summer

Cute Little 2-Year-Old Twins

I had the joy of photographing these cute little 2-year old twins for their birthday portraits. They were so fun and expressive, that they had me laughing the entire time.

Before shooting outside, we started off in the studio on a clean white, to show off their fun, colorful, number-2 shirts. I have things that I do to get little kids to relax and open up with me, giving me great expressions. Right from the beginning, this little boy opened up and saw me as his buddy. But the little girl was a bit more apprehensive. She brought her favorite monkey, and held on to him for the first part of the shoot and started off with some cute scowls.

Before long though, they were both doing great and we got some wonderful smiles from both of them.

One of the games I play is to “get their toes.” In this photo, she’s poking her feet out to show me her toes because she wants me to get them again. It’s a good sign and shows she’s happy, open, and having a good time.

Then a change of clothes and a wonderful, somber expression from both of them. I love these outfits, and love how each one is standing. Their body language is perfect.

But then their moods swapped. She was happy and open, but he started to crash and cry. For comfort, he’s holding a toy car in one hand, and food in the other. And this little girl is calm with her monkey.

And then back to some fun expressions out of both of them again.

But when he started to lose it again, calling his aunt on the phone helped him settle down. And I love her expression, watching her brother.

Sitting down in the chair, she comforts him with an arm around him.

Using these favorites from the studio white, I designed up this 9-up portrait collage, ready for the wall in their home. It’ll be finished and framed, setting these images off.

Then stepping outside into my studio gardens for a change of scenery, we got this wonderful little kiss! They’re each turned perfectly so you can see both of them, neither one covering up the other. And I love their bare feet.

We also did some individual portraits of each of them. Here, she poses against a tree with her head cocked as the wind blows her dress.

And he stands in a nice, squared-off masculine pose, watching what I’m doing, a little worried and ready to be done.

These three images worked really well in this wall trio design.

Little kids grow so fast, and memories seem to be as fleeting as time. I love being able to create wonderful heirloom portraits like these, and I hope their family loves these, and that these adorable children will love them too when their older and can look back on their 2nd birthday together.

I love how these turned out and had a wonderful time with these two beautiful kids.

Summer is leaving us and the window for outdoor portraits is closing. Now is a great time to bring your family or children in for some family portraits. Right here I can do indoor studio and outdoor portraits in the same place, or I can travel to special locations too. Give me a call at 801-728-3317, and let’s create something beautiful for you and your home.

And until next time, America.

Summer Family & Missionary Portraits

Families are always changing and now is the best time to update your family portrait. It’s warm weather in Utah, the studio gardens are in full bloom, and it’s the perfect time for outdoor family portraits.

This young man was leaving on an LDS mission and would be gone for two years. So we mixed a mission portrait session with a family session, and the results are a gorgeous and emotional art piece for the wall that his family can enjoy while he’s gone. See finished image and album in this video.

I like using locations that have a personal meaning to my clients. In this case, their yard was gorgeous and lush with trees. So by mixing in some custom lighting to make everyone look great and also enhance the deep lush colors, we had a number of beautiful angles from which to shoot.

And I like to create a number of family portrait options from each shoot. Some are better larger on the wall, others are better smaller on a desk. And others will just have a certain emotional punch to it, where the client just connects with it and loves it.

For this shoot, we started in casual clothes for portraits with and without the grandparents.

Then dressy for some other options.

Of course I create options of just the children individually too. Here are some of my favorites of each child.

Here’s a missionary themed image using a nearby wheat field.

This image with the flags shows the countries where this young man will serve his mission for the next two years.

And closing with some gorgeous images of just parents together.

It’s the perfect time to get some new updated family portraits. Families are always in flux and sometimes we put off our much needed portrait for the so-called “perfect” time (like when this child is married, or when that baby comes, or when I feel better about how I look). But there’s always another change right around the corner. I’m a national Master Photographer and know just how to make you look fantastic in your portrait right now.

Take advantage of this gorgeous Utah weather. Let’s talk about meaningful locations for your portraits, and if you need, I have wonderful grounds right here at the studio for both outdoor and indoor options.

Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s talk about your new family artwork.

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.

Janet’s Vacation Family Portraits at Texas Lake House, Part 1

It’s family portrait season, and I wanted to share this beautiful and extensive family shoot. I was flown to Texas to photograph this wonderful family while they would all be together on vacation at a gorgeous lake house. I’ve done a lot of work for this family over the years, and I loved seeing them all again to create these wonderful art pieces.

Here’s a video showing their wall canvas and family album. It’s best viewed full screen and in HD. 🙂

Here’s a shot of Janet’s gorgeous album, black leather with a black leather briefcase to hold, carry, and protect the album.

Kids seem to grow the fastest between family portraits, and these kids were no different. All of the children had changed, and were so adorable and fun to work with. This image below was our favorite big group where everyone looked their best.

This Texas lake made for a wonderful backdrop.

And as you can see in the video, I spent time photographing each family, creating various groupings and ideas and even made some into paintings. Here are some of those.

After each family, I focused on couple and individual children’s portraits too, getting great expressions and capturing personality in each child.

When I was done with one family, they’d go off to play and enjoy their vacation, and I’d begin again with another family.

This beautiful little girl was getting baptized, so we created these images in her white dress to commemorate this time in her young life. I really love these images and her beautiful expressions and poses in them.

And finally, I created this trio of her funning to capture her youthfulness.

I’ll share more from this extensive shoot soon. But in the meantime, if you’d like some family portraits, give me a call at 801-728-3317. Let’s talk about your dream portrait and get something scheduled before the weather gets cold.

And until next time, America.

Amanda & Brant’s Family Portraits

Amanda and Brant brought their beautiful baby boy to the studio for some family portraits. I love photographing children. I love playing with them, making a connection, and getting genuine smiles and laughs for their photographs.

This adorable boy woke up on picture day sick so he wasn’t his normal happy self. The family thought about postponing their shoot, but I convinced them to come anyway. Picture day always seems to be hard. Things come up, but no matter the problem, I can almost always overcome them in the shoot and get great results. Plus I know that I’m great with kids. No matter how they’re feeling, I can get them to smile and laugh long enough for great photographs.

And sure enough, when this little boy arrived, he was immediately happy. He laughed and smiled at my antics and the shoot went beautifully. In fact he smiled and laughed so much, we all couldn’t help but laugh with him. I really love this shoot.

These were all created outdoors right here in my studio gardens. I’ve designed the grounds to have layers of green, so that I’ve got lots of angles for outdoor portraits. So as another family option, I created this painting from one of the walking images. 

Here is a close up from that same painting to show more detail.

And of course we needed to get some individual portraits of this cute boy. This first one shows some size perspective so that later in life he can see how little he and his hands are in comparison to his parents.

And these are him hanging out, playing, and sitting outdoors, all with a huge, genuine smile.

These three images worked really well as a set, so we did this trio. It’s designed and framed, ready to hang on the wall.

Summer is almost over. It’s a great time to get in for some family portraits along with some of the kids. And if you don’t want to travel to distant locations, right here I can do inside or outdoors in the studio garden. Give me a call at 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Lindsey and Josh

Last year today, I was shooting a beautiful wedding on a very hot day. It was 106º and we had beautiful blue skies and wonderful, vivid summer colors. Lindsey and Josh were happy and excited to be married, and the wedding shoot went beautifully.

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I know these two have had a happy first year of marriage, and I’m grateful to have been a part of their day to create these romantic images for them. Their entire album turned out beautifully.

If you want to see her entire album here’s a link to the post where I have a video showing every page.

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

And until next time, America.

Jessica & Cory’s Wedding Sneak Peek at the Beautiful Draper Temple

Last weekend I photographed Jessica and Cory’s wedding at the LDS Draper temple. It was a beautiful sunny day, …in fact very hot at 100º. The sky was blue, we had great clouds for a dramatic background, and Jessica and Cory were great together. All that together meant that we created some wonderful images for their upcoming wedding album design. Here are some of my early favorites.

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The reception was held outdoors at a beautiful home in Alpine, Utah. We had a great view of the mountains and the sunset. The party below wend on into the night as the couple’s closest friends came and enjoyed the music and the wonderful night.BryCox_CoryWedding_06 BryCox_CoryWedding_07

If you’re getting married, I’ve got a video and other info showing why my work is so different. And give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s talk about your dream wedding.

Until next time, America.

Jolie’s Wedding Album Design, Timpanogos Temple

Jolie’s wedding at the Timpanogas Temple in American Fork, Utah is beautiful. It was a hot day which meant a deep blue sky with the right handling of light. And mixed with the couple’s really fun personalities, the images are great and romantic. You may have seen their sneak peek earlier on my blog, but I wanted you to see the entire album.

As you view this, notice how happy they are to be together, how great they look, and how vibrant the colors are, and how wonderful every single photograph looks.

If you’re looking for some wonderful wedding photographs, give me a call at 801-728-3317. I am a Utah based photographer and I work all over Utah and the US.

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If you want more info on how I would shoot your wedding, here’s some details and examples for you.

And 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.

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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.

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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.

It’s Time for Outdoor Summer Family Portraits with Bry Cox

Warm weather is here, the studio gardens are green, and it’s time again too book your summer family portraits and get the best availability.

One reason families sometimes put off getting portraits, is that they want to wait for the “perfect” time. They think that later they will look better, look younger, or then if they wait longer at least everyone will be married, but then they wait until everyone has their children, and then wait until everyone is home from school, …and the reasons keep on going.

But the truth is that now is really the best time. Families change and loved ones pass, and sometimes it’s too late to get a full updated family portrait. We all know that there is no perfect time, so let’s capture your family right now as it is currently. And if your worry is how you will look, remember that I will light and position you in such a way that you will love the results.

Here is large extended family group, created right here in the outdoor gardens. I work to position and light everyone in just the right way so that the overall image has emotional impact.

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During the portrait session, I will also photograph smaller groups. For this session here, that meant that I photographed each individual family as well as a group portrait of the grand children. This way, every group has a new updated portrait if they’d like, but these images will also look great as a series of prints or as a wall grouping.

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Here are all the grand children together…

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…as well as the original family…

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…and just parents.

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One of my favorite things about being a photographer is creating family heirlooms and works of art that will be enjoyed for decades. I work hard to mix technical excellence with emotion and great lighting so that you look great and love your new wall pieces.

Now is the time to book your family portrait. Give me a call at 801-728-3317. It’s always such an honor to be able to create something like this for people, and I’d love to create something wonderful for you.

Until next time, America.

 

Jacqui’s Wedding on a Private Beach in Corpus Christi, Texas

I have finished Jacqui’s amazing wedding album design, and it is up on my main website. Here’s a sneak preview.

Her wedding was on a private beach on the Gulf of Mexico, outside of Corpus Christi, Texas. Here she is getting ready in her room at a nearby resort.

Later in the album, she arrives with her father at the beach location. All of these are 2-page spreads from the album design.

After the ceremony, we created some incredible images of the couple alone on the beach. It is incredibly difficult to light people on a beach in direct sunlight, but when it is done right, the results look like this, crystal clear images, deep colors, great skin-tones, and a gorgeous sky that isn’t too light or too dark. On top of that, I love the great expressions and the realness of the emotion in these images.

A change of position to catch the warmth of the sunset behind, and we created this dipping diptic.

Later during the reception, I stole the couple to go out on the dock and get some more images of them alone. Simple and Romantic portraits of a couple that are emotional and scenic are a huge part of making one of my custom wedding albums amazing and fun to look through.

If you’d like to see the entire book, from beginning to end, it’s up at my website, BryCox.com. Go to Portfolio > Weddings > Wedding Albums, and it should be the first one.

Beach weddings may seem easy, but they are very difficult, especially there. I lived in the South for a few years during my Mormon Mission, but I never remember humidity like on this beach. Even at 11:00 pm at night, I checked the weather on my phone and it showed, 85% humidity and 85 degrees. The humidity and hot weather worked havoc on my gear, the sun is very direct and changes constantly, and the lighting conditions change wildly from inside, outside, daylight, sunset, and evening.

Nevertheless, it’s my job to get amazing images no matter what, and I’m so happy with this wedding.

If you’d like to get something amazing made up for your or your family for Christmas, or if you’d like me to create some magical images of you at your wedding, give me a call at 801-728-3317.

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.