Angela & David

Long distance love

Courtney and Steve are getting married in a couple of months and are living a couple of thousand miles from one another. He flew in for the session and left in such a rush he left his suit behind. So before the shoot they had to go suit shopping.
It was a pretty windy day, especially out at the airport. Not many of us get a chance to do a session like this.

Keri & Cody

Every time Keri and Cody come over I can count on Desiree being unavailable for at least two hours. She has really enjoyed being able to sit down and talk with them. We were really looking forward to this shoot.
We went out to Boca Negra canyon. We have been shooting out there for a number of years and have never run into any other photographers. This time there were several others around, nobody got in our way and we went where and when we wanted. For our next shoot they told us to do whatever we wanted to...
I really can't wait for that one! be watching for some fabulous stuff soon!!!

Kickin' it ol' school

We had a session set up for one of our secret locations. Just a couple of hours b4 the shoot our couple contacted us and said they really wanted to change the location and do it downtown in some retro styling that they are pretty fond of. I am so glad they did call. Even though it was freeeeekin' cold, we had a great time. The hat, the mink, the TLR, Classic...
We look forward to Kay and Charles' wedding especially the hot chocolate!!!

gittin' durrty

Desiree made a comment to one of our couples a week or so ago about how I am always laying down on the job. I thought about it and realized, I do lay down a lot, almost at every session or wedding. I've laid in ally ways, in the middle of the street (scary), in the snow, grass, in sticky weeds, in the water, sand, in hotel lobbies, all over. I was actually doing a shoot in a hotel and I was lying on the floor waiting for models to switch places when a guest walked by, stopped, and asked how could he get my job, then asked if he could get me a pillow.

Anyway, I thought about it and I have been in a lot of odd places to get the shot I need. I have been on toilets, in trees, on ladders, on the top of our van, in a ditch, on desks, chairs, beds, in the tub, in the shower, under water. What a cool job!

Desiree had a couple come over tonight and talk about a few sessions that they want to do. We often ask our couples what vision they have for their shoot. They tossed around a few ideas and then said that they would leave it up to us to do whatever we wanted with them. Again, what a cool job. Here are two good lookin' people wanting us to do a session with them and do whatever we want... the unlimited possibilities... the power.... the, oh sorry, I need to tone back a bit eh?

So on a recent wedding, the one from the post below, Desiree took a picture of me doin' my thang. I need to go on a diet, it's hard gettin up and down.. anybody know a good one?

Around the world

For those whose are keepin’ up, you will recognize this couple from a previous post. If you are not keepin' up (how dare you) if you would like to find out how they have met look at their first post, 'a few clicks down the street'!
Anyway, we photographed their wedding and had a super cool time. It is so amazing to see how people from to completely different cultures, backgrounds, and locations can meet in the most unassuming places and build a connection that lasts a lifetime!
Adam and Alex had the reception at the Hyatt Downtown, the staff there did a fantastic job as always.
So instead of posting a bunch of pictures I thought I would try a new slideshow program that I came across recently. It seems to work well, let me know what y’all think! And if you don’t think these images are cool, you should really get out more!!! (that got 3 exclamation marks so you know I mean it)
Anyway, if you are looking at this slide show thinking, ‘seth and desiree are awesome,’ spread the love. Send it to your friends and family. Send it to your neighbors. If they have a dog send it to him! He may not watch it but if he does and he likes it he may want to come in!
…Man I need to start letting Desiree write these posts, I just ramble on about nothing. I need a nap.
On a personal note. F#.
And now ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the show….

A little wind, a little rain. bring it on!

Though we are behind on posting, I wanted to take a minute to write a little about tonights wedding. yes it is almost 1:00am and I am sitting in bed with the laptop and can't wait to fall asleep but I had to take a minute and post this.

It is balloon fiesta time and so we all know exactly what the weather is doing because the Fiesta's activities are completely weather dependent. So we knew that there would be weather tonight. It was a beautifully cloudy day with not much of a breeze and no rain. So, Desiree and I got out to Prairie Star about an hour early so that we could set up the projector for a slide show that we put together for the reception. The weather was actually pretty nice.

Everything looked like it was going to be beautiful. Then, I realized that when I was getting all the equipment ready for the wedding last night I left the cord for the projector back at the house, a 20ish minute drive away.

I sped like a crazy old lady on speed back to the house, sprinted in, and cussed a bit as I saw the cord laying on the floor laughing at me in it's wicked little cord way. I sprinted back out to the car and slid half way though the front room as I stepped on a couple of legos the kids left of the wood floor. I made it out of the house alive and with no sprained ankle. I nearly caused an accident,though, as I sped through an intersection a bit to close to the slow moving van in front of me. He just freaked a bit and slowed down in stead of speeding up... I didn't actually hit him so we're good.

Anyway, I made it back to Prairie Star plugged in the Projector and went to meet the guys to do a few pictures. About the time I was done, Desiree radioed down and said the girls were ready to go in about ten minutes. Just as she said that, a huge gust of wind picked up and didn't stop. Through the entire wedding the wind blew and the clouds thickened. Of course, anyone would be upset with the wind and possibility of rain but Jonathan and Vanessa didn't let that get them down.

By the time we were ready to do pictures it started to sprinkle and the wind was still crazy. Some couples have told us they wouldn't go out into weather like this. Unfortunately they miss out on the chance of having us work our magic. Oh, did that sound a little um, proud... well people dig our skills: people skills, camera skills, picture taking skills, bow hunting skills..
Wow it's late...

Anyway, Vanessa and Jonathan didn't say a word about it other than 'where are we going?'
So, if you are in the middle of planning a wedding and freakin' out about the possibility of foul weather for your wedding, life is not perfect and you can't control everything. The best thing to do is hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and have fun regardless of what you are faced with. Life in all of its diversity is beautiful.

That said, if you look at the image for this post and think 'man, what was she thinking going out into the wind and sprinkling rain,' DO NOT HIRE US FOR YOUR WEDDING! We just wouldn't be a good match. Well I shouldn't say that. If you hire us and spend more than $10,000. I will be glad to sit inside and watch the rain fall and the wind blow, whatever you want! Anyway, I know it's getting late now because I'm rambling like a nonsensical idiot..
Enjoy the picture! I do.

Meghan & Jesse

We met Meghan & Jesse for their connection session just a few days before their wedding. We asked if they had anything particular in mind and Jesse responded, "something that says Albuquerque, because that's where I met Meghan." They were so sweet to each other, I think Jesse carried Meghan 90% of the time because that's just what he does all the time.








This one is one of my favorite's, I love Meghan's laugh!







The wedding was at Prairie Star under the big tree, Meghan wore a BCBG gown and the boys all wore Mexican dress shirts, it was perfect for a low key family affair.





Meghan takes a moment to read the letter Jesse sent to her before the ceremony starts.





These are two from a series of images of Meghan and her dad before he walks her down the aisle. This is a favorite time of mine, just special moments between a dad and his daughter.





















Congratulations, Meghan and Jesse, Enjoy!

Stephanie & Brady

Yes we were at the river again. We really do love this spot by the river. It has a beautiful look and can be really diverse. Anyway, I just wanted to get these up before I procrastinate and it be too late.

Laura & Jason The Wedding

You may remember seeing Laura and Jason's engagement images that we did at the Bio Park. Their wedding was also last month and we are just now getting it up on the Blog. We had a great time photographing this wedding. Even though the AC was out at the Hotel, everyone still had a great time. The ceremony was held in the courtyard and it was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding. There could have been a few more clouds, but at least it wasn't 100 degrees!

El día del desierto

The day of the desert. This way an entire day that we spent with an amazing couple from Dallas. We started the day before sunset in a small ghost town on Hywy 70 in southern New Mexico. We drove out to White sands and waited and waited and waited until the missile testing was over so that we could go in and do some images. Because this was the windy season and this time the wind was so bad that they had to close down I-10, we couldn't wait all day and decided to head back to this ghost town in the Organ mountains. On the way back there was a Sand dune that had overcome the security fence and we were able to pull over and climb up the dune and do a few pictures. After shaking the sugar white sand out of our hair, we hiked a mile and a half (the bride in her dress and tennis shows)up to a cool little ghost town up in the mountains. We finished the day with on the side of this huge rock ridge. On the way back to the car there was a Diamond Back Rattle snake right in the middle of the trail. We scared it off the trail and aside from a bit of a scare everyone had a great time. We ended up with dozens of crazy pictures and are excited to finally get them all done!

This was one of the first images of the day. It was just before sunrise. I found this little ghost town on Google earth. I was looking all along the hyways for a ghost town and I saw what looked like foundations and a wall. The wrecked car in the was was just a bonus!





Amongst the foundations was a single wall that was still standing. It had a perfect view of the Organ Mountains and was just cool. Dusty really knew how to work it.



This was one of my favorite images. There is one in this series that I like more where the dress falls down just over her knee. She is looking up a bit and it is just an amazing image...

OK ,so a little story telling. When Dusty and Danny asked us to photograph them they gave us really an open slate. They said 'we want you to do whatever you want.' Well tell us that and you are going to end up doing some things you probably never imagined you would do. We got some rope at the hardware store and pulled my gun out and thought we would tell a little wedding day love story!

Danny really didn't deserve that... but having a dead wife and a husband with a gun, just didn't seem quite right.

This images was originally not one that we were intending on doing. We were in the parking lot at white sands waiting for it to open. We didn't want to spend an hour in the car just litening to music and waiting, so we hopped out into the parking lot, pulled out some old suitcases that we had for another image and started shooting. This and the next image are both from the parking lot of White sands.

This images was next to an old hotel that was nestled up next to the cliff walls of the Organ Mountains. It's in an old ghost town that has all kinds of cool little areas to explore and photograph.

Robert & Angelique

June has been a CRAZY busy month for us. Fortunately, we have been able to work with some great couples. Angelique and Robert were one of these couples. I wish I had more time to write about the wedding. We really enjoyed the wedding and working with Robert and Angelique!

Jose and Batina's wedding (finally!)

We had an excellent wedding a few weeks ago, & we're finally getting around to blogging it! Jose and Batina's day started at Snip, where Jose had arranged for the groomsmen to get an old fashioned shave & a haircut. Seth had a blast photographing them playing checkers & watching as some were hesitant to get a shave. The girls, as is usually the case, hung out at the hotel to be beautified! I watched & photographed as the typical girl bomb went off, there was hardly an inch on the floor to walk! Their ceremony was at St. Joseph's on the Rio Grande, emotions were high and wonderful,we loved that there were so many natural little moments to capture. After talking some picture time downtown, the reception followed at The Albuquerque Museum until the wee hours of the morn, we had a great time and know that their guests and family did as well! Congrats & love-

Connection!

Hagus and Banger came along for the ride!



Jessica & Chris are getting married this weekend, and these are some of our favorite images from there connection session we shot recently!

the long (distance) engagement

Gregg and Amanda both work in advertising, both are in love with one another, both love spending as much time as possible together and each live a couple thousand miles apart. Gregg lives in Brooklyn, NY and Amanda right here in the Duke city. Gregg was in town for a few days and we were able to meet up with the two of them just before Greg had to catch his flight back home. They came to the studio and we went across the street and took a short walk through Old Town. And though I walked off a couple of times without Olive, (the dog) even she seemed to have a good time...once we got back to the studio! Anyway, Congratulations you two and we are looking forward to working with you two again.

Angelique & Robert

Angelique and Robert are one of the few couples we are able to photograph in June. June 2008 has been so busy that we have turned more than two dozen couples down that wanted us to photograph their weddings during June. We do have 5 weddings in June and are looking forward to each one. One of these weddings is that of Angelique and Robert. We were able to spend an hour or so with them downtown and in the studio shooting an engagement session for them. We really enjoyed our time with them and look forward to being a part of the wedding. Angelique has a great attitude and a cute little freckle on her toe which she adores!! Anyway, freckle and all we are looking forward to their wedding.

the classics

Randy and Brittany have been together since high school. The have a great collection of images of the two of them growing up together in love. Life has now taken them to the point of joining together as one.
Just before Christmas we met this beautiful couple in the foothills of the Sandias. They pulled up in Randy's nice black manly corvette and stepped out holding their cute petite little dogs gizmo and bruiser!
We had a great time photographing them and taking the time to get to know them. We ended with a beautiful sunset that screamed "Photograph Me."
Sometimes I look at this image and I get a throw back to the 70's 80's style of photography. I laugh because it's funny how trends come around more and more. I also look at this image and see two people, in love with one another stepping out of the monotony of the day to take a few minutes to enjoy life with each other. It's a beautiful thing!

A limited engagement ( about 30 a year)

There are many ways we can run our studio, we could hire several photographers and shoot hundreds of weddings a year and rake in the dough. Our we can accept only a limited number of couples, build a relationship with each and be able to provide them with not only great images, but a great personal experience.
We have and still choose the later.
It occurred to me last year when a local winery asked us to be their exclusive photographers, lower my fees and shoot twice as many weddings, that I could easily choose to simply be a photographer show up at a certain time introduce myself to the couple and take pictures. Though most of the pictures would start to look the same and there would be little of the couple personality.
That, however, takes out all of the personal relations that help you get to know us and help us create the images that you are going to love.
Weddings are one for the handful of events in your life that you dream about. It is one of the events that you want to be perfect. It's a time when you need people dedicated just to you and seizing the day for you.

Desiree and I limit the number of couples per year that we can work with to less than 30. This gives us the time to dedicate just to our couples in order to provide that experience that you deserve for this time.

Because of the limited number of weddings we do, we book very quickly. Contact us as soon as you can to see if your date is still available and to schedule time to come to our studio and see if Desiree and I can provide you with the experience you want for your wedding!

a Fall in Love

The sun rises over the tops of the mountain just as I drive past by a Los ranchos vineyard each morning on my way into work. The morning light hits the bright ochre yellow leaves of the cottonwood trees and I think what a perfect time to be outside and photographing a great couple. Last week I had that very opportunity. Will and Ebany, who are getting married next year, came over for an engagement session to capture the fall colors. It was a beautiful afternoon and we walked around the bosque for about an hour. I really enjoyed my time with the two of them and I especially enjoy looking at their images.

A Different Kind of Wedding (ya' know, it's a girl thing)

Life is as varied as the stars in the sky. Everyone, like the stars, has their own story to tell. There are times when stars come together and two stories join into one. This day was one. Under the beautiful Sandia mountains in the light of the setting Sun Lisa and Michelle made a commitment to one another that brought friends and family together to witness. Though there is no license to send into the state, the promises that Michelle and Lisa made to each other are as valid as any other.
There was, as usual, a pretty good amount of stress during the days leading up to the wedding. The day of the wedding, however, Michelle seemed to be the epitome of calm. ( I think it was the whiskey or the spa) There really was nothing that could sway her (missing staples, curling irons, nothing).
The family and friends gathered outside behind the Hyatt Tamaya, with the mountains as the backdrop, to watch Michelle and Lisa walk down the aisle together. The ceremony started under the clouds and ended in a beautiful sunset. And, as soon as possible after the ceremony, Lisa was up in the room gettin' changed.
The reception was a great time with more continuous dancing then we have ever seen at a wedding. That was probably due to the fact that the i tunes play list was quickly abandoned and the music was at the mercy of the guests!!
Desiree and I left after 11:00 and the party was still going on. This was truly a great time for everyone that had the opportunity to come.

There are people, even some of you that read this that may not agree with it. And that is a beautiful thing, we don't all have to agree. Life is diverse, people are different we all have our own stories. It is not up to us to negate or condemn, it is up to us to love and appreciate.
We had an amazing time with Michelle and Lisa and were honored to be a part of their day and to share in their joy and happiness

Neema and Ahmed were married during September in a backyard ceremony at their house in the north valley. The ceremony was a beautiful experience for everyone that attended. They began the ceremony with African drumming and a ceremony where Ahmed received the blessing of Neema's father. After that there was an amazing dance and then a song from Neema's mother. Neema entered and the ceremony began in earnest. Neema and Ahmed were surrounded by friends and family from across the country.
We had a great time being apart of this wedding. And are very grateful that Neema walked through our doors one afternoon on a whim.

Every wedding had some sort of glitch, some hang up that causes any varying degree of stress. How about having to change your wedding venue just a week before the wedding date and during the one of the busiest weekends of the year in ABQ? Well, for Felicia and Anthony, that is exactly what happened.
Even with the last minute changes the wedding was great. The ceremony was attended by about a thousand people from all over the world. It was one of the most photographed weddings I have ever seen. there were dozens of photographers. the mounted police held traffic for the entrance of the bridal party. OK, so the ceremony was in the gazebo on the plaza in Old Town. And, those who watched the wedding were all tourists in town for balloon fiesta.
After the ceremony a parade of classic cars escorted the couple to the Inn at Paradise where the reception was held.
Felicia looked amazing in her purple and black custom designed dress. and even with the hang ups the wedding was a great time that everyone enjoyed.

With a little help from my friends...

Even though yesterday was just another wedding for Hotel Albuquerque, for us and those who had the privilege of attending, it was a wonderful fun time with friends and family.
Alicia and Alistair met through friends, live there live surrounded by friends, and celebrated their family union with friends - lots of them. From the beginning with breakfast and world cup rugby through to the last glass of Guinness and last spins on the dance floor, this was a perfect gathering of friends and family from all over the world.
Desiree and I both commented, on the ride home, that this was one of the most fun relaxed weddings we have been able to be a part of. The cheesecakes were delicious as were the 125 dozen cookies that were made for the wedding. Congratulations Al & Al, you make a perfect couple and we thank you for having us be apart of the beginning of your new family's life!
Cheers!!!

a few good folks

Since we have been shooting weddings in New Mexico we have had the chance to work with a number of vendors from around the state. I felt like leaving their names and links so that people can see who feel are good folks and we enjoy working with.
I hope i can leave a complete list of people but you know how that goes. I will probably miss a few and offend someone. If I do just call me and cuss me out in private!! If you have worked with these vendors and wish to leave comments on your experience with them please do so!! DON'T be mean. If you have a negative comment leave it so that others may get different views. If you are going to be mean, save it! Here we go:
Venues: We have worked with many venues and they all have pros and cons. If you have questions about a specific venue. Drop me a line and I can let you know what I feel about them specifically.

Florists: We have had great experiences with Mille Fleur, Geri has done a few of our recent weddings and has done a phenomenal job. Very innovative and can do nearly anything. Something Special with flowers is also great. Christine, though we have not worked with her recently, she has always done a great job. We had her do the flowers for Desiree's sisters wedding. We have also had a great experience with Ivey @ sunshine flowers.

Wedding planners: We have worked with a number of planners and there are many in the NM area. We have been especially impressed with Bentley @ Savoir Faire events. We have only worked a few weddings together but she has done amazing. Everything was exactly as needed. Regardless of the stress level she has a positive level attitude and takes care of everything.
Recently we had the opportunity to work with Karen at Celebrations. She also did a great job and was the epitome of professionalism. Though this particular wedding did have a few bumps along the way, Karen handled them well without the couple or the parents having any idea. And the multiple changes in planning leading up to the event were well handled. There are a few more wedding planners in the area that we have worked with and if you are leaning toward one, we can let you know what our experiences have been.

DJs: Our favorite dj now lives in Denver so he doesn't work the NM market much anymore. But another that we have worked with and been fairly impressed with is Lighthouse entertainment. We like the minimalistic approach that some DJs take. I don't care much for seeing a big sign or flashy lights advertising their business. That would be like be wearing a big sign on my shirt advertising who I am. If you are good enough, people will ask for your info. they don't need a twirly light shining it in everyones eyes. Speakers a mixer, laptop, mikes, non tacky lighting. that makes a good DJ in my book. When you go to interview a DJ find out how big the setup is. As with the planners, if you want info on a specific DJ just call us.

Officiants: This is a tricky one. We have only had a negative experience with one person performing services. She actually hung out after waiting for her tip. And she actually asked for her tip. Regardless of how good or bad the ceremony was, I only remember that about her and for that single reason would never recommend her. You really have to interview each of the potential officiants to see if your personalities and approach to the wedding match up. They can either make a great ceremony or an average ceremony, and we have seen a lot of both. Find someone who is not boring. Though the ceremony is normally pretty short. You want someone who will make it memorable for both you and your guests.

Caterers: Though there are many great restaurants who cater, most people still hire companies who only do event catering. Of these companies we recommend Blue Plate and Albuquerque catering. They have both done great. We have also been treated well by both. Often the other vendors are ignored or neglected by the wait staff. Blue plate has always been very attentive. If you are considering a buffet, try looking into having a restaurant that you like cater your event. You know the food and it'll save a bit.

Cakes: I had a very bad experience with the cake that Desiree and I had when we were married. It was completely wrong and after 10 years it still bugs me. We have also had a number of weddings with falling cakes. Anyway, there are many bakeries in town who will do wedding cakes. In ABQ, we have never seen a cake from Karyn that we didn't love. She can do almost anything with cake and they are very tasty. In Santa Fe Maggie's does an amazing job. She is also able to translate your vision for a cake into about anything. Both do a great job customizing something just for your wedding. A newer bakery in town is Just a Bite. They are great people, though we have yet to work with them, as I said they are great people and will probably do a great job for your wedding. Finally if you want to step away from the traditional cake and do something a little different, cup cakes are really becoming popular for weddings. Cake Fetish does a crazy job with cup cakes. If I can sneak away with a couple of their cupcakes after a wedding I am very content. I'll take it home pour a glass of milk and download the images from the wedding. (I should really go on a diet!!)

Live Music: I have two groups I recommend. They are both great and completely different from the other. The first is Los Primos they are a group of younger guys doing traditional Spanish music. and a few Beatles tracks mixed out old Mexico style. The second is crazy. The name is vanilla pop. And if you want to pimp out the wedding lounge style. look them up they are really um, well, you need to see 'em.

Photographers: I recommend Jones After that its a real crap shoot... not really, there are some great folks in the area who do a great job. Be very careful though and interview each one. Don't just sign a contract because you are given a good deal. of all the fields who cater to weddings photography is changing the most. There are so many that come and go and so many friends and uncles with camera that you need to be careful. Find someone who has work that you love and interview with them to make sure your personalities match up. If your photographer doesn't know you or understand you, the images will reflect that. There is a difference in having someone "take pictures" at your wedding and having someone there to capture the essence of that day for you.
After the food is gone, cake enjoyed, flowers wilted, officiant forgotten, and decorations tossed, you are left with three things, the dress (boxed in the attic) the vows (kept 50% of the time) and then the photographs. You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a big blowout wedding, and then trust the memories of that wedding to a photographer making $20.00 an hour. (CRAZY) Make an investment into the legacy of your family. Find someone who will not only give you a beautiful way to remember your wedding, but also provide you with a real experience. I could go on.....

Anyway Please leave you comments on these vendors or suggest any others that I may have missed.
thanks!!

When Pak and Mike were at the airport a couple of years ago, coming and going about there own lives little did they know they would run into the person that they would spend the rest of their lives with. It was that chance meeting in the airport that brought them to this day.
Pak was escorted down the isle by her Mom and Uncle, to her awaiting awaiting husband who stood there keeping the tears back. A few tears inevitably fell and as the as the minister stated, Pak was there to dry them. A sand ceremony symbolized the blending of two lives, two cultures, two histories, into one.
After a wonderful dinner the party got started with a tequila shot toast. In place of the traditional wedding cake, Pak and Mike shared cupcakes with each other and the guests made a mad dash for the rest of the cupcakes. (that was the quickest I've ever seen the cupcakes gone).
Kids were on hand at the toast as well with a shot of apple cider and a lemon slice.
Their first dance was a surprised dance they had learned just for the wedding. They were even running through the steps again in private before dinner. As nervous as they may have been for the dance it came off beautifully.
It was truly a great celebration. Hotel ABQ provided a great location, Mille Fleur provided the flower, and Savior Faire events provided the coordination. Everyone and everything came together for a wonderful evening.

Wedding Packages

We have been having issues with couples not receiving the emails with our two wedding coverage options on it. I am posting them here so that they can be easily retrieved. When looking at these coverage options keep in mind that they are fully customizable. Will also be offering for the 2008 season, an hourly rate for weekday wedding. There is a minimum of 4 hours, but it is a nice option for those who may be on a more condensed budget yet still want something special for their wedding images. We will keep you posted on the details of that.
Anyway the first link is to our intimate wedding coverage . This coverage option is for the more intimate weddings. It is designed to give the essentials to our couples who are planning a more simple affair.
Our main coverage option is the Jones Wedding coverage. This option is our standard, complete wedding coverage. It has most everything a discerning couple would need to really document the first few hours as a new family.
Again, these are customizable and can be designed to fit the needs of your wedding.
please call us with any questions regarding either of these options or our availability.
To download the links to your computer to print, right mouse click on link and click "save link as".

Wedding design - First for the '08 season

Yesterday was the first of two bridal show that we do for each season. We had a great opportunity to sit down and talk with many people from the area planning weddings. There were brides who came alone, brides who came with their grooms and still others who came with their entourage. Regardless of how they came it was a pleasure for us to be able to share what we do with them.
We were also able to talk with friends and meet new people. I met with Bryan of Bryan's Photography for the first time, though we have been in the same field together for many years we just crossed paths for the first time yesterday. It was a very pleasant conversation. We also were able to talk with Terry at Blue Rose and see his beautiful little baby girl. We visited with Rick and Kevin from Kevins Photography, Rick and his wife Deanna are planning a couple of fine art exhibits over the next few months and are working hard to get ready for these shows.
We are in an area with many wedding photographers and photography studios. Everyone has their way of doing shooting, displaying and doing business. It is great to see the differences in these styles and it shows how broad the job description for photographers is. We are also glad to be in a position to not have to call other photographers in our area "competition." we call them photographers, some we call friends. They are all in the business of providing people with visual documents of life. Their own interpretation of what they see and photograph is generally different from another. It is that difference that people need to look at when they choose someone to work with.
We have yet to book weddings and sign contracts while at a bridal show. Bridal shows offer a quick overview of who a studio is and what they do. We want people to study the work of the studio, study their personalities, their business practices. Meet with them and see if you even connect on a personal level. Really take the time to find out who will be able to give you the work you will love and treasure for the rest of your life. Don't look for the cheapest of the one with the most 8x10s. Just because McDs has $ .49 burgers doesn't stop people from paying $8.00 somewhere else. McDs may satisfy the initial hunger but you likely will not remember the experience you had eating that burger.
Look for a person that you enjoy being around that you connect with and whose work you love.
Anyway, back from the digression, we did enjoy the show, even though we have been considering stepping back from doing the bridal shows, we had a great time talking with all of you who took the time to stop by.
Thanks and happy planning!

Tradition

Tevia fought with something throughout the great musical "Fiddler on the Roof"- TRADITION. The wedding of Adam and Sarah was wrought with tradition and there was no struggle with it at all. From the full mass with Mariachi and the Lasso ceremony, to the reception with bizcochitos and La Marcha it was a true embrace of tradition. Though New Mexico is a culturally diverse state, It has such strong Hispanic traditions that have endured centuries and are still a part of our current culture. With so many reality shows on TV about crazy weddings and overly extravagant weddings, it is a comfort to see that there are still couples like the Arrossa Family who embrace their culture, its history, and use that in there lives to carry on the legacy of their family.
This last weekend we had a great opportunity to be apart of the joining of these two families to create one beautiful little family. Sarah and Adam were married at St Joseph's on the Rio Grande Parish in ABQ, NM.
It was an early ceremony, Desiree met Sarah At 8:30am to photograph her and her girls getting ready. The beautiful full mass ceremony was performed at 10:00and accompanied by mariachi.
The lasso ceremony and then communion ended the ceremony and the mariachi escorted the guest from the church.
The reception was later that evening at the Double Tree hotel. And, as often happens, there were a few hangups. Overall , however, the reception went off very well and everyone had a great time. Even after the lights came on and at 12:30 am when we left, the party kept going.
We had a great time with Sarah and Adam.

Cory found his Faith

It was at a wedding a few years ago that Cory and Faith met. Now in the old southwestern beauty of the Galisteo Inn, they are again together at another wedding. This one however is a wedding all their own. Cory and faith had all but a few of their closest friends and family with them for this intimate celebration.
The couple of hours before the wedding went well for Cory and the guys. While moms were taking care of last minute concerns and faith and her girls were trying to get ready in a room with NO A/C, the guys were putting the pool to it's full use. After a good hour or so of swimming, they got ready for the wedding in their small southwestern style, air conditioned room.
Meanwhile, back in the very warm room, faith and the girls were fighting back sweat and humidity to keep faiths hair and makeup, just perfect. All the effort worked, as faith walked out to the ceremony grounds and was the epitome of beauty.
The ceremony lasted just a short time and was a very personal ceremony, performed by a great friend. After the ceremony, we had a chance to walk around on the beautiful grounds of the inn and photograph Cory and Faith spending a their first few minutes alone together as husband and wife.
The dinner and rest of the reception went off without a problem. Aside from fighting with a few sets of twinkle lights who did not want to cooperate, everything was beautiful. We are very glad to be able to be a part of this wedding. Faith and Cory are to great people and it was a real privilege to work with them. Enjoy Cancun you two!!

Jacqie & Travis slideshow

We are trying to get our slideshows online for our couples. We are starting with Jacqie and Travis. Take a peak and let us know what you think! Click here to view show!!

A beautiful Friday Wedding

While being deployed in Iraq Travis was not able to help much as Jacqie and her mom planned an amazing wedding. He only returned a few weeks prior to the wedding and minus a few toenails was in great shape for their day.
Jacqie also suffered a foot injury, being smashed in a door the night before the wedding. Though her foot was swollen Jacqie was able to tough it out and enjoy a great wedding.
We started the Friday wedding at 1:00 with Desiree meeting Jacqie in the presidential suite at the Hyatt in downtown ABQ. Once again Desiree's secret survival kit came in handy, being able to sew up a bridesmaid's dress.
While Desiree was photographing Jacqie, keeping her company and running errands, I was off to Corrales to meet with and photograph Travis and the guys.
Jacqie looked beautiful stepping out of the limo into the rose garden at the botanical garden. The ceremony was short and sweet and happened without any problem.
The reception at the Hyatt was amazing. They did a great job with the decorating, serving, and just creating a great atmosphere for the reception. Mille Fleur provided amazing flowers and Karen with Celebrations Coordinated the wedding and did a great job keeping everything together. It was a beautiful wedding and we had a great time shooting it. all 12 hours!

more images from Jacqie and Travis' Wedding

A few more?!

ol' skool

Bored with some of the slow progress of digital photography in our area. We've taken a retro approach to some of our recent wedding images. Photographers can often get stuck in the same ol' same ol' being content with knocking out the same cookie cutter images. Though they may be perfectly enjoyable images. They get old, seeing the same image with the people, being the only difference. I have been guilty of that on occasion.
Anyway, in trying to step out of the box, I went back into the box and looked at some really old wedding images and portraits a-la "American Gothic".
This is our interpretation of the old school image with a digital approach.
enjoy!

"Rock -and-Roll"

Tonight we asked Lisa and Michelle to give three words that described them. Michelle didn't hesitate to make the devil hands and laughingly said "Rock - and - Roll". That kind of attitude makes life worth living. To be able to say something like that without hesitation, is to be able to see the good in life and enjoy it for what it is. We then asked for some favorite songs and they gave us a list of country songs. So the three words really should have been, "Coun - try - girls".
Anyway, we had a great time walking around the school campus taking pictures and chasing run away dogs. We are looking forward to the wedding and can't wait to see how Michelle looks in her dress and cowboy boots. Lisa whatever you decide to wear, you should include your riding boots I dig 'em.

The Lucky Couple 7,7,07

Dianna and Paul chose the century's luckiest day to be married. After an intimate ceremony and a small cake reception the, the entire wedding took a cruise through the quiet northern New Mexico town of Espanola. (unfortunately no lowriders were in the party).
Following that, the rest of the afternoon was spent riding golf carts around the beautiful Black Mesa golf course, taking pictures. We had a great time driving from beautiful spot to beautiful spot - just playin' around. Everyone was relaxed and having a great time, no schedule to keep on top of, no guests to make sure to say hi to, just the bridal party enjoying the afternoon together. The best man was having such a great time he asked if Dianna And Paul could get married again tomorrow. We also enjoyed our time photographing this very lucky couple, lucky to have been married on the day they did, lucky to have such great friends surounding them, lucky that the golf course let us free reign, and of course lucky to have Desiree and I there to capture every moment of it. Congratulations you two!
The images are online click here.

The new "friends first" wedding trend

Lately there has been an unfortunate trend in wedding photography. With the cost of nice digital cameras being well within the reach of most people, there has been a huge influx of people assuming they can photograph a wedding simply based on the fact they own a digital SLR camera.
This year our weddings have dropped off a bit. with brides having "friends with nice cameras"shoot their weddings. In addition to photographing friends there is also a crop of people advertising a cheap, photo for hire, wedding coverage that for one low price they photograph the wedding and the couple gets a copy of the full size images. After that the contact ends.
Though our number of weddings has dropped, we have been inundated with calls from disappointed to devastated brides wanting to know if we can fix their wedding images. In most cases this is impossible. Technical issues can be, in some cases, overcome through our editing. That is about where our ability to salvage wedding memories ends. There is no photoshop magic that can compensate for an untrained eye, and a lack of passion.
Wedding photography is more than just showing up to snap a few shots of things that happen. It is a photographic discipline that requires expertise in photojournalism, editorial, fashion, and portrait photography. It is an art form that works with the interpretation of human emotion.
To be able to connect with someone and capture the fleeting moments of their life and preserve the emotion that is frozen in the 250th of a second, is an ability that is not achieved with the simple purchase of a digital SLR. The cameras instruction book doesn't say anything about knowing that every time David sees his new wife smile he starts to tear up. It says nothing about knowing that as soon as Amanda looks at her self in the mirror as soon as she is ready to walk down the isle she will start fanning back the tears. And the last time I read through my cameras users manual it said nothing about Thom, the 6'5" 350 pound rancher that is as tough as raw hide and just melts into a sweet pudding whenever he sees his daughter in her beautiful white dress.
Our photography is our way to express our art and passion for life, love and personal connections. We love getting to know our couples and being able to spend the most intimate and important few hours of their new life together. Desiree is an amazing photographer and an amazing person. we have very few brides that don't make it a point to let me know how lucky
I am to have her as a co-photographer and a wife. She is able to provide brides with much more than a few snapshots of their wedding. She provides them with beautiful emotion filled images of the nerves, the excitement, and the love that they are experiencing before the wedding. She also provides them with stress reduction, an amazing knowledge of all things wedding. And the ability to fix almost anything that may come up during the wedding. This is not taught in a users manual to a new camera. It is part of who she is.
I know this is a long post, I just needed to express my thoughts on this. There are a few events in your life that can not be repeated. Once they are over there is but one way to remember them. Once the vows have been read, the minister gone home, the food eaten, the cake enjoyed, the dress preserved in a nice box in the attic or sold on ebay, the presents returned, there are two things that you will keep with you the rest of your life. You vows, and your wedding images. You vows last until death. The only thing your children, grandchildren, great great great grandchildren will have of you and your wedding, is your collection of wedding images. With this knowledge that you will be remembered by your offspring through these images, how is it even conceivable to entrust that to someone just because they are cheap and you receive all of the digital negatives.
Again I apologize for the rant but with all of the brides coming to us in desperation hoping to salvage some semblance of their wedding, I feel obligated to write this. Not that we need more weddings. We just want people to consider the true importance of the wedding photography - the only tangible object you will have and cherish from your wedding. Consider that and then try to put a value on it. If you value your memories as a few hundred dollar gamble. I have nothing more to say. If you treasure your memories and want a document of the beginning of your family's legacy. Search out a good professional photographer and spend the money on them.
Invest it what is truly important in life. If you actually took the time to read this entire thing. I sincerely thank you for the time you spent doing so. We would also enjoy hearing from you and the good or bad experiences you had with your wedding photos.

To desire a destination

We have been doing a lot of destination weddings and still no one is going to Italy!! What's wrong with Italy? Is it the natural romance that wisps though the countryside like a cool morning mist? Is it the beauty of the language that seduces the soul in it's eloquence? Is it the food, do I need to say anything about the food? Maybe it's the beautiful old buildings that would play host to the most unimaginably elegant wedding. Is it the history, the landscape, the weather, the fact that you could wed and have your honeymoon in the same place? Whatever the reason, we have yet to be contacted to shoot an Italian wedding.
If you are, or know of someone, planning an Italian wedding. We would be glad to photograph it. In fact it would be our absolute pleasure. In fact, I would probably even work out custom package just for your wedding that includes all travel expenses. In fact, well enough facts. We would love to shoot a wedding in Italy. Let us know!!....The above image was photographed at Casa Rondena, about the closest to Tuscany you can get to in NM.

The end of the night

There are moments in our life that we wish would last forever. And more moments that we wished we could forget. Most weddings have ups and downs and there are always little bumps that get in the way and keep the road from being smooth. It's those bumps that, though irritating and sometimes rattle us to a point of apparent exhaustion, strengthen us and make us more grateful for the smooth times in life.
Brian and Amanda had a beautiful wedding. A beautiful ceremony, wonderful friends to celebrate with and 8 amazing cakes from flying star (of which I had not a bite, dang it.) Amanda was the epitome of grace and beauty in her dress, Brian, well he looked ok too. As great of a party as they had and as amazing a union as they created today, there were a few bumps. Fortunately, they were surrounded with people who had great senses of humor and a great love for them. These are the things we will remember decades from now when we tell stories of our wedding day.
Yes there are things that everyday will come up and make us wish we had stayed in bed, but when we do get up and make the best of the time we have, we are still able to come home again and look into the eyes of our best friend and know that everything is as right as rain.
We had a blast being part of this wedding. Brian and Amanda have cultivated a group of people that anyone would be proud to call friends. It was a real joy to be able to spend the day with them.

Las Vegas 5 Star

A Vegas wedding does not always have to be in the cute little wedding chapel on the strip. Isaac and Nicole stayed at the Mandalay Bay and were married in their elegant wedding chapel. No singing Elvis, just a beautiful ceremony with their closet Friends and family. The Fillet Mignon Dinner reception was held immediately after in a ballroom at the Four Seasons hotel. It was as perfect as you would expect from a five star resort. Nicole and Isaac finished up the wedding with an after party celebration at "Pure" a Swanky nightclub inside Caesar's Palace. Going to LV was a great way for these two to have the wedding that showed who they were. The only thing that could have been better...front row seats to watch Mayweather bang it out with De La Hoya. Isaac did take advantage of the LV location and laid a few down on Mayweather. (Nice job Issac)

No Broken Bones

With just a week left until the wedding, Nicole and Isaac came over to the studio to do an engagement session. Isaac wanted to try something on his bike with Nicole in the picture. Because of an "equipment malfunction" we were not able to get the exact shot. We did get a few cool shots. I think that the road rash should heal before their wedding next week in Vegas!