Kelsey and Justin’s Romantic Farm Engagement

**If you are a friend / family member of Kelsey and Justin’s… don’t forget to leave them a comment or compliment below!! **

When Kelsey told me that there was a family farm with an OLD barn that she would like to have in their engagement photos… it was like the heaven’s opened up and the sun shone down… Seriously… this is the stuff I live for!  Creeks… barns.. dogs… I am all about it!   When we arrived at the property I was unsure if I was even in the right place because I could not FIND the barn!  But there she was… hidden behind MUCH brush and MANY chiggers… (my ankles suffered!) there was this beauty…

Can u see her???  If not look closely…

NOW you see her right?!  I love it when people take me to locations that are sentimental and special and this barn definitely is both of those things to Kelsey and her family!  Standing inside its crumbling walls I couldn’t help but wonder how many mouths that one barn’s profits had fed over the years and how many kids had played hide and seek there.  There is a certain form of reverence that I feel for old buildings like these… similar to the respect I have for elderly people… my mind just goes in a millions ways wondering what it was in it’s hey day!

And what would a FARM engagement session be without a dog… and not just any dog… HUCKLEBERRY HOUND!!  Cute right?!!  He was WAY excited to be included in the photos!  I hear that when Justin proposed he was informed that he was getting a package deal… Kelsey AND Huckleberry!

Obviously Justin and Huckleberry get along just fine…

And yes that would be Troy… aka photographer… aka husband… aka Dog Whisperer.  I think his exact words to Huckleberry were “Hey look here dog… you’re gonna sit your butt down there and we are going to take this dang picture…”  LOL

Kelsey had also requested that we go to their favorite Creek for some photos…. so we did!  We braved the skeeters and the chiggers and the random cats!!  The pics made it totally worth it!

We even found this cool old building on a hill … like I said before… old buildings… speak to me.  Troy may be the dog whisperer but I think I am the “crappy old building” whisperer!

Right about this time a random cat decided to befriend us.  I managed to lure him away once with the promise of something in my hand and a hearty “here kitty kitty kitty” the second time… she was not fooled!

As night fell… we managed to get some pretty cool shots near an amazing rock formation that turns into a waterfall when it rains!  Wish we had had some rain!! Of course it has rained EVERY DAY since then!  Sheesh.

And so adventure over the creek and through the barn was over but stay tuned… the wedding images will not be far behind!

Joe & Helen’s Lexington, Kentucky Firehouse Engagement

I know that every couple likes to have “pretty” engagement photos but I am always 100% honest in saying that your photos, will be SO much “prettier” if we create them at a place that is meaningful to YOU as a couple.  The place you got engaged.  The place you went to when you dated.  The place you first met.  When Helen asked me if they could get some pics at the fire station I could have jumped for joy!  Seriously… new places, locations, ideas… they send my brain into a whole new level of creativity!

If you are a friend of Helen and Joe’s who has stopped by… be sure to leave a comment below this post for them!

The session started off at Keeneland:

Yes… we dared walk on the track!  It’s the off season…

Then we packed up and headed downtown to the Firehouse!  I almost giggled with excitement!!   And let me tell you… Helen is a MASTER at changing in the car.  She popped out of that car ready to shoot!

We just couldn’t resist playing with the rings… I mean we had the helmet there… it was just BEGGING for this photo!!!  So… Helen’s ring got it’s own little mini session… yes… we un-apologetically like to display the engagement ring!!!!!

And then Helen asked if we could get a few pics on the front porch swing.  Yes… this fire station has a front PORCH!  It is one of the oldest in Lexington, if not the oldest, so it is full of all kinds of cool history (I am a history buff so this is right up my alley!).  Helen and Joe have spent many nights enjoying the view from that front porch and it is where their love started, has grown and blossomed into the thing of beauty that it is now.  So sweet that they will get to keep this memory even long after Joe leaves the station

Yep.  It was a pretty fabulous day!  We ended it with a trip to Mi Pequena Hacienda for Mexican food!  I mean really… does it get any better than that?  And either I was REALLY hungry or that was some of the best Mexican food that I have EVER eaten!  LOL

Helen and Joe… we are SO looking forward to your wedding day and know that it is going to be an amazing good time!  See you again VERY soon (probably at Orange Leaf… again… LOL).

“Please no outside photography” — WHY?

Anyone who is already an SS&G client knows in reading their contract that we request that there be no outside photography during our set photo times.  We understand that everyone wants to snap a pic of the bride and groom dancing, cutting the cake, etc and we usually even invite people to come do so BUT… there are certain times during the day when we need those cameras to be put away.  This is for many reasons.  I know a lot of people think that it is for us to be able to monopolize the photos and FORCE everyone to buy from us but for the majority of our brides, they purchase the full DVD anyhow so whether uncle bob is taking his own pics or not, really is not affecting my bottom line.  What it IS affecting is YOUR PHOTOS!

We have the ability to control our OWN lights, flash, cameras etc but cameras are only as smart as their operators and the conditions around them.

So WHY do we ask that people are not shooting over our shoulders?  Well here’s why…

1) I do not come with backup sensors.  I cannot tell you how many people I have stepped on an run over backing up because they were right on my heels.  Sometimes its even a child.  While I feel bad and apologize, I have a job to do and most of the time, too little time to do it.  I am not a small lady and being stepped on by me is probably not pleasant.  So protect your children and your toes and stay off my heels!

2) Eyes darting.  Its the rule of multiplicity.  1 bride + 1 grom + 8 family members x 2 eyeballs on each x # of cameras and family yelling “look over here and let me get a picture” = the number of ways eyes can be looking during a single photo.  Trust me its a mess.

3) Ruined photos.  Sometimes perfectly good photos are ruined completely by stray flashes.  You friend or family member is likely only EVER going to stick these pics up on Facebook and call it a day but WE, as your photographers are responsible for capturing, in the most professional and flattering manner, the STORY of your ENTIRE wedding day.  That is a responsibility that we do not take lightly and we will fight to make sure that YOUR wedding images, books, etc look as professional, artistic and beautiful as possible even if that means calling down 2nd cousin “so and so” with the camera.

For those of you who are visual learners… here is a family image created by us, with our lighting, no outside distractions… look how happy and beautifully lit it is. For the sake of being 100% honest this is what photographers call a SOOC image (straight out of camera).  There has been no cropping, editing etc.  So you know you are comparing apples to apples here.

Here is what happens when Uncle Billy Bob decides to help us out… 

Uncle somebody was sitting to my right… notice the flash.  Also, when his flash popped my focus jumped and then it all went out of focus and now has a horrible cast on the photo that is also a bit orange.

Get the point?

Luckily we are smart enough to take a string of images so this family’s image is not ruined but it sure does make it harder (and longer) in editing when I am dodging these kinds of “bullets”.

So… when we ask your family to put their cameras away… please do NOT be offended.  We are simply protecting YOUR best interests!

Kristin’s Bridal Session

Kristin and Ben were married at Asbury’s Estes Chapel last weekend.  I have been waiting many weeks to post her fabulous bridal images and I am SO excited for everyone to get to see them!  Kristin looked stunning in her Maggie Sottero gown and she chose ballet flats as she is exactly, to the inch, the same height as her husband to be!    We started out at Waveland then headed over to Keeneland to finish up.  So many times people will compliment our work and my response is always the same : “It’s easy when you have great subjects!”  And that really IS true!  I have the best clients in the entire world!

Lateefah’s Maternity Photos

One of the MOST rewarding things about my “job” is that I get to literally witness the creation of a family every single week.  For me, family is the MOST important thing in the world.  We hope that our kids grow up, have big families of their own and that some day, when we are old and gray, we will find ourselves with TONS of grandkids and GREAT grandkids sitting around the Christmas tree! I have known Lateefah since High School but we have only become close in the past couple of years.  Before her wedding and move Teefah was a nurse at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital and we all know how I feel about that!  LOL  When Teefah asked me to do her Maternity pics I had tears in my eyes!  I cannot WAIT to meet Matt and Teefah’s new little bundle!

Until then… here are some pics of my friend, my former bride and one of the most stunning mommies to be that I have ever seen!!!