Someone asked us today how we go about finding locations in the Southeast Texas area. Photography in Southeast Texas is not without it’s quirks. I always laugh when I see images of a bride and groom standing in their wedding attire atop a mountain at sunset in some fanciful place in Iceland. Like, how did they get up there like that? I’m also just a little jealous when I see an image from up north where they have, you know real seasons, and a Bride is standing in front of a pure, reflective lake while all the trees are a tapestry of red and gold Fall colors. Let’s be honest, we don’t have that here.

So how do we find those places, or looks that give an image its pop? The answer is we are not searching for places so much as interesting light and texture. A patch of greenery between two parking lots may create a more captivating image than a large, pretty park because of how the sun hits that location. An uncut lot off the side of the road may look like a majestic field if used the right way.

Our approach to photography has probably shifted slightly over the years. Early on we simply looked for even light, perhaps at sunset, and we looked for ideal places that would have nice scenery. As we’ve grown we have searched more and more for locations that give us texture, rich shadows, and depth, while framing our subjects against that canvas in an interesting way. When we do have locations that are more unique we try to highlight those places through use of light AND shadow rather than a flat approach of everything being equally exposed. A trend in the photography world centers on bright and airy photos, for every shot, which is a particular aesthetic that many enjoy. We operate in another vein in order to bring a wider gamut of images to our clients. Jessica’s bridals are a great example of this philosophy.

For Bridals I’ve noticed that we really enjoy having a portion of the session at an indoor location. If you have followed our work for any period of time you probably see the Julie Rogers Theatre pop up pretty frequently. Part of this is pure logistics, as taking photos in a wedding dress can be pretty tough in the many hot months we have. However, we have come to love the majestic quality of a nice indoor location as well and appreciate the diversity it brings to a session. Believe it or not, Beaumont has a few homes that are nothing short of awesome. When Jessica told us she had a friend of a friend that would let us use one of these homes (a place we had been before) we were well beyond excited.

While I’m at it why don’t I point out the obvious that Jessica is one of those brides that is so beautiful it is almost unfair. You may remember Jessica from her and Hunter’s engagement photos, which was another day full of amazing light. We spent a fun afternoon with her for these bridals and she was a natural. Enjoy!