Monthly Archives: May 2010

Straying from formula is the key to survival for a wedding photographer and in Las Vegas, that can be a difficult task.  Despite the immense size and thousands of spots to photograph, Vegas’ main draw is its world famous strip.  When working on the strip, we’re extremely careful to follow casino policy, which typically allows no photography inside and sometimes even directly outside the casino.  While the strip is a great place to grab a few shots, the large clump of tourists and security severely limits the amount and type of poses we can take in a given amount of time. 

Windy, Robert and I have really gotten to know each other in the months leading up to their wedding – staying in touch with ideas and questions via Facebook, email and telephone, so when we met them in person, we were all extremely comfortable with each other and instead of hundreds of pictures standing in front of various hotels, kissing in front of various hotels or walking down various sidewalks, we all decided that we wanted to try something drastically different. 

Robert and Windy were wed at Planet Hollywood and after their ceremony, we had intended to travel outside for some shots in front of the hotel and a cool trash the dress session at the dry lakebed the following day.  But on our way out, we spotted a large red velvet curtain and while I was grabbing a few shots of Windy, I spotted something behind that curtain and my eyes lit up – could that possibly be an empty bar?

The four of us looked at each other and a smile spread across my face as we ran inside for some very cool shots on the bar, on couches, in chairs – it was a blast! 

I’ve never broken casino rules like that and likely never will again.  I understand the need to limit photography in a casino setting for a number of reasons and can see things from the hotels’ perspective.  Being a well known photographer in Las vegas means that we must usually be extra careful, as the hotels have gotten to know us very well over the years.

But we were having such an amazing time working together that I figured “aw, what the heck – let’s have an adventure!”
The following day we travelled together to the dry lakebed and these two astounded me with how well they worked together!  I loved LOVED Windy’s cowboy hat and boots and we had an amazing time working with them both.  It sincerely made me miss Texas and I’m looking forward to visiting these two in Fort Worth someday!

Guardian Angel church is an oddity – a classic Catholic church situation in the middle of the strip, it’s majestic presence amidst the casinos and seas of neon in Las Vegas will make you rub your eyes in disbelief the first time you lay eyes on it.  The interior layout is a photographer’s dream; all severe angles and classical architecture and we had a wonderful time working with with Frank and Jaclynn on their wedding day.

Afterwards, we all hopped aboard a double decker bus and travelled to Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris hotel and spent the next hours laughing together as we kept upping the ante with hilarious photographic antics that began with all of us dancing our way off the bus to Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ and ended with one of the most disturbingly funny Elvis impersonators I have ever seen.  Literally, even in a town like Vegas, this fellow could make folks blush!

Paul and Liz are such a soft spoken and sweet couple, so free of guile that for a moment it felt as though I was back in Wisconsin!  I loved everything about these two – the gentle way that they interacted with each other and the way they openly shared their emotion with each other.  I also LOVED their 'tree' inspired theme, filled with vibrant greens and rich, earthy tones.  Even their chapel was enveloped in lush green trees that really made it feel like home to me!

A very neat idea that we saw at the reception was, instead of a guestbook, Paul and Liz had a beautifully drawn tree with a green ink stamper, in which all guests would first press their digit into the ink and then create a green 'leaf' with their fingerprints – how cool is that?! 

Something else I learned – Everyone know the old saying "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue", but did you know that it doesn't stop there?  The final line is "And a Silver Sixpence in your Shoe".  I inquired about the sixpence I saw in Liz's left shoe and even after all these years, I had never heard the final line!  So not only did we have the chance to work with an amazing couple, I also learned something.  Knowledge is a great thing!

“The show must go on!”

Richard and Myisha are absolutely beautiful and beautiful together and I truly enjoyed working with such an amazing couple; every nuanced move was filled with a rare sort of grace and elegance.  It was with this same grace and elegance that they handled an unfortunate malfunction with the DJ’s equipment during their first dance….and a few other times throughout the night.

Having photographed hundreds of weddings over the last thirteen years, I have seen nearly every wedding related disaster occur – cakes getting dropped, I’ve seen golf games occurring next to wedding ceremonies, I’ve seen folks pass out and fall down stairs.  Sadly, this is not the first DJ equipment failure I’ve witnessed, but the kind of love that these two have for each other can weather even the hardest of storms!

I sincerely we hope have the opportunity to work with these two again and wish them all the best for what is sure to be a lifetime filled with happiness!

Churches are a great many things to a great many people.  A church is a place of guidance and wisdom for those wise enough to partake of the imparted knowledge and a church provides aid and succor to those in need.  No matter what your affiliation may be, a church is a very good place to be.

Over the years, we have been to many different churches and have beheld the beauty and subtleties of church ceremonies and I have always been especially enamored with Orthodox ceremonies, so it was with great pleasure that we worked with Mark and Juliana on their wedding day.  This was our first orthodox ceremony since returning to Las Vegas in late 2008, but while in Minnesota, Sarah and I photographed a great many and we were very excited for Mark and Juliana!

Coincidentally, this may have been the best coordinated Las Vegas wedding we’ve ever had and absolutely loved how the day ran like clockwork, from the ceremony at St. Paul’s Orthodox to the reception at the utterly spectacular Dragon Ridge Country Club.

Best of all was Mark and Juliana themselves; a couple so absolutely beautiful and wonderful that I would relive their wedding day over and over again if I could!  Mark and Juliana reserved their session nearly a year back and we’ve used that time to really get to know their personalities and befriend the two of them.  It also built up an incredible amount of excitement for their wedding day as we captured their emotion and love.
Their wedding party was absolutely incredible as well, with hilarious personalities that added such a wonderful feel to the day. 

Mazel Tov to you both and the very best of wishes from Sarah and myself!

Rooftops are magical places where amazing things occur: There was Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke’s timeless ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’ duet in the Disney classic ‘Mary Poppins’, The Beatles’ epic farewell performance which began and ended with my favorite song ‘Get Back’, and the incredible rooftop scenes in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ or ‘The Matrix’.

But even a bullet dodging Keanu Reeves pales in comparison to one of the most beautiful weddings with two of the most amazing people we’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.

I remember the first time we met with David & Allison - We managed to get locked out of our studio and as they drove up to meet us, Sarah and I had our faces and hands cupped against the glass conspiratorially, staring at our keys a mere six feet away.  It’s one of those things we can laugh about months later, but at the time, I can remember turning a deep shade of crimson with embarrassment

I absolutely adore David and Allison and all of their family and friends.  There was so much love and energy in the air and I must confess that this may have been my very first outdoor rooftop wedding, so I was quite excited!  The view was absolutely spectacular – not a tourist in sight, no cars, and no fences – just the specular highlights from distant buildings and a deep orange sunset that looked as though the entire sky was on fire.

Like I said before, magic occurs on rooftops, as the street level cacophony of busy lives fade away in favor of the sussurations of a mild breeze.

When I see a couple as carefree and graceful as David and Allison, I really do get caught up in the emotions of the day.  As an artist, I find the quality of my work far more elegant when I really feel a connection with my clients.  While my eyes (usually) remain dry, I do become….I believe the vernacular would be “verklempt”.

Despite having a camera pressed against my face, I listen very closely to every word that’s said during a wedding ceremony – there is a goodly amount of advice and knowledge that can be gleaned from a wedding ceremony, not the least of which are the bonds formed that day.

My partner Sarah and I were in absolute awe of David and Allison’s strong chemistry and the elegance, admiration and consideration they showed to each other throughout the evening.  That love, that chemistry shows up amazingly well in every photo!

Midway through the evening as everyone was sitting down for twilight dining, Allison’s mother came and hugged us and thanked us for being there and I cannot come up with the right words to describe exactly how wonderful it feels when a client integrates us into the day and their family like this.  I’m not even sure what I said, but it was likely inadequate to express the depth of my gratitude and admiration for all of them.

Mazel Tov to you both and it is my sincere hope and desire that our paths will cross again!

Tell me how gorgeous Vegas is at night and then add in the world’s most amazing view of Las Vegas boulevard and tell me again

Steve and Cassie danced the night away in a beautiful reception at the Mandalay Bay hotel (and I tried my best not to rhyme ‘away’ and ‘bay’ there) and while this blog post is a bit more abbreviated than usual, I want to send over my best Mazel Tovs to these two wonderful kids and wish them all the best for a long and happy marriage!