Wedding Photography | Bridal Photographer | Pictures

Official Part of the J* Team

Wed, 30 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

I decided to make him officially part of the team last week and the commonalities between my assistants are uncanny. JD and Polo are great at scoping for optimal locations, hard workers, and neither can resist the smell of bacon.

Happy Wednesday!

© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad.

The world welcomes Jade Matilda!

Tue, 29 May 2012 20:45:37 +0000

There are so many wonderful moments that I feel extremely blessed to be a part of and photograph. One of the most amazing things I've had the opportunity to photograph and witness are the births of my little nieces. Many of you may recall Lucy's birth story and Lola's birth story. What an emotional roller coaster, yet it's such a spiritual experience, photographs do not do it justice. I was thrilled when Jill and Kenny told me that they wanted me to be there to photograph the birth of their second baby girl Jade. What an intimate experience, to be honest I debated whether or not if I should blog these, but the images are too remarkable to not share (plus, I have the blessing from Kenny + Jill to share). Not to worry, I kept it clean!:) So here you go, let the images speak for themselves and tell this wonderful birth story of Jade Matilda!

Kenny liked adding a bit of comic relief by making silly faces while I was shooting!LOL!

I'm SO happy I get to have another beautiful niece in my life! Jade Matilda this aunt already loves you so much!

Malibu Engagement : Claire+Steve

Tue, 29 May 2012 09:01:00 +0000

It hadn't been a few days and her inbox was filled with responses. And winks. Claire wasn't used sure how this online dating thing worked, but when she signed up with match.com, she was pleasantly surprised to see such a warm welcoming via email. As she sifted through pictures and profiles, Claire saw Steve and something was different. A tiny spark of interest was about to ignite the flame of love.

Steve had a successful career and loved what he did, so dating sometimes took backseat to his business ventures. He created a dating profile with the hopes of finding a special person to share life with, and when Claire's picture popped onto his screen, he was smitten. His first thought was, This girl is hot, so he decided to sit and write a letter.

Claire had never received such a sweet, kind, and genuine letter online. Ever. She wrote back and started the correspondence that changed the course of their lives. On their third date, Steve invited Claire to Point Dume in Malibu. They walked to the top of the hill and overlooked the southern most point in Santa Monica Bay. It was the place they returned for their engagement session, a place where they had fallen in love.

After spending time with them in Malibu, I can't wait for their wedding in July...their days sounds nothing short of amazing in part to Amanda Auer's hard work...their wedding should be a customized version of their love.

Life is crazy is some ways...Claire moved to New York City for college, just a short distance from where Steve lived. They moved to California shortly thereafter but it took the internet to finally hook them up...

I'll end this post with this photo of two sweet people madly in love...

I'm honored to be a part of this wedding and I can't wait for what's in store this July!

© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad.

Memorial Day 2012

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

As a kid, Memorial Day was a pretty big thing in our house. Just before my dad made pancakes, he'd go outside in his favorite pair of red sweatpants and proudly display his American flag. He lost many friends during the Vietnam war, so the day was about remembering. Who they were, for what they fought, what they gave us.

Sometime later in the day, we'd have a barbeque or go to the beach because that's also what the day was about. For him. My dad said memories are for the living, so we must live and enjoy what's been given so freely to us by those who sacrificed their all.

Many thanks to those in the armed services who protect and serve...and their families who sacrifice so much too.

The lovely ladies at Style Me Pretty are showcasing a few of my military bridal photos of Michelle + Colton, so feel free to check it out here!

© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad.

Friday Randomness : Self Diagnosis

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

I've been self-diagnosed with Memorialweekenditis. It's like like that illness you got before spring break, but better because you don't have to borrow your mom's family van to cruise to the beach with homemade sandwiches in a cooler with a broken handle and scrounge parking money from a sticky ash tray filled with pennies. Say what? Never happened to you? THEN YOU HAVEN'T LIVED LIFE.

Here are a few things I found while strolling through the interwebs...

This is how I'd answer a True or False test...

WHO'S BEEN FOLLOWING ME AT THE AIRPORT!?!?

A perfect gift from Lebedev studios for that techy drunk in your life...

Happy Friday!

© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad.

Review : Canon 5D MIII

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:50:00 +0000

This post has been a long time coming. The main reason I waited in reviewing the Canon 5DMIII was because I wanted to use it...like, really, really use it. I wanted to use it in low-light situations, gauge the LCD screen in full sun, travel with it, and shoot a handful of engagements and weddings before I gave my opinions. However, if you'd like the abbreviated version, here ya go: I wanna make out with this camera and wear his varsity jacket.

85mm f/1.2 1/1000 200 ISO

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know I started my photography business photographing my first wedding with the Canon 20D in 2006. I upgraded to the Canon 5D in 2008 and later upgraded to the Canon 5DMII in 2010. Part of the reason I jumped at the 5DMII was because of the higher ISO capabilities, the video capabilities, the larger LCD screen, and what I hoped would be a better focusing system. Because I frequently shoot wide open (me and f/1.2 are long-lost camp buddies who sewed our initials onto each others' pillow cases in the summer of '94), I craved a focusing system that allowed me to maximize what I could do with great glass. The MII's focusing system wasn't an upgrade from the 5D and I actually preferred the color profiles from the 5D as opposed to the MII.

Either way, I used the 5DMII and enjoyed the video capabilities as an addition to the brand with the installments of Shooting Star.

85mm f/1.8 1/160 250 ISO

When the 5DMIII was announced, I immediately placed my order at Adorama and it arrived on my doorstep a couple days later. To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the new Menu layout and the focussing system. Yes, the FOCUSSING SYSTEM. I had to use cap locks because if you were sitting in my office, I'd be shouting in your face with a Puerto Rican accent that sometimes appears when I'm excited. The focussing system is beautiful, glorious, and makes me think Paula Dean is sitting on my sensor because when it locks in, it's like BUTTER.

Both the 5D and the 5DMII have a nine-point focus system, but the 5DMIII has a 61-point focus system. What this basically means is the focus points are magical now. No, really...have a looksie...

In all seriousness, because I was limited to the nine focus points on the MII, I was constantly focusing and recomposing my shot. Now that I have 61 options, it has radically changed my approach and yielded many more tact sharp photos. It took me a bit to learn how to quickly change my focal point while shooting on the fly, but it's slowly becoming second nature and totally worth the results.

The color profile for the MIII is vastly improved from the MII and most of the time I love the color straight out of camera (using the Standard Picture Style) when properly exposed, so these two things alone made my investment worthwhile. The added bonus was the gnarly 16000 ISO (although I have yet to have used it over 2000 ISO because when shooting wide open, even minimal light is just enough to capture the mood and moment) and though I hope I don't have to use it, it's nice to know I have it in a tough situation. At a recent wedding in Cancun, I shot without flash just past sunset using the just videographer's light to illuminate my subjects...

50mm f/1.2 1/100 1000 ISO

Even in strongly backlit situations, the focus is vastly superior to the 5D and 5DMII and I don't have to work as hard to get the shot I want. This was the only photo I took in this position because it locked in immediately and was completely in focus...

35mm f/1.4 1/2000 160 ISO

I'll end this review here because if I go on, I'll start talking about how I might tan my camera and enter it into a pageant because it's so worth of a Ultimate Grand Supreme crown and sash. Of course, it's always important to remember the camera doesn't make the photographer...the photographer makes the photographer. You don't need fancy gear to start a business or pursue your dreams and don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. This post was written merely to express my opinions, albeit silly and light-hearted. If you're looking for a legit techy review, simply Google what you're looking for and it'll pop up. For those who appreciate butter, unicorns, and tanning, this one's for you.

Stay Fabulous,
j*

© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad.

heather & spencer are engaged! (photographed by courtney)

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:20:00 +0000

Heather and Spencer are from out of town so their engagement session was a great way for me to meet this wonderful couple. I was so excited to discover how adorable and photogenic they are! We met at a park in Rochester and had a blast checking out the river and walking down the trail. Congratulations, I'm super excited to photograph your wedding! ~ Courtney

ritu & aaron are married!

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:12:00 +0000

I loved this wedding because the details were so intricate, the bride and groom were so great to work with, and the joining of two cultures could not have been done with more grace. The energy of the day was amazing! Ritu looked stunning in her colorful wardrobes, and Aaron looked fantastic as well! Their amazing flowers were done by Tom Thomspon Flowers, the gorgeous cake was by Henna The Pastry Palace, the stunning Henna was done by Sumeyys Rehman of Henna Craze, and Shelly from Simplicity Day of Event Coordination did an amazing job making sure that everything happened just as it should!

Congratulations, Ritu and Aaron!!!

Totally Rad Actions! and Radlab!

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:12:38 +0000

Many of my blog followers already know that I like to use TOTALLY RAD ACTIONS! to color tone my images, these actions help make my images look "RAD"-tastical and it's super easy to use, especially when you're using the RadLab to work these actions! I've also had a bunch of requests from followers to post the recipe I used on Jill's last maternity shoot. It also just happens that today is the LAST DAY to take advantage of the TOTALLY RAD ACTIONS! Mother's Day sale, so I thought I'd do a post featuring an actual mom along with the action recipe I used for this particular shoot (note: my recipes are constantly changing to fit the look of each individual shoot, that's the beauty of Totally Rad Actions!). Also, I have to say that I'm proud to be an actual "Radvocate" because 1. I LOVE the Totally Rad Actions! and 2. I get a little change in my pocket for each person that clicks through my blog to purchase their own actions or RadLab (the RadLab is worth every penny and beyond easy to use, don't worry, the lovely people over at TRA have a tutorial on their site that makes it even easier to use)!

Click here if you don't already have these amazing actions and be sure to use the discount code MOMSDAY to get a $50 discount! What a great deal!

So here's the recipe I used for Jill's maternity session using RadLab:

1. Vanilla Kiss- opacity lowered to 30%

2. Blueberry Cobbler- opacity lowered to 20%

3. Get Faded Neutral- opacity lowered to 40%

4. Boutwell Magic Glasses- opacity lowered to 50%

Kristen + Britt Engaged!

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:22:03 +0000

I shot this engagement session with Kristen + Britt a few months ago and have yet to show it off! I love the timeless look of it! Thanks to Kristen + Britt for spending a lovely afternoon at the beach with me!

My favorite shot of the day!

Congrats on the engagement you two! I'm looking forward to their upcoming wedding!

My kids lately!

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:10:36 +0000

Since the arrival of our little Monroe it's been crazy trying to keep up with all three of my kids. I had a goal this year to take more personal photos of my family and document our lives better. I've been doing just that, but have had hardly an extra minute to blog all the fun events and craziness here at the Lyon household!

So, my kids have been a bit on the absent side of my blog, more than I'd like them to be. I want to include more personal posts in between my wedding/portrait posts. Here are some photos I took of my kids on a random day a few weeks ago while Justin was away at Coachella.

I'm truly in-love with each one of my kids, their personalities just keep blooming and I'm trying to enjoy every minute of their childhood before it passes right by me!

Bought these bunny ears at the $1 bin at Target! I think they're hilarious on Monroe!

Yes....I do let my kids eat Otter Pops in the bathtub!

One of my favorite portraits of Monroe to date! LOVE her little dimple on her cheek below her left eye!

Thanks for humoring my love for my kids and letting me gush all over them:)

carrie & adam are engaged!

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:48:00 +0000

Carrie and Adam live in Chicago, and they booked me over the phone, so their engagement session was the first time we met. It was great to see that they're so gorgeous and easy to photograph. It was a rockin' day (despite some COLD temps), and I know their wedding will be rockin' too!

andrea & rich are engaged! (photographed by courtney)

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:46:00 +0000

I met Andrea and Rich for the first time at the Royal Park hotel in Rochester, where their upcoming wedding will be. I was so excited to learn that they're such a great couple, and are were naturals in front of the camera. Congrats to you both! ~ Courtney

natalie & papi are engaged!

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Natalie and Papi were super stylish and totally rocked their engagement session! Neither of them are originally from the U.S., and they both have awesome accents, which makes them even more fun to talk with! Congrats, you two!

lindsay & mike are engaged! (photographed by courtney)

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Lindsay and Mike love the Tigers and spend many nights at Comerica Park cheering them on, so I couldn't think of a more fitting spot for their engagement session. Mike's beloved (and I hear soon to be retired) hat also made an appearance. Thanks for a great session and congratulations to you both. ~ Courtney

Jill Expecting...again!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:48:24 +0000

Many of my readers may recognize Jill from her last maternity session! That shoot was one of my favorite maternity sessions, Jill came up with the concept of her and Kenny on a boat and around the docks. I wondered what Jill would come up with for her second maternity session that would top the last shoot. Well, she did it, she came up with the idea of having herself photographed in a grocery store, filling her cart with all the crazy things women crave when they're pregnant, all the while being a total glam-mama! It was super fun, definitely a step out of the box for me, and we were giggling the entire time! LOL! LOVE this maternity session Jill! Great idea!

My favorite shot of the day! Ha!

I can't believe Lola is already two! Jill + Kenny's family is growing, so fun!

I love that I get to have a new niece to love and hold! Newborn shots of baby Jade coming soon!

A year in the life of Hudson...he's 7!

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:21:22 +0000

I always like to a big blogpost of my kids for their birthdays, but I've recently decided to incorporate something different. I've decided to do a blogpost featuring a year in the life of each one of my kids every time they have a birthday because they change SO much in just one year! It's really fun to see the difference that takes place in my kids in just one year! So here you have it, a year in the life of Hudson...age 6 to 7!

Hudson on his 7th birthday! April 2012

Hudson on his 6th birthday! April 2011. Can you see the difference?! I'll also say that he's grown over 4 inches since his 6 birthday!

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

He learned how to ride a bike! September 2011

Played some soccer!

Had another sibling to love and watch over! He's REALLY a great big brother! It makes me so happy to watch him be so loving to Sloan & Monroe, I am really thankful to have him be the oldest of my kids, he's such a good helper to me and to Justin.

October 2011 Justin helped the boys make cardboard robots out of our recycling.

Halloween & Sloan's birthday party October 2011. Hudson and Grace.

November 2011 Our little family.

December 2011

January 2012 played some basketball, he was really fun to watch!

February 2012, he lost his two front teeth! I LOVE seeing his toothless grin:)

March 2012 Hudson and Charlie

March 2012 He loves to play baseball! Go Giants!

April 2012 He really likes to pick out his own clothes....can you tell?! Also, he's my little pirate. Because of his amblyopia in his left eye he gets to be a pirate for two hours each day to strengthen his weak eye. I think it's super adorable and handsome! :)

Still an amazing older brother, Monroe ADORES him, she can't get enough of her silly brother!

My three kids!

LOVE this shot of him! Says SO much about his personality! What a great kid!

I can brag about him because he's mine...what a stud!

Sloan is is ultimate best friend and pal! So glad these boys have each other!

Hudson's birthday party:

The one thing he really wanted to do was to have a Beyblade battle, it was pretty intense and awesome!

Hudson also wanted to have an Aquabats! themed birthday party. Since Justin is co-producing the new Aquabats Super Show! he was able to get a bunch of hats and mask goggles for the all the little boys at the party, they had a blast!

Happy 7th birthday to my wonderful little/big boy Hudson! Daddy and I are so humbled and honored to be your parents! We can't wait to see what the next year of your life will be like! Love you dude!

Jay + Marissa Engaged!

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:03:19 +0000

I was super excited to hear that Marissa + Jay were engaged to be married! Justin and I have known these two for quite some time as they have both worked on the kids television show that Justin helps to produce, Yo Gabba Gabba! Jay works as the Director of Photography (and does an amazing job at it too) while Marissa works in the hair/make-up department. These two are definitely a lovely pair and we are looking forward to the wedding in May up in San Luis Obispo!

My favorite shot of the day!

anna & stuart are married!

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Anna and Stuart's wedding was divine! They were so lucky to have a sunny day in March, and Meadowbrook was the perfect venue on such a perfect day. Anna is such a doll and looked stunning, while Stuart looked dapper in his very British cutaway tuxedo. We had a blast working with Mary Ann Ross (one of my favorite DJ's!!!), Vivianno's did an amazing job with the flowers, and Sweet Dreams made the stunning cake.

Congratulations to Anna and Stuart!!

Diana + Jon Engaged!

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:12:43 +0000

Wow, THAT was a long break for me to take from blogging! It was all due to us moving (only a 1.5 miles), but moving a family of five has definitely been a GREAT undertaking and yet SO refreshing! If you really want to spring clean your life, MOVE!

Anyway, I'm super excited to post this engagement session of Diana + Jon! We shot it at the Griffith Observatory in LA. I've shot there many times before, so I always challenge myself to come up with a whole new look for each couple, I want my couples to have images unique to them. This time we went up onto the roof of the observatory and explored with all of the white walls. I was having fun in the broad daylight shining on the white!

After being at the observatory we headed down to the park area and had fun in nature!

I couldn't choose between these three so all three of these next images are my favorite for the day!

I'm looking forward to the wedding in June up in San Francisco!

kim & joe are engaged!

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Don't let the sunshine in these photos fool you... it was FREEZING outside on this day! But Kim and Joe were total troopers and they toughed it out like pros without even looking like they're cold. They're such a stunning couple... they truly made my job easy that day! And thank you, Anthropologie, for having such an awesome window display for a background!

malinda & geoff are engaged!

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:40:00 +0000

Malinda and Geoff made arrangements for us to shoot inside of The Sugar House in Detroit... and it was amazing!!! It was the perfect setting for an adorable couple with so much retro charm... I could have photographed there all day! Yay for you two, I'm excited to shoot your wedding!

ritu & aaron are engaged!

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Shooting at The Henry Ford Museum is always fun, as is shooting such a cute couple! Ritu and Aaron were down for just about anything, and it was a really fun day wandering through the museum. Congratulations!!!

Thompson Family...Together part 2!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:47:35 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I was saving this fun family post of the Thompson family because I thought it would be a perfect feature on this holiday of love with the colors and fun graffiti wall at the end. I LOVE the Thompson family to pieces...and Lucy is such a crack-up, her personality just gets better and better the older she gets!

Here's to wishing you all a day full of love and happiness!

I have to give a big shout-out to my talented little sis Nicole DeAnne, she has a ROCKIN company that works magic on hair and make-up on most of my brides, seriously, her and her associates are amazing! If you're looking for a fantastic hair & make-up artist, I highly recommend Nicole DeAnne!

Lauren + Landon Married!

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:39:03 +0000

Lauren + Landon's wedding was one of the last weddings we shot in 2011, it was a delightful way to end the year with two AWESOMELY in love people!!

The groomsmen had their fun with Landon, I was dying laughing behind my camera for these!

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the bridesmaids' shoes! Each pair was hand picked by Lauren!

My favorite detail of the day was Lauren's bouquet! It felt very whimsical!

After shooting at the temple we ventured out to the beach...it was GREAT because the beach was empty, so it was just Lauren, Landon, the sand, the water, and the sunset....LOVED it!

My favorite shot of the day...the guy with his bike on the side adds a nice touch to the shot too!

A HUGE congratulations to Lauren & Landon!! Click here to see their slideshow!

Introducing the GO OUTSIDE Workshop!!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:01:59 +0000

Introducing our brand new workshop: GO OUTSIDE! I know it's been a while! A ton has happened between now and the last LYON-SHOP, Justin and I had new arrival to our family and have had to put things on hold for a bit. Recently we've received a TON of emails from people curious about our next LYON-SHOP date and figured it was time to get the workshop business going again! There will definitely be more LYON-SHOPs in the future, HOWEVER, this time around, Justin and I have partnered up with Matt & Angie Sloan of SLOAN PHOTOGRAPHERS to host a first ever workshop called GO OUTSIDE!

The THREE DAY workshop will be held on March 28th-30th in Palm Springs, CA. Check out what the GO OUTSIDE workshop is all about by visiting our rockin' website!

Expect a ton to learn, share, inspire, & laugh about! We are SUPER excited about this workshop because we get to spend THREE DAYS hanging out with all of the attendees, teaching, business talk, guest speakers with vendors we actually use, chatting, one-on-ones, presenting challenges, and conducting a real shoot with a real couple!

Be sure to sign up ASAP as seats are very limited due to space!

For further info visit our website, send an email to gooutsidewithus@gmail.com or CLICK HERE to sign up ASAP!

Justin, Matt, Angie, and I are BEYOND excited about this, can't wait to see who makes it out!:)

Best of 2011.....Weddings!

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:19:46 +0000

AND NOW, what I've been waiting all month long to post....the BEST OF WEDDINGS from 2011!!! What a FANTASTIC wedding year it has been, Justin and I couldn't be more happy with the wedding clients we were able to work with! This makes us even more excited for 2012 weddings!

2012 wedding season HERE WE COME!

Best of 2011.....RINGS!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:57:47 +0000

One of the funnest things to photograph on a wedding day (beside the bride and groom of course) are the set of rings! Ring-tography is what I like to call it! I do have to give credit to my talented husband Justin for most of these ring shots that were thought up and shot by him. I love looking over this collection in comparison to last year! Here are the best of rings from 2011!

Up next: Best of 2011....WEDDINGS!!! Be ready for it!:)

Best of 2011.....Engaged!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:17:51 +0000

It's always such a fun thing to get to know all of my wedding clients prior to their wedding day during their engagement session. This is a unique opportunity to see how they interact with each other and what their "love dynamic" is really like. I'm super happy with 2011's Best Of Engaged collection!

Still to come: The Best Of Rings & Weddings!

Best of 2011.....Portraits!

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:47:11 +0000

It's my favorite time of year when I get to go through everything that was shot over the past year and gather all of my favorite photos to be featured in mine and Justin's "best of" portfolios! This is an overwhelming task and one that gets me all choked up with emotion by the AMAZING clientele Justin and I have had sweet pleasure of working with...SERIOUSLY, mine & Justin's hearts are full of gratitude towards these people for allowing us to continue our art and ABSOLUTELY LOVE what we do!!!

Over the next few weeks I'll be featuring the best of engagements, the best of weddings, and the best of ring shots!

First up is the BEST OF 2011 PORTRAITS! Since I was pregnant for most of 2011 I wasn't able to blog many of these portrait sessions due to energy and time constraints, so I'm super duper excited to at least show of my favorites from each one. Thank you to my portrait clients, I love all of you!:) Enjoy!

Stay posted for the best of engagements, weddings, and rings!