Posts Tagged ‘portrait art’

When our daughter, Michelle, got married a few years back, she hired a wedding photographer who was the ‘best man’s father who was a professional wedding photographer.’ Reminds me of the ‘my friend has an uncle…’ I suggested she look closely at his wedding album sample understanding that the best images a photographer takes are in their albums, of course.

I hadn’t begun doing wedding photography at the time. I even had the foolish notion that I would end up photographing most of it myself so it didn’t matter who they hired. Big mistake!! I am not, and never have been, able to wear two hats at one time. And the most important hat for me to wear that day was that of the ‘mother of the bride.’ I was so busy with the bride, guests, and details that I didn’ t pay any attention to the photographs. Hard to believe, but it’s true.

Not only did this ‘professional photographer’ (I use the term sooooo loosely) not get any good shots of family members, but there is not a single, salvageable image of the bride and groom in his work. Thank goodness I had a nature photographer friend  there who got a few lovely images of the kids (thank you, Lu). The disposable cameras on the table were also a waste of money and time, unfortunately.

So when I attended a seminar talking about these unfortunate brides who hire a photographer ‘on the cheap’ and end up with no images of such an important day, the idea was suggested to create what is known as “I do Redo” sessions. We rent a tux, recreate the flowers, and put the bride back in her dress for a fun day capturing beautiful, missed images for a couple. No, it is never the same. But in some ways, it’s better!! Couples are more relaxed, they have fun, and we can concentrate on really creating beautiful portrait art to commemorate their day. 

So, this past weekend, my daughter and her husband, Steve, put on their wedding attire and became real  examples of what an ”I do Redo” session is all about with J. Love Photography.  Here are a few of the images they will have forever.  It won’t be their actual wedding day, but it is a celebration of their love nonetheless. And now it’s done the way it should have been done in the beginning. We all learned a lot. Our daughter was a beautiful bride, and we now have some lovely images we can not only show people but hang in our own home!

We worked with Darling Bridal in Ann Arbor and Dexter Flowers of Dexter. These people are top notch professionals who helped us recreate this important day. Thanks to everyone involved.  Our kids are most grateful and so are we!

Sometimes, clients come in with a distinct idea of what they want their portraits to look like.  It’s fun and it gives me an opportunity to step outside the box and create portrait art that reflects who they truly are.  Everyone wins!  There is nothing more gratifying than watching someone’s face light up when they see their images for the first time.

High school senior portrait sessions can be like this. Kids know the message they want to convey through their portraits.  And some of them bring in all of the props, the clipped pictures of things they’d like to try, etc.  Brooke was one of these kids!

She is a huge fan of Kurt Cobain.  So she brought in his music and we hooked up her ipod to my stereo and away we went!  We got some awesome images of her.  She’s tall, pretty, and shy.  But with her music blaring, surrounded by her props, she felt comfortable enough to be herself.  When I finally got to show her the images, I don’t know which one of us was more excited! 

Yes, I got the shoes… just the way she wanted them.  Her beloved tennis shoes are now immortalized through a portrait for all time… along with her youthful beauty, big dimples, and sparkling eyes.  Here are a few of the black and white portraits of Brooke.  Best wishes to you, Brooke, as you head off into your future!