Brooke Schultz Photography--Utah County Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The Brand-Spankin New Website/Blog!

2011-09-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Oy, peeps, I am giddy to tell you that my new website and blog are officially UP! Yahooo! Man oh man I have been waiting for this day in gleeful anticipation for a long time.
This means there won't be any more Brooke Schultz right here, so hop on over and check out the new loveliness!

New website: brookeschultzphotography.com
New blog: brookeschultzphotography.com/blog-main

There's already a sneak peak of my latest anniversary session over there,
and more of my little me-sesh with the husband coming soon! (It was quite hilarious. I'll have to tell you all about the crazy control freak I was, posing myself, obsessing about the lighting, and telling him what angles to use. HAH.)

Pop on by and say hello!

Happy Wednesday!

Featured: Utah Bride Blog

2011-09-13T10:15:00.001-07:00

Oh, I love Utah Bride Blog. It’s so great to see all things wedding specific to Utah! I’m amazed at the constant creativity of brides and grooms and the great vendors and venues in our fabulous state. If you’re soon to be wed in Utah, these folks have TONS of delicious inspiration.

They featured Amber & Seth’s nautical anniversary session—go on over and take a look!!

Thanks so much, UBB!

Just One

2011-09-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

In the world of digital everything where you can access billions of photos at the click of a mouse,
(do I sound like a grandma yet?)
I often forget the beauty of a single photograph.
The ability of just one frame to completely capture a person.
The way having just one photo makes me notice details, like flyaway bright blond hair, a tiny orange flower she picked up on her way to work, or the exact shade of green eyes.

A good reminder for me to slow down to stop and really smell the (photographic) roses.

So here's your challenge, photographic or otherwise: create just one. Create independent; tell the story, embody your brand, epitomize your personality--in just one.

P.S. I'd love to see the results!

And She Doesn’t Like Having Her Picture Taken.

2011-09-08T12:26:00.001-07:00

Tiffany is our newest designer/social media/general awesomeness woman here at Women’s Services. I loved taking her picture, because she was like, “I don’t like having my picture taken!” And helllo. She is beautiful and incredible.

Dear World. Please know that if you don’t like having your picture taken I understand—and that I believe it is always the photographer’s fault if you don’t look good. Always. Pressure’s off you, lovelies.

Candles In An Ice Cream Pie

2011-09-06T10:23:00.001-07:00

Birthdays in my family are like your own personal Saint day. You’re banned from lifting a finger around the house, Mom makes your favorite foods for you all day long, you get to bring treats to school to share and let everyone know it’s your birthday…not to mention presents. I. LOVE. Surprises.

Every September 6th I have woken up to find balloons and homemade streamers decorating the kitchen with a scrumptious breakfast waiting, no matter how early I had to go to school. (See that cinnamon roll up above? That puppy ain’t Pillsbury.) This year I ordered up those cinnamon rolls, salmon sandwiches, and that incredible mint Oreo pie creation you see from Café Momma—holy mackerel, my stomach was in a whole other world.

Every birthday for probably ten years I requested high heels, dress ups, clip-on earrings, and anything else the girly mind could dream up. How I adore the home videos of me with my pre-braces mouth, grinning from ear to ear with a gap in between my two front teeth, drenched in a pile of Barbies and gaudy costume jewelry. I loved it all.

Only a little has changed: I exchanged my wish for dress ups to a dreamy bedspread, and Barbies for a show at the Hale Center Theater. Funny how everything changes, but nothing changes, right?

Thank you to those angelic brothers, parents, husband, and friends of mine who make my day special year in and year out.

A Rhubarb Love Story

2011-09-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

We drove what felt like a hundred miles, and my butt was a little bit asleep. My eyes ached from looking at lame stuff like homework all day. But finally, me and my man; even on a road trip so unglamorous, it felt good to be in the same vicinity as the resident favorite human being in my life.

Stopped off at my parents' house and emerged with tomatoes vivid red, squash, and stalks of rhubarb from Momma's garden. The rhubarb was long and skinny and stuck out of the lil plastic bag it was carried in.

And on the way back to our apartment, we blasted this song and let our vocal chords belt it out as loud as they felt like. And there, riding down I15 with my love and the rhubarb stalks growing up from the plastic bag like gargantuan celery stalks, I felt the same rush I did when I was nineteen and first fell in love with this boy.

It felt so, so good.
I made the most delicious crisp with that rhubarb.

Southern CA+LA—and How to Take Better Vacation Photos

2011-09-01T12:38:00.001-07:00

I’m totes not a take-pictures-of-nature kind of person. Hence I’m not a landscape photographer. So usually, on vacation and touristy excursions, I take about a hundred pictures of nothingness, hate them all, never edit them, and they never see the light of day (aka the internet). BUT. I decided during a few days of our time in California to go out on a limb and take some vaca shots with seriousness, and hey. Here we are.

The firsts are of the San Juan Capistrano Mission, which is a super cool place that’s like a million years old and is overflowing with awesome things to experience and learn about.
Our next adventure was a day trip to LA to REALLY celebrate our anniversary. We started with Little Tokyo because it was Japan that brought us together in the first place (Jared served a mission for our church there, and was my brother’s favorite companion.) Someday I’ll tell you the whole story.
They have a festival there for every new year, and everyone writes their wishes for the upcoming year—they were displayed on every tree through the whole of Little Tokyo—made me want to grow a tree inside my house and recreate the coolness of it all.

Then the Hard Rock Café, Walk of Fame, Wax Museum, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach!
I have to be honest, I liked that flag almost more than the burger.

Oh, and Marilyn was there. Wassup. Jared and I each chose a couple stars to take photos with. Of course, I chose Ella and Aretha. Only the best. Jared: MJ.

Poor Jared was so tired of posing for me. I had to beg him for the last shot.
Which leads me to….my tips for better vacation photos!

1. Find the balance. You don’t want to be lugging your camera everywhere, especially if it’s an SLR. Plan out the days and times you know you want to have your camera with you, and other than that, sit back and enjoy the ride. Being a photographer, sometimes I get a little whiny about picture-perfect moments that pass me by on vacation, but I’m slowly learning to soak it up and live instead of being in photographer mode all the time.

2. Be selective. Like I said, I can’t even bear to think of all the times I took seventeen pictures of flowers on a trip and never did anything with a single one. Especially digital photographers seem to fall into the trigger-happy trap, and it makes the post-process pretty excruciating. I mean, how can you choose between seventeen pictures that are practically the same? It’s positively beastly.

But I’m not just talking about being selective with the number of times you press the shutter button—I’m also talking about being selective with the number of times you round people up for pics. Kids, pets, and husbands have a very certain breaking point here, (have you noticed?!) and the last thing you want is a photo of Wife grinning gleefully and Husband ripping his hair out because he can’t take one more picture. It goes a long way if parties involved are made aware that there will be x number of posed photos in x spot for x number of minutes. This is the most important tip, by far. I could say it a thousand times, peeps. Be selective.

3. Tell the story. Document the details and get as much variety as you can. This one is key for me, because after the seventh palm tree I’m taking pictures of my feet. I love to include the food we eat, the funny things we see and the souvenirs we buy, even more so than the traditional touristy spots. Everyone has a picture in front of Cinderella’s castle, right? Focusing on the details that made your trip unique and memorable will make your photos that much more valuable when you dig them out again five years from now.

4. Care about composition. Even if you’re working with a point-and-shoot, the most wonderful thing you can do for your photos is to care about composition and lighting. If you snap snap snap away with either the haphazard get-everything-in-the-picture mentality or shoot with the I’ll-photoshop-it-later mentality, you’ll wind up with less than fab photos and a lot of frustration. Find angles, light, and details that interest you, just like in any type of photography, and capture those first and the to-do list photos second (if at all.) More candid; less posed. More authentic emotion to document your trip; less saying “cheese.”

These tips are all about capturing the essence of a trip—emotions, people, and places. In that order. Is that how you feel about your vacations, or am I totally up in the night?

Hope these help! :)

The New Girl.

2011-09-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

Lisa is a new intern at Women’s Services and she is beautiful. I love working with multitalented, compassionate, wonderful women! She is a professional giggler, music lover, and therapist. Breathtaking.

I’m Beautiful Because: Black and White

2011-08-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

Black and white has transformative power for me—it says things color can’t even touch. And really, I just can’t stop thinking about how I love these women.

Want real pictures of yourself to remind yourself of your beauty? Let’s talk.

Billions of Celebrations

2011-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've had about a billion things to celebrate in the past bit:

1. Jared's graduation! He's officially a college grad with a degree in Public Health from BYU. What a stud. His parents came into town and we had a blast eating delicious food at Los Hermanos, trying to devour a way-too-big cake, playing Marco Polo in our pool, and getting out of a speeding ticket driving around in Springville. This is a skill I really wish I had. If anyone offers police....er, management services, sign me up! Jared's dad said five words and POOF. Not even a chance of a ticket. How do those people do that?? Maybe I just have a guilty face.

2. Thing number two we celebrated was our anniversary! AGHH I love this man I married.

3. Thing number three was my mom's birthday--the picture is her face when she saw her new patio furniture! Which, can I just say, there are few things more wonderful than eating a gourmet breakfast outside on a perfect summer morning with the people you love? That's the life. Get yourself some of that.

4. Thing number four is being done with school for a few weeks/our anniversary again: we journeyed to California to be with Jared's family and got to see our nieces, Daylynn and Addison, for a little while yesterday. They are two of the most gorgeous children ever created, so of course I had to take some photos. SO we've been here for a bit, eating and relaxing and beaching and playing.
My life is too wonderful for me to handle sometimes. HOW did I get this lucky?

Stay tuned for more from our loverly California trip, LA and love included.

Giveaway!

2011-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

I'm doing an anniversary session giveaway over at Young People In Love (which is hilarious, insightful, inspiring and all other things wonderful), and you should enter because it's going to be, um, awesome.
Go HERE for the deets.

That Day I Fed You Cake

2011-08-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is the cake we fed to each other that day.
I loved you a lot while I fed you that cake. After we ate that cake, we danced our first dance together as marrieds,
and I thought about all the times we'd danced before that, in the living rooms of various apartments by low light when our roommates had gone to sleep.

I thought about all the times we'd dance after that, in our newly shared bedroom, in our freshly painted kitchen--anytime the beauty of our relationship needed to just be SAID in a different way.

I thought I loved you a lot when we danced and kissed and whispered into each others ears on August 14th, 2010.

And on August 14th, 2011 I was wrong.

They always like to tell you about how you'll grow together. But it's hard to have that make sense to your mind and soul that are already busting with love you already never thought possible. It's hard to imagine more feelings, more depth, and more joy coming into your heart without it exploding. And someone might have to explain the physics to me, because it happened. I love this man a billion times more 368 days later. Literally a billion, I tell you.
.............................................
I would sit up late writing about this, thinking of possible ways to show this incredible man how much I adore him. I wanted to say it with my words and my thoughts and my fingernails and big toes and all I had were puny words? I love you? Anyone can say that. Anyone at all.

But I'm slowly realizing that the beauty of love is precisely this: you can't describe it very well. You can't depict the height and depth and width of all the feelings and experiences with words or flowers or cake. You can't describe what is shared and mutually known or bottle it up to save and put under your pillow every night--it's just floating in the air all around the two of you, encased in the drawers with your canned goods, intertwined into your placemats and folded in with your laundry. That's the real wonder: it is bigger than all of these things, bigger than words themselves--and at the same time, it is as simple as rolling over and smelling the smell of sleep on his skin, smiling because he is just so darn hot, and that feeling of contentment knowing that he loves you so completely, so wholly and so perfectly, despite that time you broke up with him because you weren't sure.

I'm amazed at my luck in getting to spend eternity with this incredible man.
I love you, baby. Happy anniversary.

*photo above by the talented Ashlee Raubach

Recapturing the Beauty of Compliments.

2011-08-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

You've been here: "Oh my gosh, your bag/shirt/umbrella is so cute, where did you get it?"
But how often have you been here: "You just have such a way with people. You are so compassionate and genuine! I really appreciate that about you."
Yeah, that's what I thought.

Compliments regarding bags/shirts/umbrellas are not evil. We appreciate them. But do we compliment the superficial at the expense of the internal?
Because I'll tell you what: the high from a hair compliment keeps me going for about two minutes, and I really enjoy those two minutes. But after that? The sensation is gone, and I'm left to scour the world for another hairdo worth another compliment for another two minutes of glory.
When someone gives me a genuine compliment about a quality I have, a trait I've tried to develop, or how I handled a situation, I'm beaming for weeks. Not only do I feel warm fuzzies toward this person for complimenting me, I feel deeply connected. Deep connections with others are not only linked to happiness, but are basically what we live our lives for, yes?

I'd like to pursue that avenue. I'd like to focus on the inner beauty of the people in my life, not in a sappy-lame-oh-so-sweet-spirit way, but in a way that hones in on the unique characteristics that make people truly beautiful, beyond Photoshop and one-size-fits-all.

Photographing the "I Am Beautiful Because..." project, I have seen beauty in a way I have never seen it before in my life. And I've seen a lot of beauty, I'll tell you. To say it's been eye opening would be a gross understatement, and I struggle to describe my experience with words. I have met women I probably never would have met otherwise. I have seen them be vulnerable in front of a camera, some more self-conscious than others. I have heard them tell me their plans for the future, their hopes and their dreams that were created from nights lying awake in bed, prayers on knees and tears and cheeks. Even though we only had twenty minutes together, I felt deeply connected to each woman, because the nature of what we were doing together cracked her open enough for me to see her, really see her.
And then I had this crazy epiphany.
That all this stuff I talk about really isn't a load of manure.

That it really is true.

That every single person really is beautiful.

These women brought me their crooked teeth, their gray hairs, their imperfect eyes that needed glasses for seeing, their bodies not shaped like ones in magazines--some pregnant, some having born children, some crinkled with age. The beauty of imperfection was right there: in the connection we shared. I saw those wrinkles and I thought about proof of living. I saw those bodies, soft from babies and I thought about sacrifice.

I complimented and I meant it.
I feel blessed to have been a witness to all of you women opening yourselves up enough to share something precious with me. It has been a rare joy.
........................................................
What's the best compliment you've ever received?

Camille + Logan: Maternity Part 2

2011-08-09T15:44:00.001-07:00

Just stunning, you two.

Logan loves tennis and hopes Sadie will too!

Camille + Logan—Maternity

2011-08-08T12:12:00.001-07:00

Camille and I were friends in high school and now she is expecting! We planned our session for a good month, and I was giddy every time I read Camille’s emails with more creative ideas! She is a wonder.

And hey universe? Can I please be as gorgeous and put together as Camille when I’m pregnant? Because I have this strange feeling that my hair is going to be perpetually plastered to my skull with anticipatory nervous sweat and that I will never get out of my pajamas. So if you could please just sign me up to look exactly like Camille, I would very sincerely appreciate it. Love, Brooke.
*shot in west Provo, Utah

This one is my FAVORITE. Ahhhh.

Congratulations, you two! Can’t wait to meet little Sadie!

Rattlesnakes and Popsicles.

2011-08-05T14:50:00.001-07:00

This family was so much fun—they have the cutest kids and Dione and Taylor are two of the most laid back, nicest people ever known to the earth. Other than the fact that there was a RATTLESNAKE ten feet away from me at one point, we had a wonderful time eating popsicles and blowing bubbles. The perfect summer day! (I want to talk more about that rattlesnake, but it gives me the heebie jeebies every time I think about it. I hate snakes more than anything else on God’s green earth and hearing it rattle basically stopped my heart. agghhh pity me.)


Every girl needs a pair of sunglasses like these.

This picture was so serendipitously candid. Bubble bliss.

And then came the popsicles—here was Brynn’s face when she found out she was getting one! Sheer joy.
I LOVE this one.

What an adorable family! Dione, thanks so much for having me!

Amber + Seth: Nautical Love Part Two

2011-08-03T15:04:00.001-07:00

Still drooling.

Wow, you two, just wow.

Amber + Seth: Nautical Love Shoot

2011-08-02T09:59:00.001-07:00

Remember that super awesome giveaway I did? Amber was the lovely winner with her nautical idea and I can’t even tell you how many excited ants were in my pants about this shoot. She went all out—this girl is one talented stylist, so if you are itching for a love session of your own, check out her blog here.

Don’t worry, I definitely spent the session squealing like a little girl at Amber and Seth’s cuteness, sweating, fogging up my glasses with the sweating, and squealing some more. These two are a dream come true—so in love and not afraid to show it. They were married two years ago after meeting at BYU while living at the Riviera—where I lived once too! We all want to end up back in Washington some day, where Seth is from. It was especially wonderful working with a couple who has been married for a while as opposed to an engaged couple—they just had a safety and comfort about their relationship that was incredibly beautiful to watch.

If you’re considering a love session or anniversary session, srsly, you gotsta do it. Your love deserves as much documentation and TLC now as it did before you were married. (FYI: Anniversary sessions include getting back in your wedding dress, and a love session is just you and your love, whatever you want—more the equivalent of engagements.)

And also you should know that they are incredibly good looking. Alright, you’ve been given fair warning.
They brought hydrangeas because they were growing like crazy on their honeymoon! I love props that mean something. I hate props that mean nothing. The end.

Amber made Seth’s boutonniere! Are you dying yet?

Ahh, I loved it with all my heart. Thanks so much, you two!

Amber + Seth: Nautical Love Shoot Sneak Peak

2011-08-01T15:53:00.001-07:00

Um, can you say drool?
I kept having to pick my jaw up off the ground at these two. Just wait til you see it all!!

Happy Birth.

2011-08-01T13:33:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday, husband.
I love your blue eyes and your closet full of striped shirts and the way you tickle me even though you get violent when I tickle you.

When I am doing the dishes for what seems like the hundredth time in a measly week, and the laundry is still living crumpled in the dryer, I take deep breaths and look into this man’s eyes. I see them clear and blue, ringed with strong black. I remember the day I first looked into those eyes and loved the light in them more than I could explain; I remember his twenty-third birthday, and his twenty-fourth, how he hates fanfare and how I get grumpy when he won’t let me make a big deal of him.

You are a big deal.
Plus you’re hot and I want to show you off.

I will remember the day you were twenty five and we stole away to lunch and sat listening to the rain while it pounded on our car.

Someday I will remember your thirtieth, fiftieth and ninetieth birthdays, too. You will still be gorgeous.

I can’t wait to grow old with you.

Hadley’s One Year Old Photos: Mother Daughter Portraits

2011-07-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

I loved capturing the relationship between these two—you can tell how much they love each other. This is what photography is all about. I feel so lucky to have been a witness to such an intimate bond. It’s truly incredible.

And Mom made this adorable sign, too! Celleigh and Hadley, you girls were a dream.

Hadley’s One Year Old Photos

2011-07-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

When Celleigh contacted me about doing her daughter’s one year old photos I was stoked, but I was even more stoked when Celleigh showed up with Hadley because 1. Celleigh is gorgeous, stylish, and loves J.Crew almost as much as me. {and} 2. She brought so many fun toys and things that are special to Hadley—which makes my job so much easier. When I am a mom, I am going to ~~take lessons from~~ hire Celleigh to dress my children.

Shot at Nelson’s Grove Park in Orem, Utah.

After Hadley’s dress was thoroughly soaked, we played peek-a-boo!
Is she a doll or what?!

Flooded.

2011-07-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

My house flooded yesterday. Just a little bit.

Just our carpet was a little bit soaking wet. Just we had to gather up a multiplicity of fans to air out the room so we don’t grow mildew. No big deal.

But really, everyone was so nice about it and hopefully it’s all going to be fixed without any major trauma or mental breakdowns or legal actions. And only our feet got wet; no one was drowning. Still, I was kinda ticked at that carpet pad for getting all wet without my permission and encroaching on my supposed-to-be reeeelaxing snuggly night with my husband.

Pretty things make me feel better…because right now, that carpet with all the fans and the stuff all knocked around is anything but.

Hope your Wednesday is wonderful! What are you up to?

Natalie’s “I Am Beautiful Because…”

2011-07-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

Natalie and her adorable family were visiting Provo from Alaska and took some time out of their vacation to pose for the I Am Beautiful Because series. They are such a happy family and little Charlotte was making all of us swoon and drool with her adorable antics. I am amazed at all the incredibly well-behaved babies I am meeting lately—it doesn’t do much for my baby hunger, I’ll tell you that.

Meet Natalie. She is amazing.

Thank you so much, Natalie, for making the effort to come down!

Charlotte, I just might trek to Alaska to kidnap you.

Summer, Kennedy and Cameron

2011-07-21T15:42:00.001-07:00

Summer is my dear cousin, and all of us younger cousins have idolized her for as long as I can remember. We’d beg her to do our hair, dress us up and take pictures. I remember visiting her and being thrilled that I got to stay in her room. I would perch on the edge of the bed, watch her blow-dry her hair and gaze, enthralled. She was always so glamorous.

I have so many fond memories asking her my deepest girl questions, talking about boys and what everyone wrote in her yearbook. Just the fact that she would even talk to me made me feel like a million bucks.

She is magnetic, and incredible in more ways than it would even be possible to say. I was so thrilled when she asked me to take some pictures of her and her two kids, Kennedy and Cameron. These two are such fireballs and keep me giggling the whole time! It’s unbelievable how quickly they have grown—it seems like just yesterday I was tagging along with my mom to Summer’s baby shower for Kennedy.

AGH. I just love them. We had so much fun playing “Simon Says” and “Red Light, Green Light.” They are just magic—wanting to know what color my car is and what kind of toys I have at my house. I love being around them.

Oh, my! How could I forget? This is Asha. She was a very special part of our photoshoot, as per Kennedy’s insistence.

This is Cameron saying, “I’m not ready yet!”

She is probably the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, ever.
Cameron was cracking me up with his faces. He kept saying “Cheeeeeeeeese” without really smiling—hilarious.
Summer’s necklace says her kids’ names on it! I want one.

Thanks so much, Summer and family, for letting me have an excuse to see you again!