Lindsey & Nate ~ ENGAGED!

They both love horses. Their parents are longtime friends. They grew up within 20 miles of each other (which is like being next door neighbors for most folks). And they are both passionate about their faith. How is this not a match made in heaven? 

Well it took Nate about 2 years to see all the "signs" as Lindsey calls them. It's funny because Nate never thought Lindsey was ever interested and so he didn't want to push his luck. All the while Lindsey was patiently waiting for him. Finally, it happened. And they've been an amazing couple ever since!

A true cowboy and cowgirl couple is a photographer's dream. The hat. The ruggedness. The look. Lindsey and Nate had it all. And I definitely wasn't complaining that they are both absolutely gorgeous as well! Earlier in the day, Lindsey and Nate went driving around for places that suited them the best and they found an AH-MAH-ZING spot that was absolutely perfect for them! A wraparound porch, an antiquated gas pump, barbwire fencing, an open field and hay bales! Then they wanted to head over to Lover's Lane for some super unique and awesome shots! Anyone can do Lover's Lane photos, but who has done them with two beautiful horses at night??? :)

Thanks again you two for being ridiculously patient with me and my wild stints of inspiration! Can't wait for my first visit to North Dakota for your unbelievable wedding! 

You can view all of the pics from their session at this link: Lindsey & Nate ~ Engagement

Congratulations Brisa! :)

My wife is unbelievably awesome. 

That's all I know how to describe her. She's my everything. Today marks her last day of class for Veterinary School. Unreal, right? After 4 long years of meeting and overcoming ridiculous challenges, she has done it. She will be officially graduating in May, but today marks her last day of class and I could not be more proud of her. Not only is she an amazing student and classmate (I'm just a tad biased in this description), but she takes care of me and our canine and feline children as if she does not have any other responsibilities! She is the primary reason that I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. She pushed, encouraged and motivated me to go grad school. She has been CRAZY supportive of my photography business (which she also generously allowed me to use her name for my business). She did all this while simultaneously subjecting herself to, overcoming and excelling during the past 4 years of unfriendly academic expectations. These are just a few reasons why....Brisa is unbelievably awesome. We just have so much fun together and I would never give her up for anything!

My dearest wife, congratulations and I love you like crazy!

A couple fond memories from our past couple of years in Kansas...

Our engagement (photo courtesy of www.ericamay.com)

Our wedding (photo courtesy of www.srphotography.net)

Our honeymoon

With my parents in front of our first home

Our love

Trini ~ Cap & Gown Session

Trini = super cute + gorgeous eyes + contagious smile + amazing personality! Within a few minutes of meeting her, you feel like you've been friends your whole life! That's right. She's that cool. I bet you all are just jealous now :)

Trini wanted some photos for her graduation announcements as well as a little treat for her (and her mom) to have as she graduates from K-State and I was more than happy to oblige! She brought her friend Georgia for help and to jump in a few photos as well! We had an awesome time running all over campus in front of their favorite and most memorable places and it was well into darkness when we finished. Even through the car honking, catcalls and whistling, Trini was strutting her stuff like the very best of ANTM (yes, I know the acronym). You can view all of photos from Trini's session here!

Thanks again Trini for being so awesomely beautiful and fun! You rock and congratulations on graduating! Woot-woot!

If you are interested in doing your own Cap & Gown session, please let me know! Currently running a special rate for all of you graduating seniors! 

TEASERS!!! Tara & Andy ~ Love in Manhattan, KS

Just wanted to share a few pictures from Tara and Andy's beautiful wedding this past Saturday! Although the weather was a major concern, the clouds parted and we had gorgeous clouds and sky to bless our day! This was my longest stretch between weddings and Tara and Andy made me realize how much I LOVE shooting weddings! So much fun and each of them are so unique and special! More photos to come! Enjoy the teasers for now! :)

Photography for a Cause - Photo of the Day!

Hey all! Just a friendly reminder to check out the galleries for my Photography for a Cause project! All profits from print sales will be evenly donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan and the Manhattan Red Cross.

You can view all of the available prints for sale here! Let me know if you have any questions!

Here is one of the available photos for sale of an old abandoned schoolhouse just north of Olsburg, Kansas!

Photography for a Cause ~ Today's Feature Photo!

For those of you who might have missed out on the first announcement, during the month of April, I will be evenly donating all print sale profits to the following local non-profit agencies: Manhattan Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan. You can view the entire original post here. 

I just wanted to let you know that I have added new pictures to the Kansas Ice Storm gallery and one of which is today's feature photo! Again, you can view all of the available photographs for sale at my Photography for a Cause gallery.

As of this morning, we have already raised $76 for these two amazing non-profits! Thanks again for your support! :)

Calling all Photographers!

My great friend and fellow photographer, Erica of www.ericamay.com is doing a massive OpLove shoot in Leavenworth, KS on Friday, April 18th and she needs all the photographers that she can get! Over 200 military families are interested in professional portraits! I may be available to go from 8am-2pm, so if you're interested in carpooling from Manhattan, let me know! Otherwise, contact Erica directly. Here is her original post:

Yes, that’s right. I need your help!

If you’ve followed the ericamay photography blog for very long, you’ve heard about my involvement with Operation: Love Reunited, an organization comprised of volunteer photographers who provide portrait sessions to the families of deployed soldiers at no charge.

I have been doing quite a number of these free sessions for the families of members of our Armed Forces lately, which I’m very excited about. I love giving back. It’s just engrained in who I am. If I could’ve been a professional volunteer, I would have been. You think I’m kidding. :) So since I can’t do that, I do use my profession and my craft to volunteer in a way that blesses families, their deployed loved ones and helps to boost the spirits of people going through really tough times. I’ve met some great people, made friends and have become a part of people’s lives through my participating in OpLove. It’s amazing.

 

So why do I need your help?

I was recently asked to plan an entire day of portrait sessions for families at Fort Leavenworth who are part of the Waiting Families organization (meaning they have immediate family members currently serving overseas). I am so excited about the chance to serve a large group of families by hanging out at Fort Leavenworth all day and shooting 30 minute sessions for these families. Alone, I can do about 15 sessions. As a group, the organization serves 200 families. Yes, 200.

So I’m only able to scratch the surface with photographing 15 families. That’s where you come in. If you’re currently an OpLove photographer, wonderful. If you’re not, that’s okay too… as long as you’re okay with working within the guidelines of the organization. We’re looking for professional photographers who can give all day or even just a few hours of their time to the families at Fort Leavenworth!

I have all sorts of details for you if you’re available and interested, so please send me an e-mail (me[@]ericamay[dot]com) or a message through the contact form at www.ericamay.com, or a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you! 

The basics of what I’m looking for:

1. Professional photographers

2. At least 3-4 hours of time on April 18th in Leavenworth

3. The willingness to provide free portrait sessions

4. The ability to send 4×6 albums of prints directly overseas to soldiers at no cost

5. The availability of all the images online to the family members for additional ordering (optional)

6. A fun attitude, a giving heart, and a desire to help! :D

If you’re interested, please get in touch with me. The response has already been huge… so the more, the better! :)I’d love to share more details about this exciting way to give back something to the families who are sacrificing sooo much so their husbands/wives/moms/dads can serve our country overseas.

Photography for a Cause - My BIG Announcement!

I have said this many times before because it is by far my biggest goal with my photography and that is finding ways to give back. Give back to those less fortunate than me. To those who have suffered a catastrophe or to those who did not have a mentor as a youth. I want to give back because I feel extremely blessed with the gift of photography. That is why I developed a project called “Photography for a Cause.” Here is my way of giving back. Over the past couple of years, I have taken a variety of documentary and landscape photos of the beauty of Kansas and I want to share them with all of you. If there is one picture that you really like, I encourage you to purchase it for yourself, for a loved one or as a way to decorate your home or office!

All the profits from these professional print orders will be evenly donated to the Manhattan Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan. For the month of April, you will be able to purchase any of the pictures and ship them directly to your desired location.  At the end of the month, I will (hopefully) write a substantial check to both of these amazing non-profit organizations to give back to the community that has treated my wife and me so well!

If there are any areas of Kansas that you would recommend to photography, please let me know! I will add new pictures and new galleries throughout the month so please keep checking back! Also, every day I will show a featured picture on my blog as a reminder J

I hope that you find the print prices to reflect my understanding of the current recession and that they will allow you to contribute to these two amazing agencies!

Here are the prices and photos from each of their respective galleries. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. You can view all of the pictures by going to my client site: www.labrisaphotography.smugmug.com and clicking on Photography for a Cause. Thank you in advance for your support! :)

Prices for Matte and Metallic Prints

4x6 = $5
5x7 = $7.50
8x10 = $12.50
8x12 = $15
10x20 = $20
11x14 = $20
12x18 = $30
16x20 = $40
16x24 = $45
20x30 = $50
24x30 = $60
24x36 = $75

Prices for Gallery Canvas Wraps

16x20 = $150
16x24 = $175
20x30 = $200
24x30 = $225
24x36 = $250

Kansas Landscapes

Kansas Outdoors

Kansas State University

Kansas Sunsets

Kansas Ice Storm

Pillsbury Crossing ~ Riley County, KS

Kansas Tornado Damage

Tuttle Creek State Park Sunrise

Aggieville ~ Manhattan, KS

Kansas Storms