Associate Wedding Examples from Summer 2016

Jordan Pines, Big Cottonwood Canyon Utah Engagement Session (Utah Wedding Photographer)

Brinley and Jake's Jordan Pines Engagement Session up Big Cottonwood Canyon was magical! You would never know we were freezing :) I had such a fun time getting to know them!

Heather Ellis is a Utah Wedding and Family Photographer, specializing in Utah Engagement Photography, Utah Bridal Photography, Utah Wedding Photography, and Utah Family Photography.

In a Pikle! (Review by Heather Ellis Photography, Utah Photographer)

You guys! I found the most amazing product!!! I am so excited to tell you about these adorable and handy little bags. Let me introduce you to my newest obsession: The PIKLE!

The genius people at In a Pikle created these bags with us busy ladies in mind. They are a place to hold all of the random items that we need at the most random times, but can never find when we need them :) It keeps everything in one handy place, and you can easily throw it into your purse or bag to keep yourself a little more organized (or use the hand strap and take it on its own). 

It is seriously perfect for anyone - moms, students, photographers, and brides! It would also make the cutest bridesmaids gift! Or Mother's Day gift!

They are customizable, but you can order starter kits from their website. This is what my package came with:

So many amazing things! Bandaids, stain remover, hand sanitizer, bobby pins and hair ties, scissors, nail clippers, nail files, needle and thread, tweezers, rubber bands, tissue, a pen and notepad, a tape measure, a pill case, and wipes.

You just take the items and put them in plastic containers that attach to your bag. It's so simple! Look how nicely it all fits in there - and I still have room to add to it!

It's the perfect size - here it is next to a water bottle so you can get an idea.

They have so many cute patterns to choose from, but I just love this one. It's called "Something Blue". I personally think it's the PERFECT design for a bride to keep with her on her wedding day!!! It has everything you could ever need in there in case of an emergency!

I can't wait to add a few more things specific to photography! It is already full of stuff that I am constantly needing on shoots, but I think I will add a few more bobby pins, a small thing of hairspray, a lens cloth, and a few other camera-specific items to keep with me.

Go check out their website and pick your favorite today. And guess what?! They are having a sale right now! Through March 31st, if you spend $75 you get this adorable Pikle and starter pack FOR FREE! You know you want one!

https://inapikle.com/

Winter Locations

American Fork Amphitheater:

American Fork Canyon/Tibble Fork:

Photography Tips - Tip #1 to Improve Your Photography (Utah Wedding Photographer, Heather Ellis)

I am starting a new blog series to teach all the beginners out there some fun photography tips - Check back each week for a new lesson!

Tip #1 
to improve your photography:

BUY A NEW LENS

When you bought your camera, that kit lens that it came with probably looked pretty cool. I mean, look how big it is, right? I thought the same thing! In fact, that lens is really limiting you. If you want sharp pictures and a nice, blurry background, you are going to need something better. In fact, 99% of the time, the lens is more important than the camera! I would almost always recommend someone buy a new lens before buying a new camera. You will get a lot more for your money! And the best news of all?

A good lens doesn't have to cost a lot!!!

There are a lot of lens options out there, but the one I would recommend starting with is the 50mm 1.8.

What makes this lens so great?

The first amazing thing about this lens is THE PRICE! This lens costs less than $150! Of course there are more expensive versions of the 50mm lens, but for starting out, this lens is fantastic.

The second great thing about this lens is that little 1.8 number at the end. This number is called the aperture (also called f-stop). With your kit lens, that number is only 3.5 and it can never go any lower. Why is this number so important??? Because the lower this number is, the more light you will get in the picture, and the more blurry the background will be!

Here is an example. Both of these pictures were taken with a 50mm lens on my camera. I didn't change any settings except the aperture. The one on the left was taken at 3.5, and the one on the right was taken at 1.8.

Notice how much lighter and brighter the second picture is? And how much more blur it has in the background? Now, for big groups you will want to still use a higher aperture (at least 3.2), but for portraits, you want that number to be lower so that you can get that nice blur! And at night (like when these pictures were taken), you want that number to be lower so that you can get more light in the picture without having to use a flash.

Now go add this lens to your Christmas list! You won't regret it!

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Heather Ellis Photography - Heather is a Utah Wedding Photographer and Utah Family Photographer. Like what you see here? Contact her at heather@heatherellisphotography.com to book your own session today!