happy first anniversary to brittany and matt, a beautiful couple that were married in white rock, bc on august 18, 2007.

i get a lot of emails from photographers, and since most of them are along the same lines, i’ll start answering the most common questions here. (of course, i’ll still reply to all emails sent to me… i just might refer you to a specific blog entry in part of it!)

as for my main camera body, i use a canon 5d and have a canon 40d as my back-up, until the new 5d model is released (which i am really excited for!)

as for lenses…

the 24-70 f/2.8L is one of my every-day lenses. it has a really nice range, and is so heavy-duty and able to withstand the beatings it’s taken. see the dent on the lower left of the lens? i was basically rock-climbing (ok, not really…) in a cemetery in atlanta, georgia… but after hearing that awful, sickening “thud” sound, i found that it was just fine. sometimes, i find that the images are a bit soft (totally unrelated to the scratch situation), but that’s standard and to be expected when comparing any zoom lens to a prime lens.

my primary ceremony lens is the 70-200 f/2.8L i.s. lens… every time i have seen a beautiful photo and asked what lens was used… it was this lens. i never used to use it too often, because i found that it was overexposing all my images like crazy (to the point where at 1/8000th of a second at f/22 and 200iso, it was still completely blown out)… so i finally smartened up and sent it in to canon and they repaired it immediately and had it back to me within 2 or 3 days. now, i couldn’t live without this lens. the bokeh is so lovely and all the images are so incredibly sharp. the only disadvantage to this lens… it’s freaking heavy, and i’m left with a sore arm every time i use it! oh well, it’s worth it!!

my favourite portrait lens with my full-frame body is the 85 1.8. now, of course i would love to have the f/1.2 version, but there are other ways i’d like to spend $2K. like here. (that will be my next lens purchase for sure). anyways, this lens is incredibly sharp and renders colour beautifully.

also, to note, i shoot all my macro shots with this kenko extension tube on the above 85mm lens. i was very tempted to purchase a specific macro lens, but for the small number of macro shots i take, i just can’t justify the weight and space of an unnecessary lens. i’m really happy with this extension tube, and love that it’s tiny and super light.

finally, the all-purpose 50 1.4 lens. this is a great lens for low-light situations, carrying around when you’re just going for a walk and don’t *need* a camera, but would like to bring one. it’s very light, and the images are quite sharp.

so, those are main equipment pieces. of course, i also have a gazillion rechargeable batteries for my 580exII flash and my set of pocket wizards. I also have about 40 gigs of memory (which probably also answers the other really common question: yes, i shoot in RAW).

well, i hope that answers your equipment questions… if not, or if you have any further questions/comments about it, email me at kristel@kristelwyman.com

well, for a long time, i wasn’t planning on posting client feedback, because it feels sort of self-absorbed to me… but i’ve decided to start, because it means a lot to me when people share with me. i am so fortunate to be able to spend all my time with people that are in love, and i value the relationships i form through this “job.”

this is what linne sent me a few months back… and it’s so complimentary, it makes me uncomfortable, haha, but linne — i’m so glad you and tony are so happy! i loved meeting you two and your families and friends, and truly hope to see you again!!

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“You have no idea how happy a bride you have made! I just checked out the sampling of photos you uploaded and am absolutely stunned. I mean, my hopes were very high, but you still managed to exceed them. Tears came to my eyes multiple times, and I am much more of a “laugher” than a “cryer” (for joy, of course). Although quality photography was always much more important to me than my new husband, we both could not feel more blessed that we ended up having you document our day (and our engagement photos).

And, an added bonus was that you were a dream to work with. Your attitude was so incredibly refreshing and wonderful. BTW, we WILL be discussing an album with you as soon as financially possible! We want to be able to show these off in the way they should be.

Feel free to use the quote below for anything you wish…it is truly how we feel.

Overall, if I (uh, we) had to do it all over again, I would choose Kristel Wyman 100 times out of 100! Advice for brides (and people just looking for a fantastic photographer): You will regret not choosing Kristel! I am the pickiest bride in the world (subjective, I know, but still…believe me), and Kristel gave us the absolute best of both worlds: adorable, romantic, moody shots that ooze our affection for one another, and yet she chose beautiful, detailed, and striking settings to make us feel like we’re movie stars (in a place she’d never been, no less!). I know unequivocally that I would have looked over my shoulder by now, had I not gone with Kristel. You arrived a total stranger, and leave as a family friend and contact for future photos. I’m so glad I didn’t leave something as important as photography to someone else. From the bottom of our hearts, Kristel, Thank You!!”

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this is my favourite shot from their wedding. technically, there are better photos i took on that day — i mean, seriously… there’s a tree growing out of tony’s nostril — but this is my absolute favourite, because look at linne, so beautiful and peaceful and happy… and that’s what that day was about.

i first met with lara a few weeks back, and when she told me about her little family that is coming together later this month, i absolutely could not wait to meet her fiance, steve and her daughter, keyanna. it was so clear how much steve and lara love keyanna, and that she is the priority in their lives. keyanna had everyone laughing the whole time, and lara and steve were right in on the silliness.

this is definitely one of my favourite photos from the session. steve is CRAAAAZZZYYY about basketball, and so is keyanna…

keyanna’s a total pro.

you can see where she gets her moves from…

this shot was aaalllllll keyanna… she chose the location, composition, posing… she’s a natural photographer!! ;o)

my favourite from the day…

steve and keyanna love vera’s, so we stopped there for a burger and a few photos… keyanna’s face and body language crack me up here…

all of the following shots are straight out of camera, no editing.  that sunset was insane.

after keyanna was finished picking about a hundred thousand seashells, we called it a night.

lara and steve and keyanna, i can’t wait to see you all again when your family comes together in a few weeks!!  xoxoxo

i’ve tried to be patient, to let this happen naturally, but i give up..

can one of my brides puuuhhhhhhllleeeeasssseee wear a birdcage veil???

“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.”

my ultra-talented friend, missouri wedding photographer darbi wrote the most comprehensive — yet concise — article on planning a photogenic wedding and you must check it out! there are some wonderful tips here for practical planning, keeping your images in mind.

i recently shot a boudoir session with a wonderful client, v. i’m super happy with these shots, and i know she is too (since she gave her permission to post them here). :o)

i have password-protected the previous post, because i don’t want anyone to be unprepared for the content.  to me, these photos are extremely tasteful, but i respect the fact that everyone’s opinion of this is different.  a couple of the photos do show my client topless, so if that makes you uncomfortable… well, then obviously don’t look at it.  :o)

the password is: boudoir

i know that i say this all the time, but… i really really love all my clients.  and i really really really love dave and danielle.  basically, this was like 5 hours of hanging out with my awesome new friends, singing neil young and bob dylan, trying to not run over any tourists, and eating.  oh, and taking photos.  speaking of which…

here’s danielle (she used to be the star of her highschool’s football team… look at that arm!) and dave and their dog, pepsi.

i don’t often get out into the… well, you can’t even really call this the country… but… it’s not downtown.  and i don’t often get out of downtown.  so yeah, it was neat to see… you know… trees and stuff…

you might be wondering if these next couple shots were as dreamy and romantic in real life as they look in the photos… yes.  yes they were.  (just don’t ask dave about that one).

i really appreciate my clients doing these shoots in the last few hours of the day… this is why i like to shoot using the last 2-3 hours of daylight… the next 3 shots are basically straight out of the camera — no lighting adjustments were made, whatsoever.

i had never realized that street lamps have kinda’ a neat look…

the next two are also straight out of the camera.  the sunset was just ridiculous.  (notice how i’m not even commenting on danielle’s awesome dance moves…)