 Spring time is nearly here and that means there will be some great opportunities for outdoor photography in Salem. One such location that I really enjoy taking photos of families at is Bush’s Pasture Park. Bush’s Pasture Park is a 90 acre park located just south of downtown Salem. It has several sports fields, including Willamette University’s track and field stadium, a soap box derby track, running trails, open fields and play structures. But that’s not all. It also contains several gardens including a rose garden with gazebo. Wildflowers grow all over the park during the spring and it’s these areas I like to take clients to for photo sessions. With the plethora of available backgrounds available, I consider Bush’s Pasture Park to be an ideal location for family photo sessions. The rose garden and gazebo are great places to capture classic photos. Add in the few historic buildings in the background and you have an excellent location for photography. I personally enjoy the extensive Camas meadow. It’s a great location in one of the quieter parts of the park where Camas flowers (Wild hyacinth) bloom in a sweeping bed amongst a small grove of trees. It provides ample shade during hot days and a nice colorful backdrop to photos. (see photo to left). The purple Camas add just enough color to really make the portraits pop.
Another excellent spot is this one tree near the Bush House and rose garden. It only blooms for about a week each year so getting there can be a bit tricky and you have to be flexible with dates to make it work, but the photos from there are simply amazing and worth the hassle! This tree blooms beautifully purple every year and gives the illusion of being surrounded by wild blooms, making for stunning portraits for a small group or individual.
The Bush house also offers other beautiful blooms that are around a bit longer than the one tree, and with a large porch there is more room for larger groups.
To book a session at Bush Park, please contact Kathryn at 503-871-8417. For the special tree call between February 15th and April 15th to get on the schedule and we will contact you when the time is right. |
Month: March 2015
After a bridal show: Now what do I do?
So you just got back from a bridal or wedding show. You have tons of materials from all sorts of vendors and you are on wedding overload! You are probably asking now what do I do?!? If you read our previous article Bridal Shows: 5 tips for couples then you are prepared for this moment and I recommend you skip to step 3 and take a week or two off! If you haven’t read that article that is ok, there are a couple steps to do right away before you take your time off.
Step 1 – Take notes and Sort the materials
When you get home from the wedding show, or very shortly after (hopefully within a day), you will want to clear the floor and dump out your bag (or bags!) of information you received and start going through them. You will want to start separating the information into categories (venues, caterers, photographers, etc.). As you do, take a minute with each to remember each one and takes notes on what you remember. Think about how each one made you feel, a memorable quote or experience at their booth or while you were talking with them, your likes and concerns about their work and how they would work with you, and anything else you can think of. You want to do this while it is still fresh in your mind and when you can remember the most.
Step 2 – Order the categories by which you want to hire first
Next you want to order the vendor types into the order you are planning on booking them. This helps balance your priorities and all your desired pieces. It will also help you in step 4 to stay focused and should make decisions easier.
Step 3 – Take a break!
Now that you are all organized, you deserve a break! Take a week or two off to relax and recharge before you get into actually choosing your vendors. This will not only help you clear your head, but should help you narrow down your choices in each category.
Step 4 – Choosing your vendors
While each couple will approach this part differently, there are a few tips I can pass on here. First is to choose one vendor at a time according to your organized categories. This will let you more easily compare packages/offerings from vendors in this category and will let you deeply explore what you want from that type of vendor. Next, You will want to discuss each type of vendor together and make some choices before you start talking to vendors. For example, do you want a religious ceremony? Do you want the ceremony and reception all in one place? Do you want a DVD or digital files of your picture? How much are you hoping to spend on this category? And many other questions.
Once you have narrowed down what you want from each category, then take the first category and read the materials you collected, looking for those elements which you decided were most important for you.
Finally, choose your top 3-5 from each category based on what you want and your budget, and call them for a consultation. This will allow you to get a better feel for them and a personalized quote for your wedding. If you find what you feel is your perfect vendor from these consultations, put down your deposit and move on to the next category. If you are still on the fence and can’t seem to make a decision, move on to the next category and come back to it. The important thing is that you can make the decisions without feeling pressured or frustrated with the process. Planning your wedding should be a wonderful experience. And always remember the experts are there to help you. There are many wonderful planners and vendors out there that can help you along the way.
Happy Planning!!