Erika and John engaged

Erika and John-78, originally uploaded by joel9778.

I had a wonderful engagement session in down town Grand Rapids. Probably some of my favorite work to date. Erika and John did a fantastic job and were easy to pose...they look pretty good too! This photo is an example of using the environment to your advantage. The script on the walls was already there. Lighting consists of 3 speed-lights, One main in a beauty dish above and two more on the sides as rim lighting. It makes them 'pop' just enough and some spill light hits the words on the wall...all to great effect I'd say. See their slideshow here.  Enjoy.

Helmets aren't just for babies

Helmets aren't just for babies, originally uploaded by joel9778.

Sometimes we need to stretch ourselves. Baby shoots are new to me and I never quite understand the "cute and cuddly' aspect. So a racing helmet was in order! He still looks cute and cuddly....oh well, we try.

Strobist info: SB900 camera left fired via Nikon CLS through an umbrella. minor tweaks in lightroom and CS2.