Austin Wedding Photographer

October 1, 2014

Zeddler Mill Wedding Photography : Katy & Ray

Katy & Ray got married at the beautiful Zeddler Mill in Luling, Texas on September 13, 2014. If you do not recall, this was quite possibly one of the rainiest weekends that we have had in central Texas in quite some time. Katy & Ray’s wedding was squeezed between 2 additional weddings that I had that weekend, and amazingly, the bad weather stayed at bay for their celebration. This venue is definitely gorgeous. Zeddler Mill is rustic & elegant, and it sits right on the banks of the San Marcos River. Katy did a wonderful job with the design of the event, and it turned out spectacular. Lindsay Blackwell with In Her Shoes Coordination did a great job managing the event, and the day turned out just right. I arrived a couple of hours before the wedding for some getting ready shots of Katy and her ladies. Before the ceremony itself, I had a chance to take some great photos of the guys. Not only did the brides maid and groomsmen photos look great, but I love how the entire wedding party shots turned out!! The combination of the overcast, the rustic backgrounds, and the bridge made the collection look just right. The first shot in the series is a 3 image flash composite. It was getting pretty dark out, so I decided to break out the flashes and get get a signature portrait for Katy & Ray. I would like to thank Dave McLaughlin for helping me out with this wedding and this shot. He got some great photos himself, and was a lot of fun to work with. Prior to Katy & Ray’s wedding, I had a chance to shoot their engagements as well as Katy’s bridal portraits. You can view some of her bridal’s taken at Laguna Gloria here. Katy & Ray were such a pleasure to work with, and I am very happy to share these photos with you. Enjoy the shots, and feel free to share this post with your friends and family members!

Zeddler Mill Wedding Photography by AJH Photography

September 26, 2014

Mercury Hall Wedding Photography : Dana & Elvis

Dana and Elvis got married at Mercury Hall on September 14, 2014. I had been looking forward to this wedding for quite some time. They contacted me shortly after they got engaged, and I had the pleasure of shooting their one of a kind “Crossfit Engagement Session” a few months back. You can see those images here. They had a fairly short engagement. Their wedding day took place exactly 6 months after Elvis asked Dana to marry him. The wedding was was wonderful. The ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception took place at Mercury Hall, a real south Austin gem. It is a great space, and it photographs nicely. I have shot out there a few times in the past, and each time I am reminded of how much character and charm this venue has. Dana and Elvis decided to have a first look before the ceremony, and we were able to take a few wedding party shots before the celebration began. The wedding took place on the lawn in the back, and the photos turned out awesome. I could not have asked for better lighting! There was a mild overcast and everything exposed beautifully. After the wedding Travis Tank (my day of assistant and second shooter) and I brought Dana & Elvis into the city for their post wedding portraits. It is a rare occasion that the bride and groom are given the opportunity to leave the wedding site to take advantage of their photographer skills:) We hit up a great spot next to Max’s Wine Dive (for a shot in front of the Frost Tower), went to the Pflugerville Pedestrian Bridge, Austin Power Plant, and The State Capitol. The first image in the series is an awesome flash composite with the backside of downtown in the distance. I knew that I wanted to do this shot before the wedding day had even arrived! I was hoping for good lighting, and voilà! We were gifted the most ideal setting for an ultra dramatic wedding portrait. It put a smile on my face, and I am proud to feature it as the first shot in this post.

I would like to give a shout out to Livia Pope for coordinating this event. She did a wonderful job with everything, and the day could not have gone any smoother. Enjoy Elvis & Dana’s wedding day preview, and feel free to share them with your friends and family!

Mercury Hall Wedding Photography - AJH Photography

Mercury Hall Wedding Photography by AJH Photography

September 23, 2014

Kendall Plantation Wedding Photography : Ashley & Jason

Ashley and Jason got married at the beautiful Kendall Plantation on Friday September 12, 2014. This venue is spectacular for a variety of reasons, and they truly delivered on this special day. If you can recall, that weekend had some seriously bad weather. It rained for 3 days strait, which coincidentally happened to by my busiest weekend of the year. Ashley & Jason’s wedding was the first of 3 back to back events. The day ran smoothly, and I credit much of the success to Natalie with Country Sugar. She did a wonderful job, and it shows in the photos. I arrived, and assessed what we were going to do for the wedding party and post wedding portraits. Luckily, Kendall Plantation has a balcony that wraps around the entire perimeter of the house. It was perfect for the pre-wedding photos, because the inside was being decorated for the wedding ceremony and reception. The wedding itself was awesome. The setup, although challenging to photograph, turned out lovely. Luckily my assistant for the day, Travis Tank helped me with this one, and he definitely delivered the goods. He was up top shooting the ceremony, while I was at the bottom, capturing the lower level perspective. For an indoor wedding at this venue, 2 photographers is a must have. After the wedding, we shot all family photos in the center of the venue, while the entire room was being flipped for the reception. Miraculously, it stopped raining for about 15 minutes after we finished up the family formals. This gave us a small window of time to get some super dramatic portraits of Jason & Ashley, really showing off those awesome storm clouds out in Boerne, TX. The first image in the series is a 2 image flash composite featuring the exterior of Kendall Plantation on the left. Although the image looks insanely dark and dramatic, there was very little Photoshop happening (aside from the layering). I underexposed the shot quite a bit, in camera, and supplemented a ton of light right on Ashley & Jason. It turned out perfect! There are 2 additional composites towards the second half of the post, so definitely scroll down and take a look. Ashley & Jason’s wedding was a ton of fun, and I am very pleased to share them with you. Enjoy the post!

Kendall Plantation Wedding Photography - AJH Photography

Kendall Plantation Wedding Photography by AJH Photography

September 10, 2014

Downtown Austin Engagement Photos : Nana & Marcus

I love shooting engagement portraits in Austin, TX. The city is the perfect size for being able to hit up multiple locations, giving a collection some variety. I met Nana and Marcus at The Capitol for some nature driven images, then we made our way into the city. These guys are so nice, and were an absolute pleasure to photograph. The first photo in the series was not on our to do list for the day. We were on a hunt for a specific graffiti wall on the east side, and couldn’t find it. We ended up running into this crazy piece of artwork. Its not the most romantic location for engagement portraits, but it is super rad to say the least. Its always a great feeling when you discover something new in a city that has been exceeding your expectations for over a decade. Good work, Austin, TX. The other locations we hit were the blue wall next to the convention center (always a hit) and the Pflugerville pedestrian Bridge (best skyline shots around). I love ending engagement sessions at the bridge. The backside view of downtown really encapsulates the feel of this wonderful town, and never disappoints for photo ops. The key is to get there right at sunset to ensure the best lighting. There is little to no shade at this location, so any earlier would result in direct sun and some squinty eyes. My favorite shot from the day has got to be the first silhouette image in the series. That lens flare looks amazing, and the colors are great. This shot required little to no editing, and I am thrilled with the way it turned out. Enjoy this small sample from Marcus & Nana’s engagement session, and feel free to share this post with your friends and family.

Downtown Austin Engagement Photos by AJH Photography

September 9, 2014

Magnolia Hotel Wedding Photography : Amanda & Sterling

Amanda & Sterling got married at The Magnolia Hotel located in downtown Houston, TX on August 30, 2014. This was the first wedding that Kim and I had the pleasure of shooting, after our wedding 2 weeks before! We had just got back from the Azores (Portugal), and we had a chance to catch up on a little sleep before their celebration. We arrived at The Magnolia Hotel about 2 hours before the ceremony for some getting ready photos, and bridal party shots. Upon arrival to the hotel, I realized that it was opening day for college football. The entire Magnolia Hotel was occupied with LSU and Wisconsin fans! They were literally everywhere. Being that the hotel is located right next to Reliant Stadium, it made for quite the atmosphere! It was good for laughs, but it did not handicap our ability to get some fantastic images of Amanda & Sterling’s wedding. Their ceremony and reception were being held on their own private floor, so the environment was private to their event. Amanda & Sterling were an absolute pleasure to work with. They are both outgoing, fun, and are a blast to photograph. When I looked around the room at their reception, it was very clear that they have a very strong network of friends and family. I loved working with them, and am very honored to have been a part of their wedding day. There are quite a few shots that stand out to me in this collection. My favorites include Amanda’s bridals in the hotel lobby (with LSU fans EVERYWHERE!), the rooftop photos (taken mid reception), and of course their daytime portraits on the streets of downtown Houston. I would like to give a shout out to my lovely wife Kim for helping me out with this one. Here are my favorite shots from Amanda & Sterling’s wedding. Enjoy!

The Magnolia Hotel Wedding Photography - AJH Photography

Magnolia Hotel Wedding Photography by AJH Photography