Anne-Spotting

I'm feeling a little famous!! But really it's just because I've been photographed by some really cool people. ;-)

The first Anne-spotting happened on June 21st, when the fabulous Davina posted some pics of me on her blog. We roomed together in Texas for the Foundation Workshop and before I even met her, I had a feeling that she was an awesome woman. Rooming with her was such a wonderful experience and I'm truly a better person for knowing her. I feel so lucky that I can look at these photos and remember the wonderful person behind the camera. ;-)




There are more pics on her blog... CLICK HERE TO SEE

The second Anne-spotting happened on June 23rd, on the infamous bobbi+mike blog. Every month a group of area photographers meet to talk about various things in our businesses and to share new products and ideas. This month, Bobbi came to the meeting armed with her camera and snapped candids of everyone doing their thing. Ironically, most of us don't usually bring our cameras, so we had very little defense against the shutterbug. Knowing how much she loves pictures of herself, and seeing her camera abandoned on the floor, I made sure to snap a few pics of Bobbi too- one which you can see on her blog. Bobbi was actually one of the first people in Indiana who helped me feel like this was a place I could call home, and I'll never forget that. She's quickly becoming a superstar and one day I'll be able to say the famous Bobbi took my picture. ;-)


Seeing this picture makes me wanna poke myself in the tummy and laugh like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. ;-) Tee Hee!

Kim & Pete's Wedding

Kim & Pete are so in love and it shows in everything they do! They started their day together, hanging out with family in their honeymoon suite at The Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, MI.




Doesn't Kim look gorgeous even when her hair is a mess?!! She had the biggest smile on her face all day long!!


This photo just cracks me up!! The wedding party is the new paparazzi!


Here's what they were taking a picture of- all of the girls in their custom tank tops:


The flower girl and ring bearer were so cute! Especially when they weren't expecting to have their picture taken. ;-)



The finishing touches of becoming a bride...




We went outside for a few portraits before the ceremony began and the wind was tossing Kim's veil all over the place! Here, one of her bridesmaids is trying to keep it under control!


The set up in this chapel is very unique, but it certainly makes for some very dramatic images!



At one point during the ceremony the priest did something very unexpected. He pulled out three gifts - one for the maid of honor, one for the groom, and one he held onto. He asked the bride & groom to choose one and they ended up picking the one the maid of honor was holding. The priest made two lessons out of this. The first thing he mentioned was that he was happy to see that Kim & Pete talked about their choices before making a decision together. The second was that they chose the gift that was meant for them and that even though the other gifts may tempt their curiosity after they've made their decision, the only gift that was right for them was the one they chose in the first place. What a powerful way to demonstrate a message of faithfulness.


The guests loved the "Candy Shoppe" where they could fill up small bags with lots of different treats..



During dinner Kim & Pete ran a slideshow of childhood pictures projected onto a screen for everyone to watch. Of course there had to be some funny and embarassing moments included!


This is my absolute favorite image from the day. When DJs don't have much lighting with them, sometimes I'll set up a second light somewhere to help add a little bit of drama and backlighting on the dancefloor. I just love how the light outlines the shadows here and yet gives us a little mask of light on Pete's face just before they kiss. LOVE IT!!!


Kim danced with several of her uncles and here's one of my fave... again, love the expression, moment, and light!!


In keeping with the film noir style images... Pete & his mom...


Time to party!!



This girl was soooo excited that she got the bouquet!! She even managed to do it without ever letting go of her teddy bear!


In the middle of a crowded dance floor....


Kim & Pete - thank you sooo much for making me a special part of your day!! May the best be yet to come!

It's a Tie!!!

Actually, it's a pair of socks, a package of Lefsa, and a magnet. ;-)


Oh my... how do I split up the prizes?! I certainly didn't plan for a tie!! Lynsey and Alissa both had 31 votes at 1 pm EST. Congratulations ladies!! Luckily I purchased an extra set of socks and lefsa for myself, so you'll each get a pair of Bergen socks and a package of the traditional Norwegian treat, Lefsa. I'm keeping the magnet though - since I'm giving up my socks. ;-) Thank you so much for playing!!

In case you're interested in making some fresh Lefsa for yourself, here's a recipe, followed by a YouTube video of a Norwegian bachelor making some with his mom!

INGREDIENTS

* 18 baking potatoes, scrubbed
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 4 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel potatoes and place them in a large pot with a large amount of water. Bring water to a boil, and let the potatoes boil until soft. Drain and mash well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 cups mashed potatoes, cream, butter, salt, and sugar. Cover potatoes and refrigerate over night.
3. Mix flour into the mashed potatoes and roll the mixture into balls about the size of tennis balls, or smaller depending on preference. Keep balls of dough on plate in the refrigerator.
4. Taking one ball out of the refrigerator at a time, roll dough balls out on a floured board. To keep the dough from sticking while rolling it out, it helps to have a rolling pin with a cotton rolling pin covers.
5. Fry the lefsa in a grill or in an iron skillet at very high heat. If lefsa brown too much, turn the heat down. After cooking each piece of lefsa place on a dishtowel. Fold towel over lefsa to keep warm. Stack lefsa on top of each other and keep covered to keep from drying out.

Bed Jumping!

I debated about whether or not I would actually post this. A few people dared me to. The professional in me thought that it would be soooo unprofessional, but the Anne in me thought that it would be sooo funny!! Even though I take my JOB very seriously, I try not to take MYSELF too seriously!

The night before a wedding is usually quite stressful - double checking equipment, making sure batteries are charged, and thinking about all of the things I want to try creatively while also having anxiety over the shots I absolutely have to get. So, when I found the website bedjump.com, I thought I'd give it a try at the last hotel I stayed in. If you're staying in a hotel the night before your wedding - I highly recommend a little bed jumping to help you relax!! Not only was it a great stress reliver and a ton of fun, it was also a great workout!! The professional in me also used it as an opportunity to experiment with some different off-camera slaved flash techniques. Yes, I'm a dork and here are some of my slick bed jumping moves...

Jumping Froggy Style


Crouching Writer Style


Floating Feather Style


Flying Clown Style


After seeing these a few people commented that it looks like I might be on the Indiana State bed jumping team. To my knowledge, they don't have one - but if they start one, I'll sign up! If you feel inspired to try this, send your images to bedjump.com and then tell me about it!!

Vote for a Winner!

Here are the shoes of three wonderful blog-loving people and now it's time for you to vote for a winner!! This is so interesting because they all have three things in common - open toes, jeans, and each person mentioned something about someone they love when they sent these to me! The winner will be announced on Thursday! Here are the entries..

1. Alissa - feeling sexy


2. Lynsey - less is more


3. Scott - perfect pair


Click below to cast your vote!!

Washington Club Wedding, DC - Kate & Stephen

Who says that elegant weddings have to be stiff? Not Kate & Stephen!! Even in the midst of all the elegance, the energy was all about having fun and enjoying good company. These world travelers really know how to throw a party and enjoy themselves!! I feel so lucky that they chose me to capture their wedding memories!!

Have I mentioned how much I love getting ready moments?




Kate has such a wonderful relationship with her brother, it was obvious how much they care about each other.








She only stood in this beautiful light for a split second, and I'm so glad I caught it!


A completely candid moment before the ceremony began...


I can't say that I've seen many saxaphone quartets play for wedding ceremonies, but it was the perfect combination for the music that Kate & Stephen chose- especially when they danced down the aisle after their kiss!


When Kate told me about her wedding at the The Washington Club, she had mentioned how many mirrors were in the room where they'd have their ceremony and wondered if it would be a big problem. Mirrors? I love mirrors!


Kate & Stephen had just a few minutes alone together as man & wife before joining their guests for the cocktail hour.






I just love photographing musicians... and I have yet to attend a reception where a live band didn't keep the dance floor alive all night long!


There's a really cute story behind this picture. The paper doll's name is Jack Flash and the boy was participating in a project where students send their paper people to other students around the world who take pictures of the paper doll in different places and then tell the story behind the picture. It's like pen-pals, but with photographs and a fictional character to help tell the story in third person! How cool!!


Happy Father's Day!!




A special selection from overseas? ;-)


Rumor has it that the building was used as a second home for the White House during a period of major reconstruction.


You go girl!


The moments before and after the posed shots I'm asked to take are some of my favorite. I absolutely love how this image really shows everyone's personality!! You can just feel how much everyone cares about each other - I can only imagine how much their families miss Kate & Stephen now that they're living in Cambodia!


To Kate & Stephen - I'm so grateful that our paths brough us together. I hope these images can help keep your family close at heart even when you're miles apart.