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Impromptu Photo Shoot of Gabrielle

Gabrielle is a writer for the company Fstoppers, and I met her while I was speaking at the big national photography convention ImagingUSA. This year the convention was just held in Nashville, and it’s unusual for it to snow there. But right after I finished speaking, we were hit with a gorgeous snow storm. And having met Gabi with her fun style and her purple hair, she seemed perfect for an impromptu photo shoot out in the cold snowy night.

Because I was there to speak and not take portraits, I didn’t have my typical professional load out of gear. But as I teach photographers at my workshops, great photography is about knowledge, not gear. We should be able to create great images with any gear, if we know what we’re doing. So using my small travel camera (that I refer to as my “toy camera”) along with a basic light and umbrella that I had with me, I was still able to control my lighting angles and create some great images. See what you think.

Though I had in mind color images in the snow, some of the images really popped as black and white. I really love how these look.

Also, the air was too frigid to work for too long outside. My fingers quickly stopped working and went numb as I tried to control the dials on my camera. So we went in and finished up our shoot using the indoor garden atrium of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The plants and leaves were the perfect backdrop for Gabi. 

And while in the atrium, we used one more backdrop – the walls of the indoor shops. It gave us the look of being off on location while actually being inside and warm. 

There’s a lot of personality in these images and I really love how they turned out. It would have been fun if Gabi and I had done a full shoot with various changes of outfits and location. Perhaps at another event sometime.

And if you’d like some fun and updated photographs whether they be for business or for fun, now is a great time to get them done. Here in Utah, snow outdoor locations are easier and warmer than in Nashville. Plus I have an indoor studio for other options as well. Give me a call at 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Gorgeous Family Portraits

For Christmas I delivered this beautiful family portrait. They have been a joy to work with and I have loved working on this order. Each time I see all these children and their beautiful faces, I feel my heart swell. The final canvas looked vivid and stunning, especially because they ordered it as a larger 50-inch canvas with an outside frame that made the colors pop. And it looked wonderful in their home.

This family lives not too far from my Utah studio, and we created this at their home in their yard. It was the perfect location and provided a very meaningful background for their heirloom portrait.

Just before packing my SUV to deliver the order, I recorded this video because I had to show it off. See what you think…

And when I photograph big families, we also take time to photograph the smaller, individual families. Here are some of those images. And look at how adorable each little child is in each family grouping. And notice too how the lighting creates a clean and vivid image of everyone. The images are sharp, detailed, and they looked fabulous printed up larger.

I know these will be beloved heirlooms to each of these families for many years to come, especially as these children grow and change. I’m grateful that this family called me to create these, and I’d love to create something special for you too. Now is a great time to do some wonderful family portraits. Give me a call and let’s talk about your dream portrait. 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

My Painted Portraits are Different and Magical

One of my specialized products are painted portraits. I start by creating a photographic portrait during one of our sessions, and then use that photo as a reference to create a completely different and magical painting for you. The end result is a unique piece of art that is finished as a stretched canvas in almost any size you’d like.

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Paintings can be of individuals, like this image above that I did a while back for a musician, or like the paintings below of families that I finished for Christmas orders.

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If you’d like me to create a unique painting for you, give me a call. 801-728-3317

Merry Christmas, and until next time, America.

 

Julie’s New Fun Portraits

I had the pleasure recently to photograph Julie. We did a mix session of both outdoor and indoor and here are my two of my favorites. This outdoor image was created at sunset on the edge of the cornfield next to my studio. We had to hurry as the sun was setting, but I loved how it turned out, especially with the leading lines from the rows and the depth in the lighting.

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And here’s a black and white from the studio – great eyes and great smile – and finished with one of my duo-tones.

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If you’d like some great new portraits, give me a call. Let’s get it done now before the Christmas rush. 801-728-3317.

Until next time, America.