WPPI and KHP Photography Classes!

It's that special time of year again!

WPPI is the most important event Kevin and I attend each year. It's an opportunity to shop for the latest photography products, search for new vendors, gather new ideas for our business, speak to top industry professionals, and most importantly, take classes!

Education is CRUCIAL for both the aspiring photographer and the established business. There is nothing more important than staying ahead of the curve and implementing new ideas to keep your studio/business full of fresh ideas and life. Last year, Kevin and I filled pages of notes with new ideas for our business and had many over-excited conversations about all of the changes we wanted to make. This year, we can't wait to hear some of our photography heroes speak, including Jose Villa, Beth Forester, Tamara Lackey, and Jonathan Canlas. Yay!!!

After WPPI 2010, we restructured the way we did everything, from booking new clients, structuring our pricing, designing albums and products, to implementing new post-processing techniques. Since last year we have doubled our clientele, more than tripled our photography income, and gained three new sponsors. We booked more of the fun and exciting jobs we wanted, and could afford to upgrade and update our equipment. We traveled more, met more people, and overall improved everything about our business!

With WPPI 2011 in 10 days, we're compiling lists of everything that isn't working for us right now and will have our eyes wide open for positive changes! Education is Everything!!!

On that note...

3 days after WPPI Kevin and I are introducing our very own educational class,
True Emotion Photography 11 -- Zion Retreat!

We have a couple of spots still open for any photographer who is ready to take their business to the next level, or who just wants good information on their camera, shooting, post-processing and excellent business advice. We only have a couple of spots left for our exciting three day class in Zion National Park, accommodations included, so check out the flier below and book now!!!

Dance Photoshoot -- DDC and Kidz on Stage

Dance, dance, dance!!!

Let us introduce the most wickedly fierce dance studio in our St. George area:

Dixie Dance Conservatory and Kidz on Stage

Not only is Dixie Dance Conservatory our favorite dance studio in Southern Utah (Lux and Katie attend classes), it is also bursting with talented and athletic teachers. We had the chance of photographing the amazing faculty this last week, led by owner and head teacher Maria Vaccaro Bithell. If you are looking for a studio to take your kiddos, or are interested in adult lessons in everything from hip-hop, tap, jazz and ballet, to break dance, lyrical, theater, and modern dance-- you really should check out DDC and Kidz on Stage.
They're incredible!

www.dancestgeorge.com

These are some favorites from our shoot here in St. George.

Katie's Favorite Photographs from 2010

Okay, just to repeat what Kevin said about this post: These are my favorites, not necessarily what I think is our best work of the year. Some of these, you just had to be there. Some of these I actually wasn't there for, but after looking through hundreds of photos you begin to develop feelings for people you haven't ever met, like couples Kevin shot this year that I fell in love with. So, these are my favorites from 2010.

They are not posted in order of favorites, but at the very bottom, I've posted my ultimate favorite photograph of the year.

Enjoy!

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Chris & Shanna: Tulum, Mexico -- Photographed by Kevin. Shanna's short dress and bare feet accentuate the color and simplicity of this shot. Love the blue and the look on Chris's face -- he adored that girl.

Michael & Michelle: San Diego, California -- Photographed by Kevin. Lovely couple, freaking gorgeous wedding overlooking the ballpark in a skybox. I was just off to the left, balancing the soft box between rows of guests and a 30-story drop. Love this shot.

Jen & Seth: Springdale, Utah -- Photographed by Katie. Their wedding was bright, colorful, fresh, and any other adjective you can think of that represents how these photographs feel. Jen's wildflower bouquet is possibly my favorite of the year.

Laura & Samuel: Seattle, Washington -- Photographed by Kevin. After the ceremony, Laura changed into her traditional Korean wedding dress, and this photo of her mother helping her creates such a wonderful feeling.

Christie & Dan: Porto Cima, Missouri -- Photographed by Katie

This is one I'm submitting to print competitions. Love Christie's smile and gorgeous gown.

Nickie & Chris: 7 Springs Winery, Missouri -- Photographed by Katie. Nickie's shoes were FABULOUS (and will be appearing on my shoe fetish post soon to come) and made the list because of the "I Do" and the cherries that littered the curb where I set up this shot. I also love this shot of the couple because the sunlight perfectly reflects their bright, sun-sparkly wedding.

Natalie & Brad: Silverstone, Las Vegas -- Photographed by Kevin. I've never met this beautiful girl, but I fell in love after seeing multiple photos like this closeup. The bridal below it is simply amazing -- another of our print competition entries for the year.

Jenna & Edward: Destin Florida -- Photographed by Kevin. One of my favorite shots of the year because you only get to guess the look in Mom's eyes while she looked at her daughter in her wedding dress for the first time.

Helen & Gene: Paris, France -- Photographed by Kevin. Favorite ring shot EVER and most brilliantly wonderful, Eiffel Tower spinning shot. Kev took loads of stunning pictures in front of the tower but this one makes my heart happy. Well done Kev.

Erika & Tyler: Casa De Loco, Missouri -- Photographed by Katie. The simplicity and calm of this wedding's design was breathtaking. And the cupcakes tasted as good as they looked :)

And my favorite shot is....

Drumroll please...

It's a tie!

#1 Favorite: Megan & Todd: Destin, Florida -- Photographed by... not sure who took this one. I love it for many reasons, but here are the main ones: 1. Megan was SO beautiful, SO happy, SO in love with her Todd, that she sparkled more brightly than any other bride this year (in my opinion). 2. Two of these little flower girls are my very own Lux and Hazel (Megan is Kevin's sister). So I'm biased. So what. 3. Megan has the kindest heart--she actually spent the morning of her wedding at a marina for kiddie birthday party she hosted for Hazel and her new daughter Sloan. She is actually late getting ready for her wedding here, because of this birthday party. Oh, and the marina people got her party instructions all wrong. Also, her outdoor ceremony and reception venue was closed due to thunder storms. But is she upset about it? No. I love this shot because her smile is genuine amidst multiple reasons many brides would freak out. And because she loves her nieces wholeheartedly, which shows in this shot.

What a girl -- Love you Meg.

#2 Favorite: You already met Chris and Shanna at the top of this post, but this wins the spot for favorite of the year because of this: These early morning bridals began at 5:00 a.m. on the wedding day, when the mosquitoes were awake but everyone else was sleeping (wedding party had a late night drinking). Shanna, in her beautiful simplicity, came out with simple hair, no makeup, and her calf-length dress holding Chris's hand. Throughout the shoot, Chris carried Shanna's veil, lights, and reflectors, he swatted mosquitoes off of Shanna's body, he held our flashes, he picked up and actually placed Shanna in all the weird spots Kevin and I wanted her to stand -- helping however he could. He was probably only paces away from her at any given time. There is something so special and wonderful about that morning, and this couple in general. Kevin snapped this shot after Chris gave Shanna a reassuring kiss -- bridal sessions can be rough! This photo represents what I love about photography: meeting new people, being privy to watching hearts on sleeves, photographing stolen moments, and watching the sun come up with my own sweetheart. Love, love, love this shot.

Tell me which is your favorite! And Happy 2011!!!

Kevin's Favorite Wedding Photos from 2010

I started out with one favorite photo from each wedding we shot this year, and that just felt a bit too much, so I narrowed it down from there. So if your wedding was left out, I am sorry, and I still love you! I just wanted a collection that was more concise. Also, I want to say that these are not, in my opinion, necessarily the best photos from each wedding, just my favorite. We're still going to do a BEST OF 2010. These photos, I believe really give you an idea of what each of these weddings felt like. They bring a huge smile to my face, followed by warm fuzzy avatar style butterflies each time I look at them.

It was extremely difficult to narrow these down, since I had many favorites from each wedding. But here they are... my (Kevin's) favorite 12 photos from 12 different weddings from 2010.

My hope is that you will read what I wrote and then click on each photo and take your time looking at it. It would mean a lot to me if you did. Thanks!

K2

Paris, FR- Helen & Gene - Jan. 23rd - The Ritz in Paris.... This trip was unreal on so many levels. I took this photo right after having 2 double espressos brought to me by the waiter, after almost 24hours of no sleep. It woke me up, then I felt sick, then drank more espresso, then wore a beret, then...well, it's a long story.

San Diego -Michael and Michelle-April 3rd- I just love these guys. They heard about us in Fiji. We were kind of in a rush to get this photo. The wind was wipping along the left side of that wall, which is why all the girls are on the right. So once I had everyone in place, I asked this little flower girl to walk towards me until she was in just the right spot.

Destin, FL- Megan, my beautiful sister, & Todd -April 24th. What makes this pic extra cool is my dad in the background hiding behind Meg holding the flash. She has this blown up real big as a metallic print in her entry way. Might be my favorite photo of the year.

Destin, FL-Jenna & Edward-May 23rd. I love this couple. This wedding was so easy and fun. Edward, the 2 days I was there, never stopped looking at Jenna like she's the most beautiful woman in the world, the love of his life. This photo just feels like their wedding to me, his eyes say it all.

Tulum, MX - Shanna & Chris- May 28th. I loved the colors here and we snapped a few and were about to move on when one of the hotel workers walked by with these freshly cut palm leaves. So in my best Spanish I asked to borrow a them. I do have to give an acknowledgement to Jose Villa for inspiration for this photo. Totally his style. In my eyes it's ok to look to other artists for inspiration, but when you do, give them their credit.

Seattle, WA -Laura & Sam -June 19th. Shot this on the campus of the University of Washington on the way to their church. It rained all morning, we almost didn't even stop, but about 5 minutes from campus, it cleared, just enough. There was a slight wind present and kept Laura's vail in the air just long enough to capture these photos. What you can't see is her bridesmaid running out of the photo just after dropping it.

Springdale, UT - Jen & Seth -June 26th. I got to shoot Jen's boudoir photos, but Katie shot this wedding alone while I was in Missouri. I love Jen and Seth and wish I could have been there, their wedding was beautiful and Katie did an amazing job.

Casa De Loco, MO- Erika & Tyler - July 17th. I love props, and I love groomsmen who are willing to do some cool stuff. Nothing says cool like wine, shades & swords.

Seven Springs Winery, MO -Ben & Traci-August 6th. The most difficult thing about getting shots like this is the limited time you have in between the ceremony and reception to set everyone up in a good location, get the lighting right, etc. Family is standing around wondering what the hell you're doing, the bridal party is wanting to get their drink on. And you are just taking your time trying to get things to feel right. Which is also why I love these shots. Lots of pressure. Just like in the real Sopranos.

Seven Springs Winery, MO - Nikki & Chris -Oct. 2nd. Katie took this. She does such an amazing job of making a bride look gorgeous on her wedding day. Simply a beautiful shot.

Silverstone, Las Vegas - Natalie & Brad - Oct. 2nd. While Katie was in MO, I was in Vegas photographing this beautiful couple. Her smile says it all.

Porta Cima, MO - Christie & Dan - 10/10/10. Another Katie photo. Just love how simple yet elegant this photo is. The folds in the dress, her shoes, the grass. Perfect.

Thanks for reading and enjoying our photos. Here's to an amazing year!!

Love for my Sister

Because it is the holiday season, and I'm feeling the love of family, I want to post some recent photos of a simply glorious woman... my baby sister Heidi. Beautiful inside and out, Heidi has been a love of my life for as long as I can remember. We have built forts together, sewed barbie beds together, moved rooms of furniture together, watched the sun rise together.

I supported the right side of her body against mine while she gave birth to her son. She supported me through the loss of our father. We supported one another with laughter, tears, and song when Grandpa died.

She has blue eyes and her birthstones are moonstones and pearls. She likes toast with avocado and is a brilliant mathematician. Her Scottish accent is flawless and when she quotes Vincini from the Princess Bride you think he's in the room.

Once, when I was going through a particularly low time, she painted me a card with stars, hills, and moonshine. It only said four words, "I believe in you."

To me she is a model of grace, beauty, and mystery--intelligence and love. She is my wing man.

I took these pictures of Heidi and her daughter in my kitchen, with rainy light coming from the window.

This is my sister:

Merry Christmas Shashi

Love,

Katie

St. George, UT Family Photographer

Loved this shoot, just wanted to post this one. Love love love creative ideas, I love creating.

New True Emotion Photography Workshop 11 brewin.

Details so far are: 6k sqft home in Zion. Snow. End of February. 7 bedrooms, sleeps 22. 2 full days of classes. Meals and Accommodations included. Give aways from our sponsors. I can't wait!

In unrelated news, my Destin bride's mom hung a stocking over her fireplace for me & then sent me a photo. I'm blown away! Guess they liked their photos!

K2

A Missouri Wedding - Scott & Sara - Jefferson City, 10/23/10

This is the last wedding in Missouri for this year. Katie and I shot 8 I believe. Which is great, got to see the fam quite a bit. I do think that the best time of year to have a wedding in Missouri is in October though. It's cooler, the trees are turning colors & of course Missouri is playing football. This day in particular, the Tigers were playing #1 Oklahoma for their homecoming game. It was a pretty big deal in Missouri. BUT, an even bigger deal, was Sara & Scott's wedding. Of course!

The forcast was rain, all week it said rain, even an 80% chance. And with all the luck I have with rain, I thought, ya know, this might just be the one. BUT, I was positive. We started out with Sara and her girls getting ready at the Truman hotel.

See, Sara & Scott first, Mizzou second.
Sara & Scott's new baby Ethan was pretty stinkin cute. He hogged a lot of the attention.

This is one of the more memorable moments for me, from well, any wedding. I had never seen the groom & groomsmen eating pizza and drinking bud light out of the back of a truck prior to the wedding. It was priceless. I took at least 20 photos of this hoping one would show the pure Missouri awesomeness of this. And I think this one did.

The ceremony was held at the Memorial Baptist Church nearby. We talked about the different lighting options. Keeping on the house lights or turning them off basically. They decided with off and I think it was the right decision, the photos turned out pretty cool & dramatic. Rather than just a perfectly lit room.
These were taken at the Governer's Garden. OH and I almost forgot, 80% chance of rain?? Doesn't matter when I'm shooting the wedding. No rain until we decided to pack up. And I have witnesses. Also, I didn't tell Scott to put his leg up for this photo. Haha I love it!
Also doubles for a sweet pic if Scott decides to go into politics.

"So you want us to jump?" And they did! Trust your photographer, he's not crazy!! Maybe a little.
The lilly pads make this shot I think . Turned out great!

I had never seen this before. I love original ideas. These were Sara's grandparents photos tied to her bouquet. Loved it. The reception was back at the Truman hotel. Let the drinking and dancing begin!


The reception was a lot of fun. Lots of dancing and grabbing of butts.

I had to post this. Who plays the air sax? Really? Dude was gettin down!
And like I said, the Mizzou game came last. I hope this photo doesn't get Scott in trouble! It was too priceless to not post!

I had a blast with these guys. Sara & Scott were both just amazing to work with. A super sweet couple. Thank you guys!

I also want to give a shout out the Emily who assisted me for the day. This is her 2nd wedding with me. She did one with Katie too, but I know she likes working with me more, sorry Kate!!

In Vegas this weekend. Spent all day at a coffee shop working on photography. Last night I went to see A Perfect Circle. And they go on again tonight in 3 hours! See ya!

Kevin