Hollywood Glamour featuring Cherry Brandi

Cherry Brandi came to me with an idea for a photo shoot emulating classic Hollywood glamour. She had a few samples of the type of photos that she wanted, and after studying them for a short time, I was able to engineer a lighting setup to match the style she wanted. They looked good in color, but converting them to black & white changed them into the vintage shots she was after.

I have worked with Brandi twice before, and each time we have come out of our sessions with so many great photos, its hard to pick favorites. This session lasted only half as long as our previous meetings, but produced just as many fantastic shots. I have selected several favorites to share here, but there are even more that will have to wait for another time...

Fowler Family Album

Shelley Fowler contacted me by phone to see if I had any openings that evening for a family portrait session. Five hours later, their session was complete. Last minute sessions are not the norm for my studio, but I work hard to accommodate everyone's schedule to create beautiful photos.

My favorite photos from their session are below:

Laura & Reid Engagement Photos on Location

I attended the Women's Expo event at McGee Park last week to promote my photography business where I held a drawing for a free photo session. Laura & Reid were the lucky winners. They wanted their photos to have a more natural feel so we held their session somewhere they felt comfortable, the Farmington Public Library.

Here are my favorite photos from their session:

Keanno's Senior Portraits

I photographed Keanno in my studio as well as on location in the areas around my studio.
We started by taking some head shots in my studio with controlled lighting and three different backdrops. He didn't want to take any photos with his cap & gown, he wanted to be in his regular clothes and act like himself. We took a series of photos, both serious and goofy, inside my studio and then moved outside for more. 

My favorite photos from this session are below:

Weddings - Revisiting January 1, 2011

Tawnya and Ernest were married in St. Mary's Church on New Year's Day 2011. I photographed them before their ceremony getting ready with both formal and candid shots. During the ceremony I used my portable lights to illuminate the inside of this very dark church both on my camera and setup in the choir loft. After the ceremony we took formal photos of the bride & groom with the wedding party and different combinations of family members. Then I followed them outside the church for individual photos and then to a snow covered park before arriving at their hotel where the reception was waiting for them. I took more formal individual photos of the bride & groom in the main lobby of the hotel, where there was a beautiful fireplace we used as a backdrop. I shot a lot of candid photos during the reception and outside in the snow again where there was another roaring fire on the patio. Their wedding is definitely the largest I have ever photographed, but it was a lot of fun to work with them.

I have included more photos of their special day below:

Headshots & Boudoir in One Session

Last month, I held a "Random Like" contest on Facebook, and Rebecca was the lucky winner.
To celebrate my page's third birthday on Facebook, I posted a short message saying I would choose one "like" from that message to receive a FREE photo session. There were only a few people who replied, making it a short list of possible winners.

I met with Rebecca to discuss the type of photos she wanted, and we came up with a dozen ideas for poses and styles. We started off with formal head shots, and moved on to pinup and then boudoir.

While she was very shy about what to show and what to cover up, she warmed up to the camera rather quickly, and soon felt much more comfortable in my studio. By taking it slow, and starting with head shots, she got a feel for how I take photos and I was able to observe her mannerisms and incorporate her natural posture in the way I asked her to pose. Near the end of the session time, she was getting into my prop box and going through my wardrobe collection trying on different outfits and playing for the camera.

Below are a selection of images from our session:

Weddings - Revisiting Pasadena

Although my portrait studio is located in Farmington, New Mexico,

this particular wedding took place in Pasadena, California

This couple was married overlooking the ocean near Pasadena, California. After the ceremony, we traveled to an old Spanish mission for some beautiful photos. I was able to work with the bride and groom away from the wedding guests and family so we could focus on their interaction with one another. Below, you will find a selection of my favorite images from their wedding day.

Weddings - Revisiting Fort Collins

I realized recently that I have not posted any wedding photos to this site since it began. I have only been adding images from my most recent portrait sessions, and failed to include wedding photos I have taken in the past. I will be posting some of my favorite wedding photos from the past over the next month to make up for the oversight.

Although my portrait studio is located in Farmington, New Mexico,

this particular wedding took place in Fort Collins, Colorado.

It is an honor to be the person asked to capture a day of memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. My focus is on the interaction of the bride and groom, and their connection to each other. My one-on-one time with the bride and groom is my chance to capture their love.

Headshots for the Business Professional

If you are just starting out in the business world, you will need a professional looking photo to represent yourself online, in print, and in advertising. You want to show the world that you are professional, and a respectable businessman. This is not the time to skimp on your budget either. A snapshot of you at your desk under fluorescent lights is not the way to prove your professionalism. You need to take the time to schedule a professional photo session to get you a variety of head shots you can use for promoting your business.

The gentleman I photographed during this session, is just starting his own accounting business, and was in need of a variety of different photos he could use for promoting his business. I instructed him to bring a variety of wardrobe options so we could achieve a wider range of options that didn't all look like they were cookie cutter shots from a discount store studio. When he arrived, he had a half dozen options to change into through the course of our session. A variety of colored shirts and ties, and two suits: a black suit and a lighter earth-tone suit.

Kimi's Maternity Progression at 30 Weeks

17 weeks through 30 weeks

I have been following Kimi's pregnancy since she was 17 weeks along, and still barely showing. We have had four progressive sessions, each of them matching wardrobe, poses, and lighting, so that I can edit a seamless sequence like the one shown above. Our first session took the longest of them all because it was when we were deciding which outfits would work with which backgrounds, and just how many variations of each we wanted to have. All of our following sessions have gone much smoother and flow from one setup into the next without much fumbling and wondering if we're doing the right thing

The consistency is good for matching session to session, but can become tedious when that's all you are photographing. The funnest part of our progression is when our repetitive poses are complete and we have a chance to try new ideas and experiment with poses, wardrobe and props. I like to collaborate with my subjects to come up with ideas that we both agree would work for their personalities, and of course are flattering to them.

Kimi has been great all around to have as a model for her pregnancy. She brought many of her own outfits to use, but also utilizes the props and wardrobe I have on hand. I like to have a variety of fabric, cute tops and props to cater to any of my maternity subjects. Many of these props are also the same I use for beauty and boudoir photography sessions as well.

You can find more composites and recent poses from our sessions below...

Baby Riley's First PhotoShoot

Riley was born in November, and was brought in for her first photo session at five weeks old.

I photographed her mother at 28 weeks as part of a maternity before and after progression series.

You can find photos of her pregnancy in earlier posts on this blog, here and here.

We tried several different outfits, hats, and poses while changing the backdrop and props during Riley's photo session. In addition to her solo photos, we also photographed Riley with her siblings, and with the whole family.

You can find more beautiful photos of Riley below: