kansas city engagement photos – Anthem Photography

Christine and Ryan’s Engagement Session | Kansas City I’m So in Love

December 7, 2016Posted in engagementsTagged country club plaza, crossroads, crossroads arts district, crossroads kc, downtown kansas city, engagement photos, kansas city, kansas city engagement photos, kansas city i'm so in love, kansas city photographer, kcLeave a comment

These two adorable love birds celebrated their engagement with a Kansas City-style photo session. It was the first bitterly cold day of the season, and after enjoying such mild autumn weather up to that point, the sudden shift in temperatures solidified the KC experience for us. And they enjoyed lots of snuggles in the process. Because hypothermia is no fun.

We began our journey at the Country Club Plaza on a walking bridge where Ryan proposed to Christine. I love incorporating such meaningful locations in photo sessions, so this was a perfect place to begin. After exploring the area, looking for any place that could offer a break from the brutally chilling wind, we moved to the Crossroads Arts District to visit the recently famous “Kansas City I’m So in Love” mural on the south side of Fortuity at 19th and Baltimore. Christine and Ryan were troopers to say the least – they wore their Charlie Hustle KC t-shirts (while I was bundled in several layers and still freezing, so I can imagine they were certainly numb at this point). We took a quick walk around the block to capture some street scenes in the background, and I fell more in love with Kansas City in the process. The area we were shooting in felt alive and bright and modern, when not too long ago, it would have felt more like a ghost town. The revitalization of the Crossroads has done amazing things for the city and for people like us who love and adore it.

Congratulations to Christine and Ryan, who are so in love!

http://www.anthem-photo.com

Brian and Phil’s Kansas City Engagement Session

May 10, 2016Posted in engagementsTagged anthem photography, crossroads, engagements, kansas city, kansas city engagement photos, kansas city wedding photographer, liberty memorial, skyline, union stationLeave a comment

Brian and Phil warned me several times that they aren’t fans of having their pictures taken. Maybe that’s partially true? And they also claimed that they’re not photogenic. That certainly isn’t true. I’m not sure that they were looking forward to their engagement session, but I definitely was. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to document their engagement and work with them prior to their wedding this fall, which I’m fairly certain is going to be the celebration of the century!

…And I think they ended up having fun at their session. That’s always a relief for me!

The location they chose – the Crossroads Art District in Kansas City – is not only one of my favorite backgrounds for photos, but it is especially meaningful for these guys. They love the beautiful KC skyline, which can be perfectly viewed from the north lawn of Liberty Memorial, and they were excited for the opportunity to take some dusk and nighttime shots with the city lights in the background. With plans to end the session there, we wanted to start the session closer to the heart of Crossroads. I asked them to meet me in the parking lot at Lidia’s, not knowing until later that Lidia’s is where they enjoyed their first date… fourteen years ago.

www.anthem-photo.com

Taylor and Taylor’s Kansas City Engagement Session

October 19, 2015October 19, 2015Posted in engagementsTagged anthem photography, autumn, engagement photos, kansas city, kansas city engagement photos, kansas city wedding photographer, liberty memorial, night portraits, union station, urban engagement photos2 Comments

Engagement photos often involve quite a bit of direction for the couple – having one of them turn their head slightly, asking one person to snuggle up on the other, etc. So knowing that this awesome couple is comprised of two Taylors, I needed a game plan for talking to each of them separately. Taylor (the man) told me that his friends call him “T Mo.” So he shall hereby be known as T Mo.

T Mo has been featured on the blog before, as I did head shots for him a couple of years ago. He was a great subject then, but as the old saying goes, two Taylors are better than one! Maybe that’s not the exact saying, but we’ll just go with it.

I met Taylor and T Mo (and their awesome dog, Ace) at Liberty Memorial yesterday evening so we could include a variety of backgrounds for their very Kansas City engagement session. They were simply wonderful to work with. They are both genuinely kind, fun, wonderful people. I hope they had as much fun with me as I had with them. We enjoyed gorgeous fall colors, incredible views, and even a shot or two inside Union Station. Add a touch of Royals pride, and you have all you need for a perfect session!

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www.anthem-photo.com

Year in Review: Anthem Photography’s Favorite Images of 2014

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014Posted in children, engagements, families, maternity, music, seniors, weddingsTagged anthem photography, best of 2014, engagement photos, kansas city, kansas city engagement photos, kansas city wedding, kansas city wedding photographer, www.anthem-photo.com, year in review1 Comment

I love reflecting upon my work at the end of each year. It’s always a fun reminder of how blessed I am to have the job that I do. It’s also my distraction from all that year-end paperwork and tax crap that I despise. In 2014 I shot 24 weddings, had 85 portrait sessions, and took nearly 60,000 photos. There are thousands of images that I treasure immensely of hundreds of people I met over the last 12 months. These are among my favorite images and moments of the year…

…like the pure joy of a bridesmaid congratulating the bride moments after the ceremony:

…this gorgeous outdoor wedding:

…the time Captain America (and his adorable cousin) stopped by the studio:

…bath time with my little dude:

…this perfect downtown KC engagement session:

…the most incredible wedding cake I’ve ever seen:

…this dreamy engagement session that sent me home with poison ivy (still totally worth it):

…this maternity session with two people I love and adore:

…the tons of talent in KC for Middle of the Map Fest:

…being able to photograph one of my all-time favorite bands:

…no, TWO of my all-time favorite bands:

…playing in the snow with my big guy:

…the supermoon:

…my absolutely adorable niece:

…my little guy’s first birthday:

…this awesome family:

…THIS awesome family:

…and THIS awesome family:

…and every freaking awesome moment of the Switchfoot show

…prayers over this gorgeous bride before she walked down the aisle

…and a quiet moment between a father and daughter moments before her wedding

…this beautiful bride walking down the aisle

…and then sneaking away from the reception for a quick rooftop photo

…and EVERYTHING about this perfect orchard wedding

Thank you, my incredible clients, for allowing me into your lives to document these priceless moments and to create images that I hope you’ll treasure forever. Here’s to 2014!

http://www.anthem-photo.com

Lyndsay and Matt’s Midtown KC Engagement Session

August 18, 2014August 18, 2014Posted in engagementsTagged anthem photography, crossroads, downtown kansas city, kansas city engagement photos, kansas city wedding photographer, kansas city west side, midtown kansas city, urban engagement photos, www.anthem-photo.comLeave a comment

I had a feeling that Lyndsay and Matt were a little nervous heading into our photo session. And I get it. It can be awkward to have your photo taken. It can be a little challenging to act naturally when you’re well aware that someone 5 or 10 feet away from you is snapping your photo. When I perceive that my subjects are feeling a bit uneasy, it means I have some extra work to do. Beyond setting up the shot, deciding which lens to use, deciding how to light it, and exposing the shot properly, my interactions with my subject can become the most crucial aspect of my job. Because who cares about a well-lit, perfectly exposed photo if the subjects don’t look comfortable or natural?

So I thought I’d have some extra work to do. But I was so wrong. They tricked me! My oh my. These two are in love. They entertain each other. They act naturally and beautifully together. They rocked this session!

Special thanks to Ben Money for being an awesome lighting assistant for this one! You rock, Ben!

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Rachel and Aaron are Engaged

October 9, 2013August 9, 2014Posted in engagementsTagged bike, crossroads arts district, engagement photos, fixed gear, kansas city, kansas city engagement photos, kansas city wedding photographer, urban portraits, west bottoms1 Comment

I’ve shot some pretty fun engagement sessions in my day. They are typically among my favorite types of sessions to photograph because I get to interact with two people in love who are on the verge of dedicating their lives to one another. It’s a great chance to get to know couples prior to their wedding and to work with them without the (often) stressful time constraints of a wedding day.

So, even with the dozens and dozens of engagement shoots I’ve loved, this one is definitely among my favorites. The bright colors and the soft, even light, the great backgrounds, the bike, and most importantly, the lovely and photogenic couple who interacted so well with one another… everything came together perfectly.

Jackie and Dylan are Engaged!

May 12, 2013June 21, 2013Posted in engagementsTagged engagements, kansas city engagement photos, nature, rustic, shoal creek living history museumLeave a comment

This fantastic couple is getting married soon. We enjoyed an incredibly fun engagement photo session at Shoal Creek Living History Museum – a beautiful, rustic setting I absolutely adore. I loved working with Jackie and Dylan. They interact so lovingly and so naturally in front of the camera, which is what I always hope for. And, my goodness… they’re incredibly photogenic!

Paige and Jeff are Engaged!

October 10, 2012February 21, 2013Posted in engagementsTagged downtown, engagements, K-State, kansas city engagement photos, night portraits, skyline, west bottomsLeave a comment

I’ve said it before, and I don’t mind bragging by saying it again: I have awesome clients. The best anyone could ask for. Like Paige and Jeff, for example.

Their engagement session was incredibly enjoyable. They’re a fun, laid-back couple, which makes my job easy. It’s anything but work. But they had a hard time putting on their “serious faces” when I asked. I always enjoy the softer smiles from couples in love, but I soon realized that Paige and Jeff as individuals and as a couple are naturally full of life, laughter, and big smiles — the kind of stuff I soon realized I didn’t want them to tone down.

Happy goodness. Good happiness. Paige and Jeff!