Hawes Photography and Design

Movin' out, Movin' up

2008-05-01T13:14:00.001-05:00

Well we're moving on to better things, better blogs that is. We have an all new blog and some other fun surprises so make your way over and check everything out!

Super Amazing New Blog Link

Jason and Kelly

2008-04-22T09:44:00.006-05:00

I'm sorry that I haven't been blogging much lately but I promise it's been for good reasons. Besides the wedding season being in full swing we've been working on some exciting new updates. Keep watching in the next few weeks because it'll blow your socks off!

Anyway... here is Jason and Kelly from a couple weeks ago. We really love these guys, we met them through mutual St Louis friends and have already found ourselves at a club together over Christmas. Let's just say that we've already shared a laugh and greasy burger or two. We can't wait to head across the state in a couple weeks for their wedding. It's going to be a blast!

Erin's Senior Stuff

2008-04-10T09:07:00.004-05:00

As promised, here is the rest of Erin's Senior shoot. Let me just start off by apologizing because this is a really long post, longer then usual. In my defense, I could have posted easily twice as much without boring you to death.

I've actually been around her family for quite some time. I went to high school with her oldest sister Amy and was the best man in her wedding when she married one of my all-time best friends. Shooting Amy's bridal portraits is when I got to meet Erin and was extremely excited when she called and asked me to do her senior portraits.

I had so much fun on this shoot, after getting over the jitters Erin was really laid back and enjoyed herself. She was so easy to shoot and I'm not sure she realized how photogenic she is. Anyway... enough chatter, I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

What a Tease

2008-04-07T10:46:00.004-05:00

I don't usually like teasers but I wanted to prepare everyone for this shoot. I got to spend the afternoon on Saturday with Erin for her senior pictures and they are smokin! This isn't even the best shot, I didn't want to show too much. Just be sure to be sitting down when we reveal the rest.

Just for the record, this shot is 100% straight out of the camera, just wait until I get to add some special touches. How about that look though?

Ben & Nicole's Wedding

2008-04-07T10:15:00.005-05:00

We actually got to work with Ben & Nicole early in March, sorry it's taken so long to get this up. Seems that I've been a little behind lately.

We couldn't have started the season better, the whole group was so fun and inviting. Ben is probably the only other person I know that hates having his picture taken as much as I do so to get some good shots of him was very rewarding. The day flowed wonderfully smoothly and the reception was an absolute blast. The Berg is one of our favorite places to shoot, our favorite dj (you may recognize him), and everyone was really rocking!

Enjoy! You can go back and check out their e-pics if you want.

I don't know what it is about Thriller but Chris just can't help himself. Remember him from the best-of-the-best?
Still rockin!

These guys really know how to have fun!

Randy & April's Wedding

2008-03-17T18:04:00.004-05:00

Being a part of April and Randy's wedding was particularly special for me as I've known April and her family since high-school. It's true, we're old choir buddies (how nerdy is that?) It was great to see her end up with such a great guy, I'm so happy for both of them.

Parsons Love

2008-03-03T14:10:00.003-06:00

This has been a long time coming but it is finally time for you all to meet Ashley and Jeremy Parsons. Amazing friends, wonderful parents, and fellow photographers.

Heather and I have had the extreme privilege of getting to know these guys over the last few months and are truly honored to have become friends with such wonderful people. This business can be pretty cut throat and it's such a release to spend time with people that understand that.

This weekend we had the opportunity to go out and have some shooting fun with both couples (yes, pictures of us exist out there too). They were amazingly easy to photograph and we're just happy that we could give them some great images of themselves. Ashley was stunning in that amazing dress and Jeremy simply glows around her.

In honor of Ashley this is also my first post of textured images. It is a technique that I've been struggling on whether to embrace and she has slowly convinced me how wonderful it can be. Watch out! Now that I've opened that can of worms I'm sure there will be plenty more to come, it just fits our style :)

Thank you guys for being such wonderful friends. Keep up the wonderful work, the sky is the limit!

What have we been up to lately?

2008-02-29T13:46:00.005-06:00

Sorry it's been so long since I posted last but things have just been really busy. For those of you who don't know my printshop handles most of the design and printing for the KC Brigade Arena Football Team. Their season starts this weekend and they've kept us very busy trying to get everything done. In fact, Heather even joined in on the design fun this year. Anyway, I just wanted to post so you can see a small portion of what has kept me away this month.

Be sure to come to the home opener on March 1st and support KC's other football team at Sprint Center. If you haven't been before it really is a lot of fun, and pretty cheap. You can always stop by and see Heather and I in section 122!

Aaron & Annie

2008-02-18T20:03:00.004-06:00

It dosen't take too long looking at these pictures to tell what kind of people Aaron & Annie are. Annie is one of those rare personalities that simply glowes, and has an extremely infectious laugh to go along with it. Their love is radiant and shines with all the quirky evidence. If the wedding is anywhere near as much fun as this shoot was then watch out, they'll be some of the best 08 pictures!

Asher & Amelia's Wedding

2008-02-10T10:38:00.002-06:00

Our first wedding of '08 was a great way to start the year. Amelia is one of the most engaging and loving people we have ever met. Her and Asher's deep love for each other permeated the entire day and made it a joy to shoot with them. We stayed inside for this one, but found lots of fun places to shoot in this unique and enormous church. The reception was fun-filled and even included swing dance lessons.

Email Troubles

2008-02-07T17:19:00.000-06:00

We just found out that our contact form on our website has not been sending us your messages for the last couple weeks.

If you tried to send us a message please contact us now. It's been fixed and we're up and running.

Thanks for everyone's understanding.

The Final Best-of-the-Best

2008-02-04T09:31:00.001-06:00

For an explanation and recap of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

Well it's finally here, the highly anticipated and often debated final post of our Best-of-the-Best series. It's been a lot of fun for Heather & I to go back through all the work of the last year and we're so happy with how our work has evolved in just the last 12 months. It was extremely difficult to narrow down tens of thousands of images to just our 3 favorites and I'm actually a little surprised that only one overlaps with our choices. Thanks again to all of our great clients that let us share their great events in 2007 and we can't wait for more experiences in 08.

As much as I enjoy engagement sessions it's no surprise that one of those pictures would take my top spot. This image means a lot to me for several reasons. First of all Cody and Tina are a fabulous couple and it's one of the weddings I'm looking most forward to in 08. Most of all though because it really shows the direction that my shooting style is going. Honest, pure, candid, & dramatic emotion is one of the hardest thing for photographers to capture because it is largely out of our control. It takes a wonderful combination of comfort with our clients and the strong personalities of the wonderful couples we work with. Throw in some interesting angles, and some urban/fashion flare and that is what you'll be seeing from Hawes Photography for years to come.

I know this explanation is getting long but telling. I wanted to add that this image has earned me the best compliment I've received in some time. A colleague of ours recently told me that when she saw this image for the first time that she instantly knew where the style was going and that we had found our unduplicatable niche. This is honestly the best compliment that any artist can hope to get and I will appreciate it for some time.

Well that's about enough of the insanely long-winded explanations. For me, this is a nearly perfect capture. The expression and great moment of indulgence is simple and wonderful. If you knew the subject, you'd understand even more.

More great expression and personality. We can't say enough good things about these two and I'm just glad we could give them a great image.

Heather's Picks:

Best of the Best – wow – it is ridiculously hard to narrow down an entire year of work to three pictures. Here’s what I’ve got and why – like Aaron you might be shocked by my choices (yes I was). For me the best of the best are not about technical accuracy, but more about how I feel when I look at them – and what emotions are captured.

I just LOVE this picture! Any couple who is crazy enough to lie on the ground in their wedding attire is perfect for our shooting style. Nathan and Rachel are two of the most engaging and warm people I’ve ever met. The welcomed us into their wedding like we were old friends.

I think this picture captures the intimacy of being in love. When you are with the right person, I think you can spend time in the simplest of locations because you are so entranced with each other. This picture makes me want to get lost in that field ...

How can you NOT love this picture. I think it is so fun! I am a huge “Thriller” fan – I intend to learn the dance someday – so this picture makes me want to hear the song and dance! It’s probably my most shocking choice, but something about it just grabs me.

Best-of-the-Best Grooms

2008-02-01T08:57:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

We're getting close now, this is the last post before we show our overall favorites from 2007.

Grooms, not shockingly, have a special place in my heart and our style is tooled slightly for them. For the most part guys just don't like to have their pictures taken, I can relate, it's okay. That's a major reason why we shoot with the approach that we do, to make them forget that we're there to take their picture and instead to just have fun. I'm glad we had such a great group of guys this year and the results were pretty good.

Tewaney was definetly one of my favorite guys this year. He has such a wonderful, geniune personality that is electric. I really love everything about this shot, it is one of my favorites this year. It captures so much personality and has a certain amount of honesty to it. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

A much simpler shot than the first, just clean and easy. He is giving quite a look there. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

This is a pick just for the fun of it. Great expression, and it's another Aaron. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:

Ok, I’m sorry it took me so long to choose for this category. Here’s the problem – to me a wedding is about the BRIDE. She’s been waiting for this day her whole life – I know, I’ve been there. So it’s a big paradigm shift for me to think, what’s my favorite groom picture. So, yeah it was harder than the other categories. In any event, here are my choices.

This shot says “pure satisfaction” to me. Actually it was hard to pick just one shot of Tewaney. He was one of the most expressive and welcoming grooms we’ve shot. And I KNOW Aaron picked this one too, but it is really good so it has to be on my list too. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

I like this picture because while it looks really fake it’s not. Sean struck this pose without being asked and it definitely captures his fun-loving personality. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

I know this isn’t a traditional portrait but I love how Aaron is concentrating so deeply. I thought Aaron was very intense – in a good way – and all of his energy is focused in this shot. It makes me want to know what he’s working on. Photographer: Matt Frye

Best-of-the-Best Wedding Party

2008-01-29T08:24:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

I know this post is out of order but Heather has been a little slow getting me her last few picks for the Grooms (shame).

Wedding Parties definitely provide for the most variety. You just never know what you're going to get. Sometimes it's a big party, calm and somber, small, huge, you get the idea. Because of the variety I could talk forever so lets just get to it.

This is one of my favorite shots of the year just because it's an attention getter. It's great when we go to bridal shows as it stops so many people that walk by. It's funny though because everyone asks how much photoshop went in to it. I'm here to say that it is almost completely a straight shot, I only blurred the background a little bit. I also love it just because it just fits Gabe & Courtney so well. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

It's great when the we get help from the group. This shot was completely thought up by the guys, I was just lucky enough to get to take the picture. It works though. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

It's amazing how much of a difference a little bit of snow can make in a picture. It completely changed the mood here. If I had my choice every winter wedding would have snow, just my opinion. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:

This takes our “bad ass” shot to a whole new level! My favorite thing about this picture is the reaction most people have when we show it to them. Everyone seems drawn to it. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

I love how the editing on this shot brought out jewel-tone colors. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Photographer: Aaron Hawes

David & Kim's Wedding

2008-01-28T10:17:00.001-06:00

I know it's a little late but this was actually our last wedding from 2007. We had a computer crash right after the first of the year and I lost 2 weeks of processing time trying to get it going again. Don't worry though, no pictures were lost in the death of the PC. R.I.P.

David and Kim were really a ton of fun. The girls especially really just know how to have a good time. The day was filled with tons of emotion and you can really tell in the pictures. It was really cold out but everyone was great about braving the elements to get some great photos. Kim really looked the part of a beautiful snow princess. I'm not sure how it happened but I got a little carried away with the picture posts for these guys, I guess we just enjoyed the pictures! Enjoy.

Best-of-the-best Brides

2008-01-24T11:34:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

Shooting our brides is another of our favorite parts of the day. It's almost too easy. When you have beautiful women that are looking their best and having fun the pictures just roll. It is definitely our pleasure to help make these wonderful brides look the part.

Since I took this picture it has instantly become the most requested shot by brides. Everyone wants to look like this. I'll be honest, it's a little more contrived then I typically like to shoot but the results are stunning. This is by far the best capture of this shot we've ever taken. Thanks for being you Stephanie! Photo by: Aaron Hawes

For me this shot really encompasses our style. A beautiful bride just having fun, showing wonderful personality and emotion, and captured with a fashion flare. Kim was one of our easiest brides to photograph this year and we're honored to call her a friend. Photo by: Aaron Hawes

This pick is kind of funny for me. It's not one of my favorite set-ups to do, it is typically on request and not usually a favorite of mine. This one is different though. Just look at those eyes, I don't need to say anything else. Photo by: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:

This category was really hard – by far the hardest for me! I honestly think all of our brides are so gorgeous on their wedding day so it was hard to narrow down my favorites.

Stephanie was a bride who would look good next to the simplest of backgrounds as we prove here. I think this picture is so elegant and simple. Photo by: Aaron Hawes

This picture completely captures Berlice. She has a vibrant personality and is very outgoing. Photo by: Aaron Hawes

Something about this portrait is just so fresh. It almost feels like Gretchen just finished a sentence and is waiting for your reply, like you are the best of friends. Photo by: Matt Frye

Best-of-the-best The Couple

2008-01-21T08:12:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

First I want to apologize. I just realized that I haven't been giving photo credit on this series. Most of the images were taken by Aaron but there are quite a few by Heather and Matt too so be sure to go back through the posts and see the real photographer.

Aaron's Picks:

This was a very hard category as you all can imagine. If you've worked with us you know that the time we get to work with our couples is by far our favorite part of the day. We take tons of pictures and we usually get to capture lots of love and great moments. I finally picked 3 favorites but there could easily have been 3-4 more.

I really just love everything about this picture. The expression, tones, light, everything. One of my favorites of the year for sure. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

This is my odd ball pick. It's very simple but I think there is still lots of emotion here. I love that you are led through the image with the lines. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

This is more of a "power" image than we usually do. Lot's of strength with the pose and colors but still very genuine. It just works. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:
This category was a challenge. Working with our couples is one of my favorite parts of the whole wedding day.

Nathan and Rachel are two of the most genuinely nice people you could hope to meet and they are so obviously in love. On top of that they were up for just about anything, including laying on the grass in their wedding attire. Throw in a perfect sunburst and you have a great picture. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

I just think this picture is classic and stunning. The black and white conversion of this picture really highlights the couple and the historic location. Photographer: Matt Frye

Kim and Nathan’s wedding was in a fantastic old church in downtown St. Joe. I wouldn’t be surprised if the balcony was haunted because it had such an old feel. The light coming through the window was just amazing. I think this shot captures what a good kiss feels like – frozen in time with a warm glow. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Best-of-the-Best Receptions

2008-01-17T12:39:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

Receptions are definitely one of the most interesting aspects of our job. The variety is immense. We see everything from passed out bridal parties & break dancing Uncle Bob to Grandma sleeping in the corner to organized swing lessons. There are also receptions that seem to drag on forever and those that are a knock-down drag-out party. Regardless, they can be tons of fun and the highlight for every bridal party.

This is my favorite moment at any reception. When the bride realizes that the garter is coming off with teeth. This is the best capture of that moment this year. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Just a great angle that really captured the essence of their reception. Photographer: Matt Frye

Every couple loves the dollar dance, but she really knows what to do with the money. I can't help it, I love everything about this picture. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:

So apparently I haven’t been writing enough – or picking enough pics (which for the record, I picked 4 in a few categories so I figured it would even out. Aaron has informed me that he will only post 3 for category so I’m revising appropriately).

I think getting awesome reception shots can be a challenge. Most people run the other way when they see you coming with a huge flash or give you a cheesy smile when you just wanted them to act normal. So when you get a good shot it feels awesome. Here are a few of my favorite ones from this year.

You know it’s a party when someone requests “Thriller” – it’s even better when the DJ does the dance with the bride. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Jesse and Lauren were so much fun to shoot! They have engaging personalities and I think that is really captured here. Photographer: Matt Frye

Nathan is the A&W fan but Kim lovingly let it invade her reception. They had personalized mugs, a keg of root beer and the groom’s cake was adorned with the logo. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

KC Bridal Spectacular

2008-01-16T08:58:00.001-06:00

This last Saturday we got to work our second bridal show. The KC Bridal Spectacular. Even though this was only our second show we have realized that we really enjoy them. We get to meets tons of great new couples and some great vendors as well.

Thanks to everyone that stopped by the booth and we look forward to talking with many of you again.

Here are a couple of pictures of our booth. Unfortunately we forgot our camera (photographers without a camera, what a crime). So these are pictures from the first show, it looks pretty much the same, just a few different background pictures.

Best-of-the-Best Details

2008-01-15T13:07:00.002-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

Sorry, this will probably be the least exciting category for everyone. Not that the pictures are boring but because Heather and I agreed on the first 2 (I promise it won't happen again). These were also pretty easy choices for us, they just seem to stand out in our mind. Simple is the theme.

Like I said; simplicity. Just great color and depth here. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Also very simple. Great tones and texture in the shoes, nice focus as well. Photographer: Heather Hawes

A little more fun with this one. I just liked the custom flip-flops for these really laid-back girls. Fun colors too. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:

I love the pop of color in these flowers. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Photographer: Heather Hawes

Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Best-of-the-best Ceremony

2008-01-10T09:38:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

Ah, the ceremony. The staple of the day and ultimately why we're there in the first place. Unfortunately it is also the most repetitive and challenging parts. Between fighting terrible church lighting and near jogging bridesmaids the ceremony can provide quite an assortment of difficulties. Luckily for me the winners were pretty clear cut. No alter shots but emotion and interesting angles are the way to go.

This is probably my favorite all-time ceremony shot that we have done. The angle, depth, color, and even natural lens vignette all works really well. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

This shot is a little more simple. Clean and dynamic, great emotion. Just a good take on the old carry me down the altar shot. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Another simple image. All about emotion here. How excited are they! Photographer: Heather Hawes

Heather's Picks:

To me this is the perfect capture of a maid of honor. She is fastidiously smoothing the bride’s dress before she sees her groom for the first time. This is love between friends --caught on camera. Photographer: Heather Hawes

Most flower girls and ring bearers don’t want anything to do with each other. This couple decided they would get married before the reception started. Photographer: Heather Hawes

Best-of-the-best Getting Ready

2008-01-07T08:17:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of best-of-the-best click here.

Aaron's Picks:

Honestly I'm just glad I don't have to pick my favorite engagement session pictures again, that was really hard! For me this was one of the easier categories, although we probably take more images for this category and any other certain ones just stand out to me. There is also a lot more diversity between Heather and I than any other group, she really has different taste than me sometimes.

I can't help it, I really like this shot and I really can't explain why too much. I just don't think I've ever seen this much emotion during the bustling of a dress. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

For me this is all about the candid moment and wonderful color. I rather simple shot that just works. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

In complete contrast from the last shot I like this because of how busy it is. I think it captures how crazy it is with the girls getting ready. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heathers Picks:

Children’s furniture and a bride getting her makeup done – so cute. Photographer: Heather Hawes

Photographer: Heather Hawes

Photographer: Heather Hawes

Best-of-the-best Engagements

2008-01-03T10:54:00.001-06:00

For an explanation of 2007 Best-of-the-best photos click here.

Aaron's Picks:

So we started with by far the hardest category for me to narrow down. As many of you know engagement session are my favorite part of the whole wedding process. I just love to go out with the couples and just have fun. You can really see how my fashion tendencies come out in these shoots with my picks.

This might actually be my favorite picture of the whole year. Urban shooting is definitely my favorite and this really encompasses my style and wonderful emotion. It's also one of the few times that Heather & I will overlap picks. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

I just love the wonderful genuine emotion from these guys. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

This is one of my favorites for lots of reasons. They have such a strong emotive look and pose. It is also a technically wonderful image, great lines and color. It really works well for me. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

Heather's Picks:

I love how this captures the couple in a private moment. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

They look like models, and I love the clouds. Photographer: Aaron Hawes

If you're willing to make-out in trash it must be love! Photographer: Aaron Hawes

2007 Best-of-the-best Photos

2008-01-03T10:40:00.000-06:00

Well it's a new year and Heather & I are so thankful for all of the wonderful couples we got to work with over the last year. It was a year that has shown a lot of growth for us and we have all of you to thank for it.

As the busy season slowly ended we sat down to reflect on all of the images we've captured this year and decided that we wanted to both share our thoughts and show off some of your beautiful events. Heather and I have each gone through and chosen our personal favorite 3 images from 10 categories (Engagement, Getting Ready/Pre-ceremony, Ceremony, Details, Reception, The Couple, Bride Only, Groom Only, Wedding Party, and ending with our overall favorites). We'll spread the posts over the course of January so be sure to check back often. This may seem like quite a bit but considering all of the events we've done and the tens of thousands of images captured it made for some very tough choices. That's also the reason we each chose our own favorites, and simply because we couldn't agree very often.

So please, enjoy. Check back to see if your event makes our favorite list and to see some other wonderful couples. Feel free to leave your comments, we always love to hear from you!

The Picks

1-3-08 Engagements

1-7-08 Getting Ready

1-10-08 Ceremony

1-15-08 Details

1-17-08 Reception

1-21-08 The Couple

1-24-08 Brides

1-29-08 Wedding Party

2-1-08 Grooms

2-4-08 The Final Picks

Caleb & Erin

2008-01-02T09:17:00.001-06:00

Caleb & Erin are definitely my kind of couple. They just have fun together and are really up for anything. Anyone who is willing to climb inside the Christmas tree at Union Station, dive into a snow angel, and start a snowball fight at the mere mention is okay in my book. Needless to say they where one of the most fun couples I've shot this year and the pictures just show how much they enjoy each other.

Vacation Pictures... Finally

2007-12-19T13:19:00.002-06:00

Well at long last I have finally gotten some vacation pictures looking pretty. For those of you who don't know Heather & I took a much need vacation at the end of November. We did an 11day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Princess Cruise Lines' Emerald Princess that sailed out of Fort Lauderdale and stopped at Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and The Bahamas.

I tried not to take too many pictures as this was a vacation away from photography but of course I still took quite a few. I'll try to throw in a little explanation on some of them but if you want to hear more detail just give us a call! Enjoy.

Our ship, the Emerald Princess docked at St. Lucia.
The docks at Antigua, shot from our balcony. Lots of rainbows that morning.

Our first excursion was zip lining, and it was tons of fun! I can't believe Heather agreed to do it!

We took a pretty long tour on St. Lucia that took us all over the island. The next 9 pictures were taken at their poorest fishing village. This was a little scary because our tour just dumped us in the middle of the village but I got some of my favorite pictures of the cruise here.

I just love this shot. He really wanted to pose when he saw me taking pictures. It cost me $2 but I think it's worth it.

I would swear this dog was posing for me.

I just wanted to post this so you could see what the scene above actually looked like.

After the village we went up around the Pitons and visited this natural hot springs.

Then on to a drive up volcano. Very cool because you could see the bubbling water and steam. Stunk like sulfur though.

When we hit St. Kitts we realized that we hadn't actually been to a beach yet. So we got up early and went to shore in search. The tourist desk recommended we go to Frigate Bay, much to our surprise this was the ugliest beach we had ever seen. At least the water was pretty and I got a couple of nice pictures (not of the beach though).

After the beach we took a private 4wd tour of St. Kitts. This was our favorite tour because it was very private and we stayed off the road for most of it. Our guide even stopped and gave us a picnic with local food and rum. This particular shot was at an old sugar cane plantation.

This was at a different plantation but this building wasn't lived in because they thought it was haunted.

We just thought all these caterpillars were cool.

Looking up in an abandoned windmill.

It wouldn't be a vacation with out Heather showing off the bikini. Taken in The Bahamas.

We're Back!

2007-12-11T12:32:00.000-06:00

I know we haven't posted in a while and I promise we didn't fall off the face of the planet. For those of you who didn't know Heather and I took a much needed 2 week vacation. It's been a great year but we really needed to get away.

Anyway, we're back now so keep an eye out for lots of fun pictures and a report of everything we got to do.

Cody & Tina

2007-11-22T12:08:00.002-06:00

This was one of the most fun couples I've worked with this year. They just enjoyed being together the whole time and Tina is extremely photogenic. It was great because they were really open to trying a few new things like climbing through a great old caboose we found in the West Bottoms and hiking all over the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area.

I love how this shoot turned out and am definitely excited for their wedding in August.

Kyle & Laura

2007-11-19T11:10:00.002-06:00

Ah, were to start with these two. We're really gotten to know Kyle and Laura pretty well over the course of their search for a wedding photographer. They honestly talked to and interviewed a good portion of the studios in not only Kansas City but the midwest. They had a style in mind and wanted to find the right fit. It really is nice to be working with a couple that take photography so seriously and we are truly honored to be working with them.

Now to explain one of the craziest shoots I have ever done. We went all over with these guys, started at the West Bottoms, then to Maple Woods Conservation Area in Parkville, and finally to Downtown Parkville (stopping a couple times along the way). On the way to Parkville we were rear-ended; yes, an accident. Luckily everyone was okay but still fairly shaken-up. Still, being the strong couple they are we pressed on. While at Maple Woods we discovered that Laura was missing one of her earrings (which of course was a diamond anniversary gift). We still moved on and they went back to the Bottoms to look for it later. They didn't find it right away but after I went through their pictures and figured out where she wasn't wearing it they were able to track it down.

Even with all the bad luck we really had a lot of fun. They were up for anything, which is important with me :) I'm really happy with how their shoot turned out and we're really looking forward to their wedding in June.

Kyle's poor car.

Chris & Alyson's Wedding

2007-11-19T10:54:00.002-06:00

Chris & Alyson were a laid-back couple. Things started a little late but they went with the flow and had fun. They took us to a wonderful park in Mission, KS and we got some great fall shots. The reception was at the Mission Theater which was beautiful but surprisingly hard to photograph (light was challenging). They had a fun movie theme that really fit the space. Enjoy.

Ben & Nicole

2007-11-16T08:16:00.001-06:00

I had quite an experience with Ben & Nicole. As most of you know we never book a couple with out meeting with them first. We made the exception for Nicole though. She is a very busy medical professional and didn't have time to meet with photographers in person, she was also highly recommended by Moly Shalz (a great coordinator here in town). So I was pretty nervous to work and meet them for the first time. To make matters worse they got a speeding ticket and got a little lost on the way to the shoot. Not surprising that it didn't put Ben in the best of moods. I also think that Ben may be the only other person that hates having his picture taken as much as I do.

Even with everything stacked against them we had lots of fun. They both loosened up pretty quick and were up for just about anything, including a pretty heated leaf fight! I'm really happy with the results and glad that we made the exception for them, it will be a great wedding.

Nathan & Kim's Wedding

2007-11-13T09:28:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I know we really like to brag about how lucky we are to get wonderful couples but I really have to gush about these guys. We could tell pretty early on that this was going to be a special event. I was lucky to be able to shoot their engagement session first and if you've been watching our posts then you already know that it turned out great and was featured on collages.net a few weeks ago.

For the wedding we drove up to St. Joseph, MO. I've been in KC my whole life and somehow missed going up there and I have to say that the downtown area is very charming. They chose a great church with tons of character. The whole family was just so welcoming to us, the wedding party was tons of fun, Kim was beautiful, and Nathan & Kim were glowing.

I'm just glad we were able to be a part of the day and give them a nice portfolio, I could have posted 3 times more photos but you'll get the idea, the slideshow has plenty more to see. We can't wait to do Kim's trash the dress session in the spring!

Aaron & Gretchen's Wedding

2007-11-12T13:19:00.001-06:00

We got to shoot Aaron & Gretchen's wedding back on Oct. 21st in Lawrence (I know it took me a while to get this post up). They were just an incredibly laid back, easy going couple. We couldn't have asked for an easier couple to work with. I even put my first slideshow at the end. Enjoy!

Jesse & Lauren's Wedding

2007-11-02T14:16:00.001-05:00

Jesse & Lauren were troopers in the purest sense. We shot their wedding in mid-October and it rained the entire day. Nothing got them down though, we just did everything we could and still got some fantastic images. Another event that Matt came along to and we ended up with lot's of photojournalism. The emotion just poured from everyone that was there.

This is one of those couples that are just such truly wonderful people that we are proud to have been able to share the day with them.

Dayle & Leah's Wedding

2007-10-31T11:07:00.001-05:00

I'm finally into some October events with Dayle & Leah's wedding.

This was a little bit out of the mold for us. We only spent 4 hours with them and they had a pretty small wedding all around. They also wanted a little more traditional style then we usually shoot. They were really great and laid back though so we still got to put a little creativity into it.

More of us to love

2007-10-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

This is actually an announcement from earlier in the year but I know that a lot of you don't know yet.

Heather & I are extremely excited to announce that we have brought on another photography team! We've talked about doing this for quite a while as we just had to many couples that we had to turn away. The process was exhausting as I looked through hundreds of resumes, talked to countless that applied and after all of that and a few trial found Matt & his assistants. He is a fantastic photographer with lots of photojournalistic background. He compliments and embodies everything that we strive to achieve in our work.

So pass the word, we have more open dates then before and lots more talent to share.

Nathan & Rachel's Wedding

2007-10-31T10:15:00.001-05:00

Continuing on the idea of posting a few older events to get started with here is Nathan & Rachel's wedding.

It was an obvious choice to post because we had so much fun with their whole group and we loved how everything turned out. This was one that Matt came along with us to keep learning how we do things. It's amazing how good the shoots turn out with all 3 of us, too bad we can't afford that all year round.

Anyway, the ceremony was in Blue Springs, then we went to Kaufman Gardens and the J.C. Nichols fountain for a few pictures. They had a great trolley that drove us everywhere, we had tons of fun during the drive and got lots of fun shots in the process. The wedding party even got a little tour around the Plaza because the Plaza Art Fair was going on at the time so they had to drop us off at the fountain and then come back buy to pick us up. There just happened to be 2 other brides there at the same time so they even got a few pictures together.

Sorry there are so many pictures on this post but I could have put up tons more, we just ended up with lots of fun stuff. Enjoy.

The Arnold's are Featured!!

2007-10-30T20:20:00.001-05:00

So I know that we're getting into this blogging thing a little late in the year so I'm going to post some of the things that we've done recently (so that we're still fun to look at).

I actually shot Kim and Nathan's engagement session back in early August but I want to share it because it is featured nationally on collages.net this week. For those of you who don't know collages.net hosts our online proofing system. They work with thousands of studios across the country to handle online proofing. Every week they choose one event and one portrait session to feature on their national website. This week it is the Arnold's!

For their shoot we went to downtown Lee's Summit. Little did we know that it was completely under construction at the time. Luckily Kim and Nathan were tons of fun and open to anything (and it's a good thing because I had them climbing into and over just about everything). We loved the results and they got some fun pictures.

Here are a few of my personal favorites from the session but you can go to http://www.collages.net/ to see the rest.

We actually shot their wedding last Sunday it is went fantastic. Keep an eye out for those pictures soon.

And now we're bloggers

2007-10-30T20:05:00.001-05:00

So this has been a long time coming but we are finally joining the ranks of the bloggers. It's been something that we really wanted to do and are really excited that we finally got around to it.

So go ahead an bookmark us because we're going to keep you up to date on everything that we're doing with Hawes Photography. From current shoots, to business updates, and I'm sure a few fun things it will all be here for you blogging pleasure!

-Aaron & Heather