eSession Ideas { Glenwood Gardens }

Looking for great places to do your engagement photos in Cincinnati?  This is my second post in a long series - based on places I've been to or done other photo sessions.

My first post was about one of my favorite places for any type of photos - Ault Park.  But we have so many great options, and another one is Glenwood Gardens. 

GLENWOOD GARDENS PARK

Glenwood Gardens Park is located on Springfield Pike off I-75 (in Woodlawn near Glendale-Milford Road).  It is 335 acres and occupies land that was once the Burchenal family cattle and produce farm.  It includes a small wetland complex with fountain and rocks, gatehouse entrance, rock structures, beautiful plants and a gorgeous gazebo with painted foliage ceiling.

 

I did a mini eSession there in 2010.  I was actually scouting out locations to do pre-wedding photos and wanted to show the park to the bride and groom.  My couple, Brandon and Cindy, were having their wedding ceremony and reception at the Receptions location in Fairfield on Boymel Drive.  Since everything was indoors and at one location, we wanted to find an outdoor option for them.  We got so lucky with Glendale Gardens!

I told the groom that this photo looked like an ad for Men's Warehouse!  These large rocks are absolutely PERFECT for posing the men.

 

The bride, Cynthia, is actually standing on part of the fountain.  We did group shots with the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen in this area.  But it would be a great spot to do photos in an eSession, too!

 

One of the large, sweeping views - if you look over the wall and into the distance.  Great place to do some dramatic photos - or even some fun ones.

I consider Glenwood Gardens one of the free places to do engagement photos - however, it does require a parking pass.  An annual Hamilton County Park Motor Vehicle Permit (MVP) is only $10; daily is $3.00.  It's well worth it, since it gets you into any Hamilton County Park, and you get some coupons included.  More information >>

In summary, Glenwood Gardens is a great option for engagement photos in Cincinnati or pre-wedding photos, especially if your reception is at Receptions in Fairfield or another nearby venue.  Check it out!

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Looking for the best Cincinnati wedding photographer?  Contact Gardner Photography & Design today to get a custom package quote.  Ask about our "Try Before You Buy" engagement sessions.

Bridal Session { Diana O } - The Movie

Okay, so it isn't really a major motion picture or anything....just an awesome video montage!  I am loving my new Photodex styles - and creating some custom ones of my own.  Making video montages is becoming one of my favorite things!!

With my next eSession, I hope to capture some actual video snippets of the couple.  My Canon 5D Mark II and 7D both have video capabilities, but I'm so busy taking photos that I rarely pause to capture video.  I am hoping to have one camera (the 7D) doing some video work while I snap away with the 5D - and then merge the stills and video into a future montage.

Anyway, I digress!  As I said in my last post, we did Diana's bridal session at the Loveland Castle.  It's was perfect all around - beautiful bride, beautiful location, beautiful spring day!  Who could ask for more?

Check out Diana's bridal montage...




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Are you a Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky bride looking for a fabulous wedding photographer?  We hope you will consider Gardner Photography for your 2011, 2012 and beyond wedding!  We can customize any package - and offer engagement, bridal and other sessions.  Just ask about our "Try Before You Buy" engagement session today.

Bridal Session { Diana O }

One of my favorite places to shoot is Loveland Castle - look for my write-up coming soon!  I was fortunate enough to do a bridal shoot there with Diana O in April 2009.  Her wedding was in May 2009, and she wanted to do bridal photos beforehand.  I was also doing her make-up, so it was a great opportunity to try make-up and hair (which I didn't do) and take some photos!

Diana got her hair done first and then met me at my house with her dress and veil.  I did her make-up, and then she got dressed.  I had actually done her and her bridesmaid's make-up a few weeks prior to that, so we had already done our "dry run."  I got Diana started on a skin care regime at that time, and her skin was just glowing by the bridal shoot!

So, why was her photographer doing her make-up, you ask???  In college, I worked for Clinique and did make-overs all the time.  I was the top producer in Ohio at one point - at 19 years of age.  Not bad!  I learned a lot about make-up and skin care during that time.  I told Diana about my background and offered to do her make-up.  Heck, I was there, so why not?

We got Diana all ready, carefully eased her into my SUV and headed for the Loveland Castle.  It was a beautiful day - although, a little windy.  There are some hysterical photos of Diana's veil being blown straight up! 

When we arrived, the awesome guys at the Loveland Castle were there to welcome us.  They really took care of us while we were there doing photos and even let us do some photos with their motorcycles and swords!

 

This bridal shoot was a fabulous time, and we got some many great photos!  I would highly recommend the Loveland Castle for engagement or bridal shoots - look for more information coming about the experience, their pricing, the castle, etc.

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Are you a 2011 or 2012 bride looking to have photos done?  Please contact Gardner Photography & Design.  We would love to talk about your upcoming wedding and schedule a session at the Loveland Castle or another great location in the Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky area!

Not All Weddings are on a Saturday

Here it is.  A Friday.  A great day for a wedding, right?  Sure!  Definitely!  ANY day is a great day for a wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio - or anywhere else.

I had my own wedding on a Friday night at the Krippendorf Lodge in Cincinnati, Ohio.  We picked a Friday in October to get married.  Actually, we got married on my birthday - so, my lucky husband only has ONE day to remember.

There are some big pluses to a wedding that isn't on a Saturday - first off, many wedding vendors offer discounts for Friday night weddings.  Or Monday weddings.  Or Thursday weddings.  Saturday is clearly the most popular day to have your wedding, so you can usually expect some sort of discount for any other day.

Another plus - many vendors unavailable on a Saturday are available the night before.  Or the day after.  This is great news if you have your heart set on a venue, photographer, DJ or other vendor who can only book one event per night/day.  (Not so much an issue with florists, bakers, etc.)

With my own wedding, we had many friends and family members coming from out of town.  So, we had the wedding on Friday night and then a small party at our house the next day for everyone who had traveled to be there.  Sadly, you don't usually get much time to talk to guests at your wedding.  This way, we had the entire day and night to spend with everyone.

In 2011, Gardner Photography has a first - a Monday wedding!  The date is incredibly significant to the couple, and it just happens to be on a Monday this year.  I love their story and what they have planned!  We'll be doing photos at Spring Grove Cemetery with the ceremony and reception at 20th Century Theater.  We love this venue and this couple - so, we're super excited about their April wedding! 

I think non-Saturday weddings often have a story behind them, too - which is the case for this couple and was the case for my own wedding.  As I mentioned, I got married on my birthday.  It was also the same date our house plans were drafted.  In the case of my April Bride and Groom - the wedding is the same date as their first date and engagement.  Clearly, this is a good day for them!  (And ironically, it's one of my best friend's birthdays, so one more reason to love this day.)

Did you recently get engaged and are planning a 2011 or 2012 wedding in the Cincinnati area?  We'd love to talk to you!  And we DO offer special discounts for weddings being held on days other than Saturday.  If you're planning your Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana wedding on a day other than Saturday, then be sure to ask about our special discounts!

Many 2011 dates are already booked, so please contact Gardner Photography today - we'd love to customize a package for you and hear more about your special day (whether it's Saturday, Friday, Sunday, Monday....any day)! 

We love weddings - any day of the week! 

Another eSession at Ault Park - We Had Fun!

This eSession was done during August 2010.  So, it was HOT!  But that didn't stop me, Mairi and Joshua from having a lot of fun during their engagement session.  Can't wait for their July 2011 wedding at the Savannah Center!

As you can see, an eSession at Ault Park is perfect almost any time of the year.  Next week, I'll talk about photos at Glenwood Gardens.  An almost free option.  Look for my Cincinnati Music Hall review and photos coming soon!

In the meantime, enjoy a little slice of summer.....

Before & After - When Photoshop Saves the Day

I wish every photo that came off my memory card was perfect, every time....but that doesn't always happen.  Heck, that never happens!  There are many factors that go into creating a photo, so anything can go wrong.  That's when Adobe Photoshop can sometimes save the day.

I had a wedding about a year ago and was asked to work some Photoshop magic.  A very specific image of the Bride and Groom didn't exist, so the Bride asked me if I could "create" this image.

It was a tough challenge, but I was up for it!  It would mean finding an image that was close and then removing people and recreating a background.  With something like trees or sky, it can be relatively easy to clone the background.

Not with this photo.

It had a lot of details that were in focus - the slats in the porch, the windows next to the front door, the vase of flowers....luckily, I did find two choices, and the couple looked great in both!

You can see the amazing "before" and "after" here....

This was a very rare and extreme case - but it shows that Gardner Photography & Design has the ability to work their "magic" behind the lens AND on the computer.

eSession at Ault Park

Yesterday, I mentioned that one of my favorite places to do engagement sessions is Ault Park.  And for good reason!  I did an eSession at Ault Park last Spring - everything was in bloom, and the park was simply gorgeous.

Check out Mindy and Danny's 2010 eSession at Ault park...



I'm also trying out some of my new montage effects.  I just added a new collection and have started doing more custom effects.  I love how this montage turned out.

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Did you recently get engaged and are planning a 2011 or 2012 wedding in the Cincinnati area?  We'd love to talk to you!  Ask about our engagement sessions - and get your own video montage!  Many 2011 dates are already booked, so please contact Gardner Photography today - we'd love to customize a package for you and hear more about your special day!