How to Make a Grown Man Cry -- Show him his bride {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

Most of you know that I don't like to do what everyone else does. If everyone else is looking at A, I tend to turn around and look at B. Whenever everyone else is posing like C, I like to throw that one out and do D. I like the reaction to an event rather than the event itself. Case in point, beautiful bride is walking down the aisle and all eyes turn to her to see her in her gown. Yes, I'll photograph her as well because they want me to. But I've already seen her and photographed her getting ready, she's beautiful, she's glowing, she's happy. Most people can't take their eyes off of her. But that's when I turn my camera to groom. That's where all the action is.

Most of the time, this is the first time the groom has seen his lady love in her gown. A lot of the brides won't even let their guys see a photo of the dress.

This lady has spent a lot of time and money to perfect the way she'll look on that day at that moment. It's beautiful to see these grown men so speechless. So in awe. Many of them tear up. Some chuckle and nod their heads. They lose all fear of showing their emotions in that moment in time. Many of them walk up there scared, stiff, nervous, awkward and sometimes annoyed at the situation of having to stand in front of a crowd of people with all eyes on them. But at that moment, when eyes look away to focus on her, they let their guard down. They gasp at the sight of their best friend, the love of their life, looking more radiant and lovely than she'd every looked before.

It's one of my favorite moments of the day. It's one of the bride's favorite photos from the day. I should know because I don't have one of those from my own wedding. I often like to complain about the coverage I got on my wedding day 17 years ago next week. I often think to myself, "What would our own wedding photographer have done?" and then do the opposite.

Men are a bit different than women in one respect -- they don't plan this moment their whole life like some ladies. What little boy thinks as he plays with his G.I. Joe, "I'm going to play wedding and imagine the look on Joe's face when he sees his bride for the first time." Yet how many Barbie dolls donned a wedding gown and marched down a carpeted aisle toward Ken in a tux. (Okay my Ken didn't have a tux. He had one pair of red pants that were actually made for Midge, but they stretched to fit him so that's what he always wore.) This moment is a big deal for women!

I love these guys. I love their emotion. I love that no matter what they were doing a moment before when the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle-- trying to not look so nervous. Chuckling at the antics of the flower girl and ring bearer -- that once that woman of their life appears at the end of the aisle, the world disappears.

Go right ahead, guys, let that love show. I got you!

Lisa On Location Photography

Rio Cibolo Ranch {San Antonio wedding photographer}

It's been quite some time since I've written a wedding venue profile here, and that's a shame, since there are so many great venues in the area. We always want brides and grooms to have plenty of options to choose from--there's something out there to suit every personality, and make a wedding truly unique and memorable. That said, if you're a country and western couple in search of a suitably country and western site to host your wedding or reception, then you've got to give Rio Cibolo Ranch a look-see.

Rio Cibolo Ranch is located on the banks of Cibolo Creek, just outside of tiny Zuehl, halfway between Seguin and San Antonio. It is a 130 acre working cattle ranch with a few buffalo and llamas thrown in for good measure. It's also a pecan orchard, and towering, majestic pecan trees dominate the landscape to provide cool shade even at the height of our Texas summers. Craig Christopher handles marketing and sales there, while Denise Rabel is their on-site wedding coordinator. They're good people, and they know what they're doing. They've been managing things at Rio Cibolo a long time, and have weddings and corporate event management down to a science.

Before I write anything else about Rio Cibolo, I've got to tell you that this place has its own rodeo arena. Let me repeat that: This place has its own rodeo arena. If your heart started beating just a little bit faster at that news, then this might just be the place for you. With such a sprawling spread, their facilities can host a wide range of events of varying sizes. Craig told me they've hosted retreats by corporations with thousands of people in attendance. Odds are, most weddings aren't going to bring that many guests, but you never know. The main facility, the RCR Corral (above), is laid out like a traditional Texas dance hall. It's partially open air and can handle 5,000 at a time, which should be more than enough for most big wedding parties.

Just across the road from the RCR Corral--easy walking distance, in fact--is the Lazy Lily River House. Built overlooking Cibolo Creek, this house and deck can accommodate wedding parties of 200 or so guests. It's surrounded by a rustic flower garden with roses and a lovely arbor. For anyone willing to make the short walk down to the creek, there's a nice surprise in store. There's a low dam across Cibolo Creek, forming a nice, modest-sized lake. There's a boat moored here, similar to San Antonio's famed river walk barges, that can take the bride and groom (as well as guests) on a romantic float through the leafy green waterway. It's a nice touch, especially at night in the moonlight.

The third option is Zuehl's Hall for weddings too big for the Lazy Lily but not big enough to justify the RCR Corral. Located down the road, past the rodeo arena, Zuehl's Hall sports the Texas country dance hall motiff and is suitable for weddings of up to 450 guests. A broad, grassy lawn out back features a wedding gazebo for outdoor ceremonies.

All catering is done on-site through Rio Cibolo Ranch. They're TABC certified with a mixed beverage permit, and can even book entertainment for your wedding. It really is convenient one-stop shopping for wedding couples looking for a place they can kick up their boots and have a little fun. Feel free to give Denise or Craig a shout to check available dates, and don't forget to call Lisa while you're at it to guarantee top-notch wedding photography of your special day!

Lisa On Location Photography

School's Out for me! {New Braunfels Photography}

The finals were tough. I got little to no sleep. I studied too much, drank too much and tried my darndest to get a semester's worth of college done in one week. And now I'm back at home after one exhausting week of Texas School of Professional Photography. I actually got home a week ago but it's taken me that long to catch up on my client load before I could sit down, take a deep breath, and chill.

This was my first year of Texas School -- as it's called amongst us photographers. Until now my little ones were just too young to leave for a week. It was tough on them as it was. Probably toughest on Jayme, however, he had to handle all the jobs of mom plus dad all week. No easy task as I can attest!

The images you see here are some of what I took during the course as we learned different lighting and posing techniques.

Every May about 1,000 photographers from all over the country (and a few from across the globe) converge on the big town of Dallas to cram a massive amount of learning into a 6-day period. We took over the hotel and a few extra buildings as well in 35 different classes. I took a class on Wedding Photography with renowned wedding photographers Robert and Leslie Faust of Robert Faust Photography of New Orleans. It was great getting to know this amazing duo of wedding photographers and listen to them share secrets that have built them into some of the most in demand wedding photographers in the country.

I also enjoyed meeting and spending time with the other photographers in my class. I gained about a dozen new friends and contacts and can't wait to get together with them more on a professional or social level.

As soon as I left the school on Friday I went straight to the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas to photograph one of my Dallas brides. It worked out great that she could meet me while I was in town and we could work our session in. She was the first of many brides to enjoy my new-found mad lighting skills. I can't wait to share her images with you after the wedding. I'm bursting at the seams!

Although I enjoyed the fierce intense learning, I missed my family like crazy. They had a whole week of school. A whole week of lunches, a whole week of dinners, a whole week of homework, and a whole week of bedtimes without me. I'm glad Texas School only comes once a year. As much as I loved it, there's still no place like home.
Lisa On Location Photography

Invasion of the Eight-Spotted Foresters {New Braunfels photographer}

Spring is in full bloom, along with wonderful light, but I've been so busy with my book that I haven't had much opportunity to take my camera out to shoot anything. That changed suddenly yesterday, when I went out into the back yard to check on the beagles. That's when I noticed something had made a nice meal of a bunch of leaves on my grape vines. I've got several grape vines growing along the kennel fence--including muscadines--all of which are supposed to be generally pest free. So I looked a little closer and discovered these little fellows hiding under the leaves:

Now, we get quite a few caterpillars at out house, because of all the passion vines I like to grow. But I've never seen this type before, and in the eight-plus years we've lived here, I've never seen anything munch on the grape vines. So I rushed into the house, grabbed my camera and macro lens, and spent the next 20 or so minutes contorting this way and that to get some good closeup shots of these interesting, white-and-black-and-orange caterpillars. Turns out they are likely the juvenile form of the Eight-Spotted Forester moth--a fairly pretty moth, actually--but one whose young likes to munch on grape vines.

Fortunately, the damage doesn't appear too extensive, and they show no sign of going after the young fruit, only the leaves. I'll keep an eye on them and come up with some sort of relocation plan if their population explodes. To be honest, I'm glad they paid me a visit. It gave me an excuse to play with macro photography, and I always love photographing caterpillars. They look like creatures from an alien world to me. They're beautiful, and someday I hope to do a whole series of prints featuring the different species I've shot. I'll leave you now with one final image, not of the Eight-Spotted Foresters, but one of many Gulf Fritillary caterpillars currently gorging themselves on my passion vines. This one's treating a blue caerulea passion flower as its own personal buffet. I think the colors are otherworldly. Enjoy!

Lisa On Location Photography

A Long Over-due Return of a Great Talent {New Braunfels concert photography}

I'm one of those lucky people who meets a lot of people. It's part of my line of work. With my former career as a journalist I was honored to cross paths with many great civic and political leaders -- and some not so great political leaders. I could smile and nod and perform my interview and then be gone, never revealing to my subject whether I had any intention of voting for them.

Being married to a writer has also allowed me access to many of the great writers of this generation. There isn't enough time in my world to read all of their books, but they're lovely people to know.

But I get down right giddy when I get an opportunity to meet and photograph an entertainer I admire from my own youth, especially someone as talented as the Great Hal Ketchum.

Hal came into fame in the late 80s and early 90s. Most of you will know him for his hits "Small Town Saturday Night," "Past the Point of Rescue," and "Hearts Are Gonna Roll," which all took top 3 spots on the Billboard Hot Country charts. In all he's had about 17 entries on that chart with one of his albums certified Gold by the recording industry.


His daughter approached me several months ago about photographing his return to the public eye at the famous Luckenbach Dance Hall. Hal has taken a break from recording for the past few years to take care of his health -- being diagnosed with a neurological condition and having to relearn to play the guitar.

He took advantage of his break, however to write some new material, which I was honored to hear the other night. I had never been to Luckenbach before although I'd heard about it often. It's comfortable and clean with just enough cheesy old junk to be interesting for the non-country folk. And they sell Shiner of course so there's another plus. Jayme and I took The Boy with us on this gig, thinking it would be fun for him too and it was. He had fun catching fire flies near the horseshoe pits and playing with his official potato gun they sold in the gift shop for only three dollars and 50 cents.


His return to performing live was well received by his public in Luckenbach. The crowd of hundreds fell silent during his a capella performances, mesmerized by his voice. Yet happy and boisterous during his upbeat tempos. I'm hoping this is the start of a new paragraph in the biography of the Great Hal Ketchum.



Lisa On Location Photography

Please Don't Try This at Home {New Braunfels Photography}

I recently banned America's Funniest Home Videos from my house. We used to enjoy watching it together as a family. That ended this week when my 6-year-old screamed "film this" as he threw himself off the arm of the couch into the ottoman hoping to get a funny pratfall to send to the show. Yeah I know the host Tom Bergeron says "don't try this at home." But since when do our kids listen to us, let along Tom Bergeron?

It's gotten to where professional baby photographers should share that warning with others as well when they display photographs of teeny tiny babies in poses that seem complex. Or hanging from trees wrapped in tulle, or perched atop saddles or high places. I blogged about the use of Photoshop deception in baby photography once before. But I'm afraid I failed to mention how terribly dangerous it could be to try to pose babies to copy some of those famous images of sleeping babies in precarious positions.

That baby asleep on the saddle I used in that other blog was not actually asleep -- he blinked -- and he was not actually unsupported on that saddle. I removed his mom's hand in Photoshop.

The famous pose of baby with his chin resting in his hands is a fake as well -- if it's done correctly. I love this blog and the photos Esther Dorotik displays to demonstrate how it's done.

While talking to some of my photography friends the other day we discussed the dangers of non-professional photographers attempting these poses. One had heard of a baby injured during a photo session who now has a spinal injury to deal with. It's horrifying to think of the dangers that babies risk every day at the hands of photographers trying to copy images they've seen from great baby photographers. The real professionals like Esther, Anne Geddes, Jennifer Dell, Rachel Vanoven or other pros never put the babies they photograph at risk. Take a look at the behind the scenes images Rachel posted in the link above as well as the images in Jennifer Dell's blog appearance.

I don't often photograph newborns -- maybe once or twice a month -- but when I do, I prefer to not push the boundaries of safety. We stay on the floor, with a soft carpet and a basket full of blankets and soft fluffy pillows. I'm not one to attempt to hang a baby from a tree. Truthfully, I don't even really care for the common chin in hands pose, although it's cute enough if it's for you! It's just not my style. I prefer to photograph baby in the arms of mom or dad. It's the relationships and the interactions that capture my heart. If your heart is set on the chin in hands, or the baby hanging from a tree. Please call a real professional. Do your homework and your research. Here's a hint, the real pros are most likely not going to give you a session and all images on a disc for $100. Sorry, not going to happen. If it means paying quite a bit more for the expertise one of these ladies has, isn't it worth it to put your babies safety first and foremost?

Lisa On Location Photography

Jacque and Colby are Officially the Most Fun Couple Ever {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

Most of you know how much I love weddings. I get excited when I talk about them and compare notes with brides and exchange photos from other weddings. I can sit with some of my brides for hours and talk about centerpieces, food, portrait ideas, great dresses, not-so-great dresses, and our favorite wedding vendors. I love seeing all the creativity and sharing what worked for one of my brides with other brides who may benefit from that experience.

In that respect, I'll be talking about Jacque and Colby's wedding for a long time. Jacque is the oldest of six kids. Yes, six kids. She's going to make a great mom someday if she chooses to be one because she was great with her younger siblings. Everything about this wedding was kid friendly, home-made, and fun.

I first met Jacque at an open house at Boulder Springs. She had seen my work previously and was ready to talk to me about her wedding. She let me know she was on a tight budget and that was fine with me. I liked her instantly. She was charming and sweet and likeable in every way. She was also very clear on what she liked and didn't like. She liked fun. She liked happy. What a coincidence, I like fun and happy too!

When I arrived at Boulder Springs to photograph this wedding it was clear from the moment I walked in the door that this wedding was not like most weddings. There were children running everywhere. Grown-ups and children alike were all over the floor preparing decorations, working together, having a good time. It was an hour before the ceremony and nobody was fussing at anyone. There was no stress. There was no drama. There was only excitement, joy, and happy anticipation.

When I found Jacque, she was walking around in a colorful skirt, smiling, relaxed and extremely calm. So un-bridelike. I checked my clock. Did I arrive too early? Nope, it's an hour until showtime. My usual arrival time. Where's the stress? It never did show up.

Jacque and her best friend and fiance turned husband, Colby, were the calmest, happiest, most fun couple I could have hoped for. They included their family in the marriage ceremony, they read their own vows -- some of the most pure and heartfelt words I'd ever heard.

The reception was low budget but you'd never know it by looking around. I didn't realize it at first but once I started studying the centerpieces, I noticed they were random food containers painted solid white. There were spaghetti sauce jars, mayonnaise jars, ranch dressing bottles, ketchup bottles -- all painted solid white -- with colorful flowers in orange, red and yellow, stuck in. Very low budget, yet stunning.

The cake was a simple white frosted cake with the same flowers decorating the top. 2Tarts did a fantastic job with it. The dessert table also hosted pies and cookies baked by the family themselves. Almost everything at this wedding was home-made by the family.

The evening was beautiful and the temperature was perfect outside and it's a good thing too because the kids had football to play, and croquette, bean bag toss, bubbles, play doh, glow sticks, coloring and chalk as well. When it got too dark to stay outside, the guests came in for some table games including "guess what this means," in which a hint about Colby and Jacque's relationship was at their table and guests had to make up a story about the hint. Stories ranged from "Night at the Museum," scenarios to scary hobo tales. My favorite was the Star Trek story. They thought there'd be a long line at the IMax on opening day so they arrived six hours early for the show to find that they were the only ones who wanted to see it. I'm sure it was a lovely six hours. The evening included a slide show as well as a flash mob by the wedding party and family. There was a Photo Booth with funny hats and glasses, crossword puzzles about the couple, and souvenir Frisbees passed out to all the guests.

I felt so honored to be included in this wedding celebration. Everything about the celebration and these people was inviting and made me really feel like part of the family. Thanks for having me over to play Jacque and Colby!
Lisa On Location Photography