As a photographer, I spend most of my life watching the weather report and pleading to my local deity to just please, please, please not have it rain on Saturday. That was the case this weekend, when I kept hearing that rain would roll in around 4 PM, and I had a 5.30 PM engagement session planned.

(Mind you, when it does rain, I try to convince the couple to try it anyway– rain can lead to incredibly sexy pictures, and if it’s not happening, I’ll be happy to go out on a second day anyway.)

As you’ll guess from the images… the rain held off. Fun was had. We got our photos on. Good times.

… is getting a chance to meet new brides and share with them my work and explain how I try to cover a wedding. It’s such a positive experience, and I get a lot of validation as brides tell me which images speak to them.

So, when I was scheduled to be in Lexington already and a shooting gig got cancelled, I jumped at the opportunity when Kate Webster of Bridal Potpourri asked me if I’d like a booth at their bridal show this weekend. I thoroughly enjoy every aspect of bridal shows (OK, maybe not the transportation of the couch…) and this one was no different. In fact, because so many of you this time were ‘09 brides, it was more fun, because I only had to tell a handful of people I was booked on their date– nearly every one of which had either August 2 or October 4.

I’ll be calling a number of you tomorrow to let you know if you’ve won one of the ten 16×20 prints we were giving away, so look out for my call, and make sure you call me as well about when you might want to sit down and discuss your photography needs– remember, a lot of you were asking about the same dates, so book as quickly as you can!

Some of you asked about copies of my pricelist– sorry about the trouble I had printing it this morning– which you can see at http://www.ianlozada.com/pricelist.pdf In addition, you can also see some of my recent work that hasn’t hit the website if you find us on Facebook.

As many of you know, most of my shooting to date has been in the New York/New Jersey markets. It’s not easy to start your business again from scratch in a new place where people aren’t familiar with what you do. So Saturday’s wedding was really special for me: Sarah was the first bride to sign with me, and her wedding coordinator, Alicia DeBoor of Great Expectations, was the first one to refer business to me and has become one of my best friends in the area. They believed in me before anyone else in Kentucky had even heard of me, and I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for a long time.

The venue, A Storybook Inn over in Versailles, is a beautiful bed and breakfast not far from the courthouse, and not enough people have heard about it. Even if you’ve already booked your site, it doesn’t mean you can’t stay a night or two in one of their three fabulous suites, each of which is inspired by a classic film– Casablanca, My Fair Lady and Gone with the Wind. They capture the flavor without being cheesy, and you’ll love it.

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Anyway, on to the images…

How amazing were Sarah’s eyes?

There’s something about the moment you step into the dress that just speaks volumes. I wanted to capture the quiet grace of the moment.

So often, the groomsmen are one of afterthoughts of a wedding. These ones wanted to have fun and have a special image for Brandon that he didn’t know about. No way could I give them any thing less than a “guy’s” image.

I love the juxtaposition of the bridesmaid and flower girl interacting, with the quiet anticipation written on Sarah’s face here.

I couldn’t leave out some images of the wonderful details Alicia and Deanna of Great Expectations worked so hard on…

One thing I’m always looking for is ways to show my pictures that are unique and vibrant. I recently took a panoramic picture of the twins and had it mounted on half-inch gatorboard with a glossy finish for my mom for her birthday. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before.

I recently came across a new album company called Couture Book that really understands that Wow Factor. Their books are all about style, about standing out with elegant, romantic looking books that speak to the person inside. Even better, they don’t make you constantly choose which pictures to leave out– their books are priced in 100 page increments, so that you don’t have to give up a thing.

Needless to say, this is a very special book, and it’s not for everyone. If you’re interested in it, call me for pricing for your preferred style.

With one eye on the weather report, Nami and Robert scheduled their engagement session for today. Robert knows the folks over at Parrish Hill Farm in Midway, so we had an absolutely stunning location to work with. (Plus, one of my favorite racehorses ever, Derby and Preakness winner Charismatic, was foaled there.)

Working with Nami and Robert was a breeze. They have such an easy familiarity that it was like the camera wasn’t even there.

Once their session ended and we got back in the car, it immediately started to rain. What timing!

Nami and Robert get married this July up at Lake Lyndsay Lodge in Hamilton, Ohio.

Had a great time traipsing through downtown Lexington with Stephanie and Dave, who are getting married in mid June. The Lexington Opera House made for a particularly fun venue along the way. Afterwards, we caught dinner at Brooklyn Sports Grille and Pizzeria, where oddly enough, we talked about barbecue. (Up till a few minutes ago, I didn’t realize the downtown location was owned by the folks at the Brooklyn Pizza off Man O’War– probably because unlike the Helmsdale Place location, they can actually cut a slice into triangles. When I get pizza at the other one, it inevitably ends up having a fourth side. What’s up with that?)

Anyway, here’s a taste of the images:

As many of you know, I love horse racing and got my start in photography leaning over the rails at Belmont Park to produce the portfolio that got me my first photography job. I’ve been going to the Belmont Stakes for years, but I’ve never been to the Kentucky Derby before.

Until yesterday.

With a longtime racing buddy, Mike Babor, I had seats right on the rail at Churchill Downs for Derby Day. And while I never got around to a mint julep, I got plenty of images of the hats, the pageantry, and of course, the horses!

The break…

Cool Coal Man guns for the front…

Infield Denizens strain to get a glimpse…

Here’s Big Brown taking the lead in the Derby:

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I’ve got engagement sessions and a wedding over the coming week, so plenty of new stuff to come!