Red Gecko Studio » Engagements

Gabby & Matt :: Engaged! :: Madison WI Engagement Photographer

Mandie Haberman — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:57:25 +0000

When you are a wedding photographer, it’s kind of awkward when someone you know or work with announces that they’re engaged. There’s that moment where your immediate reaction is more of a “YAY! Can I shoot your wedding?” inside your head instead of just the “YAY!” part. I generally work really hard to choke that back- I really REALLY do not want any friends or acquaintances to feel obligated to hire me as their wedding photographer. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t share my work with them on Facebook or pass my adorable little mini business cards their way. So, when Matt (my bar manager at my part-time off-season job) let us know he’d popped the question, I kept quiet. Then I showed Gabby my business cards and she was sold- she made me feel so wonderful because she even moved their potential wedding date to one that I was open for!

Needless to say, I adore both Matt & Gabby. They’re two of the nicest people you could ever meet. We tried multiple times to schedule their engagement session, and finally settled on a great afternoon in the middle of the week. I couldn’t be happier with the results!

We started our session in one of my favorite spots at the UW Union. You can tell by their smiles that they were having a good time right off the bat!

Since I’ve always known these two in more of a professional setting than a personal one, I wasn’t sure what to expect from them. I was so delighted to find that they were so adorable & comfortable in front of my camera. Their wedding day will be a breeze!

Ah, I love my sniper lens.

We caught some wonderful, delicious light before finishing at this location. Swoon! I love Matt’s expression in this shot… It is protective and makes me feel like Gabby will always ALWAYS be safe in Matt’s arms.

I really miss shooting black and white film sometimes. This is one of my favorite shots!

I believe this idea came from my fab assistant, Dave- cute shots!

The Union Terrace was a little crowded on this beautiful & sunny afternoon, but that didn’t stop the photo ops.

My favorite part of this image is the ducks on the left side. They were so calm!

DUCKIES!

We left the Terrace and headed over to the Capitol for a wardrobe change. LOVE Gabby’s adorable green dress! This bride’s hometown is in Brazil, and she always has the cutest outfits & jewelry from her shopping trips when she visits home.

Aren’t they a lovely couple? This is one of my favorites!

The back of Gabby’s dress was adorable! I had to sneak it into a couple shots.

We made the short walk over to the Monona Terrace. I love this spot- you get the Capitol AND the Terrace fountain!

Most of the time I’ve spent with Matt & Gabby has been right here…me behind the bar, and Gabby visiting Matt on his late-night shifts.

Gabby & Matt’s wedding will be right here at the Brink!

I love these two!! So adorably goofy!

To Gabby & Matt, I’m so excited for your wedding- just over a week away! Thanks for loving my work and including me in your day. I cannot wait to photograph all the fun! Gabby, you’re going to be a beautiful bride.

Also, thanks to Dave for tagging along! It’s always great to have you, and it’ll be fun to have your help at the wedding, too!

For details about hiring Red Gecko Studio as the photographer for your upcoming wedding, please use the Contact section of this blog! Red Gecko Studio proudly serves weddings and special events in Madison, Milwaukee, and southeastern Wisconsin. Travel to any other location in the world can always be arranged,so don’t hesitate to ask about coverage for your destination wedding! Thanks for visiting, and please take a moment to leave your thoughts as a comment!

Mr. + Mrs. Barnett :: Beloved :: Wisconsin Portrait Photographer

Mandie Haberman — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:43:45 +0000

I just LOVE couples in love. Shooting weddings is amazing, but there is something special about a portrait session. It’s just me and the couple (and sometimes an assistant). No pressure of wedding day activities, timelines to follow, family members or friends to accommodate, or vendors to pay. We can truly relax and have fun. Now, ordinarily this happens before the wedding day- but the engagement session I had scheduled the Friday before Fahrol & David’s wedding was rained out. No big deal! These two laid-back Texans simply put aside a couple hours the day after their beautiful wedding for their session. And so an engagement session became a BELOVED session!

The Capitol building was one spot we didn’t get to on their wedding day, so we decided to start there. We had a beautiful day!

I never realized how much I love the white marble that this building offers as a backdrop.

I normally like my images a little warmer, but I’m just LOVING the blue/cool feel to these.

LOVE these lawn shots!!

Cuteness personified.

Random brick walls all over downtown make me happy. Love the pattern on this one…

We were walking around the downtown area just looking for cool spots and found this adorable restaurant patio. Love the birch trees, the blue, and the green!

I use this location often, but I just can’t help it- I LOVE this red door!

This little intimate courtyard is another favorite spot of mine. SO lovely.

David & Fahrol, I had such a wonderful time with you both- your wedding AND your Beloved session were such fun. I’m very happy with what we captured and so excited to share your full gallery of images with you! Keep an eye out in the next few weeks!

Missy & Troy :: Engaged! :: Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

Mandie Haberman — Sun, 23 May 2010 22:49:01 +0000

Last week I spent a couple of days in Milwaukee. After Thursday’s bridal show at the Harley Davidson Museum, I was able to meet up with Missy & Troy downtown for their engagement session. Their June 11 wedding is creeping up on us fast! We had a lovely day for shooting- the weather was warm and overcast, even foggy once we got near the lake.

I adored Missy’s red dress, especially against this fun wall in their condo building. I am a happy suburbanite, but I occasionally miss the city life…and the fabulous urban dwelling where these two make their home made me super jealous!

The building was once occupied by offices for a tannery business whose warehouses are in various stages of decomposition and destruction across the street. These posters were actual marketing posters for the company.

We had just as much fun outside the building as inside.

This window was just big enough for Missy to stand in!

Right next door to their condo is a great restaurant with a lovely & colorful facade. I loved the red building against Missy’s dress, and the whole scene reminds me of Europe. LOVE!

We made our way across the street to the abandoned tannery buildings.

We encountered some very pretty fog at our second location, where things got a little more comfy.

Funny enough, I think I had a tennis-shoe shot in my last session at this location. Me and my shoe shots!

Can you find the hidden heart in the shot below?

I love this candid shot I snuck in when I was supposed to be changing lenses. Sigh, so cute…

I loved this shot from below.

And now, the new format: Grand Finale! It’s a Grand Finale kind of night (for those of you who watch LOST, you know what I mean!). And so here is my absolute favorite from Missy & Troy’s session… As soon as I saw the word “Devotion” on this stone bench I saw this shot.

To Missy & Troy, I hope you enjoyed your preview. Cammie & I had a wonderful time meeting you and we were so thankful that you guys go with the flow the way you do… A dead car battery sure does put a damper on forward movement! Thanks for being a lovely & patient couple whose wedding I am really looking forward to!