Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Austin and Amanda (view additional images here)

Can I say how much i like what i do? Because i do. especially when i get couples like Austin and Amanda. Their wedding is still a few months away (as always register at pictage.com to get photo updates for Austin and Amanda) but i had the pleasure of doing their engagement photos this afternoon. When i asked what they had in mind for there engagement photos they both just said "something different". I said " I can do different." So we did. I took them down to a local roadside antique stand that is kind of a scrapmetal junk yard for old Coke machines. There were great colors and they both had the look to pull in off. As always some of my favorites are below.Although honestly, there are so many good ones it was hard to pick. The rest of the finished ones as well as the studio shots will be in the online gallery early next week.




Monday, February 26, 2007

Olivia is 1 year old!

Talk about a year going by quick. My photography style and website and studio have gone through a lot of changes in the past year. And little Oliva has been there right along with me. I met Olivia's parents Luke and Christal about a year and a 1/2 ago when i shot her maternaty pics at my old studio in Hollister, We hit it off right away. I first shot baby Olivia about 2-3 weeks after she was born. she still had her little belly button stump. She was tiny and as cute as a button. Luke and Christal decided to purchase a package where we met once a month to document Olivia's first year. Anyway she just turned 1 year old last week as she is just as beautiful. She is also about ready to take off as you can see from the pics. We shot some in the studio and then went to the park down the street. It was her first time in one of those McDonald Play place things. She was a little hesitant but managed to have some fun all the same. Not to mention the wind was blowing about 35 MPH. Here are some of my favorites. check back soon to see some shots from her B-Day party. It was a blast!



Chris and Ashley

I had the pleasure of photographing Chris and Ashley this weekend. I almost suggested that we reschedule because it was so dreary out. But I am glad that we decided to go ahead and do it all inside. They were one of those couples that did great in front of the camera. Not every one warms up that fast to being photographed, but Ashley and Chris did so in record time. They got comfortable very quickly and we got alot accomplished in a short amount of time. Ashley was actually concerned that she wasnt photogenic. I dont know who had been taking your pictures before but I thought you did great. And Chris just has one of those faces that has character and that works well in photos. Here are some of my favorites.








My Dentist

I had my first appointment with my dentist today where she actually came to me. And unlike me she was actually on time for her appointment. I took pictures of her 6 month old son Owen. He was a big boy and about as cute as they come. Hope you like them. i cant wait to shoot the rest of your family later this year. The T-shirt idea sounds fun. i am looking forward to it.




Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Its a Miracle

My phone is magically working again! and all of my emails that i missed over the last couple of days magically apeared in my inbox about 11pm tonight. hallalujah!

Communication Disaster

A Tri-Fecta of Communications Meltdowns has occured at Big Smile Photography. For those frustrated souls that have been trying to get in touch with me the last couple of weeks you have had quite an uphill battle. While i was in Mexico i couldnt make or receive calls, then My 7month old son drooled all over my cellphone (the main studio line) late last week and so i have had to reroute calls to the fax line. (which i discoverd this morning had been unplugged!!!) Also as if the communications gods hadnt mocked me enough, my email box had reached its limit and decided to quit on me over the weekend. I guess I should have known that something was wrong when i went from getting about 30 inquiries a day to ZERO!) But good news! the fax line is back up and my email server problems have been fixed. but if you happen to read across the blog and have been trying to get in touch with me with no success please, please, please! try again.

Jer

Monday, February 19, 2007

Another Kuenzle Family Wedding

So it was a little Cold and a lot windy, but it was all ok because i got to shoot another Kuenzle family wedding. Zach and Ann Victoria met though Zach's sister Kristen whos wedding i shot a year or so ago. She was also the master mind behind the set up of Zack and Anna. Which if you were there you got the 411 about that from Zach and Kristens Dad (seen below adjusting his tie) He actually officiated the ceremony. They are a great family and i was happy too see them again. The Ceremony took place in Branson at my former home church (i still consider it my home church) Harvest Evangelical Free. I ran into alot of old friends and alot of my former couples ( a few prospective ones as well). My Brother and Zach are close friends and participated as one of the groomsman. With all the familiar faces it was like a I was attending the wedding not photographing it. Heidi and Chris one of my couples from last May even hooked me up with a heaping plate of food While i was working so i didnt even have to stand in line. The reception took place at the Tea Room that Anna Works at. It was beautiful location I would recommed it to anyone who is looking for a reception site that holds uner 150 people. The food was great and the staff was freindly. Pastries by Carla made the cake and as many weddings as we have done together i never get tired of Carla's cakes.

here are some of my favorites from the day.Thanks again for letting me be apart of another family get together. hope you like the pics.















Sunday, February 18, 2007

Cabo update!

Well, Figured I could show everyone some more personal stuff from my trip. Jon Koch shot my new Bio pic, wadda u think? If only those leaves were hair. Of all of the awesome follage in cabo and we shoot in front of some potted plant outside of some shopping mall. There is also a shot of Dawn, Jon and I the last full day of the Seminar in some Cantina where he ordered a couple of beers and left without paying the tab. We were halfway back to the resort before he even remembered. The other shots are just some stuff around San Jose around the Hotel.





Friday, February 16, 2007

I recant my previous statement

Ok maybe recant is not the right word. how does rephrase sound. What i meant to say (in refrence to my comment about the xtreme confrence) is not that i didnt get as much out of it as i had hope, but that I got something different than what I expected. And the longer that i am home the more and more i seem to have benefited from the seminar. Take the following images for example. I had my first shoot since returning from xtreme and I can see and feel a big difference in the results. The shoot started off a little rocky. Cody had taken me to work after I dropped my car off for and oil change. He left the Studio just as the Katie and Kurt arrived leaving me and the couple stranded at the studio. We decided to do a few in studio shotsuntil Linds dropped off the other car. (without gas of course). So after a quick pitstop and a jount through rush hour traffic we got to the mudhouse lounge with about 30 min of good light in the freeziing cold. It was, however, a very profitable half hour. Katie and Kurt impressed me with there cold tollerance. We gulped down a mudskipper each and took off. Here are some of my favorites. Thanks Guys you did an awesome job





Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Back From Mexico

Hello all. The First thing that I would like to do is apologize for not being available to talk to in person for more than a week. I figured I would at least be able to receive or return calls from Mexico, but I was wrong. Thanks for your patience. If you called or emailed and I have not gotten back to you please let me know. Cody was able to hold the fort down pretty well while I was gone but if you need anything just let me know.


Enough of that, let's get back to the trip. It was a great trip for so many reasons. I got to hang out with my good friend Dawn from Dawn Shields photography and met a few new friends from accross the country that all attended the Xtreme photography in Cabo. The Confrence was hosted by Jessica Claire and Liana Lehmen- two great destination photographers. I have to admit I was hoping to come away with a little more than I did but all in all is was a good trip and I did learn a few things - mostly to have confidence in my work. If that's all I came away with then it was worth it. I was gone for seven days and I was most definitley home sick by the end of the week. But I got some great shots of the two couples that we worked with while we were down there. Here are some of my favorites. The first couple of shots are of a couple from Hawaii, Steven and Kristen. the second is J.D. and Jasmine














Liana Sister was nice enough to do some modeling for us as well. here is my favorite shot of her



This was my first trip to Mexico. I met a great new Photographer friend Jon Koch out of St. Louis. Jon boy likes a good cerveza (that means beer in spanish). By the end of the week he had earned the name xtreme Jon. Not so much for being that extreme but for threatening to be so on several occasions. Actually, he was usually the first one to turn in for the night. I danced with a lot of old retired ladies whose husbands were too beat to be on the dance floor. And I did a lot of relaxing on the beach. I was a little dissapointed in my choice of accomedations. I stayed at an all inclusive and was expecting to put on a few pounds while I was away. Instead, I ended up loosing due to the mediocre food. Stay tuned for more Cabo Updates as I go through all of the shots I am sure I will come up with a few more to share. For now I am off to rub a little more lotion on my sunburned back.