Dreams

Lately, I have been dreaming.
Vivid, enchanting, complex surrealistic dreams.
I think our dreams have a way of weaving together the impossibilities that our waking state does not permit us to perceive. Making something new where nothing existed before. Some of the greatest minds attributed their greatest break-through to dreams. So here's to all the dreamers.

The photo-centric engagement

I recently met with a future bride named Cassie . Over a caramel latte at Starbucks in Ann Arbor, she shared with me her amazing story of her Canon Christmas proposal.

Last year, Cassie was just starting out in photography. She had big photo dreams and had been diligently saving money to purchase her first DSLR camera.

 When Christmas time rolled around, Cassie and  her boyfriend Brandon got family & friends together for a Christmas party. Once everyone had arrived, Brandon handed Cassie a box and told her to open her gift. She felt worried because they had both agreed not to buy each other gifts that year. (Cassie’s brother stood by with video camera in hand.) When she opened the box she saw the word Canon and started shaking with excitement. Tears streamed down her cheeks as She took the Rebel Xsi out of the box. Brandon handed her a memory card to use in the camera. He said, “Check the card to make sure there aren’t any of my old photos on it”. She hit the play button and this is the image that popped up.

 When she looked at Brandon he was down on one knee. Brandon looked up at Cassie and asked “ I love you, will you marry me?”

Cassie just stood there in amazement, holding the camera, holding her breath, smiling, crying, looking at Brandon. Her brother, still holding the video camera shouted “Well, are you gonna say yes?” She looked around to realize that all eyes where on her, waiting for her to say something, anything.

She exclaimed “yes, yes, yes”, and the celebration began!

Brandon purchased Cassie the engagement ring in October & had planned on popping the question then. However, he decided to wait until Christmas because his brother had just become engaged.  Brandon knew how special the camera would be to Cassie and thought it was a perfect vehicle to deliver a proposal. Brandon took 72 shots to get the image above.

Their wedding is scheduled for June 2012.

As a female wedding photographer,  this is the kind of story that just pulls at your heartstrings.

How sweet, photography love to the umph power.

Novi Bridal Show

The experience of the Novi Bridal Expo was amazing. Each year exhibitors from Michigan gather at the event to provide brides with one stop shopping for all their wedding day needs. This year myself & Steve, my business partner in He Said She Said Photography were in one of the booths for photographic services.

We met some super cool vendors & played nice with everyone except the balloon guy (who shall remain nameless). One would assume that a balloon vendor would have the pleasant disposition of a daycare worker, after all balloons are happy & I am happy, but he was not. As you can see from the photo below I am happy, so very happy, because I have the best job in the world!

The very best part of the weekend was the brides. We met amazing women (and a few men) from all over the country.
What is the best thing about meeting new brides?
They are in love. They have found someone that they love so much they want to spend the rest of their lives together. Love is the most beautiful, flattering feature from a photographic standpoint.
  Love is the purest form of happiness. I could photograph happiness every day for the rest of my life and die with a huge smile.
I could go on and on about love, but I wont.
I'll just say "I love love".
There is something very genuine about the way a couple looks into each others eyes when they are in love. These are the stories I want to tell with my camera.

I have an amazing story from Cassie coming next week, so grab your camera & tissues because this is a good one. Not only is she a future bride but she is also just starting out in photography and her engagement story touched my heart.

Candle Light

My amazing, beautiful friend sara was kind enough to pose for me while we were in the process of a painting with light session.

I believe we had just under 100 candles burning. Shooting got warm very quickly, so I removed my camera from overhead tripod to avoid "cooking" my lens.

 There was also the spilling of wax & slight burning of fingers. All in all, I would say minus a few singes we managed to get a few "candle-lit" images that we are both pleased with.

I processed the image to push red tones in the shadows, it is Christmas after all. Enjoy the season & light a few candles!

Christmas Lights

The Christmas lights are all a-glow on Main street in down town Ann Arbor, so I drug my ever-faithful model/ best friend Erin out in the cold. I shot with my Canon lens 70-200 2.8 IS USM. I wanted to see just how far I could push that puppy (the lens, not Erin) in low light and freezing weather conditions.

The lens performed like a champ. Being able to shoot in low light with out flash allowed me to capture the ambiance of the scene. The lens weighs in at a hefty 3.3 pounds, how-ever my tripod weighs 5 pounds. You can do the math. For capturing moving subjects, easy transitions between backgrounds and low light, this baby gets it done.

This image was inspired by "The sunday Creative" weekly photo project- Frozen.

Gratitude note*Many thanks to Erin. My photographic Guinea Pig, who is insane enough to think my ideas are brilliant.

Update- I have added snow thanks to Photoshop Universe for the video tutorial

Finding The Perfect Wedding Gown

After all there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gowns in the world.  ~Douglas William Jerrold


On my quest to cracking the code on finding the perfect wedding gown, I have found the most popular recommendation: Know your body shape.


When I searched for body shapes and types, I found everything from fruits to letters analogies. Now, I don't know if I'm an "Apple" or an "H". I would guess hardly anyone else knows either.


 So, here's my 2 cents on choosing a gown. 
1. Take an honest friend with you, one who will tell it like it is.  
2. Ask the sales clerk, "Which type of dress will flatter my figure the best"?
3. Pay attention to where the waistline is on the dresses you like.
4. Different cuts will emphasize different parts of the body, so emphasize your favorite feature.


Good luck and happy hunting.
Now get out there and find something that will make his knees buckle!

My Personal Artist Custom Invitations Studio Blog: ABOUT

Just ran across this blog and I think it's the cats meow.

The artist, Michelle hand-paints invitations. Always in search of unique products for my brides, this artist wowed me with the beauty of her watercolors. There is a tab for wedding ideals. Even if you've already had your wedding invitations made, consider Thank-You cards. Any thing handmade lends a personal touch of gratitude. Best of luck in planning your big day!

See link below for artist's Blog

My Personal Artist Custom Invitations Studio Blog: ABOUT: "Michelle Mospens is a fine artist and graphic designer. In 1998, she started My Personal Artist from a small sunroom in her home so she coul..."