Whitney Lewis Photography

The Blog Has MOVED!

2009-09-11T22:50:00.004-06:00

Alright, well after much hard work by my wonderful husband Thomas our blog has been converted to wordpress and moved. We've moved it to our server at www.whitneylewisphotography.com/blog. Be sure and update your bookmarks, and if you haven't bookmarked my blog- here's your chance! :)

Let your friends know that any further updates will be found at www.whitneylewisphotography.com/blog. See you there!

Alexis and Alan's Engagements

2009-09-11T12:32:00.006-06:00

I met Alexis when she was a bridesmaid at Mike and Crystal's Wedding. It turned out that she was recently engaged, and I was able to take a few extra shots of Alan and Alexis at the reception. They decided they liked what they saw and asked me to shoot their wedding on Nov 20 in Bountiful. A little over a week ago we met up in American Fork to do their engagement pictures. We went to a park near Mt Timpanogos Temple and then found a couple places downtown that had some really fun backdrops.

They were great to work with, and I am looking forward to both shooting Alexis' bridals with fall colors and shooting their wedding in a couple months.

To see more of Alexis and Alan's photos, click here.

Tyau Wedding

2009-09-07T12:37:00.004-06:00

Sarah and Jay were excited to get some Bride and Groom wedding pictures, as they didn't have the chance to have a professional photographer when they were married. They were sealed in the Mt Timpanogos Temple, and we had a good time getting some new shots I hadn't tried before. I was excited to get some more pictures from the field across the street from the temple; I had gone there for a previous bridal shoot, but it hadn't really occurred to me to take a couple there on their actual wedding day!

Sarah and Jay have two beautiful children, and I was absolutely amazed that she could still fit in her wedding dress! We also did some bridal pictures for Sarah- stay posted to see more.

To see more of this utah wedding photography click here for their full gallery.

Kelsey's Bridals

2009-09-06T15:21:00.004-06:00

Last month Scott Myler was kind enough to let me come along as a second photographer/assistant on a bridal shoot he had planned in the Little Sahara. I was thrilled to be able to accompany them and pick up a bit more of Scott's technique. As we were driving down there, we got lost and I am so glad that we did! We ended up finding the most awesome place; it used to be a gas station and was full of broken-down vintage cars and had an amazing rope swing in a backyard next to it. And the backgrounds that the buildings made.... ooooh man. I was in heaven. We did eventually make it on out the sand dunes (and I am DEFINITELY going back), but the moral of this story? Never ask for directions- you never know when a wrong turn might be the exact one you need. Thanks Scott!

To see more click here.

Jennifer's Bridals

2009-09-05T15:52:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I met up extra early with Jennifer to get some bridal shots right after sunrise for her modeling portfolio. I was excited about this shoot as I had some extra props I had gotten recently, and because I was going to work with Beautiful You Makeup (www.beautifulyoumakeup.com) again. This time we were working with the other half of the partnership, Cali. Jennifer and Cali had to start working at 5am on hair and makeup to make the 6:30am shooting call, and I still don't know how they managed to do it! :)

My friend Matt Cobabe accompanied me again, and we had a lot of fun coming up with some new settings and ideas.

To see the rest of the gallery, click here.

Weber Reception

2009-09-05T15:34:00.003-06:00

This was one of the best wedding receptions that I have attended; it was very laid-back, and best of all- it started super early so all of the classic reception stuff happened while there was still light enough outside not to need a flash!!!

I was extra excited about their wedding day because I had rented a new lens to try out before I bought it- the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8. It was AWESOME! I must have this lens!! (now I just need to find $2000 lying around to afford it) :)

This was the first time I had eaten at the Lion House, and the honey butter on the rolls was truly sublime. Mike served a two-year mission in Hawaii, and so there was ham and pineapple, as well as shaved ice. The leis that everyone wore made for some great colorful photos.

To see some more from this reception, click here.

Carolyn's Bridals

2009-09-04T13:10:00.007-06:00

A couple weeks ago my friend Carolyn was in town for a few days, and she asked me to do a bridal shoot of her (even though it was a few months after her wedding). We've been talking about doing a shoot together for a while, and this was the perfect opportunity, as she had her dress with a friend here in Salt Lake City.

For this shoot I paired up with Catherine from Beautiful You Makeup (www.beautifulyoumakeup.com) who did a wonderful job on Carolyn's hair and makeup before I met up with them. We ended up shooting at a private man-made lake near Catherine's house in West Jordan. We shot right up through sunset and even a little afterward using some of the studio lights I brought along.

Carolyn was a fantastic subject, and looked incredibly natural in front of the camera! I was extremely excited with how these turned out, and plan on using some of the techniques I used this time in future shoots.

If you want to see more (and I know you do!) click here.

Weber Wedding

2009-09-01T11:43:00.005-06:00

Mike and Crystal got married in August at the Salt Lake Temple on what had to be one of the busiest days of the year! I spoke to the coordinator at the temple while waiting for the happy couple to come out and he told me that almost 90 weddings were scheduled for that day. What this meant was that pretty much at any given time there were 3-4 entire wedding parties (usually 25-80 people each) taking photos outside the temple at the same time.

It's always a challenge to find the right wedding party waiting outside if I have not met the bride and groom's families before (which is the most common situation). Fortunately, Crystal had given me what I thought was a sure-fire way to identify the right group. She told me that all her bridesmaids would be wearing bright pink and white polka-dot dresses. "Fair enough," I thought. "Shouldn't be too hard then." Well, I show up and right away spot a girl wearing a dress with bright pink and white polka-dots on it. I immediately ask if she's here for Mike and Crystal's wedding, and she grins and tells me that she isn't but she spotted a group of girls wearing the same exact dress in the waiting room on the grounds. Turns out she just liked the dress! :)

We had to wrangle a bit to get position, but we ended up getting some very fun shots before our time was up.

To see the rest of their gallery click here.

Hartley Pool Party

2009-08-26T22:34:00.003-06:00

As promised, here's the post covering the second half of the Hartley Family reunion. This was a pool party/barbeque/birthday party at the grandparents' house in Orem. They had a great backyard and a wonderful pool, and it turned out that "Nana" teaches swimming lessons there for all ages, from super little to adult.

Thomas was actually up by now and so accompanied me on this shoot (he wasn't about to get up pre-sunrise to make it for the more formal shots). We played the paparazzi as the family ate and chatted, and then as the birthday girl was blowing out her candles and opening her gifts.

As they got into the pool we began to really have some fun. Some of the guys started tossing the kids to see how high they could get them, and despite the failing light we got some shots I absolutely loved!

...and the food was GREAT. :D

You should click here and look at the rest! :)

Hartley Family Reunion

2009-08-25T21:00:00.000-06:00

After doing family pictures for the Hartley Family last month, and after hearing Meredith say that her nieces and nephews could give her kids a "run for their money" in the cuteness department I was looking forward to shooting their reunion.

After working it out scheduling-wise it was decided we would get up early in the morning to take more formal pictures just after sunrise at this great park in Orem (a new find... I expect to use it many more times in the future); later on in the day a pool party at "Nana and Papa's" house was scheduled and we were asked to take candid pictures there as well. (I'll do a post with the candids when I finish them up)

There were a ton of shots to get and so many personalities to try and capture- I'm glad that Matt was yet again accompanying me on second camera as we were able to get a lot more photos than we would have otherwise. Here's just a few of them....

To see more of the photos, and all the rest of the people click here.

1st Anniversary

2009-08-24T17:05:00.003-06:00

Yesterday my husband Thomas and I celebrated our first anniversary. We went up Thursday and stayed at Johnson's Mill Bed and Breakfast in Midway (where I shot Doug and Cassie's Wedding earlier this year- absolutely GORGEOUS location) and we had a wonderful time. Our friend Grant recommended this pizza place there in midway that we went to for dinner, and it was some of the best true "italian style" pizza that I have ever had. As an additional bonus, they had some live music there the whole time we were eating.

The lake was beautiful, the room was amazing, and we went on leisurely walks to take photos of the grounds while we were there. It's a very peaceful place, and I highly recommend you look into it if you are looking at staying somewhere for a special occasion in Utah.

The swans, I am told are not the modest type. And it was true: they came right up to me as I was taking their photos as if they knew what was going on.

Thomas bought me some beautiful flowers and an anniversary band. I certainly feel loved.

Zander

2009-08-10T20:52:00.007-06:00

I recently upgraded my primary camera (I LOVE my new d700!!), and so I did a quick shoot in my studio with my landlord's son. He had recently tripped and fell so he was sporting a nice cut on his face, but that didn't stop him from hamming it up in front of my camera. Thomas and I had also recently made a thrift store run looking for props and I found the most awesome miniature drum set and motorcycle. Zander had a blast playing with them, and Thomas' jacket and helmet were super adorable.

To see a few more photos of Zander, check out his gallery on smugmug here.

Look at me! Look at me!

2009-08-06T11:58:00.005-06:00

I love taking pictures of children. I love their smiles, adorable outfits, and the amazing amount of vitality and life that shows up in their pictures. Taking pictures of children is one of the rewarding things that I do as a photographer. It is also one of the most difficult. The sheer amount of energy that little kids possess combined with all the fascinating distractions around them make it difficult for them to look at the camera when they are supposed to, especially in a posed setting. The more children in the shot, the more difficult it can be to get them all looking the right direction.

I love having parents around, as they often know what to say or do to make their children smile and look around. However, here is an important tip to make your children's pictures come out well-

If we are having trouble getting everyone to look in the right direction, before you starting waving your arms, making funny noises, and saying "look at the camera! look at the camera!" consider where YOU are standing. 99% of the time they are going to be looking at YOU, so in order to make sure they are looking in the camera's direction, you want to be standing directly BEHIND me. Otherwise they may smile, laugh, and open their eyes nice and wide, but the majority of the time they are going to look at the source of all this entertaining distraction, instead of at the boring camera lens pointed in their direction.

Thus, remember the rule- unless you are standing DIRECTLY BEHIND the photographer, it might be best to just let me be the entertaining distraction. Parents often are the best people to bring out an awesome smile, but unless you're standing in the right place, it doesn't quite work. If it's not practical to be directly behind me due to space constraints, let me do all the work. I am more than happy to make funny faces, weird noises, jump up and down, and generally make a complete fool of myself in order to get everyone to look at me. It's in the job description. The problem comes when I am just one of a crowd of people jumping up and down making funny noises. :)

Of course, this only applies if we're looking for shots where they ARE looking directly at the camera... sometimes it's great when they are not.

Crystal's Bridals

2009-08-03T19:55:00.002-06:00

After Mike and Crystal's formal shoot there were still a couple of shots that we had planned that we didn't end up having time for, so Crystal and I ended up shooting a second bridal session. We started out with a couple of fields near Pleasant Grove, and then headed on up to Thanksgiving Point to shoot in their reception areas. It was a BEAUTIFUL setting... I literally felt I could shoot there all day and still come up with new places and shots to take.

Crystal is from Oklahoma, so she really wanted to get a couple of field pictures in with her cowboy hat... I love being able to take photos that highlight something specific about who the bride really is and that allow me to try something new.

To see the rest of Crystal's fabulous photos, click here.

Tiffany's Bridals

2009-07-22T22:00:00.002-06:00

Tiffany and I had trekked on up to Memorial Park for her bridal shoot... we couldn't believe how many brides we could see at different spots in the park, all taking pictures at the same time! There was a reception going on in the hall there, and the music was loud enough we had a soundtrack for our entire photoshoot. :D

Tiffany had some fun shoes, and it made for a great splash of color...

To see more of Tiffany's pictures, see her full album here.

Mike & Crystal's Formals

2009-07-21T20:44:00.000-06:00

This was the first time I had taken a bride and groom out to Saltair, and I was definitely excited there were so many awesome places to take pictures. We ended up taking a few pictures at the Salt Lake temple and then got to Saltair for the last hour before sunset. Mike brought his guitar and we got some nice personality shots. The sunset was gorgeous!!!

To see more of Mike and Crystal see their full gallery here.

Grant & Rachel

2009-07-19T21:18:00.000-06:00

Grant & Rachel have been dating a couple months, and we had a lot of fun taking some pictures at Saltair. This was a trial run for a bridal shoot I was doing the next day for some clients, and I wanted to see what locations I liked best at the venue. I posted an offer to do a free shoot at the last minute and Grant & Rachel happily jumped at the chance for some fun non-engagement photos. :) I've known Grant for years as a part of the lindy hop community here in Utah, and it was fun to be able to take photos of a friend. They both have a great sense of style!

To see their full gallery click here.

Hubbard Reception

2009-07-18T20:25:00.003-06:00

Keith and Jamie's reception was beautifully situated in Jamie's backyard. It was in Kamas, so it meant that my husband Thomas and I were able to take a wonderfully scenic drive up to the venue. The backyard was gorgeous- there were beautiful decorations everywhere, lots of trees, a brook and a tall field with some of the biggest dandelions I have ever seen!

A friend of the bride and groom ended up making the cake, and it was delicious!

I loved the colors they chose, especially Keith's tie and pocket square...

Jamie sang a song for her husband before the ring ceremony...

To see the full gallery click here.

Hubbard Wedding

2009-07-18T11:00:00.004-06:00

Jamie and Keith had a beautiful day for their wedding at the Mt Timp temple. It was a really fun group, and I had a wonderful time shooting with Katie Clover who was assisting me that day.

To see their full gallery click here

Sometimes I feel a little unnecessary.... :)

Jamie's Bridals

2009-07-17T20:54:00.003-06:00

We ended up taking Jamie's bridals here in American Fork, and we actually started off shooting outside of the Olive Garden! :) It had a really fun look, and worked out to give us some very fun backgrounds. After that we headed up to around Mt Timp temple (where Jamie and Keith are to be married shortly) and took some photos in the area around there. Jamie is an amazing athlete and loves to be outdoors, and has chosen to sport her (very comfy) running shoes for both her bridals and for the wedding day. I loved it!

To see the full gallery click here.

Holly's Bridals

2009-07-17T11:59:00.000-06:00

Holly got a hold of this neat vintage wedding dress that she was planning on using for her upcoming anniversary. For their second anniversary Zach and Holly went to Las Vegas to get "married" a second time. (Elvis turned out to be the officiator- instead of "I Do" they were told to say "Uh huh".) Holly is an amazing dancer, and so we did a fun ballerina bridal shoot. These definitely were not your traditional bridals, and we got some really unusual shots. :)

See more of Holly's Bridals in her full gallery here.

Rebecca's Senior Portraits

2009-07-17T10:42:00.000-06:00

After I shot her brother's wedding, Rebecca was interested in doing a studio shoot as a modeling agency is looking into her and she needed to build her portfolio. She and her mom showed up bright and early in the morning and we got started. She brought a couple different outfits and we played with a few of the props I have.

To see the rest of Rebecca's shoot click here.

Shelby

2009-07-16T11:10:00.003-06:00

While in Austin, TX, I had the chance of meeting up with an old friend and practicing some modeling photography. This entire shoot was in Shelby's backyard. It was a playground back there! So cool! Once again, my favorite part about working with models is that I don't have to tell them what to do. Shelby posed very naturally and was awesome to work with.

To see more photos from this shoot, visit her gallery.

Emily Gee

2009-07-15T20:48:00.001-06:00

My best friend's sister came into town and I was so happy that we were able to find a time to take her senior pictures. She's a dancer and an actor and so looked right at home in front of the camera.

To see Emily's full gallery, click here.

Heckencamp Wedding

2009-07-15T11:39:00.007-06:00

Doug and Cassie were married in Midway, UT - at THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH! Seriously, the grounds was a gold mine for photographers. Everywhere I went I was impressed. It was not a traditional or religious wedding, but represented the bride and groom instead of tradition. Such a beautiful ceremony, and they threw flower petals at the end! (my favorite part)

To see more photos from this wedding, click here

Why Wedding Photography is So Expensive

2009-07-07T14:20:00.013-06:00

I often have a bride and groom come to me grateful for my relatively low prices, but still amazed at how high photographers prices are! There are several reasons for it, one being the nature of weddings (can't be reshot or rescheduled, so you'd better have a dependable and talented photographer!)

I found this post and thought it might be interesting for some of you to read. Why is wedding photography so expensive? I'll summarize:

1. Time. The photographer's day does not end when the wedding is over. I usually spend 3 hours editing for every hour spent shooting.

2. Equipment. I currently have three digital slrs (one for backup, one for studio), two flashes, 3 lenses, a reflector, a tripod, and about 45gb in memory cards for weddings. I also have a car as weddings require travel (and cars require gas). I have two computers and some not-so-cheap editing software. For studio shoots, I pay for an extra room, props, light stands, backgrounds, and the above mentioned equipment. Reality hit really hard when I realized I had $7k worth of equipment in my bag at a wedding... it's a huge financial investment!!

3. Website and Advertising. To keep my business going, I need a high-quality hosting service and website. I also pay for business cards and magnets.

4. Other costs: DVDs and mailing costs, cell phone usage to talk to clients, TONS of hard drive space to store your photos... Wedding albums and reception display frames are much more expensive than I would have expected also (included in some packages).

5. Education. While I didn't study photography in college (my major is actually music!), I have invested a lot of time for online photography learning, free assistance to other photographers, free photoshoots for practice of new techniques, about 40 hours of workshops and classes, and I plan to continue to take classes as there is always more to learn.

Davis Wedding

2009-07-06T11:23:00.006-06:00

AJ and Jeanne were married in the Manti temple. It was a beautiful day, and I loved the colors there!

To see more from this wedding, visit the full gallery.

Davis Reception

2009-07-05T23:42:00.001-06:00

There was tons of DIY goodness everywhere as we attended Aj and Jeanne's reception. From the homemade decorations to the awesome color-coordinated punch, this backyard reception was gorgeous. The color scheme they picked made for some really vivid photographs. (I LOVE it when this happens, as a photographer I am addicted to bright colors)

I have no clue how AJ and Jeanne managed to remember everyone and talk to each person as they came by without collapsing from exhaustion! It sure made my job fun, though - lots of interesting people and personalities to record.

Oh yeah... the food was awesome! To see more photos from this event, visit: AJ and Jeanne's Gallery.

4th of July

2009-07-04T22:47:00.002-06:00

Thomas and I got up super early in the morning and went on down to Provo to catch the final day of the annual hot air balloon festival. There were SOOO many people there, and I loved seeing all the colorful balloons as they were being filled up and prepared for launch. I felt incredibly jealous as they all began to lift off, one by one and soar away into the sky. Someday we're going to have to find an opportunity to take a ride in one of those things....

As they got ready to lift off I went to the edge of the field and Thomas gave me a lift up on top of this crazy high wall (Thomas thinks it was only 12ft or so, I think it was MUCH higher!) to get some better shots.

To see some more shots, check out the gallery on smugmug!

May God bless America.

Holly's Headshots

2009-07-03T19:33:00.002-06:00

Holly had an upcoming audition with a dance company, and they needed some new headshots and "athletic" body shots along with her resume. Fortunately I got a new strobe and backdrop before this session, and I think things are finally coming together in the studio. I was much happier with the balance of light in the room and we got the shots that Holly needed! :)

To see the rest of the shoot click here.

Kristin's Maternity

2009-07-02T22:21:00.005-06:00

Still working a few kinks out in the new studio. Kristin is having a boy almost any day now, and wanted some maternity photos with her husband Jaren. We had some fun thinking of different poses, and Kristin provided me with some new ideas.

Vanessa

2009-06-28T23:15:00.002-06:00

After taking pictures of Vanessa doing some amazing Yoga, we set up a time to go out up Provo Canyon and take some individual portrait shots. Vanessa brought her guitar along, and was brave (crazy?) enough to go up to the top of Bridal Veil Falls and pose for some shots right under the water! I loved the shoot, but she sure was cold afterward.... :)

To see the rest of her gallery, click here.

Brooke's Bridals

2009-06-24T22:36:00.002-06:00

Brooke was looking to expand her model portfolio, and since a lot of the modeling work around her is in the wedding business, she found a white dress and a veil and we went to work. We wandered around Provo for a while, and found some really fun backgrounds in some unlikely places.

To see more of Brooke's shoot, click here.

Ryan

2009-06-22T14:15:00.007-06:00

I spent last week in Austin, TX and had the chance to do some photography. I grew up in Austin and love the culture there, so I was really excited to wander around downtown and find interesting background for this shoot. Ryan is a composer and needed photos for his website. He made some awesome faces! I was thinking about those "how are you feeling today" posters that had a different face for each emotion when I made this collage:

To see more photos of Ryan, visit his gallery.

Hartley Family

2009-06-18T21:05:00.006-06:00

Meredith contacted me a few months ago to schedule a photoshoot of her family and later of her family reunion. I happily accepted, and was pleased when I saw Meredith posting on Facebook before the shoot about how excited she was for me to take their photographs.

I ended up meeting them in Salt Lake at Liberty Park along with my great friend Matt Cobabe who was assisting me that day. It was a beautiful day and we were able to take pictures in this amazing garden nearby before finishing up around the pond in the park. Best of all? This is a great looking family, and their kids are ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE. :D

As I was editing through this shoot my husband Thomas was sitting next to me helping me out and after a couple close ups of the kids he said to me, "Wow, these kids are freakishly cute". I laughed, but I completely agree. Some of the biggest eyes I've ever seen, and they were just tons of fun to shoot.

Matt let their little boy play for a few minutes with his camera, and he was utterly fascinated by all the buttons.

I loved that this was the way she seemed to smile; almost every time she would grin and kind of twist her tongue out at me...

To see more of this super fun shoot, and more of THE CUTENESS click here.

Brooke Model

2009-06-14T00:30:00.004-06:00

3 reasons this was an awesome shoot:

1. The entire thing was at a storage unit facility. That's just awesome.
2. I didn't have to tell Brooke how to pose, so i could focus on the camera
3. Between her wardrobe and the backgrounds, we had almost every color in the rainbow!

To see more photos of Brooke, visit
her gallery.

1st shoot at the new studio

2009-06-11T18:03:00.006-06:00

What an adorable kid! We thought it'd be fun to get him in Dad's clothes for Father's Day (if any one is interested, a studio sitting is still only $50 - you get a full-resolution CD :D). It worked out really well to have him running around the studio room instead of outdoors because we could actually catch him. Every time Teagan posed he actually waited to hear the "Click" from the camera's shutter closing before he moved on. He knew exactly what was going on, and he LOVED the attention.

He was such a poser! I honestly did not pose him on this tricycle - he sat there, leaned back, and looked straight at us :)

To see more photos of Teagan, visit
his gallery.

Virginia and Todd Engagements

2009-06-01T16:41:00.004-06:00

This was such a neat shoot for me. It was actually the first time I've tried morning lighting instead of evening and it worked! We went to an area on the Provo river kind of by Cafe Rio, and there was so much to work with, really fun! Again, a good looking couple, happy to be together, and nice to be around.

To see more photos of Todd and Virginia, visit
their gallery.

Geoffrey

2009-06-01T09:57:00.006-06:00

This is awesome younger brother, Geoff. We often tease him about being a poser and too camera friendly, but it certainly came in handy here! He was a great model and willing to try anything (including continuing to pose while neighbors just watched). These photos are taken just outside of Marble Falls in Texas.

Geoff was good about showing different expressions, but everyone knows him by his great smile:

To see more photos of Geoffrey, visit
his gallery.

Nathan Wakeboarding

2009-06-01T09:14:00.009-06:00

This is my older brother Nathan wakeboarding on Lake LBJ in Austin, TX. During this photo shoot, I realized why I love photography so much. Each one of these photographs immortalizes a moment that can never be repeated. Sure, Nate can do another jump, but it will never be quite like this one:

The other interesting thing about boating photos is how much the light changes. When we face one direction, Nate looks like a silhouette, but driving the other direction gives him a traditional portrait look.

AJ and Jeanne Bridals/Groomals

2009-05-20T22:50:00.005-06:00

To see more of this album, visit
the full gallery

Studio photography

2009-05-20T16:21:00.016-06:00

A few years ago I worked at Sears Portrait Studio. Photography had previously been a hobby of mine, but at Sears I got the idea to run my own business. It made me sad to see people pay $150+ for only 10 photos on a CD (taken by a photographer with 3 weeks of training) and a few enlargements. I hoped to earn more than $7/hr for myself and not charge as much for my clients. That's how I got started. I've really enjoyed learning about many different areas of photography - I try to focus on something new each month (engagements, bridals, weddings, headshots, action, babies...) and this month I did a mini studio in my tiny little apartment. It was a little bit pathetic in our living area: I pushed back the couches, hung up sheets on the wall, and searched through my stuff to gather props.

Some of the results:

Baby Cameron and Brother

Baby Sebastian and Family

Baby Lydia

After the sorry attempt for a studio that week (even though the photos turned out nicely, I was still embarrassed to invite people in :D) Thomas and I moved to a 2 bedroom apartment in American Fork. I will be running a studio out of our second room. $50 sessions through the month of June! Feel free to contact me, as always, for more information. And I promise this one will look a little bit more professional :)

Updated Website!

2009-05-10T12:41:00.010-06:00

I have a wonderful husband who recently studied up on web design to help improve my site (the transition from my using iweb to his coding everything). And as of yesterday, it is much improved! Check it out:

whitneylewisphotography.com

Feel free to give back any feedback (even if it isn't all positive) so I can fix problems, and pass on complements to Thomas as we continue to update and improve it.

Emery

2009-05-09T22:41:00.011-06:00

Emery is the most adorable kid I have ever seen (this will probably change once I have children of my own). We just went for a walk and took photos along the way. I never knew a scowl could be so cute! She kept running to the flowers or grass in order to rip off whatever she could to bring home to Mommy.

Unfortunately for Thomas and me, this wasn't just a normal photoshoot. I took Emery on a walk while her mother packed for the move. Our neighbors Brit and Aaron moved to Cedar City (and they took their Emery with them! sigh...) We will miss this family very much.

To see more photos of Emery, visit: the full gallery

Rachel and Fil

2009-05-09T15:15:00.003-06:00

I haven't edited any of their other photos yet, but I had to include this! I was playing with the continuous shutter speed on my camera and asked Rachel and Fil to make as many silly faces as they could as fast as possible. This was the result after 3 seconds of faces :)

Skyler and Tiffany

2009-05-05T11:10:00.001-06:00

Skyler called me and told me he had just gotten engaged and needed photos done within the next couple days because he was going on a three week tour with the BYU Wind Symphony. We are so lucky it all worked out - I had a photo shoot almost every day that week, and the weather was terrible! We found a cloudy Saturday afternoon, crossed our fingers and drove up Provo canyon. As you can see by the umbrella, the weather wasn't entirely cooperative, but they were such troopers! Despite the cold air and intermittent rain, Tiffany and Skyler were fantastic models.

This was especially fun for me because after we stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, we went to Vivian Park, the same place I had my engagement pictures done!

Dallas Roberts Esthetics

2009-05-04T15:32:00.003-06:00

I did a photoshoot for the Esthetics division of Dallas Roberts Academy. It was unlike any experience I've had before. I was little bit intimidated because I only spent 10 minutes getting ready that morning and I don't do anything to take care of my skin or style my hair... but I did get some neat photos :) They were a really fun group of girls and I just walked from room to room to photograph a little bit of everything.

When I was told they wanted to pose for the above photo, I had never heard the name of this device (and don't remember it now) but basically they sandblast your skin to remove dead skin cells. How cool is that!

And one of them was going to have baby! So since I was there anyway... we had to take a couple photos.

To see more photos, visit the
full gallery

Pearson Family at the Tulip Festival

2009-05-03T11:50:00.000-06:00

I'm continually introduced to new and interesting things about Utah. This time it was Thanksgiving Point. They have some beautiful gardens, and there is a Tulip festival that lasts about a month at the beginning of spring. Aside from the tulips, there were waterfalls, a children's play area, and some neat architectural structures. It was beautiful!! And it helped to have a good-looking family in front of those flowers :D

Jordan Dancer

2009-05-01T10:22:00.010-06:00

Jordan does Ballet, Modern, and Chinese dance. It was really neat to have such a variety.

Jordan told me that she has trouble making "normal" faces in photos, but that her mom would really like a decent looking one.

So we tried...

And tried again...

And finally...

This one's for you, Mom!

The most amazing shoot ever! Cyclists

2009-04-29T11:46:00.005-06:00

Bobby and Joe are both bike racers. Taking these photos was such an amazing experience for me, as I saw the beautiful Utah mountains in a different light, worked with two talented cyclists, and was actually able to get nice photos in something I'd never done before. If I could get enough business, I would be happy to do cycling photos all summer! So if you know anyone that might like to hire me...

I'm don't think I can say anything else to give this shoot justice, so I'll let the photos do the talking now.

To see more photos, go to:
http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/8059163_Lj4ss#525024870_s4rkE

Vanessa Yoga

2009-04-28T10:15:00.004-06:00

I've done Yoga once, and I lasted 10 minutes. Seriously, it may not look that intensive of a workout, but I didn't have what it took. So, I have a lot of respect for Vanessa here. She's actually done this as a hobby devotedly for a while, and plans to get certified this summer to be an instructor.

I think the breathing in yoga is relaxing, but look at that first pose! Who knew you could balance like that? I'm baffled. But being the photographer was nice :)

Announcing the Winners of the Free Wedding Contest!

2009-04-25T15:17:00.005-06:00

My contest is complete!

AJ and Jeanne, getting married June 5
and
Elise and Mike, getting married August 1
will receive my photography free for their weddings this summer!

--Be sure to come back and see posts with photos from their engagements, bridals, and weddings!

Thanks to all who submitted. I loved reading your stories and hearing about so many happy couples.

Katie Photographer

2009-04-23T11:13:00.006-06:00

I recently decided to expand my portfolio to include a Action Photography and a Profession section. So I just posted on Craigslist not knowing what kind of responses I'd get. On my list for this upcoming shoots are: Massage Therapist, Cosmetology School, Road bike racing, yoga, kids skateboarding and playing soccer, and a runner/softball player. I'm really looking to having this experience as it's unlike anything else I've done. My first, and completed shoot, was actually of a photographer. It's a funny life as a photographer because you can't do photos for your wedding, difficult to do self-portraits, and though possible it's much easier to get another photographer to do family portraits for you. So we wandered around downtown Provo (if you can call it downtown...) and took pictures of each other. Worked out quite well.

Singer/Songwriter Katherine Gee

2009-04-22T20:57:00.018-06:00

Katherine is a dear friend of mine and has always been a performer. We did a couple musicals together in middle school, then created and ran a children's musical theater camp a couple years ago. She's now getting started in her journey of sharing her voice with the world. So I did a photoshoot for her (and labeled myself as her official photographer :D)

Halfway through our shoot, after we entered a stranger's yard and took pictures in front of their house, Katherine suddenly says "I know why you like photography, Whitney! It's because you now have an excuse to be mischievous and sneak around." So there you have it: my true motivation to be a photographer. It has nothing to do with the people or the art or the creativity. It's just an excuse to break the rules. I've always been the rebellious type.

The first song is called Sunshine and Rain. It'll be released on itunes in about a month. Look her up!

Sydney's wedding reception

2009-04-21T08:07:00.015-06:00

Some of you may not know that I'm part of a swing dancing community - more specifically, a Lindy Hop community. That, actually, is how I met my husband. We know Sydney from dancing, and were attending her receptions as guests but I couldn't leave my camera behind!

Then disaster struck. Seriously- the actual photographer's camera battery died. Right before they were going to cut the cake! I was so grateful I could be there to cover cutting the cake, their dance together, throwing bouquet etc. Because the official wedding photographer couldn't. So here's my plea: If anyone reading this plans to photograph a wedding, HAVE A BACKUP PLAN! Have an extra battery or an extra camera. Bring extra memory cards. We all know that mistakes happen, but you can't reschedule a wedding. I wish I had a picture of the look on this guy's face when he muttered "I guess you'll have to finish this reception". I pray I don't ever have to feel that way.

Moral of the story, be a boy scout. Be prepared.

Oh, and on a more important note, Congratulations to Sydney and Nick. :D

Holly Dancer

2009-04-18T19:50:00.001-06:00

Holly is an extremely talented dancer in many types of dance. We were looking specifically for a jazz extension pose that she could take to an audition. But we also played around with some of the other styles. The funny thing about this shoot was that we couldn't find a decent dance room or stage unoccupied as we were hoping to. Instead we ended up on a raquetball court. Worked out though :)

Free Wedding Photography giveaway this summer!

2009-04-16T16:35:00.007-06:00

Hi!
I'm offering free wedding photography for two fun couples this summer. I'm looking for someone who likes my work, needs a wedding photographer, and is on a low budget. This includes engagements, bridals (or bride + groom) and 1 full day for your wedding. This does not include a wedding book. You get a CD with edited full resolution photos from all the events.

I'm doing this to help you out, and to expand my portfolio. There are no hidden fees. And besides, I think contests are fun.

First make sure your wedding date works - between May 7 and August 28. This is only free in Utah County or Salt Lake County. You must pay for travel if you'd like me to go outside this area.

Second, check out my website and make sure you like my style.
www.whitneylewisphotography.com
www.whitneylewis.smugmug.com
facebook - Whitney Palmer Lewis in the Provo, UT or BYU network

Third, send me an email
whitneylewisphotography (at) gmail (dot) com

I'm looking for a couple with personality, so please include:

1. Your wedding date
2. A short description of your story (how you met, your interests...)
3. any questions you have for me

I will base my decision on your emails.

I will choose 2 couples by April 25.

I look forward to hearing from you!

2 Bridals

2009-04-16T16:23:00.004-06:00

2 bridals this week - Monica and Amy. Monica had a neat Breakfast at Tiffany's style dress, so we found several buildings around Provo to take pictures at. I went up to Salt Lake with Amy because the weather was terrible. We started inside at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. By the time we were done, the rain/snow had stopped!! So we were lucky enough to take some photos at the state capital and a park nearby.

To see more photos of Monica and Rhett, go to:
http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/7906117_s7J58#513936976_6ZiAp

To see more photos of Amy, go to:
http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/7919930_sQtuu#513791714_xjphV

3 engagments shoots

2009-04-01T15:42:00.003-06:00

I did 3 engagement shoots in one week, and all of them were really fun! I liked having them so close together as it forced me to be more creative, making sure they didn't all look the same. I also got a better perspective for different dynamics between couples. And I was pleased with the results.

To see more photos of Kristi and Danny (above), go to:
http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/7684451_xDGfR#496375989_hwnPK

To see more photos of Johnny and Jamie (above), go to:
http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/7713799_LXdbK#498424682_NqHm2

To see more photos of Kori and Ren (below), go to:
http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/7733634_TzsvU#499922010_Wchej

My first wedding

2009-02-14T21:47:00.001-07:00

Charlene and Greg were married in Salt Lake City on Friday the 13th! It was rather chilly, but they stuck it out for the pictures. I loved their choice in red, and they had some great ideas for unique pictures.

To see more photos from their wedding, click here.