8.25.07 Wedding Preview

We had a crazy and fun day with Kelly & Ryan on Saturday! Here are a few pics from the day...

We started at the Sheraton in downtown Seattle for getting ready photos.

Then we hopped in our cars and headed to Gasworks Park for some time with the wedding party. One fun surprise that Ryan brought along were these cool vintage umbrellas that he rented from Bella Umbrella... Yes, it is true--you can rent umbrellas in Seattle.

After Gasworks, it was time to go to the church for the ceremony. I have to tell you that Blessed Sacrament Church is beautiful. If you live in Seattle, it's the big Catholic Church that you can see from I-5 around 50th St. Look for it the next time you're driving--you'll know when you see it!

The reception was at Canlis restuarant, overlooking Lake Union. The service there was impeccable and the food was oh so delicious too! Kelly & Ryan treated us to a full seated meal and we are so grateful for their thoughtfulness!

The Jason Parker Quartet played live jazz music during the reception. If you are ever thinking about hiring musicians for live music, you should definitely give them a listen...it added a classy element to the evening for sure.

Kelly & Ryan were the last guests to leave Canlis (preceeded by us) and we all made our way to the historic Fairmont Hotel for one final photo session. While we were there, two other brides showed up still wearing their wedding dresses (at 1:00am!). We had a little party (ok, not really). :)

We had a great time hanging out with these guys and wish them a lifetime of happiness together!

Airika & Gerald

The Gardner's Slideshow!

Thanks for waiting everybody! It's been a crazy few weeks, but we just finished Janelle & Albert's slideshow and wanted to share it with you. We're so happy for you two and hope you enjoy the show!

Click here. Congratulations again Mr. & Mrs. Gardner! :)

Airika

Janelle & Albert's Wedding

Whew! We just finished sorting through all of the beautiful images from Janelle & Albert's wedding in Portland, OR, and we are excited to share them with you! This was our first out-of-state wedding, and we loved exploring the area. In fact, I do have to give one little plug: we ate at an Italian restaurant called Pazzo on Saturday night and the food was simply amazing...I've never had such good halibut in all my life! Check it out!

We got our first glimpse of Janelle & Albert's wedding venue at their rehearsal lunch on Saturday, and I have to tell you that it was gorgeous. Albert's uncles really pulled out all the stops to make their backyard garden into a work of art! There were many different "rooms" within the garden and it was amazing how they effortlessly fit almost 100 people there for the wedding.

We took more photographs at their wedding than we've ever taken before, so we're posting a few now to wet your appetite and hope to finish their slideshow and post it here in a couple of days. Enjoy these images from the land of roses!

To view all of Albert and Janelle's photos and order prints, click here and register with Pictage. By registering you will recieve a $5 credit toward prints, and you will be notified via email the minute the images become available. When you log in to view the images, you will be asked for an "event key"--simply enter the groom's last name.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Airika

Beyond the (A) Mode: Dragging the Shutter

This post will be the first in an occasional series that will give you some creative ideas for using your own Digital SLR or Point-and-Shoot camera. I know for a lot of people, turning that little dial on their camera past the "A"(auto) mode can be a little intimidating if you've never been there before, but doing so opens a lot of creative doors for a photographer.

One little trick that I love to play around with, especially when shooting indoors or in a darker environment, is called "dragging the shutter." This is basically when you decrease the shutter speed in your camera to get various blurring effects, while using your flash to illuminate the main subject so that they appear sharp. Here's an example of one that I shot at a wedding two weeks ago...

It is just a fun way to make your subject stand out, while giving the background extra energy and movement.

First you will need to find an appropriate place for this type of shot. An important part of getting this to work is making sure that your subject is backlit, that is, without any major light sources shining on them (from your perspective). The only source of light that you want to hit your subject directly is your flash. Any other lights shining directly them will cause them to appear blurred in the photo.

Next, you need to set up the camera.

Step 1: Set your camera to the "Tv" mode. This is also known as "shutter priority" mode. This mode will let you choose a precise shutter speed. Choose a shutter speed around 1/4 - 1/15 of a second.

Step 2: Turn on your flash.

Step 3: Compose your picture and snap away! You can make the blur effects more interesting by rotating, zooming, or panning the camera as you take the picture.

Now quit reading and go give it a shot!

Gerald

Neyssa & Derek's Wedding Slideshow

Airika and I shot an incredible wedding this weekend at the Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club. On top of having a beautiful location (where the Boeing Classic Golf Tournament will be held in a couple weeks), the bride and groom were a dream to work with! They were extremely laid back, relaxed, and determined to do nothing more than have a good time. From a photographers standpoint, we couldn't have asked for more!

To view their slideshow, click here

To view all of Neyssa and Derek's photos and order prints, click here (or the shopping cart icon on the slideshow) and register with Pictage. By registering you will recieve a $5 credit toward prints, and you will be notified via email the minute the images become available. When you log in to view the images, you will be asked for an "event key"--simply enter the groom's last name.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Congratulations Neyssa & Derek-thanks for such a great day!


Gerald

Molly & Justin's Engagement Photos

We recently had the privilege of hanging out with our friends Molly & Justin and shooting their engagment photos at the same time. We had such a blast! Molly is a pastor at a local church and Justin is the guitarist for The Classic Crime, a local band that's signed with Tooth & Nail Records and is currently headlining their own tour. They were so fun and easy-going--and they totally rocked it with their pics-check them out!

We grabbed some appetizers at the Red Door (they make the world's best french fries!) and snapped some shots by the canal in Fremont. However, I think my favorite images are the ones we took at Gasworks Park. There are so many unique spots at that park and some amazing views of downtown Seattle and Lake Union!

So cute, right?!?!

~Airika