For this photo shoot I envisioned little rubber boots in a reflective puddle. I called up my friend, Olivia, to see if I could borrow her young daughter, Sophie, for the shoot. Sophie was ecstatic to have an excuse to play around in puddles, so she was happy to oblige.

Believe it or not, the hardest part of this shoot was finding a puddle! Darn you, Woodinville, and your perfectly even roads! We eventually found a puddle that was decent enough. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I had to make do with the one and only medium-sized puddle we saw anywhere.

Sophie is a silly one, just like her mom, and just like me. We cracked up the whole time she was prancing around in the puddle, and I managed to get a few stock worthy shots. Mostly, though, she just did her thing, and I was there to capture it.

She started out slow, hesitating a bit…

She got a little closer to investigate…

A little closer still…

And then she jumped right in!

There was no holding back after that! It was difficult for us to get her to leave, but she eventually decided she was cold enough to stop.

The photos above to the right, and below, are more of what I was intending to get as stock photos. I’m so used to going with the flow, and capturing the moments, that it’s hard for me to not to do that!

I figured I could use what I got as stock… or not. That’s the beauty of a self-challenging project. No biggie if I don’t get exactly what I want, because it’s a personal project. These projects are meant to help me expand on what I do; to go beyond my comfort zone. The self-portrait project of last year really took me out of my comfort zone (mostly because I don’t like being in the photo), but I got better and better each month, and I went way beyond what I thought I could do.

I hope this year goes the same. How have I done so far? What should I do next month? I hope you will visit my Facebook Page to join in the most active conversations about my monthly project!

In addition to simply having the desire to do a Halloween self-portrait, I had another task to do for a fellow vendor. Ashley Obena, of Dress My Cupcake, sent me several of her adorable, Halloween themed cupcake wrappers to photograph. So, I started thinking, how can I combine these two projects into one? My solution was to be a baking witch! As soon as the image came to mind, I just had to do it!

I had a lot of problems to overcome with this series of shots, but I still just had to do it. I know that if I have a strong desire and set my mind to do something creative, then I can do it. What I didn’t know is that this gets me into trouble with limited time and resources! So, with a couple of days to do this, I prepared by collecting my props and baking the cupcakes.

I didn’t know where else I could do this, but at my house. It’s just easier when you have everything at hand, when your boyfriend is gone, and you can temporarily destroy the house without him ever witnessing the disaster. The hardest part of the shoot, was making part of my house look like a witch’s house. I probably didn’t succeed, but I blame that on the time and resources issue. Lighting was tough too, since I had a lot of black (hindsight is 20/20). I also wanted to make it look kind of dark and witchy, but with enough light to show off the cupcakes and wrappers well. My solution was something in between, although I’m not sure how well I like it.

Despite desparetely wanting to do this, I think it was a tad too elaborate for me to handle on my own. The only help I had for this shoot was from my dad. He came all the way down from Snohomish just to deliver the costume! My hero!

Anyway, enjoy the photos! Oh, and check out the awesome fake nose that I stuck to my face! Yes, I used a little Photoshop magic to make it look attached.

Be sure to check out these Dress My Cupcake wrappers at : http://www.dressmycupcake.com/shop/28-shop-by-holiday/75-halloween-cupcake-wrappers.html !

The idea was to make up a small scale scene, with a model as a bride. I found a couple of used dresses, a model, and a florist, but I decided that it would be much cooler with more people involved. Vendors sent things in from everywhere, I went to pick up several things, and a few people even showed up to help out! I ended up having so much stuff, that I needed to switch out items and backgrounds so that everything matched.

We managed to pull it off, highlighting each vendor at least a little bit. I intended to do much more, but the rain became an issue and shortened the time we could spend on each shot. I swear, Seattle is usually sunny by late June! I also had a problem with my preferred method of lighting, so we made do with alternative lighting options underneath the gloomy clouds. Despite all of the complications, I think the shoot went pretty well! I certainly am happy about a lot of the shots, and I hope that each vendor feels the same.

Be sure to see the list of contributing vendors below! They all have great stuff to offer! Our model Alexandra also did a fantastic job!

Anyway, on to a lot of photos!

Don’t forget to check out what more these fabulously awesome vendors can offer:

Midnight Blossom provided the pretty bouquet. They also lent me the cool bird cage, which I sadly only got one shot of because we were running out of time.

Cameron Catering made the yummy chocolate treats possible.  They also provided the small potted flowers seen in a few shots.

The UW Botanic Gardens was the gorgeous venue where the shoot took place. Good Fellow Grove is the specific spot in the gardens.

All on Location Hairstyling was responsible for the model’s hair and makeup.

Veils by Jules provided the cool hair accessories and veils.

Kate Hiccox, a Stella and Dot stylist, showed up to decorate the model with lots of fun jewelry.

Cakes by Look provided the gorgeous white cake.

BrainFry Concepts sent me the fun black and white invitations and matching paper goods.

Chic Ink also sent me some invitations and menu cards (the cute ones with the tree).

The Favour Shoppe provided the cute little espresso set favors.

Alexandra Flint was our fabulous model.

Thanks everyone for a job well done!

Consider this a freebie addition to the collection of self-portraits that I’ve been doing. These are not themed though. Just plain old simple me. And for some reason, it’s a lot more embarrassing to post these photos!

Since I did no theme, I figured I would challenge myself just a little to make up for it. I decided on a bathroom shoot (notice the tile background?) just to get a soft light coming in from the window. It was a tight space to work with, but it worked out okay. Hopefully it’s not too obvious that I’m sitting in front of the bath tub, but it probably is since you now know the truth!

I tried one with a camera strap to show that I’m a photographer, but it felt too contrived and cheesy. I tried different shirts and managed to narrow it down to two. One says, “I’m tan and fun, and I like polka-dots!”, while the other says, “do I look twelve or what?!”. So, I’m not sure which one I like. I guess it doesn’t matter, because I can always use more than one for my different profiles. Anyway, here they are:

I wasn’t too happy about doing the idea for this month, but at least I didn’t have to buy anything! I also wanted to make my mom and step-mom, Teresa, happy. They both suggested Kirsten Dunst because they think I look like her. I’ve had many people tell me this, and I have to agree, but I only wish I had her body… and her tan!

The photo I tried to match is from this “Wimbledon” movie poster:

Anyway, since I was planning a visit with my dad and Teresa, I decided to do the photo shoot there too. They have a big white wall in a room that my dad sometimes uses as a photo studio. I knew I would need a bunch of lights coming from different directions, and a bright white background.

It turned out that this was much harder than I had anticipated! The sometimes photo studio is also a sometimes game/ excercise/ storage room, so I ran into some obstacles when trying to position lights around the room. I added as many lights as I had to fill in shadows and highlight as many edges as I could. The lights were all pretty close to how I wanted them, but there always seemed to be some pesky shadow making my life miserable.

When I finally got everything set up well enough, I started posing. I checked the results and realized that I had forgotten about the worst shadows of all! The strings from the tennis racket!  This is when I called in my good ol’ pa for some assistance. I had him pose with the tennis racket so I could adjust some more things. If only I could post those photos without embarrassing him! Anyway, we found a way around the string shadows by moving the racket off center. If positioned just so, it gave the illusion of being centered while casting no shadows.

Since I had to mimic the position of Kirsten in the original photo, I needed some more help. This proved to be challenging, but my dad has had me model for his paintings and illustrations since I was a kid, so we were old pros at this game! I figured I could stretch the rules of this “self-portrait” since it had to be as accurate as possible. Plus, I needed help eliminating those darn string shadows!

He coached me well and I got a few winners, but since they all look pretty much the same (no extra goofy faces this time, sorry!), I will only show one as the final pick. The one that most looked like Kirsten Dunst in that photo, happened to be one with the string shadows. I decided to just retouch them out, since there were some other unusual shadows I wanted to eliminate as well. You can call it cheating, but I figure the original photo was super edited too! Besides I make the rules for my photo projects, so why not? Dad pressed the shutter and helped me pose, so I was already cheating anyway. I also decided to lower the resolution on my own photo to match the original screenshot that I snagged online.

Anyway, here is the final result alongside the original:

Now, if I could only get Paul Bettany to pose with me…

Don’t forget to suggest your idea for next month!!!

This month’s self-portrait theme was suggested by my loyal friend and follower, MaLora Ann. She is very creative and came up with a few ideas, but I decided to go with her first suggestion, “International Spy”! It sounded fun and not too difficult costume-wise.

Every time I thought about how to pull this off and during the actual shoot, the James Bond theme song kept popping into my head. “Sunglasses at Night” might have been even more appropriate, but for me, when a song is already there, it’s usually stuck for awhile.

Anyway, I first started thinking about clothes and backgrounds. I knew my step-mom, Teresa, had the type of coat I wanted (even though you can’t really see much of it), and she was kind enough to let me borrow it. I scoured thrift stores for a hat that would make me look a little more exotic. Nothing says “international” like a beret I guess!

The background was tougher, because I wanted something to suggest that I was being secretive and mysterious. I considered a brick wall, but I didn’t want to be outside at night, in the cold, by myself . I decided to backlight a little room divider I have to make it look kind of vague and mysterious. I would have preferred a brick wall, so maybe I’ll attempt this again when it’s warmer outside. Suggesting that it was night time, was easy enough. I turned off the room lights and set my flash pretty low for a soft side lighting. I suppose that wearing sunglasses is not the best way to suggest a night scene, but maybe I’m just not a very convincing spy.

It took some time to get everything set up right. Not only did I have to arrange the background, lighting, and costume to my liking, but I had to position myself just so. That was the hardest part by far! There were only a few gestures I could think of that would suggest “international spy”.  I kept running back and forth between where I was posing and the camera to check. It’s hard to direct yourself when you can’t see what you’re doing or how the light is falling on you!

Anyway, it was a good experience and I came out with some fun shots. My favorite photo is the one above, which I will use for about a month in my different profiles. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out the first post on this subject: http://www.traciehowe.com/2010/self-portrait . And please submit your ideas for next month’s theme!

Here are a few of the runners up:

By Tracie Howe

Many people would argue that it doesn’t seem that hard to shoot a wedding, so why should it be so expensive? Well, there is a lot that goes into it. Not only on the actual wedding day, but before and after, not to mention all the training and skills involved. The wedding day is only when everyone sees the photographer doing work. I don’t want to get into the pre and post wedding work, because it’s not as much fun (in my opinion). But I do want to shed light on what work DOES go into a typical wedding day. I can only speak from my own experiences.

The traditional, North American weddings that I’ve shot (and attended) have all been pretty similar in respect to the schedule, the photo expectations, the obstacles, etc. Many of you know what it’s like to attend or be in a wedding, but here I will give you my perspective as the photographer… You might be surprised at how much us wedding photographers do!

First, if I haven’t already scouted out all of the locations for the entire day, I make sure to get this done before I even begin taking pictures. Why would I do this? Well, maybe I’m paranoid, but I want to know what to expect. Sometimes there are A LOT of locations to visit. One wedding involved 4 different locations, all of which were not walking distance from each other. Another advantage of this is simply knowing how to get to each place. I would not want to get lost on the way to the ceremony!

There are many challenges involved with shooting in a variety of locations. One example would be a dark reception hall.  If I can see it ahead of time, I may have an opportunity to set up lights around the room. This will save me the effort later when I will be much busier.

I’ll justify my pre-wedding preparations with another example. Let’s say the ceremony is taking place inside a dark church. I will try to find out in advance if flash is allowed, because it is often not. Some churches don’t allow cameras at all, and photographers may be limited to shooting from just outside the door! This kind of knowledge helps me decide how I will overcome such problems. In the case of a dark church where flash is not allowed, like in the photo below, I would make sure to have my tripod ready (know where I would be able to put it), my fastest lens, and a high ISO. This is all geeky photo talk, but it’s important stuff! Anyway, I check out all of the locations to make sure I know how I’m going to shoot there. It helps me think about how to prepare, rather than just flying by the seat of my pants.

When I actually do start shooting, I might begin with shots of the ceremony and reception spaces, along with some detail shots of each place. This way I can capture everything in it’s original (and usually more presentable) state, and I don’t have to worry about people being in the way. I will have plenty of opportunities later to capture people in these places.

After the “prep work” is done, I finally see the bride and/or groom. Depending on the schedule and the couples’ preferences, I will take “getting ready” shots of the bride, groom, and wedding party. This is a nice way for me to gradually introduce myself to those I will be around throughout the day. It really helps everyone get used to my presence. This also allows me to become more comfortable with everyone.

Next can be either the wedding or the group photos. The decision for when to take group shots varies for each couple. My personal preference is to do it after the ceremony, or at least WELL before it. Most people think they can get this done quickly, but in my experience, taking pictures a little before the wedding, is always a rushed affair. Rushing = stress = unhappy people. So, I will always recommend doing group photos after the ceremony or at least an hour and a half before, simply to avoid unnecessary stress for all involved.

Unfortunately, when you throw any number of people together for photos, it can turn into chaos no matter what! Taking group photos after the ceremony at least eliminates the stress of rushing.

There are several factors that add to the often unavoidable chaos:

First, people blink at different times. As simple as it sounds, it’s one of the most difficult things to avoid. I have a few tricks to TRY to avoid this.

Second, everyone has a camera now! This is a sore point with most photographers. I won’t get too into it here, but there are two main problems. Either people are taking their own pictures at the same time as you (the professional, paid photographer), leading to straying eyes and more distraction; or they want the professional photographer to take a picture with their camera, leading to much time wasted. Other cameras simply interfere with my work as the hired photographer. My solution for the camera problem is to mention it beforehand to the bride and groom. They are usually understanding on this point, and agree to not allow other pictures to be taken during my designated time.

Third, people get really caught up in the social energy that happens when they are thrown together in groups. They become chatty, distracted, and sometimes annoyed. It’s natural for this to happen, but difficult to work with.

My solution for the general chaos is to be confident and instructive. Groups of people respond to leaders, and you have to be a sort of leader during the group photos. That’s what I had to do with a group of about 50, in the photo just below.

On to the ceremony.

Moments just before and after the ceremony can be tricky. If you are trying to capture the procession, you might be running in front and then behind to avoid missing anyone walking down the aisle. An assistant or second shooter really helps here! Both photographers can be stationed strategically for when the procession comes in and when they leave.

I find it best to ask the couple how involved they want me to be during the ceremony. If they want me right in the action, then I can get as close as any other guest in the front row, but I try not to block anyone’s view. If they want me to be less invasive, I usually pick a few spots towards the back and stay relatively still.

After the ceremony, and after most of the group shots (assuming they are scheduled after the ceremony), most people head off for cocktails at the reception. If I have plenty of time, I will first get some shots with the bridal party. This excitable group is usually very cooperative and fun, so this time can make for some great photos!

Then I take photos with just the bride and groom together. They seem to be especially sweet and lovey-dovey after the ceremony, so this is another point for doing photos later.

When it’s time for the reception, I try to beat the couple to that location so I can capture them arriving if they are planning a grand entrance. Another advantage of having an assistant or second shooter, would be that they could make sure to be there in case you don’t make it in time.

Receptions can vary quite a bit. I try to get a fairly detailed schedule from the couple so that I know when the note-worthy moments will be happening, such as the father/ daughter dance, or the bouquet toss. This way I can make sure that I am not on one side of a very crowded room while the cake is being cut on the other side. Another photographer is helpful here too, of course!

Schedules tend to be pretty lose when it comes to parties, so there has to be a lot of communication. It also helps to be in touch with the DJ or planner, who is usually more informed about any schedule changes.

In between all of the important photo ops, I go around to different tables and mingle with the crowd. I’m taking pictures of as many of the guests as I can. When all of the scheduled events are over, I make sure I’ve covered everything, including funny shots of people dancing.

I hang around a little longer, making sure I haven’t missed anything, and then I ask the couple if they need anything else. The photo just below shows one such occasion, when the groom wanted some shots of the boys smoking cigars.

When they don’t need anything else, I am done for the evening. I usually end up working way harder than I probably should, but it’s worth the photos I will come away with in the end. When the day is really packed, I usually forget to eat or get off of my feet until well after the reception dinner (which I always make sure to eat eventually! ). This entire day of work leads to pure exhaustion. If I can shut my overly stimulated brain down for the night, I will crash upon hitting my pillow.

If I am not too tired the next day, I usually start processing the photos. But that is an entirely different kind of day. Not nearly as fun, and always happening over a period of days or weeks.

So, that’s what it’s like for me!

Keep in mind, I don’t claim to be an expert on this subject, I simply want to share what has been typical for me. In fact,  I welcome input from other wedding photographers to expand on what I’ve said. It can be a very challenging job, because you are never truly in control, and you have to be prepared for anything that could happen. In my opinion, however, it is the best job and I couldn’t imagine doing any of the other work involved with a wedding!

…Planner

By Elaine Roberts at www.eventsbyelaine.com

For a wedding planner, the day of the wedding is when we get to see all the details finally come together in a beautiful and memorable way.  Most people see a wedding planner as a glitzy and glamorous job.  But reality is very different from what you see in the movies.  Most planners work 12 – 14 hours the day of the wedding, with most of that being on their feet.

Unless you are in the event industry, few people realize how much work goes into making a wedding happen.  The day of the wedding, the first thing I do is check-in with the bride.  Sometimes this takes a few minutes; sometimes this takes hours.  If I walk into the hotel suite or brides room and realize that the bride is stressed and mom is crying, my job is to help everyone relax so they can enjoy the day.  This might be making a few phone calls or emails or it could mean taking on a project that the family was going to handle.

Once I know the bride is happy, I head to the reception venue.  I like to verify that the rentals have arrived and that the catering staff is setup and have everything they need.  Then, the fun begins.  I start setting up and decorating all the reception tables.  If I’m lucky, the family has drafted some volunteers to help, but that isn’t a guarantee.  From there, I meet the florist to take the flower delivery.   The centerpieces and arrangements are placed at the venue and I take the bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres to the ceremony site.

At the ceremony site, I track down all of the bridal party and family members to pin on their flowers, while the photographer take pictures.  I talk with the photographer and typically will stay with them for a while to help round up people and style the bride’s wedding dress until it is time for the bride to go into hiding.

Once the guests have been seated, the fun begins.  I cue the musicians and the officiant.  I send the groom and groomsmen down the aisle followed by the family members.  The bridesmaids and bride soon follow.  As the ceremony ends, I wait at the back to open the doors and escort the bridal party to a private location to begin photos.

I then leave and head to the reception site to make sure the candles are lit and everything is ready for the guests.  I may also be transporting flower arrangements, wedding gifts, and personal items for the bridal party.  As soon as the bridal party arrives, I line everyone up correctly and cue the emcee to start the announcements.

As the bride and groom are entering, I quickly check in with catering to make sure that food is ready to be served to the bride and groom.  If it’s not, I handle it myself.  The rest of the reception is filled with finding and cueing all the appropriate people for the events – cake cutting, toasts, dances, bouquet, and garter.  These people include the emcee, photographer, videographer and immediate family members.  It can be a full time job just tracking down everyone.

As the evening winds down, the bride and groom do a last dance and head off to their honeymoon.  But, for the wedding planner, more work remains.  The remains of the cake have to be packed and distributed to a family member.  The wedding gifts sent home along with guest book and personal items.  The décor has to be removed and packed up to be sent home with the family or left for the florist or rental company.  All the linens have to be bagged and the trash taken out.  Sometimes, it is even required that the floor be swept.  By the end of the day, I have been on my feet for a long time and am ready to go home.  Just like the bride, I will enjoy seeing the photos from the photographer and remembering what a beautiful day it was.

www.eventsbyelaine.com

…Lighting Designer

By Len Woelfel at www.chicagolightingdesign.com and www.chicagolightingdesign.com/cgi-bin/blog

People wonder about what goes on during event days.  They ask what I’m doing from sometimes 9 AM until 3 or 4 the next morning.  Here’s a typical timeline.

9 AM I start looking at the room diagram and calculating the equipment needed.  Mostly, I’m counting the number of cables we’ll need, what lengths, etc.  We have both electrical cords and data cords that allow our lights to communicate with each other.  And because we don’t want a lot of excess cable laying in sight it’s important that we plan very carefully.

10 AM  We start loading cases, testing equipment, packing the equipment.  Cable has to go into the trunks so that it’s all easily accessible and visible on the site.  The lights have to have the correct clamps on them.  We make sure that the lights and controller all have the correct address, so they will communicate properly. Since every event is different, things have to be re-checked every week.

12 Noon.  We load the truck.  My mis-spent youth playing Tetris comes in handy as we make sure that everything fits safely.  Typically, we have more than one event per day, so it’s important to load the truck(s) in the correct order, that the first event set-up is last on the truck.

1 PM.  Arrive at the first venue, assign tasks to the crew, explain the overall design, and get the event set up.  This is the part of the job I like the most.  Often there is something unexpected to overcome, and the challenges are always unique.  Set-up can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours and require from one to as many as 10 people. On days where there is more than one event, I’m travelling back and forth between events, making sure everything is done to the client’s desires.  I always like to do a “reveal” with the client, but sometimes the guests are already in the room before they arrive, so it doesn’t always happen.

6 PM – Midnight The parties are in full swing.  I’ll check in again with each venue to see how things are progressing.  I try and take some photos of the event, grab some dinner, relax a bit, but not always.

11 PM I meet my crew back at the venue scheduled to end earliest.  We’re ready to disassemble our equipment and remove it as soon as possible so that the venue can close up quickly.  They’ve been working a long day also.

1 – 3 AM  We’re packing up at the other venues and loading trucks.

3 – 4 AM Back to the warehouse and the day is complete.

Once all events for the weekend are complete we can finally relax.  Until Monday when we start preparing for the next events.

Our main page:   www.chicagolightingdesign.com

The blog:  www.chicagolightingdesign.com/cgi-bin/blog

The first one involved a new member of the family for a couple whose maternity photos I shot last year. I was happy that they requested me again for these photos, as they must have been pleased with their past experience.

Reese is the little munchkin that has joined their family. Super adorable and sweet! A pleasure to photograph, despite occasional grumpiness due to teething pain. Unfortunate timing with the teething, but I think I got a great bunch of photos during the happier times. His parents were armed with tools to distract him from his pain.  Along with toys and food, I was happy to discover that my reflector also served this purpose, but he seemed to think it was a yoga mat!

Reese was quite mobile and kept moving all around, which was probably the worst obstacle. I had a small space to work with and only so many places to put lights, so he ventured too close (not in a dangerous sort of way, just bad lighting-wise) to them or turned his back to them often. I can thank my editing software, Lightroom 3, for being able to recover details in those moments that he wandered into the harsh light. Considering my obstacles, I came away with some pretty nice shots.  I especially love the ones where Reese is strategically positioned in front of the Christmas tree with all the presents and even an Elmo doll. So cute!

We also managed to get a few family shots with all three of them together. Reese was easier to photograph on his own, simply because I could follow him around while he did pretty much what he wanted to. It was more difficult to get him to willingly participate when it was time for family photos.

He has a pretty cute grumpy face, so we made sure to capture a few of those, which will surely embarrass him in the future. Hehehe! I will spare him by not posting those here, and leave it up to his parents to make those photos public as they choose. Perhaps when they are introduced to his first girlfriend?

As for what else I will post, let’s leave you with the fun side of Reese and the serious side… side-by-side.

This concept can be confusing if you’re not used to dealing with it.  I hope I’m explaining it well enough. If I’m not, these examples may help my fellow visual learners:

I usually allow for extra space around the edges when I’m framing my shot, so that nothing important will be cropped out if someone decides that they want an 8×10 of an image. While capturing a fast paced event like a wedding, sometimes it’s difficult to frame an image perfectly. If someone wants a 3:2 image cropped down to an 11×14 print, sometimes there’s not a lot to work with. In other words, not every image will look good at any aspect ratio. Here is an example of what you wouldn’t want to happen:

The original crop was a bit tight to begin with, but it had to be done to get rid of my fellow photographer’s flash popping into the shot. In my opinion, this shouldn’t be cropped anymore. If I cropped to 11×14, I’d still be cutting a lot of somebody off, and I think that would ruin the excitement of this image.

I try my best to give some extra room around the edges, but when someone or something pops into a great shot, there may be nothing you can do to save the photo besides cropping it out. This means that some images were fated only to be printed at 4×6, as much as it pains me to say. The good news is that custom print sizes are available, but they might be harder to mat and frame. I can do all of that for you of course.

*Update: I found another good explanation of this concept by Joe Farace on PhotoFocus : http://photofocus.com/2011/06/02/full-frame-vs-full-image/

The day sped up again when I rushed over to the Swedish Cultural Center, where the ceremony was moved to and where the reception was taking place. A big window lit room was available for the ceremony and I was happy to see that the seats were being set up facing the wall rather than the bright window. I ran over to check on the status of the bride and then back to the room. In the 2 minutes that I was gone, I was horrified to find the chairs suddenly moved to facing the window! This meant dark silhouettes for me, but a pretty view for everyone else. It was okay though, since I had just enough time to throw on my flash to properly expose the couple. Given the window and the limited space to move around, I didn’t have the most ideal conditions for photographing a ceremony, but I made do under the circumstances. The ceremony was just barely long enough for me to get everything that I absolutely needed.

The reception was a lot more relaxed for Samantha and Josh. After socializing a bit, they were able to take some time for a few more couple shots that we didn’t have time for earlier. In addition to those, I had plenty of time for the more creative shots that I enjoy so much. I had the pleasure of meeting so many nice people during the reception and I got some great shots as well. I’ll post a few more favorites in my wedding gallery later.

I’m happy that everything turned out so well for Josh and Samantha after that crazy day, and I am impressed at how they handled it all! I wish them all the best!

I have some adjustments to make that I am aware of, but there are some problems that I can’t see. So, I invite you to comment on how it looks from your end. The more specific you are about the problem, and the browser, screen specifications, etc, the more likely I’ll be able to fix the problem. For example, because the “zoom” setting in my own browser was wrong, my header images looked off, so I easily adjusted for that.

Also, feel free to make any positive, “way to go” type of comments!