mormon

President Nelson Invites Families to Hang Portraits on Their Walls

We’ve been asked by church leaders to hang family portraits on our walls, and I agree. I have long believed in the strong but subtle messages that come from viewing portraits on our walls daily, particularly when those images show families and relationships happy and together.

In this video I share my thoughts on family wall portraits vs TV size and placement (and the messages both send), and also how self-esteem is different from self-worth.

I’d love to create something amazing for your family. Give me a call at 801-728-3317. It’s the perfect time of year to photograph your family, and get a beautiful piece finished for Christmas.


Recently, President Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints asked church members to decorate their homes with portraits of their families and loved ones. Here’s the quote:

I invite the members of the Church to place on the walls of their homes pictures of their family, pictures of their grandparents, pictures as a couple, pictures of their children, and pictures of the temple. These all symbolize God’s eternal plan. It’s all about the family.

And here’s a link to the story:
http://www.ldsliving.com/President-Nelson-Invites-Latter-day-Saints-to-Hang-5-Things-on-the-Walls-of-Their-Homes/s/88680

RuthAnn’s Wedding at the Salt Lake LDS Temple & Heritage Gardens

It’s that time of year when couples get engaged, so here is another beautiful wedding. This is RuthAnn’s wedding at the Salt Lake City LDS Temple, with her reception at Heritage Gardens in Sandy, Utah.

Here is a slideshow of her album design. It’s best viewed full screen in HD.


And here are a few of the page designs from her book, shown as double-page spreads. I love how beautiful she looks throughout the entire album and how large all of the images are. It makes for a very impactful and emotional design.

BryCox_RuthAnn_SLTemple_001 BryCox_RuthAnn_SLTemple_002

I also love how beautiful and natural the lighting looks, no matter what time of day or night. The sky pops, the couple looks great, and the skin tones are consistent throughout every image. But more than that, there’s happiness and emotion in all of these images. Her wedding album is quite beautiful. BryCox_RuthAnn_SLTemple_003 BryCox_RuthAnn_SLTemple_004 BryCox_RuthAnn_SLTemple_005

It’s hard to show how these images look online, so I have some short videos that show the books in more detail. Just click on these videos to see them.

BryCox_WeddingAlbum_VideoHeads

And if you’re getting married, give me a call, 801-728-3317. I’d love to create something amazing for your special day.

Until next time, America.

Kim’s Portland LDS Temple Wedding

It’s the day after Christmas and it’s the season when lots of couples are getting engaged. So I thought I’d share some beautiful weddings I’ve been wanting to post, starting with this gorgeous wedding that I did for Kim at the Portland Oregon LDS temple.

Here is a slideshow of her album design. It’s best viewed full screen in HD.

And here are some of the page designs from her book, shown here as double-page spreads. Notice that through the entire album, images are large, impactful, and the couple is happy and in love.

BryCox_Kim_Portland_LDS_Temple_Wedding01
BryCox_Kim_Portland_LDS_Temple_Wedding03
BryCox_Kim_Portland_LDS_Temple_Wedding02
BryCox_Kim_Portland_LDS_Temple_Wedding04

In contrast, one of the most common problems I see when photographers show me their images for a critique, are too many things out of focus. Like the bride is in focus but the groom is slightly out of focus, even though they’re standing right next to each other. Or one of the bride’s eye is in focus but the other eye or her nose is out of focus. Another common problem is that most photographers blow out their skies, and skin tones are dull and chalky. Now perhaps clients can’t see these problems when viewing images on their phone or computer screen, but these problems are horrendously exaggerated when trying to create a big beautiful album with large images, or when you want images for your wall.

You won’t see those kinds of problems with my wedding images. Every image on every album page is clear, crisp, and there is a feeling of a real three-dimensional world that you can step right into. Skin and eyes look great due to custom lighting, so there is no chalky look or over-retouched plastic skin on people. Just great images that you’ll love for a lifetime.

If you’d like so see more about how my albums look on the outside, click on these videos.

BryCox_WeddingAlbum_VideoHeadsAnd if you’re getting married, give me a call, 801-728-3317. I’d love to create something amazing for your special day.

Until next time, America.

Braden & Miranda’s Early Wedding Sneak Peek St. George Utah Temple

Braden and Miranda were married last weekend in the St. George Utah LDS temple, and they had me there to create some wonderful and romantic images for them. I love shooting wedding couples. I like the happiness, the romance, and the wonderful feelings at weddings, and I really like capturing that feeling in photographs that couples will keep for decades.

This particular morning was quiet and serene, and shooting earlier in the day also helped us beat the 100º desert heat that came later in the day. I’ve loved sorting through these portraits and wanted to share a few early favorites of mine in this sneak peek.

BryCox_BradyWedding_01 BryCox_BradyWedding_02

I created a mix of color and black and white, full-lengths, close-ups, as well as images with both a classic and modern appeal. I especially like this emotional set built as a trio.

BryCox_BradyWedding_03

The St. George Utah temple is set in a desert climate, and the stark white building with the direct desert sun makes for a great contrast against the blue sky. It’s a wonderful background for these romantic couple portraits.
BryCox_BradyWedding_04
BryCox_BradyWedding_05
BryCox_BradyWedding_06

And this sequence of Braden “helping” with Miranda’s sunglasses made makes me laugh.
BryCox_BradyWedding_07
BryCox_BradyWedding_08

If you’re getting married, give me a call at 801-728-3317. I’d love to create something artistic and romantic for you.

Photographs are the one thing we spend money on from a wedding that lasts. They are enjoyed by us, our children and future generations. Avoid the regrets of cheaper options and let me create something powerful and beautiful for you on your special day. I have price options ranging from partial coverage with an emphasis on romantic images to full-day coverage with multiple locations where I follow you throughout your day and tell your story in magnificent custom books. No matter your level, you’ll know you have images that you love now and for years to come.

Until next time, America.

Lindsey’s Wedding Sneak Peek, Salt Lake Temple in 100º Weather

I recently shot Lindsey’s wedding during Utah’s recent and very hot heat wave. In fact, temperatures that day were over 100º at times. But that didn’t stop us from shooting outside in the sweltering heat, but it did mean we had to work quickly outside and it meant that I needed lots of external lighting to beat the sun for great skin tones and a deep blue sky. The Salt Lake LDS Temple makes for a great backdrop in her wedding images, and here are a few of my early favorites.

Cox_LCooper-W-1149-EdgeCox_LCooper-W-1117-Edge
Cox_LCooper-W-1139-Edge

Cox_LCooper-W-1406-Edge

During one of my breaks, I took advantage of the hot day to shoot some really cool infrared black and white photos of the temple. They’ll be a great accent in the album design.

When there is that much sun, it means lots of infrared in the air – a band of light that is invisible to the human eye. Because vegetation reflects infrared energy, leaves and trees many times will turn white while the sky will go very dark. And with these images being 30 second exposures, you can see the movements and softness of various leaves and they moved and blew in the breeze. Cox_LCooper-W-1185-Edge Cox_LCooper-W-1191-Edge

Well there’s much more to come, and when I get the album design finished, I’ll be sure to share the full design here too.

So if you’re getting married, give me a call at 801-728-3317. And check out these videos showing why my work is so different and why you should have one of my award winning wedding albums.

Until next time, America.

Josi’s Salt Lake Temple Wedding Sneak Peek

I photographed Josi’s wedding at the Salt Lake LDS Temple and it was a gorgeous and hot day, and I wanted to share with you some early images as a sneak peek before the album is finished.

I like to start off my album designs with a really cool art piece of the wedding location. So while waiting for the couple to come out on this hot day, I went with a dark sky and this black & white image of the temple. I like the shapes and wispiness of the clouds mixed with the solid lines of the temple.

Cox_JParker-W-1004-Edge

When the couple came out, we created various group portraits, then left the group to focus on just the couple before their luncheon. We went all over the temple grounds creating images. Here are some of my favorites. A nice warm day with the right use of lighting means a deep, dark blue sky and vivid greens. Mix that with a beautiful couple and some romantic compositions and we have these stark and gorgeous wedding portraits.

I’ve had clients look at canvas portraits on the wall here at the studio or flip through my albums and say, “I like the ‘coloring’ of your images. They feel so real.”

I myself would never use the word, “coloring,” but I get what they are trying to say. Other photographers create images that feel flat, they then add skin retouching and effects that make people look like fake rubber. In contrast, none of these images have any skin retouching or effects. They are real images created with great lighting, and my techniques mean images that feel three-dimensional, with colors that pop, and a feeling of complete reality if not being romantically surreal.

Cox_JParker-W-1123-Edge

The wind was kicking in here and there throughout the shoot, and I think wind adds romance to a portrait. So after getting set up in this spot I had them hold their kiss, waiting for the wind to move her dress in just the right way.

Cox_JParker-W-1134-Edge And I really like this dip with this graphic and symmetrical background.

Cox_JParker-W-1154-EdgeThe actual wedding album design takes a while because of the level of quality. Nevertheless when it is done, I will post about it here too. Of course you can see me explaining and showing how my albums look in a video post here. If you are getting married, you need to come in and see my work first hand. Give me a call and let’s talk about your big day. 801-728-3317

My studio is located in Utah outside of Salt Lake City in Davis County. I do work all over Utah and the United States however, and can give you an idea of price over the phone.

And until next time, America.

Janae’s Bountiful Temple Wedding Sneak Peek

I just photographed Janae’s wedding at the Bountiful Utah LDS temple. Being late spring/early summer, we had some awesome storm clouds. That meant that with the right lighting, I could create dramatic images with this awesome sky. It was an exciting day to be out photographing a wedding. And here are some early images for you all to see.

Cox_JRichey-W-1184-edge

Even if you don’t know this couple, you can tell that they are great together. They were happy to be with each other and were very photogenic. It made for some amazing images. As you can see from these early previews, the wedding was phenomenal. I can’t wait to finish this album design.Cox_JRichey-W-1191-edge

I love the romance and feeling in these images and can imagine any of these as beautiful wall prints.Cox_JRichey-W-1237-edge Cox_JRichey-W-1241-bw-edge

The actual wedding album design takes a while because of the level of quality that I produce. Nevertheless when it is done, I will post about it here too. But in the meantime, you can check out this couple’s bridals shoot that included the groom. Just a few days before the wedding, the bride flew into town and we squeezed in a quick shoot that I posted here on my blog.

So if you are getting married, you need to come in and see my work first hand. I have posts that talk about my wedding albums, but it still doesn’t do justice to seeing them first hand. Give me a call and let’s talk about your big day. 801-728-3317

And until next time, America.

Ben & Marisa’s Wedding at the Salt Lake Temple in Winter

One of my favorite things about photographing a wedding is delivering the final album to the couple. A wedding requires a lot of prep time, a jam-packed day and night of shooting the event artistically, and then quite a bit of time afterwards to design and produce one of my award-winning albums. During this entire process, I am thinking about how the end product will look, I’m designing it all, and when I finally see it finished, I can’t wait for the wedding couple to see it and enjoy it. Delivering it personally is part of my pay artistically. I love delivering albums!

Ben and Marisa’s album was gorgeous and looked extra beautiful with its custom metal cover. It’s hard to describe how pretty it is online, but here are some of their images. It was a cold day but the images look warm, romantic, and beautiful.

BryCox_BenMarisa_SLT

And here some of my favorite pages from their book to share. Keep in mind that these are double page spreads, folded down the middle, with each half measuring about 10×13 inches. That makes for an impressive and large spread when laid open.

BryCox_BenMarisa_14

This couple has been so great to work with and they are a great couple together. You can really see their love and excitement in these images, and it made photographing their wedding a joy.

BryCox_BenMarisa_11

I’m one of the few Master/Craftsman photographers based in Utah, and do a lot of weddings of all faiths. However some years most of my weddings I photograph are Mormon weddings at the LDS temple in Salt Lake City, like this one. It’s a gorgeous place to shoot and I love it when there’s drama in the sky and bad weather. It makes for some memorable images. In fact the first wedding I photographed almost 20 years ago, I shot here at the Salt Lake temple on a very snowy day.

BryCox_BenMarisa_13

If you follow my blog, you may remember this couple’s engagement and bridal portraits, which you can see here. They too are gorgeous and fun.

And if you haven’t seen my awesome wedding albums, then check them out in this short video…

Well if you’re getting married, give me a call. I can do your wedding, or just bridals or engagements or even everything together. No matter what you hire me to do, you’ll know you’ll get the best portraits possible. 801-728-3317.

Until next time, America.

A Sneak Peek from Kami’s Wedding at the Salt Lake Temple

This weekend I photographed Kami and Mark’s wedding at the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful and windy spring day. The air was refreshingly brisk and though it never rained, the sky had drama. It made for a great environment to create some very romantic wedding images. I really love weather! Here are a couple early favorites that really stand out to me. This is a great couple and were a blast to work with.

Cox_KLowe-W-1185b-Edge

Cox_KLowe-W-1181b-Edge

Now that the wedding is shot, I begin the sorting process. I look through each image and begin laying out their big and beautiful album. That is a long process and today is the first overview. And as I was looking at them, I thought it’d be fun to share a few exciting images right now before things get designed. The bride and groom are off on their honeymoon, and I hope they see these gorgeous images today.

Cox_KLowe-W-1168-Edge

If you’d like to see how my albums are finished, check out this video. My albums continue to win awards.

 So if you’re a bride, give me a call. Let’s create something amazing for your wedding. 801-728-3317

And until next time, America.

Tyler’s Senior Portraits

I’ve been working on Tyler’s senior portraits this week, and they are amazing! When I photograph seniors, I can push things further, use more of my edgy fashion lighting, and be extra crazy and creative. All of these images were created at my studio — none on location!

This first piece was shot inside at my studio, and I created the pool completely from scratch, digitally. I love how this turned out, the aggressive lighting pattern, the strong stance, the lines in the water framing and adding depth… all around, this is one of my favorite senior pieces I’ve created in a while.

Cox_TOBrien-Sr-252-Edge

Tyler is also a great basketball player, so I created this as a double-page spread for his album.Cox_TOBrien-Sr_Basketballcomposite

Here is another image in his basketball uniform, from behind, lit to be more dramatic.
Cox_TOBrien-Sr-208

I also created some wall collages like this trio…Cox_TOBrien-Sr_8x20

and this nine-up wall collage. These wall collages are a great way to get a number of different images in one cool display that can hang almost anywhere.Cox_TOBrien-Sr_21x21NinePrintComposite-dark

Tyler has also received his LDS mission call, so we did some missionary portraits as well. Here’s just a couple of those.Cox_TOBrien-Sr-121-5x7Cox_TOBrien-Sr-102

This is just a small sample of the cool images we created or that are going in his custom senior album. I really think Tyler is going to love these finished images. They show a nice variety of moods and looks, and years from now when he reflects back on this time in life, he’ll have some great mementos and heirlooms from that time.

Cox_TOBrien-Sr-162 Cox_TOBrien-Sr-215 Cox_TOBrien-Sr-228 Great shoot Tyler, and good luck on your mission!

And if you need some great senior portraits, it’s a great time for the class of 2013 to get in last minute, as well as the class of 2014 to get an early start. Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and until next time, America.

Sophie and Jeff’s Wedding Album & Show, Draper Temple in the Fall

Sophie and Jeff had a beautiful wedding, and it is now up on my website. They got married in the Draper LDS temple and had their reception at the Garden Place at Heritage Park in Salt Lake City during the fall.

I’ve created this show for their DVD, which includes some of the best images set to music.

Their wedding was one of my favorites. The love between these two was very apparent, and their family and friends all showed their excitement for the marriage of these two. The strong emotions on that day made for a great set of images that made it hard to narrow down in creating their heirloom album design. On top of that, the couple was very attractive and the locations and weather were all wonderful.

You can view their entire wedding album design on my main website and see every page. Here are some of the pages below, shown as double-page spreads.

BryCox_Sophie_06

BryCox_Sophie_18

BryCox_Sophie_29

I hope you love their wedding video above, and check out their entire wedding at BryCox.com > Portfolio > Weddings > Wedding Albums > Draper.

Until next time, America.

Catelin’s Fall Wedding at the Salt Lake Temple

Last November, I photographed Catelin’s wedding in the beautiful fall colors. While updating my main website, I posted it to display the entire album.

It was a freezing, cold day, yet the images look warm and inviting. Here are some of the double-page spreads from the book. Each graphic folds down the middle in the actual album.

I loved the drama in the sky and the love these two had for each other. It was a wonderful day and a wonderful album.

This couple is really stunning together, and I love the various poses and use of color throughout the book.

As the night drew on, the sunset was surreal and magical.

The great thing about seeing an entire wedding album, is that you get to see how I work all day long. You get to see how great the couple looks and how spectacular the lighting is all throughout the day and into the night. You get to see that I don’t work by hoping to get lucky images, but rather I work to create well-crafted pieces of art created in all lighting environments – through daylight, twilight, nighttime, inside and out.

To see the entire album, visit my main site, BryCox.com. Then go to Portfolio > Wedding > Wedding Albums. Catelin’s album should be the first one to show right now, the “Salt Lake Temple and JSMB in the Fall.”

Now is a great time to get fall portraits. I still have a bit more time with leaves on the ground here at the studio garden location. Give me a call at 801-728-3317.

Until next time, America.