It's just a few weeks into the new year and we figured that a 2014 highlight post would be fun. After all, there's much that happened this year that we never got a chance to share on our blog - so.. here's a look at some of our favorite moments from 2014. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did looking back through them all!

 

We had the great opportunity to meet Adrienne at both her sister's engagement session and wedding, earlier this year. The Kueny family was, and still is, a hospitable and genuine group that enjoys life, friends, family and gatherings - and our time with them was so much fun, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with Adrienne for her engagement and wedding, too! From the laughs and the patience to wait for sunset, to the trek back in the dark (and even the grumpy gatekeeper), we had a blast working with these two! So, here are a few favorites from our time with Adrienne & Lucas at their engagement session, and we couldn't be more excited about the coming wedding day in May!

 

Botanica always makes for a beautiful backdrop for any wedding or reception, and we've been lucky enough to shoot there several times in the past year.  Ashley and Mike were married at Botanica in September and every detail of their wedding was stunning and beautifully done.  While Abi captured Ashley and the girls getting ready at Ashley's parents' home, James met up with the guys at the Hyatt downtown to snap some fun photos before they had their first look at Botanica.  In the week leading up to their wedding rain was in the forecast for their wedding day, however we were lucky to have no rain until after all the important dances were finished at their reception.

Ashley and Mike, we really enjoyed getting to spend your wedding day with you and capturing the special time with you both and your families.  Many congratulations and continued joy to you both in your life together!

We had the opportunity to shoot David and Aliessia's wedding on a hot and beautiful day, which seems like such a distant memory after just stepping outside to take the dog out!  Their wedding was a beautiful mingling of their two cultures, and was uniquely their own.   After a traditional Catholic Mass at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton we traveled to the Hotel at Old Town for a wardrobe change and some fun photos.  Aliessia and David both donned red for their reception, which added a fun pop of color to their photos both at the hotel, and at the Museum of World Treasures where the reception was held.  David once worked there, so it was fun for us to go through the museum with the couple and get a little bit of the "inside scoop".  

David & Aliessia, we loved having the chance to participate in your wedding day, we wish you all the best that your life together can bring, and continued adventures!

 

 

It feels like just last week that we got together with Emily & Chris to shoot their engagement photos - and yet their wedding day has already come and gone. One of our favorite parts about working with couples on such an exciting day in their lives is, without a doubt, looking back through that day and reliving it through the photos that we take. Their families were some of the friendliest we've had the opportunity to work with - and their friends were absolutely the life of the reception! 

Congratulations to you both, Emily & Chris, on your marriage - and thanks so much for letting us be a part of your celebration!

 

 

We met with Kristine and her family a few months back. Her energy and enthusiasm that she showed for just the preparations for her big day immediately interested us, because we knew that would translate well into the images we'd capture during the wedding. As you can see from the photos, we weren't disappointed - and she was clearly thrilled to be marrying her best friend! Working with both Zach & Kristine, as well as their families, was a truly enjoyable experience. From the courteous interactions with Kristine's siblings, to the raw humor of Zach's "old man," we felt welcomed and enjoyed every minute we spent documenting such a wonderful occasion!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Zach & Kristine Isenhower! We wish you both the best as you start your new journey together - and keep that excitement and love for one another present in all that you do!

In this particular case, I (James) had already built a relationship with the groom long before he was even engaged. Pat and I go back a little more than 9 years, having worked together in the automotive industry for a good 8 of those years. Heck.. you may be looking at these pictures and even recognizing Pat "Crazy" Blasi - but that story is for a different day.

When Pat approached me about photographing his surprise proposal to Suzie, there was no way I could turn him down. He's one of the most caring and genuine men I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know (and I'm saying this about a car salesman, so that truly puts this in perspective). So after I spent an afternoon with Pat, his new fiancé, and their families, there was no question about whether or not I wanted to work with them all on their wedding day!

To both Pat & Suzie, from both my wife and I - we wish you all the best in this new chapter in your lives. It is an exciting time for you both and an absolute honor to have been present for two wonderful events in your lives. As your friends, we look forward to watching you grow together and know that you will continue to find love and success in all that you do!

We had the pleasure of meeting Hannah & Adam earlier this year. As we shared stories back and forth during our consultation, we knew we really wanted the opportunity to work with them on their big day. Lucky for us, they contacted us shortly after the meeting and decided to book not only their wedding with us, but also their engagement photos!

The two have fantastic personalities and were really a lot of fun to work with - which you can see when you look through the images that we've captured during our time with them. These are just some of our favorites and we really look forward to sharing the rest of them with them. Enjoy!

That made working with our wonderful couple, Sarah & Alexander, all the more enjoyable. They're already pretty relaxed and easy going folks, but add in such a gorgeous backdrop and you've got the perfect wedding. And thanks to the holiday season, they had some beautiful poinsettias and Christmas trees to help decorate and add a little color and interest!

We were so happy to have been chosen to spend their big day with them, documenting these cherished moments. Every wedding is different than the last, and we're very lucky to be given the opportunity to do this on such a regular basis. Thanks again, Sarah & Alexander, and congratulations on the next big step in your lives!

 

Rachel and Jonathan had an absolutely beautiful wedding at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, which also happens to be one of our favorite places to shoot here in Wichita. The architecture of the building alone is just stunning, and the light that comes in through the stained glass windows during the ceremony.. it's so soft and warm!

We really enjoyed spending time with these two, both during their engagement shoot and their wedding. Never have we had the opportunity to work with a couple who display such a gentle affection for one another. The quick glances they steal of each other; the energy they share is enough to attract anyone to want to spend more time with them. They're just so genuinely happy and in-love and, when that shows so vibrantly on the outside, it makes our jobs so much easier.

Congratulations to you both, Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Craft! May your future be as bright and hopeful as the light that shines in your eyes when you look at one another!

James and I (Abi) have families spread out over many miles, and so it is quite rare when we are able to convene in one place and at one time.  This happened about six weeks ago, when my brother and his wife surprised my sister and I for a 10K in honor of her 25th birthday, and then over this past Thanksgiving holiday we were all together at my grandparent's house in northern Wisconsin.  It was a special weekend filled with laughter, food and a little wood chopping, nothing too out of the ordinary for my family.

Something I've noticed in my time here in Wichita, which is basically my entire life, is that Wichita gets smaller as you grow older. As you meet new people, you increase your chances of meeting people who know people you already know - and vice versa. So, it shouldn't have been a surprise that when a close friend told me about another of his friends getting engaged, there was a chance I might know them. In fact, it wasn't until that recently engaged friend contacted me, via Facebook, about wedding photography, that I realized he was an old coworker! 

Daniel and Kammie were so warm and welcoming during our consult with them, we were excited at the very thought of working with them. It's not often you run into old acquaintances and get the opportunity to spend one of the biggest days of their lives with them - especially when you get to document that important day! And, in keeping with pleasant surprises, once we were on location and had begun to document the big day, I ran into another old coworker! Oh, how small the world gets as you grow up..

We'd like to give a big thanks to Daniel and Kammie for making us feel so welcome. From the tears and laughter your parents shared, to the insistent groomsmen who wanted me to try a new, fantastic beer - your day felt just as special to us as it was for you!

 

We had the honor of spending some time with Haley and her crew last Sunday as we did her senior pictures.  Haley is a senior at Northwest High School and was an absolute blast to work with!  Abi and Haley's mom, Linda, teach together during the week, so it allowed for a more relaxed time since we already feel like we know the family a bit! 

Haley had some fun ideas for her pictures, and was a good sport as she tromped out into fields and stood in chilly temps so we could capture these pictures.  It's always fun to work to capture the personalities of our clients, and we hope we were able to catch Haley's joyful and fun-filled spirit that we saw during the time we worked with her.  An early congratulations to you Haley, we know your future is filled with amazing opportunities and we hope you take a huge bite of all the great world has to offer!

 

And here's something we decided to try that's a little more creative - just for fun. We hope she loves it as much as we do!

 

We recently had the opportunity to get together with the Martin family and update their family photos. For those of you who don't know, the above photo is a composite piece I, James, put together for my project earlier this year. The image is supposed to depict Wendy from Peter Pan. Wendy is being modeled by the oldest daughter from this very family! Her mother told us when we met with them this time around that their daughter wanted to know who she was going to be this time! (Seriously.. How cute is that?)

So - let's get on with the photos!

It's hard to believe that the newborn above just celebrated her first birthday a few short weeks ago. It feels like little Matilda just joined us yesterday - and yet here she is, laughing, playing and enjoying cake! Without further ado, here are some of our favorites during Matilda's 1 year birthday celebration shoot (including a shot of big sister Amelia, who loves to model for us anytime we bring our cameras over)!

We met with Hannah a few months back to discuss the details of her big day, and to see if we would be the right fit for the wedding. She started off on the right foot by letting us know how easy it was to find us online (SEO FTW!), and then we spent the remainder of our time discussing what she was looking for in terms of photography style. She told us how much she enjoyed bright photos - nothing with a lot of heavy shadows - and we knew this would be a great opportunity for Abi to shine!

So, without further interruption, here's the set we've selected to showcase from our engagement shoot with Hannah & Brice (and if you know them, maybe you can talk them in to sharing the rest from their private gallery)!

So, here are some shots that I took for the October issue of Wichita Magazine.

After a couple weeks to look through and edit the photos for this awesome couple, we were finally able to put together a blog post. Rachel & Jon touched base with us about a month ago, after having attended a friends wedding that we photographed. They enjoyed our work so much, as well as the consult (we're pretty friendly folks, after all!), they knew we were the right fit for their big day - and after hearing from them about these photos, they're pretty thrilled with how the engagement shoot went!

It's always nice to meet a laid back, easy going couple, that likes to laugh. It tends to make our job easier, and helps you look more natural in the images we take. These two fit the bill perfectly, and we really had a great time working with them!

Congrats, Rachel & Jon! We're very excited for the big day, and will see you soon!

Ambereen & Haroon gave us the wonderful opportunity to not only capture their big celebration, but also be our first South Asian wedding! Having just discussed wanting the opportunity to photograph such an amazing and colorful celebration the weekend before we heard from them, receiving this opportunity was clearly a gift we would gladly receive. 

Big thanks to both families for the hospitality (and brilliant food!), as well as both Ambereen & Haroon for being so easy going, happy, and energetic during out time working with you! Your portraits are a testament to the importance of giving your photographers time - period. While we understand how busy the wedding day is, you'll never get it back, so giving a little extra time to those documenting it can leave you with photos you may not have otherwise had.

Congratulations to you both!

This past Saturday we had the wonderful opportunity to document little Kaitlyn's first birthday! Though a little shy at first, she was quick to warm up, eager to explore her surroundings, and an absolute lady in the presence of cake. So much so, in fact, that her mother finally had to jump in and help her out!

Thanks so much, Alicia & Daniel, for letting us be a part of this celebration and giving us the opportunity to document it. We really enjoyed meeting you and getting to know your precious daughter!

After having already shared our story with these two on two different occasions (the proposal and the engagement), you're probably already familiar enough with our relationship to them. What I (James) can say, now that the big day has come and gone, is how much we've truly enjoyed sharing in these monumental experiences with both Andrew & Mary. It's not very often you get to share in one of the biggest days of someone's life and be treated like family, when you aren't. Having the opportunity to document these experiences for friends and family who weren't able to be present at each of these big moments is such a blessing!

For that, we are more grateful than we can possibly say, and want to extend our thanks and best wishes to Andrew & Mary Lesh. May your future be filled with the love, strength and faith necessary to serve one another, your family, your community, and the Lord!

Of course, if you're just here for the photos, go ahead and get your scroll on! :)

And for those of you who weren't there (or those who want to relive the day) and wish you could experience the highlights, here's a small highlight video we put together, in between photographs we were taking. Enjoy!

A photographer's job is to get great portraits, family photos that can be hung on the wall for years, the big moments like the first kiss and the cake cutting, the first dance and the grand send-off.  We believe it is also a photographer's job to capture the candid moments, the ones that you as a bride and groom may not have seen because you were working your way through the many guests, or perhaps because you are featured in them.  The candid moments captured in a photograph are the pictures that will show a memory, of the guys watching youtube videos before the wedding, a mother dancing with her son at her wedding, that fun-loving cousin who spends the entire reception cutting a rug on the dance floor.  These photographs spark conversation for years to come, are the ones that are printed and sent to that fun-loving cousin, or treasured when grandparents or parents are no longer with us on this earth.

For these reasons, and so many more, we work not only to capture your big day, all the details, thought and time that went into it, but also getting those candid moments, the quiet ones that sometimes go unnoticed, because these are where the memories are made.  We hope you enjoy these candid moments that we've captured, and have become some of our favorites.

I met Brandon last year when I was looking for some high school athletes to practice sports composite photography on. He's the nephew of a coworker, a football player, a baseball player and, if you didn't get this from the above photo, a car enthusiast. In fact, he not only enjoys cars - he builds them. That gorgeous Camaro you see up there is the product of both he and his father.

When asked about the opportunity to do his senior photos, I really couldn't say no. It was a fun opportunity, and while it was ridiculously windy and cold, I think we managed to get some great stuff that he and his family will love - including a Fast & Furious 6 inspired pose (don't worry Friesens - there's a version in your gallery with and without the text). :)

When we first met with Laura, there was some uncertainty about the weather, and what it could be like in February, and thankfully it was not a blizzard, and we had a bridal party willing to brave the somewhat chilly winter day for some fun outside photographs.  The reception, which took place at The Ville in Andover, was exceptionally fun for all in attendance!  The guests danced the night away in one of the more unique reception venues that we've had the opportunity to shoot in.

Scott and Laura, we wish you all the happiness and joy as you begin your journey as a married couple and new family.  Thank you for giving us the honor of capturing your day and sharing in all the joy and excitement with you.

Your wedding is one of the biggest days in your life. It's something many people look forward to, from the time they're a child and first learn exactly what a wedding is. It's also one of the most organizationally challenging days you will ever face. Where will you get married? Where will your reception be? Who will you invite? What will they eat? What kind of dress/suit will you wear? What kind of rings will you and your partner decide on? Flowers? Cake? 

The wedding of Zetta & Patrick was our second meeting with the couple. Just last year, we had the opportunity to work with Zetta's brother, Jacob (and his wife, Sarah), and the rest of the Campbell clan. They were a lot of fun, extremely hospitable, and her mother might be one of the most thorough ladies we've met yet! Incidentally, she made getting the formal portraits in the sanctuary move so fast, we actually had extra time to relax before the ceremony began! (Thanks, Janet!) So, when Zetta contacted us about working with them for her own wedding, we couldn't say, "no." 

What a great wedding! We were given the opportunity to work in a church we hadn't yet shot in, which had a lovely coordinator (props for that, Aldersgate!), and gorgeous natural light. For those who shoot weddings, you know how rare it can be to find a sanctuary that actually has an abundance of natural light, and what a blessing it can be during the ceremony. This place was really one of our favorite churches that we've photographed in.

Following the ceremony, we hit the road and followed the party out to Tanganyika Wildlife Park (another first for us). Though the weather had been gorgeous leading up to, and during, the ceremony, it took a turn once the reception started. As a storm front moved in, it gave us some dramatic clouds for a couple quick outdoor shots, but also some nasty wind (that the bride had little interest in battling, considering the perfect 'do she was rocking). So, doomed to keep it indoors, we made the best of it and grabbed even more greatness from the reception than we usually do!

I (Abi) have had the blessing of making some lifelong friends since moving to Wichita...you know, the ones that you'll hopefully still talk to in 20 years.  Laurel is definitely one of those friends.  We have had the blessing of documenting several big life events for them, including their maternity photos with their first daughter Amelia, their daughter Matilda just a few hours old, and most recently Matilda's 3 month pictures.

We had been talking for a while about making some sort of backdrop that would be portable, because babies are finicky, and having a mobile studio is key.  This way, we can go to someone's home, set up, and be quite flexible on time, instead of having a set amount of time in a studio that we've rented.  Also, being at someone's home means the baby doesn't have to travel, and there are endless opportunities for outfit changes.

We spent the day before Matilda's photo shoot working on creating the background, and thankfully Luke and Laurel have great floors in their home, and it worked well.  We will perhaps make a few minor adjustments before our next run with the backdrop, but all in all it was a success.  Of all the ages of babies we shoot, 3 months is definitely one of the more challenging as the baby usually can't quite sit up on their own yet, and sometimes will smile, but not on cue as they will in later months. Matilda was a great sport as we moved her into different positions, and even squeaked out a smile once or twice.

In between moving the little babe around, and just because we can't resist, we got some fun and silly shots of big sister Amelia, who is much better and responding to cues and matching Abi's silly faces.

For the first time as photographers, we decided to stretch ourselves and to switch our typical spots.  Therefore, James photographed the ladies getting ready, and Abi the guys.  It was a fun challenge for both of us, and a chance to see what the other usually does in the time before the wedding, and for me (Abi) it was a chance to see how much more relaxed guys are before a wedding...as was evidenced by their watching YouTube videos.  It was also fun and special to see the bride's son, Andrew, incorporated into the wedding in many special ways, such as walking his mom down the aisle, and also to see the unique bond that Brandon and Andrew obviously have.  James had a chance to have some fun with the girls, taking a creative photo channeling inspiration from the cover of the movie "Bridesmaids."

The venue at which the wedding and reception took place is called Le Venue, and is just a short drive north of Wichita, in Valley Center.  The former movie theater/roller rink turned church turned venue had some classic charm and great modern updates and touches, and made it a really fun place to get married, and for us to shoot.  We enjoyed incorporating many of the unique aspects of this location into our photographs.

The ceremony was sweet and fun, filled with just enough humor to keep everyone entertained!

The best way to close out such a fun day, is of course with dancing.  Brandon and Heather had a beautiful first dance, and we also captured this sweet shot of mother and son.  For a guy who wasn't feeling too well all day, Andrew did a great job pushing through (especially during pictures) and had one of the best attitudes of anyone we've had the pleasure of photographing.  

To Brandon and Heather, thanks for choosing us to be part of your wedding, many wishes for a lifetime of happiness together.  

So, after they approached us about doing some photos of them for the fall, we jumped at the chance to spend more time together. We don't seem to have much spare time these days, but when we do, we enjoy spending it with close friends.

It was a great time, we all really enjoyed the late afternoon of shooting. Though it was sunny, the fall had really set in here in Kansas, so we had to use a little magic here and there to warm things up. :)

And, what trip to the air show would be complete without taking a few pictures of the kids?

If you enjoy photos from a couple Wichita photographers, swing by our website. Heck, contact us and let us know what you think. In fact, why not schedule a shoot? We'd love to hear from you, so please get in touch today!

A couple weeks back Abi and I had the pleasure of doing engagement photos with Andrew and Mary. The weather was the best it could be, and we had the opportunity to road trip in the new car, which is perfect for shoots like this one! - Per their request, we avoided the typical hot spots in Wichita, and we headed out of town to find something beautiful and not regularly used in local photos. That’s exactly what we found in our trip north of Wichita, KS.

Our first stop was at a neat little historic landmark, Pioneer Bluffs, in the Matfield Green area. They’re not only extremely welcoming to visitors, but they also have some of the best history on the area you’ll find, as well as beautiful artwork and crafts available for purchase.

Following the cool old farm, our next stop was Cottonwood Falls. A beautiful small town with the oldest courthouse still in use, this place had a lot of options and was really a peaceful place to shoot. If you’re ever in the area, definitely check out the actual falls, on the north end of town.

The next stop was for a cool little caboose Abi noticed in Strong City. Though brief, that was definitely a fun little place to grab some shots. Just up the road from Strong City was our final destination – the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Overall we had a lot of fun working with Andrew and Mary. They’ve got a great style, are some of the most genuine people we know, and they loved the idea of making this shoot more of an exploration and an adventure. We are really looking forward to doing their wedding in May!

Wichita wedding photographers, James & Abi Sanny, are available for engagement sessions and wedding photography all over the state of Kansas. If you like what you see on our blog, be sure to stop by our website, contact us and let us know what we can do for you!

Matilda Ruth Scott was born at 6:00 am Saturday morning to one of my (Abi) best friends in the world.  She is tiny, sweet and I love her already.  Barely able to hold off my excitement until noon, James and I, along with our friends Grant and Vanessa, were among the first few to meet her and snuggle the world's newest addition.

I am so impressed with Laurel, as she was able to bring another life into this world!  I am also so excited to watch baby Matilda grow and learn, and to be part of her life.  Congratulations to both Luke and Laurel, you have beautiful babies and you parent them exceptionally...and to baby Matilda, welcome to this great world!  We're glad you're here!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Like I could say no?

Curious to see what the original images looked like before arriving in the previous composite photographs? Here they are, grouped together to show the original elements.

Brenton was great to work with. He's a very laid back guy, up for just about anything when it comes to photo ideas. He's also quite talented with a ball. We had him do some juggling for us during the shoot, and it was definitely a lot of fun to watch!

And, since Brenton's little brother, Coleman, was helping out with the lights, I promised I'd take a couple fun shots of him. The third shot in the collage looks a little like dancing - but it's actually supposed to be a bicycle kick. 

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Here are a few photos from our shoot, including the coach's assistant (and junior lighting technician), a couple of the seniors, the team prayer, and the final team poster. Enjoy!

For more of the photos from the shoot, or if you're interested in purchasing a print, check out their gallery here, Norwich Eagles or, if you're a fan of the Norwich Eagles, be sure to check out their blog!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

We stayed in the Sheraton at Crown Center, on the 25th floor (I'm a sucker for tall buildings with great views). With a view like that, you almost feel like your'e on top of the world. The real pleasure was the fact that we weren't directly located in downtown, but were just far enough South that we had a fantastic view of it from our room!

Now, even though this wasn't a business related venture, I did bring along a smaller camera to get a few shots here and there (and the iPhone is always working hard when I'm someplace new). Here's my newest cinemagraph, as well as some of the shots I took over the weekend.

Thanks for stopping by and, if you enjoyed these photos, be sure to look me up on Instagram (Username: jhsanny). I try to keep my feed pretty interesting. 

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Make sure you look towards the lower/center area of this photo, for the American flag.

This is one I did with our dog, just to help tide me over while I look for another subject.

Here's another I did for work, just for fun. :)

There are a lot of options when putting one of these together. Certainly there are better examples than these, as well, but for a first shot, I think they've turned out pretty well. Definitely look for cinemagraphs in the future of our work. They'll make great digital pieces for our clients to use on blogs and other internet media!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Liz and Jared had their ceremony and reception at the Spectrum Venue here in Wichita.  Having everything at one place makes it easy for both guests and photographers, and we definitely enjoyed that aspect!  Beyond the physical location, Liz and Jared, along with their guests, made us feel completely at home.  We had fun while photographing their wedding, and as you'll see from some of the photos, their guests had a lot of fun too!  

Liz and Jared, congratulations on your marriage!  You two are some of the kindest and most genuine people that we've worked with!  We're so happy that you found each other, and we wish you many years of happiness together.

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita wedding photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Our 2013 Senior Social event is geared towards high school seniors that are looking for the ideal senior pictures package. A creative session, prints to share with friends (and family), and a disc with some of your favorites from the session! What more could you ask for out of a senior portrait package?

Booking your 2013 Senior Social package with James Sanny Photography gets you between 1 and 2 hours of shoot time, multiple locations/outfits, a private proofing gallery to share, 50 wallet prints, and a disc* containing your 10 favorite shots from the session to share on any social platform you wish.

*The images included on the disc are optimized for web use/sharing, therefore they do not include a print release.

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Luckily, I decided to shoot at a baseball game Friday night, and even took the camera for a spin on Sunday afternoon - so I've still got a little material I can discuss. Up first - Friday night's baseball game & fireworks shots. Things to take note on - the shots taken during the actual game were shot at ISO 3200 & 6400. Minimal sharpening and noise reduction was used in post. (Any real clarity or CA issues are most likely due to the all manual, Phoenix 500mm f/8 lens I was using. It's not the highest of quality, but still fared rather well when coupled with the 5D3.)

The following fireworks shots were shot between 4 & 15 seconds in length, at an ISO of 100, using the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens, at f/22. like before, minimal sharpening and adjustments were made on these photos (no noise reduction was used).

Here's a shot of the church that the wedding Saturday took place in. I'd not been to St. Mark's in Colwich, but it's an absolutely beautiful place. The only thing I found that might be a struggle; it seems much darker than other churches I've had the pleasure of shooting in. Not sure if it's due to the time of day (the sun was pretty much straight over head, not letting a lot of direct light in the windows during the ceremony) or possibly just not a lot of windows to let light in? The following shot was with the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens, with minimal sharpening and adjustments made.

Finally, here are some shots I took during a brief photo trek my wife and I took on Sunday. We went out to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, near Council Grove, KS. These shots were all taken using the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens, at an ISO of 2500 or lower. These images were adjusted more than the earlier shots, but nothing beyond some added contrast, fill light, sharpening and clarity.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed using this camera. It was like taking the full frame sensor quality from the 5D2 and giving it all the faster and stronger features of the 7D, plus some better high ISO capabilities. The silent shutter mode was killer during the wedding, and definitely made me feel a little less obtrusive while shooting during the ceremony.

That being said - I wouldn't drop $3,799 for this body since I'm already shooting with a 5D2, unless I was making some serious money shooting, my camera was experiencing problems that didn't warrant the cost of repairs, or if I had a large sum of money laying around that I didn't need (wouldn't that be nice?). It's a great camera, but considering we already own a 7D & 5D2, it's completely unnecessary to upgrade to something like this. Both of our current bodies are more than capable of handling fast, low light situations.

The only real issue that I did notice with the 5D3 was the Auto White Balance was a bit wishy-washy. It couldn't make up its mind while shooting formals in the sanctuary of the church on Saturday. Every single shot had a different Kelvin rating, even when shot on a burst mode. Not a huge deal if you shoot Raw, but definitely a little strange.

So, there you have it. The Canon 5D3, tested by the Wichita photographers at James Sanny Photography.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of renting and shooting a Canon 5D Mark 3. Though I only shot with it for a couple of days, none of which were spent in studio or under scrutinizing test like conditions, I did decide to see how it performs versus the Canon 7D and 5D Mark 2 that we own. There are already a lot of tests and comparisons out there for this, but I’d really wanted to try it myself and test one of the major factors that has interested me to the point of wanting to upgrade - ISO.

I set up a piece of scrapbooking paper on the wall in our dimly lit dining room, pulled out a tripod, and set up one camera at a time. I used the Canon 24-70mm L lens, at f/4, and only adjusted my ISO from there. Each shot’s exposure was determined by the camera, so shutter speed varied (though there shouldn’t be any camera shake, as it was mounted to a tripod and the timer was used to trigger the camera).

As you can see from the photos, the 5D3 clearly exposes more accurately (though covering the eye piece on the 5D2 & 7D may help in that respect). That being said, I rarely shoot without my eye to the viewfinder, so that bit isn't all that relevant to me. What I did see is that the ISO, as expected, is much improved on the new 5D3. In fact, even at an ISO of 12,800, the new 5D3 doesn't appear to be as noisy as the 5D2 at ISO 6400.

Also, I was a little disappointed to see that our 7D seems to create slightly sharper images than our 5D2 - though the 7D is noticeably noisier at varying ISO levels. 

So - from a local photographer who just had the curiosity to see how these three cameras would match up, there you have it. Does this difference in ISO sell you on the new 5D3? If not, I can also tell you that the silent shutter mode on the camera is absolutely wonderful. After shooting a wedding this last weekend, in a very large sanctuary, during a relatively quiet Mass, I was hardly noticeable to the attendees. (And the ability to write to a second card is really a nice back up opportunity!) While I enjoyed all of these things, I'm not quite sure I'm sold to upgrade just yet.. Perhaps when our gear needs replacing or Canon has a nice sale!

Enjoying the photos & comparisons on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

After meeting with them once, and doing some single composite portraits with them, I realized just how much I enjoyed doing work like this. It's entirely different from the wedding photography work that we usually do, and while that entails a lot of creativity on the fly this opens a whole new world of creativity, where the only limitations are the ones I give myself. So, that being said, here are a couple shots from the team shoot, followed by the final composite poster that I put together for them.

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

In the past we've given our clients their images on a disc, which has worked well.  As our business grows, so do the number of photos we're giving to clients so we had to find a different way to give them their images.

Enter Flashbay.  James asked for a product sampling, and they went above and beyond.  They sent us examples of each flash drive they offer, which can have your custom logo printed on them.  And they also included gummy bears - bonus!  We enjoyed looking at all of the options we had, while munching on our delicious treats, and finally settled on the simple silver option, with our logo in black.

We received our flash drives this week, and are so thrilled with how they look!  We cannot wait to deliver our next wedding photos to the client with one of these!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

One of the most interesting things about proposing to someone is that, honestly, there's no wrong way to do it. In fact, if you're creative, you'll probably find a pretty fun way to go about it. After all, this is the kind of thing that, ideally, we only do once. It may not be perfect, but it should definitely be memorable. That being said, from where Abi and I stood during the proposal, I can't imagine it having gone any better than it did!

Congratulations to you both, Andrew & Mary! We appreciate the opportunity to share in this joyous occasion, and we wish you the best of luck during the planning of your big day!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita wedding photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

We were lucky enough to be invited to her last shoot, which took place at the Scottish Rite building in downtown Wichita. The theme was a bridal shoot, which is exactly why we couldn't put any of these shots up until now. She requested that everyone keep their photos to themselves so that her (then) fiance wouldn't see the dress until their wedding day. 

Elena, it has been a pleasure to work with you!  We wish you all the best in your marriage and new life with your husband!  Many congratulations!

For more, visit the gallery!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita wedding photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

After a few weeks, Margaret of Studios United was able to set up a second rooftop gathering for a later time slot. This time we'd be there just before sunset, and into the early part of dusk. Well, that was the time slot, but we (James & Abi) ended up needing to leave early. Regardless, it was a fun opportunity, and we had fun just hanging out with more local photographers and taking a few photos here and there.

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Just under two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to photograph Catherine and John as they celebrated and committed to one another in marriage.  Their wedding ceremony was filled with beautiful traditional symbolism, included family on one of the most significant days that can be had as a couple, and above all it was filled with a chance to worship and celebrate not only Catherine and John’s love for one another, but for God.

When we first met with Catherine and John, they had said that they really wanted their wedding ceremony to be a worship service.  Catherine is a minister at Grace Presbyterian Church here in Wichita, and both Catherine and John are deeply rooted in their faith and the community at Grace.  I (Abi) think it was one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I have ever seen, but it also could be that we’re still coming off the excitement of our own wedding just over a month ago.

Catherine and John chose to do a first look because they wanted photographs before the ceremony.  It was so fun to experience that special moment when they saw one another for the first time, and then we snuck out so they could have a few minutes alone before the excitement of the day was upon them.  Catherine and John, thank you so much for choosing us to document your wedding day, we loved working with you and being able to share in your wedding with you!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita wedding photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Saturday we had the joy of celebrating a 1 year birthday with some good friends. One of the special things about this celebration is how close we are to these people. They’ve become some of our best friends in the last year, and to top it off, their baby loves me (James).

Being a 6’5” man, who tends to have a more stern face, it’s not terribly common to encounter children that smile, laugh and enjoy being around me. In fact, it’s made it difficult for me to enjoy being around small children – that, and their inherent ability to leak from both ends at any given moment. So, having this one baby that does seem to be partial to my company brings me hope that I will truly enjoy the company of my own children (when we decide to increase the size of our family, that is).

Here are some photos we took while enjoying the party – and it’s also important to note, we bought her the toy keys she’s enjoying ever so much. ;)

We closed out the night with sparklers and jumping photos. After all, it was a party. Why not?

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!

Here is an example of the main page on the micro sites (click the photo to visit the site):

Though we've been using Zenfolio for sometime now, the blog set up with them is a fairly new beast for us. That being said, we understand the importance of regularly blogging, and are going to start making an effort to blog about the work we do, the inspiration we love and the ideas we have. Who knows? Maybe people will actually read it then!

Enjoying the photos on our blog? Check out the website of Wichita wedding photographers James & Abi Sanny, and let us know what we can do for you!