Trash the Dress Session with Lisa, Nisr and Tex.

We had the distinct honor and privilege of shooting a "Trash the Dress" session with Lisa and her 2 horses Nisr and Tex.  It was a wonderfully exciting shoot because it was our first foray into capturing horses and their riders/ owners professionally. It was quite a challenge because the lighting and horses were entirely unpredictable; something in part we hadn't really anticipated, but adapted very quickly.
Below you will see a great collection of images we have chosen that we feel really define these amazing moments between animal and human.

"Trash the dress" sessions have been always a niche obsession for brides in our area, but certainly are a main stream obsession for us, as we love doing them! So if you are a Bride looking to "trash" your wedding gown for the sake of an incredible experience and amazing imagery. Give us a call, Lets create a story and a list of images that you would want to show off for a lifetime.

If you are a rancher, farmer, horse owner or rider and would like us to capture your day with your Filly, Mare, Stallion or Colt. :-) I am certain we can create an experience you will remember with images to match.

Smart Phone Etiquette for Weddings... Part 1

I've had wedding couples come to me at the very end of our first consult and ask me, "Will our guests with smart phones and iphone's make our images look bad?"
I thought to myself "Now that's a loaded question."
And here is what some photographers might believe...
Professionally speaking (if I was a control freak), I'd say... "Anyone with an iphone, smartphone, camera phone, camcorder, regular camera can throw off the aesthetic and appeal and over all quality of the image (particularly if the flash and LED's go popping off."
Luckily for all my amazing couples I am not a control freak and.... I couldn't disagree with this above statement more.
Here is why I disagree...

Out of the nearly hundreds of thousands of images I've taken with a person holding a camera phone, you may or may not get 1 or 2 "distracting" images between 2 different weddings captured and nearly 3000 images shot. That rather low ratio of distracting images (with a camera phone), is so meager in quantity... that it is hardly bother.. let alone a distracting quality.

So here is another question. Why even create a Blog about it, if its such a measly little problem?
 Because I was recently approached by a photographer who ranted to me (seeking to find me in agreement) about all these guests who jump in their way and spoil a wonderful shot or moment captured.
Simply put, I had politely disagreed with them, and told them that "on the contrary, Smartphones and people using them can enhance the ambiance and composition of an image."

The ranting Photographer balked and gave me a look as though he was wrong.
Well.... he was, in my opinion.

When I compose my wedding images I look to the audience and guests of the wedding for any kind of participation I can find. After all, my couples getting married are Rock Stars (at least for the day) and deserve to be showered in praise, love, respect, admiration and lights; lot's and lots of lights!
Take a look at the picture below.
A wonderful image of a couple just recently married. Its a nice image... its sweet and tender.

Now look at this image below...
Its the same image, but now we have a story being told. We have a moment that can not be replicated or artificially created. Now the couple in this image are truly Rock Stars for a day.

The image shown above provides an additional layered  secondary subject that amplifies the moment. The same could be said for the image posted below...

Without that excitement (a.k.a: young women with the Camera Phone) displayed in this image... the image would show another beautiful bride walking down the aisle.  Its so much more than that.
Weddings are more than a spiritual and religious ceremony. It is a celebratory moment in time where family friends and even the occasional Wedding Crasher can unite and in their own way to show the Bride and Groom how much they appreciate witnessing this day.
So the next time a Wedding Professional discredits or discount the fact that camera phones can distract from the overall image. You all can show them this blog and prove them wrong.
Wedding couples, camera phone junkies and fanatics rejoice! You've heard it here first. :-)

Part 2 of this series coming soon...