Yay for sunshine! We’ve been having so much rain lately that some of our engagement sessions have literally been watching the weather channel down to the hour. I’ve been looking forward to Vanessa and Andy’s shoot for quite some time. These two have been so much fun to work with. They met at Otterbein University (it’s a University now (for all you Westervillians out there) and so this shoot meant so much more for the two of them.

I know how nostalgic I get when I walk around Bowling Green, and I could definitely see the excitement in their eyes walking around their alma mater. A beautiful day, with a fun and loving couple. What more could we ask for?

-Steve

When I first met up with Michel and Aaron, they told me that they wanted to switch it up a bit for locations. In Mansfield Ohio, that can be a bit tricky since they aren’t as many locations available as you would find in a big city. Aaron suggested the Mansfield Reformatory. I thought, oh… this is going to be one to remember!

For those of you that have never been to the Mansfield Reformatory, it’s basically the old prison that they left standing after it closed in 1990. There have been many famous films shot there, most notably, The Shawshank Redemption. Scenes from Air Force One and Tango and Cash have also been shot there. So, if you’re a geek like me, the idea of shooting an engagement session in a place like this is AWESOME.

We had 1 hour to go through almost the entire prison (before they closed for the night) so it was definitely a shoot and go type of day. Despite the time contraint, I think the results turned out great! Enjoy!

P.S. Special thanks to Jeremy Kester from Kester Imagery for helping out on the shoot!

-Steve

Brad and I had a great time shooting Tara and Josh’s engagement session in Loudonville, OH several weeks ago.  We shot at several of our favorite locations within Mohican State Park.  The park is huge, has plenty of shade, and some amazing scenery. 

One thing that was unique to this session is the time that it was shot.  We shoot a lot of our sessions in the evening, but every so often we like to change it up and shoot during the middle of the day.  Many photographers would say we are crazy for doing this, but I say that it gives us the opportunity to stretch our creativity and place ourselves in new and different lighting situations.

We like to change it up.  We like to do things a bit differently.  Hope you enjoy!

I found this on a blog a little bit ago, and thought it was awesome. I want one, but where would I put it... alas... decisions...decisions...

Enjoy!

-Steve

On occasion, I get a chance to work with clients that I went to school with. It's so much fun to catch up with people and to already have a relationship established. Kristen and I were both in the American Marketing Association at Bowling Green State University for a couple years. So, when I ran into her at one of our shows, I was really excited about getting the chance to work with her again.

Kristen and Mat met up with Chris and I in Toledo, Ohio. Toledo is kind-of like our old stomping grounds... lots of great parks and places to photograph. We couldn't have asked for a nicer afternoon to shoot.

I'm always asked by couples before the engagement session, "what should I wear?" That can always be a tricky question to answer, but my best advice to couples is to bring a couple different outfits. Wear something you LOVE to wear, because when you feel comfortable, relaxed, and absolutely stylin', the expressions on your face will say it all. Many couples feel like they have to coordinate with each other, which can work great, but only if both people feel good about what they're wearing.

My only rules are to stay away from complex patterns like tight white lines or shimmery textures because they tend to moiré "distort". I also tell clients that wearing bright white can be hard to photograph, especially if it's a mid-afternoon session. Most of our engagement sessions take place late-afternoon and in to sunset, so during these times, it's not a problem.

I love color, and Kristen and Mat did a great job of choosing some outfits that really look great. I think it's obvious from the photos that they liked what each other was wearing as well... what do you think?

Great session you two. Wedding day is almost upon us!

-Steve

 A while back, I got a call from a friend asking me if I would be interested in shooting a company portrait for her.  After we worked out the details of the shoot and did some location scouting at their building, I was ready to roll on the day of the shoot.  

The concept was simple and straightforward.  Shoot a portrait of the company (60-70) people outside in their parking lot.  Make sure everyone is visible and try to make them look good. I said to myself "sure, no problem...I do this all the time at weddings".

I got to the location, and then the fun began. Here's how that conversation went:

Client: "Hi Chris, lovely weather we are having today!"
Me: "Ah yes, cloudy and drab.  Change of plans?"
Client: "Yes...and by the way, the company meeting is running late, and the management team has a conference call sooner than expected, so you'll have five minutes, OK?"
Me: "Sounds perfect, I'll start setting up."

I even had time to do a little video describing my setup. I've also included the final product for you to see. Enjoy!

(Click for a larger version)

I always love it when couples choose fun engagement session locations. Breanne and Tyler knew exactly what they wanted. "We are going to get some shots inside the Horseshoe..." Let's do it!

For those of you that have never been to / shot at the Horseshoe, it can be a bit tricky to get in if you don't show up at the right times. During the weekday, you can typically get in for no charge between the hours of 1PM and 5PM. During the weekend, you have to call for a reservation, and it'll cost you a small fee. In our case, we were able to "sneak" in around 4:45PM on a weekday afternoon. It actually worked out great because the stadium was literally ghost quiet. We had the whole place to ourselves to just run around, have fun, and shoot some great photography.

Breanne and Tyler were amazing to work with. Relaxed, up-for-anything, and just loved to be around each other. I know that wedding day will be awesome. Can't wait!

-Steve