Kimberly Reed Photography

I met up with tabitha and scott yesterday to shoot their engagement session. we had a ton of fun walking around and getting some fun pictures of the two of them. They are very playful and quick to laugh, which always makes for great photos! tabitha let me know ahead of time that she doesn’t like being in front of the camera, and i think she’s crazy; she’s a natural! check it out for yourself:

isn’t she beautiful?

playing hide and seek- love scott’s face in this one.

there was a lot of laughing going on.

something unique about tabitha and scott is they are both real estate agents, and share a business together.

Thanks Tabitha and Scott! I enjoyed spending the afternoon with you and can’t wait to shoot your wedding in October!

i’m out of the office from thursday through monday to photograph an amazing out of state wedding. i’ll be back on tuesday ready to share some pics. have fun and be safe over the holiday weekend!

sums up the blog post of this bride, who is feeling guilty about wanting a decadent affair in which she marries the man of her dreams.

it’s true that getting married isn’t about the dress, it’s about the commitment. the relationship. the journey. but that being said, it is a huge leap of faith, and it’s a reason to celebrate. so do it however feels right to you- whether it’s a simple seaside ceremony with just the two of you, or a luxe affair surrounded by 400 of your closest friends and family.

There are a number of professional organizations for wedding and portrait photographers, but there is only one (that I know of) that doesn’t accept everyone who applies. The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA). You don’t just join the WPJA. You apply and then they decide if you meet their standards. So I was tickled to receive an acceptance email from them! The WPJA is notoriously strict in it’s membership and strives to represent the “elite” of wedding photographers from all over the photojournalism world. It’s quite an honor to be a part of this organization!
This is how the WPJA describes itself:

Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity.

The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), an International, membership-based organization, represents professional photographers skilled in the documentation of weddings and events in a candid, unobtrusive style. The WPJA was founded to uphold excellence in the area of wedding photojournalism.

The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography.

as an artist, it’s always nice to know when people value and appreciate your work. i find i shoot as much for myself (to satisfy my creative urges), as i do for my clients. it’s that combination that produces my style. if it were just me and a camera on a deserted island, i would still take photographs. i’m in love with the entire process. i love to catch little slices of life, small moments in time. i love to be able to show people the way i see my little corner of the world. so if no one ever noticed me and my photos, i would still keep making them. because i have this creative outlet that needs released. but it’s so rewarding when people tell me that they connect with my images, or can feel the emotion in them, or have been touched by them in some small way.
i recieved this email a few minutes ago from connie, who forwarded me an email (stay with me here) that her dad sent to her, from a friend of his that viewed the photos and slideshow of connie’s engagement session:

“Connie,

This from a Jewish friend of mine. Expert photographer and retired professor of photography at NYU.

High praise indeed from Joel.

Love,
DAD

>From: Joel Aronson
>Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 06:11:40 -0400
>
>Congratulations to you too Bill. The photos of your daughter and her fiance are exquisite.
>So is their site with the polka music, their photographer Kimberly Reed is a modern classic.
>http://www.kreedphotography.com/show/connieandsteve/

>Mazeltov!

>Best Wishes,
>Joel”
while technically this is the way i make my living, it’s still art to me, which is why i think i’m so in love with what i do. i love being able to create images for people; to capture moments, to preserve memories, and to tell their stories with my images. i’m so touched and humbled when people take the time to respond to what i’m doing. thanks connie, for sending me this, and thanks joel, for such a wonderful complement. such a small gesture, but you guys made my night.

while joel is now retired, you can check out his site, which showcases photos from the start of his photography career in the ’60’s (complete with stories about the images) all the way through recent times. Browsing through these images, and reading his accompanying stories, I feel like I know him. I love how good photography forges connections between people.

so, i’ve had this sneaking suspicion for a while now that i consistantly end up with the coolest couples. last night’s engagement session with eileen and mike confirmed it. they are so comfortable with each other; you can just picture them in their eighties, sitting in rocking chairs holding hands, laughing about some shared joke. i had met mike before, but eileen lives on the other side of the state, so i finally met her for the first time yesterday. isn’t she stunning? they wanted to go to mcconnells mill, which is a place they spent time at early in their relationship. we got some great shots- and at the end they even jumped in a pool of water! i love these guys!

here are a few of my faves:

i think this one is my fave

thanks mike and eileen! I’m really looking forward to shooting your wedding!

if you’ve ever wondered what a million dollar wedding might look like, check out this one that colin cowie did for a lucky Oprah couple. talk about opulance!

i was the second shooter for a wedding yesterday for shannon. it was my first time shooting an orthodox wedding, and let me tell you, their ceremonies are beautiful! here are a few pics from the day:

i love the way they are emerging from the light here, like in a dream. plus the smile and anticipation on her face are priceless.

from between the railings in the balcony

illuminated by candlelight

sneaking a kiss

their first dance. that’s her sister taking a picture in the background.

i think this is a great moment between the two of them, but what i love most about this shot is the expression on the faces of the people watching in the background.

ray and i ran in the race for the cure this morning. it was a beautiful morning and the number of people there was overwhelming. it was so touching to see so many pink signs on people’s backs with the name of who they were running in celebration or memory of. I ran this morning in celebration of my mom and my grandma roeser, who are breast cancer survivors, and in memory of my grandma fec, who passed away from the disease.
this was our first 5k, and ray was such a rockstar; he has been sick the last few days and still ran this morning. i would have been in bed under the covers if i was him, but he was right next to me the whole time. i was so proud of him!
also, i met my fundraising goal so i wanted again to thank everyone who donated!

there’s another 5k coming up on father’s day (with a lot less hills), that i may sign up for. and then look out ironman, here i come!

I met Beth and Jason yesterday to shoot some engagement photos for them. We took advantage of the beautiful day and met at Schenley Park in Oakland. These two were so much fun, they were quick to laugh and pretty much open for anything. They’ve been doing the long-distance thing, but Jason just got an amazing job offer yesterday, which means he’ll be moving back to Pittsburgh! Congratulations again guys; I’m so excited for the two of you!

Here are a few of my favorites from our session:

i LOVE this one

i had a hard time deciding, but i think this might be my fave

you can view their slideshow here.

It was such a pleasure meeting you two yesterday. Congratulations again on the great news!

i think it’s so important, in every industry, to constantly be learning and growing and challenging yourself. i just got back from my photography conference in chicago, and my head is spinning from the things i learned and the ideas i have. i can’t wait to begin to implement them. i knew it was going to be a great time when i met my roomie jess and we immediately hit it off. i attended workshops by denis reggie, anna and michael costa, me ra koh, pepper nix, millie holloman and david jay (and of course i had to order a shootsac from jessica claire. a huge group of us went on a walking tour of the city and then to dinner at a wine and tapas restaurant (we had a table for 50. for real). and i met so many amazing photographers from all over the country…and laughed. a lot.
plus, i got some pretty exciting news while i was gone, that i can’t wait to share with you guys (in the next few weeks…). i feel so fortunate to be in such an amazing industry that i love so much, surrounded by so many talented and gracious peers. and i’m super excited about the direction of things to come with my business!

after the charity event yesterday, ray and i met up with some friends at soba (one of my favorite restaurants) to celebrate our birthdays (a little belated for shannon, but bre and i are coming right up). this is a pic of bre, myself, and shannon. shanny’s husband wade took the pic, and I ‘borrowed’ it from her blog.

(our instructions were to make ’sexy faces’, and this was the best I could come up with. ha!)