I mentioned this in our 2015 year-end post … but I still can’t believe all these weddings and shoots happened THIS YEAR! For some reason, this season felt like it took place over years, not just over 10 months! This year we worked with so many amazing couples and got to shoot weddings and sessions in gorgeous venues and new-to-us places!!! We traveled from the east coast to the west coast and back again! I managed to shoot through some very woozy and winded pregnancy symptoms (snacks & water were lifesavers in that first trimester)! And then we finished out the year with me 28 weeks pregnant with these quickly growing boys!! It was truly a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL year!!
Much to people’s surprise, while the photos we take are of beautiful people in beautiful places, we don’t always look so fabulous behind the camera! haha. I love looking back through our behind the scenes pictures while we’re at work and seeing what exactly we were up to (and what kind of crazy faces & positions we caught each other in)! haha
Here’s a look at our 2015 wedding season behind the camera!! (Shout out as well to a few people who snagged shots of us at weddings as well, including Tami, Amanda, and Mitul!)
We started out the year with an engagement session in San Francisco, where we walked up a LOT of stairs!!
… and I fell in love with a Frenchie named, Belle!
And our clients snapped a photo of us with this epic San Fran view at the end of the session!
And I don’t care if this isn’t in focus – this is so ‘us’ I had to share. haha
Then we headed to Baltimore for our first wedding of 2015, where James kept his eye on guests as we waited for the ceremony to start!
… and then he so kindly (unintentionally) gave the bridal party a practice run for the grand exit at church! hahaha
… And then I couldn’t run fast enough to get out of James’ shot of the exit! Ooooops. I think this face on the right is my “I’m sorry about that!” face?!
James just making light, as he does! 😉
All set and ready for a surprise proposal! Hiding out by a tree and texting the groom to make sure we are on track!!!
I figured I better test the location/light/view on James before they arrived! 😉
We couldn’t resist a self timer photo after the proposal!
“Stop, I say! That is enough testing your light on me!” says James… 🙂
Meanwhile – I just like to make really scary faces when James tests the light on me!
I like to keep it serious when James tests his shot before the First Look, apparently.
James is a walker and a talker. He loves chatting with our people!
… as you can see! 🙂
He also likes catching very close up awkward photos of me, apparently. haha
Did I mention I’m incapable of making a normal face when J tests his light on me??? Yeaaaahhhhh…. about that.
The best light maker around!
… as you can see! 😉
He’s also great at carrying my camera bag… and the bride’s bouquet… and also is a good stand in for a phone holder when the bridal party needs some tunes on the trolley, but there is no where to put the phone that’s plugged into the speakers! 😉
He is also good for entertaining your younger guests with deep conversations… moving garbage cans out of the background of photos…
… and again… he holds a mean bouquet! 😉
Leading the bridal party to the locations – come on, kids!
When there are dolphins swimming at your ceremony location – you take a photo of it!
My view of James… James’ view of me!
Awesome couple calls for an awesome photo before we took off!
James got stung by a wasp in the middle of a ceremony inside a church this summer – and he kept right on shooting!!! YES. That happened! Eek!
The irony of this awful photo of me and the “you’re beautiful” sign in the background was too good not to share. hahaha
First wedding after we found out I was finally pregnant in July and this man was making sure I got some food in my belly! Food delivery!
James looks a little lost on the dance floor…
I guess I’m not the only one who makes weird faces!!!
Waiting for a couple to arrive for a surprise proposal and pretending we’re just two tourists taking photos of each other!
Don’t we look so casual and incognito?! 😉
Testing light in the pouring rain… yup!
Behind the scenes look at our nighttime elopement set up!
There are about to be a lot of photos from my brother’s wedding: 1. Because we actually had someone shooting with us who remembered to take photos of James and I working. (Thank you Tami!!) 2. I actually had on a cute bridesmaid dress and got my hair done since I was in the wedding!
James snapped this one of me before we started our day, and that apparently is the face you make when your brother-in-law is your wedding photographer and probably made some crazy comment right before this photo was snapped.
I’m shooting, James is instagramming… so it appears!
I honestly just don’t even know!
Carrying my cute shoes… wearing the practical ones! And thank goodness I had my niece and nephew there to help me get people to smile! 😉 The cutest assistants there are!
Setting up your own family for a family photo is surprisingly harder than setting up other people’s families.
I think I got stuck in this tree…
What it looks like to try to stay hydrated as a pregnant lady shooting weddings… chug the water whenever you can!
Oh the Rookery, how I love you!
Teamwork makes the dream work, people!! (Also, this is the first appearance of a teeeeeensy bump!)
I mean… it’s comical to look back on, because this bump is TINY compared to my belly now…
Take me back to gorgeous fall days in Lake Geneva!!
I wish I could remember what on earth James was saying to Mollie & Dave here!! Their reactions crack me up!
When you are a wedding photographer, you inhale your snacks whenever you have a spare moment (which is rare)… like when your wife is testing light on you after the ceremony – it’s cheese & cracker time!
The last time I was able to squeeze into a non-maternity shooting dress!
Proposal season was in full swing in December!! Testing light in the cold cold weather!
Texting grooms to confirm our plans are on track, and prepping the proposal site!! All in a day’s work!
I think James is pretending he’s proposing here? Orrr…. something else? haha
Our final wedding of the year on New Year’s Eve! Thank you Amanda for getting so many bumpity pics for me! I love them!
James likes to bust a move when I test lights on him… and makes crazy faces when I want to get a nice photo with him!
Scheming about ceremony lighting and settings… as you do.
Both holding our bellies, of course. What a goof… always keeping me smiling!
Going through these makes my heart SO happy!! I am soooo humbled and grateful that we get to do what we love TOGETHER and with such amazing couples!! We have the best time!! What a year! 🙂
