• Welcome to the blog! This is where I share sneak peeks of my recent work + lots of other random goodies. Updates are posted regularly so be sure to check back often.

    I'm based in Branson, MO and serve clients throughout the Ozarks and beyond. I love traveling! Got questions? Interested in booking a photo session or wedding? Just click the "Contact" link above. I would love to hear from you!

  • Hey Class of 2011! There are only a few spots still available for senior reps. Want a FREE session + other cool stuff? APPLY HERE
    FlexibleBranson / Springfield / Harrison / Eureka Springs
    Sept. 4Springfield, MO - mini sessions available!
    Oct. 2Fayetteville, AR - mini sessions available!

Tag Archives: workshop

SimplyBloom Workshop & Bridal Session

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Huntsville, AL to attend a workshop hosted by the talented ladies of SimplyBloom Photography.  I’ve been a longtime fan of Christine and Vania’s work and was absolutely thrilled about the chance to meet them in person.  In just a relatively short amount of time, these two have quickly become some of the most popular destination wedding photographers, and I knew that their workshop would be full of great ideas and inspiration.  And yes, it was amazing!

One of the key points Christine and Vania emphasized was the importance of creating a strong brand for your business.  Since the workshop, I’ve made several changes both behind the scenes and otherwise to fine tune my branding.  I’ve upgraded everything from my pricing .pdf to my product packaging.

One of the areas I concentrated a lot on was how I structured my photo session packages.  I added an option to receive a CD of all images, and I decided that I would focus more on “styled” sessions that incorporate more elaborate location setups, props, themes, etc.  The goal being to provide a very personalized, one-of-a-kind custom photography experience for my clients.

Another tip from the SimplyBloom duo was to craft a photography style that is uniquely yours.  This really caught my attention because it got me to thinking about all of the well-known photographers whose work I follow.  While they all have very different styles, the one thing that ties them all together is how they’ve managed to create a “look” that is completely their own.  Example: when I see one of their photos, I’m often able to easily identify it as theirs.

Creating MY signature style has been one of my top priorities, and it has evolved after much experimentation with different shooting and post processing techniques.  I find that I often draw from my background in photojournalism to capture more candid moments and include those images along with the traditional portraiture.  As for editing, I want my photos to have a unique look that is a balance of being both modern and timeless at the same time.

There are many other ideas I gathered from the workshop, which I am currently applying to my business.  Some of the suggestions were to:  blog more about my personal life so that clients can get a better sense of who I am; collaborate with local wedding vendors on styled photo sessions and other projects; re-evaluate what products I want to offer; and much more…  I just can’t say enough about how helpful and inspiring the SimplyBloom workshop was.  I left Alabama with lots of new knowledge that I’ve been so excited to put into use!

Below: Vania, Christine, and our bridal session models.Branson Harrison Springfield Arkansas Missouri Wedding PhotographerSome more images from the bridal session we got to shoot.  I previously blogged about it HERE.Branson Harrison Springfield Arkansas Missouri Wedding PhotographerBranson Harrison Springfield Arkansas Missouri Wedding Photographer

Bridal Session

Here’s the first installment of photos I shot during the workshop’s bridal session.  (In case you missed it, this is the sneak peek I posted earlier.)  I’m in love with everything about this session…the location, the gorgeous light we had to work with, the amazing wedding dress and bouquet, and more.  Plus, our models were sooo great.  I think my favorite image from this set is the one where the bride is standing by the chair.  She totally rocked that incredible fierce pose!

Bridal Wedding Portrait-1-10Bridal Wedding Portrait-1-16

Workshop Sneak Peek

This week I traveled to Huntsville, AL to attend a fabulous workshop hosted by SimplyBloom Photography.  It was such a great experience!  I’ll share all the details in a later blog post.  I did want to go ahead though and show a sneak peek from the bridal session we got to photograph.  I have so many favorite pictures from that day, but this image below stood out to me because of its high fashion couture feel.  Stay tuned for more…  :-)

Bridal Wedding Portrait-1-3