The winners of the Bluebird Photography Wedding Package Giveaway have been announced! It was a close one and it was so hard to decided the top 4 but it's been done!

1st place and winner of the free wedding package is Jenna and Aaron!
2nd place and winner of a 50% discount on any package is Laci and Andrew!
3rd place with 30% off any package is Amanda and Trevor!
4th place with 30% off any package is Carli and her fiance!

Thank you everyone who entered and all those who supported them by voting! This was so much fun and we look forward to our next giveaway in December. 

I've been asked a lot why newly engaged couples should hire a professional wedding photographer. There is always someone there who is willing to take the shots during your big day so why make the investment? I've got to thinking and here are my reasons:

1. A professional photographer knows the shots to take.  There a certain shots that just make the moment shine and with years of experience a professional photog knows exactly when and how to take them.

2. A professional photographer knows posing.  After many sessions, practice, and even being taught themselves professional photographers know how to make you comfortable in this uncomfortable situation.  The dress is heavy, it may be hot or too cold, and yet your shots will still come out great! Taking the photos should be fun and the poses should be comfortable.

3. One word:light. Light can be the greatest challenge to a photographer. It will make or break your lasting wedding photographs and a professional has the training and experience to make light work for you. I have photographed in the darkest halls and the brightest Las Vegas days and every time I've had to judge my shots carefully.

4. My favourite skill is the special moments. A professional photographer needs to know how to anticipate those tender moments and capture them on film.  I not only take traditional wedding pose photos but I also take the spur of the moment cute shots. A professional knows where they need to be to take that amazing shot, you know, the one of you and your new spouse laughing with the little niece getting cake all over.  It's the spontaneous moments that you remember and it's those moments you want on film.

5. And finally #5: editing. Professional photographers have training in not only taking the shot but what to do when the day is done. The wedding was great, memorable, and finally over...now the work begins.  A professional spends hours creating the images making them exactly how you dreamed they would be.  Not only must a professional edit the images but they must make sure those images are safe and not going to escape into the digital black hole. 

Being a wedding photographer is the best job in the world! I get to enjoy that special day with you and eat cake...magical! I figured these top 5 reasons would answer some questions so have at it, while planning your wedding don;t forget the photographer!

Dancer's Pose Session

On Saturday Betty and I went into the Uinta mountains to Mirror Lake nestled in a valley between mountains and trees. It could not have been more perfect outside! It was calm and a little cool. Since Betty is representing Utah in the yoga community she needed a photo to show technique and Utah. The lake was perfect because the lake was still partially frozen and what's more Utah than winter half here when summer should be the dominating season! Above is a link to the photos on facebook but I will include a page for them in the blog as well. 

Yesterday was a very productive day. I talked to two parties about doing their family photos and booked a Saturday session for a Yogi.  We're going to Mirror Lake to do a shoot at sunset, should be magical! I love shooting with water in the background it is so calming not only for the clients but also for me.  My website hit a record 451 hits and I am booking more weddings!!

On Saturday I met with a lovely lady named Milena and her daughter at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.  It was such a nice day! The sun was perfect and the day was exciting! Her daughter Anilee was a delight as we started the session. We began with some flower shots to get comfortable and moved into the water falls.  When Anilee was getting tired of sitting nicely we had her play in the water and I loved snapping those photos! She was so cute as she dipped her feet in the ponds and laughed. I got out some chalk and had mother and daughter play together. Children are always fun to photograph with their big smiles and enjoyment of the environment in a park. Here are some photos from our shoot in the park:

My favourite part of photographing weddings and engagements is when I am taking photographs of the bride or groom alone.  When it is only one or the other in a spot I love watching their faces as their better half is in the background.  My husband makes me laugh more than any one on this planet and it is the hardest thing for me to keep serious if he is behind the photographer because he does nothing but try to make me laugh.  I LOVE WATCHING THIS IN OTHERS! It is so cute! Even if the person behind the camera isn't trying to make their better half laugh, just the knowledge of the silliness of the situation can make anyone bust up.  I enjoy using this technique to break the ice.  When you first meet a photographer it can be a little strange. This person you never met is taking photographs of your most important moments; it can be scary, odd, or a bit nerve racking.  Let your best friend keep your mind at ease and let yourself laugh! The joy in your eyes is magical and this is my favourite part.

Today I have good news, yesterday we had more hits on our site than we have ever gotten! Thanks to all of you we are getting out there! Our contest is starting out strong but there is still time to enter! The Milena and Sergio engagement session had to be rescheduled for Saturday so we'll get those photos going!!!

Here's your chance to WIN a FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE!!!

This is our FREE WEDDING GIVEAWAY 2012!

Bluebird Photography is giving one lucky couple free wedding coverage! Why? Because we love weddings and you deserve it!  If you're putting your heart and soul into your wedding you deserve a good break! We love your emotion and excitement and no matter if it's DIY or an extravagant bash we want to hear about it! One lucky couple will receive FULL...yes you've read it FULL WEDDING COVERAGE!!!!

THIS LUCKY COUPLE WILL WIN:

FULL coverage of the WEDDING
FULL coverage of the RECEPTION
1 CD of edited photographs with print rights
FREE ENGAGEMENT SESSION
FREE BRIDAL SESSION

THAT'S A $2500 VALUE!!!!

Another lucky couple will receive 50% off their wedding package and two other couples will receive 30% off their wedding packages!

How do you enter???

Visit weddingswithbluebird.com and go to the tab "contest submissions" Include in the body of the comments section details of the wedding, all your hopes and dreams, any fun plans and ideas for your amazingly fantastic wedding day!

Then, submit the following information through email to bluebirdutahweddings@gmail.com by May 26, 2012.

In the email include a photo of you and your sweetheart, and describe any theme, the style, any plans for the wedding, and any unique/creative ideas you have for the wedding.  Also include the first and last names of the bride and groom, their email addresses and phone numbers, please include the wedding venue (at least the town the wedding will take place in), and the wedding date. 

Come May 28, 2012 judges will review all the submissions and pick the lucky 4 couples!!!

Once judges have picked the four couples Bluebird Photography will post the four couple on our Facebook page where it will be open for a public vote.  Encourage all your friends, co workers, family, and everyone you meet to log on to Facebook to comment and vote for the best of the four! The finalist with the most votes will win the contest! We encourage everyone to "like" our Facebook where the contest results will be posted on May 30, 2012!


RULES:

1.We can't have already contacted you about a wedding
2.You can't have already booked with another photographer (if we find out you have you will be
disqualified)
3.The wedding does NOT have to be in Logan Utah but if it is more than 80 miles away you will be responsible for travel fees
4.The wedding date must be open on our calendars but if it isn't we will let you know right away


Email any questions to bluebirdutahweddings@gmail.com Remember to tell the whole world! Tell your friends and anyone you meet to help you get more votes!  Visit us at weddingswithbluebird.com or find us on Facebook!!!

Tomorrow's the big day! I have a photo shoot in Liberty Park for Milena and Sergio's engagements! The weather is suppose to be magicaly sunny and perfect out! After scouting we've found the neatest sites so stay tuned for the new photos! I also got new business cards today...super cute!

Today I have been editing photographs I've taken around Kamas Utah.  The town has such life and the people are fantastic! It is such a beautiful day out there!

Max

Over the past few days I've been scouting for engagement shoots.  I first started out at SLCC's Taylorsville campus. Sounds strange yes, but this campus has some amazing textures and rock sculptures that would make wonderful back drops! I noticed a duck eyeing me and eventually I was chased around by the duck as I peeked around the science building! It was pretty cute. The outdoor auditorium area was a wonderful play with angles and heights with the stair case beside the flower infested garden stairs.  I also checked out downtown with is of course a great area. The old buildings and colours of exotic antique architecture was intoxicating to my eyes! I was eventually led to Liberty park where I was instantly in love.  It had not only great trees, but also fantastic rustic buildings and benches. The water and rock gardens made me excited like a little girl ready to run away from her mom to stomp in puddles.  These shoots are going to be a blast! Thank you Salt Lake for being so eclectic!

So...I've been asked a lot lately about the ins and outs of engagement photography so I thought I'd give some tips:

Most important, don't forget the ring!
Men...Please don't wear white socks. It can be a bit distracting in a photo.
Logos on shirts can be as well.
Wear more solid colours, partterns can take the attention away from your wonderful smiles.
Share your ideas, this is your engagement session, I'm always open to ideas.
Keep jewelry simple.
Relax and be comfortable.
Wear clothes that go well, that compliment, your fiances.

I love engagement sessions because they are so much fun! This is where your personality comes out and you're not as tense as you will be on the big day.  So just relax and have a great time!

We just booked a new engagement session! Congratulations to Melina and Sergio on your new engagement! This will be an exciting shoot in Salt Lake, so stay tuned for the up coming photos!

Also, summer is here and it's time to get ready for wedding season! If you haven't gotten a photographer yet call us at 435.513.0240 for a consultation!  We've been running a "Name Your Own Price" deal for the month of April and we only have about a week left so hurry up to get your consultation!  This is an amazing opportunity we don't run very often.  Bluebird Photography wants to give back a little to our clients by letting them name thier price.  It doesn't matter the price we will honour it if you book for an engagement or wedding shoot.  We're excited to hear from you!

With rodeo season quickly coming it's time for some more photos! Rodeos are so much fun to photograph because there is so much going on you're taking 1000's of photos per minute and you don't have time to review what you've taken until it's all over.  It is as thrilling as the sport itself! Youth rodeos are my favourite though because I love to see the intensity in the kid's faces. They are so scared and excited but through all the emotion they somhow stay clam and collected.  I respect those young people who participate.  When I photograph the ropers I find so much beauty in the image.  The group of the three in a continuous line with the unifying teamwork creates an intense image that draws you into the action.  I'll be around photographing youth rodeos throughout Utah this year so please join in the fun and support our kids!

Hello again and welcome to this beautiful Monday morning! It has been such a great weekend and I am ready to take some magical photographs this week! Last week I found out I am not accepted to Utah State University as a Photography grad student (wooo!). There is nothing more fun than to take a hundred photographs and when you get home develop them.  It reminds me of when I was little and my soap had a little toy in the middle.  I would take bath after bath anticipating the little toy and then one day I finally after glimpses and hints of what was actually in the middle I would get the toy! I shoot 35mm black and white film when I am taking photographs for myself and the process of working so long and hard in the dark when finally a little glimps of the contents shows is a marvelous experience! During weddings and family shoots I use a Nikon D60.  I have used larger cameras before but the quality balanced with the wieght in a D60 cannot be beat in my opinion. The images turn out beautiful (not just because of the camera or my skill, but also because my clients are glowing with happiness and look fantastic).  I enjoy not only the shoot but coming home to revisit the images and reliving the moments of happiness and cheer through the photographs.

When I photograph I want to make sure to remember the simple things in life.  I aim to capture those simple moments so my clients don't have to worry about burning them into their mind.  I love watching children play and discover so letting them play during a shoot is very important to me.  When my niece plays with a goldfish I want to make sure I never forget that simple memory so by capturing a photograph my mind is forever at ease.  This is my nephew with a little lizard we found while mowing a yard.  I raced to the truck and got my camera...boy was I happy I did! He was so careful with the little guy so I captured a soft composition.  A child's skin is soft, their heart is soft, and their actions are, so I need to create a light image.  I love photographing children!!!

Myself

"Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph" - Matt Hardy

I started my journey as an artist through the eyes of a painter.  I painted my way through life for years before I picked up a camera.  I still paint and appreciate the life I create with a brush but there is something to clicking the shutter closed through a lens.  I learned to see as a photographer while drawing and painting.  In order to understand how to create on a canvas an artist must understand how to see.  This is the difference between drawing a stick figure and a portrait.  A child learns to see in 3d, learns how to touch a face through lines, and by gaining this knowledge is opened to the world of realism.  By learning how to "see" I learned how to be a photographer.  When I first picked up a camera it was a 35mm beautiful piece of ancient history.  I composed my work through the lens and compared the print to how I would have painted the image.  I noticed it was much the same.  When I started wedding photography I did not set out to make a great shot, I set out to make the composition a piece of art.  Every time my shutter closes it is an intention to beautify the world.  Each print has a voice and my goal is to hear the voice to create pleasing pieces.

Hello and welcome to the all new Bluebird Photography blog! My name is Katie and I am the photographer.  I would like to extend a fantastic welcome to all new bride and grooms viewing the blog and website! This is the most exciting time of your lives and I'm happy to share it with you. I have been a photographer for almost 5 years and have loved every second of it! I love shooting weddings and seeing the couples glow with happiness! I will be posting tid bits about myself, my work, recent weddings, and various photography do dads I'll be doing; so welcome and enjoy the ride!