A historic hotel…a magnificent catholic church…a trolley ride to an old world ballroom…the makings of a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple ~ Jay & Kayla. ♥

Bridesmaids are awesome because they are always there to help! Getting Kayla all dolled up and traipsing around a historic downtown with these girls in hot pink dresses was a blast!

I really love the shot above and the lily flower creation by Donna Curtis is so gorgeous {and smelled great too}! Kayla was so excited to see Jay and show off her beautiful dress and I think finally being able to see Kayla cooled Jay’s nerves.

Now this is riding in style! Off to a reflective and beautiful ceremony under the faint glow of the majestic stained glass windows.

And the little ring bearers had the most adorable getup! Love their silly faces!

This wedding was none-stop jaw dropping with the ballroom at The Sand Plum topping off the night. The exquisite cakes by Bev’s Cakes was a perfect finishing touch.

Check out these dancing machines! These showstoppers were dancing the night away to Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson tunes.

Want to see more of this grand wedding?! Make sure to check back in two weeks to follow their whole day!

Yay! Friday is here! I’ve been dying to post the photos of this adorable Route 66 Engagement. Meet Kevin & Alethia! I love these two. Tornadoes were looming over the horizon but they brought so much energy to the shoot that not even the crazy weather would stop us from having fun. There are so many photos that I love!

I just have to share this quote from Alethia on their wedding website: Kevin and I are one day shy of being “high-school sweethearts.” Awww, I love it! ♥

Kevin and Alethia are two years apart and attended the same high school but they only knew OF each other. Alethia first officially met him when she attended his prom {different dates mind you}. Then when Alethia graduated they crossed paths again and to Alethia’s surprise he clearly remembered her. ♥ It was only then, with both of them finished up with High School that their fates were colliding.

They were ALMOST High School sweethearts. To make a long story short, this meeting led to a Facebook friend request which let to late night messaging which led to a late night Wal-mart run which now will be leading to a happily ever after. These two are the cutest!

I loved hearing Kevin tell us the proposal story over lunch at Pops, a Route 66 diner. You can tell how nervous but mostly how excited he was to ask. But most of all I love how determined he was. So the story goes, they spent the weekend in Oklahoma City together but Kevin had to leave Monday morning for a job three hours away. As soon as he was done, he secretly drove three hours back to Oklahoma City to surprise her.

He used the drive to formulate and plan and get up the nerve to propose. The problem was that she wouldn’t answer her phone! He showed up at 9 o’clock outside her apartment to find out she wasn’t there and to make matters worse she finally called back and said she was having dinner in Stillwater {another hour away!}. Determined, he jumped in the car and raced to the Wal-Mart from their first outting and bought “I Love You” greeting cards and a pen. He then proceeded to send Alethia on a scavenger hunt throughout Stillwater ending at Theta Pond where he was waiting with a ring. How could a girl say no to a guy that goes to all those lengths!?

Want to see some more photos of these two sweethearts?! Head on over to the slideshow on the Event Page. Enjoy the weekend!

Happy Hump Day friends! Last but definitely not least! We have one more shoot to share from this past weekend. Meet Shelby & Emelie! Scott and I had so much fun on this session. It was sunny with a cool breeze and Emelie is so pretty. They are the nicest and friendliest couple!

These two sweethearts met through baseball in high school. Not knowing she was gazing at her future, Emelie followed all of Shelby’s baseball games. ♥ How cute!

The cool thing is that Emelie is actually a talented photographer! I have to admit that to be picked as the wedding photographer by a fellow photographer is the highest compliment. There’s many more sweet and beautiful photos of these two. So make sure to check back in two weeks to enjoy their full e-session!

Happy Monday! Well, it’s been a while since we’ve posted a family shoot since we’ve been so caught up in engagements and weddings lately. But we squeezed Rachael and her family in because Joel & Rachael will always have a special place in our heart as one of our earlier engaged couples. ♥ I’m so glad to see her and her family so happy with their newest member: sweet baby Annabelle.

Of course Annabelle can’t get away from her mom and dad’s sweet kisses! I love her expression! ♥ And it was great to finally meet Rachael’s talented brother and kind parents. Stop on by in two weeks to see more family fun. Enjoy your week!

Happy Saturday! Wow, we really don’t say that too often here on the blog but this weekend is so packed with photo goodies that we have to do a weekend post. And boy, this shoot is to die for! :) When we saw these two lovebirds laughing as soon as they jumped out of their truck, we knew we were in for an awesome afternoon! Meet Patrick and Bridgette. ♥

I swear if the sun didn’t set we would still be out there having a ball. So, you will all have to come back in two weeks to see the full e-session. After seeing these, I know you will, lol. ;) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Happy Friday! Typical of Oklahoma, the weather has been all over the place lately, lol. The weekdays tend to be sunny while the weekends tend to be crazy {figures}. But our prayers were answered and we didn’t get much more than a mist during this shoot. And the cool cloudy day set a laid-back mood for this fun engagement. Meet Jay and Kayla ♥ We started out the afternoon eating ice cream and relaxing at the university because Jay and Kayla are big fans of their Alma Mater. They both graduated with degrees in Ag Economics.

Jay proposed on September 2nd, the day after his birthday. These two sweethearts had been looking at rings but Kayla never saw it coming. Kayla was finishing up the last details for a planned birthday party with friends and family over at their house. Before the majority of the guests arrived, Jay proposed right after Kayla got out of the shower. The timing ended up to be just right with friends and family able to share in the celebration of the exciting news!

Jay and Kayla are definitely animal lovers! Kayla is a coach for the university equestrian team and Jay is a pharmaceutical rep for veterinarians. Not only that but they have two live-in furry friends, Emma and Lola, who joined in the fun for some photos by the lakefront.

These two…four!…are so much fun! Don’t forget to check out the slide show on their Event Page to find more of these fun and lighthearted photos. And guess what?! We’ll be photographing Jay and Kayla’s wedding next weekend! So keep a look out for the sneak peek. We’re so excited for it’s in a gorgeous historic church! Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Hump Day! This article was recently posted at Stillwater’s Community Connection website and I thought I would share it again on our own blog in case anyone missed it! Thanks again Sherry and Courtney for letting us share some thoughts with our local community. Support your local everything! So one of the questions we get asked a lot by hobbyists or people venturing into a photography business is “What camera should I buy?” This article isn’t intended to recommend a certain make or model but to provide some personal insights into buying camera equipment from personal experience as professional photographers. First, I want to say that a better camera doesn’t necessarily take better photos. It definitely helps but it’s YOU that creates the photo. It’s important to have reasonable expectations. The latest features may help you take a great photo but it won’t take a great photo for you. Guess what I used for the photo below? A point-and-shoot camera that fits in my pocket! I just made sure to “create” my photo.

First, find your brand. We shoot with Nikon cameras. But we don’t necessarily recommend others to shoot with Nikon brand cameras. We recommend that you go to a store and physically hold a Canon and a Nikon Camera {two reliable brands that I’d trust}. Look through the viewfinder and fire off a couple shots. The most important difference between camera brands is how it feels in your hands. You’re going to be shooting with it everyday {or should} so you need to be comfortable with it.

Once you’ve found your brand, figure out what is the best camera you can afford then buy the next model up from that. This may sound like overshooting {no pun intended} or even elitist but from personal experience it will save you money in the long run. This is especially true if you are wanting to turn your photography into a business. Once you learn how to push your camera to it’s limit you will yearn for the next model up, I assure you. So by buying the best you can now, you are actually buying more time before having to replace it. Entry level models appear adequate at first but quickly reveal faults once used everyday.

Disclaimer: The next bit of advice is directed towards those aiming at professional portraiture and is from experience. Certain features are very important but many of the popular marketed features on a camera are not. Today, DSLR camera’s are pushing video capabilities {such as HD video and swivel screens}. Seriously consider how often you will even use the video functions. We rarely ever use our camera’s video functions. I’ve also noticed an increase in added features like face recognition, levels, and auto-adjustment settings. Personally, with the exception of auto-focus, we adjust all of our settings manually. The human eye is a better meter than any you’ll find on a camera.

Finally, one of the largest benefits of a DSLR camera is that the lenses are interchangeable. This means that when you are purchasing a DSLR camera it may come as the body only {no lens} or maybe come with a kit lens {standard zoom lens}. In many cases the lens you use is more important than the camera. You can easily find deals by buying a camera with a kit lens, but these lenses are not ideal lenses for portraiture. I don’t use any of the lenses that came with my camera. The lenses I mostly use are prime lenses which means I have to zoom with my feet. I don’t use these types of lenses because I need the exercise, just kidding! I just prefer to shoot this way, but of course I will switch to a zoom lens if it’s needed. So, be wary of deals that include the lenses. You may quickly outgrow them as I did. Also be smart in buying lenses, keep in mind what you will be using it for. Are you wanting to take photos of People? Landscapes? Nature? Food? Ask yourself what you want to mainly use it for.

I hope this perspective is helpful with your next camera purchase. If you want to talk photography or ask our opinion on certain equipment feel free to contact us! Have fun shooting and enjoy the rest of your week!

Happy Monday! Wow, what a crazy weekend! It all started on Friday when we were finalizing the location and details for the Saturday engagement shoot. We discovered at the last minute that we were sharing part of the area with an antique car show AND the weather report was predicting tornadoes. That’s right, tornadoes! You may have heard about this on the news. So, we prayed the tornadoes would stay at bay and told the couple to bring their energy and an umbrella! They did and it turned out awesome! Meet Kevin and Alethia.

As you can see the weather gave us the break we needed and it actually was extremely pleasant. It helped that these two lovebirds are the nicest couple ever! There’s many more wonderful photos that you have to see. So make sure to come back in two weeks for their story and the full e-session. Have a great week everyone!

The weekend is just around the corner and we have an amazing e-session to share! I love these photos and I guarantee they will inspire you to venture outdoors with your significant other this weekend. I present to you David & Kelsey’s woodsy bicycle engagement. Ah they are so much in love! ♥

Adorable huh?! David and Kelsey are even a cuter couple in person. They both brought their bikes and good spirit which created photos that are definitely “them”. They both are avid bicyclists. They love biking around and definitely enjoy biking to class. David is actually planning a bike tour to Oregon. Yes, biking FROM Oklahoma TO Oregon. So as you can imagine, the shoot wouldn’t have been complete without their bikes. :)

David and Kelsey first met because they attended the same church and right now they live in rent houses that are across the street from each other. ♥ Sweet! ♥ They are also coincidentally both studying to be environmental engineers. We took their bikes out to this woods by a lake because there is a special story behind this spot. Besides biking, David and Kelsey love the outdoors. One day, David convinced Kelsey to go out hiking in these woods because he needed to “test out his new camping stove.” Kelsey was a little suspicious but didn’t question since it seemed logical enough plus she likes hiking through woods. While meandering under the canopy of trees, finding paths and enjoying the cool weather, two stray dogs randomly decided to join them for the day. Kelsey said the day was amazing, and with their new friends Bear and Scout it could only be described as surreal.

As the day wound down they found themselves sitting by the lake, admiring the sunset, petting the dogs, and talking about erosion {They ARE engineers remember? LOL}. What happened next, Kelsey never expected. David suddenly knelt on one knee and asked Kelsey to marry him. He spoke from his heart telling her why he chose here over any other girl. I got butterflies in my stomach from just hearing their story. And of course, she said Yes!

I don’t know if any day can compare to their proposal back in January, but it sure was enjoyable spending the afternoon capturing their love for each other. Head on over to the slideshow on their Event Page to find more wonderful and touching photos of these two. On another note, I hope you enjoy your weekend and come back Monday. We’ll post a sneak peak of an e-session we’re doing tomorrow {think soda pop and an old round barn ♥}. See you next week!

Hi Friends! This is Scott. Again? Yup, I’ll be dishing out the latest 4-1-1 since we’ve been pretty busy lately. And that’s basically what this post is about. So part of the idea behind going full time was that I would have more time…the time we needed. Now, Kristine is a Project Manager by day. Some people may say she’s bossy {just kidding babe!} but I say she’s a professional time manager. When we were both working day jobs we would end up working on our photography business at the same time. All I had to do was look at what she was doing and do the same or do what she’s not doing depending on whether one person doing it could get it done. Got that?! ;) LOL But now, I’m working on my own which means I’m forced to manage my own time. You would think that when we had less time, we would have learned fundamentals of time management. But there is one thing that I never quite realized. And I’ve only come to realize this from being given more time. There’s priorities, and lists, and multitasking; but the most important skill I’ve learned is the Art of Making Time.

A post just looks better with a photo so here’s David & Kelsey. Make sure to come back Friday for their full engagement session.

I was given an extra 40 hours last week. 40 hours! That’s a whole lot of extra time. I thought coming into the week I would be swimming in time. Nope. I was still doing the crazy running around and multitasking I was doing before. We even ate out a couple times which was one thing we wanted to avoid once we had “more time”. So what happened!?! In retrospect, I got things done that either would not get done at all before or not done well. These are important things but not necessary. Our socks are now folded and put away instead of having the community sock basket. I didn’t go to bed at 4 o’clock in the morning any day last week. It’s these simple things that can quickly add up. The point of this post is that no matter how much time you are given there is always things that don’t get done. What I learned from last week is that it doesn’t matter how we structure our lives we are always going to have to “make time.” One can make a list, prioritize it, group tasks that can be done together, and that’s great. The problem with this method is that we never put on the list some of the more important things like making dinner from scratch or going out to the movie theatre. It’s because these are daily decisions…and I’ve decided to make time for these things. So, I may still be a little tired and digging socks out of a basket but I’m okay with that. I hope you “make time” for the things you enjoy this week!