APW IV ~ Family Portrait Session

For our fourth Aspiring Photographer Workshop (APW IV), I focused on how to shoot a family portrait session using limited backgrounds and harsh light. The gorgeous and lovable Powers family were our willing models and they were awesome! Besides, how can you not like Parker Powers? With a name like that, it just makes you smile after you say it. Seriously, repeat it a couple of times in your head or aloud (maybe quietly so you don't get too many weird looks) and you'll soon be smiling too! Parker Powers! :)

Thanks to all of the photographers who came out! I had an amazing time talking and sharing about photography and so hopefully you all were able to gain some new experience and techniques! Six photographers joined the party and they took some fantastic shots!

Photographers who attended:

Amanda Michelle Photography

Amanda Staats Photography

Jill Grogg Photography

John Patton Photography

Lauren Sanders Photography

Michelle Palmer Photography

I'll be hosting APW V ~ Bridals/Couples on June 28th! Please let me know if you are interested in attending!

To view all of the images from the APW IV/Powers Family session, click on their online gallery: The Powers Family!

Doesn't the name Parker Powers make you think of a superhero? Well, here he is on his way to fight evil! 

One of my favorite shots ever! That's right, I went there! FSE baby! Yes, I often realize and am reminded of how ridiculously lame I am :)

Aspiring Photographer Workshop (APW) III

I've been so behind on blogging! I have two workshops to blog about so I'll do the other one next week! For APW III, we focused on doing an engagement shoot with composition and framing as well as working with the sunrise light. Hopefully the 5 photographers who attended the session at 6:15am learned a few things and enjoyed the experience! 

Our models for the morning were Amber and Jacob (who I know through Manhattan Christian College) and they were amazingly perky and fun at that early early hour of the day! For those of you who know Jacob, he needs a specific type of woman to corral him a bit and Amber is his perfect neutralizer :) Thanks again so much you two for putting up with my whims and for getting up so early in the morning! I sincerely appreciate it! 

I totally love teaching others about photography! I am by no means an expert, but it is always fun to shoot with a group of photographers! Hope you all enjoyed the breakfast goodies and that you were able to learn a little something from the workshop! If you are interested in attending the next APW, please leave a comment or shoot me an email! 

Attendees:

Grant Watkins Photography

John Patton Photography

Ashley Watt Photography ~ website under construction

Michelle Palmer Photography ~ website under construction

Amanda Staats Photography ~ website under construction

To view all of Amber & Jacob's session (as well as more behind the scenes shots) go to their online gallery: Amber & Jacob ~ ENGAGED!

the morning crew. look how much fun everyone is having! :)

Come and join us next time for APW V ~ Bridals!

Krista & Travis ~ Attraction

Krista and Travis wanted pictures together before Krista headed off to her internship! Krista and Brisa were classmates at the vet school and Travis is probably one of the most laidback and friendly people I know! They are both so incredibly cute together and especially when they have their dogs! Just one big happy family :) The absolute coolest thing about Krista and Travis is how supportive they are of each other. Being a significant other of a veterinary medical student is not easy. Being a veterinary medical student is not easy either. To see them excel as a couple over the past couple of years is wonderfully amazing!

I think more couples should get their picture taken, seriously. And that's not just me talking to support my profession either! When Brisa and I wanted to put together a slideshow for our wedding, we could only find a handful of decent pictures of us! So, all you couples out there...yes, I mean you, go out and take some photos together! Just for fun because photography is always FUN! :)

To view all of their pictures, please visit their online gallery: Krista & Travis!

Thanks again guys for having me take your pictures! Hope you had as much fun as I did!!! :)

Dr. Hsieh Goes to Brooklyn!

Well this morning, my wife left for Brooklyn. After four years of studying veterinary medicine, she is now Dr. Brisa Hsieh and headed east for an internship and we are both super excited and anxious about the changes to come! We're leaving our first house, so many memories and our comfort zone for something comprehensively different. And I like it. 

Brisa and her dad are starting their drive to Brooklyn today and I just ask for prayers for their travels and for the people traveling around them!

The first picture of Brisa and me in NYC when we went to visit a couple of weeks ago

The endless opportunities for photography in NY! I can't wait!!!

Amy & Steve ~ ENGAGED!

They came. They saw. They won. That was the attitude that both Amy and Steve had throughout our entire engagement session! After having to postpone our initial date because of horrendous weather, Amy and Steve joined me and my assistant, Ashley, for a ridiculously early morning shoot! One of the best feelings I have ever had as a photographer was when I was talking to Amy about where and what she wanted to do for her engagement session and she said..."I trust you, do whatever you want!" You have no idea how I excited I was to hear those words! So for a while now, I've been wanting to do a shoot at a laundromat. Why? I have seen some other photographers do it and I wanted to put my own spin on it. Something a little more in the moment. And Amy and Steve nailed it! Man, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed spending time with this couple throughout the morning! So incredibly laid back and completely into each other. Super excited to shoot their wedding next month!

To view all of the pictures from their engagement session, check out their online gallery: Amy & Steve ~ ENGAGED!