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How to Include Your Dog in Your Photos

How to Include Your Dog in Your Photos

by | Dec 13, 2020 | Engagement Photography, Photography, Wedding Photography

How to Include Your Dog in Your Photos

 

Dogs are Man and woman’s best friend, so of course it’s only natural to want to include them in important moments such as your engagement or family photo session. Heck, I say dress them up and bring them to your wedding or elopement! However, there are certain things you should be aware of and ways to make it easier to include your fur babies in your special moments.

 

 

One

Know your dog

 

Know your dogs behaviors and make sure you have a game plan on how control them.

 

If you have a small dog this is easy you can simply hold them in your photos. But if you have a dog that’s a bit too big to hold and carry your going to want to take into consideration how well they behave and how obedient they are.

 

Does your dog know simple commands such as sit and stay, and do they stick to them even in exciting situations? Are the good off leash? Or do they wander and get excited and not listen to anything anyone has to say?

 

If your dog is the latter don’t write them off completely for being in your photos, you will just have to adapt your plan… and maybe your expectations. Expect more candid photos and a lot of laughter, but that’s what real life is right? Make it fun and enjoy the authenticity of having your dog sharing in these moments with you.

 

If you do have a super obedient dog then there will definitely be more chances for nice easy looking at the camera photographs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun too! Bring along Fido’s favorite toy and get him or her playing if you’re looking to capture those fun natural moments with your dog.

 

About Me


Born and raised in Florida, I love the ocean, but I hate the sand. Adventure and the possibility of new opportunity fuels my fire, but I have to return home from time to time to visit the fam and get big cuddles from our dog Easton!
-Emilie Becker

Two

Bring Incentives

 

Toys are great for play but treats are the best way to get your dog to cooperate. Don’t forget to bring along a few of your dog’s favorite treats to help give your furry friend some incentive to sit pretty for the camera.

 

Pro tip: If possible give the treats to your photographer and have them give the commands to capture your dogs attention so your dog looks to them and the camera instead of you. If you desire your babe to be looking at you switch the rolls!

 

Three

Bring a caretaker

As fun as it is to include your furry friends into your photos, most likely you don’t want them to be in EVERY photo. The best way to deal with this is to organize someone to come along to your session that can take your dog when you don’t want them in the photos.

 

Decide with your photographer when in the shoot you want to include your pup and have the care taker bring them in for that specific time and take them away again when they’re roll has been filled. This will leave you with the time you need to get other photos without having to worry about you dogs well-being.

 

Big moments are meant to be shared with friends and family and your fur family is no exception! I hope these tips helped to make you feel more confident in making the decision to include your dog or dogs in your next photo session!

 

About Me


Born and raised in Florida, I love the ocean, but I hate the sand. Adventure and the possibility of new opportunity fuels my fire, but I have to return home from time to time to visit the fam and get big cuddles from our dog Easton!
-Emilie Becker

The Secret to Trash The Dress Photos

The Secret to Trash The Dress Photos

by | Nov 30, 2020 | Elopement Photography, Wedding Photography

The Secret to Trash The Dress Photos

 

 

Y​ou have probably heard of people doing a trash the dress before and maybe you have even thought about how you would never “trash” something you spent so much money on. I totally get it! I’m not sure I could really do that either, but the good news is a trash the dress session doesn’t actually have to ruin your dress for good!

 

T​here are a few really amazing options that allow for some killer out of the ordinary photos and some really fun and memorable moments with your partner, that won’t actually “trash your dress”.

 

 

Get wet!

 

My personal favorite, (being a Florida girl and all) is anything to do with the beach and the ocean! Think mermaid bride, because who doesn’t want to feel like a mermaid princess? Getting in the water with that gorgeous dress flowing all around you is sure to make you feel like one!

 

 

 

Get Sandy

 

R​olling around in the sand can be fun too. Like some sort of steamy movie scene where the girl gets rescued by the handsome Leonardo DiCaprio, followed by an intense beach make out sesh as the waves crash in the background. Okay maybe not THAT dramatic but you get the picture, right?

 

 

 

Go Under the Surface

 

I​f your photographers got that capabilities you can go all the way under the surface of the waves and really become the mermaid you’ve always dreamed of being! There is something so magical about your hair flowing around your face and your dress flowing freely making you and your partner truly weightless below the surface. An underwater session will definitely result in memories and stunning photographs to be cherished forever!

 

T​he best part about these options for your trash the dress session, is that with a little baking soda and water your dress will be good as new! There is still some slight risk of course, but once you see the reward it will all be worth it!

 

 

 

I​f you really want to go all the way and add a little color to your dress paint and Holi powder can be an explosive and mega fun way to trash the dress… just don’t expect to be washing it out anytime soon. If your down for the destruction though, it’s on my bucket list so get in touch, and we will see what kind of crazy ways we can “trash your dress”!

 

About Me


Born and raised in Florida, I love the ocean, but I hate the sand. Adventure and the possibility of new opportunity fuels my fire, but I have to return home from time to time to visit the fam and get big cuddles from our dog Easton!
-Emilie Becker

How to Get Those Epic Landscape Wedding Photos

How to Get Those Epic Landscape Wedding Photos

by | Oct 20, 2020 | Elopement Photography, Wedding Photography

How to Get Those Epic Landscape Wedding Photos

I​f you’re like me and love looking at all the beautiful and epic wedding photos in nature on Instagram then you have probably wondered how they have time for these perfect golden hour shots on such a busy day.

T​he truth is, unless they are elopement photos most of those shots were not captured on the actual wedding day. The best way to guarantee you get epic nature shots is to schedule a newlywed session.

 

What is a Newlywed Session?

A newlywed session is a separate photo shoot that takes place on a day other than your wedding day. It can be the day before or after or it can be weeks or even months away from your wedding day. However, I suggest keeping it close to the actual day of your wedding to encourage those special romantic moments and exciting emotions that come with getting married.

If you’re one of those people where photos are really important to you then I hands down recommend booking a newlywed session! Most photographers will include this in at least one of their packages, or will have no problem adding it on. I know I love newlywed sessions because it encourages my creativity and my couples always have a great time doing it as well.

How to plan a newlywed session

First choose your location. Consider locations that have some sort of personal meaning and that reflect your relationship. If you love to spend your days by the beach you could consider a seaside session and maybe even get a little wet, because who doesn’t dream of being a mermaid!? On the contrary, if you prefer to spend your time going on hikes in the mountains plan a session around one of your favorite hiking locations.

T​hink about the details. Since this is meant to represent your wedding pictures, you want to keep consistency with the quality. A good reason to keep it close to your wedding day is so you can reuse your flowers if that is important to you. Or you could have your florist makeup a separate smaller bouquet a few days early to be used for the shoot.

Hair and makeup is something to consider as well. If you are an all natural kind of girl, be true to yourself and opt for minimal makeup and an easy hairstyle. However, if you want to go all out it’s still an option and since it’s for just you and you’ll have plenty of time before the shoot it’s a little easier to simply go somewhere inexpensive and get your hair and makeup done instead of having a stylist come to you. You may even be able to talk to your wedding day hair and makeup artist to work something out!

I​f you have pets this is a great time to think about including them! That way you can still have those adorable photos with your pet for your wedding without having to include them on the madness of the big day. Just be sure to have someone that can take care of your pet when you are taking photos without them.

I hope this helped reveal the mystery behind some of those epic Instagram shots and has you considering a newlywed session for yourself. You won’t regret it! For more information on how to schedule your newlywed session feel free to reach out and talk to me directly. I’d love to answer all your burning questions!

 

 

About Me


Born and raised in Florida, I love the ocean, but I hate the sand. Adventure and the possibility of new opportunity fuels my fire, but I have to return home from time to time to visit the fam and get big cuddles from our dog Easton!
-Emilie Becker

10 Common Misconceptions About Wedding Photography

10 Common Misconceptions About Wedding Photography

by | Sep 19, 2020 | Wedding Photography

10 Common Misconceptions About Wedding Photography

 

I​n every profession there are going to be ideas and stereotypes surrounding it. Wedding photography is no exception! As a wedding photographer I have decided to explain away a few of the common misconceptions about wedding photography.

 

number one

The quality of the photos depends on the camera

 

T​here have been so many instances of me out shooting where someone will come up to me and say, “Wow! That’s a fancy camera, I bet it takes really good photos.” First of all let me say, yes I love my camera, but was it the most expensive camera on the market? Nope!

 

Nine times out of ten I could hand my camera over to the person that made that comment with the settings unset, and they would take the crappiest photo ever. In fact there have been many instances where I have given my camera to a person fully set and ready, showed them an example of the photo I wanted them to take and had them try to replicate it, and they still couldn’t get it right! That right there is proof that it’s not the camera that makes the photographs great, it’s the photographer!

 

S​o if your uncle Jim just bought a new fancy camera and offers to take your wedding photos, it may still be a good idea to hire a professional!

 

 

 

number two

T​he only thing that matters is that you like your photographers pictures

W​hen you are choosing a wedding or elopement photographer your obviously going to make sure you LOVE their pictures, but don’t stop there!

 

B​elieve it or not, loving your photographers photos and pictures style is not the most important part. There are a lot of photographers out there with similar picture styles and skills, but every single photographer is a different person.

 

T​he most important thing to consider when choosing your photographer is that you like their personality, and they make you feel comfortable. The best way to go about doing this is find a few photographers that have that style you love and then reach out and get to know them a bit more to see if they are a good fit. If they really care about what they do, they will be doing the same thing with you!

 

A​s a photographer I won’t work with a couple that I don’t get along with because I know I am not the best person to capture those intimate moments that make up the core of their big day.

 

M​ake sure you are comfortable with your photographer, because believe it or not you will be spending more time with them on your wedding day than most of your guests!

 

 

number three

E​verything can be Photoshopped later

P​hotoshop is a great tool and most photographers use it, however, it is not a means of changing reality. No, I cannot photoshop someone to make them look 30lbs lighter or change hair color, or insert the wedding cake “here”.

 

Not only is that falsely representing your wedding day but it is time-consuming! Most of the time while editing we photographers use shortcut software such as light room to edit our photos. This makes editing many photos at once much easier and less time-consuming. In order to do massive correctional editing in photoshop would require taking those photos individually and spending hours on each one to make the corrections… and nobody has the time for that.

 

If you want something to look a certain way in your photos, make it that way in real life! K​eep your wedding photos as authentic as possible you will be glad you did 20 years in the future!

 

 

number four

W​edding photography is not a necessity

I use necessity here with relativity, obviously photography is not as necessary as food and water, but neither is a wedding!

 

W​eddings in their own right are a luxury and there are many optional luxuries that can factor in to a wedding day. The flowers, the cake, the party favors, the dress and so much more.

B​ut here is a question for you, what is the point of spending time and money making sure every single detail of your wedding day is perfect and pretty, if you don’t have any way to preserve those memories forever and share them with everyone?

 

I​n a world where we have to take a picture of our food before we eat, it would be lunacy not to have a photographer to capture your wedding day!

 

 

number five

W​edding photos have to be pretty and posed

 

W​hen looking for a photographer you will see lots of gorgeous photos that look like they were planned out and set up, and you will think that these are going to be your favorite must have photos on your wedding day. While these are the photos you will gravitate to in the beginning, as time goes on you will find that the photos that capture little special moments hold more meaning.

 

The photos with mom and dad will be shared on their birthdays, and photos with gran will be cherished forever after passing. The most important photos become the ones loaded with meaning that take you back to that moment.

 

I love to focus 90% of my photography on capturing real and authentic moments instead of forcing awkward or cheesy poses. Even when it comes to your formal and epic photos, adding in the intimacy of a real moment shared between the two of you will make that epic landscape photo even more special for years to come!

 

 

number six

A​ll wedding photographers have the same style

 

T​his should be a given. Every person on this earth is unique, everyone has their own personal style in general, so of course the same would go for photographers and their style. Some photographers favor the moody dark look, or the retro film look while others describe their images as light and airy.

 

B​ecause of this, it is important to chose a photographer that matches the style you are after for your wedding day. Don’t hire a wedding photographer that specializes in light and airy photos and ask them a week before your wedding if they can make your photos look dark and moody. You’ll be disappointed in the least or completely shot down at the worst.

 

 

 

number seven

W​edding photographers will work for free for exposure

 

D​o you like working for free? Neither do photographers.

 

W​hile building my photography portfolio I worked for other photographers, set up stylized photo shoots and started with discounted rates for weddings, but never did I work for free. Unless a photographer reaches out to you and offers to shoot your wedding for free (highly unlikely) don’t expect them too.

 

Y​es, everyone has got to start somewhere but, everyone has got to eat too!

 

I​f you were thinking of “supporting a starting photographer” and having them shoot your wedding in order to save some money at the same time as “doing something good” just keep in mind that you get what you pay for. The best way to support someone just starting out is to offer to do a stylized wedding shoot separate from your actually wedding day. This will give you the opportunity to get additional photos that could come out really neat without the pressure of your wedding day, as well as help out a photographer that is just learning the ins and outs of wedding photography!

number eight

Wedding photographers work only on the wedding day

W​edding photography is way more than a one day job. Before a wedding is even booked the photographer is working a full time job, from marketing, keeping up the blog and managing the website.

 

T​hen there is the outreach and building of the relationship between brides and photographer, helping plan and answer all the brides burning questions. The engagement shoot and don’t forget the hours and hours that go into editing. Sometimes, editing can take more time than the wedding day itself!

number nine

Wedding photography is an easy job

 

T​his point ties so much into #8. Wedding photography is so much more than showing up and shooting. On the wedding day itself I am often running around like a madwoman trying to make sure I photograph all the important details and capture all the special moments.

 

I will often times coordinate a large part of the timeline and make sure everything is moving along smoothly and in a timely fashion. There are also many moments you will find me in very interesting positions to get that perfect shot, laying on my belly or climbing in a tree, camera in hand.

 

T​he thing with wedding photography is you have to love what you do, If you love what you do, then every day it will be worth it.

number ten

Wedding photographers aren’t good at taking other photos

I didn’t pick up a camera and decide I was only going to photograph weddings. In fact, I had been practicing my photography skills for YEARS before wedding photography even crossed my mind. Since becoming a wedding photographer, I have traveled the world for two years straight and captured the entire journey along the way.

I have photographed, maternity photos, head shots, and many personal photographs for myself. My skills go way beyond wedding photography and I always love to expand on them! My favorite subject to photograph other than weddings is the night sky. Wedding photographers can be so much more than a one hit wonder.

About Me


Born and raised in Florida, I love the ocean, but I hate the sand. Adventure and the possibility of new opportunity fuels my fire, but I have to return home from time to time to visit the fam and get big cuddles from our dog Easton!
-Emilie Becker

Why Elopement Style Weddings Are Trending

Why Elopement Style Weddings Are Trending

by | May 5, 2020 | Elopement Photography

Why Elopement Style Weddings Are Trending

L​ife as we know it has changed durasitcally this year. As social distancing becomes the norm and online services are trending everyone is feeling the effects of this global pandemic and we are doing our best to adjust to this new way of life.

 

Just because the world has been put on pause, does not mean that love stops.

 

There are still plenty of people out there who were either scheduled to be married when all hell broke lose, or are even getting engaged now! As we all know, love knows no boundaries.

 

 

 

 

 

What does this new world mean for those couples looking to start their lives together and declare their love for each other?

 

S​ome are opting to wait until things come back to some sort of semblance of normal. Others who may be slightly less patient (as I would be!) are opting for a more intimate way of tieing the knot by elopeing.

 

Elopements have been gaining traction in recent years before this global crisis but now they have become even more appealing to those looking to celebrate their love. Don’t get me wrong, just because you can’t have a grand celebration with tons of people doesnt mean you have to run to the courthouse sign some papers and forget about the whole thing.

 

 

About Me


Born and raised in Florida, I love the ocean, but I hate the sand. Adventure and the possibility of new opportunity fuels my fire, but I have to return home from time to time to visit the fam and get big cuddles from our dog Easton!
-Emilie Becker

 

E​loping can be so much more beautiful than that and can create a beautiful moment for you and your special someone to remember for the rest of your lives together.

 

T​here is a reson that elopeing has been becoming more popular even before this whole big pandemic mess, and here’s why.

 

F​irst, I have to ask you a question. Why are you getting married?

Because, you have found the love of your life, your other half, and you can’t imagine another moment in your life without them? Because, this person makes you so happy and you want to celebrate that happiness with the world?

 

W​hatever the reason may be, it (hopefully) revolves around you and your partners’ love fore each other.

The premise of a wedding is about declaring your love for each other, in front of all the other people you care about. While I can respect that, I think there’s a more sacred part to marriage that gets overlooked with a traditional wedding.

 

W​hen planning a wedding, it can become stressful. There are so many little pieces to the puzzle, and you want EVERYTHING to be perfect. You get so caught up in all these little details that you forget the real reason you’re even doing all this in the first place. To declare your love to each other!

 

L​ove isn’t about what color scheme will look best, the center pieces at the reception or which prestigious venue you pick. Love is about two people coming together to make a perfect team. Two halves making a whole.

 

L​ove is about climbing to the top of the world and shouting about it. It’s about running through a field of flowers laughing so hard your sides start to split. It’s about you and your partner.

S​o why stress about center pieces and venues? Instead, take your most beloved and 2 or even 20 people, (that feel comortable social distancing for a bit) and go out into the most beautiful venue out there, Mother Nature to declare your love to each other.

 

C​ouples all over the world are starting to see the beauty to intimacy on their wedding day and deciding to profess their love to each other with the one who invented love first, the mother of all creation.

 

Now that is the first reason, but I would be cheating you and myself, if I didn’t say there was another reason behind this trend. The pictures!

 

I know that pictures are not everything, but let’s be honest, You’re going to hire a photographer to capture your big day right? Now ask yourself, why are you hiring a photographer?

 

I​s it to take pictures of your wedding day and to tell a story of the day by to capturing the details such as the cake and the center pieces and the ceremony site and all your guests, and the dances and the toasts and on and on and on.

OR…

Is it tell your love story? The story of you and your partner, together, the day you said your vows through your tears on top of your favorite picnic spot as the wind blew through your hair, and he wiped the tears from your face.

 

 

W​hich one sounds more romantic, more authentic, more like you and your love with your partner?

I​f you say the first one then, hey, I’m not here to judge, to each their own. But, I think a lot more people are starting to realize that the latter is what they want their wedding to look like. Both during and after this pandemic is over and in the beautiful pictures and memories they have to keep of the happiest day of their lives.

Are you ready to celebrate your love the way it’s meant to be? Then give me a shout, because I’d love to hear from you! I am currently taking elopement bookings in Arizona and the surrounding states.

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