Kristina + Damien: e-session

A fun engagement session I did before I left. Another great wedding to look forward to.
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A + K

A and K came in for some engagement images. They braved the cold for a few outside images. Anyone else ready for spring?
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K + A

K and A came in for a creative license e-shoot. They aren't having us do their wedding, but that's ok we still enjoyed shooting them! It's been a bit cold out so I'm having to try things in the studio. K dabbles in photography also, poor girl had to do what I did for our engagement images - timer. Not nearly as fun as the real thing.
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A bit of painting.

Alex + Eric: E-shoot

Who says Kansas is only flat? The rolling hills in east central KS are beautiful and the late Nov. sun made for some interesting lighting.

Alex and Eric are getting married next Dec., but I got to go down after Thanksgiving to do their engagement session. These two are a riot I am looking forward to their wedding so much! It will be a great way to end my 2008 season.
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Rebecca + Ethan

Around this time of the year the available light in the evening fades quickly. If you don't work fast it's gone before you know it. I always have to adjust from starting sessions around 7 or 8pm to 4pm and this night was no exception. But instead of quiting we went out and about and did night portraits.

Here are Rebecca and Ethan, I'm looking forward to their wedding next month.
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April + Paul

Some fun engagement images on the one nice day before it turned cold on us again. April made a late appearance at my last wedding to make a record four ac ellis brides as one wedding. Looking forward their wedding.
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Natalie + David

I'm looking forward to next wedding season, heck this one isn't over. But I love meeting new people and these two were great. We got just a bit of fall color left in the images and the light was lovely.
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Jill + Dustin

This one started it off right. As Jill was changing Dustin informed me that he hates pictures. I don't think you can tell. It was a great session and we had a blast comparing our family. We so need to go out and have a drink and chat together.
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Katie + Matt

Another wonderful couple and lovely evening in Brookings. I had a great time with Katie and Matt, they are so cute together and fun to photograph.
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Emily + Nate

Emily and Nate ended up with the PERFECT day for their engagment session here in Brookings. Look at these fall colors.
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Kelly + Heath

Kelly and Heath drove up from Omaha and met me in Sioux Falls for their engagement session. We ended up with a beautiful fall day. I'm looking forward to their Monday New Year's Eve wedding. That's right a Monday wedding, not everyone gets married on Saturday and Sunday.
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Sheena + Billy

Sheena and Billy came in for their engagment session with Maria and I also took some images.
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Molly + Tyson

Molly and Tyson came in last week for some portraits. They were good sports and let me put them in the dry cleaners - Thanks JD. Here are some images.
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Dean + Michelle + Kira

I know I've gotten Dean hooked on the blog. Figured I better get some images of him, Michelle and Kira up. We headed out and had a whole 15 minutes of great light and then it got a bit dark, but we made the best of it. I loved Kira, so did Ayden. Dean is also a professional photographer, so of course that put the pressure on a bit. To see Dean's work go to his site at:
Dean Pearson Photography

Here are some images:

Some green for Michelle

A bit of Old Skool for you Dean

And a few of Dean with his HUGE lens!

Look in the lens, you are viewing the sky through the view finder, not a reflection. How cool is that?

April + Travis

April and Travis came up to Brookings for a fun eSession. April brought some cute dresses and a hot pair of heels. Here are some images from the session. They are so cute!
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Some individual portraits.

Brenda + Derek

Prior to our wedding last Saturday we drove into Leola for a portrait session with Brenda and Derek. Brenda got hooked on my blog about a year ago and since they are already married we did an anniversary type session and brought the puppy too.

Brenda loves this old barn and got permission for use to use it. It was so cool. We could have shot the whole session there. Thanks for a great session and wonderful start to our day. Next time we are up there, we'll be crashing at your place no Lake View Motel, he he.
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by Maria:

Cassie + Josh + Alexa

Engagement sessions allow me to get to know the couple and better prepare me as well as the couple for the wedding day photography. With these three I quickly concluded that it is going to be one fun day! I am looking forward to their outdoor riverside wedding - I don't get to do many outdoor weddings in SD. And I'm thinking the post ceremony is where the craziness will begin.

Perfect form on the eye rolling, : )

Kenny + Audra: 07.03.07

Yes, I know I'm behind on my blogging. I've been doing so much paperwork and such that I just haven't had time. But that part of the business is getting caught back up - darn taxes, and I'm reading to look at images for a change.

Here are a few from Audra and Kenny E-shoot. I've known Audra now about what a year and a half through two other weddings she has been in. There wedding will be another with three AC Ellis brides at once. When she was in the other two we didn't know she was goign to be hiring me. I'm glad she did.
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Eric + Tiffany: 06.20.07

I had so much fun with these two during their engagement session! They are so cute and so much fun! Eric just makes you laugh he is so goofy, but at the same time clearly loves Tiffany. I loved how he would gently put his hand on the back of her head and neck pulling her closer when he kissed her. A wonderful couple! I'm looking forward to their wedding!

Some images. You wouldn't know it was such a hot and humid day. The light was beautiful as were the subjects.

The goofy side.

The kiss.

This year I find myself photographing weddings of those who already know me. I'm going to have to start doing a count to see how many of my past brides are at current weddings. Maybe get an AC Ellis bride image with them all. It really is great to have the wonderful compliment of the referral and the challenge to create something truely distinctive for each couple. After all they all have their own things and we don't want their images to look the same.

Megan + Michael: 05.17.07

I photographed these two the morning of my departure. Morning light - early morning light can be so beautiful! They were so happy and in love it was infectious. Thank you for waiting while I was away.
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Clint + Lindsay : 05.13.07

Some engagement images from this morning. They were so cute together. And thank you for being so darn patient you two!
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Becky + Dan: 05.08.07

No they aren't engaged, they just wanted some images together. I think we all should do this every now and then. I had a great time with Becky and Dan as we started on a dirt road with an old truck - gotta love that. Then the sunset made for some lovely light on the water and through the trees. It was so pretty.

Here are a few images - thank you for dinner you two.
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I am in love with the color on this one. If you don't like it, pretend you do!

Amanda + Jed + Dagwood: 05.07.07

On Monday I got to spend a bit of time with a great couple. I am so looking forward to their wedding. Not only do they love my work, but they are fun and I already know some of the bridal party so I know it's going to be a great time. O and they are cute too.

They brought their dog Dagwood with them, Ayden would have been in heaven! Here they are.
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Guess what I have PS again so back to the images.

Allison + Charlie: 04.20.07

Last week Allison and Charlie got a beautiful day for images. We found this great little run down shack and made the best of it. They are so in love and excited about their images and wedding. Of course this just gets me excited for them also. Too bad I have to wait until 2008. Here are a couple of images from their session.

Katie + Travis 03.12.07

Katie and Travis headed to Brookings while on Spring Break from college. We tried to find trees but the beautiful weather meant lots of melted snow and mushy ground. So we went urban instead. Around downtown Brookings, which I haven't been for a while, we had fun walking around and actually got kicked out of one place. Something mildly rebellious about that. Most businesses openly welcome me in, get blogged and become friends but not this one.

They are a great couple who are a referral from Sara and Jack. I'm getting quiet the Ivanhoe/Hendricks following and love it. I'm looking forward to the wedding in August.
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Megan + John 03.07.07

Megan and John got to be the first shot in my new house. It was a bit chilly outside and so we stayed in and found lots of options in the house.
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Julie + Aaron 02.10.07

And my first e-shoot of the weekend was Julie and Aaron. On the car ride to downtown I got to see some of the details for the wedding and hear the enthusiasm in these two as their date draws near. It made me look forward to it more. And for the shoot I got to expore some cool locations with them. Here are a couple of images. Had to play with one again. You know this keeps the creativity up, because sometimes I can see a shot finished before I take it. It's fun to see if what I had envisioned can come out as intended.

Ok so now I think I'm going to rest my eyes since everything is uploaded, backed up and blogged. O and I got my 300 e-mails down to about 27- of which I will be working on tomorrow.
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Elizabeth + John 02.11.07

Another engagement. We met on Sunday for a cold session. It was warmer than the day before, but definitely chilly out. These two braved the weather for a while and then we headed inside. I'll be shooting their wedding on 07.07.07 in the cities. It will be fun. I love these two and have already shot Elizabeth's parents and her sisters wedding. So it will be a familiar crowd.

I had a bit of fun with their images. I liked the older feel and look. It think it would be fun to find some old frames and do a whole display like this. And just to show one normal I did show the second both ways.
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Jacie + Adam 02.11.07

This was my last engagement session of the weekend. Jacie and Adam traveled north to meet me and we decided since it was cold out we would borrow the interiors of one of my favorite stores. The store was accomodating, created a great backdrop and these two were great sports and not at all phased by the shoppers. Can't wait to see what we can come up with at the wedding! Here are a couple I like.
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Corinne and Blake 01.25.07

Yesterday I went to Sioux Falls to do Corinne and Blake's engagement images. I've known them for about a year now. This time last year I met them at the Hy-vee bridal show. Blake owns Ideal Wedding Center (over by Interlude Bridal), well anyway they were at the show and the next few shows as well. I got to know them and they are awesome. At the time they weren't engaged, but Corinne knew already she wanted me to do her wedding images. I love a girl who knows what she wants- especially when it's me (ok that doesn't sound right...) Anyway after they got engaged they booked me and I couldn't be more excited. They are so fun and their wedding is going to be great!

Here they are being such troopers out in the snow. You guys did awesome!
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Corinne has got the cutest butt. (ok that's twice I guess I should assure you all that I'm married.. to a man)

And Blake says he doesn't smile well for the camera- I caught him in this one.

Laura + Chris 12.19.06

They didn't pick the shortest day of the year, but they got very close. Laura and Neil came up for their engagement session with a whole about 20 minutes of light. But that's ok, cause we had fun getting creative. I had a great time you two and am looking forward to the wedding.
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Stephanie + Dustin 11.21.06

30 minutes of perfect light and a cute couple = a great e-shoot and some yummy lens flare. Yes I took some with out flare, but I'm not showing those cause I'm likin' the flare right now. You can never have enough flare right? Gosh that makes me think of Office Space.
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Dennis + Kate 10.26.06

Dennis and Kate are the parents of one of my brides from this year and one for next year. I fell in love with them at Sara and Jack's wedding. They are so incredibly cute and in love. I just had to photograph them. I wish more married couples would celebrate their love in images. We had so much fun and I am so happy that I get to see them again next year - and maybe a family portrait this winter also!

Audra + Jake 10.18.06

You wouldn't know it from the images, but it was chilly out. At the end of the session my trigger finger was almost numb. These two handled the weather with smiles and lots of love. It was fun. Of course I can't help but love them when they change their date so I can photograph their wedding - man that makes you feel special.
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Kyrsten + Joe 10.13.06

I know I'm a bit behind. I've been editing and all that. Here are Kyrsten and Joe on a cold and windy morning, so we didn't get to play as much as normal, but aren't they cute.
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Megan + Nate 10.01.06

Some people try their best to schedule their session around the leaves. These two lucked out and we had a beautiful morning for their engagement session. Their wedding is coming up quick and I'm looking forward to it.
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Mary + Brian 09.29.06

You know sometimes I ask you to do something a little odd, well it can have a good result. I really like this dumpster for example. The color was cool the neat long pieces of cardboard contrasted by the dressy clothes Mary and Brian wore. I like it, of course I can always work to make it better. But it was still fun. Thank you two for being such good sports.
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Desirae + Troy 09.03.06

Desirae and Troy just so happen to visit the same lake Andy's family does. And the cabin they visit is right down the line. So although I don't typically take a weekend session I did just for them as it was only a short walk and short time away from the family. I had a blast tooling the lake with them and their wonderful dog Max. Here they are. Their wedding will be August 4, 2007 in Huron.
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Dustin + Candace 08.31.06

Since the last time we went out for engagement images it was high noon and the sun was horrible, we decided to have another go. Once again they had me totally cracking up. Their wedding will be April 14, 2007 in Sioux Falls. Thank you for the laughs!
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Betsy + Mike 08.14.06

Betsy and Mike were in the area from Florida so we got together. They booked their wedding and then we set out to do the engagements. I think this is becoming a trend with me. Now Betsy wasn't too proud to be doing engagement images in a jersey, but you know I set out to capture the couple and some of the things they do together. So of course since they have season tickets we had to do a football theme. And we got some other cute outfits too. Their wedding will be December 8, 2006 in Sioux Falls.
You two are a blast. I'm looking forward to the wedding!
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Dustin + Candace 08.10.06

They showed up looking fairly clean and normal... see here's Candace (isn't she cute), but that quickly digressed. And this is what they ended up looking like. Thanks for all the laughs. You two were hilarious! So what's next?
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Leah + Jon 08.10.06

Leah and Jon traveled all the way from Rapid City (not just for me, I was on their way) and brought along the adorable Chester. It was great meeting you two and I'm really looking forward to the wedding. Jon, I have to take some time to edit all the faces. Start practicing so you can do it again at the wedding.
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Danae + John 07.13.06

Another beautiful evening and fabulous couple. I love e-shoots! They are so fun and these two had me laughing the whole time. I'm just happy the images are in focus... it's hard to hold a camera still and laugh at the same time you know. Here they are. I'll save the hot stuff for later.
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Micah + Jaclyn 06.28.06

Another fabulous evening for an e-shoot. Micah, Jaclyn and I had fun around Brookings last night. Again poor Jaclyn as Micah and I talked shop. These two were so much fun... I think it was the wine. Just kidding. Here they are all smiles and so cute.
Cory Ann

Amber + Spencer 06.27.06

Yesterday I had the pleasure photographing Amber and Spencer's engagement photos. We had fun out in the grass and trees. It was a lovely evening and we found some wonderful light. Poor Amber had to listen to Spenser and I talk shop... Here they are... no kissy kissy. he he.
Cory Ann

She said yes!

Wow, what a rewarding day it has been! Let me tell you the story from the beginning.

Dustin and Candace are friends of Andy and I and when things started to get serious I told Dustin that I wanted to shoot the proposal for him. This is something that I have been wanting to do. I keep thinking what a fabulous additional surprise that would be. Well like most of my ideas I say it and just hope that someone will take me up on it.

About 2 weeks ago Dustin called me from WY, where he has been working. He picked the date. Today Thursday the 22nd, the anniversary of his parents and both of his grandparents. He thought at first that the McCrory Gardens would be nice since she is was a horticulture major. Then decided that being outdoors and kayaking was more them. So Oakwood State Park it is.

Fast forward through a few phone calls to yesterday. We went and scouted the locations, created my little blind to hide behind and cleared sticks so I wouldn't make too many cracking sounds. Coordinated times, approach and a friend to stop possible interferences.

Well today I got to see the ring (which is awesome by the way) and Dustin in the afternoon while he was putting the finishing touches on everything. He was so excited you could tell. It was awesome. Then I got my equipment ready and came home to work while I waited. I left here a bit early and headed out. I needed to get into position with out being seen.

Ok so here they come approaching the shore, Burton sitting on Dustin's lap. I was so nervous I'd be seen and ruin the whole thing, so I shot conservatively in case she would hear the shutter. Then it happened he took her out on the dock, sat and cuddeled with her, got up then got down on one knee, asked, she said YES, and they celebrated with hugs, kisses, smiles, jumping, cheers, and tears. I had to hold myself back from crying and jumping with them.

I stayed hidden for a full 20 minutes before she finally heard me. By that time it was too late, I got all the natural emotion. O it was fabulous! What a wonderful day and Candace was so glad I got it all on camera. Later I joined them at Skinners Pub with family and friends. You see the surprises didn't stop there. We told her we would be meeting later for drinks, but really it ended up being dinner with all the parents. Then they were going for a drink across the street and surprise- all their friends were there waiting. Candace and Dustin where both just beaming, ear to ear smiles and lots of hugs. Have I said yet this is fabulous?

Be sure to follow their story here cause we have a lot more planned. Your own AC Ellis love story or whatever we end up calling it. Can't wait for the e-shoot and wedding!

Love you guys! Thank you so much for letting share and capture such an incredibly special moment. It was amazing!
Cory Ann

You know you want to see the whole thing!

Matt & Starr 06.02.06

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Starr and Matt. Of course they were good sports, but Matt went above and beyond by getting very wet. They wore two differnent outfits, but I love Starr's dress so you only get to see this one.
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