Shoot Shack: Wendi + Jon

The Book! Available for Pre-Order

As some of you may know, I've been taking some time off to focus on a very exciting project: My first book! Written especially for beginners, it's called, "Your Camera Loves You: Learn to Love it Back." The message is: cameras don't take great photos—people do. If you want better pictures, don't buy a new camera—learn to use the one you've got!

This ain't your average camera book! Believe it or not, I've found a way to combine Law & Order, sumo wrestling, cookie dough, and a chapter called, "Death by Cropping," into a fun and snappy book to help you get the most from your camera—whichever one you already have. But you'll have to get the book to see what I mean… ;)

It recently went live on Amazon and is available at a special price for pre-ordering, so treat yourself, your family, your friends, and learn just how how awesome your camera truly is!

Album Sneaky Peeky

I can't wait for Cassie + Taylor to get back from their honeymoon so they can drool over their gorgeous album design! Here are a few of my fave spreads!

I love using a lot of negative (blank) space whenever possible. This spread makes me swoon!

I love the color and mood of this one. Can't wait to show them the whole thing. :)

How'd I rock their wedding proofs and album design so quickly? I detail my whole process in my wedding workflow guide. Save 10% with the code: CRAZYFAST and rock some albums of your own! :)

Down the Aisle: Cassie + Taylor

Vera Wang dress? Check. Incredible live band? Check.

Man of your dreams? (And a Rolls Royce to drive the two of you off into the future you've always imagined?) Check!

Cassie + Taylor have a lifetime of love, fun, and adventure ahead of them. I'm so honored to have been there to be part of the day it all began. :)

(See the bottom of the post for more info on all the vendors who helped make their day so incredible! But be forewarned, this is a mega-post!)

Here's Cassie's cathedral veil draped across several chairs while she gets her make-up done…

I love this photo of Cassie's dad Tom. :)

Cassie makes Vera Wang shine!

The Doc James Band was KILLING IT. Taylor + Cassie were s-m-o-o-t-h like butter on the dance floor... LOVE IT!

After a second wave of dance incredibleness with Cassie and her dad—I had to ask. Where did they learn to rock the dance floor like that? "Oh, that? We used to dance every night after dinner when I was a kid," Cassie said. How inspiring (and adorable) is that? Check out that Vera Wang dress in action!

Like I said, The Doc James Band was KILLING IT. They brought an incredible light show with them (even a spot light). Made a HUGE difference.

Bo, the ring bearer, was fierce on the dance floor!

Congrats you two! (And special thanks to Julie at The Lincoln Country Club for taking such great care of me last night! She sent me home with cookies & hot cocoa to boot!)

Dress: Vera Wang Rolls Royce: Timeless Transport Church: First Plymouth Cake: Donna, The Lincoln Cake Lady Reception: The Lincoln Country Club Band: The Doc James Band

Gettin' My Yurt On

It was roughly three years ago when I first heard the word "yurt." According to wikipedia, a yurt is portable, wood lattice-framed dwelling typically used by nomads in central Asia (commonly associated with Mongolia). And though it is technically portable, it's definitely more home-like than tent-like. I liked the sound of it, and started researching them. What they're made of, how they function, how we might build our own... and even contemplating buying an acreage and putting up a yurt until Emir and I could get around to building our next home (that may take awhile....).

Thankfully, this past weekend (only three years later), I finally got to experience one first hand. Our friend Jason is a professional outdoor adventure leader with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln who regularly takes people (students and non-students alike!) on all kinds of amazing experiences. He and his wife Christina are living-breathing adventure/fitness advocates who ooze a contagious passion for an active lifestyle that will absolutely (and happily) infect anyone who comes in contact with them (they are directly responsible for the fact that I started running last year, which in turn got Emir into running too). So naturally, when they approached us and said, "Let's take a fun trip somewhere!" Emir and I responded with a resounding, "Absolutely!"

Last Wednesday morning we climbed into a van with another couple of great friends and headed west to the backcountry of Colorado for a weekend of cross-country skiing, good food, good friends and... a yurt. The inside of the yurt had three sets of bunk beds, a propane powered stove for cooking, some firewood, a table and folding chairs, and a wood-burning stove. No processed garbage or canned junk food, each couple would be responsible for a home-cooked/healthy meal. Christina & Jason cooked up our first dinner of whole-wheat pasta with fresh vegetables in an incredibly yummy sauce. The next morning Emir and I whipped together some buckwheat pancakes with 100% real maple syrup. For lunch we ate pitas stuffed with fresh veggies and that night, Paul & Stephanie put together an unforgettable veggie & peanut stew that disappeared in record time. Learning to cook and wash dishes without running water was actually... fun. The wood-burning stove kept the yurt more than warm enough while serving double duty and melting the continual supply of snow we placed in the large soup pot on top for drinking water and washing dishes. (See below.) When we weren't cooking... we were skiing. I had only ever down-hill skied before, so the whole cross-country thing was entirely new to me... but after wiping out a few times (and stepping through a few snow banks that reached up to my waist) I'd say I caught on fairly well. :) The scenery was gorgeous! The feeling of gliding over the snow while surrounded by sunshine and tall aspen trees was surreal. The view from the entrance to the yurt was breathtaking, day or night (that's the outhouse in the bottom left corner). Of course, we had to have a little head-lamp/night time/long-exposure fun! :) If your tail is wagging and you're thinking to yourself, "I'd like to go on an adventure!" Check out the current trip schedule and see what tickles your fancy. Jason and his staff lead folks on all kinds of trips like rock climbing, canoeing, camping, and biking. No experience/equipment required, they will get you the full hook-up! The pricing is unbelievably reasonable and... you don't have to be a university student... everyone is welcome!

Shoot Shack: Brittni + Scott

Down the Aisle: Brittni + Scott

Sometimes you do get a second chance to make a good impression... and in Scott and Brittni's case, it led them down a path that brought them to the altar yesterday afternoon. Brittni's been dreaming of her wedding day since she was five, and from what I could tell yesterday, Scott literally made it all come true.

Congrats you two!

I got a kick out of watching their faces during the ceremony. Exchanging a glance here or there, or sharing a giggle. The kicker was during the vows when Brittni reached into Scott's pocked and pulled out a tissue. :)

I love this. It seems to sum up them and their relationship rather well. :) Adorable!

The wedding reception was GORGEOUS. Held at the Qwest Center Omaha, everyone's jaw hit the floor upon entering the room. Whether from the incredible centerpieces, the sweet & yummy candy bar, the kids' tables, or the incredible lighting design contracted through the Qwest, it was a sight to be seen!

After the traditional specialty dances, Brittni invited her mom out to dance with her... the two of them are like peas in a pod. I enjoyed watching their interactions all day. So cute, and this... a very touching tribute. :)

The dance floor was hoppin' all night long! The wedding party scored extra points when they surprised everyone with a choreographed performance piece!

Love Shoot: Kara + Kevin

July 30th seems like a long way away from the snow covered grounds of today... but as Kara and Kevin could surely tell you... it'll be sneaking up on us before we know it! :) Kara has the most gorgeous wavy hair... and Kevin? So comfortable with the camera in his face... we scored some great stuff!

Drizzle is their new puppy... we couldn't leave her out!

Looking forward to July!

"A" Stands for "Auto" (Not "Awesome")

Lots of folks have been asking me all kinds of questions about the book I'm writing, and while I'm over the moon with excitement, I haven't gone into a lot of public detail yet. BUT--I thought I'd share part of the overall concept with you. :) (The name of the book is NOT the same as the name of this post—in case you wondered!) [Editor's update: The book is out and it's called "Your Camera Loves You: Learn to Love it Back!"]

The book is based on one of my favorite classes that I teach on a regular basis (at least 4-8 times per year). It's a super basic, start at the beginning, sort it all out digital camera class embracing the premise that any and all cameras are capable of being pretty rad... if you know how to work them.

The problem is that most people don't.

They buy a camera, set it to "auto" and keep it there until they become frustrated. Eventually they hunt around for a newer model with hopes that the fancier camera will magically make their photos look better. Of course, it doesn't... and they don't... and the poor sap ends up back at square one, with only a bruised bank balance to show for it.

In an effort to break the cycle, I teach folks how to get the most they can from the camera they already have. You don't have to have a fancy-pants pro-level dSLR (or any dSLR) to get great shots--You just have to know how to work it. (As I tell people in class, "Don't be afraid to get bossy!")

To prove it, I thought I'd share with you a couple of sample photos I shot for the book while Emir and I were camping in Morocco's Sahara Desert. These were both captured (only moments apart) in the black of night with my Canon S95 (a super compact point & shoot camera retailing for less than $400).

This first image was captured with the camera (and flash) set to "auto." Needless to say... it looks awful. Where were we? The Black Hole?

This is literally the same scene, captured with the same camera only a few seconds later in a different shooting mode (in this case, manual mode). It is not a product of Photoshop, but rather... something much better. I like to call it... knowledge. I simply canceled the flash and increased the exposure time (by slowing the shutter waaaaay down). And... BAM!

Now, you can not only see the camels and the twinkling stars, but you can feel the warm glow from the campfire that was roaring behind me the whole time!

The book is slated to hit the stores sometime this summer (I will definitely keep you posted!). In the mean time, the next class is on the calendar for Friday August 12, 1-5pm. Contact SCC at 402.437.2700 to get signed up!

The Closest I May Ever Get to Appearing in a Music Video...

A few weeks ago I got an email from my friend Lan Bui who had this fun idea to make a lip dub video with a bunch of photographers who have enough loose screws between them to actually go through with something like this. :) (Just one of many reasons why I love this industry so darn much!) When I found out the song of choice was "Firework" by Katy Perry, I thought it was pretty apropos, considering we were all getting ready to head out to WPPI, one of the biggest (and most fun) conferences in the industry, where pros from all over the world come together to be inspired, share with others and continue the quest to master their craft.

Some of the cast gathered in the Los Angeles area to do a group shoot, while others filmed their segments remotely and sent in the finished files for editing. My segment was filmed locally at Marz in dear ol' Lincoln, Nebraska... you can see the result at 00:51 and again at the end.

Huge shout out to everyone involved... The Bui Brothers rock it again! :)