New Friends | Abby & Nathan

     Well, Friday was a crazy day around the gallery and pretty much anywhere we went, but.. We did get to meet Abby Guinn and Nathan Underwood later in the afternoon and talk to them about their wedding coming next year in Jefferson City, MO and the wedding pictures they are looking forward too. Even though we have done this a hundred times it seems each new client meeting is always crazy and nerve racking. We do love our friends and clients, but I like to explain that first meeting a lot like a blind date. They have seen your picture and you have seen theirs. You might have even talked on the phone, but to actually meet for the first time is the bonus. I think its because Ann and I both see them as friends and want to do our best. Many times photographers treat it like a business meeting and we just can't do that. Weddings especially are about emotion and love. How can you possibly make it about business.
     Anyway.. we had a great time and they are wonderful people. Soo many ideas and things they want to try and do we will definitely have a blast working with them. Hopefully once they get some things settled and we get a few pricing things done we can get them to come up to the Studio in Oak Grove and get some first look pictures of the couple! Can't wait!
     Usually I would also post some drive pictures and some other things that went on, but it got kinda rough after we left them and had to drop off the radar for the rest of the weekend., :( Lets just say that I will always listen to Ann now and we will always have a back up for the backup for the cell phone charger.

Oak Grove | Gave us a license

Yeah!!! We finally got signed off on the new Art Gallery and Portrait Studio in Oak Grove today. :)

Ok, back to work, have floors to paint, pictures to hang and an awesome shelf to install.

Kids Portraits | Edwards Girls

We had a fun time last night with these crazy girls. Charlie and Hayden are a handful for their mom at times and it is a good work out for us in how to be flexible with what we are wanting to shoot. So many times we get stuck in our head what we want to take a picture of, but when it doesnt happen we get frustrated. Once that happens we don't get any good shots. What I love about doing this kind of photoshoot along with the weddings and our studio work is that its like training a different part of your mind. To quote the movie Gril Next Door, "Sometimes you just have to go with it." Once we relaxed and start just letting things happen the pictures got much much nicer. We will add a few more later, but here are the sneak picts we uploaded to facebook for now.

BTW - Hayden does a perfect impersonation of "Charlie bit my finger".

Nintz Art Gallery and Photo Studio in Oak Grove MO

     Even though we focus on the artistic wedding photography we wanted to have a small studio in our home town of Oak Grove, MO. So we found this little building that was for rent and gave the owner a gift. We have spent 2 months rebuilding it from scratch in the front to be an Art Gallery for local artists, plus its a nice place to get together with our clients. The city had some other thoughts which meant a lot of work and replacing things to get up and running with the portrait studio in the back. We still have room to expand and create a few sample rooms, but for now 3 rolls of 9 foot paper and a painted wall behind that for floor shots will have to do. We have even been buying up carpet samples to use with it for fun. Well, we finally got the new "out swinging" door in and the lit exit signs, and the new commercial fire extinguishers, and on and on... So even though its not completely done and we have not hung the gallery system or any of the art we have collected we wanted to show what we have been up to for the past 2 months. I refuse to say its done until we can get the 65 inch flat screen and built in cabinet in place of the AC wall unit. (:S)  ~jeff

Wedding Gift Ideas and Traditions

Mother
A double frame makes a wonderful gift for your mother. On one side, use a picture of you and your mother when you were a little girl and on the other, a picture of you together on your wedding day—hugging, getting ready together or something like that. For an extra-special touch, have the frame engraved to read, “I’ll always be your little girl.”

Father
If you wear a blusher veil, it is traditional to give it to your father after your wedding day, as a memento of that moment in your lives. A shadow box is a cute way to display this gift, along with a portrait of you walking down the aisle or having your father-daughter dance during the reception.

Fiancé
Secretly do a boudoir portrait session in your bridal lingerie and frame your favorite portrait. Hide it for him to find on your wedding morning with a little love note. This will be a wonderful surprise for him to enjoy that day and for many years to come.

Maid of Honor
A framed portrait of you together on your wedding day with a necklace or a gift card to a spa is the perfect thank you to your maid of honor. Have each bride’s maid sign the sole of your shoe before the ceremony for good luck. Whoever’s name is darkest by the end of the day will be married next.

Best Man
An engraved flask, a box of cigars or a nice set of cufflinks are all thoughtful gestures to give to the best man in your wedding. Be sure to get a portrait of all the groomsmen and the groom doing a toast. This makes a wonderful framed gift to give to each, along with a handwritten thank you card.

Flower Girl
An engraved locket is a wonderful gift for your flower girl. Alternately, a charming music box would also be cherished for years to come. Take a picture with your flower girl, and wait until her wedding day to give it to her, along with a heartfelt message about how proud you are to see her grow into a beautiful woman.

Future Children
Save a few bottles of wine from your wedding (depending on how many children you plan to have) and box each one up with a picture of you and your husband on your wedding day, as well as a heartfelt, handwritten message. This makes a wonderful gift many years down the road on your children’s wedding day.

New Gallery

Our new Gallery should be opening in the next week. Can't wait to finally have a home for the photography studio and a place to hang out with some friends. 

Engagement Session | Jacob and Jessica

Not sure how we missed it, but when I found out that my local insurance agent was getting married I sent him an email asking about his wedding pictures.  He had decided to go a pretty simple route, but had not had any engagement photos taken. Ann and I decided that we should have them swing by the studio and lets get that fixed, free of charge.  We had a great time and fun taking Jacob and Jessica engagement Pictures, we Hope you all enjoy and like them as we do!!

 

And YES.... Some times I try things that just don't look as good in live as it did in my head. I was going for the "Hey you should have stopped for me" look, but instead..... I don't even know what this is called. :S 

Children Portraits | Meyer Family

I don't want to go back too much in our old work and really would like to keep this new site only for the new work that we do and try to keep it as mostly weddings, but we never really ever posted our shoot with the Meyer Family in Olathe Kansas last fall and I wanted to show it. We have some of these in print on metal at the gallery as a showing of what really good portrait photography can be, I had just ordered them and once they got in it made me think if we ever posted them and I could not find one. One of these was even taken with the oldest girl sitting on the roof of her mom's car while we were all just hanging out. As for our wedding shots, we will get more posted and hoping to post a few gear tips soon too, but once you see these you will understand why I wanted to post these.