I feel like there was some extra magic floating around in 2016. This year I have taken time to grow as a photographer in a way I just hadn’t given myself the time to for quite some time. Part of that growth is giving myself permission to make images that inspire not just others, but myself. It’s giving myself the space to try new things – even if they don’t turn out the way I want to – the important part is to experiment and push myself past my comfort zone to grow my skill set and keep my interest in my work fresh. With that hope for growth and challenge in mind, I knew when my friend Shannon of Flourish approached me about doing a styled shoot centered around rare and beautiful peonies that I had to be involved. We didn’t want to do a full tilt styled shoot, so there would be no tablescape or invitation suite. Instead, Shannon created some incredible wearable flowers. Yes, wearable. As in a cape made of peonies. I was so excited about this because it meant that we would have the chance to focus on the people, and since people are what I am most interested in photographing, this was just the thing. We were so happy to have our favorite model, Kira back in the spot as our bride and we were joined by James as the groom. But let’s make no mistake, these two were not the leads of this shoot – they were key players without doubt – but the stars were the stunning peonies Shannon acquired and the epic venue we photographed at, Taber Ranch. I have a deep love affair with the Capay Valley, and Taber Ranch sits at the heart of it. With sweeping views and incredible surroundings I felt like a kid let loose in a toy store. I couldn’t walk a foot without seeing another awesome spot for a photograph. Even after hours of shooting I felt like there were so many spots yet to be discovered to make incredible photos. My heart and soul delighted in making these photos. There was so much beauty at every turn. I just loved it! Please enjoy some of my favorite shots from this shoot!
Endless thanks to everyone who made this wonderful experience possible!!
Venue: Taber Ranch // Flowers and Styling: Flourish // Hair and Makeup: Sarah Maren (with the makeup kit of the incredible Christi Reynolds) // Dresses: Second Summer Bride // Tux: The Black Tux // Film Developing & Scanning: Indie Film Labs
And you did the hair and makeup?! Every single thing about this is stunning. The pics, the flowers, the models, all of it.