Bob Coates Photography Blog

Mckinney Hawkins Wedding Sedona, Arizona

2009-08-17T14:32:00.006-07:00

You've probably been waiting to see how the wedding photography images from Jason and Kindal's wedding at the Creekside Inn in Sedona, AZ turned out. It was a great Sedona wedding. Creekside Inn is a great venue with 3 acres on beautiful Oak Creek. They had their wedding in an area called the Glade surrounded by towering trees and Oak Creek bubbling alongside. Jason and Kindal's engagement images were captured in Jerome, AZ. (see posts below) Here are some pages from their album spreads (still in production but you can get a sneak peek at the early design of all the wedding album spreads by clicking here. Mountain High Flowers took care of the flower design. Kindal choose yellow and white and I think it worked out great! The flowers added a touch of color without taking center stage from the bride. The album they choose is a Leather Craftsmen flush mount which means they are getting 9 inch x 12 inch photographs that are mounted flush to the end of the page. They also choose a yellow cloth cover made of especially durable material with a photograph of the rings inset.

The Glade at Creekside Inn in Sedona. A beautiful wedding venue.

The Wedding rings poised on the flowers from Mountain High Flowers in Sedona, AZ.

Tlaquepaque, Sedona

Tlaquepaque in Sedona is a beautiful place for photographs. The complex is rich with archways, stone walkway and gorgeous stairways. (You do need to get a permit to shoot there...)

Strolling around Tlaquepaque Shopping Village.

Images from Red Rock Crossing in Sedona... After we finished coverage as I was driving out I saw the full moon starting to rise behind the rocks. I pulled over quickly to this background image.

Tlaqapaque Wedding Sedona, AZ

2009-08-17T13:51:00.005-07:00

Got a chance to photograph a wonderful couple at the Tlaquepaque Chapel. Andrea and Sean came from South Carolina and Nebraska to get married in Sedona. We went to the bottom of Schnebly Hill for some images after the wedding and before heading to one of my favorite restaurants, Cucina Rustica in the Village of Oak Creek for the reception cake and toast. Haven't had time to work up a lot of images but here's a few to give you a taste for what it was like....

On the Chapel steps

This is the Chapel at Tlaquepaque (don't worry it took me a while to learn how to say it properly too!)

Bottom of Schnebly Hill for some of Sedona's red rocks in the background

This silhouette was taken right before the wind picked up and 2 minutes later the monsoon rains came!

Seven Canyons Wedding Sedona, AZ

2009-05-21T10:00:00.004-07:00

What a fabulous venue for a wedding! Danille and Rob choose this beautiful red rock vista place for it's views and boy did they get them. The ceremony was outdoors on the green grass of the 7 Canyons Country Club and the reception just above. It was decorated through Events by Showstoppers The flowers were simple and gorgeous but not overpowering allowing Danielle's beauty to shine through. T was a pleasure to work with all the friends and family during the wedding. It was one of the happiest most pleasant groups I have ever worked a wedding with. Enjoy the images and let me know what you think in the comments...

Pre wedding shoot Sedona, Arizona at Seven Canyons

2009-04-03T14:14:00.008-07:00

Meet Rob and Danielle. They are getting married at the beautiful Seven Canyons Resort.

The Villas out here are absolutely beautiful not to mention the fabulous views. If you are interested in the property (they have fractional ownerships available) Rob is the man to talk to. You can email rob for more information at robla29@hotmail.com

Here are a few images from our shoot on Wednesday. Can't wait for the wedding it will be a beautiful event!!

Sedona Hilton Web Site

2009-03-28T10:51:00.006-07:00

Here's a link to the Sedona Hilton's web site for romance. They asked me to supply some images that help tell the story of weddings in Sedona, Arizona. They turned out pretty cool in the flip book format of their e-brochure... I didn't supply all the images but you'll know which ones are mine. All you need to do is click on the title of this blog entry. You may also have to click on the romance button too.

Engagement shoot Jerome, Arizona Part deux

2009-03-22T08:11:00.006-07:00

Here's the response from Jason on the pre-wedding shoot in Jerome. (see previous post under this one)
Bob,
WoW! You did a awesome job with those. I really love the last one in front of the bar at night. The spot light captures perfectly. The small frame on the camera didn't do it justice when I saw it that night. It looks as if you were walking downtown and happened to see a couple sneak a kiss after a drink inside. I am very excited to see you at the wedding. You have a great eye for capturing images.
Thanks for all your help. Jason

And from Kindal-
Bob- Wow the pictures are looking great so far! I can't wait to see the rest! We had so much fun and I love having these great photos of the two of us. Thanks again Bob, you're awesome! :) Kindal

Here is a playful image sequence from the shoot.... This is proof that we'll be able to get some fabulous photos on their wedding day in Sedona because they are so comfortable with each other and willing to be themselves.

Kindal & Jason Pre wedding shoot

2009-03-21T19:50:00.005-07:00

It's always fun to work with a couple that truly enjoy each others company! Jason and Kindal's photographs show they do. We went on the road over to Jerome, Arizona because it's a neat little town that they have had some good times in. The weather was perfect being a bit overcast but warm temperatures. Until after dark that is, when it was a wee bit nippy with a little breeze coming up after we had a bite to eat at the Haunted Hamburger. Everything was great, even when the police officer asked us what we were doing because Kindal and Jason are such good looking people they thought we were in town doing a commercial shoot! In keeping with the town I treated some of these images so they look like old time photos. The last photo was captured in the dark and we used a flashlight to bring attention to jason and Kindal's faces. I'm really looking forward to photographing their wedding in Sedona, Arizona.

Mark & Christine's Wedding Album from Sedona, Arizona

2009-03-21T17:37:00.010-07:00

Just got Mark and Christine's wedding album back from the binder. It's beautiful. They opted for a traditional album with each individual photograph being mounted, matted and sprayed. They choose a mahogany cover that went very well witht he sepia toned image that was inset. I can't wait to deliver this to them at the end of the month when I head down to Phoenix to shoot another. I really enjoy sharing the unveiling of the albums with the couple when it's possible. I just love the look on their faces when they see their wedding album for the first time. The front of the wedding album starts at the bottom of the post.... So scroll on down to see it in the proper order. You can just see how much Christine and Mark love each other through the images.

I'm baaaack

2009-03-21T17:06:00.003-07:00

It's been a while since I've let you know what's going on in my photographic life.... And my wife Holly read me the riot act about it. Said I better get crackin! So I am. Posts are coming soon! It's good that she keeps me on track! Actually she was quite nice but she is right I need to stay on top of sharing with you. Thanks Holly!

Dad passed away

2008-10-06T14:54:00.004-07:00

I'm going to miss him. He was an amazing man. I knew that. But after going through his papers and hearing from his friends I found out he was even better and more generous than I thought! I'll share a story or two...

A woman who lived in the same building as dad told me when they first met they were in an elevator and were chatting. My dad enjoyed dancing quite a bit. She mentioned that she hadn't danced in years - since her husband passed away. Next thing you know she said dad started dancing with her right there in the elevator. And he danced her all the way down the hall to her door....

He delivered Meals on Wheels to others at the age of 86...

He supported many charities that I wasn't aware of, and his church and others...

If you search down through my blog posts you'll see more of my dad.

Anyway I don't want to bore you with his exploits like dancing with the chemo technician, (he was being treated for Multiple Myeloma) the x-ray tech, the bank teller, well you get the idea. You are probably beginning to wonder what this has to do with photography? I'm getting to that.

His next door neighbor is very wonderful and beautiful woman, age 89. I asked if she would mind if I created a portrait of her. She agreed and while doing that I focused on her hands and the bible she was holding... It came out beautiful and is titled "Enduring Comfort." I decided to try to carry on where my dad left off and am offering this print for sale with all proceeds going to Meals on Wheels in his honor. A 5x7 signed print matted to 8x10 is $59. 8x10 signed print matted to 11x14 is $79. + shipping. Call for a quote on a canvas prints and larger sizes and multiple print orders. Please if you think anyone might be interested in the print and supporting Meals on Wheels please share this blog entry with them. Thanks for your time...

Images from Italy

2008-07-29T02:27:00.010-07:00

I've been working on processing the images from the Italy workshop tour I helped to lead in May. I want to go back! The images are being well received and I've been asked by a gallery to show my work there. I'll let you know how it works out after all the details are in... Also finally putting up my photographic fine art web site where you will be able to purchase art prints. It's being designed right now but I'll put the link up anyway. If you see something you'd like in the meantime you can just call me to talk about sizes and printing options. 928-284-0200 Here's the web site http://sedonavista.com"

Lee Family Portrait at Red Rock Crossing, Sedona, AZ

2008-07-27T17:02:00.004-07:00

Photographed the Lee Family Portrait and had a great time! This family was so much fun. You can see the group photo and an individual couple photo of the parents. We also photographed each individual family, the kids together, grandkids together,,, You get the idea. This was for their 50th wedding anniversary. (We also photographed Dixon and Kim's wedding here in Sedona too.)

If you are ever coming to Sedona and are interested in getting your family portrait made (even if your family is only a couple!) give me a call and we'll see what we can do..... You also don't need to wait for a big occasion like an anniversary. Just having the gang together is reason enough!

Here's the text from Anne's thank you card...

Dear Bob,
The pictures came this week and are beautiful. I don't know if I could be any happier or more pleased with them. We all enjoyed working with you. You made it fun and I don't like having my picture taken. The kids are still talking about how good all the photos turned out and how much fun they had. Everyone that has seen them wanted to know how you could make so many look so good at one time. I told them it was magic. Hope we will see you next time we are out that way. Best wishes! Anne Lee

2008-06-23T14:47:00.005-07:00

It's been a busy week! You may or may not know that I also photograph commercial projects and some corporate events. This was over 150 people at the Enchantment Resort deep in the red rock region of Sedona. Getting a good expression on every person was a bit of work but worth it. Jessica (the coordinator from Enchantment) told me that when Molly saw it she said, "That's the best group photograph I've ever seen! And I've seen a lot's of group photos." Got great feedback from the people in the image also. I always try to exceed expectations...

Christine and Mark pre-wedding session Sedona, Arizona

2008-06-23T14:39:00.002-07:00

These images are of Mark and Christine from their pre-wedding shoot the other day. We had such fun a fun time! You can tell that they really like each other - as well as love each other - by the way they interact. It was a real pleasure doing their session. We even had a little chat about doing something really abstract /artistic with their reflection in the water. Take a look below. This will be presented as a gallery wrap canvas.... Really looking forward to photographing their wedding at the Sedona Golf Resort. We're going to start with "Private Time" then photograph family and the wedding party and then take a scenic Sedona tour to get different backdrops for their wedding photos....

Christine and Mark in front of Cathedral Rock. This is a great place to make portraits.

This art print will be printed on canvas as a Gallery Wrap.

Italy Workshop - Weddings in Europe anyone?

2008-05-30T07:24:00.007-07:00

Just returned from 11 nights in Italy helping to lead a photographers workshop with Jim Chamberlain. It was incredible and exhausting, but an wonderful learning experience. Having my camera in my hands capturing images 10-12 hours a day for that length of time and sharing ideas and techniques with other photographers really stepped up my skills. It made me realize I need to spend even more time with my camera as a professional.... learning the nuances and capabilities of it. Tiger Woods doesn't play golf only on weekends! So as a professional I will be working with my camera and images even more. Here's a sampling of some of the photos I captured on the trip. http://bcphotography.com/clients/italy_art_web" If you would like to purchase any of the prints from Italy send me an email and we can put something together. I'll also have some of these posted at http://artongiclee.com" If you want to learn more about Jim Chamberlains's Photography workshops you can check out his web site http://www.chamberlainphoto.com/" . He runs 2-3 photography workshop tours a year to Italy and France. If you are a pro or advanced amateur you want to check these out! PS If you would like to have me photograph your wedding at cool locations around the world let me know.

Engagement portrait part two Sedona, AZ

2008-04-04T15:23:00.004-07:00

I really like Crescent Moon State Park for all the different looks and backgrounds you can get in a pretty short walking distance, Here's Tom and Jenn who just got engaged earlier in the afternoon before the shoot! Tom' sister bought the portrait shoot at a fundraiser from the Junior League of Phoenix. It was fun to be a part of their day....

Engagement Portrait Sedona, AZ

2008-04-04T14:58:00.006-07:00

Mysti and Jason are getting married in August here in Sedona. We just photographed their engagement, or as I like to call it, their pre-wedding practice session. This works great. We get to know each other better, get some practice time in so the wedding day portraits are that much better and we get some images to use for a display at the wedding reception and an image for the cards to let people who attend the wedding know where they can see images online. We had a wonderful time capturing images at Crescent Moon State Park. The two on the bottom are from an overlook. Can't wait to hear from them about their photos.

Conventions and education...

2008-03-29T05:52:00.003-07:00

Haven't been posting lots of images because for the first quarter of this year I've been attending conventions to get more education, writing a monthly newsletter on business and marketing for photographers, working with a software developer to create products to help photographers in their business and am helping to market a wonderful new service for photographers called Your Images Forever which I'll be using in my business. It's offsite storage for images that are stored on geographicly redunant servers. Why is this important to you? Once your images are in the YIF vault they will be protected on my end in case of fire, or flood or equipment failure here at the studio. And from your end in case of anything happening to your wall art or albums you know that copies will be available to recreate your memories, just in case....

Here are the web addresses if you want to see what I've been up to.

http://bcphotography.com/clients/italy_art_web"
http://successful-photographer.com"
http://studioassistant.com"

Getting back to shooting more. Wedding and portrait session inquiries are starting to pour in. (must be spring!) If you need to book a wedding date or family portrait session you should call for to schedule your date before it fills up. 928-284-0200 or Toll Free 877-746-8646

Houston Wedding Album Updates

2008-03-29T05:43:00.002-07:00

Been working on producing wedding albums.... They can take a bit of time especially when they have a lot of images in them. If you remember the Houston wedding of Lori and Andreas (see posts below) Lori's mom Joan ordered her own album with 180 plus images. It's in full production now. I'll show you some page spreads later on. Here's some of an email I just received from Lori,

"Currently, I have about 730 photos (out of your 1250) that I would like in
the album and/or in my scrapbook. I am still reviewing the DVD every so
often and each time I get rid of a few more. Obviously,it is quite a lot,
but ...it is your fault since y'all took a lot of wonderful pictures ; ) So
I'll keep working on decreasing the number.

Mom told me last week that she and Dad will be buying Andreas and I an 80
side album with the 8x12 pages. We are very excited about that since I was
afraid it might be fewer pages. Yippee!!!

As soon as Lori gets her selections in we'll start the design of her album too.

Gerrie & Michael after wedding

2008-02-25T10:25:00.002-07:00

On Saturday Gerrie & Michael had an intimate wedding at a freinds house in Sedona. Sunday they came by for a portrait session to use for their wedding announcement cards. Gerrie wanted highkey images on the white background which led nicely to the reverse vingetteing.

This is the one they chose.... They look great together don't you think??

We also had some fun with Gerrie's wedding dress spruced up with her cowboy hat!!

AZPPA Print Competition

2008-02-24T10:33:00.003-07:00

Arizona Professional Photographers Association (AZPPA) had their annual Convention and print competition this past weekend (16-18 Feb) and it was well attended. We had the most print cases submitted in a few years... I got named AZPPA Master Commercial Photographer of the Year for a print that I photographed for one of our favorite restaurants in the Village of Oak Creek at the Outlet Mall called the Marketplace Cafe. They do a great job and I consider them my "local." Michelle and Jeff have done a great job and I'm so glad to be able to help them promote their restaurant with award winning imagery. My other prints did well also so I was also named AZPPA Top Ten Photographer for the 7th time in 8 years. Here are the scoring prints from the case....

This is the MPC Image. It won Commercial Master Photographer of the Year and is in the AZPPA Traveling Loan Collection

This image was put together from a calendar project I did for the Sedona Arts Center. It was a blast to shoot. Based on the Calendar Girls movie and all the subjets posed (tastefully) nude. It made me realize that I can make people extremely comfortable in front of the camera which I feel is 3/4 of my job. It was called Expose Yourself to the Arts. It received second place in the commercial division and is in the AZPPA Traveling Loan Collection.

I love the Texture and Form of this one. It's also in the Traveling Loan Collection.

This one is from a personal project trying to capture moments of dance... It's called Tango and received a merit. Any dancers who would like to be photographed? Drop me an email and let see what we can do.

Jim & Lisa romantic image

2008-02-24T10:26:00.002-07:00

I love images that capture the emotion of the moment at the wedding. There were probably prettier images captured at this wedding at the Creekside Inn in Sedona, but this is the one that really grabbed me. I can see the love and tenderness and after realizing that it moved me I thought I'd share it with you. I think making the image sepia tone adds to the timeless feel. Color can sometimes distract us from the content and Black and white can be a little cold for people images. Let me know what you think....

Featured Photographer of the Month

2008-02-16T01:41:00.004-07:00

In the Wedding and Portrait Photographer's Photography Monthly Newsletter I was featured as member of the month. This is put out in association of WPPI's Rangefinder Magazine. Very cool! If you would like to see the article you can check it out here. It's titled The Special Non-specialist and was written by Linda May. http://www.wppionline.com/newsletter/Jan08/member-month.tml

This is a screen capture of the beginning of the article.

Creekside Inn Wedding Sedona, Arizona

2008-02-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Just photographed an intimate two person Sedona wedding at Creekside Inn on Saturday. Lisa and Jim were wonderful. You can tell when the couple really enjoy each other!! We captured images of the wedding at Creekside and then went to the bottom of Schnebly Hill to get some red rock shots. It was a beautiful February day so the red rock color popped and the sky was that really deep blue. I stiched together 7 photos to put together this panoramic. Can't wait to hear what they think of it.

Mentoring Fellow Photographers- benefits Thirst Relief

2008-02-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

OK the auction is on for 90 minutes of me mentoring a photographer. And the auction closes Febuary 12th unless there is a bidding war. You can bid at the following web address...
http://www.fotoverite.org/auction2/auction_details.php?name=Bob-Coates&auction_id=184
The initial bid is $50 and with the extras that I am throwing in the value of the session, books and CDs is $733 See the post below for more details.