As Featured in Professional Photographer Magazine!

I am SO excited! Over the summer, we asked all of our fans to vote for one of our favorite brides, Jennifer Cleaver, to be on the cover of Professional Photographer Magazine. Over 5,800 photos were submitted from all over the world and out of 38,300 people who voted, we won Third Place for Reader's Choice!!!

We were also one of the only wedding photos featured in the contest.

If you would like to read the Cover Contest Article, click here.

Being that we are members of PPA, and that we absolutely love and respect the magazine so dearly, I think I can speak for all of us at Kaufman Kramer when we say THANK YOU to PPA, all of our family, friends, and fans for voting for us and for supporting us. A special thank you goes out to Jennifer and Bryce Cleaver for being a truly wonderful and supportive client for us. We love you guys!

Of course... to pay homage to Jen and Bryce, I wanted to repost some of the amazing photos from their special day...

Thanks again everyone. We couldn't do what we love without you!

-Steve

The winning image.

Boy Meets Girl - The Wedding of Vanessa and Andy

First off, I cannot express how much I've enjoyed working with this couple. When I first met Vanessa and Andy for their engagement session, their love for each other was so apparent. They met at Otterbein University down in Westerville, Ohio... (my home town!) and the story of how they met put a smile on my face. It was the classic boy meets girl. They meet. They fall in love. It's great to photograph couples that feel so at ease with each other that I just become a witness documenting the day. It's the best job in the world.

Whenever I shoot the bridal party walking down the aisle, I like to turn around at the exact moment the groom sees the bride for the first time. All of that emotion wrapped up into that one moment always makes for a great photograph. I expected Andy to be very stoic and serious as she walked down the aisle, but as I saw the tears well up in his eyes I knew that words could not express how much he loved Vanessa. It was great. You can just tell when someone is head over heels in love and these two leave no doubt in my mind.

It was a beautiful wedding, and it was an honor to be there to document their special day. Congratulations once again to Vanessa and Andy!

Also, a special thank you to Jeremy Kester for shooting with me. You did an AWESOME job!

-Steve

The Big Leagues... Kristin and Andrew

I am all for cool locations... and I've seen quite a few, but I have to give some major props to Kristin and Andrew for their very unique wedding venue. Becca and I shot this wedding at Huntington Field down in Columbus. I hadn't been in the new stadium since the Clippers moved there a few years ago.

It was a well themed wedding. Kristin went to BGSU and graduated from the same VCT program as I, and consequently her graphic design rocks! She designed everything from their monogram that adorned the cake, to the invitations, to the "tickets" for their special day. She even had thunder sticks for all of the "fans" to clap once they exchanged their vows. So cool!

Of course, it wouldn't be Ohio unless there was a threat of rain, so, as luck would have it, it rained during the ceremony. I have to give it to the entire bridal party for toughing it out in the rain. I distinctly remember hearing someone say "play ball" as the rain clouds approached... :)

Although, they say it's good luck for it to rain on your wedding day right? All in all, it was a great experience shooting with such a fun group of people in an amazing venue.

Enjoy the photos, and congrats to Kristin and Andrew!

A Beautiful Day with Kylynne and Justin

I got a chance to shoot with Kylynne and Justin up in Willoughby for their engagement session a few weeks ago. I absolutely love going to new places! Justin knew of some fantastic locations in the area so it was easy to find great places to shoot the session.

Willoughby is a very cool area. Lots of old shops, a picturesque downtown area, and of course, it's right next to the lake... which I love shooting at! As the clouds began to roll in, the photos start looking more and more dramatic. I think we got some really neat stuff and so, of course, I wanted to share some with you. It was great working with one of my 2011 couples and I'm very much looking forward to the wedding. Enjoy!

-Steve

 

pics

Carrie and Stefan

I got a chance to shoot with one of my upcoming 2011 couples, Carrie and Stefan. It was a beautiful day out... literally the first nice day after a week of cold nasty weather. After running around Gahanna for a bit, we stopped into Crazy Goat Coffee. This place was awesome! Amazing selection of coffee and friendly towards photographers. What could be better?

The session went great and I think we got some fantastic shots. Can't wait to shoot the wedding! Enjoy!

P.S. Special thanks to Kelsey for showing me around town and shooting with me!

-Steve

Rain or Shine... Breanne and Tyler

Ah, Ohio. Sometimes, the weather just doesn't cooperate. A few weekends ago, we shot the wedding of Breanne and Tyler... and did it rain! We had plans to shoot a good portion our photography outside with them immediately following the ceremony, so when the downpour started, we were thinking... this will not be good.

Amazingly enough, as soon as we stepped out of the car, the rain stopped, and the sun came out. Who knew? The result was a beautiful scene at the Harding Memorial in Marion, Ohio. The wet ground really made the photos pop with reflections and actually helped create even more unique images.

The wedding reception was next door to the Palace Theater in Marion and I was very anxious for the opportunity to shoot in the beautifully ornate space. Towards the end of the night, we got our chance to shoot and the photos turned out AMAZING.

I think we were able to produce some phenomenal images and I can't wait for Breanne and Tyler to see their album!

All in all, a great weekend that started out rainy, but ended up with the sun in sky and great images in the camera. Enjoy!

-Steve

Married in Marion

Marion has been such a wonderful city for Kaufman Kramer. Our second wedding ever took place in Marion and it's always nice to come back to a city we've grown to love. In such a small town, everyone seems to know everyone, and that by far has been the best publicity for us. I think the thing I enjoy the most is the challenge to create something new for each client in the same town. Nicole and Brian heard about us through the Marion grapevine and they already had a great idea of the kind of photography we produce.

Wedding day was actually the third shoot they've had with us, and there are even plans to do one more session soon! (pics to follow of course...) :)

I think that as a creative professional, we seek out clients that understand what photography means to us. It's so much more than just... sign here, we'll show up then. It's about getting to know people, building rapport, and just having fun doing what you love to do.

We really had a great time shooting with Nicole and Brian, and judging from the already numerous Facebook comments, I'm confident that their photos will be treasured for many years to come. Congratulations you two!!!

-Steve

35,000 Shots + Tilt Shift Lens = AWESOME

As I was perusing the internet the other day I found this really awesome video by a VFX artist named Sam O'Hare. The video that he produced was simply amazing. It's a time-lapse video using a Nikon D3 with a tilt-shift lens. The effect that he achieved makes the video look like a city of "miniatures". It's not quite the same as shooting straight video with the D3, but the time-lapse turned out great and achieved a unique look.

The article of how he did it is here.

Check out his awesome work. Very cool.

-Steve

(Watch it in HD for the best look)

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Two People... Who Fell in Love.

I had been looking forward to shooting with Lauren and Dustin for quite some time. We had an absolutely perfect day to shoot outside. Being in Ohio, it's really anyone's guess as to whether mother nature will cooperate.

Any time I can get by the water it just triggers inspiration. The surf, the warm sun, the cool breeze... it all makes for some epic photography. It just feels good.

Lauren picked out some great outfits to bring along which gave us an opportunity to really push what we could get out of their engagement session. When they stepped in front of the lens, I just knew. Their love for each other came through with every shot. I couldn't ask for anything more... the day was perfect.

Enjoy the vid / pics!

-Steve

(Watch it in HD, I promise it's worth it!)

Hot Summer Sun

I love shooting at the beach, and luckily, we've had quite a few couples this year that were excited to make the drive up to one of the most beautiful areas in Ohio. This summer has provided us with some amazing weather and gorgeous sunsets. Ashley and Jimmy first approached us during the winter months about their wedding plans. I knew from the first time I sat down with Ashley that this was going to an opportunity to shoot something really special. Jimmy had experience with wake-boarding from an early age, so doing a shoot up at the lake was naturally perfect for him. Ashley is simply radiant, and her personality comes across in every photo.

I wanted to share some of my favorite pics from their shoot, and I think you'll agree, they look great together!

-Steve