Thursday, January 17, 2008

Olivia and Rebecca

Olivia and Rebecca

These girls are too cute and I just love photographing them! I can't believe how big they are getting.

We had a great time at their photo shoot - and we got some super cute shots of them...

Olivia is such a great Big Sister. She was so helpful during the shoot.

How sweet is this???
This one loves the camera. She was cracking me up with all of her poses.
I love this next one ...
Thanks, girls, for being so much fun and coming to hang out with me!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Happy Birthday CincyChic

As many of you know, I have had the wonderful opportunity, for the last year, to work with an enthusiastic, spunky, go-getter named Amy Storer. You may recognize her name as she is the owner/founder/CEO of the online publication, CincyChic. Pronounced Cincy (as in the city cincinnati) - SHEEK (as in the very hip and trendy) - I heard that some people were having trouble with that so I wanted to clear it up.

I am honored to have been a part of CincyChic's first year and am so proud of what Amy has accomplished. She is a constant inspiration to all of us!

Cincy Chic celebrated it's first birthday last night at the Havana Martini Club. The uber-talented, Holly Spears, was there singing her heart out. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear her play, you absolutely should. Visit her site for upcoming shows.

Here are a few snapshots from the evening (yes, I too, take snapshots - and besides, I was 'off the clock' last night and was traveling light).

First we have Ms. Storer welcoming everyone to the event ...

Then we have Holly ...
The birthday cake ... which was so tasty!!!
Amy cutting the cake ...
And, I cannot take credit for the photo below. I handed my camera to Ms. Jaime so I could be IN the photo! That doesn't happen very often!
And one last BIG toast to CincyChic and the fabulous Amy Storer!!!
Happy Birthday, CincyChic - many more to come!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Q&A

Q and A:

Q: What are some of your thoughts about finding the wedding photographer that is right for you and your wedding?

A: First and foremost, I recommend MEETING your photographer. I cannot stress enough how important it is to find someone who you are comfortable working with. Keep in mind that your photographer is the only vendor who will be with you the WHOLE day. They will see things, and be involved in, very intimate moments. If you are uncomfortable with your photographer, it will show in your images.

I also remind people that since photography is an art, the artist can't help but pour some of themselves into their work. So make sure you find a photographer who will represent your wedding day the way you want it portrayed. Two photographers can shoot the exact same wedding with images that 'feel' completely different.

Q: What is your photography style?

A: If I have to sum it up, I would say that my style is 'documentary'. I like to tell the STORY of your wedding day. This means I shoot in a documentary style throughout the wedding day, but also am sure to include some wonderful, relaxed portraits of the couple, families and wedding party. In my opinion, there are two extreme styles of photography. One being the true photojournalist and the other being the traditional photographer (for lack of another label). I am somewhere in between ... leaning much more toward the photojournalistic side. I enjoy all styles of photography - that just goes along with being in love with your trade.

Q: How would you sum up your processing style?

A: Vintage Romantic - I love old stuff. I still include 'normal coloring' when presenting images to my clients, but I *heart* vintage.

Q: Who took the photo of you on your website?

A: One of my good friends from college who is also a wedding photographer of sorts. He shoots a few weddings a year. He said he likes that photo of me because I have 'happy eyes'. He was over at my house on one of his visits and was playing with my camera. I was actually looking and smiling at my husband when this photo was taken.

Q: What is one of your favorite things about photographing weddings?

A: The people. That one is easy. I fall in love with every one of my clients. They are all so unique and I love capturing their relationship.

Q: What is one thing you tell all of your clients?

A: I always remind my clients to make sure their wedding reflects who they are. I have heard of some brides who end up doing what everyone else says they are 'supposed' to do for the wedding and forget that this is about THEM, not everyone else. If you don't know why you are doing something or why it is important to you ... then maybe you should re-evaluate doing it at all.

Q: What is one of your favorite new 'trends' with weddings?

A: I have a couple actually. The first one is the men of honor. I LOVE this idea. I know so many girls whose best friend is a male. Why wouldn't you want him right beside you on your wedding day? The other has to do with receptions. I have seen some brides who don't just hire a DJ for the night anymore. They are finding hidden talents among their guests and having a 'skit night'. Where the entertainment for the evening is a SHOW. I love this idea. Honorable mention goes to those who hire comedians, dancers, or have karaoke for entertainment.

Q: Do you work exclusively with any other vendors in the area?

A: Nope. I have a few that I recommend to people. These are people that I have enjoyed working with and think they have a fantastic product. I do not receive any kind of kickback from anyone. I think referrals should come from the heart.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Kim and Matt

Kim and Matt
Kim and Matt have been together since about gradeschool ... from what I understand. Talk about a LONG engagement! They are a wonderfully matched couple with complementing personalities. I truly enjoyed working with them.
Kim and Matt's wedding day, for me, started out at Salon West. The ladies working there did a fabulous job on the girls in the wedding party. Here are a few of my favorite images from the salon ... although, I have to admit, there were SO many that I could have posted. j
I love the light in this first image. Here is Kim sitting talking to one of her bridesmaids before they get all 'made up'.
I loved the old style chairs in the waiting area of the salon ... very vintage looking and right up my alley!
one of my favorite shots of her maid-of-honor getting her hair done ...
Kim wanted all of the girls to have a side 'knot' (that is my name ... for those of you in the hair industry ... I realize you are cringing right now. But for the life of me I can't remember the proper name). Anyway, I LOVED this idea. So chic! Here is a photo of one of the girls getting the finishing touches on her hair.
Kim getting her makeup on ...
And getting her hair curled.
I liked this 'overall' shot.. of what was going on. You can see all of the girls and there is something going on in every chair!
Then we headed to the church to get the dress on!
The lighting in this next one is amazing ... I didn't use a flash at all for her getting ready shots and there was no natural light in the room ... So, I was getting some really interesting shadowing and light. In this case, there is a little bit of a flare.
The shoe shot (which I do not need to tell people - but I love!)...
Kim all dressed up and ready to become Mrs ...
She had the most fabulous winter cloak that she wore. I would have LOVED to have gone outside to get some fabulous shots of her in the winter scenery .. but it RAINED the entire day!
Our very handsome groom ...
A ceremony shot ...
Little Gracie kept her eye on me during the ceremony ... isn't she adorable??? She is the mini bride - complete with veil!
They had a sparkler exit! I thought my hair was going to catch on fire! I was standing right in front of some pretty big sparklers!
The maid-of-honor's speech and toast...
a first dance shot ...
Then they danced the night away!
Kim and Matt, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and want to thank you again for allowing me to be such an important part of your wedding day!
A big thank you to Karen (my right hand girl) - who I absolutely love working with!
Slideshow coming soon ...

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Wicked - Part II

So, Wicked was fabulous last night!
I highly recommend it! The setup was done very well and I loved the plot. It really put some history behind the Wizard of Oz movie.
I will, hopefully, be posting some wedding pics tomorrow. As some of you know, I have been having some computer issues this week and our computers are still not playing nicely with each other.