A musical interlude

Listen to the girl
As she takes on half the world
Moving up and so alive
In her honey dripping beehive
Beehive
It's good, so good, it's so good
So good
-"Just Like Honey" by Jesus and Mary Chain

From the album, "Psychocandy", one of my desert island discs. The song was featured in the final scene of "Lost in Translation", a top-10 of all time nominee movie. Don't argue with me. On either count.

Carly + Kelly

There was a lot of smiling going on in Ames on Saturday. A lot of that ear-to-ear grinning was done by the bride, Carly, who never seemed to let the pressure of the day faze her. But there was still plenty of happy faces to go around as her and Kelly's day was blessed with sunshine and tons of friends and family to see them into their new life as husband and wife.




The ringbearers reflected all the dignity of the occasion but, despite their well-dressed appearance and best efforts, they soon lost control of their faces and turned back into the boys they are.

The flowergirl only made it halfway up the aisle before detouring to the comfort of her favorite stuffed animal and blanket, refuge from the burden of that cute little basket of rose petals.


I'm just guessing but I suspect our bride's quick smile was inherited from her father, who, like most fathers of the bride, smiled a lot (after the ceremony).

The church, in addition to having yellow stained glass windows, had yellow walls. You can either fight the color or work with it.

En route to the reception and away from the madding crowd, the bridal party took a detour and we made some fun photos at the park and, after some refreshments, in an old phone booth wedged into a bar in Boone.



Great toasts yield great reactions. There was plenty of both at the head table.

The power of images: Watching a slide show celebrating the couples' lives.

And then things got weird, I mean funky. We call this dancing in Iowa.

Season opener: Johanna + C.J.

Saturday night brought the true start to the 2007 wedding season. Johanna and C.J. promised a night to remember and a cast of characters to keep me busy. They were right, for the first time since going digital, I very nearly ran out of memory. Everything from dressing to departure took place in the The Temple for Performing Arts, a restored Masonic Temple in downtown Des Moines. Large doses of fun were had by all in attendance. I went home and ordered 8 more gigabytes for my cameras in case I run into another group of crazy, beautiful people like Johanna and C.J. What are the chances?

Johanna gets ready with her mother's help. Her vintage gown was the same wedding dress worn by C.J.'s late mother.
It takes a village to get a groom into a rented tux. C.J. got help from his father and one of his groomsmen.


The highlight of the day was when I stole away with Johanna and C.J. for a relaxed, but quick, portrait session in and around the Temple. I push all my couples to give me a small window of creative time because a few sweet portraits and quiet moments of the couple adds so much to the final package. I asked for 10-15 min., and somehow got away with 28. I think their indulgence of the beret-wearing artiste inside me paid off handsomely.





C.J.'s not a bad dancer for a journalist, a breed notoriously challenged by rhythm. I suspect dancing lessons were part of the wedding planning process.

Any good toast has to include an embarassing revelation about the toasted and Johanna's maid of honor, Cate, did not disappoint, managing to mix laughs and tears in good measure.

A wedding is an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved but, even as a father myself, I don't know if anyone appreciates the wash of feelings the father of the bride experiences on the day he gives his daughter away.

So, without naming names, it seems the hired d.j. failed to show up for work on Saturday. So, a family friend (and Ph.D.) pooled the iPods and a laptop and kept the dancefloor hopping all night.
Moms and grandmothers, consider yourself warned. If you get on the dance floor, you will be photographed. Sure, a portrait is nice but a shot of dear old mom cutting a rug is priceless.

Thanks to everyone in attendance for making it a night to remember. And, if you can't remember, I have the pictures to jog that memory.

Spring fever (indoor variety)

When Lindsay + Ben, who are getting married in July, scheduled their engagement shoot for early April, I envisioned these Chicagoans frolicking in the warm spring air amid blooming flowers and singing birds. I forgot where I live. Instead, "spring," which did have a glorious start this year, quickly turned tail and gave us temperatures colder than Christmas and winds only a penguin could love. So, we stayed inside the Fitch Building downtown and made the most of the light and drafty but warm environment before us. Lindsay + Ben seemed ok with my suggestions of canoodling in order to stay warm. They're good sports. We'll do the outdoor stuff in July.

Tax-deductible fun (and learning)

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a middle-aged white guy taking flight after having my first In-N-Out Burger, the only bargain meal in Las Vegas.
I spent last week in the cacaphonous desert mess of Vegas at the Digital Wedding Forum conference, 3 1/2-days of seminars delivered by longtime and rising stars of wedding photography including Joe Buissink, Yervant and Doug + Chenin Boutwell. These are the type of people who simultaneously inspire me while making me want to rip my eyes out. Their work has that certain mojo that I'm always striving for and, while I know it's not easy, they make it look that way.
The best part of the week, though, is the chance to hang out with a wide swath of colleagues and swap ideas over overpriced drinks until the wee hours of the morning and then get up impossibly early for more. Thanks to my friends in the "Portland Mafia," including Randy Kepple, JP + Amy Prutch and Nicole Wickens, for taking me under their wing (only one, there was usually a drink in the other). I love their camaraderie and their devotion to having fun. Nicole took the image above.
I can't wait to unleash all my new knowledge on my clients this year. Someday, maybe I can inspire some photographer to rip their eyes out (metaphorically, I mean).

A couple of other lowlights from Vegas:
Portland godfather JP Prutch buffing my skull while bad girl of the desert Jeanie Ow watches.
A meeting of the minds with John Michael Cooper, one of the most creative and nicest guys I've had the pleasure of meeting.


These uncomfortable girls are Joy + Jules Bianchi of California. Jules is one of our organization's rockstars and just darn sweet. I was hoping some of her sunshiny mojo might rub off on me.