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Janae’s Studio Family Portraits

It was a rare opportunity to get all of Janae’s family in town together. So during this short window when everyone was in Utah, they came in for some new studio family portraits. And one of my personal favorite parts of creating family portraits is to connect with the children. I am not satisfied with kids just looking my direction or into the camera, and I don’t want cheesy, fake, or rehearsed smiles. I want them to really shine. I want a family grouping that is well composed, beautifully lit, where everyone (including the tiny kids) all look real and amazing. And I am really glad with how this turned out.

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And with all family portrait sessions, I also like to photograph individual families. These final options were printed as 4 large squares and custom framed to match so that they could all hang together on Janae’s wall as a beautiful series. Notice how great everyone looks, especially the children.

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And this last image is just a fun grouping of the original family. Portraits like this are great to show love and togetherness even though we all change.BryCox_StudioFamily_Janae_6

March is a great time to get in for some family portraits, and I have a promo going right now. Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s discuss creating something new for you.

And until next time, America.

Angie’s Family Portraits & Painting

Family portraits are important and meaningful, especially when children are young because they change so fast. It’s wonderful to be able to have a custom art piece on the wall that you can enjoy, not only right now, but also in 20 years.

And for my clients that are looking for something completely different, I offer my special line of painted family portraits. This is not some quick filter or effect. Instead I individually paint each image from scratch using a photograph that I create during your portrait session. It’s a lengthy creative process, but I created this sped up video so that you can see it come to life in a short 15 second time-lapse video.

That finished painting is now hanging as a beautiful canvas in their home. During the creation as I was photographing the family, their dog ran around behind them, came around the side and looked up at them. For one split second everything was perfect, and I quickly got that shot. Everyone is looking at each other and interacting including their beloved dog that really wanted to be a part of the moment.

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With summer ending, this is the last great time to photograph families that want outdoor images. The studio gardens look amazing right now, and the colors are green and lush. We can do a variety of family options and groupings for a lot of choices. And though no one likes to think about Christmas early, the weather is starting to get cooler which means outdoor options will become limited, plus we only have about 14 Saturdays left to get things by Christmas. BryCox_Angie-Family-02

Besides family groups, it’s always nice to get an updated couple portrait. I’m amazed how many couples I photograph admit that they have not had a professional couple portrait since their wedding. Let’s fix that and get you something you can put on your desk at work or display around your home.BryCox_Angie-Family-03

Here at my Utah studio, we can shoot outdoors and indoors during the same appointment. For Angie’s family, we went in the studio for some fun, high-contrast black and whites of individuals that could be displayed as a series of squares going up the stairs.BryCox_Angie-Family-04 BryCox_Angie-Family-05 BryCox_Angie-Family-06

And those squares worked really well as this framed trio too.BryCox_Angie-Family-07

Let’s get some great portraits of your family inside the studio and outdoors in the gardens while the weather is still nice. Now is the perfect time to get in and beat the Christmas rush of fall.

Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and until next time, America.

Makenna’s Senior Portrait Sneak Peek

This weekend I photographed Makenna for her high school senior portraits. She graduates in just a couple weeks, and though she hasn’t seen any of these images yet, I thought I’d share a sneak peek of some of my early favorites for the Memorial Day weekend.

She is smart, funny, and the shoot was so much fun. We started outside at her softball field and successfully avoided the rain while getting some really cool images of her in uniform. The storm clouds made the shoot all the more dramatic.

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Then we came to my studio for some fun studio images like this trio and textured art piece.  BryCox_McKenna-Sr_02 BryCox_McKenna-Sr_03 BryCox_McKenna-Sr_04

With both a location and studio shoot, we really shot a lot and will have a lot of fun picking them out. With so many great images, I’ll make sure I post some others here after things are worked up.

Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone. And until next time, America.

– Bry

Emotional But Important Family Portraits After Losing a Loved One

Last year, tragically a border agent with family ties to Utah was killed on the border. I knew this man and certain members of his family very well. It was a tough and sad situation.

Recently, their extended family was all going to be back together in Utah, and they asked me to create a large group portrait of everyone, as well as smaller group portraits of each family. This was a particularly emotional and hard shoot to do, but again reiterated to me the importance of families, loved ones, and of having great portraits — not just for us, but especially for our loved ones.

For this shoot, I brought my entire studio to the home of one of the family members who was hosting the get together. I set up the background, lights and gear in their home, and I began photographing each individual family.

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Then because of the size of the large group, the lack of space, and because of the needs of various versions of a large extended family portrait for various people, I instead created a digital composite. Instead of actually shooting the entire group at once, I instead invested some serious digital creation time to blend and mix the smaller family group portraits together into one beautiful panorama. It’s designed so that smaller group relationships are shown while portraying the entire family’s adhesiveness.

The largest finished version of this was a 70 inch canvas which looked amazing!

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We then created these smaller groups, like the original family…

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…and another of just grandkids. A large group of grandkids in one portrait is always a challenge. There are so many young people who don’t want to sit still, let alone where I need them to sit for balance, let alone to look forward and show personality. But they are always a fun challenge and I love how this one turned out. Everyone has such personality and years from now they will love looking back on this image and seeing each other.

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It was an honor to be asked to create the photographs for this family. I really appreciate the opportunity to be apart of these memories.

And now is a great time to book your own family portraits! Kids are out of school, the weather is great, the studio gardens look amazing, and the July Family Portrait Special is still going on! I’ve got some opening still before the end of the month, and if you at least call by the end of July but need to make your appointment during the first part of August, that’s okay too. My number is 801-728-3317 and you can see more details here as well.

Until next time, America.

Melina’s Bridals and Pre-Wedding Portraits

I had the pleasure this week to create these images of Melina for her upcoming wedding. The session was a lot of fun, and we got some incredible images. This first one is one of my favorites. I really love her profile and expression in this, and how the light shapes and sets of her dress.

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And in the same set, a relaxed and beautiful smile.

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While shooting in b&w, I also created this detail series of Melina’s dress.

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We did a series of images in the studio and outside in the studio gardens for variety, including full-lengths, mid-lengths, close-ups, and couple portraits, and with a variety of backgrounds. One of my favorite sets was on the fashion gray. I finished these with some of my custom edges.

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We mixed the bridal session with a Pre-Wedding session to include some images of the groom. These two were great together and were very photogenic. Cox_MHernandez-B-545-edge

This series is great, particularly because of Melina’s genuine expressions.

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And some of just the groom alone.Cox_MHernandez-B-530-8x10And here is one of my favorites from outside in the studio gardens. Their expressions are perfect, the leaning and relaxed pose is wonderful, and the background looks so good. Right now the outdoor studio gardens are green and looking great. It is a great time to book and shoot outside.

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This was such a fun shoot and this couple was a joy to work with. I really hope that they have a great wedding and a wonderful future together.

If you’d like some fantastic bridals or a pre-wedding session, give me a call and let’s create something wonderful. 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Ashley’s Bridal Images

Ashley just did a fun mix of studio bridal portraits, including color and b&w, classic and edgy, close-ups and full length. Here are some of our favorites.

We did some in my white “lipstick” chair on a dark background to draw attention to Ashley’s white dress, and we situated her in such a way to really show off her fun shoes. This also shows one of the variations in how she may or may not wear her veil.

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Next, is one of my favorites from the high-key, light-on-light set up. I used a fashion style of lighting to really make her eyes pop, and along with her great expression, fun veil, and Edgy-Edge finish, this image really sings. I think it’s probably my favorite from the entire shoot. It’s really a killer print up close.Cox_AJones-B-565-edge

And of course no bridal session is complete without a beautiful classic full-length. For this one we used very directional lighting for more extreme shadows to create more drama in the image. This really shows her entire dress and will be an image that she loves for years to come.Cox_AJones-B-576

I also created these collages, the first showing some of my favorites from the high-key fashion set up…

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…and the second collage designed as a square to show off all of the various details, from her jewelry to her veil to her dress. I love creating these collages because they can show various images, moods, and textures all in one framed wall piece. And this particular design really shows a lot of personality I think.

Cox_AJones-B-21x21-Nine-Print-Composite-darkIt’s amazing how many people are going for beautiful studio portraits right now, breaking away from the look of cheap photographers who are photographing in alleys.

And because I have an indoor studio, now is a great time to make your appointment for bridals and take advantage of some promos going on. Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s create some dream portraits for you.

Until next time, America.

Ryan Shupe’s Outdoor Family Portraits

Warm weather is coming and people are calling and thinking about outdoor family portraits. And though I can photograph families inside at any time of year, the subject of talking about families made me want to post family portraits that I didn’t get a change to post during the crazy Christmas rush.

Today’s posting is Ryan Shupe’s family. We did this grouping in the mountains near his home. With any outdoor group portrait, I pack in and set up a lot of gear and lighting equipment so that each subject is lit perfectly.

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There is a push caused by new photographers to use “natural” light, but what that really means is haphazard lighting without any control. The truth is that controlled lighting should look natural, help create depth, and make people look amazing.

So after the standing group, I did a close sitting grouping. I always like to do a few different groupings of families so that people have choices. They really loved this close, black and white one.

Cox_RShupe-F-177And of course, some cute pics of the children. I was able to get all the children looking at me and smiling except the tiny baby. But she still looks cute and the overall image has a lot of personality.

 

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Then we did some images of just the boys. And though I had other options from this grouping, their favorite was the one with the smallest boy laughing and falling down.

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Then just the little boys…Cox_RShupe-F-248

 

…and just the little girls. I got a great smile on the baby in this image.

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And then some individual of each child. These are great for wall groupings or album pages. You’ll notice a lot of personality in each child’s portraits and looking back on these in years to come will make them even more valuable.

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Family portraits are always a joy to create, and I’m always honored to be able to create them. I feel they are really invaluable in years to come and that’s it’s important that they are done just right.

Give me a call to set up your appointment. 801-728-3317

Until next time, America.

 

 

Prete Family Portraits

This week I finished and delivered this beautiful canvas wall print to the Prete family. It’s always hard to get families together, and in this case their youngest son had just returned from serving a Mormon mission. It was the perfect chance to get everyone together.

We did these in the studio, and created a few options. This first image was the favorite for the wall canvas.

Cox_Prete-F-115---36in-CanvasIt’s always nice to have some options when it comes to family groupings, and this one below was perfect for smaller table sized prints.

Cox_Prete-F-108---8x10During the shoot I like to do smaller groups, and in this case created a trio collage of their married children and single son. I really like the colors and the natural triangle shape or arc created by the faces.

Cox_Prete-8x20-ooo-AnnaMarieAnd of course a beautiful couple portrait of the parents. I really liked this cut square and printed in a bright and warm black & white.

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Photographing this family was a real honor for me as I’d known them for many years. It’s always fun for me to create family portraits for people, and this particular project was really fulfilling.

I’m sure your family is constantly changing, and perhaps because of that you’re putting off getting a family portrait. But remember that’s exactly why right now is the perfect time to come in and get a new and updated family portrait. If you are at all unsure, then please see my guarantee.

Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s talk about current promotions, clothing and locations, and let’s set up a time to create something amazing for your home and for future generations to enjoy.

Until next time, America.

 

 

Adelaide’s Baby Portraits

I had the honor of photographing little baby Adelaide before she went in for heart surgery. She was so tiny, cute, and adorable, and was a joy to play with. In fact, it was hard to pick out my favorites, so I took some of her many expressions and created this composite — the many faces of Adelaide.

And this series of her playing in her mom’s suitcase full of baby clothes made a great trio design. I love her waving in the 3rd image.

And to finish things off, we did a family grouping with her parents. She was so perfect, she posed and smiled in almost every image, though this was my favorite.

She was really a doll and a pleasure to have in the studio. She’s doing much better now too and I look forward to seeing even more of her through the years.

Point Loma Lighthouse, San Diego

While in San Diego for a wedding, I took some time in the morning to go photograph the Point Loma Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the road is controlled by a government installation and is not open at the right time of day when the sun is perfect. So I had to make due and be creative in making it look amazing during a very dull time of day, when the sun was in the wrong spot, and when it was crawling with tourists. Here’s the result.

Rather than shooting it the way I planned, I instead shot it black and white and used some fun lenses for controlled blurs. That way I could still get something exciting, while hiding the people.

I processed each of these using my own custom effects and distressed edges that I sell to photographers. It really helps give these images a unique look all around.

You would never know that the place was crawling with tourists in these images, and the b&w art effect on each of these really helps create an interesting and unique look on an otherwise dull, sun-lit day.

When creating this image below, I pointed up, blurring and darkening the ground with the lens, hiding all the people and tourists around the place.

I am really happy with the results of this shoot. It was a great creative start to a great day of shooting, and the wedding that followed was amazing! I’ll post it here later after the client has seen the images and ordered.

If you’d like some beautiful art pieces for your home or business, let me know. I have a huge collection of lighthouses and other scenics that are beautiful and inspiring. And if you’re a family, now is the time to get family portraits. Besides the nice warm weather and the studio gardens looking their best, I also have a great promotion running making it even more affordable. Check out the last blog entry to see the details and give me a call. 801-728-3317.

Wonderful Outdoor Family Portraits + Summer Promo

It’s summer, and now is the best time for family portraits plus, I have a great promotion running making it even more affordable than before! Right now when you call for family portraits, you’ll get a free session at the studio or outside in the studio gardens, and a free 11×14 ($199 value) with any wall print (size 16×20 and up)!

Family portraits are very important, not only to have now, but to have and look back on later in life.

I recently had the opportunity to photograph some relatives of mine. This is my uncle and aunt and their children (my cousins). It’s always extra special and fun to photograph relatives and create something lasting, because it’s for people that I have known my whole life and personally care about. In 20 years, when we all look back at this portrait, it’s nice to know that I was able to create this for them.

I love the close composition of this image, the relaxed feel, the real and wonderful expressions, the beautiful diagonals, and the exquisite lighting. The finished portrait was a 40″ canvas for their home.

We also did a series of 11x14s of the couples and children in b&w to match the decor of the room. We framed them all with black and silver frames, and the results were stunning.

It’s time for a new updated portrait of your family. Give me a call, the studio gardens are lush and beautiful, the weather is great, and I have a new, fantastic promotion running. Call now!! 801-728-3317 to set up a time. And feel free to browse my main website at BryCox.com.