Tag Archives: wedding photographer

Tips for Taking Great Halloween Photographs

halloweenHalloween is a great time for photography! Halloween parties, carved pumpkins, costumes and trick-or-treaters are just part of the fun that you will want to capture for posterity. So here are few tips to make sure that you get great Halloween photographs.

1.  Fall leaves make great backgrounds for Halloween photographs. If the weather is cooperative, make sure to capture the full array of colors in those photographs;

2.  Make sure to vary your shooting angles. Something unique may give your photo that extra something to make it fantastic;

3.  Get down to their level. If you are trying to take photos of small children, take the photograph at their eye-level;

4.  Taking photographs of people in costumes? Make sure you take them early when makeup is still fresh;

5.  Take a variety of photographs: some posed, some candids, some groups, and some individual. Make sure the background is appropriate for the subject (i.e., not putting the pretty princess in the “graveyard”);

6.  Play around with the “night mode” on your camera. Many pictures are ruined by harsh flash, try to turn off the flash (if area is appropriately lit), raise your ISO to 400 or 800, turn down your shutter speed, and put your camera on a tripod.

And above all else stay safe!!!

Happy Halloween.

Chris

Posted in Photography Tips & Techniques Also tagged , , , , , |

Laurel Creek Manor – Another Great Place to Get Married

A few weeks back, we had the opportunity to photograph a wedding at one of the nicest places that we’ve ever had the privilege to shoot at: Laurel Creek Manor.

As I previously posted, Dee and Zac’s wedding was great. They were a great couple and with this awesome wedding venue (and also for other events) it was truly one of the highlights of our wedding photography career.

Laurel Creek Manor, located in Sumner, WA, has everything that a bride and groom could want in a venue. It has a large, beautiful suite that the bride can use to get ready, a separate groom’s area, lots of windows with great light, manicured gardens, and large, outdoor ceremony and reception area, and plenty of room to move indoors should the weather take a turn for the worse. If you saw our previous entry, you’ll notice that there are a lot of areas to get some unique and wonderful photographs. Laurel and Kirsten were great to work with as well as the rest of the staff.

I would recommend Laurel Creek Manor to any couple who are looking for a great venue. Visit them online at http://www.laurelcreekmanor.com/ .

Enjoy the video!

Blessings,

Chris.

Posted in Wedding Venue Also tagged , , , , , |

Don’t forget the South Sound Wedding Show this Weekend

Just a quick reminder to visit the South Sound Wedding Show this weekend, September 26 & 27, at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Event Center, located at 1500 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402.

Brides- and grooms-to-be will receive bags filled with treasures, coupons, and copies of South Sound Wedding & Event Magazine at the show. Plus, prizes will be awarded hourly.

See the latest hairstyles, makeup, gowns and apparel at the fashion show at 3 pm on Saturday. Watch the Arthur Murray dancers demonstrate the first dance. Dancers will also perform on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 pm

Try on wedding gowns, special occasion gowns (for your bridesmaids, moms and grandmoms). Costs range from $99 to $799. Presented by Brides Against Breast Cancer. Proceeds benefit Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.

Meet high-quality wedding professionals who can make your wedding day exactly as you wish it to be Meet caterers, photographers (including yours truly), makeup artists, hair stylists, wedding and event planners, dessert-makers, and talk to representatives from a variety of venues for your wedding and reception.

See us Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Free admission.

God’s blessings,

Chris.

Posted in Wedding Show Also tagged , , , , |

Dee & Zac: Our Life Begins Together

All our best to Dee and Zac Bishop, who were married just a few short weeks ago at Laurel Creek Manor, in Sumner, WA.

We were honored to be chosen as the photographers for their incredible wedding. The day started out with a terrible rainstorm, and we were all concerned that with the rain the wedding might have to shift to plan B, but with a few prayers the rain lifted and their beautiful ceremony was allowed to proceed.

This video is a short montage of some of the photographs we took of their day.

Congratulations, Dee and Zac, and enjoy the video.

God’s blessings,

Chris

Posted in Wedding Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , |

Stacy and Shawn: A Love to Live For

Its been a few weeks since I posted, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t been busy. 🙂

Today, I am posting a video of some of the engagement photographs that I took Stacy and Shawn, who will be married later this month (I am really looking forward to photographing their wedding). These photographs were taken at Tumwater Falls, in Tumwater, WA in the early to mid-morning. It was a spectacular day and we captured some awesome photos. The last couple of photographs in this montage were shot down on the waterfront in Olympia, WA. next to the statue of the Kissing Couple (it is very popular to replicate the statue pose and have your photo taken next to it).

Congratulations, Stacy and Shawn, on your engagement and we’ll see you at the church later this month.

Blessings,

Chris

Posted in Engagement Photography, Portraits Also tagged , , , |

Come Meet Puyallup Photographer Chris McKenna at the South Sound Wedding Show – Tacoma

logo_tacoma_wedding_show

Chris McKenna Photography and MVS Wedding Productions will be present at the South Sound Wedding Show – Tacoma. We cordially invite you to come and meet us, talk with us and look at samples of our work.

The South Sound Wedding Show – Tacoma is presented by the South Sound Wedding & Event Magazine and Brides Against Breast Cancer / Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation. It will be held between 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday, September 27, 2009 at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center. Free admission.

This show will feature:

• Fashion runway show featuring 2010 wedding dress styles.
• Ballroom dance demonstrations presented by Arthur Murray® School of Dance. Dances include bride and groom’s first dance, bride and groom dancing with parents, dancing at the reception, and more!
• Seminars presented by select wedding show vendors; advice, tips and tricks, and questions answered.
• Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation- Tour of Gowns. More than 2,000 bridal gowns and special occasion dresses on sale for up to 10 percent off regular price. Proceeds benefit the foundation.
• Prizes for engaged couples. Enter to win at the show. Drawings every hour.

For more information, please visit the South Sound Wedding and Event Magazine site.

We hope that you will be able to make it.

See you there,

Chris.

Posted in Wedding Show Also tagged , |

A Customer Testimonial (Wedding Photography)

Kristine and AndrewI received this testimonial today and I thought that I would share it with you.

“Chris is a very professional photographer who was very easy to work with. He was on time for all meetings and was very well organized the day of our wedding. I would recommend him to everyone I know. He has a great customer service attitude and his number one concern is his client’s satisfaction and happiness with his work. We were very pleased with the quality of his work and the time he spent to get the right shots on our big day. We were so glad we decided to go with Chris McKenna Photography for our special day. No regrets, only total satisfaction. ” ~ Kristine Richmond

Thank you, Kristine, for your nice sentiments and for giving us the honor of capturing your special day.

God’s blessings,

Chris.

Posted in Wedding Photography Also tagged , , , |

Jennifer and Jason Tied the Knot-again!!!! (a video) – Puyallup Wedding Photographer

I received a call from Jason in late April inquiring about our services and availability for their “official” wedding on May 17. In our conversation, I learned that Jason was actually in the Army and had been deployed to Iraq last year. Before doing so, however, he and Jennifer had got married in a small ceremony without their family and friends present.

So on May 17, they had their big ceremony and reception at the Puyallup Pioneer Park Pavilion. We were fortunate and honored to be asked to be their photographer and were blessed to provide them with some wonderful shots.

Congratulations, Jennifer and Jason, and we wish you the best for many happy years together.

Blessings.

You can view more of Jennifer and Jason’s wedding photographs at https://chrismckennaphotography.com

Posted in Wedding Photography Also tagged , , , , |

Jennifer and Bernie: “I’m hoping for a little bit of snow”

When I first talked with Jennifer last November, I believe this is what she said when talking about her December wedding. Little did we know that there would be over 2 feet on the ground before the ceremony even started. Nevertheless, our congratulations go out to Jennifer and Bernie, who were married December 13, 2008 at Alexanders Country Inn in Ashford (located just outside Mt. Rainier National Park). No one could have asked for a more picturesque location for a beautiful December wedding and we were honored to be chosen to help capture their special day.

This is a video that we pulled together for them back in January, and because of the popularity of our photo videos we decided that we would go ahead and post it here.

Once again, best wishes for a great future together Jennifer and Bernie.

Blessings,

Chris

Posted in Wedding Photography Also tagged , , , |

Jessica and Shyenne: The Preview

The following video is something that I put together from some of the photographs I took for Jessica and Shyenne’s engagement session a few weeks back. We had been trying to get for a couple of months to get these shots, but the weather kept getting in the way. Finally, on a cold and windy Sunday afternoon, we got the break we were looking for and took these great pictures.

We hope that you enjoy the video and the photos from their engagement photo session.

Blessings.

Posted in Engagement Photography, Portraits Also tagged , , , , , , |