kai, lindsay and alaa- one shot

jen porter- headshots

 When Jen Porter contacted me asking for head shots for her new website,  but didn't want the usual boring, sterile style, I knew we were a match. She was so fun and we had a blast shooting away in and out of a home she is selling.( my dream home) Thanks for a fun afternoon Jen and I can't wait to see how the new site turns out:)

breen family- one shot

These brave souls gave me a double take when I arrived at their farm in the middle of a snow storm and said we were going outside for pics! It was cold, and there was a lot of hair flying, but we had fun and they were great sports! Here's a peek!

mrs. k- one shot

erica, dennis and audrey

and the winner is....

Morgan and Tyler have won the engagement session!! Here is their engagement story and Morgan even sent a few pics along of their engagement! So looking forward to having a fun shoot with these two!!

I am writing to tell you about my wonderful engagement. My boyfriend (at the time) and I had been planning a vacation for ourselves as a graduation gift to ourselves for over a year. We were going to the incredible country of South Africa. When booking our flights finally came around, they were hard to choose because the flights and layovers were so long. We found a flight with a 12 hour layover in Paris, so we thought we would take the opportunity to do a day trip to Paris as we had both never been. 
I planned a few things for us to do during the day and I was really excited because we were going to climb the Eiffel Tower first thing! We took the train into the city and we thought we would walk to the tower... it was almost a two hour walk... it ended up being 35 degrees without humidity that day and we were going on about 3 hours sleep. I was miserable but was still so excited to be there..but perhaps not being as cheery as I should be. We spent more money on water than anything else that day. We went on a boat tour and finally got to the 'love bridge' which I had been looking forward to since I came across it online. A bridge where couples lock padlocks onto the fence often with the date on it, to promise to love each other forever and then throw the key into the river. Tyler was bent over getting the 'lock' from our backpack and he asked me to give our camera to someone to take out picture. I was skeptical giving my brand new canon away, so he found a couple to take our picture. As I turned around, he was kneeling down on one knee and he told me how we were meant to be together and we had waited long enough..  meanwhile this unsuspecting couple is snapping pictures of us! What a trickster, I was in total shock! And afterwards felt so bad for my crabby behaviour earlier in the day. We did a couple more hours of sightseeing before heading back to the airport and spend the next 10 days in bliss in the amazing country of South Africa.  

Thanks for listening to our story
Sincerely,
Morgan 

scott, katelyn, hailey and brianna

advice from a wedding photographer

I was thrilled when the wedding team at The Elm Hurst Inn asked me to guest blog this month. I put together a small list of helpful tips, things that I always think about while planning or on the actual day, that might give a couple insight. Here is the article, to view the 
Elm Hurst Blog click here:) Happy monday!!

Your wedding photos will last a lifetime – that’s why it’s always best to hire a professional, rather than relying on candid shots snapped by family and friends.

We asked Kelly Taylor of The Bridal Lounge to share her tips on making sure your wedding photos don’t disappoint. Here’s what she said…

“As a wedding photographer, my goal is to give you the best experience possible all crammed into a very busy, sometimes stressful day. There are a jillion tips for executing a wedding but these are just a few lesson I’ve learned along my journey:

Book Early
If you have a certain date, photographer, venue, etc in mind, and you want to ensure they are available for your special day, book early. Yes that means 18 months in advance sometimes.

Know your Guest Count
Don’t be disappointed if after you’ve booked the venue of your dreams, they cannot accommodate the number of guests you have.  A place like The Elm Hurst Inn & Spa has reception spaces suitable for parties of all sizes, but before you do the leg work and spend your time and money, have a realistic idea about how many guests will be coming to your wedding. This is also helpful when breaking down the budget.

Be Organized

I have to be careful with this one! Just as every couple is different, each person has their

 own level of organization. I tell my couples that the more detailed planning you do before, 

the easier your day will be. When I meet new couples I immediately lay out a rough 

timeline to get a basic overview of how the day might look. It helps with co-coordinating 

other vendors, booking hair appointments etc. Now, please don’t start making DIY favours 

two years before your ceremony(unless that’s how you roll) , just set small goals and don’t 

kill yourself trying to achieve them. Spread them out over time, and enjoy the ride.

Let your Vendors help lead the way

Working in the industry, I work with other professionals all the time. I see what products 

look fabulous and which DO NOT look fabulous. Let one vendor lead you to another.  We 

know the great make-up artists and limo companies in your area! Ask and ye shall receive.

Ignore the camera and just Be

You look beautiful so don’t worry about me taking a bad shot. That’s my job. I will direct 

you when necessary, but otherwise enjoy your day.

Accept that things won’t be perfect

That’ right I said it. It won’t be. The goal is for everything to run smoothly, but things 

happen that are out of your control so please don’t let one problem ruin everything else. A 

little dirt on your dress will go unnoticed but you will have your pictures for a thousand 

years!!

Consider doing a First Look

A First Look is when the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony and get most 

of the photos out of the way. Now, I am all for a traditional walk down the aisle, but more 

and more couples want to walk out the aisle as husband and wife and into a martini 

reception with their loved ones – instead of going for a photo shoot. A ‘First Look’ is also 

great because you can get your photos done when you are fresh and full of energy earlier in 

the day.

Lose the Glitter

Its one of those silly little things, but it makes a difference. Glitter looks strange in 

photographs. So wait for the photos to be done, then go crazy with the stuff!

Consider a Cocktail Dress for the evening

I know what you are thinking. “Kelly, I would never do that, I love my dress so much I will 

want to wear it all night!”

You say that now, but after being sucked in and tightened up for the afternoon, you will 

want a little wiggle room to get a decent breath in and really relax for the party portion of 

your day. A recent bride of mine told me after  her wedding that she really wished she had a 

second dress to enjoy her meal and to dance the night away with ease.

Have Fun!

It is so important for you to simply just enjoy it. This day is for you and your partner, and 

yes it will be a whirlwind but it will be the best time you’ve ever had. Live in the moment 

and be present. It will definitely translate in the pictures!