Steffen Harris Photography

Wedding: Jamie & Doug

2010-08-31T13:56:00.002-05:00

Could it get any hotter? I show up at the church at around 10 a.m. and I immediately start sweating...it's 10 a.m.!!! But while it was hot outside, it made it all the better going inside to a nice cool church where Jamie and Doug were to wed. Doing their engagement session, and their daughter's baby session, and being friends of my wife, I felt like I had known the two of them all my life. Both of them are some of the nicest people I have met (And Jamie can cook a killer dinner. Nothing like a meeting for wedding prices and getting a dinner out of it. lol). But the wedding went great, awesome weather outside, minus the heat, and an awesome reception, Dough and Jamie's wedding was "Great Success" as Borat would put it. :)

Senior: Hayley

2010-08-31T13:51:00.002-05:00

One word sums up this session: HOT!!! We did this session right when the ridiculously hot weather started this summer. The heat index was well over 100 degrees! And it was nice and sunny too. Of course it didn't help that 90% of the shoot took place in the sunny areas. lol But, it was a great success. Hayley braved the heat and we got some amazing pictures of her, my favorite taking place at the basketball courts! I loved those pictures. When I heard that she was into basketball, I thought, I need an outdoor court, rusty rim, and grass growing through the asphalt. I posted that on facebook asking if anyone knew of a place, and I was directed to this court, and it was EXACTLY what I had pictured!

Baby: Noah

2010-08-31T13:43:00.002-05:00

Babies are always a fun break from the hectic wedding work. Its a time when you don't have to say do this or do that, you just let the baby be the baby, AND click away. Babies crack me up because they can be balling their eyes out and literally in a blink be laughing so hard they are then crying again because they are crying. lol Noah was no exception to this, I think in just an hour I got about 60 different facial expressions from Noah (okay, that might be a little stretch, but still...). Noah also had a fascination of looking at himself, so we brought out a mirror, and got some pretty awesome pictures of him admiring his good looks.

Stephen & Sara's Wedding

2010-08-31T13:32:00.002-05:00

The last time that I saw Stephen and Sara is was New Years Eve 2009, it was COLD, windy and lots of snow on the ground. 7 months later, here we are in the heart of summer, hot, humid and sticky...but it wouldn't make photography interesting if everything were the same. That is one of the reasons I love being a photographer because I get to work in all extremes and in betweens! :)

Stephen and Sara's wedding was beautiful! Everything from the chapel to all the moments before during and after the ceremony. The most memorable at least for me was driving through the park looking for some locations and running into a medieval battle taking place. Oh yes, I don't joke. Easily 40+ men (yes, grown men) fighting with fake swords and other weapons in front of a 2x4 and cardboard castle front. All the while back at camp the women and children (dressed in medieval clothing as well) were cooking for those brave men! So it didn't seem right to just drive by, a picture was in order... I was speechless. lol

Travis & LeAnna Engagement

2010-08-31T13:25:00.003-05:00

This was an AWESOME engagement session. Travis and LeAnna made it clear that they did not want their pictures to look to posed, which I'm a huge fan of. I hate posing couples and taking pictures. We've all been through high school and have done enough of turning our heads sideways and giving a cheesy smile. Real moments are far more special than looking at the camera and smiling... Not that those can't still be good pictures, but I love real moments! :)

During our session, we were shooting by some trees when we looked down a row of trees and the sun was breaking through the clouds in a portion through the trees, it looked amazing, so of course we got some pictures there! See the pictures below, Travis and LeAnna, were so much fun and the moments were so REAL!

Michael & Alyssa Engagement

2010-07-29T14:10:00.002-05:00

For all my sessions in this area, I like to try and shoot at different areas if possible, simply because I don't want pictures to start to look the same among multiple sessions. So when Michael and Alyssa were ready to do their engagement pictures, I had a place in store that I thought would work perfectly. Now I know we all see railroad track pictures, but there is no denying how cool track pictures can look. :)

Kevin & Hillary Engagement

2010-07-29T14:04:00.002-05:00

I always love a pet in the engagement pictures, it kind of gives the pictures not only a fun feel, but it's also a special bond between the couple...of course it's always nice when the pet is well behaved too. And Kevin and Hillary's pup was awesome to work with. This session was just a blast, and I look forward to their wedding coming soon!

Cecelia Senior Pictures

2010-07-29T13:50:00.003-05:00

Back to my old stomping grounds of Ramsey, the evening was perfect for senior pictures. Sky was golden and blue, just a hint of clouds, a little warm, but not terrible. Bringing out Cecelia's personality was not hard at all. It was a matter of seconds and she was laughing, and just having a great time. I was looking at some other senior pictures prior to this session and saw a picture with a girl leaning agains a John Deere tractor, it was a beautiful picture, and ever since I saw it, I was hoping for a session one day to shoot with a massive tractor in the back. In the second half of Cecelia's session she said she had another location she'd like to hit, that location was on a farm...with a massive john deere tractor. :)

The session was a blast, and Cecelia's fun personality, and giggly style came out in no time. So I give this session a success.

SO BUSY!

2010-07-14T12:25:00.002-05:00

I haven't had the chance to update my blog in weeks! When I first started doing photography as a job, I thought to myself, if I do a number of weddings a year, and handful of seniors, how busy could I really be?

Well, let me tell you...BUSY!! Extremely busy! It's definitely getting stressful, but it still feels amazing to be doing this as a job! I love every minute of it, even during these busy stressful periods. Seniors, Familes, and Weddings are coming in like crazy right now, and I can barely keep up, but I guess if I wasn't on my toes, the job wouldn't be interesting. ;)

I promise to update my blog soon with more pictures. Please be patient with me. lol

Until then, you can go to:

www.facebook.com/steffenharrisphotography

www.steffenharris.com to see some new pictures.

Holly's Senior Pictures

2010-07-01T12:51:00.003-05:00

Holly decided to use my parent's house as her place for senior pictures. The temperature was pushing it's limit on the degree factor, but it was bearable. :)

The session went great, both Holly's mom and my mom are friends, so they kept the ideas rolling in, however I think a lot of their ideas they wanted to pose themselves like it for pictures of themselves...didn't happen though. lol

Brant & Kirstie Wedding

2010-07-01T08:58:00.003-05:00

We have finally made it to the day that I could do my sister's wedding pictures. After 2 or 3 engagement sessions, we finally wrap it up with one of the best looking weddings I have done. The ceremony took place at New Hope church where the use of can lights came into play with the decorations.

Kirstie and Brant were engaged on the beach, and because we live so far from an ocean beach, they did the best they could with a stage. Canopy with beachy lights, and a beach projected on the screens above. While we are so far away from a beach, it definitely felt like we were close to one there!

There was also a chance of thunderstorms that day which had me nervous about getting any outdoor pictures. However, the storms held off through the day, BUT the temperature did not. I think it was about 100 degrees with 100% humidity, it was ridiculously hot outside. But either way, the wedding went great, and lots of great pictures came out of it.

Travis & Kara Engagement

2010-06-11T23:30:00.002-05:00

My first shoot in Charleston, IL. This was definitely a great one to start out on. Travis and Kara were a blast to shoot with, and they made my job super easy too! It was almost as if the two of them had done modeling school or something, I would snap a photo, and just like that they changed their stance, facial expression, turned their head, and so on! I barely had to say anything to them during the shoot. I just lifted my camera, and snapped away. :)

Aside from the ease of the shoot, Travis and Kara were just a lot of fun! My goal in every shoot is to capture real emotion. Even though the picture may be posed, real emotion can come out even in a posed picture. And there were a lot of laughs this night, that's for sure! lol

Matt & Betsy Wedding

2010-06-02T10:53:00.003-05:00

Well, this was another wedding in May that it was cold, cloudy and even rainy on the outside, but inside, it's just awesome how a new married couple can brighten up the day no matter what the weather outside. Matt and Betsy were so much fun to shoot, especially their son Airin! Airin, was the highlight at the engagement session, thinking we were there for is own photo shoot. I asked him if he was ready to have his pictures taken on the wedding day he said, "I'm not getting pictures today." Kids are so funny! :)

Then stealing the spotlight again, Airin gave the speech at the reception, and I'm pretty sure it was by far the best speech ever given at a reception. Even asking Matt & Betsy to the dance floor, put their hands together and told both of them how much he loved them and what great parents they were! lol

Brad & Jamie Wedding

2010-05-19T13:43:00.003-05:00

Starting off wedding season with a wedding the first weekend in May. Jamie and Brad got married, and what a fun fun wedding! :) I have seriously never seen a bride more excited and gitty than Jamie. Not saying that others aren't excited, because I'm sure they very much are, but Jamie had such an incredible excitement about her. Her and Brad even almost jumped the gun on the kiss, which led to some laughs (and good pictures).

Even though it was cloudy, very cold (yes in May), and windy, it was definitely sunny and very fun inside! :)

Danielle & Shaun Engagement

2010-05-11T08:37:00.004-05:00

This was definitely a fun and interesting engagement session. The shoot took place at Red Hill State Park up by Olney. Shaun's relation at one time owned a lot of where the park is until they sold it to the state, and the foundation of the original cabin where his relation lived was still their. So, at least to them, those pictures will mean something. And I'm definitely a fan of that. :)

They also brought their little dog with them too, and I think we were walking way too much for her liking, because as the session when on, her little feet just couldn't keep up with us anymore. I even think she got to the point where she just gave up, and wanted someone to carry her along. And then to top it off, we finished with some pictures by the lake at sunset. As I was finding an angle to shoot from, we noticed the geese were circling above, making lots of noise. Didn't understand this, till I looked down and realized I was about a foot away from the nest. Maybe next time, I'll try to be a little more aware of my surroundings. lol I get too concerned about finding the right angle, I don't even thing to look.

Finally on our way back up to the vehicle, to top the evening off, a lady was taking some pictures of plants. She then proceeds to ask if she can take a picture of us walking on the sidewalk. Seeing that the reason I take pictures is because I like to be behind the camera, I opted out, and Danielle and Shaun were kind of confused as to why this lady would want a picture of them. The moment definitely tops the creepy chart, for sure. lol

Ramsey High School Prom

2010-05-11T08:27:00.000-05:00

This was a fun opportunity that came up for me. I actually never expected to be doing a prom session, until this year when I got an email for my prom rates. After the class voted, I was selected to do their prom pictures. So back to the ol' stomping grounds I went, and it's just pretty cool how somethings never change, from the looks to the smells, so many memories flashed back walking into that gym. But one memory that I would want to forget is how hot that gym got, especially on humid days. It had just rained the before the prom, and humidity was UP!

The backdrop was set on the stage, and to keep the lights from being a nuisance to the dancing, they shut the stage curtains, so the temperature rose almost immediately. At one point, all the seniors present wanted a big group picture. That made for a nice warm moment for everyone as sweat beads started to fall. :)

All in all, it was a great time. I hope that I can continue to shoot for my old school, but either way, it was definitely an awesome opportunity.

Heather & Nick Engagement

2010-05-03T16:01:00.000-05:00

This was definitely one of the most confusing engagement sessions I had done. I was definitely not all there mentally this day. When I told Heather and Nick to meet me at the courthouse in Effingham, I waited for them at the government building downtown (with the columns), some reason thinking that was the courthouse. After 15 minutes of waiting, I thought I would drive around the block, and then it hit me that the building I was waiting at was definitely not the courthouse. :)

That was instance number 1, number 2; driving to our second location, I wasn't paying attention to the stop sign coming up, ended up stopping halfway out in the intersection...oops.

Other than that, it was a great session. Lots of fun, and laughs (mostly at my expense), and the sun was very friendly that day. I prefer warmer pictures, I don't know why, I just find something calming about warm pictures. And the evening sun was casting an orange glow on the trees and the sky, it was perfect!

Abby 6 Months

2010-04-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

I can't say it enough, but babies are so fun! It still amazes me just how much emotion you can capture in as little as 10 minutes. And how some emotions are accidental. As in one of the pictures below Abby looks like she is some warrior screaming down the battlefield! :) And baby pictures do nothing but bring a smile to your face.

I love capture each little moment, it makes it worth all the while to do this a job, and to provide you with many laughs and smiles, and maybe even some tears.

Jamie & Doug Engagement

2010-04-27T13:00:00.001-05:00

I always love sessions where kids are involved! :) Jamie and Doug requested that some of the pictures be with their daughter Abby, and babies have to be by far the easiest to photograph! And they make the editing process much easier as well.

With Jamie & Doug, we just beat the week of rain as we did the pictures on Sunday. We went out to Hidden Springs out in Strasburg, and as we were walking through the woods, there was this amazing pasture of the brightest, knee-high tall, green grass. It was picture perfect. Then as we snapped some in the woods the sunset was upon us, so we had to get some with some neat sun shots behind them. Engagement pictures, family pictures, and a workout by how much we walked, you couldn't ask for a better session. lol

Trevor & Tylar Wedding

2010-04-21T13:36:00.000-05:00

This is definitely a wedding I will remember for a long time. :) Trevor was a friend from High School, and now lives right down the road from me. Having his wedding in Altamont was definitely one of the easiest trips I have ever made, since the church was literally 1/10 a mile from my house.

A wedding, as you know, is extremely stressful, and when your big day finally arrives you pray that everything goes the way you planned on, and everyone has a good time. Tylar's plans quickly changed when her and Trevor made their way to the exit. Two steps from the aisle, and Tylar lost her footing and took the plunge. But thankfully her new husband was there to give her the helping hand. Both laughing as she got up, it was definitely a great way to start a marriage! I mean look at all the analogies that could be filled in there. The husband offering a helping hand to his wife. Starting off a marriage with laughter. Doesn't get much better than that, am I right brides? :)

Parker 6 mos.

2010-04-21T10:37:00.000-05:00

Parker was an awesome baby to photograph. As a photographer, I don't know if you could as for a better baby to photograph! Parker was full of smiles, and laughter that my shutter finger was moving quicker than speed racer! :)

It's such an awesome time photographing babies, because you capture tons of emotion during each session. Everything from crying, laughing, or even during Parker's session, him sticking his tongue out at me. Probably one of the funniest baby pictures I have! lol

It's been so Long!

2010-04-21T09:31:00.001-05:00

I've often wondered when reading other photographers blogs how they become too busy to blog. Blogging is such a simple task to take care of, at least I thought. I beginning to learn how quickly the day goes by when you are extremely busy.

With photography sessions left and right, and this GREAT weather we've been having, I barely have enough time in the day to think! lol

Wedding season is here, so engagement session are at full throttle. I will be updating my blog very soon with a wedding, a couple engagement sessions and a couple baby sessions, so buckle in, because it will be a crazy ride. :)

Cutest Couple Contest 2010

2010-03-03T07:18:00.000-06:00

This was my first contest since I started the photography business, and while the numbers weren't many, the competition went great. Some great pictures that turned out, and it is looking to be a great competition so far. And it was quite the time taking the pictures as well. From freezing windy streets of Effingham, to the snow cover ground at Ramsey Lake State Park, couples really braved the cold for this contest.

My first couple was the newly engaged, Randi & Jared. Part of this session, each of them changed into a Cardinals shirt, and the other in a Cubs shirt. These pictures were so neat, and original. One of my favorite sessions was with Ashley and Steve. I've been to a park before where you could walk around and there would be deer all over that you could touch, but not any bucks. It was so need to be petting a buck on the head as it licked my hand, just like my dog. I think all they need to do know is learn how to sit and they will be golden! :)

This contest was so fun. I'm already trying to think of ideas for the next one!

To view more, visit www.steffenharris.com

Emilie & Andy Wedding

2010-02-01T11:13:00.001-06:00

This couple was truly a unique couple! They were such a blast to photograph, because every picture whether candid or posed looked so real. I have no idea how they were able to keep smiling the way they dad throughout the day without feeling any pain in the face. :) But they were such a photogenic couple, and some of the best moments took place after to shots of a posed picture, because they were start laughing, and those turned out wonderfully.

One of the best moments I remember from this day was when they were leaving the wedding. The wedding party and I were walking toward the vehicle so that they could head to the reception hall. As Andy opened the door for Emilie, both of them laughing at this point, he said, "Your carriage awaits." And they started laughing. Such a REAL and fun moment, I was glad to be there to snap those shots.

Sara & Stephen Engagement

2010-02-01T10:29:00.000-06:00

Talk about a cold day and a way to end 2009. December 31, Cold, Windy, and lots of snow! Sara and Stephen engagement pictures took place in Taylorville, IL, which worked out for me, because I was on my way to Springfield to a friend's house for New Years Eve.

We went everywhere, from a lake house, to the park, the church, the school. It was a great time! Did I mention it was windy? The weather cooperated as well. On my way up, it was cloudy and gloomy, I was worried that the pictures were going to be a flop, but as we got to Taylorville, the sky seemed to just split, the sun was out, some hints of blue sky. It was wonderful!

Kirstie & Brant Engagement Session #2

2009-12-29T13:00:00.000-06:00

Being my sister, my services are taken advantage of. :) This was session number 2 down in St. Louis. And it was COLD!! And windy. But we got some great pictures, and had a pretty good time doing it.

Joey & Shelby

2009-12-14T16:19:00.000-06:00

Another wedding back at the ol' stomping grounds in Ramsey! It's always great to go back to the small town and remember the good times. My last time shooting a wedding was my first wedding that I did. A bit more prepared this time, I was ready to attack this job. Near the end of the posed pictures my flashes started messing with me. Fortunately it made it through the night. Then quite working on my the next day. So I am not the proud owner of a new Canon 580EX II with a batter pack! Take that Murphy and your law of things going wrong! :)

The Smith's

2009-11-20T09:41:00.000-06:00

Justin & Stephanie asked me to do their pictures because they wanted something different than just wedding pictures in their house. ;) We went to Ballard Nature Center in Altamont, and it worked out perfect...a week later, and the trees were bare. Had some good laughs, and really got to work on a couple new poses while the sun would let us. lol

I think on of my favorites from this session is the "precious moments" kissing pose. :)

Lisa & Michael Wedding

2009-11-20T09:31:00.000-06:00

Michael and Lisa are such a unique couple. They are probably some of the nicest people I've ever met, and they were just a joy to work with from their engagement pictures, to the wedding. In face they were one of my first bookings before I even had a wedding under my belt! :) I really appreciate their encouragement and for allowing me to shoot their wedding!

I had a blast at their wedding. In a room full of strangers, they really made me feel like I was a part of their group, and I think in the end that allowed me to get some good shots at their reception. I wish them the best!

Betsy & Matt

2009-09-30T09:42:00.000-05:00

This was such a fun shoot. There's nothing like a family/kid/engagement session all in one! :) I love doing photography of kids, because they are so spontaneous and real, and you never know what you are going to get. It was so funny because Airin thought we were there for pictures of him, and every chance he could get, he got in the picture. So cute!

We did this shoot out a Ballard Nature Center in Altamont, and holy cow, I was blown away, there are almost too many spots for pictures. I only put a dent in the locations. I look forward to their wedding, and the interesting thing with Matt & Betsy is that they booked me before I even had shot a wedding, so I'm definitely thankful for their trust in me.

Lisa & Michael

2009-09-10T20:15:00.000-05:00

I was definitely jealous of the scenery we had at Michael's parents' house. What a great setting. While we didn't have blue skies that day, grey skies did not get us down. Everything went awesome. We shot roughly 150 pictures, and I was worn out. :)

I look forward to their wedding now!

Tyler & Rachel Wedding

2009-09-10T19:59:00.000-05:00

Tyler, a friend since Jr. High, and my roommate in college...and Rachel allowed me to shoot their second wedding. Rachel is from Pennsylvania, so wedding number 1 took place there. Then, in Ramsey, where Tyler is from, wedding numero 2 took place. This was my second wedding, felt a little more confident now, and everything went pretty grand.

We had a good time. As always, Tyler and Rachel were very easy to photograph. Just tell them to pose, and they will make you believe it is the first time they have met.

Kirstie & Brant Engagement

2009-08-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

Kirstie, my sister, and Brant are a couple that jump at any opportunity to pose in front of the camera. So needless to say, engagement pictures are breeze with them. Just hold the camera and they pretty much do the work. :)

Luke & Bri Wedding

2009-07-02T14:54:00.000-05:00

Finally my first wedding photography job! It seems like it has been ages since we talked about doing this, and it finally came June 20! I was so nervous this day with it being my first job. Bri and her bridesmaids even joked about how nervous I was. But it was very fun. We got some real moments and awesome pictures. I had a blast shooting this wedding!

Emilie & Andy

2009-06-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

Emilie and Andy were so much fun to work with. They brough their puppy Cooper, and that provided for many laughs, and some pretty good pictures. Emilie and Andy seem to be a very energetic couple, and they have a uniqueness about them that I believe will bring some amazing wedding pictures.

My Cousin's Wedding - June 6, 2009

2009-06-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I attended my cousin's wedding this past Saturday in Vandalia. I was not the photographer for this wedding, however I was asked to video the ceremony. But overhearing a conversation between the minister and photographer, the photographer said he was not going to take but one picture during the ceremony. One picture! Who does that?

I asked my wife to videotape the ceremony so I could snap some shots from the balcony. Granted I only had on place to shoot from since I was not the official photographer and could not walk around, but I think with what I got, they turned out pretty good. I was so happy to be able to snap some shots during the ceremony.