A new image from the studio.  I just had to share it.  A very old typewriter and a very young little lady.

Sebastian recently turned one and it was time for his first haircut.  So, naturally Karen (his mother) called me.  I like the way Karen thinks.  She wants to record her little boy’s life with great images.  Momentous occasions, like a first haircut deserve a photo.  The difference is that most people will have one or two snap shots and Karen has a lot of really great shots that truly document the event.

So, we started at Sebastian’s home in Chandler, Arizona and got some pre-haircut child portraits of him.  In the slide show you will see, we spent some time with his toys.

And then we went to the park.  It was a toss up on the activities.  Slide on the slide, puck up dirt or pick off the bark from a tree.  Those are some pretty tough choices.

Then it was time for the big adventure.  Going to the barber shop.  This barber shop was perfect.  The nicest old men were there waiting for Sebastian (his dad is a regular there).

Needless to say, this little boy was not happy about the haircut.

The more arms and faces I got into the frame, the more frantic things look, which is perfect for the shot.

Surprisingly, Sebastian would occasionally find something entertaining and smile for a bit and forget about the barber.

“Won’t you please help me?”  This image is one of my favorites of the group, with Sebastian’s crocodile tears and his pleading lean, he makes a strong case for breaking him out of there, but alas, I continued to shoot.

I love the walls in this barber shop.  I love this barber shop.  It is straight out of the 60s.

I loved that after Sebastian was rescued by his father at the end of the haircut, he points back to the chair and the “brutes” who accosted him in the form of a haircut.

But like many things in life, we quickly forget about the pain and suffering and we get right back in the saddle.

After the haircut, we went back home to settle down and play with a few more toys but Sebastian was looking for something else.  He never found it.

I love this shot.

PHOTOGRAPHY DETAILS:

Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Music by Roy Ashen “Never” Courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

Nick and Caroline were married at the LDS Temple in Dallas, Texas and their wedding reception was at the Lee Hardware Gallery in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Nick and Caroline are a truly vintage couple.  Many people go for the vintage look, but Nick and Caroline really fit the part.  I think you’ll see what I mean.

I was struck by the architecture of the Temple, but the hedge in front made the situation perfect for a couple’s portrait.

I loved this location, which I found in my pre-wedding scouting, but as Caroline walked around the corner, I had to tell her to freeze.  It was the perfect position for her.  Everything around her framed her quite nicely.

Her dress, her hair, the necklace, even the lipstick were all perfect vintage.

At the wedding reception, instead of a guest book, Nick (a designer by trade) created a sign in map.

And of course, even the microphone fit the vintage theme.  I was very covetous of this mic.  I am a mic enthusiast.

The reception was held in the Lee’s Hardware Gallery, which is an old building in downtown Shreveport.  The textures on the walls in the interior courtyard were phenomenal.  And yes, that is a wedding cake piñata.  It was fun.

The textures and colors in the streets of downtown Shreveport are fantastic for portraits, but you must turn off that auto white balance on your camera!

I love the warm film look on this shot.

This is my favorite image from the day.  As we were taking the bride’s portrait, she turned slightly toward the wall and I saw the possibility of this shot.  With a slight adjustment of her hand and head, I shot several variations on this shot and the result was fantastic.

If you are going to do a vintage wedding, I suggest taking a stroll in a vintage town.  Shreveport is definitely vintage.  I love this Ridgway’s sign.

I also love Nick’s “Ronald Reagan” hairdo.  Of course the back ground is perfect as well.  I shot this at a much higher f-number to make sure I got the groom and the metal door in focus.  I am more often a shallow depth of field kind of guy, but there are times when f8 or higher is called for.  In this case, the greater depth of field give the image a illustrated look, which I thought was very appropriate to the image.

The flowers were fantastic. These flowers are called Billy Balls and apparently they look the same when they are dried. The arrangement were done by Patsy Foster in Shreveport. She did a great job.

This was the most touching moment of the day.  The bride had been carrying a handkerchief throughout the entire day.  I had not paid much special attention to it and just assumed it was an old vintage handkerchief: something old.  But Caroline knelt down beside he grandmother and showed her the handkerchief and reminded her that she had given it to her when Caroline was a little girl and that she had kept it to this day for this very purpose.  That is something old and something special.

I think this will be the groom’s father’s favorite photo of the day.  It would be mine if this were my son.

Just a couple of great shots on our way down to the “second line”.

A “second line” is an interesting tradition in Louisiana, kind of a parade.  The entire wedding (all the guests) met at the water’s edge and paraded, complete with music, up to the wedding reception.  It was a hot day, but was a great opportunity for photos!  This was my very first “second line.”  I enjoyed it, but it was a lot of running and sweating.

Two of the children led the way, carrying a banner for the bride and groom.

At the end of the evening, the games began.  The children got a whack at the wedding cake piñata and so did the bride and groom.

Most of the guests came from the surrounding states, so the signature map was a bit crowded near the gulf, but there were a few people (like myself) who came from quite a distance to join the wedding.  This is one of the coolest guest signature ideas I have seen in a long time.

I think the straws are a good indication of the “fun” level of this wedding.  Caroline and Nick put their wedding together on a small budget, but I think they spent their money very well and made every detail count.  It all added up to a very fun event with a lot of cute details.

The painting is by Nick Eckel and the lamps were made by Caroline Majors (the bride and groom), I love both.  Nick is a talented designer and illustrator.  If you need a graphic designer, I highly recommend him.  He’s a talented, stand up guy.

I was glad to represent Arizona at Nick and Caroline’s wedding.  It was a pleasure to be a part of it.

Wedding Details:

Photography by Jared Platt, Platt Photography

Special thanks to Jessica Brownell for assisting and second shooting.

Slideshow music by J’Nae, Courtesy of Triple Scoop Music

Wedding Location: LDS Temple, Dallas, Texas

Reception Location: Lee’s Hardware Gallery, Shreveport, Louisiana