My Tidbits

Pantone chooses Magenta!


Need inspiration for your wedding colors? According to Pantone, the color for 2023 is magenta! Yes, I call it ruby pink. That bright pop of pink to add color. How do you add this to your color palette for your wedding? Pantone dictates the color choices each year. Everyone waits anxiously to see what the new color will be in fashion, furniture, books, almost everything! This year it is Magenta and I love it. You can include this color in a deep rich lush color scheme as this bride did seen below. There are different shades of magenta so you can go softer or bolder.


According to Bride Magazine, “Move over, millennial pink: There's a hot new color in town, and it's quite different than the bubblegum hue that's been everywhere for the last 12 months. Pantone Color of the Year 2023 is Viva Magenta 18-1750, a bright, punchy fuchsia-meets-red that the company describes as "brave and fearless." And, if you ask us, we're about to start seeing it everywhere—weddings included.


"It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength," Pantone writes on their announcement. "Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative." If "joyous and optimistic" isn't an apt description for a wedding color palette, we don't know what is. Thinking about working Viva Magenta into your own big-day design? While it's certainly bold, it's a color that works surprisingly well in the scope of wedding celebrations. Whether you want to commit and plan an entirely magenta-toned celebration or pepper it in throughout your big-day design, there's an option for everyone. Here, we're sharing our favorite ways to make Viva Magenta part of your wedding design in 2023.”


What will be your colors for 2023? (Photo of table from Bride Magazine, photo of bride by Lema Street Photography. Copyrighted)

Rich lush colors, bridal bouquet, Thorncrown Chapel,

2023’s Color is Magenta

Eureka Springs Wedding, Pantone Color, Bride Magazine

wishing one and all the merriest holidays


wishing you and your loved ones happy holidays however you celebrate the season.

Merry Christmas

The not so obvious items you need on your checklist!


I do wedding photography in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Eureka is a beautiful town for both destination weddings and elopements. With the gorgeous limestone terrain, tall pines, Ozark Mountains, hills and valleys, there really is not a bad place to be photographed. Sounds beautiful, right? So what is the problem? How does this related back to your checklist? This article does a great job in bringing to light many areas that could but a damper (no pun intended) on your wedding day whether a big blowout or a small intimate ceremony. If you are planning an outdoor wedding, do you have a back up plan if it rains? Many of my couples have not. While I can make suggestions as I come across this, it is something for you to think about. Another great point the article discusses is if you have a larger wedding, have a point of contact person. I know from a photographer's perspective, this is quite useful in having a go to person to help gather the family for portraits, of find the groom who is stepped away while his groomsmen congratulate him. Or the bride with a potty break (this often takes longer with bridal dresses on). Your photographer may be there for a limited time and you want to make use of that time to get all the beautiful memorable images you envisioned. A little planning for you day will help make it much more stress free. Take a peek and a few minutes at the article, I think you will be glad you did!


Until later......Ciao for now and happy planning.


Susane

She says YES!

A Surprise Engagement

Yes, surprise engagements are still a thing. And this gal was surprised. He planned everything, he wanted it to be perfect for his "beautiful girl." Their love shines, lighting each other up like stars shimmering in the night sky. Her fiancee put a lot of thought into location, her favorite flowers, a gorgeous engagement ring. I think he nailed it. Location is Blue Springs Heritage Center in Eureka Springs, AR. Aren't they adorable?


Quarantined! We pray for everyone to stay safe during these crazy times! While we are self quarantined and when absolutely necessary, we are practicing safe social distancing. BUT - We are not letting our time go unproductive. We are practicing some fun new tricks! Here I gave a shot at using Christmas lights to create a colorful bokeh! What kind of tricks or special looking affects have you seen that you like? Send them to me and I will see if I can learn them if I don't know it. I love to be challenged.

Eureka Springs Wedding Photographer, Weddings in Eureka Springs

Perfected the trick creating a colorful bokeh!

Practicing with my granddaughter.

This is how I share your life’s adventures stories. I love people, and all things photography; it comes when I am behind the lens, this becomes my inspiration, this becomes your story. S I am a sucker for a great love story, I love a family story, I love any story! What I love most is being able to capture your story. You become my focus, my muse, your story.

I live to capture the moment through my lens. To share the mood and the emotion a photo can evoke so that your memories are with you always. It is not unusual to see me walking the streets getting a feel of the essence of the city or the vibe of the people. In fact, very rarely will you find me without a camera. I drive my family crazy!

Elopements

Elopements can be extraordinary! I find them to be so intimate and personal to the couple. They are on their own adventure with no boundaries and I get to capture this! Elopements are no longer the couple running off in secret, I would say most plan their destination wedding to a place they love. I give my elopement couples just as much attention as the largest wedding. In many cases I become their tour guide.

Elopements - they did it their way.

They eloped and still had it all.

Cake cutting!

Gorgeous backdrop for a beautiful couple.

Champagne toast and just look at how beautifully the table was set.

I live in a tourist city in Northwest Arkansas and many couples come here to Eureka Springs to marry. I know the area so I consult with my couples to find out their personalities, their ideas so I can capture the same end concept they have in their minds. Eureka Springs is not the only area I have done elopements, I have photographed weddings in other U.S. cities as well as Europe and Mexico. Even then, I go and scout the location to get ideas. Providing help with my clients gives them the experience of a lifetime. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram and of course my blog, right here to see more adventures.

Let's FACE the facts about Make Up!

Photo Credit: The Lane

Make Up - Let's Face the Facts

I recently was in a meeting with a client where I will be doing a lifestyle shoot for his coffee shop. As we were collaborating he was debating on whether or not to have a make up artist. My ears perked up! Why? Because as a photographer, I am a believer if you can afford one, this is a must! If you can't, look at tutorials from the many web options out there.

Whether a wedding, portrait or marketing shoot, I am often asked, what do I wear? While this is significant, often overlooked is hair and make up. While I am not a certified make up artist, I have learned what works and what doesn't.

One wedding I did the bride had glitter through her hair and on her head, face and shoulders. When I needed to use my flash, I swear every single one of those pieces of glitter reflected my flash. At first I thought they were little petals from flowers from a tree, it almost looked like dandruff through out her hair. So guess who was photoshopping these photos? Now I share this with my clients.

Shimmer.....we love to sparkle and shine on our big day or even in our portraits, but I will tell you shimmer is another that does not reflect well.

Red lips - while beautiful and ok to wear, it is important to be sure it is always on. If any comes off, it is much more noticeable than say a nude or softer shade lipstick.

I subscribe to a photography magazine called Click, here are 11 tips they recommend.If a professional makeup application isn’t something the client wants to invest in I share the following tips with them so they can easily create a camera ready look on their own.

1. Be sure to start with a clean and moisturized face; nothing is prettier than beautiful skin!

2. Apply your makeup in natural window light if at all possible. This may mean applying your makeup in a room other than your bathroom but good lighting is essential to a good, even application of makeup.

3. A good primer is just as important as a good foundation. Use primer before applying your base to give a smooth canvas by concealing large pores, uneven color and texture, and fine lines. M.A.C. Prep and PrimeBenefit That Gal Brightening Face PrimerBenefit Porefessional (my personal favorite!), Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation PrimerMakeup For Ever’s HD Microperfecting Primer, Rimmel Fix Perfect Primer, or L’Oreal’s Studio Secrets Professional Secret No.1 Magic Perfecting Baseare all great primers to use under your foundation.

4. Please stay away from using mineral makeup for your portraits. Mineral Makeup is fantastic for everyday wear; however, in portraits it can give a very distinct and undesirable glow or shine. Revlon’s Colorstay Makeup is my favorite drugstore option while M.A.C. Studio Fix and Make Up For Ever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation are great high end options. In portraits, a matte finish is more desirable than a glow. When applying your foundation it is best to use a damp sponge or foundation brush rather than wiping your foundation on your skin with your hands to avoid uneven coverage or streaking (this also cuts back on the spread of germs). I use a foundation brush and the Beauty Blender sponge.

5. Set your foundation with a translucent matte powder banishing any shine. My favorite is M.A.C Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder while another great option is Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher.

6. Play up your eyes! Again, avoid shimmer or glitter. I strongly suggest using matte or satin neutral shades to bring out your beautiful eyes. Trendy or dark colors can cause your images to look dated and your eyes to look small or garish. Almost every makeup company offers pallets that can give you a natural look for your eyes. A golden brown really plays up any eye color. Almay Intense I-Color comes customized for your eye color and can take the guess work out of picking the right shade. Be sure to blend the color for the most flattering look.

7. When it comes to applying eyeliner, in many ways less can be more. I suggest lining brown or black brown eyeliner, being careful not to line the inner rim too heavily as this will create a small looking eye. It is best to just line the lash line creating a full looking lash.

8. Don’t forget mascara! I suggest waterproof (aka sweatproof) black mascara. Two coats. Using a new mascara tube can really be helpful because the product will not be dried out causing you to have clumpy lashes. Be sure to wipe off any excess mascara on the tube before your application.

9. When selecting a blush color, choose a shade that resembles the flush you have after exercise or laughter. Again, stay away from glittery or shimmery shades for your portraits. Almost every woman I know is afraid of blush but when applied correctly it expertly enhances your look. Apply the most vibrant part of your blush on the apples (where you smile) of your cheeks and blend upward on your cheek bone. Blush needs to be applied a bit heavier than normal for portraits because the camera has a tendency to wash out the color. After applying your blush take a large fluffy brush with no product and blend once more for the most natural finish.

10. A naturally colored lip is the most flattering in portraits because lip color trends change so quickly. One of my favorite ways to keep the lip natural is to use a neutral colored lip pencil (my favorite is M.A.C spice but almost every cosmetics company makes a neutral shade) and line and fill in the lip. I then apply a blush colored gloss lightly over the lip concentrating the application in the center and blending out toward the corners of the mouth (again, less is more). If you prefer lipstick choose a color that enhances your existing lip tone. One of my all around favorites is M.A.C Honey Love but another all around favorite is Smashbox Primrose.

11. When you are completely finished with your look, give a final dusting of translucent powder lightly over your entire face to set the look.

Erik and Jennifer

Congratulations to this adorable non traditional couple. They are so in love that nothing else mattered. It rained, it didn't matter. We had to move from outdoors to indoors, it didn't matter. All that did matter was committing to each other. I loved lover their more non traditional style. A celebration with a bottle of wine, more modern than what is typical of Eureka Springs, a very old historic location. But at the end of the day, we pulled it off. Here's to a happily ever after.

Wow, here we are in 2020

It is the beginning of a new year and a new decade! We are excited for some new projects. We worked with Unknown Films and SixtyOn in helping to produce a music video. We are doing a bit more in real estate, marketing as well as local events. While weddings are primarily still my primary shoots, it has been fun branching out and experimenting. I am actually incorporating some new things I learned (more in video) into my weddings while using what I know for the other areas. My wedding schedule is filling up so I will less time, but I am keeping my bookings limited so I can focus more on YOU! What are in your plans this year?

Photographing while filming

It takes a team

Sometimes getting the shot is well awkward.

A big thanks to each and every one of you!

I am so grateful for my clients, without you I would not be where I am today. Here is to a very joyous holiday season and new decade to a New Year!!!

Thank You to our Clients, we woudn't be here without you.

Love what you do

do what you love

A Beautiful Elopement in Eureka Springs

Shane and Andrea decided on a simple but yet elegant elopement that fit their style and personalities. Simple but sweet, near a local creekside with just the two of them. Congratulations you two on embracing the natural elements that suited you both on your wedding day!

I Do in the Natural State

I love church weddings, I really do (no pun intended), but I do live in the natural state of NW Arkansas. It is absolutely beautiful with forests of pines, summer with dogwoods, some of the cleanest lakes and rivers how can you not want to be married in this fairytale setting? We have old architecture that competes with any old structures on the east or west coast. Hotels like the 1886 Crescent Hotel with its beautiful settings and lush lawn, or the Thorncrown Chapel which has a Frank Lloyd Wright design, or one of our other venues such as Center Stage. So many options in our destination town of Eureka Springs. Call me, if you have not decided on your venue or location, I have photographed at all of these locations and can help you.