keith pitts photography blog » engagment

Love was in the air (and so was the humidity!) | destination wedding photographer

Melissa — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:18:41 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

“True Love stories never have endings.” – Richard Bach

An engagement session is an opportunity to document a chapter in a couple’s life together that embodies contentment, hopefulness, playfulness and love. A new beginning together, their story, forever part of their history.

I can only imagine that this truly special couple will appreciate and enjoy their life together – they are just absolutely adorable!

{And…this lovely couple braved ridiculously hot temperatures (with even more ridiculous humidity) for their engagement session at the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at the Pepsico World Headquarters in Purchase, New York (just outside of New York City).}

Sincerely looking forward to the next chapter in their story – a beautiful spring wedding in New York.

engagement session at lake arrowhead, california | scottsdale wedding photographer

Melissa — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 02:31:10 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

“Love comforteth like sunshine after rain”. William Shakespeare

We find that engagement sessions are a great opportunity for Keith and his bride-to-be and groom-to-be to really get to know each other before the big day.

When we schedule an e-session, we ask the couple if there is a place that has meaning for them, somewhere that is special. The bride and groom live in the Los Angeles area, the wedding is in Paradise Valley, they are in the Scottsdale area often to visit family and work on wedding plans. We threw around some ideas, but we wanted the session to be uniquely special to this couple, not just a pretty location.

This bride-to-be mentioned that Lake Arrowhead, California was that spot, that special place.

Lake Arrowhead is a perfect backdrop for their love story to begin and continue. The minute you start climbing the mountain, the highway falls away behind you while the smog of the LA area quickly disappears revealing stunning blue skies, tall pine trees and air so fresh with one breath you start your own love story with this scenic lake setting.

One summer 10 years ago while visiting Lake Arrowhead, the bride was encouraged by her sister to take water ski lessons at the local water ski school. Guess who her instructor was that day? Yes, none other than the groom-to-be. As they say, the rest is history.

Such a beautiful story that perfectly represents how love stories happen.

Ten years later, the sun is still shining.

phoenix bride and groom blog appearance | wedding photographer scottsdale

Melissa — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:48:54 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Thank you Kelly for such a lovely post on the Phoenix Bride and Groom blog! Sarah and Johnny are such a fun couple and I think it shows through in their engagement pictures. They were up for anything – just running around having a great time. Downtown Phoenix is a great spot – so diverse. Their wedding took place at The Heard Museum – and was beautiful!

8 tips for taking great pictures on Christmas morning | children’s portrait photographer scottsdale

Melissa — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:03:42 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

First and foremost – Merry Christmas! To those of you that have been following this blog for a few years, you have probably already seen this post. We apologize for our repetitiveness – but we are asked about this all the time!

Friends and family always ask me how I photograph my kids around the holidays – especially on Christmas morning. Here are a few tips:

Get as much light in the room as you can – turn up ambient lighting, open shades – we want to be able to use natural light – try to keep flash OFF!
Look at the scene – are there windows behind your tree? If you shoot directly at the windows – your pictures will come out dark. Move to the side, look for a better spot, find a good angle, change up angles
Be ready to push the shutter at a moments notice – we are looking to capture natural expressions on your children’s faces
Get down on the ground with them while they are opening presents
Shoot quickly and shoot often! You don’t want to miss anything – you can edit later!
Don’t forget the detail shots – a beautiful ornament, a bow on a present – we can tell a beautiful story by including these pictures
Document the day – start the night before – take pictures of Santa’s cookies, the tree before the kids wake up (refer to my tips of photographing holiday lights), your children sleeping, stockings hanging on the mantle…
If your pictures are too blurry – then add a flash (only as a last resort!)

Here is a suggestion for an interesting shot of your kids opening up their gifts under the tree: use a tripod, turn up ambient lighting, if flash is built into camera: turn flash off, use longer exposure setting (for those that have no idea what I’m referring to – like my wife!) set the dial on the big P: Program Mode, focus on the tree (your kids should be ripping open their gifts). The result should be a great shot of your tree and children with motion blur!

Footnote: these are general rules – all rules can be broken or depending on your experience level – interpreted in your own way or completely ignored! This is one way – but not the only way! Play around with what works for you and your camera!

The DBG Garden Wedding | engagement session | phoenix wedding photography

Melissa — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:02:35 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

It is hard to believe that we are closing in on the much anticipated Desert Botanical Garden’s GARDEN WEDDING GIVEAWAY on 10.10.10. Cara and Brett have been amazing – fun through it all. Now they will be married in 12 days! Where or where does the time go? Perhaps because it is still blazing outside, it is hard to fathom that YES, it is fall and the wedding season is about to be in full swing!

We really enjoyed the engagement session. Cara and Brett chose the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa as the backdrop. A gorgeous choice. We had a few laughs, some great photographs were taken, but most importantly, I learned that Cara and Brett are both die hard Red Sox fans. And Cara’s family is from Rhode Island (as am I), and Brett loves history, and there’s a bar in Chandler that hosts the Southwest version of Red Sox Nation. Oh and I wish I was tagging along on their honeymoon – without giving away the details – it sounds amazing!

Back to the engagement session – the big day is right around the corner! Enjoy the slideshow.

downtown phoenix | wedding engagement photography phoenix

Melissa — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 05:11:20 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

I’m not sure how these engagement pictures slipped under the blog radar – but somehow they did. Better late than never, here are Sarah & Johnny’s engagement pics. This engagement session turned out great, such a lovely couple, so happy and sooo in love – what more could you ask for?

{Downtown Phoenix is a great backdrop for just about every type of photography session: from engagement to children’s portraits to wedding photos! }

couple in paradise… | paradise valley wedding photographer

keith — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 02:38:10 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Hi All,

The paradise I referred to in the title is Paradise Valley of course. For those who don’t live in or around here (The Greater Phoenix Area) it is a nice place. A bit like Greenwich, CT with desert landscaping. The couple in question have strong ties to the area and wanted their engagement photos to reflect it’s natural beauty. I feel that has been accomplished with the added benefit of showing off how beautiful they are with a dollop of they really like each other (plus love). Not bad for a two dimensional medium without sound. What do you think?

Sincerely,

Keith

scottsdale wedding photographer I really cute save the date

keith — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:59:43 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

I have neglected checking out wedding blogs of late…but I came across this wedding blog tonight called 100 Layer Cake (crafting your wedding, layer by layer)…really great stuff! I loved this set of invitations (photo credit: lemonlimephoto) that was featured on their post today…what a great save the date card, I love the story that it tells about the bride and groom! so personal! so unique! A relationship timeline – I wish I had thought of it for our wedding!

Destination Wedding Planner…

Melissa — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:27:21 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

When I was planning our wedding in St John USVI from my office in New York City, I would have greatly benefitted from a wedding organizer specifically written for destination weddings! Now such a publication exists…yeah! Here it is:

The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding from Afar By Alison Hotchkiss

This book has not yet been released. It will be available after Wednesday February 25, 2009.

Destination Wedding Planner — Trotting the globe with a wedding dress in tow is no small feat. This planner takes the mystery out of staging the perfect destination wedding by outlining all of the essential information that couples need to know. Professional Destination Wedding Planner Alison Hotchkiss gives expert advice on everything from choosing the location and setting a budget to managing the production from afar and preparing guests for the big event. Helpful worksheets and checklists make organization a breeze, and roomy pockets are included for stowing documents or odds and ends. Whether the location is the bride’s old hometown, a tropical island, or anywhere in between, adventurous couples can be sure they’ll get hitched without a hitch!

Alison Hotchkiss, a Destination Wedding Planner, has planned over 100 destination weddings. She lives in San Francisco.

photographik…

Melissa — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:17:35 +0000

NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

You can now see us on photographik! We are very pleased to be accepted in both categories, weddings and portraits! Check out our listings and let us know what you think! Thanks!

In case you do not familiar with their website, here are a few words from their site:

photographik – the elite photographers network - lists only the most talented and accomplished wedding and portrait photographers in our Directory. Search by type and region and quickly find the best weddingand portrait photographers in the business.

Only elite wedding and portrait photographers are listed on our site. Membership is exclusive and granted only to those photographers who demonstrate excellence in the fields of wedding and portrait photography.