4Honor Photography

Kansas City Wedding: Callie + Brandon

2011-11-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

For the people who followed my photography since the very beginning, may notice that Callie looks familiar. That's because she was one of the first people to help me learn my photography skills by letting me practice shooting her portrait. Fast forward a couple of years, Callie was engaged to Brandon! I am honored she chose me to shoot her engagement session and now the wedding!

Everything on the big day went smoothly, from the nice weather to beautiful venues. The whole bridal party was fun, gave me lots of awesome photos! Callie and Brandon just did their thing, and you get the images below as a result!

Thanks to Jereme Wilson for helping out, and I will be posting some photobooth photos from their wedding soon.

Kansas City Wedding: Meagan + Lenn

2011-10-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Lenn is my co-worker at my day job, and it didn't take too long that the word of being a wedding photographer got around the office. Meagan actually make the cake herself (it was really good!) as well as other decorations. It was at the Uptown Theater, where the venue put up their names in the marquee sign. The Uptown was chosen because theater was where Meagan and Lenn met, where he proposed, and now where they got married! It was my pleasure to photograph Lenn and Meagan's wedding.

I also got to work with my good friend Dale who shot the wedding with me, and Jereme of Crosslink Productions who did the video. I had set up a photobooth for Meagan and Lenn's wedding, which I will post some photos in a later post. It was a hit!

Washington MO Wedding: Jill + Nick

2011-10-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

This is probably the furtherest out wedding I have booked, years ahead! I met Jill when I work-studied in college, but at the time I was just running around with my point-and-shoot camera. Thanks to Facebook, Jill was able to see that I got into wedding photography, and that she liked my photos. So, when Jill got engaged, she demanded that I shoot her wedding. It's so awesome!

Fast forward to the big day. It started with some drizzling, I was already looking for covered area for photos. However, by ceremony time, the clouds parted and the sun came out, so I was able to have ample beautiful into the church. This wedding wasn't really about the details for me, but all the emotions and interactions. Jill and Nick were very much in love, and all his/her friends/relatives are so close to them, so it was easy for me to capture all the candid feelings.

There are many photos to choose from for the blog, but I think these will do for now. Big thanks to my friend Dale for shooting this wedding with me, and then drive all the way to NC the next day!

New product! DVD Presentation Case

2011-08-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the people I ask prefer to get their final images on a disc, because it's convenient, and images are shared over the internet these days. I have been giving clients just a regular DVD, nothing special. While it's really the photos on the disc that is the most important, I wanted to "wow" the clients with a little more. Something that they can easily use to share photos online, as well as some offline uses.

After some research, I found a company that makes these DVD holders that also include a small photobook, and everything is protected with a hard outer case. It's all elegantly put together, and the craftsmanship is top notch.

Removing the DVD holder from the hard case.

Bride and Groom names on the case spine.

Top view of the DVD holder, showing the photobook held in place.

Opening up the holder reveals the cover of the photobook.

The DVD holder laid flat. Photobook on the left, DVD on the right.

Removing the photobook from the DVD holder.

Seamless hinge so no part of the images are lost across the pages.

Thick photo paper.

High quality printed DVD in the holder.

The DVD holder, hard case, and the photobook.

Everything put back together for safe storage!

If this is something you are interested, please let me know! I can bring this sample with me to your wedding consult so you can actually touch/feel it.

Lawrence KS Wedding: Theresa + Brian

2011-07-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

From the very first phase of wedding consultation to the big day, these two couldn't be any easier to work with. Theresa found me through one of her friend's Facebook, because the photos were from Manisawn and Daniel's wedding.

The ceremony was held at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, and reception was at the Alvamar Country Club, both of which are very unique and beautiful for photos. There were so much going on during the day, so special thanks to Dale and Nancy for shooting with me, there are a couple photos from each of them! They got the photobooth package from me, which you can see on my Facebook fanpage. I had so much fun, definitely an honor to be a part of!

Kansas City Wedding: Sarah + David

2011-06-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

Sarah and David was referred to me by a friend from high school days, but just at the first consult, I knew I would like them. They are so easy to work with! The whole morning/afternoon was spent at the Loose Mansion at downtown KC by the Plaza, which is nice because we could just shoot everything around the Mansion, and that gave them extra time to party!

The flower was done by Amy of Victorian Gardens, love that girl's work! And my trusted friend Dale Foshe was shooting with me. I have yet to found another photographer that I can totally depend on.

Congrats to Sarah and David!

Topeka KS Wedding: Megan + Jeff

2011-05-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Yay! First wedding of 2011! First road trip wedding with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography! Megan and Jeff's engagement session is also the couple that I first got to help Sarah on. From then on, I have been shooting most of Sarah's wedding with her. Fun times!

Given it's early January, there is still snow on the ground, but that only gave us better photos! We went to the state capital for some photos, and the snow shots are taken just in the lawn in front of the building. Both Megan and Jeff were such troopers that coldness didn't get to them, so big thanks for putting up with Sarah and I~

Photobooth: Jessie + Nick

2011-05-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share some photobooth in a different way. I think some of these photos are best viewed in a series.

Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) at Art Institute

2011-05-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

As I was finishing up the day and leaving a wedding reception at the KC Marriott Hotel on Saturday night, I noticed the smoke and flashing lights nearby. Since I still had my camera equipment with me, I decided to take some photos of "heroes in action". I wanted to show my appreciation for all the firefighters have done for us, so I have sent these photos to them. KCFD, thanks again for keeping everyone safe!

So, Always have your camera with you, you never know what you will catch!

P.S. If you look close enough at the first photo, you can see a piece of debris on fire falling down along the wall. :)

St. Joseph Wedding: Kelsey + Adam

2011-05-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

The last wedding of 2010! Ended the year with this sweet wedding with Laura of Lark Photography, which included snow! Instead of the "regular pretty photos" of the bride/groom, I have decided to focus more on the expressions and interactions of the couple with their surroundings. I think this makes the set more fun to look at.

Nonetheless, Kelsey is stunningly good looking, so I just had to upload a few of her bridal shots. I was also really excited to see our past clients Abby/Cory and Robyn/Steven at the wedding too, it's like a big family!

Kansas City Wedding: Katie + Jason

2011-05-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yet another fabulous wedding with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography! I have actually shot at the St. Agnes Catholic Church before, and this time it's just as beautiful as before. The reception is at the Grand Reserve, and this is the last time they are booking receptions there. It's kinda sad because it's a really cool venue, I love the two level design.

What a cool couple to photograph, we went to West Bottoms, Union Station, and then the Plaza for the bridal party photos. They had the best/considerate trolley driver ever, combined with a fun bridal party, it was a blast all afternoon. The entertainment doesn't stop there. Come the father-daughter dance, they surprised everyone with a choreographed dance from Michael Jackson to Teach Me How to Dougie... Oh, even I was laughing uncontrollably!

Kansas City Wedding: Jessie + Nick

2011-04-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Yet another glorious wedding with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography! Jessie and Nick got married in a beautiful church somewhere in Kansas, and had the reception at one of my favorite venues, the Sawyer Room (Their DJ gets people down on the dance floor, everytime!). Both Jessie and Nick are so relaxed that it's so easy to photograph, and their fun bridal party made the photoshoot so much fun. Speaking of the bridal party, I actually went to high school with one of the bridesmaid, and she recently got engaged!

I think I got more of Nick and creative shots at this wedding, so for more shots of the pretty Jessie, check out Sarah's blog post. :)

She was cold, so he wrapped his jacket around her, ha ha!

Lee's Summit Engagement: Mandy + Nick

2011-04-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Mandy is another one of my coworkers from the day job! I will be shooting their wedding mid 2012, but they want the engagement photos done now so she can make a photobook for their mothers in time for mother's day! Such fun couple, can't wait for their wedding!

Thanks to Seng for helping out, she is getting better and better!

Kansas City Engagement: Shelley + Ben

2011-04-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yay new photos! Ben is actually my coworker at my day job (yeah, I am a weekend warrior), and once he found out what I do on the weekends, he asked me to shoot his wedding later this year. I agreed, and so here comes the engagement session. We went to Liberty Memorial in Kansas City first, but then it actually started snowing, so we went to the bridge/walkway at Crown Center for the second part.

Usually the guys are not as interested in photos, but Shelley was very enthusiastic and energetic, so I was able to get some really fun photos of them. Congrats to Shelley and Ben!

Kansas City Wedding: Erin + Shaun

2011-04-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Of course every bride is all smiles and happy on their wedding day, but with Erin, you can tell that smiling/laughing is her personality. On the wedding day, I tell all my brides to just smile all the time, whether I am shooting or not. I did not have to remind Erin once throughout the whole day, she was just so genuinely happy!

We met up with Shaun at the church, and what a nice guy. So calm, yet helpful. His groomsmen and him offered to carry my heavy camera gear, but I couldn't accept, because Laura will think I am not working hard enough! Ha ha...

We finished the day with the reception at the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown KC. The room had circular windows that offered 360 degrees view of downtown, so awesome. Speaking of awesome, I shot this wedding with Laura of Lark Photography.

Lee's Summit Wedding: Ashlea + Clifford

2011-04-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought it was this was gonna be "another wedding, another Saturday" with Laura of Lark Photography, I was told who the bride was. Ashlea and I went to high school together! We didn't really hang out, but since I haven't seen many friends from back in HS, I was really excited to reconnect.

Ashlea and Clifford had their wedding and reception at the prestigious and elegant Longview Mansion in Lee's Summit, seriously one of my favorite wedding venues! And they used one of Laura and mine good friend, Alea of Alea Lovely for their wedding video! Click here to see it.

Kansas City Wedding: Nancy + Jeff

2011-03-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Nancy is actually more than just another bride at a wedding, I met her at a local photographers meetup. That's right, she's also a photographer! When she booked Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography, I am not sure if she realized that I second shoot for Sarah a lot, and I was going to be at her wedding! I was so excited to shoot another photographer's wedding, because I know they can appreciate some of the technical aspects of our jobs, and that's a satisfying feeling.

The wedding was at the beautiful Weston Red Barn Farm, just a bit north west of Kansas City. The weather was perfect and Fall colors gave everything a warm feeling. Both Nancy and Jeff were relaxed and just enjoying the day, which in turn made the whole wedding fun. What's better is Nancy and I still keep in touch discussing photography related topics, I hate to just shoot the wedding and never talk to the couple again!

You can see more photo of Sarah's blog, but here are some of my favorites.

Kansas City Wedding: Suzie + Derek

2011-03-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

As a Mizzou Alumni, this might be the best wedding of 2010... :) Almost everyone in the bridal party and the reception guest are from Mizzou, and had such school pride! I can do either MU or KU weddings, but being with so many Tiger fans, I absorbed so much energy from them all day.

Suzie and Derek scheduled in so much time for photos, so our awesome trolley driver took us everywhere in KC, from Union Station to Loose Park to Plaza fountains to her house for the dog, and finally finish at the KC Art Institute. Laura of Lark Photography and my cameras were gonna melt by the end of the day!

To end the day on a high note, Mizzou football (#11 in BCS) happened to have a game with #1 BCS school, Oklahoma at Mizzou Faurot Field! During the reception, they even set up a TV broadcasting the game. Before we left, we walked by a bar inside the hotel, and saw the Tigers won 36 - 27! What a great day. There were too many photos to choose from, but here are some of my favorites, enjoy!

Yes. She did a split while balancing a beer bottle on her head. While in her wedding dress. Awesome!

Photobooth at Erin and Tim's wedding!

2011-03-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to publish this post, but it's too fun to pass up! :)

I recently acquired equipments for making a photobooth, and thought I'd provide it at Erin and Tim's wedding. Based on the reactions and photos I got, I'd say it was a great success!

What is a Photobooth?
A photobooth is pretty much a camera that takes a series of photos for you. You and your friends can get crazy and creative without the need for a dedicated photographer there.

Right now I have a pretty simple setup: You just pick up the remote/clicker, and shoot away. I will be adding more props and upgrades to make the experience more fun for everyone.

Why have a photobooth?
I believe the photobooth is a way to keep guests at your reception. It gives them a reason to stay and enjoy the day with you, same idea as having a good DJ that can keep people on the dance floor.

So, here are some photobooth photos to show you how much fun it is! Please ask about it for your wedding if you book with me!

By FAR my favorite of the day! She jumped from a chair just outside of the shot!

Yeah... camera duals... :)

St. Joseph Wedding: Abby + Cory

2011-03-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Laura and I have shot a couple weddings in St. Joseph already, and they are actually referred from Abby, because she just love Laura so much! She kinda knows me going in since I second shot for Laura at said weddings. Without Abby, Laura and I wouldn't have these road trips, so thanks Abby!

Mid October, perfect fall weather. We started at the Benton Club for getting ready photos, and there we met the fun bridal party. The church is just down the street, one of the most gorgeous churches I have been to. Finished the day off with the reception at Moila Country Club.

But, in between all that is when we had the most fun taking photos! Abby is just so relaxed and bubbly, which made all her smiles natural. Cory was cool and calm, just taking care of stuff as needed. When you put them together they just burst with genuine love! They were so emotional and sweet, I hope my photos show that. I want to thank them both for being patient with Laura and I, because we just couldn't stop taking pictures of them! Every shot is lovely.

So, that explains the huge post. Please let them finish loading and enjoy!

Excelsior Springs Wedding + Photobooth: Kristen + Ahmed

2011-03-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

What a special day for a wedding! 10-10-10! This day deserves special couple and special venue to complete the deal. Kristen and Ahmed are one of those couples that are just happy and relaxed all day, so easy to work with. The wedding is at The Elms in Excelsior Springs, kind of vintage feel, lots of wood panels, but classy.

Because there are different cultures at the wedding, it made the day interesting. However, when the night comes, at the dance floor, it's full of craziness! Everyone seemed so good at dancing, and I just keep clicking away. What else was clicking away was the photobooth I setup just outside the reception area. It was so much fun when you have crazy people, I think it was a huge success! See the photos at the end of the post, and ask about it for your wedding!

Who is the awesome photographer that booked the couple? That would be Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography, you can find her photos here, and more photobooth photos here. :)

Sarah and I with the Bride and Groom!!! Yay!

Independence Wedding: Sheila + Chris

2011-03-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

My first wedding of 2011! It's only gonna get crazy from now! Y'all just keep coming back for the goods...

I got a call about mid January from Chris, and he told me he was looking for a photographer for their wedding. I asked when his wedding was, and he said 2/19. I thought, "oh, no problems, I can start booking 2012 weddings!" Then he told me it was this year... Let me tell you, I was nervous for him! He said he got my contact info from my friend Julie of Julie Anderson Photography, so I just had to help out. Fortunately I was available, so I took the job.

I am so glad I did, because it was so relaxed and fun! The wedding was small, and everyone was just so nice to my second shooter Brian Paulette and I. Chris and his groomsmen are always smiling, and followed my directions very well. It may not seem much, but it's a huge help to the photographer. Then Sheila and the bridesmaids were all just gorgeous. I just point and shoot and get great photos. The flower girl was especially cute! Very photogenic too.

I love small weddings like this, it's more fun than stressful work, which is what I always prefer. You just have to check out the photos below to see what you missed!

Kansas City Wedding: Chelsea + Tim

2011-02-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

This wedding was actually at the same church as the Charlotte and Daniel's wedding, just one week later. It was interesting to go right back to the same church for another wedding. Funny thing was, the pastor somehow remembered me, and when Laura told her about me, she actually said that she remembered me because I was the one that went past the guest area to get shots during the ceremony. However, because I did it tastefully and with class (aka, sneaky), she made an exception for me to do it again at this wedding! It was both awesome and awkward for me... Ha ha!

Anyways, on to the couple! They usually exchange letters while getting ready, but Chelsea and Tim actually recorded their messages onto a pocket camcorder! It was so cool because I am a geek when it comes to electronics. Everything went uphill from there. Chelsea was so pretty and so expressive, full of emotions! Tim was not only handsome, but was able to keep up with Chelsea and we all had fun, all the way til reception.

Just a few things to point out, I usually only post photos of the couple, but the flower girl was just way to cute to not share with y'all! And the father of the bride wore a camo vest at the reception, so awesome! Oh, and Chelsea has amazing eyes!

Of course, shot this wedding with the awesome Laura of Lark Photography!

Kansas City Wedding: Charlotte + Daniel

2011-02-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, we got like the biggest snow storm in the past 40 years in Kansas City! I had to take two days off work, but it was good because I got to catch up on some errands and edit photos!

This is the first of 8 weddings in October... Yes, 8. Consider there is only 4 weekends in a month, I pretty much went none stop with no break. But, fun times to be had! This wedding was shot with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography, which you can see her/more shots on her blog post here!

We begin the day at a beautiful church, everyone was relaxed and fun, it was my candid heaven. Add in a nice fall weather, this wedding couldn't be better. They ordered in some sandwich for lunch, which came with cookies... Yums, I am a sucker for cookies. You can probably pay me in cookies for photography... Ha ha!

Anyways, Charlotte was beautiful and her dress was too, then Daniel was just cool, along with all of his groomsmen. So easy to work with. After ceremony, we went to the reception at a country club, which we got two golf carts to drive around and take photos! Definitely a fun day, enjoy the photos!

Oh yeah, that's right! :D

Kansas City Wedding: Micaela + Ryan

2011-01-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

What a fun bunch of people~ The couple, the bridal party, even the ushers! She laughs all the time, its awesome~ Even though the day was cloudy and rainy, that didn't stop us from having fun with photos. Started out with West Bottoms, since it was raining, we shot under the 12th St. bridge. After that, we went to the Westin Crown Center and that sky bridge thing for more photos.

It started to rain pretty hard, but our limo driver thought we were supposed to meet up again at Union Station, so I had to run through the hard rain to get the driver because no one had the limo driver's number... Ha ha, I was soaked, but I am willing to do anything just to make sure the couple's day go without a hitch!

Their ceremony was at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, aka, the gold dome church on Broadway downtown! I have always wanted to know what the inside looks like, and it's impressive! Really pretty. Finish up the day with the reception at Club 1000, to which I went up to the roof for some cool night shot. Due to the city lights, the who sky turned orange!

This wedding was referred from my friend Layne, and I shot it with Shawn of Haley Photography.

Kansas City Wedding: Megan + Jason

2011-01-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

Most of the couples I have shot are fun, classy, and elegant, but Megan and Jason are actually sweet. They don't really go crazy in love, but just the calm and sweet love. The kinda that just put a smile on your face. I can easily remember that day while I was editing the photos.

The ceremony is right on the Plaza, and reception at the Marriott Hotel nearby. The wedding was actually pretty early in the morning, so instead of a reception dinner, we had a reception brunch. It was probably the fanciest brunch ever! I got some photos, but I already had too many photos, so those didn't make the blog... Oh well, enjoy this sweet wedding I shot with Lark Phootography!

Kansas City Wedding: Stephanie + Erik

2011-01-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Such fancy and classy wedding! Good looking couple + nice fall weather = photographer's paradise! We started with Stephanie and bridesmaids, they were all prettying themselves up. Just love Stephanie's dress, the lines are so elegant! Got lots of shots, then I was send to hang with Erik and the guys. They all seemed shy when I first walk in, but then became very fun in no time.

Went out by the pool for the first sight, and then head out by Nelson Atkins Museum for the bridal shots. After the ceremony, we went back to the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza for reception. The food was so good, and as was the toasts. People were getting teary left and right, that's like all the true emotion photographers want!

This was another fantastic wedding shot with Laura of Lark Photography, love her clients!

Kansas City Roller Warriors Photoshoot

2011-01-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that slow in new posts, that's because I have been playing with doing videos now! I am still a photographer, but my Canon 5D Mark II has the capability to record HD videos, so might as well put it to good use right?

This video is probably the best one so far. It's some behind the scenes footage of a photoshoot for the KC Roller Derby teams, photographed by Phil Peterson. Since this was just for fun, I just walked around and recorded everything. The video is straight out of the camera, shot with the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L and Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro lens. Enjoy!

If you are looking for someone to make a video for you, let me know! Thanks.

Lenexa Wedding: Megan + Kirk

2010-12-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well, what do you know, I shot for a different photographer this time! Apart from the usual Laura and Sarah, I present to you Jim Powers! I know this guy from back in the modeling photography days, and he is will known for pretty much owning all the equipment Canon puts out. I don't know anyone else in KC that possess as much. We are all jealous. :)

Anyways, I have shot with Jim a few times now, and Megan (the bride) was actually a bridesmaid from another wedding I shot with Jim, so Jim thought it was good for me to be there since most people already knew me. It's always nice to see past clients too!

Moving on, less about Jim and I, and more about the gorgeous Megan! Oh, and Kirk too... Ha ha!

Kansas City Wedding: Angel + Nick

2010-12-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

The day started with me going to the groom's place to take pictures of him getting ready. When I got to the house, I hear music and sounds of people partying! Turns out, the guys were having a pool party! They had a bar next to the pool, and most everyone were chilling by there. With an entrance like that, I knew the day was going to be awesome!

After the guys got ready, we head over to Longview Mansion to meet up with Laura of Lark Photography for some bridal photos. Not only was this a first sight for Nick and Angel, it was the first time I meet Angel too! When she got out of the car, I didn't expect a Hawaiian princess! Ha ha! I thought, fun guy plus pretty bride, this wedding is off the hook! I will hopefully convey the day with my photos below, enjoy!

Kansas City Wedding: Nicole + Ben

2010-12-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

So many awesome things about the wedding. I got to the house where they were getting ready, and first thing was greeted by Ben's dog. As I was trying to take pictures of him, he always looked so curious and cute! I went on to meet rest of the bridal party. Turns out, they are all MU fans! Go Tigers! Then the cherry on top was when I realized I went to high school with one of the groomsmen. From the very start, I knew the day was gonna be awesome.

Got to the church to meet up with the bride, such beautiful church! But once the bride came out, all eyes were on her. Gorgeous dress with pockets! That's so convenient for the ladies... Nicole was also very energetic and expressive. Just point the camera at her and shoot! After the ceremony, we rode the trolley around KC for photos, and then ended up at the Mariott Hotel for reception.

This was Laura's wedding, and I helped out. Enjoy the photos!

Sorry for many photos of the dog, it was just too cute!

Lovely ladies

Awesome fun guys!

Aww, the attitude! Love it!

Kansas City Wedding: Lauren + Nick

2010-12-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Although I shoot plenty of weddings with Laura, you may have seen other weddings that I shoot with another fabulous wedding photographer around town, Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography! I think we have similar styles, so it's easier for us to shoot together. Speaking of, you can find her photos from this wedding on her blog. You will see some shots of mine there too!

I didn't really focus on too much on the bride and groom, but rather all the details, and other people having fun. Sarah already posted all the bride/groom shots. :) First time shooting at the Sawyer Room at Downtown Kansas City, pretty cool reception place, with a pretty good DJ!

Lenexa Wedding: Erin + Austin

2010-12-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

Yay! Starting to catch up on weddings from this Summer! First up is the wedding I shot with Laura of Lark Photography. The wedding and reception were at Lenexa, KS. I started out by hanging out with the guys while Laura covered the girls. The best man is what I would call an enabler, he made Austin laugh and do all the fun stuff so I can get the good photos. Erin was just elegant and classy, made my job so easy!

Giving Back Through The Lens

2010-12-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

I know I promised more wedding photos, but I am just not giving myself any breaks even when there are no weddings! Ha ha! One of my friend Nathan organized the volunteer/charity event called Giving Back Through The Lens, and I was fortunate enough to get involved! You can find his contact info as well as the event info in the web site:

http://www.givingbackthroughthelens.org

It's pretty much free portraits for families that can't afford professional photos, and this way we will give them something to remember by. Though I got some really good and cute candids of the families that came, I can't show any photos of their faces due to privacy. I am sure they will be released soon. Meanwhile, you will just have to settle for us staff members, ha ha!

We Believe!

This is my station... :)

Ladies who made everything flow nicely!

Everyone checking to make sure the settings are dialed in!

Our very own videographer, can't wait to see the end product!

High-five for a job well done!

The man behind all this... Nice job Nathan!

Yeah... This is why she is a pro with the kids... Ha ha!

I SO need to get one of these for when I shoot weddings!

The make-up artists!

Thanks Manisawn and Daniel!

2010-11-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd do something a little different on my blog, I am now going to include testimonials from clients! I will post the nice words from the bride and groom as I get them, so you can get both sides of the story.

The first couple is Manisawn and Daniel, and they actually had a Laotian wedding and an American wedding! Both of their weddings were so beautiful and special, I am glad I got to shoot both of them. Here is what Manisawn wrote back:

"WOW! Mike - you totally out-did yourself! I can't believe how amazing all of the pictures looked! If you ask Dan, I'm totally obsessed (still!) with our wedding photos and can't. stop. looking. at. them! So I did show my family last Friday and they were ECSTATIC! Every single picture, they made a comment on (wonderful/fun/loving comments, of course!) - well, we only made it through all 820 "american" photos that night - somewhere between 1-2 hours in slideshow mode on the TV with the "Colbie Caillat" Pandora playing in the background (haha! I know, I'm a huge dork, but I needed to set the mood!), but we all do have another dinner gathering this Saturday just to look through all 400 and something "Lao" photos!

I have a feeling I'll be taking orders on pictures and size of prints from every single family member! Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures! Dan didn't think that pictures and the photographer would be that important for after our wedding, but I think you made him think otherwise...he loves all of the pictures too and thinks you captured us perfectly - I know you got us both tearing up on Friday just looking back at our special day ;) Love you Mike!"

Man, she got me all teared up! Ha ha! Anyways, here is a photo of me and the couple before I left for the night. Thanks again for the awesome time Manisawn and Daniel!

Engaged: Callie + Brandon

2010-11-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, finally caught a little break after the crazy October wedding season! I have so many weddings I want to show you in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

I actually met Callie a little over two years ago, when I first started shooting seriously. I had a casting for people to model for me to build my portfolio, and Callie was graciously to help me out! Forward two years, she noticed that I have moved to wedding photography, and contacted me when she got engaged!

We decided to shoot in the Fall before it got too cold, and actually had really nice weather. Lighting was awesome, and Seng was nice enough to come help me out again. The "different" style photo at the end was shot with off camera flash, which was held by Seng. The shoot was so much fun, can't wait for their wedding!

Thanks Erin and Tim!

2010-10-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Erin and Tim are actually my co-workers, and I was really excited they found me! Really enjoyed shooting their wedding, and was glad we got to shoot the bridal stuff at the end of the day, where we got all the time to get all the shots I wanted. I really can't think of a way to improve their day! Here is what Erin and Tim wrote me:

"Mike! We have gotten so many compliments on the photos! Everyone loves them. You did such an awesome job, not only with taking the pics but with being laid back and fun, yet professional. Thank you very much for being part of out wedding day...

From what we’ve seen so far on your blog, they look awesome, and we can hardly wait to see all of them. I probably look at the blog about once or twice a day because I think those pictures rock, and we are seriously about to burst with excitement to see all of the pictures!"

Yay! So happy! I feed off of feedbacks like this, I can draw so much energy from it! And for their wedding I did a photobooth, which Seng (my second shooter) and I got a few photos with Erin and Tim!

Lenexa Wedding: Erin + Tim

2010-10-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Let me just first say, I love shooting weddings. Especially when my couples enjoy getting photos as much as I do. I shot Erin and Tim's couples photo after the early reception, so we practically had unlimited time to shoot. Furthermore, they are so photogenic and have ideas of their own just made my job so much easier!

If you didn't know, I actually have a M-F day job, but since weddings are usually on weekends, they fit my schedule perfectly. My company has a local classified section on our intranet, and that's where Erin and Tim found me. So yes, they are my co-workers too! We met up over lunch for the consultation, and when I first saw them, I knew I wanted to shoot their wedding. And after we ate, they told me they've decided to use me, I was so excited!

Fast forward to the wedding day, and it exceeded my expectation! Everything was so beautiful, everyone was so nice, and every photo was my favorite, ha ha! I had the honor of Seng Nickerson to assist me with the wedding, she was so helpful! I will have to use her again...

Something special that I brought to this wedding was a photobooth. It was a huge hit! People were having so much fun! I am definitely going to be adding more and upgrading the photobooth, so be sure to ask about my photobooth if your wedding is coming up! I will make a separate post for the photobooth photos of this wedding later. For now, you get the wedding photos of Erin and Tim's wedding!

By the way, this is their FIRST KISS!!!

Wow, look at the concentration...

This is the reaction of a photobooth spectator, love it!

These guys had too much energy to not make them jump!

*Camera nerd warning* Ugh, I just love the images from the Canon 135L!

What a gentleman... Ha ha

This was totally their idea, and I love it!

Umm yeah, favorite photo of the day. Period.

Wow, that was a lot of photos, but I just couldn't leave any out!

American Wedding: Manisawn + Daniel

2010-10-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, talk about a hiatus! I was busy trying to finish up editing this wedding, so didn't have time to show you anything else. Once I am all caught up again, there will be like two weddings a week to show off!

The previous post showed you what Manisawn and Daniel's Laotian wedding was like, but they also had a American style wedding the very next day! I didn't think they could top the Laotian wedding, but was I wrong. :)

Wedding ceremony was at Loose Park in Kansas City, and reception at The Berg Event Space. The Berg had some very nice venue coordinators, I wish everyone was like them! There is so much to share, but here are some just to take you through Manisawn and Daniel's love story.

Supermodels!

Handsome dudes!

Non-stop kissing action! Ha ha!

Love this shot by Kristyn!

Kristyn also got this shot of Daniel crying

Bubbles exit!

Kristyn took this one! Love it!

I know you guys can't get enough of these ladies...

I really like this shot in the freight elevator!

Sometimes, I just like it simple and clean. :)

Gotta love technology. This is one of the couple's friend currently in China talking over the internet!

A huge thanks again to Manisawn and Daniel for being awesome on BOTH days of the wedding!

Laotian Wedding: Manisawn + Daniel

2010-09-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

You have no idea how excited (and was getting impatient!) I was to shoot this wedding and share it with my dear readers. Manisawn was referred to me by Kristyn of Kristyn Marie Photography and a past bride that I second shot for (Julie's wedding), good to see the small networking is paying off! When I talked to Manisawn, I threw in my usual proposal of engagement shoot and wedding, but she actually didn't really need engagement photos, but instead someone to document their Laotian culture wedding. I have seen other Laotian wedding photos before, so I agreed right away. I think I got the better end of the deal, trading engagement for this, as this is my first "cultured" wedding. :)

There was so much going on in a Laotian wedding, so let me take you through it. I probably have very vague/wrong information here, but at least you get my point of view. Ha ha! Their American style wedding was next day, so give me a couple more weeks for that blog post!

As usual, the bride getting dolled up.

Meanwhile, delicious foods are being prepared outside.

Accessories for the bride.

The "stage" for the ceremony.

Pat Thai noodles, SO very good!

Daniel getting ready too. His robe has to be precisely rolled and folded up.

The groom has to walk over to the bride's place, and try to gain entrance to see her. His friends/family will follow him.

They are negotiating with the bride's family to go in and see her.

Before going in, his feet has to be washed.

And then take a shot!

The groom has to pay for his pay in also.

Seeing him for the first time!

Lighting the candle.

Everyone has to put their hands on the thing to be "connected" I think...

And strings ties them together.

So crowded!!!

People tie strings as blessings.

Gifts to the immediate family.

They were fed eggs, not sure what that means... heh

Harrisonville Wedding: Adena + Kerry

2010-09-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the Summer I got to shoot with Jana of Jana Maries Photography, and we had one of the most fun couple to work with. Adena and Kerry were both so cool and relaxing, we became friends quickly and rest of the day was pretty much "hanging out with friends." The wedding venue was beautiful, so much to work with. If you are wanting a field/vintage feel kinda location, A Frog Prince really would be a place I'd recommend.

It was end of June, so the weather was hot and humid. But being a photography fan herself, Adena was willing to take on the heat for good photos to remember by. Towards sunset, we went out to a nearby field and shot some of my favorite "warm" photos. Turns out, I have actually shot Adena's good friend, Sarah's wedding! What a small world! It's little things like this that makes me enjoy shooting, because I am just making friends left and right!

Oh, Adena and Kerry put together a music CD, which is currently still in my car CD player! Favorite song on there is "Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. :)

Best. First-sight. Reaction. Ever.

Favorite from the day!

Kansas City Wedding: Cara + Ryan

2010-08-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I got to shoot with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography, and I can assure you it won't be the last! She was so fun to work with, and she uses her special connections to get us to places that normal people can't get to. To see her shots from this wedding, you can click HERE.

Cara is actually an old friend of Sarah's, so the whole day went very relaxed. We started out at the hair salon, then to the mall for makeup, then to the church right by my work for the ceremony. After that, we went to the Airline History Museum in Kansas City for the reception in the big hanger!

Let's start us up with some black and white photos eh?

Ah, remember this photo? :)

Grain Valley Wedding: Sarah + Matthew

2010-08-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

This wedding is a little special, because the bride is actually Laura's (Lark Photography) cousin. Laura was originally just gonna shoot the wedding by herself, but then it turns out it would be a better idea that during the reception, she would hang out with her family while I continue to shoot.

It was extremely humid and hot that day, but everyone was still so cooperative and relaxed! Their wedding colors are black/white/red, which are my favorite color combo, so I took lots of detail shots of the decorations with that color theme. The flower girl was really cute too, so I took a few of her.

Also, I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later, but I left my tripod at the wedding venue~ Good thing the place was only like 15 minutes away from my house. Anyways, congrats to Sarah and Matthew!

This one kinda has a different feeling... Like, this little girl is growing up, and we remind her to watch her head, and be careful with everything, and don't let anything get over her head.

St. Joseph Wedding: Sarah + Leighton

2010-08-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Finally caught up with my own clients' wedding photos, so time to catch up on the ones I second shot at!

Another one with Lark Photography, in St. Joseph, MO! It was a bit warm that day, but we got lots of cloud cover, so photos were awesome. I dropped off Laura with the girls, and I head over to the guys for their get ready. From there, it's all uphill on the fun ride~

Sarah and Leighton were so in love, and the genuineness shows through the photos. It's not the young cheesy love, but the mature love. They made couples photos really easy to capture, but when you pull them apart, they became models themselves!

The wedding and reception were at St. Francis Xavier Church, and if I remember correctly, that's where Sarah went to preschool (?) at. Either way, very nice venue!

Leighton came up with this one himself! Love it!

Tilt/Shift lens!

Kansas City Wedding: Christine + Joel

2010-07-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of having Mallory of Avia Photography to help me shoot the wedding, and you will see a few of her shots below. Since she is already an established wedding photographer, I didn't have to worry about teaching her anything, so easy on me! If you live near central Missouri, please hit her up for your photography needs!

If you have good memory, you will probably recognize one of the bridesmaids, Christine's sister, as she was one of my first models when I first started photography! When she saw that I also shoot weddings, she recommended me to her sister, so thanks to Jessica!

Middle of Summer/July weddings are hot, but that didn't really stop Christine and Joel from having a blast at their wedding. Christine wanted a journalistic style to her photos, so I got some posed ones that I like, rest are pretty much candids of people having fun. We started at the St. Elizabeth’s Church in KC, then Milburn Golf & Country Club in Overland Park. Most shots were at the garden by the church, and then the night shot was on the greens of the country club.

Thanks to Christine and Joel for being awesome at the wedding and hope the best to them!

I kinda dig this gelled flash shot Mallory took... :)

Lenexa Wedding: Sarah + Lane

2010-07-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

I know when I shoot a wedding, I have fun. But Sarah and Lane made sure they get the most out of their day too! Lane was just chilled and relaxed before the wedding, Sarah was truly happy because there was a smile on her face at all times. Which is awesome for me, because I have a photo journalistic style to my shooting, and what I got from them were natural and expressive.

I don't think I have ever taken so many "fun" ceremony shots (see below), because brides usually just stand there and stare at the groom. Not Sarah, she went from smiling to laughing to crying, and then back to smiling. I think I saw smoke coming from my camera trying to catch up with her expressions! :)

The reception was no slouch either. They did it at Power Play, which is an arcade (with go karts!) and food place. We set up a photobooth at the place and just let people get crazy. The day was just so much fun that Laura and I talked about it while driving all the way home!

Tips to all brides: Smile all the time on your day!

Wedding: Ashley + Adam

2010-07-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

(By the way, this is post #101!)

I shot this wedding two weeks ago, and I have been wanting to post these teasers so bad last week! But, since it's busy wedding season, you get them now. :) The couple were on honeymoon anyways!

Ashley and Adam were referred to me from a friend, who actually shot their engagement photos, but can't shoot the wedding. Their engagement photos were great, so I had a big shoe to fill. After editing these photos, I must say even I am proud of myself!

It was a hot and humid day, but I don't think that got to us at all. Ashley had beautiful and colorful decorations all over Stony Point Hall in Baldwin City, KS, so that made my job really easy! Both Ashley and Adam were really easy going, they've done everything I asked them to!

I don't think you want to read me raving about this wedding, I will just show you the photos!

Probably my favorite of Ashley!

Love ring shots!

Sparklers Exit!

Bridal: Whitney + Tim

2010-07-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

They look familiar eh? Well, that's because I have shot Whitney and Tim's wedding about 6 months ago! Since I was there more for helping and moral support (at least I'd like to think so), I didn't shoot as much. But if you want to see what Laura got, head over to her post on the Lark Photography blog! She has some really cool off camera lighting setups that should blow your mind.

And onto the photos!

One of my fav action shots!

Kansas City Wedding: Virginia + Travis

2010-06-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I shot this wedding a couple months ago with my friend Jana of Jana Maries Photography at my home city Blue Springs! Although it rained for the most part of the wedding, that didn't stop the two from having a good time. In turn, Jana and I rocked our part too.

I really like shooting Catholic weddings, they are so elegant! So many intricate details to capture, as well as the grand view of the church. After the ceremony, we went to the Marriott Hotel for reception, where we were fed so much awesome foods! Since it's a cash bar, a couple of the groomsmen even offered to buy me drinks. Best Groomsmen Ever! So much fun that day, too bad you only have the photos to experience... :)

Thanks to Jana for letting me tag along, so above is a shoutout to her!

Maternity: Carrie + Marc

2010-06-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

I have never done maternity shoots before, but Carrie and Marc had confidence in me, so we decided to take a night out to the President Hotel downtown and Power and Light District for some photos! Glad we did!

We got a lot of shade, so it was perfect to shoot outdoors, and it wasn't too hot. Carrie and Marc were both really easy to work with, they were down with any creative shots I can think of.

I am pretty pleased with the results I got, and it was fun! If you got a little one coming soon, contact me to see if we can get together for a shoot!

Back lighted!

Flair Fashion Show by Watercolors High Fashion

2010-06-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

6/4/2010, hosted by Watercolors High Fashion

I got to shoot some behind the scenes stuff, but was the main guy for the runway. If I recall correctly, there were 42 models! First part was fashion stuff, and second part was more classy cocktail dress type. Thanks to Shelley Wood for putting this up, pay her a visit if you are up by Parkville, MO and are looking for some fashionable clothing!

(You can use the photos for like facebook profile picture, but please don't crop out the logo! Thanks!)

This is Shelley!

Just a small sample of the group photo:

Lockheed L1011 at the Kansas City Airline History Museum

2010-06-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Think of this as a sneak preview to Cara and Ryan's wedding... They had the wedding reception at the Kansas City downtown airport, inside the hanger which houses the Airline History Museum. I was shooting with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography, who was not only a flight instructor there, but also one of the board members! Therefore, we had access to the ramp for some cool shots.

While Sarah was inside getting Cara and Ryan ready, I had time to mess around. So, I used Sarah's tripod and tried some long exposure shots of the city night scape and this airplane. This particular shot was shot with my Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens, at ISO 800, f/18, 24mm, and 20 seconds exposure. See the blue lighting on the side of the airplane? During the 20 seconds, I ran over and manually popped a flash from the 580EX II at full power.

I just love the shot after I took it, and was giggling like a little girl! Ha ha! But that's because I was happy I got close to Sean Norman's airplane shots, who inspired me. Hopefully this shows that I have learned something from him. Enjoy~

Kanas City Wedding: Katie + Adam

2010-06-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Whew, so backed up on editing! I have been shooting non-stop for the past couple of weekends, as of now, I have 4 weddings, 1 bridal session, 1 fashion show, and 1 maternity shoot left to edit, which after editing I will share with you all here!

Katie and Adam should probably be wedding coaches, because never stopped smiling. That is good for me, because I really like the candid shots. From getting ready to family shots, ceremony to reception, it's all smiles. Then once we got to the reception, let the fun begin! They broke into some fast dancing in the middle of couple's dance, and then Adam rapped out in front of everyone. Laura and I ended the day with a photobooth they rented (last photo in this post), so much fun!

There are quite a bit of photos, but it was really hard for me to choose my favorites!

Love these killer heels! They are probably the highest I have ever seen a bride wear! Oh, and she danced in it all night long!

Oh oh~ No worries, they are now married! :D

Katie doing the robot dance!

Laura and I goofing around!

Krista

2010-06-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, and you thought I don't shoot models anymore! Yes, weddings are fun and I make some money back, but shooting models is more like relaxing and gets my creative juice flowing again. It's less stress and I am more willing to try new stuff, then whatever works can be used for weddings!

I have been crazy busy with wedding shoots, but Krista contacted me twice (models usually disappears after first contact...), which to me that says she is serious and won't flake last minute. Something that happens all too often in the modeling field. We went to the outskirts of Independence Square to shoot, and all you see are just from the 2 blocks on the same street.

Krista was awesome at posing, and she did all her hair, makeup, and wardrobe. I hope you like them, and I will try to work with her again!

Wedding: Angela + Brandon

2010-05-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

It was raining all week, and we just didn't know if the weather was going to cooperate with us. Then comes Saturday, nothing but the sun! The forecast showed rained everyday except the wedding day!

Angela and Brandon got married in my home town of Blue Springs, MO, and turns out they and a couple of the groomsmen graduated from the same high school. Pretty cool. We instantly bonded.

Now that we are all just having fun, the couple became very photogenic and therefore all I had to do was click away and you get the awesome photos shown below. I especially loved the ones towards the end taken at the Longview Mansions in Lee's Summit, so don't miss those! Congrats Angela and Brandon!

Wedding: Tisha + Andy

2010-04-28T21:43:00.001-07:00

Whew! It's been a while hasn't it? That's because I shot a wedding last last weekend, but not as a second photographer, but the primary! All the sudden my work just multiplied like crazy! Editing now takes two weeks (hence the hiatus) instead of one. Before I go into the details of how awesome the wedding was, I some special people to thank:

Sarah - Thanks for the referral! I hate to brag, but you missed out on a sweet wedding that you could have shot too! Ha ha...

Dale - Thanks for second shooting for me last minute, and did a phenomenal job assisting, making sure I got the shots I wanted, so I can look good in front of the bride/groom.

Laura - I will be honest, I was so ill prepared at the last wedding I shot by myself... But by second shooting like 10+ weddings with you, I felt so much better going in this time, and was actually able to enjoy the wedding too!

So, on to the wedding... Too many good things made this a perfect wedding: Nice weather, relaxed couple, knowledgeable assistant, borrowed cool camera lenses, good food, nice wedding colors, and most important of all, I was prepared. So thanks to Tisha and Andy for being so awesome, enjoy your photos! :)

Shot by Dale

Did I say I like ring shots? :)

Wedding: Julie + Henry

2010-04-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Can I just first say, thank you weather for being awesome that day! Wow, it was not too hot or cold, the temperature was perfect. So when you add my awesome primary photographer Laura of Lark Photography and super fun couple to the mix, I'd have to say it was a great day.

And to put the icing on the cake, my friend let me borrow his Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens, so I can take some close up ring shots! You can say it's a mistake, because now I love this lens and I really want to buy one... ha ha!

So now, let me share with you the fun day I had!

Very cute kid, and photogenic too!

The groom's parents are from Nigeria, so the foods were awesome!

2010 Road Trip

2010-04-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit since I posted, but I finally got around to pick out a few interesting photos I took a few weeks back when I took a road trip with my family. We went from Kansas City to Santa Fe, then Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Rockies to Denver then home! As a young adult, I think I would like to visit Vegas again the most... :)

Took most of these with the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8L lens, but a couple with the Sigma 15mm Fisheye lens. There are plenty more photos, but not enough time to edit all of them. Enjoy!

Oh my gosh, did I say how much I LOVE M&M's?!

Wedding: Robyn + Steven

2010-04-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

I was on vacation last week, and planned on arriving at home on Friday night, then rest for the weekend. But in the middle of the trip, I got a call from Laura, asking for help on the Saturday (right after I got back). I was a little hesitant, because I won't be 100%, but agreed to it anyways. Laura's personality gives off energy... :)

Boy am I glad I took on this wedding! It was in St. Joseph, MO (1 hour away) and rainy, but that didn't stop Robyn and Steven from having the time of their life! As a modeling photographer, Robyn has got that "exotic" feel and she seems to know fashion. Steven was so easy to hang with, it made my job so fun. I usually try to make the groom laugh to relax him, but Steven was making ME laugh!

Anyways, I got lots of photos to share here, so let's put that internet connection to good use~

Wedding: Amber + Bob

2010-03-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Man, I just love sharing photos with viewers! Shot this wedding at Mission Hills Country Club by The Plaza in Kansas City, despite the gloomy/rainy weather, this place was still awesome! I second shot this wedding with Laura of Laura Kathryn Photography. When I signed up, I don't even need to ask the details, and I already know it's gonna rock. She just get all the cool clients!

Of course, this is no different. Amber and Bob are super nice, easy to direct, and made my job easy and fun! I did the usual collage (something I learned from Laura), hope you like them! Please feel free to comment if you like the photos. :)

Love them ring shots!

Wedding: Lisa + Luke

2010-03-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

No real weddings recently due to the down season, but it's picking up again! I got to shoot this high class wedding with a new (to me anyways) photographer, Jim Sovanski of Sovanski Photography. His second shooter bailed out last minute, so I decided to help him out.

I think this is the most expensive wedding I have shot to date: high end golf country club, biggest limo I have ridden in, and really fancy reception dinner!

I got more wedding photos in the future, but here are some I'd like to share. Lots of photos!

Vote for me in the photo contest

2010-03-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed my last post of the rally race I went to! Turns out they had a photo contest that people can enter to win an autographed poster and a pair of shoes, so I am asking my loyal readers to help out!

It's super easy: Click the link, click the "5" below the photo, DONE! :D

VOTE PICTURE HERE

I would really appreciate your support! And this would be a boring post without a photo, so here is me and my baby at the rally race!

2010 100 Acre Wood Rally Race

2010-03-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

2/27/2010 - Salem, MO

I love photography and I love racing, so when I found out that there was a rally race in my state (although 5 hours away), I decided to make the trip and see what kind of photos I can get. I must say, the experience was very exciting, and I hope to go again the next time they visit Missouri!

Photographer's Corner: I used the Canon 5D Mark II for my shots, and noticed that shots taken with the 24-70mm f/2.8L were somewhat blurred due to panning motion. However, the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS had a second mode of Image Stabilizer that is made for panning, aka only stabilize the vertical motion. My keeper rate were significantly higher with the IS lens. So, come on Canon, make a 24-70L IS and I will upgrade! :)

Faux Wedding

2010-02-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

Shot Megan and Jeff's engagement session in the previous post with the Canon 45mm TS-E Tilt/Shift lens in the morning, and then it was onto this Faux Wedding that my friend Layne from Embody Imagery organized. Since this was just for fun and hanging out, figure it was perfect to get more familiar with this specialty lens.

By the way, I have some people asked me, what does a tilt/shift lens do? In short, there are many "blurs" and "distortions" that can be made with this lens, and you can see that I have used the selective blurs/focus to help bring the audiences' attention to where I want them. Enjoy!

Engagement: Megan + Jeff

2010-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

I got to borrow a friend's Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 Tilt/Shift lens for a day, and tagged along with Sarah of Sarah Dickerson Photography for Megan and Jeff's engagement session. Chilly Saturday morning, but that didn't stop the couple from having fun and express their excitement for each other! I hope I get to second shoot this wedding!

Quick Review of the lens: It's fun, although only manual focus. I have seen some really cool and creative stuff come from it, but I think it's not that practical for me to spend $1300 on... :)

On to the photos!

Engagement: Allison + James

2010-02-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, go me, one post per day! :)

This actually not an engagement session, since they are not engaged yet, but I was at a workshop with Sara Tafoya Photography (you may remember some of my earlier second shoot weddings with Sara), and they were our test couple.

I really like the snow, green scarf, and their chemistry together. Made my job easier!

Bubles

2010-02-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's her real name, Bubles! How cool is that! She was the last model for Sunday Funday, did we finish the shoot with a bang! She came from Mongolia, and did teen fashion shoots there, so she was pretty experienced. I pretty much set up the lights, and click away. Ashley of Ashley Nelson Studio did a very cool design on her face, and I thought matched the mood very well. So thanks to both of you!

Makeup and some hair by Ashley and Marin of Ashley Nelson Studio.
Studio space provided by my friend Layne of Embody Imagery.

Kea

2010-02-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

Kea is one of the models from Sunday Funday, but thought I'd split the posts since I didn't know when I will get to these photos.

Kea is a seasoned model, so very easy to work with. I really like some of these headshots, I hope you do too! Leave a comment if you like them, thanks~

Makeup and some hair by Ashley and Marin of Ashley Nelson Studio.
Studio space provided by my friend Layne of Embody Imagery.

Ha ha, isn't she cute when she smiles?

Sunday Funday with Models

2010-02-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's been a while since I have updated my blog. Wedding season hasn't picked up yet, so I just have been updating various things and shooting models. I still have more photos from this studio shoot, but here are some to get you started!

Makeup and some hair by Ashley and Marin of Ashley Nelson Studio.
Studio space provided by my friend Layne of Embody Imagery.

MacKenzie

Megan

Christy

Sarah

Elizabeth

Oh, just so you know, I have more photos coming, including more headshots, engagement photos, and photos/video taken with a tilt/shift lens (really cool!), so stay tuned!

Nine Dos and Don’ts for the New Camera Buyer

2010-02-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

I read this post on a blog that I have subscribed to, Black Star Rising, and it's exactly what I have been telling all my friends who just bought a new camera, except they put it in a really organized list. Here is basically what it says, go to their post to see detailed explanation!

Read the manual
Read all menu screens on camera
Bring your manual with you when shooting
Take lots of photos
But don't shoot carelessly, quality not quantity
It's ok to use "Program" or "Auto" mode
Don't be afraid to experiment
Print your photos so you can see details
Don't get restrained in rules, get creative!

http://rising.blackstar.com/nine-dos-and-donts-for-the-new-camera-buyer.html

Wedding: Whitney + Timothy

2010-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah! Another wedding! But this time, I actually shot with another associate of Laura Kathryn Photography, Ann! She was equally awesome to work with as Laura, so it was very fun for me.

In my last wedding post, I decided to use this action in Photoshop for all my photos, to see if I get different reactions, and this time I decided to do all black and white photos! These were actually harder to edit because with B&W, I have to make sure all the lights/darks are correctly exposed, and contrasty enough to make everything nice.

As for Whitney and Tim, probably the best couple I have worked with in my wedding photography career! So nice, so photogenic, so willing to sacrifice to get good photos! It snowed that day, but no matter, she still wore a strapless dress OUTSIDE! Crazy girl... :P Anyways, enjoy the photos!

Ummm yes, that would be snow in the background... :)

Wedding: Erin + Jess

2010-01-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a while! The first thing you probably noticed is the wider format of the blog. I have decided to experiment with a wider format so I can show off my landscape photos. Feel free to provide feedback on how it looks like on your screen, thanks!

Erin and Jess are my first wedding of 2010! I second shot for Laura Kathryn Photography, and had lots of fun! I am also trying to post processing effects, so let me know what you think.

The couple were very easy to work with and followed directions well. I did accidentally step on the bride's dress, and almost ripped it! It's bound to happen to me... :( Also, as you can see from the outside shot, it snowed like crazy that night! I couldn't even drive home, instead crashed at a friend's place. Oh well, enough about me, enjoy the photos~

Ha ha, one of the groomsman threw snowball at them! :D

Wedding: Megan + Kent

2010-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Back to the Hawthorne House! The last wedding I shot at this place was for Stephanie & Jack, and turns out that was my most visited post!

This time we have Megan and Kent, both super cool people! It was really cold, but they (and their bridal party) braved the weather and still shot some cool stuff outside.

Oh, I was second shooting this wedding with Laura Kathryn Photography again, so check Laura's blog for more awesome photos from the wedding soon!

(Sorry for the small horizontal photos, still haven't had time to update the layout)

And here are some fun collages I am trying out!

Looking Back at 2009

2009-12-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

It's almost 2010 here in the Midwest, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite photos of 2009 (in no particular order)! Enjoy and happy new year my dear readers!

Modeling Photography Easy as 123!

2009-12-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

While my computer is exporting some proofs for the client, I shall keep this blog up to date. Since there are no pictures this time (Boo, I know), I will share how I get some of the modeling/senior pictures I got. Wedding photos have a bit different approach, so I will write another post on that when I am actually good... :D

I try to stay humble, but many times people will tell me how much they like my photos, and tell me that I am so talented. Ha ha! Thanks, but I do have a few non-talent tips for people to get the pictures that others will like:

1. Know your camera/gear - You gotta know how to use your camera before you can take pictures. READ THE MANUAL! Know what every button/dial mean, and then learn what stuff they change. You can't really mess up a camera, so play with every setting in every combination (i.e. ISO/Aperture/Shutter speed). I am not going to get into the details of what each will do here (you can take me out to lunch and I will teach you what I can, ha ha), but you can find way too much info on that on youtube/google.

2. The subject - It's the truth, everyone likes to look at pretty people. Take the time and find pretty people and beg them to step in front of your camera, tell them in return they will get some photos. Who doesn't want pictures of themselves now that we all have facebook/myspace? :) Also, pretty people are much easier to photograph as you will basically just click the button a lot. Now, once you are better, it's the photographer's job to make everyone look the most flattering. I tell my models to just come in whatever, and I will make them look nice. So far so good!

3. Shoot lots! - There are no better way to get better photo than bettering your skills, both with your camera and people. You don't need a fancy camera to start, but the more you shoot, the better you will get, whether you like it or not. I have lost count of how many models/seniors I have shot, but I feel I get better with every shoot.

Sorry for the long read, I hope these tips will at least get you started in the right direction. Since we are on subject, I am available for hire to tutor you on your new camera or editing photos, as well as come along to your shoot to advice hands-on learning! Contact me for details! mike@4honorphoto.com

Janessa

2009-12-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

There are times when you get really lucky and get models like Janessa, who's sassy enough that they know what to do and you just have to click away. Made my "job" a heck of a lot easier and fun!

I really feel proud of this series of shoot, and I will be taking more soon, so be on the look out for new ones later. Subscribe to the RSS feeds or something... :) by the way, if you can see the original large files, these images are stunning!

Samantha

2009-12-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

You may remember from the earlier post about Layne? Well, we had like 3-4 models that day, so here is another girl that we shot. Samantha was very easy to work with, follows direction well, and very patient! She has a really pretty face, so these headshots are super awesome! We did go outside real quick for some night time shots too! I hope you like them! :)

Wedding: Kayla + Tyler

2009-12-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

The second wedding I helped shoot with Laura Kathryn Photography! This was the first out of town wedding I shot, in Tulsa, OK, about 5 hours away from Kansas City. It's actually not bad of a drive if you are not driving by yourself. Plus, there were plenty of McDonald's off the highway... Ha ha!

I didn't use my XSi much at all, since the sun set pretty early now, and the venue is (as usual) very dark. So glad I had my 5D Mark II! I stayed with the guys most of the time, as Laura got the girls, so most of shots here are of the groom. Enjoy!

Layne

2009-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

Now that the wedding season has slowed down, I was invited by a friend to shoot some models. We were very excited as we got a makeup artist and hair stylist that day!

Hair and Makeup by Shana and Ashley of "Shana Nicole Beauty"
shananicole.stylist@gmail.com

So, here is the dark side of model photography that almost every pro knows: some models like to no call no show, and no respond when you try to reach them.

Anyways, enough about that. So, what do we do when we have spare time and a bunch of pros sitting around? We turn one of our photographers into a model of course! :D She said she wanted to look like Taylor Swift, so then our beauty team goes to work, and this is what we came up with... P.S. I got more of the same series coming, so check back soon!

Just so you know, you can see more at my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4honor

Wedding: Stephanie + Jack

2009-11-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

Always wanting to meet new photographers, so this time I tagged along with Laura of Laura Kathryn Photography and this is what I came out with.

By the way, the groomsmen from this wedding were super fun, and the bridesmaids stole the dance floor at reception! Oh, and this is one of the first weddings I shot with my new 5D Mark II :D

Gotta always have the dress shots! :)

Courtney

2009-11-22T20:53:00.001-08:00

Man, been super busy with wedding photos lately that I don't even get to do modeling photos anymore! I apologize to my original viewers for that, but I will do more once the weather gets better in the spring or I get to work in studio...

I met Courtney at a local photographers get together, and after showing her some of my work and left her my card, I got an e-mail from her wanting to shoot. I thought she just want to come out and have a great time, but she actually got hair stylists and wardrobe designers to collaborate with her! I am very impressed. Only if all models can be like her... :)

So, here are the important people you need to get in touch with if you like any of the photos you see here!

Clothing Designer:
Jocelyn of Joscelyn Himes Textile
http://jhtextiles.com

Hair:
Whitney of Bangs Salon
http://www.bangskc.com

And then of course, photos by me!

Kansas City Plaza

2009-11-16T17:03:00.001-08:00

So, it's not all about work here, I like to have fun too! I was invited by some local photographers to a Friday night shootout at the Kansas City Plaza, and since I just acquired my new fancy camera that is supposedly very capable in low light situations, I was very excited to take it for a test drive!

We walked around for a few blocks, traded techniques, and laughed a lot. Below is what I got from the night, enjoy!

Wedding: Jen + Jerod

2009-11-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, look at that, new post when I just posted yesterday! Told you I have been busy... :)

So, after just having gotten the 24-70L, I was eager to use it. My friend Jim called me up and asked if I want to come second shoot with him, since he was passing a kidney stone and probably will need help. Being the good friend I am (ha ha) I agreed to come along.

We shot at the Overland Park Arboretum in Kansas. Beautiful place! And a popular photography place too, saw like 2 other photographers by just walking around the place once! Anyways, we had direct sun most of the time, so the lighting isn't ideal, but the wedding was beautiful and Jen has one of the best dress design to me. I love red/black/white color combos. (Please book me if those are your wedding colors!)

So, for this wedding, I was armed with my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS on the XSi, and the 24-70mm f/2.8L on the 1D Mark II.

(Sorry about the small images~)

First Sight

Walking around the park...

Intimate moment

Beautiful park!

Red vibrant flowers...

Ceremony right by the pond

I love the contrasty B&W!

Wedding cake yum!

Perfect Wedding Guide Expo

2009-11-02T19:16:00.001-08:00

Hi guys and girls, I have been busy with wedding stuff, but mainly getting more gigs and other wedding related stuff, so haven't posted any photos in a while. I went to the wedding expo put up by the Perfect Wedding Guide as an Associate Photographer for Sara Tafoya Photography, and I think it went well! Here are some shots I got while they were having a fashion show.

These were straight out of the camera shots from my 5D Mark II that I just got (yay) and the 24-70L. We were too far away, so these are crops from the amazing 21MP images!

Cake Shot! It was huge!

Wedding: Kelley + Kevin

2009-10-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

I am always trying to shoot more weddings for practice before I have to shoot one myself. This is another wedding where I second shot to build my portfolio and confidence. Shot mostly with the 24-70L that I bought recently, and then 70-200 f/2.8 IS for ceremony shots. This was second shooting for Embody Imagery, which owns by my friend Layne Haley. :)

Wedding was at an old theater...

Getting ready...

Almost time for the ceremony!

They are in the background... just blurred out... :)

Exchange rings

One of my favs from the day...

Ha ha, I don't think I am supposed to follow them... :D

Wedding: Brittney + Brandon

2009-10-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have been shooting weddings like crazy lately, it's the best way to learn! This is another wedding I second shot for Sara Tafoya Photography.

I haven't shot that many weddings, but Brittney and Brandon are definitely the most fun to photograph. Brandon was goofy, so were his groomsmen, to the point I can't even show you some of the photos I got of them... Ha ha! Then Brittney was not only easy to direct, she is like a model, she just knew how to make the serious faces that some of my models have a hard time with. Put the two together, you get great photos and have lots of fun!

Anyways, I think I am improving my skills, or just that Brittney and Brandon made it really easy for me... Maybe both? Oh, this is also the first wedding I got to shoot with my new 24-70L lens! :D Picture time!

Ahh, the dress shot...

Da groomsmen! They look like a band or something... :)

They were inside a freight elevator!

My first real try at ring shots!

Table pieces...

Many people like the blue background... :)

Love da B&W shots!

Heh, taking a picture of a picture!

New lens! (Canon 24-70L)

2009-10-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

So yeah, finally had my toys pay for themselves and break even a little bit ago, and I couldn't resist buying MORE new toys! There are many things on my wish list, so I doubt this will stop any time soon...

So, last time I got myself a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, it was awesome, has been my favorite workhorse lens. However, my wide end was still only covered with my 18-55mm IS kit lens. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good lens, but I really would like the f/2.8 fixed aperture. Makes shooting in manual a heck of a lot easier.

I had two choices: the 24-70mm f/2.8 or the 16-35mm f/2.8 zoom lens. I decided on the 24-70mm instead because it will couple nicely with my 70-200mm zoom lens. The 24-70L was also about $200 cheaper. So yeah, I took a picture of it with my iPhone 3GS as soon as I mounted it on. Hope to play with this lens more and learn to get creative with it!

Wedding: Janelle + Andrew

2009-10-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Here is another wedding I shot with Sara Tafoya Photography... Down by West Bottoms, pretty fun wedding! OK, less words, more pictures!

Love the colors here...

Shooting in the middle of the street!

Walk in the park...

Walking away after the ceremonty...

I just like the lines in this one

Man, I really need to fix my blog soon... But I love this sparkler exit!

Wedding: Ogla + Alex

2009-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's been too long since I posted again... I have been busy shooting weddings now. Well, second shooting weddings, which means there is a main photographer at the wedding, and I am just on the side helping and get other angles that the main photographer can't get. Here is a few that I came up with, enjoy!

Ogla and Alex (if you couldn't tell from the names) are from Ukraine!

What a fun couple!

I wish I can embed landscape photos, because this one is awesome. I will have to fix my blog soon...

At a local art museum

One of my favorites from the day! Love B&W photos...

Kyla

2009-09-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have worked with many girls, and there are some that are ok to work with, you have to coach them through, but you get the results at the end. And then there are girls like Kyla, once you get them started, you just have to click away!

I told her I was interested in headshots, so I would like her to just make different faces at me. Boy, be careful what you wish for! For the next 15 mins or so, the camera was glued to my face and I clicked away.

Below is a few shots we came out with. XSi + 70-200/2.8 IS + reflectors in natural light.

Ha ha, this was just how I imagined it.

Ha ha, what a weird face~

I wanted her to play with her hair...

I have yet to fix my blog to take horizontal shots, but many people like this one.

Alena

2009-09-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time... Did you guys miss me? Been busy doing paid gigs like weddings and newborn shoots, which means they have higher priority than these fun free shoots. Hey, at least now I have break even, and anything that I make shall be profit! I plan on getting into debt with a new camera, the Canon 5D Mark II...

Anyways, I did a couple headshots (my favorite!) of Alena, where Jen Thomas and Amy Smotherman from Last Tangle KC did the hair and makeup. Sure did made my editing much easier! Thanks!

Setup is pretty much natural light. Had a large diffuser by the large window to soften the light, and then a gold (I think) reflector on camera right for fill. The background is actually a silver reflector, just trying new things... :) Camera is XSi with 70-200mm f/2.8 IS @ f/2.8 most of the time.

My favorite of her set. She has more of a cute face than typical models.

Another headshot, but I wanted more light in her eyes, so she was looking at the light source.

Glam shot with smile

Basically detail of the hair to show off the stylist's work.

And Alena blows you a kiss goodbye, hoping you liked her photos! :)

Retta

2009-08-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

So yeah, this is way over due. I shot her 6/13, and just got to edit them this weekend. Been doing paid gigs, which takes priority... :\

Anyways, I got to shoot Retta before she moved to LA, and we shot her at her home town of Grandview. I used to work there, so I knew a bit about the area. Pretty nice place.

Anyways, we shot around the buildings and inside a cafe. She looked great in every outfit, so that made my job a heck of a lot easier. As usual, the 70-200 f/2.8 IS was glued to the camera, and used fill flash.

A cool brick corner we found

The blue outfit matches her blue eyes very well!

I love red dresses! The white fence is a nice background to bring out the red

So elegant... :)

I like her headshots...

Showing off the ear ring...

Wedding: Michelle + Rob

2009-08-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ah ha! Long time no see friends! I have been busy with some paid gigs like weddings and newborn shoots that I don't get to do modeling photography as much, so I thought maybe I will just share some photos from my very first wedding as a lead photographer!

Like to give a shout out to James for being my second (even though I couldn't pay him much), he got some good shots too. I will just post mine here since I can only claim these as mine... :)

Ceremony shot

Walking down the isle...

Ring shot

Quick shoot after the ceremony

Detail shot of the gift table

People still enjoying themselves even as I was leaving :)

Carmen

2009-06-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have actually shot Carmen a while back, when I first started... But that's when I sucked, so when I found out she was leaving town, I thought I'd have to shoot her before she leaves. So, this is what we got!

Very cute pose...

Actually one of my favorites

I like the curves in her pose

Second outfit

Gotta have the sexy full body shots! :)

Of course, a headshot to show off the cute face!

MacKenzie

2009-06-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

I am usually the one to ask girls if they want to shoot with me, but MacKenzie actually asked me first, and was really excited about it! We finally found a time where we can meet up, and shot around KC. What I love about MacKenzie is her awesome pretty blue eyes! So sit back and enjoy~

No effects were done to the eyes. Yes, they are that awesome!

I love taking her headshots...

Full body shot

Corner shot

Mary

2009-06-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

I am usually pretty shy around girls, but now that I am a photographer, I have gained confidence. So, when I see a pretty girl, I will usually go and be friends, and then see if there is a chance to take some photos of her. I met Mary at a friend's get-together, and she was just so nice! Coupled with a cute smile, I kinda had in mind I want to shoot this girl. But, I sucked at the time, so I hesitated.

Fast forward! I am much better now, so I offered. Mary happened to need a headshot, so it was perfect. We shot for about 5 hours around KC, and this is a TINY sample of what we got. :)

I liked the clean background, fits her very well

Had to have headshots for each outfit! :)

So elegant...

I love pretty girls in red dresses!

By far one of my favorites from the day!

Love her eyes... and the hair frames her face well.

Michelle

2009-06-05T04:44:00.000-07:00

Michelle and I have been wanting to get together for a shoot, but couldn't find time until couple weekends ago. Below is a portion of what we came up with. Can't really go wrong with pretty models like Michelle... :)

Love this in B&W!

I like this pose...

playing with effects in Photoshop

Very pretty face!

Showing off the legs

I love stairs... and Michelle too! :D

Sharon

2009-05-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Heh, forgot that I should have blogged this... :)

So, after shooting so many 18-21 year olds (I know, tough life... Haha), I thought I wanted someone more mature... I asked around, and everyone raved about this Sharon girl! I contacted her, and she happened to want some shoots done for a local cloth designer, so we shot together! On to the pictures... :)

So fashionable

Another outfit

What? You thought there were gonna be no headshots? :)

Played with my softbox a bit... Still learning!

KAOS Girls Headshots (Part 2)

2009-05-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was invited back to take some photos of the KAOS girls for their posters. After we were done with the formals, I decided to set up a diffuser by the window and a reflector on the other side so the girl can be in between. My goal was to create headshots using only natural lighting. Pictures taken with my Canon XSi and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS.

Cynthia: this one actually was just reflector, no diffuser.

Amanda: hate to play favs, but I think this one is my favorite!

Becca

Montie

Monica

Nina

Stevi

Shaina

2009-05-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Oops! I totally forgot to blog about Shaina! Been busy over here, kinda behind on editing...

Anyways, this was a shoot that my friend Kyle setup, and I tagged along for some photo taking opportunities... It was crazy windy, but I still dragged my softbox out for practicing. See if you guys like it... :) Go to my flickr for more!

"Twilight", probably my favorite of all these.

A few of my friends likes this one...

Headshot

I like this pose...