Favorite photos from 2016

It’s the end of the year, and time to share some of my favorite photos from 2016. So with no further delay, here they are:

Favorite after wedding shot

I’ve never shot a photo outdoors with only the light from sparklers before, mainly because I’ve never shot a wedding where they did this. This year I got this chance. I really had no idea how well the sparklers would light the photo, but I went for it. The sparklers were lit, the couple existed their reception hall and walked through the sparklers to the car. I fired away and didn’t know what I had till  I got home. I was thrilled with the way this photo turned out. I loved the expression on the couple’s faces, the light from the sparklers and the actions of the guests giving them this sendoff. 

I loved this photo so much that I made an enlarged canvas wall hanging and have it on the wall in my studio.

 

From the same wedding, there’s this:

Favorite bridal portrait

This is Shelby, the daughter of my cousin Jami. For this portrait, I asked Shelby to sit on the floor (I put a sheet down to keep her dress clean). Then I climbed a couple steps on a step ladder and pointed at her, using a wide open aperture of an 85mm lens, and asked her to look up at me. I focused on her eyes and the lens allowed me to have the rest of her body fall into a softer focus. She was facing a window, which allowed me to use natural light only. I love her expression, the lighting on her face  and the pose. This was a pose I had not tried before but one I think I’ll use whenever I get the chance. This is another one I have on my wall.

 

 

 

 

Favorite senior photo

I shot more senior high photos this year than ever, and I had several that were my favorites. This is the one I chose.

This is Claire, and she knew of an old abandoned house on a street with her same name. We drove to the house and were somewhat hesitant to go in, but I told her let’s go for it. We walked inside and it was a complete wreck. There wasn’t a lot of places to get some nice photos. But then we walked onto the front porch, which was enclosed. I asked Claire to sit on the edge of a window with no glass and turn so I could get some natural light on her face. While maneuvering around, the floor board I was standing on gave way and I fell about a foot down to the ground. Luckily I didn’t drop the camera. But I got some memorable photos of Claire in this somewhat unusual spot. It taught me that I really like shooting in unusual locations.

 

 

Favorite family photo

This is the Oelling family and they live outside of Lincoln. For this session I went to their home in the country. This particular shot was taken on their gravel driveway — not a place you’d think would make for a nice photo. But the light from the gravel provided some nice light reflections into their faces, and you can tell by their expressions they are enjoying the experience. 

 

 

 

These photos are just a few of the many I shot in 2016. I’m looking forward to the photos that will happen in 2017 so I can add to my list of favorite photos.