Couples Shoot with Parker and Lisa - Portrait Photography in Lincoln, Nebraska

When my brother-in-law Parker brought his girlfriend Lisa to Lincoln for a few days to Meet The Family, I jumped at the chance to take them out for a photo session with my new camera and lenses. They were kind enough to subject themselves to my whims for a couple of hours.  I was so very happy with the way these turned out. (I am loving my new glass and camera too!)

Oh...can you guess which photos were taken in a PUBLIC BATHROOM?? (Bonus points if you know where the bathroom is!)

The McMasters! Family Photography in Lincoln, Nebraska

Meet the beautiful McMasters family! Steve, Andrea and their two gorgeous daughters had their family photos taken a couple of weeks ago.  Do you recognize the place?  I took some engagement photos here this spring.  It's my secret, beautiful, perfect place. It makes my soul sing just a little louder.  I think maybe Justin and I should have a picnic here sometime soon.

 This little gal, Erin, really loved the camera and never missed a chance to be in front of it! I could tell within about five seconds of meeting her that she was a performer at heart!  

 

Mike and Jill's Wedding Photos in Lincoln, Nebraska

You might recall seeing Mike and Jill's engagement photographs back in June! Well, they got married, as engaged folks tend to do these days, and I got to tag along the whole day (with my camera of course).  This couple was very sincere, and they made me feel like a good friend on their big day.

Hope it's acceptable to have so many clothing/accessory photos (more below)! Jill loved her gown, shoes, hairpiece, and jewelry, and asked me to photograph them all. Which I did, quite willingly! I adore these little detail shots. 

Mitchell & Sarah's Nebraska Prairie Wedding!

For a long time, I turned down wedding photography requests because I was completely terrified of shooting weddings. I have to credit Mitchell and Sarah, some good friends of ours, for being among first to insist that I could and should (and would) do their wedding photos. I was pretty anxious about it at first (and it really helped that there would be another photographer there), but I'm so glad they had the confidence to trust me with taking their wedding photos.  I think it was the push that helped me realize that I could really do this, and that I even really wanted to do it, and couldn't wait. So this was the second wedding I did (with Chris and Natalie's being the first). I've got four of them under my belt now, and am beginning to feel just a little bit "broken into" this whole experience.

Natalie's Senior Portraits in Lincoln, Nebraska - Class of 2011!

Natalie was a lucky girl: she got two photo shoots! Actually, the first time we went out, a storm rolled in and ruined the light after about 30 minutes. So we decided to call it a night and go out again later.  Natalie was so much fun to work with!  Her plan after graduation is to open a kids' bookstore! Isn't that cool? And just check out how photogenic she is!  It's impossible for my to choose my top favorite, sohow about 18 of them? :) Both times we visited East Campus in Lincoln. This is the first time I've done photos there, and I realized it's pretty much a hotspot for portraits. I saw at least 5 other photogs there on our two trips.

Michala's Senior Portraits in Lincoln, Nebraska - Class of 2011!

Some people feel uncomfortable in front of a camera, and their personalities fizzle away when I need them the most. Other peoples' personalities naturally come out in front of a camera. Michala was definitely the natural sort! She posed herself almost intuitively, and clearly enjoyed being in front of the lens. You can really tell through the photos that she loved the shoot. As a result, her fun, sassy, and unafraid personality came through!  Which, of course, makes for a really fun and smooth session.

Mike & Jill! Engagement Photography in Lincoln, Nebraska

I can hardly say how much I love sunset light. It makes people glow!


After months (seriously) of rescheduling this shoot because of poor weather, we finally made it out on a gorgeous weekend evening.  I guess it was worth the wait...the evenings don't come nicer than this! Mike and Jill are going to be married this August in Seward, and I'll also be shooting their wedding...so this was a great chance to get acquainted with each other a little bit before their big day. We visited a couple of places in Lincoln and quite perfectly ended with the sun going down. Almost like I planned it that way. ;) 

There was lots of kissing going on, since that seemed to be a very natural expression for Mike and Jill. They didn't want to run and squeal and bounce and jump around like some people do, but they instead demonstrated a simple, sincere affection that was very evident in this shoot. And, obviously, kissing=good photos. :) Okay, so I am somewhat of a closet romantic. Don't tell anyone...

Sneak Peek: Chris and Natalie's Outdoor Wedding

I did it! I photographed a wedding [update: see more photos here!], all by myself. It was exhausting and exhilarating and, yes, a little emotional, as the bride and groom are very good friends of mine. I am so thankful that Chris and Natalie entrusted the capture of their entire day to me and my camera...knowing full well that, although I've used my camera at many a wedding, this was my first solo wedding photography experience. The above photo is just a little 'teaser'...I'll have more posted soon for sure.

The wedding was lots of fun, and the photos Chris and Natalie wanted their photos to reflect the activities they enjoy doing.  Fishing, reading, and playing basketball were all covered in their pre-wedding photos (really, I can hardly wait to show you).  The wedding and reception were also very "them." From the prioritization of the gospel during the ceremony to the pinatas at the reception, it was a very good representation of who they are.

Overall, I think the day went very well, despite the weather being very hot and windy. I felt as confident and prepared as I could have been. There were a few small mistakes I made, though, which I will list as a form of self-flogging so other aspiring wedding photographers can learn from my mistakes.

1. Let me get this off my conscience first of all. While shooting outdoors with the whole wedding party, we made the transition from bright sunlight to a shady patch. I had the exposure compensation set a few stops lower due to the bright light, but I forgot to change it after we got to the shade.  Luckily, after firing off maybe 20 posed group shots without bothering to check the LCD (duh) I noticed that a) my shots were embarrassingly underexposed, and b) one guy still had his sunglasses on. (Another duh.) So I did what any good photographer would do, and said, "Hey Jordan...you still have your glasses on...sorry, we gotta do a few more." Groanings commenced all around, directed at the (supposedly) guilty party. No one suspected my technological lapse. Sorry, Jordan! :)

2. I locked the master list of family poses in my car. With my keys.  Thankfully, Natalie and I had gone over the list only hours before, and so we had a good idea of who was supposed to be in the photos. I don't think we missed any, actually. (Justin was set to show up later, and he had a spare key, but we obviously didn't have time to wait.)

3. I got distracted shooting the bridal party lineup at the very beginning of the ceremony, and neglected to realize the groom had already walked one of his grandmothers down the aisle unphotographed. The music did not change and so I had no auditory cue for when the program began. That is just an excuse, so really, it's no excuse.

As far as I know, those are the only real mistakes I made. Would I have done a few things differently? Possibly. I always have with lots of fun posing ideas that I seem to forget as soon as there's a camera on my face.  But there were no horrific disasters. Hooray for first solo weddings!

Here are some things I am glad I did.

1. Had extra batteries along, as well as a car charger for them. My flash fired more often than usual, and drained the battery more quickly than I was used to. I just popped the old one into the charger in my car. Eventually I will get a couple more batteries so I don't have to worry about charging throughout the day. I had 2 batteries and I used each one twice (more or less...I didn't actually DRAIN them but replaced them when it got to 1/3 power.)

2. Drove by all the areas ahead of time AND the day-of. This helped get an idea of lighting issues, where other people might be in the way (at parks and such this is always a problem), ideas of where to put the wedding party, even timing the drive.

3. Probably the biggest thing: although we were on a very specific time schedule, I was very careful not to rush the photo process too much.  This required a bit of a shift in priority for me.  Instead of taking 10 shots of each pose and hoping one would turn out (okay, so I don't normally do it quite that badly), I carefully checked each group of images as I began shooting them (except the one time mentioned above), taking those few extra seconds to really look at the image and see if it needed any changes.  I also tried not to be afraid to rearrange people in the (very large) family setups. At first, I was afraid they'd think I was being a bad photographer. Doesn't she know how to do this? No, thanks for asking. But then...I realized that is more like a good photographer. You want to get it right, more than worrying about what people think. I'm sure some of these things will come more naturally as I gain more experience. But it felt good to be thorough the first time around. The bride and groom seemed to appreciate it, too (as did I when I was the bride).

That's it.  I will definitely have photos coming in a few weeks. I am DYING to show you more, but in all fairness, I guess the bride and groom should be able to see their photos first. Right? :)

Ryan, Tina and Kolbee's Family Portraits at Holmes Lake

It's great to be able to say that I haven't had time to write on my photo blog because I've been so busy, well, being a photographer.  I've been taking photos for a church directory, trying to work with a web designer to create a website for my photos, and shuffling around a few photo shoots as well (at least trying to, because the weather has been so crummy). The one I'd like to share with you today was a lot of fun -- and exhausting!  Small children are delightful to shoot -- but they can be challenging.

Brendan & Meredith at the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln, Nebraska

Last week took me to the Sunken Gardens for a photo shoot with two beautiful toddler cousins, Brendan and Meredith.  The occasion: they both fit in homemade outfits that had been made for their mothers when the mothers were toddlers! So their moms wanted some photos to celebrate the next generation of awesome-sailor-outfit-wearers. (The photo above is probably my favorite. I just can't stop looking into her eyes.)

a vintage feel

(For sale in my Etsy shop!)

When I first started taking photos, I thought a black background was the be-all-end-all of good pictures.  I meticulously edited my photos until many of them looked like they were taken with a velvet backdrop.  Whatever.  Now I can hardly stand that look.

My personal art aesthetic (or taste, I guess) is always changing, and it always reflects my current taste in music, clothes, home decor, etc.  Right now, I'm all about old/vintage stuff.  I love antique stores and I want an old home. No black velvet or crystal chandeliers anywhere...just imperfect wood floors and character and history and sunshine.  Those don't come in new homes.   

engagement pictures - Joe & Dana

I took these photographs a couple of months ago, in the Haymarket and train station (where else?).  :)  I've known Dana for a long time, and more recently have gotten acquainted with Joe as we were English majors at UNL (all three of us were/are).  Dana and Joe were a lot of fun, and their photos are full of energy and movement.  The one above is my most favorite from the shoot!

Everyone's Two Favorite Topics: Cabbage and White Balance

This isn't my typical photography post, but it definitely counts! I'm taking a break from engagements and family portraits to bring you a few photographs of a humble, yet beautiful, purple cabbage.

Sisters! Family Portraits in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska

This was my first shoot of this sort! A classmate asked me to take some fun photos of her and her two sisters, as kind of a gift to their parents for Christmas. Fun! We went to the Haymarket and train station in Lincoln and wandered around the area a bit before exploring the Creamery building.  The weather was very warm (yay!) and the snow was melting, so I wore my rubber rain boots so I could sludge around in the muddy slop without worrying about my feet.

Engagement Photography in Lincoln, Nebraska: Jim & Kelsey!

These are pictures of my brother and his now-wife, Jim and Kelsey. I took these shots back in March, as soon as it was (barely) warm enough to spend time outside. It was actually my first time doing engagement pictures, and looking back I wish I'd have done a lot of things differently. I didn't have a lot of creativity in the poses and prompts that I've become at least a little better at recently. Everything is a lesson, right?

The bench they're sitting on for some of the shots is the exact place they got engaged. :) It's in a park not too far from my parents' house.

Engagement Photography - me and hunky husband!

A lot has changed since I wrote my last post in May. The biggest event was definitely getting married! :) These are some of the engagement pictures we took of ourselves a few months before our wedding. It's taken me forever to put them, or anything else, up here!

This summer also brought a move into a new apartment with my husband, and my final semester of undergrad studies. I'll graduate in December with a major in English and a minor in History. Right now my world is a flurry of wifely duties (which I simply adore) and scholarly assignments (which I usually also adore, though not in the same way). On today's agenda: write a basic overview of the Great Vowel Shift. Fascinating, isn't it? For me, yes, actually. It is.

But this blog is about photography, not linguistics. I haven't done a lot of shooting on my own this summer, mostly because of the busyness of this summer (my brother got married too, just a month before mine!). I have continued to sell photography at my Etsy shop, and I was also part of the Cathedral Art Show this past month - my first art show ever! It was a success, and a lot of fun.

the world of dr. seuss (buckets)

taken at the Slowdown Theater when I went to a Jens Lekman concert last week.