2009 Wedding Photography Highlights | Lincoln, Nebraska and Beyond

2009 welcomed many new and fabulous wedding clients into the KaBloom Studios family! I am continually reminded of how much I love my clients and consequently, my job. :) I thought it would be fun to re-post some of my favorite wedding images from the past year in one big juicy post (no small feat!). When I originally gathered images for this, I looked at the file count and had pulled 300+ shots. That. Is. Nuts. So.... I whacked the list waaaay down. This is just a small sampling of why I love my clients and my job so darn tootin' much. :) Enjoy! To make it easier to digest, I loosely arranged the images based on different parts of the day. This first group represents the 'portrait hour' I spend with clients making the iconic images that sum up what their day is all about. I hope they make you smile!

2009 brought with it the opportunity to photograph a number of destination weddings including Annette & Brandon's 4th of July celebration in Grenada. Here are some of my faves from their 'Day After' session. The wedding itself can be seen here.

Of course, 'portrait hour' is preceded by 'getting ready.' I *love* to photograph all the pretty details that go into transforming a beautiful woman into a beautiful bride.

Of course, the guys have their own version of 'getting ready.' In this case, it means listening to the ball game on the radio.... :)

Ceremony time! Whether in a church, at a park or on a golf course, ceremonies are fun and challenging to capture.

Jeff earned a shout-out for most creative 'entrance' to a wedding when he arrived to his ceremony on water skis and upon landing ashore, peeled off his 'dry suit' to reveal the tuxedo underneath. Bravo!

I'm often asked, "Do you shoot formal group portraits?" The answer, of course, is "Yes!" In addition to a few traditional formals, I love to capture what I think is even more fun.... group shots that showcase personality and spunk. Here are a few quick examples/faves. :)

Another thing I enjoy capturing at the wedding are detail shots of the rings. The possibilities are endless!

When I'm not chasing the star couple or foraging for interesting ring image concepts, I often turn my camera's attention to grandpas, kids, interesting guests and... the funny moments that are only a click away.

I later found out that the gentleman on the left in the image below passed away not long after the wedding. I'm incredibly honored to have been able to give this image to his family in tribute.

Every time I come home from a wedding, I'm more excited than before... and filled with inspiration from all the genius, creative couples I have the honor of working with. (Poor Emir... I'm constantly suggesting to him that we renew our vows and have a party with all the fab ideas I've collected over the years. Such a good sport he is!) If you're in the market for some wedding reception detail shots (eye candy), here goes!

After months of planning to pull off the whole event, the reception comes and it's time to dance!

Thank you to all of the incredible couples (and their families!) I've had the honor of working with in the past year. You are the reason I do what I do.... Much love and happiness to you all in 2010! :)

Santa. Merki. And Snow.

Santa must've forgotten to bring me a shiny and spacious craft room this year, so I'm still stuck schlucking all my sewing gear out onto the dining room table if/when I want to get crafty. I had high hopes of whipping up some special goodies for the nephews this year... but then time ran short and... well... it hasn't happened. Yet. (Gina was quick to tell me that the Denominator has enough stuffed animals and toys already, so I guess I'm off the hook with him... which is good b/c what I was planning to make for Dom would've required a miraculous channeling of someone else's sewing skills. I got lucky on that one!). In the meantime, I guess the dedicated sewing room can wait until I can at least remember how to thread the bobbin.... ha! ;)

The days and days of snow we've had hasn't slowed Merki down much. She begs and begs to go out, only to repeatedly act surprised when she sees the snow is in fact, not an illusion. (She is hilarious to watch while she pounces around jumping in and out of snow drifts!)

When she gets back inside, she knows from experience that positioning herself between us and our computers is the best way to ensure constant attention. Here she shows Emir the right button to get the job done....

I love snowed in holidays. :)

2009. Good Stuff.

What a great year it's been! Peppered with lots of travel, speaking engagements and three (count 'em, 3!) new nephews.... 2009 has been as fun as it was adventurous! Here are a few quick highlights. Speaking at BryanLGH's Women's Day

Experimenting and playing with classic vintage pin-up portraits

Attending WPPI in Las Vegas was a blast! It marked the beginning of a 2-wk whirlwind adventure starting in Vegas, traveling through San Diego and finally wrapping in San Francisco. Part business, part pure fun.... it was all good!

While on our little west coast adventure, we met up with Lan and Vu Bui of the Bui Brothers to produce a video to show couples what it's like to have KaBloom Studios photograph their wedding. We were joined by past wedding clients Kjerstin and Joel to capture their thoughts on camera and capped the day off with a Cuban dinner. Perfection!

Shortly after WPPI, I climbed back on a plane and headed west (again!) but this time to the gorgeous coast of Oregon for our annual PhotoGirls get together. We rented an incredible beach house in the picturesque town of Manzanita and spent a week of photo/girl/nerd bliss enjoying each other's company. (We're about to pack it up again and head out for PhotoGirls 2010, the location will be a surprise, so stay tuned!)

Bring on the nephews! First to arrive, was Nick & Jamie's little Cole. Emir immediately began calling him 'Col-e' (like in Austin Powers 2 when Mike Myers points to Fred Savage's mole and says, 'mol-e, mol-e, mol-e!'). It totally stuck and I'm pretty sure Cole thinks that 'Col-e' is his actual name. :)

A mere 5 weeks later, Gina & Roy's little 'Denominator' entered the picture.

Adis & Laura chimed in only 1 week after Dominic with little Haris! All 3 boys are within 6 weeks of each other. I am *so* excited for their little birthday parties as they grow up... it's going to be a blast!

Summer brought lots of fun travel opportunities and several destination weddings, the first of which was Annette & Brandon's wedding in Grenada. We did a special 'day after' shoot to make sure we had time to capture the gorgeousness of the island. Emir and I headed down a few days early to enjoy what's known as 'spice island' before the wedding. We spent several sun soaked days snorkeling, laying on the beach and reminding ourselves to stick to walking and avoid driving while in town. Ha! The entire experience couldn't have been better... we felt and were treated like family. Already can't wait to go back!

Learning from 2008, I did a much better job of managing my schedule this summer, which left me with a small pocket of time to do a couple of a fun shoots I've been wanting to experiment with for quite some time. Using simple incense and a pan filled with water, Emir and I created two colorful series of images.

After years of avoiding the mac hype (I had dug in my heels pretty stubbornly....), my PC finally drove me to the point of surrender and I bought a new Mac Pro. This was sometime in July. It sat in the box it came in until December when I finally had time for the monumental task of migrating my entire work flow and all of my files to the new system. The switch wasn't without its hiccups, but.... overall.... I can see why some people are Mac evangelists. Even Merki became a convert. :)

Jeff & Megan's destination wedding took Emir and I to Michigan where we had the opportunity to spend a few days on Macinac Island on Lake Michigan. We passed our time riding bikes, eating fudge and listening to the rhythm of the trotting horses. Highly recommended! (There are no cars allowed on the island... it's kind of an old fashioned escape. A fab family vacation spot!)

I was thrilled to find out that I will be teaching a Master Class at 2010's WPPI in Las Vegas!

An international conference with more than 10,000 photographers from around the globe in attendance, it's a place to learn new things, make new friends and become the best you can be at what you do. I am honored that I will play a role in helping to shape not only the experience of some of the attendees, but hopefully I can have an impact on helping them improve their workflow, design skills and overall work efficiency. I can't wait!

I'm especially honored that my appearnece is being sponsored by the incredible folks at AsukaBook, Adobe... and of course, Banti.

A long proponent of using InDesign for all my layout and design work, I was pumped when AsukaBook approached me to present a webinar demonstrating how to create Asuka-friendly files from InDesign. I actually got a lot of feedback from folks to told me it was extremely helpful... which is always great to hear! I even created a super easy-to-read pdf to help explain the process and an action script to save photogs time in the process. You can find the recorded webinar listed among others on AsukaBook's site.

After wrapping the photography for Christina & Jason's destination wedding in Denver, Colorado... Emir and I hopped a quick flight to Santa Fe (full post here! Lots of yummy eye candy!). Considered by many to be one of the most artsy and creative cities in the country... it's been on my 'to-visit' list for quite some time. While there, we had the bonus opportunity to have breakfast with one of my favorite design authors, Robin Williams.

I've been teaching photo related classes (photoshop, photography, digital cameras, etc....) for going on 5-ish years now. This year, I added private workshops to my repertoire. Customizable to anything you're interested in learning, it's perfect for small groups... and is always a lot of fun!

Public speaking? You bet 'cha! I love when people invite me to speak at various clubs, meetings and workshops/seminars. This image is from a twitter presentation I did for the American Advertising Federation of Lincoln's 'Ad Camp.' A real joy!

This fall was especially enjoyable:  The Huskers had a promising season. Our apple tree produced its first apple that the squirrels somehow managed to miss. And.... I spent lots of quality time with family and friends (including our delicious three nephews!). I already can't wait for next fall!

Thank you 2009 for bringing wonderful clients, friends and new family members into my life. Here's to 2010!

Makes Moms Happy - The Best Present. Period.

The best gift for someone who has it all? Photos. Hands down.

Trekking across-town through the insane three day blizzard, we made it safely to my parents' house and quietly snuck my gear inside, hoping mom wouldn't notice the nine-ft. long tube and random cables, etc... strewn across the corner of the living room. Of course, within minutes she asked, 'What is this thing? It looks like a photo backdrop.' She was onto me!

I caved and told her my gift to her & dad this year was a post-party family ShootShack session. She loved it.

My apologies in advance for what is very much a marathon blog post.... but... it *is* mom & dad's xmas gift after all.... :)

The Cole Train. We now refer to him as 'Col-e' (based on Austin Powers 2 and Fred Savage's character with the mole. 'Mol-e, mol-e, mol-e')

The Denominator (wha? see an explanation here) Love that smile almost as much as I love the shot of him pulling Gina's hair! Ha!

Yours truly!

So..... mom!

Brother Nick (Col-e's papa). I'm so proud of this guy! He's kicking some serious booty in his pre-med program at UNL and is nearly impossible to spot without a book or a laptop in tow. Pretty much any conversation you have with him winds up in a discussion of organic chemistry or quantum physics. He is one passionate dude. He almost makes me excited about physics and chemistry. Almost.

Male parental unit (aka: 'Doad'). He has spent the last couple of years building his version of the Taj Mahal (our up and coming family lake-house in Ashland) with his own two hands. Having recently introduced his hammer to his thumb, he sports the evidence here. Ouch. (I love that he's wearing his UPS sweatshirt in this photo. He retired from UPS after 25-ish+ years of service and is still loyal to the core.)

Sister Gina (Denominator's mama). Typical! She was always the kid who couldn't wait for Christmas morning to open gifts (and routinely snuck peeks of them in advance!)

The boys.

Brother Tony. Quite possibly the sweetest guy on the planet. If you know Tony (everyone knows Tony) you know that teddy bears really do exist!

Sister-in-Law Jamie. Col-e's mama and power-house extraordinaire! Her strength goes far beyond her power-lifting record.... she's kickin' butt in her nursing program while managing to keep an eye on Cole and an ear on Nick's bio chem lectures. :)

Too fun!

Brother-in-Law Roy (Denominator's papa). Roy dresses in character as a writer sporting a corduroy jacket complete with elbow patches!

Emir looks so cute in his vest! :)

This shot makes me laugh. Out loud. I think it represents a good chunk of our childhood. Ha ha ha ha!

Tera-dactyls?

The girls. :)

What fun! Love you!

Down the Aisle: Elinore + Patrick | Houston Wedding Photographer

A blend of cultures and the melding of two hearts with a history 15+ years in the making, Patrick and Elinore's wedding day was rich with tradition, yet full of surprises. When I arrived in Houston for the rehearsal, I was thrilled to find Elinore cheerfully waiting. She jumped up, threw her arms around me and gave me a hug that felt like I've known her for EVER (you know those kinds of hugs). She was every bit as awesome as I had expected and my dear friend Patrick was about to begin a new life with her... How wonderful!

I first met Patrick while on tour with Up With People in 1997.  Since then, we've crafted one of those friendships that isn't subject to things like time or distance. One of the things I've always enjoyed about him is his creative spirit and all the brilliant/fun/silly things that have come from it. Working in cinematography and feature films for several years, we also share a passion for visual arts. He understands imagery and its power to communicate and commemorate, so I was especially honored when he and Elinore chose to hire dear ol' moi for their wedding photography (no pressure, right?).

A couple of days before the wedding, my phone rang and Patrick's voice was on the other end. He had been looking over the schedule of events when it dawned on him that their unique plans didn't include any designated time for the couple's portrait session I always request. (!!!)

As someone who fully understands production and the work that goes into it, he realized that images take time to create and asked if we could shoot them after the reception. I responded with an enthusiastic "YES!" With a ceremony that began at 9:30am and a reception that was set to wrap by 3pm, a post-party shoot would be perfect. These are some of my faves.

The 'behind the scenes' story on this image makes me laugh. I'll spare you the details, but if you know Patrick and Elinore... ask them about it. :)

When I found out this car would be involved in our post-party portrait session, I was psyched!

We made our way to a downtown park where after charming a nearby police officer, we found parking and captured these gems. The image on the left was a test to see if my tilt-shift lens that had just been dropped (ahem! And landed on concrete!) was still in good shape. Thumbs up!

I **love** this. Elinore's blue shoes just barely peek out. So cute!

Classic bridal portrait.

love. this. one.

Ok. So now, back to the a.m. Here, Elinore chuckles when her phone reminds her that she has a wedding scheduled for this morning. :)

Elinore caught a sneak peek of Patrick and guests as they arrived...

It must be said, so I'm just going to say it here and now. Elinore has some amazing calves. Seriously!

Always a character.... Patrick has some fun in front of my lens...

A bonus of being hired to be part of this wedding was that I got to see another dear UWP friend of ours, Lucero. Here, her husband Alaster shuffles their son Alejandro out of the church to help ensure a quiet ceremony. :) I love this moment. They look like two peas in a pod.

I love the look on Patrick's face as Elinore and her father make their way down the aisle...

Filipino wedding ceremonies typically include what is  known as the tradition of the 'veil and cord.' The veil symbolizes the unity of the couple (they are 'clothed as one') while the cord represents the lifelong bond between them.

The reception at the Junior League of Houston, was simply gorgeous.

Upon walking into the room, one couldn't help but notice this incredible life-size dog sculpture at the table with the groom's cake. I wasn't surprised, as Patrick and his family are serious dog lovers. Wondering where they found such a thing, I was surprised (but not really) to find out that Patrick made it. Of course he did. Because he's brilliant like that. (For those who are interested, its construction includes papermache, chicken wire, construction foam, a taxidermist and... a blender.)

Having recently decided to make a career switch from the film industry to the medical field, it was quite fitting that the dog is taking a huge bite out of a cake that says 'organic chemistry' on it. Touché. (Look at the eyes... amazing!)

Elinore grabs a quick shot with her sisters. Too cute!

Ummmm.... hello chandeliers!

Back-up patrol. :)

Some more portraits we managed to sneak away to create....

A send-off in style!

CONGRATULATIONS and much love to you both! (Enjoy Hawaii!) (Special thanks to Kelly at EventologyWeddings for coordinating such a unique celebration!)

ShootShack: Patrick & Elinore | Houston Wedding Photographer | Photo Booth

Kiki (aka: Mr. Whiskers) has a new home!

I'm am **thrilled** to report that "Mr. Whiskers" (formerly known as Kiki) has a new home with a loving family! He is excited to be living with a wonderful new mama, a cat-lovin' papa, a big sister & another feline buddy named 'Sparkles' (both names courtesy of his 5-yr-old big sis). I'm told he loves to sleep on the sofa in the window and hasn't so much as thought about climbing the Christmas tree yet. Good boy! Thank you to everyone for your interest and support in helping this insanely sweet and friendly little guy to find a family who loves him! I will miss seeing him around the neighborhood, but I couldn't be happier about his new family and how excited they are to have him. :)

Down the Aisle: Ted + Stephanie | Wedding Photographer Lincoln Nebraska

I love to hear stories of how couples met. Maybe through a friend of a friend, perhaps someone from high school that was never given a second thought until years later, or.... someone you met at a wedding (of all places!). That's the story of Ted and Stephanie. They met at a friend's wedding in Colorado and though they live in Colorado now, at the time of the wedding that first brought them together, they were each living in different states. They've been dating over the 10 years since that fateful day, and finally tied the knot surrounded by their closest family and friends in dear ol' Lincoln, Nebraska.

With a wedding party of only a maid of honor and a best man, the ceremony was especially intimate. Ever since they were little girls, Stephanie and her cousin Christine swore they'd be each other's maids of honor. Stephanie was there for Christine when she got married, and now it was time for Christine to walk down the aisle in support of Stephanie.

If you follow my blog, you've seen me post shots like this of clocks in the past. I just think they're so cool. Every photo is a small slice of time forever frozen and defined in an instant.... but I especially like to include clocks because they document the passing of such moments in a quantifiable way. With a 6pm wedding, this was where things stood at 5:35pm. :)

A stolen moment with Grandpa...

The church was beautifully festive....

This beautifullness is courtesy of the geniuses at Stem Gallery.

The reception was held at the Lincoln Country Club and seemed to fit Ted and Stephanie just right. A cocktail party followed by dinner, surrounded by sparkling lights, flickering candles and a blanket of snow on the ground. What a winter delight!

Geared up!

I really enjoyed watching this little guy. He stood here in front of the musicians for at least 20 minutes, just completely mesmerized and totally stole my heart!

As the night was winding to a close, guests came to say their goodbyes. Upon hearing "Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Harris!" and the little girl shouted back, "She's Cinderella!"

You were Cinderella last night Stephanie! ;) Enjoy  your prince charming... and safe travels to Bora Bora! :)

The Star City Parade Goes Green: Kermit Style!

I've been looking forward to this past Saturday for YEARS. It's been quite awhile since I was free on a Saturday that happened to coincide with the annual Star City Parade, but this year, the stars aligned and I got the 'holiday cheer' fix I was looking for! :) Cranking the awesomeness up an extra notch was Nelnet's sponsorship of Kermit the frog!  Emir and fellow Nelnet crew members brought up the rear of the parade while livin' large as 'balloon handlers' for Kermit. Good times!

Kermit was the tallest balloon in the whole parade with an impressive height of roughly 30 ft!

The lovable muppet had a crew of roughly 18 people helping him along the parade route. Talk about teamwork!

Up close and personal with the Nelnet team.....

Kudos to Katie who spearheaded the organization of Kermit's 'balloon handling.' Here, she celebrates her victory!

Thanks for helping to make another memorable Star City Holiday Parade. So fun to be part of it with the crew! ;)

So New, She Squeaks! :)

I'm often reminded of what a beautiful thing it is to do this work I am so very much honored to do. I'm not talking about the technical craft of creating beautiful images... (though that is always fun!), but rather about the fact that the families I photograph are so willing to share with me such incredibly personal and intimate glimpses into their lives. Though I have a studio that I use when appropriate, I prefer to shoot in clients' homes. It takes the definition of 'personal' to a whole new level. I am often in clients' bedrooms, digging through their closets, moving their furniture, laundry... you name it. And I love it.

I was particularly touched by the trust this darling family extended to me. They have this lovely new addition to their family, little Kylan.... and less than 2 weeks since she entered the world...  there I am, taking over their house and invading their personal space for a couple of hours.

We talked about the delivery. Dirty diapers. Sleep schedules. You know.... girl talk stuff. Stuff you talk about with your closest of friends, not necessarily your photographer! Unless... of course..... your photographer is me. :) Kealey and I were having so much fun chatting, big sis Camryn finally interrupted asking, "Are we ever going to take pictures?????" Ha ha!

What fun it was! (You may remember this family from their recent baby belly shoot.... Camryn was too funny!)

An angel. Love that little hand under her chin....

This little cutie is such a doll...... She charms my socks off in a heart beat!

Papa Joel and his girls!

How cute is this? Kealey had mentioned to me that Camryn was upset when she heard someone refer to baby Kylan as a 'peanut.' I think this was the moment that I asked her about it. Camryn's response? "She is a butterfly!" Naturally. :)

Thank you from my heart to yours. Congrats on your wonderfully adorable family!