cbYatesphotography

Hands down . . .

my favorite gift I gave this year was this 16 x 24" canvas I had made for my brother and his girlfriend. I couldn't wait for them to open this package.
This photo is so *them*. It was taken after an afternoon of raking leaves down at the cabin. Nothing fancy about it . . . just a true and genuine moment I was happy to capture.

Edited: I don't have to keep it under wraps anymore . . . THEY'RE ENGAGED!!
I was honored when Matt asked me to help him pick out *the ring* at the end of November. We had fun looking at all the bling and Matt made a beautiful choice. My favorite part of the night was him thanking me as we walked out to our cars. Squeezed tight in a big bear hug, he told me he couldn't have done it without me. I was sure glad to help.

I can't even tell you how excited I am that Ashlie is joining our family. She's so good for my brother!

Excuse the goofy smile from Matt in the second photo, I think he was done with picture taking at that point. Just like a young kid he was probably ready to open another package!

Sorry for such a lapse in between blog posts. I plan to have a "catch-up" post very soon. Can't wait to show you what I was working on in Nov. & Dec.!

Another engagement in the Omaha O!

I got to scout out another giant "O" for this engagement shoot! I was happy to hear that the couple was as excited as I was to get their picture taken with this funky art monument. I think the Omaha O! Public Art Project is such a cool idea. Here's the one we found at the 60th & Dodge location.

Like this shot taken on the pedestrian walkway above Dodge Street? We had to park a couple blocks away and walk to get to this cool looking "O".

This last photo is one of my favorites I've taken lately. So much expression and closeness between these two. I had a great time with Elise and Doug. We were pretty much laughing the entire afternoon! They were a little late getting getting to our location because they had some trouble finding it. (so they said!) I kept teasing Doug that it was because he wanted to drive around awhile longer and listen to the Nebraska game on the radio! :)

Take care you guys. Your online gallery is up and ready to be viewed. I just emailed your invitation. And be sure to let me now when you close on your new house 'cause I'd love to take your first "official homeowners" photo!

Engaged in the Omaha O!

I'm so excited to share these photos of a very special couple I photographed recently. Our photoshoot was cancelled twice because of weather but in the end I'm glad it worked out that way. The day we took photos ended up exactly like we needed, perfect mild temperature and no rain!

I had a great time with these two. They are without a doubt in love and perfect for each other. The whole shoot was comfortable and so casual just the way I like it. I feel I really captured their personalities and their relationship. These types of photoshoots make me love what I'm doing even more.
I can't wait to attend their wedding next May. After hanging out with these two I know it will be one heck of a party!

We went to two different areas to photograph in. One being the Old Market. There are so many cool little niches to photograph down there. Do you love the giant "O" that's part of the Omaha O! Public Art Project? Here's a video showing all the different "O" locations. hmmm, I just got an idea. How cool would it be to have every engagement session have at least one photo snapped at one of these locations? I have a couple more engagement sessions coming up. I may have to run it by them and see what they think.

One more cool thing about this couple . . . I share the same name as the bride-to-be. She even spells it the same! I don't run into that very often. I love the way Cara told me how she explained me to her friends. "Her name is Cara and she even spells it correctly!" Love it, meaning there's only one RIGHT way to spell it. :)
Well, take care Zach and Cara! I will have your online gallery setup and ready to be viewed before the weekend. Thanks for such a fun photoshoot.

cb Yates Photography.com went *live* yesterday. . .

and the picture below signifies how I'm feeling today.
I've worked on the new site for well over a month now and I'm so glad it's finally up and running. I got over 250 hits yesterday alone. Now I know those stats aren't much to some people but to me they're huge! And that's only the first day.

I wanted to thank everyone that has passed my name on to their friends. To me there is no bigger compliment than good word of mouth publicity. To have you love my work and want to share it with others . . . wow, what a great feeling. Thank you.

So I'll leave you with one of my favorite recent pictures of my favorite little buddy "C". This photo is featured a couple times on my website. Can ya tell I love it? And check back within the next couple days. I've got some great photo shoots coming up that I can't wait to share!

One of the coolest

weddings I've ever attended was this past Sunday at the Renaissance Mansion. The couple had just returned from getting married in Japan. At their overseas wedding they wore traditional American outfits. At the ceremony last week back in the U.S. they dressed in beautiful kimonos!

Every detail of the ceremony was very special. During the ceremony they had friends speak, the tables had Japanese candy favors, and there was even sake at the bar. There was so much thought put into the preparations of their special day.

It was such a privilege to get to photograph this couple. Even though I've only spent a short time talking to know them I can tell they're very special. They have such a neat story with how they met and got to know each other.
Congratulations E and H!

The Secret Workshop

I realized I've never posted about the fabulous workshop I attended a couple weeks ago. I can't say enough about the ladies that put this on, Cheryl Muhr and Jodie Otte. They were so willing to share not only photography tips but what they've learned running their successful businesses. I was SO inspired on the plane ride home. I have all these ideas about new things to offer my clients, new places to do photoshoots, etc. I've had to start a notebook with my ideas so I don't forget them all! I keep it next to my bed and more than once I've awoken in the middle of the night to jot something down.

One of the things I've been working on lately is a new website! I'm so excited to share it with you all once it's just right. Designing is a lot of fun but also very time consuming. I'll be sure to announce when the official launching day is!

In the meantime here's some photos I took at the workshop. We were so lucky to get to work with such talented, adorable models! Not only did we have great kids to work with but the surroundings were incredible. The windows in the studio and the urban surroundings outside were wonderful to work with. I'm on the lookout for a place like this close to where I live now!

Growing up

Take a look at these gorgeous little girls in matching pink dresses. Nope, they're not sisters. Close though . . . These are photos of my two best friends and their daughters. All three of my good friends from high school each had a baby girl this past year. Hopefully someday I can join them! ha ha

We did a photoshoot in June when L was in town and had so much fun watching the two young ones interact. With nothing but a vintage quilt and the green grass as our background it was a very casual, comfortable time.

And these last couple of photos just melt my heart. We thought we were all done but when baby snuggled into mommy I couldn't resist. They were playing and then she just laid down on mommy's cheek and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Priceless!

Getting ready for kindergarden

Well we went back to the "locker graveyard" last night to take photos with a little guy that will be starting kindergarden next month. We played on the playground and got shots with his 18 month old sister. So happy to get to "hang" out with these guys last night. Literally, we "hung" out on the monkey bars together. Amazing, because I clearly remember those monkey bars being a lot taller! Guess it's been a few years since I played on that equipment.
I always have such a good time with these kids. Plus their parents are just so cool. So down to earth and easy to talk to. I truly value their friendship.

That's Sarah with a Mae

. . . and Sarah with a Mae needed some "I've recently graduated college" pictures. I couldn't wait to take these photos. Not only is she my best friend's younger sister and extremely beautiful and fun but, she just graduated with a degree in Graphic Design! Nothing better in my book. This is just one of the many things we have in common. A quirky sense of humor, a passion for art and photography, and an uncanny ability to quote the movie "elf" are just a few others.

Without further ado,

We set off through town tonight looking for fun and different places to "snap some shots". It sure was hot out but we still had a great time. And oh yes girls, those are old lockers you're looking at. It was like a locker graveyard. They were on their side, upside down, doors ripped off, etc. I was on a trek to find some unusual backgrounds and I hit the jackpot. I kept joking with Sarah that we'd need tetanus shots by the time we got out of climbing through that jumbled up mess of ripped out lockers.

And my main goal tomorrow is to call and find out if they are, shall we say "available". I want a locker or two to use as a funky storage piece in my house. Sarah and I used a couple locker door fronts for some other pictures that I didn't post. I'd love to have them as photo props!

My Dad Rocks . . .

So I've decided to separate my photography from my regular blog. *This* will where I'll post recent sessions, new things I've learned, or just photography experiments I've conducted on the weekends.

Now, to relate to the title "my dad rocks". These photos are of a session I did a couple weeks ago as a Father's day gift. I was trying to think of something different to outfit my adorable subject in when I decided to browse Target.com. That's where I found this funky little tank that states the great daddy phrase in pink glitter.

I love the interaction between mommy and daughter in these photos. Totally comfortable and fun, just the way it should be . . .