And We're Off!

So, last weekend was the official start of my wedding season. I told all of my friends that if they wanted to hang out with me, to call me in November. The next several months are going to be non-stop, with almost every weekend between now and October having at least one wedding. This isn't even including engagement sessions, bridals, and oh yeah, school. I am so thrilled about this year thus far between the new equipment I have had a chance to get my hands on, to my new editing processes, to all of the awesome brides that I have had the chance to book. It's going to be a fun one and I am looking forward to it. Well, the kickoff this year started with a bang. Below are some of the shots that I picked out while backing them up this morning. The bride is actually having a wedding in Brazil and had one here in Dallas for the groom's side of the family. The rules during the ceremony were sort of dissapointing: I had to stand behind the last pew and was not allowed to use a flash. The flash was not that big of an issue for me since I have great lenses, but standing in the back killed me. I wanted to be able to get closer to get the expressions on the bride and groom, especially since I knew the bride was going to be emotional during the ceremony. Alas, I had no choice but to do as I was told. Here are just a few of em (and always, take a look at my portfolio for a more detailed explanation of each photo):

Has it really been 2 months?

So, it seems it has. It feels like just yesterday I was sitting at home and opening presents with my family. Now I am looking back at my calendar and coming to realize that it has all been non-stop for the past 2 months... The shooting, the editing, the client meeting, and oh yeah, the school. Lest we not forget the last one. On one hand, things have been beyond busy, but on the other hand I have had the opportunities to shoot some great things and have an awesome client list for weddings list year that I am so excited to work with!! I have been fortunate enough to bring on board a couple photographers to assist me with this workload, and am really looking forward to working with them as well. SO! All that out of the way, I am here to present Mallorie W. A new bride that I have that was amazingly fun to do bridals with. We shot them at the Las Colinas Canals, and it was worth every penny of the $50 permit fee. Take a look!

My editing process...

No two photographers are the same. Everyone shoots differently, with different cameras and lenses, emphasizes different things depending on the subject matter, and everyone edits differently as well. In this age where digital photographs are the norm, taking the photo is only half the work. The manipulation of the picture after takes much more than a mere click of a shutter button. All of my photos are analyzed and editied for a number of different things during the post processing process. Over the past year, thing have changed for me though. I used to shoot, shoot, shoot, and then edit, edit, edit. I used to rely so much on post processing of the images that I ended up spending endless hours in front of the computer screen to achieve a desired result. What is great though, is that over time I have relied less on the editing and focused more on a "pure" style of shooting. Let's just say I am getting done right the first time. The shoot highlighted below was from about a week ago and features Brittany B., a friend of mine who needed head shots for her portfolio while I was back in Houston over the break. Shooting for friends is always great and laid back. Below is an example of my editing process. The first being the original- straight from the camera, the second- a finished edit, and the third- a black and white transfer. Enjoy (and as always, you can just click on the image to view it larger):

So, working on day 1 of the new year... Yep, sounds about right.

I was enjoying the holiday with my family in Houston when I received an email from a photographer who was shooting a wedding in Dallas on the first and was asking if I would be available to help him second shoot for it. So, I threw a price at him that covered time, skill, equipment, and the drive from H-Town to the Dirty D. He bit. Next thing I knew, I was on my way to Dallas on the first day of the year. It was well worth it. Their names were Trey and Marisa. An amazing couple who recently graduated from the beloved Texas A&M University and gave their vows on 1/1/10. This is how I saw their wedding (as always, just click to enlarge the image):

And We Have Liftoff...

So, as the new year has come and sewn itself into the fabric of time, I have decided it was time to take the next noticeable step with my photography- become more personable to it and take greater ownership over my work. Last year was amazing, and I have to thank Dallas for making that happen for me. My first camera came to me in the mail January 5th 2009 and my first paid product photography job was on January 23rd for a client I still work with. My first wedding was on my birthday, April 25th, and I was fortunate enough to shoot over 40 weddings in the last 9 months of that year. Oh, how I feel blessed. So! My major focus for 2010 is creating a more personable portfolio. One that does not just display the photos, but gives more insight into my shooting style, tendencies, and shows you actually how darn busy I am! Anyway, I am looking forward to a stellar year here in 2010, and have already had the opportunity to work with another amazing photographer in Dallas on the very first day of the year.

Thank you Texas, I look forward to serving you well in 2010.

-Evan