A few times a year, I have the unique privilege of photographing a sweet newborn baby – they’re the best! They smell good, they’re soft and squishy and warm, and they just melt your little heart. Kelsey and Jacob recently had me come to Tulsa to photograph their precious little boy Jace, and I tell…

Alaska has a special place in my heart. It’s a beautiful state with the most breathtaking views, and the place I proposed to Tyler last year. I was excited to go back to the 49th state to photograph Sidra’s wedding to Sean. A Three Day Event… I was excited when Sidra started wedding planning because…

After photographing around 500 weddings, I have what I call dream scenario: sentimental ceremony and prep with a fun reception with lovely details. As it turns out, Kaitlin and Adam’s wedding at Garvan Gardens and reception at the Arlington was exactly that! The day started with Kaitlin and her parents exchanging gifts – they couldn’t…

While I love photographing boudoir and making women feel empowered and beautiful, I understand that having a male shoot them can be uncomfortable (the exact opposite of what we want women to feel in front of our cameras!), so I’ve taught Tyler (my DARLING WIFE) how to use the camera and it turns out… she…

I had the UNIQUE privilege of photographing my own wife’s bridal portraits. Pretty cool right? Tyler has always wanted me to shoot her wedding and bridal portraits, and since I couldn’t do the wedding (LOL), it was important to both of us that I be able to photograph the bridal portraits of her in her…

Happy Pride Month! I have such a heart for gay couples, and I’m so thankful I live in a state that allows same-sex marriage. Growing up with family members who were gay, I learned early on the importance of unconditional love, especially in an area littered with close-minded people. I have always celebrated same sex…

It’s been a month now since we returned from our honeymoon… and we finally finished the laundry! Hahaha, just kidding (but no judgement for those who take an extended amount of time to unpack after vacation)! As I was thinking back about our time in Mexico, I am so thankful we took a honeymoon right…

A year ago yesterday, I walked in to SnackLab in Bentonville for what would turn out to be my last non-vegan meal. Ironically, I’m sitting in the same restaurant typing this on my one-year vegan anniversary as I pound an Earthgrain bowl (filled with quinoa, rice, sweet potatoes, spicy tofu) thinking back on a year…

Hi friends! Sneak peeks are so fun, amiright? I love surprising my clients with favorites from our session or our wedding. I finally got to experience that from a client’s perspective when Susie (our wedding photographer) sent us a teaser on Tuesday. I thought I’d take a minute and share 5 of my favorite moments…

I love to collect portraits of people. I don’t know if that makes me weird (ok… not like hannibal lector weird) or good at my job, but every time I see a pretty location, I need to photograph someone there. While on our honeymoon, Tyler and I became instant bffs with Carson and Alex, who…

When I first started my photography business, I swore I was going to do it differently than other photographers. In the age of internet and emails and faceless communication, I wanted to see people, to look them in the eye, to get to GENUINELY KNOW them. I swear that has made all the difference. Over…

This couple has serious style. I love that! We met at 21C Hotel in Bentonville recently to shoot their engagements… when I approach an engagement session I use a two-step method:1) look at what lighting I want – shade or sun, and then2) look at colors that coordinate well with their clothing. I knew the…

Ragen and Austin won an instagram contest I was hosting for a free engagement shoot. You see, even though it’s cold and dreary outside, I want to show the world we can still capture some breathtaking engagement portraits! Ragen had a cool idea for her session: smoke grenades! I’d photographed smoke bombs once at a…

Our timing was nothing short of orchestrated. I announced on Instagram a few weeks ago that I wanted to photograph a few pets and their owners after my (about to be) sister-in-law’s dog crossed the rainbow bridge. <<A term my fiancee uses and I picked up on. Shelby wanted to surprise her boyfriend with pictures…

So… I started this post before Valentine’s Day with the thought that I’d hop on here on Valentine’s Day and finish and post it.  Well, it was a Cece day, which means I get zero work done because we play the whole time, and then at night I just spent it with Ty.  Alas, here…

There is something really special about photographing boudoir: I love helping every single person I photograph feel empowered and beautiful. I actually wrote about this years ago when I was determining my “why I started.” One of the best comments I ever received… I was photographing a bride recently and I don’t know what inspired…

We were destined to be friends from the start. Erin found me on instagram (you can too! http://www.instagram.com/dalebenfield) and we immediately hit it off fast and furious. She is super pretty, ridiculously funny, and sweet as southern ice tea. She has the prettiest girlfriend, Mika, who is a talented photographer too, and we all just…

Hey everybody! This post is like a million years in the making! Out of necessity, I’ve had to figure out the best and smartest ways to work so I can get my images back to my clients as quickly as possible. Over the years, I’ve sold actions and overlays and all sorts of stuff to…

When you book a wedding for New Year’s Eve in Kansas City, as a photographer you hope you’re going to photograph a huge party. Even if you’re not a photographer, you hope to have something fun to do when the clock strikes midnight to bring in the new year; but if you’re going to work,…

Sometimes everything just works out. That’s about the only way I can sum up Seth and Chelsea’s engagement photo shoot in Kansas City recently. We had a last minute location change, traffic and parking (those glorious timesucks), and the sun was doing its best to set on us, but I have this wicked long streak…