Okay, so.
I think we all know at this point that senior year for many students did not look like anyone had imagined it. Most classes were virtual, the connections they made on campus had to be more distanced, and their mental resolve had to be the most it’s ever been.
2021 graduates powered through, and have so much to be proud of. I’m so happy that Lauren and Kyle trusted me to be the one to follow them around the spots on WMU’s campus that mean the most to them.
I attempt every year to take advantage of all the blooming trees in downtown Kalamazoo, and every year I typically miss the peak of them by about a week.
This year, we finally won when Michigan finally blessed us with something other than snow in mid-April! Kylie and Evan were super open to ideas when it came to engagement photo locations in the area, and so we adventured around some particularly bloomy blocks of downtown. They were all genuine smiles and laughter, and it makes me all the more excited for their October wedding.
Congrats lovely people!
Every once in a while I get to do a photo session with awesome people who are phenomenal at what they do, and this was definitely one of them.
Back in December, I picked up a cross screen photography filter that gives highlights kind of an old Hollywood glamor effect, and immediately started planning out the perfect styling to emphasize what that filter had to offer.
Lindsey was not only the model, but coordinated half the wardrobe, and found the sweetest, coolest makeup artist, Alma, who could kill every look on our mood-board.
I love the vibe of all the finished photos, and I can’t wait for the next styled project!
Credits
Model: Lindsey Khamphouy -
instagram.com/lindseykhamphouy
MUA: Alma Rodriguez -
instagram.com/cakeupbeautybyalma
Photographer: Esther Tuttle -
instagram.com/entradaphotography
One of my favorite things about photography is the ability to build friendships and follow people through important stages of their lives.
These two are no exception. I’ve known Em for years, and when she and Bryant got engaged, I had the honor of being the one to follow them around Al Sabo land preserve with a camera and a celebratory bottle of Bell’s Wedding Ale.
Now their family is growing again, and that calls for more following them around the woods with a camera (no beer this time, because…. maternity photos.)
We chose the Kalamazoo Nature center for this March portrait session. Not only is it absolutely full of natural beauty, but it holds a pretty fond spot in the hearts of their whole family. They are people who set such an example of appreciating the outdoors with their little ones, and I’m such a fan.
Congratulations again you two!
This is not the first or the last time Emily Crombez is going to make an appearance on the blog.
I got to know her through mutual connections in the photography world, and I’m so glad to have the opportunity to call her a genuine friend. This chick can absolutely kill a pose (Like, the evidence is below) but is also a mad talented photographer and ambitious entrepreneur. She builds up other women like no one’s business, and I will jump at the chance to create something together, always.
We wanted this shoot to showcase Emily’s more editorial posing, so a classic black and white with loads o’ contrast is exactly where my mind went. Downtown Kalamazoo has no end to great textures and urban landscape, which is important when your model is particularly climb-y.
Thanks for being amazing as always Emily!
Oh 2020, what can I say about you that hasn’t been said already?
There is no doubt that one year ago, none of us had predicted what we would be put through, but sitting here on New Years Eve, waiting to wave goodbye to 2020 with only the middle finger on each hand, I am truly humbled at all the wonderful moments this year also contained.
I wanted to share some of my personal favorites of the 2020 wedding season. Some of these photos represent what the year was, some show my progression as a photographer wanting to take more unique and risky portraits, and some just show the amount of love that continued to show itself through a historically challenging time.
I grew in a lot of ways this year, and I thank you all for growing with me.
Here’s to you beautiful people making the most of it, Happy New Year.
Kayla and Noah’s June elopement was one of the first weddings we documented after the stay at home order was lifted, and it was a small and sweet backyard wedding with the perfect amount of golden hour light.
When they had to shift from a traditional wedding setup, Kayla and her support crew were able to repurpose the centerpieces for a dope geometric ceremony backdrop while keeping all the special details they had woven through their day:
- Game references everywhere, including the vows.
- The cutest ring bearer, Nikko.
- Enough “Painkiller” cocktail to dull even the year 2020.
Congrats you two, I hope you always stay your unique and wonderful selves!
“Jenna is hoping for something a little different than the standard downtown senior photos” is absolutely music to my ears.
I have a mental stash of bold, colorful backdrops to match unique personalities, so we did a tour of some of my favorite Kalamazoo locations (KIK pool and Vine neighborhood) before ending with the best golden hour at Asylum Lake Preserve.
Even though it was what could be described as “dramatically breezy” that day, we dragged strobe lighting with us through most of it, and it was so worth it.
Congratulations Jenna, I hope you share your awesome smile everywhere you go!
Shauna and Conway are super sweet people who had their original wedding plans fall through due to Covid, so when Lindsay from Something to Remember Event Planning reached out to me on Instagram about documenting their elopement in Stanton, I was pretty thrilled I had their new date available.
We customized a short and sweet package for them, and Lindsay absolutely killed everything on the planning side (Which is no small challenge this year).
This elopement has everything from a tear-jerking first look with dad to a scenic lakeside ceremony. All the best things.
Congratulations lovely people!
I’ve had the pleasure of shooting Annika several times over the past few years, and it’s an absolute pleasure every time.
This time, it’s because this stunner is graduating! It may not be the senior year she was expecting, but she’s taken everything 2020 has thrown at her and is still smiling.
Annika wanted a mix of urban and natural photos, so we started in downtown Kalamazoo and traced a great walking path of photo locations until we were completely rained out and had to postpone the other half of the portraits for another day.
I’m petty thrilled we did, because the second day was nothing but golden sun and good vibes! I took them over to Bow in the Clouds preserve just a short hop away from downtown, but feels like an entirely different planet.
Thanks for being awesome Annika, keep on shining!
Casie and Matt are some of the sweetest people you will meet. I could tell from our first video call (a very 2020 statement) that they were going to be so easy to work with, and that was definitely the case.
We started in the downtown St Joseph area and wandered around some of the most perfect golden diffused light before heading to Tiscornia Park to finish up with all the beachy vibes you could want for a later summer engagement session. I love shooting with couples who are really up for anything, and these two were ready to jump in the water before I even asked.
Congratulations gorgeous people, I’m so excited for your 2021 wedding!
Brittnay and Brandon have been champions of the year 2020. Their wedding, which was first scheduled for late March, was then downsized to an April elopement, and then rescheduled for later in the year yet again, only to be told that wasn’t possible either.
No matter what life has thrown at them over the past few months, they have been rocks for each other, and completely unwavering in the goal that all they want is to spend the rest of their lives with one another.
When they told me they were finally making it happen, I was completely overjoyed to still be there to document their love!
They gathered close family and friends for a stunning (and safe) elopement ceremony in the middle of a Lansing, MI rose garden, and it was well deserved.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Kyles. The party will be so worth the wait!
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“Yeah, I get to look at this every day… there’s a chance I take that for granted” Chad said as I questioned the gorgeousness of our first location.
We met at Chad’s family farm for our first location to incorporate such a big part of their lives into their engagement photos, and I was completely blown away at the view. Rolling hills for miles, and a sky threatening rain that never touched us, but giving so much depth in the colors.
This was also the first time a dog was accidentally featured in engagement photos, as Rosco invited himself along, and wouldn’t leave (Truly, the best thing that could have happened). Chad’s one request is that we featured his beloved tractors in a portrait or two, so naturally we got a little extra with that concept.
Location two was quite a drive and a hike to Saugatuck Dunes State Park, and it was so worth fighting through the mosquitos as we arrived at the beach for the most perfect lighting. Beach engagement photos are always a win in my book, but the biggest aspect that can give them variety is the people. Hannah and Chad are so close to each other, and that was unmistakable. They laugh and joke together, they are comfortable and loving together, and they can’t wait to start their new lives together.
Congratulations you lovely people, next stop: wedding day!
Getting to see a couple again after their wedding day is always a treat, and it’s especially so when there’s a new addition to the family!
I’m so happy for all four of you, this little one will be so loved.
Stacey and Bill were originally planning an April 25th 2020 wedding, so we all know what that means at this point…
They re-arranged the whole thing like rockstars.
Their full audience was replaced by a small group of friends and family, and the wedding day outfits now had masks included. While on our Zoom video call consultation (the most 2020 phrase ever I think) I asked if they wanted us to try and avoid shooting any of the specific Covid details, which they laughed off and said “Nope, this is how our wedding day is happening, document all of it!”.
I love their mindset, their kind hearts, and their beautiful day.
Congratulations Stacey and Bill, I hope your lives are always full of happiness and puppy adventures!
Britt and Zach are easily some of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. They’re both driven and ambitious and spend so much of their time looking out for each other and the people around them.
When we were finally able to get an engagement session on the calendar (Thanks 2020), it was the perfect sunny beach day for a mini road trip from Kalamazoo to Warren Dunes. This spot has always had a million different locations to photograph in, and Britt and Zach were super down to adventure around with us.
Congrats you two! Your September wedding is going to be the stuff dreams are made of (and I’m not just saying that because the wedding meal is tacos).
When I first met Amanda at Bell’s Brewery (a great sign) to talk wedding photography details, I could already tell that she and Eric were going to be beautiful people to spend time with.
She told me all about their shared musical interests (Griz is their favorite artist), their dog who they wanted included in engagement photos named Griz (No seriously, they love this artist), and how they found each other and fell in love.
We started the engagement session at Provin Trails just outside of downtown, which is a hidden gem and the perfect place for the goodest boy Griz to get an adventure in before heading into the heart of Grand Rapids.
The year 2020 has not been kind to concert goers this year, so to incorporate their love of the music culture, we went to their favorite Griz mural (The artist, not the dog for those who are keeping track at home) and even swapped outfits to their favorite concert wear to complete the engagement session.
It was the best time and an amazing day. I can’t wait for the wedding you two! Keep showing love and spreading love.
Allison and Josh are definitely a 2020 superhero couple. As the year progressed, and it became obvious that their original wedding day may have some alterations, they never once doubted if they still wanted to be married asap. Regardless of what the celebration looked like, they were going to make this happen on the day they had planned.
Allison’s family remembered plenty of times as the wedding day got closer that they would receive a phone call with her on the other end saying “Okay, new plan!”, and I have to say genuinely that the new plan was absolutely perfect.
They invited immediate family and closest friends, kept everything in the open air as much as possible, and had all the time in the world to document their wedding day portraits in all of their favorite spots around the property. The cutest airbnb ever served as the ideal intimate celebration spot, and you felt like you had to be deep in nature with the amount of trees and peaceful solitude the location provided.
No matter how many adjustments to their expectations, Josh and Allison are now married people, and I can’t wait to see them all again for the big party a little bit down the road.
Congratulations lovely people!
For as long as I’ve known these two, they’ve found their way in front of my camera. Whether they were models for a commercial shoot or just being their fabulous selves for a couples session, they are consistently the people who make your day better just by getting to spend time with them. When Covid turned our April engagement session into a June date, they took it completely in stride, and even still wore the original outfit choices, regardless of the temperature! (Take that Corona)
Grand Haven has meant a lot to Jonathan growing up, and he passed his fond memories along to Abigail as they grew closer, so it was a natural choice for their engagement photo location. Theirs was the first engagement session since quarantine, and the absolute perfect day. Even while practicing distance they were still the rays of sunshine they have always been.
Congratulations you two, I’ve been looking forward to your wedding all year, and it’s going to be so worth the wait!
As I’m getting ready to finally get back out there shooting intimate wedding ceremonies and engagement sessions (safely, and with nice long lenses) I’m still loving going back through previous work, so here’s another un-posted session in the meantime!
You would not believe the amount of times I’ve heard that someone doesn’t enjoy having their photo taken, but then they show up and absolutely nail it.
That was definitely the case with Cole. Ashley warned me at our first meeting that he hated photos so much that we could probably only talk him into a 30 minute mini-engagement session. She did, and it turned out that’s all they needed.
I had the best time walking through the woods of Al Sabo with them in the warm fall morning light, talking about their plans and their experiences. Ashley was glowing the whole time, and Cole just kept looking at her like she was the only thing in his world.
Their wedding plans may have shifted a little due to the COVID-19 situation, but their love is going to be just as strong when the wedding day arrives.
Congratulations you two!
