Written by Matt S. on August 7th, 2010
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Heather & Steven were married at the beautiful Bozarth Mansion in Spokane & I was lucky enough to get to come along and capture their day. I had a blast & could have stayed in each room for hours & not exhausted things to photograph (Although I would have just been exhausted since there’s no AC). It was a beautiful wedding and the bride & groom were as awesome as can be. They never stopped smiling & laughing the whole day, which makes my job pretty easy.
Congrats guys!
Thanks to Eric Strate for helping out for the day.
Posted in Portraits, Weddings, spokane | 15 Responses »
Written by Matt S. on July 29th, 2010
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I’m going to make a confession.
Naomi & Sean are the first & only couple I’ve been intimidated by. Several reasons. We met at the January bridal show where Naomi booked me on the spot. I tried suggesting maybe we schedule a time for later. No go. She didn’t want me to forget about her & book her date (I was & still am incredibly flattered). Sean was the first/only person to read my contract with serious intent. I inquired. The answer, “He’s an attorney.” “Of course,” I thought. They’re both successful people & carry themselves as such. She let me know she had 2 boys that needed to be a huge part of their day & the photos would have to reflect that. Then when I asked Sean, on a scale of 1–10, what the odds were of Naomi turning in to a bridezilla, his answer was really close to 10 (he later contacted me to let me know the # was much, much lower after Naomi told him how bad a bridezilla could be).
I’m an idiot sometimes.
This is a reason why I make a huge deal out of engagement sessions. I played it cool for theirs, but inside I was pretty concerned. Instantly at their engagement session, I could tell Sean & Naomi were 2 of the sweetest people in the world and my trepidations were without merit. Like I said, I’m an idiot sometimes. I had an absolute blast at their engagement session & knew their wedding day would be no different. I was right. Sean is always looking to get a laugh. Naomi is always looking for a reason to laugh (Case in point, Sean bribed the DJ to start off the first dance with a certain Guns n Roses song, Naomi’s reaction is in the photos below). Perfect match.
Their wedding day was outstanding. I love being able to tell a story with my photos. It was all to easy with their wedding. I was able to capture so many natural, sweet moments & I think that’s what photographing weddings should be about. That, & getting some creative, butt-kickin’ photos that make it unique to them. The location, The Hayden Lake Country Club, helped with that as well. It was a gorgeous venue.
Thank you Naomi & Sean for trusting me with your day. Thanks also for being such great people.
Shout out to Eric Strate for helping out for the day.
Posted in Portraits, Weddings | 13 Responses »
Written by Matt S. on July 25th, 2010
From the first time I met Kimber & Jonathan (& William!) I knew they were an incredible couple. That was an understatement. These two are amazing. Not only are the both beautful on the outside (ANTM Kimber!), they’re both people of deep substance. They both love to laugh with each other. They’re both great parents. They both love each other a ton.
They’ve actually been married a while but this was their big wedding since the one before was right before Jonathan went off to fight for our country. Their wedding took place at beautiful Beacon Hill in Spokane. I had a blast shooting there. So much to be creative with. Of course the water drew me near for photos—a little too near. You’ll notice the shot of my foot (as well as the shot of them laughing at my misfortune). Fortunately it was a hot day & my foot dried fast enough. 
Big thanks again to Eric Strate for lending his shooting skills for the day.
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Posted in Weddings, spokane | 17 Responses »
Written by Matt S. on July 16th, 2010
I’m happy to post some photos from a recent family session. This time it’s the Hopkins family!
We hung out at Manito Park for a little while & had some fun walking around & getting some fun pictures. Frequent visitors might recognize Ana from having helped me photograph Betsy & Chad’s wedding recently. She does some pretty fine photography work on her own. It’s always a little more nerve-racking to photograph a photographer simply because they know all the tricks. Fortunately, I think these ones turned out ok. 
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Posted in Families, Portraits | 1 Response »
Tags: baby, family, foutain, Manito Park, mom & dad
Written by Matt S. on July 15th, 2010
I had a blast hanging with these two & making some engagement photos. The light was outstanding & the company was even better. We wandered down to the river & chased the good light around for a while.
I always enjoy the relaxed nature of engagement sessions. This one was no exception. Sometimes I feel like we spend more time chatting than actually taking pictures. I kind of like it that way. It lets me get to know the couple which helps me take better photos & capture their personalities & how the interact with each other.
Thanks for hanging out with me Erica & Nathan!
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Posted in Engagement, Portraits | 7 Responses »
Tags: engagement photos, happy couple, people's park, spokane, Spokane River
Written by Matt S. on July 12th, 2010
One of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer is getting to know the couple. Sometimes that’s an easier task than others. It’s never been an easier task than it was with Emily & Josh. From the first time I met the couple and heard the sweet, sweet story of how they first met, I’ve been excited for their day.
This wedding took place at Cliff Park in Spokane. Unfortunately, the city doesn’t allow events there (which is really odd because the venue is quite stunning. Fortunately, it was during Hoopfest weekend so we didn’t have to worry about city employees wandering around looking for trouble.
Josh treats Emily like a queen & she all but worships him. Let’s just say that as they read their vows to each other, I was fully convinced my cameras had a difficult time focusing (that’s the story I’m sticking to). Or as one of my daughters says, my eyes were sweating.
It also doesn’t hurt that both Emily & Josh love to laugh and have fun. Being a wedding photographer is hard work, but the truth is, with couples like this, it doesn’t really feel like work.
Also, big, big thanks to Eric Strate for lending his shooting skills for the day.
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Posted in Weddings, spokane | 14 Responses »
Tags: bride, Cliff Park, couple, gorgeous, groom, happiness, spokane, wedding
