Sam and Matt
| Posted by Becca on July 1st, 2009I love these guys. I love that every time we met it felt like hanging out. I love how they don’t take themselves too seriously. I love their love for classic rock. I love that their families were on the dance floor all night. They have the nicest friends, and they are two totally likable people pairing up. Here are some of the images from their wedding day.
We are family.
| Posted by Tyler Wirken on June 26th, 2009What better way to spend an afternoon than with family. Please meet our nephew and niece, Jake and Ellie. We had a wonderful time hanging out with them and loved the images that we got. Enjoy.
Rachel and Kitley
| Posted by Becca on June 25th, 2009I have been impressed with Rachel, Kitley, and their families since I first met with them. They are the kind of people that embody what Ghandi said, ” We must be the change we want to see in the world”. I’m sure they would be embarrassed to hear me say that, but they just really live their convictions and they inspire and remind me to do the same.
The wedding was entirely at Rachel’s home. It was a kind of pot-luck affair. Mom actually made her famous potatoes for everybody, the couple made their commitment in the backyard, and danced the night away under the stars. It was wonderful and refreshing. Thank you so much for letting me document your day.
Kitley sets up chairs
Charlotte Lately
| Posted by Becca on June 23rd, 2009My beautiful girl is just shy of 4 months old, and she is smiling up storms! Here she is one day when we were playing a favorite game where mommy covers her up with a towel and she kicks it off. Joy is so simple these days!
Anne & Aaron Engagment
| Posted by Tyler Wirken on June 18th, 2009A fun engagement shoot with Anne and Aaron a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed shooting them around our studio as well as a few cool places in Aaron’s workplace. Stay tuned for their wedding October 3, 2009.
Enjoy.
Playground Love
| Posted by Becca on June 17th, 2009Meet Maggie and Tyler. These two are tying the knot this October. We had a fun filled summer evening at their neighborhood dive bar, and then stumbled upon my favorite pictures from the session of them riding bikes in a park down the street from their home.
Welcoming Charlotte | The show
| Posted by Tyler Wirken on June 16th, 2009
On Sunday we all got together with my parents for an early birthday/fathers day celebration for me. You know time with the parents, eating steak out on the porch enjoying the sounds of little feet and laughter. All the great moments in life. Those moments that come and go only recorded mentally.
My parents gave me a gift for fathers day that fueled an already raging fire in me. It was a little book filled with wonderful images of fathers and their children. I found myself wanting to instantly thumb through it. So I did. Page after page of wonderful photographs. Some portrait, some documentary images. Then I noticed how much a strong feeling I got when I came upon a true documentary image as opposed to a portrait. Do not get me wrong I love portraits and know the importance of a portrait, but there was something about the incredible moments captured between father and child that blew me away.
Maybe it was the fact that I had just seen my parents wedding album that night and experienced the importance of documenting family, maybe it was the subject matter of kids and fathers, but I felt this wave of passion for the moment and for documenting it. It hit me when looking at an image of a triathlon race in Australia. The athletes were exiting the ocean after the swim and among the crowd was a little boy holding an artificial limb. He was handing it to his father as he came out of the water so he could run the final part of the race. Amazing moment that said so much in one photograph.
At this point I am sure you are asking yourself- what does this have to with Charlotte? Well I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a new direction I want to go with my documentary photography. One that I have been working on slowly for a while. One I feel very passionate about. One that I got the chance to do when sweet little miss Charlotte came into this world.
I was asked by Becca to photograph the birth of their first child Charlotte. I jumped at the chance. Is there is any better life moment to document than a birth? I was honored to be asked to do it and a titch nervous to do a great job for them. The result I am very proud of.
This shoot along with a few other non-wedding documentary shoots opened up a new passion for me. I want to be able to document those everyday family events for people in the same hands off way as we do weddings and as I do for my family.
Thus the birth of the - Normal Day Session. The idea is to be present and to document the normal happenings of family life. Births, events, or just the average normal day with out interruption. As a parent who has had this done it is priceless. My very good friend Brooks Whittington did this for Pam and I of us and our boys last year. Unbelievably good. To view that go to- www.thewirkens.com. Contact the studio if your are interested to learn more. Later I will share some images of a normal day session I did just recently.
Back to the story of Charlotte. Charlotte is 3 months old now so this is a bit late, but it took me that long to finally figure out how to post videos on our blog!
Enjoy the show and thanks for listening. I also need to thank and give credit to my friend and amazing photographer/storyteller Amy Deputy for inspiring this show.
I first heard this song in one of her shows and was mesmerized- it is Twenty Two Fourteen by The Album Leaf. I was also inspired by her great use of text with images. Thanks friend.
A final thanks to Becca and Mark for letting me in and to Becca for the use of the first two images in the show. They are hers that she shot while having contractions!
http://www.vimeo.com/5186968Brienne and Jordan
| Posted by Becca on June 10th, 2009Kelli of Red Door Event Design, hooked me up with Brienne and Jordan. From the first description of these two and what they’re about, and what they wanted their wedding day to be like, I knew that I wanted to be the one to record it. The style- the surface elements- could have been enough to inspire. But in the course of only a few days getting to know these two and their friends, I fell in love with them. The day was laid back, there were surprises along the way that were a treat for me to shoot, and at the end of the night, Jewell and I were actually sad to go home. Thank you Brienne, Jordan, family and friends. We had a ball with you guys.
To start, the dear family doggie, hanging out with dad on the couch.
Christy
| Posted by Becca on June 9th, 2009I haven’t been able to share Christy’s smokin bridal session because they hadn’t been married yet. Well, the wonderful wedding was Saturday, so now I get to share….
Vote for us! | Wirken Photography nominated for KC mag best of best.
| Posted by Tyler Wirken on June 5th, 2009
A special thanks to all that nominated us for KC Magazines best of Kansas City! We just recieved word that we are 1 of 5 nominated as best photographer in Kansas City!
Cool news but now it is up to you folks! You have to now go and vote!
Follow this link - http://citysbest.midwestluxe.com
The new voting website will we open from Friday, June 5th to Monday, June 15th.
Thanks to all that nominated us! It means a lot.
Have a good weekend!