It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything Jenna Cole related. Too long! This is partially due to our move from Chicago to the sunny Palo Alta area just south of San Francisco, and also because I’ve been busy nurturing the two little darlings you see pictured above.  The littlest one you see pictured above was born February 6, 2013 and so I’m going to be consumed with family life for the next few weeks.

BUT

At some point I’m going to be ready to pick up a camera. I’m going to be experimenting with film this year. I miss weddings! I want to take a step back and look at the sessions I love most and focus in on those. I want to practice my craft and challenge myself and continue to improve with each experience.

Hopefully I’ll be able to work with some of you?

A few weeks before we left Chicago I photographed my last session in Illinois, a family session with the A Family. It looked a little something like this.

Since that time I’ve noticed an increase in “Lifestyle Photography” sessions on my favorite photography blogs. These sessions capture families and couples in their home or their favorite places in a way that’s much more authentic and descriptive of the way people actually live. I love these sessions because they often take place in the home, as well as one other location, and they capture your life in a way that a photography session in a “pretty” or “artsy” or “vintage” can’t match. I hope future clients will be interested in doing them as well!

Below you will meet the F family. They’re our new friends in the area and agreed to let me come to their home and spend an hour with them on a Saturday morning so you could see what a Lifestyle session is all about when Jenna Cole is behind the lens. Up until the last photo absolutely everything you see is completely natural with no posing or direction on my part. The kids ate breakfast, showed me their bedrooms, spent some time coloring, and prepared for karate lessons. Once they were ready for the day we walked/rode over to a favorite park so the dog could run around for a few minutes. The light was plentiful, the weather was wonderful, and I couldn’t have asked for better subjects.

Please comment below and let me know what you think! Is this something you’d be interested in doing with your own family?

Everything above was completed unscripted by me, but I did want to provide the family with at least one image of all of them gathered together. As we were leaving the park I quickly chose a spot and asked them to get together. Afterward we walked back to their home talking about baby names and Halloween plans. I’m looking forward to dressing up with my son and going to the Halloween party happening on their block.

Just like the couple I posted yesterday, these two have been married several years now. They wanted some photos for their wall that would show who they are right now and I think I’ve said before that I really hope this becomes a regular thing for American couples. You don’t have to have kids or be getting married to do a photography session with the ones you love most!

Jasher and Lindsey we (S, the baby, and me) love you guys so much and we are so excited about your upcoming adventures. Please go ahead and post updates on Facebook several times a day. It’s going to be fabulous and I want to hear all about it! Thanks for inviting me to your temporary hometown to capture the vibrancy and beauty of your relationship. Please come visit us in the Golden State anytime!

We did these pictures in the area known as Little Italy in New York City. I loved the cobblestone streets and business of the streets, and was surprised that it didn’t take too much effort to find some greenery and color in the middle of the city. I hope I can visit the two of you again soon to see that new fish tank of yours.

Emily and Ethan, enjoy reliving your beautiful wedding day through this series of images. I’m going to keep the commentary to myself this time around so you have the chance to really drink it all in.

Con tanto affetto,
Jenna

A big thank you to Kelli Nicole for working as my second shooter. She was my wedding photographer and it was thrilling to be working with her as a peer. Many of the images above were hers. I couldn’t have done this without her.

Coordinator: Nicki Eisenstein at Spiaggia
Florist: Beth at Larkspur
Baker: Sarah at Sarah’s Bakery (quite possibly the best cake I’ve had in my life)
DJ: Keith at PM Productions, Inc.
Makeup: Michael at Campcosmetics
Bridal attire: Kleinfelds
Groom’s attire: Macy’s on State Street

We worked all of the details out, I packed up my stuff, left my baby and husband behind, and headed out to California for a weekend with the girls(if you’re wondering, yes, I had several mix CDs in the rental car that included songs like Ocean Avenue). On Thursday night we threw Benita a mini-bachlorette party, which included tasks assigned to the bride-to-be (yelling out into the street “I’M GETTING MARRIED!” and such) as well as some cupcakes from Babycakes.

On Friday Benita went through the LDS Sand Diego temple for the first time.

That night we dined at Pizza Nova and heard some really touching speeches from Scott’s dad and step-dad (I cried, I loved them so much).

That weekend I was checking my phone constantly for weather updates. Before I flew out I had assured Benita that the forecast would improve, and that we wouldn’t have to worry about rain. But things weren’t looking better that morning, and I didn’t have a backup plan. I had gone out scouting on Thursday and Friday, and I knew the perfect spot for their first look and portraits, but it wasn’t going to work if the rain was pouring down. Were we going to have to take all of their pictures under a random awning somewhere? San Diego doesn’t see weather like that very often (multiple residents assured me that the weather that weekend was unique) and so there isn’t a lot of rain cover. The hotel rooms at the La Jolla Residence Inn Suites Hotel by Marriott were really dark and things weren’t looking good.

I told Benita that it was my job to worry about those things though. The night before at the rehearsal dinner I asked her to please let me worry about the rain and the pictures so she could enjoy herself and relax throughout the weekend. The next morning she was surrounded by friends, getting pampered, ready to take on the day!



Beni, you’re gorgeous.

As Scott and Benita finished getting dressed, I looked out and saw that it was still raining. I turned to Scott and said “I think we should try to do the First Look outside. I think that you will never, ever regret going to this location I scouted, even with the hiking and the mud.” He decided to trust me and go for it. I would never, ever make my clients do something they aren’t comfortable with, but so far I’ve found that people are willing to trust my vision, which always results in something powerful.

Thank you Scott for trusting me. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to top these pictures! All of the portraits you’ll see below were done in the La Jolla Farms area. We did their first look on a path where surfers hike down to the water (I would have loved to go all the way down to the beach, but there was no way that was happening!)

Benita is absolutely crazy. She hiked down a moderately steep freshly muddy incline in her brand new heels (that she had never worn before that day), and then up a very steep portion to get to Scott. We were lucky that her mom came along and had paper towels in the car! I was dashing around taking pictures and of course fell down, covering my left leg in mud.

So worth it though. So, so worth it.

They wanted to have their wedding bands on for the portraits, so we did a quick little ring exchange. 

These two photos are courtesy of Coco McKown, who acted as second shooter for the first half of the day. She was indispensable, and I hope to be able to work with her again in the future once we move to San Francisco. And I need to mention my friend Heather as well, who assisted Benita up and down the hills through the mud, wiped off her shoes, helped me scout locations, held reflectors, parked the car when I was dashing around to get more pictures, etc. I couldn’t have done this without you Lova!

These next three are from Coco McKown as well! I love looking through the images my second shooters provide because we end up capturing the exact same moment from an entirely different perspective.

Thanks so much Coco! Hope to see you again soon .

Completely unprompted. This is just how Scott is! He’s a sweetheart, and I’m so happy the two of them ended up together.

After the sealing ceremony in the temple hugs were shared between the parents and the new couple. We all waited outside excitedly, anxious to shout and cheer and clap for the bride and groom!

The San Diego temple is always stunning, but there’s something about the white spires rising up to meet the purity of heaven that makes my heart sing whenever I look at this one.

My favorite of the day!

There was magic happening for me that day. Every single time we were scheduled to take pictures, the skies held the moisture in and we were able to leave the umbrellas behind. The light was diffused and beautiful and I was able to use the puddles outside the temple to create interesting portraits like this one!

After a short break while the two of them spent time with family we met up at the Oceanview Room at the Naval Sub Base at Point Loma for group portraits, a ring ceremony, dinner, cake, and dancing!

For the second half of the day I worked with Laura Laing, a wedding photographer based out of Los Angeles. I absolutely could not have done this without her (she helped me rent some equipment, something that’s always difficult to do when you’re flying in for a wedding!)

There were our last portraits to be done outside, and the rain was starting to come down. Soemone ran over with an umbrella for the bride, we gathered everyone up and I told them to assemble quickly and smile. They did, my camera went click click click and it was done! If you look closely at the dark suits of the men you can see the rain drops falling!

We all dried off and got ready for the ring ceremony, which included beautiful tributes offered by the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom.

In between the ring ceremony and dinner we all had our picture taken with a Polaroid camera and tacked up on a bulletin board, eyed the cake excitedly, and watched a slideshow put together by the bride filled with pictures of bride and groom growing up and falling in love.

While everyone assembled for dinner I went up and asked Benita to take a picture with me. I would have been so sad to walk away from this special weekend without a picture with my friend on her wedding day! Thanks for taking this Laura. And a big thank you to Jessica for letting me borrow her beloved Kate Middleton dress to photograph the wedding in. Now I want one of my own!

The toasts really highlighted how kind and wonderful Scott and Benita are. I especially liked how Benita’s dad took some time to highlight specific people in the room who had impacted Benita’s life in a positive way.

Those who know and love Benita will be laughing along with me when they see this picture. She’s known for popping her knuckles and joints (and we love her for it, among other things).

After the cake was cut and the first dances were done, the dance floor opened up with a bang. My favorite part was all of the little kids, though you’ll see that the big kids did a pretty good job breaking it down as well.

I love dragging the shutter on the dance floor because it can create so many unique and unexpected effects. Shoutout to Megan laughing hysterically in the corner of this one!

By far my favorite dance floor moment was when Benita’s sister requested the song “Dancing Queen”. We all stopped dancing and made Benita go out for a spin all on her own. She wasn’t too thrilled with the idea.

Benita and Scott,

I love you too so much! Your wedding was full of miracles (You got married for eternity! The weather cooperated perfectly! Neither of you slipped and fell on that treacherous hill that I made you climb for the First Look!), and I was honored to be your first choice when it came to documenting the events photographically. I hope we are able to see each other again sooner than later. Enjoy your new life together!

Best,

Jenna

*Friends from church. It was important to me that we worked with real people, because that’s who we’re going to be taking pictures of on a day-to-day basis!

I started the day off with banana bread.

Made sandwiches, soup, and a variety of salads for lunch.

And ended the day with crock-pot hot chocolate and caramel brownies for dessert.

I never want to be the workshop host hogging the best angles and preventing attendees from getting good shots, but I did step in a few times to get my friend laughing and playing with her sweet daughter.

Look at those eyes!

Thanks to Kathy for providing me with some outtakes.

I didn’t think it would be good to have that little baby in the cold, so we said goodbye to our models and headed outside with me acting as the “model”. My intention was to reinforce to them that good photographs are all about light not about location. It was a time for them to practice what they learned earlier in the day, identifying and working with different types of light (direct, shade, back-lit, sunflares), as well as choosing the correct settings for each location while operating in manual mode.

I put each of them on the spot when they showed up, handing over my camera and asking them each to take a picture using my equipment, in manual mode, and then giving them the opportunity to repeat the process at the end of the day. They were each able to take three images for the before shot, and three for the after, and I chose the best of each. All of the images you see below are straight -out-of-the-camera, with no editing at all. The differences are due to a better understanding of how ISO/aperture/shutter speed work together to make great portraits. Hooray!

On the left you can see the before of Kathy, and on the right her after shot.

This is Cathie’s.

And this is Jessica’s.

Enough of my self-promotion! Two of the attendees provided feedback that gives you better insight into who they are, and what kind of experience they had.

Cathie

What camera body and lenses do you own? – Nikkon D7000, kit lense and a Nikkon 35mm/f 1.6

How long have you owned a dSLR? – since October 2010

What was the most helpful thing that you learned at the session? - metering on camera!

You have a friend that is on the fence regarding an Aspirations session with Jenna Cole. What would you tell this friend to convince them it’s a worthwhile investment? It helped me feel more confident about really understanding my camera and taking the theories I sort of got and really seeing how they work in reality.

Jessica

I’m considering doing another one of these in Utah this Summer, and I’m definitely planning to do one in San Francisco once we’ve moved. If you’re in either of those areas and would like to attend, send me an email using my contact form above!

I love you Benita. (And you too Scott, thank you for taking such good care of her!)

Benita trusted me completely, and when I told her that I had found the perfect location for her first look photos, she went for it. Even though it meant climbing up and down rain-soaked, muddy, steep terrain, wearing towering heels and the most expensive dress she will ever own, to get to the man she was about to marry in a few hours.

I think the risk was worth it.

I’ll be back in a few weeks to tell you the whole story.

If I could, I would reach out and give these ladies a big hug and thank them for showing us that we can get real. Since I moved to Chicago (17 months ago), I’ve only photographed six paid portrait sessions and five weddings. Three of those weddings were back in Dallas, one was in the northeast because I offered free travel, and the last one was a lucky break with an awesome Chicago couple. Most of the portrait sessions were discounted for friends. It feels so nice to say that this photography stuff is hard work. Moving to a new place and trying to establish a new client base is awful, and a large part of the reason I didn’t seek to grow in Chicago was I knew I’d only be here for two years. I have a darling son, I enjoy writing on my personal blog, I’m trying to graduate from college and I have a husband who is often gone 12 hours a day while he tries to graduate. If I’m not careful, I become like Tara and I don’t like myself when that happens.

The best thing that I learned from my Francypants Academy course was that every minute spent on photography was a minute spent NOT doing something else, like spending time with my family or cleaning my house or holding hands with my husband. I cost more than your friend putting up her pictures on Facebook because I’ve learned that staying up until 3 am editing, knowing the baby will be up in a few hours, with your husband asking why you can’t just watch the newest episode of 30 Rock already is just not worth $75. Because when I do something, I do it all the way, and I do it right. Thanks mom, you taught me that lesson via your instructions that I would clean that bathroom mirror yet again, and I would keep cleaning it until the streaks were completely gone.

And I think my work is good. I’m not Jonas Peterson, but I am Jenna Cole, and I know that means something to the people who have hired me in the past. Working with me you’re going to get color and laughter and lame attempts at jokes that fall flat. You’re going to have clear, sharp portraits that you want to hang up on your wall. If I photograph your wedding, you’ll look beautiful and simultaneously be able to remember the reality of the day, in all its multi-faceted glory (that isn’t something everyone can do you know).

My last session with Paige? I asked her to let me photograph her so I could try some new things. The same thing goes for this couple as well. I wanted to work with snow, reflected light, direct light, diffused light, shadows, rim light, sunflares, freelensing, and the sunset. I wanted to grow creatively, and I’m so happy that Yan helped me realize that I don’t have to feel ashamed for admitting that I did this (shot an unpaid session) because I did grow, and I plan to keep doing this unpaid session thing over and over with different people and lighting and backgrounds so that when those paying clients come my way, I can give them something that makes them say, “That’s me. I see myself in this, and I love it. Thank you.”

In December of 2007 my mom gave me a digital camera that had the ability to use manual settings. It wasn’t a dSLR fancy camera with interchangeable lenses, but it was overwhelming for me at the time. In the beginning, I mostly used auto mode. Over time, I became curious and started putting everyday items in a plastic box with a lamp shining through it to try to understand what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO mean. I fell in love with taking pictures, and pretty soon I was using manual mode on my point-and-shoot all the time and wanted a better camera. I bought a Canon 50D and a few lenses, and within the span of two months photographed over 40 free sessions, most of those being engagement sessions. I wasn’t employed elsewhere and I didn’t have a child, so I was living and breathing photography.

I started charging people for my photos, and bit by bit I got better. Would you like to see the difference 3 years made for me? Below you can see examples of my work labeled then and now. The “Then” pictures” are from some of my first sessions, and are actual photos I delivered to my clients (and felt very excited about at the time). When taking them I was nervous and fumbling. Now, my clients not only have a better experience during our time photographing, they receive an end product that I can be proud of.

dSLR cameras are becoming very common, and I’d like to teach you how to better use yours. Whether it’s to photograph your own kids, or for your blog, or your next fabulous vacation, your camera is powerful and wonderful and I want to show you the kind of beauty you can produce when you know how to use it!

This is not something I’m doing for other photographers currently charging for their work,this is a workshop for dSLR owners who want to move from Auto to AWESOME.

We’ll spend time learning the basics of Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, talk about composition and different types of light, and spent time actually photographing a person so you can utilize the knowledge you soaked in that day. The  workshop will also have a delicious lunch, as well as plenty of time to ask questions and even a bit of time to play with off camera flash at sunset!

I’ve done some teaching like this in the past, and I thought I’d share what some past attendees have said about their experience with me.

Lisa, had owned a Canon Rebel XSi, 18-55mm lens, and 50mm 1.8 lens for 18 months at the time of her Aspirations experience:

If you’re going to spend $500+ on a camera, it’s a good idea to invest a little more to know how to use it. You can spend months and months figuring things out on your own by reading and trial and error, or you can spend 2 hours with someone showing you, and not only will you probably know just as much as you would have otherwise, but you’ll get some great extra tips as well. I could have spent the last 18 months focusing on editing techniques and other advanced areas if I had just done a session like this in the first place!

Brittney, had owned a Canon Rebel XSi  and 50mm 1.8 lens for 4 months at the time of her Aspirations experience:

The session is incredible! Jenna really knows what she’s talking about and has the eye for it all. You’ll learn how to create the scene you want for a great picture. Depending how/where/what you are photographing, you’ll learn the best settings to use. Being out an about with your camera and a professional is so much more effective than reading the manual. I was able to put into action what I has been reading about. Jenna stands right there ready to answer your questions. And she doesn’t just answer them, she really teaches you. I would do it!

Sara, had owned a Canon 7D and 28-135mm lens, a 50mm 1.4 lens and a telephoto EF 70-200mm 4.0 lens for 6 months at the time of her Aspirations experience:

I would recommend the Aspiration lesson in a heartbeat!  Some photographers I’ve met have seemed a bit stingy and condescending when it comes to sharing tips and tricks of their craft with those of us that aren’t professional photographers.  However, Jenna seemed genuinely happy to share what she knew with me and I really felt comfortable asking questions and trying new things.  I was a little nervous that I’d feel put on the spot or just given direction, but that wasn’t the case at all.  She talked me through the whole process and let me shadow her and watch and learn.  I loved this technique.  I didn’t feel any pressure, but I was challenged.  I could ask all the questions I wanted and she volunteered great information that wasn’t superficial or condescending.  I learned more in a few hours of what felt like “hanging out with a friend” than I have in 6 months of internet research.

Kari, had owned her Canon Rebel T1i; and 18-55mm EF-S Kit Lens, 50mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.4 for 14 months at the time of her Aspirations experience:

Going into the Aspirations Session, I had a good understanding of the basics of photography, but there were some things, that no matter how much I read or watched online, I just could grasp. There’s nothing like talking to a pro in person and watching them in action. In my few hours with Jenna, I took away quite a few things, things that I could immediately apply to my next shoot. Just two days later, I had a shoot, and Jenna’s voice was in my head reminding me of things: don’t cut of limbs, do the funny laugh, look for good light not good background…It was undoubtedly a worthwhile investment. I still have a long ways to go, but I’m definitely closer to where I want to be after the Aspirations Session

Kristen, had owned a Canon 40D and 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for 2 years at the time of her Aspirations experience:

I was very much on the fence about my photography. I went into this almost completely blind. Almost meaning, I did a few sessions with my father-in-law’s camera (Canon XT), was satisfied with the results of the pictures I took, but in no way used the camera to maximize its capacity. After that (and after getting lots of “ooo, great pictures!”, “nice work”, “oh you’re doing these for FREE? i’m in!”), I did my research, got the best camera I could get for my budget (Canon 40D with the kit lense, which I very much regret getting that lense to this day), started up a photo blog, and went on my way. I skimmed the camera manual for some guidance, had absolutely NO idea what they were talking about, and was completely frustrated with how my husband was trying to teach me. So being completely blind still, I did lots of sessions with the little knowledge I had of what my camera was actually doing, and was decently satisfied with the results of my pictures. I mean, I did have Lightroom and Photoshop anyways to fall back on.

Which brings me to my editing. I HHHHHAAAATTTTTEEEEEDDDDD it with a passion. Yes, all caps, and super exaggerated. If you don’t say it like that, then you won’t get the full effect. I spent hours upon hours editing EVERY SINGLE good and decent picture. It was so overwhelming, so tedious, so not exciting. From what I read, this was supposed to be one of the best parts about photography. Effects, actions, presets, the whole shabang was supposed to be fun! Eh wrong.

Now I know I was completely going at it from the wrong angle. Here’s what Jenna Cole taught me:

First we started out with Composition. I went into this knowing a few photo techniques, i.e. placing the subject(s) on a grassy hill with hands placed just right and saying, “don’t move”, or as my husband chimes in “try to look natural, but don’t move too much”. HA. Jenna taught us how to make the subject look flattering, how to make them look and feel natural, how to not take awkward ‘up the nose’ shots. All around, I learned the right angles to take and not take photos. For example, Jenna stood up on the bench above our model and took an above picture. Why I didn’t think of that angle before I do not know!

We moved on to ISO, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, using our histogram, and a few other techniques. She explained them in ways that make absolute sense! I won’t get into every single detail of each one, but if you had absolutely no idea what those words/acronyms meant going into the session, you would walk away completely knowing AND understanding what to do with them and how to get every shot at its best.

Jenna gave us plenty of time to photograph our model, helping us in each step to process the information she gave us and use it! She was there to guide me through what buttons to press and what settings to be on. She even let us use her lenses she had on hand (and even let us play with the precious 5D Mark II, which I did not want to let go of) and gain a visual on the difference between what we own and what we could have.

I’m now completely on the other side of the fence. And will not go back on again. Jenna Cole’s Aspirations session was completely unexpected in a very good way. I learned more than I thought I would, and can USE what I’ve learned, which I think is the most important aspect of workshops/mentoring sessions.

Sound like something that would work for you? Contact me using the contact form above to learn more.

I’m so in love with how these turned out. I haven’t ever done anything in a studio style setting before, but I really enjoyed working with the light. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite thing, but I actually enjoy photographing my friends. We talked and laughed our way through the session, with no awkward moments filled with my racing brain trying to say something to relax her. Paige was relaxed because that’s how we are around each other.

Easily my favorite of the day. She looks relaxed and ready to be a mama of three. And Holy Cheekbones!

Inspired by all of the maternity silhouettes I see floating around Pinterest.

After we finished upstairs we went back down to their apartment, pushed a couch against the wall, and tried to get some shots of the siblings lovin’ on baby-in-utero. It didn’t quite go as planned, but I manage to grab some sweet moments anyway.

Let’s finish with a little demonstration of what life is actually like for this family.

I love you guys! I’m looking forward to meeting your little one and doing a whole lot of free babysitting when that happens.

I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out, and I know Lindy is too. Mind taking a moment to tell me what you think about my first senior session?

In the hours before this wedding, the bride, Heather, and I were checking the weather obsessively. I know this because we were tweeting back and forth to each other with high hopes that things would turn out sunny int he end. And they did! The clouds were there giving the photos a lovely sense of dimension, but we weren’t plagued by the awful rain that had been predicted. As you’ll see below, the light during the ceremony was just exiqusite – the best I’ve ever had on a wedding day.

The bride got ready at her parent’s house, then we headed over to the golf course where the rest of the events would take place. The first look happened under a willow tree, the ceremony was right on the water, and the reception (as you can see from the photos) was a crazy good time.

The bride in front of wedding photos of the generations before her.

Denny was more than ready to get the show on the road when we got there, but I could tell he was a bit nervous about seeing Heather for the first time. It was so sweet.

We had a quick lipgloss break before moving on to the portraits. Maybe I should add “Willing to loan out my own personal lipgloss” as one of the selling points for those interested in hiring Jenna Cole? The bridesmaids and bride at this wedding loved my tube of pink gloss.

I need to ask Heather where the girls got these necklaces. I want to add them to my Pinterest wishlist.

While I worked with the girl, producing really sweet and soft images, my mom, Denise Andersen, worked with the guys. They got a little bit crazy.

As we were walking back from the hill I told them to run! and everyone took off, leaving poor Heather in her sexy dress to shuffle along behind.

The moments before the ceremony are full of nervous anticipation. Once the kinks were worked out and the music started to play, everyone was all smiles.

The officiant for this wedding really seemed to know the couple, and it made for a really interesting and touching ceremony. He talked about who they are individually, and how they work together as a pair. I learned a lot about them while he spoke, and we all shared some laughs as he touched on some of the funnier parts of their relationship.

Their ceremony ended at the perfect time, allowing us to do one more round of portraits in this dreamy light. I went right back to the willows by the water, I just couldn’t get enough of them.

I’ve been lucky to work with some really great second shooters around the country, and my mom was no exception. I loved how she brought a completely different perspective to the portraits. This uber-sexy pose was all her.

She also grabbed a shot of me with the happy couple, something I stopped doing and would like to start up again.

I swear this was not posed by me. I happened to walk by right in time for the gun show.

The dance floor opened up nice and slow, with an anniversary dance that highlighted the couples that had been together the longest.

And then, things got really awesome.

Another shot from my mom. Very cool!

Heather and Denny provided flip-flops for those who would like to avoid dancing in heels. Some guests apparently thought to use them as dancing props as well?

The best part of the night, by far, was when they brought out the mini-donuts. It’s not only that they were delicious (I think I ate like 30?) and  that they made for great ring-shot props…

Everyone brought them out on the dance floor to chow down while they got down.

Heather and Denny,

We’ve only met in real life twice. Once for your consultation, and once for your wedding day. But it feels like so much more (in a good way!) Throughout your wedding day I felt like I you trusted me, and that means so much to me. I feel like the images reflect that. There are so many that I love, I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite. Thank you for being such a pleasure to work with, I enjoyed every second.

Best,

Jenna

Venue/Catering: Kemper Lakes Golf Club
Cake: Lovin Oven Cakery
Officiant: Father Jef Johnson
DJ: Kyle Mosher of Music By Design
Hair/makeup: Maris (makeup) & Becky (hair) from Cynthia Sally Makeup and Hair Artistry
Videography: David Kasdan Videography
Florist: Larkspur
Mini donuts: Jimmy’s Bag O’ Donuts
Wedding dress: La Sposa from Weddings 826

Brenizer method, 49 shots

135mm f/2.2

I started the day off photographing pink sparkly Toms. What a great way to start a wedding day!

While I worked with Rachel and her ‘maids.

My oh-so-talented second shooter Jen Ing worked with the guys. I’ve been so lucky to work with second shooters in Dallas, Maine, and now New Hampshire that have a shooting style that blends in so well with my own.

Sunglasses were present throughout the wedding day, as you’ll notice when you get down to the dancing photos.

Rachel started to tear up when she saw her dad for the first time…

but she was beaming by the time her walk down the aisle began.

I loved this kiss! Passionate (yet appropriate ), and nice and long which gave me more than enough time to capture it.

These two were kissers, and all of the kisses you see for the next little bit were not prompted by me. Nick could not stop telling Rachel how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, and how happy he was to be married to her.  He sealed each of those proclamations with a kiss to let her know he really meant it.

That kiss on the right was unscripted as well! I was around the corner rounding up family members and I came back around to find them doing this.

Rachel’s first glimpse of the reception decor. She worked really hard on the details for her wedding (while planning from Texas!) and it showed.

When she saw her cake, she was jumping up and down. I loved her cake too, and it actually tasted really delicious. Good call you two!

Each table was named after a different location they had visited (with a photo of them together) and each place setting had a pair of sunglasses for the guests to wear on the dance floor.

Another fun detail? Mustaches on a stick!

Rachel and Nick danced in to “You Make My Dreams” and I admit I started to cry a little bit. They were so happy, their guests were so happy, and it all just felt so right. These two are so genuine and good and I really loved spending the day with them.

Once the cake was cut, the party really got started. The band was absolutely terrific, and I caught myself dancing over and over throughout the night.

Things started off nice and sweet.

And then it was crazy and wild and oh-so-fun to photograph!

I think this is my favorite from the day. Rachel and Nick are cheering up front, grandma is having a ball in the middle of the frame, and I just adore the couple dipping in the bottom left corner.

I was able to steal them away for a few minutes to get a nighttime portrait on the beach. During that time the dance floor died down and I was worried taking the bride and groom had killed the party.

Never fear! These guests knew how to party all night long.

The bride and groom ended the night singing with the band as the last die-hard dancers broke it down on the dance floor.

Rachel and Nick,

Us working together was a really good idea. I loved to watch how genuinely excited Nick was about the wedding, and Rachel I am now convinced that you are the sweetest person on the planet. Thank you again for that sweet necklace, I’ve been wearing it regularly every since and I think fondly of your wedding whenever I do so.

I know I had a good time, and I think your guests did as well. Enjoy your new married life!

Best,

Jenna

I’m feeling pleased as punch about how this one turned out, and I’ve got good news for the honeymooning couple… there is a lot more where this came from!

Brenizer Method

40 shots with the 85mm 1.2

I think my own clients in Chicago (and wherever else I can find them around the world ) are going to appreciate these subtle changes as well!