Weddings
Madison, Wisconsin — Photographic Art
This was a special shoot with one of my assistants, Shea, as my model. Shea says that she prefers to be behind the camera instead of in front of it, but she later said that she did enjoy herself. Also with me was my associate, Paul, who shoots video for James Studio, and George, who is a journalism student learning event photography. The day was forecast to be sunny with no chance of rain. Unfortunately, about the time we gathered to get the shoot started, it started raining. I was hoping to get some great sunset pictures, but the best I get was clouds. We were fortunate that it stopped raining, however.
The following photographs are composites. They were shot in two locations. Shea was photographed on the rocks in one location, and the willow tree shot was taken days later in another location. I have added a variety of effects; each has a certain look. I would love to hear from you about which picture and which effect you like best. The pictures are numbered at the bottom edge.
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Julianne & Erik — Waukesha Engagement Shoot
June 4, 2011 was a beautiful day for taking pictures. Julianne and Erik had just signed a contract with me for shooting their wedding on Labor Day weekend, 2012. They were looking forward to getting their engagement pictures completed. We had a perfect day for an engagement shoot. See the video below for an overview of the shoot. If you have a high speed connection to the internet be sure to click on the HD icon for a better image of the video.
Waukesha Engagement Shoot
I drove through the town of Waukesha and made my way to Carroll University, where I met Julianne and Erik for their engagement shoot. This was my first visit to Carroll University, which, like Waukesha, is quite old and has a great deal of history behind it. The stone buildings are beautiful inside and out. We went to the third floor of one of the classroom buildings where there are beautiful arches with French windows overlooking the courtyard. I brought out my fisheye lens, thinking this would be a fun look. Sure enough– it became my favorite picture of the shoot. I love this shot in black and white.
Julianne was showing some great moves and was having fun doing it. Erik and Julianne met here at Carroll University, so it is fitting to have some pictures in one of their classrooms. We got a wonderful shot.
The picture below is in the courtyard of Carroll University. I love that old 19th-century clock, so I was sure to get it prominently featured in several of their photographs. More importantly, Julianne is glowing in this picture, and Erik is looking great too.
Showing off their blue eyes.
I love their expressions and the look of their hair in this photo.
The following is an antique look for something different. The clock is again prominent.
The manager of this establishment was more than happy to have us take some pictures in front of his building. It was good for us too, as it provided a great look for several photos.
Down the road is a mall area where I took several pictures and this great blowup of their faces.
One of the things on their list was to be sure and get some cool shots using the rule of thirds. The idea is to provide plenty of space on one side for them to use as a card and place text on the other side. The following is an example of such a picture.
The background to this picture is darker than it really was at that time, but so what? It looks like they were dancing in the moonlight, so it makes for a nice shot. Notice their clothing choices. They had complimentary colors and style while wearing solid colors (something to keep in mind).
Lizzy & Kyle — Madison Engagement Shoot
Lizzy, Kyle and I (my friend Paul was there for a while too, to shoot video) went to the capitol to shoot their engagement session. Though a bit hazy it was a nice day. The video and pictures below shows what the shoot was like. If you have a high speed connection to the internet be sure to click on the HD icon for a better image of the video.
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I love doing this shot. I get lots of natural laughter and smiles. I teased Lizzy about whether she was strong enough to lift Kyle. She completed the task. Enough said.
Tree hugger
I love the tulips in the foreground and the capitol in the background.
This shot was taken on the top floor of the Monona Terrace. A wedding reception had started so we were competing for space.
This was taken just outside of the Monona Terrace. There was a nice section of shade which I like for my subjects so their eyes are open and not squinting.
This is one of my favorite images in natural color too. This aqua gray look makes the image stand out from the rest, though.
I love Lizzy’s smile in this shot.
Lizzy and Kyle are completely natural. Not.
I love the look and natural feel to this image.
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Sara & Aaron — Badger Farms Wedding
It was May 21, 2011, while some people around the world were expecting the rapture and cataclysmic events, Aaron and Sara were happily getting married. It was an interesting day with a fair amount of wind blowing the clouds and causing rapid changes in local weather. For this outdoor May wedding would the sun shine, would it be cloudy or would it rain? Yes! Just as Sara started coming down the aisle it was raining hard. I would dare say it was pouring. Then as soon as she took Aaron’s hand peace took over and the rain stopped.
It is fitting symbolism for a wonderful relationship. The rain falls but together with the comfort of a good friend they find peace and assurance that they can make it through.
The following is a short highlights of the day. If you have a high speed connection to the internet be sure to click on the HD icon for a better image of the video.
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I love this photo of Sara and her mother. Badger Farms is a great location for a wedding. It not only has beautiful green fields it has rows of trees, several rustic buildings, rusty machinery and lots of cool things for great backgrounds. The barn has been converted into a beautiful reception hall and it is also used for indoor weddings.
The guys were all wearing black canvass tennis shoes.
The acoustic guitar.
The flower girl saw her mother and came running.
It is a beautiful location for an outdoor wedding.
During the ceremony this young man found a comfortable place to rest.
Taken after the ceremony near the receiving line.
The following shot is a frame capture from the video I took. During the cake cutting, Aaron was being so respectful and dull. I tried to rally the crowd to egg the newlyweds on. Then fun happened.
This picture below again reveals the beauty of the area.
Stacie & Brad — Memorial Union Engagement Shoot
It is always such a privilege when a couple put their trust in me to shoot their engagement and wedding photos. It is a lot of responsibility but it’s also a lot of fun — being creative and seeing what comes out of it. Every couple is different and together we work out a mixture of pictures that are unique to that couple. Brad and Stacie are no exception in this regard.
We went to the Memorial Union of the University of Wisconsin to shoot their engagement pictures. Though it was a little windy, it turned out to be a beautiful spring day. There were tons of people enjoying the sights and sounds. Brad and Stacie fit into the local scene perfectly as they enjoyed each other. We had a few laughs and conversations with a few people around us as Brad and Stacie were posing and following my directions.
Check out the following video and pictures to get a feel for how the engagement shoot went. If you have a high speed connection to the internet be sure to click on the HD icon for a better image of the video.
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I was shooting from inside the cafeteria to get this shot. Communication through the windows was not so easy but they knew what to do.
The shoot was vivid with colors everywhere. This shot looks out from the terrace to the lake with sailboats in the background.
This is a composition of two images brought together to make a better complete image. I love Stacie’s crossed legs in this shot.
The Memorial Union has three of these huge chairs which are quite suitable to engagement pictures.
Just down the path from the Madison Memorial Union are these sailboats for rent. Or in this case very conveniently located for photography.
They look pretty comfortable in this spot. It is a lovely picture.
Love is in the Air
It is Spring, 2011 and love is in the air–again. I’m old enough to remember the Beatles appearing in February, 1964 on the Ed Sullivan show. Girls in the audience were screaming their heads off, making it feel like sheer energy. What happened to such times? It was fun. The British Invasion hit the US and we all became rock ‘n roll Beatles fans. In those days we played our music on scratchy albums and played them over and over again. (If you want to get a great feel for the times, watch the movie with Tom Hanks called, That Thing You Do.)
Music is a funny thing. It reflects our mood and it can create our mood. We’re finicky about our music, and people are more diverse in their musical interests than ever before. But sometimes a lot of people agree that one group, artist, or song is worth our attention. Suddenly they become a star.
14 years after the Beatles came onto the scene, Australian John Paul Young had a few local hits. Then in 1978 he came out with “Love is in the Air” and it became a worldwide hit. His YouTube biography says, “John Paul Young attributed the song’s success to the direction of George Young, who had told him to make the song casual by singing it as if it were a conversation.” I think it is a great love song. If you are in love, maybe you will appreciate it, too. It has had over 6 millions hits on YouTube so a few other people seem to like it too. Check out the song here:
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNC0kIzM1Fo
“Love is in the air” is a concept that makes us feel good. We all have the need to feel loved. But what can we rely on? What makes a loving relationship last? Libraries of books have been written on the subject, and I’m not going to solve the world’s problems here. But I would like to make one small suggestion. As you move along in your relationship, take the time to think through and ask your friend/fiancée questions. Be interested in their world and don’t stop being interested. If you could use help with good questions do an internet search on the topic of “questions for lasting relationships”.
The following questions are gleaned from RelationshipQuestions.Net. Pick a few questions to ask your friend/fiancée.
When was the first time you became aware of me?
Do you remember the first thing we said to one another?
What was your first impression of me? Did you ever dislike me?
What’s your favorite memory of me?
What do you like best about me?
What is your favorite way of spending time with me?
How would you describe yourself?
What is something you did as a teen that you parents never learned about?
Who was the first person you kissed? What were the circumstances?
What’s the craziest dream you’ve ever had? What’s the most recent dream you can remember?
What is your first childhood memory?
What was the happiest moment of your life?
What was your most embarrassing moment? How did you respond?
Who has been the most important person in your life?
James Studio specializes in photography and videography. Give Jim a call at 608 233-5556 or contact me through the Contact Page.
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Candice’s Family Portraits in Madison
Candice graduated from UW Madison Engineering Department. She and her family came to James Studio for family portraits. Her parents and grandparents travelled all the way from Taiwan to be an integral part of Candice’s graduation.
Candice arranged the photo session a week ahead. She came with her mother a few days prior to meet me and see what backgrounds were available. We discussed clothing, sets, backgrounds, and time. She provided a check in order to confirm the shoot. We also discussed shooting at Memorial Union or a park, but the weather was not the best and their time was limited. So the shoot was done in the studio.
The family shoot included three brothers. One of the brothers had a girlfriend who was also a part of the shoot. Everyone had a great time. In addition to the large group portrait, we broke the group down into smaller groups with parents, brothers, grandparents, couples, and individual shots, too.
Since the extended family was together, it was a perfect time to get professional portraits. James Studio is less than a mile from the campus and offers excellent pricing. The shoot was set up for an hour, but everyone was enjoying the time so much it went on for 90 minutes or more at no additional cost to them. I offered Candice $159 for a one-hour session, plus I included two high-definition digital files with permission to print. This is a great deal. If you are looking for professional photography for your family, call Jim at James Studio. You will receive a personally crafted, enjoyable experience with beautiful photographs to enjoy forever.
During the shoot I took about 180 photos. Below is a video I put together using just 22 photos. Enjoy the clip. If you have a high speed connection to the internet be sure to click on the HD icon for a better image of the video.
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Madison Wisconsin Photography Studio
Candice became a graduate of engineering from UW Madison May 14,2011.
The following is a traditional group portrait. Compare it to the next image.
The following is a composite of three images. This image also had the background modified in Photoshop.
The following is Candice with her three brothers. They made for a nice triangular shape in this shot.
This is a composite of two shots. It was hard to get the hat in the right spot and get good expressions at the same time so I fixed it in post. It became my favorite image of the entire shoot.
Here is Candice with her lovely mother.
Her father is showing some personality in this shot.
Candice’s grandparents do not understand very much English but with lots of hand motions and commotion from the photographer I was able to get some nice expression.
Toward the end I wanted Candice to give me several fashion looks. This was one of them that is fun.
Paulina and Reck
Paulina and Reck are going to Florida for their wedding but hired me to shoot their engagement pictures. It is a beautiful day in May that took us to Vilas Park in Madison for this shoot. Vilas park is one of my favorite places to shoot engagement pictures. If you have a high speech connection to the internet, click on the HD icon to get a better image when playing the video.
Paulina and Reck
I love the trees in the park as well as the really cool walk-over bridges. Here Paulina is the center of attention. In real life she is a pediatrician while Reck is a computer guy.
With the couple down close to the water and me up near the bridge I got this piggy-back-ride shot of them together.
The walk-over bridge is in the background here. I love to shoot in the shade which allows couples to smile without squinting.
The next few shots are of Reck and Paulina while on the bridge.
I love this jump shot. Great timing makes for a wonderful photo.
The bridge in the background is a drive over bridge. It is gorgeous as part of the background image.
Like most couples, Reck and Paulina have a favorite team. They are from Arizona so it fits that they are Cardinal fans. The background in the following images has changed. We moved from Vilas Park to the Arboretum’s Duck Pond.
The following is one of my favorite pictures from the shoot. I love Paulina’s expression and body position in the midst of walking across the big rocks.
