Snowman update

So here is Mr snowman today. The sun is out and the south side of him is melting. Wondering which side is south, look at the shadow, it goes nearly east from Mr snowman and it is late afternoon judging from the length of the shadow and why does that mean it is the south side because the mountains on the east side of this valley do not allow shadows of that length. Besides that I said it was south and that ought to be enough. Just kidding and having fun with your mind but also trying to get you to think about light and how to use it in your photography. Have fun.

Snowman growing old

We made a snowman in December and it slowly grew old in snowman terms. Till one day after surviving a heat spell and rainstorm it finally gave in and lost his top. 

Working with people, elements, etc. or wedding musings

Taking pictures of weddings, families and nature has taught me a lot through the years. The one thing that has been the most fun has been to learn how to work with what you see around you. I'll try to explain with these images from some of the weddings that I had the opportunity to do. They came from several years and a lot of fun.

This image was taken after we thought we were finished but as we were walking back to our cars I noticed the Y on the hill and since both of them were students and had met at BYU I thought it was fitting that we shoot an image with the Y in the background.

This is my daughter that will be married in March of this year.We went up the canyon to get the colors of fall but they were nearly gone and after we came down the canyon in different cars and went different directions somehow we ended up by a new subdivision in Mapleton and decided to do a few more. This image came from that part of the shoot.

Here is one of the images from earlier that night. There was not a lot of color but in reality it doesn't always take a lot. In fact we had plenty of color even though the season for color was past by nearly three weeks.

The personalities of the people with whom I have had the opportunity to work also plays into a lot of what we do for their pictures. This young lady was a friend of one of my daughters so we knew what she would do and had fun capturing every bit of it.

And then there is always the weather. This reception was in October and up the canyon at a park and it decided to rain just when we were getting to the pictures. So we pulled a couple of umbrellas out of the trunk and took them anyway. It always amazes me at how fun it can really be to work with the elements and see what can come from it. It didn't rain the entire time so we were able to shoot without the umbrella as well but the rain only made the fall colors on the hills much deeper.

I always try to look at things from a different angle as well and with buildings it almost always has to be from a lower angle in order to get it in. But the building is not all that has to be looked at especially when there are lots of flowers and other vegetation.

I sometimes drive my wife crazy because I am always looking around while we are doing the pictures but that is so that I can see any possible places that might be perfect for another good picture. It seems that the same places can always provide new spots everytime I go there because something is always changing. I had done a lot of weddings at this beautiful LDS temple before I discovered this bench that one of the brides fathers had asked me to check out.

Then of course there are those spots that never change except the bride and the dresses and so it becomes even then a new spot for a great image.

The use of special effects has always been a part of great photographs and with photoshop it becomes a challenge to create some better photographs from ones that you take.

One reason I always look around is also to see when lighting can be used to create special effects. Of course the bride is also always important.  Here are just two examples from how the sun can create special lighting.

I have lots of fun when there are nieces and nephews to add to the pictures at a wedding and it is often only luck that will get them all smiling at the same time.

Always look both ways when working with the sun. One direction yields beautiful backgrounds rich in the colors of the sun while the other gives special lighting to the surrounding terrain as well as the bride.

Working with the sun can be a real challenge but can have great rewards. 

Never forget the parents since they are an important part of the wedding and it is always special to capture each of them with their child.

I like to let the bride have fun with the poses and it is always great to see what they do.

It is always important to have fun with the wedding party. This is just one way to do it.

The groom is important too but I always tell them to remember the bride is the most beautiful side of the equation and he is just the furniture. Just a joke but there is some thread of truth in it.

Before Photoshop I use to have to use special effects on the camera. This particular one was created by rubbing vaseline on a plain filter attached to the lens.