Tammi + Preston

Realizing that it is February, and snowing yet again, I thought it would be nice to share some photos from one of my favorite shoots of summer. I met Preston at a wedding we were photographing in Bowling Green, Ohio around... I want to say 2009? Preston has been following our photography for quite some time, and so when I received a phone call from him letting me know that he was now engaged, I jumped at the chance to photograph his wedding. Immediately upon talking to Tammi and Preston, you could see the undeniable chemistry they share. They really are a great example of a couple the compliments each other. They have the same sense of humor, will crack the same kind of jokes, and just love being around each other. When you have chemistry like that, it's always going to lead to a fun photography session.

For their engagement photos, we decided to meet up in Hudson and run around town a bit. I love the textures and different color buildings to use as the backdrop for their photos. Being June, it was a bit of a scorcher outside, so we ran into a coffee shop to grab some iced beverages for the road. Later in the day, we made a stop in Chagrin Falls, which if you haven't visited, you absolutely should. Not only do they have a Jeni's Ice Cream (which is amazing) but the views and the feel of the town is really unique. An Ohio best kept secret kind of place. Tammi and Preston were all smiles as we enjoyed creating photos around the area.

Our last stop was downtown Cleveland. About five to six years ago, I would have just avoided the downtown area because of traffic and construction. Now that many of the downtown projects have been completed, it is a wonderful place to photograph couples. It's hard to explain. Cleveland has a beautiful waterfront, that's a given, but there is this blend between modern buildings, like the Rock Hall and the Science Center, and the days of old. The Theater District, Public Square, the Old Millionaire's Row, hearken back to Cleveland's glory days. There's been so much investment in making downtown a great place to visit, work, and live, the possibilities for photography are endless. I wanted to give Tammi and Preston a variety of choices for their engagement session, and where else can you find such a blend of old and new?

All in all, we had so much fun hanging out and capturing their story. Their wedding is coming up this summer, and I can't wait to see what they have planned.

-Steve

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8 Years of Storytelling

This past December marked 8 years of photography for me. It has been such a wonderful experience to work with such amazing clients. I've gotten a chance to travel to some beautiful cities, meet extraordinary people, and develop an even deeper passion for photography. As I started looking through the collection of photos from over the years, I was curious as to just how many photos we had taken. I think even I was surprised to learn that we have created over a half million photographs! Our average wedding produces close to 5,000 images, and if you combine that with an engagement session, we're close to 6,000. It has been an honor to capture the stories of my clients, and here's to creating photos for many years to come!

-Steve

A New Year

It has been a huge undertaking, but it's finally here. I am so excited to share some of the latest happenings. After a busy Fall season and talking to some wonderful graphic designers, we had decided to move forward with rebranding the company. I was a bit hesitant to make this change, more for sentimental reasons than anything else, but it's a new year, and now is a great time to refresh everything. As many of you know, the old gang from Kaufman Kramer has moved to various parts of the country. Chris is now in Austin, Texas. Brad is in now in the D.C. area. They are also celebrating the birth of their baby girl!  2013 was a year that brought many life changes, new directions, and promising opportunities.

As for me, it's been an amazing year. Rebecca and I are settling into married life, and we've gotten involved with a church that we love. We're meeting people all around town and really exploring and enjoying the area. I never thought that I would like the process of planting roots in a town as much as I have. Between home improvement projects, keeping busy with photography, and keeping up with family, it's been a whirlwind year.

These past few months have been focused on just reconnecting with what I love about photography. I wanted to rekindle the excitement that I have for storytelling. So, this new look and redesign came at just the right time.

I do have to acknowledge something moving forward. The fact remains that I am so thankful to Brad and Chris for helping build a legacy centered on people and delivering images that truly capture our client's stories. It was a great experience to create something from nothing, to build a company on hard work and dedication. I plan to keep that tradition alive and I really couldn't have done it without them.

So, we're back! We've got some great clients coming up in 2014 and I am looking forward to sharing some brand new stories with all of you.

-Steve

Audrey + Timothy

I've known Tim for almost 5 years now, and I must say, this is the happiest I've ever seen him. I remember telling Tim that one day, he'll find the perfect person to compliment him, and once he finds that person, everything will fall into place. A few weeks after that conversation... that someone stepped into his life.

It has been so wonderful to see Audrey and Tim grow as a couple. These two are perfect together and it really shows. What I've enjoyed the most is being able to help tell their story and to create some beautiful images for their engagement. I am very much looking forward to their wedding this next coming Fall.

Congratulations to Audrey and Tim, and enjoy the photos!

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Sarah and David

Wanted to quickly post some of our favorite photos from Sarah and David's wedding in Marion, Ohio. These two were wonderful to work with, and we definitely need to thank David and his groomsmen for their dedicated service in the armed forces. I don't think I've ever heard so many interesting stories in a 48 hour period.

To think, it all started with a chance encounter on the freeway where Sarah and David just happened to be driving next to each other and decided to take a chance and meet someone new. (You'll have to ask Sarah for all the details... it's a great story!)

We had a blast on your shoot, and we hope you love the photos!

Congratulations to both of you.

A Senior Story... Bre

Recently, KKP has been getting into shooting some senior portraits, and I wanted to share a few photos from Bre's session. I remember when I first had my own senior portraits taken down in Columbus. It was fun, but I only received 10 or so finished photos, and I thought... that's it? I will admit that digital was still in its infancy, so I imagine that you get more now (at least I hope so!)

I wanted to shoot this session much like how I work with our wedding clients. Tell a story, and get to know them! Bre is the younger sister of Amber, who is a student of mine. Last Spring, KKP donated photography services to a charity auction at Ashland University. It just so happened that Amber's parents bid on our photography for their daughter Bre. So, it worked out great!

Bre was a pleasure to work with. Natural smile, great taste in outfits, and she was very energetic. Bre is an accomplished soccer player for her high school, and I think that energy definitely carried over into the shoot.

Here are some of my favs... Enjoy!

Nina + Joe - A Beautiful September Wedding

I first met Nina and Joe after booking with Joe's sister, Dolly, who's wedding was earlier this year. It's such a cool experience to be able to shoot photography for two members of the same family. When you walk in on wedding day, everyone knows who you are, the relationships have been established. Just a great feeling overall.

Nina and Joe are an amazing couple. They are so loving in everything they do, that being photographed seems to be second nature to them. We started out the day in Rocky River at the Color Nation salon. This place is really well decorated with lots of bright vibrant colors and open atmosphere. I was able to grab some great window light portraits as well as some macro detail shots of Nina's ring. When I was shooting her ring, I was checking my display on the back of the camera and I remember thinking, "I don't think I'm going to need to crop into this at all. Wow." (Well done Joe) :)

From the salon, we moved back to Nina's house for make up and prep. It was really fun to photograph the girls getting ready and the family members coming in to congratulate Nina on her big day. After a few hours at the house, we moved to the church, which was St. Marion Catholic in downtown Cleveland. If you haven't been to this church before, it's definitely worth a look. Beautiful ceilings, altar, and ambiance.

We just so happened to be in downtown Cleveland on the day of the airshow, so many of the roads were closed and the traffic was nuts, however, it also meant that many of the parks and locations we wanted to visit were pretty much empty. Thus, we were able to grab some fantastic pictures downtown and avoid the big crowds.

At the end of the night, we wound up at Ahren's Banquet Center for a wonderful middle-eastern reception. The bride and groom were lifted up in the air, the band kept the dance floor packed... it was just a great night for Nina and Joe.

I really enjoyed working with the Assaad and Lahoud families, and I can't wait to show the photos of their beautiful day. Congrats Nina and Joe!

-Steve

Love, Sun, and Ice Cream

Brittany and Brian, one of my favorite engagement sessions this summer, got a chance to come up to the lake with me a few weeks ago. It was nice to get out from edit mode and out on some new shoots! When I first met with them, we were tossing around ideas about where to go, and we settled on going up to Marblehead and Lakeside, Ohio to have some fun in the sun.

One of my favorite things to to do with clients is to just capture them on a date, and what better thing to do on a date than grab some ice cream. (Always makes my day better) :)

We ran around for the afternoon and had a lot of fun taking in the sights and making some beautiful photos. There was an epic sunset to work with and a nice steady wind which kicked up the waves. Perfect weather. I think Brittany and Brian had an awesome time and I know that their upcoming wedding will be amazing. Enjoy some of my favorite photos!

-Steve
 

Emily + Aaron + 1

I am always honored to produce maternity photos for my clients. I especially love it when a good friend asks me to shoot for them. Emily and Aaron are a fantastic couple and they will be welcoming a new addition to the family in the next week or so! Everything was so relaxed during our session that the beautiful photos just came naturally. These two will certainly be amazing parents and I can't wait to greet the new arrival! Congratulations Emily and Aaron! :)

-Steve

The Gorgeous Wedding of Dolly and Matt

This wedding blew me away. From the salon, to the church, to the reception... everything was amazing. When I first meet with a client, I try to help them understand that great photography can happen if you do two basic things. Number one: Let there be light! Number two: Give yourself time. Dolly and Matt did a wonderful job of both. All the locations had great light, and we had plenty of time to be creative and really get some wonderful shots.

We started the day at PJ's Salon in Fairview Park. This place was so much fun. Lots to shoot, huge windows, and just a great atmosphere to keep things chill while the girls were getting ready. From there, we moved to Dolly and Matt's home. I always encourage clients to get ready in front of a window, which can seem a bit weird to some... "You want me to get ready literally in front of the window?" It's an odd request, but it yields such beautiful photos. After getting Dolly and the girls into their dresses, we headed to the church.

The church was Our Lady of Angels in Cleveland. All I can say is wow. The ceilings in this place are so ornate and the space is so large you would think that the royals were getting married here. Fantastic choice and a really nice ceremony. After shooting some formals in the church, we hopped in the cars and followed the limo over to a local park. Now, this was one of those days where the temperature was already hitting the high 90's, but the humidity made it feel like 110. It was blistering hot. The best thing you can do in this situation is have all the guys leave their jackets in the limo, and move fast. We used the shade as much as we could to our advantage and actually stayed outside for quite awhile. After the park, we were on to the reception.

We pulled up to Ridge Manor over in Brooklyn, Ohio and when we walked into the main hall, I was amazed at what I saw. The D.J. company, Rock the House did a transformation of the space that really made things look first class. I remember pulling up to the reception hall and thinking... oh great, there are no windows, but Dolly and Matt picked a company that went all out. The uplighting around the room, the spotlights on the cake, and the monogram on the dance floor brought the space together and made things look spectacular. The evening was so much fun to photograph. The music kept everyone on the dance floor until the end of the reception, not an easy task for any D.J.

A beautiful day all around and I couldn't be happier for Dolly and Matt. Congratulations you two!

-Steve