Inspiration & Design Photography BLOG

Emilee & Keith's Engagement June 27th, 2011

This playful couple have been best friends and playmates since about the 3rd grade.  And they are still best friends today!  Not only are they best friends, but still truly "in love" after all these years.

The evening of their engagement session it was swealtering, oh my GOSH! The humidity was atleast 150%, well it felt like it anyway! Shortly into the session, Emilee's beautiful thick hair was beginning to look like she had taken a shower and her hair had only dried part way.  We were drippy, sweaty and very hot, but in spite of all that I did my best to keep them encouraged and capture their cute, playful and romantic personalities. 

Laughter always gets you through.....and we did laugh! 

 

 I told Keith to tickle her...doesn't she look like she doesn't want to be tickled? Well....she confessed she's not tickle-ish; good acting Emilee ;)

 

 Can you believe she's wearing a sweater in that heat! But I love the blue & yellow together.

 

  

 

 

Sarah & Ryan's Engagement

Meet Sarah Evans.....No, not that one.  Darn, I really wanted a live performance of A Little Bit Stronger!

This happy couple met for the first time at Wasena Park, while running a race. Sarah says it was love at first sight for her. They thought it would be fun to go back to where they first met to document their current day love.

The thing that was immediately evident about this couple is how much they enjoy being in each others' company. The giggles, smiles and laughter through-out the entire session was a testament to their utter happiness. Like the excitement and innocence of a first love! You couldn't pry these two apart with a crowbar!

Under dark cloudy skies, we attempted to create some fun and romantic memories hoping the rain would hold off until we finished. Sarah & Ryan, thank you for being you.  I wish you many years of giddy love ahead!

So adorable! 

 

I really like they way they pop against the dark bridge. Both the verticle and horizontal lines point to the subject. 

  

I think this is my favorite image. I love the way Ryan is looking at Sarah and I love Sarah's expression. The wind kicked up at the perfect time and blew her hair back..perfect. On really cloudy days your images can look really flat. With the correct positioning of the subjects I was still able to get a sense of directional light. It's also hard to get light into the eyes, so you have to work with head positioning and turn your subjects toward your light source, since there is little reflective light.

 

 
 

 

 Believe it or not, it was almost impossible to get these two to be somewhat serious for one shot. Every time we tried they would both start laughing. But you can see Sarah's smirk is about to burst into a full out laugh.  I have created my signature style of using whatever I can to create depth, texture and framing. Don't let that blue sky fool you I have enhanced it. It was dark and very gray.

 

 

  I have used a monochromatic color scheme for this image, I think it helps the hats stand out more.

 
 

I suggested doing a running picture, Sarah said "yeah, I'll be ahead and he will be trying to catch up with me" sounds a little competitive Sarah (smile). 

We were almost out of light for this one, so I had my ISO at 6400, 16-35mm lens, f-stop at 2.8 @ 1/64th of a second and was able to get this image.

 

Well that's the end...or just the beginning of Sarah & Ryan's story.  Stay tuned for wedding images coming in July.

Michelle & Curt's Engagement

They had dated for a while and things got real serious, real fast.  Curt admits he got a little scared and decided to spread his wings out in the world for a while.  It didn't take long for him to realize he had made a mistake; Michelle was the love of his life.  Meanwhile she had gone to Paris with friends still trying to move on with her life and get over him. 

But recently Curt had come back on the scene. Michelle didn't know what to think of these phone calls from her lost love, one of which was suppose to occur while she was still in Paris.  Little did she know that the longing in Curt's heart had caused him to fly to Paris to surprise her!  As she complained to her friends that Curt still hadn't called, they tried to console her as they secretly worked in cahoots with him trying to set up the surprise meeting. Instead what occurred was a wild goose chase at the Eiffel Tower!  Just missing each other by moments. Well they finally did meet up later. . .and the rest is history. 

I have never met a man so tender, so loving, so protective, as Curt is toward Michelle.  Their engagement session was the first time they'd seen each other in a week, and absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. Almost the entire time they looked lovingly into each others eyes as Curt gently stroked her hair and kissed her. You could tell that wrapped in Curt's arms is the warmest, happiest, safest place she'll ever be.

As a photographer it's pretty amazing not only to be in the presence of that kind of love, but to capture it...WOW!

When I do a session, I try my best to capture the true essence of the subjects personalities.  You have to let them be who they are. Guide them, help them to get comfortable and have some fun.  I hope I have honored Michelle and Curt with these images showing the varied emotions they expressed that day.

 

Seriously there was steam coming off my camera lens!

 

 

How happy they look as they frolic through the grass!

 

 

I had trudged my way through very tall growth making as much noise as possible, hoping to scare away any lurking snakes (eeew) to get those Peonies. I just had to have them.  After I gathered my bouquet I ran all the way back feeling the Heebie Jeebies! I wasn't so brave anymore! I didn't necessarily get them for the shoot, I wanted them for a vase at home.  But Curt and Michelle were tenderly baby sitting them the rest of the evening.  Thanks guys!  They are still in my Mason jar and three more blooms have begun to open.  I am enjoying them IMMENSELY :)

 

Digital is soooo sensitive to white.  It's real easy to blow out areas and have no detail if you're not careful. I tend to under expose a little to make sure all my white has detail, then if needed I lighten up the skin tones to the brightness I want.

 I LOVE the way the light perfectly highlights Curt's face and Michelle's hair.

 

If you find an area with good light. . .Work it! Do as many poses as you can.

 
 
I like the playfulness of this shot and Michelle's expression

Hey guys I'm up for chips and salsa anytime! 

Brittany & James Engagement

I am such a sucker for cowboy boots and this cute couple wear them so well! Aren't they adorable? They go together like milk and cookies. Although they do not live in the area, they decided on photos in downtown Roanoke, since that was where they had their first date.  James had his heart set on some brick backgrounds. I love this location because it has so many different textures, colors, a rustic feel and some BRICK! I have been able to use it a few times and render a different look each time.

Before I start photographing a subject I like to analyze the shape of their face so that I can photograph them using the best angles.  I determined that Brittany has a round face & James has a heart shaped face.  In this case I will slim the faces using angles.  You can also use lighting to slim fuller faces as well. 

When I meet with my clients to begin a shoot I always see the beauty in them.  I think everyone has something really special, unique and awesome them and I can't wait to bring that out and capture it in their images. However, I have found almost every one has something they don't like about their appearance. It's always helpful to find out what that is for each person. The big one is the dreaded double chin, of course. Don't we all want to avoid that like death & taxes! But sometimes it may be something that the photographer wouldn't notice or think is unattractive, because we are our own worst critics!  Am I right? That's why it's important to ask, so you can do your best to shoot in a way that they feel flatters them.

Over the many years of sessions, including boudoir, at times I have had people say "this feels really awkward", but I assure them it looks good.  Think about it...if your comfortable, you probably have your shoulders a little slumped, your legs are probably stick straight and your tummy is relaxed and maybe pooching out. Not a good look. The photographer can see the subject and can make adjustments to the pose that greatly flatter them and create a more refined image. More about that below.

Clothing. Very important. When deciding on your outfit, look at it in a full length mirror from different angles, including the back.  Remember, what feels comfortable may not always be flattering. I will be covering this in the following images. 

This sun dress was really cute, but the shape and fullness of it and the fact that it gathered in the middle, added deceptive bulk to her midsection. I had them place their hands on the area of the dress that was full and bulky. I chose this location because I liked the color harmony between the background and the clothing. Less distraction and you can focus on the couple's expression. So cute! The angles really slim the faces.   I have created a triangle with their bodies; a very strong composition. They look comfortable and relaxed and I have been able to show off Brittany's GORGEOUS LEGS!!!!! Hey you want to trade?

 Remember I said to look at your outfits from all angles? The image on the left makes Brittany look much wider than she is, because of the boxy shape of the sweater and the fullness of the skirt. Although it's a cute pose and expression, in my opinion the clothing doesn't flatter as much as it could. In the second image I asked Brittany to take off the sweater, then I had her pull the bulk of the skirt and hold it with her right hand. MUCH BETTER, wouldn't you agree? Also leg placement is very important.  Get those legs apart; the upper and lower body is more balanced and creates movement. 

 

I love these images.  Notice how much better the black looks? The more form fitting outfit really shows off her cute figure. I LOVE these two images.  They are real, casual and tell a story about their relationship. I love the one on the left, their legs are perfectly matched. I absolutely love the expressions of the one on the right.

 

 So MODEL-Y! James you're looking so manly sexy, and Britt you got some sass!! Look at how well the hands are posed yet look natural.  I have balanced the visual weight with the patch of grass on the bottom right.

 

This is just plain cute, cute, cute! You guys are awesome!

 

Notice the body angle for Brittany, turning her hips at an angle from the camera is slimming as well.  You want to get those arms away from the body to create space and not add thickness to the waist. James pose is casual and masculine, their expressions are matched. On the right, I love using those leading lines and showing off Brittany's legs again! I really had to get her to sit up straight for this pose. I like James in the dominate position. 

 

 I always like the couples touching when they kiss or get close.  I see photos where the couple is kissing and the arms are straight at their sides; it doesn't give you the impression that they are really into the kiss or each other.

 

Notice how the angle and hair across her face slims.  I am in no way saying there's anything wrong with round faces, but most people would rather have their face (and body) look more slim. 

 

 Something different....

 

 

 

I really love their expressions; you can tell they love looking at each other! By pulling her in close and her leaning back, you accentuate her feminine curves. The fence leads you to the subject and helps frame them, along with the train, and the black bridge above. I love that the red train went by at the perfect time. You guys are smokin hot!

 

 

Some sunset romance. I love the gritty urban feel softened by the shallow depth of field; the light on the tracks...and this sexy couple.

 

 

Forgive any typos, or missing words, etc. I didn't finish this post until after 1:00 am.

 I hope you enjoyed this information and found it helpful.  I know you enjoyed looking at Brittany &  James!  I would love to hear your thoughts about the new informational format.  Thanks!

Erin & William's - Engagement

When I first met this lively couple in my studio, I knew they were going to be fun! We just hit it off and knew we would be a great match for their wedding. Thanks you guys for making me laugh until my stomach hurt!  I hope we have that much fun at the wedding!!!

The day we had scheduled for their engagement session was the day before the first big storm.  The clouds were rolling in, the sky was getting dark, but they were already on their way from Charlottesville; running about an hour behind due to traffic. So what do you do?  You shoot! And you do the best you can.  Erin & William decided they wanted fun & playful shots for the most part and of course me being me, I have to throw in some romance. Who doesn't love romance?

Luckily I had found a wonderful field of yellow wild flowers in my happy color...YELLOW!  By the time we got there the sky was pretty gloomy and flat (no real direction to be able to create dimension).  The light was coming from the open sky behind them.  I shot that direction, because I wanted the hill of flowers to be my background and also wanted to show off the clouds.  When shooting with a light background like this sky, you should shoot in manual (I only shoot in manual).  The sky will really throw off your internal meter.  Since it was so gloomy, I leaned towards a slight overexposure to brighten up their faces and the yellow flowers.

I love the stormy dark clouds as a background. 

 If you look close, the clouds above them are forming a heart;

I have placed them at the missing bottom of the heart. 

 Do you see it? 

Normally you do not want the horizon line going through the subject,

 however, in this case I wanted to showcase the sky and heart.

I love the casual, comfortable pose it really fits the setting they are in. 

This time I changed my postion so that my horizon line is above them.

In this image, I caught a moment of natural expression that was so charming I didn't want to take the time to change William's arm position, which is a little distracting,

but I feel the expression is strong enough to carry the image.

 

I used a wide aperature to create a sense of depth and used the foreground flowers to frame my subjects. 

By the time we got to our next location, it was dark.  I don't usually shoot in the dark, but I decided we would just play and see what we got. I used the ambient lighting to light my subjects.  I love the contrast of the cool blue sky against the warm ambient lighting. In the picture on the right we tried several takes.  Once I got Erin's hair in a ponytail so you could she her face and got the leg positions just right it turned out good. The legs should be apart for both subjects.  Erin's legs should not be too overdone in their position or it will look fake.  This position looks very natural.

 
 

I really liked the lighting in this spot and felt it had a moodiness I wanted to capture. I like the image, the only problem is the reality of the shot.  Why would this couple be here like this at night.  But I can create fantasy, it doesn't always have to be reality. Right? 

  

I like this one better because the expressions are perfectly matched. Moody & romantic like an old black & white film.

 

Erin & William are really funny, fun people which made the session so fun we didn't stop until 10:00 p.m., but it made it harder to get these moody romantics that I wanted to match the scene.  In the next one this is the image I wanted, but every time I tried, they would be laughing. Finally I said, "come on you guys, think of dead kittens or something"....

 

This is the image that resulted in that request!!! It makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it!

 

Here's what they said. "The pictures are AMAZING!!!!!  William and I absolutely love them!!!  We keep looking at them and really are amazed at the work you did.  Thank you so much for being flexible, we had a great time! I definitely wanted to send you a quick note letting you know how much we liked the photos!" 

 

Valerie & Joe's Engagement

What an absolutely sweet couple! And so in love! They are the kind of people you just want to give a big squeeze! I'm looking forward to their wedding in September.  Valerie and Joe, thanks for being so wonderful, kind, adorable and just plain fantastic! Luv you guys!

They wanted a beautiful park like setting and love the mountains.  I have an awesome neighbor whose property looks like the Garden of Eden and is surrounded by mountians. Luckily for me, she's kind enough to let me use it on occasion. It was exactly what they wanted. They decided on a classic/romantic look to their images.

Here's where I would like to talk a little bit about clothing.  Valerie & Joe did very well bringing very cute outfits that harmonized in color and style.  However one of the blouses she brought was not flattering due to the elastic bottom and the over all fit.  As women we want to look as thin as possible in the waist area.  This shirt was not form fitting and because of the elastic, didn't lay well.  Therefore, it did not flatter her cute figure.  I tried pulling it down as tight as possible, which helped, but still didn't render the look we would have preferred.  So this is something to think about if your going to be photographed, or you are a photographer guiding your clients clothing choices.  Something may look cute, but not be the best choice for photos.

See how well they harmonized? Do you see what I mean about her shirt?

It worked well here, since I have zoomed in past the problem area. I used the low setting sun to rim light them.

 

This was a very cute black sweater, however it created a lot of

 contrast and didn't look well with the soft pastel of the flowers.

 

In this one I asked her to take off the sweater, look how much better the image looks.

 I also used a pastel filter at low opacity to bring out more pink in the flowers,

it also rendered a nicer blue in his shirt.

Cute picture showing off the mountains, but a lighter sweater would have looked a little better.

I have used the rule of thirds for subject placement.

The hedge serves as a leading line to the subjects.

 

Again they did a GREAT JOB with color and style. 

I like the way the white blossoms in the background help to make

them stand out more and the darker areas create a natural vignette.

 This was taken right after the sun set, which gives that warm glow to their skin.

 

 I wanted to showcase the mountains again.

 I used a graduated orange filter to bring out more orange in the sunset.

The evergreens on either side act as leading lines to the subject, once again.

A playful one to finish off the session!

Since their faces area the brightest area of the photograph,

immediately directs your eye to the subjects.

 

Aren't they soooo cute?!?!

Well I hope that helps.  If you have any questions, be sure to send me a comment.  Happy shooting!

Today's chat - Engagements

 
I have decided to steer my blog posts in a more teaching direction. There are many readers who I feel would benefit by my discussion of some of the nuts and bolts, thoughts and background information that I will be sharing.  I hope to help brides as well as other photographers who may be trying to learn as they embark on their photographic careers.

This year I decided to offer complimentary engagement sessions to my bridal couples. In this tough economy many wedding budgets have been stretched very tightly; wedding couples can't always afford the things they'd like to have.  By offering them the gift of my time, I am enriching our relationship and adding additional value to my wedding package.   It's been a rewarding experience. It feels good to give and my payment is the joy they express regarding how much fun they had and how much they LOVE their pictures. Spending time during the session is a great way to get to know each other.  I enjoy all the laughing; we have a lot of fun as we play & experiment during the session.  I also believe this is invaluable in learning the best way to help them feel comfortable and look their best on their wedding day. We will also relate more like friends on the wedding day and increase everyone's comfort level.

I always try to guide my couples about the best clothing choices (more on that in a future post) and find out what kinds of locations they would like, as well as the over-all style they are wanting.  For instance, do they want pictures that are cute & playful, romantic, classic, or even a little on the sexy side, or some combination of those.  When you don't know your couple that well at first, you don't want to photograph them in a style that is not them.  Sometimes they may not feel comfortable expressing that they don't necessarily like to be romantic in front of others for instance. So it's best to ask. You always want to allow them to be themselves.

When it comes to locations, see if they have a location with special meaning, it will always make their images more special to them. Sometimes this might be where the groom proposed or where they had their first date or it could just be a general location that expresses who they are or what they like to do as a couple.

Here's a peek at Valerie & Joe's engagement session coming in the next post.

 

 
 
 

Lauren & Jared's Engagement

 

Lauren and Jared met at church, where Jared is a youth pastor.  They instantly became the best of friends and it didn't take long for love to blossom.

After a romantic drive on the parkway, Jared got on one knee and proposed to Lauren.  She was surprised, thrilled and replied with an excited, "YES!"

They chose to have their engagement photos done at Roanoke College, since Jared graduated from there and Lauren still attends.  I was so excited when I pulled up to the college and saw all the autumn colors still present in so many of the trees!

I enjoyed working with this adorable couple.  Lauren is kind of quiet, but always smiling, especially when she's with Jared.  Jared is friendly, confident and adores Lauren.  Oh, how I delight in the presence of couples in love!

Lauren & Jared, you were so cooperative, flexible and a pleasure to work with! I look forward to capturing all the love & beauty of your wedding day!

God bless you both!

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

Emily & Bryce - engagement session

I met Emily a couple of years ago when I photographed her sister's wedding.  I was thrilled when I got the call that she was now engaged. I was really excited to meet the love of her life. Needless to say when they arrived, I thought they were absolutely adorable together! I just wanted to squeeze them up!

They are both very polite, soft spoken, stylish, very attractive and slightly shy in front of the camera. It was wonderful to see my cutie-pie couple warm to me, their surroundings and most of all to each other (photographically speaking ;).  I was delighted to find this rustic building that showcased the season with all its color, as well as the dilapidated industrial area that I knew Bryce would like.  I think it was perfect!  We also took a few images at the park before the light was completely gone. 

Thank you Emily & Bryce for being absolutely wonderful, adorable and soooo photogenic!!  Thank you Morgan for being willing to go scouting with me for over 3 hours to find just the perfect locations for the shoot, and for being such a great assistant!

  Here they are in all their cuteness!

 

 

I love the way Bryce is looking at her lips and her playful tongue biting. This was Morgan's angle, I LOVE IT!!! Great composition! 

Isn't this old building amazing?

 

 
Very romantic.

 

 

 
I love the graffiti, the message, the heart, so cool.  And I love their expressions, pure contentment!

 

 
On to the park. I really like their expressions.

 This one is so fun, Morgan says it makes her happy looking at it.

These were some of my favorites.  I hope you enjoyed them.

 

Meghan & Alex - engagement session!

This lovely couple met back in the summer of 2002.  They were camp counselors at boy scout camp.  Although their relationship was slow going at first, things started to heated up by Christmas time.  They have been dating ever since, if you can call it that.  More like phone dating!  Much of the time the were living in different places. 

Alex currently attends grad school for percussion at the North Carolina School of Arts in Winston-Salem and will graduate in May 2009.  Meghan works for the Treasury Department as a bank examiner, here in Roanoke.  Sounds like a left-brain, right-brain couple.  Nice! They will have good rhythm and a correctly balanced check book!

Meghan doesn't like cake, but likes cookie cake.  Last Christmas on the way to have dinner with Meghan parents, Alex got a sudden urge for cookie cake.  Meghan remembers lecturing Alex about the pitfalls of dessert before dinner, which he did not heed, no matter what approach she used. He was going to get cookie cake! They arrived at the mall and viewed the tasty treats on display, one of which had an interesting message...are you guys tracking me here? After several minutes of disinterest & apparent oblivion on Meghan's part, Alex quipped that she sure was unobservant!  In plain view....a cookie cake......with a message...a question....there it was, in frosting....Meghan, will you marry me?  She finally got it!  This was not a man following his cardinal sugar cravings, rebelling against common sense eating habits!  This was a man on a mission!  There on bended knee with an audience of collective cookie cake lovers, he proposed!  How sweet! Pun intended.

They wanted a pretty outdoor location for their session. Pretty?  The only thing in bloom right now is daffodils and a few trees. Okay this was going to be a challenge, but then again who doesn't love a good challenge.  After some miles on the odometer, I formulated a plan.  It was a good plan, but little did I know, some gates of opportunity would be opening up.  During our session the home owner of the wrought iron gates we were using for a background, graciously invited us on to her property to use her "not yet in bloom, gardens" if we wanted. To my wonderful surprise I discovered a treasure trove of photographic locations, in spite of the regrettable time of year.  Side note:  just another testament to the kindness and generosity of the south! I just want to say that coming from California, there are things I miss.  The Weather!  The FOOD! The shopping!  But I have found the people of Virginia to be the  nicest, most caring, thoughtful people, that I have ever been around!  I am proud to be a Virginian! Now, if I could just do something about the rain!

I love the expressions they get when they look at each other.  I love the freedom of laughter that Meghan expresses when she is with Alex.  I had so much fun editing their images, because I got to experience their emotions.  During a photo shoot you get to "capture" the emotions, but don't have the time to really absorb them.  During the final faze of the session, while editing, I thought WOW, steamy! In all the intensity of exposure and composition I had missed the steam! 

Okay, enough cit chat, here are Alex and Meghan in all their romantic, playful glory!!!!!!!!