Cody & Laura's wedding

From our first consultation I knew that I was going to enjoy working with Cody and Laura on their wedding day.  They are just fun, easy going and very much in love!  We had a great time with their engagement shoot last fall and their wedding on Saturday was just as fun! 
Planning on a wedding at the end of March can be stressful not only for the wedding couple but for the photographer as well.  With the winter and spring that we had been having there was probably a better chance of needing to wear a warm winter coat than not but on Saturday we were blessed with very pleasant temps and little to no wind.  Without a cloud in the sky the scene at the Church of the Land, part of the Living History Farms, was absolutely beautiful.  The location matched Cody & Laura's vintage style perfectly and the touches of yellow daffodils gave hope that spring was indeed on it's way. 
There was a lovely service performed by the "Marrying Judge" Judge Joel Novak.  He blended humor, advice and kindness to make it a very unique wedding for Cody and Laura.  He also told me to swing from the rafters if it meant that I would get a good shot for the couple!  This was quite refreshing as it seems there are more and more rules being implemented on photographers (because of a few that were disrespectful). 
Following the wedding we were able to again take advantage of the nice weather and get a few more outdoor photos with Cody, Laura and their friends.  I had a great time getting to know all of them, and plan to work with many of them again soon!
Here are a few shots from Cody and Laura's wedding.  I want to thank them again for inviting me to be a part of their special day.



Do you know someone who is getting married, a senior in high school or a family looking an experienced photographer that will give amazing results but is also affordable?  Inspired Images is your photographer!

-Erik Inspired Images

 

To find out more about how Inspired Images can capture your event click here to get connected!

 

  

7 reasons why your wedding photographer should take your engagement photos

 

Getting your wedding photographer booked is a huge step in your wedding planning! Here are the reasons why it’s wise to use the same photographer for your engagement session.

1.     Builds Trust – The chances are that when you and your fiancé book with a wedding photographer you have never worked with the photographer before.  Maybe you heard of them from one of your friends, met them at a wedding show or found their website and enjoyed their work.  When you book your engagement session you will get a chance to work together and meet several more times before your wedding.

2.     The photographer can learn what buttons to push – Not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera and working with your wedding photographer in an engagement session allows the photographer to get to know you better and see what they need to do to make sure that you are comfortable.  This will only help on your wedding day and by the time you take your wedding pictures everyone knows each other well and it makes for a much smoother wedding experience.

3.     You get to learn how the photographer works – Every photographer is different in their approach.  Some photographers like to be hands on, some like to allow the action happen.  You will get to see how they work and what they need from you to produce images that you will love!

4.     See that you do look good in photographs! – I hear it from nearly every wedding couple that I meet with, “we’re not very photogenic, you’re going to have your work cut out for you”.  Booking an engagement session with your wedding photographer can put your mind at ease, when you receive your photos, knowing that you really can be photogenic with the techniques the experienced photographer used.

5.     It’s affordable – Many wedding photographers include engagement sessions with their packages.  Inspired Images includes an engagement session with two of their packages and it can be added to the other two.  I recommend that even if your photographer doesn’t include it you should check into the cost to add it in.  Typically it’s inexpensive and as explained before the benefits are greater than just the great images that you will receive. 

6.     The sessions are relaxed and it’s easy to go to different locations – The wedding day is a fast and sometimes hectic experience for a wedding couple.  It’s tough to balance the desire to plan a lot of time for photographs and also not make your guests have to wait. When you book your engagement session with your wedding photographer the session is much more relaxed without all the wedding day stresses.  You can explore unique locations, schedule your photos for the ideal time of day and be sure that you are going to capture beautiful images of the two of you. 

7.       It’s a nice addition to the album – When you have your wedding photographer take your engagement photos they will be able to use the images in a number of exciting products.  Many wedding couples like to reserve a few pages in their wedding album for some of their favorite engagement photos.  As mentioned the engagement photos occur in a much more controlled situation and often times can be just as stunning if not more stunning than the actual wedding photos! 

Can you think of any other reasons?  Be sure to let us know! 

To find out more about Inspired Images and how they can help make your engagement session special click here to get connected!

Erik - Inspired Images

  

Top 5 things you should know about hiring a professional wedding photographer



 

Whether you are newly engaged or have been into the wedding planning process for a while there comes a point where you need to get your wedding photographer booked.  Here are 5 things that will help your decision.

1.       Wedding photographers book up fast!  Before falling in love with a photographer’s work, check to make sure that they are available for the date that you have chosen.  It’s not uncommon for dates to be booked a year to a year and a half in advance or even more for popular dates. 

2.       Make sure that you like the photographer’s style.  Take time to look through a photographer’s website as well as any sample albums/books that they can share with you.  You will see a wide variety of images but also should be able to recognize a trend in the way that their images look.  Don’t expect the photographer to be able to change this for you, this is how they shoot and you should make sure that you enjoy their style of photography.

3.       If you want amazing wedding images you need to plan time for them.  Everyone wants incredible wedding photos but many times they don’t just happen, they need to be planned and mapped out with coordination between the wedding couple and the photographer.  It’s an exciting and nerve wracking day and the clearer you can make the plan, the easier it will be for all involved.

4.       Photographers can offer great advice!  Photographers have a unique perspective as they typically shoot one to two weddings every weekend.  They get to see many venues, meet with many people and can offer you valuable insight that can help your wedding day be even more special.  Don’t be afraid to ask them about more than just photography!

5.       Make sure your personalities match.  This might seem obvious, but a photographer is going to be as close to you as anyone throughout your wedding day.  You should make sure that you enjoy their company.  A photographer may be able to take amazing photos but if they are bossy or impolite they can be a distraction not only to you but to your guests.

Have anything that you would add to the list?  Let us know in the comment section, let's see if we can make it into a top 10!

To find out more about Inspired Images and how they can help make your wedding day special click here to get connected!

-Erik Inspired Images

 

  

Anton & Alyssa's wedding

It's amazing what a difference one day can make here in Iowa.  As I sit here and type this blog post it is 4 degrees with a wind chill of -13 degrees.  Yesterday, at Anton and Alyssa's wedding, it was a beautiful 51 degrees.  Not too bad for the end of December! 

Tara and I had the privilege to take the wedding photos for Anton and Alyssa yesterday and had an amazing time.  I've become quite close with Alyssa's family having taken wedding photos for her sister, senior pictures for her brother and 2 sets of baby photos!  Prior to meeting with them to discuss wedding plans I hadn't met Anton and prior to the wedding I hadn't had the opportunity to meet any of his family.  They were equally as kind and personable, it's very easy to see where Anton and Alyssa get their wonderful personalities. 

Their wedding was at the beautiful St. Francis of Assisi church in West Des Moines and the reception followed at the always stunning Glen Oaks Country Club.  We were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather in between the wedding and reception for some rare winter outdoor shots around the club as well as in downtown Des Moines. 

Another highlight of the evening was the reception where Final Mix Show Band provided the entertainment.  Let me tell you, if you want to have a fun, upbeat, reception where everyone is on the dance floor all night long take a look at Final Mix Show Band!  Every reception that I have been to where they are playing has been such a great time, they provide modern dance music as well as classics that everyone knows. 

Congratulations again to Anton and Alyssa, you have been so wonderful and gracious & thanks again to the Mahoney and Stanek families, we're looking forward to working with you again soon! 

 

-Erik Inspired Images

 

To find out more about how Inspired Images can capture your event click here to get connected!

 

  



Check out my blog!!

So tonight I clicked on the link on my website stating "Check out my blog" and noticed that it's been just wee bit of time since I've updated it.  Updating my blog had become something that turned into more of a chore than it should have because I wanted to include photos from each of my shoots as to not leave anyone out.  I became far too busy with shoots to keep up with this and eventually just quit posting.  It's unfair to not include new photos of my work so I've chosen to now update my blog more often and will just pick and choose some photos from my recent work.

With all of that being said here are a couple of recent shoots.

 

I'm going to keep the blog updated now with not only examples from recent shoots but also updates on the business.  Let me know what you think, I hope to post your photos on here soon!

 

-Erik

Sutton Family

On Sunday afternoon I took some long overdue family pictures for the Sutton family. I go to church with them and I used to work with Denice as well at LeMar Industries. I was glad to have the opportunity and they were a great group but I think Ally stole the show, she was so cute running around though she wasn't big on posing for me. I was able to get some cute shots of her when she didn't know I was around though! Here are a few of the shots from Sunday.

Thanks again guys, hopefully we'll see you more often at church though that's totally in Max's hands! Talk to you soon.

Erik - Inspired Images

Christina and Tim

On Saturday we the pleasure of taking the wedding pictures for Tim & Christina. The weather was absolutely perfect for an October wedding. The ceremony was held at New Hope United Methodist Church in Des Moines, and the reception followed at the beautiful Hyperion Field Club. We had some time in between the ceremony and reception to hit a couple of parks and then head downtown to get a few shots there as well. We had a great time and Christina and Tim are a fantastic couple with wonderful and fun friends. Here are a few of the pictures from the day.

Thanks again guys, we had such a great time. I hope that you have fun on your honeymoon, we'll talk to you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Gavins

I just got home tonight from a family shoot with some good friends of mine from back in Maquoketa. We headed up to Saylorville but the first park that we wanted to go to was closed (possibly still due to the flooding from this summer) so we headed up near the dam and were able to sneak around up there and get some great shots. We started with a few group shots to loosen things up and eventually that paid off with Avery warming up more and more as time went on. She's such a cutie and a really sweet little girl. Here are a few shots from the session.

Thanks again guys, it was really great to see you again. We'll be in touch soon.

Erik - Inspired Images

Jared

So my weekend got even crazier as I had another senior session scheduled for Saturday as well. Jared is the son of one of my old friends from a previous job back in the Quad Cities. He's a wonderful young man, and one heck of an athlete. We got things started on Saturday late afternoon when we headed over to Bettendorf high school and got some pictures of him with his Jeep and Harley. I was so freakin jealous that I could hardly shoot the pics! ;) We got that finished up and headed down to the waterfront to get some sweet shots with the I-74 bridge as a backdrop as well as the Mississippi with the sun setting over the water. It was a beautiful night, though it went a lot faster than we thought it would. I had scheduled a wedding workshop for the next day, but had time in the morning to hook up some shots that we wanted to get in the night before. Of course with Jared being the running back for Bettendorf we had to head over to the high school again but this time to the football field to get some of him in his football gear. The lighting wasn't perfect by the time we made it out there but we made it work as I hauled some lights in, and it actually turned out really cool. Here are a few from our marathon session.

Thanks again guys, Jared you did a great job especially with all of the outfit changes that you had to put up with! Hopefully the next time we see you it won't be as long as this last time has. Good luck the rest of the season Jared, hope you guys can repeat!

Erik - Inspired Images

David

Last night I had a great time taking David's senior pictures. David is a senior at Urbandale high school, he was a lot of fun and a really interesting guy. We walked around and got some urban shots, and then hit a park and got some there too. The light was great when we started but by the time we finished it was really cloudy and looking like rain. We were fortunate to get it in when we did. Here are a few of the pictures from last night.

Thanks David, hope to see you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Alli

You just never know what you're going to get when you have to schedule outdoor sessions months ahead of time. The weather channel had been calling for showers and thunderstorms all day and when the 90+ degree heat gave way to the much cooler 70's just hours later you had an idea that the weather man might be right. Fortunately for us the skies just clouded up a little and even offered a few peaks of sun here and there, and it was just about perfect. We headed to a small horse farm near Norwalk to take Alli's senior pictures. She has a love of horses and wanted to get some with a horse named Khadillac. We had a great time taking pictures both with and without Khadillac in them. Here are a few from Alli's outdoor session.

You knew I had to add this one!Thanks again guys, can't wait for the indoor session. We'll talk to you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Cory & Heather's Wedding

On Saturday we had the wedding for Cory & Heather Ohorilko. It was another beautiful day with high temperatures but plenty of sunshine and blue skies. Heather and Cory are extremely fun people and had friends in their wedding that were just as fun. We had a great time taking pictures and hanging out with them throughout their day. Following the ceremony we cruised around in their limo and were able to get some fun pictures, I think the highlight was when I passed the camera around and let some of the wedding party snap some shots...wait until you see some of these! The reception was a great time, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Here are a few shots from the day.

And this is why I'm in charge of taking pictures...Thanks for everything guys, can't wait to see you soon.

Erik - Inspired Images

Jon & Eliza's wedding

On Saturday we photographed the wedding of Jon and Eliza Lower. It was a very nice day with overcast skies during the wedding and some nice sunshine following. The wedding was very pretty and took place in the newly renovated Christian Church in Runnells. Following the ceremony we headed back into Des Moines to get some fun shots near the capitol building. It's a little bit of a drive from Runnells to Des Moines, so the wedding party had plenty of time to get themselves ready for the pictures! They were a fun group and we took advantage by getting some fun shots. Besides Jon nailing me with the cork from his champaign bottle (I've got a picture to prove it) it went very well and everyone came out unscathed. We ran out of time downtown and had to head to the reception, which was also fun and I could tell that it only got better throughout the night. Here are a few pictures from the day.

This guy kept hounding me the whole night at the reception "Hey photographer, take my picture"...so I did. You guys have some weird friends! Just kidding Jason!

Thanks again guys, I wish you both the best. Talk to you soon.

Erik - Inspired Images

Dusty & Shauna Engagement

Holy mosquitoes Batman! Dusty, Shauna and I were planning to take their engagement pictures in a beautiful park near our studio but upon our arrival we quickly discovered that it wasn't going to be possible. We beat a hasty retreat back to my vehicle and decided that we would head downtown for the shoot. After killing the 20-30 mosquitoes that hitchhiked with us we arrived at our destination and got busy getting some great shots. Shauna and Dusty have a love of architecture and they taught me quite a bit about some of the unique buildings downtown. Here are a few of the pictures from our session.

Thanks again for being so flexible guys; my already badly bitten arms appreciate it!

Erik - Inspired Images