Thursday, February 11, 2010, 08:53 AM
Where do I even begin with these two!? I suppose I will start by saying that Darby & Reece are those kind of people that change the world. They light up a room... warm a heart and know how to encourage the heck out of people. We feel honored and blessed to know them and be able to work with them.

Our story with Darby & Reece began before they were even aware of it. Darby's best friend, Jessica, emailed me the sweetest note saying, "For over a year now Darby has been looking at your site weekly, fawning over the photos of weddings you have been a part of. As her bestie/roomie, we sit side by side and look at them together on a regular basis. She used to say things like, 'One day, when I get married, I want Sarah Rhoads to be my wedding photographer. I love her photos! They are so so beautiful!' In March, Darby met a man and it just clicked. She (and Reece) are headed in a very happy direction. Now when she looks at your site she says, 'When Reece and I get married, I want to have Sarah Rhoads as my photographer. Her photos are gorgeous. Her blog is so interesting. I just love her!'" That little note put the biggest grin on my face. As destiny would have it, the day that these two got engaged, Darby got in touch and booked us to be their photographers for the California wedding! We cannot wait!

Darby & Reece decided to do their engagement session with us here in Seattle, little did we know that Seattle would bust out its finest chops and bring 60 degree weather and sunshine for their shoot. It was PERFECT! These two are extremely talented. Darby works for teach for America and one day wants to open her own non-profit. Reece is a kick butt producer in LA producing great TV shows, and is also currently working on a movie called the Big Bang staring Antonio Banderas and one of our past clients, Autumn Reeser.

Bottom line, these two are amazingly talented, caring and kind hearted people; and we cannot wait for their wedding this summer! 





Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (14)
sarahrhoads says: Friday, February 12, 2010, 02:55 PM

@Kristin hi! yes we mostly try to use ambient light when we can but there are times when it is just too dark. In those cases (like the shots inside the bedroom in Darby & Reece's shoot) we just popped a flash on and bounced it but we always want to make it look as natural as possible :) hope that helps

Kristin says: Friday, February 12, 2010, 01:50 PM

Long time follower, first time commenter...

You have such a unique style; it's really simple, clean, and exploding with energy and happiness. Just great.

I had a technical question I've been meaning to ask... how much additional lighting do you generally use for your shoots? Much of your work looks like natural light, and if I get the sense that there might have been additional lighting, it's always nice and subtle.

Really lovely shots as usual! Thanks for sharing :)

Rachel says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12:26 PM

If I come to Seattle would you ever photograph me??? You must have people lined up throughout the city!

Each photo is a work of art. I cannot wait to meet you at WPPI (if I am so lucky!)

Awesomeness again!

Becka @Studio222 Photography says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12:04 PM

All your interior shots have me so excited for my trip next week to Portland. We're staying at the Ace Hotel which I think I remember you saying you loved. I can't wait!

PS. These are lovely, as always! :)

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 11:45 AM

@Lydia I KNOW!! She is perfect for us! ;)
@CristyCross It's weird you say that because oddly enough I kindof thought Darby and I looked a little bit alike too..;)

Darby says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 11:23 AM

Ahhhh!!!! Sarah!!!!! I am so excited!!! These are awesome and make me love you even more (if that is possible!). YAYYYYYYYY!

Kayleen T. says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 10:38 AM

Such a cute story of how you guys met!
I really, really LOVE #5! It looks like a painting!

carrie says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 10:18 AM

A-dorable. My sister is a producer on Friday Night Lights in Austin :).

Ruthie P. says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 10:09 AM

Sweeeeeettt! These photos are so sweet, what a sweet couple! :)

Bianca Valentim says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:34 AM

these are just beautiful!!!! :)

Cristy Cross says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:22 AM

I thought Darby was your sister. The black and white one of her smiling with her hair taying in the wind looks like you.
I know that I would have know she wasn't your sister if I would have read the info first, but I didn't :)
Love these. I love the interaction in the first few of them playing footsie :)

Lydia says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:15 AM

Darby is a perfect Sarah Rhoads bride! Love how you captured a glimpse into their life and love!

Emilie says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:05 AM

Such a happy session!! Love the colors and their style!!

Harmony Loves says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:01 AM

what a sweet session! Love the yellow phone :)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:30 AM
Chris and I had so much fun designing this Album of Emma & Bubba's Lifestyle Shoot. For us, the album is what brings it all together. It is the icing on the cake. It is the fruit of our artistic labor, and nothing feels better than seeing our work in tactile story form. 

When our buddy, Ken at Renaissance asked us to submit some work for their booth at the WPPI trade show, I knew that this had to be a shoot that turned into an album design. It was one of my personal favorite shoots of the season. Mostly because Emma and Bubba had raging chemistry, complete trust in us, a belief in our creative vision, and all of us just had a blast.

We get asked by other photographers a lot about our album designs so we thought we would share this design with you. Many of our couples opt to turn their engagement sessions into engagement books and I always love when they do. Our style caters to it. We're not "one shot" photographers. We are photographers who tell a story, capture an energy, a feeling, through a series of photographs. 

We custom design all of our album designs in InDesign, it is the most fantastic program in the world for layout and saving you time. All of our designs are clean and to the point... much like our brand. I hope you enjoy and feel free to check it out in tactile form at the Renaissance Booth at the trade show in a few weeks. We also did a post a while back on our wedding albums that might also give some insight into how we do things for those that are still curious (check out the commentary in the comments section). 

Who's going to be at WPPI?! We're excited to represent. It's always a good time.

You can view Emma & Bubba's Full Slideshow here


Thoughts
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Amanda Burgess says: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 03:46 PM

These are amazing!

Rima says: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 07:48 AM

Wicked set of images!!!

Sadie says: Friday, February 12, 2010, 11:18 PM

I loved that shoot! You guys are awesome! :)

Micah Dahlberg says: Friday, February 12, 2010, 08:12 AM

YES

jane button says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 01:36 PM

L.O.V.E. T.H.I.S. :)

Hannah Taylor says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 09:54 AM

I love your work! Oh I know what you mean about telling a story.

Nancy says: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12:15 AM

So awesome, thanks for the inspiration!

evelyn says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 07:25 PM

OH MY.. THIS IS AMAZING GORGEOUS!

carrie says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 04:40 PM

s, i'm so with you on this. clean, simple design is so lovely and makes my heart go pitter patter. delivering a completed book to a client is the whipped cream topping ;). this is beautiful and perfect.

Amanda Richelle says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 04:36 PM

Wow. This is a kick-ass album design. That little splash of red on spread 9 is perfection. LOVE.

Maureen says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 04:27 PM

Your quirky style is your best asset. I loved this shoot, and I love this album as well.

Lydia says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 03:26 PM

I'll be at WPPI! I'll have to make sure I see this album in person!

Lynn says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 03:10 PM

Oh I love this shoot, but this album is amazing!!

Kat Speyer says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 02:34 PM

Super sweet album design! Very clean and contemporary.

I'll be at WPPI. Wanna hang out? :D

Paige Butcher says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 02:15 PM

LOVE IT!

Marissa Rodriguez says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 11:59 AM

This album rocks! My gosh I love it! I'm going to WPPI! I hope I get to meet you guys so that some of your talent rubs off on me hehe! :)

Carl McKinney says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:46 AM

Awesomeness just happened over here at sarahrhoads.com! You guys are such an inspiration to artists in general. I had a question. Your albums look pretty square, are these 10x10 layouts or something else? Do you switch book dimensions or do you stick with a square format book?

Thank you for all of your wonderful insight and much continued success to you guys!

Kate Noelle says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:45 AM

Sarah, I absolutely love coming to your blog and seeing what you're up to photographically. Lately, I've been on this "asserting myself" kick.... and I love that you do your own thing. Really. Seriously. Your work stands out because you strive to challenge yourself artistically away from the way everyone else does it. I love it. I look forward to the day when I can be as strong and creative as you. :) Keep it up!

Cody says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:37 AM

i love all of the images! to each their own..if only done in best respects. sarah and chris i admire your work beyond words! im always inspired by your work.

Jennica Wallis says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:30 AM

WOW!!!! I'm in LOVE with this! It's so simple, modern & adorable! :D What does the cover look like?

Jennica Wallis says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:29 AM

WOW!!!! I'm in LOVE with this! It's so simple, modern & adorable! :D What does the cover look like?

Jennica Wallis says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:29 AM

WOW!!!! I'm in LOVE with this! It's so simple, modern & adorable! :D What does the cover look like?

Julie h says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:27 AM

such a fun session and beautiful album design. :)

Katie Anderson says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:22 AM

Sweet! I love this shoot that you did. The quirky-ness of it is what makes us swoon!

Melina Wallisch says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:22 AM

Wow. I'm an artistic junky and lover of love and I can FEEL the LOVE and JOY in these pictures FULLY. One of my favorite shoots as well.

Rob Robertson says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:20 AM

Way to knock it out of the park! Awesome layout! what size album is this for? Always encouraged and inspired by your design & photo skilz!

Melina Wallisch says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:20 AM

Wow, I'm an artistic junky and lover of love and I can FEEL the LOVE and JOY in these pictures FULLY!

Ruthie P. says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:17 AM

This is one of my fav. sessions :) LOVE the album, so clean and modern!

Bianca Valentim says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:14 AM

Love it!

Chris says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:11 AM

I like some of your style, however, pictures of sinks? I dont think so...where is the celebration of love and romance? You say you tell a story, but I dont see no story here, just a load of images in your qwerky style. OK it looks fashionable, but it doesnt celebrate love or even the engagement...
Sorry, some arty types may like it, but these people are often on a different planet and wouldnt recognise romance if it bit them.

Katie Neal Photo says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:02 AM

Innnn love. These photos make me happy!

mary says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:53 AM

killlller!!! swoooning over spread04, graphically delicious. this shoot is seriously embracing your brand, can't wait to see the album @ wppi!!!

lesley says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:50 AM

Beautiful album! I loved this session as well! :)

johnna brynn says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:42 AM

ahhh love it! ...if u sold your design templates, i'd buy 'em!

emily says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:41 AM

absolutely beautiful! I am also a huge InDesign fan, so lovely to hear other photogs out there love it to. I love your clean designs, and the links to your wedding albums. Thanks for inspiration!

Sarah says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:39 AM

lovely, Sarah!!

Ryan Klos says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:37 AM

This book is KICK AWESOME! I love it! The story is clear and well told, but all the stuff you guys shoot is :)

Thursday, February 4, 2010, 09:26 AM
Tyler Eide is a great friend of ours here in Seattle.  Some of you may also remember him from our little outing at the Shelter a couple weeks ago. Tyler is an incredibly talented designer who we work with on a regular basis for various design projects. Mostly because Tyler "gets it." 

When people are looking for a good designer for a re-brand or identity we always encourage people to link arms with a designer who totally gets who you are, where you are going, and what you are all about. If there is a disconnect on that most basic level the chances for a successful outcome are slim to none. We are also firm believers in hiring a professional to do our design on every level. A lot of photographers go about this all wrong by trying to do things themselves. We are great photographers, NOT great designers. Just as we encourage each of our clients to hire a photographer who they really connect with and who's talented as hell... we apply the same notion to many aspects of our business including good design. We will always pay a premium to hire someone extremely talented who gets what we are all about because ultimately the end result will speak for itself. The old saying is true, 'you get what you pay for.' I read a quote the other day that hits the nail on the head, "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur" -Red Adair.   

Tyler's design sense and personal approach on life go hand and hand with ours. Tyler sees the world as his playground and is passionate about taking his work to new hieghts. We respect, admire and love this dude. He wanted a few photos so that he looked more "grown up" in his bio's. Not sure if we made him look more mature but we sure did have fun :)

Thoughts
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Sarah-Jane says: Sunday, February 7, 2010, 12:56 PM

fantastic. another set of inspiring images Sarah!

Alexandra says: Friday, February 5, 2010, 02:02 AM

I love these! Such cool, alive shots.

Janet McK says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 07:24 PM

That man is SO not a grown up :) (and I mean that as a compliment!)

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 06:46 PM

@Laura you can do whatever you put your mind to!! I am a firm believer of that!

Laura says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 04:57 PM

Awesome photos! You and Chris both inspire me so much - hope I can be doing what you guys do in a couple of years!

jamie delaine says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 03:40 PM

i love your portraits, sarah and chris. how you approach them is so cool.

Jenny GG says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 02:32 PM

totally rockin' shots lady and i am SO using that quote!

Kat Speyer says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 02:28 PM

Such a fun set!

Hannah Taylor says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 01:35 PM

I love how you can just sense the fun!

Marissa Maharaj says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 12:35 PM

Totally.

kirsten says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 11:16 AM

loving the mustachio!

jesse and whit says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 11:14 AM

so awesome!

Ruthie P. says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 10:13 AM

LOVED it! :)

yan palmer says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 09:37 AM

couldn't have asked for a better answer to my current design quandries. and excellent shots of your friend, tyler. can't wait to check out his work.

Ryan Klos says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 09:35 AM

Sweet 'stache!

I read that same quote a few weeks ago about "wait till you hire an amateur." Truth truth truth.

mary says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 09:35 AM

fun fun! kudos for staying so busy through the winter!!!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 11:47 AM
Michelangelo is often quoted as having said that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within. 

When I read this the other day it caused a complete mind-shift for me. You see, I'm a firm believer in the hustle, the drive and working hard for the things we want.  I have always thought of creative growth as an additive experience. In other words, the more things we do, the more hours we log behind the camera, the more experience we attain, the more knowledge we acquire.... the better artist and better photographer I will be. 

What Michelangelo suggests is that the talent and the power already resides within us. It is simply a matter of chipping away at the "excess material" in order to tap into those beautiful parts of who we are. 

Just sit and think about that for a second... What if it was never about the addition, but rather, it is about peeling back and chipping away at the excess material of our fears & insecurities in order to get to that place of complete potential that resides within us. Rather than placing so much importance on making additions in our life, it seems equally important that we go about subtracting the excess that weighs us down. The excess that stands in our way. 

It really made me think, What is standing in my way? What excess material or thoughts do I need to chip away at to reveal the beauty that I know resides within me? 

Just a thought to ponder... It really got me thinking over the past week about my own fears and how letting go of those reveals a more beautiful part of me that needs to show it's face. 

Maybe it gets one of you thinking too.

The cutie in this picture is my sweet friend Tiffany's daughter, Addey :) The closest thing to purity, innocence and complete beauty... no chipping away needed. Addey is a beautiful work of art.


Thoughts
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Jono says: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 10:03 PM

I feel like I have my feet in different pastures on this. I really like the interpretation of removing unwanted elements in order to become a better artist, or more generally person. But I still think Michelangelo could also be talking about vision. To be able to look at a block and see a beautiful statue. I think it works on both levels at the same time. One needs to remove the unnecessary in the quest for purity, but we also need to know what is necessary for purity before we can do that. The more experience and understanding we have the better we are at cleaning ourselves up.

Thanks for the thought-provoking post!

adrian hitt says: Monday, February 8, 2010, 09:37 AM

Definitely need to hear that today... during a changing time. Thank you!

Sarah-Jane says: Sunday, February 7, 2010, 01:15 PM

Amen to that! thanks for your thoughts :D

Kristi Wright says: Saturday, February 6, 2010, 09:59 AM

This really strikes a chord in me. It reaffirms that I need to stop questioning my work so much for one.

Erin Wallis says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 09:42 AM

Amen Sarah! What makes you so special, is that you question everything. It is beautiful, refreshing and inspiring. You go girl!

lori says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 08:58 AM

Thanks for sharing this. You have a gift of encouragement. ;)

lori says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 08:29 AM

Thanks for sharing this. So very helpful to hear encouraging words from someone who has gone before us. ;)

Hannah Taylor says: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 05:04 AM

Great blog post! I agree. There are so many distractions in life that sometimes it takes getting rid of excess to find the person God made each of us to be.

Kaysha says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 06:46 PM

Wow... I have a lot to think about after reading this blog post!! Good stuff!

sarahrhoads says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 06:11 PM

@Carl Z hey buddy! No I have never read it but it is on my current list (which keeps getting longer) maybe I'll have to bump that book up to the top. Thanks for the rec.

Janet McK says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 04:32 PM

yeah, i was JUST (as in 5 minutes before I read this) thinking about my own fears and insecurities and wondering what I ought to do about them. i guess i'll keep thinking about them for the time being... thanks for the encouragement to ponder!

Carolyn says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 03:54 PM

Love this post, Sarah. Very insightful! It's crazy to think it (our truth) is all within us. I think a lot of it just depends on how we choose to believe in ourselves. ;D Keep up the amazing work! You are an inspiration.

carl zoch says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 03:22 PM

Have you read The War of Art? Very similar in thought to what Michelangelo is talking about here but uses language of resistance. It's another one of those must reads for artists.

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.

Shelby Hurst says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 02:54 PM

What a great message. I come to this blog to see the beautiful person and the fun relationships (between you, Chris, and your clients) just as often as I come for inspirational images. Your ability to write, in such a vulnerable and passionnate way, is one of the raw materials you possess that I admire.

Shelby Hurst says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 02:54 PM

What a great message. I come to this blog to see the beautiful person and the fun relationships (between you, Chris, and your clients) just as often as I come for inspirational images. Your ability to write, in such a vulnerable and passionnate way, is one of the raw materials you possess that I admire.

mandiimae says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 02:44 PM

thank you for this. really needed that.

Rhonda Duron says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 02:08 PM

I needed to read this. THANK YOU!

Vizcara says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 01:19 PM

You gotta love the "Babba". Kids are brutally honest and never hold back... You gotta love em..

Jill says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 12:43 PM

Reminds me of our talk. Have you read the Agony and the Ecstasy, too? Great post.

Thomas Valenzuela says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 12:30 PM

Great post. I've spent many long nights thinking about how to chip away the superfluous. It has always been a struggle for me, because I am the type that, by nature, try's to improve and increase by adding...rather than subtracting.

Rachel says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 12:05 PM

Awesome insight - I love your blog!! Fantastic message today. Keep up the amazing, inspiring, uplifting work.

Tasra Dawson says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 12:00 PM

Love this Sarah! And tweeted about it too. I've heard that quote often and it always makes me stop and think whether I'm pushing forward and adding or chipping away and letting what already exists come to life. A subtle yet powerful shift.

Thanks for sharing your take on it!

http://twitter.com/tasradawson

Leandra says: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 11:56 AM

This is really beautiful. Thanks for sharing, because it got me thinking too! Time to start chipping away at what's keeping me back. :)