CK & Sydney tie the knot!

Congrats to my beautiful new cousin, Sydney Smith, and my near-brother CK. They were married Oct 23 and I had the pleasure of photographing their day. A few sneak peeks at the images taken pre-ceremony.

Levi & Savannah

Seems as if every wedding I photograph, bride and groom just can't get enough of the other. They get all gooey-eyed (real word?) when they see each other for the first time, cry a bit, smile a lot and then profess their undying love. Yada yada yada. Each couple is the same.

Levi and Savannah made me remember why I love weddings so much. She was the perfect bride. He was the perfect groom.

His eyes lit up the size of flying saucers when he saw her the first time. And then there were the tears. He went first and she followed.

The speeches at the reception were about their love. His mom said Levi had been head over heels for her since they first began dating.

Don't think these moments don't happen because they do. At every wedding. But these two had a sparkle in their eyes when they danced for the first time. It was....refreshing.

Wedding Details

In honor of the wedding I'm shooting Saturday, I'm posting a few of my favorite detail shots from the past 2 weddings I've photographed.

Whisper of Fall - Selected as KANSAS! 2011 Calendar Image

Whisper of Fall has been chosen as one of the images in the 2011 KANSAS! Calendar. The image was made nearly a year ago at Rock Creek's waterfall, located in the center of Bourbon County, KS.

The calendar will be printed this year and be released before 2011. Whisper of Fall will appear on the November slot.

It's available as a limited edition print. Nearly 1/3 of the 50 images have already sold so get yours quick if interested!

Print Sizes: 8x10 - $40; 11x14 - $65; 16x20 - $125; 20x30 - $275; 30x40 - $550; 40x60 - $1000

More Than A Photograph

Everyone I meet is a friend in the making. I've rarely met someone who I didn't like ... at least on the initial meeting.

As a photographer, I've been meeting a ton of new faces lately and each one of them brings something unique to the table. It's interesting to try and plan for a session based on preconceived notions and then to find out when you meet them, the person is nothing like expected. That's life. And it's quite amazing to go into something blind, which is essentially every photo shoot.

Photographer JoeyL said recently that photography isn't about just clicking a shutter, it's about what goes into the portrait. That's sooo true.

My sessions lately have produced seniors and families who I feel connected to as soon as they walk in the door and as they leave the studio. And then some of them become immediate friends who won't depart from my friendship box in the near future.

To me, photography isn't about snapping the shutter just so I can see the back of the camera and then show it off to all my good friends. I didn't become a photographer so that I'd be the cool guy (I'm a LONG way from that point). Photography is about more than a photograph. Its also about the experience and the relationship developed between subject(s) and photographer. I've shared Wendy's burgers and fries with some of the coolest people I've ever met and nearly lost a toe in the same afternoon with the same people. They put up with my rambling and I learned about their Amish adventures and hidden, stolen bikes in cars to avoid trouble from mom. We trespassed, listened to great music that I'll never be able to dance to and had a blast. Long story short, if you want an experience along with your portraits, I think you know who you can call. If you aren't interested in anything but snapshots, well, I'm into creating memories that last a lifetime....

Each person I meet has a story of their own and I love to learn it and remember it.

There have been people walk in front of my camera scared to death that they will look bad or "break the camera". It's not happened yet and my camera's been through more than 200,000 shots. When they see the results, there have been shrieks of joy, laughter and even tears because they didn't realize they actually looked as beautiful as they really do. And that to me makes it all worth it.

Nothing is more satisfying than capturing those first smiles of a brand new baby, the first kiss of a newlywed couple and every other milestone and everyday moment that happens. Photography is so important to me that I live it on a daily basis. Everyone deserves that one perfect photo that makes them say "I can still remember the breeze, the smell of the trees and why I was laughing! THOSE were the days...."

If you want that, let me know and we'll create something that will last longer than Facebook News Feeds.