Tacobilly, Anyone? -- Sonia and Anthony Engagments

Q:What do you get when you mix classic Rockabilly attitude with a road-side taco stand?
A: You get Anthony and Sonia's engagement shoot! (Cue the rim shot.)
I was excited to shoot Sonia and Anthony from the first day we met them. Coming from Oregon, they were looking for a certain feel from a photographer and I was thrilled that I was it. They have the kind of style and attitude that can turn any ordinary location into killer images. Speaking of locations, I can't BELIEVE I didn't know about the Jitterbug Coffee Hop in Salt Lake City! What a fun place! Not only do I want to shoot there again, I want to do lunch there every day. It could possibly be the best-kept secret in Salt Lake City. Who knew it has been there 11 years? It's across the street from Liberty park on 700 East so GO THERE. Tell him Jon Woodbury sent you. (It won't get you anything but maybe it will get ME a delicious free milkshake the next time I drop by...)
Anyway, after shooting at the Jitterbug we went downtown to the best taco stand on the planet. Don't pretend you don't go there, it's the one by Sears on State Street and 800 South. I got so into eating I almost forgot that I was supposed to be taking pictures. Fortunately, I came to myself and we got some pretty sweet shots.

Tips, a la Jon

I've had requests from readers for some instruction and tips. Being a slave to public whim and fancy, I must oblige. (Say that last part in your best robot voice.) Did you know that the word Robot is the only word in the English language with its origins in Slovak? The word "robota" means work in Slovak so a robot is a machine made to do work. You know, the opportunities to share that particular tidbit are surprisingly rare.
Anyhoo, the lines are now open for specific requests as to what you wonder about, photographically. I will do my best to steer you aright.

My first thought is something I see all the time with point and shoot cameras. If you're looking to shoot an extreme closeup of something, you'll get a much better shot if you back up a few feet and zoom than if you just get really close to the subject. This works for a few reasons.
First off, all lenses have a minimum focus distance. It's typically between 12-16 inches. Closer than that, the lens simply cannot focus. That's why so many close up shots are blurry. The "macro" setting does shorten that distance but doesn't change the fact that there is still a minimum.
Secondly, by zooming in you minimize background distractions. The amount of background included in a photo is smaller the more you zoom.
Thirdly, if there's any chance your flash will fire, the closer you are, the harsher the light.
So, back up and zoom. You'll see MUCH better closeups!

I feel SO much better having gotten that off my chest. Feel free to ask anything you feel. (I'm pretty rusty on astrophysics but I'll see what I can do.)

-Jon

Bridals at Lagoon? Why not? -- Calle

I'll admit it. I've always enjoyed doing things that earn me quizzical looks from passersby in public places. In high school we were always the group that was having so much fun at the Village Inn late at night that people looked at us like we were on something. This was that kind of shoot.
Calle decided she wanted to do something for her bridals that she hadn't seen anyone do. I hadn't seen it either so we made the arrangements to shoot at the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.
Rain nearly washed the whole thing out but we were able to squeeze a lot of shoot into a window of an hour and a half between cloud bursts. It's almost too bad she's getting married...she had the Whac-a-Mole guy wrapped around her little finger.
(Shouldn't "Whac-a-mole" rhyme with "guacamole"? I'm confused.)

Best Maid of Honor Speech Ever!

Sorry for the gap in posts, I've been sick in bed. But I'm back now and this one is hot off the press. Just this last weekend we shot a wedding in Mona, Utah at the Young Living Lavender Farm. You'll get the recap on the June showers at this amazing location as soon as the photos are done but I just HAD to post a little photo story of the best maid-of-honor speech I've ever heard. The Maid of Honor is the bride's older sister.

Fortunately for their relationship, she only read stuff about the groom and didn't read anything out loud that was TOO embarrassing. It was a classic speech.

Mariana & Carlos

Things are crazy around here! I don't have much time to blog but I want to keep posting some of the amazing shoots I've done lately!
Here are Mariana and Carlos. Mariana is from Brazil and Carlos is from Spain. They met dancing and I'm pretty sure they haven't stopped since. We shot at some of my very favorite spots downtown. I think the results are classy and unique. After shooting these guys there are two things for sure-
1) They have far more energy than anyone really has a right to, and
2) They adore each other.

Sarah - Bridals - Wedding Photography

Congratulations to Sarah and Kerry! (Click here to see their engagements)
Andrea, Jason, and I had a great time shooting them last week at the Draper LDS Temple and Noah's. Now that the wedding is all over but the honeymoon, I get to post Sarah's bridals. We shot at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown SLC. The JSMB is a common location for bridal portraits but Sarah is not your common bride. She wanted things done with a different flair and she felt I was up to the task. We pulled out the filters and played around with light, color, and texture. Sarah looked absolutely gorgeous and the images we ended up turned out pretty freakin cool.

My Most Nightmarish Family Session EVER!

But in a good way.
I don't have time these days to do many family shoots but I was so excited to be able to squeeze in the Klint family. When Madison approached me about it and we discussed locations I asked her if there are any places that define them as a family. Since her dad has run the The Nightmare on 13th haunted house for years and the whole family has worked there, she mentioned it as a place near and dear to their hearts. I suggested we shoot there and Madi loved the idea. I've been telling everyone about this session for so long I am excited to finally be able to show you all--minus a couple of top-secret rooms I'm not allowed to reveal.
So, without further ado, the lovely and talented Klint Family!
(You have your choice of the ADD version, complete with music or the regular slideshow.)

Video Version:

Slideshow

Bad Metaphors and First Dances

Around here it's as crazy as a ritalin kid on Pixie Sticks so my time to blog is shorter than the kid the oompa-loompas pick on. I'll make this as brief as a fashion show at a nudist colony.
On that note, I've seen a lot of first dances in my time but this one, I would say, takes the cake. I always have props for people who make their wedding their own. Does anyone else want to kick back with these guys?

Sassy Cindy and her Bemusing Bridals

Cindy is sassy. That's really all I have to say, the photos speak for themselves. We shot Cindy's bridals at the This is the Place State Park. It's a phenomenal place to shoot there's so much variety! I loved it. We could have shot for hours. Cindy was fun to pose and willing to try anything from the traditional to the funky. It was a very collaborative shoot with ideas coming from both sides which makes for grand results.

Why I Love Weddings #3