Tyne contacted me to start his modeling portfolio. He was so eager to learn and was a natural in front of the lens. These images are the start of a great career!
This adorable couple came in this week for their maternity portraits. They wanted to keep it simple and about them...the resulting images are just beautiful!
I teamed up with RMEA a while back for yet another amazing fashion model workshop. This one was held in Polson Montana and featured some fantastic models.
Amber wanted to do a shoot that incorporated some creative makeup and hair...her friend Angie Zwicker had some fun with it. Great team with some great shots for her modeling portfolio.
Without knowing it I helped with this model's engagement...while we were shooting her now fiance' was putting the finishing touches on his proposal. Congrats Kels! Can't wait for the wedding!
I've known Jesse for years and have worked with both he and his wife to be at countless weddings...they're both DJ's! Of course we had to incorporate that part of their life together into their engagement portraits. These were shot in Monk's Bar downtown...it's never looked so good!
Â
I've shot Valerie numerous times over the course of the last year or so. Basically her entire modeling portfolio is made up of shots we've done! She's now in LA modeling and I couldn't be happier for her!
Lynnae contacted me and wanted to do some sexy/edgy photos for her modeling portfolio. She's sooo stunning in front of the camera it's almost unreal.
Mika needed some new fashion photos for her modeling portfolio. I love working with this woman...we always have such a blast together and she just rocks it every time. Have you seen those eyes!?!? Her sister tagged along and wanted to get in some shots as well.
I've known Karli and Brian for years, I was sooo excited for them when I heard they were expecting! Karli of course had the absolute cutest props to work with and don't even get me started on how cute this couple is...
This amazing couple contacted me a few weeks ago to do some maternity portraits with a fashion photography style. Enjoy!
This one hit close to home recently...my brother is getting married this summer! And in classic little brother fashion, he just assumed that I would be in the wedding...no asking, discussion or talk. I had to hear from my Mom that I was in the wedding. He finally got around to asking if I would be in the wedding after the rest of the fam was giving him crap about it over Christmas (months later). Anyway, the moral of the story here ladies and gentlemen is to make sure you ask your attendants if they will be in the wedding (don't assume anything)...furthermore make it special somehow and personal to you both! I mean you are asking them to stand next to you on the big day after all! For our wedding Jen actually had some super cute laser cut bridesmaids boxes made on Etsy for her attendants and even did one for my Mom that said "Thank you for raising an amazing son, will you be my new Mom?"
When you're deciding on the details of your outdoor ceremony there's something you may not have taken into consideration...the lighting! The lighting is extremely important not only for the photographs but also the guests and even the couple. Too often I see shadows on the couple, or worse yet just on one or the other. I've seen couples crying, not from emotion but from having to stare into the sun. I've seen guests, blinded not by the beauty of the bride but the glaring sun right in their faces. The best thing you can do is to try and orient the ceremony so that the entire bridal party is evenly lit by the sun and the guests have their backs to it. Don't stand directly under a gazebo or tree unless you can ensure even shade throughout.
A few months ago I got the work with Chelsea again to update her model portfolio. She's always a blast to work with, and seriously the sweetest woman ever! It was freezing out in Montana so we decided to do a few in the studio using gels and the rest we braved the elements. The snow created this amazing glow on her face and the killer coat she brought didn't hurt either.
Â
I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've photographed families at weddings only to have it look like 'Dad' is wearing sunglasses because he's wearing transitions lenses! This is a HUGE problem especially for outdoor weddings. As a photographer it's tricky because I have two choices...have them look like Ray Charles or ask them to take off their glasses which often times they wear ALL the time so they don't look like themselves in the photos. If it's someone who is really close to you and will be in a ton of pictures (groom or Dad) simply ask them ahead of time if they could bring/get another pair of glasses that aren't transitions lenses, or if they have an old pair they don't use that you could pop out the lenses on for the important photos.
I absolutely LOVED working with this amazing couple and their fantastic family! Gina must have some serious pull with the Daly Mansion because she as able to convince them to have the first ever wedding INSIDE the mansion!!! I've shot at the Daly Mansion before but they've always had weddings on the grounds which are beautiful, but never inside this masterpiece of a building. Gina and Troy are just a gorgeous couple so it made my job extremely easy...gorgeous couple + incredible mansion= wedding magic worth swooning over. Enjoy this winter wonderland wedding!
Bride Tips From Dax Photography: Wedding Group Shots. Have you ever tried to take a picture of 250 people at once?!?! Whether your family group shots are a few people or a few hundred there are a few things you can do to help. First off, make sure you move all the shoes, purses, bouquets, etc behind the photographer (not to the side). Secondly, fill in the gaps...if you can't see the camera...the camera can't see you. Finally, just keep smiling and looking at the camera...don't check to see if the person three people down from you is smiling (nothing ruins a shot quicker than people looking in every direction). A good photographer will roll through group shots quickly and effortlessly making sure everyone is entertained through the whole thing. I usually start with the large group (to make sure everyone is there) then peel off people as needed. Even with the biggest family groups these shots shouldn't take more than 40 minutes to take. Love, your friendly neighborhood photographer. :) To see the ultimate list of bride tips, click here: http://www.daxphotography.com/bride-tips/
Bride Tips From Dax Photography: Asking For Discounts. I know how expensive weddings can be and fully understand that EVERY bride is on a budget. As a bride you should never be afraid to ask for discounts from your vendors...you never know until you ask and they just might surprise you. One of your best ways to get discounts from vendors is if you have a wedding date that is an off day (i.e. not a Saturday or holiday weekend). If a vendor doesn't have anything booked for a Friday or Sunday they may consider a discount more. Your chances of getting a discount also increase if it's later in the season and they don't have that date booked (i.e. last minute weddings). DON'T tell the vendor that you would like a discount because your wedding will "only be a few hours"...if they book a wedding at a discount for that day they are giving up the opportunity to book that day at full price and probably will say no. DON'T ever tell them it will be great exposure...just don't! DON'T tell them that you can do some of the work (editing photos for example)...a professional wedding vendor takes pride in giving you their best products and services and won't want to jeopardize that. Bottom line is that everything is negotiable and it doesn't hurt to ask but don't be alarmed if the vendor simply says no...they are making a decision based on what's right for their business. www.daxphotography.com
Bride Tips From Dax Photography-Smiling During The Ceremony. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've seen a wedding party that doesn't smile during the ceremony. No more RBF people!!! This goes for EVERYONE! Remind your wedding party that they NEED to smile during the ceremony! During the entrance it always looks best if the couples entering are smiling and laughing at each other. While standing up during the ceremony, some smiles and glances at family and friends in the crowd is perfect. During the exit smiling and high five'ing the guests in the aisle is wonderful. And let's not forget the couple should be smiling at each other with a few laughs towards the crowd. It should be the happiest time for everyone involved...show it. Love, your friendly neighborhood photographer. www.daxphotography.com
Bride Tips From Dax Photography: The Kiss. My best recommendation regarding the kiss at the end of the ceremony is to actually kiss twice! I guarantee that you won't be able to not smile in that moment which is absolutely adorable! If you're going to do a dip make sure it's perpendicular to the crowd. No tongue...period! Take your time up there and revel in the moment. By all means practice ahead of time...photographers orders :) www.daxphotography.com