Drew and Jen's wedding

I attended my first wedding of the season on Saturday. I was invited as a guest to Drew and Jen's wedding at Westlink Church of Christ in west Wichita. I know Drew from my days at K-State and we've kept in touch since he moved to Dallas. It was great to kick back and catch up with old friends at his reception.


It isn't very often that Karen or I aren't working when at a wedding but it won't be long before we'll be working again. Our first wedding to shoot this season is this coming Saturday. Be sure to look for an update on that next week! -Mike

Big Announcement!

Today is a great day for Heartland Photography! After weeks of work and consultations, I'm proud to unveil our new business image. Thanks to Amy McCall at Tony Blake Total Design for working with our ideas and coming up with something that sets us apart from the rest of the pack! She did an outstanding job and really impressed us with her willingness to make changes until we were satisfied.


The next step for us will be the launch of our new web site, on which we'll be using the new logo and copyright stamps. At this point in time, we don't anticipate using these on actual prints. Instead, the stamps are more of an identifier for images we post to this blog. We'll also be re-releasing previous slideshows with the updated logo. All of this should happen in the next couple of weeks.

It feels good to take this next step. We've had some great bridal, senior and family clients so far and the future looks very bright as we prepare for our first wedding of the season next weekend.

Kansas Press Association

Karen and I spent most of this past weekend in Topeka at the same convention though not at the same time. The Kansas Press Association commissioned me to photograph a portion of its annual convention, including the keynote address and various interactive breakout sessions. As I was packing up to leave Saturday afternoon, Karen was making the trek in from Hays for the awards banquet that night at which she picked up a first place award for best investigative story. To see more photos from the convention, **CLICK HERE**. To see Karen's award-winning work, see below.

Look who won!

Here are the pages from September 2006 that carried Karen's first-place winning investigative story regarding rental housing in Hays. Karen picked up her award Saturday night at a banquet in Topeka. Congrats, Karen!

Autumn's Senior Portraits

I hung out with Autumn a few days ago to photograph her senior portraits. Part of what I try to do in each shoot is capture the essence of a person's spirit in a way that is participatory for the subject, which means that I don't shoot from a script. So on Wednesday, Autumn, her boyfriend Derrick and I set out to Wichita's Botanical Gardens and Old Town district to see what we could find.


Autumn's mother, Darlene, whom I know from Don Payne's insurance office warned me that Autumn was an extremely beautiful young woman and she was right! Derrick had some great ideas and Autumn was very comfortable in front of the camera. To see more of Autumn's senior portraits, **CLICK HERE.** Make sure you have the latest Flash player and a speedy Internet connection.

-Mike

Unraveling the mystery of wedding photography

There are SO MANY things to think about when looking for a wedding photographer. Many of our brides ask us where they should start. We think WedFog is a GREAT starting point for brides.

The Professional Wedding Photographers Collective compiled information from hundreds of photographers worldwide to provide you, the consumer with a comprehensive list of FAQ's, as well as sample contracts and price lists. The more you're educated as a consumer, we believe the more satisfied you'll be with your final selection.

CHECK IT OUT!!!!!! (What more can I say, really?) AND for your convenience, we've added it to our links on the side bar of our page, so you'll be able to access it.

And please, feel free to contact us with any questions or for additional information.

Sun & Snow

So, in 24 hours, we went from amazing light to this snowy mess. Sigh. How disappointing. My original intent was to go to Coronado Heights last night. Because of the snow warnings, I pushed up my visit by a day, and I'm glad I did!


It's been several years since I've spent any time at Coronado Heights, so I thought I'd stop in. I'd LOVE to do a dress trashing there some day. For those of you who are worried about wedding dress trashing, don't worry! I've had some photographer friends do it and the dresses have come through dry cleaning VERY well. It's just a chance to get "down and dirty" in your dress, without worrying about keeping it pristine the day of your wedding.


Absent any subjects, I used my shawow to show off the AMAZING evening light.


As the sun was setting, I did some exploring around the area, and found this stray weed. It just says "Kansas" to me ....

Sister Mary Faustina's Vows

Last weekend, I had the honor to document the first vows of Sister Mary Faustina of the Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary. I've known the sisters collectively for probably a decade. When Sr. Cecelia Marie called and invited me to attend as the official photograher, I jumped at the chance! Besides, some of these ladies are friends of mine from high school or college, so it's a joy to have an excuse to spend the afternoon with them.


Until Sunday, I'd never met Sr. Mary Faustina (but I liked her before I met her because I have a fondness for St. Faustina — a Polish girl, just like me!). She was smiley (of course) and her family equally as jollyl


I've attended several vows, but have never had such a prime seat, so I was able to watch closely as Mother Marie Bernadette (right) changed the veil from white to black.


The sisters have recently relocated to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wichita. It was my first trip, but the place is amazing! I hope to return and capture more of its quaint charm!

To watch the slideshow, please **CLICK HERE** (you'll need a speedy internet connection to view the show).

Oliver Lawrence

Last week, I had the chance to follow up with Amanda and Vince ... and their new baby boy, Oliver Lawrence. Is he a sweetie!


Needless to say, Mom and Dad are quite excited, and there are lots of signs up, welcoming the newest member of their family.



I took a break to snuggle with him, and he fell asleep, and made a great subject. He even smiled in his sleep for us!



Mommy Amanda couldn't get enough of his baby feet (and neither could I!). They're sooooooo sweet and, well, tiny!

To view the slideshow of our portrait session, please **CLICK HERE**

Another side note, blog-goers are seeing a new addition to our photos. A little "H" stamp as we're calling it. We're in the process of revamping our "Heartland Photography" logo, and we're getting ever so close to its completion. Be sure to keep checking back, since we're also doing a complete web site overhaul!