K Hulett Photography - Awake, Alive, Abundant

2012-02-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hello all, just a short and sweet Blog update to let you know what we've been up to. Just returned from a wedding last weekend at the Dreams Riviera Maya Resort in Mexico, that was amazing. The bride and groom were a blast and the resort was just perfect.

Here's a little video Katie took of me with her IPhone. I of course got asked to take a random photo of some other resortgoers. I'm like a magnet for people who want pics of themselves. You should see it, everywhere we go, hey, can you take our photo? I usually go into detail about how this is my first time and all of that. I think it's hilarious. I'm usually the only one though.

We've been accepted into a few blogs which are below and have had quite a few fun things come up.

Destination Inspirations

French Wedding Style.com

We also found out we will be speaking at WPPI in Vegas in a couple weeks at the Miller's booth on Wednesday the 22nd.

WPPI

Miller's

It's the largest photography convention in the world, something we look forward to attending every year.

Also Lumiquest, a lighting company we're sponsored by, has moved our ad to the front of their website, and get this...they're blowing it up poster size for WPPI! What? That should be interesting to see.

LumiQuest

We're finialists for a PDN (photo mag) best wedding photos contest. So I think that means we'll be in the May issue. They're not really clear on that. But it did say congratulations, now hand over the rights to your photos. So I'm assuming....

I was interviewed for the Las Vegas Photography Magazine for the Southern Utah Photography Guild. You should read it, I sound very articulate.

Las Vegas Photographer

We're doing a membership photoshoot for the Southern Utah Photography Guild tomorrow that I'm organizing. I have models and a location as of now. Should be fun!

What else... Wedding Saturday in Missouri at Lodge of the 4 Seasons. Oh and Mizzou plays Kansas tomorrow so that's a pretty big deal.

cao
K2

Madison - Zion National Park - Creative Shoot 4

2012-01-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few from Zion yesterday. Every so often I try to get a model and just go shoot for myself. Madison was wonderful to work with. Enjoy! Big thanks to Aimee for assisting.

Kevin's 12 Favorite Photos from 2011

2011-12-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

Here they are, my 12 favorite photos from 2011. I stressed about these, went through 2,000 photos, narrowed them down, re-narrowed, threw them away, started over, narrowed, replaced. I stressed way too much about this. It's because this post in particular is so important to me. These are not the best photos of the year, some of them maybe, but rather, they are my favorite. Moments that stood out to me, photos that when I see them, still give me goosebumps. And believe me, there were so many more. I narrowed it down to 12 when it could have very easily been 50. You may not love all of these & that's ok, sometimes you just have to be there.

I love the clients we book and these moments we get to share with them. It's truly amazing, and my favorite part about what we do. The past few years I've become close with almost all of our wedding clients. And it's because we are wedged in the middle, soaking up, and capturing some of the most beautiful & emotional moments of their (& their families) lives.

My hope is that you'll enlarge each one and take a moment to really take it in. That would make my day.

Enjoy! (I'm sorry for those of you I left out, I loved all our weddings last year! )

Anna & Anthony- Dordogne Valley, France. Usually when the bride is getting ready the groom is far far away. These guys are too laid back to worry about that, even though Chateau Lacoste was huge to say the least. Anthony was right there, uploading his vows to his Kindle. I came in to them laughing and Anna just getting dressed like no one was there.

Melissa & Chris - Dominican Republic - The day after the wedding, we wanted to do a trash the dress shoot so headed out the water, with about 15 people from their wedding party following behind, they're behind us in this shot, watching, wondering what the hell I'm doing. One of them had their diving gear so naturally I thought that would a fun thing to add. My favorite part about this photo is that I had Melissa put the mask on rather than hold it..it just felt right. It was still missing some movement so the red wrap in her left hand is actually Katie's. They made this the cover of their album. You want to talk about an easy, fun, laid back, amazing wedding with awesome people, this was it. So much fun.

Scott & Charlena - Baltimore - Scott's sister led him out with a tie around his eyes to Charlena waiting for him. When they finally touched hands, they both just about died and were laughing and crying. We took a million photos of this, both Katie and I with tears in our eyes. It was pretty awesome.

Erin & Samuel - Oatlands Plantation, Virginia -I went out to Virginia alone for this one. As the sun was going down, we made our way through a fence to this beautiful green field. The sun was in the right spot and I told them to just run around, he picked her up and spun her around, & Erin kicked her feet up, it was perfect. This photo feels like their wedding, bright, beautiful happy & full of love. Also, I loved that little house in the trees.

Greg & Rachel - Kayenta, UT - I love band photos, this was shot from behind facing the crowd. They had these big lights illuminating the band & dance floor that were not very fun until I stopped fighting them. I love the energy of this photo, the drummer in full swing, all the band members looking at each other. It feels loud and alive.

Jaime & Scott - W Hotel, D.C. - What an amazing hotel, right across the street from the White House. I knew we'd do something with these stairs, but I wasn't exactly sure until we got her there, with her stellar dress on. While I stood at the very top, Katie was at the bottom completing the swirl of her dress and holding the softbox that would light it up. I leaned as far over that rail as I could, I mean like lock my shoes in the rail posts and lean 2/3 of my body over. I just needed to get the railing in the bottom of my frame. I can only guess what that looked like from Jaime's point of view and if she had an escape plan if my camera or I, fell. Another wonderful couple surrounded by an amazing family. They even gave us a tip - a night at the W Hotel (about $300).

Lea & Ryan - Creston, IL - Cornfields everywhere! This was on the way back from taking the bridal party out to a big red barn, more corn fields and old pick up trucks. But on the way back, in the golf cart Katie and I were driving, we caught this shot of Ryan & Lea just being themselves. It's not the easiest thing to get a big huge real smile out of my good friend Ryan (we go all the way back to Kindergarden, I believe), but I caught this one, and I just love it.

Alicia & Shane - Vaux le Vicomte - France - How I love this photo Katie took. I don't need to say too much here other than, it's not often when a bride, who has been thinking about her wedding her entire life, probably been thinking about her dress just as long, and finally comes that perfect moment when she gets to put it on, takes a second to help her little sister with her necklace.

Alicia & Shane - Paris - This was aboard the dinner cruise on the Seine for their reception. We ate delicious French cuisine, cried during toasts and took photos as the sun went down & the Eiffel Tower started to come to life. This photo just feels like their reception & this couple, beautiful, classic & fun.

Suzanne & Paul - Paris - When we pulled up here, there was a big metal barricade lining the street, which, took a moment or two to take apart and move. Not sure if that was legal. When we were about to leave, I had this image in my mind of Suzanne crossing the street, Eiffel Tower in the background, street signs. So we shot it, and it didn't look right, and she came back across the street, waited for traffic and we did it again, and again and again. It just was not looking the way I was seeing it in my head. And it was taking a lot of time, waiting, herding people trying to cross the street, etc. I could tell it was time to be done, and I just pushed for one more. Suzanne was great, happy to do it, so we did, one more time, waited for traffic, told the bikes and crowd to please wait, and took one more. It was perfect.

Tyrus & Sallie - Lake of the Ozarks - On their wedding day, Sallie had just finished getting dressed when her mom came in and saw her for the first time and just lost it. It was too freakin sweet, but little did we know that when she went out to get her husband, & he came in, it would be even worse. He paused at the door, hands on his hips and kind of let out a cough/hold it together/cry and walked over to Sallie. In the meantime, her mom was losing it in the background, and so was I.

Now for my Personal Favorite Moment from 2011:

Suzanne & Paul - Paris - While Katie was off with the girls I found Paul at this Canadian Pub of all places. I say that because we were in Paris and he's from Ireland. He was sitting there working on his speech & it took a few moments for him to realize I was there, which was good. But he gave me a big hug and we talked for a while, I don't remember much of what we talked about, but it went on long enough for me to order a cafe and hang out a bit. After the reception Paul told Katie that having me there helped him get through the morning, and that he couldn't have done it without me there, it calmed him down. I don't know what to say about that...it just floored me. I love that guy. Easily my favorite moment of the year, something that I think about often and a moment that defines why I love what we do and the clients we work with.

Our Albums are Off The Hook, Biotchs!

2011-12-02T10:29:00.001-08:00

Not to be vulgar here, but the good people of Millers Professional Imaging are the f-ing bees knees when it comes to printing albums (and everything else, for that matter). They have been our printers for the past two years and we have always loved their fast turn-around time, their family-style customer service, and the relationship they've worked hard to nurture with us. We feel part of the Miller's family and hope to for a long time to come.

On the same token, we couldn't put together these glorious albums without the fantastic Fundy Album Builder Software. For all you photogs out there designing albums like we used to (really, really slowly) Fundy is a must. Just check it out. It's too difficult to try and explain the awesomeness here. But really quickly, it works as a Photoshop extension. Enough said.

And now...

Without further ado, we present the album pages of Jaime and Scott, whose Washington DC wedding at the swanky W Hotel was not only one of the most beautiful weddings we've ever attended, but downright classic. These 12x12 pages will be bound with Kodak Endura metallic photographic paper, with a black leather cover and a matching custom album box. It will be stunning!

Ryan & Leah - A destination Illinois Wedding!

2011-11-14T12:45:00.001-08:00

It's pretty easy to get great photos when your bride is this charismatic. She had that huge smile plastered on her face all day! Creston was sunny & beautiful. The wedding was on Leah's familie's property, in the middle of whole lot of corn and prarie grass. Awesome couple, lots of fun...

In Love With: Lumiquest!

2011-10-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

I love Lumiquest. Katie loves Lumiquest. What else can I say? Ok...

We travel, a lot, and it's a lot of fun. You know what sucks though? Paying to send your bags under the plane. Know what else sucks? Your bags not getting to your location. Which is #1 why we have never sent camera equipment under. In fact, when we flew into some podunk airport in Florida, don't remember when, we had to get on some tiny car sized airplane and they said no to our camera bag. Well I showed them, I took out all my cameras/lenses/flashes and put them in my lap. They never did bring me my coke, think they were kinda mad at the fit I threw...

The point is:

Lumiquest products fold up flat. You don't have to put anything under the plane AND they work just as wonderful as other non folding flat diffuser things by companies like Arygay Ongfay. Their biggest diffuser, is the size of a laptop and fits in my bag right next to our ... laptop.

These products are so sexy, versatile, awesometastic, we refuse to use anything else. And if you've seen any of our photos in the last three years, they're all lit up with Lumiquest products. Except, of course, the one's that aren't lit with flash (that's just a note for those of you scratching your heads wondering about battery power).

Anyway- Photog freinds, Lumiquest is the way to go if you're looking for lighting stuff. We aren't about to stand by something we don't use and believe in ourselves. Our Favorites- Lumiquest Softbox LTp, Big Bounce, and the Snoot XTR .

A couple of examples:

Christina and Nacho- San Sebastian, Spain. From Nacho's Family's Castle overlooking the ocean. Yes, his family's Castle.

Suzanne and Paul in Paris along the Sienne at Pont Alexander III.

Josie, in San Sebastian, Spain.

So check them out, their products are versatile, consistent, and always reliable. And aside from the results we love, they're also fun to use.

In Love With: Fête in France

2011-09-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years we've had the privilege of working with and getting to know some very cool ladies, Anne and Nancy of Fête in France. They are wedding planners who work with clients from all over the world to help them plan their dream French weddings.

Anne & Nancy being giggly in front of the camera

Not only are these two seriously talented, but they are also extremely likeable and have become friends we look forward to spending time with while in France. In fact, we enjoyed an entire evening in Anne's home during our recent trip. We were able to meet her husband and get to know Anne, Nancy, and some of their loved ones a little better. We had a wonderful time :)

Some shots from Anna & Anthony's Dordogne Valley Wedding. The table setting was absolutely stunning.

Just another beautiful display for this power team.

They've introduced us to some remarkable clients; some that have become good friends. Like Helen and Gene, the couple we shot in 2010. On that rainy day, Anne not only held umbrellas over the couple while they were being photographed, but also held lights and assisted us whenever we needed it. Oh, and she gave Kevin her beret because he was freezing cold.

These two are originally from the states, but have lived in Paris for a number of years. They both speak French impeccably. So, for anyone thinking about a wedding in France, this team can help you plan your wedding and communicate to you in English, then use their knowledge of everything France to arrange your dream wedding with all the bells and whistles.

This shot is from Suzanne and Paul's Paris wedding--an Irish couple who was very happy with Fête in France
and what Anne and Nancy created for them.

One more thing I want to say about them is that the way a wedding coordinator treats her/his vendors says a lot about them as people. Anne and Nancy take care of their vendors (they always make sure we are staying hydrated and make sure we take time to sit down and have dinner--which is a big deal at the end of a long wedding day). Not just us, but their DJs, the band, the kitchen, etc. They treat us professionally when it's necessary but take the time to get to know us as individuals.

So once more, if you're even thinking about a wedding in France, shoot these two an email. Oh, and shoot us an email for your photography, while you're at it :)

Fête in France
www.feteinfrance.com
Within France: 06 72 15 22 69
From the US & Canada: 011 33 6 72 15 22 69
From the UK & Ireland: 00 33 6 72 15 22 69
From Australia: 011 33 6 72 15 22 69

2011-09-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today this wonderful guy is 31:

(He's the one getting served by all the much smaller, much more children-like people)

If you don't know Kevin very well, or if you do know him but aren't married to him (we can't all be so lucky), I'd like to share some things about someone very amazing:

Thing #1:

Kevin is a truly wonderful dad.

He spends a good part of every day playing games, wrestling, coloring pictures, being a horse/spaceship/student/sick doggie at the vet/2nd grader/etc., and snuggling with our two little girls. Since we work from home, he regularly counts his blessings that he has the opportunity to be involved in their lives. I've never known someone to take so much time with their kids; who feels guilty at the end of each day for not spending enough time with them. It's so important to him.

From left to right, top to bottom: Hiking and getting a big wet one from Hazel; Playing his favorite game in the whole world, hands down; Trying not to look too excited at Maynard's Vineyard in Arizona (He would lick Maynard's bald head if given the opportunity, or just make out with him); Escorting his mommy (who he loves, so much) down the isle at his sister's wedding rehearsal; Trying to be comfortable in front of the camera with me, his wifey; Hanging out in the boat with his girlfriends (being on the boat is up there in his top 5 favorite pastimes. FYI); Swimming with his family; Being the best dad ever; A memorable Christmas for Kevin (BTW, Lego Harry Potter is played on this much more than Halo or NCAA Football. He's just that kind of guy).

Thing #2:

Kevin is an amazing husband, lover, and best friend.
Some examples of this are:

1. He brings me coffee in my favorite cup, in my bed, nearly every morning. (If you don't drink coffee, imagine someone bringing you something awesome--like $100--every single morning. With a smile.

2. He's a great listener. He'll sit and listen to me ramble on and on for a very long time. He even knows what I've been talking about and offers advice.

3. He buys me things like dresses, jewelry, and original art for special occasions. And he buys me flowers when he knows I need a lift. And he'll get me things out of Victoria Secret (obviously this is for him too), but everything he picks out is my size and style--totally cute. AND we've almost been married for 10 years and this hasn't slowed down. Be jealous ladies, be jealous.

4. He likes to "pop my back," or give me these big, long hugs where he puts his arms around my lower back and squeezes me really tightly. There's usually a kiss at the end.

5. He charges my cell phone for me and finds it when I don't give a rat's a** about being available. He's also very patient about this fact.

6. He is supportive about everything I do. For example, he encourages me with school even though it adds extra responsibility and pressure to him, and he responds emotionally to my writing and art.
7. I trust him, love him, and hope to always be his girl.

These pics are from his family b-day party last week.

Thing #3

Kevin loves to be where the party is going on.

Although he is shy at first, he'll risk it to be in the middle of a bunch of people who are full of energy. Something like New Years in Vegas is idea of a great time. He loves loud, loud, loud music and people crowding one another, laughing and having the time of their lives. For this reason, he loves concerts. I think that his background as a drummer (playing drums means LOUD music playing and a LOUD beat and HUGE energy output) gives him this incredible natural high when he is in a small space with tons of people. He'll get so excited that he literally starts jumping around and does this huge, ninja-turtle smile.
It's adorable to watch.

Thing #4:

Kevin loves to laugh, and make other people laugh.

A good day for Kevin is writing obscene texts with one of my sisters, usually Aubrie, Heidi, or Dayci. (By obscene, I mean they say things like, "You're a jerk, freaking poop-head" or something like that). Then he'll choke, he's laughing so hard, writing back and forth with his buddy Derek--let's see, the other day it was about Derek measuring a canvas print with his... well, you get the idea. He actually made me stop what I was doing so he could (try) to repeat what Derek said, through his tears. Later, he'll wrestle with our girls and they'll all be cackling until someone bangs their head against something, and then he'll be bouncing around, making me laugh as we cook, or work together. The best part of a good day for him, would be watching some stand-up comedy at night, after the kids go to bed.

Some of Kevin's current/past favorite comedians/funny shows are:

Arrested Development

Kids in the Hall

Parks and Recreation

30 Rock

David Cross

Comedy Central Standup
The Simpsons
Family Guy
Jim Gaffigan
Steve Martin
Bill Cosby

Playing Bocce with his buddy, Charlie.

Thing #5:

Kevin loves, not just likes, the following random things:

Hispanic culture. More specifically, the accents, skin color, and hair of the women. He gets all wobbly and distracted around this type of girl.
Bjork and Iceland. Loves the singer (favorite albums are Vespertine and Medulla) and her home town. I've been trying, without success, to plan a trip there for many years. Someday.
Long, brown hair. Score!
Football. Watching it, playing it, throwing one, talking about it, listening to people talking about it, wearing jerseys, going to games, and anything else I didn't put on here.
Teaching and Leading. He's very good at this, like, is fantastic.
Creativity. Feeling the artistic flow and giving himself over to it.
Confidence. Whether it's in himself, a model he's shooting, or just some person. He recognizes it in people and not only admires them for it, but responds to it.
Rebelling against the system. He likes to make waves and question everything.
Boxer briefs. Only strange people who desire to be uncomfortable would wear something different.
Original Artwork. Nothing is more annoying to him than mass-produced artwork. He likes exclusivity, originality, and the energy that can only come from the artist's hand. Which is one of the reasons we have only original art hanging in our home.
His photography clients. He really does.

He loves his girls and niece, Eva, and nephew, Jordan.

Thing #6:

Kevin is super sexy.

In fact, he is only getting sexier with age. We can't all be so lucky. I love his eyes, which vary in shades of green, his morning hair, his tattoos, his arms and hands when he gets dressed up in all his rings and bracelets, his scratchy face, and, well, everything else.

Thing #7:

Kevin is like glue, no, superglue. He holds people together.

My family went through a couple of really rough patches while Kev and I have been together. With a family full of kids who had been walked out on by not just one, but two fathers, Kevin's presence has always been a reminder that there are good men out there. It sounds like an easy thing to know, but trust me, it isn't. Without his calming and loyal influence, things could be a lot different right now. We're all so thankful for Kevin. We're all loyal right back. And I know I can speak for his Missouri family who misses him and are so proud of his accomplishments, his creativity and passion, and his kind and heroic heart.

We love our friend, brother, lover, uncle, son, grandson, and daddy.

And I love you, sweetheart, always.

xoxo

Kate

Anna & Anthony - Dordogne Valley, France

2011-09-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

Alicia & Shane - Vaux le Vicomte - France

2011-08-25T23:26:00.001-07:00

European Photography Adventures: Paris with Paul & Suzanne

2011-08-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

We got back to Paris from Spain completely exhausted--ready to crash. We had one more wedding in the line up and wanted to be completely fresh for it. Lucky for us we had some visitors, Lisa and Heidi (Mom and sister) that came from the states to hang out with us for a couple of days. It was so good to see them! More on that later... Oh yeah, and we had a chance to really hang out with some of the coolest wedding planners ever, our friends Anne and Nancy.

Also, more on them later...

So, our final European wedding was that of the beautiful Irish couple, Suzanne and Paul. I don't know when we've laughed more, or been hugged and squeezed more than we were at this wedding. Imagine a crowd of the friendliest, happiest, loudest people--and then double it--and you'll get an idea of this couple's wedding celebration.

Some of the pictures below are from the night before the wedding at a bar in Sainte Germain, and some from the wedding day. I wanted to give you a taste of the love going on with these people. We literally have hundreds that look just like this. Such a wonderful family!!!

The wedding day started off in Suzanne and Paul's right-bank apartment. Paul spent hours on the phone trying to find one with a view of the Eiffel Tower for Suzanne, who loves it so much. You can see the reflection of it in the dress picture and, yes, that's the tower in the shoe shot, right out on their balcony.

Amazing!!!

It was, to say the least, one of the most stunningly beautiful weddings of the year.


Sainte Clotilde, the wedding chapel in Sainte Germain.

The Bride arriving to the chapel with her lovely bridesmaid sisters.

Inside Sainte Clotilde during the ceremony.

So here's a funny story...

As the ceremony ended and Kevin walked down the isle in front of the couple to get these big grand shots of them coming out to the front of the church, I stealthily hid behind some columns until they were far enough down the isle that I could dart behind them and crouch down (so as to not be in Kevin's shot) and get the grand shots of them going out into the sun.

That was the plan, anyway.

What really happened was this: I slipped, my feet literally coming up and over my head, and slid about three feet behind the couple (thankfully, unbeknownst to them) to the horror of poor Nancy, the wedding planner, and the orchestra, who had front row seats.

The best part was that Kevin and I, while laughing our heads off about it, found this shot:

Yeah, that's my foot, as I was sliding into third base. I think the lesson here is simple. Don't wear platforms on super shiny floors while shooting a wedding. Obviously.

Anyways...

The Newlyweds. I love the hats!!!

After the ceremony, we took Suzanne and Paul around Paris to get some shots in the city.

Probably our favorite shot of the day. That dress was glorious.

On Pont Alexandre III (We loooooove this bridge).

The reception was held at La Maison des Polytechniciens, a very difficult venue to tie down, as you have to either be an engineer or be related to an engineer to even be considered. Anne and Nancy, of Fete in France, did an amazing job on the details of this wedding. When we walked into the reception hall and saw what they had put together, we were speechless.

It was even more amazing in real life!

The dining room, appetizer course, cocktail table vases, table settings, wedding cake.

First dance in the blue room... DRESS!!!

The Maison had a downstairs club-type room where everyone finished up the night. Such a cool space!

All in all, a beautiful, breathtaking, hugely fun, very cool, and unforgettable wedding. Thank you Suzanne, Paul, Anne, Nancy, and all of the wedding guests and family... we had a wonderful time!!!

Sallie & Tyrus - Lake of the Ozarks

2011-08-09T18:26:00.001-07:00

Scott & Charlena - Baltimore

2011-08-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Switch to 720HD and switch to Full Screen if you please.

European Photography Adventures: San Sebastian, Spain

2011-08-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Spain.

Wow.

We decided that if we could stay anywhere, out of all the places we've seen and experienced, this would be the place--hands down.

We took a train down from Bordeaux and met Chepis, our kind, beautiful, wonderful, funny, amazing host who gave us the time of our lives over the next couple of days. She introduced us to Carmen and Carmen's sister Isabelle, who's hospitality and love we'll never forget. We stayed in Carmen's home during our trip and she immediately became a surrogate mother, making us breakfast, putting food in our backpacks, asking us if we remembered bus fare, giving us her home keys, etc.

Panoramic taken with Kevin's phone.

So much to say about this place and such short attention spans of a typical reader... sigh. Don't be that reader. Stick with me here, you have to know about San Sebastian.

So, in the gastronomical ratings of worldwide cuisine, San Sebastian restaurants are way up there. The three best restaurants in the world are located in this city. Now. We've had good food before, at least we thought we had, before we came here. I don't know what we were expecting, but it wasn't the tradition of pinchos--basically tapas that are laid out on the counter tops of any bar/restaurant you walk into. "Pinchos" is the name of the food exclusive to this tiny part of Spain, and people come from all over the world to experience them.

What you do, is you have a Carmen and a Chepis take you out to the best, most award-winning places and order the particular pincho that that particular restaurant is known for. It was highlighted in, like, Food&Wine magazine or something and the restaurant has, like, three Michelin Stars or something. You get a table, pick up this little appetizer-sized pincho and moan and groan as you alternate bites of pincho and drinks of a perfect wine or beer to compliment that bite. Then, after eating maybe two, and finishing your drink, you go to a different restaurant and do it again. They took us to three different places that day and the flavor still lingers on our tongues, spoiling everything we've eaten since. I haven't done this experience justice, but I think the only way you'll believe me is to go there and try them yourself sometime. Seriously, screw Hawaii or that Florida vacation... go to San Sebastian.

(clockwise from top left): Award winning pincho, view from the pier,
streets of downtown San Sebastian, view from the castle overlooking
the bay, anchovy and crab pinchos (the crab is fake), and
Carmen ordering for us.

We had two photo shoots while in Spain, the first being a couple who wanted engagement-style photos before their wedding the week after (which we would have shot, had we not already been booked for our final wedding in Paris). We met the bright-eyed, bright-smiled Christina and her soft-spoken sweetheart Nacho at a famous bar with (of course) fabulous pinchos spread all across the counter. We had a couple and then went to--surprise!--Nacho's castle for their pictures. They are a wonderful couple with overwhelming kindness and a fierce love for one another.

Christina and Nacho and their beautiful,
bright energy. Oh, and a repeat photo
from the one right above it. Nice.

So, we were walking around in the bay on our first day in SB, admiring the
turquoise Atlantic and the mountains around us, when we noticed a
rather large, rather beautiful castle up on the hill. We didn't think
much more about it until later, when Chepis casually said, "Oh, that's
where Nacho lives. That's where you're taking photos tonight."
What the...

View of the bay from the lawn of the castle. Glorious place.

After shooting at the castle we went to the boardwalk and watched the sun set over the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It took our breath away, it was so beautiful.

These were all taken on the boardwalk, on the west side of the island
and beach. In the picture of Kevin and I you can see where the island
rock is flat from where waves have been battering it for centuries. The
crazy shapes in the sunset shot are massive iron sculptures that the
surf will spray through when there are storms or when the tide is
high. They're incredibly beautiful and unique.

Kevin and his muscles next to layers
of rock exposed by battering waves.

Our last day there we took photos of this glorious creature, Josie, who's bridal shoot felt oh so Spanish and oh so surreal. She came wearing a cream-colored gown with rust-colored roses and her wooden fan. We felt incredibly inspired photographing her, with the setting sun, with the island green in front of us and the city busy behind us.

Our lovely Spanish bride Josie posing for us near sunset.

The photo on the left was taken near nightfall in downtown San Sebastian.
We used a Lumiquest soft box to get the exact look we were going for here.

Could she be more lovely?

With our bellies full of pinchos and our hearts full of thanks we left San Sebastian. To us, there isn't a more magical place than this. Someday we'll go back and bring our daughters to meet Chepis, Carmen, Isabelle, her daughter Itsatso (I know I spelled that wrong!), Nacho, and Christina. They'll swim in the sea and smile in the sun. But for now, we'll pinch ourselves to make sure it wasn't all just a dream :)

European Photography Adventures: Saint Emillion, Bordeaux and Archachon, France

2011-07-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

After finishing Anna and Anthony's wedding, we hopped in a car and went with the wedding party to a little French town called Saint Emillion, one of the most famous wine-making areas in the world. The town was medieval, built around a cathedral (gorgeous!) with steep cobblestone roads leading away from the center of town.

We were literally sliding around in our flipflops, trying to navigate through the city.

Even though it looks like we were able to explore this beautiful place, we actually passed out in our hotel room and slept all day. Bleh. Oh wait, we woke up later that night and ate the worst meal ever (apparently we picked the one bad restaurant in town). And then we had to leave early the next day without truly seeing the city. We were pretty disappointed, but that's what happens when you work a wedding the day before. Utter exhaustion!

The only good part of our horrible dinner.

--Getting off track for just a second... Some advice to the traveling photographer--

Choose your luggage wisely!

We're not sure if we did.

Every time we moved from city to city we hauled around the following:

-90 pound camera bag with every photography product that folds, bends, or smashes down,

-Boda Bag for quick lens access and Kevin's socks,

-Backpack with heavy laptops, work files, notebooks, and business materials,

-2 rolling suitcases full of wedding clothes and uncomfortable shoes,

-Duffel bag full of bottles of wine and souvenirs for our daughters,

-Purse with maps, water bottles and random crap.

When going from train, to car, to metro (where the escalators NEVER are running and you have to carry all your shit up 10 flights of stairs), to bus, to airport... this is crucial advice. Sure, you'll have sexy arm muscles but you'll also be in a bad mood and want to kick something.

Anyway...

We drove from Saint Emillion to Bordeaux.

Expecting a small town, we were surprised to find a huge city full of people.

Bordeaux is humongous!

We took a tour of old Bordeaux with Anna, Anthony and their family and saw how the city has been changed and rebuilt from medieval times. They even had an ancient Lego shop, from, like, the 1500s or something.


The old Bordeauxians played with large Legos.

Waterfront of Bordeaux

What is a trip to Bordeaux without some wine tastings? The next day, Anna & Anthony took us on a whirlwind tour of wine country, sharing their knowledge of wines with us. We had such a great time and learned heaps about French wines. Seriously, just ask us. We're pros :)

We even took some bottles home!

The last day in Bordeaux, Kevin went with the group to the sea town of Arcachon, where they laid by the seaside and soaked in some sun. Afterward, they boarded a boat and sailed around the peninsula to old oyster towns, where they ate fresh oysters, cheeses and meats and drank local wine.

Thanks again to Anna, Anthony, Anthony's incredibly generous and kind parents, and all the friends we got to know a little. We had an amazing time with you all!

Up next... SPAIN!

Photography Adventures: Sarlat, Chateau de Lacoste and Anna & Anthony

2011-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

So, after the whirlwind incredible wedding of Alicia and Shane, we woke up early the next morning for a train ride to Sarlat where we would be staying while shooting Anna and Anthony's wedding. We upgraded our train tickets to first class because we were exhausted from the wedding the day before and wanted to be comfortable -- but we weren't expecting bunk beds. We looked something like this:

(Credit to whomever this creative photographer is)

But hey, we slept.

We arrived in Sarlat and were immediately in love. Incredible history surrounded us, evident in the bowing buildings stacked Dr. Seuss-style up narrow cobblestone streets.

Lazy cats lounged in windowsills full of geraniums and wildflowers and the steep avenues had a cold, musty scent that made us feel alive and excited. We hiked around the streets (some of them were steep!) and debated if we should have dinner at that perfect cafe or that one.

We were in fois gras country, so goose liver signs were everywhere.

But if we thought Sarlat was spectacular, we were utterly blown away by the beauty of the wedding/reception location: Chateau de Lacoste.

From the incredible view of the Dordogne Valley to the rows of fragrant lavender lining the gardens, to the miniature private chapel picturesquely nestled on the side of the hill, this place was breathtaking.

Anna and Anthony were fantastic, as well as their family and friends that we spent a few days with after the wedding. More pictures of that adventure to come!

Photography Adventures, Continued

2011-06-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

We thought we'd be updating our blog every day while we were in France, but that turned out to be a laugh. We've been so busy! Hopefully, the photos below will give you some scope for the kind of journey we've been having, which has been, to say the least, incredible. Our travels have taken us from Paris, to the quaint town of Sarlat (where the movie Chocolat was filmed!), to exploring the medieval town of Sainte Emillion and finally to Bordeaux, where we've tasted wine with Anna and Anthony (our L.A. couple) and been overwhelmed by the beauty of this country.

These pictures are from the first leg of this journey: Alicia and Shane's wedding.
Just a taste :)

The locations are Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte, a stunning mansion about an hour from Paris, and the deck of a yacht sailing down the Seine, where Alicia and Shane had their reception. Incredible couple, incredible settings, incredible wedding. More photos to come.

1st Day in Paris

2011-06-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Flowers I got for katie (bonus points =) ) & the Key to our Apartment!

Louvre

Some delicious pastries

Lunch, Brie Bacon Arugula & Mustard on freshly baked bread. White wine to top it off.

Espresso only in France you silly Americans with your large watered down coffee!

Model shoot (or something) happening in the Royal Palace. Nice pants. Going to try to get my bride to do this pose.

Random Parisian photographer shooting a couple in the Royal Palace. A very creative/unique wedding dress.

This couple looked like fun, but what a terrible pose. Katie and I were going over all the things we would have done differently while watching that dude pose these guys.

Our Apartment. 13 Rue de Lille. Right across the Sienne from the Louvre.

Today another day off in Paris. Relaxing, getting caught up on our sleep and the jet lag. Had a stellar lunch at Au 34. Rack of Lamb, lima beans, green beans, wine. Going to go out tonight and....just hang out, drink espresso. Our first photoshoot is tomorrow evening. Going to do a pre-wedding engagement style shoot down by the Siene across from Notre Dame, Pont Alexander III and the Louvre. Big wedding Saturday. Our big castle wedding. Can't wait!

Father's Day in the airport

2011-06-20T05:43:00.001-07:00

I don't get to see my girls today, so Lux sent about 15 cards for me to read throughout the day, Hazel sent a couple too :-)
On the way to Paris. It was hard to leave the girls this morning. I promised to bring them back something super awesome though...so I gotta figure out what that is!
Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226
Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

--

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International Destination Wedding Photographers

K Hulett Photography Website

Our Blog - Check out our latest travels around the world!

Facebook - Add us and get involved in our network!

Dixie Arts Conservatory and Our Little Star

2011-06-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Our favorite St. George dance group recently produced "Peter Pan" which was an amazing, creative show. Lux (our oldest daughter) auditioned and made the part of Micheal's teddy bear. We loved all the dancers but Lux stole the show (in our opinion, of course). We were so proud of Teddy!

Check out DAC here: www.dancestgeorge.com

A Kayenta Wedding - Greg & Rachel - May 14th, 2011

2011-06-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

You may be able to tell by the date on this blog post, that we are just a tad busy/behind. But not to worry, this week before we leave for France for 20 days, we're working our butts off to get all caught up.

Here's a few of my favorite so far from Greg & Rachel's wedding in Kayenta on a beautiful May day. They own Xetava out in the Kayenta art village. Katie and I's favorite restaurant & coffee shop in St. George. Their wedding was a blast, more of a celebration/festival than your typical ceremony & reception. Complete with live music & awesome food. I'm going to get right to the posting so I can get right back to work. I just want to add that I'm very thankful to Greg for trusting me with their wedding photos as he was/is a talented photographer himself. He has been very supportive of our business for many years and I really appreciate that.

I want to say thank you again to Andrew Gawdun for assisting me & Lumiquest who has got our back on lighting equipment which I used for most of these photos as always.

Phone Photos

2011-06-11T19:49:00.001-07:00

So the last 8 or so posts were with my phone. Just so we're all clear on that.

Such an awesome wedding today....Wonderful family. We're exhausted and I'm going to try to sleep for the first time in 3 nights....Blerg! Airport in the morning.

Awesome couple = Awesome shots

2011-06-11T14:03:00.001-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Graveyard? Are your photogs crazy?

2011-06-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

Its possible

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Rain rain go the f*** away

2011-06-11T09:37:00.001-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

2011-06-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Wedding Day

2011-06-11T06:24:00.001-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Baltimore Harbor

2011-06-10T09:30:00.001-07:00

Working away in Baltimore

2011-06-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yesssss

2011-06-09T12:37:00.001-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Flight to Bmore cancelled again

2011-06-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

All I gotta say is its good Kate and I know what we're doing. 2 flights in a row cancelled b/c the "flight attendant isn't here". 2. Can you believe that. We always get to our locations 2 days ahead of time for this reason. We don't start shooting until tomorrow night, wedding on Sat. So we're good. And we're enjoying the best the Newark airport has to offer. Beer.

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Breakfast at Sbux

2011-06-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Uh

2011-06-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Now we're headed to Baltimore

2011-06-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

New Jersey

2011-06-08T22:20:00.001-07:00

Guess where we're staying tonight. If you guessed Baltimore, you're wrong! Its actually scenic New Jersey after a 3 hour delay at the airport. Blerg!!

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Baltimore here we come!

2011-06-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

Kevin
K Hulett Photography
www.KevinHulett.com
435-862-9226

Sent from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

Engagements: Sarah & Grant

2011-06-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

These two lovely people were vacationing in Zion National Park, all the way from Texas, when they called us up to do their engagement photographs.

I love their simple and classic style, big smiles, and obvious affection for each other.

Ahhh... made my job easy. Oh, and thank you Miss Mary for being the greatest assistant ever :)

On the Lake today

2011-06-01T12:35:00.001-07:00

Out with our family on the Lake of the Ozarks today. In the vertical picture there's a house at the top on the cliff. That's where we're shootng our wedding this Saturday. Nice and hot out here today, beautiful. I grew up here, so the Lake is always so peaceful & meditative for me. That's Lux driving the boat with her Papa and Kate reading Lorna Doone.

Sente from my Epic 4g... sorry for the sperling.

One In A Million: Ashlea

2011-05-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today my baby sister Ashlea graduated from high school and she'll be 18 in three days.
I remember her as a two-year-old, with a head of blonde fuzz and brown eyes so big and lovely.

A few things about my fifth little sister:

1. She is a songbird.

Ever since I can remember, she's come home from school singing some show tune or opera at the top of her lungs. Lucky for us that her voice is uncommonly beautiful.

In fact...

She was the sterling scholar in music this year. Yay Ashlea!

2. She, like me, has this internal duality that manifests as a colorful butterfly on one hand, and a scatterbrained slob on the other. I've always found this exacerbating quality endearing in Ashlea. Somehow, it's responsible for that glow, that glorious light that burns inside her.

3. She's brilliant.

No, really. One of the smartest women I've ever failed to debate with. Ash values education, graduating with high honors and the ability to out-smart, out-talk, and out-opinionate just about anyone who is naive enough to argue with her.

She's considering politics.

Watch out.

4. I love her.

I have six other sisters and two brothers that I also love, which creates endless problems when I try to spend time with them all and get to know them individually. Ashlea doesn't reach out as much as some of my siblings, and I'm afraid that I spend less time with her because of it. But it doesn't mean that I don't love her like a crazy person, and it doesn't mean that I don't ache to be close to this wonderful girl.

To me, Ashlea is

sunshine and butterflies,

butter-yellow and turquoise sky,

melody and passion,

fire and ash,

a whirlwind of

excited, purposeful, frenzied energy

and soft pink smiles.

She is bashful in her beauty

and careful with her love.

Soaring on wings of delight,

her big brown eyes

quietly ask acceptance

while her songs, loud and sure,

allow my heart to beat in tune with hers.

Happy graduation and birthday little sis!

Love,

Katie

Sexy Miss Candice: Boudoir Photography - Katie

2011-05-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Candice is one of those clients that a photographer like me (Katie) loves. From the moment we first spoke on the phone and she started telling me her ideas we immediately connected and got all giddy about her shoot. She wanted something dramatic, fun, sexy, and more in the style of old fashioned pinups. We both loved the idea of doing the shoot with a humongous prop, like... an... airplane! Yes! Perfect! She was a natural in front of the camera and her style seriously made that airplane look good.

Thanks Dayci and Mike for all your help with this one!

A Beautiful Day for Pictures

2011-05-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

I met this lovely woman and her equally lovely daughter at the dentist a few weeks ago, and we got to talking about photography. I was surprised and excited to get a call a few weeks later to take some shots of the two of them here in St. George. Lucky for us, the rain let up minutes before we started shooting, giving us mellow light and a touch of breeze. What a happy day for pictures!

xoxo Katie

Melissa & Chris - A Wedding in The Dominican Republic

2011-05-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

If you'll put the video in 720HD and play it full screen, it would make my day =)

Lumiquest & K Hulett Photography

2011-05-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

We have been sponsored by Lumiquest for the past year. A company who makes the best lighting products that will fold flat and travel with us as we photograph our weddings all over the world. I can not recommend their products enough.
They recetly asked us to do a photo for their advertising campaign, so here's what we came up with~

Maternity Photographs--Tracy

2011-05-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Tracy was up for trying some fun stuff... so I had her dress up like a Grecian Goddess! We had a good time and I LOVE how her photographs look. With her beautiful eyes and pregnant glow, her pictures radiate warmth and love.

Music Photos -

2011-04-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Gogo37 here in STG put on RenFest short while back. Josh had me come out and snap a few pics. I do enjoy taking photos of musicians. Probably cause I'm a musician too. Favorite part of the show was when his daughter came out and sang with, awesome moment for a Dad.

Addie Baby!

2011-04-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

Addie turns 3, holy cow! I shot her momma's maternity pics. Love this girl. Can't really get her to sit still, or take direction, which isn't a bad thing, just gotta let her do her thing and shoot when the moment's right. Addie continues to teach me to be patient with my camera, she's wonderful ;)

St. George, UT Senior Photography

2011-04-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Had a busy couple days, but here's to some awesome (and very photogenic) seniors...Colton & Katherine!

Creative Shoot - April 2011 - Lauren

2011-04-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

A few more from last week...

Creative Shoot - April 2011

2011-04-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of sharpening in photoshop is all I did on Lexi's eyes, promise ~

Shot these just for me, just for fun, about a week ago. Something I need to do and will be doing more often. Lexi has been an incredible model for us, a muse for my latest work. You gotta shoot for yourself, to challenge yourself, for new ideas, just because you love photography. I've been saving that fur coat for the last 7 years and no I'm not exaggerating. I've just been waiting for the right model right time.

Shot in St. George overlooking Snow Canyon Park with Lexi & Lauren as models and the always awesome Andrew Gawdun in my corner assisting, holding lights & dangling off cliffs to get that perfect lighting.

True Emotion Photography 11 Workshop/Zion Retreat

2011-04-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here's some photos from our 11th TEP Workshop we had in Feburary. Class was sold out and with models, make up, assistants, me & Katie this 6,000sqft home in Snowy East Zion was packed, (which I HIGHLY recommend renting for a week or so)! 3 days of excellent food, shooting, giveaways, movies & snow. In fact it snowed almost 3 feet while we were there! Unreal!

A Big huge thank you to our Models - Lexi, Brittany & Heidi. Assistants/Guest Speakers - Andrew Gawdun & Bronson Bailey. Make-up & Hair - Christine Hansen. Food & Lodging - East Zion Development - Pamela Clark. Beautiful bouquets by Desert Rose Floral.

Also big thanks to KHP's Sponsors for hooking us up with awesome giveaways. Spider Holster, Miller's Lab, Instaproofs & Lumiquest.

We also had a couple local sponsors who gave out gift cards to their awesome restaurants that we want to thank. Xetava & Cappeletti's. The 2 best restaurants in town (we wouldn't settle for less)!

Looking forward to TEP 12. If you'd like to get on our mailing to find out when & where it will be, just leave a comment or send us an email.

St. George, UT Family Photographer

2011-04-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Cute Family! Had fun with these guys a few weeks ago. Talk about having some blue eyes!

Vaux-le-Vicomte in France

2011-04-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

The location of our first of 3 (so far) weddings in France this year. We're excited, to say the very, very least.

Our Cup of Tea: Boudoir Portraits

2011-04-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Very flattering, super excited!

2011-03-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

America’s Best Wedding Photographers –The Unofficial Guide

An Orlando Wedding - Taira & Joey - December 18th, 2010

2011-03-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

How do I begin to do justice to one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever had the opportunity to photograph and, on top of that, getting to photograph one of my very best friends in the world. I've known Taira now for 10 years. She's one of the most loving wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. You can see where she gets it too. Her mom, dad, sis are all just the sweetest, most honest, loving people. At the rehursal dinner her momma sent me a note on a napkin to where I was sitting that said, "I'm sorry you have you sit way down there, just know we love you and are so glad you're here." You can't beat that. I can't say how thankful and blessed I feel to be a part of their wedding and their lives. So I was super excited to meet Joey and I have to say, he's an awesome, humble gentleman. Taira did well & Joey's a lucky guy!

I woke up the morning of the wedding thinking, ok, this is it, this is the wedding that gets rained out. Pouring, dark, clouds, not good. When I got to the ceremony location at The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne. I had an umbrella out over my camera, walking around the place, doing my best to figure out where I was going to do some creative shooting. You can see in a few of the photos of the guys I got some great reflections from all the puddles on the ground. Even Taira's bridesmaids surprised her with some nice blue galoshes to take the edge off her rainy wedding. Then, all the sudden, the sun came out, smiles came out (even though Taira was a great sport the entire time), and the wedding happened outdoors as planned!

And I'd like to point out that I told everyone not to worry, I never get rained out. Yeah maybe that's being a bit over confident. But don't you want your photographer to be confident? I would.

It was a beautiful southern wedding. Amazing. I could go on and on, but, I think the photos speak for themselves. Thank you Taira & Joey for letting me be a part of your wedding!

Dominican Republic

2011-03-18T11:10:00.001-07:00

Its about to begin. Wish us luck.

WPPI and KHP Photography Classes!

2011-02-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

It's that special time of year again!

WPPI is the most important event Kevin and I attend each year. It's an opportunity to shop for the latest photography products, search for new vendors, gather new ideas for our business, speak to top industry professionals, and most importantly, take classes!

Education is CRUCIAL for both the aspiring photographer and the established business. There is nothing more important than staying ahead of the curve and implementing new ideas to keep your studio/business full of fresh ideas and life. Last year, Kevin and I filled pages of notes with new ideas for our business and had many over-excited conversations about all of the changes we wanted to make. This year, we can't wait to hear some of our photography heroes speak, including Jose Villa, Beth Forester, Tamara Lackey, and Jonathan Canlas. Yay!!!

After WPPI 2010, we restructured the way we did everything, from booking new clients, structuring our pricing, designing albums and products, to implementing new post-processing techniques. Since last year we have doubled our clientele, more than tripled our photography income, and gained three new sponsors. We booked more of the fun and exciting jobs we wanted, and could afford to upgrade and update our equipment. We traveled more, met more people, and overall improved everything about our business!

With WPPI 2011 in 10 days, we're compiling lists of everything that isn't working for us right now and will have our eyes wide open for positive changes! Education is Everything!!!

On that note...

3 days after WPPI Kevin and I are introducing our very own educational class,
True Emotion Photography 11 -- Zion Retreat!

We have a couple of spots still open for any photographer who is ready to take their business to the next level, or who just wants good information on their camera, shooting, post-processing and excellent business advice. We only have a couple of spots left for our exciting three day class in Zion National Park, accommodations included, so check out the flier below and book now!!!

Dance Photoshoot -- DDC and Kidz on Stage

2011-01-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Dance, dance, dance!!!

Let us introduce the most wickedly fierce dance studio in our St. George area:

Dixie Dance Conservatory and Kidz on Stage

Not only is Dixie Dance Conservatory our favorite dance studio in Southern Utah (Lux and Katie attend classes), it is also bursting with talented and athletic teachers. We had the chance of photographing the amazing faculty this last week, led by owner and head teacher Maria Vaccaro Bithell. If you are looking for a studio to take your kiddos, or are interested in adult lessons in everything from hip-hop, tap, jazz and ballet, to break dance, lyrical, theater, and modern dance-- you really should check out DDC and Kidz on Stage.
They're incredible!

www.dancestgeorge.com

These are some favorites from our shoot here in St. George.

Katie's Favorite Photographs from 2010

2011-01-05T09:15:00.001-08:00

Okay, just to repeat what Kevin said about this post: These are my favorites, not necessarily what I think is our best work of the year. Some of these, you just had to be there. Some of these I actually wasn't there for, but after looking through hundreds of photos you begin to develop feelings for people you haven't ever met, like couples Kevin shot this year that I fell in love with. So, these are my favorites from 2010.

They are not posted in order of favorites, but at the very bottom, I've posted my ultimate favorite photograph of the year.

Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chris & Shanna: Tulum, Mexico -- Photographed by Kevin. Shanna's short dress and bare feet accentuate the color and simplicity of this shot. Love the blue and the look on Chris's face -- he adored that girl.

Michael & Michelle: San Diego, California -- Photographed by Kevin. Lovely couple, freaking gorgeous wedding overlooking the ballpark in a skybox. I was just off to the left, balancing the soft box between rows of guests and a 30-story drop. Love this shot.

Jen & Seth: Springdale, Utah -- Photographed by Katie. Their wedding was bright, colorful, fresh, and any other adjective you can think of that represents how these photographs feel. Jen's wildflower bouquet is possibly my favorite of the year.

Laura & Samuel: Seattle, Washington -- Photographed by Kevin. After the ceremony, Laura changed into her traditional Korean wedding dress, and this photo of her mother helping her creates such a wonderful feeling.

Christie & Dan: Porto Cima, Missouri -- Photographed by Katie

This is one I'm submitting to print competitions. Love Christie's smile and gorgeous gown.

Nickie & Chris: 7 Springs Winery, Missouri -- Photographed by Katie. Nickie's shoes were FABULOUS (and will be appearing on my shoe fetish post soon to come) and made the list because of the "I Do" and the cherries that littered the curb where I set up this shot. I also love this shot of the couple because the sunlight perfectly reflects their bright, sun-sparkly wedding.

Natalie & Brad: Silverstone, Las Vegas -- Photographed by Kevin. I've never met this beautiful girl, but I fell in love after seeing multiple photos like this closeup. The bridal below it is simply amazing -- another of our print competition entries for the year.

Jenna & Edward: Destin Florida -- Photographed by Kevin. One of my favorite shots of the year because you only get to guess the look in Mom's eyes while she looked at her daughter in her wedding dress for the first time.

Helen & Gene: Paris, France -- Photographed by Kevin. Favorite ring shot EVER and most brilliantly wonderful, Eiffel Tower spinning shot. Kev took loads of stunning pictures in front of the tower but this one makes my heart happy. Well done Kev.

Erika & Tyler: Casa De Loco, Missouri -- Photographed by Katie. The simplicity and calm of this wedding's design was breathtaking. And the cupcakes tasted as good as they looked :)

And my favorite shot is....

Drumroll please...

It's a tie!

#1 Favorite: Megan & Todd: Destin, Florida -- Photographed by... not sure who took this one. I love it for many reasons, but here are the main ones: 1. Megan was SO beautiful, SO happy, SO in love with her Todd, that she sparkled more brightly than any other bride this year (in my opinion). 2. Two of these little flower girls are my very own Lux and Hazel (Megan is Kevin's sister). So I'm biased. So what. 3. Megan has the kindest heart--she actually spent the morning of her wedding at a marina for kiddie birthday party she hosted for Hazel and her new daughter Sloan. She is actually late getting ready for her wedding here, because of this birthday party. Oh, and the marina people got her party instructions all wrong. Also, her outdoor ceremony and reception venue was closed due to thunder storms. But is she upset about it? No. I love this shot because her smile is genuine amidst multiple reasons many brides would freak out. And because she loves her nieces wholeheartedly, which shows in this shot.

What a girl -- Love you Meg.

#2 Favorite: You already met Chris and Shanna at the top of this post, but this wins the spot for favorite of the year because of this: These early morning bridals began at 5:00 a.m. on the wedding day, when the mosquitoes were awake but everyone else was sleeping (wedding party had a late night drinking). Shanna, in her beautiful simplicity, came out with simple hair, no makeup, and her calf-length dress holding Chris's hand. Throughout the shoot, Chris carried Shanna's veil, lights, and reflectors, he swatted mosquitoes off of Shanna's body, he held our flashes, he picked up and actually placed Shanna in all the weird spots Kevin and I wanted her to stand -- helping however he could. He was probably only paces away from her at any given time. There is something so special and wonderful about that morning, and this couple in general. Kevin snapped this shot after Chris gave Shanna a reassuring kiss -- bridal sessions can be rough! This photo represents what I love about photography: meeting new people, being privy to watching hearts on sleeves, photographing stolen moments, and watching the sun come up with my own sweetheart. Love, love, love this shot.

Tell me which is your favorite! And Happy 2011!!!

Kevin's Favorite Wedding Photos from 2010

2010-12-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

I started out with one favorite photo from each wedding we shot this year, and that just felt a bit too much, so I narrowed it down from there. So if your wedding was left out, I am sorry, and I still love you! I just wanted a collection that was more concise. Also, I want to say that these are not, in my opinion, necessarily the best photos from each wedding, just my favorite. We're still going to do a BEST OF 2010. These photos, I believe really give you an idea of what each of these weddings felt like. They bring a huge smile to my face, followed by warm fuzzy avatar style butterflies each time I look at them.

It was extremely difficult to narrow these down, since I had many favorites from each wedding. But here they are... my (Kevin's) favorite 12 photos from 12 different weddings from 2010.

My hope is that you will read what I wrote and then click on each photo and take your time looking at it. It would mean a lot to me if you did. Thanks!

Paris, FR- Helen & Gene - Jan. 23rd - The Ritz in Paris.... This trip was unreal on so many levels. I took this photo right after having 2 double espressos brought to me by the waiter, after almost 24hours of no sleep. It woke me up, then I felt sick, then drank more espresso, then wore a beret, then...well, it's a long story.

San Diego -Michael and Michelle-April 3rd- I just love these guys. They heard about us in Fiji. We were kind of in a rush to get this photo. The wind was wipping along the left side of that wall, which is why all the girls are on the right. So once I had everyone in place, I asked this little flower girl to walk towards me until she was in just the right spot.

Destin, FL- Megan, my beautiful sister, & Todd -April 24th. What makes this pic extra cool is my dad in the background hiding behind Meg holding the flash. She has this blown up real big as a metallic print in her entry way. Might be my favorite photo of the year.

Destin, FL-Jenna & Edward-May 23rd. I love this couple. This wedding was so easy and fun. Edward, the 2 days I was there, never stopped looking at Jenna like she's the most beautiful woman in the world, the love of his life. This photo just feels like their wedding to me, his eyes say it all.

Tulum, MX - Shanna & Chris- May 28th. I loved the colors here and we snapped a few and were about to move on when one of the hotel workers walked by with these freshly cut palm leaves. So in my best Spanish I asked to borrow a them. I do have to give an acknowledgement to Jose Villa for inspiration for this photo. Totally his style. In my eyes it's ok to look to other artists for inspiration, but when you do, give them their credit.

Seattle, WA -Laura & Sam -June 19th. Shot this on the campus of the University of Washington on the way to their church. It rained all morning, we almost didn't even stop, but about 5 minutes from campus, it cleared, just enough. There was a slight wind present and kept Laura's vail in the air just long enough to capture these photos. What you can't see is her bridesmaid running out of the photo just after dropping it.

Springdale, UT - Jen & Seth -June 26th. I got to shoot Jen's boudoir photos, but Katie shot this wedding alone while I was in Missouri. I love Jen and Seth and wish I could have been there, their wedding was beautiful and Katie did an amazing job.

Casa De Loco, MO- Erika & Tyler - July 17th. I love props, and I love groomsmen who are willing to do some cool stuff. Nothing says cool like wine, shades & swords.

Seven Springs Winery, MO -Ben & Traci-August 6th. The most difficult thing about getting shots like this is the limited time you have in between the ceremony and reception to set everyone up in a good location, get the lighting right, etc. Family is standing around wondering what the hell you're doing, the bridal party is wanting to get their drink on. And you are just taking your time trying to get things to feel right. Which is also why I love these shots. Lots of pressure. Just like in the real Sopranos.

Seven Springs Winery, MO - Nikki & Chris -Oct. 2nd. Katie took this. She does such an amazing job of making a bride look gorgeous on her wedding day. Simply a beautiful shot.

Silverstone, Las Vegas - Natalie & Brad - Oct. 2nd. While Katie was in MO, I was in Vegas photographing this beautiful couple. Her smile says it all.

Porta Cima, MO - Christie & Dan - 10/10/10. Another Katie photo. Just love how simple yet elegant this photo is. The folds in the dress, her shoes, the grass. Perfect.

Thanks for reading and enjoying our photos. Here's to an amazing year!!

Love for my Sister

2010-12-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

Because it is the holiday season, and I'm feeling the love of family, I want to post some recent photos of a simply glorious woman... my baby sister Heidi. Beautiful inside and out, Heidi has been a love of my life for as long as I can remember. We have built forts together, sewed barbie beds together, moved rooms of furniture together, watched the sun rise together.

I supported the right side of her body against mine while she gave birth to her son. She supported me through the loss of our father. We supported one another with laughter, tears, and song when Grandpa died.

She has blue eyes and her birthstones are moonstones and pearls. She likes toast with avocado and is a brilliant mathematician. Her Scottish accent is flawless and when she quotes Vincini from the Princess Bride you think he's in the room.

Once, when I was going through a particularly low time, she painted me a card with stars, hills, and moonshine. It only said four words, "I believe in you."

To me she is a model of grace, beauty, and mystery--intelligence and love. She is my wing man.

I took these pictures of Heidi and her daughter in my kitchen, with rainy light coming from the window.

This is my sister:

Merry Christmas Shashi

Love,

Katie

St. George, UT Family Photographer

2010-12-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Loved this shoot, just wanted to post this one. Love love love creative ideas, I love creating.

New True Emotion Photography Workshop 11 brewin.

Details so far are: 6k sqft home in Zion. Snow. End of February. 7 bedrooms, sleeps 22. 2 full days of classes. Meals and Accommodations included. Give aways from our sponsors. I can't wait!

In unrelated news, my Destin bride's mom hung a stocking over her fireplace for me & then sent me a photo. I'm blown away! Guess they liked their photos!

A Missouri Wedding - Scott & Sara - Jefferson City, 10/23/10

2010-11-21T16:04:00.001-08:00

This is the last wedding in Missouri for this year. Katie and I shot 8 I believe. Which is great, got to see the fam quite a bit. I do think that the best time of year to have a wedding in Missouri is in October though. It's cooler, the trees are turning colors & of course Missouri is playing football. This day in particular, the Tigers were playing #1 Oklahoma for their homecoming game. It was a pretty big deal in Missouri. BUT, an even bigger deal, was Sara & Scott's wedding. Of course!

The forcast was rain, all week it said rain, even an 80% chance. And with all the luck I have with rain, I thought, ya know, this might just be the one. BUT, I was positive. We started out with Sara and her girls getting ready at the Truman hotel.

See, Sara & Scott first, Mizzou second.
Sara & Scott's new baby Ethan was pretty stinkin cute. He hogged a lot of the attention.

This is one of the more memorable moments for me, from well, any wedding. I had never seen the groom & groomsmen eating pizza and drinking bud light out of the back of a truck prior to the wedding. It was priceless. I took at least 20 photos of this hoping one would show the pure Missouri awesomeness of this. And I think this one did.

The ceremony was held at the Memorial Baptist Church nearby. We talked about the different lighting options. Keeping on the house lights or turning them off basically. They decided with off and I think it was the right decision, the photos turned out pretty cool & dramatic. Rather than just a perfectly lit room.
These were taken at the Governer's Garden. OH and I almost forgot, 80% chance of rain?? Doesn't matter when I'm shooting the wedding. No rain until we decided to pack up. And I have witnesses. Also, I didn't tell Scott to put his leg up for this photo. Haha I love it!
Also doubles for a sweet pic if Scott decides to go into politics.

"So you want us to jump?" And they did! Trust your photographer, he's not crazy!! Maybe a little.
The lilly pads make this shot I think . Turned out great!

I had never seen this before. I love original ideas. These were Sara's grandparents photos tied to her bouquet. Loved it. The reception was back at the Truman hotel. Let the drinking and dancing begin!

The reception was a lot of fun. Lots of dancing and grabbing of butts.

I had to post this. Who plays the air sax? Really? Dude was gettin down!
And like I said, the Mizzou game came last. I hope this photo doesn't get Scott in trouble! It was too priceless to not post!

I had a blast with these guys. Sara & Scott were both just amazing to work with. A super sweet couple. Thank you guys!

I also want to give a shout out the Emily who assisted me for the day. This is her 2nd wedding with me. She did one with Katie too, but I know she likes working with me more, sorry Kate!!

In Vegas this weekend. Spent all day at a coffee shop working on photography. Last night I went to see A Perfect Circle. And they go on again tonight in 3 hours! See ya!

Kevin

Senior Portrait Photographer - St. George, UT - Dillon!

2010-11-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

More senior portraits. These were shot over in the Ivins area in the lava rocks and at the Snow Canyon Football field last Friday. Dillon was super easy to work with and was a natural in front of the camera.

It's senior photos time, if you have a senior in need of some stellar photos check here for our latest offer.

ALSO BLOG CONTEST Currently going on!

Whoever can get the most followers to our blog by November 20th, 2010 gets a free 16"x24" Metallic Print worth $100. Here's the instructions....

1) Sign up to follow this blog

2) Tell your friends, the people from your wedding, your random facebook contacts, your mom, grandparents, your grandparents grandparents

3) Email me and let me know who they are (k2@kevinhulett.com)

4) Frame your new print, make friends jealous

Pretty easy and awesome.

St. George UT - Senior Photos - Elena!

2010-11-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

It's Senior picture time! These were taken of Elena from Snow Canyon HS out by the bridge in Santa Clara then across the road by that old crumbling white building. Turned out pretty nice I think. Another session tonight out in the Lava rocks, which should be pretty cool. Thanks to Andrew Gawdun again for assisting me! Back to work...

A Las Vegas Wedding - Michael & Paola - October 9th, 2010

2010-11-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Another amazing Vegas wedding! First I want to give a shout out to a good friend and talented photographer Andrew Gawdun who came down to Vegas to assist me for this wedding. We headed down on a friday afternoon, to take some prewedding party photos that night where I got to meet most of the family. Many who flew in from Puerto Rico to share in the festivities. And they were an amazing family, lots of fun. I knew the wedding was going to be pretty exciting when all the ladies started chanting, "Keybin Keybin Keybin! (with spanish accent)"

The shooting Saturday at Silverstone Golf Club started around noon, with the girls getting ready. The second wedding in a week there. Tonya the event planner again took great care of us and organized a brilliant wedding. From there I took a few pics of Michael and his best man, the dads & then time for Paola and her girls. They were a lot of fun and easy to work with. Up for whatever I had in mind.

This is right after they saw each other for the first time. Mike's still got a huge smile on!

What's better than a cute kid who lets you pose them for photos?

The wedding started pretty quick after that and was held just as the sun was falling over the mountains in this beautiful desert location. The sky lit up all purple, red and blue. Just amazing.

The moms were so fun and so excited after the wedding!! I love this shot, I think I got a couple hugs like this from them too!

I have a lot of favorite parts from this reception but definatly one that sticks out is when they suprised everyone with the belly dancer. She took this little girl out on the dance floor, which made for some pretty cute pics.
I love getting kids on the dance floor with their feet off the ground.
Paola's dad could dance! Actually everyone could dance which isn't always the case with wedding parties. Those Puerto Rican's have some sweet dance moves I'm telling you. I was pretty impressed. So fun to watch. The dance floor stayed packed until the night was over.

Loved the tennis shoes. Paola could break it down too.

Another amazing couple!!! I'm so thankful for what I get to do. I get to capture and celebrate these amazing experiences all over the world. And my favorite part, is the people I get to know, the couple and their families. I love it. Thank you guys, I had a blast!!

One more wedding to post this week, then it's senior picture time! I'm working to get another class going TEP 11. Beginning of December? Most likely. Also, we're working hard on Albums for this summer's weddings & getting the website updated! Staying pretty busy!!! Also booking weddings for next summer/fall. A lot at the Lake again in Missouri. Awesome!

Gotta run!

A Missouri Wedding at Porto Cima: Christie and Dan

2010-10-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

When I spoke with Christie on the phone and asked her what her wedding colors were going to be, she said something along the lines of "charcoal, silver, ivory, and bling." I mention this because the combination of the colors (bling included) is something I hadn't seen before and had no idea what to expect. Well, it turned out absolutely beautiful. As soon as I met Christie, with her bright, sparkly smile, I found that the "bling" part was just an extension of her great personality. From her silver wedding dress that coordinated with the ivory table cloths, to the shiny, silvery cake and studded floral arrangements, Christie did a fabulous job planning the wedding and making all her guests feel welcome (and her vendors -- thank you Christie:))

We did some shots after she put her dress on -- we were a little rushed for time, but Christie was a total natural and made my job very easy. I can't get enough of her dress -- it was stunning. There is something about silver wedding dresses that is unbelievably beautiful and sexy.
(I don't usually post so many bridal shots, but I'm excited about them, what can I say?)

Gorgeous!

Dan, who was such a kind and truly wonderful guy, and his "real" best man. (Sorry Gary, that's what I heard). Yes, that is Christie's ring around his blingy ribbon collar :)

The ceremony was held inside the clubhouse at Porto Cima, the evening after Heidi and Andy's wedding (check out the previous post). This venue is really spectacular and I was excited about the wedding taking place under such a unique and artistic canopy.

Shots with the newlyweds after the ceremony.

I really wanted to get this shot of Christie before I left at the end of the night. She told me that ever since she first had dinner at Porto Cima, she had envisioned herself walking down these stairs in her wedding dress... sooo... I HAD to get a great shot of her, in her dress, in front of the stairs (even though we already took some earlier... I wasn't 100% satisfied). I had to eliminate a 500 million pound plant stand to get the shot, but I'm happy about the damage to my hands because I think this one really shows off Christie's playful, lovely, statuesque form and spirit.

Again, I have to give a huge thank you to Dionne for helping with this one, and a massive thank you to Christie and Dan for being so kind and wonderful to work with! True story: I sat and had dinner with them at their head table while everyone was eating... they insisted! You can't imagine how inappropriate I felt about it all, and how much coercing it took them to get me to sit down and eat, but it illustrates the thoughtfulness and big hearts of these guys. Thanks Christie and Dan -- I am honored you chose us to do your wedding photography and had a great time!

Peace and Love, Katie

A Fall Wedding at the Lake -- Heidi & Andy

2010-10-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Heidi and Andy were married at the Porto Cima Yacht Club which is nestled along the coast of the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. This was the first time we've had the opportunity to shoot in this incredible location, so going into the day, I was excited and feeling that creative buzz.

The morning of the wedding was warm, with blue skies and leaves starting to change color. Heidi's family welcomed me into their condo to begin shooting the girls getting ready, and Heidi putting her dress on. She wore a stunning strapless gown with some really unique fabric accents. And her shoes were so beautiful! They were peep-toed with just the tiniest amount of bling right under the toe. Gorgeous.

Heidi's cake was created to match her dress -- usually not my favorite choice (because the execution is, 90% of the time, terrible) -- but this one was amazing! Perfectly executed. Oh, and this little beauty was Andy's niece, who really and truly looked this adorable all day long, every second of the day.

The ceremony was right in front of the water, with those incredible Missouri trees all around, and the three white reception tents to the side. Heidi and Andy had large green and purple lanterns floating from the ceiling of the tents with tall arrangements of flowers.
The atmosphere was lovely.

I love this one of the guys.

And this of the girls. I wish I had room to post a photo of the bridesmaid's shoes, they were so great! I might have to do a whole blog post on wedding day shoes.

Okay, so one of the most memorable parts of the day was when Andy's dad, who had been the nicest, happiest, grandpa-like-guy all day, suddenly took off his jacket and donned an electric guitar. He was so good! He sang and played and totally kicked ass.

Aren't these tents fabulous?

This last shot is of Heidi's side of the family, her sisters, friends, Mom Michelle and other Mom Kerri, at the end of the night. These guys were so friendly and welcoming -- I appreciate their warmth so much!

I have to give a shout out to Dionne for assisting me throughout the day. She was AMAZING to work with and I couldn't have done this one without her. Thanks Dionne!

Peace and Love, Katie

Natalie & Brad - A Las Vegas Wedding - Oct. 2, 2010

2010-10-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

When I asked Natalie what her thoughts/feelings were about bridals she mentioned that they love architectural photography, which I do too, so I was pretty stoked to say the least and knew exactly where I wanted to go. City Center, right in front of Aria hotel on the Strip. If you've never been there, it's some of the coolest architecture/design anywhere. Natalie looked beautiful in her dress and was trusting and open to any of the ideas I threw out. I had a lot of help from the coolest bridesmaid ever, Jooyyce who was all smiles and lightened the mood for everyone.
It was kinda stormy and kept raining off and on, but we never got wet. The lighting was Perfect. I was a little concerned about the location being a brand new hotel, a fancy one at that, that we might come into some problems with the photography being.....ok'd. But I thought about the number of tourists with cameras in and out of there every day and the fact that of all the places I've shot, Mexico, Paris, Vegas numerous times, Bars & Restaurants around the country, etc... that we'd be fine. Especially if we just set it up, shot and go out. I always like to shoot first and then take the heat later, I mean, if you get the shot and they kick you out, you've got the shot. So we did fine actually for a while shooting outside the main entrance with the amazing waterfall/fountain...thing, that they have out there, walked around and set up OUTSIDE next to this restaurant, and here comes a dude in a suit, telling us we can't shoot there. ? We were outside next to the builiding...so ya know, we just walked around the corner and shot some more. Honestly, I was pretty pleased, if you go to all the normal places, try stuff all the other photographers have tried, what are you gonna get? The same stuff.

These turned out to be some of my favorite bridals ever. Lighting, location, bride, perfect. I really fought posting a lot more. Less is more.

We showed up around noon and started shooting getting ready shots. Big shout out to Bronson of Bronson Bailey Photography, he's a good friend of mine and was a ton of help with this wedding, assisting, giving advice. It was nice having another professional photographer there just to talk things out with, lighting, set up, etc. Also, he pretty much won over the girls who kept calling him Bronson Bailey (full name, like James Bond), man of mystery.

I don't usually do the groomsmen jumping into the air shot, cause it's done a lot, but they requested it and I love it! Wish it had been my idea...
Brad's a chef and when he showed up he had his suitcase of knives. When I asked, "Hey, why do you have a suitcase full of knives?" He said,"For the photos." Holy crap, I was in Heaven. The groom brought knives. I had a few ideas, but I had seen this photo of tiger woods and his caddie swapping their clubs in the air and the photographer caught it at just the right moment, a really cool shot. So I asked if Brad and his best man would mind throwing them to each other. And Brad said, that might not be a great idea, cause if we miss they'll just go right through us, they're pretty sharp. But after a little bit of talking into, they agreed, I just told them they'd probably be ok and it would make a really cool shot.
Also I want to point out that this group of guys was one of the easiest groups I've shot, totally into the ideas I had and all into the art of it. The bridals went pretty awesome too. Really overall, just a fun group of people who were so laid back and easy to work with.

The wedding was held in a great little spot at Silverstone Golf Club. It started to rain a bit and was super windy. But if you've been following this blog at all, it never rains for a wedding I shoot, it just doesn't. So after letting them know that, they were fine, the rain stopped and the wedding and post wedding shots on the course had a perfect amount of clouds and wind, along with a beautiful sunset.

Speaking of photos I don't usually post, are set up shots like this one, but I thought it turned out pretty cool, we had to hurry to get all these done before the light disappeared. And the wedding party was up for anything fun, which is always the coolest.

The reception was a blast, Natalie & Brad, their family and friends, were some of the nicest, coolest people I've ever had at a wedding. It's another one of those that when you leave you just think, man I freakin love my job. I loved this wedding, the couple, I'm so glad I got the opportuinity to work with them. Another couple, I think, I'll be close to forever.

A Lake of the Ozarks Wedding -- Nickie and Chris

2010-10-10T10:29:00.001-07:00

Have you ever met a person who lights up the room when they walk through the door? I loved being around Nickie, who positively glowed on her wedding day. I met her, her new mother-in-law, and her maid of honor at Essentials Hair Salon in the early afternoon of a beautifully cloudy day. Nickie has an easy laugh and a fun, bright personality. Everything about her wedding day reflected this, from her lovely white wedding gown and bright, sparkly shoes (fabulous), to her new husband Chris.

Talk about a nice guy. Very easy going, very well put together with friends who are loyal and love him, which really says a lot. Also, he has the most beautiful little girl, Hayden, who was charming as both flower girl and dancer at the end of the night. I particularly enjoyed her version of the sprinkler (she got grandma to do it too!).

The wedding took place at Seven Springs Winery in Camdenton, Missouri, a fantastic venue that Kevin and I have photographed before. The air was a little cool, and the leaves were just barely changing colors... mostly, everything was still that gorgeous Missouri green. Nickie and Chris are both self proclaimed lovers of fine wine, so the venue fit them like a
Cabernet-colored glove.Nickie's Mom walked her down the isle, which always makes me want to cry. The ceremony was in a newly constructed gazebo, right in the heart of the vineyard. Nickie decorated the gazebo with baskets of mums and white pumpkins -- I thought it was perfect for the time of year. And really, doesn't she look like Cinderella stepping out of her white pumpkin carriage on her way to the ball? I'm telling you, this girl sparkled.

Dinner and the reception were held inside the main building, in front of an impressive brick fireplace. One of the best parts of the night was watching the mothers of both bride and groom cut it loose on the dance floor all night long. I don't think either of them stopped dancing until the band stopped playing.

I have to give a humongous shout out to Emily for assisting me. She was a total rock star -- I seriously don't know what I would have done without her. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (And no, our noses aren't really that large. You try shooting a picture of yourself holding a massive camera with a zoom lens.)

Altogether, a beautiful wedding with some of the nicest people I've had the privilege to photograph. Thank you Chris, Nickie, and all the family and friends who helped me feel so at ease and welcome. I loved shooting your wedding!

Peace and Love, Katie

The Independent Cover - Cowgirls

2010-09-05T14:05:00.001-07:00

Our shoot of Cowgirls made the cover of the Indendent, pretty sweet. You outta check out the show, put on by The Space Between Theater Co. it's gonna be great. Go support Katie! Shows start Thursday!!!

Make sure you check out Xetava while you're there. Best food in St. George.

A Lake of the Ozarks Wedding - Traci & Ben - Seven Springs Winery - August 6th, 2010

2010-08-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to photograph Traci & Ben's wedding at 7 Springs Winery at the Lake. 7 Springs is one of the nicest, cleanest, most professional locations we've had the opportunity to photograph at. Jamie Beabout, their wedding coordinator, has been talking us up and we really appreciate all her help booking weddings at the Lake. During the reception they brought Katie & I food and beer while we were shooting and sounded delighted we were there taking photos of their winery. Awesome people. If we lived at the Lake, we'd be at 7 Springs as much as possible, relaxing, sipping on brilliant wine, beer & food more often.

Ben & Traci's wedding was the last of our 3 weddings in a row at the Lake this summer. We stayed out there for a month shooting weddings & trying to get caught up on business. We started by shooting boudoir on Thursday morning at Ben's families condo on the Lake. They're actually from Illinois, Ben has some 10,000 acre farm there or something huge, but Osage Beach is the place they come down to visit as much as possible; and they have for years. They seemed to know it better than I did, and that's where I grew up! Everyone who spends some time on the Lake, loves being there, it gets in your system and you crave going back every year when the weather starts to warm up a little. Not sure what it is, but if you've been there, lived there, you know.

Anywho, Katie headed out with the girls Saturday morning to get some hair, make-up and getting dressed shots. I went with the boys for getting ready shots and then out to the winery to get some photos done. One of the things I love about having both Katie and I shoot is when we go through the photos, you can see exactly what the boys and girls are doing on separate parts of town at the same time. Something about that, I just love. You'll get a shot of Ben putting on his cuff links and Traci putting on her dress and back to Ben laughing with his boys and the same with Traci and her girls. Dunno, there's something romantic about that I just love.

Ben was laid back and really easy to work with. I felt comfortable from the start with all the guys. Gave me a tip as soon as I got there too. Which, was very cool, some people just know how to butter up their photographers, haha. Although, as far as a tip, taking me out bar hopping with them until 1am or whenever that ended was equally awesome. We took the boys pics at 7springs right in the hottest part of the day. I turned on some Pearl Jam (Ben's fav), which helped a little, but really we were all just about sweating to death out there. The guys stuck it out though. I had a brilliant idea to get them in the woods, in the shade for a few minutes where I got bloody from a horsefly bite. Really, they're huge, and they fly around your head, make you cuss and then bite a hole in your arm. That part sucked, photos look good though.

Traci was beautiful & sweet. Also easy to work with and pose. You gotta love a gorgeous bride who is super easy to pose and is up for any ideas you might have. The wedding was short and simple, lovely and sweet. 7 Springs has a great spot for indoor weddings. And hats off to Ben and Traci for having it indoors. I love outdoor weddings of course, but we'd already shot 2 others at the Lake at 100 deg and 100% humidity. I think everyone was thankful for that. A fun reception with food, drinks and a little bit of dancing and then off to do some bar hoppin on the shuttle. The bridal party, me and more went to 3 different bars, did some Lake style drinking and dancing before I decided to call it a night. The last bar we went to had a live band from Memphis singing 'Sweet Home Alabama' and the like. Fun, fun night.

We had a great time with this couple and their family/friends from start to finish. They treated us like guests and we appreciate that so much. Thank you!

Kevin

St. George UT - Aubrey's Senior Photos!

2010-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I guest taught a class at Desert Hills High School last year? Aubrey did. So we headed South towards Red Mountain & out to Kayenta. Her mom, as all mom's are, was an awesome assistant. Holding my flash and what not. Aubrey was a blast, lots of smiles & easy to work with. Back to school for her Senior year! One more year (ugh)!

Kevin

"Cowgirls" Photo Shoot in Santa Clara, Utah

2010-08-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

So, Douglas Caputo, of the Space Between Theater Company, (THE most avant garde, soulful, and down to earth theater company in Southern Utah) asked me to photograph his cast for the upcoming musical production of "Cowgirls". He gave me complete creative license with everything from set up, to lighting, to the feeling and atmosphere of the shoot. Doug found the location, a big run-down shack right of the main road through Santa Clara, and the girls brought their own cowgirl gear, complete with the instruments they'll use in the show. Serious instruments -- we're not talking a guitar and tambourine -- no, they had a cello, violin, concertina, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and four guitars! (No piano, although it will be a key instrument in the show. I guess they couldn't get it in their car). Holy Cowbells!

The girls were awesome. They took direction like, well, actors -- easy as pie to get energy and expression from them. They all looked fantastic, especially the really cute one holding the concertina (otherwise known as Katie Hulett, my wife). The actors are: Mikalene Ipson as Jo, Dayci Patterson as Mary Lou, Katie Hulett as Rita, Aubrie Patterson as Lee, Morgan McCulloch as Mickey, and Brooklyn Bowers as Mo.

I have to plug their show here, because I know from personal experience how hard they've been working on the script and music -- my house is full of concertina (like an accordion), harmonica, and piano at all hours of the day and night. It's a great story with a lot of heart, not your typical musical. And maybe the coolest part about the whole thing, they're performing out in Kayenta, at the Cabaret Gardens -- a FANTASTIC venue, with tables and chairs for dinner theater. So go see it!

Here is a sampling of the photos we took. A special thanks Doug, for allowing me to be part of your process, and thanks girls, for being such great models!

Kevin

A Casa De Loco Wedding - Sarah & Clayton - July 24th, 2010

2010-08-18T13:47:00.002-07:00

Clayton & Sarah were all smiles for their wedding. Sarah, one of the sweetest brides I've had the pleasure to be around, was bursting with smiles and hugs for everyone. A true sweetheart, beautiful and always ready for a good time. They have the cutest daughter who was a perfect little model for us.

The wedding started off in that thick Missouri heat, in the middle of the woods, at one of our favorite locations, Casa De Loco. Sarah and Clayton stuck it out with Katie and I as we worked on getting those creative photos set up in the 100 degrees 100% humitidy. Easy couple to work with, ready and positive about whatever ideas we threw at them. The wedding went off without a hitch, big group shot, wedding party and then...what everyone was ready for...the reception!

And this wasn't your ordinary reception, it was a serious party! A celebration! And we got to be a part of it. Man -- I love that. Sarah & Clayton made sure we had a good time along with everyone else. From sippin on moonshine (yep moonshine) in the back of the stretch hummer to partying ALL night at Bootleggers in Osage Beach. They weren't about to have their photographers go thirsty that's for sure, "drink up!" and if we didn't have a drink in our hands, well, they brought us one. I had a blast, I always love a good party.

You just have to love it when a bride and groom believe in you and treat you like a million bucks. Thanks for a great time! All the best,

Kevin