Matt & Ruth's Greenhouse Nursery Sun-Drenched Golden Hour Engagement Photos

Ok, I realize that I JUST posted an engagement session, but I kind of love them. So here's another one! I met Matt & Ruth through mutual friends and a running group. Last fall we actually ran a half marathon together, and I swear these two got me through it! Ruth and I were so exhausted, but Matt kept our spirits up and kept us going. There was no way he was going to leave her side! They are seriously so head-over-heels for each, it's adorable. They actually got married a month ago today, so I'll be sharing their wedding photos very soon!

I mean. Seriously. How cute are they?! Can't you tell they are madly in love? Ruth says they are "big flirts" and I love it! Makes my job incredibly easy when couples interact this well. As you can tell we went for the sun-drenched/warm/summer vibe for this shoot, and I loved the results. I'm definitely a big fan of shooting in the sun, and I am trying to improve on it with each shoot. A few things I'm working on:

• backlighting without too much haze
• using a reflector to help balance the light in front of the subject
• using covered shade when the sun is directly overhead
• getting the sun/myself/my subject in the best spot for flattering light

Sunlight is so much fun to work with, and I feel like there are so many possibilities! I don't mind overcast days, but the sun adds so much drama and character to photos that I always hope for it, especially for portraits. 

P.S. Did you notice that I changed my blog name? Finally...after several months of going by Woody & Pearl Photography :) Feels good to have that done, even though none of my old blog links work anymore.

Loren & Stacey Downtown Memphis Tennessee Engagement Session

One thing that I really worried about when I opened my business, and especially when I rebranded, was whether people would be able to find me. Will I show up in Google searches? Will anyone see my Facebook posts (no)? Will anyone recommend me? I still wonder these things, but at least in the case of Loren and Stacey, I know I'm coming up in Google search! Stacey looked at photographers in Little Rock, where the wedding will be, and then decided to expand to nearby cities, which is when she found my site. At first I thought "Oh she's in Little Rock, she won't want to hire me." But lo and behold, she did, and boy oh boy am I glad! We met up for their consultation and engagement session one afternoon in Memphis and instantly clicked.

They are so down-to-earth and easy to talk to, I felt like we'd been friends forever! After talking about some details for their wedding day in December, we took a stroll down close to the river for photos. I am so pleased with how these turned out, especially because they were in Memphis. Most of my photos are from the Jackson area, so it's nice to have different scenery.   

As of earlier today, my site was on the first page of the Google search for "jackson tn wedding photographer" which is what I would search if I were looking for me. Does that make sense? I need to find out if there are other search terms I should be targeting, because obviously what I'm doing is working! I could not possibly be more thankful that Stacey happened upon my site, because I'm so excited to capture their wedding day.

If you're wondering what I've been doing to get my website seen more, here are some basics:

• Use alt tags on your images. This is not only good for SEO, but it's helpful for people using screen readers (hearing-impaired)
• Use descriptive terms in your website title tag and blog post titles
• Link to your site from Facebook and twitter occasionally, and Pin photos from your site. 
• Get on Google Plus. You don't have to monitor it since there's not much interaction going on there, but at least link your blog posts.

I am by no means an SEO guru, but those things have helped me along the way. I still have a lot more to do, such as update this blog to reflect my new biz name. I'll put that on the to-do list!

Simple Outdoor Bridal Session

About a month before Wesley & Holly's wedding, I went out to Holly's grandparent's home in Troy, TN, for her bridal portraits. It was a quaint little country lot with great trees and nice soft light. We took a lot of images, but these are my favorites. Holly is such a sweetheart, and I loved getting to know her! It was especially nice to spend this time together before the wedding, so we could chat about her plans for the big day.

Michael & Bethani's Early Spring Dutch Garden Center Wedding in Tennessee

Earlier this year, I got a message from Bethani on Facebook about doing her wedding...in three days. Her photographer had a family emergency and she needed a replacement ASAP. Luckily I was able to postpone another shoot I had planned and step in to photograph Michael & Bethani's big day. Boy was I glad they found me! I ended up having such an awesome day documenting their love story.

We started out at Kyra's Salon in Jackson, where Bethani's bridesmaid Brittany was doing hair and makeup. After a little time there, I went back home for a bit. A little later I met back up with everyone at the Conservatory at Dutch Garden Center in Humboldt. This was my first time shooting at this venue, and I was so impressed! I love all the gorgeous diffused light inside, which is great because it was a little too chilly to do much outdoors. Bethani used red roses, which went perfectly with all the greenery at the venue.

Exchanging letters or meaningful gifts is one of my favorite things to encourage couples to do. Call me sappy, but I always tear up during these sweet moments.

It's been several months, but this remains one of my favorite weddings to date. It was relaxed but structured, sweet and fun. I enjoyed getting to know Michael & Bethani throughout the day, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness! They certainly got off to a great start with such a love-filled wedding day.

Hair and Makeup: Brittany Corlew Mayall with Kyra's Full Service Salon
Ceremony/Reception location: The Conservatory at Dutch Garden Center
Floral: Flowers by Jan (Gleason, TN)
Photo Booth: The Snap Shack