2012 weddings ::: behind the scenes

I told my friend Claire, as we were hastily getting ready to shoot our third wedding together last July, that I wished that there were photographers at weddings to document the photographers. We laughed together at the ridiculous situations we see ourselves in on a wedding day, and the behind the scenes moments that only photographers witness. I still can't believe what it takes to get the shot sometimes, and how immensely stressful weddings can be, even during the months of preparation leading up to them. They are this beautiful monster that I love. They are complex, romantic, long, long days full of tears, achey feet, sweaty armpits, heavy gear, unexpected rain, sunburns, 110 degree temperatures, early mornings, late nights, new cities, rental cars, and everything in between. And I don't know how I'd do any of it without an assistant by my side. Even though I feel very comfortable in my ability to shoot a wedding alone (I did it twice this year) having a partner in crime by my side is priceless.

At the very last minute at an October wedding in Florida, my assistant gave me her dress to wear to the wedding because I'd gotten an awful sunburn the day before and the dress I'd brought was too painful. At the wedding in Tulsa, OK., my assistant drove the car and dropped me off at the door because the heat was almost too unbearable and even brought me a beer at the end of the night. I learned this year that not only do I like having a second pair of eyes and a second set of cameras, but I'm glad to have an assistant for the comedy relief, for an ear to listen when I need to vent, or to be somewhere that I can't be because I am, after all, only one person.

This is a behind the scenes look at my 2012 wedding season that took me (and my lovely assistants) from Colorado, to Montana, to Florida, to Ohio, and Oklahoma. AND this is a HUGE, huge thank you to Claire and Travis, my wonderful friends and extremely talented photographers that helped me along the way. I love you both.

To see Claire's work, go HERE.

And Travis has a brand new website HERE.

And sometimes, you lean into the wedding cake. :)

a perfect sunday.

Yesterday was perfection. Absolute perfection. It was the kind of day that lasted forever, each small moment seeming like an hour. It was a day for waking up to snow. It was a day for eggs Benedict with green chili and fried potatoes. It was a day for acting on things I've been talking about doing, like new windshield wipers for my car, buying wood for a massive chalkboard project, and cooking from the latest Kinfolk magazine. (Blackberry buns with warm vanilla sauce = foodgasm.) It was a day for Louis Armstrong and organizing. It was a day for red wine and a really heart-wrenching, comical movie. It was a perfect day for homemade mac&cheese and good conversation. Yesterday was the kind of day I couldn't bare to see end. It was perfection. Here are a few images from my Sunday: