Monthly Archives: June 2010

Wedding Photography with Evan and Juliette: I like the way you move

Posted by admin on 25 Jun ’10 No comments

I’ve been to Caesar’s Palace hundreds of times and I’ve never stopped being impressed with every aspect of the hotel. The staff, the grounds and all of the indoor and outdoor chapels are well designed and aesthetically pleasing and it’s likely my favorite shooting location on the strip. Having been a wedding photographer for so long, we get to work pretty quickly and like to really immerse ourselves in a shoot; a venue that’s run smoothly, without interruptions or hitches from coordinators or security goes a long way towards creating that immersion. Caesar’s Palace (at least from my perspective) operates like a finely oiled machine, making it an absolute joy to work at. Best of all, Caesar’s has one of the lowest (if not the lowest) outside vendor fee, making it an attractive spot for any wedding photography session.

Evan and Juliette were married in the Classico Chapel, which is one of the best lit indoor chapels on the strip! Photography is literally defined as ‘drawing with light’, so the level and quality of light is critical; instead of using tiny harsh spotlights, Classico’s lighting is very wide, diffuse and indirect, which lends itself well to photography.

The ceremony and everyone in it was just beautiful and during the post ceremony portrait session, real magic happened in front of the camera. Outside of Classico is a double staircase with a beautiful chandelier and elegant railings and almost from the moment we started shooting my jaw nearly dropped at how graceful and well poised Evan and Juliette were and how comfortable they were, not only with us, but each other. Each concept or pose I imagined was executed flawlessly and their confidence in front of the camera was uncanny.

The moment we walked outside, it was like I was with two celebrities – there were intoxicated folks making catcalls at the newlyweds and I even had a wide eyed retired photographer grab my arm and frantically tell me how in twenty-five years of wedding photography he never had a couple that gorgeous (which may have creeped me out just a little bit…okay, quite a bit), while his eyes darted back and forth from me to the wedding party and back again.

I’m often asked if certain times of day are more difficult to work in. My answer is always the mid day Vegas sun. Not only is it screamingly hot (it’s a very dry heat though….more like an oven instead of a humid sauna), but it’s so intense that it creates deep shadows in the eye sockets that are often difficult to remove even with flash. handheld reflectors work better, but are impractical to carry around, so we made great use of shaded areas and chose our shooting angles well to highlight the eyes, which worked like a charm.

The way they moved together was startling – fluid, captivating and intensely romantic! There were plenty of absolutely hilarious moments that had Sarah and I in stitches, but whenever we needed them to show us their passion and fire for each other, they fell right into character. Towards the end of the shoot, I asked Juliette if she knew how to do haute couture-type poses (as a fashion photographer, I ask almost every bride this question) and she stunned me not only with her ability to pose, but with a level of confidence that could easily place her on the cover of magazines (she told me later that she watches America’s Next Top Model – the same show that I am always recommending to any future bride or aspiring model!)

Their shoot went great and in just a few hours time, I really felt a strong connection with Evan and Juliette and was very sad to see the time go by so quickly! With any luck, we will see these two again

Las Vegas Wedding Photographers

Las Vegas Wedding Photography

�

Wedding of Matt & Jessica: Beautiful in pink

Posted by admin on 23 Jun ’10 No comments

I’m fighting the urge to use lots of exclamation marks when writing about Matt and Jessica, but something tells me that I will lose that fight. Everything about their shoot was exclamatory, colorful and beautiful and it’s a shoot like this that defines my joy of photography!

My partner Sarah and I exchanged excited, eye popping glances the moment we met Matt, Jessica and their two absolutely gorgeous bridesmaids – the dresses were just incredible and the colors filled up the room with excitement! I make no exaggeration when I say that heads turned wherever they went and I even heard a few brakes screech. These two are GORGEOUS and pink is a bold color that looks amazingly well on camera. Not only does it make everything look happy, but it accentuated Jessica’s eyes and added even more visual appeal to her unique and gorgeous wedding dress! (counting the number of exclamation marks I’ve used already)

My 85mm f/1.4 lens was practically glued to the camera the whole time and it, coupled with the vibrancy radiating from Matt and Jessica, did an amazing job of popping them out from the background. I absolutely *loved* the natural grace and elegance from these two the entire night and they fit in just perfectly with the bright lights of Fremont Street. Did I mention the dress and the colors already? I’m going to mention it again and sum it up with the word ‘wow’ and yet another exclamation mark!
But best of all were the smiles on everyone’s faces. I’m often asked what makes a shoot ‘great’ and my answer is always “the relationship between clients and photographer”. Sarah and I hit it off so well with Matt and Jessica that even the limo driver commented on how well we all worked together and by the end of the night, it was like the six of us were all old friends. Having that kind of a warm, trusting relationship with clients not only produces more natural and life like imagery, but it makes my job as a wedding photographer more rewarding and keeps me with my trademark smile at every shoot

I’m a pretty sentimental guy when it all comes down to it and whenever I have a shoot that I love as much as Matt and Jessica’s, I want to hug my clients and thank them for making my job that much more enjoyable and wonderful!

�

Rene and Suzanne – Photography in Nelson, NV

Posted by admin on 21 Jun ’10 No comments

Rene and Suzanne came to us all the way from Belgium to have their wedding in Las Vegas and a post ceremony shoot with us the following day!

First of all let me say that, hands down, the finest chocolate in the world comes from Belgium! You can find chocolate in the United States that is labeled “Belgium Chocolate”, but nothing in this entire world compares to tasting the real thing. Sarah and I met with Rene and Suzanne a few days before their wedding to share some ideas and just get to know one another. Rene pulled out a small box and told me he had a gift for us and my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw that it was honest to goodness real Belgium chocolates! I can only describe the taste as being the edible equivalent of the word “awesome”.

Those of you that have met me know that I am already a pretty intensely happy person; always smiling and having a great time. but chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, which creates a state of happiness and euphoria, so after eating several pieces, I was quite tempted to begin hugging complete strangers. It was around this time that, while backing out of my driveway, my ’08 Chevy Impala stalled and rolled into another vehicle (thankfully with only minor damage). I simply ate another piece of chocolate as I called the insurance company. Chocolate is the solution for the world’s problems!

We enjoyed hours with Rene and Suzanne – as I write this, the newlywed couple is enjoying a tour of the entire Unites States and Rene was kind enough to send me several pictures of their trip – including some amazing shots of wild bison walking across the highway!

Vegas is a town where, quite literally, anything can and usually does happen. While walking through the Paris with Rene and Suzanne, we saw a press conference in progress and a security guard asked if I was with the media, fully prepared to usher me in to photograph on of my favorite rock bands, Cheap Trick! Of course, I was far too honest to do that, but I managed to take a really bad photo from 65 feet away of the tops of Cheap Trick’s heads (and the heads of around 168 other people), so I was happy with that. Rene and Suzanne had never heard of Cheap Trick, so I played a few songs on my iPhone for them. On the way out of Paris, we then spotted the mayor of Las Vegas himself!! He looked to be in a bit of a rush, so I just snapped a couple off the cuff shots and we were on our way.

While we began our shoot on the strip, Rene and Suzanne wanted something a bit more unique than the traditional strip tours and had suggested Nelson, NV. I haven’t had the pleasure of shooting in Nelson for quite some time and was excited to go back! Nelson, NV is a real (live?) ghost town, with fully preserved buildings from decades ago, complete with old appliances, rusted old tools, even ancient soda pop bottles left exactly where they were when Nelson was alive and kicking. Rene and I mused over how incredible it is that, out of the thousands that visit Nelson each year, there is no vandalism, theft or graffiti of any sort. It really reaffirms my faith in humanity that real history like this is allowed to remain.

One of Nelson’s defining bits of history is a plane sticking out of the ground. I was told that this was a leftover prop from the movie “3000 Miles To Graceland”, but I have yet to see the movie to confirm this. The plane is much smaller than you would think, but with the magic of wide angle lenses and low shooting angles, it looks positively huge!

I tried a few very risky moves for this shoot that turned out quite well, including having my clients lay in the middle of a 55mph highway and walking through the desert, amidst dozens of rattlesnake holes (don’t worry, they only bite when they have no other choice!).

I managed to get us a wee bit lost on the way to Nelson (*cough* Sarah was holding the GPS *cough* *cough*), so we were short around 20 minutes of time, but Rene and Suzanne will be visiting Las Vegas one more in the beginning of July and have promised me a quick little shoot on Fremont Street and I’m excited to be working with them again!

My favorite aspects of the day (aside from the multiple celebrity encounters) was the beautiful cloudy skies, with a tiny bit of rain at the end; a very nice rarity in Las Vegas that *really* fit the mood of an abandoned ghost town and lends itself well to portraits in general.

Wedding of Kwame and Alexis

Posted by admin on 21 Jun ’10 No comments

While the question has never been posed to me, if I were ever asked the question: “can you take a closeup from twenty feet away at night while sitting in a chair, with no flash and no light at all except for a small spotlight on a video camera”, my answer would be “yes”. I’ve been shooting with the Nikon D700 since it’s release a couple of years back and I’m still amazed with its capabilities in low light. Coming from an old school background of film, external light meters and lots hope, the D700 still feels like a miracle.

The Wynn is one of my favorite on strip venues in Las Vegas. Something about the beauty of the hotel, coupled with the friendly coordinators and staff always puts a smile on my face. The Wynn is extremely strict about ‘outside photography’, but they were kind enough to allow us to sit in on Alexis and Kwame’s ceremony at the Primrose Garden, provided we keep the flashes off and remain seated throughout the ceremony. Even the in house photographer was very nice and it’s always a treat for me to meet my fellow photographers. The beauty of my profession is that, because art is subjective and packages and services vary so widely, there is no such thing as a competitor. Instead of a glare, when two photographers meet, there is almost always a warm smile and a friendly handshake.

The ceremony started a wee bit late and when it did, the sun had fully disappeared from the sky. As the alter became darker and darker, Sarah and I exchanged nervous glances that said “will we even be able to see them?” As if reading our minds, the in house videographer illuminated the alter with his on camera light and we all sighed with relief.

Alexis and Kwame’s reception was at Maggiano’s Little Italy and I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous purple lights on the dance floor! Maggiano’s is amazing and not only was their customer service incredible, but the food was out of this world! While everyone ate, my co shooter Sarah and I slipped into the adjoining room to enjoy our vendor meal and give our clients and their guests a much needed break from the camera while they refreshed themselves. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw that the staff had brought us everything on the menu! There was pasta, chicken parmesan, more pasta, beef, and even more pasta! Truly a wonderful place for a meal or a reception.

All in all, I loved working with Alexis and Kwame and they have promised me that the next time they travel to Vegas, they’ll give me the pleasure of a nice portrait session with the two of them!

Family Photography at Red Rock Canyon

Posted by admin on 21 Jun ’10 No comments

Maybe it’s because I have such a small family, but I have always had a fondness for seeing folks share a day together for a family photography session! With Las Vegas being such a busy town, it’s not too often that we get to work with families, so this shoot was a real treat for me.

Red Rock Canyon is a great place for photography on a weekday (Saturdays and Sundays are often packed to the gills though!) and due to the way that the sun lights up the mountains, it’s a location where the early morning light is far superior to that of the late afternoon.

My favorite moment of the shoot was when the tiny baby began to cry and the entire family broke out into song at the exact same time until baby was once more laughing and cooing (and I honestly don’t know what ‘cooing’ is exactly, but it fit well in that last sentence).

Wedding photography with Harry & Diane

Posted by admin on 21 Jun ’10 No comments

And they sealed it with a…..handshake?

I absolutely love Orthodox weddings and it was a great pleasure to return to Saint Paul’s Orthodox church in Las Vegas. Harry and Diane are such a lively and vibrant couple that you can’t help but immediately love them. When my co-shooter Sarah and I met with them a few days before their ceremony, they told us the story of their first date, which ended not with a hug or a kiss on the cheek, but a nice firm handshake; the kind that says “it was excellent doing business with you – we simply must enjoy a cup of tea on the morrow!”

While meeting with them, we had a look at their photo album, which chronicled their relationship together and some of the shots they’ve taken over the years had us in stitches! Such a warm and vibrant couple, we immediately felt right at home with them and when they told us that they were planning to end the ceremony not with a kiss, but a firm handshake, Sarah and I were almost in tears with laughter! In case you’re wondering, they also shared a firm kiss as well

My favorite part of an orthodox ceremony is the crowns. Greek and Russian orthodox ceremonies have slight differences, one the main differences being that Greek Orthodox ceremonies typically have lightweight wreaths, whereas Russian Orthodox ceremonies have beautifully intricate crowns. The best man and maid of honor hold these crowns over the heads of the bride and groom for 17 full minutes and the expressions that are exchanged during this quarter hour are always and without exception, absolutely priceless! I had the biggest smile in the world on my face when, at the beginning, Harry winked at his best man as if to say “arms getting tired yet?”

Humor is the key to a long and happy marriage and Harry and Diane are a couple that will easily stand the test of time!

Wedding of Christopher & Dana

Posted by admin on 4 Jun ’10 No comments

At the beginning of our shoot together, I told Chris and Dana that I wanted to have one of the best shoots of the year and we absolutely did

Chris and Dana had a lovely in suite ceremony this past weekend, followed by a refreshing daytime shoot at various spots along Fremont street. I had just received my long awaited replacement 85mm f/1.4 lens and was eager to put it through its paces. The Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens is by and far one of the greatest portrait lenses ever created and it was such a joy to have it back in my hands again!

Chris and Dana’s chemistry and willingness to try out new ideas was wonderful and I couldn’t get enough of the deep, intense, passionate looks they gave each other during the day and how they could go from passion to fun in the blink of an eye. I loved loved loved it all and our day together went by much too quickly!

Wedding of John & Kristin

Posted by admin on 3 Jun ’10 No comments

I mention this quite often, but I absolutely love Texans! John and Kristin are a couple with such amazing chemistry and we had a great time working with the two of them on their wedding day at Juno Garden in Caesar’s Palace. A photograph is much like a movie, play or book, in that there is an imaginary ‘fourth wall’, through which a viewer immerses themselves in the world of the movie/book/play characters. By keeping that imaginary wall between subject and viewer in place, a photograph can be used to convey feelings and actions, making it a very powerful storytelling tool.

I often tell folks that the secret to improving a photo is simply to forget that the camera is there, but this is in fact a very difficult challenge to accomplish well. We’re told from a very young age to always look into the camera and smile, or always wait for instruction from the photographer. One of the biggest challenges to photography is tearing down a lifetime of preconceived notions about the nature of a photograph and teaching subjects to build that fourth wall up and focus on their surroundings, or emotions or each other instead of the camera and take the initiative to switch a pose or laugh without cue.

With John and Kristin, that was no challenge at all and from the very first photo we took of them together, it was clear that they were on fire for each other in a way that I rarely have had the pleasure of witnessing!
After a lovely ceremony at Juno Garden, we shot a few photos poolside (thankfully the pool was closed and we had the whole place to ourselves!) before ending our day at B.B. King’s in Mandalay Bay. While our time was short together, I will always remember how natural and comfortable they were together and hope that our paths will cross again soon!

Wedding of Aaron & Abbey

Posted by admin on 3 Jun ’10 No comments

Aaron and Abbey are an absolutely gorgeous couple that was recently wed at Juno Gardens at Caesar’s palace. As far as strip venues go, I have to say that this is one of my absolute favorite locations! The gazebo is large and the lighting is excellent at nearly every time during the day.

I really can’t underscore enough the importance of having professional makeup on your wedding day – Abbey’s makeup was provided by the always amazing Glamsquad and even under the brutal desert sun she looked like a flawless vision of beauty throughout the whole day. After the ceremony, we all went on a brief photo tour of Fremont Street on a double decker bus and ended our session at Joe’s Stone Crab at Caesar’s Palace.

Highlight of the day was watching the wedding party hoola hooping in the middle of Fremont street!

Nick & Riza engagement session

Posted by admin on 3 Jun ’10 No comments

We absolutely loved working with Nick & Riza for their recent engagement shoot and can’t wait for their wedding next year!

Wedding of Zach & Katie

Posted by admin on 3 Jun ’10 No comments

Zach and Katie are a very near and dear couple to us. Their personalities remind me of everything that I loved about the midwest and, having shot their engagement session a few months back, it was a great pleasure to work with them again!

One thing that immediately stood out was Katie’s amazing long veil – apparently, the veil was something of a family heirloom passed down over a couple of generations and the level of detail and the excellent condition it has been kept in was just stunning. Their ceremony and reception at The Ritz of Las Vegas went swimmingly well and I hope we have the opportunity to work with Zach and Katie again soon!