Eugene wedding photographer
Wedding Photography
A Bend wedding
Posted on December 16, 2014
The light in Bend is unique. Reminiscent of Santa Fe, the clear mountain air lends a soft, golden touch to everything, creating a warmth unmatched throughout western Oregon. As the sun set this wedding day, I had to grab the bride and groom and whisk them away for 30 minutes before the light went flat. My destination was a small pond at the edge of the groom’s family property, but this golden light, combined with the tall grass and the relaxed position of the bride and groom, had me shooting with my 70-200 mm lens even as the couple walked to the water’s edge. I added a slight vignette in post to accentuate the light on the couple. No flash was used in this image.
Heaven Sent
Posted on December 7, 2014
Amanda and John’s Oregon coast wedding was beautiful. Even though it rained off and on during the day, the clouds parted occasionally, letting in light like this; a soft beam that managed to fall directly onto the couple. We spent about 30 minutes on the coast, after the ceremony, and the light was pretty flat until this moment. Then it was beautiful. I was very happy to see such light since it’s quite a challenge to set up off-camera lighting on the coast, where winds regularly gust up to 30 mph.
Get a room!
Posted on November 15, 2014
Kara and Matt got a little carried away after their ceremony and the wedding party let them know it. This was taken at Eagle Rock Lodge, along the McKenzie River.
A Very Western Wedding
Posted on November 2, 2014
The old Gulick Homestead, located in The Dalles, Oregon, is a fantastic place for photos. I was staying at a hotel nearby and, as soon as I saw this location, I called the bride and told her to grab the groom and meet me at my hotel; I had a surprise for them. It was another stormy fall day but the rain held off for this shoot. I really love the rustic setting and the amazing colors. We spent a good 30 minutes here, using the various buildings and foregrounds, until the bride got too cold to continue so we wrapped it up and headed for the church. The groom got a ride with his parents, leaving the bride their own vehicle. What he didn’t know was that he’d put her set of keys into his pocket before he left! My car is a little 2-seater so there was no way I was going to fit the bride and her bridesmaids in with me but it was really starting to get cold and I couldn’t just leave them all standing out there, so I managed to stuff the bride in the passenger seat next to me and we took off after the groom and his parents. She got the keys back and we all made it to church on time.
Oregon Wedding Showcase images
Posted on October 26, 2014
So I’ve figured out which images I most want to use for my booth at the upcoming Lane County Oregon Wedding Showcase; now I just have to figure out where to put them all! Here they are:
Creating a more natural feeling
Posted on October 24, 2014
Most people aren’t used to be being photographed all day, let alone having an intimate moment while someone’s pointing a large camera at them. A number of years ago, while perusing the POTN site, I came across a post on some ways to make couples feel more relaxed around the camera. My favorite technique was a thing called the Kissing Game, wherein the photographer asks the groom to try and kiss the bride in her ear, and for the bride to resist as much as she feels like while not moving her feet at all. Then they switch it up. This makes for some great photos; the couple becomes focused on each other and totally forget I’m there, snapping away. In this photo, taken at Mt Hood Organic Farms, Allison and Jeff were completely caught up in the moment and I took full advantage, having already placed them in the most favorable lighting.
A Walk with Dad
Posted on September 12, 2014
I love finding unique perspectives. When the bride and her father made their way across the bridge I wanted to capture a sense of the venue, which was way out in the woods with no electricity and no cell coverage. This shot conveys a little of that; I really like the small opening in the trees that afforded me a ‘sneak peek’ as they approached the path leading to the aisle. This wedding was at Clark Creek Campground, out past Lowell, Oregon.
Clark Creek Camp, Matt Emrich Photo, Eugene wedding photographer
A dip in the pond
Posted on August 8, 2014
Okay, this is actually a dip by the pond; if she’d gone in the pictures would have been quite different. This was taken at King Estate, just before the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down.
Golden Grass
Posted on August 3, 2014
Summer in Oregon is one of life’s great pleasures and Mt Hood Organic Farms may just have a claim to the best wedding venue I’ve ever had the chance to photograph here in Oregon. Located an hour or so east of Portland, Mt Hood Organic Farms is wonderful. Like a gourmet meal paired with an outstanding wine, so too is the relationship between Mt Hood Organic Farms and its staff: not only is the scenery truly spectacular, the food is divine, as are the scattering of intimate cottages on the property; each one instilling the feeling of a charming B&B that’s all yours. Even if you’re not planning a wedding there, I recommend you stay for a weekend!
I Canoe, Can You?
Posted on July 31, 2014
At Bridal Veil Lakes, about an hour east of Portland, couples have unlimited access to the property. This includes the use of canoes! Ashley was a very intrepid bride indeed, getting her wedding dress so close to so much water. I used my Canon 70-200mm lens and stayed on shore, paralleling them as they rowed their way across the lake. The couple in the other canoe were the Best Man and Maid of Honor, respectively. I shot their wedding a little later (also on water, at the Eagle Rock Lodge on the McKenzie River).
Eugene wedding photographer 