It's often the personal part of a photographer that wins over the person on the other side of the camera. Simple Pleasures is that personal side of me.
Part of the inspiration for a photographer is in everyday things. Immersing oneself in a situation and documenting the moment. Last week we went to the farmer's market, a kaleidescope of scent and color in fresh air. My bag quickly filled with tomatoes and cukes, celery and radishes like I'd never seen...French Breakfast Radishes. I was told to slice thin, spread butter and salt on them, mmmmmm. I've never been much of a radish fan, but these changed my mind (and it didn't take that soft sweet butter to persuade me). These radishes taste as good as they look. Crispy with almost no bite and very slightly sweet.
An adventure with my camera that brought a new delight for my table ;-)
Is February not Chocolate Month? MMMMMM! And they were good, too. This month's desktop image is my Valentine gift to you. Please feel free to download and enjoy.
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
Look what I found at Beau-Coup!I love the idea of filling the air with the fragrance of lavender as an alternative to throwing rice, and who wouldn't love a bees wax candle or the anticipation of growing plants. Decorate your table with mini palms or give the promise to come of a tin of flower seeds. Lovely ways to remember your wedding!
This month's desktop image is my Christmas Card to you. Please feel free to download and enjoy.
I love natural things. I love candles...I love the two together. I love the symbolism that an arrangement can make to signify the season. Freshen your desktop with this seasonal image.
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
Fall to me is about dark and rich colors. Found objects that covey warmth, like a dark wood bench. Photography is about finding the details within the objects, the design within form.
This month's desktop image is an abstract detail. Can you tell what it is? Please feel free to download and enjoy.
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
Here at last are the long awaited images from Dawn and Dino's wedding in Sedona. While it is always an honor to be part of a wedding, sometimes it's also a privilege. This was certainly the case with these two. Together for 20 years, they decided that it was time to have a very intimate private ceremony away from their home in Florida and then share the good news after the fact.
We started in Tlaquepaque, a wonderful shopping village that is patterned after a traditional mexican village. From there we found a rocky outcropping on the road to Red Rock Crossing where the ceremony took place. Margaret Van Damme of Van Damme Weddings coordinated and officiated this special day. Dawn wore a sweet Jim Hjelm gown...
....but wanted to "trash the dress" after the ceremony, so brought A SECOND GOWN purchased on e-bay(!) for that special part of their day! And what a day it was!
Green Wedding Friday - The Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens
Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens is a wonderful venue for your green wedding. Beautifully appointed with lush gardens and architecture, you need bring in very little to enhance the already beautiful surroundings. The Boojum Tree makes re-useable centerpieces available as well as suggesting plants as centerpieces that can be later given as favors.
Tasha Miller, event specialist at this venue, offers tips to her couples to help cut down on waste while offering suggestions on favors that will really be used rather than looked at once and thrown away.
Internal changes have helped make The Bojum Tree earth-friendly, too. Set-M-Up Bartending (inhouse bar service) makes recycling a priority and the office had gone paperless, offering you the convenience of email for your communication.
Whether you are looking for unique architecture or getting close to nature, Boojum Tree is a really lovely place for a wedding celebration.
This month's desktop image is a street shot. Please feel free to download and enjoy.
Once I got to go to New Orleans. A city that celebrates death like it does life. I wanted to share this image with you for Halloween. Click on the image to download a copy of your own and freshen up your desktop!
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
It's been a while since I posted about this mainly because I've been caught up in life and not paying attention to the things I set out to do, but in one long weekend I managed to attain three very important goals ;-D
We used to go camping before we got married...a lot...and I loved it. Camping for me ended about eighteen years ago when the dog we had at the time made our last trip such a miserable experience that I could never really get my husband excited about it again. When I made my list one of the biggest goals was to get him somehow excited to go again. This weekend, for J.'s birthday, we finally did it. Three days, two nights at Wood's Canyon Lake on the Mogollon Rim with our neighbors, their kids, grandkids, 2 dogs and a kayak in tow. Almost freezing temps, campfires and coca cola cake, our current dog who relished every moment and one happy girl camper who finally got to get outside again.
We came home Sunday afternoon just in time to unpack and pack for a very secret elopement in Sedona. Take one beautiful east coast girl and mix with a very happy groom, a couple of girlfriends and a guy and magical things can happen. Portraits started at Tlaquepaque, a beautiful little shopping village in the heart of Sedona. Then a drive to a hilltop overlooking the valley. We got to Red Rock Crossing just in time for a sweet ceremony on Oak Creek, then our adventurous bride and groom changed into a gown and tux shirt bought just for the occasion and dove into a very chilly Oak Creek for a trash the dress session.
Our Beautiful Bride and Groom are keeping the wedding a secret just a little bit longer, so photos will come on the blog when they are ready to share, but in the mean time, I'll leave you with a photo of a very happy dog guarding her tent in the high country.
Goals accomplished:
7. Do a Trash The Dress Session 27. Go Camping 39. Photograph a Wedding in Sedona
We now interrupt your normally scheduled programming for this public service announcement...
Soon-to-be-marrieds please take a moment to think about this...the number one challenge that I and every other wedding vendor I know has when they pick up the phone is that the nice person on the other end of the line has absolutely no clue (or won't say) about how much they are willing to spend for their photography (or flowers, or, or, or) and what they expect as a product. Like most wedding professionals, I have a keen desire to help you have a perfect day. Like many in our industry, I am happy to customize a package that will work for you, but, and it's a big but, you have to tell me what you want and give me an idea of what you are willing to spend to have what you want.
Here are a couple of examples of recent phone conversations...check out the difference in the outcome:
Bride: Hi, I'm getting married and wanted to see about prices??? I'll be getting ready at my mom's house in Tempe, the ceremony will be at St. Mary's Church and the reception will be across town at Mountain Golf Club. Photographer: Congratulations! So let's see, We'll need about 30 minutes for your dressing photos and isn't it about a 15 minute drive to St. Mary's from there? Approximately an hour and a half for photos at the church and then 30 minutes to Mountain...I think we're looking at between 5 and 7 hours coverage, wouldn't you agree? Bride: Oh yes, that should be about right...I was thinking more toward the 7 hours and I'd really like a great album oh, and of course the disc...did I mention I need to keep it around $2500? Photographer: Oh thanks for letting me know...I can put that together for you, now on 7 hours it would be $3500, but I'm wondering, do you think we would be able to accomplish everything for you in 5 hours? Then I could bring it in for $2800...Bride: I really appreciate your flexibility! You know, I would like to talk further and see what we can do, when is the best time to come and meet you?
In the first case, the photographer (in this case, me) has her hands tied...all she can do is throw some numbers and ideas out and hope that something sticks. The bride hangs up frustrated and unfulfilled and the photographer is equally frustrated because she (yeah, you know, me) couldn't help that bride and in fact has now contributed to making her decision making process more frustrating. No Win Situation.
Now, in the second example, we have a win-win. The Bride came to the table prepared. She had such a great experience on the phone that she has now furthered her photographer search immensely and assuming it is a personality match probably go on to hire our friendly photographer (once again, me). She has saved time and aggravation for herself (and, of course, me) by being prepared and open to a little flexibility for herself and her photographer.
So, which would you rather be? Crying in your beer with your co-workers after a slew of frustrating phone calls and no closer to making your wedding day plans or drinking Mimosas with your girlfriends because planning your day has been so easy that you really can celebrate? Hmmm... a little more champagne in the O.J.?
When planning her own wedding, Marni Gold was searching for a unique and secure way to store gifts and cards at her reception. Frustrated with the gaudy, tacky or just plain expensive options she was repeatedly coming across, she finally created her own custom cardbox that was simple, elegant, and understated while still corresponding with her theme. Out of this project, Creative Custom Cardboxes was born!
Starting at just $40, Creative Custom Cardboxes are as affordable as they are beautiful. Each customer can browse a wide variety of designs at www.creativecustomcardboxes.com before specifying the exact colors, number of tiers, and types of embellishments that will make her own cardbox one-of-a-kind. A true mother-daughter team, Marni and her mom work closely with their clients to bring their exact visions to life.
Marni uses recycled papier mache in her boxes and recycled/repurposed packaging for her shipping supplies as her contribution to the environment.
While there are few limits to how customers’ cardboxes can be decorated, Creative Custom Cardboxes has on hand a consistent stock of crystals, pearls, and variations of I DO and WE DO letters.
For more information, visit www.creativecustomcardboxes.com or email info@creativecustomcardboxes.com.
I love blog-kissing...you know, when you feature a company or get featured yourself? Well, I just got kissed! Last week, I spent a couple of hours with Noelle Salinas of Fresh From The Kitchen, LLC as she peppered me with questions about my philosophies, photography and how they blended together to form the business I have today. Somehow from all my meanderings she managed to simmer up a wonderful article. The post broke just a few minutes ago and I am so thrilled to share it with you. Read it by clicking here ;-D
Out of necessity and love of cupcakes; Bella Cupcake Couture was born.
Bella Cupcake Couture was created by Carrie Middlemiss after being laid off as an 18-year employee of a bank which collapsed as a result of the economic downturn. Carrie had always wanted to contribute and be a part of the cupcake community and saw this as the perfect opportunity to follow her passion.
After a year of research and talking to cupcake lovers and shop owners, she decided upon the idea of starting a company that sells custom decorative textile-inspired cupcake wrappers to hide the crinkly, translucent paper they're baked in.
Carrie wanted something fashionable for the bottom portion of her cupcakes and always said "Why should the frosting have all the limelight?"
Now, Bella Cupcake Couture offers posh and chic textile-inspired cupcake wrappers. The boutique-style designs add a touch of sophistication and elegance for any special occasion. Carrie envisions the wrappers, which are printed with soy inks on recycled paper, at weddings, bridal and baby showers and as birthday gifts, housewarming gifts and a little treat for yourself.
Our hope is that our Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers bring smiles to the ones you care about and create cherished memories with your friends and family. We want our customers to enjoy the simple pleasures and savor the sweet life.
This month's desktop image is a study in lights and darks. Please feel free to download and enjoy.
What is light? It's dramatic, it's extraordinary. I love what adding a light under the cake can do for a dark corner. Click on the image to download a copy of your own and freshen up your desktop!
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
Used judiciously, special effects can add punch to an album, convey emotion and boost the storytelling quality of the image. Beware though, too much can date your wedding album as much as that brandy glass with the bride and groom that dates your parent's album.
Tell me which you like best and why. Photo #1 is classic color, #2 a special effect called "Ink", example #3 is cross-processed, and #4 is a photoshop action called D VLI.
Do you have a favorite? Let me know your thoughts. Do you think a wedding album should be solely color and b/w, let's start a discussion. leave your comments below and let's find out what today's couples really think of special effects in their first family history book, their wedding album.
So, I've had this idea germinating for a while now...what if some of the leading wedding professionals here in Phoenix shared their thoughts with couples on what's important in hiring their vendors. What if they shared what they have learned from experience in real life in the field, the pitfalls they've seen other couples fall into, the ways around them. The stuff that the bridal magazines never mention.
What if they could do this in one common place...like my blog!
Starting this month, Weddings 101 - A Primer On Planning Your Own Event will be a new segment right here. Phillip Waring of Arizona Ministers for weddings and more! will be leading with our first post. Watch for this segment (at least) monthly as we guide you through making informed decisions for your wedding of a lifetime.
Any time you can transport a group of people at one time you save gas, pollute less, and have an opportunity for a little party. I'm all for that and that's why Ollie The Trolley has always been one of my favorite suggestions to couples planning multiple locations on their wedding day. Now the nice people at Ollie have gone one better...bio-diesel.
Bio-diesel is sustainable because it is regrown instead of just taken from the earth. It supports our farming industry and runs cleaner than diesel, emitting less sulfur dioxide,carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. It even helps lengthen engine life as a natural lubricant for moving parts. The best part? Those ugly fumes coming out of most buses that we choke on? No more...now it smells like fried food!
Congratulations to Ollie The Trolley for making the decision to help sustain our planet while making mass transportation for events a party on to itself.
Gotta love Facebook. A whole community of people finding interesting information and passing it around.
This is such an interesting article. How many of you are considering asking a friend to photograph your wedding to save money? Seattle Bride found a very good amateur photographer and had him shoot side by side with the pro's. He was blown away by the difference and graciously shared the experience in Seattle Bride Magazine.
Before asking your friend with the great camera, take a look at this...and while you're at it, let me know what you think. Always love your comments and this is the perfect subject for some lively dialogue. Let's chat about professional wedding photography.
My friends at BBJ Linen Rentals have the prettiest linen - made completely from recycled plastic bottles! You can see Natural Botela online or at their Phoenix Showroom.
Thanks to my girl Julie Horvath for turning me on to this pretty green fabric!
Found this on "The Wedding Marketing Blog" and thought it was just to fun not to share...the video, that is, not the message behind it.
While this video makes fun of the way people try to negotiate prices, this is a real issue in the wedding industry from a couple of different viewpoints.
The first and most important, is that many couples are simply not well educated on how to budget their wedding expenses. Reading magazines is just not enough. Investing in a consultation with a professional wedding planner is a first step many never take and the result is a free fall into budget chaos.
On the flip side, wedding price points are not standardized. There is so much that goes into consideration of setting prices, from level of customer service, to quality of product and experience. It makes it very difficult for the consumer to compare costs, so many times they find something they like and try to negotiate the price to something lesser they saw.
Add to this the economy and new people coming into the industry every day who are willing to give away service even to the detriment of the client and you have a disasterous wedding planned. Couples just don't know that service is one of the most important commodities of their wedding day. Here are some examples:
Baker #1: Started baking for friends and 6 months ago started their Wedding Cake business with no business skills but a love of the craft. She offers a 3 tier cake for 100 guests for $500 and will take $50 off if you pick up the cake.
Baker #2 Has been voted Best Wedding Cake of Your City for the past 3 years, educated in Paris and has been in business for 20 years. She offers a 3 tier cake for 100 guests for $800.
Our couple loves Baker #2 but knows they can get "the same cake" for $450 because they plan to pick up themselves. So they tell Baker #2 this and expect a hefty price break. Here's what they don't know.
Included in Baker #2's price is the following: Consultation to make exactly the right cake (time expense) The finest ingredients (additional product expense) Freshly baked (yes, some bakers make layers well in advance and freeze) Delivery and set up (time expense plus this is a risky venture for the consumer to do) Education (education $$$)
Included in Baker #1's price is the following: I can do "some designs" (lack of experience) Box mixes from Grocery Store (lack of quality, less expense) Baked previous week (she has a day job, too) Discount for pick-up (she's sure you can carry that big cake assembled, lack of experience) Learned from Grandma (no formal education)
Of course Baker #1 can offer a lower price because it is a lesser product. So the couple is considering a possibly dry cake that may fall over in their own car on the way to the reception. But many couples will see this as a standard and then pressure the more experienced vendor to bring their price closer to the substandard. This is a no win situation for both the Bride and Pro. The bride feels ripped off by the higher price and being "forced" to use the less experienced vendor and the experienced vendor loses a possible client. The very time that it is most important to do things just right, the couple makes a decision that ends in possible disaster to save money because they don't know what they were turning down for that lower price. This decision gets made time and time again...with the florist, photographer, DJ, etc, etc. Make the same decisions with all your vendors and you really will have a party they'll talk about for years, and so will you.
A Thump On The Side of The Head moment: You'll make the money again...you won't have that Wedding Day again.
The moral of the story is: Prioritize and Budget. Research your local area's prices and use prices that are fair for the quality you expect for your special day. Be flexible. Know that you get what you pay for in this business. Professionals that have been in the business for years have been for a reason. Their experiences shows it and their prices reflect it. Be reasonable in your requests. Certainly don't overbuy, but make sure you are getting what you pay for and pay a fair price for it.
This month's desktop image is just juicy. Please feel free to download and enjoy. Summer's heat is a wonderful invitation to a glass of cold, fresh lemonade. These heavy, ripe pieces of fruit are the promise of what's to come.
Click on the image to download a copy of your own and freshen up your desktop!
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
This month's desktop image is a study in motion. Please feel free to download and enjoy.
What's Spring to you? For me, Spring is the soft undulation of wildflowers blowing in the wind. A photo doesn't always have to be sharp. Blur suggests movement, it conveys emotion. This month's desktop image is a flower in the breeze. Click on the image to download a copy of your own and freshen up your desktop!
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
Wedding Photo Tips - Your Engagement Session...your first date with your photographer
In this economy couples are cutting back on their wedding expenses and that is understandable. More and more I am seeing on wedding forums discussions on whether or not it is worth the money to do an engagement session. I wanted to take a moment to show the other side of the discussion, The big reasons to do an engagement session.
Your engagement session is our first date. This is a crucial step in learning to work together from both sides of the camera, a special time for us to warm up to one another. The greatest factor in having successful wedding photos starts right here, right now. We need to learn to trust each other and start working toward a comfortable relationship.
Never before has being comfortable with your chosen photographer become more important. Many people misunderstand the concept of photojournalism...they think that means the photographer is going to just document the day without involvement. Truly great photography in this genre is exactly the opposite. It is the photographer being involved and using many tools during the day including interviewing techniques and gentle direction.
By working with you photographically before your wedding and analyzing the results I can learn the best ways to capture your real and true personality. Our first time together will help me find your best looks, from a broad smile to just a hint of one or maybe no smile at all for a more dramatic look. The benefit to you is in learning to trust that I will never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable and can truly capture those moments that are once in a lifetime as well as doing it in a way that will show you to your very best.
Your engagement session can be done where you'd like, adding to the enjoyment of your day. Many people choose to incorporate their favorite activities, from morning coffee together, to shopping or a sports activity. Enjoy the beach or other special location? that can be done, too.
Let's make sure to take the time to get to know each other before it really counts. Let's go on a first date, make some memories, capture some images and start the foundation toward a remarkable first family history book, your wedding album.
Green Wedding Friday - Baby Steps Toward Greener Photography
I like finding ways to minimize waste and when I can do it and maximize style I am thrilled (aren't you?). I've found a way to make a pretty presentation that greens up my business, too.
Check it out. The DVD is directly printed on, eliminating the need for an extra sticker. The tin case is strong enough to ship on it's own, eliminating the need for additional packing materials, although for privacy's sake, I still choose to enclose it an envelope. I no longer need the extra padding of bubble wrap so that's that much less space in the landfill. And the coolest part of, I get to make a tiny difference will still making it really pretty!
Did you know that 32% of all garbage generated in the United States is packaging materials?
I am an avid reader of Anne Ruthmann Photography. Anne is a photographer that knows how to give back...whether it is a freebie or tip for her brides or making her business greener. I recently saw an entry on her blog that I want to extend to my readers. Each month Anne posts an image for her readers to download and use as their desktop image. So fun, and I actually am enjoying one of her images on my laptop, now.
Here's the first one for you. Click on the image to download a copy of your own and freshen up your desktop!
Keep checking back for new images. Sometimes bridal, sometimes something different, but something always for you.
Win! Win! Win! Are You Getting Married? Win! Win! Win!
Are you getting married? The first bride (or groom) to contact me here on the blog will win an engagement session in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ! Simply leave your contact info in comments below. I promise I won't publish your info, just the name of the lucky winner.
I met Jessi and her family a when I did her sister Joelle's wedding and had so much fun photographing her at the wedding. An opportunity came up to photograph her with her boyfriend Taylor, so a day trip to Tucson was in order. Jessi picked the most outrageous location for the photos...and we got chased out by security with just the first shot! So we took a walk through a funky little district by the Congress Hotel. So many cool spots...
Stunning, simply stunning... Adelya and Greg tied the knot at the Royal Palms Resort in Scottsdale. Congratulations and thank you for having me be a part of your day!
There are few things in life that make your heart stop, time stop, the earth stand still.
Last week, Bo's neck acted up again. A couple years ago he took a header on the pool deck and has had the occasional bout with his neck binding up. This time, it was so bad that meds weren't going to do it, it was time to make a trip into the animal hospital.
Mike is our vet. I think he loves our dogs as much as we do and is one of the few animal docs around that will make house calls. On this trip, Mike was spending to much time rubbing Bogey's belly and not enough time checking his neck.
Lymphoma...
The word stopped us cold. Bogey is 13 years and 2 months, the life expectancy of a golden retriever is 10.5 years and the survival rate of untreated lymphoma after diagnosis is 4-8 weeks. Mike wrapped his arms around his big head while we tried to wrap our minds around facts and figures, protocols and side effects.
We chose chemo.
Dog chemo is not like human drugs. The emphasis is on remission, not cure. With this 15 week round Bogey has the potential of as much as another year of chasing frisbees and summer swims. He has the opportunity to spend a bit more time believing he is still a 2 year old while the world ages around him.
This morning I woke to 92lbs of fur under the blankets nestled in my arms. Bogey blew old dog breath at me with a smile that almost said, "Do I really get to spend the day with Mike...and go for a ride in the car to get there?"
As I write this Bo is attached to a drip with Mike at his side, reading the sport page out loud to him (I hope) recapping the Suns latest win. J. is trying to keep busy at work, Our young dog Zuri is pacing the house, whimpering and looking lost and I am trying to make it through the day working to build the belief that Bogey will go into remission and I'll spend many more mornings waking up to stolen blankets and old dog breath.
Not too long ago I fell on a walk, blacked out and when I came to my big old hero was standing over me, a monster paw on my back crying for the world to hear. He stayed there calling for help, he refused to move or be moved until my husband was brought to my side and he knew I was truly safe. Tonight it's our turn to be his heroes, and I hope we can achieve his level of loyalty and service, that we can serve him as he has served and protected us all these years.
Weird, Wacky Places and Ways I want to Shoot Wedding Portraits
A list for brides who don't mind getting dirty:
A laundromat A mom and pop grocery On a stoop eating ice cream cones The hot dog cart by the Orpheum Theatre Surrounded by Peacocks Jumping into a pool Underwater? YES! underwater (preferably a destination wedding in the Carribean) On a motorcycle Skateboards, anyone? Playing on Railroad Tracks (oh yeah, been there, done that) Lying on the ground with puppies, lots of puppies... Dogwalking really alot of dogs Playing in the snow
...what's the most insane place or way you'd like to have a series of your wedding portraits done? What kind of ideas do you have?
Every so often I like to share an image from way back when. I was doing this wedding in Santa Barbara and all of a sudden the family dog decided the most comfortable place to pop a squat was right on the bride's train! I guess he knew a comfortable spot when he saw it!
I am so pleased to announce that our brand new re-designed website is up and ready for viewing! Thank you to all my good friends that have supported me along the way with advice and beta viewings, you all were fantastic. www.marciaphoto.com Click here to see it now.
