I'm taking some time off this week to create for my kids. This is dedicated to Barrett on the eve of his fifth birthday and Graham, newly age two. May they forever know they are loved. 

What is your approach to portraits? 
Candid photos are a wonderful part of your wedding photography, but it’s essential that your photographer has the ability to create portraits. I use the term create because a portrait isn’t simply taken. Portraits are truly the foundation of your wedding album and memories. 
 
A portrait is the result of intentional lighting, posing, and composition. A portrait photographer studies your face shape, body type, and personality in a matter of seconds and sets up a series of portraits that beautifully represent you. This skill is imperative during your bridal, groom, family, wedding party, and romantic sessions. 
  
What is your crowd personality? 
I’ve literally had people climbing the walls during large group sessions.  (I’m not complaining – it was kind of fun. If you’d like to hear this story, give me a call.) It was funny to me instead of overwhelming; that is my personality.
 
A wedding photographer must have the ability to wrangle a crowd. Many weddings have large wedding parties and large families that need to be organized into several, important group shots. Weddings are not always quiet, calm places where everyone is immediately cooperative. Your photographer should have the personality and ability to pull everyone together, guide them, pose them, and photograph them in a fun, timely manner. 
 
What is your editing style? 
Perhaps this isn’t such a surprise question. I see it on lists for brides to ask photographers, but it’s important to be prepared to hear the answer. There is quite a bit of technical jargon that can be associated with photo editing. 
 
To you, one of the most important is probably touching up, or removing blemishes on skin, but what about also touching up the landscape, or the plaster on the wall or the hair spray on the table in your getting ready room? Or that telephone pole... or (I like to joke, but it’s true,) that cat who came around during your romantic session... Your photographer should be prepared and willing to take distractions out of your images. 
 
Another obvious answer is correcting light and color. All your photos should be properly exposed for light, not too dark or too bright. They should also be fixed for poor white balance. Warm lights in your hotel room, or reception area, and green color-casts from the grass can and should be corrected in your proofs, but especially in your final images. Skin tones should be perfect, or close to, in your final images. 
 
Lastly, lets discuss presets. This is a personal choice that every couple will discuss when they think about what they want their wedding album to feel like. Every photographer uses presets to some extent for pop, color, and drama. Think of these as filters, like the ones on Instagram. Some presets are trendy and will come and go in a matter of months or years. You will have your album for a lifetime and you will hand it down through your family. Ultimately, you will choose your photographer based on how their final images feel to you. My thoughts are to choose a photographer who edits for classic beauty. Think Ansel Adams instead of Instragram. 
 
Now, give me a call and ask me these hard questions! Happy planning.

It's been a busy week around here. Phone calls, reach outs, emails, ideas, edits, orders, creating, publishing, learning...

We have some awesome ideas in the ether that are becoming realized. Keep your eyes out for an Amador wedding professionals meet and greet and stay tuned for info on a wedding expo party in the new year. 

I'm doing more studio work which is a new genre for me.

I'm adding products and ordering more beautiful display options than ever. 

Whew. We've been at this hustle. 

And here is a reminder why I do it. My four year old with a new hair cut that he's super proud to wear.  We're headed to the high country for a night of camping and a day of hiking and swimming and unplugging. 

We all have a hustle and a reason why we do it - someone or something that we love more than life itself. What is yours? 

Hi, I'm Jenny-O. I'm a hair and makeup artist in Amador County. Over twenty years of work in show-business, the movies, and with brides like you, I’ve compiled some tips and tricks that help ensure my brides look and feel their best on their wedding day. Keep these in mind as you book your artist and prepare for your big day.
 
Wear Sunscreen
This is a daily choice that will make you look great for years to come, but the importance of wearing sunscreen for an entire season before your wedding day is paramount. Bathing suit and goggle tan lines are distracting on a bride and will stand out in photographs. 
 
DO:

• Wear at least SPF 30 every day on your face, décolletage, arms and hands. 
• Reapply every two hours. 
• Put it on your man too! Raccoon eyes and sunglasses tan lines aren’t becoming on men. 
• Ask your makeup artist to even-out accidental tan lines and uneven tones on your face, décolletage, and shoulders. 

 
Spray Tans
Having a touch of color on your wedding day is great. It makes cellulite and stretch marks disappear. It helps to hide imperfections, but it does can make you look over-saturated in photographs. It’s difficult to fix in photos where you’re posed with your groom, maids, or guests. 
 
DO:

• Ask for a medium or a light option.
• Get your tan two days before your rehearsal dinner to give time for it to fade slightly. 
• Exfoliate before spray tanning to ensure even placement of your tan. 
• Consider a body foundation instead. Good products won’t transfer to your wedding dress. 
• Remember, you’ll need to book extra time for body makeup. 

 
Glowing, Not Sweaty
In this day and age of high gloss and contrasting contour, we can get carried away with the sparkle. Too much shiny, sparkly, or shimmering make up around your eyes, cheeks, décolletage or shoulders can make you look sweaty and spectral in photographs. 
 
DO

• Opt for a shimmer instead and ask your artist go have a light touch as they apply. 
• Consider sticking with matte eye-shadows, blushes, and powders. 

 
Facials
A gentle facial is a relaxing way to start getting ready. Facials are the perfect anchor for makeup to adhere to and the best face to wear makeup is one that isn’t thirsty, is ph balanced and glowing. Perfectly moisturized lips will look soft and supple in dry climates. 
 
DO

• Opt for a high frequency facial that can de-puff under your eyes, prevent stubborn acne, flatten cystic acne, and reduce fine lines.
• Skip the extractions. 
• Top it off with a mask. 

 
Timelines 
Time management on your wedding day, especially while getting ready, is important. You need ample time with your photographer for your bridal portraits and portraits with your family and bridesmaids.  
 
DO

• Book a hair and makeup artist who is confident in their ability to finish on time. 
• Ask your makeup artist if they need assistants to help with makeup for your family and bridesmaids.
• Be realistic in your expectations. Everything takes longer than expected.
• Plan with your photographer when you’ll need to be done with hair and makeup and set a time to put on your dress with your photographer present.
• Your entire party should be ready 30-45 minutes before your photographer’s arrival. 
• Have your maids bring 2-3 pics of hair and makeup that they are attracted to. If they aren’t sure, a selfie or a filtered photo where they felt pretty works. 

 
Taking a few considerations when preparing for your hair and makeup on your wedding can make a big difference in the way you look on your big day and they way to look in your photographs. After your wedding, you have three things: a new husband, your photographs, and they way you looked in them. 

Luxury, lace, taste – the spirit of Amador, Spanish for “the lover.” This is where love is planted, grows, blooms, fruits and starts again. This is Amador County, California. We are famous for our spirit. 
 
With this styled bohemian picnic shoot we wanted to show off our light and airy side. We have hot summers and an early bountiful harvest. Photographing in the spacious bridal suite of Hotel Sutter in Sutter Creek, we showcased the whites, the blues, the gentle shadows and luxurious hues of a bride as she prepares for her wedding day. 
 
Her hair is romantic and ethereal: soft, comfortable, knots, braids and twists. For makeup, Jenny-O prepared Ellie’s skin to be natural and glowing. She has liner in the waterline to give the eye pop without looking smokey – a feminine, bridal bohemian appeal. 
 
The bridal bouquet by Kristi Young of Rustic Roots Decorating and Designs is a loose, gathered bouquet of local Dahlias and Zinnias with eucalyptus and Dusty Miller. The summer colors were tied together with thick twine to complement the Bohemian wedding. Flowers and greens were grown in Ione at Upcountry Farms. 
 
Ellie’s sleeveless gown is Savannah by Casablanca. It’s perfect for seasonal days in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. 
 
In the Bridal Suite, I photographed using natural light with fill from a speedlight diffused with a shoot through umbrella. Lens is 50mm at 3.5 with varied shutter speed and higher ISO to lift shadows.  
 
Downstairs, in The Cellar, we came home to our deep tones, the reds, browns, deep greens, and yellows of a feast. Kristi designed the picnic set and transformed the hip, relaxed space into a lavish al fresco spread where a bride and groom can enjoy a decadent moment. The Hotel Sutter Restaurant provided the indulgent Pig Fig and Goat pretzel appetizer.
 
For the picnic, Ellie’s dress is a bell sleeve Beloved by Casablanca Bridal called Peyton. It’s designed for a romantic, cool evening as the sun disappears. 
 
Photography was done with ambient overhead light and a gelled speedlight with a shoot through umbrella. Lens is 50mm at 2.8 with 1/250 shutter speed to shut out most of the ambient light and ISO 2000 to help the flash brighten the dark space.  
 
The ring is a two-tone romantic rose and white gold wedding set with a center diamond and contour band. It’s by Allison Kaufman Company and was photographed on location at Rare Exception Jewelers in Martel using an Ice Light and Speedlight. The ring in the assembled picnic spread is a composite image. 
 
All vendors are local from Amador County:
Photography by Kelly Curtis Photography
Florals and Set Design by Rustic Roots Decorating and Designs
Hair and Make Up by Jenny-O
Model is Ellie Rodriguez 
Wardrobe and accessories provided by The Clothes Mine
Rings by Rare Exception Jewelers 
Venue is Hotel Sutter and The Cellar 
Floral Grower is Upcountry Farms
 
 

The wine, the beauty, the romance, the gathering, the history: there is nothing quite like getting married in the Sierra Foothills Wine Country. This isn’t just Wine Country - this is Gold Country. This is at the base of 10,000 foot peaks. This is an hour outside Sacramento, a joyride to Lake Tahoe. 
 
This is it’s own destination. This is a seasonal nature. Rivers, wildflowers, farm to fork, off the grid, grapes, harvest, wines, tiny towns one can explore on foot, antiquing, tasting, fresh air.
 
Our May, 2019 styled shoot was to reflect all that, but how? We started with colors, like most brides do. Deep mauves, fair blushes, teal greens, golds, cabernets. We wanted an old-word feel, reminiscent of the Duch Golden Age of art. Low-key in color and distinct in detail. 
 
Our Venue, the Le Mulet Rouge tasting room of Sutter Creek is in a historic building, upgraded with modern touches and a beautiful bar, but true to its original character and structure. 
 
Hair and make up was deep, flat, not shiny. Florals were big, but not busy. Table design was inviting of a long drink, a long sit, a bustling visit with family and friends. The cake was lacy and light, to contrast the heavy colors. The gown was modern and elegant, graceful and moving. Photography was heavy on the shadows, romantic, dramatic, but light and playful as well. 
 
Because weddings are all those things and more. 
 
Photography – Kelly Curtis Photography  of Pioneer
Wines and Venue –  Le Mulet Rouge Winery and Tamera Richards tasting room manger
Flowers and Design – Kristi Young Rustic Roots Decorating and Designof Pioneer
Hair and Make Up –  Hair and Make Up by Jenny O of Pioneer
Cake – Ingrid Frasier Cakes by Ingrid of Sutter Creek
Party Rentals – Party Smart Rentals of Sutter Creek
Gown – Beloved by Casablanca and provided to us by the Clothes Mine in Sutter Creek
Models: Kristy Kendrick, Kate Kendrick, Garrett Gavalis – all of Amador County

See the original blog post about the Amador Wedding Collaborative. 

​Several months ago, myself and two other local wedding vendors began dreaming of a styled wedding shoot, but not just any styled shoot – we wanted something that would sing the praises of shopping local, shopping from women in the wedding business, and emphasized the beauty of planning a wedding in Amador County. 
 
And so the Amador Wedding Collaborative was born: Kelly Curtis Photography, Rustic Roots Decorating and Design, and Jenny O Hair and Make Up. We became a team of creatives and professionals working together to make our dreams of an elegant, modern, stunning visual concept a reality. 
 
Next week, our planning, creativity, and combined strengths will bear fruit in our first ever Amador Wedding Collaborative styled shoot. 
 
On Thursday May 23, 2019 from 12:00 – 4:00 we will celebrate our local wedding industry by styling models, decorating sets, lighting and photographing, (and eventually publishing) a wedding shoot in the beautiful Le Mulet Rouge tasting room of Sutter Creek. 

Our ambition is to create trend forward wedding inspiration and encourage those who might be considering a wedding in Amador County to choose us, and plan a new scope of wedding, one that will make their dreams come true. 

Participating Vendors
Venue/Wines – Le Mulet Rouge Winery and Tamera Richards tasting room manger
Photography – Kelly Curtis Photography 
Flowers and Design – Kristi Young Rustic Roots Decorating and Design
Hair and Make Up – Hair and Make Up by Jenny O
Cake – Ingrid Frasier Cakes by Ingrid
Decoration and Set Rental – Party Smart Rentals
Wardrobes – Clothes Mine

Sutter Creek Wedding Photographer

I've wanted to visit Grace Cathedral and photograph it for some time and was happy to have an hour with a sleeping baby strapped to my back to do so last week. The Cathedral itself is a master of light with her tall stained glass windows. And, the lighting artists have created a grand, yet intimate feeling within the cavernous space. A photographers dream.

Technically, architecture is a challenging subject for me. I did not add light, nor did I bring a tripod for slow shutter speeds or HDR, so instead bumped the ISO quite high in some settings (as high as 12000), but I think the 6D handled it well enough. Still there is a little noise in some of the images . Also, you'll notice some distortion with the wide lens (24mm). I didn't tinker too much in post production. Just light and color.

If you care to learn more about Grace Cathedral you can visit online. 

One of my best friends and partners is an amazing florist. Kristi is the owner of Rustic Roots Decorating and Designs. She created for TWO weddings this weekend and let me capture her at work. Awesome.  

I love The Union in Volcano, Ca. I felt privileged to shoot this private party for two there this week. Katy and Micah's wedding at the end of June is going to be awesome.  

Just some of the fun I had shooting this joyful couple at the Italian Picnic in Sutter Creek last weekend. Can't wait for their wedding in September. 

A sneak peek from James and Kelly's beautiful wedding at Avio Vineyards on May 26, 2018.