I have met with over a hundred brides the last 5 years. I have learned so much through the process of being a good photographer and how to make the process as simply and fun for the client. I want to help you with a few questions you should ask your photographer. Here are a few wedding photographer tips you shouldn’t do without:

1. Start your search for a wedding photographer as soon as possible. Some say you should start as soon as you are engaged. There are only a few strong wedding photographers in Sun Valley.

2. Choose a photographer you get along with. I usually spend 10-13 hours with my B&G on their wedding day! (total of about 30 to 40 hours during our consultation, engagement shoot, wedding, and designing of the album).  I definitely want us to connect and have a fabulous time. Because in the end if you choose someone you don’t connect with, you might get marvelous pictures, but will it have been worth it?

3. Ask to see a wide selection of the photographer’s work. Don’t just look through one album of pictures. Ask for as many examples as possible.

4. Don’t meet just one photographer. I’d advise that you meet with at least three photographers before making a decision.

5. Ask the photographer for references. Contact the references and ask them if they were delighted or disappointed with their pictures. Also, talk to friends and acquaintances that may have hired the photographer for their wedding day. I would say 95% of my weddings were from referrals.

6. When you meet with a photographer, bring pictures that you like from magazines to the consultation so that the photographer will better understand your preferences - we are so visual!

8. The first question many couples ask is ‘How much?’ Sure you might get a great deal, but how will the pictures turn out? Don’t cheap out. Although your wedding pictures might seem like a big investment, if you’re happy with them, you’ll cherish them for years to come. (you can cut back by buying their basic package) Once the vows are taken, the cake is eaten, and the tuxes are returned, what’s left aside from the great memories? An album full of pictures, pictures that tell the story of a couple in love.

I love chatting with my brides about all things girlie.. the shoes, the flowers, the colors, the dress. But when it comes to bridesmaids dresses, the most common problem I see and hear is dreading having to wear a terrible and unflattering dress. Today’s bridesmaids want something that is more fresh, chic, vintage, glamorous,  just please no puffy 80’s sleeves! So I wanted to share with you some dresses that I thought were very pretty. My hope is that you walk away with some inspiration - I think the most popular dresses have come from JCrew, here are some I like and have seen at weddings I have photographed…

One of my favorite stores is Anthropologie! If you want a look beyond traditional bridesmaids dresses…..

For a custom dresses I came across Sarah Sevens a fashion designer from Portland Oregon. WOW! she creates beautiful dresses for all special occasions.  Her work is feminine and flattering. It’s romantic, yet stylish….

Another vendor that is ridiculously talented Ariane Goldman of TwoBirds Bridesmaid. One dress that bridesmaids can easily wrap in over 10 unique ways flattering ALL body types! Also comes in 10 different colors offered in 2 lengths. Now each of your girls can feel beautiful (;

I had never heard of Douglas Hannant before I read the latest issue of Brides,  he has such a simple, romantic and creative style wedding dresses I had to share!

TheKnot.com launched Idaho local homepages, complete with everything brides have come to expect from The Knot Local Resources. It will have dozens of local wedding vendors for you to choose from. I also have a featured wedding from last summer with Alli and Breck….

So I am really slow right now with work – not complaining at all, I do need the break! (and just not a pretty time of year here during slack). So I thought I’d share some favorite family and kid moments that are not on my website. These photos make me laugh, just silly, or feel a connection with the child. I have worked with many AMAZING families in this valley and look forward to many more photo sessions that are booked for this summer.

- it’s my mom’s BIRTHDAY! She is one of the funniest and coolest people you will ever meet, and of course the proudest Grandma of her perfect princess Presly. Have a fabulous day mom -  we LOVE you soooooo much! Big hug’s and kisses from us (:

aka GrannyMay and Presly, with tennis players white feet…

Born in Santa Monica, California
Favorite lens: Canon 50mm 1.2
I have a twin brother Billy, he is such a GREAT surfer, living in Santa Barbara and married to his beautiful wife Samantha. Here is a picture of him with Presly on our last trip to Mexico…

Favorite thing about being a wedding photographer is helping people move past their insecurities and making them feel beautiful!
Favorite reception song is Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi
Before I was a kid/wedding photographer I photographed skiers…

Guilty pleasure websites www.toryburch.com, www.cb2.com, www.astrologyzone.com, www.apple.com
Fun Fact, I used to be a pro-snowboarder (had a pro model & X-Game medal)
Best education in my photography, moving to Sun Valley and assisting David Stoecklien photographer!
I am taken, so HAPPY in love, here is one of my favorite moments with our dog Buddy, Mark, and our 3 year old daughter,Presly….

I have freckles on my arms. And legs.
I enjoy a glass of wine (or 2) when I am making dinner
I hate cell phones & never carry one, would rather talk in the privacy of my home or office
I really really like to smile
I cry easily
I am very passionate about my art and photography.

Buy a digital SLR camera! a point and shoot is great when you have a new baby. But once the baby starts wiggling and crawling, you realized there was a slight delay between pressing the shutter button to take a picture and the actual capture of the shot.  As I’m sure you know, even one second’s delay can be too long to capture a smile on a wiggly toddler. I strongly recommend the Canon Rebel XS, this camera can be easy to learn. Do lots of experimenting at first and stick with the Auto mode for important pictures.  Honestly, I still use the Auto mode with great results for most pictures but slowly branch out into assigning settings like Aperture Priority setting from time to time. This will change your shutter speed (next post I will get more into this).

I also recommend the best piece of glass you can buy for BEAUTIFUL portraits the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 - or F1.4.  In addition to the camera, purchase an extra battery and two 1 gigabit memory cards.  The extra battery and memory card have saved me so many times! The last thing I bought with this camera was a UV filter that screws onto the end of my lens.  While I don’t think it improves (or harms) the quality of the pictures, it does protect the lens.  Last is the magical Photoshop Elements for photo processing on your computer, there are great books on Amazon to help with color-correcting and editing you images to look spectacular!

You have all the equipment you will need to take great pictures of your kids.  I’ll try to answer any questions you have.  Contact me to let me know what you think!

these 3 images shot with 50 f1.4 lens,  ISO 100, 1/200 shutter speed, f-stop all the way down to 1.4, focus on eyes

only the Most Awesome Photo Gifts and Gear for Photographers! click here for FUN ideas to play around with your photos (:

- I LOVE to work in my studio and meet with my clients and friends (: I want to share some of my favorite products I offer. I love my albums, if I do say so myself! I have a wonderful album company, Leather Craftsmen, that custom creates each and every album….and they are all awesome works of art! I specifically design the albums to be timeless and classic, while staying modern and fresh and my company follows that through making the end result something that you will LOVE to look at today and in 25 years!!

I offer Solid Sterling Photo Jewelry and Gifts which capture your loved ones in an heirloom piece that will be treasured for years to come. I wear one of my Presly and get compliments ALL the time. They are just GREAT gifts for everyone!

How CUTE is my packaging for kids? -  this is where I put their 8×10’s and smaller for clients…

also love my tags….

My Gallery Albums have been a popular favorite, with many colors, materials and cover options. Perfect for children and families portraits, plus they are reasonably priced! Distinguish your images with beautiful mats, and attractive flush, edgeless pages add a modern look to this very original album style…

I have a SUPER COOL product that I have used for all my personal art and to display around town. What’s neat about them is they are wrapped canvas with no frame and 100% ready to hang. They are 2 1/2 inches off the wall, really affordable….

Here are my guest books that come with every engagement session I do. 8 x 10 leather album and is created with your engagement photos. The images come together with a blank space for signing, to create the perfect album to hold and showcase your engagement images and have your guests sign and write special notes in!

My studio….

sweet thank you letters from past clients….

My goal for the summer when I get completely bogged down with editing and some fun for the kids…

some more inspiration for my brides to look at…

I just created these storyboards for my home and  family, I think they turned out pretty cute! It’s Presly’s first 3 years. We live in a small condo and not enough room for all my family photos, so I came up with storyboards - (which I am now offering for clients). Presly is of course well documented and most photos just taken with my small point and shoot. Have a great Saturday afternoon (:

Why is it that celebrities always look skinny in red carpet photos? More importantly, how can we look 10 pounds thinner in photos? I think the primary thing on every girl’s mind when posing for a camera is looking as skinny as humanly possible! The secret is in the pose.

Secret No. 1: Turn partially sideways to the camera, planting one foot in front of the other. Point your toe to the camera and place your weight on your back foot.

Secret No. 2: Pull head forward slightly to minimize any appearance of a double chin.

Secret No. 3: Hold arms slightly away from your body. This keeps upper arm flab from flattening out and therefore appearing flabbier (much like thighs do when one sits on a couch).

Secret No. 4: Pull shoulders back, chest forward and gently suck stomach in. Be careful not to suck stomach so far in that your ribs show. Use your bouquet you are holding to your advantage by placing them in front of parts of you you’d prefer to hide.

Secret No. 5:  Try the look away trick. To do this, look away from the camera, then turn towards it, breaking into a smile just before the camera clicks. Your smile will appear fresh, not frozen. Perfect example from a past bride, looks so natural…
When taking a photo it’s also important the photographer does not snap the picture from below. This adds another 20-50 pounds to the 10 pounds automatically and annoying added by the camera. I always shoot down having the bride look up at me while rolling her shoulder forward. A couple of my beautiful brides….

Hopefully this has been a little bit of an insight into posing technique and how to look your best in photographs. Enjoy! Be confident, happy and strong - confidence makes the best photo (: