I shot Courtney Efurd and Powell Bryant’s engagement session on May 24 in Rogers and Bentonville. Long-time runners, they both attended the University of Central Arkansas and competed in cross country and track. I’m always looking for something personal about my clients to work into their sessions. We started Courtney and Powell’s engagement session at Rogers High School, where Courtney attended high school and her parents both still coach track. The idea of the baton and wedding date came up during a consultation with Courtney and it made for some great “Save the Date” photos. The second portion of the session was shot around Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and nearby Orchards Park. Courtney and Powell are a very fun, laid back, but spontaneous, couple and were very willing to do whatever came to mind during their session. Their wedding will be on Dec. 27 in Rogers. Can’t wait to get to work with them again on their big day. Here is a quick selection of a few of my favorites from their engagement session.
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May 14, 2014 by Marc HenningNation & Drinnin Families | Portrait Preview
I spent Saturday evening with the Nation and Drinnin families shooting their family portraits along the Crystal Bridges Trail system in Bentonville. The walking and biking trails around Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art are one of my favorite places to shoot portrait sessions in Northwest Arkansas. An endless variety of settings and backgrounds. Here are two of my immediate favorites of the Nations and Drinnins.
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May 13, 2014 by Marc HenningJalen Posey | Seniors Preview
I spent a couple of hours last week with Horizon Christian School senior Jalen Posey shooting his senior portraits in Bentonville. Posey is a stand-out basketball player and has a bright future ahead of him. We started the session focusing on his basketball background before switching to more standard “senior” type portraits. The afternoon was very windy and I didn’t have an assistant, so I was limited to just one light instead of the usual 3-light setup I prefer to use for athlete portraits. We still came away with some very nice images. This was one of my immediate favorites.
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May 12, 2014 by Marc HenningHeather & Tracer | Engagement Preview
A favorite from Heather Martin and Tracer Moore’s engagement session on May 4 in Bella Vista, Ark. Their session was shot at several locations along Tanyard Creek, Lake Windsor and Lake Avalon. This particular photo was near the end of the shoot and I had just finished taking meter readings and test shots of Heather and Tracer on the fishing dock when a great blue heron took flight to the left of my periphery. There was little time to react and thankfully Heather and Tracer were still holding their pose from the test photos and my focus was still set. I got off three frames, which was all I needed. The photo was about as perfect as I could hope for given the circumstances. I later found out from Heather that her mother loves herons and she would be absolutely thrilled with the photo. It’s the serendipitous moments like this are that makes being a photographer so rewarding.
Heather and Tracer will be married on June 14 in Rogers. Check back soon for more photos from their engagement session.
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May 10, 2014 by Marc HenningErin & Ben | Wedding Preview
Erin Griffin and Ben Campbell were married on May 3, 2014, at First Christian Church in Rogers and celebrated their wedding with family and friends at the UARK Ballroom on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Campbell. Stay tuned for more photos…
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May 7, 2014 by Marc HenningDana & Janssen | Philippines Engagement
I recently returned home from three weeks in the Philippines and have been very anxious to share my favorite photos from Dana Maliwanag and Janssen Fabular’s engagement session on April 25. Dana and my wife are both from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, and their families have known each other for quite some time. At the beginning of our vacation I found out that Janssen had just recently proposed to Dana, so I immediately offered to shoot their engagement session as a wedding gift from myself and Alona. I pretty much jumped at the chance. The opportunity was so exciting. Mansalay and its barangays, or wards, are full of so many great locations and backgrounds to shoot photo sessions. There is color everywhere and countless unique settings, like fishing boats on Mansalay Bay, tricycle taxis around the central market and bamboo foot bridges spanning rivers. I could see myself dragging Dana and Janssen all over town, pushing them to their limits — which is basically what I do with all of my engagement couples. Of course I also let my clients choose their locations if they already have an idea or concept in mind. Dana’s first location choice was Buktot Beach. Perfect! Buktot is one of southern Oriental Mindoro’s best kept secrets. It’s a Pinoy beach, a locals beach, that has white sand and several nippa huts that you can rent for the day. Buktot Beach is one of my favorite places on Earth. Perfect for Dana and Janssen’s engagement. After a late start we began the shoot at Calameda Bay Resort, a foreign-owned beach resort, in Cabalwa, which is a short drive from Buktot Beach. Most of the resort is already in the shade by late afternoon so we shot along the beachfront to start and then took advantage of some nice shafts of the warm evening light spilling in through the coconut trees. On our way out of Cabalwa we stopped on the town’s main road and, taking advantage of another beam of light, made some quick photos of the two on Janssen’s Yamaha motorcycle. This was a special request and made for a great portrait. From there we rushed to Buktot and chased the setting sunlight all over the beach. The light was beautiful, very warm. I was extremely pleased with the results of the overall session and, most importantly, my wonderful subjects loved them. Dana and Janssen, Alona and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness together. If only we could be there for your wedding. Mabuhay!
Although this session was a gift from Alona and I, we still received a special delivery at our home from Dana just hours before we were to meet for the shoot. It was a large shopping bag stuffed full with several pounds of live crab, prawns and a fresh-caught Maya-Maya (red snapper) that would make any trophy fisherman drool. Maraming salamat Dana. Masarap!
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February 25, 2014 by Marc HenningShannon & David | Wedding Preview
Congratulations to Shannon and David. These two tied the knot on Saturday at the Pratt Place Inn in Fayetteville. I enjoyed working with Shannon and David and their children for their small, intimate wedding. Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Ewing!
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January 24, 2014 by Marc HenningMelea & Justin | Proposal Preview
I had the special honor of documenting Justin Rafiee’s surprise proposal to Melea Stockton this evening in Bella Vista. What a treat! Justin chose the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel as the location to pop the question to the love of his life. The chapel is always a beautiful place to visit at sunset and was an awesome location for Justin’s proposal. Specifically awesome because it was indoors and heated as the temperatures were below freezing today. Such a great couple. Fun, full of happiness and very much in love. Can’t wait for the engagement. Congrats to Melea and Justin! Look for more to come later.
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January 5, 2014 by Marc HenningAshley & Matt | Wedding Sneak Preview
Congratulations to Ashley and Matt! They were married yesterday, 01.04.14, at Cross Church of Rogers and celebrated their union at The Bank of Fayetteville in downtown Fayetteville. It was such an honor to be Ashley and Matt’s wedding photographer. I’ve known Matt for several years working together at Hawgs Illustrated magazine. It’s always neat to be so intimately involved in a friend’s wedding. Their reception venue, The Bank of Fayetteville, made for a very unique setting. This photo was one of the last images I shot before leaving and it was instantly my favorite of the whole day. Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Jones!
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January 5, 2014 by Marc HenningAshley’s Bridal Session
I shot Ashley Brooks’ bridal session a couple of weeks ago at Carnal Hall in Fayetteville, Ark. Ashley became Mrs. Matt Jones today so I can finally show off some of my favorites from her session here on my blog. It’s always difficult having to sit on bridal photos, sometimes for months, waiting for the big day to arrive. I’m so glad I only had to wait two weeks to share Ashley’s. We had a great session. The weather was rainy and cold that day, so we had to make the best of the interiors of Carnal Hall. It worked. Enjoy Mrs. Jones’ photos.