Nathan + Kaytlyn's Paducah, KY In Home Session
Zach and Rosalie
St. Louis Wedding Photographers
Nate + Kaytlyn
Paducah, KY is small city nestled on the far west side of Kentucky right across the Ohio from Illinois. On the the corner of Labelle street and Broadway sits the old Coca-Cola Bottling Plant. It’s here that you can stop into Piper’s Tea and Coffee and grab a hot cup of coffee served up generously by Nathan. The shop is bustling one minute, then calm and mellow the next. No matter the pace, barista Nathan has a good head on his shoulders and always greets you with an earnest smile. It could be because his wife Kaytlyn works right across the street. This little corner shop is how we got to know this couple and over many cups of coffee planned a little in home couple session. Although they were on the verge of packing everything up to move across town, Nathan and Kaytlyn wanted to do a home session before leaving their first home. Our goal when approaching this session was to push ourselves to see what we could create with shadow and light. We wanted to use these elements to transform seemingly ordinary moments into something timeless. We wanted to elevate simple images into photos that could evoke a real emotional response. Upstairs in Nathan and Kaytlyn’s bedroom we found a perfect place for this approach. The shadows cast were an ideal contrast to the late afternoon sunlight beaming in through the second floor windows. The intimacy captured in these images truly reflect the authentic love this couple share for one another. We have made an effort recently to embrace nontraditional light and use it to our advantage. throughout this couple session, shadows and light are pushed to the forefront and compliment the emotion one could feel when with their partner. The warmth captured within this session is reflective of how love can fill the room when we are with the one we love. Enjoy the authentic happiness this couple shares and cozy up with this warm afternoon session.
-Zach
The Couple Session
The Couple Session
Zach + Rosalie
St. Louis, Missouri Wedding Photographer
Love doesn’t need a reason. Sometimes loves gives you a reason to celebrate. Sometimes you just want to celebrate your love for no reason. The Couple Session is our way to help you and the one you love create something lasting with or without occasion. Create a unique piece of art that belongs solely to you, crafted with us. This isn’t your mom’s Sears’ photo session or your sister’s pinterest board portrait. This is you.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?
It’s movement. It’s messy. It’s cinematic.
Our couple sessions are not stuffy.
They are filled with movement and connection that are
a window into the intricacies of your relationship.
A soundtrack created to fit your session, yours to keep.
Hands. Running. OUt of Focus Magic. Creativity.
When you receive your gallery, they all belong to you.
The Couple Session:
Starting at $250
Couple sessions can take place anywhere.
In your home • Around your block • in the City
In a field • In a car • In your State • In our state
Emily + Mike | St. Louis
EMILY + MIKE
St. Louis, Missouri Session
Autumn foliage is on display among the tree lined streets that fortified the Victorian homes of the Shaw neighborhood in St. Louis the day we meet up with Mike and EMily for this post-modern in-home session. We then hit the pavement for some contemporary cool street vibes. We first met Emily and Mike in St. Louis at a wedding we shot in March of 2019. (Shout out to Alex and Addison! Hey guys! ;) ) They are the two creatives behind Juniper Films and together they create surreal, beautiful works of art. Their style is on full display in this collection as they let us experiment and focus on this couple’s shared creativity.
The home, built in the 1920s, seems to be dripping with a long history of its own. A history that mike and emily contribute to daily. Recent renovations and future projects pepper the house, but the original style and design is only complimented by these changes. Above their bed hangs a map of the U.s. a map that is more than appropriate for a couple that dots across america as filmmakers. mason, their small yorkie, hops on the bed with mike and emily and snags of few photos with his parents and sits for his own portrait.
The late evening light trickles into the bedroom and works some magic at the end of daylight savings. streaking light and reflections create a rich, glowing look and lingering sense warmth. in A dining room stocked with a healthy provision of greenery, emily dances as mike snapped a few quick photos from the adjoining kitchen.
We head out and trot down the sidewalks covered in recently fallen leaves, then head downtown to a parking garage mike has access to. With nothing but natural light, we get a chance to flex our industrial muscle. the converted garage seems to be a gutted former office building, now resembling a set piece from eraserhead. Walls adorn with chipped white tile and torn wallpaper make for a lush variety of backdrops.
As the sun starts to finally disappear, we make our way down alleys and harness the last bit of golden light. We play with overexposure and slow shutters to create a sense of pause. taking in fleeting light and making time stand still in these photo stills.
Jaclyn and Marc's Anniversary Session at Elephant Rocks State Park in Missouri
Jaclyn and Marc
Elephant Rocks State Park - Arcadia, Missouri
Missouri, you don’t get enough credit for how beautiful you are. If you want rolling hills peppered with evergreens, freckled deer and giant boulders that transport you back in time, visit Elephant Rocks State Park.
Jaclyn is a beyond talented hair stylist and we’ve been lucky enough to photograph her work on a number of local brides. (Missourians, HIRE HER.) After working with her, I knew that she and Marc were going to look incredible for their pictures. She’s not a model, I promise, but after seeing these photos, you might think she should be!
In our initial conversations, Jaclyn and I dreamed of a dramatic landscape that would make their photos unique and beautiful. She want a darker, moodier vibe and their outfit choice combined with golden hour gave us the exact look we wanted. Make sure you peep that little moon at the end!
As we hiked through the park, I thought that it would look amazing to get a shot from up above with the two of them below. (You’ll see it in the photographs following.) I scaled up a giant boulder with my camera gear in tow and hopped across gaps to get to where they were. Good shots! Yes! Great! There was only one problem, I couldn’t get back. The gaps I had leapt across led to to boulders that were higher than I was currently. It would be dangerous to try and go back the way I came, and impossible to leap the distance forward. I laughed at myself because it was embarrassing, but a slight pang of fear hit my stomach. Zach continued the session while I calculated distances and probabilities of death. lol There were rows of boulders to my right and left, one higher than me and one lower at a distance I wasn’t entirely sure I could make with 30 pounds of gear on my back. We were losing the sun quickly, which meant Zach had to keep photographing and also meant that I was running out of time to make it down before dark. With the sun dipping below the horizon, I gritted my teeth, tossed my camera bag onto the row of giant rocks beside me, and jumped across the ravine. I made it! After only a minute or two I was able to route a new way down and sprinted to where Zach, Marc, and Jaclyn were. Thanks to my non sponsored, Chaco’s grip, I made it out alive! lol
-Rosalie
PS.
My two favorite photos are blurry black and white portraits at then end!
Megan and Nathan's Greenhouse Two Rivers Wedding in Springfield, Missouri
MEGAN AND NATHAN
GREENHOUSE TWO RIVERS WEDDING
SPRINGFIELD, MO
We’ve known Nathan since he was ten years old. He was a quiet funny kid, but we didn’t spend much time with him. (We’re close to a decade older than him! Old!) Once he became a teenager, we realized what an incredible, responsible, and kind guy he was. His future wife had better be pretty dang special!
Megan.
We met Megan a few years ago. She is the embodiment of goodness, love, and kindness. So when our friends spilled the beans that they were dating, I, Rosalie, was over the moon elated!! ”Of course!! They’re PERFECT for each other!!” Once their relationship became serious, I admitted to Megan that I didn’t want to put pressure on their relationship, but they were a perfect match in every way and if they broke up I would be devastated. No pressure, right?? Okay, it’s not my proudest moment, but dang it! I was RIGHT. Nathan is a youth leader and worship leader at our church and Megan serves along side him in both. These two are actual couple goals, and I hope these wedding photos warm your heart as much as they warm mine.
And now on to their wedding day story:
Megan and Nathan were married in Springfield, Missouri at the wedding venue Greenhouse Two Rivers. I’m not ashamed to have favorites, and Greenhouse Two Rivers is up there as one of my favorite wedding venues in the country! With multiple places to hold your ceremony, beautiful grounds, gorgeous white walls, and an aesthetic to die for, Greenhouse Two Rivers needs to be on your list of venues to tour.
The thing that stood out to us throughout the day was just the overall calm and joy that every guest seemed to have. A lot of the guests were members of our church, so to see them all there to love and support Megan and Nathan in Springfield, really filled our hearts. At weddings, emotions can run high. Sometimes people can get grumpy. There was none of that at this wedding. Just a sense of anticipation and overwhelming love. It sounds cheesy, I know, but it’s true.
When it was time for the ceremony, Nathan had a surprise waiting on Megan. There at the front, he played for her. He sang for her. It was so beautiful. It was by far one of the most meaningful bridal entrances we’ve seen yet and we were so thankful to get to witness it not only as vendors, but as friends.
Megan and Nathan,
We hope that your relationship is always as beautiful as it is right now. As your love matures and grows, we hope that you keep Christ as your constant. We love you both!
-Rosalie and Zach
PS. Hey Bluff First fam!!
