Ryan A Stadler

Erica & Eric. A Hope Glen Farm wedding.

So, I'm just going to say this right away...Erica has literally been my biggest fan since our initial email. Its every wedding photographers dream to be considered the best photographer out there by clients. Erica was so excited to work with me, she convinced her sister (who was getting married the same year!) to have me be her photographer as well. So, naturally...I will follow up this post with Erica's sisters wedding :) This wedding, though. Yah, there was rain. Yah, plans had to change a bit. The wedding rocked. People had a blast. Memories were made and in the end, an amazing couple shared vows and celebrated their new life together. What a high privilege to witness such things. Thank you Erica and Eric. I don't deserve clients and friends like you. Thanks to my friend, Josiah, for helping on tons of weddings over the past two years. 

A reminder for those checking out my blog these days that I'm doing something different this year. For me, memories tend to surface in my mind in a random, sporadic manner. When I think back on weddings, certain images I captured help me remember the day. I'm trying to post in a non-linear way in attempts to reproduce this sort of flashback. There is definitely a story aspect to wedding photography that I love and try to encapsulate through a collection of photos, but everyone seems to blog this way and why not try something different?  

Alright, enjoy looking back through Erica and Eric's day with me and THANK YOU for your support. Let me know what you think about this way of blogging a wedding. Do you like it? Should I stop? Be honest.       

Keeping it simple / Holga 120N + Nikon One Touch 100

I don't pretend to be techy. Although, I enjoy learning about the newest camera to hit the market or best photography gadget thats all the rave. But, its really exhausting keeping up with the latest and greatest thing. All too often, I find myself in a conversation where another photographer gushes about how amazing something is or how this one lens or camera will make such a difference...I want to stop thinking about the camera or lens or current gadget I'm using and more about seeing and capturing and using compelling composition. I recently added a couple cheap film cameras to the mix and I've really enjoyed the simplicity of using them. There's just not that much to think about. I compose and shoot. simple. Here are some favorites from the few rolls I've shot so far.

 
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Tara LaTour Fashion Show / L'atelier Couture Bridal Boutique / Minneapolis, MN

Recently, I had a great opportunity to photograph a local bridal fashion show for Rivets and Roses (a local wedding photography studio I work for). About a month before the show I met with Tara and listened to her explain the vision behind this collection of dresses and what she desired for photography coverage of the event. Its always a great meeting when certain words or phrases are used in relation to photography…

"behind the scenes"

"real"

"document"

"whatever you want"

"I trust you"

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…and when there's a good fit and everyones on board, collaborating can be one of the most rewarding experiences out there. There were SO many people involved with this event.  I've included a list of vendors at the end of this blog post and I encourage you to check everyone out. Well, here are some of the moments I saw. If you didn't go, you missed out on a great show! Thanks for the support everyone. Livin the dream.

Now that you've seen the photos, check out this amazing film made by my good friend Chris Martin of Sky Focus Films. And tons of others made this event so special...

-Johnny and Dottie / MSP Magazine / Haus Salon / Ashley Fox Designs / On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals / Paperista / Rivets and Roses / Essie Nail Polish / Bent Paddle Beer / Patisserie 46 / Erin Johnson Photography / White Peacock Styled Events / Flower Event Group / Marcus D / Gateaux Inc / Velvet Raptor / L'atelier Couture Bridal Boutique / Tara LaTour