Tips for Successful Cold-Weather Portrait Shoots - Photography in Lincoln, Nebraska

Maybe you're thinking that since winter's here, you have to wait until spring to have your portraits done.  This is not the case! We have lots of choices! First of all, we can take photos indoors, like at your home -- which often works better for small children. (I'll be writing about home photos sometime soon!) But I don't think we should discount winter outdoor photography either! (Not to mention I always love shooting outside the best.)  It does have its challenges, but as long as we have a plan, we can have a really beautiful and unique shoot. 

Here are some things to consider if you're considering having outdoor portraits taken this winter...or if you thought it could never work!

Senior Photography - my little brother!

I'm so proud of my youngest brother Josh! He'll be graduating from high school next year. The same little brother who used to beg us to tie him to the piano (and then complain to Mom later).  He's a great basketball player and a truly kindhearted person. And he can quote basketball stats like nobody's business. So here's to you, Josh. I hope nobody ties you to pianos in college.

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. 

Erik and Molly's Wedding Photos at Lincoln's State Capitol

I'm so excited to show you these photos from Molly and Erik's recent wedding in the Rotunda of the State Capitol! Molly and I both work in this beautiful building.  The Rotunda is an awe-inspiring place to be married. Not unlike a those of a church, the towering ceiling and sandy stone walls evoke somber and weighty thoughts.  

The light poured in from hundreds of feet above as Erik and Molly's small group of family and close friends surrounded them.  Their ceremony was brief, intimate and very meaningful.

Context vs. Details - photography musings

Something I've been pondering lately is the balance in photography between capturing details of a given event, like intricate embroidery on a wedding gown, and seeing more context, like that gown hanging next to a group of bridesmaids primping at the mirror. Each type of photograph has its own strengths. But something I'm learning is that you need to have both, if you want to truly tell a story and help others visualize, or remember, the event.

When I first started on my photography journey, my photos were almost all details. This is because my emphasis was on bringing out the unnoticed and forgotten details of the world. If I could make someone amazed at the texture of a little leaf from their own garden, for example, I'd done my job. My perspective was tiny and focused: to diminish the context so little worlds of beauty could really shine.

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.

Chris and Natalie's Outdoor Wedding in Lincoln, Nebraska

Hmmm...it's been a while since I updated. (Lamest blog intro, ever.) Really truly though, I've been busy taking pictures, reading reviews and shopping for new equipment, working on my website, trying to design some business cards, and the zillion other tasks that go along with getting a viable business set up.  It's all coming together, slowly but surely!

A little while back, I wrote about my experience shooting Chris and Natalie's wedding, and promised more photos. So here they are! These ones are some of my favorites...although there are about 500 more that I could have chosen, because there were so many fun images!

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.

Fence-ology

Taken a few hours into our journey back from Thanksgiving break....by this time we were still in northern Minnesota someplace...

I begged Johanna to stop driving so I could photograph this weathered fence!


Isn't it beautiful?

"Please Let It Rain"

This photo was taken during my recent vacation with Justin's family in North Carolina's Outer Banks. This is Jockeys Ridge, a park of sand dunes near Kitty Hawk. My imagination paints this photo as one of a thirsty, parched tree longing for an outpouring of rain.
This photo is available for purchase here.

the world of dr. seuss (buckets)

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

inside the barn

This is a three-shot HDR image of the inside of the barn (the one in the last post). It was almost pitch-black to the naked eye.

This is probably the most I've ever "set up" a particular shot. I had a tripod and remote, and had researched the method and camera settings. They say good photos don't happen by accident. I still disagree to an extent, but I'm definitely coming to understand the value of intentionality and foresight when it comes to good photography.