Ashley & Jonathan Album
For those who are interested in seeing one of my albums online this page is for you. Though the images look good online, they look much better in the big 12" x 12" album using the metallic paper. [caption id="attachment_841" align="alignnone" width="922" caption="This image was used for the cover of Ashley and Jonathan's album cover."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_842" align="alignnone" width="922" caption="In the album this is just a one side image. Taken at the Beloit Country Club."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_843" align="alignnone" width="922" caption="I like to have one spread dedicated to the bride alone as show on this image."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_844" align="alignnone" width="922" caption="Not leaving out the groom, I have ...
Beloit Country Club Reception
Jonathan Cruz and Ashley Houston were married April 25, 2009 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Beloit. It was a rainy day, but fortunately the rain stopped long enough for outdoor pictures. The first two photographs were taken during Ashley's getting ready time. I had the ladies together in a group with the hope of creating an artistic photograph. While the bridesmaids are mostly in view, Ashley is prominent. This photo shows that it is all about her today. Every church setting is different and the rules change from one church to another too. As a photographer I requently face the tension between trying to get the best ...
Lake Windsor Golf Club Reception
Drew Shea and Gina Campbell were married May 9, 2009 in Deerfield Lutheran Church. The weather provided gray skys and periods of rain, but we did manage to get some gorgeous outdoor pictures. The church has several large stain-glass windows--at the sides, back, and even in the getting-ready room. Though Gina was not initially excited about this first picture, it tells a story of how she felt just before getting ready for the big day. The picture did make it into the Getting-Ready page of her album. Meanwhile, I am also getting pictures of the guys. This one stands out to me. I have had other guys do ...
Westport Town Hall Holiday Fair
December 6, 2009, at the Westport Town Hall (just north of Madison, WI) was a special fair for the holidays. There were about a dozen vendors of which I was one. I had a portable studio set up and took pictures of children, one baby and parents with their children. I really enjoyed meeting the other small business owners who are mostly from home schooling families. It turns out that we did not have a lot of visitors but it was still fun because of the opportunity to meet the other vendors. And of course all the people are very friendly and ...
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
I remember praying intently for a nice day to shoot the outdoor pictures after the wedding. It was October 10, 2009 and the forecast was for cold and rainy weather. We got snow instead. Brett, the groom, loved the fact that it snowed, and said he was disappointed that it stopped so soon. Fortunately for the rest of us, it was just a dusting and just in the morning. During the rest of the day there were blue skies and the sun shone brightly. Brett and Alyssa were married at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie. Everything seemed to be going as planned, as far as I could ...
Kids
The people I love to shoot more than any other, kids. They have those bright eyes, soft skin, cute freckles and little noses. OK, kids are beautiful. But they are squirrely and unpredictable too and that is half the fun. One moment you feel you have them where you want them then before you know it they are off doing something else, looking away and are somehow distracted. Did I mention that kids are difficult to photograph. Some kids are perfect angels in front of the camera. They give you that "cheese" smile that looks like a "cheese" smile. Those are ...
Biggest Bang for Your Buck
Not everyone is looking for the same products, services, style of photography, personality of photographer or even quality of pictures. But I would bet that the majority of people reading this article are looking for the "Biggest Bang for Their Buck" when it comes to their photography. What customers look for? The search for the right photographer can be a daunting task. To think that one could get the same quality of products and services from any photographer charging $2000 would certainly be naïve. Suppose a couple has determined that they have a $2,000 budget for a wedding photographer. A few of ...
Outdoor Pictures Video
Kate & Josh Soholt were married August 15, 2009 at the Pres House on the University of Wisconsin campus. After the wedding we first took some pictures in the mall area which gave us some really pretty photographs under some tree cover. Then we went into the full sun and got some fun shots. After getting several good shots and using various active "poses" we walked over to the UW Union Terrace and to Lake Mendota. It was a georgeous day as can be seen in the following video. Watch the 2 minute video for what it would be like to have ...
An Engagement Session Video
These pictures and video were taken at the Henry Villas Park (near the zoo) in Madison, Wisconsin. Its one of my favorite locations for outdoor photographs. There are two bodies of water and some very cool bridges which make great background features. The bridge in the first image has some interesting-looking brick, and all the greenery makes an attractive background. [wpvideo lyzxUY3d width="800" height="500"] I love this park. It has many photogenic features, including the trees and the green pads in the lake. Having a nice temperature with a few clouds in the sky helped, too. The couple is Xu and Enfu. I was told that Xu is pronounced like "shoe," which ...
How to get great photographs on your big day?
You are investing a fair amount of time, money, and energy into one of the most important days of your life. You may have family and friends coming from out of town and out of state to help you celebrate this fantastic day. You work, plan, and organize to make it all work together smoothly. Your photographer will take pictures of you and your party at the locations you have chosen. If the ceremony takes place in a church building, the photographs will be influenced by that setting. This is also true for outdoor weddings or other kinds of buildings. I ...
Who Should You Choose for Your Photographer?
Choosing a photographer for your wedding is one of your most important vendor decisions. Photographers vary in their personality, their photographic style, how they work with the wedding party, how much experience they have, the quality of the equipment they use, the packages they provide, as well as the final products they produce. So you're not just hiring someone to take pictures. No matter how you look at it, you're getting a package deal. The question is, what will the package include? The Package Deal Many photographers today include their photographs on a DVD. The wise bride or groom will ask if ...
Luther Memorial Church
Some churches are nicer than others but the Luther Memorial Church stands out on its own. It is a historic monument to Madison that is over 100 years old. Its gothic cathedral -style structure is amazingly beautiful. Anne and Andrew Naylor had their wedding in Luther Memorial July 11, 2009 and it was another gorgeous day in Madison. It was a good day all around resulting in beautiful pictures. Anne & Andy are a happy couple that clearly love each other and their families. Anne also made it pretty clear going back to their engagement photographs that she also loves photography. She was very much looking ...
The Pres House
The wedding of Josh and Kate Soholt was on an other beautiful day in Madison, Wisconsin. Kate had hired me without us first meeting because she was living is Idaho but she grew up in the Madison area so the wedding was here. We first met at their rehearsal at the Pres House which is in the library mall of the University of Wisconsin -- Madison. I found Kate and Josh to be very charming, attractive and grateful for all that was happening. I think we were able to connect personally over the phone. Much of wedding photography is not just getting great ...
Allen Centennial Gardens
On August 30, 2009 Xu and Enfu Hui were married at the Allen Centennial Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a gorgeous day with the temperature in the lower 70s. It was unusual for me but we started photographing the day at the State Capital and then we made our way over to the Monona Terrace. [caption id="attachment_93" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Wisconsin State Capital"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_101" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Walking down the stairs"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Monona Terrace"][/caption] I really enjoyed working with and photographing Xu (pronounced as shoe) and Enfu. She is naturally beautiful and they were both very easy to work with. Xu ...
A Fun Shot
July 11, 2009 Andrew and Anne Naylor were married. It was a busy day at the capital with vendors on every street surrounding us because this weekend held the Art Fair on the Square. It is one of Madison's premiere annual events. Artisans display their works while prospective customers walk around the square enabling them to very quickly sample some of the areas best artistic works. It is a popular event that brings many thousands of people to the downtown area. It also is very noisy. This shot was suggested by one of the Bridesmaids (I wanted to include their shoes). ...
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