Posts Tagged ‘arkansas engagements’

Slowly but Surely…..

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Originally I just planned on posting a quick image up on Facebook of a quick edit I did on a recent engagement shoot and call it a day for my social media efforts.  Just then I changed my mind and decided to give all my lovely clients an update.

I just finished up editing Kara and Nathan’s wedding images and they are currently loading into their online gallery (that will take about 6 hours to complete).  YAY!!!!

Followed by:

Crystal and Greg

Ivory and Matt

Liz and Jacky

Audra and Jeff

Jordan and Jordan

Sean and Jessica

My goal is to work on one wedding a week and hopefully knock them all out a few weeks before Christmas.

 

Now if you are wondering where you fit in with your sessions please don’t be alarmed my goal is to have every family session finished up by the end of November to give you plenty of time for ordering gifts for family!

 

Now I’ll leave you with that lovely image I planned on posting to Facebook today!  :)

Couple walking down train tracks with vintage suitcases

 

Enjoy!

-erika

We are SWAMPED! // Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographers

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Hey everyone!  I have some images uploading right now so I thought I would take a quick second to post some recent work just to keep you updated!  We’ve been crazy busy around here!  I guess it doesn’t help with all the traveling we’ve been doing either!  Right now all the shoots we do are taking about 2 months to get back to our clients.  Typically I like to have a wedding finished within 2 to 3 weeks so that can give you a bit of an idea about how swamped we really are!  We’ve had power outages like mad as well making it a bit challenging to edit…..  but making our family quite happy with lots of time to play!   I want to take a second to thank all our beautiful lovely clients for making this year such a success!  Without you we would be just the opposite….very very slow and not busy!

I have the best clients in the world!  Really I have met some wonderful people this summer and it’s made my photography so much better!  I love my clients!  Thank you!

Arkansas Engagement Portraits

Destination Engagements

Fayetteville Senior Portraits

Simple Pleasures Wedding Photographers

Arkansas Maternity Photographers

Rogers Senior Portraits

best friends photoshoot

Creekwood Gardens Wedding Photographers

This is just a few of the recent work we’ve been up to!  Many many blog posts to come as soon as I take care of all my clients!

Enjoy!

-erika

Kate and Patrick // Rogers Arkansas Engagement Photography

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Kate and Patrick met at the University of Maine and have been together for 7 years.  They will be getting married back in Maine next year.  They moved to our good old state to follow Patrick’s job while he works for a WalMart vendor.  Either way we are glad you are here!  I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to capture their beautiful engagements for them!  I know they already have a photographer but maybe they’ll consider sending me to Maine?  I’ve never been past Philadelphia so wouldn’t that be nice?!?!?!  :)  Ok I’m done dreaming but just keep that in mind if you are reading this Kate and Patrick!  ;)  We met up at Prairie Creek Marina for some fun nautical inspired shots.  The weather was very beautiful as was the sun!  Their outfits were perfect…..*small tip:  sending what you plan on wearing to your photographer really helps them get an idea of where to shoot or what your style is and makes your images so much more!  Kate is so beautiful…… I’m pretty sure I could photograph her all day long and never get tired of it!  Congratulations you two and thanks for the opportunity to capture some beautiful shots and enjoy your engagement!

Rogers Arkansas Engagements

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Arkansas Wedding Photographers

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fayetteville engagement photographers

engagement session on a boat

NW Arkansas wedding photographers

These were so much fun!  I love to shoot “styled” shoots!

Enjoy!

-erika

NW Arkansas Wedding Photographer // SNEAK PEEK {Megan and Benton}

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

I finally (I say that because we’ve been trying to get together for months and the weather just wasn’t having it!) got to meet up  with Megan and Benton last Friday!  We had a wonderful time shooting around downtown Rogers.  I had the privilege of meeting their adorable puppy!  I just adore when people bring along their pets!  Around our home pets are a VITAL part of our family. What a cute way to add some personality to your engagements!  I am going to self claim myself to be the “dog whisperer…..or maybe barker” to get the shot!  :)   We had a really great time and stay posted for more to come!

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Enjoy!

-erika

Before and After – NWA Photographer’s Style

Monday, January 17th, 2011

I get a lot of emails (mostly on facebook)………..which if you are reading this now, the best way to contact me is via email…..erikadotson@gmail.com  for the fastest response.  I really dislike facebook messages, first of all it’s not very professional on my part but more importantly information gets lost and hacked all the time!!!  No fun.

Ok so what I get a lot of emails……no I didn’t finish…….I get a lot of  emails about what I use to edit with and I think people get disappointed when my reply is simple and I say photoshop.  Nope there’s no secret special fancy tool that I have, just boring old photoshop.

With that said I do use about 5 actions religiously from Totally Rad ActionsMCP Actions, and Red Leaf Actions if you’ve never heard of them, I’m telling  you now you seriously are dated and missing out!!!  Check them out NOW!!!!  :)

Ok so I wanted to run through a photo from start to finish with you guys.

ORIGINAL:

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First of all you’ve gotta start with a pretty good picture originally.  Personally this photo looks pretty good straight out of camera (SSOC).  And I shoot in RAW which makes things easier as far as editing goes.

I’m not super techy so I am not going to provide screen shots for you.  So sorry!  (If anyone out there would be so kind as to share in a comment below I would love to know how to do that on a mac!!!)  :)

Next, I open my file in Adobe Bridge and made light adjustments, along with clarity.

I then usually run an action called A Touch of Color.  Personal favorite as far as actions go!  I then play with the opacity levels.  Seriously that’s the trick here!  You should never run an action and just leave it how it ended up!!!!  I always change those levels!

My next favorite action to run is called Groovy.  This one just puts a nice warm coat on everything and I usually only use it at about 30%.

Finally I finish up with an action I created myself that flattens the image to end up with this photo…..

AFTER:

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I would love some feedback! Let me know what you think or if you have any questions!

Enjoy!

-erika

Tanja and David // Arkansas Engagement Portraits

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Tanja and David, where in the world do I start?  Well right here in my backyard in fact!  Tanja has been out to my house many times and knew this was the area she wanted to have her engagements done.  David is such a sport and does pretty much whatever Tanja musters around in her head!  I love it!  David adores her and I think it’s beautiful.  I was actually there the day that he proposed to her hiding behind a rock ledge trying to capture some photos of the whole thing!

Tanja wanted a vintage style to her engagements and I just love these travel inspired ones we started out with!  It was a BIG deal to keep track of David’s passport (as he’s visiting from England)!!!!

Arkansas Engagement Portraits Tanja and David 1

I have wanted to photograph someone on this bridge for a very long time!  I’m so glad that Tanja was able to see the same thing I did as she drove over it for the first time to my house!!!

Arkansas Engagement Portraits Tanja and David 3

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We then headed to another place that I’ve been dying to shoot at!!!  Every weekend when we go to visit TW’s parents we pass this vineyard and I always put in a mental note: I’ve got to take someone out here!!!!  Now I can put that note aside thanks to Tanja!  She’s so stinkin beautiful……doesn’t she just look famous with that beautiful hair?!?!?!!?

Arkansas Engagement Portraits Tanja and David 2

This next set has a bit of a funny background story to it.  We first tried to set up our picnic in the middle of the dirt road.  But between getting the blanket down, the typewriter, the soda, and not to mention the couple a car would come then we’d do it all over again and another car would come!!!  We got a bit frustrated but headed to a beautiful field instead.  But the story doesn’t stop there, while we were taking these Tanja noticed some cows getting closer and closer…….well apparently we were in the middle of two fields of cows that were headed towards one another as if they were going to battle!  Needless to say we got our stuff quickly and hopped over on the other side of the fence into the “safe” zone!!!  :)  Then afterwards they followed us to the gate and we tried to touch them.  I didn’t realize they hadn’t ever seen a cow that close before!  If I would have known that I would have stuck them out in our field and let our little cow come say hi!!!

Arkansas Engagement Portraits Tanja and David 6

Arkansas Engagement Portraits Tanja and David 5

Tanja and David I can’t wait to fly out to Europe next summer for your wedding day!!!  You two are such a beautiful couple!  It’s been such a blast being able to work alongside you two and see you grow!

Much Love

-erika

Ashley and Jim // Arkansas Engagements

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Ashley and Jim drove up to Fayetteville for the weekend.  They are such a fun and laid back couple!  I enjoyed walking all over Springdale and through all the briars with them today!  They will be getting married in Little Rock on July 17th this year.  I’m pretty excited!!!!

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I just love how happy they are in this one!  Of and I love the wind blowing her hair!!!

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Jim’s a lucky guy!  Isn’t she just gorgeous, look at those eyes!

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Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love. This may just be my favorite image of the day.

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Cute shot in downtown Springdale.

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Don’t they look so happy to be together!  I just love shooting engagement pictures!

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This was Ashley’s one request……field shots!  I am in love with sunflare and fields!

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Love the warmth and closeness!

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Oh wait I forgot about this one…….totally hands down my favorite for the day!

Enjoy!

-erika

Natalie and Brad / Northwest Arkansas Engagements!

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

I had the true pleasure of being in Natalie and Brad’s company tonight!  They are both pretty busy so as luck would have it today was one of the very few days we could get them in before they got hitched on Oct. 24th!  They drove up all the way from Poteau today!  Go you guys, oh and that got me thinking congrats to Brad for recently quitting smoking!  I’ve heard that’s pretty tough so I thought everyone should know and congratulate you!  Also Natalie is working on kicking a nail biting habit to the curb!  Go you guys, way to better yourselves!!  ha ha  Anyways just a bit of random info I learned about you two tonight!  On to the the real reason we got together today….  I had such a blast with you guys and I can’t wait for you to get married!  Here’s some images to enjoy!

Oh and real quick I think Brad is super lucky…….just look how gorgeous this gal is!  I love her curls!

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