Talking

My wife teases me about this, but I have a habit of adapting my speech to sound like the person I'm talking to. For example, whenever I talk to my friend Tanner, Kara always says I put on this "Arizona Cool" accent.

I always tell Kara that I'm not trying sound cool, it's just that I think I subconsciously am just trying to communicate better with the different people I interact with. This can come in especially handy for a wedding photographer.

As I reflect back on this year in wedding photography I have had the opportunity to meet so many great diverse people that I never would have known before. 3 weddings really stick out in my mind with how different they were from each other, and how I had to adapt to each couple's style.


Sean and Amanda's wedding was so great and different. They put their own style on just about everything, from the 3 day wedding festivities to the belly dancer at their reception, their wedding was something I'll never forget.

Soon after Sean and Amanda's wedding I shot Bailie and Tyler's wedding in Bonanza. They're wedding had their own style too. A style totally different from Sean and Amanda's. Some of my favorite memories were the wedding party jumping on the tractor to go take pictures and Tyler wearing a gas mask to remove Bailie's garter.

A little later I shot Calvin and Lisa's wedding. Their traditional Vietnamese wedding was an amazing marathon. All the details of all the different dresses and the importance of tradition were two impressions that I took away from this wedding.

The one thing that these three diverse couples have in common of course is that they hired me to be their photographer. Looking back on my interactions with each couple, I had to adapt to their own distinct wishes and desires. It's a part of my job that I truly love. Every couple is so unique and getting to interact with each one is fun for different reasons. So yes, I guess Kara is right, I do talk differently with the people I interact with. Thinking about that now, it's something that I'm proud of.

Getting Married? Try Monroe Oregon!

A few weeks ago I had a chance to take some shots at a new wedding venue in Monroe Oregon. Paradise Springs looks like it will become a favorite among Oregon Brides. The facilities are just fabulous. Here are a few sample shots!

Mandy and Mike's Engagment Session in Corvallis

Hey Photo fans. Instead of a slideshow I thought I'd post a few of my favorites from Mandy and Mike's chilly but fun engagement session and comment on what I like about them...here goes!


Who ever said, "Save the best for last" ? I'm all for putting your best shot first. This is my favorite shot from the session. I love the strong vertical lines in this picture. I feel like my eye starts with the couple and then gets pulled up through the entire frame. This almost reminds me of that famous picture of a sailor kissing a woman in the street of New York City at the end of WWII. I intentionally put the subjects a little lower in the frame to emphasize those lines. I also really like how their black jackets pop against the lighter background.




I love this shot because it is so natural. Great pictures are about capturing real moments, and that is sometimes hard to do in an engagement session. For this shot I started inside the building and had Mandy and Mike just sit and chat. I eventually went outside and behind them to give them a little more space. Pretty soon they were cracking each other up about who knows what, and I caught this frame of Mandy laughing. Like I said,a real moment, a real connection between the couple and it doesn't even matter that you can't really see their faces.



This is probably my second favorite shot. ( I know another kissing one...) I laid down on my stomach in the leaves for this one so that I could include some of the leaves in the foreground to help frame the couple, and to emphasize the strong vertical lines of the trees behind them. Again I really like how my eye starts with the couple and gets pulled by the line of trees all the way through the photograph. I think this could be a postcard, or a movie poster or something....Something along the lines of Sleepless in Seattle.




This is kind of becoming a trademark engagement shot. EVERY bride I meet loves her ring and wants to show it off a little. The thing I particularly like about this shot is that you look at the ring first and then you can see their smiling faces behind. It's almost as if they just got engaged.



You gotta love backlight, and the expression on their faces.




I turned this one black and white because I wanted to emphasize all of the lines in the photo, by leaving the couple out of focus it emphasizes the lines even more, and it is almost like a surprise when you see Mike and Mandy in the background.


Here is a version in color and with the focus on the couple.

Ok..well I blabbed a little more than I intended to...so what do you prefer, slideshow or commentary, or maybe a little of both?

Looking into the future, and the past

Last night my dad sent me this picture of us when I was about 6 months old. It's crazy because I see how much I look like my dad, but also how much Gabe looks like my baby picture. I'm really grateful that my dad was a photography nerd and took tons of pictures growing up. Take pictures of your kids!

Eric and Katie's Engagement Session in Corvallis

When it rains it pours. Fortunately for Eric and Katie we had a break in the rain this week and were able to squeeze their engagement session in between a whole lot of wet. Eric and Katie are actually friends of Rachel and Brad, and Peter and Meredith. I can't wait until their wedding so that I can shoot a picture with all three couples together!
Eric and Katie are another OSU match made in heaven and spent a lot of their dating time in the piano room of the Wetherford(spelling?) building. I love the shots in their from their engagement session. Every time I shoot at OSU Campus it is a unique experience.

She's growing up

My baby turned three today. I am so grateful for the joy that Sofia has brought into my life. She has brought Kara and I closer. Her smile is infectious and she truly has a kind heart. I love you Sofia!

Mondisa and Luis' Engagement Session at Willamette Valley Vineyards

Can you do an engagement session in November? Mondisa Luis and I pulled it off at the gorgeous grounds of Willamette Valley Vineyards in Salem this weekend. There were some great colors there as the leaves are turning yellow, and they have a beautiful view from up on the hill. Mondisa and Luis are actually getting married at a different location, but I'd love to shoot wedding at this vineyard sometime...