Nashville TN

Last week we took off to Nashville for a few days. The main reason for making the trip was to attend David Bean's Light and Commerce Workshop, which we will be posting images of soon. The second reason was to explore the city of Nashville itself and most of all the music scene. Nashville, or rather the people of Nashville intrigue me and in a very good way. I don't know how many people we met that moved out there on a prayer, hoping to break into the industry. Some of them have succeeded and some are still trying, either way that takes a lot of courage and I respect them for it. For what it's worth they have my support.

At the Bluebird Cafe we saw Tommy Karlas, Erin Enderlin, Brandy Clark and Charlie Stefl, all amazing singer/songwriters.






Here's a sneak peak at what's to come!

Wedding at Champions Run: Tamara & Jared

Erin and I had been looking forward to Tamara and Jared's wedding since our first meeting and even more so since their engagement session a little while ago. You may remember their engagement session from the off-roading shots we took with the Mule along the Missouri River. Needless to say we had just as much fun at their wedding and probably more so since their families and friends were there to liven things up even more! Their wedding and reception were held at Champions Run and although it snowed almost four inches the night before everyone was in a joyful mood and ready to celebrate with Tamara and Jared.






Gown from The Gown Gallery









Tamara and Jared rented this fun photo booth for their guests at the wedding reception. Of course, they had to first show them how it's done :)

Lisa & Eduardo's Wedding at St. Mary's and the Rococo

We first met Lisa and Eduardo on the day of their wedding and when Erin was greeted with a hug from Lisa upon her arrived, we knew the day would be a fun one. But it was not only Lisa and Eduardo that made us feel welcome, Lisa and Eduardo had an amazing group of family and friends who joined them from various places around the world including Mexico, Italy, Hawaii and more.

They had a beautiful wedding at St. Mary's Cathedral and then visited the state capital for additional imagery.

















After dinner, guests were surprised with a Mariachi Band.






Their reception and dinner catered by Green Gateau was held at The Rococo Theater in downtown Lincoln, NE.




Dancing!

Glacier National Park, Montana Engagement Session

Back in July when I was in Africa with Thirst Relief, I was talking with Erin through Skype and she was telling me of this great couple she just met with that was getting married in summer 2010. It was shortly after I returned that I was able to talk with Jesse a few times over the phone and found out they wanted to have their engagment session in Glacier, Montana close to where Jesse is now living while Linden finishes school in New York.

Fast forward to the day I flew into MT. Outlook for the next day was cold, windy and snowy. Woke up to a very cold wet morning and while driving into the park found out that roads were closed due to snow. The outlook was not good but we kept our spirits up and at about 3:00pm the sun was shining, the snow was melting and we were having a blast.

Wedding at Lauritzen Gardens

Recently we photographed Adam and Andrea's Wedding at the Lauritzen Gardens with planners Beth & Joellen from A-Z Concierges. Adam and Andrea looked beautiful! ...and worked with some great vendors who helped make their day a beautiful success:

Hair & Makeup Artist: Ann Luchsinger



Caterer: Abraham Catering
Live Band: The Confidentials



Flowers: Barb Coffin, Creative Director of Piccolo's Flowers





Here's an image from their engagement session in downtown Omaha.

A Choice for the Positive

I ran across this post on Deadly Viper Character Assasins' Blog. Now stay with me, I know it's a strange and funky title, but...



Spock and The Power of Words: by Jud Wilhite


"We all have things that we don’t like about ourselves.

I have this Spock-type ear. It’s got a ridge … like it has been cut by craft scissors. Sometime I’ll let you feel it.

When I started dating Lori, I’d turn my head when I talked to her. I didn’t want her to see the Spock ear. Really, it’s not a big deal. You could stand 2 feet from me and you’d never notice it but for my self-perception I think, “I’ve got this whacked ear. It’s weird.”

Yes, we all have those things. But we also have the power to transform the way other people see themselves.

Our words are very powerful. With them we have the ability to encourage others to look beyond their own shortcomings. Or we can use our words as weapons, causing insecurity and hurt.

How do you choose to use your power?"



Shane and I have talked about this subject many times and how we as photographers have an amazing opportunity to help others see the beauty in themselves. Sometimes during a session or event, emotions can run high, people can seem more pushy and it can be just plain hard to be positive. But...staying positive is not only a part of our job, we feel it's a responsibility we have as people. By being a positive reinforcement in the lives of those we work with, we can only hope that our words will extend into the very way they feel about themselves. Next time you're feeling down or frustrated on a shoot, try being positive and encouraging and watch how it changes the attitudes of those around you.

Wedding: Martha and Randy

We have known Martha and Randy for a couple years now and were excited when they asked us to photograph their wedding. In meetings leading up to the wedding they were trying to decide what they were going to take from the cerimony to the reception. In the end they decided on an old 50's Mercury that Randy had pretty much restored from scratch. The vehicle was amazing but not as amazing as Martha, Randy, their families and wedding party. We had a great time and wanted to share some photos from the day.