Category Archives: Newsflash

Send me your kiddos

March 27, 2011

You don’t have to say it. I know what you’re thinking. “But Lauren, you don’t photograph kids!” I’m going to confess something to you: I’ve been a photographer for 5 years, and I have agreed to photograph children twice. Twice. In 5 years. I used to tell myself this was because I only loved weddings, and this is mostly true. But the real reason I’ve passed on photographing children is because of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of trying and realizing I’m no good at it. But this year I’ve decided that I want to live fearlessly. I want to stretch myself creatively. I want to take on projects that scare me so that I can grow. So, with that in mind, I want you to send me your kiddos!

I need a few parents to volunteer their children to go in front of my camera. I’m looking for high energy, fun loving, adorable children between the ages of 3-8. Parents will receive a complimentary print credit in exchange for their time. If you are interested, please send your name, your kiddo’s name, age and a recent photo to Lauren@Laurenwrightphoto.com.

And because every post is better with a photo or two, here is a sneak peek from Connie & Brett’s engagement session!

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FAQ: Engagement Session Greatness

January 19, 2011

I LOVE engagement sessions. They’re such a fun way to connect and build relationships with new clients, and you have the opportunity to strut your stuff for my camera without the usual demands and pressures of a wedding day schedule. You can wear what you want, bring what you want, go where you want and spend as much time snuggling, laughing and enjoying each other as you want! I often receive emails from my brides asking questions such as what to wear, what to do and what to expect. With these questions in mind, I wrote the following suggestions to help all of my wonderful couples!

1. Wear outfits that make you feel sassy and fabulous and beautiful (or handsome, as the case may be)! Dress in your best. I’m not talking about your suit and tie or Sunday best. I want you to wear clothes that make you feel confident and comfortable. As you may have noticed, I am a fan of bright, bold colors, so don’t be afraid to clothe yourself in color! A flattering dress with a pair of killer heels or a fitted sweater with your favorite pair of jeans is usually a great choice for the ladies, and a complementary button down, pair of slacks, or graphic T and casual blue jeans is a great fit for the guys.

Don’t forget accessories! Bring your favorite sweater, belt, headband, necklace, set of earrings or stunning pair of high heels and get ready to show them off!

2. Get ready to snuggle, snuggle, snuggle! During your session, I will give you enough direction that you don’t feel awkward (“What do I do with my hands?”) but not so much that you feel rigidly posed. Many times, I will just tell you to snuggle and kiss and be cute. I want you to be yourselves! Your goofy, smiley, tender, expressive selves. So guys, wrap your arms around your girl and show her she’s the only one you want to hold. Girls nuzzle in close and show your man he’s the only one that makes you melt inside. Or if fun is more your style, guys feel free to grab yourself a handful of your girl’s booty and let me capture the ensuing look of shock and the belly-aching laughter. I like those photos, too!

3. Bring something that you love. Incorporating props into your engagement photos seems to be the “in thing” to do these days, and while I prefer timeless to trendy, it’s always fun to incorporate something into your session that shows off your personalities! Are you a closet singer/songwriter? Bring your guitar with you. Do you love to fish? I want to see your wellies and your fishing pole! Are you a champion calf roper? Avid dog lover? Twilight reader? Scrapbooker? Don’t be shy. I want to capture you in a way that’s true to life, whether you spend your time with your nose in a book or exploring the great outdoors, I want your photos to show off your talents, tricks and triumphs, so bring something you love!

4. Be prepared to be fierce. And goofy. And fiercely goofy. Laughter is by far my FAVORITE expression to capture. There’s something about the glimmer it puts in your eye and the smile it puts on your face that you just can’t fake. With that said, I find that that pictures that begin with a little spice tend to end in sweet laughter. If you’re anything like me, the process of trying to look fierce may just spin you into a fit of giggles. Whether you’re a trained stunner with a wicked “blue steel” expression or a giggle box who can’t make a straight face, I want you to have fun. Strut your stuff. Play along. Tap into your inner supermodel. Realize that your love and your connection to each other make you even more beautiful, and own it!

5. Trust me! Remember, you hired me because you connect with my style! So whether I ask you to lay on the ground, snuggle by a dumpster, stand on a pile of old bricks or put your faces so close together that your fiance looks like a cyclops, trust that it is because it will make your pictures awesome in some way or another. For me, engagement sessions are like mini-adventures with new friends. I have so much fun exploring new locations, trying out new poses and in general doing whatever I can to make you guys look flawless, and I want you to trust me. Your pictures will be awesome!

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FAQ: First Look

January 12, 2011

I loved my wedding day. Every moment was absolute perfection. The flowers were beautiful, my friends and family were close, the ceremony was personal and honest and our reception was a throw down dance party. It was magical and full of love, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I want that for you. I want your wedding day to be better than you could have dreamed it. I want every moment to be precious, and more than anything, I want those moments to be yours. So if you can’t imagine your perfect day without surprising your groom as you walk down the aisle, I want you to do it that way. This post is not for you. This post is for those of you who are on the fence – stuck perhaps between the pull of tradition and the demand of your wedding day schedule. I want to share with you why I chose to see Robert before our ceremony.

I got a lot of funny looks when I told people that Robert and I were going to see each other before the ceremony. Some said I would regret not having my dramatic entrance. Some said it would take away from the awe of my descent down the aisle. Some said it would bring bad luck. I’m here to tell you that none of these things were true. I knew early on that I wanted to see Robert before our ceremony, because I didn’t want to share our first moments together on that day in front of a crowd. I wanted to be able to hold him and kiss him. I wanted to talk to him and pray with him. I wanted to hold his hand, look into his eyes and take a moment to reflect on the commitment we were about to make. And I wanted to do it alone. My wedding day was perfect. I was the picture of serenity and peace, and seeing Robert early in the day helped me achieve that peace. My day would not have been as perfect without this moment:


As I said before, if you have always dreamed of having your moment as you walk down the aisle, this is not for you. But for those of you who know you can’t navigate the stress and craziness of your wedding day without your best friend beside you, you are not alone. I will never forget what Becky told me when we were planning the schedule for her wedding day. “Josh and I are going to see each other before the ceremony. You are welcome to take pictures from a distance, but I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to see anyone but Josh.”

Some brides and grooms choose to see each other before the ceremony so that they have plenty of time for pictures without having to miss any of their reception. This is a great motivator! And it doesn’t have to take away from the intimacy of your moment. You can shape it however you want to. You can still walk down the aisle and find him waiting for you. You can sneak up behind him and cover his eyes. You can be as playful or as somber as you want, and you can still have those moments captured forever.

Your wedding day should be about you – the two of you. Who you are. How you got here. Who you’ll become together. It should be a day full of hopeful expectation, and you should be able to enjoy it together. Unfortunately, the demands of having a hundred or so of your closest friends and family around often means that you don’t get to truly be alone until you’re headed for your honeymoon. This is another reason why having a first look can be so valuable. It might be the only time during your wedding day when you just get to breathe deep and enjoy being together without someone grabbing you to smile for their new Facebook picture or to introduce you to your cousin’s step-brother’s girlfriend’s great aunt Sally. Choose to make time for the two of you.

PS. These next few photos prove that there is no emotion lost when you see each other before the ceremony!

Your wedding day is exactly that – yours. Don’t feel like you have to bend to tradition or to the desires of your family in order to do it the “right” way. There is no right way. Solid marriages aren’t built on luck – they’re built on friendship, trust and prayer. And as a bride who has been there and done that, I can promise you – your walk down the aisle will be a treasured memory whether you’ve already seen each other or not, because in 30 or so steps, you walk into a new life. Together.

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