Andrea Nigh Photography

New Blog

2010-04-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

This blog has moved...please visit:

http://www.andreanigh.com/blog

Thanks, Andrea.

"Mortgage Team Assemble"

2010-03-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

While in Colorado a few weekends back, I took head shots for Peoples Mortgage of Denver. Lucky for me, they were open to more unique head shots, not plain simple background shots - these are my kind of lenders. I love downtown Denver and their office is located at 15th and Wynkoop - an awesome part of downtown near the Pepsi Center which offered some great buildings to shoot by. The image to the right was just for kicks and reminds me of Anchor Man when Ron Burgundy calls upon his team for a news team throw down..."news team assemble." Additionally, Chris and I used Peoples in Kansas City when buying our house, they are an awesome company and I highly recommend them! Thanks guys for a fun shoot.

Photo of the week - Have a great Valentine's weekend

2010-02-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Kona LOVES looking out our front window and barking at: the mail man, squirrels, and birds. We really should walk her more. In honor of Valentine's Day - this is for Kona...

My favorite wedding details

2010-02-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

This post is a look back at the small details that make weddings special. Of course you need to book the venue; find the dress and much more but don't underestimate the details. I personally think it is the small touches that make it unforgettable for you and your guests. The place cards, the programs, the flower in your hair...all small details that can tell your guests so much about your personality, your relationship and what matters the most to you. Here are images of just that; the great details that tell a story and make your wedding truly unique to you. These are comprised from weddings I have shot over the years and I hope they give you some ideas and inspiration for your own wedding! Enjoy.

Everyone remembers their childhood treat - Hostess Cupcakes! Jason decided to incorporate this treat and make it his groom's cake - what a fun idea! Their program was also unique and special to them since they went to rival schools - Mizzou vs. Kansas! This was also their Save the Date, a super cute and different idea. The garter is a reflection of Erica and her Mizzou background.

Laura and Matt gave traditional flowers a wow factor by adding fruit to the vase, like lemons and limes. They also included limes on their wedding cake...bringing it all together. Custom invitations and programs gave the wedding a theme and natural progression - have fun with them! Live music during the ceremony and cocktail hour is a great way to set the mood and tone of the wedding

Laura spiced up her bouquet by having the florist add something special to her all white bunch. Bridesmaids wore these awesome hair pieces that Sarah (a bridesmaid) found on eBay! For the seating, Laura and Matt used mountains to identify table placements for their guests - a cute idea since the wedding was in Colorado! Drawing ideas from your location is an awesome way to incorporate your interest and personality. Cocktail hour is always a nice transition from the ceremony to the reception and the JW Marriott of Denver had a really neat outdoor courtyard for the wedding guests.

Lighting at a reception can go a long way and really add an elegant touch to the room. Mindy Price with JW Marriott, Denver coordinated Laura and Matt's wedding. I think this pink lighting is really cool and brings everything together. Laura and Matt had guests sign a mat that would then be used to frame a wedding picture of their choice - a neat way to keep those memories forever. Entertainment doesn't always have to be in the form of a DJ or full band, Laura and Matt hired Wes Yoakam (http://www.wesyoakam.com/) and he was an incredible one man band!

Have a neat engagement story? Make it a part of your big day! Dustin proposed to Goldie on a DQ ice cream cake and the day of their wedding, DQ put up this special message - so fun!

This is something I regret not doing on my wedding day...honoring my grandmother or mother in this very neat and special way. Not many will see it the day of your wedding but you know it is there and that is what really matters - great idea Goldie!

Cake toppers allow you to get as creative as you want! Since this cake is so detailed, I love that they went with a simple M for McKnight.

The most important detail of all (at least in my opinion) is surrounding yourself with loving friends and family.

For David and Sarah’s wedding, David brewed his own beer for the guests to take away as a thank you gift (watch out Boulevard). After we shot their engagement photos we took the pictures and designed beer labels for all the bottles with creative beer names. They put them out on the tables at their wedding and it was a great hit.

That is it for now, check back for more real

wedding ideas and inspiration!!!

Happy Planning!

Photo of the week - wish I were here!

2010-01-12T10:26:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks before Christmas I joined my hubby for a work trip to Clearwater, Florida. He obviously had to work but I spent most of my time on the beach trying to catch some rays. The sea birds are especially friendly in Clearwater and very curious...most of images include birds that had no problem getting close. This one in particular waited for me to abandon my bag and towel to swim in the ocean so it could get a better look. As I look back at my stuff from the ocean, it was standing on my towel...awesome. So here are a few shots of the beach and birds! Cheers.

Picture of the Week...A sign for 2010, I hope!

2009-12-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

I was cutting bell peppers the other day and this was on the bottom of one of the peppers...crazy! I have never seen anything like it and it is so clear. You always hear those stories of people seeing Jesus or the Virgin Mary in their food or on an iron or something strange. - This may not be a sign from above but I'll talk what I can get!

Hearne Family shoot

2009-12-22T10:56:00.001-08:00

It had to be the last nice day of 2009...the sun was shining, the last of the leaves were falling and it was a perfect portrait shoot day. Jade and Drew have 3 great little girls who managed to stay involved with the shoot despite dragging them all over Loose Park. They were silly, fun and ready to toss leaves in the air! I especially like the swing pictures because that is when they forgot they were being photographed and I was able to capture their personalities and smiles. Thanks Hearne Family!

Just for fun

2009-12-10T08:13:00.001-08:00

I want to start posting pictures I have taken either during a shoot, around the house, around KC... whatever strikes me as fun, interesting or even simple. I need a catchy name but my goal is to post one picture a week like this...not a portrait or wedding shot just something different and fun. Let me know what you think and if you have a good title, ha.

This particular shot was taken during Emmo's senior portrait shoot. They have a white barn behind their house where we were shooting and one of the workers dog kept poking his head under the barn - I thought it was funny since you can only see his nose. Reminded me of my lab growing up...nose in everything! Enjoy.

Halle's Senior Portraits

2009-11-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Halle is my husband's cousin and when she asked me to shoot her senior pictures...I knew it was going to be an awesome shoot. Part of my style includes finding neat and creative places to shoot. Whether you want a natural look, urban, retro or simple background, the location is super important. Not only for the shoot itself but it also needs to reflect the subject and their personality. I would say we hit a home run with Halle's shoot. I dragged her all over downtown and she let me have total creative control... and the final product was awesome! The two most important factors with a portrait shoot are; location and relationship. I say relationship because if the subject is nervous in front of the camera and I don't help them relax and be themselves...the whole shoot is a wash. Halle had no problem being herself and I love what we captured! Thanks Halle for your wonderful personality and letting it shine through on camera.

Austin's Senior Portraits

2009-09-25T07:54:00.001-07:00

So, I have come to love shooting senior portraits! It is unlimited freedom with locations, compositions and creativity. I really try to incorporate the subjects interests and personality; including anything from the sports they play to the music they love. Location also plays a major role in reflecting personality. Does the subject want it to be edgy and urban or simple and natural? Austin is a swimmer and a musician so we incorporated both! We choose the urban scene to showcase his musical talents...he played the base, guitar and Sax! What was even cooler is that he played the Sax in the alleyways while I photographed...the sound was amazing bouncing off the buildings! For the swimming pictures I climbed up on the diving board and shot down on him swimming fly and back. Lots of

variety here and I think it's a great reflection of Austin!

2009-09-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on blogging, so here we go!
This has been a jammed packed summer of children's portraits, senior portraits and family pics! I love shooting portraits because there are endless possibilites with locations - half the fun is finding new and unique places to photograph.

In an attempt to go in order I am going to start with Sutton and Willa. This is a nice example of being able to do just about anything at any location. We stayed in their backyard and community pool to get these shots. At the end of the shoot, we ran over to the pool to capture Sutton running throught the fountains...nice in the moment shots of her enjoying life :) What cuties!

Our 1 year anniversary - crazy!

2009-08-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

Let them eat cake!

Chris and I celebrated our one year anniversary this past weekend. Since we did not have a big cake at our wedding ( we had a dessert station with chocolate moose, ice box cookies, tarts and more YUMMY!) we never "officially" cut the cake. So for our anniversary I surprised Chris with a mini wedding cake! It was 3 delicious layers of cake designed by; Cakes By Megan, here in KC. Since I skipped the whole cake thing last year, I loved tasting all the cake samples with Megan and designing it. The cake cutting tradition is actually an interesting one, symbolizing the first task you do as husband and wife - better late then never right!

Thank you to our friends and family for helping us celebrate and eat cake

- we are so very lucky to have you. I would also like to thank my amazing husband for being so supportive, loving, funny and strong. Everyday you amaze me.

One of the best parts of my job is capturing the incredible moments when two people tie the knot and share their commitment to each other with their friends and family. Every time I shoot a wedding I am reminded of my own marriage, reminded of my own vows, my dedication to my husband and how thankful I am to have him.

I love you Chris - here's to the years to come. Andi

Jordan and Kevin

2009-08-17T17:15:00.001-07:00

Jordan and Kevin had the great idea of incorporating an Ampersand in their photos and I thought it was great. We ran around Loose Park for their wedding portraits and came up with a great variety of shots.

Laura and Matt

2009-07-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Laura and Matt tied the knot June 13th in Denver, Colorado. This wedding was a lot of fun to photograph because Laura is my sister's husband's sister, ha - say that 5 times fast! I have known the Cain's for a long time and they are a wonderful family. Not to mention that Laura and Matt are super laid back, which made it easy to capture the moments and be creative. I also designed and made the wedding invitations & programs for this wedding.

One of my biggest dilemmas with this blog is picking my favorites to show, in this case, I have way too many and have decided to include a few frames and a slideshow, so you can see all my favs! Enjoy!

First Friday July 3rd

2009-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

The American Landscape
Juried Group Show at Hilliard Gallery
DATE: July 3rd 2009
TIME: 6-9 PM
LOCATION: Hilliard Gallery 404 E. 18th St. KC,MO 64108
MORE: This is a juried group show comprised of artist working in all types of mediums. Each artist gives their interpretation of what the American Landscape means to them. Come see my pieces including images of Colorado, KC, Iowa and St. Louis
Show runs through July 28th

Zerr Family

2009-06-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Greg and his two kids, Cole and Jenna were a delight to photograph. We walked all around the Nelson Museum (one of my favorite places in KC) and took advantage of every setting. They loved when I asked them to roll down the hill and I'm sure Greg loved the grass stains later, ha. Photographing kids is always fun because they have such carefree expressions but capturing the moments between a parent and child is even better. I have too many favorites from this shoot to post, but here a few...

Jazz Night

2009-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I photographed an event at The National Golf Club featuring the music of the Dave Stephen's Band. It was a fun mix of circus style entertainment and jazz music. They are based out of L.A. but regularly play in KC, so check em' out! These pictures include the musicians and entertainers that performed that night.

Alex turns 5

2009-05-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

I photographed Alex last year when she turned 4 in a more urban setting. This year we changed it up and photographed at Loose Park. For those of you not familiar with Loose Park, it sits right by the Plaza and gives you a big city park feel, like London's Hyde Park. There are a lot of great old trees, flowers and greenery. We walked all around the park and took advantage of almost every aspect. Not to mention, Alex is a natural in front of the camera and makes it easy to capture her fun personality.

After shooting Alex's portraits her parents jumped in and I photographed them all together. They wanted to keep it very casual and laid back, reflecting how they are together everyday.

Ashton

2009-05-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ashton's portraits were so fun because she let me drag her all over The Nelson sculpture park, The Plaza fountain and she even got in the pool in a formal gown - one of the coolest shoots I've ever done. Ashton is a swimmer and will likely swim in college next year. She wanted to capture this part of her life in a unique and creative way. I love the water pictures and the way the blue gown looks in the water, so cool. There is so much creative freedom when the subject is willing to take risks - thanks Ashton!

Blake and Alex turn 3!

2009-04-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Alex and Blake are twins and they recently turned 3. It was very interesting photographing twins and seeing how they interact. I was nervous about photographing them together too much. However, as the shoot went on I was able to get a great combination of them together as brothers and separate as individuals. I kept this shoot very journalistic and tried to capture them in their natural, playful state, which I think turned out very well.

Mc is 7 months!

2009-04-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

McKinley is my sister's baby girl and I snapped some more photos of her while I was home for Easter. All this kid does is laugh and smile, so she is a breeze to photograph. I just wish both my sisters lived closer and I could regularly photograph their kids!

Photography Compositions

2009-03-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

I recently entered a small photo contest on Pictage, highlighting abstract and interesting compositions. The contest inspired me to share more of my photos with the hopes that you will comment and share your thoughts. Compositions can be made up of many different elements like; leading lines, creative framing, negative space, texture, color and much more. Let me know what you think!

Swimming World Magazine

2009-03-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

Check out the February and March issues of Swimming World Magazine for photographs I took of leading swimmers during the 2008 Grand Prix Series.

For those of you who don't know my background; I was a swimmer at the University of Missouri and a photojournalism major. I am so lucky to be able to bring the two together.

I also think it's great that even though I shoot more weddings and portraits than freelance work, I keep my journalism skills current and sharp.

www.swimmingworldmagazine.com Thanks for your support and keep watching swimming!

Year in Review

2008-12-31T07:46:00.001-08:00

Thank you for your business, support and referrals in 2008!

Custom Thank you Cards

2008-12-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

This new year is all about promoting and expanding my business to include custom designs for wedding invitations, save the dates, programs, thank you cards and more. These are one of a kind designs by me, using my own photography. Below are some examples of thank you cards that were recently purchased and save the date cards for a wedding client. I will post their wedding invitation in the months to come. I had such a great response to my own wedding invitations that I wanted to offer this service to others. I truly believe that your wedding invitation should set the tone for your big day and should reflect the type of event it's going to be.

This is the wedding invitation I designed for my own wedding. I photographed this flower in western Colorado on the Gunnison River and I loved the colors for an invite. I used this to also design our programs and thank you cards. It was a 4x9 invite and included three small cards for directions, things to do, and RSVP. They were all tied to the main invite with an orange ribbon.

This is the Save the Date for Laura and Matt. She wanted purple flowers in her wedding invitations, so I designed the save the date to coordinate with the invite.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...Conner, Laney and Chase!

2008-11-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

Conner, Laney and Chase, the cutest kids ever!

I went to photograph Chase's baby pictures on Halloween. Laney and Conner were dressed up as Superman and Superwoman...so I had to photograph them, too! Laney loved the camera that day and made my job fun and easy. Conner was a little harder to capture, he was really excited about trick or treating that night and I don't blame him!

Chase is the newest addition to this busy household and I focused on photographing him in many different spots to capture soft, natural light.

I really pride myself on my photojournalism style and I was very pleased with how these turned out. My biggest goal is to capture real life and people/kids in their own environments, I think I did just that in this photo shoot. Enjoy!

McKinley

2008-11-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

McKinley Baby pictures! McKinley is my sister's first baby and she is beautiful! I took these at my parents house in Colorado. These are my favorites...

2008-10-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Laura and Dustin got married October 4th at the Longview Mansion. They had incredible weather for October and a beautiful wedding. I had never been to Longview Mansion and it was a beautiful setting for their day. This is a slideshow of their wedding, highlighting the moments. This is something new I am doing for clients after the wedding and for promotional use, so let me know what you think! Enjoy!

A Day in Kansas City

2008-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

On September 9th, I roamed the streets of KC to find interesting and unique images of our ever changing city...I think you will enjoy what I found!

Elie Turns 1

2008-09-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

I first photographed Elie when she was a few months old, well she just turned 1 and we are at it again! These were taken in a community garden in downtown Denver. I love the images of the red iron chair against the tall sunflowers. It is so fun to be able to photograph kids at different stages of their lives and watch them grow up!

Whitney prego!

2008-09-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

My big sis Whitney is due any second now and we shot these while I was home a few weeks ago. Like my older sister Kim, both are such pretty pregnant moms, I only wish I had been able to photograph Kim while she carried Owen and Wade :) We shot these outside at my parents home in Colorado, nothing fancy, but natural and pretty. Baby pictures to follow!

Laura and Dustin

2008-08-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

I photographed Laura and Dustin's engagement pictures on a very hot July evening. Luckily, we ended up with beautiful light and great shots. Laura and Dustin wanted to include their dog and I was delighted, especially when it turned out to be a beautiful yellow lab. Having grown up with a lab, I knew he would cooperate and what resulted was some fun shots. We shot at Loose Park and the Liberty War Memorial. I think there is a nice mix of close up, intimate shots and unique shots that no one else would have.

Check back in October for their Longview wedding!

Loose Park has all these great big trees and I think this is a fun shot of the sun shining through.

Their dog was so obedient, he just sat there as I took pictures. I thought this was a funny shot since he looks so big on this bench with them, ha.

These were all taken at Liberty Memorial and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. As a result, there is this great clean background, I love how it looks in black & white.

I love this picture.

Lots of open space around them makes for such an interesting composition.

Owen & Wade

2008-07-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

My oldest sister has two adorable little boys, Owen and Wade and due to our locations, I've never been able to photograph the two of them together, till now! This June we were all home in Colorado and I was able to capture their personalities on camera, yeah!! We come from a swimming family and I was so impressed when both boys could swim, awesome! - These images are of them in and out of the water.

Ozark Wedding!

2008-06-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

David and Sarah got married May 25 in the Lake of the Ozarks at Tan-Tar-A Resort. It was probably the first really humid day of summer but the weather cooperated as they enjoyed sunny skies for wedding party pictures and fireworks to cap their night. Here is a look at their Ozark Wedding! Enjoy.

David's brother was still writing his toast while they were getting ready and again before the ceremony, ha.

Unbeknownst to me, a penny is good luck on your wedding day. Sarah put it in her shoe.

I love this moment between David and Stephen right after the ceremony.

Doesn't that shadow look like a cross?

After the ceremony, the wedding party took a boat from the church to Tan-Tar-A. Right after we jumped in the boat, dark clouds unleashed on us! I thought it would rain and lightening the whole ride but luckily the sun came out and I was able to capture some shots!

We shot all of the wedding party pictures at Ha-Ha-Tonka State Park. An old Castle that burnt down and all that remains are the walls, creating an incredible backdrop for pictures.

Colin

2008-06-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

I know Colin from my swim coaching days in the Northland and I wasn't surprised when he wanted to incorporate his love of swimming in his portraits.

Since these were not action shots of him swimming I had to get creative and try to show what it means to be a swimmer. The image (below) of water dripping off his fingers really encompasses what it is like to be part fish! - A large part of swimming is feeling the water as you move through it, not just aimlessly splashing around. I think this image reflects that feeling.

Then we traveled to Parkville to take advantage of all the rustic and charming spots to photograph - and capture Colin's personality on dry land for a change, ha.

A Commitment Ceremony

2008-06-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

On May 30th, Rebecca and Jessica exchanged a commitment to each other at the Pilgrim Chapel in Hyde Park, probably one of the quaintest chapels in Kansas City. They were surrounded by friends and family that later helped them celebrate at Aixois in Brookside.
My job is to capture the moments and help people relive important moments in their lives. This was a very important moment for Jessica & Rebecca and I aimed to capture the love, and friendship they share. I loved shooting at this chapel and the setting it provided for their intimate and small ceremony...these are just a few of my favorites.

I loved the light coming from this door and how everyone seem to stop in front of it, right before they walked through. It created such a great mood and feeling.

Jessica and Rebecca had everyone sign this that had attended the ceremony and again it was placed right in front of a beautiful window, casting a soft light on everyone that stood there.

Alex

2008-05-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

When Alex's mom contacted me about portraits, she was really intrigued with the urban backdrops from my other portraits and wanted to do the same for Alex's shoot. I was a little apprehensive that the urban setting was too edgy for a 4 year old, but Brandi told me that Alex was full of Sass and could pull it off. Boy was she right! I would never have guessed that Alex was 3 going on 4! She was all smiles and easy to work with.

These are just a few of my favorites!

Swimming World Magazine

2008-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

My latest freelance job has landed me in Swimming World Magazine. Something I really went after considering my love and background in swimming.
In February, I traveled to Columbia, MO., to photograph the Grand Prix Swim Meet. Being an Olympic year, many former Olympians and Beijing hopefuls were there to race. I witnessed the fall of World and American records and had the pleasure of photographing it all!
In this month issue of Swimming World Magazine, I have four photos published, including images of Eric Vendt and Katie Hoff.
I realize not everyone loves swimming as much as my fiance and I, but if you get a chance, check it out!

Sarah & David

2008-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

For Sarah and David's engagement photos we ran around KC in search of new and interesting areas to photograph. We photographed everywhere from the new Power & Light District to the graffiti covered alleys of Westport...we were all over the map. These two have a great, care free relationship which made them really easy to photograph. My favorites are the graffiti images but I am also a sucker for brick walls. - Check back in June for images from their Ozark wedding!

Goldust

2008-03-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I had the honor of photographing the wedding of a former teammate of mine, Dustin. He is also friends with my fiancé, all of us former swimmers for the University of Missouri. The swimming world travels in small circles and it’s so neat when you get to be a part of each other’s lives, outside the pool.
There is a lot of pressure when photographing a wedding but with it also comes a lot of reward. A friend’s wedding is no different. The best part of photographing Goldie and Dustin’s wedding was capturing the intimate moments and times when no one else was around. These are just a few of my favorites from their Goldust day.

The DQ picture was essential since that's where Dustin proposed!

It was the exact same DQ where Goldie's parents had their first date,

a fitting place for Dustin to pop the question on a cake!

Family Portraits

2008-03-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

When winter seems to last forever, the pictures move inside. Although I love photographing outside with ambient light, I also love black and white portraits.
For this shoot, I photographed Isabel, Jacob and their two cousins. The last time I photographed Isabel and Jake, she was less than eager to get her picture taken and he could barely sit up on his own. This time around, we got tons of shots of Isabel and Jake is moving all over the place! All the kids were really great to photograph, mostly due to super mom Marcy, who entertained the kids as I photographed...making my job a breeze! Photographing four kids under the age of 4 can be a bit overwhelming, but this was a lot of fun.

I Love this one of him holding the teddy bear...I wasn't about to make him part with it!

Look at the eyelashes on this kid!

West Bottoms, Senior Portraits

2008-02-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Shooting Senior portraits in Kansas City has proven to be a lot of fun, with so many urban settings and unique locations special to KC. These were taken in the West Bottoms and I had a lot of fun exploring and scouting out this area.

Eliebelly

2008-02-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Maggie and Jimmy are good friends of mine and I had the pleasure of photographing the newest addtion to their family, Elie. Something about Black and White photography has always drawn me in, I love how the contrast can immediately convey a mood and softness, especially in baby pictures.

Sprint Center, Senior Portraits

2008-02-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

When I took my senior portraits all those years ago, I remember thinking, "this is annoying, all my friends have the exact same picture, the same blue door and the same location!" Now that I am shooting senior portraits, I take pride in finding new and different locations to shoot. It is important to me that your pictures reflect you and your personality, not a cookie cutter portrait! That is why I had a blast shooting Stuart's senior pictures. He really wanted to incorporate his love of sports and shoot at the Sprint Center. It turned out to be gem of a location, with great reflections and clean lines! Here are just a few of my favorites.