Our new site is up and running...check it out

Our new site on SmugMug is now up and running.  We continue to work out some wrinkles, but the experience for visitors should be better.  SmugMug made more of the site options configurable, so there's more to figure out as we manage the site.  One of the features we used to have was a "visitor view" button that would allow us to see what visitors see without us having to log out of the site.  In the "owner view" we can see things that visitors won't, so it can be tough to determine if a certain configuration change has the intended affect for visitors.

We hope everyone enjoys the new look and feel.  Please share your reactions as you visit our site:

www.brighterimagesphotography.com

For all you wonderful, engaged couples out there...

This is a real-life story for all you wonderful, engaged couples out there, or if you know of someone who is getting married soon.

Just wanted to let you know what happened this weekend while we traveled home from Oregon.  We stopped at a park to take photos of the Tillamook Lighthouse.  There was a wedding going on.  It was a beautiful location overlooking the Oregon coast, and about 80 degrees out.  They stood on the bluff, out in the open, surrounded by their friends and loved ones standing in the open sun.  We're not sure how long the ceremony had gone on, but it lasted about 15 minutes after we arrived at the park.

When the ceremony ended, people had a short hike down a trail to the covered area that was the reception location.  Two women in front of us, one elderly said she was unable to make it down the hill and headed for the parking lot.  They were all very hot.  The bride and groom stayed up top with the wedding party to take their formal shots.

We hiked down past the area and went and took photos of the lighthouse and birds.  When we came back up, the bridal party was coming down the hill laughing and running.  OK, I admit it...when Eric mentioned "where was the photographer?" to me, I shouted it out to the wedding party.  It would have been a great shot.  They pointed back up the hill, where he was still taking formals of the wedding couple.  They said they were hungry and tired of standing up there taking photos in the sun.  I told them it was a great shot of them coming down the pathway.  They saw our cameras and told us to take one.  We had long lenses on and weren't set up for it, (and it wasn't our shoot) but one of them had a nice camera...so we used theirs.

We sent them a few feet back up the hill and staggered them so we could see them all and asked them walk back down the path.  They laughed, threw up the bouquets, jumped in the air, and had a great time coming down the hill for us.  They shook our hands as they went by, and thanked us.

It is a common complaint when formals are taken between the wedding and the reception, that people are waiting around for the bride and groom, when everyone is ready to party, and not take more formals.  First look photos are a great way for a private viewing between a bride and groom before the wedding so you can take the formals in a more relaxed way before the wedding.  This is also a good case for why we, at Brighter Images Photography, have two or more people at your wedding photographing important moments.

We love to do weddings.  Check out our site at www.brighterimagesphotography.com for examples of our wedding work plus other photos and information.

Have a great and safe summer!

Holiday Family Photos

It's a month of holiday celebrations and we are happy to help you document your special moments with your family.  This week we are doing several family photo shoots, so keep an eye on the family page of or website.  Happy Holidays Everyone!

Babies are a coming!

We had lots of fun shooting the second set of Tim and Shannon's pregnancy photos today. Their dog peanut got into the fun again too! Their are three mommies whose pregnancies we will be shooting in the upcoming weeks as well as several pets and families.  Even a white haired old guy with a red suit!

Kenmore Camera Photo Expo

Had a wonderful time at the Kenmore Camera Photo Expo today with Norm a great photographer and friend. There was lots of new information, saw many reps from the past and had fun buying some new lighting gear. We are very motivated to do the several scheduled upcoming shoots! Check back in the next few weeks to see the new photos!

A cute little fairy princess!

What a fun day.  Started out shooting photos for Northshore Christian Academy's yearbook,  Then shooting photos of little Sydnee was a blast.  She had so many cute looks it's hard to pick a favorite!  She started out so shy, and was doing belly laughs by the end of the shoot.  Her mom made her Halloween Fairy Costume, including the wings!

There's even a couple shots of her dog Clancy the Pug in the pet section.

Oh what a weekend!

Saturday we took pregnancy photos of one of our Bride and Grooms.  Congratulations Shannon and Tim.  Watch their pregnancy progress under maternity and their name.

Sunday a group of us photographers got together and headed up to Mt. Baker to take photos at Artist's Point.  What a day we had.  There was so much to take photos of along the way it was hard not stopping every five minutes. Heidi and Norm have profected drive by out the window shooting or we would never have made it up the mountain!  We did stop at a cute little white church, a fence made out of skies, a table made out of snowboards and we took a stroll down Horseshoe Bend Trail and photographed the rapids.  It was an all day trip, with deer, a snow goose, mountains, lakes mossy trees and fall color.  We are all tired and happy with our shots. We can hardly wait until next time!

Flying High

Today we had a great shoot with a nice young man who is graduating from High School and is an Eagle Scout.  He is on the top of his game.  (He's also a gamer so pun intended!)  We set up a formal studio like atmosphere in their livingroom and changed a few backgrounds to achieve different effects.  Only a couple more weeks for most of you seniors out there to get your photos ready for the yearbook, book now!

Sun, Surf and Sand

An unexpected trip to the Oregon Coast brought great opportunity to grab some great shots of the waves in action, and the tail of a whale!  Check out some of the photos on facebook or at Brighterimagesphotography.com under the nature section.

Check us out on Facebook!

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We will be posting on Facebook when we add new photos to our website so follow us on Facebook and stay connected with Brighter Images Photography.  Don't forget to check the weekly photo tips section on Facebook for better personal photos.

Breaking the rules (of Photography)

We had a great time with Miranda this weekend. Using the "facebook generation style" we created a different look for this "Scene".  Miranda was a natural.  We had fun looking for color and contrast in an Urban scene.  Thanks to our creative consultant on this shoot, Michael Salzer for all his input on the latest trends.

The Perfect Dress/Trash the Dress

We had a great day today taking photos of a beautiful girl. She was looking for the perfect dress in a wonderful dress shop-Private Label Bridal Outlet in Everett.  (They were so accomodating!)

Then we took her down to the beach and put her in the water.  You couldn't even tell afterwards!  (Note to all of you wanting to Trash Your Dress, her dress will have to be cleaned so wait until after the ceremony!)

A Bright, Sunny Wedding

We really enjoyed shooting Cindy and Darrell's wedding last weekend in Poulsbo.  The bride was very nervous, but very sweet, and beautiful.  The handsome groom was so accomodating and helpful.  They are a very loving couple and gave us lots of opportunities for great smooching shots! 

Note to those looking for outdoor locations for their weddings:  The harsh sun causes shooting challenges because of shadows, contrast and guys often don't want to take off their sunglasses.  This can cause squinting, so when looking for an outdoor location for your weddings remember to make sure it has a solid, shady area for the formals!

Congratulations Cindy and Darrell and good luck in your future together.  Eric and Heidi.

Two very different weddings...

What a whirl wind weekend!  Two very different weddings.  One outdoor wedding dodging our wonderful native raindrops and one indoor wedding dodging a colony of flying ants that hatched!  Both weddings had things in common, like cupcake wedding cakes, fresh cut flowers instead of formal bouquets, tremendous food and of course wonderful couples in love.  They each had their own unique differences too.  One had live music during the wedding and reception.  The other had a special sand unity pouring that their kids participated in.  If you are ever looking for a caterer, let us know, we can hook you up!

Still Crazy after all these Years...

We photographed a 21st anniversary, two baptisms, vacation Bible school, and some Boy Scouts in action.  It was a busy weekend...but fun!

Every wedding is unique

We had a great time documenting a non-traditional wedding held at Skagit Speedway on July 3.  We used a photo-journalistic style of photography to record the event.  It was nice to see such a nice group of people putting everything together to celebrate the happy couple.  There was even a facsimile appearance by Kasey Kahne (cardboard cutout sitting in the yard swing).  You can follow the excitement by visiting us on the Web at K and R July 3, 2010.

Today was all about The Arts

Check out our newly created "The Arts" page at:  www.brighterimagesphotography.com/portfolio/the-arts which includes dance and music images.

Today's Gigs...

Had a great time shooting another Eagle Scout ceremony today.  Then off to a family shoot and birthday party.  It was a fun day!  Check out our updated Website:  http://www.brighterimagesphotography.com/

Fathers Day was a winner...

What is good for me on Fathers Day is good for you.  It is always nice to update my gear and my family took care of me this year with a new camera backpack, a new portrait backdrop, and a hiking/trekking pole mono pod.  Thank you family for participating in this wonderful endeavor!