've been struggling with... in any case, I'm always excited about workshops for the people I get to meet while I'm there! ;-) Here are some of the wonderful people I met while I was at the Flourish Workshop (which, by the way, is now taking registrations for the next installment)...

First I have to start with my roommate Karen Mikols... I think we were paired together because of how outgoing and crazy we both can be... she's a total ham, just like I am... yes, sam I am




Jaci Clark..





Erich Camping..




Amy Campbell..

Rob Carr...



Susan Solo...


Cindy Wagner...

Alyssa Maloof...


Lauren Cohn-Frankel..

Carmen Salazar...

Eileen Broderick...

Lyndsay Undseth...

Meredith Cope...

Thanks for the wonderful memories!! I hope you all stay in touch until we meet again!!

Monica & Eric Engagement

Smart, witty, ambitious, adventurous, interesting, and grounded all come to mind when I think of Monica & Eric. I just love how real and authentic they are... is that weird to say about someone? Oh well, that's what I love about them. ;-)

They live in a beautiful old furniture factory remodeled for loft style condos in downtown Indianapolis, next to the Indianapolis Zoo, White River State Park, IUPUI, and IndyGo public transportation. I normally wouldn't give this much info about where they live, but they're trying to sell their condo- and if my hubby was teaching downtown instead of in Terre Haute- we would totally buy it!



I liked Eric's personalized pint glasses. ;-)





Don't they look like they could be in a Columbia catalog?

Any question about who their favorite team is?

When I asked what they love to do together, one of the things they mentioned was playing with their dog Riley, who is such a good dog with tons of energy...


They have a nice grassy area for Riley to play in, and I just love this orange throwing-stick-thing they use to throw the slobbery, slimy tennis ball after it's been in Riley's mouth! I wish I'd thought to get one of those when I had a lab who loved to play fetch!


What a catch! I think Riley would have done a back-flip just to catch the ball!


You want Anne to play? HA!


Another thing that Monica & Eric love to do together is take walks along the river. In fact, Eric is the one who developed the INShape Indiana program to promote healthy lifestyles for the people of Indiana! One of the public contributions of the INShape program were these mile markers to help encourage more walking downtown...


They love this bridge...


Along our walk, we crossed paths with a lovely bride & groom who were out exploring the town with their photographer.. how serendipitous!


Of course, being photographers, we had to stop and strike a ShootSac pose! (Yes, I look like the pillsbury dough-girl and yes, I want to poke my tummy and say hee-hee!)


I love trees!


... and kisses...


... and skylines... with kisses...


.. and hugs make me smile... ;-)


I saved my favorite for last. ;-) Sometimes I have a hard time putting into speech what it is that I want to accomplish visually. So, when we were walking by the zoo, I noticed a bunch of animal sculptures standing on top of a hill and I got so excited about an idea that I told Monica & Eric I wanted them to be animals too! Of course, Monica & Eric gave me a funny look and said, "You want us to be animals? Like... act like an animal?" After finally realizing what I had just asked of them, I burst into laughter and explained what I really meant... I wanted them to look like they were part of the sculptures!! My embarasment was completely worth it because this is by far my absolute favorite picture of them together and if I were them, I would get it blown up as a big canvas gallery wrap piece of art for their home. (No pressure!) ;-)


Thank you Monica & Eric for such a wonderful time together and for the FABULOUS Thai Pad See-ew! That was totally unexpected and so generous of you- and sooo much better than what I probably would have had to eat on my way home!! I can't wait for the wedding day!!!

LOVE IT: Once

This movie is written as a "modern day musical" where the characters communicate through songs... but it's not what you would expect. It has a raw and authentic quality which allows the messages, music, and feeling to come through without being over-produced. If you love music, or small independent films, check this one out... I think you'll come away with a smile in your heart.

Alison & Matt Engagement

Dead sexy. I can't help but think that when I look at these two together! They are just too beautiful for their own good!


Alison has these killer blue eyes that are practically glow-in-the-dark they're so bright! Just amazing to photograph.


(these were made using a tilt-shift lens because ya'll know how much I loathe photoshop)


Matt has one of those contagious smiles that makes everyone else smile too. ;-)



When I asked them where they wanted to go for their engagement photos, Alison & Matt chose the downtown canal in Indianapolis by the Indiana State Museum. Even though I've been to the canal what seems like tons of times for engagement sessions, it always surprises me when everyone chooses a different favorite place along the canal!


Of course, what would a walk along the canal be without some skyline shots?




Of course, the canal is also a popular place for runners... so, just for fun...




One of the things I like to do with engagement photos is play with color, angles, expressions, moments, etc to help me figure out what my couples like and don't like. Do they have a preference for warm or cool colors? Muted or bright? Silly or serious? Abstract or real? Fashion or emotion? All of these are little clues and insights about how I can further personalize their wedding photos, so, for me... the engagement session is just a place to play with a bunch of ideas without the pressure of capturing critical moments and memories. ;-)


I love the movement in Alison's hair here and how it so perfectly frames her face...



Last year, Matt's sister celebrated her wedding at the Historical Center- this year, Matt will celebrate at the State Museum just down the street!


Not exactly a steam vent... but a steaming clock that sounds like a train whistle when it blows!

I felt like chocolate was the only appropriate color for this very yummy photo.... mmm... tasty chocolate....


Thank you Alison & Matt - you were fabulous!!! Only a few short months until your wedding day!! I really hope I'm caught up on blogging everything by then!!! ACK!

Video Project Preview

I've been planning a video project for quite some time and this weekend everything finally came together to make it all happen. ;-) The project included three couples: Sally & Rodney, Rochelle & Alex, and Sharyn & Matt as well as the videography team of John & Jennifer Moon of Northernlight Filmworks from Indianapolis. My husband played the part of James Lipton and our dog, Misty, kept everyone off-camera entertained. ;-)

I couldn't have asked for more amazing people to work with... the whole time I just kept thinking: how did I get so lucky?!! Everyone did an awesome job on camera... except for me- I was a train wreck!!! What a far cry from the days when I wanted to be a Broadway actress! I was so nervous that I completely forgot everything I wanted to say and I just ended up nervously rambling the whole time!! Thankfully, I know John & Jennifer will make it seem great no matter what actually happened on camera. However, I have a feeling that my gag reel will actually be longer than my usable footage-HA!

Without giving too much away, here's an itty bitty preview of what we were doing (press play to begin slideshow)...

Lauren & Brian Engagement

Lauren & Brian are one of the few couples that actually live close to me! It sounds so bizarre to say that, but there are definitely times when I feel like I'm living on some island in the middle of a ton of corn fields because so many of my couples are over 100 miles away from me. Even though I won't be able to photograph Lauren & Brian's wedding, I was so happy to meet them and photograph their engagement session.







It was really nice to explore more of my local scenery and discover Hawthorn Park in Terre Haute, which I might not have found if it weren't for Lauren & Brian! The park was the perfect location to take advantage of the peak fall colors we had that day and the rich golden sunset light.



These next two images are of the exact same location, taken from the exact same place... the only difference is the framing and focal length. Don't they almost look like completely different scenes? Photography is all about the eye of the beholder- what one perceives to be beautiful and worth capturing. ;-)

A fenced meadow...


The edge of a lake...


I think my couples who have done this can attest to the fact that it's not as easy as it looks.... but it sure does make a romantic photo...


After they started feeling comfortable, their true colors starting coming out... Red & Blue Cubs colors that is...







(note: this isn't photoshopped and it's not a lensbaby - it's just zooming out quickly at a slower shutter speed)

I read somewhere that long lasting couples tend to have silly little things to remind them of their love for each other, and this little Happy Feet Penguin is Lauren & Brian's little reminder. Sometimes hidden in Brian's coat pocket, or maybe waiting in the bathroom to greet Lauren during her morning ritual, just a small little reminder that one is thinking about the other. That just makes me smile. ;-)


This also makes me smile... ha!


Her ring, his name, soon to be her name... it was just too fun to pass up. ;-) Lauren & Brian - thank you so much for choosing me as your engagement photographer! I hope your wedding is everything you hope for and more!

Riley & Eric Engagement

Throughout their lives, their paths intertwined. Distance kept their hearts at bay, until an oversized tweety bird sweatshirt revealed a handmade crayon gift certificate that read, "This entitles you to one free... husband."


They dream of a simple life together, one of suburban backyards, perhaps a dog or two, and plenty of seasons full of magical colors. Something much like the place where they grew up together and spent many days sharing small joys in their hometown of Peoria, IL.

"There was always a spark between us...."



She has a way with words, while he has a way with metals, but together, they have a way with each other that is calm and joyful in the simplest of moments.








They had their share of long-distance relationship, always coming and going, with only brief encounters to bide the time until they would be together forever.







From one picture perfect couple, to another..






There is beauty and love to be found in the simplest of moments, the smallest of expressions, and in the warmth of embrace.

Riley & Eric, thank you so much for sharing the simple and beautiful moments of your life with me. ;-) I look forward to the wedding day!

A Day To Fall In Love... again

I used to hate Valentine's Day...
because I had no one to love
because I was in love and separated by miles of loneliness
because I had high expectations and they weren't met
because I was in love in with someone who didn't love me
because I didn't love myself

Now I love Valentine's Day...
because it's a reason to hope and dream that there is someone out there for each of us
because even in our separation, we are eternally connected to each other
because there are so many small gifts that I take for granted and need to be reminded of
because someone is in love with me, even if I'm not in love with them
because it's a reminder that we need to love ourselves before we can give love to others
because it's a reason to celebrate the most powerful feeling we can experience

LOVE IT: The Way I Am

Thanks to my wonderful bride Emily who introduced me to Ingrid Michaelson. I just love the mood and message of this song- perfect for Valentine's Day. ;-) Click play to watch the video...

Photo Mentor Auction Closing!

****UPDATE*** This auction is now closed! If you missed it this time, there's always next year!

The countdown is beginning! The unique thing about this auction is that if you wait until the last minute to bid, the auction is going to stay OPEN until the highest bidder is no longer contested! So... you can either put your highest bid in now, or wait and stay up all night bidding. If you only have a certain budget, but would still like to be a winner and have another wonderful photographer give you their objective opinion on your work, branding, or maybe even suggestions on how to improve your workflow, shooting, or marketing- take those dollars you would have put toward someone with a high price tag, and bid on someone who's going for a lot less! Remember that all winning bids go directly to Thirst Relief International- toward creating clean water to help save lives.

Even if you won't be at WPPI, we can still find a time to chat about your business and take a look at how to get you to where you want to be! If there's a way we can meet for your mentoring session, than dinner is on me! On top of that, I'll be your mentor all year long to help you reach your goals.... all for making a generous donation to thirst relief! There are so many great photographers up for mentoring in this auction that it would be crazy not to get some one-on-one time with at least one of them! For example, you could bid on....

LaCour...



Joe Buissink...


Joe Photo...


Garrett & Joy Nudd...


Michael + Anna Costa...


Jules Bianchi...


or Blue Steel... er... ME!!! ;-)


--> Go bid now!! <--

Secret Contest Winners!

The results are in!! After many hours of tabulations and confirmations, we have a winner for the secret contest!!!!!!

**** JAMIE ****

What does Jamie win!? $150 to spend at her choice of one of the following stores:
- 1154 Lill - where she can be girly and create a custom bag
- Apple Store - where she can be geeky and get software or toys for her iMac
- REI- where she can be sporty and find new gear for climbing or buildering

She's not the only winner!!! The runner up is...

** NICOLE GREEN **

Nicole gets to spend $50 at her choice of one of the following stores:
- iTunes - to keep her ipod full of her favorite bands' new albums
- Etsy - to find tons of cool stuff with polka dots
- Ruth's Chris Steak House - so she can have her choice of Steak Fries, Julienned Fries, or Shoestring Fries for her belated birthday or Valentine's Day ;-)

How did these people win a totally secret contest that no one knew they were entering!??!!? Let's just say they gave me a lot of blog love in 2007, and I just wanted to give a little bit of that love back ;-)

$5 Can Save A Person's Life

What did you spend YOUR last $5 on?

Did you save someone's life?

Every day 5,760 people die from waterborne illnesses, many of which could have been prevented with a simple water filter. You can help Thirst Relief International provide clean water to people around the world in several ways....

If you'll be in Las Vegas this March attending WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International Convention & Tradeshow), you can bid on a 90 minute mentoring session with a photographer of your choice! I'd be honored if it were me, but there are tons of AWESOME photographers to choose from (I already know of a few I'd like to bid on!) To see which photographers are trading their time for donations, pre-register on the bidding site now: http://www.fotoverite.org/auction2/ and prepare to begin your bidding on your favorite mentor tomorrow at 10 am EST! Bidding will close on Tuesday unless there's a bidding war- in which case, it will last until the highest bid is no longer challenged.

Here's a tip to help you win! If you're bidding on one photographer and you get outbid above your budget, see if you can put those dollars toward winning another photographer mentor- even if you don't know them personally, I guarantee they'll still have some awesome insights and wisdom they can share with you and you'll probably learn something new!! The winning bids are donated to Thirst Relief International. Just imagine, you could help save the lives of 100 people for a mere $500!! Ever wanted to be superhero? If you win me, I won't just be your mentor for 90 minutes... I'll be your personal mentor all year long to answer your questions, give gentle direction, and help you accomplish your goals!  If you'd like to bid on me CLICK HERE!

If you won't be at WPPI, you can still make a difference by visiting http://www.thirstrelief.org/contribute.htm and make the next $5 you spend go toward saving a life! It's not just awesome karma, it's paying it forward.

Sarah & Alex Engagement

Sarah & Alex will be taking the plunge later this year right here in my little town of Terre Haute, IN. Even though they are from elsewhere, it is Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (one of the top engineering schools in the country) that brought them together.



They'll be getting married in the White Chapel, which you can see above and in the background of several other pictures. They decided to do their engagement here as well to really capture this campus that has been such a large part of their lives together.

I don't like shooting in near direct sun, especially when it doesn't line up with the scenery I want to use in my background, but that was the only time of day that all three of us could get together, so I made the most of it and I'm actually pretty happy with the results!

I just love the golden light look- it's so warm and fuzzy.  From what I hear, no one really swims in this pond... unless they're just doing it to be crazy... but it does make for pretty reflections!

This next image was processed with some split-toning in Lightroom for a retro feel.  I just love how the color processing brings out the actual texture of the sun flare light!

If I remember correctly, this is a dormitory that they both lived in for a while. ;)

It would be a disservice to Sarah & Alex if I didn't capture their goofy side in their engagement photos!  These two crack me up!  They wanted to include some of the random artwork on campus and it started off with one sculpture and being fairly tame and then it just got sillier and sillier as we went along!

Sometimes I like to bring a fog machine with me, just in case we can get some cool light.  Okay, I'm totally lying.  This "smoke" is actually steam from a sewer vent.. just like with Meg & Eric's engagement pics. Luckily no one got hurt this time! The steam smelled kinda bad, so they were only in the middle of it for about 15 seconds, but that was still long enough to get some cool shots. ;-)

ATTN: PHOTOGRAPHERS

I love you guys, I really, REALLY do. Unfortunately, I'm getting so many emails from photographers right now that I simply cannot respond to them all while still taking care of my precious clients who've hired me to produce the very same images that you like to ask me about. This is why message boards and forums are great! You can go and get the opinions and answers of MANY different people- not just me! Here's a list of FREE resources for you to find all of the wonderful answers you could ever possibly need!
http://photolovecat.blogspot.com/2007/02/free-online-resources.html

I'm incredibly flattered that you're interested in MY personal opinion and advice! You guys make me feel so special! I really loooove helping people, but I really need to scale back on how much I'm helping individual photographers until I've fully taken care of myself and my clients. If you really, truly, absolutely MUST get MY advice- there are a few ways you can get a personal response from me...
- If the question pertains to images on this blog, just leave your question in the comments under the appropriate post
- If it's a general photography question, leave a question on my photolovecat.com blog
- Attend a workshop with me (**click here** to see where I'll be and when)
- Schedule a phone consultation for $150/hr
- Schedule an in-person consultation for $250/hr + travel
- Come to Terre Haute, IN and take me out for lunch, dinner, or a spa treatment together (wishful thinking? ha!) ! ;-)

Thank you for understanding and for all of the awesome love you've given me!

Kathleen & Rich's Wedding

I have been waiting for soooooooo long to share Kathleen & Rich's wedding photos with you!! I feel like I've climbed a million mountains just to get these images on this blog, and I'm so happy that I'm FINALLY able to share them with the world! As a bride, Kathleen reminds me so much of myself.... but WAY hotter!! She was so organized and had everything under control, and was able to delegate as much as possible so that she was calm and relaxed on the wedding day- for that alone, I give her huge kudos! I'm pretty sure she also has a big knottie following because I get a ton of hits from her community bio (hey D-town girls)! I'm too busy to be a lurker, but just from her bio traffic, I get the feeling that other girls love her ideas and value her opinion, which of course, makes me feel so lucky that she chose me to be her photographer! It's like I got to photograph a mini-celebrity! ;-)


The well-known Posh Brides by Kari hair & make-up artists were on-location to take care of the girls at the hotel. This next image cracks me up because it's looks like a doctor performing surgery with a bunch of interns worried as to whether she can pull it off or not! Veil placement is serious business! HA!!


When I started in wedding photography, I thought I was a "photojournalist" because I took candid pictures like the one below...

However, once I had a chance to study with some REAL photojournalists... like ones who worked for major newspapers and won pulitzer prizes, I learned that the above image is really fine art because of how much of the story it DOESN'T tell, and that for it to really tell a story, I had to include everything that was going on in the scene, not just the pretty parts. So now, I strive to create more images that can really tell a story with just one image, rather than with lots of isolated moments and details...


When Kathleen's father saw her for the first time in her wedding dress, his face lit up in a way that made him look like a little kid again!


This isn't something we normally have to deal with, but it's really difficult to go through a revolving door when the train of your dress is being held up by someone else! So- feel free to just ignore those bossy signs. ;-)


I love the abstract quality of this image and the fact that our eyes can't really focus on Kathleen or her dad without seeing the other...


Rich gave Kathleen this gift to help her find her way back to him, should she ever find herself wandering astray...


For some reason, I love those in-between moments when people are just waiting for something to happen. There's no strong action or emotion... just... waiting...


I love this quiet moment during the ceremony between the two of them, I think it gives us a real look into their relationship...


The ceremony was held at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, MI. It's such a beautiful chapel for weddings with so much natural light beaming through the windows!


OK, I have a mini-rant spawned by the image above. Please, please, please light your unity candle in such a way that we can see what you're doing! K&R- don't feel bad, it's not your fault, no one told you. In fact, it's my fault for not saying something during the rehearsal- DOH! I've had so many weddings recently where all I get to take a picture of during the unity candle ceremony are the butts of the bride & groom because they put the candles at the back of the altar and no one tells them to turn to the side. Same goes for moms lighting the candles at the beginning of the ceremony, just stand to the side while you're lighting the candle and we won't stare at your backside while you're up there! If you're going to include the symbolism of joining two flames, two families, into one... please let us enjoy it with you! OK... mini-rant finished.

The Mr. & Mrs.!!


The guests... waiting... for their turn through the receiving line...


The bridal party, donned in their aqua dresses, pin-striped tuxes, and peach-pink flowers. (Thanks to Gary, I now know that I used "motivated lighting" for this shot)


Kathleen & Rich built in extra time for creative portraits around Cranbrook and downtown Birmingham..
I just love the lines in this one- which is so appropriate for Cranbrook, since Eliel Saarinen designed the entire campus on the foundation of leading lines and forced perspective...


The news headlines on their wedding day...


A favorite late night spot..


Kathleen put her graphic design skills to work and designed all of her own stationary and labels, and worked closely with Gourmet Invitations for her invites! I love crafty brides! She also had a candy buffet with white and blue candies, and her cardbox was decorated to look just like her cake! Her flowers were done by Nicole of Westborn Market in Berkley (the neighborhood where I started elementary school), and Paula was her cake baker/decorator from Cakes Our Specialty.


Their reception was held at Petruzzello's in Rochester Hills.


The paparazzi always crack me up. I'm glad that I could at least capture Rich's mom's reaction without a camera in her hand. ;-)



Kathleen told me that her dad had been talking about the two of them waltzing together since she was little. Awwww!! ;-)

The nine-piece band, Pursuasion, kept the dance floor full and the party going all night long!





I offered, but he was looking for the genuine "self-pic"...


Random Hello, Kitty sighting...


Kathleen does an AWESOME Robot! I totally can't do it justice with still images!


Kathleen & Rich, thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to photograph your amazing wedding! I'm so glad I got to know you!! If the time and thoughtfulness that you put into your wedding are any indication of how you pursue everything you love doing, I know amazing things are ahead for you!!


(not photoshopped)

If you loved the pictures, you should also check out John's (TriFoot Productions) video footage of their wedding! (and unfortunately some footage of me shooting- doh!)
Special thanks to Delia for joining me as a second shooter, and to Marianne of Bliss Weddings for coordinating!

See Me, Hear Me

SEE ME

From the creators of the famous Trash the Dress and Don't Box Us In blogs comes an amazing shooting experience called "Leavin' Las Vegas" on the last day of WPPI (March 20th) and I've been invited to be a guest photographer!! I have to admit that I'm completely star-struck because the other photographers I'll be shooting with are people I've admired for a looooong time and have always wanted to meet!! The fact that I get to shoot alongside them is completely blowing my mind right now. So, if you're attending WPPI and want to stick around for an awesome shoot-out, join me and photographers WAY more awesome than myself for a rockin' good time at LEAVIN' LAS VEGAS!!!

HEAR ME

Last week I was interviewed by Joe Mauer of The Green Tax Podcast- a blog and podcast dedicated to spreading ideas about living an environmentally friendly lifestyle, all while not buying into the "Green Tax" that some companies charge for greener living products. Joe had found out about my Indie, DIY, Offbeat, Green Wedding Photography Giveaway and decided to do a feature on the contest and the ways that I'm being green in my business. Even though I sound like a complete dork in my interview, I still thought it would be fun to share it with you!! Be sure to leave the guys some blog love while you're listening to the podcast, because they're sharing some awesome info all for the love of it!
CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW

FEEL ME
I couldn't have a title like this and NOT pay homage to the original...

Flourish Workshop Vol. 2

One entire day of the workshop was dedicated to shooting and lighting. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of shooting models during workshops. I don't really need the models for portfolio material, and unless there's some brilliant new method of lighting or shooting that I didn't know about, I don't get a whole lot out of watching other people shoot either. However, even with all of that baggage, I still found the shooting and lighting part of the Flourish Workshop to be better than many others I had previously experienced! I really loved the studio lighting information, since it's something that I don't have as much experience with, and I absorbed every little bit of info I could get! Of course, working in Angela's huge studio with soooo many different lighting possibilities was incredibly spoiling and fun to experiment with! Of course, it also made me lust after having similar possibilities for myself one day. ;-)

We started the day off with Kimberly shooting natural light for two different couples, first up was our casually dressed Angela & Luke...






I can't pass up a funny out-take moment!


Then our evening wear couple, Lizzie and Sam...


I looooved her dress!












I have to be honest and say that I spent most of my time shooting the other photographers during the natural light sessions, but I'll save those pictures for another post. ;-)

Once we got back into the studio, Angela shared a variety of different lighting possibilities for her bridal sessions, and she had some gorgeous girls on hand with beautiful dresses and makeup to match! I really love how she created each lighting, scene, and pose based on the overall style of the bride- it definitely gave me something extra to think about toward enhancing and customizing each session.



Our romantic/classic bride was Erica, wearing a Romona Keveza gown..




I love Angela's silhouette in this image..


Our modern/trendy bride was Sarah, wearing an Amsale gown..






By the way, since I'm not a huge fan of photoshop, you should know that 95% of these images are just great light, beautiful makeup, and gorgeous girls!



This veil was phenomenal! I loved the variety of textures! I seriously never thought I could fall in love with tulle until I saw this veil!


My absolute favorite bridal was our avant-garde bride, Leah with her feathers and forties look in her Paloma Blanca dress!


I'm crazy about the feathers!




... and this is how she got in that position in the first place- with Kitty's fabulous posing...


Angela whipped up some pretty interesting looks too...


... but I can't resist a great smile...


Another great behind-the-scenes silhouette, this time of Gary, Angela's hubby and workshop lighting guru. ;-)


I think someday I may put together a book of all the pictures I take of people without their eyes...


If you aren't on eye-candy overload at this point, hold on to your seat, because it only gets steamier from here!!

WARNING: before you scroll down, perhaps now is NOT the best time for your boss to walk by and see you looking at my blog!


Kitty finished off our whirl-wind day of shooting with her approach to boudoir photography, which she calls "Lights Out". Kitty's approach is different from mine in that she creates more of a fantasy session with various costumes and props- removing her subjects from their everyday lives. Where I'm much more of a purest and a minimalist, focusing on form, shape, and lines that occur naturally and simply. I think it's great that there are so many different boudoir approaches to choose from, and it was fun stepping out of my box and shooting a different style for a little bit. The girls were awesome, and so gracious to let us publicly share images of them in more intimate attire.



I love the shadows in this next one! They were created by someone standing next to me on a ladder, and I decided to include them in my frame to add an element of form and a secondary element of interest...








Even when I'm shooting a completely different style, I still seem to naturally prefer black & whites for boudoir work!




But i did try to keep as many color as possible, especially when the color element was a strong part of the image....












One of my faves..


I was going for cool shadows...


.. and I ended up with shadow puppets... ha!!




By the way guys, the ring is fake.. this girl is hot and single... and she's hilarious!!




We called these the spicy sausage panties...




It would be a shame if I didn't give special thanks to the dream team that made these gorgeous girls look even more amazing!

Dresses were courtesy of Bluegrass Bride


Makeup Artist, Ana Crane-Simpson



Hair designs by Rodney Farmer, Salon Figaro, Lexington KY (sorry, no pic of him hard at work! He was awesome!)

Thanks again to all of the models who worked their butts off and did an amazing job!

February Desktop Images

Every month I try to post a new image that is suitable for displaying at desktop size and resolution. Click on an image to download a copy for your desktop.



Variations on the same theme.. a snowy Valentine. ;-)



Taken with Canon PS870 with a few manual settings and levels adjustments in PS for stronger contrast.

This one is for my wonderful blog readers...