The Little Things - Wedding Portraits

Lately there has been an uprising of beginning photographers who refer to themselves as "lifestyle" photographers. They post lots of pictures of "the little things" and claim that those pictures set them apart from their competition. There is nothing wrong with this, actually those still life portraits are quite pretty. But every photographer takes these pictures...

The truth is, Timber Creek Photography has always gotten the little things. Every professional does. You can come to our studio and view all our work from the passed years and we will prove it to you... or you can take our word for it :)

Let's take wedding photography for example. We always get a portrait of the rings, the shoes, the flower girl, the petals, the food, the flowers, the reception hall... we just don't post those portraits all over Facebook because those are the easy portraits, and because we personally would rather show portraits of the bride and groom because, let's be honest, those are the portraits you will be hanging on your walls. You will get anywhere between 300 and 1,000 portraits here for your wedding; we post ten to facebook. Not ten pictures of the candles and horses and buildings, but ten stunning portraits of you.

To prove we do the "Little Things" take a peek at some portraits from our most recent wedding.

Shannon and Dan are stunning together. There was so much red hair at this wedding! Shannon has already gotten to see some of her portraits and she loves them! We are so glad to have been a part of their romantic wedding; the sand-pouring ceremony that symbolically represents their two families becoming one was so touching. Each child had their own colored sand and everyone was blended together.

Enjoy both the big and the little things!

Rain for Prom - Plan for it!

Rain for Prom - Plan for it!

Listening to the weather this morning got me all upset. I heard that this Saturday we are supposed to get storms and rain ALL day. This shouldn't surprise me, after all, this Saturday is MHS Prom.

Every year on the night of Mauston's Prom we get a storm. Am I making this up? NO! I went to three proms when I was in high school (I know, I am, like, sooooo cool) and every single one got rained out. One prom had rain AND tornadic wind. Sucky.

Plus, we take portraits at proms, so I have been to a few more MHS proms as of late and the weather is RARELY favorable. So I have decided to share some tips and tricks to make a rainy prom a great prom.

Usually I share these secrets with brides. My husband has been in more weddings than I care to remember. We have been married for four years and he has been in about 15 weddings (not including our own). Our first year of marriage we were flat broke and we spent nearly $1,000 just on tuxes for the weddings he was a part of. Not to even mention the money we spent on shower gifts, bachelor/bachelorette gifts and parties, and the wedding presents, plus gas to get to the receptions, and every weekend of my life being booked!!! I could have had a second wedding for the amount of money we have spent in total over the past four years on other people's weddings!! But, I am getting off track...

Proms and weddings have a lot of similarities. The girls get their nails done, their hair done, their makeup done... they buy a fancy dress and shoes... and if it rains on their big day they cry like adolescents. Guys have to rent a tux, a limo, buy flowers, make reservations for a fancy dinner with friends.... Proms are just mini weddings without the gifts.

So what do I tell brides when they start panicking and thinking their special day might get rained out? The same things I am about to tell you!

1. Get your hair done. Okay, I personally look like a giraffe when my hair is up so I know what it is like to want to wear your hair down, even on special occasions, but seriously, wear it up. It will keep your hair from getting frizzy. If you are getting a professional updo (I recommend Jess Bouchette at "The Salon" on State Street in Mauston for trendy up-dos) be sure to request the stylist use lots of gel or other styling product. Your hair should stay perfect in rain or wind.

2. Get a good waterproof bag. You can look in Target for a waterproof bag on sale, and you should... You don't want your valuables (or your bag) to get wet.

3. Get a really great umbrella. Don't get cheap ones since they tear really easy and you will loose your chicness trying to control a snarling junk umbrella. Maybe you can get a nice big one so you and your guy can walk under it together ;) At prom I would go for something sweet and colorful to match my dress or to just be funky! Something hot pink and striped would be adorable!

4. Get a pair of boots. They come in solid colors, but, they also come in fun colors and designs. They are comfortable, and they look cute when it is raining. You will look like you planned for the rain and had your whole outfit all put together for it. You could wear the boots to dinner and then change shoes at the dance. I would totally do this. I have seen girls wear cowboy boots to prom, why not rain boots?

5. Waterproof your face. Uhmm, Ladies... waterproof makeup has been around forever! Get some waterproof lipstick (yes, it is back, in hot pink and blood red and this Summer's latest color will be orange-red so heads-up fashionistas! J-Lo is already wearing it on Idol, and the latest issue of Lucky magazine was all over it). Buy waterproof liner and mascara too!

The last tip is something I have seen all bridal makeup artists do to the brides before they walk down the aisle. I have stolen the tip and it works incredibly for holding all your makeup in place for HOURS! Although I do not know it's effectiveness in the rain, I would give it a shot... Hairspray your face. OK. Weird, right? I know. But I do it ALL the time. Take a light aerosol hairspray like TreSemme and gently spray in smooth, quick motions across your face a couple of times. It holds eye makeup, blush, and foundation firmly on your face. Close your eyes and hold your breathe, and DON'T overdo it! As little as possible will work just fine.

Although I am sure you all will do your best to look gorgeous on the outside, let me give you one more piece of advice that is absolutely true (trust me, your date will appreciate this tip more than all the others, and if he doesn't then dump him fast)!

Natasha's personal tip, A quote from the lovely Audrey Hepburn:

"For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."


Good luck at Prom ladies, I can't wait to see you all there!


Timber Creek Photography

Senior Graduation Cards and Invites

Seniors! Get ready for some awesome Senior Graduation Cards! Timber Creek Photography is all about custom... you will get something unique to you! We also do template graduation cards!

Last year we introduced our Mini Grad Party Invites and they were a HUGE success! Feel free to read about them above.


Timber Creek Photography

Tardiness Only Hurts You! A thought about your Senior Portrait Appointment . . .

In the past, Timber Creek Photography has been really nice about students being late for their appointments but all of that is about to change. Just kidding, we will still be nice, but we will have to be a little naughty.

When a Senior shows up late to an appointment we absolutely cannot give them the full amount of time that they paid for. We will count the time you are late as session time. So, if you are 15 minutes late for a 2 hour session then you will only have an hour and 45 minutes for your session. We cannot risk having our other customers start late and end late, thus creating late appointments for the rest of the day.

Do your absolute best to avoid being late, if possible you should even be a few minutes early to get all your outfits ready and props unpacked. Plus, it is a bit of a drive to get here! Be prepared and leave early or else your session will suffer, and neither of us want that! We want to give you an amazing experience and have as much time with you as possible to create the incredible portraits that Timber Creek is known for, so please show up on time!


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Behind the Scenes! After Dark, Las Vegas 2011

We have gone to the big Imaging USA events that PPA has put on and, although they are amazing, this year we wanted to try something a little different. We packed our bags and headed to After Dark in Las Vegas, NV. What an awesome opportunity to photograph models from around the world (literally). Plus, we learn from some of the top photographers and editors in the country. Ever heard of Travis Gugelman, Ben Shirk, Chuckie Arlund, Lindsay Adler, Carl Caylor, Jordan Chan, or Mark Fitzgibbons? Plus, dozens more! Needless to say we got some amazing shots and learned a ton! Education is important in this business, and so is the willingness to change.

Check out our behind the scenes images at After Dark!