My Favorite Moments as a Photographer in 2013

Last year when I wrote “My favorite moments as a photographer in 2012,” I really didn’t think it could get much better. Well here I am (yes, a little late), looking back at 2013. Although I didn’t do much international traveling in 2013, I ended up shooting 4 out of state weddings, which always makes my job fun!

Without further adieu, here’s my favorite moments as a photographer in 2013.

2013 started off great with my girlfriend, Audrey, and I traveling to Washington DC and New York City. We caught Obama’s inauguration on the lawn of the Capitol and then took off for some shopping and fun in New York City.

Although the weather was generally too cold to be outside, I managed to take one of my all time favorite pictures. It had just begun snowing when we walked to the base of the Empire State Building. Things looked bleak as I looked up. I couldn’t even see the top because of all the snow. For some reason I decided to push on and check out the observation deck, knowing full well I was probably throwing away $20. As I got to the top and realized I was the only person visiting the Empire State Building that day, I feared I made a huge mistake. Turns out I may have just got extremely lucky as the dreamy scene unfolded below me.

As we left New York City, the view out the plane’s window offered a pretty stunning view as well!

And just like that, we fell into wedding season. It started off strong with this emotional image of Emily and Lance’s first look.

It’s always fun when some of my best friends from Abandon Kansas come into town. I just can’t help but get excited to shoot their pics!

In December of 2012, my friends Taylor, Neal and Ben and I shot a video of Taylor driving to get the attention of Ken Block. One of Taylor’s only wishes was to get a ride in Ken Block’s car. Come February 2013, he was getting strapped into Ken Block’s Ford Rally Car. It was great, and even better, their friendship has continued to grow.

I finally updated how I deliver pictures to my wedding clients with custom USB drives from Flashbay.com. They turned out great and it was a much needed update for me and my clients.

In an emotional post, I wrote about a very dear friend of mine, Andy. I touched on his struggle with immigration and how it’s effected him and his family. If you haven’t read about my incredibly smart, kind and hard working friend, it’s well worth your time.

Just driving from one side of my hometown, to the other, I was fortunate enough to have my camera with me to get this incredible shot.

When my good friends Chris and Kathryn got married, we decided to do a first look with her wedding party and family. It turned out to be one of my favorite moments to capture, as you can see it carried over to a wedding in Ethiopia in 2014.

I don’t shoot all that many family photos, but when I do, I love when I can do something fun and unique. Here’s the beautiful Pauli family with their new baby girl, Violet.

Almost four years prior to this wedding, I met Jacob on an airplane. You can imagine my shock when he called me years later wanting me to come down to Florida to shoot his upcoming wedding. It was a stunning celebration that we were so honored to have been chosen to shoot!

Occasionally I get to do something totally different. I got the opportunity to shoot some cement trucks at a cement processing plant for Manatt’s in Waterloo, Iowa. The 8 year old in me was ecstatic!

Although on vacation with my family, I couldn’t help but shoot a couple pictures while in San Diego. Who knew June gloom was a thing? If you aren’t familiar (as we weren’t), the one month out of the year when San Diego is cold and cloudy is June. Note taken.

Iowa isn’t all cornfields and cattle. This wedding at Park Farm Winery in Bangston, Iowa, proves this point. Caitlin and Ryan ended up having the perfect day for an outdoor wedding.

I never get enough of the endless country roads in Iowa. If you’ve ever looked through my portfolio, I’m sure you notice I take advantage of them often!

Another Iowa style engagement session with Peter and Shawn.

Come July, we found ourselves dodging the rain in Golden, Colorado. The sky cleared up just in time to enjoy a beautiful outdoor wedding with the Rockies in the background with good friends Dane and Amy.

We don’t always need mountains to make for good pictures. Sometimes a little hill behind downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa will do the trick :)

I’ve slowly been working on a series of photographs of my hometown, Cedar Falls, Iowa. I started experimenting with the “tiny planet” look for a unique perspective.

I always say, “As long as the wedding party is having fun, I can’t take a bad picture.” Annie and Aaron’s wedding proved that point with a fun wedding at The Pipac Centre in Cedar Falls. 

Just across the Mississippi lies the beautiful town of Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin. We ended up on a boat for an hour two, which was a wedding first for us!

Tina and Cole enjoyed a perfect day for an outdoor wedding. The Pipac’s back patio is a stunning venue.

Words can’t begin to describe what shooting my first same sex wedding was like. It was the most emotional wedding I’ve ever been to. The insanely gorgeous Colorado setting made for an even more magical event. It was truly an honor shooting Amy and Amy’s wedding.

Celebration Farms near Iowa City makes for a quintessential Iowa wedding.

Sometimes an abandoned school is all you need for a backdrop as Katy and Brandon’s pictures proved.

Audrey’s grandparents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in the fall. Seeing them dance together was a beautiful moment, I was glad I had my camera!

Erin and Blake took me to a plot of land I had driven past hundreds of times on my way to my Grandparent’s house growing up. I was tickled to finally see these hills from a different perspective! 

I might be biased because he’s my cousin, but I think these pictures of Tyler and Kelsey are insanely beautiful! 

I enjoyed Molly and Jim’s playful attitude. Jim was a good sport when Molly “made him” dance with her.

Remember what I said about cool country roads? Need I say more? :)

It’s fun to take a new look at downtown Waterloo, Iowa. We shot Laura and Kyle’s a little differently and it paid off!

I had to wait out the rain with Ivy and Matt. We ended up sucking it up and shooting as it misted all day long in Decorah, Iowa. Again, I’d say it was worth it :)

I was fortunate enough to have my canvases on display for a few months at a new coffee shop in Cedar Falls called Sidecar Coffee. At the closing of the show, I released my first book called “Through the viewfinder.“

At the very end of 2013, I had the pleasure of shooting my good friend Alexa and her husband, Phillip’s wedding. Although it was freezing cold, we still managed to make it outside for some great pictures.

That does it for 2013, stayed tuned for more updates in 2014. It’s looking like it’s going to be a great year!