Deann B. Photography

Unexpected Surprises... from the archives

Just a quick post today since I'm up to my neck in an exciting project that I hope to reveal in the next couple weeks.  One of the things I've been doing as part of this task is going through archives of all the weddings I've shot since last spring.  It's so neat to see how my photography has grown and changed, but at the same time, there are many similarities as I had established a style for myself a few years ago.

I wasn't expecting to turn up much, assuming that my first few weddings would include a huge learning curve until I got things down, but I found these last night and was really pleased.  A very pleasant surprise.

From my first wedding:

Alright, time for me to get back to work.  Happy Wednesday!

Daniel + Kristine... Married!

Just to reiterate, this is my most favorite wedding to date.  Danny & Kristine were awesome and nice and gorgeous and totally, totally, head over heels in love.  They've known each other since first grade and used their high school prom picture as part of their decor.  They don't like cake, so when it came time to cut they cake, they had pie instead.  And when I asked Danny to not smile in a certain picture, he said, "It's so hard not to!"  I had so much fun at this wedding and couldn't pick just a few of my favorite photos, so this post is going to be a doozy...

(And don't forget that you can click on any of the photos to see the larger version!)

Danny and Kristine - Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your wedding. I wish you a lifetime of happiness and love with each other!!

Just one for now...

I'm almost finished editing my most favorite wedding I've shot to date and I wanted to get a sneak peek out to those folks who have been patiently waiting...

More to come soon!

Mitch + Jeannene

I come from a family with 4 kids.  Growing up was both fun and annoying because we were all as close in age as stairsteps and it was tough to have enough space to stay out of each others' business, but fun because we had built-in playmates.  We also had fun taking over every school we were enrolled in, becoming known as "the Barrera kids".  Since I was the oldest and only girl, I enjoyed a sense of individuality and being the first one "known" at school.  So it was with more than a little shock when, during my senior year, I became known as "Jared's Older Sister."  My little brother, upon entering his freshman year of high school, quickly became one of the more popular boys on campus with a gaggle of girls swooning over his sports-enhanced muscles and boyish charm.  Unfortunately for them, Jared only had eyes for a tall, cool blonde named Tanya.  And that is how I came to know Mitch and Jeannene.

Jared and Tanya dated all through high school and eventually married. Over the years, our families grew close.  Our parents became friends and, as there were a lot of kids in their family, the kids became friends too.  When I first met Mitch, he was a young, tow-headed boy, sorely outnumbered in a house full of girls.  But when he called me recently, asking if I was available to photograph his wedding, I couldn't help but picture that little boy and wonder when he transformed into this mature, confident, calm husband-to-be.  And when I met his bride, Jeannene, I saw that this was truly a match.  Like him, she has a calm and content air about her that immediately brings peace into a room (especially helpful during crazy wedding prep!) and when they look at each other, one can truly see how much love they feel for one another.

Mitch & Jeannene - Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your wedding.  It was intimate, family-oriented, heart-felt, and truly let the love that you have for each other shine through to all who witnessed it.  I wish you nothing but love and luck as you embark on your new life together! 

(I've included some of my favorite images from their wedding... be sure to click on the image to view it larger!)

To view a few more images from their wedding, you can see the rest of the set here.

Weddings, vacations, & back again...

I was a terrible blogger this past week and forgot to leave an out of office note telling all y'all that I was going to be traveling to a foreign country.  With no phone or internet access.  I thought I would die from the disconnected-ness of it all, but instead, I learned to scuba dive.  And brush up on my rusty spanish.  And learned to drive a scooter in the crazy, no-holds-barred streets of Mexico.  It was an amazing time and while I'm glad to be back, sleeping in my own bed and drinking water from the tap, there are so many things that I miss about it.  I'll be sure to get photos up soon.

I have lots of events to blog and will be burning the midnight oil to get caught up soon.  In addition to some fun sessions, I shot Mitch & Jeannene's wedding a week ago and have 2 weddings this weekend.  Whew!

In my first glance through Mitch & Jeannene's wedding photos, I couldn't help but post this one.  Instant fave!

More to come soon!

Jose Villa Workshop - Solvang, CA

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to signup for PPA's Super Monday and attend a Jose Villa Workshop in Solvang, CA.  Since I was running late (how can anyone stay on schedule on a roadtrip?) I didn't get the chance to document my surroundings.  (That and I was still dazed that I would be spending so many hours with such an incredible photographer!)  However, Solvang is a little Danish town in the Santa Barbara area that looks like time has passed it by.  It is quaint and old-fashioned with it's windmills and pedestrian-friendly downtown area.  The weather was absolutely perfect when I was there and was a great place to hold a workshop.  If you are ever in the Santa Barbara area (wine tasting, anyone?) be sure to stop in Solvang and have lunch.  And a danish! 

Once I got to the workshop, I spent a little bit of time talking to some of the other attendees.  I don't get to hang out with other photographers much, so "talking shop" with people as passionate as I am is always a treat.  It was a little odd walking into the room and seeing people I "know" through their blogs.  Jasmine, Anna, Jonilyn and Sarah are all photographers whose work I admire.  It was great to actually meet them in person.

Jose was a fantastic speaker.  Funny, personable, and very, very knowledgeable about being successful in the photographic world.  One of his philosophies I like best is his way of simplifying everything.  His design and photography is both clean and simple and showcases the beauty of his work so well.  He was willing to answer any question and go into detail about his workflow and business.  If anyone ever has a chance to go to one of his workshops, I highly recommend it!

Although a lot of Jose's information can be applied to any photography business, he deals mainly with portraits and weddings.  Toward the end of the day, we were given the chance to shoot some models that were dressed in wedding gear.  Shelbie Sno and Gerardo Ibarra were awesome as the wedded couple and Jose's assistant, Lacie Hansen, modeled as a beautiful bride on her own.  The makeup and hair was done by Team Hair and Makeup and the gorgeous flowers were from Renae's Bouquet.  They did a great job!

(To see the full-sized version, click on the photo...)

Shelbie (L) wore a Melissa Sweet dress while Lacie (R) wore Jenny Lee...

The Paparazzi:

Since I have several upcoming weddings in the next few months, I am super excited about trying out everything I have learned.

Thanks to all the photographers who came out to the workshop... it was so great to meet you and exchange ideas.  And thanks to Jose for hosting the workshop!

(Interested in a Jose Villa Workshop? Check this out.  His work is AMAZING!)

And now for Phase II: Weddings!

Most of my business comes from clients who are interested in portraits, which is kind of a stuffy word that encompasses all sorts of photos: headshots, family, maternity and newborn pictures... just to name a few. I prefer to call it lifestyle photography.  These sessions typically last a couple of hours.  They are relaxed, and fairly casual.  There is a lot of room to play and they can be held almost anywhere.  To me, they represent who my clients really are and it's my job to capture that on film (or digital).  I love these sessions.

But lately, and much to my surprise, I've been getting quite a few wedding inquiries.  I say I'm surprised because a lot of the time, I still feel like the girl who heads out with her camera to take pictures of her friends.  But in the last year, my business has really taken off.  Besides all of the wonderful people who welcomed me into their homes and let me document special moments in their lives, I assisted at 8 weddings last year as a second-shooter.  And this year, I am already booked for 4 weddings as a second shooter and 2 as the primary photographer.  With all of this wedding business, why don't I have a wedding portfolio on my website???

So, I've been busy at work on Phase II, which is rolling out the wedding galleries.  So far, I have one gallery up and I hope to have another 2 galleries up in a couple of weeks, possibly by this weekend.   I have added a page for wedding pricing in the "Investment" section as well.  I am also going to be changing the way the galleries are set up, and eventually adding a couple more galleries that feature pets and fine art.  There are a few more changes ahead, so keep checking back in the next few weeks!

These are a few images from a wedding I shot last year (and are featured in the new wedding gallery on my site).  The weather was gorgeous and the bride and groom were so sweet to each other and to everyone that attended their wedding.   The way they looked at each other made my heart smile. 

Don't forget to check out the wedding gallery on my site to see the rest of the photos!