S. Carter Studios

The memory is fresh in my mind, my face exhausted from all the smiling, the soles of my feet black from dancing with my shoes off and my glittering left hand being held gently by my HUSBAND! I can vividly recall that my excitement as we drove away from our reception. It’s hard to put into words but I plan to try. It’s the excitement of endless possibilities, the fruition of months and months of planning, the joy of having so many dear friends and family members celebrating with us. It was the fancy dress I had tried on so many times finally getting to see the sunlight (and on our day, snow, sleet and rain). The vacation that lay ahead and the comfort that I belonged to Josh and he belonged to me, officially! There is absolutely nothing like being a brand newlywed! I love that moment at each wedding when the couple clasps hands and heads into their future leaving the wedding behind them and marching forward into life together as it appears in the day to day variety without beautiful cakes and photographers following them around. This is why I stay, to the very tiring end, because the getaway is the beginning of that transition! It’s worth it to me to capture the very last minutes of that day that will forever mark the beginning of their lives as a family. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many getaways and am happy to share a few with you! Assuming most of you don’t attend as many weddings as I do, I’m happy to provide some getaway categories with you too. Enjoy!

There are the sweet, classic getaways…

Michael & Brittany

Gerald & Erin

Justin & MaryJo

Mark & Maria

Then there’s the brave getaway (could also be called the messy getaway)

Eric & Tracy

Ryan & Kristina

Probably the messiest of all…EVER…Nate & Bekah

There’s been one foiled getaway…. Dayton & Rebekah. Planned by Rebekah’s band of brothers and the best man, they captured Dayton and tossed him into the pond behind the reception.

and last but certainly not least the glamorous getaway!

Peter & Marianne

Wayne & Lacey

Matt & Jen

Jon & Lindsay

The biggest and baddest of all glamorous getaways has to go to Josh & Michelle who took off on a beautiful Harley Davidson brought in JUST for the occasion.

I’ve been feeling inspired to share some more recently. So this is another by definition post: the Marie Antoinette treatment. I’ve actually had more than two mothers say to me, including my own, that they don’t understand why I like photos were people’s heads are cut off. Am I not fast enough to get the whole shot? Is it how I hide my less attractive clients? Am I obsessed with chests? No. No to all of the above.

The truth is that there are two main reasons I like photos like this. The first reason is that so much of what goes into the wedding day is barely noticed by those around them but they were the things the bride spent hours pouring over, the small touches that make this her special day: the necklace her father gave her,  the gown that fits just right, the boutonniere she picked just for him. It’s the rings they’ll wear for the rest of their lives and the cake they didn’t actually get to eat a piece of. Giving these little details their own photograph is to me like paying a small honor, a tilt of my hat if you will to the way the couple has  doted on their guests and on each other.

The second reason I love beheading my clients, if you will, is that the captured moment becomes about so much more than a picture. During the wedding day, there are so many intimate situations I get to be a part of, things that nobody else in the room is aware of and I am able to offer this perspective while still respecting the sweetness of the moment.

So, brides to be, here’s the post you can send your mother to when she comments on the fact that people’s heads are cut off. It’s not unintentional or bad foresight, it’s not that I’m a masochist or that I have a blind spot. It’s about paying tribute to what things are really about: the moment and the relationship. Plus you can click on over here and see whole albums of weddings where plenty of people manage to have their whole heads in tact.

Happy Tuesday everyone! I want to introduce you to a series of blog posts I’ll be doing about what I feel defines S. Carter Studios perspective and style. There are so many wonderful talented photographers out there and many on the horizon. I hope that through these posts you’ll get to know more about S. Carter Studios and what we strive for as you consider letting us be a part of your family for a session, for a wedding or for a life time. I’m calling these posts By Definition. The topics covered will hopefully help you to understand how we define ourselves and why there are some things that we consider standard at S. Carter Studios. We strive for quality with our clients and have a purpose for how we do things because time is too valuable to waste during shoots. I hope you enjoy the series and that it helps you to understand this wonderful gift God has given us!

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By Definition: Kissy Pictures

Who would have thought kissing would ever go out of style? Strangely, it’s true. If you follow blogs of photographers across the industry and all over the country you’ll see what I see and that’s a mysterious lack of kissing pictures. Don’t get me wrong, their blogs are great and the photos are beautiful but overall photographers seem to be nixing the kiss. I once had a person say to me, “Your couples all seem to kiss a lot!” This caused me to smile and reflect… I guess my blog is stacked with photo upon photo of the kiss in its various forms: on the cheek, on the forehead, on the nose, on the hand, right smack dab on the mouth. I began to wonder, hmm, what is it that I seem to love so much about the kiss? Then I realized IT.

Kissing is like sharing a secret. When I committed to marry Josh I agreed to only share my kisses with him. I knew from that moment forward, God willing, that he would be the only man that I would share moments like that with. He and I have a secret that no one else can come close to understanding and that’s the chemistry between us! I love kissy pictures because when a man and woman commit to each other, in that long term rocking chair and gray hair kind of way, they save part of themselves for just one other person. So, why would I only have them stand next to each other, near each other, or across from each other, which they can do with almost any person in the world when I can ask them to joyfully do something they have agreed is just between the two of them? Kissing is romantic and it’s fun and I love it. So, that’s why kissing pictures are part of the S. Carter Studios standard. Here are a few of my favorites from over the years.

Plus, I don’t discriminate, I love engaged kisses

Melanie & Tim

Maria & Mark

Emily & Zach

Gavin & Kelsey

Bryant & Amanda

Jake and Patsy

… and married kisses…

Eric & Traci [we share the same anniversary date of March 13th!]

Mark and Maria

Laura and Ryan

Nate and Bekah

Adriel and Amy (and Papa Joe)

Chase and Kalina

… and family kisses!

The Parks

The Allens

The Mengs

The Oberneders

The Lamontes

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I hope it helps you understand more about us! Sabrena, and the S. Carter Studios Team