Wedding – Jared Platt

March 4, 2015

Photographing with the Panasonic GH4

I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding in Ripe, England with the Panasonic GH4. This camera is a compact, light-weight camera with lenses so small you can fit them in the pocket of your jacket. I have always carried around a little Canon point and shoot that takes RAW images, but no point and shoot can match the experience of a SLR style, through the lens viewfinder experience. So the GH4 made for the perfect traveling companion. I kept it with me throughout the wedding, and as I traveled throughout the country before and after the job. While I shot, I has little experiments in mind, like latitude experiments and macro experiments, low light and motion experiments. I have posted the results here in the blog. The incredible thing about this little camera is that it also captures 4k video as well, but we will stick with the still photos for this post.

In this image of the pipe organ in St. John the Baptist church, where the couple was married, I was able to truly test the Panasonic GH4’s exposure latitude capabilities. The church was quite dark inside and yet, I was able to capture full detail inside and outside. I fully expected that I would not be able to maintain any detail in the exterior exposure, but I was pleasantly surprised by the latitude on this little camera.

The wedding couple took a walk along the southern coast of England before the wedding. Carrying a heavy SLR and its heavier lenses on a long walk is not all that much fun. In fact carting equipment around makes me wonder why I chose to be a photographer in the first place. But with a camera as small and light as the GH4 and its sharp little lenses that weigh almost nothing and fit almost anywhere, I was carrying three lenses and camera and I hardly knew I had anything with me. At times I had to double check to make sure I had a camera. Typically a light, compact camera means poor photos, but the GH4 breaks that rule.

It was a leisurely stroll and yes, we stopped to admire the flowers and I tested my need for macro! The GH4 was perfect, in fact, the digital view finder allowed me to see exactly what my depth of field looked like while taking the shot. That something that a traditional SLR won’t do for you.

The white cliffs made for a stunning coastline. Here again, I was battling a latitude challenge with the bright sun peeking through the clouds, but the GH4 held the detail in the brightest spots of the clouds and even in the shimmer on the water behind the couple walking near the cliff.

Silence at a wedding is golden, especially in an old stone church. The GH4 has a completely silent mode that makes me as a photographer invisible to everyone at the wedding and since my greatest wish is to be invisible at a wedding, this was a perfect camera for the job. While I was shooting the wedding with both my Canon and the GH4, I found myself choosing the GH4 for all of the close shots as I crept down the isle. They may have seen me there, but I can guarantee you, no one heard me.

Not only could the GH4 give me great back and white images from the church, but it provided excellent color in a dark church. Not only could the GH4 give me great back and white images from the church, but it provided excellent color in a dark church. Smaller chips often yield more noise, so I tested the GH4 for noise and found that the color noise was extremely low and the grain structure feels ver natural. I am a sucker for a beautiful grain structure. I know… its nerdy.

This little angel was my subject for a few days. The grooms niece and I chased each other around the grounds of the church for a little while as the bride and groom chatted with heir guests. The articulating screen on the camera allowed me to follow her around at a long angle and grab shots of her as we ran. Ordinarily, I would be taking shots like this completely blind, wasting 20 shots to get one that was in focus and composed correctly. But because I could see her in the articulating screen at all times and the GH4’s auto focus was tracking her face, I never missed a shot. It’s always nice to have a lot of images to choose from.

Like many churches in England, the cemetery surrounds the church, so when the little girls play on the church grounds, they play amid the tombstones of their ancestors. The groom’s Godfather rests in this cemetery. Was was fascinated by the casual and playful attitude of the children amongst the stones. They see them as just that, stones. I couldn’t present this image in color. It needed to be a black and white. It just deserved it. The GH4 makes exquisite black and white images from its RAW files.

After the wedding, I took a drive to Stratford Upon Avon to catch a little Shakespeare. Before the show, I took in the character of the old english buildings. It handled the latitude and the saturation issues on the chimneys very well.

After the show, I tested the higher ISO settings on the GH4 and at 3200 ISO, the camera produces a very nice grain structure with low color noise. I was completely happy with its extremely low light capabilities. I couldn’t have asked for a better image in that light.

My total experience with the Panasonic GH4 was wonderful. It’s small and lightweight body and lenses make it the perfect camera for hiking, and traveling. The quality is quite good and when compared to any small sensor camera, is absolutely fantastic. One could use the camera as their only camera and carry four times the lenses in half the space. Using it in conjunction with my smart phone was helpful as well. Rather than taking decent photos on my iPhone to post on social media, I was able to take superior images on the GH4 and send them to my phone for social media purposes.

The only draw back on the camera is the increase in depth of field due to the chip size and lens lengths. But that is a standard issue with micro four-thirds cameras. For those of us who like to live on the edge of focus, it feels like a limitation. But you get used to the feeling of having all your photos in focus and after a while, it stops feeling like a limitation and starts feeling like a blessing.

Panasonic is making exciting things for photo enthusiasts and pros alike. My good friend and photographer, Isaac Bailey, shoots with a Panasonic micro four-thirds camera and here’s what he has to say about it:

“I love my Panasonic mirrorless camera. It has opened a new realm of fun in personal photography for me. Using the control I get from my big DSLR with tiny size and weight, I can really go anywhere with this baby and make great shots” -Isaac Bailey Photographer Phoenix

Traveling with a camera is the only thing I know. I have never been able to go anywhere without needing a camera with me, but there is always a battle between high quality and compact size. The micro four-thirds market has opened up a new world of possibilities for compact PLUS quality and Panasonic is leading the charge. Heavy cameras may be a thing of the past in the not too distant future. Hurray for that!

November 5, 2014

Clint and Abbey’s Wedding in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple

Abbey and Clint were married in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple. We shot some portraits with them the day before the wedding. I was pleased with the enter shoot. Here are a few of my favorite images from the wedding portrait shoot and the wedding day itself. Enjoy.

This next image is one of my favorites. Most of the time you are taking a portraits, but for very brief moments during the shoot, you catch their true personality and expression. That is what I live for as a photographer… the perfect little moments. Most of what I do leads up to these little moments in the portrait session.

All of the portraits are lit by Profoto B1 Off Camera Flashes. The sun you see peaking through the trees is actually a B1 off camera flash. Looks great! When the sun isn’t cooperating, make your own sun.

Now this next shot, the sun is actually the sun. FYI. But I love this shot. The bride’s mother said it looked like they were in the garden of eden.

This one is all about the dress and the shoes. I like the like glimpse of the shoes.

Just a little cool drama. Sometimes I want to do something a little different… I like the drama here in this day for night look.

The details on this wedding are quite fun. I love the brown paper bag luminaries. They had great variety of them.

And nothing entertains me more than photographing children at weddings and rehearsal dinners.

On the wedding day, the clouds were threatening rain, but held back until the minute we finished the family portraits and as we started walking back to the temple, the clouds began to unload. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation. We got out portraits without incident, but I got a great series of shots as the rain forced the wedding party to run for cover! Perfect!

The reception was in a local Chandler church building. But the entire room was draped in white with beautiful white feathers and chandeliers and twinkle lights. It was very well done. I played around with various overlapping compositions to describe the room, but I think this shot gives the best description of how the room felt.

During the toasts, one of the groomsmen sat next to the grooms grand-father to translate. I was drawn to their relationship throughout the reception. It was touching. Oh and I also love the light. All of the light during the reception is provided by two Profoto B1 off camera flashes on either side of the reception room.

A kiss is far more interesting in context.

I love the emotional responses to the toasts at this reception. There was a lot of love circulating in that room. I love feeling that kind of love and closeness.

During the most emotional groom’s toast I have ever witness, the groom’s grandfather stood up and made his way to the groom’s side to show his support. I don’t think there are any words to describe now touching this scene really was. So, I will let the photo do the work.

Brides make grandfathers’ face light up like nothing else.

Oh the anticipation of a wedding cupcake! She can hardly stand it…

The M&Ms were a party favorite. They had a photo of the Bride and Groom on them. It was pretty cool.

Congratulations to Clint and Abbey. It was an honor to be a part of your wedding day.

Wedding Slideshow Music by __ Courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Wedding Location: Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple

September 19, 2014

Breanna and Rimo’s Wedding in Gilbert, Arizona

Congratulations to Breanna and Rimo. It was such an honor to be a part of their wedding. Breanna and Rimo were married in the Gilbert, Arizona LDS Temple with a reception at Noah’s in Chandler. Enjoy the slideshow.

November 15, 2013

Mystic Seminars – Early Bird Special

I am speaking at Mystic Seminars on January 26, 2014. This is a down to earth wedding photography seminar where everyone tells it like it is. Four days of serious creative and business advice from the best in the business.

The EARLY BIRD SPECIAL ends on the last day of November. So book now to save $120!

www.mysticseminars.com

I look forward to seeing everyone at Mystic soon.

November 3, 2013

Jon and Susans Wedding at Hidden Meadow Ranch

Jon and Susan were married in the aspen groves of Hidden Meadow Ranch in Greer, Arizona. It was an extremely small, family wedding, which I always love to be a part of. Weddings like this are so intimate and the connection is so immediate. Here are a few of my favorite images from the wedding.

What a perfect window for a portrait.

Sneaking in to see if the Bride was ready.

This massive horse would pulled the carriage with Susan and her children in it. He’s a beautiful creature, more so with the flowers braided into his mane.

It was a beautiful day, albeit a little chilly, but it threatened rain all morning and into the afternoon. Finally, when the ceremony time came, the clouds parted and we had sun.

At one point in the ceremony, I saw this happening and I couldn’t help myself. I am in love with this image.

I love a sand ceremony at a wedding, but they are far more fun with more people involved. They get a little trickier, sometimes provide a little comedy and always produce a more interesting product in the end. The metaphor is great for a couple, but even greater for a merging family. Your separate lives are becoming one, never to be fully separated again.

After the traditional ceremony, Susan and Jon’s marriage was blessed by a Native American medicine man, who then gave the two gifts. A charmed necklace and an arrow. I am amused by this photo. Susan is having such great time, Jon is studying his arrow, as are the boys, and Susan’s daughter, I am sure was caught in a moment by the photo (as we often are) but the look on her face is absolutely priceless. I know, it doesn’t tell the “perfect” story about the blessing, but it tell a great story, whether that story is accurate is completely up to Susan’s daughter. I love the photo.

Jon is a handsome man. He was being teased about this fact as we took his portraits.

Add Susan. What a beautiful woman and a fantastic dress.

I absolutely love this photo. It became such a piece of art in my mind that I had to treat it differently than the other photos. It needed a soft, magical forest feel. I think the treatment of the photo help promote that feeling even more.

This is the first time I have ever been able to accomplish this ring shot and without a saw or a torch.

The cake topper was a heart made of twigs or reeds with a J and an S on either side. Very beautifully done.

It is always an honor to shoot a wedding. It is always a blessing to be involved in small family weddings. And it is always a beautiful experience to spend a little time at Hidden Meadow Ranch. So this wedding was a fantastic experience. Jon and Susan, congratulations and thank you for making me a part of this wonderful time. I wish all the best in the years to come, to you and your family.

Wedding Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Location: Hidden Meadow Ranch, Greer, Arizona

Slideshow music by Will Thomas, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

August 30, 2013

Daniel & Megan’s Wedding at The Grand Canyon

They were married at the Grand Canyon on Shoshone Point in a small, intimate affair in the largest cathedral on the planet. The vast and stark majesty of the canyon must have provided an extreme contrast to New York, their home. Rising cities and blue oceans to rock cliffs that fall thousands of feet into the earth. If you are going to have a destination wedding, you may as well make it somewhere completely different than home… and they did.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the wedding.

I loved this little necklace hanger. It gave me about 15 minutes of entertainment while Megan was getting her makeup done. I ran around the room collecting the items you see in the photo. There are a number of these items that are special family heirlooms. The old and the new, all together.

The rooms at the El Tovar (and all the hotels at the Canyon) are very small, so you take the space you can find and work within it. I suppose we have to remind ourselves when this hotel was built. I know it is young by European standards, but here in America, something that was built in 1905 is pretty old and it seems that people did not need much space back then. Have you noticed the small hard sided suitcases they could carry their entire life’s wardrobe in? I rest my case…

I loved this shot. There was a lot of flare from the window, so the film treatment helped to enhance the mood and feeling of the image. I love how the light wraps around the bride and through the dress.

Both the ring and the handkerchief are old, so we aged the image a bit to work with the age of the items. I love that she chose a dress that has the same antique nature with a little extra sparkle. It all works together quite well.

Late July, early August in the canyon is the monsoon season. So you may get rain any given afternoon. So, if you are getting married there, durring that timeframe, you have to be flexible with your timeframes. I asked Megan to track the rain the day before the wedding and note the times it rained. Armed with that information, a little observation of the clouds positions and movement and with a little prognostication, we made the call that we should move the wedding up an hour to avoid any rain. And it was perfect.

The broken cloud cover was beautiful and it never rained on the wedding. I think it may have rained a little later that evening, but the weather was absolutely perfect throughout the entire wedding and portrait session. And the light, while occasionally harsh as the sun broke through a cloud here and there, was full of drama.

You know, I am usually much more interested in long lenses and shallow depth of field, but when you have skies and vistas like this, wide lenses and small f stops start making a lot of sense.

You know, when I was young, I spent time photographing the Grand Canyon (this is when I thought I would be the next Ansel Adams), but I couldn’t make an image of the canyon that was anything but boring. Of course we all know that practice makes a big difference, but I think that I just saw the canyon as a big hole in the ground. It wasn’t until I started photographing weddings at the canyon that I started making interesting photographs of the canyon. I have a few ideas as to why that is:

1. When you are shooting a wedding, you are in the same place for a long time, and you have time to observe things as they change. Being on the edge of the canyon during a wedding is fascinating. In a church, you are looking at the same walls, the same candles, the same pews for the duration of the ceremony. And while you are looking to make interesting vignettes and grand images of the space, the space does not change. In the canyon, every minute brings a new lighting scenario, a new cloud formation, new shadows, new highlights… it is alive with activity. Let’s suppose I had spent that kind of time at the edge of the canyon when I was younger. Perhaps I would have found a moment that was worthy of a photograph.

2. I am shooting for a client who expects to see the beauty they saw during their wedding day. So, I am really “working” on my compositions and my exposures and my ideas. I don’t think I was ever as dedicated to making a great image as when I started having someone pay me to make them. With a fee comes a lot of pressure to perform. Good thing I thrive under pressure.

3. I found meaning in what I was doing. In my youth, I was just taking pictures, with no direction, no purpose. But now, everywhere I go, I have a story to tell, I have a book in my head that I am trying to complete. I know what I need to tell the story. I am often surprised with new sideline stories, events and ideas, but I am always keenly aware of what it takes to tell the story. This internal “shot list” makes the entire experience meaningful and keeps me engaged. To say nothing about how important this event is to my clients… this just serves to amplify and heighten the meaning of my work. I am not just telling A story, I am telling THE story of their life! Knowing that, makes the purpose of telling the story absolutely critical. And knowing what you are doing matters, makes all the difference.

So when you see a beautiful photo of the Grand Canyon, you think, “oh, that looks beautiful,” but then you see a beautiful image of the canyon on the moment two young people said “I do,” it means a lot more to them and maybe even to you.

Daniel is one cool cat. I love this shot. It looks like he is ready to take off backward over the canyon. We had some strong sunlight breaking through the clouds during our portrait session, so we pulled out the large soft box to help wrap the light around the right side of his body a little more. Just filling in the natural shadows a bit is all that needed to be done. The sun was doing the bulk of the work for us.

Eirc Greenhaulgh (my second photographer and assistant) was tasked with hanging that large soft box over the edge to get around the groom and fill in the shadows on this next one. At one point, I had to talk Eric into backing off the edge a little. I’m pretty daring, but he was crazy! I think there is an ancient proverb that says something like, “When a man is holding a 30×40 inch sail, that man should not stand on the edge of a 800 foot cliff.”

If I had ordered the light, just the way I wanted it, I would have asked for the light happening in the background to happen throughout the entire canyon, but once I brought it back into the studio and stared working on the images, I found that I responded to the darkness in the bottom left hand corner of the image. It seems to heighten the drama to see the cliff overlooking not only a deep precipice, but a rich darkness. It almost seems that the light emanates from the bride. Sometimes, we are better off not getting exactly what we want, because the results are better than we might have concocted ourselves. When you photograph in locations like this, you are really in collaboration with the earth itself and its Maker.

Megan had a moment where she needed to sit down for lack of food (she had not eaten enough during the day). So Debra (our stellar GC Coordinator) ran some granola mix and water down to us. Well, Megan had taken a seat right there on that rock and Daniel stood by her side for support. As we talked, I saw the perfect photo. So, we relaxed for about 15 minutes and then, when she was ready to go, I told her to stay where she was and we got this shot. It is one of my absolute favorite shots of the day. So while I would like to remind all brides to make sure to eat throughout the day to avoid getting a little light headed, we would not have ended up with one of my favorite shots had Megan not needed a little break. She kept appologizing, but really Megan, we can’t thank you enough for needing a break.

I suppose the point should be made (and I tell my brides this all the time) that it doesn’t matter what they are doing, I am going to be getting great images of it. Even sitting down because you feel a little light headed… yep, we’ll get a great shot! That’s what is so exciting about the work I do. I am challenged moment to moment to create something great no matter what is going on. That’s a fun kind of pressure.

Thanks again to David & Debra Joaquim, who put together the entire wedding. Debra does such a great job accenting the natural beauty of the canyon and both of them do a great job officiating and watching over their clients.

I love these next two shots of Daniel and Megan. Just candid shots after the wedding.

On our way back to the El Tovar Hotel we had to stop the car for this sunset. I would have preferred to get to higher ground, perhaps a balcony, etc, but those colors only last for seconds. Good night!

Wedding Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Wedding Location: The Grand Canyon, Shoshone Point

Wedding Officiant: David & Debra Joaquim

Post production by Shoot dot Edit

Wedding Slideshow music by Sparrow, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

July 13, 2013

Sean & Lexie’s Wedding at the Arizona Biltmore

Sean and Lexie were married at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona. I couldn’t help but add a peppy song to their slideshow because they are such a fun couple. They just didn’t fit with a soft song… I also considered a bit of hard rock, but ended up selecting this song by Gordon Pagoda (courtesy of Triple Scoop Music).

Here are some of my favorite images from the wedding.

This was a gift from Sean, delivered to the bride’s room. Lexie was getting her makeup and hair done in front of the window, so the light was perfect already. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect moment. I love the quietness of this shot. She is so peaceful, it makes me think I should be whispering right now. If ALL CAPS is yelling when you write… what is a whisper? lower case italics?

On this wedding, I was carrying an extra camera with me, the Leica M Monochrome rangefinder camera. This is a digital M series camera that only shoots Black and White. This means it is like carrying a film camera with only black and white film. The advantage to doing this is that your chip is not recording four pixels of separate colors which the computer later must interpret and sharpen, but rather, each pixel is its own pixel, no trickery needed to create the final image. The result is a sharper file. This black and white of the dress is from the Leica M Monochrome. I love this shot.

You will also notice a few other items. The dress is hanging in the middle of the door. This is due to a removable 3M hook we placed on the door. No need to try and hang the dress on a door jam, or a curtain rod. This was the perfect spot for the dress, so that’s where we hung it. Oh, and I did remove the door knob from the door. It was ugly. I debated on the hinges, but left them for a little asymmetry. The dress has such a beautiful satin glow and such soft undulating curves to it, that is contrasts well with the right angles of the door and windows, but at the same time, the hard surfaces still have the same soft glow as the dress. So, while there is a contrast in shapes, there is a comparison in reflective and tonal qualities, so the whole thing works cohesively.

There is something about a rangefinder camera and the way it forces you to shoot. You get very different shots than you would with your DSLR and a zoom lens. With the Leica, I was shooting a 35mm lens the entire day (because that is all Leica had to lend me). It forced me to shoot a little differently. In this shot, the little boy is playing his video games, and I forget what excited his face, but it was perfect, whatever it was.

I definitely do not miss the color in many of these hotel room shots. Hotels have a way of choosing fabrics that compete with the subject for attention. By keeping things in black and white for these getting ready shots, it becomes all about the composition and the light, and the close to obnoxious curtains don’t detract for the shot at all. In fact, the texture and pattern on the curtains are quite nice in B&W. Had I shot this with my Canon 5D Mark III, I would have turned it to black and white anyway.

The first look at the bride is always a favorite for me. The anticipation and the payoff is great, and it is so intimate, as opposed to seeing her for the first time in front of the entire crowd. I don’t actually have a preference between the traditional and the more modern “first look” concept, I enjoy them both. But there is a completely different feeling to that moment when the bride first reveals herself to the groom.

And here is the payoff. Sean was struck!

We were taking portraits of Lexie (in color and tighter) but Sean was hanging out to the side, just watching, which, to me meant a lot more than the portraits we were taking, so I went to the Leica, which is always wide (remember, all I had was a 35mm lens), so I quickly grabbed this shot.

I think my favorite thing to do with the Leica was to take loose portraits of people with it. This kind of shot takes me back to shots of ancestors I have at home next to their old Model T cars and on the front steps of their homes and churches. I really enjoy looking at them. Keep in mind, I wouldn’t need a Leica to shoot this shot. I could have put a 35mm lens on my Canon and did the same thing, and in fact, I have to say (in interest of full disclosure) that the Leica M Monochrome presents a set of challenges that are unique to itself because it does not capture color at all, so like B&W film, when a bright blue sky is in the background, the intensity of the light overpowers the sensor and you loose the sky completely, while a Canon 5D Mark III sensor (which is reading the sky’s blue color can capture the information in the sky and then use that information when converting it to black and white.

I have placed this image in twice so you can see what happens to the sky if you try to burn it in. There just isn’t any information there because the blue color of the sky is actually very intense energy that is pounding the sensor, and because it is not seeing in color, it can’t deal with the extreme difference between the sky and the open shade. So as much as I loved the idea that shooting with a Black and White camera forces you to think in black and white when you are shooting and that the black and white sensor yields a bit more sharpness and clarity in the file, a color sensor has a real advantage over a monochrome sensor where exposure latitude is concerned.

Of course, I could have put an orange or a red filter over the lens and that sky would have become a nice dark grey. And that method of pre-vissualized filter control does not work on a color sensor. But I didn’t have a orange or red filter to fit the Leica, so using the red filter method was not going to happen in a fast paced wedding environment.

Celebrations in Paper did a wonderful job with all the stationary, announcements, programs and other printed material. Although that aspect of a wedding is not as obvious, it is important enough that it certainly adds to the experience in a subtle, but meaningful way.

I love this shot. That is a great moment. But here is the other thing I like about this shot: the entire wedding, we fought with the lighting on the audience. The left side is in shadow and the right side is in highlight. But here, it works in my favor. The bride is in white and stands out perfectly when placed in front of the shadow side of the audience. The groom, in black, wouldn’t stand out against the shadow side of the audience, so fortunately for me, he is on the right side, so he gets placed over the brighter side of the scene, so he stands out nicely too. I couldn’t have planned a better scenario for something like this.

I know, I know, details are always in color to show off flowers, etc, and we have plenty of those, but Lexie was going for a bit of a Hollywood Glam style for her wedding, so for me, a rich black and white of the dinner table with the room in the distance was just right!

In France, there is a bridge, near the Louvre called the Pont des Arts where lovers lock a paddle-lock on the bridge with the name of the person they love on the lock, then they throw the key into the river. Lexie and Sean had their guests choose a lock, sign it and lock it to a small iron fence which will become decor in their home and presumably they will throw away the keys. There were new locks and old locks, small and big. I thought that was a fantastic idea for a signature “book.”

Here was another great idea. The seating chart was hand written on a large mirror. The flower petals and candles were another nice touch. There were so many nice touches, and I have to give a round of applause to Danielle at Outstanding Occasions for doing such a wonderful job with the event planning and coordination.

Well, when I saw this, I has a few options. Most of them involved shooting the mirror from an angle so I would not be in the shot itself. But upon better reflection on the problem, I decided to pull out my Leica and shoot this like a true street photographer and get myself in the reflection. After all, if Lyonel Feininger or Henri Cartier-Bresson can enjoy their own reflection in a shop window, I can enjoy mine in a mirror at a wedding.

This was the parting gift for everyone at the wedding. Except for those under the age, of course…

The first dance is best shot in black and white anyway. Add the Hollywood Glamor concept and using the Leica was an imperative.

And this is my absolute favorite portrait of the day. Hands down.

And who wouldn’t like to have some fireworks at their wedding? Seriously? This was a nice touch brought to you by the Arizona Biltmore.

Sean has a iron clad habit of never wearing matching socks. So his socks are as important as Lexie’s shoes. Now, normally, Sean’s socks are not even color coordinated, but Lexie bought him a special pair of socks so he could not match and still be color coordinated. That is love! Don’t try to change him, just give him the tools to be the best version of himself.

This party was brought to you by the Arizona Biltmore, JJ’s Band (who rocked the night away), a lot of rowdy guests, this guy’s sexy dancing, Canon Speedlites and a little shutter dragging! That is one inviting dance floor!

Lexie and Sean also chose to have a photo booth at their wedding, which was provided by ShutterBox Photo Booth. They also have someone there pasting the photos into a book so you can sign a note to the bride and groom. Well, Ted (from Ted and Ali’s wedding a few months back), insisted that Sean, Lexie and I do a shot in the Photo Booth together, since I look a bit like Sean (we bald people all look alike). So we photographed a story of mistaken identity in the photo booth. I love the look on Sean’s face as he strangles me in the photo booth…

It was a very fun night for everyone.

It was an honor to be a part of your wedding Sean and Lexie. What a great event. And I can’t say enough good things about everyone involved in the event, from the flowers by Petal Pusher to the wedding design and coordination by Danielle at Outstanding Occasions.

Wedding Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Location: The Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, Arizona

Event Design and Coordination by Outstanding Occasions

Flowers by Petal Pusher

Cake by Classic Cakes and Confections

Stationary by Celebrations in Paper

Music Entertainment by JJ’s Band

Slideshow Music by Gordon Pagoda (courtesy of Triple Scoop Music)

Photo Booth by ShutterBox Photo Booth

February 11, 2013

Mattie and Riley’s Wedding in Mesa, Arizona

Mattie and Riley were married in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple and their reception was later that evening at her parent’s home in Chandler. Here are a few of my favorite images from the wedding day.

The temple itself is a symbol of eternity and devotion, so it becomes a central figure in the documentation of an LDS (Mormon) Wedding. Because the wedding is held inside and there is no photography allowed, I think a portrait of the temple itself is not only appropriate, it is absolutely essential. So, whenever I photograph an LDS wedding, I make sure to work on a few artistic shots of the temple on the day of the wedding. I could just take one great shot of the temple and add it to everyone’s wedding that I take there, but I feel like that would be cheating. So, I try to make something unique each time.

Any wedding (not just an LDS wedding) requires this kind of attention to the location. People choose the location of their wedding with a lot of care. The place they get married says a lot about the couple, their beliefs, their personalities… so location is always important.

Because we would be going from the temple to portraits without a break for lunch, the wedding party packed a little snack. They were hanging out on the lawn having a bit of a picnic while we shot portraits. I thought it was pretty fun.

Mattie looks beautiful in that dress.

This is my favorite shot of the bride. We have her in the open shade of a tree. The sun is lighting up the trees and the bride is generally lit by the northern sky with a soft box to her right, which gives her face that beautiful shape.

We shot a few more portraits in downtown Chandler. I enjoyed this group shot.

They gave out little honey jars as favors at the wedding, which were cute, and also a great spot for the ring shot.

A winter wedding is not complete without a Christmas Tree… and this one was full of photos of the couple from our engagement portrait shoot. What a beautiful tree.

Wedding Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Wedding Location: LDS Temple in Mesa, Arizona

Wedding slideshow music by Fisher, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

February 2, 2013

Megan & Blake’s Wedding in Mesa, Arizona

Megan and Blake were married in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple. I have known Megan and her family for a few years now and feel a bit like an uncle rather than a hired photographer. It’s fun to be close to the family for a wedding, it changes the dynamics a bit and makes things a little more personal.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the wedding, which spans over a few weeks: the wedding was a few weeks before the reception.

When the sun is out in force in Arizona, shade is an important thing to find. The temple has a few trees that are large enough to block out the sun and allow for some soft light.

The reception was held at the ValVista Lakes Club House in Mesa, Arizona. This is one of the only places in Phoenix where you can get a good shot on a dock with water like this. It’s definitely a unique spot in the desert. I was very happy with this shot.

The staircase was my favorite spot inside.

Megan had a great dress and of course every bride wants a shot of her dress from behind, but often times the shot is a bit contrived because it it is out on a lawn with the dress spread out on the grass, and looks a bit posed. I have a shot of the bride earlier at the wedding that is this way. You have to get one, so we got one. But, when the opportunity presents itself to get something even better… well, I’ll take it! I feel there is a story that wants to be told in this shot. The shot is manufactured (a lot of lighting went into the shot); the stairs lead to an office so I put a big flash head up there to create the light and shadow cascading down the staircase, and there are two soft boxes lighting her with an extra flash out to the right of the staircase, filling in some shadows. But the light looks natural and that is what makes the shot work so well. I love the shot.

This is Megan’s brother, who was tasked with lighting the candles before the guests arrived. But, unbeknownst to Megan and her brother, someone in the staff had replaced the real candles with LED candles, which he was able to light! We were all a little taken back when the candles began flaming up and smoking and one exploded. So we all ran around blowing out LED candles that were aflame! It was quite funny. So now you know… fake candles can also be lit like real candles, but they act a little more like fireworks in the end.

This was a good idea for throwing the garter. Seems a bit more manly and easier to throw a good distance.

Megan and Blake wanted to take a photo with me. Like I said, I feel a bit more like an uncle than a hired photographer. But we had to hand my camera off to a guest and it took a few shots before we got one in focus. Lesson: always check focus after someone else uses your camera!

Congratulations Blake and Megan. I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Slideshow Music by Anna Sali, courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

Location: LDS Temple and ValVista Lakes, Mesa, Arizona

January 8, 2013

Jared and Alyssa’s Wedding in Mesa Arizona

Alyssa and Jared were married at the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple. It was a bit cold and rainy on their wedding day, which meant umbrellas and jackets, but it was a beautiful day and the rain never plagued us for long. Here are a few of my favorite images from the wedding.

This first portrait of the bride is quite serious, but I think it is also very strong, so with that strong gaze, I figured the best way to compliment that would be with a strong black and white treatment.

Notice, this black and white treatment is softer, more classic. That is because the warmth of their smiles inspire a much softer mood. It is my goal to match the treatment of a photo with the mood or the message of the image itself.

I have to admit, I have photographed weddings at the Arizona LDS Temple too many times throughout my life. And for that matter, there are a number of venues I have photographed over and over again. The questions is, how do you keep yourself engaged and interested as you photograph the same thing for the 100th time. You have to somehow keep it all fresh and do something a little different. For those who do not know the LDS or Mormon faith, the Temple is a very important place and being married in a Temple is more important that almost anything else. So a mormon couple will always have a photo of the temple they were married in hanging in their home to remind them of the importance of their marriage covenants they made to each other.

So every time I shoot an LDS wedding, I try very hard to take a few cool architectural shots of the temple for the couple. But when you shoot at the temple over and over again, you run the risk of photographing it the same way as last time. So I work very hard to do something new each time. It keeps me on my toes and stretches my creativity. It’s a good activity to sharpen the creative tool set.

The sky was flat overcast, so I needed something to fill the void and help frame the Temple. So I took a stroll under the trees. I like what I got, then I went for an older look with grain and a bit of yellowing in the paper. I think this temple looks very nice as a historical artifact.

I just love this shot. “I’m singin’ in the rain…”

This was a nice playful moment I was happy to have been ready to grab when it happened.

This image is taken with one soft box off to the right and above the camera. That flash is filling the shadows. Without the flash, the two of them would be in their own deep shadow, as the sun is behind them, behind some thick clouds. I was pleased with the way this image turned out.

I loved this idea for a quick into to the couple’s love story. It was a little decor chalk board. What a great way to tell the story in a very quick way and make a decoration at the same time.

She just ate an entire cupcake in one gulp. Looks like I caught her red handed.

This was a very sweet moment between the grand-parents.

I just love the the shadows and shapes in this image. It is a rich, contrasty image by design to accentuate the lines that make up their dancing embrace.

I enjoyed making this image. We used the opposite pillars as very tall and skinny soft boxes. They worked quite well. We simply too out 600RT Speedlite flashes and aimed away from the couple into the pillars opposite the pillars you see in the photo. I love the richness in the photo, the darkness and the mood.