Nicki and Drew are married! ~Wedding Photography by Carisa Keeling

Posted on May 29, 2011

Nicki and Drew had an amazing day!  I was fortunate enough to be their photographer and it was a great experience.  Nicki has such an energy to her…and it is infectious!  The whole day was very upbeat, fun and entertaining.  It was also quite obvious that these two are very much in love.  Their families and friends were a fantastic group and really showed their love and support of the happy couple.  We started the day photographing the final preparations in the bride’s room. The bridesmaids assisted Nicki into the dress and then it was time for the first look. Most of my couple choose to do their group photo session before the wedding, but I like to make sure that the first time the groom sees the bride is still special.  Drew was so patient!  He must have stood at the front of the church for close to 10 minutes before Nicki came down the aisle.  She was so excited she nearly sprinted down the aisle.  It was a very special moment and very touching to see.  Then the wedding party, my assistant and I all headed outdoors for a couple of location sessions.  A couple weeks before the wedding we had spotted this fabulous barn while we were driving around.  Nicki’s mom later called the owners to ask if we could shoot there on the wedding day.  They were more than happy to share their home with us, and it was a great location!  The environmental portraits were just fantastic! Below are my favorites from the day, at least a small selection of them anyway!  I had to trim back a little or this blog post would have been in a little unmanageable in size.  I hope that you enjoy looking through the images, be sure to leave Nicki and Drew some love in the comments section.

 

I have decided that I have the absolute BEST clients in the world.  I have been so blessed with couples that are fun, entertaining and that make the wedding day just fly by.  Thank you so much, not only Nicki and Drew…but all of my clients!

Emily and Kevin ~ a wedding by Iowa wedding photographer Carisa Keeling

Posted on May 23, 2011

Well, wedding season is officially underway at Carisa Keeling Photography.  What a fantastic way to start things off too, Kevin and Emily were a wonderful couple to work with and despite a little bit of rain and some down right chilly temperatures we had a fantastic time.  Photographing this wedding was an wonderful experience, it was very obvious that these two are totally in love with each other.  The love and support of their families and friends was something special to see as well.  I had a bit of a hard time choosing my favorites for the blog, but these are the ones that made MY favorites list.

Be sure to check back often, as the wedding season is going to be a busy time and there will be lots of fabulous images to take a look at.  If you know of someone getting married next year, be sure to have them check out the site…I am filling up dates quickly.

Enjoy!

Rain drops can be fun!  Kevin, Emily and the entire wedding party were troopers…it was COLD when we were shooting these…not that you can tell to look at them

I really like the intimate feel of this image and I just had to use a black and white conversion that simulates the “feel” of film.

This moment was right after Kevin and Emily were introduced for the first time as husband and wife.  I always like to capture the moments right after the couple exits the church as emotions are so high at that time.

We stopped into Olde Main Brewing Company for a little mini session to give the rain a chance to let up for a few minutes.  This stairwell had such fantastic texture to it.

This image just had to be the finale to the post!  Emily told me the story of these vintage pools balls.  She was in an antique shop and someone told her about seeing something similar at a wedding.  So she grabbed a set of pool balls that, while they don’t match each other…they do bear a constant reminder of the wedding date!  What a fantastic idea.  Thanks Kevin, for bringing the pool ball supports too!  If you are getting married I challenge you to think of a cute prop that you can use in your images…if nothing else it provides fantastic entertainment and creative juice for your photographer!

Kevin and Emily, again thank you so much for having me involved in your big day!  I wish you happiness and love to last a lifetime!

Jeanna and Charles are married ~ Ames wedding photographer, Carisa Keeling

Posted on January 17, 2011

Now that things are a little quieter, I have some posts to catch up on!  Jeanna and Charles were a fabulous couple to work with.  Jeanna is such a warm and caring person and you can tell that Charles is just totally head over heals in love with her.  We started with a portrait session with just the two of them on the Iowa State campus.  The colors were amazing, and the weather was pretty cooperative!

After we finished up at ISU we headed over to Snus Hill winery for the ceremony and reception festivities.  What a gorgeous setting for a wedding!

We had a gorgeous sunset to work with.  These were some of my favorites from the entire day.

Jeanna and Charles~Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day!  I had a great time and you were a pleasure to work with.

Stephanie and Ryan ~ Wedding Photography by Carisa Keeling

Posted on December 5, 2010

As usual things have been a little crazy in my life lately.  My little girl Ava just woke up from her nap and comes into my office… “Whatcha doin’ mommy?”  When I told her I was blogging some wedding pictures she wanted to watch.  So she sat on my lap to see what I was doing.  ”Mommy, who is that?” she asks as she points to the computer screen.  I told her that the picture was of Stephanie, one of my clients.  ”She is really beautiful mommy.  Is she a princess?”  Stephanie and Ryan are a bit of a fairy tale couple, they are just that sweet and caring…not to mention easy to work with.  The images that follow are some of my favorites from their wedding day.  I hope you enjoy looking through the images.

Stephanie’s dress was beautiful and the light coming through the window at the church really showed the details nicely.

A simple and beautiful image of Stephanie.  The church has some beautiful light to work with in a variety of location as you will see in the next few images.

The above image was captured just as Stephanie walked up the stairs for the ceremony.  I think you can tell she is just a little bit nervous, but gorgeous none the less.

I love the look on Stephanie’s father in this image.

This was a great set of images.  The sun was getting low behind the trees and the light filtering through was wonderful.  There was just a touch of sun flare which added to the mood.

Stephanie and her family spent a lot of time and effort on the decorations.  The reception hall looked fabulous and the decor was perfect for a fall wedding.

Stephanie and Ryan decided to go with one small decorated cake to cut and then a variety of cupcakes.  The result was beautiful and delicious!

I am always looking for unique and different places to put the wedding rings for their formal portait!  ;-)  This topiary served as a perfect backdrop.

God served up an amazing sunset for the close of the evening.  The colors were so bright and awe inspiring.  I just had to ask Stephanie and Ryan to step away from their party for a few minutes to catch a couple of quick portraits.  I think the results were definitely worth it.

Stephanie and Ryan, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day.  I truly enjoyed it.

Abbie and Brian are married! ~ Carisa Keeling Photography, Ames Iowa

Posted on September 19, 2010

Another fabulous couple and a fabulous day.  Abbie and Brian are such sweet hearts, and they are just absolutely adorable together.  We got some great shots and they even braved the mosquitoes for a few minutes at the end of the night.  It was worth it, those evening images are some of my favorites from the day.

I just loved the expression on Brian’s face in this shot!

Abbie just lit up with the most beautiful smiles if I asked her to look at Brian.

I love this image.  It has such a romantic candid feel to it.  Abbie was an extraordinarily graceful bride and this image captures a little of that.

It is a little hard to decide, but I think this is my favorite image from the day.  The best part, you can’t even tell that the mosquitoes are eating us all alive!  Abbie and Brian, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day.  It was an honor and a blessing.

Liz & Daryl are married ~ Iowa Wedding Photography

Posted on August 24, 2010

Another fabulous wedding!  I have always felt blessed to have amazing clients and Liz and Daryl were certainly no exception.  We had a great time and they were quite the cooperative bunch.  They were also pretty adventurous as you will see below.  Enjoy!

Liz and Daryl didn’t want to see each other until the ceremony, so we did all of the formals and group shots later in the day.  My favorite images are typically from the outdoor sessions though…and these were so much fun.  We started at Agronomy Hall on the Iowa State University Campus and then traveled on to the campanile.

This is one of my favorite shots of the day.  Very romantic.

I think Liz might be the ticklish type!  This was a fun set.

Here is where things got really interesting.  I have never seen a bride so unconcerned for her own safety…and yet still watching out for the dress!  Notice how Liz is clutching the train in her hand even as she leaps into the air.

Just a small note: I did not MAKE them do this.  The guys wanted to pick her up…my stomach about dropped right to my toes though when they then lifted her over their heads!

Not to be outdone, the bridesmaids then attempted to lift Daryl…that didn’t really go very far

Daryl climbed into the tree and then took a flying leap over his bride’s head.  It was pretty cool, and he managed a pretty graceful landing…well, almost.

This has to be one of the most unique cake toppers I have seen this season.  The John Deere cake was created by Anne at the HyVee here in town and she did a stellar job.  The cakes themselves were actually made by Shelly’s Country Cakes and not only were they beautiful…they were delicious as well.  I know that seeing the cakes was one of the first things Daryl and Liz wanted to see when they arrived at the reception.

Liz and Daryl, thank you so much.  You were a great group to work with and were constantly keeping me and Mitch on our toes.  It was a pleasure working with you.

Amber and Mike are married! ~ Ames, Iowa wedding photography

Posted on August 23, 2010

This has been one crazy wedding season, and I apologize as I am WAY behind in my blogging!  I have a whole bunch of posts in the works, but here is one to hold you over

Amber and Mike got married at St. Paul Lutheran here in Ames.  It was a beautiful ceremony, though the day was pretty steamy…then again, that has just been par for the course this summer hasn’t it.  We had a great time doing some shots on the Iowa State University campus between the ceremony and the reception which was held at the Gateway Hotel and Conference center here in Ames.  Amber and Mike are such a sweet couple, and you can tell that they are just head over heals for each other.  They also had a great group of family and friends involved in their day…this combination makes my job pretty easy.

Following the ceremony, the wedding party, my assistant for the day Lois Olson and I loaded up and headed over to the Iowa State campus for some fun outdoor portraits.  Despite the heat, we had a great time and we got some wonderful images too.

Coe’s Flowers in Ames did the arrangements and they were absolutely gorgeous!  I love the little details.  There were sparkling rhinestones and hand shaped wire sculptures in each bouquet.  The attention to details was just phenomenal, and Amber said they were wonderful to work with as well.

I do not know how she did it…but Amber managed to wear those amazing shoes well into the night!  I have a feeling her feet were killing her, but the shoes did look fantastic.

After the toasts from the best man and maid of honor Mike said a few words.  I just love the look that he and Amber are sharing in this image.  The emotion is pretty easy to see.

These dance shots are a little different than my standard.  I wanted to capture the glowing and intimate feeling of the lighting…so I left things all nice and soft and warm.  Check out the monogram, it was projected on the wall throughout the reception and really added to the ambiance.

These last two shots are sunset images that we captured when we stole away from the reception for a few minutes.  I love to get a few shots at the end of the night when the bride and groom are more relaxed and the sun is going down.  As you can see, a variety of looks can be had pretty easily that time of night.  The image on the left has a little fill flash and the image on the right is being lit with with a continuous light (similar to a flash light).

Thanks so much Amber and Mike for allowing me to be part of your day.  I had a blast.  One of these weekends we really will have to do some wine tasting together.

Mary and Ryan are Married! ~ Iowa Wedding Photographer Carisa Keeling

Posted on June 24, 2010

I was recently honored to be a part of Mary and Ryan’s wedding day.  These guys, their entire wedding party and all of their family were a pleasure to work with.  Despite some minor mis-haps they kept their cool and had a wonderful day.  The ceremony was held in Imogene, Iowa at St. Patrick’s church with a reception in Omaha at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center.  Mary was absolutely stunning in her wedding gown, and Ryan didn’t clean up too badly himself.  Our plans got sidetracked a little bit when the party bus broke down on it’s way to pick up the wedding party in Imogene.  After placing a few phone calls and making some last minute logistical changes the wedding party arrived at the Scottish Rite safe and sound.  After dinner I stole Mary and Ryan away for a few minutes for an outdoor session in downtown Omaha, which was a lot of fun and an interesting change of pace for me.

This post is going to be a little longer than my typical post, because I am going to step you through the story of their day…

When my assistant Mitch Miller of MD Miller Photography and I arrived, Mary and the girls were finishing the final preparations on hair, makeup and dresses.  Mary has a large family, and there were a lot of women (and a lot of sisterly love and teasing) in that little room!

Mary and Ryan did not want to see each other before the wedding, so we did some of the family and wedding party shots before the ceremony, and then the rest of them after the ceremony.

St. Patrick’s is a beautiful, old church.  The detail is stunning.  The ceremony was beautiful, and Father Ken Gross gave a wonderful sermon.

After the ceremony, we went back inside the church and did the remaining group shots.  Then, while we waited for the party bus (that never made it) we did some more shots of Mary and Ryan outside.

Once we were at the reception and had a chance to eat Mary, Ryan, my assistant Mitch and I took a brief stroll outside in downtown Omaha to do some additional wedding portraits of the two of them.  This was a fabulous little session, and the results are some of my favorites from the entire day.

Once we headed back inside, it was time for Mary and Ryan’s first dance as husband and wife.  This is one of my favorite parts of the wedding day.  It is easy for the bride and groom to forget about everything around them and focus on each other.  The result is fantastic, natural expressions.

I love this series of shots of the bouquet toss.  You can actually see the daisy petals flying through the air as one of the bridesmaid’s catches the flowers.  There was an enthusiastic response as the girls tried for the bouquet too!~

In this last image I noticed how puzzled the children seemed by the “Chicken Dance”.  These kids really look like they think the adults may have gone a little crazy

I always ask my clients if there is anything else that they need from me before I leave for the night.  When I asked these two, Ryan commented that they had not taken a picture WITH me yet.  Aww…I thought that was pretty sweet.  So Mitch took the image below of the three of us.

Ryan and Mary, thank you so much for including me as part of your day!  I wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy.

Ames Wedding Photography~Albums, albums, albums

Posted on March 4, 2010

Good morning everyone!  I have an increasing number of wedding clients that aren’t local to Ames, and I wanted to try and give them a little taste of the different albums that I offer.  I offer three styles of albums.  Of course, seeing the albums first hand and being able to touch them and examine them is the best way to appreciate the differences, but I hope this will give some of you a general idea of the quality of wedding albums that I offer.  Keep in mind, these albums are also great add ons to a portrait session.  They also make cherished memory books for high school seniors and a baby’s first year.

The first is the coffee table book.  These are printed onto heavy weight paper using a 4 color press printed process at a professional printing lab.

My favorite albums are the fine art line.  These are printed with archival inks and are hand bound to last generations.  The colors in these pages really pop off the page.  This album also offers panoramic spreads, but there is not cut in the middle.

The third album style that I offer is the library bound and it comes in MANY high end cover options.  Currently, I only have the basic black album.  I promise to add some additional images when I get a more exciting sample.  These albums are top of the line and contain real professionally printed photographs, but they are flush mounted to the album pages.  These are albums that are intended to last for generations.  The pages are thicker than either the coffee table style or the fine art style, so the books are sturdy and substantial.

Meredith and Joe

Posted on November 23, 2009

Meredith and Joe had a fabulous wedding and I was fortunate enough to be their photographer for the day.  Mitch Miller of M.D. Miller Photography in Omaha was my second shooter for the day and a couple of the images below are from him (you will see the notes).  You will notice that some of the images below seem very similar.  I was fussing around with them, and then couldn’t decide which version I liked better!  I can be so indecisive at times 

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