This was my first try at a shooting/editing technique called the Brenizer Method, developed by Ryan Brenizer. I used this tutorial to guide me. Gabby made a fantastic subject for the shot. I can’t wait to show you some of the other images from this senior photo session.

For those of you interested in the tech specs, this was about 50 shots with an 85mm f/ 1.6, equivalent to about 37mm at f/.7 using Brett Maxwell’s calculator.

Mike’s a part of a group of guys that my husband hangs out with, and I have to say, all the wives of the other guys and I were so happy when he and Ashley got together. They’re just perfect.

There’s this stretch of Riverside Drive next to the zoo that gets this lush wall of lilacs every spring. I had been wanting to take pictures there for-ev-er and Mike and Ash were happy to oblige. We did have to wave off a few bumblebees, though.

Then it was off to my aunt and uncle’s yard for some sunset images. The light out there is to die for. If you’re wondering why they’re blowing dandelions, they’re making wishes for their future together. (cue the “awwwww”s, everyone!)

These last few images are my favorites from the day. I can’t help it.

Thanks for being good sports, Mike and Ashley! Hopefully we’ll get the chance to do this again sometime.

This tasty dish was my dinner tonight, thanks to the bounty of the CSA that I joined this year! I’m so psyched that I’ll have my own haul of veggies every week. The other cool thing about CSAs is that you’re often introduced to new foods you haven’t tried before. This week I was handed a medium sized bunch of green swirls. I had to Google around before I figured out that they were garlic scapes — the spicy green tops of the garlic we’re used to eating. Most of the websites I visited suggested making them into pesto because of their complex, bright garlic flavor, and that sounded just perfect to me. I based my recipe on this dish, though I cheated and used my food processor for the pesto.

Summer squash and spaghetti noodles with garlic scape pesto

Did you know that you can make pesto with pretty much any kind of nut or seed you have on hand? I’ve used walnuts or pecans before, but tonight I only had sunflower seeds. The pesto turned out delicious!

Summer squash (I only had one on hand, so that’s what I used)
2 T butter
salt
Whole wheat spaghetti (I used about half a box)
Parmesan cheese (for serving)

For pesto:
4 garlic scapes
1/6 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. parmesan cheese

Use a mandoline or vegetable peeler to slice your summer squash thin. Melt butter in a large skillet and sautee summer squash with a light sprinkling of salt until tender, about 8 minutes. Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Add scapes, nuts or seeds, and cheese to food processor and chop. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and continue pureeing until well blended. You may have to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula. (Scape pesto is a significantly lighter green than traditional basil pesto. Don’t be alarmed! )

Strain pasta when finished cooking and add pasta and pesto to skillet. Stir to combine. Serve hot with extra cheese sprinkled on top!

Peony season also means that it’s wedding season, and I’ve been going full force for the last several weeks with engagement shoots and wedding prep work. June and July are particularly busy. You might recall that I’m a bridesmaid in my cousin’s wedding, and shooting my husband’s best friend’s wedding, as well as my own brother’s wedding.

If you submit a contact form through this website, I will receive it, but may not respond right away (I will try to write back within 48 hours). If you need a quicker response, please call me! I almost always have my phone with me and will answer it if I can. 614.507.1135

Love you guys! Will post more soon!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why photography is so important to me and it’s really changed my shooting style. I talked a little about the Beloved Movement about a year ago, but I recently participated in an online seminar on Beloved and I’ve been incorporating some of the techniques from it into my sessions lately. I have to say, I’m loving the results.

My hope is that the time the couple spends together shooting the photos is just as valuable as the pictures themselves. I don’t want to just make pretty pictures of people — I want them to be meaningful.

Thanks for not looking at me like I was crazy for all the questions I asked and the things I told you to do, Robin and Jason! You guys are awesome.

I could not be more excited for this boudoir event! Not only do I get to shoot in Chicago for the first time, I also get to meet one of my best online friends, Jenna of Jenna Cole and That Wife. She’s one of the people that inspired me to follow my dream and start my business, so I’m thrilled that we get the chance to collaborate on these mini sessions. Jenna will be shooting with a little more of a sweet slant, while I’ll tackle the sassier images.  You’ll have about a half hour session with each of us, and you’ll get three edited files on disc from each mini session. We’ll have a hair and makeup artist on site for booking.

Attendees will also have the choice of purchasing an album custom designed by either me or Jenna. She has a simple, clean design style with white backgrounds, while my boudoir albums feature a variety of sexy backgrounds with a little more depth. We’ll have examples on site for you to look at on the day of the shoot.

Only SIX ladies will be accepted for this awesome shoot, so contact either me or Jenna ASAP to reserve your spot! Call me at 614.507.1135 or send me an email at lisa@lisaricephotography.com to book.

I kinda skipped around a little bit from the order that I planned to publish these posts because I wanted to tell you all about boudoir photography and my upcoming boudoir marathon. So if you don’t remember, I recently posted about why it’s so important to have an engagement session with your photographer, if you can.

Plan your session out
Talk to your photographer about what to expect on the day of.  Where and when will you meet? What should you wear? Do you have a particular vision for your photos?  Maybe you want to take photos at the bar where you met; Your photographer needs to plan for the low-light in this situation. Maybe you want photos of you two shooting some hoops at the local park. Also think about PDA – public displays of affection. Modern wedding photographers usually expect to take photos of couples kissing. If you’re not comfortable with that, you should speak up. All of these things you should talk about with each other and with your photographer ahead of time.

Wear your best
Wear clothing that makes you feel comfortable and fabulous! For best results, don’t wear overly “matchy” outfits with your significant other and bring more than one outfit.  Usually one outfit that is dressier and at least one that is more casual. Bright, rich colors, especially “jewel tones” look great, and patterns are fine as long as you don’t overdo it.

Arrive on time

Photographers usually schedule sessions in the hours right after sunrise or right before sunset because that’s when the light is best for photos. If you show up late, you’re limiting the amount of time you have in the best light. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

Bring props (but only if you want to)
Items that are special to you as a couple or things that represent your personalities are fun to incorporate into pictures. Don’t be surprised if I ask you to surrender your engagement ring for 5 minutes so I can grab a great pic of your bling. I promise I’ll return it safely!

Have fun!
The more willing you are to get a little crazy, the more fun and unique your photos will be. “Crazy” might mean lying down on the ground, climbing a tree or a ladder, or crawling inside bushes. I bring a blanket for my couples to sit on if they’re worried about a particular item of clothing, but if you want to wear a new designer dress, consider bringing another “playtime” outfit, too. Trust your photographer even if you feel a little silly.

Funny story: These pics aren’t from an engagement session, either! I asked my cousin and his girlfriend and my brother and his fiancee to come out and play one day awhile back and snapped these shots just for fun. Daniel and Emma, the couple in most of these photos, are two of my favorite people. Love you guys!

I’ve teamed up with the fab Holly Judah for a boudoir marathon at the Columbus Westin April 8-9. We have four packages available:

Blush: $150
Session at Central Ohio luxury hotel
$50 print credit

Wink:$250
Session at Central Ohio luxury hotel
Disc of fully-retouched high-resolution digital negatives

Flirt: $550
Session at Central Ohio luxury hotel
Professional hair styling and makeup
Disc of fully-retouched high-resolution digital negatives
8×8 custom designed 20 page lay-flat album with linen cover

Seduce: $750
Session at Central Ohio luxury hotel
Professional hair styling and makeup
Disc of fully-retouched high-resolution digital negatives
8×8 custom designed deluxe leather-covered album with unlimited pages
8×10 gallery wrap canvas

I have five spots left for this awesome shoot. Contact me at 614.507.1135 or lisa@lisaricephotography.com to reserve your spot today.

This is from a series of posts that features advice from brides, wedding planners and Lisa Rice from Lisa Rice Photography.  Check the Lisa Rice Photography blog Tuesdays and Thursdays for more about how to have the best wedding photos ever!

Upcoming topics include engagement photos, planning your wedding day schedule, and how to deal when everything goes wrong. Click here to view all the posts in the series.

Psst! Have you heard about the hottest trend in wedding gifts for your groom to be? Boudoir photos. Never heard the term? Boudoir photography is an intimate photos session that usually takes place at your home, a photo studio, or in a hotel room. Usually the subject is wearing lingere (or nothing at all, though that’s not my style).

Wondering whether you should get boudoir photos taken? I highly recommend it!

I first learned about boudoir photography when I was engaged. I knew my fiance would love it, so I decided it would make the perfect wedding gift. I have to be honest, I was kind of terrified, but the whole experience was a lot of fun and made me feel sexy and just a tiny bit scandalous. I was conscious of the fact that the pictures might come back to haunt me, so I didn’t take anything I would be ashamed of having my mother see. Boudoir photos can classy and tasteful when done the right way.

Many women find showing off their body in photos (even if their husband or boyfriend is the only one that sees them) to be an empowering, liberating experience. It’s a great way to freeze your body the way you look now. On the other hand, if you’re nervous about boudoir, DON’T WORRY! Boudoir photographers know the most flattering angles and how to retouch your photos to make you look your best. You’ll look like the best version of yourself.

Here are some things to consider when preparing for your boudoir photo shoot:

1. Buy some new clothes. If you can afford it, buy at least one or two new things. In fact, the only thing I bought was a slinky robe from Victoria’s Secret. Other things I wore: a black lacy nightie I already owned, the blue cami and panties I got at my shower, and the longline bra I bought to wear under my wedding dress. New clothes do give you confidence and help you get in the right mood for this type of shoot!
2. Decide on hair and makeup. Think about the look you’re going for, and how you will wear your hair and makeup. Hiring a hair stylist and make up artist will be worth your while!
3. Pick a friend to bring. One of the best things I did was bring one of my bridesmaids with me for the shoot! She helped me chill out, suggested poses, touched up my makeup and hair, and made jokes so I had natural smiles in my pics. She was AWESOME.
4. Practice posing. Put on your new duds, grab a mirror and strike a pose! Take a look at the lines of your body. What makes you look your best? What angles are you happiest with? Practices your sexy, come-hither face. Practice thinking about your Mr. and some *fun* times you’ve had. 
5. Chill out! You’ll get the best pics if you’re relaxed and happy. Pack your bag full of naughty clothes ahead of time so you’re not rushing to get to the studio or hotel room on time. Grab a bottle of wine, if you like that sort of thing. I really wish I’d had a glass or two before my shoot! Also make sure you get a full 8 hours of sleep the night before so you don’t have bags under your eyes.
6. Wear loose clothing before hand. This was something I didn’t even think of before I got to the studio. If you’re wearing jeans or something with a tight waistband, you’ll have a red line across your belly! Wear something loose and flowy to avoid this!

My boudoir sessions never include nudity and you have full control over the use of your image. (I have permission the share the photos in this post!) Your online photo gallery and slideshow are both password protected.

I usually recommend an 8×8 leather or linen album for your photos. All my albums are photographically printed lay-flat albums that are absolutely gorgeous.

Interested in boudoir photography? Have more questions? Call me at 614-507-1135 or email lisa@lisaricephotography.com.

Check out the gala photo gallery here!

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