Summer Weddings, Engagements and blog love

[Peanuts]

Hey all!

Things are ridiculously busy here. I am glad to see things are picking up a bit. I thought I would share a few of my own as I have kept stupid busy this summer with just life in general and of course good old photography. Turned 20, travelled and lived half way across the world, shot some pretty awesome people's weddings, got featured on Rock n Roll Bride, ate lots of asian food and was told by a three year old just how horrible I am at singing (I knew I was bad but common.. a three year old? Oh puh-lease!)

If you have any questions please feel free to ask away. I am more then happy to help or whatever

I find it amazing to see just how much I have developed style wise and the likes over summer.. hopefully you find that interesting as well

1. Mountain wedding. Oh the air is so fresh it is beautiful. Can't wait to head out their this weekend!

2. Wee bit windy!

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4. Un bebe from an August couple last year

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6. My mom! Who I adore

7. Sister watching the bride getting all spiffed up

8. The dress

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11. Two is just the perfect number isn't it?

12. So identical twin brother's RULE

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15. Yes.. so these lovely people are getting married in November. Can NOT wait

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18. Hand held flash to the left

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24. and here is a drawing how I got the last few shots and why I slowly got lower and lower I ahd to shimmy up the side of the rock to get 'eye level' with them. The alligator may or may not have been present.

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So below is my favourite wedding of all time. Best couple EVER. Tons more on the blog..
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28. Her best friend and bridesmaid designed and hand made the dress. Err. wow

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37. Aww.. see where it says "remember your roots"? No.. oh well. I thought it was cute

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47. I'm a limb cropper and I don't care. what can I say

48. Okay.. so I am so excited. This bride is a photographer and a huge supporter of film and I decided to put a roll of 120 through my 620 Duaflex IV.. it worked!

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50. So this session is hilarious. We had already rescheduled and it was like.. oh bummer.. it ispouring again. Reschedule! So i give her a call and I hear this timid voice "but I just got my hair and make up done" ... so we did it.. it was 8C and drizzling and miserable but we did it.

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61. At this.. as I was have buried in this canola.. I declared "There is some wild rape going on here!".. completely unintentionally... that did not go over well. Good thing I took this before I said that

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66. Nothing like having the groomsmen do up the back of the dress!

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72. and I will leave you on this note. This adorable little boy I had the pleasure of photographing. I don't usually do kids but.. he was a doll. And who doesn't love a boy in overalls?

Thanks for looking. More on the blog if you aren't already puking in your mouth a little bit with this photo overload

 

[camz]

Just Beautiful!!

Your work reminds me of Jennifer Skog another local bay area photographer.

 

[5DManiac]

nice shots!

 

[Lyncca]

Absolutely gorgeous work.

 

[NiKOnSLR]

very nice pics.

 

[mooimeisie]

Wonderful.

 

[Derrel]

What, no 73rd photo?

 

[Nicholas James Photo]

I have two things to say to you Brittany.
1. You mention just turning 20, that means I hate you already LOL
2. I have been pro for longer than you have been alive, trust me (I'm a doctor) when I say you have one hell of a future in this business ahead of you, should you decide to take the pro shooter road.

 

[manaheim]

Lots to see, but too much to comment on.

Some interesting stuff, and I enjoyed browsing it all.

16 was -amazing-.
65 was clever and made me laugh.

Now I don't do what you do, and so I'm speaking from impressions only, but I had something to ask for you to consider...

What do your compositions say?

For example... cute couple being all cutesy... in a run down dirty horse barn. That's probably what they asked for, but what does it say?

Couple kissing in a building falling apart... what does that say?

Couple standing in a sorta-scary corroding tunnel tihng... what does that say?

One person in focus, one person not... is one person more important than the other? Why? What does that say?

Woman with eyes closed as her lover moves in for a kiss, vs. eyes open... what does that say?

Three people with severed heads visible only on the coffee table??? What does that say?

To me, personally, MANY of these photographic elements are very cool... but not necessarily cool or appropriate for that particular situation. For example... scary tunnel thing with graffitti... awesome for a skateboarder scene... not so sure about a formal dinner/wedding/whatever.

I'm not poo-pooing your images or what you've accomplished. Clearly some awesome stuff... I'm just raising a question for consideration.

 

[Peanuts]

Thanks so much for your comments everyone (and Derrel you crack me up)

and Nicholas that is so kind of you - wanna hear something funny? I am a full time Biomedical student and let me say, what you doctor's do is 1000x harder then photography. Holy crumb.

Manaheim, thanks for taking the time to post those. Being 'challenged' in any sort of fashion is great and I completely appreciate it. I guess I will try to explain my perspective so you can understand a little more of why I shoot the way I do (and just for the record this isn't in defense). One thing I never want to be is traditional (although the more funky composition is becoming the new traditional.. whouda thunk!). All these couples hired me because I don't shoot everyone standing side by side smiling in the garden with the bride turned around and on her long train her bouquet and her attendants looking all purty. It just isn't me and I can assure you I would hate shooting weddings then and my clients would hate my work. My style certainly isn't for everybody - I have met with several clients I literally had to say "you know what.. I don't think we quite meld with what you are looking for and I shoot so you should check out (so and so)'s work. They really excel at that". So hopefully that explains the composition a bit. That being said, these are the iamges I display as this is what I shoot primarily however that doesn't mean I don't do some of the more traditional poses for great great grandma etc. etc.

(and as I complete sidenote I just got a call from Loven Enterprise.. should I answer? .. good old call display)

You seem to not really 'get' the locations which is fine For the first couple in the barn, he is a farm boy - through and through. We could easily have gone to the local gardens and done some "ohmylove you are leaving me to go fight" shots but they asked me to a) find the location and b) tell the story. Well, these are just a few so you might miss b) some but I can assure you the entire time we were there she kept going "this is gorgeous.. oh this is lovely" so.. that is a good sign

The tunnel is flipping rad and I have had tons of photographers asking where it is (its really easy to find.. promise LOL). It is compositionally awesome to use (hmm.. leading lines anybody?) and this couple are ridiculously active. As in.. I am pretty certain the next day sheflung herself down a mountain on her bike.. so it was no problem going into this more 'off the cuff' location. Another couple I shot there about a month earlier (I hate reusing locations but had to for this because it was awesome and this couple styled it up a ton) I knew for a fact the bride was not going to climb down 3m of rock to get there so I just took the boys down. COmpletely different look.

As for couple standing in front of a dilapidated building and in the industrial park. They are from Windsor, ON... directly across from Detroit.. Need I say more?

As for one person in focus one person not being interpreted as most important.. I will have to say the bride takes precedence (I am kidding. I really don't know how to answer that as not in a million years would I interpret a shot that way )

Eye open kisses are nastiness. They mean I am sceered out of my bajeebers of you you creeper! Okay that was mean. I don't get that question either. I admit it

As for severed limbs (this forum has a sudden hangup for this ).. I like it. I am currently reading Frankenstein and oh yes.. it's alive (I am sorry. I don't think that one can really be explained either. You either hate it or like it. Both I completely understand)

I guess to round it up. I hate shooting cliche. yes.. you would expect to see 13 year old skateboard kid in a tunnel. If I had a shoot with said kid, yes, I would probably do some there. But wouldn't it be awesome to get some of that kid in let's say.. Time's Square. or doing his thing as dozens of business people in suits go flying past. It is the unexpected that is awesome! That's my opinion

I hope that explains how I see things a bit Thanks for asking.

Just for horrors of all horrors I have to add this one in. It was taken a year ago so.. it kind of stinks but.. here we are. Lopped off heads and people out of focus. Oh noes!

 

[Nicholas James Photo]

I'm not a doctor, that was a poor excuse for british humour.

 

[Peanuts]

oh darn. Went completely over my head. And I am usually quite good with interpreting those. Oh well. Too bad you mentioned it.. otherwise I would have still believed you were a doctor!

 

[manaheim]

Heya, Peanuts... I'm sorry, I should have put in one key bit... I really wasn't expecting a response from those so much just tossing them out for consideration. I completely respect style choices and have even more respect for those who stand by them.

Really, the only answer I could have ever taken issue with was one where you didn't know why you were making those choices. That would have been scary.

I do "get" the locations, btw... as I say... very cool. (like I loved the blue spattered paint on the wall behind the bridal couple) I'm more traditional, so it's not generally my thing, but I acknowledge the coolness of those spots... nooo question.

 

[Peanuts]

Okay, I respect that manaheim. I am not going to lie.. bit curious as to why you throw out things to consider when it really has no benefit to anyone reading it if there is all but one wrong answer? Anywho.

To humour you all I posed this as a question to a friend of mine and here are his responses (which made my day).

For example... cute couple being all cutesy... in a run down dirty horse barn. That's probably what they asked for, but what does it say?

Couple kissing in a building falling apart... what does that say?

Couple standing in a sorta-scary corroding tunnel tihng... what does that say?

One person in focus, one person not... is one person more important than the other? Why? What does that say?

Woman with eyes closed as her lover moves in for a kiss, vs. eyes open... what does that say?

Three people with severed heads visible only on the coffee table??? What does that say?

1) Love thru poverty...
2) Love even when it falls apart
3) Even when running from the police and hiding from the CIA in a dark tunnel there is still time for a kiss?
4)uh the bride is more important and the groom would like to hide the fact that he looks like he is about to faint...
5) Eyes open would be creepy...
6) Its a very morbid game of cups: you have to try and figure out where the brain is...

There ya go. Another set of answers.. with a much more tongue in cheek response.

Anywho. Friendly bump

 

[ocular]

Very nice and creative. I don't like #11, separating the bride and groom like that yuck.