Whitney Lewis Photography

Bailey and Tanner Engagements

Whitney — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 19:44:21 +0000

I don’t remember the last time I worked with such a happy, playful, beautiful couple. They say (whoever “they” is) that smiles are contagious. I wholeheartedly agree – authentic smiles are contagious. :) How could you not smile looking at these two?

We started at Vivian Park up Provo Canyon, then worked our way past Sundance and through the Alpine Loop. One of my all-time favorite places during the fall season. If you have the chance, the Alpine Loop is even better by motorcycle!

To cheese or not to cheese? I spent many years of my life trying to be sophisticated, mature, and avoiding cheesy at all costs. But the older I get, the more I smile when people embrace the cheesy, sappy, silly, playful, ridiculous part of life and relationships. It’s fun. So, with that in mind, we had to throw the leaves in the air.

That’s all, folks!

Click here to see more of Bailey and Tanner’s engagements

Another Fall Engagement – Julie and Mike

Whitney — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 04:33:00 +0000

I feel like a giddy little girl every time I drive through the fall leaves! With Julie and Mike, we started at the bottom of Big Cottonwood Canyon with the intention of shooting up at the top, by Brighton. But, being overwhelmed with the beautiful surroundings, I, pulled the car to the side of the road about a dozen times before finally getting to the top! Everywhere I turned was stunning. The colors, the light, the water… Big Cottonwood was perfect for photos!

Julie and Mike were great also. (And didn’t call me crazy when I’d stop for a moment and exclaim “Holy crap! Look at this beautiful place. This is Utah! I get to live here.”

There are several stages to a photoshoot:

1. The planning. Choosing a location, a time, a day, etc.

2. The preparation. Being ready for the location, the weather, and any emergencies that might come up.

3. Taking the pictures. This is the first step that I get really excited about. As soon as I have a camera in hand, and we are walking through our location, laughing, playing, and shooting, I am happy. There is nowhere I’d rather be.

4. Importing and sorting the photos. I usually pass this job on to my assistant, as it is my least favorite part. He goes through the 600 or so files, finds the best of the set, and rejects any that are duplicates or out of focus. That leaves me with about 100 to edit.

5. The editing. This is my Zen place. I can practically edit while sleeping. It’s some part of my brain that will work in any situation – even if I’m sick, tired, unhappy, or if I’m double tasking and watching a movie! Editing takes a long time. And I enjoy it.

6. Social media and blog. This is when the excitement from step 3 comes back into play. I’m remembering the moments, the personalities, and the emotions. I’m sharing the stories, finding the highlights. As I am writing this blog post I wanted to share the steps and the process with you. I am exhausted, but as I sit here and relive the experience of Julie and Mike’s shoot, I have a huge smile on my face. My words may not always be eloquent, but I try to share what is behind the photos too – the heart.

And what amazing people these two are! My favorite part of my job, once again, is getting to meet and have my life influenced by so many different people.

A Wedding With a Style of Their Own

Whitney — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 18:54:24 +0000

Every wedding is different. I have said this from the beginning and I will say it again in the future. They are unique people, with a unique relationship, unique style. Some couples value tradition, and if that represents their relationship, then wonderful! Sometimes, a couple will be so much pressure to do “what you’re supposed to do” at the wedding that they will have a wedding cake when they don’t even like cake. I applaud Emily and Cody for bringing in such a unique style, I can’t help but smile looking through these photos.

With their two year old daughter :)

Emily sewed the majority of the two dresses, I am beyond impressed!

This is at the Train Station in Ogden – The Union Station, where they will be getting married today!

The Never-Ending Battle: Finding Balance Between Life and Social Media

Whitney — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 18:41:14 +0000

It is always a battle. Whitney vs. Social Media, never know who’s going to win. Now, don’t get me wrong, having an internet presence is one of the single most important tools in maintaining consistent work for my business. I am grateful for it! As you have seen in reading this blog, I want to write and share about all of the experiences. What it’s like to be a photographer. Behind the scenes from our adventures or photos from the shoots and the seasons transition. Engagements, weddings, portraits, landscapes, funny, dramatic, romantic… It’s all amazing and I want you to see through my lens what a beautiful world this is! But every hour I spend shooting is followed with about 3 hours at the computer. This makes for long days sitting in my dimly-lit “cave” staring at a computer screen. Hence, never-ending fight to get away from technology and escape to sit on the grass in a beautiful park with the sun shining down and the wind blowing in my face…

Why am I even telling you that this is difficult? Well, I’ve seen a cycle on my blog where I don’t post often, then I promise to post more, then I stop posting again, then I promise to post more. That’s my battle – the desire to share with you, my readers vs. the attempt to cut the chord to my phone/computer/social media that keeps such a strong hold on my life. The freedom that comes from turning technology off for a few hours makes me feel weightless, like I could drift into the sky. But also, this is life too. Who’s to say that connection online is less significant than connection to the people and things in the same room? The power to reach out and impact a life, the ability to learn from another person, and to feel like someone else understands are all part of connection.

I won’t promise to write every day this time. That’s a promise I’d break when this cycle comes back around. I will promise, however, to remember that communication through words is valuable, that a blog post can be a real connection, and that simply living in this world at a time when technology is developed enough to share experiences worldwide is something to celebrate. So, check back soon as I’ll be catching up on countless shoots from summer and fall as well as travels – 8 National Parks, and many other places. Please, feel free to leave comments, let me know what you’d like to see more of, or if you have any questions. I’d love to hear from you!

When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall

Whitney — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 16:15:18 +0000

Love is in the air! As a photographer, there is never a season that makes me more excited than just at the end of summer with the first hint of fall. The sun is shining and there are speckles of yellows and oranges up in Park City. A perfect day for an engagement shoot.

I love this sequence below! No, this is not the photo they would put on their announcement, but these are the photos that show life, relationship – MOMENTS.

And the shoes, of course :)

Now, we actually had an audience for the Park City Main Street photos. A group stood behind me trying to figure out how the lights were working and how we could get a decent photo when it was so dark, and another group cheered when they dipped in the middle. I think it’s always fun – and Geoffrey and Lauren seem to be perfect models, they can handle the paparazzi, the attention – makes my job easy!

Will You Marry Me?

Whitney — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:35:11 +0000

(note from Whitney – as I started writing this blog post, it felt like an illustrated children’s book. So I went with it! My commentary may seem a little bit different than usual…)

A beautiful room, upstairs at La Caille, Geoffrey anxiously waits for Lauren to arrive. She thinks she is there for a tour of the reception venue, little does she know…

The first words out of her mouth were “What are you doing here?” Which she repeated 3 times. Geoffrey smiled, took her hand, and walked her over to the tv where they watched a movie he made.

Then there was dancing.

And she said yes!

She was definitely surprised!

And they were happy.

And excited.

Geoff and Lauren, Cheers! Today is the first day of the rest of your life :)

A Family, a Baby, and a Couple o’ Dogs

Whitney — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 02:32:27 +0000

One of the aspects of my job as a photographer I appreciate most is the variety from day to day. I love photographing wedding – we built the brand Whitney Lewis Photography around weddings. Nothing in the world makes me happier than taking great photos of lightning. People, portraits, and headshots – the faces, expressions, personalities. I get to travel! To go to new cities, National Parks, states, even countries… And I get to meet and be inspired by the stories and relationships of amazing people.

Sometimes, however, I forget how unique each session is. I’ve done hundreds of family sessions, and each one is different. It is true. THIS session reminded me to open my eyes and celebrate the uniqueness of each person (including babies!) and family. What a fun shoot we had. Everyone was so chill, little Harrison and all the adults! That is certainly unique. And refreshing. Sigh… These guys were so cute.

This is what we call: puppy love :)

Today, I am feeling particularly grateful for all my clients. I love working with happy people!!

FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST ONLY – $50 Head Shot Session

Whitney — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:52:15 +0000

*************************It’s $50 HEAD SHOTS WEEK!!*************************
That’s right. $50. (That’s 80% off the regular price of $250) from NOW until the END OF AUGUST.

Head shots are great for actors (film, theater, commercials…)

But ALSO for:

-musicians
-business people
-linked-in profiles
-dating profiles
-facebook profiles
-models
-showing off a new hairstyle
-because your kids are growing up so fast
-fun!

So……….

It’s $50 for 1.5 hrs, in the studio (in Draper) or outdoors. I will send you a proofs gallery and you get your favorite 5 files, completely retouched.

*****BONUS!*****
If you sign up with a friend and do your sessions at the same time, you get a 6th file – a fun photo of both of you together.

When you are ready to schedule. or if you have questions, comments, or concerns, then text, email, or call me:

_______________________________
Whitney
801.874.7383
whitneylewisphotography@gmail.com
_______________________________

Remember, the $50 deal is only good from now until the end of August. One more week!

When Life Delays Your Flight… Make Lemonade!

Whitney — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:35:07 +0000

When life delays your flight… make lemonade. I think that’s how the saying goes, anyway, right? Or maybe they say “go to New York City”. Let me think about that for a minute…

Today has been insane. And I am full of energy and thrilled for the adventure. It’s quite a ride. For the last week and a half, I’ve been here in upstate New York, in the Adirondacks – by Lake George. It was the ultimate escape with no cell service, no worries, very little internet, hardly any people for miles. Just lots and lots of nature. What an experience! And it drove me crazy to be that disconnected… I have work to do! People to call, photos to upload, and blog posts to write! Well, I found a little bit of internet to check in from time to time and I went through all the withdrawal symptoms from the phone. It was remote and beautiful. I feel much more peaceful now.

Today, that visit came to an end when I rode the 3 hours with my little sister and her family to Albany airport, several hours early because they were on a different flight.

Their flight left at 1 and mine left at 5:15, so I located a great little place called Blu Stone Bistro on Yelp with internet so I could work, eat, drink, and experience something about Albany other than the airport. Then I was going to walk the 2 miles with my 3 bags to the airport. Sounded like an experience worth having. Maybe even fun. The address was wrong, my brother in law was running late, and when they finally found it and dropped me off, the bistro was closed. I had 3 hours to kill, then I would have 30 minutes with the bistro open until I needed to start walking. It’s almost comical how everything went wrong. So I went to the lobby of this beautiful hotel and awkwardly piled my luggage on the floor of their cafe – this cafe was also closed. Aaaaand the internet required a password, so I edited photos and made my work to do list for the next 3 days while listening in on a job interview and an awkward family fight also in the lobby. Then I got a call – my flight was delayed an hour and a half! This means I have an extra hour to enjoy the Blu Stone Bistro while it was open! :) I will miss my connecting flight in Chicago and I’ll figure that out when I get there! I grabbed my bags and walked along the rather busy highway to find something, anything with wifi until 3 pm. I ended up at a Starbucks for a couple hours, then back to the bistro. Now, I love days like this. In one sense, everything goes wrong. In another sense, it’s an unexpected adventure where nothing goes as planned – which is perfect. I thrive off of that energy. And all the people on the highway in Albany, NY waving to the girl walking on the shoulder laughing to herself because there is nothing to do but laugh.

All of a sudden, I get an ingenious idea! instead of going to Chicago and figuring it out, why don’t I try to go somewhere awesome for the night? I have always wanted to see the Tuesday night jazz club at Mona’s in NYC. And indeed, we have lemonade. I actually get money back from the airline by hopping on a bus and flying out of New York tomorrow instead of sleeping in the Chicago airport and flying out there tomorrow… So here I am, on a bus on my way to New York City with more money in my pocket, drinking my figurative lemonade (from the lemons I was given) and watching the real sunset go down over the city. I get to go dancing, listen to incredible jazz, meet up with some childhood friends, take photos, and feed off of the energy of this incredible city.

From one perfect escape in the middle of nowhere to the exact opposite with the rush of people and crazy everywhere – and also perfect.

Now, last time I was in New York City was 2012, on the way to and from Europe. I photographed a beautiful wedding in Holland, and spent an month discovering NYC, Ireland, England, Spain, Holland, and NYC again. A few of my photos from that trip here:

Wish me luck! And I’ll see y’all again in Salt Lake in a couple days :)

Through a Child’s Eyes

Whitney — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 04:39:23 +0000

I aspire to live a childlike life every day. But what does that really mean? I spent so many of my younger years wanting to grow up, I’ve consistently viewed myself as 5-10 years older than I am. I mean, really – I was MATURE. And everyone around me knew it.
Age is still a funny thing to me, and I often get uncomfortable when people ask how old I am. I am not too old, I am not too young, I simply don’t want to be defined my age. So, here’s what it is really about: when I was 12 years old, I believed that being immature was bad. It wasn’t “cool” if I got too excited about life, or too inquisitive. In my life now, I have definitely changed my mind – those are some of the qualities I value most.

Seeing the world through a child’s eyes. Everything is new, everything is exciting, and everything is an adventure.

I want to ask the “why” questions, explore the “what would happen if…” questions, and allow the changes all around – in nature and in people – leave an impact on me. I want to open my eyes. To have a sense of wonder for everything around me, an excitement to help and to share, and always unconditional love. I love this photo of my niece looking out at a rainy day. I want to feel what she feels. What a perfect moment.

Watching a young soul discover the world is beautiful. And, even more inspiring is watching an old soul see the world through young eyes again. To live a child-like life. To see the world through a child’s eyes. To really catch the vision of the adventure in every moment.