Dallas Wedding Photographer Stacy Reeves | Vintage Modern Wedding Photography » Portraits

Brana and Adam are having a baby!

stacyreeves — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:16:34 +0000

I want to preface this by saying that I DO NOT shooting maternity portraits! Despite what you are about to see, I am a wedding-only photographer. After posting Gara and Brandon’s maternity session I got several inquiries for families, newborns, and maternity sessions, and while I’m very honored, weddings and wedding-related portraiture consume my life. If you’re interesting in hiring a photographer to shoot your maternity session, there are several wonderful photographers in the Dallas area who specialize in family portraiture and can do some beautiful work for you! I highly recommend Lidia Boicu or Heather Essian.

That said, once in a blue moon I do make an exception and shoot something non-wedding-related. Brana is a fellow wedding industry professional (she helps keep things at Posh Couture Rentals running smoothly) and an all-around lovely person, so I couldn’t resist getting her and her husband Adam in front of my camera. Unfortunately we didn’t quite get the lovely sunny day we were hoping for, but we decided to take the gloomy weather and make it work!

If you need some stunning rentals for your wedding or event, be sure to give Brana and her staff at Posh a call. They do amazing work!

Gara and Brandon’s Country Maternity Session

stacyreeves — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:04:23 +0000

Between seniors, newborns, and maternity sessions, it seems like I have really been stretching my creative muscle lately! Gara is a good friend who I owed a huge debt to after she referred one of my all-time favorite weddings to me, Jenni and Cade’s gorgeous garden affair, not to mention all of her invaluable legal advice, so naturally I couldn’t turn down the chance to photograph her, her husband Brandon, and their beautiful unborn baby boy Travis (who has now joined us – welcome to the world little T-rav!). Gara loves photography as much as I do, so we had been planning for this session for weeks, and I hope it was everything she dreamed it would be! Here are some of my favorites from the session:

Baby Carson!

stacyreeves — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:12:12 +0000

One of the things I pride myself on is being a strictly weddings-only photographer.. Weddings require so much time and attention, and it’s really tough to shoot 25+ weddings a year and do anything else (or at least do it well). That said, every now and then I do something completely out of my comfort zone. Not only does it keep me from being burnt out, but it gives me a chance to think outside the box and push myself as a photographer. When friend, wedding coordinator, and fellow Kappa Delta Kelly Simants of Sweet Pea Events had her little boy Carson, I couldn’t resist getting that cutie and his beautiful parents in front of my camera for a newborn session!

While he was napping I couldn’t resist getting some details off all his cute little baby parts.. I just adore those little baby fingernails!

This it was playtime with Mom and Dad! Carson wasn’t too sure what to think of this one…

I think I speak for women everywhere when I say that there is nothing sweeter or more endearing than watching a Daddy with his child. My boyfriend Jason took a photo of his brother Joey holding his son the day he was born, and it’s one of my favorite photos of all time. I tear up just thinking about it! This one has that same effect for me.

This is Carson’s adorable cousin Taylor, who stopped by for a few photos with her new cuz!

Last but not least, the many hilarious faces of Carson Simants!

I had a blast with baby Carson and his family and it was so wonderful getting to stretch my photographic muscles and try something different! That said, if you’ve got a newborn and you’d like some beautiful photos, I strongly recommend hiring my good friend Brittani Louise, she is a wonderful person and a great photographer!

Brittani and Corey – Just Because

stacyreeves — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:36:52 +0000

Wow, this session has a lot of backstory to it… Be forewarned, I’m about to get really mushy here.

Brittani and Corey Oliver have a very special place in my heart. Brittani was my college roommate and best friend throughout college. She was always a source of inspiration to me – from her great fashion sense to her amazing design style to her general all-around craftiness, pretty much everything she touches makes me go “That’s SO cute!” So, it’s no surprise that when I saw her photographs in college, it made me want to get into photography. Because of her, I decided to purchase a Canon Rebel (the old school film version, then eventually the digital version, back when it cost like $1500) and take a few photography classes. That, of course, started me on a crazy whirlwind path that changed the course of my life. Luckily, I got to return the favor when I played a part in helping her get to know my friend Corey (a financial genius who has played a huge part in helping me get my finances in order, make major advances towards being debt-free, start saving for retirement, and generally spending smarter), who would eventually become her husband. They were my very first clients for my wedding photography business, and had it not been for their wedding, it’s very VERY unlikely that I ever would have become a wedding photographer.

Given that these two have shared so much of themselves with me, I’m always anxious to find some way to give back to them, so I absolutely jumped at the chance to do a Valentine’s Day portrait session for them. It takes very very little convincing to get me to photograph a beautiful couple, even less so when they’re two of my best friends! These guys were total troopers, battling Britt’s influenza-B and 100+ degree fever and Corey’s allergies to cats and horses (we shot most of the session at a horse ranch), as well as risking an illegal trespassing charge and a missed flight, but it was sooooo worth it in the end. I absolutely LOVE these photos! Okay, enough talk, onto the photos:

I firmly believe everyone should have a great photo of themselves, plus Britt and Corey are entrepreneurs who both own their own small businesses (Corey makes awesome handmade furniture and Britt is a children’s portrait photographer) so I took some time to do some headshots of them. They returned the favor for me, but I’ll post those later!

These two are truly amazing. Separately, they’re two of my favorite people in the world, and have helped me in inumerable ways. Together, they are my inspiration for a good marriage. They openly love each other, they make time for each other, they work together towards common goals, they make sacrifices for the benefit of each other and their marriage, and they really do seem to have a great set of priorities. They have taught me that a relationship, especially a marriage, is not a passive thing that just happens. It requires effort and work and planning, and both people have to be fully invested to make it work. B&C, thanks so much for being the best friends I could ever ask for, I love you guys more than words can say!

T4P – What’s in My Bag

stacyreeves — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:37:22 +0000

Tips for Photographers (T4P) is a regular feature where I talk about a cool tip that I think will benefit my fellow photographers. For more T4Ps, click here!

Lately I have received a lot of questions about what kind of gear I use, so I figured it was about time for an updated What’s in My Bag post! When I’m shooting, I always carry the same gear on me:

Shootsac
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 50 1.2L (stays on my camera 90% of the time)
Canon 100 2.8 Macro (mostly for detail shots and some portraits)
Canon 16-35 2.8L (great for big sweeping ceremony photos, wedding party photos, large formals, and reception dancing photos)
Canon ST-E2 Wireless Transmitter (for firing my flashes)

I like to work light, so this is the only gear I actually carry around with me (plus copious amounts of memory cards and batteries). I also have a second gear bag that holds all my miscellaneous items. This gear serves as my backup kit, as well as supplemental gear for my second shooter, should she need it.

Lowepro Pro Roller 2
Canon 5D (backup camera)
Canon 70-200 2.8L (used during the ceremony for closeups)
Canon 28 2.8
Canon 85 1.8
Canon 50 1.4
Tamron 28-75 2.8
Canon 580 EX (2)
Canon 430 EX
Canon ST-E2 (backup)
Canon flash sync cord
Lowell ID 100w video light w/ 4-way barndoors + Bescor battery
2 Lightstands
1 Monopod (to use a light-on-a-stick, as held by my assistant)

Here are a few things I DON’T use (nothing against any of these items, I just don’t find them necessary for my shooting style):
-Tilt-shift lenses or Lensbabies
-Pocket Wizards
-Filters
-Flash diffusers (I have a couple but they have been gathering dust since I bought them)
-Strobes
-Flash brackets
-White balance tools (ExpoDisc, grey card, etc)
-Reflectors (again, I have a couple, but I never use them)

There are a lot of neat gadgets and gizmos and add-ons that the camera industry pimps out, but in my experience most of them are either gimmicky or easily replicated in Photoshop/Lightroom. Gear is useful, but only to an extent. The truth is, if you can’t take a good photo with a Digital Rebel and a kit lens, you’re still not going to take good photos with a 5D and a 50 1.2L. However, if you CAN take a good photo with a Rebel and a kit lens, investing in professional-quality equipment will help you take the quality of your already-good images to the next level.

Alli and Matt are married!!

Stacy — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:09:06 +0000

These two are near and dear to my heart for a lot of reasons, especially because I had a part in their first meeting, so I was very excited to be able to be there for them as their wedding photographer. The venue was spectacular, the weather (despite an impending hurricane) was perfect, and the people (many of which were my friends, as well) were typical Texas awesome. You’ll see a lot of black and white images in this post.. Something about this wedding was just so classic and romantic, and I feel that black and white really allows the content and emotion of the image to come out. I think that treatment really suits this set of images well. Here are some of my favorites:

My two former college roommates.. The girl on the right giving the toast, Brittani, was my very first bride!

Allison’s bouquet toss was hilariously eventful – it required three tosses, two of which were caught by her unsuspecting mom! Alli just doesn’t know her own strength ;)

I am pretty sure Alli and Matt do not want to be reminded of the state their poor car was in that night.. Here it is BEFORE most of the destruction.

Alli and Matt, I am so thankful to be able to call you guys friends, and to know that so many strange twists of fate came together to bring all three of us together. Hopefully I can come visit your beautiful new home next time I am in town!

Alex is graduating!

Stacy — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:54:26 +0000

Although I absolutely looooove shooting seniors, I don’t get to do it very often because so much of my time is focused on my wedding clients. So I was definitely excited when I got the chance to photograph this awesome girl a couple of weeks ago at one of my favorite spots, Addison Circle. At first I was bummed to see that Octoberfest had taken over most of the park, but we decided to make the most of it and get some really unusual stuff. Here are a few of my favorites:

Thanks for hanging out with me Alex, I had a blast! It was especially great to know that the session fee from your photos went towards a great cause that means a lot to us both :)

If you’re a senior and are tired of the same old studio shots (think Napoleon Dynamite: “Now make a fist and ease it slooooowly under your chin.. This is starting to look really good…”) and want something more fun and modern and YOU, send me an e-mail, I would love to work with you!

Juls’ portraits

Stacy — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:12:10 +0000

I meant to post these forever ago, but I am only just now getting to them. In addition to Juls’ impromptu bridal session, Juls commissioned me to do some portrait of her as a gift to her mom for Mother’s Day, as well as some headshots to help start her new career in broadcasting.

We started off with some boring but beautiful close-ups to include with her resume

Once we had those in the way, we headed to the city center for some more fun, casual shots. However, I couldn’t make it out of the parking lots, because I kept finding cool little niches to shoot in. Vail has the best parking garages!

When she finally dragged me out into the shopping area, I could not believe how beautiful it was. Perfect weather, perfect setting, perfect day!

We stopped into one of the few ski shops still open for some environmental portraits. This is Julsy in her natural habitat ;)

Then it was off the play in the snow! But, like always, I got a little distracted by an unusual backdrop -this cool road…

With these little rolling hills on the side of it!

Finally we made it to a little snowy patch hidden at the base of the mountain. As we’re both Southern girls at heart, we didn’t see a lot of snow growing up, so we tried to channel that feeling of the one snowfall of the year (if we even get that!) and how happy it used to make us.

And finally, a couple closeups of the gorgeous Juls..

Portraits are something I really really love doing, but don’t do very often because weddings keep me so busy. If you need some new portraits, whether it be for business purposes, a gift for your family, a way to remember a special location or time in your life, or just a chance to feel beautiful for a day, let me know!

Rachel Ruth Baker

Stacy — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:02:48 +0000

Well I am very close to being done with the Jones/Baker wedding – which is a very strong competitor for the “Most Photogenic Wedding EVER” award – but in the meantime I thought I would post some photos I took of Rachel, Sarah’s younger sister. Rachel never got the chance to have senior photos taken, and since we had some down time and every girl deserves to feel like a model at some point in their life, I jumped at the chance to photograph this stunning lady!! Here are a few of my faves:

Seeing double – Preston Jones

Stacy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:55:34 +0000

I’m sure you all remember Drew, who I did a session with a few weeks back. Remember how I mentioned his twin brother? Well, Preston is a working actor from Dallas (he now lives in LA, naturally) and he wanted to update his portfolio while he was home for the holidays. He just finished up shooting “Spring Break 83″ in New Orleans with John Goodman, Morgan Fairchild, Joe Pantoliano, Erik Estrada, and Jamie Kennedy. He’s big time! You can find out more about him by visiting his website, www.prestonleejones.com

Remember the head shot I took of Drew? Here is that shot, next to Preston’s head shot. Can you tell which is which?

Preston wanted an old, European style of photos, so the Las Colinas canals were the perfect fit.

Look at those eyes!! I swear I didn’t do anything to them, they are just naturally ridiculously blue.

Totally GQ

Here are those blue eyes again.. I love the contrast of his eyes and sweater with the red wall behind him.

Chillaxin :)

I think that this is SO Abercrombie!

For some reason this was one of my favorites, I really love that sweater against the dark black background

I just discovered this effect today.. It’s called “Rusty Cage” but I call it “300″!

I can’t wait for Preston to hit the big time so I can say “I knew him when..”! Good luck in Hollywood Preston, don’t forget about us little people ;)