Wedding photography can mean many things; rounding up bridesmaids, filling up memory cards, racing the bride to the altar to get the shot, but to me wedding photography means one thing: HAPPINESS.

The way I see it, I have the best job in the world! I am there smack dab in the middle of a giant party and I have one job; to capture joy, love, and laughter.

Though I have always loved photography, (literally always, I went through troves of disposable cams as a kid!), I graduated from San Jose State with a degree in Film and Creative Writing -- I will also be pursuing my masters degree this fall for more writing! The subject may seem very different than photography, but they tie in together well. It has given me an even greater ability to see moments where others may not, for like writing, photography captures emotions as raw and immediate as they are. But most of all, becoming  more rounded creatively strengthened my ability to see YOUR story for what it truly is.

Like many wedding photographers, I started out when an old friend asked me to shoot her special day.  For years I always had a secret dream of wanting to do weddings but didn’t know where to start. My friend’s wedding day was quaint yet ever so charming and at the end of that ten hour day I realized I had fallen hard and in love, because to me it wasn’t a ten hour day, it was merely a flash of beautiful and non-stop fun!

From that very first wedding to my current shoots, my style has not changed. Though I do retouch my photos, my goal is to capture life’s big and small moments naturally. I keep my photos looking like the real moments that I captured, just usually a little bit brighter (to capture all that blooming joy in the bride’s eye of course!). But my goal of keeping photos looking natural doesn’t just come from the retouching side, it is from the moment I took the photo.

I am a naturally energetic (and yes, a bit ADD) person, so when I’m shooting I am always upbeat and ready for the next moment yet I always keep it casual and strive to make you feel like you’re not taking a picture. And though weddings must consist of many posed photos...

It is the photos between photos where people are most beautiful.

That holds true again and again. Whether it is a candid of the best man and his father sharing a laugh, or the withheld giggle erupting from a bridesmaid that the bride can't help but laugh along with. When people forget you’re there, as the photographer that becomes all I see. Two beautiful people, lost in an ever-smiling moment captured through my lens forever.

I should probably mention another part of wedding photography that is very important to me, and that is making my prices work with your budget. Though I always strive to stay in an affordable range (for most couples), if someone wants to hire me but my prices are still too high then that doesn’t mean goodbye, it means hello!, it means let’s work out something that we both feel is fair. :)

I want to with my client, not for my client.

Because guess what, you have a special story to tell, to live, and I would be more than honored to be the person to capture it!

Wedding photography is my passion! And though I will continue to study creative writing, that will not stop me from shooting as many weddings, portraits and spontaneous photo-shoots as I can! For I also love doing any sort of photo-shoot, from a whimsical otherworldly feeling shoot to some classy and cute portraits. I really do love it all.

I am all about capturing the joy of your moment, of your life.

And to all those stressed brides and grooms out there, take a moment to breathe and smile. It will all turn out beautifully!

If you feel like you would enjoy working with me then please feel free to check out my website or shoot me an email, I would love to meet you! I am based in the surf city of Santa Cruz, California, but if you're interested in working together I am open to traveling. :)

Photo of me by: Kassandra Thomsen Photography

COMPANY: Alexandra Rice Photography

CONTACT: alexandra.rice.12@gmail.com

WEBSITE: http://www.alexandraricephotography.com

SOCIAL: Facebook

McKinley Photography

My name is Joanna and I consider myself to be a natural light wedding photographer. I love working outdoors and showing what the perspective is in distinctively different ways.  I am a mother of 9 and have been married to my childhood sweetheart for too long to count.  I live in beautiful California where I travel everywhere to take not only wedding photography but newborn and formal events as well.  I do shoot everything but want to specialize in wedding photography and newborn.  We are newborn certified and I have a Bachelor's degree in Photography as well.  As much as I know there are many wedding photographers out there I want to be a different kind of wedding photographer.  I want to be different. I want to photograph love as love. That is why I am showing off this beautiful same-sex wedding in this post.

This was such a fun and difficult photo to capture.  There were so many family members that wanted to share into the joy.  We got them all in and when it was all said and done it turned out to show so much love that it was worth the time capturing it.

 These photos were just so intricate to the love that was shown in this wedding, the candles that were lit on each table, the rings that were given and the beautiful little organization of the congratulations cards that were waiting the brides all written by the children.  

The vows that they wrote to each other were so emotional that everyone cried. This couple had been together for 30 years before they were able to marry legally.  This just shows the power of love in any relationship which is what we want to show in our photography.  

This is the reason why I want to be a wedding photographer, is to capture things like this. The moment that we all want to see.. the love that a couple shares when they are finally married after waiting however long they have to wait to be united in this way.  We are open to any weddings and photograph love we don't care what kind it is. 

COMPANY: McKinley Photography

CONTACT: 559-724-7420, mckinportraits@gmail.com

 WEBSITE: www.mckinleyphotography.org 

SOCIAL: Facebook  Instagram  Twitter

We look forward to hearing from you anytime.  If you come to us from this blog or from basicinvites we will give you a 25% discount on any package of your choosing. Thank you with love and light.

Joanna McKinley

Hi there! I’m Chantelle! I opened a small in - home studio in north western Iowa a bit over 2 years ago. Although, I’ve been photographing my family for years and years for fun and mostly, for me, I’ve only been a “professional” since then. It was a giant leap of faith - being new to the area after moving from our home, knowing no one, having to learn everything about - well, everything AND building a business... It's been an adventure, for sure. But, one I'm so glad I took! I'm abundantly thankful to get to do something I love. Photography is like therapy to me. Shooting, editing, creating – it all relaxes me into a peaceful, happy place. And it only took me 40+ years to find it! Who knew?! ;)

Although I love all my sessions for different reasons, I’d have to say children – from newborn all the way up to seniors - are my favorites. I get to experience over and over again the innocence of the littlest of us, a mommy, daddy and their new addition's first “family portrait." A 6-months-old's smiles and laughter at just about everything, a one-year-old’s tenacity at finding the toys hidden away for bribes in my studio (they always just KNOW!), watching a shy, introverted 12-year-old emerge into the beauty she is, right in front of the camera. And then, the seniors – sometimes, full of attitude and spunk, sometimes nervous and apprehensive, but always, ALWAYS FUN!

I like to keep things light, relaxed. I laugh A LOT. I grew up in Texas – I adore “laid back”. I think my clients do, too. Candids are my favorite! Emotional moments make me swoon (pretty sure they do that to everyone else, too!). I love catching subtle connections between family members - be it a smirk or a grin :), wonder in a little one’s eyes, pride in giant accomplishments, and oh, sleeping babies - be still my heart.

I love photography for many reasons, but obviously, and mostly, for the preservation of memories. My grandfather passed away this last year. In the days following, while we were all making arrangements, his laughter, his joy, the exuberance in his young life, the pride in his family, his farm and his military days, it could all still be seen and felt in his pictures, bringing US joy and laughter, exuberance and pride. (A little teary just thinking about and writing it.) I'm so thankful for those images, I can't even tell you. They told stories I'd never heard before and reminded me of the days I loved with him. When I look at my boys as infants hanging on my walls (now ages 14 and 22), I can still smell their hair and remember kissing their soft little blonde heads. What a blessing to be able to give the same to others. I LOVE my job. I'm a (thankful, proud, so blessed) photographer. <3

COMPANY: Touched By Grace Photography/Chantelle Heiskell Photography

WEBSITE: www.chantelleheiskell.com

SOCIAL: Facebook  Instagram  Pinterest