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Quad Cities Engagement Photography Ideas.
I’ve been scouting around the whole of the Quad Cities recently looking for places to photograph this year’s newly engaged couples. It’s been a great excuse to tool around on my new Harley! Cruising through the alleys of downtown Davenport and Rock Island has been fun and I’ve found new nooks and crannies that I never new existed. I’ll be shooting differently this year because of it. I’ll bet that in Davenport alone I’ve found at least another 30 to 40 very cool places to use as engagement backgrounds. Rock Island has a wealth of great locations too including the newly developed Schwiebert Park right on the river. It has several great views of the Centennial Bridge and the downtown Davenport skyline. Just a few blocks away is the District of Rock Island and all the storefronts and alleyways in that area.
One thing I definitely want to incorporate this year is having the engagement couple doing activities. Perhaps they might go to the bar at Woodfire grille in Davenport and have a glass of wine where I’ll shoot a few key photos as they enjoy their time together. Maybe they will go to Theo’s Java Club in Rock Island, have a cup of coffee and play a board game while I take a few shots. Tandem bikes can be rented for about $7 for a half hour at the riverfront in Davenport. Tandem bike shots down by the river would definitely be cool. What about a picnic? How about horse shoes, croquette, Frisbee, golf? What do you do? What can you think of? Let’s try it!
I also want more of a street photography feel to engagement photography. Photojournalistic shots of the two of you walking down the street without even knowing where I’m shooting from. Maybe you two are just leaning against a building talking and goofing around and I’m sniping you from afar. I’ve been studying a photographer named Saul Leiter, an influential photographer from the 40s and 50s whose work is largely based on people reflected in or seen through glass. I definitely want to incorporate some of this concept into this year’s engagement photo sessions.
When it all comes down to it I just want to mix it up some for the up coming engagement photography season.
Visit our Quad Cities Wedding Photography website and let us know what ideas you have. http://www.barkleyphoto.com
I’m regularly asked for recommendations on what clothing to wear to an engagement photography session. Here is an article on what to wear and a few other thoughts.
Your engagement session will be a fantastic way for you and your fiancée to get to know me as your wedding photographer. Not only will we produce great engagement photos of you as a couple but you’ll both be far more comfortable on your wedding day. During your engagement shoot we’ll spend a lot of time together walking, talking and photographing. Your wedding day will then be the second (not the first) time we have spent significant time together. We’ll know each other and I’ll be far more able to capture the essence of your relationship and personalities on your wedding day. It’s a win-win situation!
Engagement photography…suggestions on what to wear:
- Wear clothes you are both physically and emotionally comfortable in. If you’re uncomfortable it will show in the pictures. I suggest 2-3 outfit changes as they give a variety to your pictures.
- Consider layering your clothing.
- Avoid wearing tight jeans or other tight clothes which can restrict movement and show curves you don’t want shown.
- Wear what you love and make sure it’s ‘you’. Avoid wearing something you’ll wish you didn’t wear soon after the shoot.
- Slightly dressy can be fun, just make sure it’s still you.
- You should both wear clothes that complement each other in style and color. An example might be that you both wear fall colors or perhaps both wear different shades of blue. Don’t try too hard to match.
- Your outfits should be the same level of dressiness. If you dress up and your fiancée wears his everyday street clothes your photos won’t look quite right.
- Your clothes should match the location. Nice casual outfits for a park or other such location is great. On the other hand an urban setting might require a grungier look.
- Dress appropriate to the season. Shorts and flip flops may work well for one outfit on a warm summer day shoot but won’t work well for a cold spring or fall day. This has as much to do with comfort as it does style. If you’re cold it’s hard to look warm and happy.
- Dark colors help to slim the body and they are also easy to photograph but if you have something in a light color or white don’t be afraid to wear it.
- Strong patterns fall out of style quickly and the background will have enough texture that these strong patterns can make the photos look too busy. Understated patterns often do fine.
- Wear shoes you love but make sure they are comfortable. We’ll be walking a lot and often on grass and uneven ground.
- Leave your purse in the car unless you want it in the photos. You’ll feel free and enjoy your shoot more without it. I’ll carry your keys if you’d like.
- Leave sunglasses in the car unless you plan on wearing them.
- We’ll go back to the car for clothing changes or change when we hit a new location.
- If you would like your dog in some photos you’ll need to bring a friend to watch him or her while we take other shots.
Other Things to Remember:
- The best time to start engagement photography is either 8:00 – 9:00 AM or 4:00 – 6:00 PM depending on the season. Diagonal light is best.
- The most important facet of the shoot is that you show the love! Plan on enjoying each other. The shoot should be much more like a date and less of stiff photo shoot. A small gesture of love the day of the shoot such as a loving note, a small gift or a few kind words are often enough to bring your genuine love to the surface which will help your engagement photography shine!
Be sure to visit our Quad Cities Wedding Photography website at: http://www.barkleyphoto.com
 Inspired Wedding Photography Quad Cities Kids…what can you say? This photograph was created out of necessity. This young gentleman didn’t want to stand near the rest of the guys. He kept moving close to me. In the interest of quickly getting this shot I had to think quick. I just made him the focal point by squatting down to his level. After I showed him this photograph he was happy to stand wherever I wanted him. I have to tell you though that this was my favorite of the grouping.
Wedding photographers have to be inspired to the point that whatever is placed in front of them they have an idea for a new and different shot. My Inspired Wedding Photography page depicts a wide variety of inspirational subjects. Light, form, mood, facial expression, body language…these inspire me as a wedding photographer and have helped wedding couples fondly remember the tiny but important details of their wedding day. Click here to see a large number of inspired wedding photographs.
 Quad Cities Wedding Details Photography I really enjoy the details of the weddings I photograph. It takes just a few seconds to get a shot like this and is a visual reminder of the nuance the day. It may very well evoke the emotions of what the Bride felt just before the ceremony…just before this gown was laced by her bridesmaids. Photography of the wedding details are a key ingredient to the narrative of the wedding day. So much goes into the planning of the day. Those choices need to to be preserved by the wedding photographer.
A simple photograph like this can also be used as a visual element in the your wedding album. I often use a soft light photograph such as this one as a background spreading from the left page to the right with additional photos on top of it. This personalizes your storybook wedding album beyond what most other photographers will design. It is my commitment to you that I will capture as many memories as I am able. Photographs of the empty church, closeups of the bouquet, the cake, the texture of the groom’s vest and so much more. These are integral parts of all that you have designed your wedding day to be. Please allow Barkley Wedding Photography to solidify the details of your wedding.
Click here to see a huge portfolio of Wedding Photography Details.
 Unforgettable Wedding Photography Moline, IL This is the once in a lifetime moment that just has to be captured and certainly adds to the Bride and Groom’s collection of wedding photography. Mallory and Ryan’ reception was at the I Wireless Center in Moline. It just so happened that Metallica was playing there that evening. The I Wireless Center has to be the most sound insulated building in the world because we couldn’t hear them at all. One of the Groomsmen asked their management if they could stop by for a visit. This would have been an unforgettable moment as a wedding photojournalist. Unfortunately, they didn’t stop by but they did sent a nice bottle of Dom Perignon.
So many other examples of fantastic wedding day moments are the specialty of wedding photojournalism. They don’t have to be brushes with heavy metal rockers…they can just be the look in the eye of the groom as he sees his fiancee transform into his bride as she walks down the aisle. It can be the flower girl dumping the entire basket of flowers at the feet of the groom. These are the moments the true wedding photojournalist craves…the moments that remind for years to come just what that day felt like. Click here to see more unforgettable wedding photography.
 Fun Wedding Photojournalism Quad Cities There is no doubt in my mind that wedding photojournalism is the most fun form of photography. It’s fun for me as a wedding photographer and my brides have loads of fun looking at all of the photos I capture at their wedding. I am able to show them moments they didn’t even know happened. I get to be the Bride and Groom’s discerning eyes and ears throughout the wedding day. Eyes, because I get to look through a telephoto lens scanning the entire room looking for visual cues. Ears, because I must listen for audible cues as to where the next great shot is. There is obvious fun on the dance floor but there are plenty of entertaining moments at the tables and in the corners of the reception hall. Documentary wedding photography requires that I look and listen in whatever situation I’m in capturing the crazy moments that just sort of happen. As a wedding photojournalist I have seen it all…surely there will be more though…right? Click here to see a gallery full of fun wedding photojournalism.
Lauren and Chris tied the knot in Davenport Iowa on July 8th. It was a hot and sunny day but everyone was in good spirits. Not only did the Bride and Groom look fantastic, they were affectionate towards each other. The family and friends were enjoying the day and each other. As a Wedding Photographer this is so helpful when capturing great photographs.
The Bride and Groom live in New Jersey but the Bride’s family still live in the Quad Cities. Chris’ family is from Jersey and all his family and friends came here for the wedding. There had to have been over one hundred who came here from the East Coast! They were very complimentary of the hospitality in Iowa. One groomsman who suffered a fall here went to a local hosplital and was amazed at the kindness and sympathetic care he received. He said things are different in New Jersey. Okay, enough about how nice we are here…
This wedding was so much fun! The people were great to work with and the venues looked fantastic. I had a lot of friends at this wedding so it was a great day for me personally. The ceremony was at Grace United Methodist Church in Davenport, after which we went to VanderVeer Park for some casual outdoor photos and then The Stockade Bar in the East Village. Finally we proceeded to the reception at the Davenport Radisson Hotel.
The wedding ceremony was nice…short and sweet, the air conditioner worked very nicely indeed…thank God! We did formal photography after the ceremony and still had time to hit the park and the Stockade before the reception. I always try to get the formal photography done very quickly and everyone involved was happy to get them done fast. We ended up with many great formal shots. Lauren and Chris were great at the park. The semi-formal shots moved quickly, which was good because of the heat. After a few shots with the whole wedding party everybody headed back into the trolley provided by Quad City Trolley from Bettendorf Iowa where I believe there were “refreshments” available for those on board. After some quick bride and groom photos we rolled to the Stockade which also had refreshments. It was a nice big bar that was jam packed with family and friends of the wedding party. This was most definitely a wedding “party” if you know what I mean. It was cocktail hour at the Radisson when we arrived and people were having a good time.
The reception as a whole was a blast. Tim from Black Tie Entertainment was the helmsman of the musical ship. He did his job beyond anybody’s expectations. A great DJ makes all the difference in the world! The place looked fantastic, the food was excellent, and everybody enjoyed themselves to the max. This was a group of dancers. They kicked it all night long.
I just love a good wedding!
Click here to see Barkley Wedding Photography website
 The guys have it so much easier  Chris looks relaxed before the ceremony  Watching his Bride walk down the isle  Lauren happily arrives at the altar  The first kiss of the day...with many more to come  Bubbles in the air  Bubbles in the eye  A walk in the park  Everybody hide the beer behind the trees  A quick casual shot of the Newlyweds  Lauren looking fantastic  Quad City Trolley awaits  The Father of the Groom enjoying himself at The Stockade  The grand entrance on the grand stairway  Cocktail hour at The Radisson in Davenport  A beautifully decorated cake...a beautifully decorated room  Let the party begin  Sweeping her off her feet  Brotherly love  Secrets  A joyful moment  A heartfelt moment  Tim "The Boogie Man" Schaver  Get Down!
 Get funky!  Gettin' busy  Gettin' a text message Brian Barkley
Your Quad Cities Wedding Photojournalist
My purpose as your photojournalistic wedding photographer is to capture the real moments that tell the true story of your wedding day which will create a visual narrative for you to enjoy for the rest of your life.
So much is silently spoken with the eyes, face and body language of a person. It is the split seconds in time that only a camera can capture which tell the real story of what is going on within you, your family and your guests. My goal at your wedding is to depict true emotion. To be there when it happens…that moment. I will capture the thrill of walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time, the anticipation in the dressing room, the sensations of melancholy and satisfaction of your father leaving you in your Groom’s capable hands, the warm and loving congratulations from your wedding guests, the exhilaration as you kiss for the first time. Laughter, tears, passion…these inspire me. Your wedding will be full of every emotion from the most subtle to the most animated. I will be there to record them. Fifty years from now, when you show your grandchildren your wedding album, you will relive all of the emotion of that incredible day. There is no better investment in your wedding day than in your photographs.
Call today to discuss your wedding plans: 563.388.0099
Visit Barkley Wedding Photography
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