Benfield Photography Blog

After all this time... I finally moved/upgraded my blog!

2019-01-17T10:12:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody!

Can you believe it? After all this time... I finally moved/upgraded my blog!
This blog has more than 3000 posts so I hate to have to move it, but I found a good tool to transfer them all to my domain where my website lives, so I'll be posting there from now on - YAYAYAYAY!

Be sure to update your bookmarks:

http://benfieldphoto.com/blog-2/

(if you used thebenfieldblog.com as your bookmark, it is staying the same!)

As always, I'm SO humbled and grateful to YOU for taking a few moments out of the day to read what I have to say! BIG hugs, friends!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

2019 New Year Resolutions

2019-01-03T16:16:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!

Once upon a time, I blogged every day. Like... EVERY day. (for five years straight) What started as a New Year resolution became an obsession. Thinking about why I was so successful at that resolution (don't we typically break these by week two?), I came up with a few reasons/motivating factors for resolution-keeping success:

Instead of focusing on eliminating a negative habit, I was focusing on something positive to do.
It was something that gave me a sense of accomplishment each and every day. By using a positive reinforcement each day, it was much easier for me to succeed, and then it became a will-power and pride thing. I couldn't NOT post, because I didn't want the streak to end!

Another important tool in achieving goals is writing them down (I've posted about this before), publicly or otherwise. I choose to post publicly because it adds a level of accountability, but also a secret dash of fairydust magic. Magic helps when will fails.

So here we are, 2019... resolution time.

1) Find a {non-profit} cause I can donate my talents to. I had a photographer who told me once that donating photography to non-profits is a bad idea because it takes away work for photographers (non-profits could have a marketing budget), so I haven't done this in awhile. The thing is, putting positive juju out there is a good thing, and I have some talents I'd love to offer up.

2) Start teaching photographers again. I love teaching - whether it be teaching parents how to photograph their kiddos, or photographers working on their business. I want to put on at least one workshop in 2019 and preferably 2.

3) Start something new. Remember when I started Baller Foodtruck? I used my downtime to fuel one of my passions and it was really rewarding. I'd like to start a new project like that in 2019: a new business, or hobby, or whatever. Time to create!

4) Work on my photography business. I've been photographing fewer weddings the last two years because my workload with Impressions was really intense. Starting this month, that changed so it's time to get back to doing what I enjoy most in the world: photographing weddings! I'd like to shoot 20 weddings and I'm about halfway there currently.Feel free to help me: if you have a friend who gets engaged, make sure you share my name with them!

5) Grow my Instagram - vain, sure... but the swipe up feature would be so nice for everyone whenever I have a link to share - I just need a few hundred more to get to 10k. If you don't follow my instagram - you can do that right here right now).

At the end of 2019 I'll come back and see how I did. Here's to a fantastic 2019!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

2018 {personal} Year in Review

2019-01-02T18:15:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody!

Man, what a year. To think of where 2018 started and how it finished is just about as different as night and day. I'm going to focus this blog post on personal (instead of the photo business) because I haven't shared personally in awhile, and tbh it just seems more important.

2017 ended with me frustrated and a little broken. I resolved to cut out the people in my life who were toxic, and you know me... when I set my mind to something you can bet on me to follow through. So... this quote sums it up:

As the ball dropped one year ago, I was in the middle of my self-love period which included (but not limited to) all the me time I wanted, coffee dates with myself, therapy sessions, getting back into the kitchen, pottery classes, family time, solo road trips, etc. Early this year, I flew to NYC to visit friends, Colorado to see my sister, back to NYC, then LV for boys' weekend... recharging and recharging... getting back to the ME that I seemed to have lost on 2017 (and 2016 if we're being honest, and we are).

(I finally chose this to illustrate that paragraph... the runners-up are at the end of this post... enjoy!)

I can't even count how many times I heard the phrase "you'll find someone when you stop looking." Not that my life was a mission to find someone, because it wasn't. I was doing great with my friends, and with myself... but I still heard that on the weekly. What I didn't expect, is that I DID find someone! I found a pretty exceptional someone. Y'all know what happened next (if you don't, read about my proposal here).

The rest of the year has been a lot LOT like the first half: movie nights, road trips, family time, flights, homemade dinners... I just happened to add a hot, funny, talented partner to hang with while I do all the things.

I'm thankful for those of you who hung around this blog, or are back. I like having friends/family/followers who keep up with this - Hi! Let's do cool shit in 2019 yeah? My resolutions are coming up in the next post!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

___________________

Wedding at Garden Room in Fayetteville: Ashleigh and Tanner

2018-12-30T17:06:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!

If you know me, you know I love a good party. Ashleigh and Tanner sure know how to throw one! Their ceremony and reception at the Garden Room in Fayetteville was super fun - Boom Kinetic brought the energy with their performance. And it even rained! That didn't stop everyone from having the best night!

The entire day was great, though. I got to reunite with a lot of my friends from Crown Beauty Bar and spend the day laughing with my old friends.

I love that Ashleigh made the wedding her own with some killer details, right down to her leather jacket...

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Happy Holidays from Ellie and Cece

2018-12-29T14:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!

These girls are so special to me. To watch their love grow and their bond strengthen is the ultimate, number-one thing I could ask for on Christmas. Or as a dad. I am proud of their growth this year, and thankful for their love.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Wedding in Jackson Hole for Lucky-King family

2018-12-28T14:56:00.004-06:00

Hey everybody!

Being able to travel to photograph weddings is such an honor. Lauren brought me out to photographer her wedding in Jackson Hole this year and I seriously have never been so inspired by landscapes. I'd been to Jackson Hole to photograph a proposal once, but never a wedding. And never in Summer! If you haven't gone in the Summer, you must! I swear I saw the sun set three different times in the same day (over three different mountains). Lauren's wedding day was filled with love and emotion. I love emotional brides, and this one also had an emotional dad, flower girl, and grandma! I was in heaven! Here are some of my favorites from the wedding day...

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Josh Leyva + Madison Watkins Just Because Pictures

2018-12-22T12:48:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody!

If you've followed this blog, you likely already know Madison Watkins... I've been friends with her for years and she has popped up on the Benfield Blog tons of times...

BUT NEVER WITH A BOYFRIEND!

I'm so happy for Madison - her boyfriend (Josh Leyva) is the sweetest and funniest guy! They are a perfect match and I'm excited to see this couple continue to grow together and do great things!

If Josh looks familiar, he has a youtube channel with a baziliion followers - okay not a bazillion, but TWO MILLION. NBD. Check him out here

Talk to you soon,
Dale

You won't believe these details! Southern Arkansas Wedding of Anna and Thomas

2018-12-21T11:29:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody!

Anna and Thomas' wedding in McGehee showed me the biggest transformation I've ever seen. Shawna at Young Designs created a masterpiece for the reception, and pulled off a last minute location switch to save a rainy situation. I'd argue that the new ceremony spot was so perfect and intimate.

I love Anna and her mother's relationship. They are truly precious!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Bridal Portraits at Capital Hotel in Little Rock: Anna Pambianchi

2018-12-19T16:17:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody!

Today's blog features one of my favorite brides! Anna is a sweet as they come, has incredible fashion style, and is gorgeous inside and out. Between you and me, I think she gets all that from her mother, who is ALSO my favorite. :) We photographed her bridal portraits at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock. Here are my favorites...

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Ice Skating with Cece!

2018-12-18T11:25:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!

It's always a crap shoot when we decide to do something with Cece that she has never done before. Diagnosed with ASD (Autism), Cece loves structure and not being in new situations. However, I have found a couple little tricks that make it easier for her to adjust to and be prepared for what's coming.

1) verbally discuss what's going to happen. She gets overstimulated and doesn't like surprising sounds or super loud noises (unless she is expecting them). I talk about everything she might see (kids falling, kids crying, music playing over the speakers). I cap it at the things that are for sure going to take place - no need stressing her out saying that a fire truck might drive by, or whatever.

2) show her a video of what we are doing. In this case there is Mickey Mouse Christmas show that has Minnie Mouse ice skating so we prepared her with that. From teaching, we called this our anticipatory set... and I really think it made Cece EXCITED (instead of fearful). So... it worked! She loved it and had a great time! Even when she goes to the park (which she loves) she is always fine to leave without throwing a fit. But it broke my little heart to see her show sadness when it was time to leave.

Oh well... guess we'll have to go back!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Benfield Photography named Best by The Knot!

2018-12-17T14:31:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!

I'm SO honored to be chosen by The Knot as best wedding photographer for Arkansas. What's great about this is that my clients are the ones who get me the award, as it's based on number of positive reviews! I love my clients, and I am humbled by some of the things they've said about me this year! Here are a few standout testimonials from 2018...

"We had the best experience working with Dale for our wedding! He traveled to Atlanta for our engagement shoot and used his amazing eye to make sure we have engagement photos that we loved! He is also so fun to be around, so we had a great time exploring Atlanta that day! He and Tyler were also fabulous at our wedding! We are so happy that we had them with us the entire day as they did not miss anything and so beautifully captured all of the special moments. My family kept going on and on about how fun he was to be around and how he and Tyler were seamlessly a PART of our celebration all the while taking the best photos! While on our honeymoon, my now husband actually said--'Man, I wish Dale was here with us to take pics of all the cool stuff we are doing!'" --Joya

"I couldn’t have imagined having a more perfect photographer for our wedding day. Dale was punctual, professional, courteous... but also helpful, calming and funny. He talked me through the celebratory chaos all while capturing the candid moments you never knew were happening. An amazing photographer, and an even better friend. Thank you, Dale!!" --Heba

"We love our wedding photos! They are so unique and capture every moment of our day from every angle. Dale and his brother put our wedding party at ease while taking photos all day and were never invasive or in the way, but somehow they got shots from every view point! We still love our photos and are thankful we can reminisce on the day through them. Dale is thoughtful, professional and most of all FUN. I really appreciate his laid back demeanor while he still is attentive and gets the job done. I had many guests comment on how they felt like Dale was just another guest at the wedding which is pretty impressive as he was on the job. Thank you, Dale!" --Kathleen

I'm currently booking the rest of 2019 so if you're engaged and looking for a photographer, let's talk!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Alaska Proposal; The Time I Almost Blew It.

2018-09-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

Did you ever know something 100% in your heart, but you almost screw it up? So goes the story of my proposal to Tyler.

First off, there was some work that went into this before we ever hopped on the plane... not only in designing the ring, but also discussing my plan with Tyler's family and with my Ellie.

Designing the ring was a fun process. I knew a little bit about what Tyler wanted (ethically sourced diamond, something vintage-inspired), so I worked with Brilliant Earth and loved my experience. While the original estimate was 2 months, I was able to sweet talk and streamline the process. The update on my ring was that it would be ready the Friday before we were heading to Alaska - the plan was working perfectly! Except wait... how would I get the ring? I did some more sweet talking and had them ship it straight to my friend in Alaska.

One of my favorite parts of the entire process was talking with Ellie about it. Since Tyler and I are rarely apart, it was difficult finding a time to share everything with Ellie without Tyler knowing. But alas... Ellie's busy schedule and mine finally aligned (albeit via facetime), and I was able to sit down with Ellie and let her in on my plan.

We both laughed and talked about life and how things work out and she shared her heart with me about Tyler and how happy she was for me (bless that girl) and while I won't write everything we discussed, I did take this sweet screenshot of me sharing the news. How precious, right?

Ok on to the actual trip... with excited hearts, we made it to Alaska! I've been to Alaska once before to photograph a wedding, but I was traveling solo and didn't get to enjoy it with someone I cared about seeing cool stuff with, and Alaska is the ultimate cool stuff.

I asked Tyler if she would do an Alaska photo shoot with me because my phone is filled with selfies and pictures of her, but none that aren't selfies of the two of us. When she agreed (because duh) I knew I had a cool way for it to be captured on camera. Check.

I spent the two days before the proposal hiking and roaming Alaska with Tyler, and while she thought we were sightseeing, I knew it was because I wanted the perfect backdrop for the knee drop. Lighting was important bc the ring was supposed to arrive around noon so I needed later evening for pretty light, but shooting in Alaska is tricky because of the mountain placement. However, our hiking efforts were not in vain because I found the perfect spot in the perfect light near the Alyeska resort (more on that later).

So here's where the story takes a turn. I didn't expect to be a ball of nerves. On Monday, the day before the proposal, we were exploring downtown Anchorage and I was a bit of a wreck in my head. All of a sudden we were sitting there having a drink, and it was like I wasn't even in my own body but watching from above... I started a ridiculous argument with Tyler. And then when we made up, I brought it back up. Sometimes I can be a complete idiot. Thankfully, Tyler loves me anyway. See?

Tuesday was proposal day. Right at noon, my friend sent me a text about pictures, which was code for "the ring has arrived and looks beautiful" so it was GO TIME. I tried to move the proposal up to 12:01 to get it out of my mouth, but Tyler (nor I) was picture ready. We played around town during the afternoon and then checked in to our new hotel (the Alyeska Hotel, which was near the proposal site. It's a wonderful hotel with mountain-top restaurant) to get ready for our photoshoot.

Our friends who were shooting our pictures met us at our hotel, and Sean and I had to use the restroom at the same time; our little cover-up for passing the ring over to me. I had purchased a box from TheMrsBox which I had already hidden in my pants pocket - hoping it wouldn't cause a ridiculous bulge. Off we go to the site I had chosen.

The light was beautiful. Warm, near-sunsetty light hit us perfectly. I gave Sidra my camera, which I had set for exposure and let her do her thing. I kept running back and forth from Tyler to Sidra, working up the nerve to do the thing (but pretending to check images on the back of the camera). Then I did the thing. I said a few things I'd been wanting to say to Tyler, and she still had no clue. I mean, c'mon... it must be because I'm always so sweet, haha! After I said what I had wanted to say to her, I dropped to a knee and she was so surprised! It felt wonderful to give her a surprise because 1) she loves surprises and 2) she's kind of awesome at figuring things out before they happen (which, I think, makes her a very good lawyer). Success!

then of course we high-fived (and kissed) because we're completely awesome.

After our photoshoot/proposal ended, I took her up to the mountain-top restaurant. I had made reservations for us and talked to the chef previously so that we could order a vegan meal (there were zero vegan options on the standard dinner menu, but I REALLY wanted to eat at that location, with that view). The chef didn't disappoint, nor did the view.

Our view going up the mountain to dinner (above); my sweet fiancee with her ring (below).

The rest of trip, I felt like I was flying. The coolest, funniest, sexiest, most lovely and talented woman I know has said YES to marrying me. What is life? I couldn't be more blessed, more thankful, more undeserving, or more excited to marry Tyler.

P.S. If you want to read Tyler's account of the proposal, head to her blog.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Engagement Pictures in Alaska: Sidra and Sean

2018-09-25T12:20:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

Before we hopped on a flight, I did a lot of research about where to shoot engagement pictures in Alaska. With the help of the bride, and a dear friend of mine (hey Sidra!), we narrowed down a few options for the engagement portraits: Beluga Point, Hatcher Pass, and a couple others. After a fun hike the day before, we decided that Beluga Point was the perfect backdrop for engagement portrait heaven.

Though... not that easy to traverse; our shoes were covered in mud (the kind you pay a lot of money for during a spa day). While I didn't mind the messiness, we had to be careful to not get Sidra's clothes messy (because, duh... photo shoot).

Our efforts were not in vain. The pictures are one of my all-time favorite engagement sessions (and I've shot half a thousand of them), and the couple is one of the most nearest and dearest to my heart. I definitely had extra motivation to knock it out of the park for them. I think I did, but you be the judge!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Wedding at Ravington of Paige and Kolby

2018-08-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

Let me just say that when I typically encounter a Friday wedding that starts earlier in the day... it doesn't typically end the way this did. The Ravington is a gorgeous wedding venue in Bentonville (ok, so technically it's in Centerton, let me be clear). I remember taking the hardhat tour of this wedding venue about 9 months before it opened and was already so impressed with the space. Since then, I've photographed weddings at the Ravington (and some fashion stuff too) and they absolutely made their dream wedding venue come to life!

You'll see in the detail collage below that the bridal suite is one of the most beautifully lit bridal suites I've ever photographed (see the image of the dress hanging), and the aesthetic throughout the rest of the wedding venue, with its gorgeous chandeliers and, shiplap, exposed brick, and wood floors make this an Arkansas wedding dream.

Paige had the sweetest brides maids who prayed over her during the day and danced around her during the evening.

I love this moment during the wedding ceremony...

My favorite moment of the day: Kolby showing off his bride

Then we stepped outside for a few portraits - aren't they such a pretty couple?

and a fun couple, hahaha!

They stayed on the dance floor the entire night!

Okay... this is what I meant by a Friday evening wedding getting LIT.

The best... and look to the right at the kid getting his eyes covered, hahaha!

What a fun wedding reception!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Teen Birthday Pictures in NWA of Ellie B

2018-07-24T15:22:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

It pains me, and yet gives me the most pride, to say that Saturday was Ellie's 14th birthday. And what better way to celebrate her than by shooting birthday pictures! She picked out some outfits and we've chosen a couple new locations in Bentonville for portraits. Yesterday we also photographed at Uptown in Fayetteville and also shot at Onyx in Bentonville. This young lady... I tell you what... is something remarkable. I can go on and on about how amazing she is and what she means to me (if you follow me on Instagram, you already know this, because I did this on Saturday). The bottom line is this: she is mature and lovely and everything I wish I could be at her age. Here are her favorites, which SHE edited and uploaded to this blog. :)

Talk to you soon,
Dale

I Street Ballroom Wedding for Abby and Austin

2018-05-09T17:58:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

I've photographed weddings far and wide, from California to NYC to Italy, but don't think you need to go to one of those places to have a jawdropping wedding. Bentonville, and Northwest Arkansas, has a number of incredible wedding venues ranging from rustic to classic to elegant.

One of my favorite current elegant venues is the Ballroom at I Street in Bentonville. The location is really dreamy and is conveniently located and situated... I can't say enough properly nice things about it.

Abby and Austin chose this venue to share their vows and dance the night away. A touching (and hilarious) ceremony gave way to a fun party--the guests never left the dance floor, thanks to Brock Entertainment.

One of my favorite moments from the wedding day (there are a TON) was when abby sprayed the bridesmaid bags (there's probably a fancier word for this) with her perfume for an "smell memory." How cute and clever! I love olfactory memories, and the idea to plant one on the wedding day is a genius touch.

Alright... let's dive in to some images!

writing the note to her groom got Abby a tad emotional, which of course I think is so precious and perfect.

Because her girlfriends are so close with her, Abby wanted a lot of time spent with them on the wedding day. It was my honor (and frankly, my pleasure) to document all that. ~~Even though~~ Especially since I got to be showered in champagne.

A first look with the bridesmaids... obsessed.

then it was the boy's turn. Austin was so sweet with her as he turned to see his bride for the first time in her dress. This is maybe my favorite shot of the day because of the emotion involved.

one final first look... bring in the pup, who also helped Austin propose.

For their second portrait session of the day, we brought in some of that gorgeous Benny Backlight. My favorite way to light my wedding couples when the light is just right (thank ya Jesus!)

Then we had a party. A non-stop dance fest.

So happy I remembered to grab a selfie with the happy couple. Mostly because I was feeling cute. hahaha just kidding (sorta).

Congratulations, you love birds! I adore you both and I'm so excited for your marriage.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Abby Hile Vogue Bridal Portraits

2018-05-07T14:42:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

I have a freaking GORGEOUS bridal portrait session for you today! Abby wanted something a little VOGUE-inspired for bridal pictures, and she absolutely slayyyed this session. Have a peek at a few of my favorite bridal portraits...

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Fayetteville Engagement Portraits for Delaney and Alex

2018-04-27T15:45:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

Rarely do I photograph a couple that is equal parts adorable and sexy. They're either oozing with cuteness, or a total smokeshow. Delaney and Alex fit this bill literally 50/50. They made the trek up and over from Jonesboro for our engagement portraits in Fayetteville, and we made the most of what spring had to offer. Take a peek!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Southern Elegant Wedding for Anna and Thomas

2018-04-26T12:07:00.005-05:00

Hey everybody!

I have been SO excited to share this wedding with you! In all my years of shooting weddings... I've never seen such a before and after transformation than I witnessed as I pulled up to the family farm shop in McGehee, Arkansas. Shawna and her team at Young Designs took a blank canvas and transformed it into the masterpiece you'll see below.

Thomas and Anna's wedding day was beautiful and lovely, despite the rain. Rain on a wedding day is supposed to be good luck, I hear, and while I don't really believe in "luck" I do know that 1) rain didn't hold us back from taking exceptional photos and having a fun and amazing time, but also, 2) marriages are more important that weddings.

My heart broke a little as I watched tears fall from Anna's eyes as I arrived for her getting-ready photos. While I know it seemed like the end of the world to her in that moment, I knew that through the care and diligence with which Shawna would execute a backup plan (which, tbh, is just as dreamy as so many Plan-A's I've photographed) that Anna had nothing to be sad about. Additionally (if you follow me on insta you might already know this), it motivated me to create something super extra with her wedding portraits (see the bridge pic below). The way everyone joined forces to a killer wedding for Anna and Thomas couldn't be more inspiring.

Ok... enough with all the words. Let's look at pretty pictures, shall we?

Anna's mom, Amanda, is the coolest and sweetest MOB... I love that I was able to capture these moments of her helping her daughter get dressed for the wedding ceremony.

I never "push" for first looks, but man oh man... the potential energy in this image is everything.

Oooookaaaayyy cute and sassy bridesmaids...

This is the series of images I created on the bridge when the rain stopped. Crazy thing is, I've always wanted to shoot with these trees and finally got the perfect chance to use them for wedding couple portraits.

The reception space - farm shop turned into glam wedding reception - was too pretty to not also use for portraits.

So, I made a collage (for those Pinterest users out there, PIN THIS!), but also included the individual shots in case you wanna see details...

I just love the way she's looking at him. Hahaha... goals.

So, I lit the reception and party pics differently from what I typically do at a wedding and I'm obsessed with how natural it looks. I didn't overpower skintones and got to preserve the lighting and ambiance of the reception. Do you agree?

So I have to end with this... because it's just TOOO good.

Can I just share one more thing? I got this text from the lovely MOB today:

Dale, let me say... I have never seen a photographer with more talent! The insta story was AMAZING!!!

You have an amazing gift and I’m so glad we were fortunate enough to get to have you as our photographer! We love and appreciate all we see!!! YOU my man are amazing beyond belief!! We just love you and plan on you being in our lives forever, and capturing important moments in our world as well!

Real tears.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Newborn Portraits for Cruz

2018-04-18T15:37:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

Brooke and Ryan are already the coolest parents on the block. That came as no surprise to me... they're easily two of my coolest friends! Cruz was born just over a month ago and I recently got to go see his room and meet the little dude... and man is he handsome! I brought my camera and shot some portraits of him, and with the family. Here are some of my favorites from the session. Congrats, fam! XO

I wanted to get one of his crib bc c'mon... how cute!

Hey pretty eyes...

Love this family so much...

... because of this photo. Haha Ryan you're the best.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Ballroom at I Street Wedding for Bethany + Chase

2018-04-16T21:05:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

One of my very favorite new wedding venues in NWA over the past couple years has been the GORGEOUS Ballroom at I Street in Bentonville. The staff there is wonderful, the chandeliers are breathtaking, and I love the updates they've made to the outdoor area. I was so happy when Bethany and Chase said they were going to get married here... having everything centrally located like this is super convenient and put me at the most ease while I photographed each of them getting ready and all their gorgeous wedding details.

Have a look at their wedding images, which happened on the most beautiful spring day (you never know what the weather will be this time of year... AMIRIGHT?)

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Helen Strickland's Fashion Fitness Portraits

2018-04-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

Northwest Arkansas is killing it with all this fashion! Recently I got to sit down with my friend Helen Strickland over brunch and catch up after our fitness fashion shoot. Okay, so only part of it was fitness fashion... the rest was more like blogger style. That's not important... what IS important is what we chatted about over mimosas at Pressroom in Bentonville. Helen has been booking speaking engagements across the country sharing her story (you should follow her on insta for deets). This particular weekend she had an engagement with a local sorority house and went over her points with me... I loved hearing how her story has shaped who she is and what her message has become for young women everywhere. Okay... have a peek at our shoot :)

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Southwind Hills Wedding of Tabrina and Andy

2018-04-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

When one of your high school best friends gets married, you're thankful to be invited. To be asked to be the one to photograph it so 1) all the world can see and 2) you can let them have a lifetime of memories captured... you're straight up honored. That's exactly how I felt photographing Tabrina and Andy's wedding at Southwind Hills near Oklahoma City. The venue was stunning and the staff were legit professionals, which allowed the wedding day to run smoothly and efficiently.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Palm Springs Fashion Shoot for Impressions Boutique

2018-04-13T15:21:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

Shooting fashion photography has it's challenges. Balancing a quick turnaround with great quality is a tight-rope walk. However, over the past few years, this has been the fastest growing area of my business, thanks to shooting some really rad bloggers and for my relationship with Shop Impressions Online Boutique. A couple months ago we all hopped on a plane to LAX (with my dream and a cardigan) to shoot the new line Impression was excited to launch.

We spent a couple days in the desert - but it's not what you think. Palm Springs is the prettiest dessert in the world, filled with incredible houses, pops of color everywhere, great restaurants, and about a million places to photograph models (no wonder Coachella is here!). We photographed from dusk until dawn with four models who all brought their A-game to the multi-day session. This is probably one of my longest posts of all time, but worth the scroll... I promise you.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Tree Farm Family Portraits for the Browns

2018-04-13T14:41:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

I couldn't be more thankful for the Brown Family, or more in love with their sweet kiddos. I've photographed them multiple times a year for every year of their lives, and our last session was in one of the best locations I've ever shot family portraits: the Christmas Tree Farm in Pea Ridge. These tree farm portraits are cool because it has such a specific aesthetic that we haven't explored before.

We arrived at the tree farm and just walked for a bit while I looked for the best light. Then we pretty much just played around for a bit (hopefully that wore out the kids so they went to bed exhausted that night - a little gift for mom and dad, haha!). I love being a child at heart because it helps me connect with children during our photo sessions. Have a look at a few faves!

Talk to you soon,
Dale