Stephanie & Adam Engagement

Stephanie & Adam were pretty familiar with my work before meeting me because I had already photographed several of their friend's engagements- who are all getting married this year! So, to challenge myself and make their session unique, I decided to work with some of the lenses that I don't use much, starting off with the 45mm T/S...











Adam was such a trooper. He had surgery not that long before the session and was still in a bit of pain, but he still let a few smiles slip out- especially when he was looking at Stephanie... awwwwww





Another lens I don't use often... 135mm...






We did their engagement session in Vincennes, IN which was an instrumental site during the American Revolution- and was the first true city of Indiana, but also special to Stephanie & Adam. ;-)



One of the things that Adam loves about Stephanie is her long gorgeous hair.... ;-)


I love the texture of this wall... it might look gross, but it's just moss and dirt from various floods of the Wabash River. Which reminds me of a saying I often repeated when eating random things as a kid... "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt!"




While it's fun to play with lenses I don't use often.. I gotta say that it cramps my style after a while! It's much easier for me to capture those fun and spontaneous moments I love so much when I'm working with my standard 24-70mm lens.

Some of my favorite images of the day came from a teeny-tiny patch of dandelions near the side of the road. ;-)

Krista & Matt's Holy Family Church Wedding

Could these two be any more beautiful together?! Seriously!


Krista started off the day getting her hair and makeup done at home along with her family and friends. I think this next image captures that feeling of being wrapped up in the day...


I just love the next image of her and her father in the limo as they're getting ready to go to the church...


Can't you just feel Matt's anticipation as he tries to see his bride at the end of the aisle?


The ceremony was held at the beautiful and historic Holy Family Church in downtown Detroit, where names from several generations of Krista's family were literally carved into the church's history.




At the end of the ceremony, the priest said, "Photographer! Come here!" For a minute I had that "who me?" look, but quickly made my way to the front, feeling pretty nervous! Turns out he just wanted me to take a picture up close of the couple with their marriage license! How funny! Since I was there, I also happened to grab this moment when he thought I was done taking the picture he wanted me to take... which of course, I like even more. ;-) That's the first time I've seen the priest kiss the groom!


These next photos sum up the trip between the ceremony and the reception... at least the PG-13 parts...




The reception was held at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Macomb, MI and showcased details of rust, orange, and red roses, as well as many hand-crafted details made by none other than the groom himself, whose family is known for their custom carpentry and craftsmanship. Each table was named after a specific type of tree and included a stand that showcased that particular wood. Check out the beautiful frame on that seating chart too! So, as a shameless plug, if you're looking for custom carpentry in the Detroit area, definitely call Zuckero & Sons. ;-)


There are a few things you can count on at pretty much every wedding, and one of them is someone asking for a look at the bride's ring!


While guests were enjoying cocktails inside, we went for a little joy ride around the golf course...



When I first met Matt, he was the best man for Kelly & Brian's wedding and quite the prankster! I have to say, in Matt's role as the groom, he was definitely the tamest I've ever seen him! It was Brian's turn to be the best man, and even though he's not one to speak in front of large groups of people, he gave a very moving speech.



... but the tears didn't stop there...


Mmmm..... bananas foster and fire....


What I love, love, love about this picture is the couple in the foreground and both sets of parents in the background, from youngest to eldest couple...


We had a gorgeous sunset!



I love playing with light, and I loved being able to photograph Krista & Matt's wedding! Thank you so much!!! I'm going to miss this group of friends!!

Meg & Nick Engagement

What happens when a client lives in California and a photographer lives in Indiana? Why, you shoot the engagement session in Las Vegas, of course! ;-) We originally wanted to use the Neon Sign Graveyard, but since every other photographer had booked the place out months in advance, all we could do was peek over the wall...


The next closest attraction was the local zoo, but all of the great animals must be kept at the casinos because it was probably the most pathetic zoo I've ever seen! That didn't stop us from having a great time anyway...




You can't tell from this shot, but I was standing in the middle of a pretty busy street to get this!


I had them stand in a less busy street where the light was purrrrrty...


Since urban decay was on my mind, we ended up finding a pretty run down apartment complex which proved to have some interesting photographic elements...




Meg & Nick are both Chemists and for some reason, these meters made sense to me... whatever, I like them!!!






After spending some time in the Vegas sun, I thought it would be fun to get some slurpeees at the nearby 7-11 and as we're walking, what do we see?! Oh yes.... shameless potty humor... that which even a couple of chemists could appreciate. ;-)


I just happened to be staying at the Flamingo hotel, which I learned has an entire aviary full of exotic birds! The scenery was lush and beautiful and perfect for something a little bit dressier...






So, one of the things I love to do is play with light and shadows. This was just an experiment and when I saw the results I was a little hesitant to even show the couple, but I thought I'd take a chance and see what they thought before making a judgement call. When Nick saw the image on the back of my LCD, he said "we look like zombies!" Me, being afraid of zombies, replied with, "OK, I'll delete it!" To which Meg said, "No- Nick LOVES zombies!" Who am I to judge zombie lovers? So I kept it, proud that I was able to turn Nick into a beloved zombie. ;-)


Of course, then I had to find light that was a little more flattering and romantic and wow did I ever! I just love this light!




Last, but not least, this one reminds me of a song.... "Blue Moon"