I left the digital camera at home and brought along 2 cameras.  Both square medium format, both unique.  A 60 year old Rolleicord and a $30 plastic toy camera called a Holga.  I loaded the Rolleicord with some black and white film and the holga with some kodak color negative film. I thought it was going to be a bit annoying having to manually focus the Rolleicord but I found that the waist level view finder was great with getting low angles and turned out to be fun shooting along the laid back Holga.

I love weddings that have lovely homemade touches.  And give me a break that bouquet is the most unique bouquet i’ve seen in a long time!  Here are the great vendors that helped make this day memorable.

Getting Ready Venue: The Grand Hotel

Wedding/Reception Venue: Mckinney Flourmill

Dress: Lasting Bridal Couture in Addison

Bouquet: LoveLee Flowers

Hair/Make-up: Angelina Trevino

Reception Decor: Gigi’s Cupcake Cottage

Cake: C. Marie Sweets

Food: Babes Chicken Dinner House

DJ: 929 Entertainment

Confetti: Flutter Fetti

Couch: Dumpster Diva

Guest Photographer: Amanda

My wife Kari on the other hand was looking for some shots with a little more to em.  So I called my good friend Amanda who ones Mulberry Lane Studio Photography and asked if I could use her studio for a few hours.  She graciously said yes so I happily invaded her stash of props, headbands, and baby posers to get some shots of Audrey.

I learned a few things this day.  Doing this style of photography takes a lot **ALOT** of patience.  I have a new found respect for newborn photogs and the work they do.  And 2, I have a super cute daughter!  We are so blessed to have her in our lives.

This was shot on film with a Mamiya 645AF  |  Kodak Portra 400  |  Scanned by the amazing guys at Indie Film Lab

The day before we went in to be induced, and knowing that we were moving back to Texas in a few weeks, Kari and I went out to the desert for one last portrait session before the baby came. 

I love this girl more than anyone will ever know and cannot believe how amazing she is and has been these past 5+ years together.  I’m so glad and humbled that she chose me and hope to always be the one to make her laugh the most. 

She likes to put me on the spot by asking me why I love her.  I always get shy and say that I just do.  But I want her to know that even though I don’t say in many ways the reasons I love her, my heart still beats the hardest when I think of how I get to spend the rest of eternity with her. 

All shot on film using Kodak Ektar and Portra 400.  B&W shots were either desaturated in post or shot on Ilford Delta 400.

Jessica and I went to the same photography school in Massachusetts and there’s a very well known fact about Jessica to those that know her, but I will share with you who don’t, she is an extremely wonderful person and great photographer.  When our class was up to present our final portfolios, I needed to get home to Texas but the time I had scheduled to present my portfolio wasn’t till the second to last days, which would have made it impossible for me to drive back to Texas and get back for graduation with my wife.  Jessica was scheduled on the first or second day, (I can’t remember which), but she heard about my predicament and graciously volunteered to switch our presentation times so I could get home to my wife.

I’ve never forgotten the kindness shown to me by Jessica and is always a pleasure having the opportunity to take her pictures.

So please do yourself a favor and check out her work HERE.

The image below was shot by the amazing Dena Robles.  A super great family photographer out of Grand Rapids Michigan.  I really love this image and the story she shared.  I 100% agree with what she says about being photographed with your children no matter the situation you’re currently in.  They need those memories to remember once we’re no longer together.  They aren’t going to remember how big you thought you were or that you hadn’t gotten your hair done, the only thing they will remember is the love they have for you and the emotion that image will undoubtedly bring.

You should definitely check out her work, I love the understated sophistication is she captures in her images.

“My husband is a shoemaker.  He manages the design and manufacture of many fine shoes.  I tend to wear cheap flip-flops and prefer to go barefoot.  Our kids wear their shoes down to fine shreds.   I am a professional photographer.  My husband has to hound me for months to get a profile shot for his LinkedIn profile.  Our kids have only a handful of photographs between them that include me.  Their Mother.  The Photographer.

I go to work at a job I adore, photographing babies and children with their families.  The parents in these families usually have a ‘fancy camera that changes lenses and everything’ and they still hire me to create the photographs they are not ready to or educated enough to capture.  Even though they have ME there to photograph their gorgeous children, the parents, especially the mother, decline to be photographed with their children.  I hear all the typical excuses “I need to lose 10 pounds, maybe then,” “I don’t have the right clothes to wear,”  “I didn’t get my hair done,” “I hate having my photograph taken,” “I am not photogenic,” “I just want one with their daddy,”  “They are with me all day, they don’t need a photograph of me,” or “this is just about the kids.”

Yes, you are right.  This IS about the kids. The kids who have a mother.  The kids who years and years from now may no longer have a mother. The kids who may find themselves in need of a reminder of the unconditional love of their mother.  The kids who want to remember the special way their mother nuzzled their nose in a hug, or played with their toes or had a smile that could light up a room and melt away even the darkest fears into a corner.  This is also for you, Mothers.  My kids are growing older, turning into teenagers.  They don’t remember what our relationship was like as babies and toddlers or even age six!  I know my kids…but they are still strangers to me.  Everything they will be tomorrow or 10 years from now is a mystery.  I wish I could go back and look at photo albums of us together.  I want him to know how young and scared and shell shocked and careful and tired and blissfully happy I was when he was a baby.  I want her to remember how she loved to play with my hair or the way she loved to ride piggy-back, or the way she would find out what I was wearing in the morning and always run back to her room to change into something the same color.  I am not in those pictures, because I shunned the camera. I didn’t like my hair that day, I wanted to lose 10 pounds, I assumed we would always remember.

I know that new parents don’t realize how quickly the time really and truly passes, even though grandparents will tell us so often.  I know that moms will find every excuse to not be photographed with their babies.  I know they will always assume there is a better time.  Or that it isn’t necessary.  I am not afraid to tell them they are wrong.

The Story behind this shot is about my mission to get the moms to be present in the photographs I create of their children.  It takes some cajoling and convincing. No matter how much I try to prepare them beforehand that they may indeed be in the photographs and should be prepared, they try to wiggle their way out of it.  I know all the tricks, I played them too!  This photograph is from a series I captured near the end of our in-home session.  The big sisters were photographed and off having their snack, the baby brother was feeling a little unsettled and needed some quiet time and soothing so we could finish his photographs without further delaying his naptime.  I asked his mom to hold him and give him a little down time and a snuggle by the bedroom window, suggesting he might enjoy watching the birds outside. I stepped back to let them have their space and quietly captured the sweet moments when it is only a mom and her baby son, doing what they do best.  Being a loving mom and a baby son.  Totally connected in this frozen moment of time.”

(Contax 645, Tri-X400)”

Please click on any of the links below to check out Denas work

website is: http://www.denarobles.com
blog: http://www.denarobles.com/blog/
facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dena-Robles-Photographer/136634053037244?ref=hl

I also guest blogged on an amazing wedding photographers blog based out of Phoenix, AZ named Keith Pitts, if you want to check out what I put up go HERE