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.
Posted on August 29, 2014
More from the Bend wedding a couple weeks ago. The sun was nearly set and the ambient light was very warm but also a little too dim for me to effectively portray this couple’s reflection in the pond. I could’ve used an ND filter and no flash but I wanted the effect of directional side-lighting so I set up a light about five feet from the couple and fired away. By raising my ISO and using a relatively slow shutter speed I was still able to incorporate much of the ambient light as well.
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).
Posted on June 14, 2014
Kelly and Courtney were married in Portland, at the Gerding Theater (aka ‘The Armory’), which is an amazing venue right in the heart of the city. Courtney drove his classic Ranchero right up to the front door to escort Kelly away for their honeymoon.
Posted on January 3, 2014
Winter has set in but summertime, with those wonderful balmy evenings, is just around the corner. If you’ve just gotten engaged, congratulations! Wedding dates are booking up quickly; reserve yours as soon as possible at one of the many spectacular wedding venues we have here in Oregon. This image was taken at Mt Hood Organic Farms near Hood River, Oregon.
Posted on May 19, 2013
As I’ve mentioned in a few posts over the years, it’s always nice to get the bride and groom loosened up a bit when shooting their portraits. The cameras I carry have large lenses and flashes and it can be a little unnerving to have all that gear pointed at you over and over again 🙂 For this reason I employ a few ‘tricks’ designed to loosen up the newlyweds and make them forget there’s someone taking their picture. My favorite one is the kissing game: the bride has to try and kiss the groom in his ear and the groom has to resist with all his might…until he finally surrenders. Then I switch it up. By the time the game is over, the bride and groom are usually laughing and very relaxed…and I’ve gotten some great images!
Posted on May 6, 2013
Ashley and Chris were married at Bridal Veil Lakes, near Multnomah Falls. It rained most of the day but the sun came out as the couple was making their way down the bridal path. I love how ethereal the light was here. You can see more from this wedding via this link.
Posted on February 27, 2013
It’s not often that a wedding reception wraps up before dark but that was the case with this wedding…the bride and groom just couldn’t wait for the honeymoon! It was a warm night and I had the top down on my own car as I followed the couple over the Ferry St Bridge, shooting as I drove.
Posted on February 24, 2013
The sun was just about to sink behind the hills when I took this picture of Jaime and Robert along the Willamette River near Harrisburg, Oregon. Off-camera lighting can really come in handy at times!
Posted on January 11, 2013
This is another image from the e-session I shot in Portland, with Jenny and Johnny, at Tanner Springs Park.