Monthly Archives: May 2016

Hope Rising

Hope-rising-Jamie-Bosworth-Photographer

On a very hot day on top of a very tall building there is a man waiting to see his bride for the first time… let’s call it hope rising. The anticipation is all consuming. The elevator door keeps opening but so far she hasn’t been the one to step into view. In the background, a photographer is watching the emotions run across his face… he is pacing and messing with his tie… he is smiling a lot… he is nervous. He is ready.

Meanwhile, she is rising, carrying flowers and the same sense of beginning. When the door opens, she looks to the photographer and asks quietly which way to go… to the left, she steps lightly into his view.

The photographer catches the beginnings and steps back some to give them a little time… the day will be long and full of intimate and joyous moments… time enough to stay closer.

The first time you see each other on your wedding day can be kind of a fragile thing. Imagine the difference between a private meeting and the very public alternative. From what I have seen, it’s really hard to find the balance when the aisle walk is the first time… talk to your photographer about it, ok?

Mystery Ride

Mystery-Ride-Jamie-Bosworth-Photographer

That space between the church and the party… almost just the two of you in a really cool old car for a nice ride around the park! Back East, when I was growing up, there used to a thing called the Mystery Ride… essentially, after your vows you got whisked away by a friend for a special ride… not knowing where you might be going, only that the two of you were together in a mostly private setting for a little bit.

Rebecca and Jerry have this good friend, the man in the dapper hat, who was gracious enough to be their ride. A classic dark green jewel like this one really beats the regular sort of limo in my humble opinion. We had gotten permission to use a part of the grounds at the Pittock Mansion. We needed a place for the car that wasn’t going to look out of place and the Pittock had just such a space down by the teahouse. It would have been awesome to be up under the carriage way but that was not possible. That car brought some glamour to the romantic portraits… I loved how it helped set the mood.

Afterwards, I had the luck of being right behind them at this stoplight … a polite beep of my horn and they turned to look. I shot this through my windshield… thank goodness it was a long enough light since it was only me in my car! ;0)

Family Portraits… Unplugged

Family-Portraits-Unplugged-Jamie-Bosworth-Photographer

Unplugged portraits… besides being a word for a no-phone zone, it might also be the perfect word for the less orchestrated parts of a wedding day.

It’s always hard to get everyone in the same mood for a good group photo until someone, usually a small someone, begins to act up a little. In this case, our rabble rouser was the young one in the grey suit.

One last shot of the family before dinner. Right? We needed an easy place to do one with a late arriving grandmother. The dance floor at Abigail’s Garden was the perfect spot. Well, this group unplugged like professionals while we waited for grandma to get escorted over to us. The best part is that each person reacted so easily… the ones laughing rather than mugging just makes the mix better. We all knew that we had done plenty of the normal ones earlier… unplugged was just right. ;0)

Let’s talk about your wedding!

The Brides of Eugene

Eugene-wedding-Jamie-Bosworth-Photographer

There is a Eugene neighborhood near and dear to their hearts so these brides made their wedding fit the places they hang out. Anna and Elizabeth chose their reception space first. Hands down, the Falling Sky Deli and Pourhouse was at the top of their list, the go-to place to enjoy the company of friends and great food. Once that decision was made, they expanded the search to find a ceremony site within walking distance. Ninkasi Brewing Company, a few blocks away, proved to be the perfect match. On that sunny September day, the world revolved around a happy couple cheered by many friends and family… all ready to share that Eugene vibe. ;0)

I’m starting to design their wedding album this week and part of that process is the choosing of the images. I’m always pleased to see what gets chosen. The post production at this point is fun… it’s a chance to make each image sing a little. Judging from their choices, this album is going to make them smile for many years to come.

Fun Fact:
The Ancient Sumerians worshipped the beer they made and praised the goddess Ninkasi for the miracle of fermentation. They understood the value of beer: it gave quality to life.

Getting married? Let’s talk, ok?

Walking to your Wedding

Walking-to-Your-Wedding-Jamie-Bosworth-Photographer

Walking to your wedding can be pretty cool. Think about it… maybe it’s just the two of you and your photographer walking from the Nines Hotel to the Chinese Garden. Maybe you have a cool and cloudy day and you have to carry a wrap but nothing else. Maybe your photographer is carrying just the amount of gear she needs for the walking, knowing that her big bag is being dealt with by her assistant who is also moving the car. Meanwhile, your bridal party and family are moving towards the garden, too, bringing all of your stuff. The posed pictures have been done and we have timed it so that you have some spare time to play.

All this means that for about a half an hour, the three of you are making interesting personal images and getting used to each other before you join the rest of your crowd and before the nerves kick back in for the ceremony. There was the stop at the gate to China Town and then the quick dip into Voodoo Doughnuts followed by some sultry shots at the adult theatre with the old marquee lights. Then, just as you were getting a little worried about the time, that nice Pedicab driver gave you a free lift the last four blocks to the garden… just because. ;0)

Portland was a destination wedding for these two and they wanted to be sure to put some Portland into their day… this was a small but heartfelt chance to do just that.

Weddings rock!