Enter Eddie….the groom. I have known this man for mostly all of my life. He and my brother were high school friends and when I got the email that he was getting married and that he was interested in my photography, I felt like a grown up. He sat across the table from me and warned me about doing a good job because, “he had changed my diapers”. Ok…no pressure or anything. Anne was a glowing bride. She was very excited about the wedding and eager for the day. She started to share all the ideas she had for her wedding and I started to share with her some of my favorite wedding professionals who I knew could flawlessly execute her vision.

We were able to have Anne’s bridal portraits at the Aldredge House and she was stunning. The wedding day was set in the garden at the Aldredge House and the weather could not have been more exquisite. The ceremony was scheduled for early afternoon and the cloud cover came in for the ceremony and made the most beautiful light for a garden wedding. Honestly…it was breathtaking weather. The couple celebrated with friends and family inside the venue with delicious food and cake. For the exit, Anne and Eddie chose streamers…..wow! I have never seen such a production. Make sure you scroll down to see that.

This moment was so sweet. There are no words.

the guys playing with iPhones.

the girls singing “happy birthday” to one of the flower girls.

this is one of my all time favorite wedding exits!

photography // amy karp  floral and design // di fiori  hair and makeup // something you  sound and entertainment // randal stout  dress // mockingbird bridal  venue // aldredge house  cake // frosted art bakery

Now you know the dream team of wedding professionals I was able to work with for this amazing wedding day….seriously awesome vendors!

A few months ago I received a wedding inquiry from a couple who was planning a destination wedding and they only wanted a couple of portrait sessions before their wedding….change of plans….that union is turning into a Dallas event and I am beyond excited to work with this couple.

Ashley and Carter, you light up a room when you are together. Your love story made me smile from ear to ear. Two hearts brought together by the information highway of love….FACEBOOK! You made the rain stop and the sun shine for our session together (literally – what is it with me and rain lately? My clients are my good luck charm. I keep getting lucky with clear skies). The temperatures did plummet, but the quilt and your warm embraces kept each other warm. Your dog Sadie was just almost small enough to fit in my camera bag….bring her to the next session and I will see if I can sneak her out of your site … Sammy would love to play with cuter than cute dog!

These next two are the same image, but the black and white vs color here had me torn….so you decide, which is your favorite processing on this image?

They are getting married in June of 2012 in Dallas at Highland Park United Methodist Church, they both live in Oklahoma, he was a college baseball pitcher, she is a recent college grad, and they were high school sweethearts. We started OUR relationship long-distance. Over the phone at least and I was so delighted to meet this couple in person. We anxiously started the day with a bit of an over-cast fright and also we just happened to schedule a shoot at the Ballpark in Arlington during a renovation and a Dallas Cowboy Game (or when it was over and the fans were all exiting the over-sized stadium near by). Needless to say, we were a little confined with our space selections upon arrival at the park. They were texting me and calling on their way frantic about the weather and traffic. I was about to pull plan B out, we I saw a break in the clouds and decided we were going to do it!

Meet Meredith and Andy – two people that I am pretty sure if it HAD started to rain, would have danced and sang in it for the entire engagement session. I was giggling and having a fun time with them as soon as we stepped out of the car. We discussed our game plan, crossed the street and aimed for the fences with our first request. Meredith had inboxed the Ballpark in Arlington and never heard back about shooting inside. Since we didn’t have a NO, we decided to ask for a YES. Aimed with our most persuasive faces and a love story no one could resist, we entered the gift shop to find the park was a complete mess from renovations. So, we opted for the exterior PLUS Andy was getting a little squeamish anyway from their recent loss in the World Series and needed some fresh air. A quick wardrobe change and some gorgeous golden rays of sunlight later, we wrapped up the shoot in Arlington.

This summer I had a GIANT portrait session giveaway and some pretty amazing people came along with me to make this a truly awesome experience. Now that the weather has cooled off, the pools are left lonely for the next few months and the gear is still drying out a bit for next season, we bring you the fun filled behind the scenes video from this spectacular underwater session. I had a very distinct vision when creating this shoot. I wanted to have the records floating. It turns out, vinyl records do not float. We used a few different items to creating that floating effect and with the help of a great team, we pulled it off.

makeup and styling by Shannon with Something You

video by Gia with Gia & Co.

photography by Amy with Amy Karp Photography

Check out the video above and then below see more of the images from the day. I have already started to get inquiries for this service and I am still figuring out the costs for this type of session. Its a very extensive portrait session and a lot goes into the preparation, the actual shoot and then after, more extensive editing is required to create colors that are natural and not tinted blue and washed out. It is still fun and exciting – my next want is to shoot in open water. I am just waiting for it to warm up a bit.

In other exciting news, I was introduced to Triple Scoop Music thanks to an email from Borrow Lenses (shout it out!). This site lets you add music to your slideshows, website, portfolio, client galleries, and more with a one time fee. If you are streaming music without the artists permission, you are streaming music illegally. This would be a very expensive lesson to learn. Check out this site, some really great tunes to add to your music library for your commercial use.

As I edit these family photographs from White Rock Bath House Cultural Center many memories flood my mind. Cortney, Bryan and Bryant were some of my very first clients and I am reminded about the journey in which photography has taken me. I have met so many clients along the way and many of them I am amazingly proud to call friends and loved ones. This is so much more than a job to me – photography is a love and I hope to spill a little of my love in each image I share. Family portraits to them come about once a year and last time marked the first time they drove from San Antonio to spend time with me. I am so honored to have repeat clients like this and those that will make a day trip to have me create a memory of a milestone in their lives. Cortney is a super-creative and inspiring girl, so she was filled with ideas about the session. She brought along outfit changes, hand-crafted props (that she beautifully made) and lots of laughs. As we walked the walk around White Rock Lake, we spotted one of my favorite docks and started to shoot there. One of the VERY kind members of yacht club decided that was not enough for family portraits and invited us in a little further for some more interesting backdrops. One of those was a boat…..it was a happy accident that we were able to shoot a few frames on a boat, but totally worth it. Some from that series really remind me of a Hilfiger ad from shot in the Hamptons or something. She even held my reflector for me and offered us food and drinks. Dallas people are so cool. I love living here. Enjoy this set of some of my favorite friends and clients – see you next year, Cortney, Bryan and Bryant!!

A few weeks (er months) ago, I posted a sneak peek of this great couple I photographed in the heart of Downtown Dallas. I admit it here ….. D’Marcus, your smile is so contagious. I literally smiled back at my computer screen when editing your engagement session! Without further ado…..meet D’Marcus and Bianca. They are pretty awesome.

I first met Bianca and D’Marcus when Lauren (a fabulously brilliant Dallas Wedding Planner) introduced us. Bianca shared some amazing ideas she had for her wedding and their portraits sessions. She even created a board on Pinterest JUST for me. A few emails and lots of ideas later, we scheduled the engagement session. We started our session at The Maple Manor in Dallas and she wanted a very old Hollywood Glam look. I huge thank you to Monique at the Manor….you are so gracious and wonderful! They arrived to the venue with props in hand and lots of cuteness. I really loved the long strand of pearls and black lace gloves she brought with her. D’Marcus looked incredibly dapper in his suit and vest. The venue was the perfect location for the look she was going for. We wrapped our fun-filled session in a more urban setting in downtown Dallas. I nearly jumped when I saw Bianca’s jacket….ahhh – love that color. Doesn’t she look incredible in it?? We even had a seat at a stop on the DART rail. The light coming in from the moral was so beautiful. There are so many wonderful images from this session and these two were a dream to photograph. The love they have for one another is obvious and they were so natural in front of the camera. Enjoy this preview from their session! I am so excited to work with you both for this exciting time in your lives together. I love LOVE!!

Mallory and Ryan were married at the Dallas Museum of Art and had a beautiful DMA Wedding. Check out their super cute Dallas engagement session. They started off the wedding festivities with their rehearsal at the DMA followed by a dinner at Stephen Pyles’ restaurant just a block from the Museum. We celebrated with them as they rehearsed what was to be a phenomenal wedding. The restaurant had a special menu for Ryan and Mallory for all in attendance. Look closely for that special touch. That Friday morning, Mallory and her bridesmaids were getting ready the gorgeous historical Fairmont Hotel in Dallas and I arrived to the room to find all smiles and excitement. Mallory had her Kate Spade shoes lying on the bed and her Monique Lhuillier dress hanging near the hotel room window. I am pretty sure my heart skipped a beat when I saw it. I have never seen such a unique wedding gown and the beading was incredible. After the girls were dressed, we darted off to the Museum for some fun girls only pictures in the Sculpture Gardens. Ryan and his groomsmen arrived shortly after and we worked the lights for some dramatic guy formals.

During the ceremony, Mallory’s father walked her down the stairs to the corridor and they made a grand entrance. The ceremony was beautiful. The officiant described the couple’s love for one another and their mutual love for arts. It is no surprise to me after hearing this why they chose that venue to say forever to each other. There was a floral focus around the couple to mimic the beautiful Chihuly glass exhibit lining the large glass windows in the atrium of the DMA. Mami and her team at Botantical Art are truly artisans. I have NEVER seen such unique floral design in my years of photographing weddings. They were some of the best florals I have ever seen! Enough describing this fantastic wedding….feast your eyes on these goodies.

Its a classic story of boy meets girl at Church. Well, maybe not so classic. Romantic? Yes! Their wedding will be in Dallas and its just around the corner. When Michelle first contacted me about her wedding photography, I responded with, “wow – your wedding is really close” and her response to me was priceless….I know and I can’t wait! They have a shorter engagement than most, but all they want to do is spend the rest of their lives together and start that journey as soon as possible. Meet Michelle and Richard. I introduced you to them in a sneak peek a few weeks ago when I posted a few images from their Richardson Engagement Session. Our time wasn’t quite finished. We needed one more location to make the session complete and tell the story of Michelle and Richard. Richard grew up near Prairie Creek Park…literally. The creek was almost his front yard. He mentioned having part of the session there, but the early sunset had other plans for us on the day we scheduled the first part of the session. I was on my way to Houston, when we met during their lunch break to wrap the session in the creek. Oh, I am so glad we did. It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, the creek was running and the leaves were turning. The weather was perfect and so are Michelle and Richard. I have mentioned it before, but fall is truly my favorite time of year. I love the colors from the foliage, the sun seems to take on a different hue and the crisp fall air is so sweet.

They are kind, thoughtful and their love for each other is quite evident. Thank you for showing your love to me and letting me capture a giant milestone in your lives together. I can’t wait…..t-minus 10 days!

Hello there! Let me introduce to you to an awesome Senior, Jenna. Jenna is a sweet young woman. She sometimes watches Sam when my dear husband and I go out on date night. While I was editing these images, Sammy kept saying, “that’s JENNA!”. We love her. When I am not shooting weddings, I absolutely adore photographing senior portraits. I have so much fun with them. Jenna having great style and a fun personality definitely made the session. Jenna has a Volkswagen Fastback and its GREEN. When I found out she wanted me to take her portraits, I was crossing my fingers and toes hoping she would want the car involved. I visited with her about the session. We talked clothes, shoes, accessories and then location. Where did she want to have the session? Where else?? A cemetery! Its near our house and sits right off a usually slumber road. We were greeted by a few passer-byes, but for the most part, this road is quiet. A UPS truck stopped and the driver exclaimed “Those are going to be the coolest pictures!”. I will let you all be judge. I have been slobbering on my steering wheel every time I pass this field near our house and wanted to finish our session in this tall grass. Who would have thought these places are in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Dallas County?

I also purchased a new editing tool last night and was playing with it a bit – VSCO Film. I currently like my images to have a very clean feel. Let me know if you can tell a difference from the ones edited in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Enjoy these senior portraits of a beautiful young woman inside and out! Jenna, good luck with all that lies ahead for you and we wish you tons of success at school!

The gardens have a special section … The Japanese Gardens. I was a bit apprehensive about the extra fee to shoot there, but once inside the stunning light showering the trees stopped me in my tracks. I really was oohing and ahhing at every turn. I must have said…”wait, stop here, the light is perfect.” 50 or so times during the portrait session. We encountered sprinklers in the middle of the day, some hungry Carp, and a few human lovebirds that we had to intrude on their nest for a moment.

Emily and Shelby’s wedding was this weekend at the Fort Worth Club and it was flawless. The awesome team of wedding professionals were a dream to work with. I am looking forward to sharing a few images with you from the wedding. Enjoy her bridal portraits and be sure to leave her some blog love in the form of a comment. It truly makes my day and my clients feel like rockstars when you do!

Andrea and Paul’s wedding in Plano, Texas at Event 1013 has arrived and I am FINALLY able to share this gorgeous session with you. They really are some of my favorites. I talked with Andrea at our initial wedding consult and ideas about what she and Paul envisioned for thier wedding photography started over-flowing my mind and I thought I may need to pinch myself during the meeting. These two are filled with chemistry, emotion and fun. During the engagement session we found ourselves at one of their favorite places to hang out and they brought along one of their favorite things to do together….their bikes! Incorporating their bikes into the session was genius. It told who they were and what they like to do together.

It came time to talk about our bridal session and I already knew Paul would be there. They still wanted to have a “first look” so the next few images were them seeing each other for the first time in with Andrea in her wedding dress….her stunning perfect for her wedding dress! Seriously, she’s stunning. Scroll down and see for yourself. Paul has a beloved truck and they wanted to bring it to the session, but the broken windshield had other plans for us that day. Andrea and Paul enjoy star-gazing, so Paul brought out one of his antique telescopes and we were able to have fun with it.  Andrea’s grandmother made an afghan for them and she wont be around to make to the wedding. They wanted to incorporate her memory in their images. I asked them to wrap themselves in it and the symbolism (to me at least) is that she is hugging them, providing warmth and an overall comfort to them.

We rounded out the session with Andrea in her wedding shawl and some off-camera lighting.

I first met Bianca and D’Marcus when Lauren (a fabulously brilliant Dallas Wedding Planner) introduced us. Bianca shared some amazing ideas she had for her wedding and their portraits sessions. She even created a board on Pinterest JUST for me. A few emails and lots of ideas later, we scheduled the engagement session. We started our session at The Maple Manor in Dallas and she wanted a very old Hollywood Glam look. The arrived to the venue with props in hand and lots of cuteness. I really loved the long strand of pearls and black lace gloves she brought with her. D’Marcus looked incredibly dapper in his suit and vest. The venue was the perfect location for the look she was going for. We wrapped our fun-filled session in a more urban setting in downtown Dallas. I nearly jumped when I saw Bianca’s jacket….ahhh – love that color. Doesn’t she look incredible in it?? We even had a seat at a stop on the DART rail. The light coming in from the moral was so beautiful. There are so many wonderful images from this session and these two were a dream to photograph. The love they have for one another is obvious and they were so natural in front of the camera. Enjoy this preview from their session! I am so excited to work with you both for this exciting time in your lives together. I love LOVE!!

Its always my goal during engagement sessions to bring elements from the couple’s relationship to our time together. Whether its going to a favorite restaurant, meeting at a park where they spend afternoons together, or back to the actual location where they met! Michelle and Richard’s met at a middle school … well sort of. Their Church had a temporary gathering spot at the school and they met at Church. Well, actually in the hallway at the school and we went to the very spot and recreated some history. It was only fitting we go to the middle school and recreate a few moments in their relationship. The school had an early release day and let us in for some photography fun! Michelle and I both said it….our school did not look like this. It was so cute and windows….wow! There was a hallway in the school that was completely lined with windows and gorgeous west sun streamed though the white window panes. It was a great session. We visited the auditorium where church services were held and they listened to me get a little silly as I tried to make Richard laugh. After the school, we drove just as fast as the law allowed to get to a park wear Richard grew up. The sun was setting quickly behind the trees and my heart was sinking. We managed to race out of the cars for a few images in the greenery. Enjoy this preview of such a beautiful couple…inside and out! Thanks for a great time, you both were an absolute delight!

I posted many more images to my facebook page, so be sure to check out their album and as always, I would love to have you “like” my page. You can view the wedding previews and promotions fastest there.

I absolutely love bridals…..I keep them under wraps until the wedding day because of the big reveal. Today is Raegan and Matt’s wedding, so its time to let these beauties loose! This bridal session was at the beautiful Adolphus Hotel in Dallas Texas. Raegan originally scheduled a session with me months in advance and one of the FEW days this summer it decided to rain had other plans for us. A large part of Texas was hit with one of the worst droughts in history and I am not exaggerating at all. We regrouped our bridal brains a few weeks later and decided to go to the wedding venue and it was perfect. Raegan is stunning and her dress….just say “WOW!” It is unlike any wedding dress I have seen one of my brides and it is gorgeous.

She really wanted to have a bit of our session in the French Room at the Adolphus, so we cordially asked if we could sneak in for a few minutes. This room is stunning. The ornate architecture and marble columns are breathtaking. There was inspiration at every turn. Just when we would finish up with one spot, we turn around and there’s something else beautiful to sit with. We happened to chose a college football weekend and I must say those LSU fans were some of the nicest people. Talk about chivalry. These guys were referring the crowd to make sure they were out of our frame at all times. I was super impressed. Thanks for helping these Dallas gals out!

Raegan walked us up to the room at the Adolphus where her wedding will be and we found ANOTHER great spot. Between the iron work, the chandeliers, pianos, paintings, gorgeous lamps and other decor, I felt a little like we were in a Horchow showroom.

Nicole and Clifton greeted me in the parking lot of the Forth Worth Stockyards with two cute doggies, several heart shaped balloons, and a gorgeous vintage chair from Rent My Dust ready for some portrait fun! I love how natural the chair looked in this setting. We (Clifton) carried the chair around the stockyards and showed off his strong muscles. We were approached by security, a cowgirl and a few others about what we were up to that day. I had no idea about props in the Stockyards…in case you are wondering they are not allowed. The nice security officer kindly let us know in his Australian accent and we are all about following the rules, so picked up and moved the vintage chair to the brick streets for some more fun. These two had a pretty specific vision for what they wanted their session to look like and bringing visions to life is my favorite. I had a ton of fun with you both and am really looking forward to photographing your upcoming wedding.

Now I am off to go help a group of fellow Dallas Photographers with some lighting questions. Thanks for stopping by and have a super night!!

I want my images to have more of film look. I needed to do some film research so I decided to go back through some of my film images. I shot these in Cozumel Mexico in 2004 and it was great research AND it made me want to go back. Doesn’t this water just look amazing?

Photographing weddings usually has me thinking about wedding veils and bow ties. I had a chance to think about Tu-tus and butterflies for a bit for this portrait session. The room’s walls were splashed in a pretty pink hue. They screamed IT’s A GIRL when I walked into baby Cate’s room. I have known this family for several years and have had the pleasure to watch their boys grow up….and grow up fast. It seems like yesterday I was taking Logan’s One Year portraits. I sat across the table from him while we shared a very adult conversation over a slice of pizza. I heard about the tooth fairy and how when you lose a tooth, she brings you 2 dollars. They both have “ones” on them, so that makes it worth $2. I also heard him say he was in KINDERGARTEN! Gasp….this kid is getting big!! Logan sat on the other side and told me about his love for Ranch dressing and pizza. Meanwhile Cate was upstairs preparing for her close-up. We had to get her tummy nice and full to try to get her lulled to sleep. We got a few sleepy baby images, but the rest Cate didn’t want to miss a single thing. Isn’t this babe just the prettiest thing???? I got to snuggle with her for a bit and honestly can’t remember Sam EVER being that small even though I know he once was. Enjoy this family session of children I think the world of and two parents that hold a special place in my heart!

I have seen this response in so many emails when following up after what seemed like a stellar meeting and the couple was ready to hire me on the spot to photograph their wedding. Some have even said I was their favorite! So, why didn’t they choose me to photograph their wedding? Was it lack of experience, talent, or professionalism? I have been photographing professionally for 5 years, full time for 3 of those, and have had some high-end commercial clients that are household names. My first full year of photographing weddings I was nationally published and my second year I added 3 magazine covers to my list of accolades. I am certainly not trying to toot my own horn, but I want to let couples know…..KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOURSELF INTO WHEN HIRING YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

“We were going over our wedding budget last night, and unfortunately your services are over our photography budget. Based on what I’ve seen, I am sure your work is worth every penny and then some. I also hope you can understand during these times, we do not want to over extend ourselves either.”

My clients invest in wedding photography. Most of them state photography is one of the most important aspects of their wedding. They are investing in peace of mind. They know I have seen many different lighting scenarios, have shot weddings in other languages, that I know my photography gear and its capabilities, and that all weddings are not the same. They know I have liability insurance, that I have professional backup equipment in the event something happens, and that this is my full-time 100% committed profession! Am I the best photographer out there? Certainly not. There are many great ones I look up to and admire. Now you ask, “Well you had to start somewhere didn’t you?” Of course! I started photographing weddings as a tag-along, second-shooter, and went to several workshops to hone my skills professionally before I decided to put someone’s important memories into my own hands. In weddings and other life events, there are no do-overs. You don’t have a second chance for the ring exchange, you don’t have a second chance for the first time Dad sees his daughter in her wedding dress, you don’t have a second chance for the grand wedding exit with sparklers. Each event does have somewhat of a script. After shooting several weddings, you do have a feel for “what will happen next”. Some events are completely candid and follow no “rules”, but this message is conveyed to us through our clients and we have an idea of what to expect.

Above image shot near dusk highlighting only the couple and their silhouettes. I used Live View on my 5dMk2 to get tack sharp focus.

So why this post? The next quotes are email inquiries AFTER their wedding. After all the chances were had, after all the sparklers burned out, and after the wedding dress had been preserved. Now they are sending me a message to ask if I can “fix” it.

…I was recently married and was very dissapointed with my wedding pictures. I was interested in getting bridal portraits and also some cute “engagement style” pics with my husband. Your work is amazing.

…my wedding photos. To say that they did not live up to my expectations would be an understatement. After reading through your website, I never even got to actually meet with the girls that ended up being my photographers before my wedding day. In fact, they barely spoke to me on my actual wedding day. The most they talked to me was when they kept saying, “Do you need anything else? Can we go?”

When I receive these messages, I cringe a bit. I know nothing about their experience. I know nothing about this couple. I only know that it makes me sad that someone is left without beautiful images from such a special day in their life! I am not knocking on any professionals, trying to use scare tactics to book more clients. These are facts. These emails do come in and will continue to come to my inbox. My phone will ring and a message will be left about a botched job. I will be approached at a wedding by a bridesmaid that gushes over the images displayed at the wedding how she WISHES her images would have been better. One thing is certain there are no do-overs for first times. Hire wisely.

Above image shot during the couple’s first kiss. They were under a Tallit, a Jewish Prayer Shawl.

Rebecca and Troy’s wedding was a very intimate ceremony just outside of Dallas, Texas in Denton on Texas Womens University’s Campus at The Little Chapel in the Woods. This is a very beautiful chapel and the light completely sets the mood of the place. The stained glass windows went on forever and the arches inside….oh, it was just lovely! I wanted to make sure I captured all of it as well as the fascinating architecture inside the chapel. She contacted me just a short time before her wedding and I was happy to be there to make sure she had beautiful wedding photographs to remember their day! Tamra was there (my business partner from GSS) and helped her with several wedding planning details. There were so many great touches. The hairpiece, the shoes, the beautiful embellishment on the dress. Everything was perfect!

Be sure to scroll all the way down … Rebecca’s dancing Granny was my camera’s friend Congrats to you two!

The weather could not have been any more perfect for Christine and Jeff’s gorgeous outdoor wedding at A&M Gardens in Azle Texas. When I started the drive from Dallas to Azle and read the thermostat in the car and the outside temperature was 86 degrees, I almost did a doughnut in the nearest parking lot. After weeks of 3 digits temps, it was a fresh break in the heat! I made it to Azle to photograph the wedding (no doughnuts!) and was met by two people in love and ready to spend the rest of their lives together. They chose to do a first look. Couples choosing to see each other before the ceremony make my eyes fill with happy tears! Its such an intimate moment and other than us, its just the two of them spending such a beautiful moment together. Christine was surrounded by some of her best gals and they were a great group. I could hear boisterous laughs from outside before even opening the door. Jeff wore a great summer suit and Christine’s dress was flawless and perfect for her! Shannon, with Something-you worked her magic. Christine wore a beautiful comb in her hair that was given to her by her host family when living with them.

During the wedding ceremony, the light peeking through the tree foliage was almost magical….love that time of day! The wedding continued on to the reception where the couple danced the night away to a live band with all of their closest family and friends.