Kim & Rene Engagement

When Kim wanted to hire me for her wedding, I was already booked. She had a very popular date, so I'm sure it was difficult to find a great photographer. She ended up hiring one of those studios that uses a lot of different photographers. Well, I guess she had a horrible engagement session experience with this company. Now, in all fairness... it probably wasn't an extremely horrible experience... but since she had already seen pictures from my engagement sessions, I think she was expecting A LOT more than this other company normally delivered! After seeing how disappointed she was, Kim's best friend called me again only a month or so before the wedding day to find out if there was any chance that her date was somehow open. Ironically, the bride who had previously booked the same date decided to call off the wedding, leaving me with the date open! Talk about luck!



Well, one of the things she mentioned about this other engagement session was that the photographer made them stand against a wall, outside of an office complex, with a Doritos bag on the ground next to them and told them "Don't worry, it's only head shots," after which she thought.. why did I even dress up for this?! The photographer took about 15 shots and then they were done. Now, if all you need is one or two pictures as an announcement for the newspaper, or to put in a signature frame, I'm sure what that photographer did was just fine, provided he used good technique to make it look better than it actually was. I have to admit that when Kim told me this, I was a bit nervous as to what she'd think about my engagement session!! Sure enough, I would have them standing near a wall with not just a Doritos bag on the ground, but an entire alley full of dumpsters in full smelling range!! You can find some of the coolest backgrounds in alleys and parking lots... it's all in how you "see" it. I think quite a few of my clients would agree that some of their favorite images were taken in some very "unattractive" places. ;-) Of course... when you have a totally hot couple like Kim & Rene, they just make everything around them look better.



We started off by stopping by my favorite colorful parking lot and alley in downtown Windsor, then headed to the riverwalk, and finished off with a few quick shots in front of the Casino Windsor. On our way to Windsor, Kim & Rene were telling me how they met in a pool hall where they used to hang out all the time. So, of course, I had to get some shots of them shooting pool! Instead of going to a bar where we probably would have had a lot of people staring at us, they took me to a relative's house who had a game room in the basement. I loved getting the chance to weave some of their personal story into the engagement session. It makes it that much more meaningful and genuine. In any case... I've blabbed enough!!! Click on any image to view a slideshow of samples from their engagement session!

Happy Anniversary Jennie & Alan!!

Jennie and Alan are very special to me. It was over a year ago that Jennie got this crazy idea that I should take their engagement pictures, after seeing some pictures I did as a gift for a mutual friend of ours. Once they saw their engagement pictures, Jennie & Alan had an even CRAZIER idea!! They decided that they were going to CANCEL the professional photographer they had already hired for their wedding so that I could shoot their wedding instead! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!?! I was also just crazy enough to say yes.

It's amazing how one little decision can change your life. It was at that point that over ten years of a serious hobby became more than just a hobby. I studied everything I could get my hands on... reading books, message boards, magazines, tutorials.. anything and everything to feel as prepared as possible for the big day. I had offered to assist a few photographers and no one really wanted to take me up on my offer, so I ended up going solo for my first big job. Luckily I already had the technical knowledge down pat from years of practicing, so everything else was about timing, anticipation, and preparation. The whole day was a blur, but looking at the images, I remember every single moment like it was yesterday.

Jennie & Alan are so much more than clients, they are close friends. I know that no matter how far apart we are, they will always have a special place in my life. In honor of their first wedding anniversary, I share with you some of my favorite moments from their wedding day.... June 18, 2005.

To Jennie & Alan - thank you for believing in me and giving me the confidence to pursue my passion.

Sarah & Mike Engagement

Sarah & Mike drove all the way from Columbus, OH to do their engagement sesion in downtown Detroit with me. (Thank you!!) ;-) We did a little sight seeing in the downtown area via The People Mover. From the look on Mike's face, I could tell that getting his picture taken was the last thing he was looking forward to that day! HA! Now, I'm usually prepared for guys to be reserved and a bit resistant during the engagement session, but Mike was definitely a tough cookie to bite into! I tried all of my subtle tactics to get Mike to loosen up, but he wasn't budging! What's a photographer to do when people are uncomfortable in front of the camera? Get them to NOT look at the camera. Some people are very comfortable getting their picture taken and will ham it up for the camera, but for those who aren't, I find that the best expressions and emotions come out when two people are interacting with one another and I'm off on the sidelines capturing it as it happens. It is in this way that I can really capture what is genuine about a relationship between two people. How they look at one another, how they touch one another, how they walk together... they are all little clues about the chemistry between two people.





I really love that every engagement session is different. For me, it's an entirely organic process and a constant challenge. I tune into how a couple reacts to different suggestions to determine what works and what doesn't and sometimes things that I have planned take completely different turns due to the responses of the people I'm photographing. My ultimate goal is to create images that are not just beautiful... but also honest and revealing. Of course, I leave it up to each person to determine if I'm successful in that goal. Click on any image to view a slideshow preview of Sarah & Mike's Engagement session.



PS. If you haven't ridden the Detroit People Mover lately, I highly suggest you do. If nothing else, at least to appreciate the beautiful Pewabic tiles that adorn many of the stations!