The Collection Shootout: Part 3 of 3 ~ Samantha

Here's our last batch of photos from The Collection Shootout... first was Ali, then Sara and Nick, and now Samantha.

Adam and I have photographed Sam a thousand times... her and her husband's wedding, many fun family sessions with them and their two children, and her mother's wedding. So we thought we knew what it was like photographing her (always a joy, of course), but did she ever surprise us! Sam is apparently an undercover model, as she channeled her inner high-fashion self and was hitting poses that could beat the girls on America's Next Top Model. Dang!

But speaking of posing, shootouts are an awesome way for us to not only experiment with poses we've been wanting to try, but to also have a better understanding of what's flattering to the body, to play with interesting relationships between people and their settings, and to improve our directing skills.

Thanks, Sam! Looking forward to your and Dan's Anniversary Session this summer!















Again, We'd like to thank Miki of Moss Floral Design for the GORGEOUS flowers, and Miss Ruby for the super cute dresses!













We've been having SO much fun on our shootouts this year, that we've been thinking of having a Reminisce Road Trip this summer, setting up shootouts along the way. Any recommendations for destinations???

The Collection Shootout: Part 1 of 3 ~ Ali

As you might know, Adam and I belong to a group of photographers called The Collection...

"We have come together as a closely-knit group of artists who offer more than special packages and slideshows. Each photographer’s unique approach, style and perspective fuels our group’s commitment to evolving the Art of Wedding Photography." ~ The Collection

Each month, the ten studios get together, eat some good food, talk shop and inspire. I can't say how invaluable it is to not look at each other as competition, but instead as friends. We are all growing as people, artists, business owners and innovators.

Earlier this month, we got together for a super fun shootout! We experimented with light, posing, location... and had a blast!

The funny thing is, after weeks of planning, our models flaked. So Adam and I asked our friends and clients, Samantha and Ali to model (and Molly of Mthree Studio also brought a couple of former clients, Sara and Nick). I think it worked out for the best, because they were all natural models and did a fantastic job! Thanks so much for participating! Hope you had as much fun as we did :)

Special thanks to my friend Miki from Moss Floral Design for providing such gorgeous bouquets for our shoot! Thanks also, to Miss Ruby for lending us such fabulous dresses, and to Megan our makeup artist for sharing her talent.

Thanks to everyone who chipped in to bring this awesome day together... from planning, to location scouting, to styling. We work well together! xo

Anyhoo, Adam and I were so happy with our photos from the shootout, that we'll be breaking our blog posts up per model.

Here's Ali! Adam and I are SO looking forward to photographing your wedding this fall!!! :)



(Us all setting up in our undisclosed location.)



(Artists' Eyes having some fun.)



(Ali looking fabulous.)





















Can you guess where we shot, or why we chose this location? :)

Red Rock Canyon Shootout: Part 4 of 4 ~ Anesia

Now that this Red Rock Canyon post is the last of of our highlights from WPPI, we have the itch to travel again!!! Anyone having a destination wedding??? :)

Anyway, meet Anesia. She has amazing features and a classic beauty reminiscent of old-movie starlets... sure to inspire any photographer! She was really fun to shoot, too, with a bubbly personality full of laughter. At one point, each and every one of us was rolling with laughter! Thanks for an awesome shoot :)

Red Rock Canyon Shootout: Part 2 of 4 ~ Jasmine

Another one of the models at our Red Rock Canyon shootout during WPPI was Jasmine, and believe it or not, this was her FIRST time modeling! She was a total natural, and we're sure she'll have a promising modeling career. She wasn't even phased by the cold mountain weather... or by stumbling into a prickly desert bush :) Awesome job!

Red Rock Canyon Shootout: Part 1 of 4 ~ Jackie

While at WPPI, the third shoot we did was at Red Rock Canyon. This was our second time there, but a COMPLETELY different experience from the last. The last time we went, it was completely desolate, except for the random mountain climber... this time, not so much. With 12,000 photographers at the WPPI convention, the desert was full of tiny specks of photographers in the distant mountains- the vacant road now like a busy street downtown. Last time it was about 75 degrees- this time about 35 degrees, which is pretty surreal. In one eyeful, you see cacti and other desert plants, and in the other, blankets of snow.

Our particular shoot was arranged by Ryan Christensen of Innovative Photography and Laura Marchbanks, and we had about 25 photographers in the group with 5 models.




(Check out the mountain climber in the lower left!)




Between the 2 of us, we have so many photos, so why not share a whole bunch with you? We’re going to break them up with a few posts, each featuring a different model. Here’s Jackie. She was so awesome, energetic and adventurous.










Thought we’d throw this one in for you to give you a taste of the landscape. We were so sore the next day from climbing! Shooting, and not just in a canyon, can be really physically demanding. Great photographers will do anything to get the shot! :)